ZMF Omni Impressions

I've enjoyed my Walnut Omni for a few days now. I think I still have some of that new gear hype, but I want to share my initial impressions anyway. I posted these impressions on h-f but I want to share my thoughts here as well since CS is the reason I turned to ZMF.

I apologize in advance for my limited comparisons. I know these impressions may sound overly positive and since I've never heard the majority of headphones most users are familiar with, these words may be useless to you. I won't take it personally I don't have as much experience with auditioning headphones as most people here. Living in a small city in China, my choice of headphones are Beats knock-off A vs Beats knock-off B. I auditioned the Hifiman HE-560, HE-500 and Audeze LCD-2 while in Beijing, but I didn't listen to them enough to make a comparison. I currently own the Hifiman HE-400i, Oppo PM-3, and Soundmagic HP100 (along with an assortment of IEMs like VSonic GR07, Dunu Titan, and Klipsch s4i).

The Omni is an absolutely gorgeous pair of headphones. I know some people don't think aesthetics are that important - while I agree sound quality should be the highest priority, I still value aesthetics and comfort. In terms of aesthetics, I've never owned or tried a nicer looking pair of headphones. Namely, the cups are beautiful and scream quality craftsmanship. I'm not a huge fan of the Fostex band, but the pilot pad covers that nicely

In terms of comfort, someone on h-f told me that the Omni are even more comfortable than my HE-400i, but I have to disagree. The Omni is significantly heavier - I think the Walnut Omni is about 100 grams heavier than my 400i, which is no laughing matter. However, the weight is distributed well and the earpads and pilot pad do a lot to make you forget about those extra grams. Someone mentioned that the Lambskin pads felt like placing a nice pillow on your ears, and I can't agree more. I've tried some other highly rated pads before (I used Shure 1540 Alcantara pads on my Soundmagic HP100, and I've tried Brainwavz HM5 pads also), but I personally think both the ZMF Lambskin and Cowhide pads beat them all in comfort!

I've worn these for several hours at a time with no issues, but when I A/B with my 400i I am immediately reminded of the weight difference. The 400i feels like a feather on my head that just "disappears". Keep in mind that I think I am a bit more sensitive to headphone weight than others - I found the old HE-500 uncomfortable and the LCD-2 was annoying after 10 minutes. So the Omni is much more comfortable than either of those.

I listen to a wide variety of music, though I focus on rock (classic, alternative, etc), electronic, lots of instrumental (acoustic guitar, piano, cello, etc), and some classical and jazz. Some of my favorite artists are Rodrigo y Gabriela, Piano Guys, Imogen Heap, Adele, U2, Florence and the Machine, Lindsey Stirling, Danyka Nadeau, Glitch Mob, Muse, Russian Circles and Massive Attack. I also listen to some movie and game soundtracks from time to time. I prefer more of a lush sound signature with good dynamic range and impact and I currently drive my headphones from an Oppo HA-1 connected via USB to my laptop with foobar2k as source. My music is divided between FLAC and 320kbps mp3.

I enjoyed my HE-400i and I thought it was a big upgrade from my Soundmagic HP100. Compared to the HP100, I felt I could hear more details in my music along with much better imaging and soundstage with the HE-400i. However, there were honestly times that I enjoyed the closed HP100's bass impact a bit more (though it did come with a little mid-bass bloat). I auditioned both the HE-560 and HE-400i for about an hour at an official Hifiman dealer in Beijing last year before realizing that I enjoyed the 400i's sound signature a bit more - at half the price of the 560, it was a bargain. The 560 was too "thin" sounding and the larger soundstage didn't make up for it. I admit I did enjoy the extra clarity, soundstage and sub-bass extension on the 560 with some genres (I agree with other reviewers that the 560 is technically superior), but I don't think it was worth double the cost and loss of warmth.

Fast forward a year - I've enjoyed the 400i for a long time but occasionally felt that it was missing something: bass impact and treble presence in particular. Please note: I don't normally enjoy heavy V-shape or basshead signatures, but I felt that cymbals and drum sets sounded a bit lifeless on my 400i. I played drums for 8 years and they just never sounded right with the Hifiman. Bass drums had good extension but little impact. I tried using "Real Bass Exciter" DSP on foobar to make up for this but I felt that using this EQ caused a bit of bass bloat into the mids along with some mild distortion. I extensively researched other flagships to find an "upgrade" to my 400i but I felt that most flagships under $1500 these days focus on detail and soundstage with less focus on lush tones and impact - the only exception being the HE-6 but I already knew I didn't want another Hifiman product. HD800, Ether, K812, T1, etc all seem to focus on a more neutral sound signature. Alpha Dog seemed promising but I didn't want to lose the soundstage and imaging of open headphones. Some people said that the LCD-XC may be worth an audition but at 650grams - no thanks! What to do?

Enter the ZMF Omni. I honestly find the imaging BETTER on the Omni than on my 400i! When listening to Yoshi Horikawa and Amber Rubarth, instruments are easier to pick out than before, at least on the left-right plane. Depth is a bit more difficult to explain, but I think it's on par with the 400i. Soundstage is pretty good and definitely doesn't feel as claustrophobic as my PM-3. Honestly I can't notice a significant difference from the 400i - that's impressive considering these semi-open headphones hardly leak any sound at all! At normal listening volume, my wife can hardly hear any of my music from 5 feet away. That's definitely not the case with Hifiman headphones.

I recently upgraded from a Resonessence Concero and Burson Soloist SL to an Oppo HA-1. I considered this more of a sidegrade but I wanted the more futureproof versatility of the HA-1 along with the convenient remote. I actually did notice a slight upgrade in sound quality (particularly in bass extension) but it wasn't always readily apparent. I wasn't sure what to expect with the Omni because most people say the largest upgrades in sound come in the sub-$500 range.

I'm happy to say that I really believe the jump from 400i to Omni is just as large as my HP100 to 400i. In case you've never heard these headphones before, this is a pretty significant upgrade While the soundstage remains about the same, nearly everything else is improved. The bass hits low and HARD, which I absolutely love. Drum sets now really feel alive! The bass, snare, hi-hat and cymbal hits in Massive Attack's Angel and Teardrop have a visceral quality that I sorely missed with the 400i.

Thankfully, this extra bass slam doesn't creep into the mids, particularly with the lambskin pads. "Hide and Seek" by Imogen, "With or Without You" by U2 and "Cello Song" by Piano Guys keep their clear sound (these songs sound muffled with the HP100 and basshead IEMs Klipsch S4 and Xiaomi Piston 2). I feel that "basshead" or "V-shape" signatures often cause vocals to take a back stage when any low frequency sound is present (baritones and cellos, etc). I don't find this the case with the Omni at all, and vocals sound loud and clear, even with the livelier drum set presence.

I actually bought the PM-3 just a few months ago and it is more of an upgrade to my HP100 as opposed to my home setup. While the PM-3 provides better detail and articulation, in my ears, to the HP100, it does lose a bit of that typical closed back bass oomph. I didn't really notice the slightly rolled off treble for a long time because I think the HP100 also shares similar treble. They both have a similarly claustrophobic soundstage, though with above average imaging.

In comparison, the Omni doesn't sound like a closed headphone at all, as I don't get that claustrophobic feeling whatsoever. The Omni retains, if not improves, the bass impact of the HP100 by removing the slight amount of bass bleed into the mids (which is even worse on my Klipsch s4 - ugh!). Its treble is especially noteworthy when switching with my closed headphones, as I can finally hear my cymbals clearly again! I didn't notice any sibilance so far - and this is with my HA-1 as source with its supposedly digitally bright Sabre DAC. The Omni is unsurprisingly leagues ahead of both closed headphones, but to be fair I love my PM-3 for what it is (closed and portable).

In regards to pads, I found the cowhide pads a bit difficult to attach. They are much more firm than the lambskin and harder to turn "inside out" as per Zach's video. I did attach them eventually and absolutely loved the comfort - their firmness made them feel soft yet durable (similar to a firm memory foam pillow). I did get a good seal with them, but I noticed that the seal was even better with lambskin pads. In terms of sound differences, I enjoyed both - I agree with others that the cowhide pads have a slightly more "subwoofer" effect, which makes it PERFECT for some genres (OSTs, EDM, etc) but I think I personally prefer the Lambskin sound more as an overall performer. I also think the Lambskin is more comfortable initially (it feels like a soft down pillow as opposed to the cowhide's firm memory foam pillow, haha). I think the cowhide will feel just as good once they break in though.

Finally, I believe the Omni are my ideal headphones for immersive gaming. The soundstage is large enough that open world games feel alive, and its lush sound signature gives games a cinematic feeling.

Sorry for the limited comparisons! I have not tried any flagships other than the HE-560 (which isn't a flagship anymore) so take my impressions with a grain of salt. Thank you Zach for an incredible pair of headphones!

 

Thanks for the impressions, it's appreciated. How do you find the isolation/leakage?

 

Both isolation and leakage are surprisingly good. Without any music on, I can hear what's going on around me, but unsurprisingly at a level between the typical closed headphone muffle and the clearness of my HE-400i. With music at a moderate level, I can hardly hear anything else at all - good or bad, based on your perspective. With my 400i and music at a low volume, I could still hear my baby if he woke up crying from a nap. With my Omni, I can't - leading to some confusing chats with the missus, haha.

Leakage is also much lower than usual. Of course it's somewhere between a closed and open headphone, but the leakage definitely leans toward the lower end of a closed headphone. At moderate volumes, my wife cannot hear anything from across the room. In contrast, she could easily hear music from my HE-400i as long as she was in the same room.

 

Thanks. Looking for a closed, slightly fun sounding hp. I guess the cheaper T50RP is on the list too (although neither are actually fully closed...) I can't demo anything where I live.

 

On the tour list, but it will be awhile before I have the opportunity to listen. Would love to see a comparison to the LCD-3f and X.

 

Hi Hands! I know I've talked to you about the Omni before, but have you received your loaners yet? I'd like to hear your impressions on how the tuning has changed or improved since you've had experience with pre-production cans.

I've had the Omni for over a month now and I've recently been most impressed by its soundstage, which surprises me for a semi-open headphone. The Omni isolates nearly as well as a closed headphone, and yet whenever I go from my PM-3 to my Omni, I'm immediately floored by the extra "air" or sense of space in my music. Of course I notice this most from live recording FLACs, but it's even noticeable with 320kbps pop music streamed from Spotify. Even for people who may not share my same sound signature preferences, I am convinced that few headphones share the Omni's combination of isolation and soundstage.

I've also found a nice walnut stand to pair with the walnut Omni

 

Wow, I own the hifiman he 400i. Thanks for the impressions!

 

I think these are my choice for the office. Having low leakage while still getting some open sound is pretty nice.
Thanks for your impressions! Gonna order them today I guess.

 

Nice impressions~

I know you said that you had no issues wearing the lambskin pads for several hours, but do they get hot at all? I've never had a chance to wear real leather pads, only velour, fake leather, and whatever the AD900X pads are made of. Also, how strong is the clamping force on these (especially with those gigantic pads)? In that second picture, it looks like the left and right sides of the headband are parallel to each other and in this position, the pads are being pushed together. Wearing them, I'd imagine that you'd have to stretch the headband out even more.

 

To be honest the Fostex headband is pretty malleable. Mine has a lot of clamp but it helps distract from the weight of the cans. But after all this time I think I'll be selling the Omni because I've noticed discomfort when wearing them for sessions longer than an hour. It wasn't bad initially but I feel like it's more noticeable now.

I absolutely love the sound but I think I'm going for lighter and more comfortable cans now. Both the lambskin and cowhide feel great so it's not a problem with the pads. However I live in a really cold climate so I hardly ever have a problem with being "too warm" haha.

 

Ugh. That's not good. I plan to use them daily in the office for longer periods.

Well they're ordered now anyway. Let's hope I can deal with it Pretty difficult to find decent closed headphones for the office anyway..

 

Zach recently made the omni pads for the omni which is supposed to make it sound a touch more resolving, more natural sounding with more circular soundstage. Interesting...