TASTING NOTES

• Warm Spices
• Chocolate
• Maple Syrup

IN FOCUS

Bokeh, the beautiful way the recognizable softens into an infinite tessellation of shapes and colors. Concave and convex glass elements pushing together and pulling apart forming a backdrop of fat circles, anamorphic smears, and dizzying Petzval cyclones. Visual language like this creeps into how we think about and describe audio experiences. For example, that headphone has soft, round bass, or the treble was tack sharp. ZMFs newest closed back entry may have a lot of people experiencing this type of cine-stesia. Its interchangeable pads and tuning kit act like lens swaps altering the tone and character of the sensory experience.


BOX OF CHOCOLATES

The Bokeh, like most ZMF headphones, is a chameleon. At its core there exists a harman experience, but a quick swing of pad or mesh and you can really shift that curve. Its default warm and gooey tone is like a chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven.



The liquid crystal polymer driver eschews pure neutrality in favor of a thick, rich sound. While it shares a lot of the euphonic mid-forward qualities of other ZMFs, the Bokeh has the darkest midrange of my ZMFs. The low end is big and bouncy, but the high end can come into sharp focus when called for like the gradient of a tilt shift lens.




MID BASS MONSTER

The Bokeh can be a real bass bomb. Listening to jazz you may find yourself swept into the rhythm by an upright bass line that is pushing some front row air pressure inside the cup. The LCP driver digs deep, but whereas the AC is geared toward sub bass, the Bokeh dials up the mid bass. The definition of the bass is a bit softer than the hardwood AC, but similar in overall quantity. Compared to something like the Caldera, you don’t get as much detail on those low notes, but you get fantastic dynamics and dimension.




RICH MIDRANGE

The midrange, especially the vocal region, is warmer on this headphone than my other ZMFs. I’d describe it as listening to a microphone that has extra body. It pulls up the lower region of a voice without making it feel veiled. My brain needs an adjustment period when I switch from something more neutral to the Bokeh, but quickly it becomes natural. Mids have a romantic liquidity that feels tubey even on solid state.


ANALOG TREBLE

No danger here for the treble sensitive thankfully. I haven’t been able to find any song that makes me cringe. The darker tuning of the mids does not apply to the treble. The Bokeh's top end, while softer and more rolled off than my flagship ZMFs, sparkles through. It carves out definition on things like plucked metal strings, hi hat taps and reedy woodwinds. Detail retrieval is pretty good, but details don't jump out at you. The tuning focuses your brain away from combing waves for plankton. The warm tuning is like reading a book under a pocket of summer sunlight in an air conditioned room. I describe ZMF sound as analog often, but the Bokeh best encapsulates the effect of vinyl playing through detailed vintage speakers.




NO PRat-FALLS

I recently heard an LCP driver in an IEM, but this was my first experience with a full-size LCP implementation. If you haven't checked out @zach915m 's video on the Bokeh you really should watch the section about LCP. This 80ohm driver is much easier to drive than the 300ohm ZMF dynamics. LCP is a very thin membrane that is paired with a lighter voice coil than the thicker biocellulous and beryllium ZMF drivers.



The resulting sound is unique. It's punchy and has respectable sonic latitude. The warmer top end is far from flat. Higher registers jump to life as quickly as the brazen mid bass. The propulsive bass drags your mind to the dance floor, and you’ll find your foot tapping along. It’s a dynamic driver joyride. There is a real roundness and wetness to the sound that is lovely. It is a particularly liquid crystal.




FAST AS MOLASSES

The Bokeh lives on the other side of the spectrum from analytical. The driver speed feels like a sweet spot for softening harsh edges and retaining separation. It’s like going to someone’s house who is watching a movie with frame blending and changing it to back to a cinematic 24fps. On some tracks I felt like the AC clearly had the edge for speed, but on other songs the Bokeh seemed to tie it. My AC is a harder Olive Wood so it doesn't feel quite as wet and bloomy as this softer limba Bokeh. The top end of the Bokeh felt faster to me than the low end.


FOCAL DISTANCE

The Bokeh joins the VC and AC as another above average closed back for immersion and soundstage. The brighter upper mid tuning and added top air of the VC and AC open them up more, but the Bokeh has an impressive openness considering its darker mids. The Bokeh’s stereo width is more intimate than the AC, but it has similar depth looking into the music.




A PADDED SELL

As with any other ZMF, the Bokeh is several headphones in one with your pad/mesh options. I always gravitate to one particular pad for each of my ZMF, but with the Bokeh I really enjoyed all options. Each pad and mesh pairing seemed like something I could enjoy for a long time. It was honestly confusing for someone that usually has a solid personal preference. The hybrids tended to be what I gravitated toward for Bokeh specific pads, but I also really enjoyed the Caldera suedes.



My unit came with burst mesh only, and it looks different to what is actually on the ZMF site. I've heard great things about the Titan solid mesh with hybrid pads, but I have yet to test that combo out. Most of my listening was done without a mesh, but I did really enjoy the burst mesh sound.




There are so many possible combinations of pads and mesh you could technically fit on this headphone. Definitely start with the Bokeh specific pads and mesh. The 3 pad varieties and 2 mesh options give you 6 unique flavors. If you tested the Caldera and Bokeh pads with the solid and burst mesh that'd be 18 different possible sounds profiles. If you got crazy there are 40 different ZMF pads and 3 different circular mesh. 120 different sound possibilities for the most mad scientist out there. If you do this don't forget to post the charts.



BOKEH PROTIEN PADS | SOLIDS
The inner solid gives these the snappiest character overall of the Bokeh pads. They are extremely enjoyable for their visceral oomph. These have the most treble energy and air. Sometimes that added reach adds to the holographic dimensionality of a track. Adding the burst mesh tames the treble but bumps up the lower and upper mids in my perception.

BOKEH HYBRID PADS | SOLID OUTER + INNER SUEDE
I love these pads. They win for most natural. The inner suede controls the mid bass from getting too boomy and reflective without subtracting the fun weight. Keeping the low end controlled cleans up the treble as well. The burst mesh suppresses some upper mids and lets the top end shine through. I’d take this with or without mesh.

BOKEH SUEDE
Suede gives the treble the smoothest gradient to the blend. You lose some of the bass shelf, but the Bokeh is one of the few headphones I actually really enjoy suede pads on. This pad is the slowest, most laid-back sound with the open driver. If you want this vibe, but with a bit more bass, the hybrid with the burst mesh takes you to a similar zone. Strangely enough, the burst mesh on this pad focused my brain back on the upper treble which I liked quite a bit.

CALDERA STOCK
The Caldera pads are thicker, and the foam feels denser. These have the oomph of the Bokeh Solids, but with more brightness in the treble. The music comes into focus more. The added thickness gives the mids more room echo.

CALDERA THIN
These Atrium Closed stock pads are like the Caldera stock, but they are less reflective. As compared to the Bokeh solid, they are brighter, tighter and less romantic. That sounds negative, but I enjoyed them quite a bit when I had them on.

CALDERA THICK
This is my favorite pad on the Caldera, but here I think the depth encourages the bass to be too reflective. Adding the burst mesh was a dramatic shift on the thick pads. I noticed the reflection of the mid bass much less. The lower treble gets spicier than on the other pads.

CALDERA SUEDE
This is quickly becoming my favorite pad on the Bokeh. The treble is a touch brighter than the Bokeh suede and hybrid. Physically the pad is a little thicker/denser than it’s Bokeh counterpart giving it some sonic spaciousness. It is A+ with and without the burst mesh.

CALDERA COWHIDE
These are one of the thinnest and most rigid pads. The midrange is brought forward. The mesh pushes the upper mids back in place, but Cowhide is not normally a pad I reach for often.

CALDERA ULTRA PERF
I’d only recommend this option to people looking to push the treble way up. I’m not a huge fan of ultra perf sound, but I got a b-stock just to experiment this year. Some detail hunters may like it, but not for the treble weary.


DEXTERITY CHECK

There has been a lot of conversation about how tricky the pads are to get onto the oval shape. This is true, but I recommend taking Zach’s advice and holding the pad close to your body while you edge around. You can use your chest to hold down the side you’ve already got in place. Individual pads vary in tightness which is extra noticeable when you’re trying to stretch them over the oval shape. This does make doing pad A/Bing a little slower, but once you have a pad you like you’re going to keep it on for a while. On the plus side, I appreciate that there is a sort of open standard to ZMF pads.



When you get the headphone on your ears, experiment with placement of your ear in cup. Some pads felt perfect square in the middle of the cup, whereas other pads sounded more natural with my ear forward over the driver. This back and forth seems to influence the midrange the most. I really recommend playing around with this for each pad you test.


FIT AND FINESSE

The Bokeh feels like any of my other ZMFs for comfort level. They fit like a glove. Much more ergonomically sensible head gear than a glove even. Weight on my unit is 506 grams. They aren't as portable as a pair of AirPods, but they are more portable than some VCs and an OTL. Build-wise these are as impressive as my other ZMFs. I think whatever compromises have been made to get these cheaper are negligible in hand. If you hold Caldera pads and then pick up Bokeh pads you notice a larger difference. The Caldera pads feel more premium, but some of that has to do with the higher density and stronger structure of the memory foam. Zach designed the Bokeh to work with Bokeh pads, so I think you’re getting the truest representation of his vision when using the Bokeh pads.





TO TUBE OR NOT-UBE

The Bokeh sounds great on everything to be perfectly honest. That is how it was designed to be. It’s 80ohm LCP driver doesn’t need a lot of juice or impedance to open it up. For the first month I was testing the Bokeh, my big Cayin HA-300mkii was off for servicing and I was listening exclusively on the new Pietus Maximus. I think the Bokeh and the Pietus are a fantastic match for an equally fantastic total price point. Both amp and headphone have that tubey without tubes thing going on. Yes, the Bokeh does scale with the 300b, but it is not as important as other dynamic ZMFs. On the 300b I almost always prefer H impedance, but that was not always the case with the Bokeh. The Mojo 2 and the Cayin RU6 had plenty of power and overhead for the Bokeh. Comparing the portables to the desktop amps showed their limitations, but the gap on the Bokeh was not large.




COMPARED TO ATRIUM CLOSED

The Bokeh’s dulcet tones are like a relaxing hot tub. Jumping quickly to the Atrium Closed can feel like the shock of jumping into a cold pool. The AC is by no means a cold experience, but the Bokeh is just gooier and more relaxed. The Atrium Closed is nimbler and more detailed. Vocals and upper mids are much brighter on the Atrium Closed. The Bokeh midrange is darker and smoother making it a bit easier going on bright recordings. I enjoy both takes and neither sounds unnatural after some brain adjustment. Bass hits great on both, but the Atrium has tighter bass which focuses on sub whereas the Bokeh’s looser, more resonant low end is more about the mid bass. Thanks to the Atrium Damping System both headphones have great holographic depth.



Bokeh is the solid line. AC dotted. Source ZMF measurements page.


COMPARED TO CALDERA

Let me preface this by saying the Caldera is still my favorite headphone. Luckily, like the AC, the Bokeh is going for something completely different than the Caldera. The most obvious difference is how much darker the midrange of the Bokeh is. The Caldera is pretty linear with some brightness up top. The Bokeh is warm with extra warmth in the mids. The Caldera is much faster and way more detailed as you’d expect. The Bokeh’s mid bass is more elevated and impactful, but the Caldera’s added detail gives its bass dimension and depth that you just can’t expect from a dynamic driver. I can’t wait to hear the upcoming Caldera Closed to see how that one compares.



I didn't see a direct comparison chart, so here is a terribly unscientific overlay of the raw measurements of both headphones from the ZMF site. Bokeh is the dotted line:



TEST TRACKS


Sparse upright bass jazz is a lot of fun on the Bokeh. You feel each pluck almost in your chest.


Another track with low end motivation. Cosmo's doubled up emphasize the euphony of the Bokeh paired with tubes.


This wild score is a great speed test. On this I feel like the Bokeh is neck and neck with the AC.


I've heard this album a million times, but the Bokeh does something unique with it. The slam on this track is absolutely incredible. Satomi's vocals have this silky smoothness and dimensionality that I haven't heard on other headphones.


The breathy flute is very natural on the Bokeh. I can hear a lot of detail and separation. The metallic pluck of the strings and the punch of their impact stand out. The dynamic swings are fantastic. The dimensions of the room feel totally realistic for this recording.


I was excited to hear a new EP this week from a good friend's new band. The Bokeh is a lot of fun with this type of melodic indie rock.





LET IT BLUR

The Bokeh with its rich midrange fits into Zach’s audio oeuvre, but this LCP headphone budded a new branch on the ZMF tree sonically and technologically. As excited as I am to be an owner of a Bokeh, I’m equally thrilled to find out where Zach takes LCP drivers next in the lineup. I can't wait to hear a ZMF open back LCP. The tuning flexibility of this headphone exemplifies ZMFs commitment to make something for every preference that is inherently ZMF at its core. The Bokeh’s softer touch and analog warmth bring the music in focus and let everything trivial blur right out.

ZMF - WHEN YOU'RE HERE YOU'RE FAMILY

I’d like to start this review off by acknowledging my bias for ZMF gear. I think Zach and his team are making headphones that, while technically proficient, really put musicality and enjoyment first. I respect that there is another engineering philosophy that searches for truth in neutrality, but I don’t connect with that. Hearing the Caldera at this past CanJam SoCal was a small revelation. I bought a demo unit right there on the spot because it was absolutely the best thing I had heard. Listening in the months since the show, the Caldera continues to excavate new life in songs and keep me on the edge of my seat. The Atrium Closed continues ZMFs streak of excellent TOTL entries that take advantage of their magic ADS damping system. The headphone wizards are at work, and the R&D is paying off.







PRECIOUS

After reaching out with some other gear inquiries, Zach graciously sent me an absolutely stunning demo of the Atrium Closed Italian Olive Wood to test out. It may be my Italian American heritage kicking it, but this thing is a knockout. Most of you know that owning a ZMF headphone is sort of like owning an instrument crafted by some esteemed luthier. As objects they have a mental draw like the One Ring, always occupying a background processes or peripheral glance when docked on the desk. The detailing and design choices on this particular LTD batch of olive woods are impeccable. The olive green “B.B.B.” or Bull Bolster Band strap is new to me, and I enjoy the fit and finish of it. I found the comfort level to be equal to the standard strap - which I like a lot. It does offer a bit more support at the cost of a larger area of matted hair. The wood itself has beautiful ribboning and stratification, and the finish is a matte oil, which I personally favor over a gloss. The internet has varying statistics on the janka hardness rating for olive wood, but it is a harder wood and I’ve read that tightens up the bass frequencies compared to the stock wood. Good distribution makes the on-head weight seem relatively equal to me between this, my Caldera and my VC. The Verité is actually much lighter, but you wouldn't know it.


Here are the ZMF gang's measurements in grams:

Caldera Oak - 558.3

Atrium Closed Olive Wood - 559.1

Verité Closed Monkeypod - 486.9







LET IT BURN

Zach had warned me that this demo was not burnt in and I can attest to the dramatic impact of burn in on the Atrium driver. Over the first few days the top end was a little too spicy, but as time passed the driver mellowed and matured. I’ve seen Zach mention that the bio-cellulose drivers are the most transformed over the burn-in period.







TRUSTED SOURCES

For reference my source chain is MacBook Pro > Tidal > Gustard R26 > Cayin HA300 mkii. My current tube load out is Elrog 300Bs, Linlai Elite 6SN7s, GE 22DE4 rectifiers. The AC isn’t too picky with impedance, but I’ve been listening on medium and high. I'm also using a WyWire Platinum cable for all my ZMF headphones at the moment. I have yet to test out the top tier ZMF cables, but I’m sure those are fantastic as well. Side note: I tried the AC on the Mojo 2 and Magni Piety and it sounded great on both of those too. Slightly less holographic without the magic of tubes.


IMPRESSIONS & CONFIRMATIONS

You’ve probably jumped here. Good on you. Let me start with the hype that the Atrium Closed (AC) is my favorite closed back headphone yet. I never owned the Atrium Open (AO), but I have heard it a few times. The AC does capture the Atrium Open sound profile with a touch of intimacy that I actually love. The tuning of the AC is a bit V shaped in my mind as compared to AO and the Verité. You have wonderfully impactful sub bass and crisp upper treble. My mind always relates this sound signature to a “hifi” tuning, but that gets thrown around as a negative. It works here. I concede that the Elrogs and the LinLai are probably doubling down on that hifi vibe.







3-BAND

TREBLE
Like I said in my opening, the treble started out real spicy and then chilled out. I will say that it is still commanding. This spicy meatball didn’t retire and move to Florida. There is an enjoyable bite and sizzle to it. As someone who is very, very sensitive to the presence region, this headphone is not fatiguing or shouty to me in the upper mid transition zone. It creeps up there sometimes, but never steps over the line. Conversely, VC has a presence region I could never fully tame, though I love the sound. On graphs the AC looks like it could be too energetic in the presence region as compared to the VC even, but when listening to the total picture the AC comes off more relaxed and balanced to me.

MID RANGE
The mids are still the delicious euphonic ZMF mids, but they sit a little deeper in the mix than the Verité. This zone makes or breaks the realism of instrument tone for me. Even with the pushed back mids, the AC does not disappoint in realism or euphony. I’d put the Atrium mid tuning in that lineage of the Sennheiser HD650. For me ZMF just gets mids right no matter what.

BASS
The mid bass slopes down a little which could be a deal breaker for me, but in this application it is *chef’s kiss*. If the mid bass was much higher the sheer quantity of bass could have been overwhelming. The sub bass has deservedly garnered a lot of praise, but this does not rumble your head like some Fostex dynamics. I used to have the Drop Fostex TH-X00 and you could actually feel the bass pressure vibrating your head if you had the volume up too loud. The AC bass is substantial, but tasteful. Music feels lush and weighty, but equally clean and tight. If you’re after a pure sub bass monster this probably isn’t the right fit.

EDIT:
There are a few tracks I've listened to after posting this that make me feel like I may have been wrong about the Fostex having more intense bass rumble. I want to stress that the AC really does bring it. I think the difference between this and the Drop Fostex is that the top end is so, so good on the AC. Also the bass doesn't feel like it saps other areas of the spectrum when the driver goes into bass rumble mode. With the Fostex it could feel like the bass at times limited higher frequencies. None of that here. The head vibration sensation could have to do with the differences in how this and the Fostex are ported. Keep in mind my experience is limited to the harder wood AC. Big, clean bass.


STAGE

Staging is decently wide for a closed back. The space sounds natural to me. I dislike when the stage feels artificially wide in a closed back. The AC has a more intimate presentation than the VC, but I never once thought about that until doing back and forth switching. I think this perception is due in part to the VC’s cup depth, driver speed and boosted upper mids. My VC is a much softer monkeypod wood which could contribute to the difference as well. I’d give the technical win to the VC, but my preference win to the AC. If I’m putting on my closed back headphones, I don’t mind them to feel a little more intimate. Depth-wise I know the AO was touted as highly holographic, but to me the VC with Universe pads and the AC have a similar three dimensionality.

EDIT: I've read people saying they find the AC to be wider than the VC. I had to go back and really A/B to see if I was totally wrong (which is very likely). I think the AC's emphasis on the top and bottom of the spectrum can make it feel wider, but the VC's ability to separate detail and place instruments a little more precisely gives my brain more of an illusion of 3D space. I'm using the Universe Solid pad which can be more holographic. The more mid-centric tuning of the VC actually works against it in the perception of space when A/B with the AC. Switching back and forth quickly can make the VC feel a little congested or nasally. I don't think it is, but brighter upper mids and treble of the AC gives it a cleaner / airier feel when jumping quickly back and forth. If you like the VC's soundstage you won't be disappointed with the AC.





SEPARATION

In the contest of closed backs, the VC isolates individual instruments more precisely through the speed of its Beryllium coated driver. The gap isn’t huge and ultimately this becomes a decision of taste in my opinion. The AC’s slightly slower driver speed / decay contributes to that organic sound everyone loves with biocellulouse. Beryllium aside, the AC feels quick and reactive to me. The Caldera obviously widens the gap measurably on speed and separation, but it seems unfair to put them in the same technical race.


ISOLATION

Oh, sorry I didn’t hear you come up. As with the VC passive isolation is great. The clamp force feels just right out of the box for me. It effectively mutes my very clacky mechanical keyboard and jet engine air filter.







PAD SWAPING

ZMF has a growing library of Caldera pads that can work on the AC. As with all other ZMFs, pads influence the sound dramatically. I typically end up favoring the stock choice, but as a professional tinkerer I must test all options in the name of science.

Caldera Thin (Stock) - Nice bass impact and definition. Very natural sound to instruments and voices. Good treble articulation. Obvious why it is the stock pad.

Caldera Suede - I don’t like this pairing personally. You’re losing a lot of the sub bass that makes this headphone so fun. I also don’t find the suede particularly smoothing. When you subtract that bass, the perceived treble goes way up to my ears. Comfort level is supreme though.

Caldera Regular - I like this pairing on some songs. It is a subtly darker and looser sound.

Caldera Thick aka Bold - This takes some definition out of the bass and makes it bouncier and more reflective. Pushes the treble back a touch. I thought these pads would be a quick no, but I’m not hating the sound at all.

Caldera Cowhide Thin - I think the mids come up with these, but I’m not a fan of this pairing. Treble gets too harsh for my taste.







SPAGHETTI WESTERN

Actually, these headphones are friendly little guys, and they dislike the allusion to guns. Here is quick stream of consciousness comparisons between all the headphones on my bench right now to help you triangulate the AC sound:


Jake Xerxes Fussell - Love Farewell

AC w Caldera Thin - The AC does really well with acoustic instrumentation. Very natural sound to the strings and voices. The bass lift adds fun flavor to every track.

VC w Universe Solids - the VC sounds much darker to me on this song which surprised me. Darker treble / brighter mids. The instrument separation is ever-so-slightly better than the AC, but I still enjoy the AC more due to my preference for its tonal balance.

Caldera w Caldera Thick - wheew boy I mean the Caldera is like watching something in 8k ear-o-vision. The depth and detail of the Caldera are just different as a planar. Interestingly I think the AC shares more in common the Caldera tuning than the VC. The Caldera has less boost to the sub bass, but it has a touch more mid bass and more impact. The overall quantity of bass perception is similar between the two. The mids are a little more forward in the mix on the Caldera.

Meze Empyrean w Elite pads – (Elite pads and WyWire Platinum bring the sound of these somewhere between Empys and Elites.) The treble is a little darker than the AC. A more laid-back vibe than the ZMF gang. The planar nature wins on speed and separation, but the AC tonally sounds more natural again.

6xx - Still the best value in headphones. There is a lot in common with the AC in tone. The AC is going to win in all the technicalities. The 6xx mids are more forward and the bass emphasis is mid not sub. The vocals and instruments here sound fantastic. The AC’s focus on upper treble gives it more sizzle and crisp detailing than the 6xx.

Grado Hemp w F-Cush - The upper treble has a darker tone than the AC, but the presence region is a little more shouty. Lots of mid bass, but obviously no sub bass. What can you say? - grado sound.


Blake Mills - May Later


AC w Caldera Thin – Full, lush encompassing low end with a lot of ear tickles on plucked instruments. Very organic tone on the euphonic multi-tracked vocals.

VC w Universe Solids - Mids much closer in the mix again and brighter. This track brings it with the bass on the VC. More detail to the string plucks. Wider stereo image than the AC.

Caldera w Caldera Thick - Again more open and spacious than AC. More strata of layers into the music and between instruments. Vocals are closer, but very similar mid tuning. The curve feels more linear than AC, but it shares the lushness. Bass has a lot of definition and dimensionality on the Caldera.

Meze Empyrean w Elite pads - Darker treble, but still has that top sparkle. More bloomy low end. More definition to plucks as expected.

6xx - Similarly wonderful lushness. Vocals are pulled closer than AC and are very natural.

Grado Hemp w F-Cush - the bass is big, but all over the mix. Mids are fun but weird. Grado, fun but weird.


Lump, Laura Marling, Mike Lindsay - Paradise


AC w Caldera Thin - I think the AC does synth sub bass like this very well. Really great texture and impact. Female vocals have a lot of crispness with the added detail. The tuning flirts with sibilance in highlighting S’s in female vocals, but it doesn’t get there. I’ll reiterate that is intensified by my detail-oriented tube loadout.

VC w Universe Solids - Synth bass level is lower, but still impactful. VC does female vocals nicely. Less flirtation with sibilance due to the darker upper treble. Mids closer again.

Caldera w Caldera Thick - Less sub bass elevation than AC on the synth - closer level to VC. Similar representation of female vocals but woven into a different place in the mix.

Meze Empyrean w Elite pads - Even less sub on the synth. Very smooth and spacious sound. Silky female vocals. This is the most laid back of the headphones on this track. It somehow captures both hifi and chill vibes.

6xx - Progressively less bass. Female vocals are similar to the AC with that touch of crispness.

Grado Hemp w F-Cush - Much darker take on female vocals. Big boomy and bloomy mid-bass.

I think A/Bing between headphones is a little exhausting, but I find these type of reference points most helpful when imagining a new flavor of sound. The AC’s unique tuning didn’t overlap with anything I currently own. I’m happy to say it has dethroned the VC as my go-to closed back. The Caldera keeps its seat as my absolute favorite. As it should.







CONCLUSIONE

For me the AC has the most agreeable tuning out of all the various closed backs I’ve tried. The Verité remains a worthy top tier player, but for those like me with presence sensitives, I’d like to extend an Italian olive wood branch. The AC pulls off a balanced sound profile and adds excitement on the top and bottom end. This fun bass-centric character is going to make the Atrium Closed a lot people’s favorite ZMF closed or open. At least until the Caldera Closed jumps into the ring.

Thanks Zach and ZMF for not resting on your laurels. Speaking of that – don’t sleep on this delicious Italian Olive Wood Ltd.

Ciao.