ZMF Vérité C - Closed-Back Dynamic Headphone - Official Thread

VO I’m using perforated lamb universe pads.

VC I’m using the Universe non-perforated lambskin.

These also have an excess of 100hrs probably close to 150hrs at this point… I get home in a couple days and do a more proper a/b between them to see if I’m getting brighter…

1 Like

Hi and welcome @Legalopalos. From personal experience please be careful getting rid of well liked gear in order to be able to pay for another set of cans. Only do this if you’ve made up you mind and have done due diligence in investigating your new headphones. Getting rid of two sets of great headphones to acquire one set of new ones is a hard decision. I wish you luck.

Though the headphone in question does seem like a true TOTL set.

6 Likes

Wise words Paul!

1 Like

(double post, I posted this over on Head-Fi as well :sweat_smile: )

A string of conscious post incoming, this was written over about two+ hours of listening and a/b…I need to get better at timestamping these types of posts… I was imbibing some Willet Pot Still Reserve w/one rock (for science)… and a guilty pleasure dessert to end my night Baileys Vanilla Cinnamon/Baileys Almond milk/Baileys Salted Carmel (My wife bought me a sample box lol, the Baileys Vanilla Cinnamon is awesome!! don’t you judge me!!! :wink: )… I know…I know!!!

Ok towards the end be aware I stopped a/b testing and just started “listening” you know when it happens because I start emoting/writitng about the tracks lol… booze, you devil you!! wags finger. This also happens due to the joy of listening through the Verite’s I was still going back and forth with them during this phase, and just enjoying them… they both are FANTASTIC and cause me to forget what I was doing and just start “listening” and enjoying what I’m hearing. All while letting me go on a ride of discovery/emotion/nostalgia! F’s to the yeah!

I was using the following Chain: RME ADI-2DAC --> Phonitor XE --> Verite Opens/Verite Closed

Music source Qobuz Studio on random(random the only way to listen :wink: ) This makes for a fun way to re-discover my randomness in music lol, I don’t have one preference and listen to anything I find “good” so some people will like some of the tracks, some will hate them, some will find something new, or break out of what they are used to hopefully =)

So doing a more traditional a/b test of the Verite O/Verite C and I must say, right away…the Closed are more “Three-Dee-Ness” than the Open. Also, the mids are more emphasized and I can see where @Monsterzero is picking up “brightness”. For me, it isn’t so much that it is brighter as more “potent”/Forward? I have them on the Phonitor XE plugged in at the same time, so they are volume matched (especially since they are essentially the same headphone, I don’t have to worry about dB matching). With the Opens… I feel like I need to turn the volume up a smidgen, which I think is where the “brightness” factor in the Closed is coming from. The Closed mids/vocals have a more intimate feeling in that the singer feels closer to you. It’s interesting, I think the Closed are actually more enjoyable to listen to …my dear “entity of choice”… did I really just say that… I might need more whiskey and head time :wink:

…Ok…I just measured dB and at the same volume on the Phonitor XE, the Closed are hitting about 2-4 dB above the Opens, which now putting on the Opens dB matched they are back to what I remember them being. They are now right in-line with each other again. Pretty interesting find, and something to be aware of…but this also could be my setup or the specific tracks I was using… I’ll have to get input from the other folks that have the Closed to weigh in on this.

I still think the Closed has more 3-D-Ness to them, and the mids are still more “potente!” also the lows have slightly more presence.

Damn it!!! just had to delete a paragraph as I forgot which ones were on my head until I looked over to my headphone stand and saw I was writing about the wrong ones… lol… this is a good problem in my opinion!

I keep wanting to put the Closed on over the Opens…now this could be due to me only having them for a “short” time but damn, I like this sound.

Well, I think after this…Both the Verite Open and the Verite Closed are phenomenal! Fantastic, and downright end of the road level headphones. Just plain, good, listening, coming out of these. I’m going to be very sad when I have to give the Closed back to @Torq … and wait on my own set to come in the mail…but I’ll have the Opens to keep me company :wink: Plus my new Aeolus A.Blackwood w/Unfinished copper to break-in =)

I hope that I added more questions and didn’t answer any questions with this post…ergh…eh…yeah, F it, I’m sticking to it :wink:

Tracklist via Qobuz Studio:

Cellophane ~ FKA twigs

The Real ~ Busty and the Bass

Golden Wings (instrumental) ~ Gabriel Garzon-Montano

Suspicious Bulge ~ Riot Jazz Brass Band

Heartbeats (live) ~ The Knife

10,000 Emerald Pools ~ Borns

The District Sleeps Alone Tonight (Remastered) ~ The Postal Service

After Dawn ~ Weathertunes

Blackbird (2018 mix) ~ The Beatles

Fresh Eyes ~ Andy Grammer

99 Problems (Album Version) ~ Hugo - Old Tyme Religion

Pour Over ~ The East Pointers

L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. ~ Noah And The Whale

Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major ~ Yo-Yo Ma

Modern Man’s Hustle ~ Atmosphere ( I grew up on this stuff :wink: and it is a must in my collection, also it was raining tonight, damn love the lyrics; love me some underground hip-hop!)…I guess I should have written about each track…hmmm…eh ain’t no goin back now! (yes, yes, I know, double negative sticks out tongue “phlbbghhhttttttt”). Muah-ha-ha-ha imitating my 3yr old daughter’s evil laugh

Coming Over (filous Remix) ~ James Hersey: oh man that “3-D-Ness”!! and around the 00:50 second mark the bass kicks in just chill music… reminds me of pursuing my highschool crush/girlfriend during the summer…Nostalgia is a powerful thing =)

Time Bomb ~ Prof : Yeah buddy, indie Rhymesayers goodness, beats, and lyrics… yes, guilty pleasure, ha! also this is very NSFW lol, he has some great tracks if you are into this sort of thing. No/Andre The Giant/Bar Breaker etc! Makes me laugh listening to the lyrics…once again guilty pleasure artist, I’m a big fan of Rhymesayers mostly due to nostalgia listening to them as a kid.

King (Acoustic) ~ Slenderbodies : Oh yes… if you listen closely to the intro you can hear the rain in the background. This group is one of my current favorites… just chill music

Sit Next to Me (Acoustic) ~ Foster the People : wow…the acoustic version just sounds fantastic! Highly recommend!

bury a friend ~ Billie Eilish : what a fun track, I’m enjoying the way the Verite C presents it with warmth and her voice just hovering around my ear, while the percussion dances around.

Power Over Me ~ Dermot Kennedy : this dude puts out some serious nostalgic invoking tracks… invokes a lot of memories listening. As far as sound just fast-paced percussion and acoustic guitar, mixed with that raspy voice, makes for a fun listen.

Nothing Breaks Like a Heart ~ Mark Ronson (featuring Miley Cyrus) : Don’t you judge! :wink: this is a fun listen, plus due where due deserved the girl can sing. =) I really like the way the Verite C presents her voice on this track.

Hey Jude (Remastered 2015) ~ The Beatles : I’m really digging on the piano and drums here… man Verites are present these tracks so very well. I’m really liking the stage and imaging, especially with the drums in the background. The piano is hovering in the right ear cup… wow. Good listen.

Waiting In Vain ~ Halie Loren : just pure enjoyment, jazzy goodness, what a great cover! If you are into this type of music, it is an easy track to close your eyes to, with a big grin on your face.

Girls Like You (Album Version) ~ The Naked And Famous : This one brings me back to a very specific time in my life, and also is just a fun track… I actually prefer the Verite C over the Open with this track… The lil pops seemed more apparent.

Night Light ~ Jessie Ware : another just enjoyable listen, lots of little things to pick up in the background if you listen, very fun production. Plus she has a great voice! Toss-up between the Verites =)

Beyond ~ Leon Bridges : damn, I’m really starting to enjoy this random mix… this track is head-nodding good! I almost want to go wake up my wife and dance with her… (Thought better of it, I’ll just give her a big hug, in the morning :wink: lol )

Sun Models ~ ODESZA (featuring Madelyn Grant) : and now I want to go back to Hawaii…or the tropics…

No Roots ~ Alice Merton : this is just bassy goodness lol, fun track…have to give it to the Verite C on this one! both did great though with the lows in this track… I just found the Closed to be more fun, but just only slightly =)

Grandpa’s Groove ~ Parov Stelar : This band is a very fun listen, I enjoy a lot of their work. Fun Swing/big-band style with a new-age twist.

Love Somebody (Acoustic) ~ St. Lucia : another simple, yet extremely enjoyable track. I can really sit back and enjoy this track. I want to give it to the Verite Open as my preference for this track…but it is only just.

Murder in the city ~ The Avett Brothers : This one reminds me of my brother and me. Good listen. This style of music really shines on the Verite (both of them).

Drive by Fires ~ Ayla Nereo : love this track, one of my new discoveries, been enjoying some of her other tracks but this one and Seeds are two of my favorites from this artist.

Hanuman (live in Paris France/2011) ~ Rodrigo y Gabriela : F to the yeah, these two can jam! ooh, can’t pick a favorite Verite here, both present this very well… really like hearing the crowd in the background! very cool.

Acid Mountain ~ Moon Hooch : if you like percussion and brass, you will like this. Head bobbing goodness. Might have to give the edge to the Opens here =) they give the Brass just a little more room to breathe it feels like.

1950 ~ King Princess : ooh, this is tough, I want to give it to the opens, but the Closed have just a tad bit more mid goodness…hmm… got to make it a toss-up as the Opens have something going on that makes me keep swapping back to them, but then the same happens with me wanting to put the Closed back on lol… this is a trend in most of these tracks for everyone’s awareness.

Moonshine (Feat. Kacey Musgraves) ~ Foy Vance : This is appropriate for my imbibing times tonight lol. I like the mix of instruments and male/female vocals… man… I really like this track…big grin on my face. I ended up just listening with the Closed…sorry no going back now :wink:

Ok ending on the next track… I stayed up way too late doing this, and drank too much…

Up All Night ( acoustic live album from Music In High Places) ~ Unwritten Law : I have very fond memories of this track…Berkely summer bar hopping with a bunch of U.C.Berkely students followed with watching the sun come up, and shining out over the San Francisco bay from the top of a “house”… and while writing this…“Ocean Eyes” by Billie Eilish came on and pulled me back for one more song…

Goodnight fine folks…hopefully some entertainment was had from this post =)

11 Likes

what a relaxed read :slight_smile:

thank you … again caught a few new songs

and some news…
my wife and I booked 4 days in Heidelberg in the mid october
there sits the only zmf dealer in germany - the headphone company.
The best part: we will have an somehow exclusive special 4 hours listening session in a 600 year old nuns monastery with cross vaults… with the best (ZMF, Meze, Hifiman, Mr Speakers, Focal, etc… ) with beer, fingerfood and in the evening meet up for dinner for a little talk with some nerds

https://headphonecompany.com/headphone-camp-vol-1/

will concentrate on ZMF and Hifiman. Already “know” the Empyrean, Diana Phi, Mr Speakers and Audeze portfolio

while Verité is out of my budget, the Aeolus or Auteur could beat up the Ananda, which I alread heard a few times and planned on buying

I´m quite excited :slight_smile:

3 Likes

Highly recommend the Aeolus! It’s still my favorite all arounder headphone!

Also, that sounds like an amazing experience! I look forward to hearing about it after! Maybe convince the wife we need to do a European vacation in the future lol…but looks like we will be heading back to Hawaii in the near future (we can’t get enough of that place)

And thank youfor the kind words, this honestly is my preferred way of rambling impression writing. Just putting down what I hear as I hear it…which can be contradictory at times… especially when imbibing lol…

3 Likes

Congratulations. That’s sound like an amazing experience you have planned. I too am looking forward to hearing you impressions. Enjoy your holiday.

3 Likes

I know about your and others love for the Aeolus and it´s why I want to test it, before I decide for something new

I´m so happy, my wife get´s with me not only to heidelberg, she even comes with me to the listening session and dinner with all the nerds
We will take some pictures … will post a bit of my impressions here

Hawaii is a magic place from what I heard from friends - we have to go there once. Have a good time!

At a younger age I wrote poems while listening to my music, smoking and drinking… with a bit of LSD trippin´ here and there - so I get the mix. I should not do so - even not in my native language hahaaa no bs worst stuff - so what

find myself enjoying this kind of warmness and cosy feeling, the moment I read yours and others lines and wonder how it is … silent house, deep listening, with a fine brewery in the head/hand, the tubes glow - “quality time” if you want so. Like a tin of that, I can open at the office, the moment I read the descriptions about the songs
not all has to make sense in this subjective hobby - so if you fall in some contradictory thoughts… perfectly fine

3 Likes

This sounds like it will be a great trip. Especially as you also share your love of Audio with your wife. Enjoy.

2 Likes

I had the Ananda in for a review,and liked it,but the Auteur trounces it. It sounds thin in comparison.
The Auteur is more neutral sounding vs. the Aeolus. If you have a warm system,you may want to opt for the Auteur. A neutral to bright system,the Aeolus might be the ticket. Personal preferences also come into play as well.

2 Likes

Ah,I see what you did there! :wink:

4 Likes

Hey @Monsterzero

I thank you for the response.
Still get bad flashbacks on clowns and puppets but that is another story to tell

My preferences are not laid back. Not afraid of brightness at all
I listen more to mid focussed music than base heavy.
Love Björk, Tori Amos, Portishead, early Lenny Kravitz, The Darkness or the new radicals- for example.
Don’t run away of quality low end of course- it’s everywhere. But focus more on voices- I believe.

the system is
ifi xDSD as DAC(Burr Browns) to THX AAA 789 (for the start)
I sure will add a tube or tube-hybrid amp in the next months
and later maybe another stationary DAC

I will take my DAC+Amp combo with me
and compare both ZMFs + the Ananda on it.

My fear is that I will love the Auteur and pay nearly double the Hifiman Ananda price in the end. So what-
The build is a few times more effort put in. Not compareable at all
Have to save up a few months longer + production time… but hey I love the cocobolo

Any further monster-thoughts?
Edit: I saw your Aeolus review on youtbe - helped a lot! :+1::v:

1 Like

F clowns! Seriously f them! shivers

2 Likes

@TylersEclectic I would beat up every clown in my good(heroesque) daydreams but in reality I would freeze and hope it is soon over

My best buddy and I had a f… bad trip, at his house in the early or mid 90s, which started at his frontdoor - he opened and spit this 80% bushrum at me with a lighter in front, so I got my eyebrows burnt andI got mad ran after this idiot thru the house and wanted to finish him.
What should start as fun idea got weird and not good for our friendship. This on a strong bad trip -so we went out to a soccer court nearby - and there I saw him as dressed up clown. So this was the turning point for the long friendship and the last trip for both of us.

This got so way off the Vérité C topic

1 Like

[quote=“MartinTransporter, post:72, topic:3702”]
My preferences are not laid back. Not afraid of brightness at all
[/quote] I dont think ZMF makes a bright headphone. I guess the auteur would come closest to that description,but compared to the Ananda,it sounds warm,with much more body weight,and of course the ZMF mids.

If laidback isnt your preference you might not like the Verite open,Atticus or Aeolus. The Verite closed is another story,but above the budget.

[quote=“MartinTransporter, post:72, topic:3702”]
he system is
ifi xDSD as DAC(Burr Browns) to THX AAA 789 (for the start)
I sure will add a tube or tube-hybrid amp in the next months
and later maybe another stationary DAC
[/quote] Unfortunately I dont have any experience with that combo. If you opt for a ZMF,I can highly recommend a good OTL amp.

[quote=“MartinTransporter, post:72, topic:3702”]
will take my DAC+Amp combo with me
and compare both ZMFs + the Ananda on it.
[/quote] Very wise. Make sure you find out if the ZMF youre listening to has been burned in. Its real.

2 Likes

In the meantime I believe in burn in thank you monsterzero
This is a good point - I will ask them.

Are there any good OTL amps under 1k? -better under 500?- as “long term goal”

3 Likes

@MartinTransporter Stephen Kings IT did it for me…as a 3rd or fourth grader maybe 5th?..:thinking: doesn’t matter…f clowns…

I was reading at “college” level in 3rd grade…my mom joked about how I would be reading everywhere to the point I didn’t pay attention to anything else such as river rafting on a calm boring section and my mom saw a Moose and told me to look…I look go cool and back to reading lol…

4 Likes

Basic GOTL can be had for under $800.00. Nothing in the price range will come close. Another GOTL owner also has an Apex Teton($5,000.00 usd) and cant decide which is better!
The downside to the GOTL is theres a wait for a build.

Other than that,the only other OTL Ive owned under a grand is the La figaro 339. Certainly has enough power for ZMfs,but the GOTL blows it out of the water.

5 Likes

Bottle Head Crack if willing to build…

Other tube amps I have are the Eddie Current ZDT Jr and Cayin HA-1A MKII all are great and have pros and cons.

3 Likes

That power cord looks legit (Bottle Head?). I feel like there should be a Tesla coil in the background! :nerd_face:

2 Likes