[skhan007]

Do you have any non-suede pads? For the most part, I thought the suede pads strayed too far from the VO's core sound and technical abilities.

I have the non-perf lambskin Verite pads. For Be2 or Universe, do you recommend something in particular?

 

[heliosphann]

I have the non-perf lambskin Verite pads. For Be2 or Universe, do you recommend something in particular?

There's a link to my VO pad review on the first post of this thread if you'd like to check it out.

Like I mention in that review, there's a lot of variables and personal preference in picking the best pads for you. Overall I think for most people, the perforated lambskin Be2/Universe pads are the way to go. I personally love the lambskin perf Verite pads, but their intensity and shallow depth can be a real deterrent for listeners. The other pads to me seemed to have a lot more trade-offs, excelling at certain genre's or technicalities, but struggling with others.

Also perforated pads are pretty much a must for the VO. I tried out a handful when I did my review and they really weren't even worth mentioning.

 

[PierPP]

Agreed. Perforated is a must on the VO.
My preferred ones atm are the BE2 lamb skin.

I really don’t have a good feeling with the hybrids even if some people like them a lot.

It’s really cool that we can tweak our babies to further adjust our DAC and amp pairings

 

[skhan007]

There's a link to my VO pad review on the first post of this thread if you'd like to check it out.

Like I mention in that review, there's a lot of variables and personal preference in picking the best pads for you. Overall I think for most people, the perforated lambskin Be2/Universe pads are the way to go. I personally love the lambskin perf Verite pads, but their intensity and shallow depth can be a real deterrent for listeners. The other pads to me seemed to have a lot more trade-offs, excelling at certain genre's or technicalities, but struggling with others.

Also perforated pads are pretty much a must for the VO. I tried out a handful when I did my review and they really weren't even worth mentioning.

Fantastic, thank you! Great education with your review.

Question (and perhaps a bit of a rookie question): If I like the staging of my current suede perf universe pads, would a touch of EQ get me to the same place as switching to lambskin perf universe pads and save me the purchase?

Likewise, I'm really liking the suede perf Be2 (currently on the VO as we speak) and I find just the slightest touch of EQ boost in the upper frequencies makes them sound great. Just curious if EQ is my friend in these examples vs. purchasing more pads, which I'm not opposed to doing.

 

[heliosphann]

Fantastic, thank you! Great education with your review.

Question (and perhaps a bit of a rookie question): If I like the staging of my current suede perf universe pads, would a touch of EQ get me to the same place as switching to lambskin perf universe pads and save me the purchase?

Likewise, I'm really liking the suede perf Be2 (currently on the VO as we speak) and I find just the slightest touch of EQ boost in the upper frequencies makes them sound great. Just curious if EQ is my friend in these examples vs. purchasing more pads, which I'm not opposed to doing.

You're welcome!

I'm honestly not sure how well Verite's take EQ. I rarely use EQ, so perhaps someone else can chime in on this question?

 

[prosnowboarder]

I love my auteur and verite equally and I couldn't give up either...
Although a majority of my listening recently has been the from the verite the occasional change back to the auteur is very welcomed. Really depends on my mood and task at hand which I prefer. Auteur is slightly less engaging but very real sounding and smooth with great extension but maybe a little bit less detail. Barely. Obviously they sound similar and both have the true zmf house sound but give different presentations as a whole. The Autuer has a more traditional feel to the soundstage and presentation whereas the verite comes off as a little more 3d sounding because in a weird way you feel like you are inside of the music. I can easily zone out, read, multitask, etc when listening to the auteur and listen for hours on end with no fatigue.
The verite is fully engaging and can take me to another world really quick if I'm not careful. Can be a little distracting to a task at hand because they are so engaging. I think the bass articulation and emphasis is a big part of this. Plus the full bodied thick rich sound also can get you up and dancing so a nice long cable is necessary.

But there is some natural realistic smoothness and intricate soundstage/instrument separation that the verite can't do as well as the auteur. The verite's soundstage is a lot different than the traditional up in front of you presentation. The verite is kind of in your face but in a fun and engaging yet mind boggling sort of way. Wrapped all around my head like I'm at the front row of a venue or sitting on stage with the band. Right in the middle of the sound. The verite is very uniquely musical in that way, if you will.

Also the verite is more capable of changing its sound in many different ways with tubes. The Autuer is a bit more picky with tubes for my tastes with the pendant se amp. The verite excels in many different areas depending on the tubes and any combination is amazing. It's really hard to make it sound bad. Also it's easier to dial it in to get the sound you desire because of this. Still with the right tubes the Autuer sounds just so effortlessly correct and clean. I can easily fall asleep listening to the clean smooth feeling the auteur emits. The verite is extremely transparent but not much more than the Auteurr.

Also pad swapping is picky for verite whereas auteur still sounds amazing but different with multiple pad swappings. I only really like the universe lambskin on the verite and sometimes the universe suede hybrid can sound good with certain tubes and songs.
Like I said they are similar but definitely do different things. One is more relaxing overall and the other sucks me in and takes me for a ride. Auteur has that flat fr but still gives a great clean experience of full sound. The verite sounds a little more colored but in a welcoming way and extremely technical and agile. But not bright at all or u shaped, just a pleasant mix of the frequencies with a bit of excitement mixed in.

One more thing is I often find myself playing the verite at higher volumes to achieve my preferred sound. Probably higher than most people listen but it just makes them sound so good to me. Can get fatiguing because of that but only after long listening sessions. They are still very enjoyable and not fatiguing at all at a slightly lower volume.

Anyway just thought I'd share my experiences and the joy that each of these headphones have brought and continue to bring me in different ways. I also had the eikon a while back and it had a much more similar sound signature and feel to the auteur than the verite and auteur have so I ended up selling them but I did love them for certain songs and situations so I miss them dearly to this day. But I only have so much time for listening so they would be neglected even more so than the Auteur is right now.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Do you have any non-suede pads? For the most part, I thought the suede pads strayed too far from the VO's core sound and technical abilities.

I still have the stock pads on my silkwood VO.

Love the sound of this headphone, to the point I don't even care about trying other pads.

 

[heliosphann]

And yes @zach915m, the pheasant wood sets are nice!

 

[Fatdoi]

I have the non-perf lambskin Verite pads. For Be2 or Universe, do you recommend something in particular?

I have Verite perf, Universe perf and BE hybrid... I chose Verite pads, Universe pads widens soundstage but imaging also not as precise.... BE pads narrows the soundstage which I found bit too much as I listen to orchestral musics so Verite pads for me is the best.

I put Universe on Auteur which widens to stage a bit and feels more relaxing

 

[chrisnyc75]

Question (and perhaps a bit of a rookie question): If I like the staging of my current suede perf universe pads, would a touch of EQ get me to the same place as switching to lambskin perf universe pads and save me the purchase?

I'm going to say no to this, because what the suede does more than alter the frequency response is dampen dynamics. There's an overall softening of the transients that you get from the suede, and I don't think the crisper dynamics of the lambskins can be captured by adjusting frequency response. So if you're looking to maintain the softer dynamics, stick with suede. If you want a bit more oomph, go with lambskin. And adjust EQ from there. Just my very non-scientific 2 cents, though.

 

[ColdsnapBry]

Well after being a very happy longterm Aeolus owner, I've taken the plunge on the Verite Open. I actually have no complaints about the Aeolus, maybe the soundstage. But I just kept thinking I'd like to put ears on a Verite Open for longer than in store demos.

We shall see!

 

[skhan007]

Question:

What do the VO sound like when brand new and not burned-in?

I bought mine from another owner and I'm unsure if they're burned in. I'm noting a lot of low-end, scooped midrange, and OK-ish even sounding high end frequencies. This changes with different pads, obviously. But curious if this is an indicator of burn-in time being required for my VO?

 

[wolverine72]

Well after being a very happy longterm Aeolus owner, I've taken the plunge on the Verite Open. I actually have no complaints about the Aeolus, maybe the soundstage. But I just kept thinking I'd like to put ears on a Verite Open for longer than in store demos.

We shall see!

I'm in the same boat. I've been happily using the Aeolus for the last year... but have been having Verite Open longings!

Almost jumped in during ZMF November... but couldn't quite click buy.. I'm now watching to see what the new VO wood will be since I already have a Sapele Aeolus (which is great) and would want something different.

Please let us know your impressions when you get them!

 

[TheMiddleSky]

Well after being a very happy longterm Aeolus owner, I've taken the plunge on the Verite Open. I actually have no complaints about the Aeolus, maybe the soundstage. But I just kept thinking I'd like to put ears on a Verite Open for longer than in store demos.

We shall see!

Nice decision, I think your bird of paradise would be in even better paradise after Verite arrived

 

[helljudgement]

I'm noting a lot of low-end, scooped midrange, and OK-ish even sounding high end frequencies.

None of these will go away with burn in. The dip in midrange is a polarizing trait and one that you may never get used to. It's the main reason why I personally find this very difficult to recommend without trying as it is a type of sound that is highly subjected to personal preference. Personally I find this coloration makes it a very relaxing and strangely seductive headphone to listen.