Regarding used market values, this is a place to check:
https://www.usaudiomart.com/classifieds/64-headphones/?sortby=created_desc
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Iâd be curious to hear the brighter tuning, which apparently does that but to an unknown extent. I think almost all online reviews have so far been of the standard/flat tuning or have simply not commented. I think the tuning options are a somewhat recent possibility that wasnât there when they first set up shop.
I dont think I did. I got the Utopia around the same time as the VO and they overtook them and became my go to. I did put out a pad rolling review with Utopia comparisons, I think in the VO thread somewhere but I dont feel I did a individual look at the VO. ZMF Vérité - Open-Back Dynamic Headphone - Official Thread - #1015 by perogie Its a monstrosity of a write up and the VOs would have been burnt in as I just ran stuff through them for a few days when I got them.
As for the treble - although in general I found it more to my liking on the VO in comparison to the Rad, being that there was more definition and bite to it, the VO is very capable of generating a resonance in the higher registers that is just plain awful.
It happens with both the Uni and Be2 pads (havenât heard it with the V pads but they are my least worn pads). The Rad never approached this kind of unpleasantness - very calm and relaxed treble (which isnât exactly my thing but I can see others liking it, a bit boring to me). The resonance is not a common occurrence, so I dont want to convey that as I dont think I mention it in the pad review, but the VO is more prone to harshness to my ears. May be a wood thing? Mine are camphor. Not sure if any of this is helpful.
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I hope you enjoy my take on the RAD-0 from Rosson Audio Design!
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Thanks for this!
I feel like combining one of these with a VC has to be aesthetic summit.
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Both so beautiful aesthetically! Thank you for watching!
MrHifiReviews and I had the same plan for the day, here is my review of the Rosson Audio Design RAD-o
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Initial Impressions
I just purchased this BEAUTY of a pair from @huntca and have had a few hours of listening with them. Iâll compare them to the Ironwood VC that you see in the back. All listening done through the Phonitor XE out of a Bifrost 2, volume matched very roughly by ear. I also have a +3db 0.5Q shelf at 20hz applied via Roon (for both sets of cans). Personal preference.
Looks
This is an absolutely GORGEOUS unique pair that seems to have been custom milled. The wooden looking parts on the ring are actually wood and not resin (you can feel their texture). I wonder if I should do something to preserve them more, as that part feels less finished than the wood on a ZMF. The faceplate is all one material but spray painted to match the outer layer.
I donât know the history behind who did this. Was it you @huntca? But whoever did is an artisan. Pictures donât do it justice.
Comfort
They sit well on the head, and the earpads are very plush and encase the ear well (though slightly imbalanced in shape left vs right on this pair). If you have large ears like me, be ready to feel your back and bottom lobe under or pushed against the pad a bit.
My main gripe with the comfort is that I can feel a bit too much pressure on my jaw and may need to bend the headband outwards a bit to compensate. The VC, while heavy as fuck, is remarkably comfortable on the head in all respects once you adjust the headband. Hoping this one does the same.
Theyâre around the same weight or a tad lighter than the VC, so nothing too far from what Iâm used to. I think we need to expand âAudeze Neckâ to include âRAD-0 / Verite C Neckâ.
Also the Arctic XLR is a huge improvement in feel over the stiff stock cable (though a bit long for my needs).
Sound
Sound wise, I can summarize it as balanced, detailed, and musical.
Soundstage and imaging:
Compared to the VC, the soundstage is a bit narrower (surprising for an open vs closed comparison, going to show how bonkers the soundstage on the VC is). But imaging is precise, and I feel there is a midsized ring around me in which images are presented.
Bass:
VC SLAMS harder, but the RAD 0 is faster and more precise / textured in the bass. So bass textures growl more than on the VC, and a lot of my songs I feel right in my chest more than on the VC. Even though the VC slams harder, the RAD0 bass has a more tactile feel to it. So interesting.
Mids:
This is really where RAD0 shines, and compared to the VCâs more laid back mids, I feel more energy and lushness in vocal tracks. âGoodbye Yellow Brick Roadâ by Sara Bareilles from the âBrave Enoughâ live album is a great test for this. In the second verse and beyond, she really POUNDs the lower chords on the piano. On the VC, that booming piano can actually overwhelm the vocals, while the RAD0 does not suffer from that. I love what the VC does for almost all genres, but RAD-0 is a great complement.
Highs:
Highs sound more airy on the VC than here, but the RAD 0 is just slightly more neutral is all. Still plenty of energy.
Detail Retrieval
I think the detail retrieval is about the same as on the VC, but itâs a bit nuanced. The VC has 4 very unique qualities that come together: incredibly wide soundstage, almost complete noise isolation, dynamic slam, and high detail retrieval. When you put these together, you have some of the best headphones for live performances and recordings that have a ton of dynamics and moving components. Everything spreads apart and lets you pinpoint it if you like.
On the RAD0, I still hear every little bit as in the VC, but it all feels rushed. There is a slight lack of space despite the open back nature, and things are more âin my face.â Because of that, Iâm not able to keep awareness of all pieces of the recording as easily as on the VC.
Where the RAD0 does outdo the VC in detail and texture is in the bass. Iâm not sure if itâs because of the VCâs slam and resonance, but really textured bass has less of an edge on the VC. âLimit to Your Loveâ by James Blake has surprisingly textured bass in the second half of the song. Not the part that everyone knows and listens to but in the background behind his 2nd verse / bridge section. I donât remember it being nearly as detailed on the VC as on the RAD0.
And this pattern held true for almost all songs I tried. There is more impactful and slamming bass on the VC. But I FEEL and notice the bass more on the RAD0.
Speed
Not sure if I misunderstand the word âspeedâ as everyone else uses it, but I take it to mean the limberness of the actual diaphragm that produces sound. So how quickly it can go from one speed to another determines the ability to render complex passages, sound punchy, render textures, etc.
Given that, I feel the RAD0 is a tad faster than the VC. There is an immediacy to notes that gives me a better tactile feel than the VC. Drum hits are a great example. Guitar distortion is another. Thereâs somehow more âGRRRRRâ in the distortion that Iâm picking up here.
Overall
Really impressed with this pair and look forward to listening more. Thanks @huntca for a great unit.
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Outstanding review. And congrats on the come up!
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Great review! Iâm thrilled you like them because I was very stressed you might not after my recommendation haha. You got a gorgeous and unique pair, truly one of a kind given someone had those painted custom. You might have the nicest pair of Rads out there outside of the âGraffitiâ pair that Torq has.
From your review, sounds like youâve heard what I meant by the Rad-0 âgrowlâ vs. the VC!
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Definitely see what you mean with the growl. Itâs the detail and texture. Bass has a way of standing out and making itself noticed with the RAD0. Thanks for the rec!
Do you know which one it is? Iâm definitely in the market for a fancy-pants cable for these.
Iâm happy youâre enjoying them and glad they found a good home!
I didnât do the artwork, but you can hear a little bit about it on the interview with Alex Rosson here (starts at 25:19):
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Hey all.
I have my Rosson Audio headphones and I love them, however I am getting some pain on top of my head after maybe 15-30 min of use.
I have followed the blog post from Rosson on how to adjust them, but it doesnât seem to be helping at all.
I was wondering if anyone else is experiencing this and if they have any solution.
thanks.
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I had the same problem.
1). I have heard from another Rad-0 fan (@PaisleyUnderground ) that a tea towel in-between the head band and the head can help.
2). I wore a stocking cap. it was not ideal in July.
3). A member here did a prototype run of a retrofit suspension band. The rad-0 signal has been lit, and heâll show up if he is interested in making / selling more.
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The tea towel helped a lot, although my wife ridiculed me on a daily basis.
I was one of the guinea pigs for this excellent mod. I hope he goes to market because it really works - no pain at all after several hours of use. Itâs very easy to install and is an ingenious design that slots into the existing headband, so youâre not damaging the headphones in any way.
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Thank you for the reply, @PaisleyUnderground do you have a image? or anything just to see what it looks like, also do you know if he will be making more?
I can just imaging what my wife would tell me if she see me wearing that on my head, after blowing 4500AUD on them
Thank you for you reply, I am bit devastated to have this experience on this headphones to be honest.
Iâm the guy that can hopefully help you out with your problem! I was getting the same hotspot on the top of my head and tried bending the band which helped but didnât solve the problem so I designed and build the strap setup myself. The clamp pieces are CNC machined Delrin which is an engineering plastic that machines very well. It wonât mar or scratch the sliders so itâs 100% reversible and you donât need to do anything at all to the actual headband, just put the strap on and get it adjusted and you are done. I even have one strap setup left from my initial run so I can ship one out right away if it looks like something that youâd like. I had a leather worker make the leather straps for the ones that I have made for other people so the edges of the band are finished properly where the photos are of the first one that I made for myself and the leather isnât done quite as well. PM me if you are interested. Also, for anyone else that see this and is interested, PM me and, if thereâs enough interest, I can run more batches.
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Rosson should hire you to their design team. Itâs kind of unacceptable that such a mod is needed at this price range and knowing that Alex has so much past experience with Audeze.
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Thanks! Ya, I find it odd that they havenât fixed this issue as well since it seems to be one of the most common negative things that people have to say about the Rads. I was really hesitant to try them at first because I had heard enough people talk about how uncomfortable they were. Adding the strap and adjusting the clamp made them into something I could easily wear for a full work day though.
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