[shwnwllms]

Question for y'all tonight, I've been wondering this for a bit. Multiple times I have come across someone stating that having a high dampening factor with ZMFs and AMPs should be avoided like the plague. Amps with less than 1 Ohm output impedance not making friends with ZMF or other 300Ohm cans. Can anyone convey some truth to this?

Whenever this question comes up I refer back to this post from @zach915m

Also worth noting, what you are referring to is a general rule of thumb, and is mainly due to modern solid state design (chasing low distortion and ensuring amps measure well for most headphones)

There are exceptions to the rule, amps for example like the V281 which still have enough power output at 300 Ohms to not compensate by over damping the driver

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/zmf...-back-headphone-from-zmf.966989/post-17805581

 

[jonathan c]

Question for y'all tonight, I've been wondering this for a bit. Multiple times I have come across someone stating that having a high dampening factor with ZMFs and AMPs should be avoided like the plague. Amps with less than 1 Ohm output impedance not making friends with ZMF or other 300Ohm cans. Can anyone convey some truth to this?

• I would not say 'avoided like the plague'. Let me use my experience with LTA MZ3 & ZMFs Aeolus, Atrium, Atticus, Auteur, Eikon.
• The ZMFs sounded wonderful - in balance, detail, soundscape - with MZ3 (output impedance: 2 ohms). What was missing? Blossoming, impact, release. Where did I find those? In Beyerdynamic A20, DNA Sonett 2, Woo Audio WA3 - all with output impedances => 100 ohms.
• Again, my experience and my innate tendency to give high priority to thereness.

 

[goldwerger]

Question for y'all tonight, I've been wondering this for a bit. Multiple times I have come across someone stating that having a high dampening factor with ZMFs and AMPs should be avoided like the plague. Amps with less than 1 Ohm output impedance not making friends with ZMF or other 300Ohm cans. Can anyone convey some truth to this?

First and foremost, use all rule of thumbs as guidance, and break them at will. Some of my best discoveries have been just sticking things into other things and seeing if I liked the sound. Always trust your ears. And everyone’s ears, and tastes, are different.

Second, the general rule is that you want to have the right damping ratio between the headphone impedance and the amp’s output impedance. What that is varies. The golden rule most often quoted is 8:1, but 3:1 can be great, and sometimes 100:1 can be great too. It’s important I understand what happens and then play with it. The higher damping ratio, the amp has more control over the driver, but at some point that can start to manifest itself in a sound that is too tight, lacking a sense of natural decay and resonance (those harmonics we subconsciously find pleasing). When under-damped, those may become too present, and the sound may feel a bit loose and lacking crispness. Where you like to be on the spectrum is also a matter of taste.

Other than that, consider that taking 2 amps that have an identical output impedance with the same headphones will still yield 2 different sound signatures. So that is only one element that affects synergy. The amp’s circuit design, choice of power supply, transformers, capacitors, etc. will all affect its sound, and in turn its synergy with your headphones.

That’s why rules of thumb are helpful, but aren’t a hard rule.

That said, I personally prefer using an OTL amp with my high impedance dynamic headphones, where I find I get the damping sweet spot, and with not output transformers in the chain the over sound for me is the most pristine and beautiful. And I prefer using SS, Hybrid, or TC amps with planar headphones for that power, delivered with great control across a lower output impedance.

 

[shwnwllms]

First and foremost, use all rule of thumbs as guidance, and break them at will. Some of my best discoveries have been just sticking things into other things and seeing if I liked the sound. Always trust your ears. And everyone’s ears, and tastes, are different.

Just don’t go around sticking your thumbs into your ears, or other people’s ears

 

[goldwerger]

Just don’t go around sticking your thumbs into your ears, or other people’s ears

 

[AudioDuck]

Some of my best discoveries have been just sticking things into other things and seeing if I liked the sound.

I think we can all agree that wording is unfortunate and can be easily misconstrued.

At least if you have as wild of an imagination as I admittedly do.

 

[goldwerger]

I think we can all agree that wording is unfortunate and can be easily misconstrued.

At least if you have as wild of an imagination as I admittedly do.

Give me a chuckle this..

 

[Erick Muller]

First and foremost, use all rule of thumbs as guidance, and break them at will. Some of my best discoveries have been just sticking things into other things and seeing if I liked the sound.

Don't listen to this man, this is how you get super STDs

 

[Wes S]

• I would not say 'avoided like the plague'. Let me use my experience with LTA MZ3 & ZMFs Aeolus, Atrium, Atticus, Auteur, Eikon.
• The ZMFs sounded wonderful - in balance, detail, soundscape - with MZ3 (output impedance: 2 ohms). What was missing? Blossoming, impact, release. Where did I find those? In Beyerdynamic A20, DNA Sonett 2, Woo Audio WA3 - all with output impedances => 100 ohms.
• Again, my experience and my innate tendency to give high priority to thereness.

I concur, and the "thereness" is in full effect when I flick the switch to high impedance.

 

[Wes S]

Listening with my Atticus with my HA300MK2 on the high impedance setting and the headphone is alive. The sound just blooms so perfectly, with mids to die for.

Thereness is most definitely in full effect.

 

[Wes S]

If there are any Atticus owners reading this thread, the pairing with the Cayin HA300MK2 is flat out insane. Truly the best this headphone can sound. The synergy is something really special folks. It's actually mind blowing how good it is.

 

[jonathan c]

Don't listen to this man, this is how you get super STDs

... sonic tone deafness? ...

 

[erics75]

If there are any Atticus owners reading this thread, the pairing with the Cayin HA300MK2 is flat out insane. Truly the best this headphone can sound. The synergy is something really special folks. It's actually mind blowing how good it is.

Another amp with incredible synergy with the Atticus is the new Wells V8 otl. There's something special going on with those two, it's really opening up the Atticus and making it sing. I honestly don't remember the Atticus sounding so open and vibrant on anything other than my Stratus. What's surprising me is how present and airy the Atticus sounds on the V8. The Stratus tends to double down on the mids and lows, but doesn't do much for the Atticus' reserved treble. Just reaffirms my love of the Atticus. Despite my current love affair with the Bokeh and AC, the Atticus is making a strong case for equal footing again with those two. A never ending joy of a headphone.

 

[JackarlTwo]

I posted some early impressions in the Atrium thread but I've been really enjoying the Eufonika H5 with Miflex caps. For the money it has exceeded my expectations and I couldn't be happier as my first tube amp. Seems to synergize very well with Atrium and the headphones have opened up more compared to my old amp. I haven't done a lot of tube rolling yet but really liking Apos 6SN7 Select right now. Wide, warm and "euphonic."

OTL + ZMF dynamics = heavenly.

 

[Pharmaboy]

... sonic tone deafness? ...

No, I believe it was Ford model in the '70s.