ZMF Verite Open

[devilboy]

Never heard of that one, though I sure know the name Ray Samuels. Is it good?

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650220155-rsa-the-dark-star-headphone-amp/

It's supposed to be fantastic.
Put it this way, if I was in the market for a solid state headphone amplifier I would do whatever I needed to do to get this one.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Phillies! They were as bad as the stock cable yesterday!

I am so glad to hear good reports of the VO and classical - that is what is most important to me. Can’t wait to acquire one, maybe during ZMF November.

I probably mentioned this before, but it's worth repeating. When I talk about classical music, I don't just mean instrumental music. I also listen to a ton of choral music, primarily liturgical music from 1400 to yesterday (ironic since I'm an atheist to the core). And my silkwood Verite Open with the stock Lambskin Universe pads is far and away the best headphone I've ever heard for this kind of music--vocal music in general (opera, recitals, lieder).

If that genre of music matters to anyone, the VO will be a revelation.

 

[devilboy]

I probably mentioned this before, but it's worth repeating. When I talk about classical music, I don't just mean instrumental music. I also listen to a ton of choral music, primarily liturgical music from 1400 to yesterday (ironic since I'm an atheist to the core). And my silkwood Verite Open with the stock Lambskin Universe pads is far and away the best headphone I've ever heard for this kind of music--vocal music in general (opera, recitals, lieder).

If that genre of music matters to anyone, the VO will be a revelation.

BAMM!
That's a pretty glowing endorsement.

Last Friday I went to Kimmel center in Philadelphia to hear the Philadelphia Orchestra perform Beethoven's 9th.
Epic

 

[Pharmaboy]

BAMM!
That's a pretty glowing endorsement.

Last Friday I went to Kimmel center in Philadelphia to hear the Philadelphia Orchestra perform Beethoven's 9th.
Epic

Just wow!! that must have blown your mind.

My 3 favorite Beethoven choral pieces are Missa Solemnis;; the Oratorio, Christ in the Garden of Olives, and his towering opera, Fidelio.

 

[devilboy]

Just wow!! that must have blown your mind.

My 3 favorite Beethoven choral pieces are Missa Solemnis;; the Oratorio, Christ in the Garden of Olives, and his towering opera, Fidelio.

I would love to hear any of those. I am not familiar with Christ in the garden of Olives though. Which is all the more reason to find it.

 

[ch1525i]

I listen to a ton of classical on all my headphones (and speakers) ... quite a bit of jazz, too. No doubt the VO excels in these genres. It does so well with the tone and timbre of voice and any instruments.

However, it also can pound like George Foreman on genres with a heavy bass and beat (funk, soul, R&B, Afropop). Put the VO on a really good SS amp with any of these genres and I guarantee you won't be thinking, "Gee, I wish this was better."

Listening to my VO today on the Nitsc Pietus Maximus. Just put Amazon Music on shuffle all my tracks and it is wonderful

 

[devilboy]

Just wow!! that must have blown your mind.

My 3 favorite Beethoven choral pieces are Missa Solemnis;; the Oratorio, Christ in the Garden of Olives, and his towering opera, Fidelio.

Didn't know you were into classical.
Do you still have the Onyx?

 

[Pharmaboy]

Didn't know you were into classical.
Do you still have the Onyx?

Definitely. I have 2 systems here, and the onyx anchors my side system, which is headphone only (w/a DDC + V280 + Wells Milo + Icon Audio HP8). I find the Onyx best for headphone listening. My other NOS DACs are a slight bit better for speaker listening (Harbeth 30.1s driven by bel canto 600Ms).

As for classical, it has been priority listening for me since early childhood.* Of my ~1,500 LPs (in storage), ~2/3rds are classical; same % for my ~1,500 CDs.

*somewhere I have some photos taken by my mother of my ID twin and me in our high chairs at dinner time (maybe 3 yrs old) grooving heavily to symphonies (Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms) and/or big band music (my father was into both genres).

 

[cats4cans]

This headphone makes me want to play cello music. Solo cello or cello concertos. And speaking of concertos, large scale orchestral work has wonderful separation and gives you such a beautiful view into the soundscape.

VO on my head and listening to Qobuz instead of the CD or CD rip because I’m lazy. I adore cello so much I bought one. Never got very far along with it. Nerve issues in my hands. They would fall asleep during guitar playing sessions as well. Hard to learn that way.

I probably mentioned this before, but it's worth repeating. When I talk about classical music, I don't just mean instrumental music. I also listen to a ton of choral music, primarily liturgical music from 1400 to yesterday (ironic since I'm an atheist to the core). And my silkwood Verite Open with the stock Lambskin Universe pads is far and away the best headphone I've ever heard for this kind of music--vocal music in general (opera, recitals, lieder).

If that genre of music matters to anyone, the VO will be a revelation.

Not a big choral fan. An in person performance of Mozart’s Requiem brought me to tears though. It was years before I listened to it again. I don’t always have time for a full breakdown in addition to a listening session. A few recommendations would be welcome though.

 

[Pharmaboy]

VO on my head and listening to Qobuz instead of the CD or CD rip because I’m lazy. I adore cello so much I bought one. Never got very far along with it. Nerve issues in my hands. They would fall asleep during guitar playing sessions as well. Hard to learn that way.

Not a big choral fan. An in person performance of Mozart’s Requiem brought me to tears though. It was years before I listened to it again. I don’t always have time for a full breakdown in addition to a listening session. A few recommendations would be welcome though.

I'll PM you about choral. That's better than stalling out this thread for it.

 

[devilboy]

VO on my head and listening to Qobuz instead of the CD or CD rip because I’m lazy. I adore cello so much I bought one. Never got very far along with it. Nerve issues in my hands. They would fall asleep during guitar playing sessions as well. Hard to learn that way.

Not a big choral fan. An in person performance of Mozart’s Requiem brought me to tears though. It was years before I listened to it again. I don’t always have time for a full breakdown in addition to a listening session. A few recommendations would be welcome though.

I had the same experience listening to Mozart's Requiem in Philadelphia's Perlman Theater at Kimmel Center. It doesn't matter if you are religious or not. Beautiful music is beautiful music.

 

[Pharmaboy]

It doesn't matter if you are religious or not.

I couldn't agree more. All that really matters with liturgical choral music is whether the composer is religious or not. Most of the time they were, even if under time pressure & writing for sustenance (J.S. Bach comes to mind there).

Music that is composed while directed at the (presumed) heavens & creator is often elevated in spirit & surpassingly beautiful.

 

[devilboy]

I couldn't agree more. All that really matters with liturgical choral music is whether the composer is religious or not. Most of the time they were, even if under time pressure & writing for sustenance (J.S. Bach comes to mind there).

Music that is composed while directed at the (presumed) heavens & creator is often elevated in spirit & surpassingly beautiful.

Man that's deep.

 

[andrewchoppa]

Why worried friend?

 

[devilboy]

Why worried friend?

Lol. I really just don't want to start cutting away at my precious pad.