ZMF New Headphones: Vérité and Aeolus

Do they still sell Be2? I don't see them on the site.

Also, these are very, very comfortable, I must say.

 

To get Be2 pads you order Veritè pads and note Be2 on the order.

Also spracht @zach915m on shill-fi.

 

Thanks!


So fast. So sweet.

Like, even in instances like this where the resolution of the drivers displays a flatness characteristic of poor quality, I don't care. Still sounds beautiful.

-Edit-

Speaking of brain burn-in, the sibilance in this is way more tolerable to me now than it initially was. I could try other pads, but it's so arresting as-is I don't care to.



I want to fight Zeos irl for putting out a review making these seem "meh". He's either deaf or his SMSL DAC or w/e the f**k sucks.

I can tell these are remarkably fast even from the leak as I briefly leave them playing on my stand.

 

Yes, they're listed as variation of the verite pads: find the verite pads on the site and on the dropdown where you select perforated/solid you'll have the be2 options there.

 

Oh wow, there's a solid leather one for the VC!

I wish I'd known that when I got the suede and hybrid universe for the VC.

Damnit zach, I wish you'd told me these were on the way, I do mind giving FedEx all that money every time.

 

Solid V pads on V closed are very very flat/neutral dry (in the 100hz to 1000hz area) with the slightest hint of bass hump. I like them on those gooey tube amps, I wouldn't say a must have for a VC owner, but everyone who emails me and says VC is too warm as ships seems to love them.

 

I meant Be2 solids, didn't know those existed.

I'm choosing to believe this is a conspiracy between Big Ship and Big Pad to make me spend more

 

@ader Quick recommendation to consider picking up a pair of the hybrid Universe pads.

I started with the leather Universe pads on my pheasant wood Verite and while I loved the holographic staging and deep bass, I found myself wanting more treble. Rotated thru the Verite and Be2 pads before settling on the suede Universe pads. At least for myself they restored some of the holographic feel without the recessed treble of the leather Universe.

Recently decided to pick up a pair of the hybrid Universe pads to complete my collection (since ZMF has somehow turned me into a pad collector), and was happy to discover the holographic staging is back without recessing the treble to the extent of the leather Universe. As an added bonus I find them more comfortable to wear for longer periods vs the leather version.

 

Thanks, I probably will. Pure gave me suede universe pads as well, but I have yet to try them.

-Edit-

Yeah, I definitely do enjoy the treble with the universe suede's more than the leather ones. I'm still not sure if I actually prefer this soundstage presentation to that of the verite pads, though. This after just a handful of tracks, mind you. Sibilant things aren't as harsh with the universe suede's, though. I can hear that it is there, but that slight bite is taken away.

 

I'd be really curious to hear your opinions on the suede universe if you give them a try. I've read other accounts of people that prefer the verite pads not being huge fans of the suede universe, but personally I found them the best middle ground before switching to the hybrids.

I should also mention my chain is a Gungnir A1 -> Goldpoint SA1X -> Liquid Platinum w/mini watt SQ tubes, although I'll be upgrading to an ECP 3F next week when it arrives.

 

I edited early impressions into my last post right before yours showed up.

I feel like there may be less mixed initial impressions of these if they shipped with universe suede's attached instead of leather universe.

-Edit-

Maybe vocals are more solidly rendered with the leather pads, though? Might just be the stage difference between these and the verite pads more than the material.

I'll probably order another pair of pads or two tomorrow. I could do it now, but I'm weird and like to wait if I have another check just around the corner.

I should also note the Balancing Act does a lot on its own to make things sound huge -- the vertie pads never sounded "small" to me, lending to my thinking the extra stage from the universe may not be essential to my enjoyment.

 

I really don't like how the suede pads soften the transients. I don't think they're a good representation of what the driver is capable of.

I also don't think it makes sense to seek a more neutral fr with the staging of universe, because while it's a lot of fun it's as 'coloured' as the fr.

If anything, if it was me choosing a default pad ... well, I'd chose universe same as zach, but if I had to choose something else it'd be Be2.

It has the best compromise of more even FR without treble issues, keeps most of the staging without being too crazy distracting, and keeps the transients, which are like very little else around.

I can't speak for comfort, I have to wear driving gloves on long trips because suede on skin after an hour or two is like a prickly wool sweater. I'm not alone in this when it comes to cars but I seem to be when it comes to headphones.

 

@ader I don't believe the liquid platinum is known for it's expansive sound stage so it might be that Universe staging is a good fit for it, while the Balancing Act + Universe is too much of a good thing (I've not heard the Balancing Act though so I can't really comment on this, ignoring the fact I just did). Based off reading impressions on here I'm thinking the 3F is probably in the same camp as the LP in terms of sound stage, so I'll likely continue on with the hybrids.

@Traverius If the Verite was my only headphone and I was hunting for a more neutral signature I'd probably go for the Be2 pads. I also don't disagree that the leather Universe staging is truly unique and really good fit for the frequency response. If pad swapping was a zero effort affair I would definitely swap the leather universe in periodically. Actually though I'm planning to use the leather universe on my He6 once my Auedze vegan pads finally give out (they're already starting to tear, to be fair though I've had them for years so they've done their duty).

 

Yeah, I think in my case the EC Balancing Act is like, "I'll take care of the sound stage, go on and get intimate with those drivers."

 

Should be like my Af but more so, UL Veritè is a bit of an acid trip on it.




That's a plus in my book!

 

Using my Verite with the Magni 3+ instead of the ECBA now, and the soundstage is dramatically smaller. I know that's pretty no-shit-sherlock, but it adds to what I was saying earlier about the ECBA making me not need universe-size pads, is all. This is actually exactly what I wanted -- extremely good synergy with tubes as well as raw resolution to make the ECBA's strengths even more effortlessly apparent.

If someone's like, "lol, what do you need that huge tube amp for?", I can show them via the Verite.

Maybe I want hybrid universe pads for when I use these with lesser amps. Edit: Just ordered a pair.

-Edit-

And now I've ordered BE-2 as well.

I think if I were genuinely wealthy I'd buy a second Verite just to leave slightly larger/more-euphoric sounding pads on specifically for use with solid state amps I have in other setups.

 

@ader Welcome to the ZMF pad collector club! Really though we should probably start a support group. Curious to hear impressions from the new pads with both the BA and magni.

@Taverius Excuse my ignorance but wouldn't the suede universe pads create a dryer sound and hence sharpen the transients instead of softening them? I guess I see them acting more like a treated room vs the leather pads which as I understand generate more reflections.

They definitely have less of a seal though vs the leather which reduces the bass and thus evens out the frequency response. But I'm not understanding how less of a seal would affect the initial transient of a sound.

Edited to add: If we think of a headphone as an instrument my current mental model is that the driver acts as the resonator (string), the wood cup as the body, and the pads the room. Maybe this is incorrect though and the pad should be considered part of the body? I don't mean to question what you hear, I just find it an interesting topic of discussion.

 

Nearly all I've done since Wednesday night is listen to music -- literally anything I've ever found viscerally engrossing. It's all new and revelatory as if I'm just getting into good headphones again.

I haven't even been experimenting much, with 90% of that time just being with the ECBA and Verite pads.

I'm pissed that I could never find anything like this when I was dumping thousands into this hobby in the early 2010's. These just clown other cans I've spent similar amounts of money on.

 

@quick I'm not sure but I thought it was noticeable on the Veritè. I didn't notice it on Atticus but those PET drivers aren't nearly as fast so that might be why?

Suede certainly drops tilts the FR counterclockwise, but it also softens the attack. So they make things brighter but softer.

Which can be a good thing, depending on upstream or tastes the Veritè could be too aggressive for some. I know on shill-fi some find the transients too aggressive for long sessions.

I don't know how it affects decay, I tend to massively overanalyze everything so I've deliberately stopped myself from learning how to analyse sound, and I go by feeling.

As to what could be causing it - when the folks here start talking about driver parameters it goes whoosh right over my head so I can't help, but empirically its not just the seal, or the hybrid pads wouldn't restore a good part of the transient response I feel is lost in the suede.

 

I think these are now my favorite cans to use in bed with the Burson Conductor too. They actually make me appreciate the sound of the Conductor more, as I always just found it "good enough for orthos" before, if that makes sense. I never sold it because it was always just convenient and good enough for certain use-cases. The Verite actually pairs decently with it at high gain (I swear it changes sound signature here), though.

Worth noting that my only other 300ohm dynamics on-hand for some time how have been unmoded HD800's, which honestly just sound awful off most solid state. And the TH900's just never sounded right with the Conductor either.