[immortalsoul]

For those who are interested I decided to sell my ZMF Blackwood. These headphones are the best headphones I owned but I decided to go iem, because I do not have the time to listen to over head headphones. I just put them for sale on ebay

 

[tvnosaint]

In a recent tube experiment on my second system I have fallen for the vibro all over again. I put adapters and socketsavers in the lyr v1 and tried 6sn7 syl gtb as well tung sol 6c8g tubes. The synergy with the vibro was unreal. I actually get some sound stage to boot. But it's the tone that attracted me to the vibro initially and it's the tone that got my heart beating again for the vibro. Anyone that still has those two items should try it. New life.

 

[Spaceman24]

I've been eyeing the Blackwood for a while, but I'm concerned about the power needed to drive them. Ideally I'd want a can that can get the majority of its performance from a new iPhone, like how the Beyerdynamic/Astell&Kern T5P and Ultrasone Signature DJ are supposed to do. While I'd be willing to get an amp, I also use my headphones for gaming, aka powering them with a PS4 controller so an amp wouldn't easily work there regardless. Would the Blackwoods still be competitive with the T5P, Signature DJ, Sony Z7, and Shure srh1540 assuming all were driven straight from an iPhone X? Or would the other cans be better since they would already be driven to most of their full potential?

 

[DancingShade]

I've been eyeing the Blackwood for a while, but I'm concerned about the power needed to drive them. Ideally I'd want a can that can get the majority of its performance from a new iPhone, like how the Beyerdynamic/Astell&Kern T5P and Ultrasone Signature DJ are supposed to do. While I'd be willing to get an amp, I also use my headphones for gaming, aka powering them with a PS4 controller so an amp wouldn't easily work there regardless. Would the Blackwoods still be competitive with the T5P, Signature DJ, Sony Z7, and Shure srh1540 assuming all were driven straight from an iPhone X? Or would the other cans be better since they would already be driven to most of their full potential?

My Vibro MK IIs (same electrical guts as a Blackwood, different wood & tuning) are the thirstiest headphones I currently own. All I can do is give you a point of reference - I use them on a Jotunheim with the ZMF OCC balanced cable at around 0930 on the volume dial. I'd happily crank them higher because they sound even better as you boost the juice but I don't want to risk my ears.

I'm really doubtful you could power them well with something portable but then again I'm not really into portable amps so maybe someone else can speak from better experience on that front.

Hmm. Actually here is a more general point of reference - if your source can happily power a Sennheiser HD600 or similar you should be ok with the ZMFs.

 

[Spaceman24]

Thanks for the reply. All I have to compare it to are my Beyer COPs, Audio-Technica E70, and a couple Trinity iems. From my understanding none of these require much juice, so I don't really have a good point of reference. Actually, I was able to (briefly) test the Z7 and Nightowl from my phone at a Magnolia a while ago. The Z7 sounded really good but the NO sounded... wierd. Not sure if that was the tuning or if it was because it was underpowered. I'm most interested in knowing whether a lack of amping could degrade a can enough to bring it down a "tier", where I'd be better off either getting a lower-end can or a different mid/high tier can with lower power requirements (like the T5P).

 

[DruidxEFD]

Thanks for the reply. All I have to compare it to are my Beyer COPs, Audio-Technica E70, and a couple Trinity iems. From my understanding none of these require much juice, so I don't really have a good point of reference. Actually, I was able to (briefly) test the Z7 and Nightowl from my phone at a Magnolia a while ago. The Z7 sounded really good but the NO sounded... wierd. Not sure if that was the tuning or if it was because it was underpowered. I'm most interested in knowing whether a lack of amping could degrade a can enough to bring it down a "tier", where I'd be better off either getting a lower-end can or a different mid/high tier can with lower power requirements (like the T5P).

I just plugged my Blackwoods into my LG V20 (which isn't a bad phone as far as audio goes) and it was a total no-go. Turned the volume all the way up and it was way too soft. You definitely need an amp to power these.

 

[Spaceman24]

Huge thanks guys/gals, saved me from what would have been a very disappointing and expensive purchase. Maybe in the future I’ll get the equipment to properly run them, but my use case just isn’t right at the moment.

 

[tvnosaint]

A used pair of focals might foot the bill for phone users. The classic had a similar signature to the vibro. It was great from a phone.

 

[Spaceman24]

A used pair of focals might foot the bill for phone users. The classic had a similar signature to the vibro. It was great from a phone.

Appreciate the input, I actually checked out the Focal Classic and Professional but I just wanted something a little higher-end. Hence, I literally just finished a transaction for some used Astell and Kern/Beyerdynamic T5P

 

[Wes S]

I joined the Blackwood club, I have a pair on their way to me, as I am writing this!

I recently bought some ZMF Classic, and loved them so much, I am going to own every model ZMF has, and I am climbing the ladder, from lowest to highest priced. I am a big time Alpha Prime fan, and it is awesome to hear how Zach has a different tuning, but just as good. I will report back with some comparisons, after some listening time.

 

[coletrain104]

Despite owning the Blackwood, I often feel like I want something with a little more punch and excitable nature, as well as something a bit lighter (blackwood cups are super heavy because theyre dense). I'm actually somewhat tempted by the couple of Vibro MkII in the For Sale forum. Still, I think that small driver with frontwave damping just doesn't really have the same dynamics, it lends itself to smoothness. Also I REALLY wish the Blackwood had the same cup design as the Vibro, since the pads wrapped around the cup just don't scream quality, IMO. Still quite a nice headphone, but I'm getting the head-fi craving. My wallet itches

Edit: Having said this, I ended up giving in. You'll probably see some comments of how I feel about the Vibro MkII and Blackwood next week.

As for Wes saying:
"I joined the Blackwood club, I have a pair on their way to me, as I am writing this!
I recently bought some ZMF Classic, and loved them so much, I am going to own every model ZMF has, and I am climbing the ladder, from lowest to highest priced. I am a big time Alpha Prime fan, and it is awesome to hear how Zach has a different tuning, but just as good. I will report back with some comparisons, after some listening time."

While I think Zach makes great headphones at their price points, if you intend to own the Auteur, I can't imagine some of his other lineup getting much time in use. Its a fantastic headphone. It also has a somewhat similar tonal balance to Ori and Eikon, though more dynamic with more satisfying bass and mids than either IMO. I heard one at a CAF and it was definitely a fantastic headphone, and different than most High-Fi/Summit-Fi headphones in their treble presentation. Smooth yet still dynamic with better tone, less apparent detail than typical high end dynamics (T1, 800S, 800), though this is the treble presentation, and technicality is hard to hear at an event. I wish I could have more time with it, definitely one of the best I've heard. There's a lot of disappointing headphones in Summit-Fi in my opinion, but Auteur is definitely not one of those.

 

[Wes S]

Despite owning the Blackwood, I often feel like I want something with a little more punch and excitable nature, as well as something a bit lighter (blackwood cups are super heavy because theyre dense). I'm actually somewhat tempted by the couple of Vibro MkII in the For Sale forum. Still, I think that small driver with frontwave damping just doesn't really have the same dynamics, it lends itself to smoothness. Also I REALLY wish the Blackwood had the same cup design as the Vibro, since the pads wrapped around the cup just don't scream quality, IMO. Still quite a nice headphone, but I'm getting the head-fi craving. My wallet itches

What amp do you use, with the Blackwood?

 

[coletrain104]

What amp do you use, with the Blackwood?

I use either the Geek XFi balanced output or Lyr 2. The Blackwood is really inefficient, so it does take a beefy amp, though both of mine should be quite sufficient. The bass from most of the T50RP mods are going to sound more atmospheric and less impactful than many other headphones, as its a small driver where the front wave is being diffused by damping material. I don't necessarily dislike this, but its something I hear in most of these mods. I still find the Blackwood to be one of my favorite closed headphones. I also quite liked Alpha Prime at a meet, though meet impressions can be a bit of a mixed bag. Switching between it and the Elear, the Blackwood is just more subdued sounding.

 

[Wes S]

I use either the Geek XFi balanced output or Lyr 2. The Blackwood is really inefficient, so it does take a beefy amp, though both of mine should be quite sufficient. The bass from most of the T50RP mods are going to sound more atmospheric and less impactful than many other headphones, as its a small driver where the front wave is being diffused by damping material. I don't necessarily dislike this, but its something I hear in most of these mods. I still find the Blackwood to be one of my favorite closed headphones. I also quite liked Alpha Prime at a meet, though meet impressions can be a bit of a mixed bag. Switching between it and the Elear, the Blackwood is just more subdued sounding.

Love every t50rp mod, I have tried so far. Don't think I can go wrong with the Blackwood. Never been been bothered by driver size and frontal dampening, if the headphone sounds good. Thanks for the info! The bass on my Alpha Prime and ZMF Classic, will shake your brain, so I am not worried about the bass, as I know the Blackwood will perform. I am more interested to hear the mids, on the Blackwood, and will do so tonight. The Blackwood is out for delivery!

 

[Rhamnetin]

Yeah the Blackwood has more bass slam than the vast majority of headphones I have encountered, and the Ori has even more.