ZMF Verite Open

[baldybstrd]

I am hoping to add some VO to the collection in November. Can't decide whether to go for stabilised to match my VC or wood to match my AO. For those of you non-stabilised VO owners, which wood do you think presents the qualities of VO best please?

I loooove my African Blackwood VO's so...

Lots of Blackwood lovers here

 

[Contrails]

With the African theme going on, this is just phenomenal on the Verites.

 

[helljudgement]

which wood do you think presents the qualities of VO best

Softwood all the way. Heard the Silkwood but bought the Ziricote then demoed a Silkwood again. The slightly longer decay just make the VO that bit more special to my ears. Perfectly happy with what I have but if given a chance to choose again I will definitely get one in softer wood variant.

 

[Leto Dal]

Found african blackwood too fast in decay when compared to Sapele, not quite my balance. I think fast driver as Verite benefits from bit softer wood (by no means soft) but Sapele and Peasantwood sound just right to my ear.

 

[George Hincapie]

Softwood all the way. Heard the Silkwood but bought the Ziricote then demoed a Silkwood again. The slightly longer decay just make the VO that bit more special to my ears. Perfectly happy with what I have but if given a chance to choose again I will definitely get one in softer wood variant.

Would Olivewood or Camphor also be considered soft?

 

[mjstealey]

Would Olivewood or Camphor also be considered soft?

Olive (hard) would be a much harder species of wood than Camphor (soft)
- Olive - Janka Hardness: 2,700 lbf (12,010 N)
- Ziricote - Janka Hardness: 1,970 lbf (8,780 N)
- Camphor - Janka Hardness: 950 lbf (4,440 N)
- Queensland Maple - Janka Hardness: 810 lbf (3,620 N) <-- sometimes referred to as “Silkwood”

Source: https://www.wood-database.com/

 

[George Hincapie]

Olive (hard) would be a much harder species of wood than Camphor (soft)
- Olive - Janka Hardness: 2,700 lbf (12,010 N)
- Ziricote - Janka Hardness: 1,970 lbf (8,780 N)
- Camphor - Janka Hardness: 950 lbf (4,440 N)
- Queensland Maple - Janka Hardness: 810 lbf (3,620 N) <-- sometimes referred to as “Silkwood”

Source: https://www.wood-database.com/

That's really interesting - thanks for the link. My Koa Atrium are on the softer side of the scale at 1170 then?

 

[mjstealey]

That's really interesting - thanks for the link. My Koa Atrium are on the softer side of the scale at 1170 then?

Correct, the Koa would be a softer wood species - for purposes of contrast I use the Blackwood VOs which are listed as Janka Hardness: 3,670 lbf (16,320 N)

- While wood species does affect things like transient decay, in my experience the pads have a far more significant impact on changing the overall sound for any given ZMF headphone.
- And if the wood has been "stabilized" or "resin filled" it would have a tonality far closer to a hard wood, even if the initial species used was a soft wood (due to the wood pores and air pockets being filled in with a stabilizing agent or resin)

Overall aesthetics should probably be your primary driver for wood species, but if you're afforded the opportunity to, then indeed try to tease out the nuances between the different wood species being used - there are endless avenues of audio bliss to pursue in this hobby!

 

[TheMiddleSky]

Having heard some Verites with various woods, my favourite (in term of sound) is the stabilize wood, or woods that have similar hardness to stabilize (I think Camphor Burl is one of them).

Softer wood lead to a bit smaller soundstage, and a bit lean on midrange and bottom. While something like African Blackwood, is a bit too thick and dark on top. All use BE2 pad and my system, so YMMV indeed.

notes: The differences in sound from wood variances, easily changed with rolling pad or cables (if you cable believer).

 

[Leto Dal]

Having heard some Verites with various woods, my favourite (in term of sound) is the stabilize wood, or woods that have similar hardness to stabilize (I think Camphor Burl is one of them).

Softer wood lead to a bit smaller soundstage, and a bit lean on midrange and bottom. While something like African Blackwood, is a bit too thick and dark on top. All use BE2 pad and my system, so YMMV indeed.

notes: The differences in sound from wood variances, easily changed with rolling pad or cables (if you cable believer).

Hm isnt Camphor Burl a softer wood with around 4400N?

Curious what hardness levels stabilized version of ZMF have.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

Hm isnt Camphor Burl a softer wood with around 4400N?

I just checked again, yeah I remembered wrongly. They are categorized as softer wood.

 

[WillieB]

Very interesting comments.

When it came time to order my VO, I chose silkwood (would've gotten pheasantwood, but it was no longer offered). Anyway, it was a calculated guess on my part:

• I'm treble averse...audio that sounds at all hard, bright, edgy, etc makes my head & ears hurt
• I knew going in the VO had a very fast driver
• So my guessumption was a softer wood with more resonance would complement that fast driver

So I read your comments about having blackwood after silkwood and wonder, "Did I make the right choice...?

But in the long run: nope, no wrong choice here. The VO is my favorite headphone ever. I'm nuts about some of the other ZMFs, for sure, but the VO is my desert island headphone. There's just something about the sound of the VO that pleases me to no end.

Mine are Blackwood and I feel the same way re: desert island. If there could only be one for eternity, It would be the VO. My other ZMFs are collectively my 2nd favorites in differing ways, but the VO remains head and shoulders above. The first few weeks with Caldera had me thinking it was close and maybe even better, but the first time I put the VO back on with a good set of 6L6GC in my amp, it was immediately like coming home from being lost somewhere. I was shocked considering how my opinion of the Caldera had improved with each day that I spent with them. I haven't heard any other VO besides mine so I can't really say how they compare to other woods specifically, but It would be super cool to check it out at some point.

 

[nieveulv]

The african blackwood VO with universe leather pads are truly amazing!!! Not suitable all genres, but on some songs, its unbeatable!!

 

[George Hincapie]

The african blackwood VO with universe leather pads are truly amazing!!! Not suitable all genres, but on some songs, its unbeatable!!

What genres are they suited to? Please just put some flesh on the bones so to speak. I listen to a lot of acoustic guitar: Ben Howard, Mumford & Sons, Lumineers, as well as Fleetwood Mac, U2, Dire Straits. No classical. No metal. Some rock from time to time.

 

[nieveulv]

What genres are they suited to? Please just put some flesh on the bones so to speak. I listen to a lot of acoustic guitar: Ben Howard, Mumford & Sons, Lumineers, as well as Fleetwood Mac, U2, Dire Straits. No classical. No metal. Some rock from time to time.

ANy jazz trios and quartet. I liked esborn svensson, marcin Wasilewski, tord gustavssen and avishai cohen. The emotion and instruments rendition and space rendition on them, especially double bass and piano, is very magical to me