Thanks for letting me know you'd be interested. I did a segment on pad rolling the Atriums in my review of them (you can jump to it using the chapter markers). I'll revisit it with the VO & VC though too 🙂

+1 On the pad rolling video. Given their cost it would be nice to hear Lachlan's opinions before purchasing. Then I can blame him when I make the wrong decision. No, no, just kidding.

Haha. I'll be sure to put a big disclaimer at the beginning of the video 😉

My pleasure! I'm so glad it was helpful 🙂

My pleasure! Glad you liked it 🙂

Glad I could provide what you were looking for 🙂🙂

Glad you're loving the VCs. Thanks for the tips on the pads!

I also bought my VC blind and I don't regret it at all! They are wonderful on my wa22! They seem to thrive with tubes. Have you tried the Autuer Lambskin? I have tried the Autuer Lambskin, Autuer Hybrid, and universe lamb. I much prefer the Autuer Lambskin.

@@brooksphillips2234 Yup, I love the Auteur Lambs! I have them on right now.

@@JL3001 me toom they have more of that 3d effect and more dynamic. What are you driving the VC with?

I'm looking forward to trying some different pads on the VC and lots of people seem to like the Auteur pads on them

Thanks for letting me know. I'll keep it in the schedule

agreed.... universe pads on VO for me the resolution and imaging slightly degraded in exchange for wider soundstage. at the moment VO has Verite suede

Good to know there's interest in the pad rolling video. I did a bunch of rolling for the Atrium review and really enjoyed the Be2 suede perforated plus the Auteur perforated hybrid pads. It'll be interesting to see what I favour on the VO & VC

Glad you liked the review and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the Atriums!

@@PassionforSound Checking back in... After hearing the Atrium's they're just so good at every quality I prioritize. I'll definitely be adding a pair to compliment my VC shortly. Turning into a ZMF fanboy but I really like the sound and the people so it's hard not to!

Thanks for sharing your experiences. Glad you've found another winning headphone for your collection 🙂🙂

@@snowrang3r657 I love my VC with passion ❤ also want to buy Atrium

Hope you enjoyed it!

@@PassionforSound secured the Green VC's! ZMF HOT Cup Summer

Great move! There are some gorgeous HCS designs!

Glad I could help, Jon! 🙂

I can totally understand that preference. Both are wonderful headphones.

Even bass heavy music VC can handle like a champion it all depend on tubes, there are more relaxed tubes or those with better energy. I recently tested few pairs of power tubes in my amp, believe me or not but they determine how punchy and accurate bass is. What can VC do is strictly linked with audio chain you are using, power aspect is most important. For me personally is very important what tubes my amp is running just because most of my headphones are using dynamic drivers with high impedance

Yes. Tubes are a very key part of the sound produced by tube amps. They're the main elements of the gain stage and power stage so every tweak can be very impactful.

@@PassionforSound only sad thing is that good NOS tubes dont live long :) at least most of them

That's not been my experience. I've owned many NOS tubes (and still do) and they're all still going strong after 100s or even 1000s of hours.

Thanks Will!

Thst will be great! I can't wait to see what the limited run Atriums will look like

I've got a patron who's talking about sending me his T60s so I might be able to make that happen.

@@PassionforSound that would be amazing. Thanks! A little thing to consider, if you do - Mod House are now selling their own custom suede "MHA Xenon" pads with T60 Argons. They've collaborated with Dekoni to make them and have them available as an option instead of ZMF pads. Also another reviewer commented that there will be leather versions of the MHA Pads available soon too.

I think the patron has the new Dekoni collab pads

VC is superior to Argons in every way. Argons tend to be sometimes sibilant, VC got smoother top end without loosing details. Speed and attack of VC along with punch is way better. Timber of Argons is not bad but still more dry when VC got that sweet touch to it. Bass to be more specific sub bass of Argon can compete with VC. Soundstage of Argons is pretty good for closed backs but VC can do it a bit better. VC is upgrade for Argons, worthy upgrade, 1000$ closed backs are not worth it in my opinion, Argons are unique and very hard to beat with thier price.

Thanks Maarkus! Hard to go wrong with any of those. Do you have a favourite?

@@PassionforSound If I had to choose one it would be the VC.

Nice!

Shouldn't "faster" always be closer to the recording? Unless it's from a lack of bass like the Arya.

@@hartyewh1 the speed of the driver can make stuff sound like kinda unnatural; kinda like the HD800s, that can have a slight "glare"

@@mqtpqt Yeah, I missed that decay was being discussed, not macro dynamics. Speed is a rather loose term.

Yes, it's all about decay in this case. It's also always hard to know how the track was mixed and mastered. Was the engineer using a very fast setup and therefore mixing it to sound like it does on a VO or was it more like how it sounds on an Atrium? The answer is probably something in the middle, but the ZMFs still sound great. As for an Aeolus review, I'll see if the opportunity presents. Zach and Bevin have been very generous sending out multiple demo units to me so I don't want to push for anything more just now. I might revisit that in the future though or maybe borrow a pair from someone local

@@hartyewh1 Yes that is true. But you are missing natural sense of tonality and decay at times. Faster sound can led to be boring. I like speed and detail all day.

Yes, it's a big step up in comfort, isn't it?

I should check them out, but haven't got a contact for them and I can't afford to buy everything for reviews because the channel doesn't make much money yet compared to the time and costs put into it.

@@PassionforSound I totally understand.

I pair vc with a spring KTE , soloist 3XP/supercharger/sparkos and have 2 tube amps. Really the vc makes all my music sound fun and Ease of listening. My 1266 phi tc are my mains but quite an event and can be fatiguing.

What's your first favorite? :P Edit: 1266 TC?

I can totally imagine that pairing working well with each other even though I'm yet to try the 1266. Hope you enjoyed the review

VC here as well is 2nd place. Senn HD800S still top.. Other good headphones I own are below Verite Closed.

@@newsigmundfreud3023 you must have specific taste of music to like hd800s more

I've got a full pad-rolling video coming towards the end of the year so I look forward to trying that combo!

I'll keep it in the schedule 🙂

At the price range, my only preferred headphone I think is the ZMF Atrium, but that will come down to your tastes and what I've described in this video and my Atrium review as the differences.

Definitely the Atrium is the closest to this. Most 2-channel natural (non-DSP) systems will struggle to get the sounds behind you, but the Atrium is wonderful for a deep, spherical presentation.

That's a tough one to answer because I haven't heard the Feliks amp (at least not that I can recall - I might have tried it at a show). From what you're describing, and if you're trying to keep costs down, I'd go for the Crack with the Speedball upgrade. It's going to give you the type of warmth and organic sound that you seem to be enjoying. Plus, you can upgrade it pretty easily with improved capacitors, etc. if you decide to.

I own cheaper Feliks Elise and it handles VC really well, swapped every tube in it but at the end all of my dynamic driver headphones sounds way better, fun fact is that my tubes not exactly add warmth but more likely power delivery is better so bass is more detailed and controlled, timbre is more organic and treble got more sparkle, sounds like voodoo magic but its high impedance magic with OTL, same goes for my 420 ohm audio-technica and Im currently waiting for DT880 600 ohm version 😅 Im real fan of high impedance and OTL (besides I love classic rock&roll and metal)

It won't be power delivery so much as the sonic character. The amount of power delivered to a headphone is either enough or it's not (assuming the amp isn't stretched to the point that it's becoming non-linear and distorted). It's the quality of the power delivered (i.e. sonic character) that's making the difference in a case like this.

@@PassionforSound or is it that only VC hate that amp since all the rest work fine :)

It will just be a question of synergy. The VC tuning is a bit lumpy so if the amp happens to have a sense of emphasis in its sound where there's also emphasis from the VC, that can lead to exactly what you're describing.

Preferences are definitely key. I didn't find any noticeable shifts from burn-in. With some headphones I have, but not these. What matters the most is that you can choose the one that YOU like 🙂

You mind find me rude but how do you able to heard all of these without owning them ?

@@nicktan4530 We did a four hour listening comparison of all three plus my friend's Susvara and Abyss 1266. I ended up buying the Verite Open that day and my friend is saving up for the Closed.

@@seekeroftheways Make sense considering you have rich friends and I dont. Are you from Australia as well ?

@@nicktan4530 From Singapore, there's a Hifi cafe here that let's you try the headphones in a private listening area to your heart's content.

Thanks for the tip. I'll try that for the pad rolling video

VC got quality bass depend on recording of course and amp, you can push them as far as you want without mud in midrange or highs sharp like a knife. There are also multiple pad options probably I could increase bass a bit but I dont feel the need. Planar sub bass is still better IMO but dynamic drivers feel more like subwoofer bass, softer more smooth like.

I'm keen to try the Aeolus too, but not sure when that might happen.

I have the VC and would say they are a smoother, good all rounder headphone compared to Utopia. The Utopia murdered my ear drums with their hot treble the time I had them for a day. Could be amp dependent.

I definitely wouldn't say that the Utopias are necessarily more accurate (tonally) than the ZMFs, but they definitely offer a better soundstage and image than the VOs. I think, in some ways they're a bit like a cross between the VO and Atrium, but they have some pretty aggressive treble that can be troublesome (as JTB said) and that's why I ultimately sold them.

@@PassionforSound Thanks for your reply. What about resolution and detail retrieval? I'd think that this is where a pure beryllium driver would excel.

@@PassionforSound I don't know what it is... but for some reason I'm now pretty sensitive to any type of hot treble with headphones. I never liked Beyerdynamic HP's because of the way they present treble. But now I'm noticing I'm pretty sensitive to treble like how the Utopia were for me. Maybe it's the amp... maybe it's something that happens with age? And it's probably more noticeable with harder Rocking music genre's with the screaming electric guitars. I've been researching the Rosson RAD-0 and it's grabbed my interest as many reviewers and owners have said it does treble very well and different with a smoother treble. And it's not done with tricks and gimmicks like other HP's do it. That peaked my interest as many said the RAD-0 are good with Hard Rock, Metal, EDM and Pop type genres because of how the treble is smooth sounding and not hot like some HP's are with those music genre's.

I know what you mean about the treble. I feel like I'm less tolerant of it these days too, but maybe I've just learned that I don't like it - not sure. As for the RAD-0, a patron/friend of mine has just picked up a pair and will hopefully send them to me for a listen and review

Personally, I'd skip both and go for the Atrium.

@@PassionforSound thank you 🙏

I don't have any specific notes, but I use ZMFs with the Aries on a regular basis and they work great. In particular, the slightly weightier/smoother sound of the Aries suits the Verités very well compared to the drier sounding TT2

I have and it's great! Ultimately any tube amp's synergy with a headphone comes down to personal preferences and the tubes chosen. My recommendation is to get the best tube amp you can buy, based on your preferences and budget. And then try some tubes to tweak the synergy with your headphones.

@@PassionforSound thats good advise 👍 VC is sensitive for audio source, it can sounds awful with solid state amp or glorious with correct tubes, better source better they are simple as that

You could start with something like the xDuoo TA-26 or a Schiit Lyr+ could be nice. If you have basic soldering skills, a Bottlehead amp is always a safe bet too, whether the Crack, S.E.X., Crack-a-twoa or Mainline. The Mainline is particularly great, but I'm yet to hear the Crack-a-twoa in full swing with the VO

@@PassionforSound Thanks. Does a Topping E50 and TA-26 make sense to you?

Totally! That would be a great budget setup

I'm still waiting to get my hands on Caldera so not yet, but hopefully soon...

@@PassionforSound looking forward to it!

They're confirmed for shipping. Should have them within a week or so

@@PassionforSound 🙌 dope

Both will sound great on solid state and tubes, but I prefer the VC over the Lirics

@@PassionforSound you are awesome, thank you very much

My pleasure 🙂🙂

@@MeteoraEra thou it depend on recording, for oldies recorded with low volume VC need a lot of power to sound right

I think buying secondhand headphones is always a good idea (if they're in good condition). There's nothing major that will wear out - just pads and headband, but the pads are replaceable on the ZMFs and the part of the headband that touches your head is made of leather so very long wearing

@@PassionforSound plus high end headphones used in most cases are very well taking care of, I own used VC its like brand new

My pleasure

I haven't tried the LCD-X (despite multiple attempts) so I can't really help with a direct comparison. You'll generally find that the planar drivers are a bit tighter and faster in the bass than dynamics so it depends on what exactly you're looking for.

The same is true for planars. Any headphone is only as good as the amp driving it. Due to the physical nature of dynamic drivers and the way they move, they'll never be as tight as a planar (if they're also creating the same amount of bass), but they have their own benefits with what could be considerate more natural decay. This is where the VC is stronger, in its fullness and decay.

There's more to the sound than just the frequency response, but I do agree that these don't have a particularly deep bass extension. For a lot of music, the bass response from both is ample because most instruments don't regularly play super far down the range, but for fans of deep, deep bass there are better choices.

@@PassionforSound hi, which one do you recommend for a totl deep bass hp? I tried the meze empyreans and Hifiman 1000 v2 stealth and none can have that deep bass like a subwoofer. They do classical music very well but for other genres you feel you miss something

I'd probably recommend the Caldera for bass at this level. You might also like the Abyss 1266 and/or Final D8000 (non Pro version)

great thank you!, it helps me, will try those @@PassionforSound

I'm using an Aurealis Audio copper litz cable that's similar to the ones you can get from companies like Norne, Double Helix, etc.

I haven't tried the Rognir despite multiple emails to Kennerton over the years so I can't help on that one - sorry!

Glad you liked it!

@@PassionforSound By the way, Lachan, I meant it when I say I want and love your Verite Pheasentwood. Sorry if I spell your name incorrect. Looking forward. And yea, nice comparison.

I don't have any plans to sell that one - it's such a special looking pair and somewhat historic as the original design of the VOs

@@PassionforSound But can you reconsider... I thought I might have a chance.

Haha. Not at this point in time. Sorry!

Those are very different cans. The Arya Stealth offers deeper bass extension, but the VC is probably a bit punchier. For clean vocals, it's a tough call because the Arya is airier and breathier, but the VC might focus a bit more on the "body" of the vocal

@@PassionforSound thank you so much that has helped

@@Angel-AbC9 I had Arya but V2 not stealth, VC eat them alive if you speak vocal wise, oh they do better everything except soundstage

Wow - sounds like what I thought of the Focal Elears and Elegias I owned. Glad I ordered the Atriums and not the VO.

I can understand what you mean about the mids being sucked out. Technically, I'm not sure they are from a frequency response perspective, but the super fast decay makes the midrange less weighty and present which is why I also prefer the Atrium. GE, sounds like yours and my tastes are fairly aligned if you like the sound of the Atrium (as I've described it). Hope you love them!

Very hard to beat the VC and Atrium combo for enjoyment. I'm looking forward to trying the Caldera soon...

That's the Avantree Bamboo stand. They're listed here with some links to various stores if that helps. bit.ly/MiscRecommend

Thank you

Yes, no problems at all - I was running the similar spec Atrium from the Mojo 2 just yesterday

@@PassionforSound wow cool , thanks

The Roden?

@@PassionforSound sorry, i mean the rode nth-100.

I thought that might have been it 🙂 That review is due out in July IIRC. I'll be producing it soon for patrons.

@@PassionforSound 👍

Not at all. I do most of my listening (and therefore form my opinions) before taking any measurements. Also my measurement rig is far from high tech (a basic miniDSP EARs rig) so I also don't completely trust it.

What's an example of a planar you've found more resolving and faster?

I'm glad that my VC is great for metal and really fast 👌 especially with tube amp

@@PassionforSound i tried Arya stealth and immediately was blown away by how much more fuller sounding they are and faster but smooth, other than Vocals and Timbre, I'd say Stealth was a superior headphone compared to VC. I have Singxer + mojo 2 as source and gave it enough time (pads Eikon suede, Auteur hyb, BE2, OG, tried them all) and today i tried VC on TT 2 and then Hugo 2. I'd say VC was much less engaging, much slower and lacking in many aspects compared to Stealth, definitely not recommending it at price point of €2,700. Looking forward to try Lirics and probably selling VC. Also I compared it with Sundara closed, even though Sundara has terrible vocals and very fatigueing highs and treble, it had an amazing lows and subbass and on rock and metal it would kill VC at any day due to planar speed obviously, but my point is, VC cant do fast music, especially metal and electric guitar and its a shame at this price point to see a cheap planar absolutely surpasses it in terms of synth sound and electric guitar but not vocals and natural instruments, hence, not at all an end game headphone. I A/B tested all three and everytime i went to VC it was underwhelming bass and bad speed at majority of songs.

And let me clarify, I highly respect you and watch most of your reviews, I just think VC Is unbelievably hyped amongst everyone and forums. Its just a respectful disagreement, they're a good dynamic headphone but it stops there, their bass, speed and super dry sound (due to fast decay) is underwhelming when you compare them with other headphones. Now if someone has a very high end Tube amp from feliks audio, Amps and sound etc its a different story apparently which I havent tried, but it means we are talking about +€6 k category, and that no longer is the VC thats the star, its the whole system where as with Stealth or liric, you can drive them with a Mojo 2 or Singxer or both and be super happy.

The VC and Arya have very different sounds. I don't think it's completely fair to compare them, but I'm definitely glad you were able to find out what you liked most. What I mean is that many people will love the VC for what it does just as you love the Arya for what it does. They're a bit like comparing a four-wheel-drive offroader to a sports car. Both can be great, but also suit very different people and needs. Hope that makes sense - not trying to say you are wrong. What matters is that you have found something you love

If I decide to sell it one day, you might have the chance

@@PassionforSound Yea please do eventhough I cannot afford for now..

I really do want it and really wanna be your friend here. Or will have to try to look for other Pheasant wood.

I think you're being overly harsh. Wood will always vary because it's a natural product so one pair or batch is never representative of others. Also, the range of unique creations they release every November and occasionally at other times are astounding and more than make up for the loss of customisation IMO. Doing bespoke services would get very difficult at scale as a company like ZMF gets a larger reputation and greater demand