You might've known this already but you may wanna try replacing the solid mesh with the vented titan mesh or maybe even removing it completely just to see if that works for you in the treble. I personally preferred the vented mesh with my Atrium and find it does sound noticeably less dark sounding then the default solid mesh.
Have both the solid mesh and optional perforated mesh for my Atrium. Solid sounds veiled slightly, to my ear, not unlike the HD 600,650. The perforated option has more snap in the base and treble is better defined. However it seems slightly sibilant with female vocals at times for those with range like Laura Branigan and Sarah Brightman. Next I will try the less perforated mesh sold separately on Zach’s site. Also have been running Auris dac and amp. Now thinking about upgrading to Chord tt2 and Feliks Euphoria tube amp and also getting a Caldera ( have a Verite C). I am thinking that will be the most versatile pairing for the three phones given both tube and solid state amps and the dac filters. Also thinking about the MScaler but it seems to brighten the SQ. I have read, however, that the proper interconnect mitigates that. Sorry for the rambling. All a pursuit of balance between mitigating sibilance and elevating resolution, imaging and engagement.😅
Sounds like a great plan. Just with the M-Scaler, I've used three different types of BNC cables with the M-Scaler and TT2. No setup I've tried makes the TT2 sound brighter. In fact, it makes it always smoother. With better BNC cables, it gets smoother still, but the stock BNCs are fine and will only improve the TT2 IMO.
Nice review! About classical, the mastering eq between recordings are so different, that I don't think that one headphone without eq can be "perfect". The "Los vestidos" exemple is a film score and those have a tendency to be more "full and bass heavy" than older great orchestral recordings like those from Leonard Bernstein that can be more thin and harsh... " Hable con ella " by Alberto Iglesias is on my list of test musics. I love this composer!
Thanks for the insight on the classical tracks, Guy. I have found huge variance in classical too so this was based on my selected test tracks, but they're clearly not representative of the whole genre by the sound of it.
The big difference between track mastering is the reason for me to eq even with great headphones or system. Because it's often not a question about the recording in the room itself, it's a question of the decisions from the sound ingineer in recording, mixing and mastering. Sometime they are great decisions and skills but half of the time, the performing can be great, but mastering or mixing is bad... so with eq I can enjoy the performance. I love the mojo 2 for that :)
Elite is still on a different level technically. It's more resolving and has that extra treble content that I missed with classical on the Atrium (although stay tuned for an update with the alternate front-of-driver mesh). The Elite and Atrium actually have a lot of similarities in their general tonality, soundstage presentation, etc. but I think the Elite is better in all areas except the ability to relax and engage in the music. The Atrium makes everything super enjoyable to me while the Elite swings between always being good regardless of the recording to being absolutely amazing on great recordings.
sadly i only discovered ZMF’s this year, and sorely regret missing out on the purple Ash the Camphor Burls and the Stabliized from past runs. Congrats to the owners of the Atriums! It’s hard to pass up on the Bubingas but I’m holding out for a Koa version and the above models i tragically missed out on maybe i’ll find em secondhand 🤞🏼🙏🏼 …great review as always mate thank you
It's pretty cool being able to buy unique versions of great headphones! Good luck finding the ones you want secondhand - they do pop up from time to time
Great video! Clears up a lot for me. I'm really curious to hear your thoughts on the Vérité Closed vs Atrium. I run a HE1000SE and a Vérité Closed and find that to be an excellent contrast in sound. My brain might explode if a Atrium Closed comes out.
@@Jon-nz3dm Haha hey Jon! Remind me the username 😅 Surprised it hasn't gotten more bites. I do LOVE the Aeolus for it's timbre and tonality, but after being spoiled with the detail of the VC and especially the HE1000SE, I wish there was just a tad more in the Aeolus... Queue the Atrium... I need to get my head straight and figure out my game plan.
@@stevenreinholt9903 jLurks, I just talked to you last week I think. Also thinking about VC as an option if I sold almost all my other headphones lol. I have too many that don't get used either way 😅
The VC vs Atrium comparison will be an interesting one. Without any critical listening yet I can say that the VC is faster sounding while the Atrium is a little more tonally balanced and slightly more spacious I think. Both are excellent so it will be fascinating to see where Zach goes with the Atrium Closed... Yes, it is confirmed. Check out the interview in releasing tomorrow 🙂
So you completely hooked me with this review and I’ve just ordered the Atrium Koa. Now contemplating amps and was leaning toward the Burson soloist 3x, which I know you were quite fond of, but read some feedback that indicated it might not be well-suited for a 300 ohm can. I was also thinking about the Schiit Valhalla 2. Any thoughts on either of these in combo with the Atrium? Terrific review as always, by the by. Thank you for inspiring my next great audiophile journey.
So glad I could help! Enjoy the Atriums. I think you're in for a treat. Personally, I would go with the Soloist for the Atris because they don't need tubes to sound their best and the Soloist is very versatile
@@PassionforSound Yeah, I may just do that for solid state. I’ve also decided to build a Crack/Speedball for all that tubey goodness. Thanks again for your great work.
How much better than the Denon D9200, can it really be a big leap? (it doesn't matter if it's closed or open) I like D9200 with Forza Noir HPC Mk2 cable + RME ADI-2 (Rev 2.)
I know this was reviewed a while ago, have you ever tried the Caldera perforated leather PADS with the Atrium? Always enjoy your reviews, you influenced me to purchase the Burson Voyager Deluxe. I have teamed it with the Gold Note DS 10 Plus and PSU EVO.
I don't think I've tried that combo and the Caldera demo cans have gone back now So I don't think I've got the pads here anymore. ☹️ So glad I've been able to help!
holy crap Lachlan.... as you said few days back, I guessed it right!!! good one mate....... listening to your review with the Silkwood Auteur.... from the sound description of the Atrium.... seems it's like a 7hz timeless on steroid
@@PassionforSound I'm not sure my next HP will be this Atrium as I'm looking for one that's specifically for big orchestral music, the grandness, soundstage and resolution.... currently i'm looking at HE1000se, don't want to go to Susvara for the price and the amp that needs to drive it properly.... any suggestion?
I'm considering getting a pair of these to upgrade from my Arya Stealth. Will these work well with my iMac (local music and Qobuz) / Qutest / Burson Soloist XP3 front end (aiming for a 3x GT in the future). Thank you.
That will sound magic! Do be aware that they won't be an upgrade on technicalities (detail retrieval, etc.) but they are the most enjoyable headphone I own I think.
I know there is a comparison between VO and AO but I spent a lot of time comparing headphones at Canjam London but ultimately I preferred the VC to the AC
Hi Lachlan; I went ahead with buying the Atrium's, which sound excellent and lifelike. Have you tried them with your Meze Audio Empyrean Furukawa Silver Plated PCUHD upgrade cables or are you sticking with the stock cables?
Congratulations! I actually like them most with a pure copper litz cable I bought from a local cable maker. The copper litz retains the tonality of the stock cables, but brings forward the details and clarity just a little (compared to the stock cables)
I do enjoy very much all your thorough reviews, if you must choose between ZMF atrium and Meze Empyream, which one would you keep as your daily driver?
That's a VERY tough question. I think the Empyrean might win, but it would also depend on the amp I was pairing them with because the Atrium on certain amps (Schiit Folkvangr, LTA MZ3, etc. is VERY hard to beat)
Love your reviews, can you expound on a comparison between the Focal Utopia and the Atrium Open headphones? Especially the detail comparison and recommended amping for each. I have a GSX Mini amp and DENAFRIPS Ares II dac in my chain. Have heard these dynamics really need a tube amp OTL to perform best? Also sound stage for each.
It's a little tricky because I didn't own the Utopia and Atrium at the same time, but the Utopia will retrieve more details while the Atrium is a fuller, richer sounding headphone. The Utopia's soundstage is wonderfully defined, but fairly compact. The Atrium is a little larger in scale, but not quite as laser accurate as the Utopia. Both do staging extremely well though. Tonality-wise, the Utopia is a much leaner sounding headphone and it makes it more dependent on the source for enjoyment. I find the Atriums sound brilliant from pretty much anything, but the Utopias always benefited from a warmer sounding amp (solid state or tube). Using a higher output impedance amp (like an OTL) can further smooth the Utopia's treble which I found preferable, but the Atriums don't need this. They'll sound great from an OTL, but don't need it
Bravo! As the Owner of a Verite, I couldn't describe your findings better. The Verite benefits a lot from Tubes, I enjoy them paired with the Pendant SE and a Feliks Echo 2. May be the same case with the Aeolus. Aeolus sound amazing and smooth no matter what you pair with, but to my ears the verities are specially good with tubes. what tubes are you using in your BH Mainline?
Thanks for adding your experiences! The Mainline is one of those tube amps where there's not much rolling available. The 12AU7s make no difference to the sound because they're in power management duties. The signal tubes (I can't recall the model - 6C5Pi or similar?) don't really have any variants.
@@nicktan4530 Aside of the Feliks and the pendant, I have been using the Aeolus with: - Mcintosh MA8900 headphone stage paired with a Lumin T2 Streamer/DAC - Mojo 2 - Basso DX220 - IfI Zen Dac My favorite combination of components for both headphones (Aeolus and Verite), its been the Lumin T2 as streamer + Mojo 2 as DAC and the Pendant SE or the Feliks for Amp. To. my ears, In this combination is when the Verites Shine in a way that the Aeolus can't match. That being said, I find the Aeolus a better choice as an all around headphone, sounding great directly connected to any of the previously mentioned DAC/amps.
I love your headphone wall. are you just using normal hooks or are they special headphone hooks? I want to hang my 4 Mai n pairs behind my TV but I can't find a good mount system
They're actually just a cheap, folding headphone hanger from Ali Express. You can get them in black, silver and rose gold IIRC and they told up to look a bit nearer when not in use. They're only a few bucks each and available from multiple sellers.
I have a question for you, maybe you will know the answer. I'm looking for a conversion tool for EQ. I found some 7 EQ settings but mine has 10. Is there a tool out there that would convert these values into 31 62 125 250 500 1k 2k 4k 8k 16k Is there a name for this eq band.
Oh it hurts, it hurts so bad but I cannot relinquish the Aeolus to justify the Atrium. Even if I had Will Smith money, I don't want to replace the fun time that is the Aeolus with something that I'm almost certain will sound more to my liking. It's not rational thinking but it's not supposed to be imo. Lovely review though, totally understand what I could expect from the headphone based on your description and comparisons. I hope the Atrium furthers the reputation of ZMF. Maybe when there's a closed variant.. maybe..
So the Atrium has boosted upper bass and slightly rolled off treble, and , as you said....."slightly laid back mids"..... This should should appeal to the Audeze Lovers, but not much for the Hifiman Crowd,
Excellent review. Finally got the beautiful Redheart Atrium from CanJam after demoing it. Also ordered the BE2 Suede Perf and Auteur Hybrid Perf pads after watching your pad rolling recommendations.
I'm not sure what you mean by classical music? I would have thought classical music is the one which requires or have a big sound stage, not some stupid rock and roll.
To me, it's about more than just soundstage, although I agree that's important. There's also the tonal and textural qualities of the orchestra to consider.
Oh sure. Sorry! It was a copper litz cable from Aurealis Audio. If you're outside Australia (or just want to consider multiple options), there are lots of companies making quality, pure copper litz cables so places like Norne Cables, Forza Audio Works and Double Helix Cables are also options.
Great review. These look beautifull and would love to try a pair one day.I live in europe so the import cost is a killer. Maybe in the future I will get a used pair of these. Love that they are using a biocelulose driver again as the TH900(with EQ) is one of my all time favorite headphone ever. There semiclosed but have amazing wide and 3d like soundstage very similar how you describe the Atrium. The base detail and punchiness is the best I have ever experienced.
Glad you liked the review and yes, these are beautiful! It's definitely harder for those of us outside the USA & Canada, but worth the investment IMO. Biocellulose drivers seem to always please when well tuned and these are no exception.
I think an awesome comparison would the Kennerton Wadon vs the Atrium. They are in the perfect price range and similar enough sound characteristics. Thank you for the great review!
@@PassionforSound My favorite headphone, especially at the price. I got to ask Zach questions directly! It had made me not seek out anything more expensive even if they were proven better in certain categories. I prefer a rich, lush and full bodied sound even if not the most resolving: LCD-5 and HiFiMan HE-1000 and Arya may do slightly better, but I don't care. Atrium is more musical than technical. HiFiMan timbre is worse: they have what I would call a metallic sheen. HD800S and Utopia are both technical headphones and don't have the rich, organic quality.
Awesome review as always! I only hoped there were more comparisons, since I haven't heard any ZMF headphones yet. How would you compare the detail/technical ability of the Atrium to that of the Arya Stealth Edition? And how is the punch/slam compared to the Focal Clear/Utopia? Thanks!
It's a smoother headphone than either so it's not as detailed sounding as the Arya and not as wide, but with greater depth. It doesn't lack detail and is more natural sounding than the Arya to me. Vs the Clear/Utopia I think it's maybe less punchy because it's not quite as fast, but it's got excellent overall bass presence and weight while staying very natural sounding
@@PassionforSound Thank you for the response! You got me intrigued to buy the Atrium. Last time you did it with the Arya SE and it did not disappoint. :D I'm looking to upgrade my Focal Clear for something a bit more laidback and smoother to accompany the Arya SE and my HEDDphone sometime in the future. I was previously thinking that maybe the Meze Elite would be my endgame headphone for awesome build quality and an all-around sound, but now it seems that I could get something like that with the Atrium. I love my Arya SE and HEDDphone for mostly acoustic and well recorded music, but they can be fatiguing for something more upbeat or poorly recorded. Would you recommend going for the Atrium or waiting a bit longer to get the Elite?
That's a tough one. I think both are great choices, but the Elite is still my absolute favourite for its balance of quality and enjoyment. That said, the Atrium is slightly smoother still do it depends on how laid back you want the sound. Both are significantly smoother and warmer than the Arya SE with the Atrium being even smoother still
@@PassionforSound Hmmm, that's difficult then. Do you mean the sound in the Atrium is even more laid back because the tuning is smoother or because the sound is less forward? I hope you get what I mean. I would be hoping to find something that's pretty warm sounding like the Focal Clear OG, but with less forward midrange and more open/airy sound. I haven't had a chance to listen to the Elite yet, but the Empyrean's upper treble gave me a bit too much of a shimmer, if I recall correctly. Do you think the tuning of the Elite makes up for that or is the same shimmering quality in the Elite as well?
I think the Elite has some similar qualities still, but it is different. The challenge is that an airy sound requires additional treble so the Atrium isn't going to provide the airiness even though it provides a great sense of space. You can always use the Be2 pads and also the alternate mesh in front of the Atrium driver of you want a bit more treble to create a greater sense of air
It's all about time, patience and hard work in my experience. I can't speak for others, but my first significant headphone purchase was around $300 and that felt like a massive investment! Take your time and enjoy the journey... 🙂
What a detailed review of a unique and beautiful headphone! There is so much to know about the design and manufacture of this product....And you have covered it all! Perfectly! This review will be a good resource to help me decide which ZMF model is best for me. Thanks.
@@PassionforSound ok because I noticed the Meze cable you mentioned in the review is a silver plated copper cable and you did not like the pairing.. So hopefully this Meze copper pcuhd is a better pairing
Felicidades, es un buen ejemplo. 315 sentadillas son unos QQGIRLS.Uno muchas y un buen ejercicio. Se deja ver que hay muy buenos resultados 😍👍 Saludos desde la Cd.. de world 🌹😉💖 los mortalesz abian apreciado tan hermosa mujer.k
Sorry - I wasn't very clear. It's a litz cable. A true litz cable will have each individual strand of wire coated in an insulating film. It changes the way the signal moves down the wire and I find it to generally be preferable to regular stranded cables.
It's an excellent question because it's often overstated. Planars are often lower impedance than dynamics, but not always. Lower impedance headphones require more current than voltage while higher impedance headphones (like a 300 ohm ZMF) require more voltage than current. Tubes are naturally more able to produce larger amounts of voltage than current so they tend to suit higher impedances more and lower and that's largely where the comments come from about planars because planars are often lower impedance. Where things get more complex though is that sensitivity is a BIG factor - far more than driver type. A more sensitive planar headphone will be easier to drive than a less sensitive dynamic driver. On top of that, any headphone with sensitivity above ~96dB/mW can be driven by pretty much anything. So, the short version of this is that you should only worry about the sensitivity and then the impedance of the headphone, not the driver type.
Do you think Atrium midrange is similar in any way to 6XX midrange?. Almost all the music I listen to has high-tone female vocals, so I'm interested in knowing which headphones between $3000 and $3500 can give me vocals similar to the 6XX
That's a tough one because there's so much more going on in the Atrium. The midrange is wonderful, but because it has more bass, the emphasis on the midrange isn't the same as the HD6XX
@@PassionforSound To increase the emphasis of the midrange on the Atriums, do you recommend using EQ and decreasing the midbass or maybe I should try the BE2 suede pads to achieve it?
Nice review and sussing out the sound of each. I have auteur Blackwoods, and have heard verite opens at a CanJam event. Loved the verite speed, borderline electrostatic, but more organic. The thing I noticed and seems to show up in your freq response graph is a bit of upper midrange lightness in the verite? Maybe that presence in the atrium is more complete midrange response? I’m not an eq’er, but have you played with eq’ing the verite? My takeaway was that I valued the auteur completeness/smoothness ( I’ve used a pure silver cable that focuses the auteurs a bit more) albeit a bit more relaxed presentation vs the verite. So wouldn’t sell the auteurs, but would like to add the verite, ideally. I’d like to hear your comparison of an auteur and atrium🙏 The Blackwoods are deeply rooted, not very resonant cans. Thanks and well done✨
I completely agree with you about the Verites and their speed plus lightness in the mids. I don't tend to play with EQ at all so I haven't tried anything on the Verites, but I think both the Atrium and Verite have their benefits. That said, given a choice of only one, I would choose the Atrium every time for that completeness you mention. The Verite and Auteur/Atrium would complement each other very well. Unfortunately, I don't currently own an Auteur to give you a direct comparison with the Atrium.
I'm pondering about going for Hifiman Ananda. How does it compare to the Atrium? I'm specifically looking for a boost in tonality of instruments and soundstage, which would be a better choice? (My current setup is a grado sr80e, modius, zen can with ifi power supply)
The Atrium is a better overall headphone by a significant margin IMO. I like the Ananda, but it can get a bit edgy and bright. The Atrium is more balanced overall, slightly smoother and throws a larger soundstage.
@@PassionforSound I recently tried my hands on the Meze elite today and boy they were fantastic. Yes, I had beforehand got through your review of the product. I know this is a vague question considering a four grand headphones to the ZMF atrium. But am keen to have your take on this on how they compare in imaging, soundstage and tonality.
The Elites are not vastly dissimilar from the Atrium, but are superior in most ways. The staging is similarly large on both, but resolution/focus of the stage is stronger from the Elites. The Elites also have more bass extension and presence plus a bit more treble energy. Both are relatively rich and smooth sounding headphones, but the Atrium are smoother (in a good way) while the Elites are a little more energetic.
Great review, as usual! I so appreciate how informative your reviews are, and the in depth information you provide. I wish I'd seen this before I ordered the Atrium, as I picked the Auteur perforated lambskin pads, whereas I might have went with the suede or BE2 suede otherwise... Regardless, I'm sure I will enjoy them, and I do have some leather perforated BE2s that came with my Verite Open (which I also plan on keeping, I love them!). Keep up the good work, I will check out your other recent ZMF videos.
You could probably wear the KSC35 Inside the Atrium and plug them both into a Hifi M8 with the atrium through the hot sided XLR and the KSC35 on the cold side. The volumes should also match. It would give you brilliant soundstage as the KSC 35 does not isolate noise very well so the stage would be both intimate and distant. Happy april fools
They're very different in some ways where the Elite do justify their price (bass response, technicalities and treble clarity), but they're also very similar in their ability to be wonderfully enjoyable and engaging. One way the Atriums are better is that they make everything enjoyable to listen to while still being transparent and resolving whereas the Elites sound insanely good on great tracks, but sometimes leave me a touch underwhelmed on poorer recordings (that's not a knock on the Elites, just a result of my expectations of their excellence)
I haven't spent enough time with the VC yet, but it's a bit punchier and faster than the Atrium, but also a little less linear in its response. I'd describe the Atrium as being more natural overall while the VC is a little more energetic and slightly v-shaped in comparison.
They're very different and I don't have the Utopia anymore for a direct comparison, but the Utopia and Verité Open are closer with their speed and detail. The Atrium offers a similar sense of staging and imaging as the Utopia, but the Atrium is a little larger I think. The Utopias are then quite differently tuned with more of a midbass emphasis and a significant treble spike. For ultimate resolution, the Utopia is still best, but I find the ZMFs to be more enjoyable across a wide range of sources and genres
Thanks for great review, I never owned a ZMF and was put off by various reviewers who say to get the best out of ZMF you need a Tube Amplifier and do tube and pads rolling. which is no-no for me. You preferred Meze Elite over Empyrean so preference of Atrium over Verite sounds strange, so am I correct in saying warm nature of Atrium doesnt work well with tubes and opposite for Verite. Can you recommend your tube amp I am interested in trying Verite or getting a demo to see if I can go that route.
I don't agree that you need a tube amp for ZMF headphones. They certainly work well with tubes, but it's far from necessary. As for the Elite vs Empyrean thing, they're quite differently tuned than the Verite and Atrium which are more alike than the two Mezes. Depending on your budget, I've definitely heard good things about the Schiit Lyr and Mjolnir. I'm also a huge fan of all the Bottlehead amps I've tried (which is all except the Crackatwoa - that's coming soon)
Thanks so much - glad you like them! The soothing factor might be because I had a period of time where I had to speak really quietly while our little one was sleeping in the room next door 😁
They're very different headphones still. The Elite is technically superior to the Atrium, but that's not a knock on the Atrium at around half the price. The Atrium is quite a similar sounding headphone overall and it's a slightly more relaxed listen in some ways (and I mean that in the best possible way). Not sure what else I can say about it, but happy to answer any specific questions
@@PassionforSound Would you say the midrange on the Elite can be as natural as the Atrium? And also does the Elite have the same depth in soundstage that you mentioned regarding the Atrium. It has always been great conversing with you. Thank you
I think soundstage size is probably comparable. The Elite may have a little less depth, but more width. I think the Atrium mids are a little smoother, but they're both very good in that regard
I had the eikon's, the Verite, and the VO's. Probably enjoyed the Eikons the most out of those. The Verite had the best tonality out of all of them. Just amazing. Unfortunately those lack PRAT and oomph to such a degree that its hard to enjoy them on most popular music. The VO's were fast and all, had good bass oomph (not Eikon like though) but just sounded cold. That beryllium driver I guess. I then went to Aeolus and now have the Atticus. Those both sound a little stuffy, but like the Eikon they really shine on acoustical music. I have no desire to listen to come off the transatlantic playlists that come up on YT heheh. I might have to give the Attrium a whirl, but the Atticus will have to go bye bye. Thank you for the review!
Sounds like you've got a clear idea of your tastes which is great! It also sounds like the Atrium might fit them really well and IMO will be a nice upgrade from the Atticus.
Awesome and very comprehensive review, as usual! How would you say the soundstage of these compare with the Arya Stealth Magnet Version? I'm thinking of upgrading from the Arya to the Atrium, and the soundstage is one of my main considerations.
Glad you liked the review! My Aryas are currently on loan, but I think the Atrium is less wide and slightly deeper sounding. It's also significantly warmer and smoother (in all the right ways). While I do enjoy the Aryas, I personally think the Atrium is the more enjoyable can so if your tastes align with mine in other reviews, it'll be a great fit.
I've always found trying to chase soundstage with headphones to be a bit of a fool's errand. My HD800S throws the widest I've heard, yet, it still doesn't compete with a proper stereo loudspeaker setup. I've personally found more success in pursuing headphones that are wide enough (i.e., not collapsed) with solid imaging, but instead focusing more on how the headphone "connects" me to my music (FR, transients, timbre, etc) has led me to more valuable purchases. I end up using my VC more than my 800S lol. Of course, this is just me, you should pursue what you're most interested in. :)
Thanks for recommending the Hybrid Auteur pads, I had tried the regular leather Auteur pads and they didn't fix the bright spots in the treble for me, so I had the solid titan mesh installed to pull back the treble, which fixed it, but was missing the ''airy-ness" from the stock titan filter. Decided to try the Hybrid Auteur, with the stock filter re-installed, and THAT DID IT! They sound incredible now without the mild 'treble murder' I was getting, but they maintain the airy high-end detail. Going to give the hybrid universe pads a try next as well.
Hey, got the Auteur Perf. Hybrids pads in today and together with the Titan Mesh they elevate this headphone to an even more smooth, powerful and engaging level than before. Plus after the suede breaks in with a bit of sweat and skin-oils it catches up to lambskin in attack too. ;) Thanks for the suggestion! Great review as allways, can see why Zach and Bevin chose only you and a few others for these.
I searched the local seller site and they offer lamb skin, perforated lamb skin, suede, perforated suede, hybrid lamb/suede perforated and protein leather. Which one are you referring to please? Oh, there’s the Solid Mesh and Radial Vented Mesh, which do you recommend?
First off, excellent review! Very thorough and informative. I saw your demo Atrium had the solid mesh over the driver. From what I’ve read, the mesh that will be shipping stock with the Atrium will be perforated like that of the Aeolus, albeit not quite as open that one. Have you inquired with Zach about getting the perforated mesh to try on the Atrium? It should increase the treble a bit versus the solid mesh.
@@PassionforSound sorry if I missed the video, but have you gotten the chance to review the titan mesh on Atrium? Would love to hear your opinion on this! Huge fan of your review videos
I haven't done a formal video on it, but after some back and forth, I definitely prefer the titan mesh with the holes in it over the solid mesh that was shipping originally. The new mesh (which ships with all Atriums now) opens the top end just enough to prevent the headphones ever sounding too dark while maintaining all the other wonderful characteristics of the Atrium.
@@PassionforSound thanks for the insight! I’m currently using Focal Utopia for my daily driver and looking for something different to add to the mix. How would you compare the Atrium to the Utopia?
The Utopia is more resolving and detailed, but I don't miss it at all since I sold it. On the other hand, I can't see myself ever selling the Atrium unless Zach somehow does an even better version of it. The Atrium creates a slightly larger stage, better weight through the mids, more even-handed bass across more frequencies and a very engaging listen. Both could easily live together in the same collection because they're quite different
На 3:40 хорошо видно наполнитель душки наушника возле крепления (конец кожаной части оголовья и начало крепления чаши). Выглядит ужасно! Хотел обратить внимание Зака на их официальном youtube канале, но мой комментарий стерли. Хотя в нем не было ничего оскорбительного. А вот это уже не красиво! На 2:55 так же видно этот недостаток. Неужели я один его вижу? Я не нашел ни одного комментария про это.
@@PassionforSound At 3:40, you can clearly see the earcup filler near the mount (the end of the leather part of the headband and the beginning of the bowl mount). Looks terrible! I wanted to draw Zach's attention on their official youtube channel, but my comment was deleted. There was nothing offensive about it though. But this is no longer beautiful! At 2:55, this shortcoming is also visible. Am I the only one seeing this? I didn't find any comments about it. (I speak English badly. I hope you understand)
I'm not sure what you mean by earcup filler. Do you mean the opening of the padding at the end of the headband where it goes down to the adjustment poles? I have noticed this, but figured they've always been made that way. Is that not the case?
@@PassionforSound You understood me correctly. ZMF has always been like this. But other manufacturers look much neater. For example, Kennerton. Their skin is pressed with a plastic plug and looks neat. Audeze (LCD-2) comes to mind, it's the same design as the ZMF. But look at the padding hole at the end of the headband where it drops down to the adjustment rods. Is there something sticking out there or not? (The answer is no) And the most offensive thing is that my review was deleted from the official ZMF channel. Agree this is not fair. Thank you for answer.
They're on quite different levels technically so you hear more details and nuance from the Elites, but for enjoyment of music, the Atrium and Elites are neck-and-neck.
My pleasure! I think it's a really important part of the RU-vid platform - building a community and being able to answer questions - so I'm glad it's helpful 🙂
@@PassionforSound Lately I have my doubts Lachlan 🤦♂ its super hard choice ZMF VC or Atrium, I know VC got better technical abilities and speed, bass probably also is better. Atrium with better stage and more natural timbre, imaging probably aslo is better. Do I really need both 🤣🤣 already got Clear and Arya they both are excellent headphones. So you are telling me that Atrium is better than VC?
To me, Atrium is the best headphone they've made so far (I haven't heard Caldera just yet). The Verités have a slight edge on speed and agility which can create the impression of being more resolving, but the Atrium isn't actually lacking anything IMO and is better in all other ways
Between the Verité and the Atrium could you perhaps circle back with an R2R dac if you have one on hand fed through solid state amplification (and maybe tube it up for that extra analog haha)
I don't have an R2R on hand, but I can already tell you that, for my tastes, tubes plus R2R would be too much for the Atrium. The Verité would do better in that type of setup because their speed can cut through the thickness of a chain like that
I think, if you're using the Verite that makes sense (I like it with tubes more than solid state), but the Atrium already has the edge taken off in the best possible ways
@@PassionforSound and I'm already looking at my bank account crying over my 2 channel project (NAD M700-Amphion Argon 1-REL 5X) and willing to sell a kidney for some stabilized wood ZMF Verite CB's... but these Atriums might be exactly what I'm looking for... IEM's: Solaris SE/Andromeda Gold/legend x/Nemesis/Oracles Cans: HD 660S/LCD-X Driven: 789/Jot 2/RME ADI 2/Qudelix 5k/Cayin RU6
It's a very different sounding (and looking/feeling) headphone. It's closest to the VO and some would prefer the Arya Stealth I think, but it's personal preference at that point.
They're not particularly comparable IMO. Firstly, there's $1,000 between them and then the Elite is in a different tier of performance. I LOVE the Atriums and they're my second favourite headphone behind the Elites, but the Elite is better in almost every way I can think of.
I like a pure copper litz cable on most headphones so something like a Gladiator Cables Caesar copper litz (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6rAYdc8vww8.html) or an Apos Flow cable if you're in the US/Canada (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-x3_ciWC1M7E.html)
How does the Atrium and Verite O/C sound with “bad” recordings? My Susvara seems a bit harsh on bad recordings compared to my lower end headphones so I would be interested if you cover this. Foo Fighters album “one by one” has a lot of grit to the sound, so this I would consider a “bad” recording. Or early 80s and 90s rap music.
@@nicktan4530 the album “One By One” by the Foo Fighters has a lot of grit in the sound. It’s grating to hear on the Susvara. Rap music recorded before the late 90s sounds very sterile or just seems to emphasize the wrong instruments instead of bass, low end. These are mastered for the times, except One By One has intentional grit.
I agree that the Susvaras can be a bit too honest sometimes. The Atriums do the best at making everything enjoyable while still being able to reach the heights on better recordings. The Verites are a bit less forgiving due to their greater speed and attack, but are still more forgiving than the Susvara.
@@nicktan4530 I only listen to lossless music. I have Apple Music, Tidal Hifi and Qobuz. If a recording is not well mastered it doesn’t matter which lossless service I use, it will sound harsh. There are differences between the 3 with high quality tracks but they’re usually subtle or a matter of preference.
@@PassionforSound among all the headphones the two I want to demo most were auteur and susvara. Now this replace auteur not only in their lineup but in my wishlist as well. 😇
@@PassionforSound, I met the seller at a public car park and didn’t get to test it when collecting. So the first thing I did was to test it when I’m back to make sure it is working as it should. I ended up listening for 2 hours and another 2 hours this morning. Just watched your headphone tier list video again for several times now, and noticed that I have both the Arya Stealth Magnet and now the Atrium on your S tier.
@@PassionforSound the HD800S is on sale now at SGD1,695 or AUD$1,870, normal price is AUD$2,800. I’d noticed that this sale happens once a year or a year+. So many gears, so little money. I am supposed to either get the Ladder Schumann or Gustard R26 next but this HD800S sale is tempting. In which area and genre you reckon the HD800S is best at?
Decided against getting the HD800S for now, priority to Gustard R26 to bring out better sounds from the headphones I already have. Still got a few tubes to purchase too. I’d already busted my budget plans out of the window (from high floor) having just bought a new iFi Gryphon, a 3-month old iFi iCAN Pro Signature and this 3-month old Atrium with the Gustard R26 next. And all these, in a 6 weeks period!
I think the one I used in this review was the Sendy headphone stand. My other go-to stand is the Avantree Bamboo stand. There's a link in my recommended products list linked in the description IIRC
There are many different brands of headphone cable but by far the best sounding is snake oil cable. It improves every aspect of the sound. Bass is much deeper. Treble is much smoother. Soundstage is much wider. Imaging is much sharper, etc etc etc.
I was using a copper litz cable from Aurealis Audio, but if you're outside Australia there are many other brands that make good copper litz cables like Forza Audio Works, Double Helix Cables and Norne (to name only a few)
That's not really true because there are characteristics of headphones like the speed of the driver, internal cup reflections, etc. that influence the sound beyond the frequency response. An EQ can't influence the decay of a driver (how long each sound lingers). A perfect example is the Verité Open vs Atrium. Even if you EQ them to have identical frequency response, they'll still sound very different because the VO is so fast and the Atrium has more weight and presence due to being a bit slower
@@PassionforSound what does fast mean? Everyone keeps saying that. Or they will say the Atrium is detailed but slow and the Verite is detailed but fast. I don’t know how you can have both yet be so different.
It's really hard to explain and one of those things that kind of only makes sense when you hear it. Faster drivers will sound more agile and might give the sense of extracting a little more micro detail, but can also sound a bit thin because the notes cut off faster. Slower drivers allow each note to linger a fraction longer which brings out the resonance of each sound, but can lead to it sounding slower and can create the impression that less micro details are available because they're mixed up with more of that resonance sound.
Why does this guy falsely advertise changing cables? It’s pure snake oil. I feel like these reviewers change their opinions based off boredom and just hearing a new sound.
I stopped watching you after that garden hose review, thank you for reminding me why I stopped watching when you started going in depth on cable sound. I personally prefer eating a salad before listening to music to increase detail, eating a steak can overwhelm the low end.
