Verite Perforated Suede pads just arrived.
2nd photo is it’s size vs BE2 pads.
This could be my ideal pad.
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I’ll just keep waiting for mine that left ZMF on the 27th
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Those glorious purple VC’s are just mint!!
Thats essentially optioned out ZMF right there.
I would like one more ZMF at least, torn between the VO, VC or just go for the bounce of the Aeolus. When it comes time to purchase I’ll have a lot of review reading to do!!!
Thanks for posting the pics.
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How’d you feel about the be2? Looking to try out some other pads other than the leather Verite and universe pads. Seems the be2 get a decent amount of love, as well universe suede. The Verite suede look very nice!
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Welcome to the forum @Rhodey!
BE2 is my 2nd favorite pads. It’s somewhere in between Verite and Universe. More natural sounding than universe and less sound stage compared to verite pads.
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Thank you! Shame the soundstage gets smaller. So many options! I’ve just been enjoying the Verite pads but going to try out another option soon and order a pair or two. Thanks for the reply!
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Has anybody tried the newer hybrid Verite or hybrid Universe pads on the Verite Open? I don’t think I’ve read a single review about those.
So I checked out the site and I don’t see the Verite perf suede… Another secret pad lol?
And has anyone tried out the universe perf leather suede hybrid? Seems interesting.
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yep secret pads i guess. Here’s some measurements. I am not super confident in how accurate they are as it’s using MiniDSP EARS for measurements and comes with the normal caveats. This is using the HPN compensation curve.
ZMF Verite Pad rolling | Verite Perf Suede - RED | BE2 - BLUE | Univ Perf Leather - GREEN | Univ Perf Suede - BLACK
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You can email ZMF inquiring about a particular pad if it’s not listed.
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Nice graph, which headphone are the pads on? excuse me if I missed it elsewhere.
Sorry I see now, “Verite pad rolling” I have a VC ordered and have requested universal suede and BE2 pads, lots of pad discussion going on and I would like to get it right before my order ships, of the above which do you prefer to sit down, with a drink and “soak it all in” for the evening? Verite Perf Suede look like a heavy bass pad, I like that with some of the music I listen too. The BE2 looks a bit more laid back and I would like that on occasion. Do you have the universal suede to compare to these you have already measured?
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Sorry, yea these are for the Verite Open. I thought I posted it in the Verite thread but ooops. 
The closed back should probably use non-perf pads while open back uses perf pads.
The universe suede is black in the chart, but again, its perforated on VO.
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With the VC you won’t be going the perforated options. They are for VO.
So you’re choices are Leather/Suede/Hybrid (material) and Verite/BE2/Universe (thickness / distance of ear from driver), but in the solids.
Actually decent amount of info out there.
My favorites were the Universe leathers for the VC.
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Thanks, I actually have the Eikon suede and BE2 lambskin ordered, might have to add the universal leather to that as well.
OK, thanks! How’s does the soundstage change with the Verite perf suede? Similar to the Verite perf leather? Once you’ve had some time with them I’m curious if your thoughts. Thanks for sharing!
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Great review @Torq
https://www.headphones.com/blogs/news/zmf-pendant-tube-headphone-amplifier-review
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So, having seen all the love in the world for ZMF, and after careful consideration of the reviews and what I tend to like, I got myself a pair of Eikons. (Closed backs are much more practical given noise where I listen.) However, I’m a bit baffled by what I hear: a highly coloured sound with an aggressive upper-midrange honk that gets in the way of all the music. With the natural (un-EQed) sound of these headphones I just I feel like I’m listening for highs or lows past a wall of monotonous honk. Hihats and voices sound like they have a lisp. The detail is all hidden, the texture is rough.
The only thing that has made these even remotely pleasant to listen to is applying oratory1990’s EQ settings, and then they become quite decent. But surely it’s a weakness of a headphone to need this much tuning-surgery before it becomes pleasant.
I’m more confused than anything else: I usually can tell what it is that people enjoy about a headphone, even if it’s not to my taste, but to me, and I’m still in the early days of listening to it, this sound is actively unpleasant until drastic EQ is applied. After the EQ, I can hear space in the sound that was not there before. I quite like them after EQ.
What is going on? Is it my ears? Is it just a matter of taste? I have become very used to the sound of the Aeon Flow Closed, which does get my emotions going - it has liquidity and space. That’s a very different sound from this (which feels a little more stodgy even after EQ), but I don’t usually have this much trouble adjusting to a new headphone or understanding what others like in it. Could it be something about how it pairs with my amplification (an old O2/ODAC combo)? There’s just this dominating tonality that seems to come from the headphone and not the music. And I don’t think it can be that they’re broken, because the EQ settings from oratory1990 seem to even out exactly this tonality. Can a headphone that others love really sound this weird? Is there that much difference in people’s tastes? Is everyone EQ-ing these? I’d love to learn to love these!
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Hi there, sorry that your first experience was not what you wanted. Few things to keep in mind with ZMFs:
- They recommend a hefty amount of burn in (like 200 hrs), but from what I have read and heard myself, the bulk of the difference happens after the first 50. Others have mentioned that upper mid shout goes away after some burn in.
- Which pads do you have? Try pad rolling to see if that gets you to your preferred sound.
- Getting the fit right on a ZMF closed back is super important for sound. I was having a hell of a time with how finicky the fit was on my Verite C. In some positions, the sound was really claustrophobic. In other positions, it sounded open and spacious. It all came down to getting the right placement and seal. Take a look at the headband bending video by ZMF as well:
https://youtu.be/eyp2SpJ970Y
These points are covered in the ZMF Guide (https://www.zmfheadphones.com/zmf-guide), so be sure to give those a try and see if they help.
If all else fails, maybe you just prefer much brighter headphones, and the mid-range warmth of ZMFs is not your cup of tea.
EDIT: I would say get rid of the oratory EQ before doing any of the above. Try to get the headphone sounding good before any EQ. Also those EQ presets are generated by an algorithm to get them as close to the Harman Target as possible. That’s not a good idea with a lot of cans and changes their sound too drastically.
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