Instead, Zach uses heavy-duty sliders connected to a headband that keeps the entire headphone sturdy and feeling solid. It's actually surprisingly close in air to the HD600, which is damn good for a closed-back headphone in general. A place for discussion, news, reviews and DIY projects related to portable audio, headphones, headphone amplifiers and DACs. ZMF Atticus. The rest of the mid-range is done quite well. Demo units courtesy of: Frequency Response measurements and graphs for In-Ear Monitors (IEMs) and earphones. I gotcha with the upvote man, I understood the reference you made lol. Enough bass to keep you interested. the Atticus felt more stadium-like in its space, whereas the Slants felt more expansive/infinite-space. And now, Zach is following up on the success of the Atticus and Eikon with a new open-back version that would serve as the flagship of the brand. In the audio world such a problem poses comes to light a little too often. 465k members in the headphones community. I listen to mostly folk music, so I know the warmth of Atticus is what I want. Heavy. However, just like the mid-bass, it is toeing the fine line between "too much and muddy" and "just right enough it works.". Zach uses a combination of a pad wrapped around the headband and a strip of leather for comfort, which keeps the weight distributed nicely on your head. Here's the strange thing: I already thought the Omni was toeing the line of "too much," but the Atticus has a lot more power and warmth than the Omni did. It is well-flourished enough to add clarity to that amount of midbass, something that is usually lacking in headphones in headphones with this kind of emphasis. 47 votes, 30 comments. It's barely a dip, compared to the Eikon, Atticus and HD800, but it's still there. Having heard the nighthawk, this actually has mids and treble at reasonable volumes. To accompany this kind of sound, the Atticus takes on a very organic amount of decay (while still being faster than most headphones.) My opinion on the mids were formed by listening to A Perfect Circle and The Witcher 3 OST. It had a linear and natural timbre that most closed backs just could not achieve. We thank ZMF headphones for this opportunity. The Atticus uses a TPE driver housed in some awesome wood cups to deliver the very epitome of ZMF House Sound. Shop Now. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, Schiit Hel -> THX 887 -> Aurorus Borealis, Acorn Audio UK - ZMF/Acoustune/HEDD Audio, ZMF Eikon/Verite/Auteur/Aeolus > Gumby > ECP DSHA-3F / BW2, Modded ZMF Eikons / Bryston BHA-1 / Soekris DAC1541. The bass is a lot thicker, the mids are less grainier, and the soundstage is larger. Fiction; Atticus Review Best Small Fictions Nominees, 2021. by Atticus Review | Blog | 0 . Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and earn from qualifying purchases. The stock ZMF OFC cable has taken months of research to find an affordable but capable sound to add to the ZMFs tonality. A place for discussion, news, reviews and DIY projects related to portable audio, headphones, headphone amplifiers and DACs. ZMFs main variant of choice is undeniably wood. Ill touch on the ZMF Sound later in the review, but the Atticus and Eikon were both well received by the audiophile community for its outstanding design and build quality, and of course, sound. Actually, to be honest, the Eikon is more like the HD650 than the Atticus. Much like the Omni, Vibro and Blackwood before it, the Atticus uses wood cups that provide a gorgeous aesthetic while keeping the handmade feel one comes to expect form the ZMF brand. The pads also nice and thick with foam that keeps the headphone from feeling like it has a large clamp around your ears. Atticus Review Best Microfiction Nominees, 2020. by Atticus Review | Blog | 0 . ZMF approaches each headphone build dedicated in service to the discerning audiophile community. HD 600 upper treble, non fatiguing and smooth rich upper mids and authoritative sub bass. Thanks for the read. Trying to decide whether to go with a paduak Eikon or paduak Atticus. Driver placement was tested in .5mm increments to find the ideal placement and driver angle for the best sound possible. Ive had the pleasure of interviewing Zach several times, and while he doesnt go as far as to say that the wood choices make dramatic swings in either quality or frequency response, he is q Review By Dave Hanson Last year, the ZMF Verit took the flagship headphone landscape by storm. Press J to jump to the feed. Instruments have a great amount of presence this region that prevents it from other-wise being overshadowed and becoming overly thick. I've looked around, but no cigar. While being incredibly wide and accurate, there is a certain lack of depth that creates a bit of intimacy. Great as always. His past has been dominated by the venerable, but in my opinion underperforming, Fostex T50RP planar magnetic driver. That said, the amazing part of this midrange is that, despite the thickness caused by the bass and lower-mids, it remains incredibly clear, detailed, and resolving even during the most chaotic of songs. Sounds like a near perfect headphone for me. Gorgeous. While the transients are slower (as the decay is a bit more natural to my ear,) the Atticus is every bit as good as the Eikon Here we have it folks: The first up of Zach's two all-ZMF dynamic headphones: The Atticus. ZMF Atticus- This one does not Kill a Mockingbird-$1099usd Written by ngoshawk Published 2 minutes ago Pros - Gorgeous. The Atticus was more of a slow burn, gaining a strong following as time went on. Can you comment on specific things that are a lot better on the Atticus compared to HD650? Also included is a ZMF OFC Cable (with the options to upgrade), universe and auteur pads, lifetime warranty and magnesium chassis. Any more midbass, and it would entirely throw the headphone in the muddy category. Maintaining the integrity of a small custom shop, and the tech of a high end audio boutique, ZMF makes headphones to satisfy all sensibilities. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. The treble here is like a George Clooney movie: It is NOT George in the main role, it's more like the ever present supporting role that delivers a knockout performance and does more to add texture to the film and to further the plot than the protagonist ever could, but won't win the Emmy because well he's not George. There is a really negative Aeolus review on Reddit from a metalheads perspective that got me thinking about this issue. Dynamic zest and punch. Sounds like how the Nighthawk sounds. Should my team be unsuccessful on my behalf, I will not pay a penny to anyone for their services. It manages to toe a very, very fine line between "entirely too much and boomy" and "satisfyingly warm and rhythmic." Wonderful full sound. Enough about the industrial stufflet's get into the nitty-gritty here: the sound. The Atticus and Aeolus feature a warm tilted tuning, which became known as the ZMF House Sound (slightly warm, spacious, clarity without sibilance) through our modified t50rp headphones. It is a clear evolution of Zach's house sound and a damn fine accomplishment in balancing this kind of signature. The Eikon suede pad is also recommended on the atticus for those preferring a fuller sound with less of a mid-bass hump. With suede Eikon pads. Review By Dave Hanson Over the past few years ZMF Headphones owner Zach Mehrbach has built a strong reputation within the personal audio community as one of the foremost modders of the popular Fostex T50RP headphone.ZMF's custom builds not only elevate the sound of A place for discussion, news, reviews and DIY projects related to portable audio Press J to jump to the feed. I heard it at RMAF, and I'd say that it definitely has treble. The Ori pad was designed to work best on the ZMF Ori, but then was found to be the go-to pad for the ZMF Atticus. Spatial definition the size of the Grand Canyon (almost) Gorgeous. the other thing that struck me was the spaciousness of the Atticus. As always, please vote and suggest new topics in the poll for next week's discussion . Zach is constantly churning through both exotic and unique runs of tree material for his headphones, with pre order options including limited editions of anything and everything he can get his hands on. What does this mean, one might ask? didn't feel congested, which is a feat. LTD. New 2020/2021 woods available now. That all said, I really enjoy this headphone. Beyond that, it only has hints of the timbre. Atticus and the law firm they referred me to, have restored my hope. The wood is very porous and soundstage is incredibly large for a closed back headphone. ZMF. Although I'm no closer to deciding between these twoso torn! When finalizing the Atticus in 2016, it was hard to know if there was an audience that would be interested in a headphone with such a warm tuning. I currently have a modded HD650 and I'm interested in buying the Atticus as an upgrade. It already toes a fine line of being too warm, so adding anymore just kind ofkills the momentum, so to speak. Yet, it pulls it off. Much like the Omni, Vibro and Blackwood before it, the Atticus uses wood cups that provide a gorgeous aesthetic while keeping the handmade feel one comes to expect form the ZMF brand. There is absolutely no lose of definition in the low-end with this amount of bass, which is a huge achievement in itself. This is a bold, powerful headphone that just wants one to hear its thick, meaty midrange. Build date is in April 2019. The soundstage, however, is very much indicative a closed-back. Another part of the headphone that makes the amount of bass work is the very awesome low mid-range. Layering for days. The Eikon suede pads have become a favorite on audeze and the monoprice 1060 planar's. However, the Atticus is a step up above all three of those in build quality. I very much enjoyed the bass of the hardwood Omnis, which is probably more in line with the Atticus, but I also very much enjoy the mids/treble of modded HD580/650, which sounds more in line with the Eikon. You have to buy directly from ZMF, headphones are made to order. As far as how well this headphone scalesit scales very well. The issue iswell, the low end can get a bit too much with a warm amplifier. While we're at it, does anyone know where/if ZMF headphones can be found in Europe? January 2017 World Premiere Review! ZMF owner Zach Mehrbach researched the technology originally when he launched his first dynamic driver headphones, Atticus and Eikon in 2016. the other headphone that does this really well are the Slants, which have an almost exaggerated sense of space. Customers have the option of adding in a Cherry Salire headphone stand for $80. Another good word to describe this bass region iswell, powerful. Just with more detail, much wider soundstage, better imaging, and a pair of large, sweaty, hairy midbassy balls. On SBAF you made this comment: One of my favorite headphones was a modded HD650 for almost the timbre alone, so it is exciting to recognize the same kind of timbre in the Atticus (which does things a lot better than the HD650.). New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Review: ZMF Aeolus - Ultimate Chill Headphones - Headphonesty Still, the 15% of material boundary creates some resistive driver loading beyond just free air. ZMF Eikon and Atticus Review Choosing between two things you love! This causes the Atticus to sound surprisingly lively, but never fatiguing. To learn more about ZMF Headphones reviews on Headfonics you can click here. Damn. Cons - BIG. The resolve is fantastic (reminds me a lot of the HD6x0 in that aspect,) especially for this kind of sound signature and closed-back. However, in the context of ZMFs artisanal line-up, in which each headphone design is meant to deliver a unique sonic experience, the Vrit Closed is intended to be the fastest, most neutral, and most isolating headphone offered by ZMF. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, SR009S | Verite | ADX5k | TH900SB | Violet | Viento | VX | MEST. This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.comTo my eyes, the Atticus is one half of a two part experiment by Zach Mehrbach, Founder and CEO of ZMF Headphones. This is due to the lack of distortion on the low end that, quite honestly, puts the THX00 (maybe even the TH900) to shame. One of the things I look forward to with these meets is having a chance to chat with @zach915m from ZMF. Gorgeous. Any lessand well, it take away from the amazing sense of warmth and rhythm you get on the low end. I guess Zach sees his future with a more modern though more common dynamic driver. It was the first headphone to bring beryllium-coated drivers to the 300-Ohm format. Disclaimer: The ZMF Eikon sent to us is a sample in exchange for our honest opinion. Would love to compare the two I reckon they would be quite close. At 475-515 grams in the stock Teak, the Auteur is no flighty affair but quite the heavy though still lighter than ZMF's closed-back Eikon (bio-cellulose driver) or Atticus (metal We use cookies on our websites for a number of purposes, including analytics and performance, functionality and advertising. ZMF Atticus & Friends 1 year ago I can vouch for the OP that they are basically super 650s. The rest of the treble (brilliance) region is quite nice. Overall, this headphone takes on a very thick, romantic, and slightly dark sound signature. There is plenty of treble there, it's just not overdone. Affordable for a top tier. Aeolus Review Intro When Zach released the Eikon and Atticus two years ago, like most I initially fell for the Eikon. Atticus. Aeolus. Really well written review, we need more content like this around here. Conversely, with their success on my behalf, my team will receive a percentage of whatever amount of money is awarded to me retroactively. Despite the thick mid-range, there is still an clarity in the lower-treble/presence regions. ZMF have optimized driver position, as the membrane is recessed and angled further within the cup than any other ZMF dynamic driver headphone. I don't have much more to say about this section, as it is basically what you'd expect from a ZMF headphone that's tuned to Zach's preferences. Great review. The Atticus is a colored headphone and it embraces it wholeheartedly. The entire headphone is a slow descent into a dark high-end, but not overly so. ZMF Atticus/Eikon Feel free to share your experiences, knowledge, reviews, questions, or anything that you think might add to the conversation. Zach, being no longer held back by the small and restricting T50 driver, truly went all out with his evolution of his house sound. The only issue that seems to pop up is the slight dip in the upper-mids that makes the edge of this region taper off a bit and become distant. Since this headphone is entirely designed by ZMF, it no longer uses the stock Fostex head-band. Atticus and Eikon Living right on the Wisconsin/Illinois border, I am fortunate to be able to attend many of the audio shows in the greater Chicago area. These are the second lightest wood ever sold with the ZMF Atticus, which is a highly sought after configuration. However, this (and the lower-treble region) have this quality reduces the amount of deflection off the cups (since this is a closed-headphone.) ZMF Eikon And Atticus Stereo Headphones Comparo Delivering sweet, sweet music. The timbre is more apparent in the Eikon. It is the epitome of the ZMF House sound and a very logical step-up from the Omni. For sale is a ZMF Atticus with the rare BLACK LIMBA wood. However, the Atticus is a step up above all three of those in build quality. Rating is a conservative 9, I can't spot any flaws on these. The very first thing one will notice upon listening to this headphone is the large (and proud) amount of bass the Atticus puts out. It is a bold and proud its low-end, something I wish I could say for the Nighthawk, for instance. The upper mid-range of the headphone features no fatigue at all. The ZMF Eikon is the flagship dynamic driver wood headphone from Zach Merbach and is priced at $1399. ZMF Verit Closed Back Over Ear Headphones ZMF's closed-back flagship is the perfect blend of fun and precision. Seriously though, if you wanted a headphone with the same quality as the Eikon, but with the ZMF House sound, this is the headphone for you. Loving two things that are the same but different and having to choose which one to keep can be a heart wrenching problem. But if I listened to metal, I would probably have to have a high tolerance for treble, and for that budget would have gone with the Anandas.