[spicymusic]

Mine just arrived and I figured I'd take some photos to share. The stock sapele with the aged copper is truly a work of art. I don't know how to upload photos directly, so I apologize if nothing appears.

 

[AnyDave]

Mine just arrived and I figured I'd take some photos to share. The stock sapele with the aged copper is truly a work of art. I don't know how to upload photos directly, so I apologize if nothing appears.

Nice VO pics and nice bokeh.

 

[jinxy245]

Nice VO pics and nice bokeh.

I see what you did there...

 

[JerseyD]

Having a first listen to my VO with the Caldera Lamb Ultra Perf ("CLUP" ).
Is it me, or are the Caldera pads more difficult to put on than the Universe and Be2?

Sometimes I'll try a new pad after loving the sound with another, and all it takes is 30 seconds to say, "Nope!" and switch it back. Not the case here.

I have been perfectly happy with the Be2 pads on the VO and am doubtful they can be beat for my preferences in my system. That said, the CLUPs sound pretty darn good. Everything is a little further away and a bit more spacious, but it was the directness and intimacy of the Be2 that I liked about them. Maybe the Be2 leans into the VO's strengths as I hear them - that rock solid and meaty sound. It's a little disorienting hearing the VO veer slightly toward Atrium-land with the CLUPs. If I want that sound, I'll listen to my AOs. However, I can't deny that things are sounding very good. The separation on the drum kit elements is excellent. Piano sounds real.

Bass with the CLUPs is slightly reduced and less defined. Not sure I can live with that. Maybe I'll try a touch of EQ. There. Still not quite as engaging as I'm used to.

Mids and treble are very nice (solid reviewer-speak right there...). I think I'll leave these on for a couple weeks and see how I take to them. That ought to be enough time to get used to them, then switch back to the Be2 and see how I feel.

Well I made it four days with the Caldera Lamb Ultra Perf on my VO. For my ears, in my system and for what I’m looking for in sound from the VO, I had to switch back to the Be2 perf Lamb.

The sound was too diffuse with the CLUP. I want the solid thwack of a drumstick and the front-row intensity that I came to associate the VO with. For laid back spaciousness, I like the AO.

If the VO was my only headphone, maybe the CLUP would be my choice, but since it isn’t, I crown the Be2 perf lamb the king (and the VO the king of headphones for acoustic instrumental jazz…at least among the headphones I own ).

 

[dbull12]

Edit: Oops, looks like 2 of the photos are too big to be inserted and have to be downloaded to be viewed.

I'm definitely no photographer and these pictures do them no justice, but my zebrawood VOs arrived the other day and they're stunning! I'd say their color is more like the 3rd picture in real life but it also really depends on how the light is hitting them which is super cool.

I was fortunate enough to have a Verite demo unit on loan for over a month prior to this so I'm already fairly acquainted with their sound (which of course I love). During my time with the demo unit I had lambskin Universe, BE2, and Caldera UP pads and found I liked the UPs the best. Now I have the suede Caldera UPs in addition to the lambskin, and while I haven't had enough listening time to form a concrete opinion (plus the headphones will take a while to burn in), so far I'm thinking I just might like the suedes even more than the lambskin. Will leave them on for a while to get used to them, but I can do more comparisons at some point!

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[Pharmaboy]

but man is it uncomfortable

It is?

 

[heliosphann]

It is?

Is it?

 

[Pharmaboy]

Is it?

I don't know. My Verite is ~3.5 yrs old. Whatever the stock pads were in 2020, that's what's still on the VO. The sound is so good I wouldn't even think of changing pads.

If there's any discomfort w/that headphone (very little, if any) it's more about the clamping force on my big head & me being too busy to carefully unbend the headband a bit. As for any discomfort from the pads themselves, I'm not aware of it.

Maybe I'm too complacent about earpads. I just can't see rolling pads when the sound is this good.

 

[heliosphann]

I don't know. My Verite is ~3.5 yrs old. Whatever the stock pads were in 2020, that's what's still on the VO. The sound is so good I wouldn't even think of changing pads.

If there's any discomfort w/that headphone (very little, if any) it's more about the clamping force on my big head & me being too busy to carefully unbend the headband a bit. As for any discomfort from the pads themselves, I'm not aware of it.

Maybe I'm too complacent about earpads. I just can't see rolling pads when the sound is this good.

I was just messing with you.

I'm pretty sure the Verite Pads are the thinnest pads Zach has made. Depending on your ears, you might touch the inside of the pads driver protector - which on the VO pads is a thicker foam instead of fabric material.