The company ZMF has long established itself in the market of personal audio as a "boutique" manufacturer with its own branded sound. After a number of different models based on the Fostex T50RP emitters in the company decided to make a decision on their own driver, introducing two models at once.
Studying the various available radiators, the company chose two models: one with a TPE diffuser providing a feed similar to the ZMF brand sound, but the second model with a biocellulose membrane attracted the developer's attention with a peculiar and unusual sound associating with the famous Sony MDR-R10. Not being able to resist, ZMF presented two models, and .
Specifications
- Emitters: dynamic
- Diaphragm material: Atticus - thermoplastic elastomer, Eikon - biocellulose
- Acoustic design: semi-closed
- Impedance: 300Ω
- Cable: interchangeable, with 3-pin MiniXLR connectors
- Weight: cherry 490 g - 530 g, Paduk 550 g - 600 g
Packing and delivery kit
In ZMF we have chosen the most ideal version of the original packaging: a large and reliable plastic case with an insert of foam rubber inside, which protects the headphones from any adversity. This case is both convenient and reliable, so I'm for the other manufacturers to take this idea as widely as possible.
Inside are the headphones themselves, an instruction with a warranty card and a regular wire. Models differ with used ear pads, at Atticus they are the same as in Ori, and for Eikon special ear cushions of a slightly different shape were sewn, however, both models are quite comfortable.
Design and comfortable wearing
The company decided to use the same cup shape as Ori, but completely rework the headband. Now this is not the "remnants" of the donor Fostex T50RP, but its complete solution. The forks of the cups are made in the form of metal semirings that cover the main headphone assembly from above and are attached from both sides in the middle. Semi-rings themselves are connected to the headband by means of a thick "knitting needle" sliding in the fastening unit for adjusting the size. The headband itself is made with a metal plate inside and covered with leather. At the moment, both models can be ordered in one of three types of wood, the customers are available cherry, African pada and camphor tree. In theory, the selected wood can affect the sound, but in practice, I think the effect is very small, so I would choose the appropriate option, relying primarily on aesthetic preferences and based on weight (cherry lighter than paduka minimum of 50 grams).
Since we are talking about weight, we can not but mention that the headphones distribute the mass well, thanks in large part to the soft and deep ear cushions and comfortable headband, thus achieving very good wearing comfort. Sound insulation is not 100%, the headphones have holes, although densely damped, but for most cases, sound insulation will be enough. This is still not open cups, so at comfortable levels, both models will not interfere with others. Of course, because of the rather cumbersome design it is not a street solution, their main purpose is listening to the house.
The wires are, of course, replaceable, 3-pin MiniXLR compatible, compatible with Audeze. By default, the bundle includes a good flat wire, devoid of inclination for entanglement and microphone effect. If desired, for $ 60 headphones can be supplemented with a separate wire from high-quality oxygen-free copper, but this is clearly not an option. For fans of experiments there is also a wire developed by ZMF together with Double Helix Cables, it will cost the suffering $ 100.
Speaking in general, I like the look of the headphones, they do not feel "the spirit of the DIY device," the new models are similar to the factory product and look more than worthy of competitors in the price category.
Sound
The following equipment was used for listening.
- Yulong DA9 and Resonessence Labs Concero HP as DAC and Amplifier
- Apple MacBook Pro Retina 2016 as a source
- Fidelia as a player
- Lotoo PAW Gold, theBit OPUS # 2 and iBasso DX200 and others as portable players
- High Definition Records in Lossless-formats (Dr. Chesky The Ultimate Headphone Demonstration Disc and others)
Before listening to the headphones were warmed for 72 hours.
Since we have a double review (initially I thought to divide the material into two publications, but then I decided that the second article would then be very short) - the description of the sound will also be double. Both models have similarities, I think, first of all, we must thank the wooden cups, they give some elusive reverberations, adding the liveliness effect to the sound of instruments, very many parties acquire the effect of additional realism and depth, what many call "Musicality". However, for this, first of all, music is needed, on which this effect can be heard, it is illogical to expect a "live" sound from initially artificial instruments.
Both models have a pronounced character and features, which for some people will be a minus, and for someone - a significant advantage, which amid the dominance of the same models I'm more pleased.
Let's start with Atticus, of course, you can call it the "younger" model, but it will be some stretch, since the headphones were created for connoisseurs of different sounds, and not to occupy two niches at the same time.
"Atikus" was created for lovers of slightly softened feed with unobtrusive high-frequency, because "heat" and "lamp-like" this model has the right amount. If we talk about the previous products of ZMF, it is Atticus that continues the ideas of Ori and Vibro.
The bass of this model balances on the verge between the excess and the loss of sensation of the heat of sound. Add a little more LF - and the headphones will sound dull, remove - they will lose their appearance, for which they are worth buying. This model does not try to play LF super-fast and biting, for this - welcome to planar models. The horse Atticus - weight and body, and here they are really good. The study of textures is sufficient to ensure that the low frequencies do not sound dull, and the main emphasis in the bass feed is on midbass, which ensures the correct sound of "real" instruments.
Medium frequencies are also served with a slight bias in the dark, lovers of razor sharpness and "listening to nuances" (which are usually referred to as flaws in the recording) there is nothing to do. Atticus is designed for lovers of a seamless feed without trying to decompose the music into components. VCh is a bit secondary, so even the most problematic recordings in these headphones sound good. The imaginary scene is slightly less than the average in depth, the headphones do not try to divide the plans perfectly, but they do not dump everything "in a bunch", the width is slightly above average, the character of the instruments is transmitted reliably, and the emotionality of this model, perhaps, does not hold.
HFs are also fed in a common key, they are not sharp, but are fairly legible. Attacks are not specifically super-fast, so as not to bore people accustomed to soft feeding, but the resolution and the amount of RF are quite good, and a small peak in the lower RF region allows the headphones to balance their pitch.
Eikon is quite different from his brother, while retaining some common features, such as musicality and emotional submission.
The bass here is more linear and deep, it is not accentuated in the midbas area, as in Atticus, therefore it is perceived as less massive. In return, Eikon offers a better study of deep bass, which, on the one hand, gives the best result on quality recordings, but on bad ones it can become a disadvantage. Also, "Eikony" better work out textures and a little higher in resolution, but it largely depends on the gain (and about this - in the next section).
The average frequencies of these headphones are slightly less than the corporate color, but its imprint is still felt, it is also a model for fans of the merged filing. Of course, the speed of MF is higher here, and they sound more neutral, so the imaginary scene is more than average in width (naturally for closed models) and in depth, the division of plans has also grown, although on some tracks the more intimate Atticus presentation sounds even preferable. These headphones less emphasize the emotions of recording, so their exacting quality of the track is also noticeably higher. In general, the MF of this model is somewhere in the middle between analytical and musical-flavoring.
The upper frequencies are also moved closer to the "as recorded", there is no attempt to smooth them or hide some of their flaws. HF is not superdetal, but their resolution is at a good level, and attenuation is able to compete even with more expensive models (if the source allows). There are already "full" present all those small nuances that fall into the HF-range, but the requirements for the material in the headphones are also higher. Of course, these are not neutral and detailed planars, but also not soft and comfortable Atticus.
Comparisons this time will not be very special, since I do not have other closed headphones of this level (except Ori), and comparing closed and open models is about equalizing a convertible with a pickup.
ZMF Ori . The same "corporate" sound, but based on the emitters from the legendary Fostex T50RP. They give a sharper sound on the HF and HF, offering a slightly wider imaginary scene, but losing in the comfort of sound and in the characteristic for both dynamic models the "liveliness" effect.
Meze 99 Classic . The only closed headphones, that is now at my fingertips (except for Neo, but the difference in them is really not great). They, of course, do not reach the ZMF - a smaller solution, microdynamics is simpler, but taking into account the price difference, there is not the slightest point of comparing them. The presence of the Tesla Model S does not make Model 3 worse.
Compatibility
High impedance in pair with not ultra-high sensitivity make both models just the ideal candidates for use with OTL tube amplifiers. But the paradox is that on a "good lamp" I prefer Atticus, and on transistor (or OU) amplifiers - Eikon. Most likely, the fact that the headphones have a characteristic sound, emphasizing the features of feeding these categories of amplifiers. Portable same sources for top dynas ZMF - the pair is not suitable (except for the most powerful options like LPG).
Genre recommendations for these headphones, I will not give, everything is dictated by the taste of the potential owner and his preferences in the filing. The quality of the Atticus record is less critical, somewhere by 6 points out of 10, and Eikon is more picky, about 8 points.
Traditionally, several tracks for example
Pain of Salvation - Linoleum (acoustic version) . Very convenient track for demonstrating the advantages of these models. On the one hand, there are beautifully recorded acoustic instruments, and on the other - the melody is sufficiently saturated and interesting for a full presentation of the capabilities of the headphones. At the same time, both versions of the "reading" are good in their own way: the warmer Atticus pitch accentuates the vocal part, and Eikon is better at transferring the instrumental part.
Nazareth - Telegram . In principle, to demonstrate the strengths of Eikon it was possible to choose any of the tracks of the classics of rock music, so I almost randomly chose Telegram. The traditional sound for Nazareth, well recorded, plus the characteristic vocals - show all the best that these headphones are capable of.
Peter Gabriel & Friends - Altus Sliva . We will act on justice: one example is common, one for Eikon and one for Atticus. In the role of the latter will perform this wonderful ethno-track from Peter himself: an interesting melody, high-quality vocals, unusual instruments and a line of percussion blossoming from the presentation of Atikus - together they give real pleasure to the hearing.
conclusions
ZMF confidently continue to develop their line of sound, bringing it to an increasingly higher level using any improvised solutions. The company has moved away from the concept of "homemade" with the use of separate Fostex units, and the new line already looks like a factory product, while offering a signature sound that can please fans of organic filing.
The article is based on materials .
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