ZMF New Headphones: Vérité and Aeolus

In Q4 of last year I had a loaner VO & VC in my system for weeks. I focused mostly on the VO (with verite pads) because closed backs can aggravate my tinnitus. A few comments about amp matching:

I have 7 amps ranging from modest to very powerful (5 SS; 1 SS w/tube buffer; 1 OTL tube) & heard these headphones on all of them. I found the VO plays well with every amp--it never sounded bad or even close it--or for that matter, noticeably different in tonality or dynamics from its best sound. 1 of my SS amps is borderline in power for 300 ohm headphones (the humble but nice-sounding Matrix M Stage HPA-1 w/best opamps)--but even that amp yielded pleasing sound w/the VO.

The VO did scale nicely on my 2 most powerful amps (V281 & Audio GD SA-31SE). As often happens w/ZMF dynamics, I got excellent sound (controlled, neutral, very musical) from my Woo WA3 OTL, which isn't especially powerful, yet still controls the sound of 300 ohm dynamics quite well (VO; Aeolus; Eikon). I suspect this is less about power and more than about proper impedance matching.

I also had a loaner Aeolus for long periods in 2019, and currently own a blackwood Aeolus w/perforated suede universe pads. Like the VO & VC, the Aeolus gets along with every amp I throw at it. So in my experience, all these headphones are commendably flexible as to power source, but scale well with better sources.

 

That slight sibilant bite I got with a couple tracks using Verite pads is gone with BE-2. I haven't tried the Universe Hybrids yet, but they came in the mail today too. I do get the impression that I'm more forgiving of harshness than many here, though, so I get why others might want pads that are warmer sounding still.

I need to listen to more before I can decide whether or not I like the BE-2 more than Verite with my ECBA. I get the impression I may prefer them off the Conductor, though.

Like, I think I'll settle on having the ECBA and Magni 3+ at my desk* and Burson Conductor as well as the SW51+ I put in an order for today by my bed, and I think I'll wind up just wanting to use each amp at different points with different pads on my Verite. The ECBA has soundstaging powers that may just make me prefer Verite pads in the end, with how they best resolve what the ECBA is doing, but I'm still happy I own 6 pairs of pads now for all sorts of other use cases, even just different tubes in the ECBA in the future. Point being that these wonderful drivers are the last thing I feel like swapping out at any point.

Edit: Appreciating how the BE-2 expand the soundstage as I listen more, but it still feels more like a different sort of staging than a superior one in this instance, I think. Definitely still thinking I'd keep these BE-2 on when using any other amp I have on hand, though.

Edits forever: *lol, I have a Liquid Lightning at my desk too, but I've been thinking so much about how I can use the Verite lately that I forgot to even mention that.

Hmm, there are definitely certain textures I just like more with the BE-2 pads period. I think I'll just keep them on for awhile and see if I actually miss anything I was getting from the Verite pads.

 

Fedex Italy sent me a nearly unintelligible legalese-termed email asking for:

- Instructions for customs clearance: what, besides 'send me my f'ing package you lazy assholes'?
- Value: written in clear by zach like 14 times in the documentation of the package, along with breakdowns per item, but sure i'll write it once more on the email for you because you're blind as well as retarded.
- Customs code: Do I look like a professional importer to you? How about you do your job?

Oh, they wanted a response inside 2 hours of reception, would tax me an extra 5 euros per day of holding with a minimum of 10 euros, and 5 euros per customs code to declare over a count of 5.

Then when it gets here eventually I'll need to have cash to pay import tax, exact to the cent.

Meanwhile, all I'd have gotten from DHL is a pleasant SMS & email with the paypal link to pay my import tax, and written in clear language, not lower bronze age beaurocratocratic glyph hand-carved into a ceremonial ivory dagger.

I love you @zach915m , i really do, probably no homo, but I'm really f'ing sick of dealing with Fedex Italy. I hope they all burn.

 

FedEx are just the worst everywhere. When I was buying tons of shit years back I think they had a good 1/3rd-of-the-time rate of f'ing things up. I'm just 10% more stressed any day I'm expecting a FedEx package.

 

FedEx once charged me import duties twice. Was a bitch to dispute. DHL is soooo much better.

 

You see, the silver lining is: no matter how we like our sound or what we believe in, we can all come together through our shared experience that Fedex is absolutely terrible no matter which corner of the world you're in.

Whenever I order something and the only international carrier available is fedex I take a long, hard look at whether I really, really want said item.

That said, the Be2 pads for the verite that I received about a week ago were worth the Fedex experience: they have some of the enveloping bass of the universe but the treble isn't as damped. Pretty sure these will remain as my default pads and I recommend trying them to anyone who previously favored the verite pads over the universe, like I did.

 

I'm in southern New Hampshire USA and fedex is junk ass shit here also. The worse out of all of them. I sure wish I had some Aeolus though

 

"junk ass shit" totally deserves a like

(almost forgot: "RatSalad" is an awesome screen-name)

 

Haha so you guys want DHL!??!??!?

Seriously though - as soon as I can get a hold of our own DHL rep I'll check it out, I wish DHL shipped in the USA too.

At this point I've tried and used all shippers for ZMF and as a consumer, and I'd rank UPS and Fed-Ex the same - with DHL definitely being the best. The one thing we worry about always is lost packages, and they all (knock on wood) have done a great job on that front. Unfortunately sometimes a lot of it has to do with exactly who you have as your delivery person, which fortunately for us I get to know all by their first name.

 

Here in Philly I know my UPS guy by name and he texts me to make sure I'm home, and if not he'll put them inside my garage (trusted him with the code). FedEx is never the same person, and even though I put in the instructions for my account to never leave packages at the door and to use the code to put them in the garage they've never done it. And ~50% of the time they don't even bother to ring the doorbell, they just chuck packages on our steps and leave. Being in downtown that is essentially the same as leaving the package on the edge of the sidewalk. Ugh - think they should change their name to F*****-Up.

 

Well I don't expect it to be easy to setup now, things being as they are, but it would be greatly appreciated once we settle into the new normal.

Right now getting something from ZMF - since I put in orders for weird things or pre-order LTDs, so I don't get to go through the distributor - means a harrowing wait for the inevitable barely-legible email with arbitrary requirements.

 

We live in a semi-rural area & thus usually get the same FedX driver--a wonderful guy, friendly & helpful to a fault. He brought 4-5 pkgs for me in recent years; each time he brings it to the front door (~75 ft. walk from driveway), which is way more than the UPS dude does. The most recent pkg was heavy & bulky (speakers). I would've had trouble getting it off the porch floor & into the house (bad back)...so he walked it right in.

My wife also has a high opinion of him. She gave him holiday tips & food gifts the past couple winters (which he appreciates).

Net/net: we're having a different FedX experience than most of you. We'll really be screwed when this fellow throws his back out or retires.

 

It seems to go back to exactly what Zach said, "sometimes a lot of it has to do with exactly who you have as your delivery person" regardless of which delivery company.

 

Oh my FedEx delivery guy - who is also my UPS guy and my SDA (Italian Post) guy and my GLS guy - is fine, it's the guys in the offices that suck.

DHL support is not super great either if you have to call them up, but I basically never have to, they never have customs issues and they let me pay import tax via PayPal, almost like we're in 2010.

FedEx is about as helpful as public administration, they always need help at customs because they suck, and they're stuck in 1999 so you can *only* pay via cash on delivery.

 

The one thing I do like about FedEx - in the USA at least, is that they own all the FedEx office centers (old kinkos) and its always free to pick up FedEx shipped packages there. If you use ups stores for pick ups, those are privately owned and they can literally charge anything they want.

 

Fair point Zach, as always an option to use the FedEx Office locations. IME while it's better than having a package stolen, the locations are always woefully understaffed and you most often have to wait on the one or two people working to finish a printing job or helping someone with some other aspect of the store before they dig into the pile of packages to find yours. Always seems to take far longer than you'd expect. Am very happy to have an Amazon pick-up "store" a 5-minute walk from my house, where they have 100+ lockers where you scan your code and it pops open a door with your package inside. Wonder why they don't have this option at UPS and FedEx locations?

 

Similar perk, the FedEx partnership with Walgreens works out great near me for free pickup. Anytime I have something coming from ZMF or any valuable gear being shipped via FedEx, I just setup for pickup at Walgreens. No need to be home for signature, no worry about it sitting out on the porch. Just swing through the Walgreens nearby on my way home to snag my stuff.

 

I'm a bit shocked just how different universe hybrid pads sound from universe pads. I tried the universe suede's I got with these for awhile last week too and, while I'm not going to A/B anything, I'm pretty sure I just find the sound of the hybrids more engrossing than the suede's.

 

Hopefully a useful note for Europeans importing from the US - I choose FedEx to take shipments from the US to Europe precisely because they're crap - with the other postal services I inevitably end up paying customs fees, but with FedEx and their lacklustre administration I have not been charged import taxes on about 50% of the products I've imported, which makes FedEx extremely high value.

 

Hmm that's odd, I wonder if some luck factor is involved. I've never not had import duties ordering overseas.