In case you haven’t seen it…
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I don’t think it would be a task to enjoy electronic music on the VC. It is very good at it. One of the nice things about the VC is that it sounds much more open than your typical closed headphone, meaning that you get a sense of space in the music, and the sound isn’t presented very narrowly. I would say the VC has an elevated but tasteful emphasis in the bass region. The mid-range is also more present than the Radiance, which is why I feel it would be better for vocal or acoustic tracks. (I also own the Radiance.)
My inner child is a bass-head, and the Radiance certainly satisfies. It does have issues though. The mids and vocal ranges can seem withdrawn because the bass and treble is so emphasized. This makes some tracks like Robin Schulz’s Headlights very unpleasant IMO, as the recording is already hot in these areas. Unlike the VC, the radiance has a very narrow soundstage.
Don’t sleep on the auteur. It’s the one ZMF that doesn’t get a lot of discussion, but it does have the most neutral frequency response of the ZMF headphone line. It shares the same driver as the Eikon, and even though I would not call the Auteur a bass-head headphone, it can kick when it’s called for. Of the three (Aeolus, VC, Auteur), the Auteur might be the best headphone for acoustic and vocal music, EDM, and even rock and roll or metal. It’s kind of a jack of all trades. The only negative I can say about the Auteur is that it doesn’t have the same bass and mid-range flavor of Aeolus, or the speed and staging of the VC. So, it can seem a little bland by comparison. Still, it is one of my favorites.
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Jotunheim 2 would certainly and easily power any ZMF.
The new stock ZMF cable isn’t bad at all. With that said, I have built two of his kit cables as well as purchased some of his upgrade cables as well.
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I always take off my glasses when listening to my VC. Doesn’t matter so much on the Aeolus but definitely takes the music up a notch with a good seal.
For cables, the Letrik S and Copper 2k are what i have from ZMF. Decided to purchase a longer cable but didn’t want to pay the steep price. Periapt came through with a cable that sounded amazingly good for the price.
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Just a quick word of warning, to spare you from the potential for disappointment: the limited edition sets of headphones offered during ZMF November tend to sell up very, very quickly - sometimes within minutes. If you browse through head-fi you’ll see plenty of sad posts by those lamenting that they didn’t manage to get a pair.
ZMF has expanded its operations, I gather, and is able to sell more sets now and in the future. My advice would be to figure out which specific special edition woods you might like and see if you luck out and get them. But have a back-up option, too, in case of disappointment - some of the limited editions, such as the Blackwood Vérité, should be on sale for weeks if not months, depending on the amount of wood Zach was able to get. And the stock woods are perfectly lovely, too!
One last thought: Zach has explained that there will be more stabilized sets of headphones in the pipeline, and more are on the way in 2022. I’m quoting here this post of Zach’s on head-fi:
We have had an issue keeping up since Covid started - which has hindered our ability to make enough stabilized headphones since we started offering them. We have fixed those issues and are going to be in full stabilized and resin mode going into 2022 - and we’re super excited about it and to do some crazy colors that are brighter. We will continue to try tp figure out how to make the check-out process less frustrating, but making more to meet demand is a good first step.
As they say, if at first you don’t succeed…
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Again assuming that the VO is a good proxy for what the VC sounds like, I’m listening to M83’s “Saturdays = Youth” right now on a Jot 2 (I’m assuming that’s the Jot you have?) and it sounds great. The synths on “We Own The Sky” have a nice thick texture, and then the male lead vocals come in, followed by female vocals floating over the top. I have a lot of amps, and I forgot how much I like the Jot 2.
One interesting thing about the Jot 2 is that the balanced XLR outputs sound slightly different than the SE outputs. To me, the balanced output sounds a little clearer and the VO is more in control, whereas the SE output is not quite as pristine, but there’s some added texture to the sound, which works really well with synths IMO. One’s not necessarily better than the other, so I liked to experiment with both.
Assuming you have the Jot 2, I’d say it’s worth buying some Hart cables, and ordering both an XLR and SE amp connector. Since ZMF headphones take a while to construct, you’ll have time to get Hart cables with custom colors - maybe something to match or contrast the color of the headphones you buy? I have some fancy silver and OCC copper cables too, but my Harts still get a lot of use because they’re fairly cheap very versatile and future-proof, since I can use the same cables on all my headphones and IEMs.
As @Tchoupitoulas said, chances are the stabilized headphones will sell out immediately, but the “regular” headphones have a natural beauty to them. Those African Blackwood VC’s that @Tchoupitoulas just bought are beautiful. And bear in mind that ZMF often sells limited runs in otherwise unavailable wood in their November sale, so watch out for those too, as they don’t generally sell out as quickly as the stabilized. Last year, I picked up a Zebrawood Aeolus.
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Lots of the stabilized look great (& some simply aren’t my style lol), but I’ve decided to go Blackwood over the stabilized for the sonic attributes mentioned above, I generally prefer the darker and more natural style, and because Blackwood is now nearly impossible to obtain.
I’m a sucker for exotic materials and quality craftsmanship. 
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Haven’t settled on an amp yet since personally, I think the headphone is the more difficult question for me.
Understanding that these things will need power if I am actually lucky enough to grab one I’d dedicate the time figuring out what works best amp /dac wise.
And did you pick the balanced termination for the cable? I’m wondering if there is a standard here.
Also just remembered for the ear pads which style did you go with? It’s nice they let you know the recommended.
Oh for sure, I have no expectations on this other than trying and seeing what happens. From what I read it’s a given and with the quantities released I can’t imagine the little tricks someone must use to snag a pair.
I’m taking it as an epic sneaker release, I’ll try and join the draw but will take the L in peace.
It’s great to see the options in colors increase for sure, I’m more drawn to that than anything.
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If you’re not sure which amp you’re going to buy, then the most versatile option IMO is to order a balanced cable, along with a separate XLR-to-1/4 inch adapter. If you just go with stock ZMF cables (which are good quality), it’s an extra $39 for the adapter cable. That way you could use the balanced cable on the Jot, and the SE adapter if you had a tube amp, like a Pendant.
Balanced isn’t better, it’s just that if you buy a 1/4 inch cable and later find you need a balanced cable for your amp, you need to buy a second cable, because it would be dangerous to use a 1/4 inch-to-XLR adapter.
If you’re wondering which cable manufacturer to use, you’re going to get a ton of different opinions. I think it really comes down to whether you care what the cables look like. If plain black is fine, ZMF stock cables are good, and free! The ZMF upgrade cables are also well made. If you want third market cables, I think Hart are great value for money, as mentioned before. If you want ‘bling’ cables made of shiny copper or silver, and you’re in the US, I personally use both Arctic and Double Helix and others have recommended Norne. If you live in Europe, I’ve seen a lot of recommendations for Forza. No doubt I’ve left off a few manufacturers that others love.
As long as the cables are well made, I don’t think there’s a wrong answer. I’ve found that Hart and ZMF stock sound about the same. My Arctic Cuprum (OCC copper) added a tiny bit of detail. My Double Helix Molecule Elite (silver) added more detail and texture and the bass was clearer and more textured but less warm than the Hart. I enjoy all of these cables on all of my headphones, and it was only when I directly compared the cables to each other that I noticed these differences, so in the grand scheme of things, I don’t think you need to spend a ton on cables unless you’re doing it for aesthetic value, or if you have a resolving system and want to squeeze that last 1% of detail out.
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I’m function oriented, and am happy with any darker color cable. I couldn’t care less about the marketing blurbs for cable technology. Most cables are oxygen free, so that’s not a decision point. Copper cables are a bit warmer, while silver is a bit brighter. That’s the end of my interest on the hardware.
My criteria include:
- Not too stiff or too floppy
- No huge neck lump at the junction, so no Periapt for me
- No microphonic jackets that pick up clothing sounds
- No sticky rubber jackets that grab clothing
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Happy VC owner here just checking in to say, as someone who listens to a lot of Electronica they definitely satisfy. In fact, I use my VC primarily for Electronica and my Atticus for acoustic stuff. Depending on the amp and pads used, the VC can slam as hard as I ever want them to, and the speed and immersive stage is stunning. I have a blast with the VC and Electronic music, and especially hooked up to a quick hybrid or ss amp.
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You are just the person I need to connect with.
I find it interesting that you like the VC with a SS amp. Tons of comments have said that a good tube amp will “really make it shine”.
I have the VC olive with about 150 hours on it. To me it feels somewhat closed/muffled–others have mentioned same. I have both a decent tube amp and a good SS amp.
Now to my question: How does the Atticus compare to the VC in terms of overall signature? I have an Auteur (which will join me in my grave) but I’d like something closed that’s ZMF in-between the VC and Auteur. Atticus? Eikon? Maybe replace the VC with one of these.
Thx
I have a feeling you might actually prefer the Eikon over the Atticus based on what you’re saying here. Coincidentally, shares the same driver as the Auteur.
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Got it! Thx!!!
Any pad reccomendations? Or would you stick to whats suggested on the website?
The lambskin unperforated auteur pads, the lambskin unperforated universe pads, and the lambskin unperforated BE-2 pads should cover a lot of bases (all on the zmf website). Not sure what the LTD editions will have this time but you’ll usually get the first 2 mentioned above.
Additionally, @Chrono has a review on here where he tried a bunch of the other different pads. I’ll link it if you want to check it out and get a general idea of what to expect.
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I use the stock lambskin Auteur pads.
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I should clarify, I like my VC with my RH-5 hybrid (sounds like a ss), when listening to Electronica. I like the VC on tubes as well, but it can sound great on both. As for the Atticus, it’s got a more mid forward/focused sound with vocals being a bit more up front, and this one really does need tubes to shine. There is more to the differences between the two, but it’s really hard to put into words. All I know is, I love them both for different reasons. Also,I don’t think the VC ever sound muffled but it’s definitely a warm headphone.
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