I received my VC safe and sound on Saturday. I’ve been listening to them a lot and burning them in whenever they aren’t in use. They sound great already, so it will be pretty amazing if burn-in improves things.
My chain is pretty basic at the moment, a Topping E30 into a JDS Labs EL Amp II. I have an SW51+ tube amp on order, but I probably won’t get it until March. I’m seriously considering a Schiit Bifrost 2 to pair with it, but I don’t know if it’s worth the money. To be fair I’ve never spent over $150 on a DAC before. I have never heard a R2R/multibit style DAC either.
Here are some quick pics I snapped after I took them out of the box:
I agree with what many ZMF owners have voiced before me. The beauty of these headphones is impossible to fully capture on camera (at least with my iPhone). What I’m trying to say is they look even better in person than these pictures show!
Your VCs are great headphones. Congratulations on your purchase. An investment in a great DAC will be well worth it, and will bring out the best in your VCs.
Those look fantastic, bravo!
Update your DAC, your new amp and the VC will love you more for it. +1 on the Bifrost 2 suggestion, great value for what it gives you.
Someone wise on this forum gave me great advice that I believe to still hold true, start with the headphone, then move on upgrading your amp, then your DAC. You don’t need to do it all at once, hell getting a $2.5k headphone is hard on the wallet as it is.
This is a long enjoyable journey, enjoy the music as you upgrade.
Yeah, these VC’s are by far the most expensive audio purchase I’ve ever made. I bought a used Aeolus this past summer, and those cost almost three times more than my last headphones.
I’m on track to follow the recommended upgrade path you mentioned: headphones then amp and lastly dac. I’ve always felt this is solid advice considering the headphones are going to make the most audible difference in a chain (once every piece of gear is at least decent).
I also like the idea of skipping years of side-grades and $$$ lost to incremental improvements. I did lots and lots of research and decided to skip to TOTL-level headphones.
Zach from ZMF won me over from my first interaction with him. Long story short, something broke on my Aeolus right after I bought them, and since I bought them used, I thought I might be out of luck or in for a really expensive repair. Zach offered to fix my headphones for free! All I had to do was pay for the shipping. That’s not normal customer service. It’s abnormal in the best possible way. I bought the headphones used after all, so he had no obligation to do what he did. In hindsight, it was a good business decision for him. Here I am now, having purchased his most expensive model less than 6 months later!
After much deliberation, I sold my Aeolus so I would be in a position to buy the VC during ZMF November. Now I have to decide if it’s time to part ways with my beloved Argons. That would certainly jump start my savings for a new Bifrost 2. Decisions, decisions…
I’m on the same page with you here. I’ve spent five years gradually upgrading my setup and, in the past couple of years, moved to higher tier headphones, and my next moves will likely be in your footsteps with the Vérité and, if you go for it, the Bifrost 2. I have the same amp as you on order so I’ll be keen to read your impressions in the months to come.
I was pleased to hear an appreciable and worthwhile improvement when I went from my entry-level Schiit DAC to the Massdrop Airist R-2R DAC, which was seen as a being equivalent or perhaps ever so slightly superior to the Modi Multibit. That improvement was surprising in some ways. Beyond the better resolution and clarity, the macro-dynamics of my HD 6XX improved significantly, and drums became much more engaging. I’m looking forward to hearing how the Bifrost 2 will improve my setup!
Sorry for the double-post but this is one of the many appealing aspects of ZMF and one that goes a long way, I suspect, in explaining why ZMF has such loyal customers.
Back in the day, Quad used to be like this for 2-channel hifi in Britain. My dad, when he got his proper salaried job, dropped a bunch of cash on a Quad pre- and power-amp. We’re talking more than half a century ago now. Several years later, he contacted Quad and asked them if they’d check over the internals and see if anything needed replacing. He covered shipping and, if memory serves, they replaced some components for free. He remained deeply loyal to the company and, years later, picked up a couple of pairs of Quad ESL 57 speakers and drove them over to the company’s factory where they refurbished them for him (at a cost, this time). The speakers and the amps are still going strong.
What is wood on those. Very nice. I’m thinking about adding a Verite to my stable…waffling a bit on open versus closed.
Presently I have two sets of Aeolus, so the closed set is probably in the lead. I have more higher end stuff from other brands in open (Clear, HD800s, Ether2)
A bit off topic, but I have the Clear and HD800S and have been considering the Ether 2 as a possible upgrade to the Oppo PM1. How would you say the Ether 2 compares to the other two?
Either 2 is an excellent headphone. It is very comfortable, and does an excellent job reproducing the music. Its accuracy can be a touch on the boring side. It does a great job in a quiet kind of way.
That probably sounds confusing as hell, but its not ZMF type of exciting. It’s musically accurate.
@rrwwss52 My VC is red-stained Manchurian Ash. According to Zach’s description, it was a one-off/prototype. I believe it is most similar to @TylersEclectic’s purple-stained Ash VC. I feel very lucky to have gotten such a unique set.
I can’t get enough of my VC! I’ve been playing Tin Pan Alley over and over and it sounds amazing. I didn’t appreciate this type of music until I started listening to it on the VC. Just amazing!
Pairing it with a Denafrips Ares II and BH Crack w/ speedball. And yes, the 2k copper cables from ZMF are pretty amazing to behold. I think my next upgrade in the distant future would be an upgrade to the amp. The crack sounds awesome but i think there’s room for even better. I believe my preference is for a warmer sound so thinking of staying with Bottlehead and going with the Crackatwoa. Any other suggestions are welcome!
And sad to say but I’ve been thinking of letting my Arya’s go. Not getting any ear time.
The Crack is a good beginner amp, but the VC deserves better. I’ve built a couple of Crack amps and probably 4 versions of the SEX amp which I tricked out with better resistors, better wiring, Auricaps, and Goldpoint stepped attenuators (a must have, the stock pot really degrades the sound).
I really like the SEX amp and it had enough power to run other types of headphones.
However, I have the Pendant now and I’m pretty sure I’m done amp hunting.
