While the price of everything else is skyrocketing, the value of ZMFs is going down. The world really has gone mad.
These are great. I tried this pair in person in Hawaii a few weeks ago. Great seller too! I just couldnât (and still canât) afford another pair at the moment. What an amazing sound thoughâŠIâll now have to own a Verite someday soon 
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Can you say a bit more about Valhalla 2 with the VO?
You and I have some overlap with our setups, as I also have BF 2 and Lyr 3, and a Jot 2 instead of the Valhalla 2.
Iâve been using my VO and Aeolus probably more with Lyr 3, but I really kind of like the Aeolus with the Jot 2 these days. I also have a Focal Clear OG and a couple of planars (DCA Aeon RT open and Hifiman Sundara fwiw), which is why I never really considered a Valhalla 2.
Anyway Iâd be really interested what you think on Valhalla 2 with the ZMFs, and how it compares or stacks up against the Lyr 3. Iâve been using my ZMFs a LOT these days, more than than the others for sure. TIA 
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Going through the Vérité thread on head-fi before buying my pair - I was trying to decide which wood to choose from - I noticed a few that came with different stain options. ZMF only offered these stain treatments for a while. There was a striking pair of camphor burl with a purple stain, And here, I believe, is a sapele with a mahogany stain:
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Valhalla, to my ears, has a fluidity and smoothness that sets it apart from Lyr. They are similar in pretty much every way that I can put into words, but there is a certain hard-to-describe difference with Valhalla. The best way I can put it is that Valhalla makes everything velvety smooth. I listen to a lot of jazz, and even in well recorded jazz, horns can sometimes be a bit aggressive - but never on Valhalla. Itâs like it creates enough space in the sound field that even the most dynamic passages have room to breathe without bumping up against the ceiling. Itâs less incisive than Lyr, but more spacious and âmusicalâ, which to my ear works extraordinarily well with Verite.
Utopia, though it has a reputation for revealing source equipment & amplifiers, is more or less agnostic between Lyr & Valhalla, which I attribute to its lower impedance. Valhalla needs high impedance headphones to really pull the magic out of it.
I currently have a DNA Stellaris on order, and even with the best of the best incoming I suspect Stellaris and Valhalla will coexist in my system. I really love what Valhalla does with Verite that much.
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Has anyone tried Feliks Envy amplifier with ZMF headphones? 300b are the best tubes AFAIK. Is it going to be at CanJam London?
It would look magnificent next to some ZMF cans.
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The Envy looks like a masterpiece in every way, looks, specs, features, you name it. Iâll be very interested to see some reviews down the road!
I couldnât say whether this or the DNA Stellaris would be my end-game amp. Theyâre both magnificent, but out of my league. 
The Feliks is very sexy thoughâŠ
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That is high praise indeed for the Valhalla, I might have to get one 
Itâs pretty affordable, even though I just got the Verite and shouldnât buy anything else⊠Itâs also been around for quite a while, and I keep wondering if Schiit is going to kill it off (like Mjolinir) or redesign it. I guess since itâs a classic design thereâs not a lot more you can do with that size chassis.
Anyway, thank you, youâve given me something to think about.
Post some pictures and a review when you get your Stellaris! Congrats, what an amp!
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New LTD releases will go live on 18/3.
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Do you know what models and woods types yet?
No, not yet. But the last few special releases have been about VO/VC, so I am hoping we are getting a new LTD for the Atticus and Eikon.
Zach did comment over on headfi that there wonât be a LTD wood of either Eikon/Atticus for a little bit. That was around a month ago.
Hmm, maybe Aeolus then.
Edit:
Yeah, seems like this is it:
âWe will have a LTD Canare-wood aeolus coming up though in a few weeks.â
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Canary wood is moderately hard (a bit more than hard maple & a bit less than wenge) and depending how itâs cut, looks awfully pretty to me (URL below). It combines moderate hardness with large pores, which usually makes for a very interesting headphone sound (in general, hardness helps bass & overall dynamics; large pores increases reverb/resonance a bit):
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Any recommendation for a dac/amp combo that pairs well with Verite Opens that has bluetooth and USB? I listen mostly through my laptop but there are times I would like to stream from my phone.
Thanks,
James
The Chord Hugo 2 has APTX for streaming to it or can be connected to phones via Micro USB. If itâs an iPhone youâll need a special cable or the Apple CCK. I loved mine with the VO. Also nice that itâs a transportable amp. Iâd assume the Mojo or Mojo2/Poly combo would also work for you.
Thanks!! I had the Apple CCK and it crapped out on me. I have wasted to much money on apple connections above the normal aux dangle on my iphone. I am not sure if its me, but they all last a few days and then stop working. Probably need to include a budget <$450. At that price, I can just pick up the apple max and have dedicated set for my phone which I mostly use for audio books and current amp/dac zmf through my pc for music. Trying to find a balance.
