[Hitorijanae]

Hearing these at CanJam NYC made me a believer lmao I've got a VO in Burmese Padauk coming tomorrow and I'm already trying to make room in the budget for these when they drop lol

My poor, poor wallet

 

[fuhransahis]

A much more detailed writeup will be coming soon... but a month+ into owning the AC:

Setup:

• AC
  • Queensland Maple (super light, softer wood)
  • Lambskins
• AO:
  • Stock Cherry, Aged Copper
  • Auteur Pads
• ifi Zen Stream
• Holo Spring 1 Level 2
• Felix Euforia AE
  • Tungsol 5998 in the back
  • RCA Smoke Glass VT-231 in the front

Similar to prior comments, the AC and AO are definitely related. More like siblings than cousins - same family of sound, but still notably ZMF, still the same beautifully natural sound we love that makes the gear disappear and the music becomes the focus, but also still Atrium within that.

I think I'd describe the Atrium family sound as what to me sounds like the most live-performance-sounding of the ZMFs to me, where you are placed with the artists performing in venues, of different shapes and sizes depending on gear tweaks and just how the Atriums seem to take on the life of each respective track that plays through them. The live-venue feel is also due to their excellent base responses - I recall Zach saying in a video that one of the things that comes to mind with him developing a headphone that sounds "real" is one that, contrary to having the most or flat, neutral or balanced tuning, actually does have a bit of a bass boost, since music heard in live venues does tend to have much more of a bass presence than one might normally think (Zach if I misinterpreted please feel free to correct!). Growing up I had brothers and friends playing in bands and was at live performances a lot so I 100% agree and is why I find myself preferring a bit more bass than many others do, but also with a very healthy and present vocal performance and focus, with smooth, extended, never-fatiguing treble (keeping my amp and tube setup in mind - I know I've read others finding the AO treble hot at times but that's definitely tweakable - I found the Auteur OG and VC great but was a bit sensitive to their treble at times). That general vibe to me makes them very much sibling headphones despite their differences.

In short and in general, to me:

• AC:
  • FUN. If this doesn't get your toes tapping you're dead inside, sorry. The bass is thunderous and extended and just plain rocks without becoming, to me, too much. As mentioned above I'm not a basshead but I love bass - I think it's often underplayed in many cans and IEMs. Said bass comes with beautiful organic, not-forward-but-not-recessed vocals. Someone recently mentioned (I think it was eric?) that it's not that the vocals are recessed - it's that the bass is a bit elevated compared to what we may be used to, but I don't think it's exaggerated and it also is responsive to tracks, so it's not always there when it doesn't need to be at all. Treble is smooth and extended and will never fatigue you. Staging is excellent - perhaps a wee smaller than the VC, yet obviously a bit smaller than AO.
• AO:
  • Still a healthy, responsive and lively when called for midbass, subbass is also great but the AC takes the cake there. Vocals here are just immensely beautifuland the reverb is felt and heard a bit more - staging and overall feel of the notes just flows more easily and oozes beauty. Treble detail is felt a bit more yet again extended and unfatiguing.

My guilt-trip brain is used to me only owning one ZMF at a time, but... I just can't let either of these go. They hit all the right spots for me in all the right ways, and each in their own set of ways.

Amazing work as usual Zach, Bevin and ZMF (I'll update with better pics later).

 

[goldwerger]

They also weren't coming with the full kit, which is important if I eventually change my mind and flip them out.

You don’t have to worry about something like that. Zach would just ship to you the box and stuff later whenever it would be ready. This is one company where you never have to worry about this kind of stuff..

 

[TommehHiFi]

A much more detailed writeup will be coming soon... but a month+ into owning the AC:

Setup:

• AC
  • Queensland Maple (super light, softer wood)
  • Lambskins
• AO:
  • Stock Cherry, Aged Brass Grille
  • Auteur Pads
• ifi Zen Stream
• Holo Spring 1 Level 2
• Felix Euforia AE
  • Tungsol 5998 in the back
  • RCA Smoke Glass VT-231 in the front

Similar to prior comments, the AC and AO are definitely related. More like siblings than cousins - same family of sound, but still notably ZMF, still the same beautifully natural sound we love that makes the gear disappear and the music becomes the focus, but also still Atrium within that.

I think I'd describe the Atrium family sound as what to me sounds like the most live-performance-sounding of the ZMFs to me, where you are placed with the artists performing in venues, of different shapes and sizes depending on gear tweaks and just how the Atriums seem to take on the life of each respective track that plays through them. The live-venue feel is also due to their excellent base responses - I recall Zach saying in a video that one of the things that comes to mind with him developing a headphone that sounds "real" is one that, contrary to having the most or flat, neutral or balanced tuning, actually does have a bit of a bass boost, since music heard in live venues does tend to have much more of a bass presence than one might normally think (Zach if I misinterpreted please feel free to correct!). Growing up I had brothers and friends playing in bands and was at live performances a lot so I 100% agree and is why I find myself preferring a bit more bass than many others do, but also with a very healthy and present vocal performance and focus, with smooth, extended, never-fatiguing treble (keeping my amp and tube setup in mind - I know I've read others finding the AO treble hot at times but that's definitely tweakable - I found the Auteur OG and VC great but was a bit sensitive to their treble at times). That general vibe to me makes them very much sibling headphones despite their differences.

In short and in general, to me:

• AC:
  • FUN. If this doesn't get your toes tapping you're dead inside, sorry. The bass is thunderous and extended and just plain rocks without becoming, to me, too much. As mentioned above I'm not a basshead but I love bass - I think it's often underplayed in many cans and IEMs. Said bass comes with beautiful organic, not-forward-but-not-recessed vocals. Someone recently mentioned (I think it was eric?) that it's not that the vocals are recessed - it's that the bass is a bit elevated compared to what we may be used to, but I don't think it's exaggerated and it also is responsive to tracks, so it's not always there when it doesn't need to be at all. Treble is smooth and extended and will never fatigue you. Staging is excellent - perhaps a wee smaller than the VC, yet obviously a bit smaller than AO.
• AO:
  • Still a healthy, responsive and lively when called for midbass, subbass is also great but the AC takes the cake there. Vocals here are just immensely beautifuland the reverb is felt and heard a bit more - staging and overall feel of the notes just flows more easily and oozes beauty. Treble detail is felt a bit more yet again extended and unfatiguing.

My guilt-trip brain is used to me only owning one ZMF at a time, but... I just can't let either of these go. They hit all the right spots for me in all the right ways, and each in their own set of ways.

Amazing work as usual Zach, Bevin and ZMF (I'll update with better pics later).

Good lord that's a good looking setup. I look forward to the "better pics"

 

[rgs9200m]

Just FYI, my Atticus is Camphor. Thanks to everyone for the nice comments and thumbs-up.

 

[Chartreuse]

You don’t have to worry about something like that. Zach would just ship to you the box and stuff later whenever it would be ready. This is one company where you never have to worry about this kind of stuff..

Are you TRYING to make me feel worse?!

I just hope there are some interesting woods when they finally drop this month!

 

[goldwerger]

Are you TRYING to make me feel worse?!

I just hope there are some interesting woods when they finally drop this month!

Naaa... just making you feel comfortable for next time...

and yes! from my experience, zach comes up with new Ltd options every few months based no whatever he finds (or has stashed). If you want something special, just wait a bit and you are guarnateed to find something amazing!

 

[Wes S]

Naaa... just making you feel comfortable for next time...

and yes! from my experience, zach comes up with new Ltd options every few months based no whatever he finds (or has stashed). If you want something special, just wait a bit and you are guarnateed to find something amazing!

I totally agree with taking your time to find that special looking headphone. I actually like to wait and buy my ZMF's second hand, and that way I know exactly what I am getting. So far, I have been successful in finding a couple of pairs that I absolutely love the look of. Don't get me wrong buying them brand new from ZMF and being the OG owner with your name on the warranty card is really a cool experience, but I like knowing exactly what the headphone looks like before making the purchase and second hand is a great way to insure that you can find that special looking pair.

For instance, I picked up both of these ltd. sets second hand, and could not be happier.

Moral to the story, don't fret there will be many more amazing looking headphones and ltd. woods in the future.

One last thing, I have actually never seen a single ZMF (ltd. or stock), that I would not be happy with and they all look way better in person.

Got to love good wood!

 

[SLC1966]

The Atrium Closed Mid-Range.

“This is the beginning of forever” JM

Mids are really important to me and play an important role in the overall signature of an IEM or HP that I look forward to listening to. I cannot handle when too much is focused down low or up top. The Atrium Closed has the sub bass that is a star and the treble that draws you in. But how is the core of the AC?

I am hearing mid-range of the AC as not forward nor recessed. The mids are right where they need to be. That had to be hard to achieve with such good bass and treble. I do hear female voices a little bit forward compared to male voices. I hear a tiny bump in the upper mids compared to the lower mids. My guess is that is because of the treble being well balanced from upper and lower treble as compared to the bass that has a sub bass slant. This sub bass slant probably takes a little away from the lower mids. Just a guess from what I hear in my head.

Nothing is scooped out of the core nor raised to a level of easy fatigue. The AC has smooth mids that ask for your attention but do not demand it. I have been listening to trio jazz all morning with Sax being the main instrument (recent Charles Lloyd). I am extremely impressed with the amount of “realness” and “liveness” in the sax notes. The tonality is so good and with “feeling”.

As I mentioned before the resolution and clarity are still excellent despite the smoothness. It is not a warm smoothness but more of a detailed smoothness. Great combo in my opinion. The natural decay of the notes do not add much color at all. They add a lot to the enjoyment.

 

[geoffalter11]

I'm going to try not to post things every 5 minutes, but thought I'd pass on a tip that Zach gave me. Knowing I'm not a fan of suede pads, he suggested that I try a lower impedance tap on my Nautilus amp if I ever wanted the bass to be less bombastic.

I'd been listening to Led Zeppelin on the 100 ohm tap of the Nautilus, and I thought the sound benefitted from the crunchy guitars and extra bass. But switching genres to Taylor Swift's "Taylor's Version of Fearless", the bass was a bit distracting. Plugging the AC into the 32ohm tap brought the bass down and put her voice front and center.

I don't know how that works, but it's a great tip if you have an amp where you can adjust the impedance.

I've been waiting all week to get home and try this as I was using the High impedance setting with the AC on my Icon HP8. I put it to the low impedance and the bass tighten up considerably. Much faster and less bloomy through the lower mid band. Now it is balanced more to my preferences. I loved how it sounded before, but now it is right in my sweet spot.

Thank you for the tip. I can use the low impedance tap or the middle impedance tap and both provide plenty of gain and both tighten up the bass. The Low impedance tap is my preferred sound for the AC on my HP8. However, I love the AC on my CFA3 and the Corda Soul as well. Such a pain to have so many choices...

 

[geoffalter11]

So, I had a small epiphany tonight with the AC Cherry. I haven't heard a hard wood variant yet, so I can't test my theory until I do, but I am finding that I prefer bass players that play without a pick on the AC Cherry. Due to the longer decay, I can hear the trailing edge of the notes better than the leading edge which makes bass players who don't use a pick extremely wonderful on the AC Cherry. I can hear their fingers move across the strings and the notes trail off. Whereas, I would prefer a faster decay with a bass player using a pick so I can hear the leading edge better and the physicality of the pick hitting the string. Has anyone else noticed this? Especially those of you who have heard both a soft and hard wood AC...

Cheers on a beautiful Sunday night!

 

[Todamm]

Okay. I keep waiting for the AC!
But I haven't finished choosing the wood yet...
I'll probably buy it on release day through a Korean dealer... but Cherry and Olive don't appeal to me...
I'm waiting to see if more woods will open up on launch day that appeal to me...(Eboni or... something special?)

 

[msq123]

Koji (CMA) got his Atrium closed and Caldera delivered today. Check out his YouTube channel ConvinceMeAudio for these upcoming reviews.

 

[SLC1966]

“You’ve been painting it blue, and you’ve been looking through solid air”. JM

The Atrium Closed musical notes:

I like to describe notes as somewhere on the chocolate scale. For example the Verite closed to me is more about milk chocolate notes. A little thicker and a little longer decay. A smooth impactful taste. The notes of the AC are more in the dark chocolate range. They are more clear, and more fine less decay/reverb. Some HPs have thicker notes and the presentation is more about the big picture and then you have to look hard to figure out the different parts.
The AC has the fineness of dark chocolate. Each part is easier to decipher. Each flavor hits me first. Whether it be a hint of almond or caramel or a coffee flavor. But those distinct flavors can be put together if I want into the overall flavor of the dark chocolate. The trick of understanding dark chocolate is letting each flavor that hits the palate be experienced. It is about the individual parts first which make the whole of it a joy. The AC is like that with an added bonus of still being smooth. Each very distinct flavor goes into my being and combines into one as I want and when I want. The AC notes are like that. The individual to the whole vs. the whole to the individual. The Gestalt of the AC is really good: Gestalt as in “the human brain will attempt to simplify and organize complex images or designs that consist of many elements, by subconsciously arranging the parts into an organized system that creates a whole, rather than just a series of disparate elements.” I referenced Gestalt in a review I did of the Vision Ears EXT. That was about the whole first and then the parts second. The AC is about the individual parts that lead into a wonderful whole.

How the notes are presented and the signature of the AC is what creates this beautiful Gestalt.

 

[PaisleyUnderground]

I decided to try the suede pads again and I’m so glad that I didn’t give up on them. Rather than keep switching back and forth between pads, I decided to leave the suedes on the whole weekend, starting with the Olive AC. I also decided to use the same 100 ohm tap on my Nautilus that I normally use for my other ZMFs, because I wanted to hear what the headphones sounded like without compensating for anything. I also used my Burson Soloist 3XP (using Burson's 5A Supercharger power supply) to see how it sounded on a solid state amp.

I eased into this with some acoustic guitar music, which I'd also enjoyed with the lambskin pads, as I wondered what I would lose with the suede. Starting with Eric Clapton playing ‘Layla’ on his Unplugged album, I was happy to still feel the texture of the guitar strings. I also found Clapton’s voice was nice and strong, whereas with the lambskin pads, his voice was a little recessed, probably because the bass was overpowering the mids. Switching to another acoustic guitar track, The Sundays playing ‘Here's Where The Story Ends’, Harriet Wheeler’s voice was possibly even more forward than Clapton’s.

I then moved into the AC’s sweet spot (for me at least), atmospheric guitar music with tons of reverb, starting with Mojave 3’s ‘Love Songs On The Radio’, Mazzy Star’s ‘Fade Into You’, Chris Isaak’s ‘Wicked Game’, Cowboy Junkies’ ‘Blue Moon Revisited (Song For Elvis)’ and Lana Del Rey’s ‘Video Games’, finishing that session with something a little harder hitting, My Morning Jacket’s ‘Mahgeetah’. Absolutely sublime.

From there, I wanted to leave the hazy realm of reverb-drenched music and try something tighter. From Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition’ to James Brown’s ‘Say It Loud - I'm Black And I'm Proud’ to Spoon’s ‘I Turn My Camera On’, all three songs had my foot tapping to the rhythm.

Onto some songs with some of my favorite bass lines, Talking Heads’ ‘Psycho Killer’, Rage Against The Machine’s ‘Bullet In The Head’ and The Breeders’ Cannonball, and although the suede pads have less overall bass than the lambskins, I was much more impressed with the texture of the bass strings that I was now hearing.

And taking @geoffalter11's advice to try bass played without a pick, I tried Tom Waits’ ‘Step Right Up’, where you can literally feel the strings of the upright bass quivering.

Switching to Selena Gomez’s ‘Lose You To Love Me’ and Alison Krauss’ ‘Down To The River To Pray’ proved that the AC can focus on female vocals, and Johnny Cash’s rich baritone also shone in his duet with Joe Strummer, ‘Redemption Song’.

I used the 30 second drum solo at the start Van Halen’s ‘Hot For Teacher’ to see if the AC was going to sound slow, but it kept it’s rhythm, with clear separation between each drum beat. And as Eddie’s guitar burst in, I could see that the AC isn’t just great at acoustic guitar, but also shines with metal guitar histrionics. Another torture test with Helloween’s ‘Halloween’ and Metallica’s ‘Creeping Death’ proved that it can easily handle metal.

As expected, the AC also excels with electronic music. I was concerned that losing the extra bass of the lambskin pads would be detrimental, but I soon realized that I was only losing volume, not depth, and the tighter bass actually gave electronic music a great foundation. Jean Michel Jarre’s ‘Equinoxe, Part 5’ sounded expansive, with the keyboard melody propelling you along. It passed every reviewer’s favorite sub-bass test, Trentemøller’s ‘Chameleon’, followed by the dubstep bass wobbles of Skrillex’s ‘Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites’ and the screaming vocals over a wall of melodic electronic sound in Crystal Castle’s ‘Baptism’.

I was so impressed with the Olive/suede combination that I wondered if the Cherry would sound as good with the suede pads, so I played through all the above music again, and didn’t care that I was hearing the same songs again, because I was enjoying the experience so much. The difference between the 2 woods was still there, but to a much lesser extent than with the lambskin pads. The Cherry added a little more reverb, a tiny bit more warmth, but otherwise, I would have been happy listening to music with either headphone.