That much elevation in the bass to lower mids with the hybrid BE2 compared to the others? Surprising. Does it sound that way?
Yea its a bit surprising but it is warmer sounding than the others.
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Look how the BE2 also flattens out the upper treble too. It’s my fav for VC.
The 6k spike tho…
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That’s the Utopia spike. It’s awesome. Travels up and down your spinal cord.
That may be an interesting variant to have on hand. I already find the BE2 in leather to be the most bass heavy so if the hybrid is even more so that could be an interesting listen with the right tracks.
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Nice to see all these! From what Bevin told me the suede Verite pads are actually BE2 and there aren’t suede Verite pads.
Yea that wouldnt surprise me. They look more like BE2 profile.
@Resolve You EQ the Verite Open? Share settings?
Was posted earlier, not sure how up-to-date it is though.
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Thanks!
Any with Universe Perf you recall?
Completely random data point:
VO with Uni pads is the only can where I actually dont mind using the “3D” effect on the Black Label.
Carry on.
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Nice “detailed review.” So you’re promoting your work product up from “attempted review” (your Starlett topic), with preamble and all? I kid. I concur and that was an enjoyable and informative read that many will find helpful (and that I marked to come back to when time permitted)!
It’s interesting how you don’t do vocals anymore. I go in cycles. I wonder if your preference for the VO might increase if you listened to vocals, since that can be one of ZMF’s strengths.
When I demoed the Starlett over several weeks with ZMF Eikons, I found that I preferred the XLR 8 ohm followed by the 9 ohm TRS SE outputs. This appears to line up with your listening and Zach’s suggestion.
I remember noticing a difference between the Starlett’s XLR and TRS SE outputs. An apples to apples comparison (while tougher to A/B) might be Utopia XLR vs VO XLR.
I went back and pulled my impressions below for reference.
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It’s possible there are differences. I did run the XLR on SE with the Starlett just to keep it as comparative as possible.
I picked up some very very slight differences between the SE and balanced option for the XLR output with the Utopia but it was minimal enough to my ears that I didn’t try and tease it out fully. It was slight.
I haven’t switched them out as I like to be able to quickly go between them and the aftermarket SE cable I got with the Utopia isn’t pleasant to work with. I don’t think going balanced from the SE with the VO would close the gap between them technicality wise. The Utopia is top level here but I don’t think Zachary made the VO as a Utopia killer. They are complementary.
Vocals wise the VO is more natural but the Utopia is more forward. Generalizing a bit here so it’s preference as to what you like. I’m not anti vocals just mostly listen to non choral classical right now.
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Got it.
I would agree that the U is the technical performance king here regardless of the output. But someone’s gotta make the case for the VO: charge $1300 less retail, use 20% Beryllium, and be relegated to the lesser output?! That’s some home court/field/ice advantage. 
Once one reaches a certain level of technical performance, for some it’s more about enjoyment factor, preference, presentation, gear/music matching/pairing.
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A lot of the issues people have with the utopia are likely pairing issues. It’s considered bright by a lot of people. I actually find it quite balanced but bassy, warmer headphones are generally more popular.
Maybe one day I’ll flip outputs around for them.
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I could see that about the Utopia, especially where it’s extremely revealing. I demoed it for a bit with a Chord Hugo 2 alongside other TOTL cans and enjoyed it (among my favorites along with RAAL SR1a) – the term high end sound came to mind.
Your and @generic’s recent Utopia review have raised the caliber of reviews and have me curious about the… Clear…and Utopia. Used Clear for $1100 versus used Utopia for $2000 to $2500 would be a relatively tough decision.
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If you’re curious about the Clear and Utopia, I’d suggest adding the Stellia to your list. It is very revealing but has a warmer signature than the Clear and Utopia. I find it a good complement to the VO, and I use both of them.
One of these days, I’m going to do a massive Stellia vs Verite (with multiple pads) and Pendant vs Lyr 3 vs Asgard 3 and Bifrost 2 vs Asgard 3 Multibit card comparison. Just thinking about that makes me want to procrastinate some more.
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Yeah, I’ve been more curious about the Clears too. Hard to make a usage case for me given my current stable of headphones. Might try it used, comes up frequently enough.
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Stellies would be interesting and would love to hear them. Just can’t do closed cans given my day to day activities.
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Everyday use, long sessions, or many genres: Clear 100% (easy choice)
Own many quality headphones and only narrow usage planned: Utopia 100%
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@PaisleyUnderground True about the Stellia within the universe of cans. However, I already have the Eikon so am covered on closed back at the moment. Plus I’m not so flashy and wouldn’t be able to pull it off 
That impending comparison will be amazing!
@generic Thanks, if I had to choose now based on my intended usage for many genres and not owning many cans, with no further information or analysis, I’d lean toward the Clear.
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