[Malevolent]

One can live without head-fi (or so I've heard...)

Yes... for a while.

But the voices inside your head (or on your shoulders?) are constantly whispering dark thoughts to you. Go back... they have new headphones... spend more... muahahahaha!

My personal quest resulted in 4 (four) matte black M-100 sets, 2 second hand but pristine, 2 new in box, in addition to my two sets in white. Mission accomplished and very happy with that, they should last me for quite some time to come. Selling my DT700, my SRH840A, even thinking about parting with my D9200.
Otherwise waiting for what Austrian Audio is about to announce at Pro Light and Sound fair / Musikmesse tomorrow (just hearing stories it might be a new headphone in a less civil price range, although it could be an open model, but might as well be just microphones...) which I might have to get in case its a closed back model (but in that case the Hi-X60 will have to go).

Oh, and did I mention how happy I'm with my M-100 collection recently? I even kept two with their default pads and actually use them this way. What a nice trip down memory lane Putting several hours of listening time on them every single day, using one with original pads for on-the-go and one with XL pads while at home.

I'm glad that you're getting a lot of mileage out of your M-100s! The sound is clearly consumer-oriented, but boy, are they fun! Plus, they look good, and are virtually indestructible. Plus points for those aspects, too.

 

[codeanders]

I finally pulled the trigger on a pair of used DCA Aeon 2 Noire (which comes with a balanced cable for free) and I'm pretty darn excited waiting for the mail. The portability of it plus the comfort made it call out to me for months.

 

[Nostoi]

Haha, sorry folks, life has taken a hold on me, and I've just been rather busy (and lazy) to get onto the forums.

How's everyone doing? Believe it or not, I miss the banter, so yeah, let's hope I don't get too lazy to click on "Head-Fi Forums" on my browser the next day.

On the topic of headphones... I have decided to skip the Stellia in favor of the Atrium Closed. It's an open secret (by now) that a closed version of ZMF"s newest flagship would be hot on the heels of its open-back sibling.

What about the rest of you guys?

Good to see you back, buddy.

Not much change here, other than I've now sold my ZMF VC as they weren't getting the use they deserve and ultimately the sound signature wasn't quite for me. I doubt I'll be going down the Atrium Closed route, unless it's notably brighter than VC, which I suspect it's not.

I did get a pair of DCA Aeon 2 Noire, which have surprised me in a good way. Aside from requiring massive amounts of power, they have a fairly smooth but engaging tonality. I prefer them to the DCA Stealth by a long shot.

Otherwise, my closed-back life is more or less catered for by my Kennerton Rognir (and I also got in some Final Audio D8000 Pro recently, and I'd still say they don't quite outclass the Rognir....what can I say, I know that loving vibes toward Russia(n) things isn't the flavour of the month, but still...)

 

[plakat]

Good to see you back, buddy.

Not much change here, other than I've now sold my ZMF VC as they weren't getting the use they deserve and ultimately the sound signature wasn't quite for me. I doubt I'll be going down the Atrium Closed route, unless it's notably brighter than VC, which I suspect it's not.

I did get a pair of DCA Aeon 2 Noire, which have surprised me in a good way. Aside from requiring massive amounts of power, they have a fairly smooth but engaging tonality. I prefer them to the DCA Stealth by a long shot.

Otherwise, my closed-back life is more or less catered for by my Kennerton Rognir (and I also got in some Final Audio D8000 Pro recently, and I'd still say they don't quite outclass the Rognir....what can I say, I know that loving vibes toward Russia(n) things isn't the flavour of the month, but still...)

Yes, obviously... but I still think its not a good idea to pick on everything Russian by default. As long as they don't offer direct support of actions I can't approve, I think its still OK to like Kennerton headphones. They still don't appeal to me personally though, mostly due to their headband construction and massive looks...

I also heard the Noire 2 call, but ultimately resisted. Part of that decision was the power requirements, since my primary source today is an iPhone with its simple Lightning headphone adapter or a mobile Bluetooth receiver. Apart from that I think they might not fulfill my craving for powerful bass, which planar magnetic drivers generally don't fit in with. Yet they would be a sleek mobile headphone: I like how they look and the fact that they fold down into a ball, just like my M-100 does.

 

[plakat]

Yes... for a while.

But the voices inside your head (or on your shoulders?) are constantly whispering dark thoughts to you. Go back... they have new headphones... spend more... muahahahaha!


I'm glad that you're getting a lot of mileage out of your M-100s! The sound is clearly consumer-oriented, but boy, are they fun! Plus, they look good, and are virtually indestructible. Plus points for those aspects, too.

It's the Sirens calling... and they generally don't have the best intentions
Or as someone once said: they only want your best: your money.

Yes, I value robustness, and generally products that are made to last. I still don't mistreat them, its more some kind of insurance in case something bad happens.
I also like the simplicity of my setup... almost no excess electronics left over. But I do have a good number of headphones more than the average user I guess...

 

[Nostoi]

Yes, obviously... but I still think its not a good idea to pick on everything Russian by default. As long as they don't offer direct support of actions I can't approve, I think its still OK to like Kennerton headphones. They still don't appeal to me personally though, mostly due to their headband construction and massive looks...

I also heard the Noire 2 call, but ultimately resisted. Part of that decision was the power requirements, since my primary source today is an iPhone with its simple Lightning headphone adapter or a mobile Bluetooth receiver. Apart from that I think they might not fulfill my craving for powerful bass, which planar magnetic drivers generally don't fit in with. Yet they would be a sleek mobile headphone: I like how they look and the fact that they fold down into a ball, just like my M-100 does.

Yes, compared with something like ZMF, the Kennerton construction falls short. Aesthetically, they look fine to me, though don't set my heart on fire. Comfort, however, is spot on. And, of course, the main reason I venerate them - the reproduction of sound is the best I've heard in almost any headphone.

For the Noire 2, it's an oddity that for a pair of headphones that are designed to be portable, you essentially need a transportable set-up to drive them. In my set-up, aside from pairing them with the 4,100 mW Cayin C9, everything else tends to sound rather limp. They require almost ridiculous amounts of power. Bass is quite good, though won't have impact of a dynamic driver. The Audio-Technica WP900 caters to that end for me - another headphone I continue to enjoy greatly (and which could be driven from a phone with ease).

Glad you're enjoying the M-100 still. As mentioned before, they're also the daily drivers for me wife (and definitely need a pad replacement given how much use they get).

 

[Obizzz]

I went to listen to the Celestee today with the intention of potentially buying them because I ”need” some closed back phones.

They’re not bad and I think I sort of liked them. Then I made the mistake of listening to the Stellia. That was a stupid stupid idea. Unfortunately I don’t have the budget for those but I must say they were very impressive.

Oh, well. I think I have to do a bit more thinking but in a few hours I’m going to see Tool live so all in all a pretty good day

 

[AudioDuck]

I went to listen to the Celestee today with the intention of potentially buying them because I ”need” some closed back phones.

They’re not bad and I think I sort of liked them. Then I made the mistake of listening to the Stellia. That was a stupid stupid idea. Unfortunately I don’t have the budget for those but I must say they were very impressive.

Oh, well. I think I have to do a bit more thinking but in a few hours I’m going to see Tool live so all in all a pretty good day

Enjoy the concert, and consider wearing good (tuned-frequency-blocking) ear plugs to preserve your hearing!

And yes, hearing the Stellia can be dangerous. It sets a high mark for tonal balance, clarity, and speed (for a dynamic headphone), combined with pretty good deep bass and refined mids/highs.

I will say that the ZMF Eikon is a pretty good proxy and can fulfill some of the same needs, at least with my setup, music, and ears… and it’s about half the price.

 

[Terriero]

Haha, sorry folks, life has taken a hold on me, and I've just been rather busy (and lazy) to get onto the forums.

How's everyone doing? Believe it or not, I miss the banter, so yeah, let's hope I don't get too lazy to click on "Head-Fi Forums" on my browser the next day.

On the topic of headphones... I have decided to skip the Stellia in favor of the Atrium Closed. It's an open secret (by now) that a closed version of ZMF"s newest flagship would be hot on the heels of its open-back sibling.

What about the rest of you guys?

Another one here with little spare time to visit the forum. But I try to visit it daily, although a short period of time.

I continue with the same headphones in my avatar and still thinking (like you know) in the Z1Rs and now also in the ES-R10... My experience with headphones has changed, with less time to enjoy them, these last months I'm using the same pair of headphones for an entire month, and then change to other pair. Last month were the 9200s, on april the 1990s Pros (right now on my head) and on june I plan to swap to the Z7s

 

[paradoxper]

Haha, sorry folks, life has taken a hold on me, and I've just been rather busy (and lazy) to get onto the forums.

How's everyone doing? Believe it or not, I miss the banter, so yeah, let's hope I don't get too lazy to click on "Head-Fi Forums" on my browser the next day.

On the topic of headphones... I have decided to skip the Stellia in favor of the Atrium Closed. It's an open secret (by now) that a closed version of ZMF"s newest flagship would be hot on the heels of its open-back sibling.

What about the rest of you guys?

Has the closed Atrium been confirmed for 2022 release? Diana Closed has slacked. ES-R10 has thunderous praise. But I don't feel any are good enough.

 

[Wes S]

Has the closed Atrium been confirmed for 2022 release? Diana Closed has slacked. ES-R10 has thunderous praise. But I don't feel any are good enough.

No date confirmation on the Atrium Closed yet, and I am eagerly awaiting that one.

 

[AudioDuck]

Haha, sorry folks, life has taken a hold on me, and I've just been rather busy (and lazy) to get onto the forums.

How's everyone doing? Believe it or not, I miss the banter, so yeah, let's hope I don't get too lazy to click on "Head-Fi Forums" on my browser the next day.

On the topic of headphones... I have decided to skip the Stellia in favor of the Atrium Closed. It's an open secret (by now) that a closed version of ZMF"s newest flagship would be hot on the heels of its open-back sibling.

What about the rest of you guys?

Somehow I missed this post in a stream of recent updates- the return of @Malevolent to The Dark Side!

My quick update in the closed-back world is the addition of ZMF Eikon LTD in bocote, which I love (and won’t shut up about).

It’s a great twin to my Auteur, and provides a less-resolving alternative to the Stellia. Very, very pleased with my “two ZMFs, two Focals” (open/closed from each company) approach/collection.

Then I use my Shures (1540s) as daily drivers, and sub in from the “high-end” others for “serious” music listening… sometimes with the incredible Sony WM1A.

Super happy camper now- only some matching top-notch cables remain to be bought over time, along with some vibration control tweaks for the amps/source gear.

 

[CJG888]

Another one here with little spare time to visit the forum. But I try to visit it daily, although a short period of time.

I continue with the same headphones in my avatar and still thinking (like you know) in the Z1Rs and now also in the ES-R10... My experience with headphones has changed, with less time to enjoy them, these last months I'm using the same pair of headphones for an entire month, and then change to other pair. Last month were the 9200s, on april the 1990s Pros (right now on my head) and on june I plan to swap to the Z7s

From 1990s to Z7s. That will be quite a shock!

 

[Terriero]

From 1990s to Z7s. That will be quite a shock!

I have the Z7s reserved to jazz genre. With the 1990 Pros I can enjoy all the genres I like/love.

 

[helloh3adfi]

Then I use my Shures (1540s) as daily drivers, and sub in from the “high-end” others for “serious” music listening… sometimes with the incredible Sony WM1A.

I was interested in those Shure 1540. Could you please measure the sizes inside the earpads? Are they 6 cm or more?