I owned a gorgeous padauk Eikon for 2 or 3 years; and had a Verite Closed here on loan a couple years ago. They are (respectively) the #2 and #1 best closed back headphones I’ve ever heard (the Ori is #3).
I let go of the Eikon, despite really admiring its sound, because like most closed back designs, it can quickly exacerbate my tinnitus & migraine. IMO the Eikon has a thrilling & dynamic sound with excellent soundstaging. I always thought of the Eikon as a “thrill ride” headphone experience.
The VC was rather thrilling it its own right: perhaps not as dynamic as the Eikon, also not having quite as much sub-bass, but close enough on both counts. What the VC did clearly better IMO was speed, detail, and overall resolution. The Eikon hardly lacked in those things, but the VC just had more of them.
Omni to Ori was just a name change, so far as I know. I never heard anyone comment on Omni vs Ori sonic differences.
There was said to be somewhat more sonic distinction between hard woods vs softer woods w/the Ori, but as my Ori (ormosia henryi wood–a medium hardness hardwood) is the only one I heard at any length, I can’t confirm that. I will say that the bass in particular is stand-out wonderful with the Ori. It has the best bass, both quantity & quality, of any planar I’ve heard except the big Abyss & the Final D8000, but it’s not far behind them.
I has opportunities to compare the Ori at some length to the Eikon & Verite Closed–fascinating comparisons, as they are the #3, #2, and #1 best closed backs I ever heard, respectively.
I had an Atticus but it didn’t get along w/any of my amps, so unfortunately I never got that wonderful slamming Atticus sound so many people talk about.
1 - I love my Ori. It’s now the 2nd oldest headphone I have (oldest is the venerable Fidelio X2) and will be last the I sell (correction: my estate will sell it); and
2 - The real “Abyss” here is the pit many of us fall into, having so much headphone gear–and wanting even more
So far I have almost only used tubes, sounds musically better and more rounded in the sound(Crack, Echo). Just want a nice alternative when I’m not sitting down for long sessions.
Did you have a price range in mind? I liked the Bryston Bha-1 with the Aeolus and Autuer very much. Enough that I rarely bothered to turn on the crack glow bottles.
A little pricey but the Chord Hugo TT2 pairs wonderfully with my Aeolus (and my Focals for that matter). DAC built in so may not be what you’re looking for.
While on the cheap side, a friend of had the Eikon together with the Beyerdynamic A20 and liked it a lot, probably because of the high impedance output. Seem to be discontinued now, would have been fun to give a try.
Loved the iFi Micro Black and Pro iCAN along with the Hugo 2 with my ZMFs. I wish iFi made a SS version of the iCAN for those who don’t want the tube portion. Both iFis certainly gave more of a full sound with thick bass vs. the THX 789 I had for a bit. Hugo 1 is also quite good and can be found used cheaper than the Micro Black new.
I also use a Bottlehead Crack for my best ZMF listening… I enjoy the Schiit Jot 2 as my “main” desktop rig for when I don’t feel like burning through tubes and am pleased with how it sounds for $400. Not as full/holographic as tubes, but still has the great timbre, slam, and details (more micro details than most tubes on the crack).
