ZMF Verite Closed

Yes, I still hold to these rankings, but I haven't tried any other pads since I made that post. I switch between the Auteur Hybrid and the Auteur Lambskin depending on my mood, and I've been quite happy with that arrangement.

 

Nice. Thanks. And you're still getting good bass response with those pads? I really enjoy the bottom end with both the Verité and Universe pads, but would like to brighten things up just a bit.

 

Yeah, there's certainly enough bass for my preferences (out of my chain).

 

Are the Auteur pads any roomier than the Universe/Verite? My ears are touching the back of both of the latter.

 

The Auteur pads are the most angled of the three but are the same thickness (25mm) as the Universe pads on their thickest side. The Verite pads at their thickest are only 21mm and didn’t leave enough room for my rather large ears when I tried them.

The inner dimensions are a toss-up. The Verite pads have a slightly larger width inside, but the Auteur and Universe pads have more vertical space.

 

I had the same issues with those pads. Auteur pads are the most comfy for me. If you need even more depth just put one loop of paracord under the pad.

 

Anyone compare the various headband pads? Looks like the Crescent is the most plush. I've only got two clicks left on either adjustment rod on the VC (must have a bigger head than I thought), so maybe something slightly slimmer is better? Might go with the Co-Pilot pad.

 

You can try Crescent snap with buttons. it's like putting a shirt on with buttons. Even if it doesnt work with ZMF, you can put it on any other headphone like 800s.



As caution, I went 2 notches up after putting it on VC and you only have 2 left.

 

If cost isn't a factor, I'd go with the crescent strap. while I've never found ZMFs to be uncomfortable, I'd say that the crescent strap noticeably improved comfort. Also, if you only ever intend on using the padding for ZMFs, then the regular crescent strap looks & fits nicer than the co-pilot (which is two separate pieces that are attached by velcro).

But, if you want want the abiltiy to use it for non-ZMFs, then there's the crescent strap with snap buttons (which, I'd also choose over the co-pilot).

and, I wouldn't be too concerned about sizing if you still have an extra couple clicks to go n the adjustment rods.

 

+1 for crescent strap. I changed all my ZMFs over to it as it is far and away the most comfy and roomy.

I must have a tiny head. All of my ZMFs with crescent strap are on the smallest possible setting. There is a lot of unused rod. Lol.

 

Great, thanks. Looks like I'm honing in on a Crescent and Auteur Hybrid pads.

Anyone use the Crescent pad successfully on Audeze?

 

+2 for crescent strap.

I applied one to my HD800S, along with Zach's leather pads, and am now at the max adjustment setting on the band. Fortunately, my head isn't any bigger than it already is...

My Blackwood VC's (read: "heavy") use the crescent band, and have a suede strap. They are extremely comfy. However, I don't know if Zach made improvements between when I ordered my Blackwoods vs my Atriums, because my Atriums have much more clamp force than my VCs.

That'd be the only thing I would want to improve with my VC -- increased clamp force.

 

you should be able to bend the headband to increase the clamp.. perhaps, bend it so there's more of a point at the top.

youtube link

also, FYI, I do believe that the suede strap is shorter than the leather strap...

 

I've used this method with some success, but the bump in clamp force dissipates within a week or so.

Despite this minor quibble, it's extremely cozy -- especially for its weight.

I find myself mostly listening to the VC in bed at the end of a long day. The tonality and the 3D, holographic imaging make this thing such an enjoyable and immersive experience.

 

I just bought the Blackwood Verite Closed from ZMF because I think the Blackwood looks gorgeous and I was curious to hear the differences between them and my Sapele Verite Closed. I definitely hear some subtle differences, but they are more alike than different. In reality, the biggest difference between them is the weight. The Sapele (with Magnesium chassis) weighs 485g and the Blackwood (with Aluminum chassis) weighs 662g. So the Blackwood weighs nearly 50% more than the Sapele.

Before I give my brief impressions, I want to clarify that the differences described below are quite subtle. These are ultimately the same headphones. Also, I should note that comparisons were done with the stock pads (Auteur Lambskin).

The Sapele VC is a little more mid-centric than the Blackwood, which has more emphasis on the bass in particular, and the upper treble to a lesser degree. It's not that they're tuned differently, it's just that the different woods emphasize things slightly differently. There is a bit more richness in the mids with the Sapele, and I would guess that it's because there is a more pronounced cup reverb with Sapele relative to Blackwood. The Blackwood sounds a little cleaner and it has slightly better microdynamics, so little nuances in the music are slightly easier to hear. The Blackwood also has more focused transients, so there is a little more punch and weight to notes, especially in the bass. The Blackwood also sounds smoother than the Sapele, which has a little bit of glare or hash, especially in the upper mids. It's really minor glare/hash, but the Blackwood has even less—it's silky smooth.

Overall, I like the Blackwood better in terms of sonics, but not by much. For acoustic folk music in particular, the Sapele VC brings some extra richness and a beautiful reverb effect, but the Blackwood works better for me for more genres. For orchestral music in particular, the glare/hash of the Sapele can bother me slightly.

In conclusion, the Sapele is slightly richer, more mid-centric, and a little grainier with a tad more hash/glare, while the Blackwood is cleaner, more bass-centric (with a touch more air up top), slightly more technical, and silky smooth. Both are incredible, and they are shining examples of ZMF's craftsmanship. Bravo!