ZMF EIKON & ZMF ATTICUS

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by gbeast, Oct 1, 2016.

  1. HAL9000

    HAL9000 Almost "Made"

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    Yes...
     
  2. AMW1011

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    Ah I see, its the SBAF meet. I'm still pissed I couldn't go to RMAF.
     
  3. Dino

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    Last edited: Oct 17, 2016
  4. gbeast

    gbeast Mighty Moral Power Ranger

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    [​IMG]

    (pics are not of production units)


    ZMF EIKON - IMPRESSIONS



    Honest impressions. I did post these on HF too. FWIW I posted there and edited just a little here. I like how I feel like more accountable at SBAF.

    Aesthetics / Comfort - Both Atticus and EiKon I find the ZMF to be a bit bulky but very in its presentation. It is a huge headphone but every part on it is either leather, metal, or gorgeous wood. The shape and design is very appealing and reminiscent of the Sony. I think the headband is okay aesthetically but can be improved upon. As is it provides a decent amount of comfort. Speaking of comfort these fit on the head a lot better than the Omni and the weight is more evenly distributed. The pads... ummm.... well...here goes me trying to not use superlatives but too bad...they are the most comfortable leather pads I have worn. Only beaten by my personal preference of the vegan Audezes because I like the feel.

    Sound
    Bass

    The bass reaches extremely low. 10 hz and the driver flutters slightly. 20 hz is clearly audible. 30 hz is just slightly more audible. 40hz is in full effect. The sub bass is better than that of the Omni and THX00. Very low distortion and very much present. In fact I know that some people will not want the Eikon because it has too much sub bass. There was one song where it was dominant over the vocals but that was because it was electronic based and the vocals were processed. Most others I tried take no hits. The mid bass around 60 -120 hz sounds boosted as well, as 90hz is fairly present but the upper bass above 120 hz does not muddy up the lower mids much. In fact, on most acoustic music mud seems pretty much absent. Really though, if you don't like a lot of bass, The Eikon is not for you. OR TRY pad rolling. Honestly if you find the Elear to be too heavy down low the Eikon will be overwhelming. Now its not bass head ideal (or is it.?..I am losing my bass head bearings). Its a good thing that the bass is of very good quality because there is a lot of it. Who knows by the time of release.. Zach the tinkerer... may end up dropping it a db or two but the word is that they are very close to the final tuning. Now EDM heads rejoice, not only do you have your mids, but you have your bass drops. Gamers, Movie watchers... yeah you too.

    Midrange
    Here is how I know the midrange is not ill-effected by the mid-upper bass on most songs. Because compared to my modded 650(has tighter bass, more present highs, and sounds more clear and a little more open than stock) they sound very similar in tonality. After our mini meet I left thinking that the 650 is more tonally accurate. It is, by my standards, the standard for how a midrange should sound. The trouble with the 650 to me though, apart from its grain, is that the vocalist is a bit too close and forward since the soundstage is flat by comparison. That gives it a shouty kind of sound on some songs or the wrong tubes in my amp. The tubes I have now make this a non issue but with the Gold lions in there they become fatiguing after a couple of hours. The vocals have a slightly larger image size on the Eikon but have a blacker background around the vocalists with a more distant position. Simply put, for a closed back I have no criticisms here or at least not yet. For another example, its richer than the Code-X and a lot more wet in decay.

    Treble
    This is not for the treble head. The transients are quick but the treble is not shimmery, super crisp but the treble to my ears sounds only a couple of DB shy of being truly neutral. It is not as dark as the Kennerton Vali or rolled off but it is liquid. High hats seem the same level as my modded 650 but less grainy. Overall I find the treble nicely tuned but in need of just a little bit of air. Besides that I really like where it sits in balance. What is cool though is that it doesn't sound over dampened. This area sounds like it is pretty much being free where as on the Omni I can sense some compression or dampening to help fix the inherent issues of the T50.



    Soundstage
    Almost as spacious as the LFF Code-X more or less but seems to have a deeper and layered sound because it has more body. Now I compared the Code-X directly to the Ether Flow and found the Code-X to be more spacious. However I did not compare the Flow to the Eikon directly even if I compared it the Code-X. For perspectives sake (not many have heard the Code-X) The Eikon is almost as wide, not as tall, slightly more layered, more cavernous, and almost as good at separation but not quite because the decay and sub bass hold it back relative to the Code-X. But the Code-X is more pin point and sounds more technical and dry so the soundstage sounds more acute with less resonance. The Eikon basically is holding its won next to a TOTL open back in soundstage size and is a lot better than the average but is not going to supplant something like of the likes, or most open high end phones. Imaging is very good as well.



    Dynamics/Timbre/Presentation
    It sits under the Elear, but over a well amped HD650 in Macro Dynamics. That means it is very dynamic but the music is smooth and rich. Notes resonate with a slight lingering of decay. It reminds me of a rich and fancy guitar cabinet that when strummed vibrates with a fervent and smooth pulse. This Eikon sounds clear but closed and organic with a black background. The transients are very responsive but are not super sharp. This headphone is not dry but also not as cavernous as something like the DX1000. The Kennerton Vali has this very thick and heavy sound by comparison where as this is more swift and nimble yet still rich. It sounds to me something like the nighthawk in speed and texture but this Eikon is more spacious, not nearly as muddy, sounds more detailed, and has a more effortless flow to it (both are biocellulose). Tones sound very natural to my ears with rich and full modulations that embolden the notches of accentuations the recording intends to display.


    The Eikon does not sound like an open back. If you treasure the relief from cup enclosures and the openness it provides then something like the Elear ( though less holographic with a relatively smaller soundstage) will sound more open and less acoustically manipulated. I for one find the Eikon to be my closed back Unicorn but not open enough to replace an open back.

    Well that is more like a review than impressions but there you have it.



    Atticus - Impressions
    Bass
    The Sub bass on the Atticus is not as present. Instead the upper and mid bass is actually more present. Bass extension is good as well but 20-50 hz is not nearly as present as on the Eikon and from 90-200 hz is more boosted. Though everything is song dependent, the Atticus has more of a tendency to effect the midrange than the Eikon does. This is because 200-300 hz is a bit thick. Certain tracks did not reveal this because they did not have as much drum kicks. Take for example Amber Rubarth - "Lay your burdens" there are not many instruments in the lower mids to upper bass. However a song like Fleet Foxes - Sun Rises or Alabama Shakes - "Sound and Color" there is an extra warmth around the lower midrange. I am of the impression that the upper bass needs a cut to relieve some of the dimness/obscurity. The mid bass presence, as is seems deliberately tuned to give the headphone a relatively musical sound. I also do not find the bass of the Atticus to be as tight and controlled as the Eikon bass either. Opinions though seem to be very split on the Atticus. At our mini meet a member quickly preferred the Atticus to the Eikon and liked the punchiness of the midbass and was turned off by the rumble of the sub bass in the Eikon. Another and myself favored the Eikon; noting its depth, reach, and control.



    Midrange
    During eq tinkering I realized that the lower midrange is tuned very well. I implemented that medium band cut at 250 hz and the lower midrange from 500hz+ sounded very even. The midrange proper and area is only slightly elevated by only about 1-2 db as to stamp ZMF on the midrange without getting too honky. But I would prefer a slight trim there. As is gives it that ZMF house sound and as it continues to up the frequency range it is very much in line with how something like the Omni was tuned, albeit totally different presentation due to the dynamic driver.

    Treble
    The upper midrange is present but the sibilance region where "S's" and Cymbals crassshhshsh is actually very tamed and in my opinion can use a very slight boost for some definition. But this makes for a very non-fatiguing listen. I attempted to boost and drop 10 hz but actually liked it right where it was at as well. I also felt that the treble has enough extension.



    Overall technicalities
    The Eikons are better technically. The Eikon has a blacker background, lower distortion, and sounds more spacious. Both have an inherent transparency though and both are pretty much equally clear. To put this in perspective, the Atticus is still more spacious than average. It bests the Vali in that aspect and the 650. It also sounds less gritty and is decently refined. I have a feeling that some of these impressions has to do with my set up and amp that has an impedance setting to match the 300 ohms perfectly which will flesh out the depth of both of these headphones. But also I must admit that the Eikon got more than double the head time due to my preference for it over the Atticus.


    [​IMG]
    Both


    I do think that these headphones will be amp picky and some will have vastly different experiences based on the amps they use. Similar to how the 800 or HE-6 will sound different depending on the amp used. No headphone is exclusive to this. Feed the Pandora hope VI too much power and it will sound all messy. I just have a feeling that both of these will be more amp picky than the average mid-hifi headphone. They sound good on tubes too.



    On the pot they are both similar in volume and get louder than the 650.





    So there are my impressions.



    Edit: Not final tuning... I am eager to hear the final tuning!.



    We will see.
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2016
  5. PacoTaco

    PacoTaco Friend

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    Thank you for the impressions. I'm hoping I have a similar experience at the end of this month once it's my turn. Either way, I have a slight observation.
    When I'm reading the Atticus impressions, I can't help but note that it seems like the Atticus is consistent with the HD650 in sound signature (from what you described,) albeit with more mid-bass. Is that accurate?
     
  6. gbeast

    gbeast Mighty Moral Power Ranger

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    ^Almost but before you get too happy I would wait for the final tuning. The Atticus would need some work before it becomes as tonally correct as the title a "a closed 650" would lead some to believe. I have made that mistake twice too many times and have become very leery of doing it again. The upper bass of the Atticus is not something you can overlook if you were to want a closed back 650. An Eikon with a more tamed sub bass would get you closer to that goal. Remember the 650 mids are close to ideal so these need to be less effected by the bass if that was a targeted response.
     
  7. AMW1011

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    I really appreciate you giving use some detailed impressions. I'd like to ask first, what woods were used with each headphone?

    My bigger question though is for the Eikon. How would you say the resolution, separation, cleanness, and dynamics compare to the big bad Open backs like the HD800, HE-6, LCD-3, and the like?
     
  8. jelt2359

    jelt2359 Friend

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    I believe he said Pantauk for Eikon and Cherry for Atticus.

    The Code-X is exactly a "big bad Open back". Some say potentially the biggest of them all. It is a masterly modified Hifiman HE-5 (planar). As grizzlybeast points out, though, most will never have access to this- which is why he also mentions the Ether Flow, the Elear and the HD650 (all rather 'big bad phones').
     
  9. AMW1011

    AMW1011 Friend

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    Yeah its a shame, I have little experience with them. The closest I've come to the Code-X is my HE-6 or an HE-5LE. The Elear I havent had the pleasure. Mr Speakers' stuff too I've avoided the displeasure.
     
  10. HAL9000

    HAL9000 Almost "Made"

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    Do the PMx2s have a signature similar to the Code-Xs?
     
  11. PacoTaco

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    I believe he said he was going to do some tuning to that region you mentioned that is a problem on the Atticus. I don't know how much I can actually say, and I don't want to say too much. Knowing Zach though, he'll make the corrections he needs to (like he did with the Omni back when I reviewed the test pair back then.) I'll have to see once the pairs make their way to me.

    Gah, I still have that bad taste in my mouth from the Ether. I'm not entirely sure how you create a new Ortho driver that's bigger than the T50 (though made similarly) and still manage to have all the issues that were suppose to be fixed by making said driver. Besides the Mad Dog, I can't say I've ever liked any of MrSpeakers stuff, but that guy does seem to have a dedicated following.
     
  12. gbeast

    gbeast Mighty Moral Power Ranger

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  13. Vtory

    Vtory Audiophile™

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    Decided to preorder Eikon (sounds like a very good value from any criteria), but still hesitating between cherry and padauk.

    I am curious which wood other folks will go for.
     
  14. bazelio

    bazelio Friend

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    From the horse's mouth:

    I haven't listened to the Cherry Eikons too much as I only had a set together shortly, but I'd characterize it as a touch more bloom and romance, same amount of detail and transients, stage is maybe a touch rounder bc of longer decay, and that covers most of it.
     
  15. Vtory

    Vtory Audiophile™

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    This is actually very enticing description..
    Cherry Eikons may be better for me. Also slightly lower weight of cherry might be more favorable to long listening comfort.
     
  16. AMW1011

    AMW1011 Friend

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    Its a measure of degrees really. Without know how fast the Eikon is with either it is really hard to judge. I really hope Zach gets a Cherry and Padauk Eikon into someone's hands. I think I'd like the Padauk since I really enjoyed how fast the HD800 was. My ZMF Blackwood was very mellow and average to below average in decay and transients. I hope that isn't a ZMF characteristic, though I find it worrying that he refers to slow decay as "romantic".
     
  17. zach915m

    zach915m MOT: ZMF Headphones

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    When I talk about transients I am referring to the leading "edge" of a note and how fast it appears audibly to the listener. Transients are not as affected by wood type but do change slightly with it.

    When I talk about decay I am talking about the speed at which the end of a note or sound lasts after its initial strike. This is greatly affected by wood pore size and density. Most musical instruments ring for a certain period of time after they are struck, so they do need some period of decay in a headphone to sound natural. This ofcourse all depends on the instrument and type of music etc.

    When I use the word romantic I just mean that the decay/note end lingers a fraction longer allowing the listener to take in the phrase without as much immediacy as a harder wood.

    Your blackwood was requested to be made by you in sapele which is a softer wood so the decay was markedly greater than that of blackwood or other exotic hard woods.

    It's tough - because although there is an audible difference between Woods, it generally isn't something that most most people hear distinctly right away unless it's cherry/sapele vs blackwood. It takes some A/B time for sure. I usually tell people to choose the wood they like the appearance of most because I think the wood type is far secondary to sound signature desired by the end user, at least for most.
     
  18. HAL9000

    HAL9000 Almost "Made"

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  19. AMW1011

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    This is roughly my understanding of the two terms as well. I think you worded this excellently. The difference with wood and decay is actually fascinating. You also touched upon what confuses me, the fact that too fast of a decay is unnatural sounding. I'd say the HD800 falls into the unnatural realm with it's extremely quick decay, while the HD650 falls a bit on the slow side. Do you have a similar impression?

    Oh I see. "Romantic" sounds like an order of degree to me. I figured a more romantic decay would be a significantly longer decay.

    In the end my Blackwood was made out of Zebrawood, I believe due to it staining better. I'm not sure where that falls on the line, but I believe its in between sapele and blackwood. I found the Blackwood to be just fast enough for my needs with transients around the same as my HD600 and decay notably more lingering. Fast and congested music was reproduced acceptably, but the headphone truly shined with acoustic and slower paced songs. Perhaps the increased decay and wood-enhanced texture is an ideal coloration for acoustic music.

    From my talks with others and my experience with my Blackwood I would characterize the ZMF house sound as a bass heavy but increasingly linear frequency response with a very gentle and full sound. This is something I look forward to seeing evolve with the Atticus, but the Eikon I hope is a departure.

    Interesting. From the hearsay of the other ZMF fans I know the Omni was much more receptive to changes in wood than the Blackwood or Vibro. Would you say the Atticus and Eikon are less colored by the wood and more like the Blackwood and Omni?

    Thanks Zach.
     
  20. pedalhead

    pedalhead Friend

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    The whole issue of decay in transducers kind of bakes my cookie tbh. You'd think that during a recoding, the mic will pick up the correct decay just by virtue of, you know, being there (and presumably being a decent mic). Therefore you'd think the best transducer would be the quickest one possible, in order to replicate the original recording. But, clearly this isn't the case and super duper fast transducers don't sound very natural in many cases. I dunno, maybe it's because your average recording studio doesn't sound very natural due to the room treatment. Hmmm.

    Anyway, @zach915m , any chance of getting a listen of your new creations here in the UK sometime?
     

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