ZMF Atticus Headphone Official Discussion

Official Headphone Model Discussion
#1

ZMF Atticus Official Discussion

Atticus [AT∙i∙kuhs] is a name associated with wisdom and experience; these headphones are tuned according to those same virtues.

Audiophiles often search for a “neutral” sound when, in practice, warmth is what is most pleasurable, desirable, and lifelike. The Atticus embraces this concept and elevates it with clarity: a vivid midrange, and vigorous bass. The Atticus is ZMF’s warmest sounding headphone with a prominent mid-bass hump. It even retains an extended treble thanks to our TPE membrane driver. It’s renowned for being a great headphone for guitar-centric music with punchy bass, and forward mids, making for a somewhat rare combo in high-end headphones.

Currently, the stock wood for the Atticus is camphor. Learn more about our wood choices here.

SPECIFICATIONS

  • Impedance: 300 Ohms
  • Driver: TPE
  • Weight: 490g
  • Sensitivity: ~99dB/mW

INCLUDES

  • ZMF Stock Cable
  • ZMF Pads
  • ZMF Owner’s Card
  • Your Choice of Carrying Case
  • Lifetime Driver Warranty

NOTES

  • The upgraded magnesium chassis is more fragile than the standard aluminum chassis.
  • The upgraded magnesium chassis is painted, not anodized, and may wear over time.
  • If you purchase an upgrade cable, you will still receive the stock cable.
  • All upgrade cables are 5.5 feet in length.
  • All upgrade cables come with a ZMF splitter and either black sleeving or bare wire.
  • Only one discounted upgrade cable can be purchased in a bundle with each set of headphones.
  • To add a fully custom cable, check out our cables page!
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#2

@TylersEclectic can you make this official! I guess I am not cool enough :wink:

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ZMF Headphones - Official Thread
#3

Man the Atticus needs more love here! Of all my ZMFs, the Atticus holds the most dear place in my heart. Nothing makes me smile more than the Atty! And so i’m not just babbling, here is a recent amp score I grabbed on headfi that’s synergizing really well with the Atty.

I was fortunate enough to nab a DNA Sonett 1 amp in the headfi classifieds recently, and finally received it yesterday. I gotta say this amp is amazing for the Atticus. I’ve only spent maybe 8 hours with it so i’ll keep my initial impressions brief, but man I just cannot stop listening! The amp is very fast, very detailed, but a bit on the dry/grainy side. With my Eikon and VC it’s fatiguing me a bit. But this amp sounds like it was made for the Atticus.

The bass is epic! Fast, articulate, and very hard hitting. The dryness/grain really gives the Atticus some air and balance up top. My main concern long term though is this may become fatiguing. And the tube types it takes are super hard to find other than new production, so tube rolling options are very very limited. One last thing, the staging is really good on the Sonett. Actually the soundstage is both wider and more holographic than my beloved Pendant. The tonality and overall technical performance of the Pendant is imo a clear step above the Sonett, but that’s to be expected given the large price difference and differing circuit design.

I’ll post more impressions once i’ve logged more hours with the Sonett. But I’ll end with this, the Atty/Sonett combo kept me up till almost 3am last night because I just couldn’t stop listening.

6 Likes
#4

Nice to hear that you’re enjoying this great pastime we all love. Synergy is the best thing that I’ve learnt to appreciate about headphone gear this last couple of years. It’s a really important part of the equation and it is taken lightly at our listening peril.

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#5

I completely agree. Before I used to chase “the best” of each piece I could afford, without regard to the system as a whole. Then I’d scratch my head and wonder why I was never satisfied. I’ve realized everything must be in harmony for me to really enjoy them. I think this is a common issue people encounter on their audio (and life) journeys.

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#6

I just ordered my pair of Atticus today. I think they are absolutely beautiful and I look forward to adding them to my collection which now includes: Grado RS2e, Sennheiser HD800S, and Meze Audio 99 Classics.

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