[nocturaline]

Yes. You'll have to actually listen to understand when people say this. The Atticus sounded very dark, like Darth Vader dark with SPL Phonitor E (mind you, I used to own a LCD2C so I think I know what dark is) and the difference is outrageous when I plugged in WA7, it sounded amazing to me, it opened up quite a lot - still warmer than Eikon though. My friend and I had What expressions on our faces when we heard the difference.

Absolutely. Although before I bought the WA2, some people were saying that the Atticus was too dark with it. I got one anyway, and found out that it was not too dark for me. Though after a while, I got kinda bored with it and returned to the Sennheiser HD 650 which had an airier and more relaxing sound. But then I started playing with tubes and everything changed. With the right tubes, and we're not talking expensive stuff here, the Atticus really shines. The trick is to find tubes that work well together and match your tastes. I thought I had made a mistake when I started using the National driver tubes, as the sound, despite being very clear, was missing some warmth, un 'je ne sais quoi' But by switching the power tubes from the original JAN Philips to the French Thomson, the sound turned into something that - and I know that it sounds like a silly thing to say - reminded me of my electrostatic setup I had in the 90s: something fresh and fun. So for now, that's the way I like it... until I change my mind and get a bigger amp

 

[tcellguy]

Has anyone tried these with the Jotunhiem? It can be a bit bright but it seems to really synergize well with the Emu Teak. I don't have a lot of amp experience, but if people are talking about the Atticus as dark then maybe this could be a good pairing.

 

[tcellguy]

metal and rock are my main genres, and i own the atticus and did own an eikon (so you already know my personal preference!). i find both excellent for metal, you wont be disappointed either way. the eikon has more upper mid/low treble extension, so guitars are louder and more forward vs the atticus. i'm sensitive in that frequency range so i preferred the atticus. both have tremendous bass slam, the difference is the atticus is a bit thicker sounding due to it's mid bass hump. most metal doesnt go very low so the eikon's slightly stronger sub bass extension is mostly moot. bass on them is more similar than different though, so either way, you're getting some really nice bass. the single biggest difference to me was that upper mid/low treble extension on the eikon. if you want a lighter, more linear sound, the eikon is probably better. if you want something a bit thicker and warmer, the atticus reigns supreme. in the end your best bet is get to a local meet or store if possible to try them out, one will resonate with you more than the other. on paper i thought i'd end up with an eikon. but after listening, the atticus was my personal favorite.

another thing, both are kinda picky on amps. you can get nice sound out of something as simple as a magni, but they really respond to certain amps. they're much like the hd600/650 in that regard. they can go from ho hum to breathtaking with a simple amp change. my personal favorite amps for the atticus are both violectric/lake people. the rs-08 and v280 both balanced. the v100 and rs-02 are no slouch either on the single ended side. the molnir 2 was quite nice as well. on the eikon side, i really liked my buddies woo wa3 since it softened the treble a bit. funny thing though, i didnt like the atticus on it at all. and i didnt like the eikon much on the rs-08 or v100, but did like it on the v280. like i said, picky azz headphones when it comes to amp synergy! but once you get the right setup, wow...

Thanks for the detailed reply. I'm hoping to try these out at CanJam. I'm really looking for a dedicated headphone for metal. So far I haven't found one yet. The Aeons (closed and open) are close to what I'm looking for in terms of speed, but the dynamics seem compressed if I'm using the correct terms. The Emu Teak sounds more open but it more distorted. I've seen some positive statements about the TH900 but heard they can have too peaky treble (I'm not too treble sensitive though). I'm not sure if I should be looking at a different planar or dynamics.

 

[phthora]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I'm hoping to try these out at CanJam. I'm really looking for a dedicated headphone for metal. So far I haven't found one yet. The Aeons (closed and open) are close to what I'm looking for in terms of speed, but the dynamics seem compressed if I'm using the correct terms. The Emu Teak sounds more open but it more distorted. I've seen some positive statements about the TH900 but heard they can have too peaky treble (I'm not too treble sensitive though). I'm not sure if I should be looking at a different planar or dynamics.

The Atticus does well with metal, but I find I still want more speed, more guitar bite, and less mid-bass to really get it perfect. If you want impactful dynamics and non-peaky treble as well... I would recommend the Auteur with Eikon perforated pads (which I think come with it). It's a dream with progressive metal, and still very good with thrash, sludge, or death metals. For those, I still prefer the LCD-X. The best metal fit for Atticus, IMO, is Mastodon or Gojira.

 

[tcellguy]

The Atticus does well with metal, but I find I still want more speed, more guitar bite, and less mid-bass to really get it perfect. If you want impactful dynamics and non-peaky treble as well... I would recommend the Auteur with Eikon perforated pads (which I think come with it). It's a dream with progressive metal, and still very good with thrash, sludge, or death metals. For those, I still prefer the LCD-X. The best metal fit for Atticus, IMO, is Mastodon or Gojira.

Thanks again. I've never heard an offering from Audeze, but it's definitely on my list to audition.

I've been hoping to get a closed or semi-open for metal given the need for isolation. Other people in the apartment don't seem to like hearing metal for some reason?

I can easily imagine that an open back is best for metal, though, given the complexity of the many tracks.

I like all the bands/genre's you listed above but more recently I've been listing to mostly black metal. It seems to have intentionally bad recording but I think the right headphones can still help.

 

[phthora]

Thanks again. I've never heard an offering from Audeze, but it's definitely on my list to audition.

I've been hoping to get a closed or semi-open for metal given the need for isolation. Other people in the apartment don't seem to like hearing metal for some reason?

I can easily imagine that an open back is best for metal, though, given the complexity of the many tracks.

I like all the bands/genre's you listed above but more recently I've been listing to mostly black metal. It seems to have intentionally bad recording but I think the right headphones can still help.

Dude. Move out of that apartment. Those are other people... they're bad news. You don't want any part of that.

In the meantime, considering only closed cans... I like the Audeze El-8 Ti for complex metal. You know, stuff that is fast and layered. It's a very clean, very fast sound. Of course, it also has extremely lean bass. If that's not for you, the Atticus really is no slouch. It's got great speed and separation and gives a rich, vibrant sound that goes well with metal. It won't resolve like a good planar, but the tonality is excellent. If it was me, and I had to pick one and was concerned mostly about metal, I would definitely feel good about owning the Atticus.

 

[erics75]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I'm hoping to try these out at CanJam. I'm really looking for a dedicated headphone for metal. So far I haven't found one yet. The Aeons (closed and open) are close to what I'm looking for in terms of speed, but the dynamics seem compressed if I'm using the correct terms. The Emu Teak sounds more open but it more distorted. I've seen some positive statements about the TH900 but heard they can have too peaky treble (I'm not too treble sensitive though). I'm not sure if I should be looking at a different planar or dynamics.

another excellent headphone for metal is the beyerdynamic dt 1770. it's got incredible speed, dynamics, and detail. if i ever give up my atticus, i'll likely go back to it, as i miss it quite fierce (sold it after getting atticus, and regret it deeply). for some reason it gets a bad rap here, but i adore it. i do prefer the atticus and eikon, but at more than double the price, i should hope so! but honestly, the sound quality difference between them isnt nearly as big as the price gap would suggest. honestly i'd say it's on the same quality level as them, just a different sound/tuning. i just wish they'd ditch the mini xlr plugs, you have to rewire the set for balanced cables. and my favorite amp is balanced

 

[macdonjh]

Dude. Move out of that apartment. Those are other people... they're bad news. You don't want any part of that.

In the meantime, considering only closed cans... I like the Audeze El-8 Ti for complex metal. You know, stuff that is fast and layered. It's a very clean, very fast sound. Of course, it also has extremely lean bass. If that's not for you, the Atticus really is no slouch. It's got great speed and separation and gives a rich, vibrant sound that goes well with metal. It won't resolve like a good planar, but the tonality is excellent. If it was me, and I had to pick one and was concerned mostly about metal, I would definitely feel good about owning the Atticus.

There you go, the perfect head phone: put your EL-8 on, the put a pair of Atticus over them.

 

[RollinHard843]

Ill second that the EL8's tonality is awesome for metal. It has enough sub-bass, but it is NOT a lush headphone. Plenty of treble and clarity. Its brighter than the lcd2 as well, but its soundstage is a little lacking compared to the atticus and lcd2. Its not slouch on its own, but it doesnt QUITE get that same depth.

The atticus is excellent but sometimes i want more definition/shimmer from cymbals than it can do.

I guess a good way to put it is that i like the el8 for between the buried and me, but if im listening to iron maiden (1983 through all the 90's) i like the atticus

 

[phthora]

Ill second that the EL8's tonality is awesome for metal. It has enough sub-bass, but it is NOT a lush headphone. Plenty of treble and clarity. Its brighter than the lcd2 as well, but its soundstage is a little lacking compared to the atticus and lcd2. Its not slouch on its own, but it doesnt QUITE get that same depth.

The atticus is excellent but sometimes i want more definition/shimmer from cymbals than it can do.

I guess a good way to put it is that i like the el8 for between the buried and me, but if im listening to iron maiden (1983 through all the 90's) i like the atticus

I think the LCD-2F splits the difference between the lean, fast, often cold sounding EL-8 Ti and the lush, rich, meaty, occasionally too mid-bassy Atticus. What Atticus does better than the other two, I think, is that it has better soundstage, a more forgiving sound signature, and a more realistic vocal presentation.

 

[tcellguy]

I haven’t heard the EL8 but I imagine the Æon flow closed has a similar speed and clarity. I really like the AFC for well recorded music (including some metal). But with most poorly recorded metal the sound gets a bit 2 dimensional and each sound seems to have a similar volume (poor dynamics?). It may just be a function of the neutrality of the AFC as the AFO seems to be a bit more forgiving.

It sounds like he Atticus or Eikon may be a good next step.

I had considered the Ether C flow, but the reviews seem quite mixed and I imagine they may be similar to the AFC (some seem to say even more neutral).

 

[phthora]

The EL-8 is faster and clearer than the AFC, and has less of that compressed dynamics that make it sound flat (if I am understanding you correctly). However, I don't think the difference is that big. If the AFC is not a good fit for you, the EL-8 will be at best a small improvement.

Atticus definitely crushes both in terms of depth of soundstage and dynamics.

 

[Astonish]

This is gonna be my office headphone. Bass always pumps me up at work so I kind of fixed on the Atticus but "lack of sub bass" as people put it is why I wanna listen to the Eikon as well. I simply love the bass extension on my DT770s. No audio fests happening near by too so if I don't find anyone who let me audition the HPs then most likely I'm gonna buy both used, test, decide, sell them both off and buy a new one from Zach - showing my support.

BTW can someone compare the sub bass of DT770 to Atticus?

The micro-suede pads actually bring out the bass a lot. They also eliminate the bloom almost entirely and tone down the reverb a lot too, whether or not that's something you want is up to you, but yea, pads make a huge difference on the atticus.

 

[ascaso]

Hi everyone,
I really like the Zmf Atticus and Eikon.
They give the idea of being built really well.
In Italy I can not listen to them.
What do you think and what do you suggest (Atticus or Eikon) for a jazz listener like me?
With my AudioGd system.

Thanks in advance.

Lu

 

[mwhals]

Hi everyone,
I really like the Zmf Atticus and Eikon.
They give the idea of being built really well.
In Italy I can not listen to them.
What do you think and what do you suggest (Atticus or Eikon) for a jazz listener like me?
With my AudioGd system.

Thanks in advance.

Lu

I have both and like the Eikon better for Jazz.