TheMiddleSky
Headphoneus Supremus
Soo excited about this! The most beautiful grill from ZMF indeed!
ZMF Atrium - new open-back co-flagship
- Thread starter DeweyCH
- Start date
skhan007
1000+ Head-Fier
Curious if this will be considered a step up from the Verite or be a co-TOTL?
They're my choice too on the Aeolus, VO and VC.
I only use suede pads and need much more time with them on the Atrium, but so far I seem to like suede BE2 best (something wonderful in the bass that's gone with the other suede pads), then Auteur, but I'll go back to Universe and Eikon suedes later in the week. Initially I liked the Auteur best. Really none of them were bad, and it felt somewhat like splitting hairs and on all the other ZMFs I've had more clear preferences and some have sounded bad to me. Stock will be lambskin Universe, so maybe whatever difference there usually is for Universe leather vs. suede will be true on these, though Zach mentioned elsewhere that the pads seem to be different on the Atrium, as far as where they go on their chart from warmest to brightest. Since the BE2 suede to my ears on the VO, VC, Auteur, Aeolus have seemed to increase the detail, they might be the go to for those wanting the most detail out of the Atrium, given it's not quite as detailed as the Verites (though still very detailed).
If I didn't blow my budget on a ticket to Chicago for the CanJam, I might have been able to afford this new headphone. It was a day earlier when I reserved my ticket and hotel hahaha
But... that's life. I have enough stuff to entertain my ears. I am looking forward to seeing people. Buuuut... ouch.
But... that's life. I have enough stuff to entertain my ears. I am looking forward to seeing people. Buuuut... ouch.
johnccl196
New Head-Fier
I really shouldn't get a new headphone unless I sell one of my existing ones but man, the aged copper and cherry combo is eye catching... !
Here are my brief impressions of the Atrium in bubinga.
Full disclosure, I own this headphone, not a review unit. I was fortunate to have an earlier prototype of the Atrium on hand while I was designing and building an amplifier for Zach last year, very happy to report the final iteration is even better than that prototype, and it was no slouch! I tend to stick to the stock pads with ZMFs as I feel the headphone was voiced with them in mind, so these impressions were done with the Universe pads.
In terms of my system, it is somewhat unusual. The DAC I am running is the Audial S5, a NOS R2R design using the Philips TDA1541A chip. I design and build my own amplifiers, right now I am pairing the Atrium with an OTL designed around 6336 and 6528 power tubes, one of my better designs if I do say so myself.
Tone and Timbre:
Zach has described the Atrium as “ZMF neutral”, and I find that to be true. For me it is very well-balanced across the frequency spectrum, at least to my preferences, which often include a slightly rolled off upper register. The bass has excellent body and “girth”, quite detailed, slams well when called for, and doesn’t bleed into the lower midrange. Like other ZMFs, the mids are silky smooth, just the right amount of presence for me, not in-your-face, never strident, they do justice to anything from the human voice to grungy guitars riffs, to the finger plucking of an acoustic instrument, to the vibrato of a violin, it’s all very pleasing. The highs are airy, detailed, but not overly accentuated, no stridency or piercing to be heard, they blend well with the upper midrange and augment the airiness of the Atrium. Perhaps they do roll off slightly on the top end, but as I said, this is just right for my listening. In terms of timbre, it is similar to other biocellulose ZMFs, smooth and euphonic, endlessly musical and organic, nothing artificial about it.
Soundstage and Imaging:
Much has already been said on the staging of the Atrium, but I believe it is truly one of its biggest strengths. In my system, the soundstage is vast, it has excellent depth, width, and height, living up to the headphones name; it truly feels like your head is inside a cavernous acoustically treated room. Likewise, I have found the Atrium to image extremely well, with a well-defined center image and superb horizontal and vertical localization of instruments / sounds / effects. The 3D-ism and holography is extremely pleasing and benefits every recording I have listened to, but is especially satisfying with high-quality jazz and classical recordings.
Music Pairing:
Everything. To me this is the perfect “all-rounder” headphone. I've listened to thrash metal, jazz, chamber music, industrial techno, synth-pop, outlaw country, progressive rock, hip hop, new wave, orchestral classical, downtempo, new age, and more. There isn’t one genre that I’ve felt this headphone couldn’t render well. They have the low end heft and dynamics to handle bass-centric genres, the air, imaging, and staging for acoustic and instrumental genres, the silky midrange to extract the nuances of the human voice, the culmination of these qualities results in a very balanced and satisfying listen across the board.
Comparison to Vérité Closed:
My other ZMF is the VC, a knockout headphone in its own right, I use it with its stock pads as well, the Auteur solid. By comparison, the VC is certainly a warmer listen with a perceptibly more rolled-off top end, incredible low end slam, lightning quick and crisp transients and extremely detailed. I find the Atrium to have excellent detail retrieval as well, perhaps it isn’t as razor precise as the VC, but that is also part of its charm and lends itself well to an organic presentation of the music. Not surprisingly, the Atrium bests the VC in the soundstage department and helps accentuate the air and instrument separation of well-recorded music. With both headphones on hand, I like using the VC for things like techno, trance, hip hop given its warm-leaning tone, transient attack, and bass prowess. They are two different flavors in my opinion, and the Atrium certainly deserves its placement as a co-TOTL headphone with the likes of the VC. Together, I think these two headphone complement each other well, with the VC more of a specialist when paired with the Atrium as an all-rounder.
Overall, the Atrium is a killer headphone, a satisfying dynamic to pair with my tubes
it does so many things right I can’t see how it will be anything but a success, I just love it. Looking forward to the community at large having a listen to these stunners, Zach has done it again.
Full disclosure, I own this headphone, not a review unit. I was fortunate to have an earlier prototype of the Atrium on hand while I was designing and building an amplifier for Zach last year, very happy to report the final iteration is even better than that prototype, and it was no slouch! I tend to stick to the stock pads with ZMFs as I feel the headphone was voiced with them in mind, so these impressions were done with the Universe pads.
In terms of my system, it is somewhat unusual. The DAC I am running is the Audial S5, a NOS R2R design using the Philips TDA1541A chip. I design and build my own amplifiers, right now I am pairing the Atrium with an OTL designed around 6336 and 6528 power tubes, one of my better designs if I do say so myself.
Tone and Timbre:
Zach has described the Atrium as “ZMF neutral”, and I find that to be true. For me it is very well-balanced across the frequency spectrum, at least to my preferences, which often include a slightly rolled off upper register. The bass has excellent body and “girth”, quite detailed, slams well when called for, and doesn’t bleed into the lower midrange. Like other ZMFs, the mids are silky smooth, just the right amount of presence for me, not in-your-face, never strident, they do justice to anything from the human voice to grungy guitars riffs, to the finger plucking of an acoustic instrument, to the vibrato of a violin, it’s all very pleasing. The highs are airy, detailed, but not overly accentuated, no stridency or piercing to be heard, they blend well with the upper midrange and augment the airiness of the Atrium. Perhaps they do roll off slightly on the top end, but as I said, this is just right for my listening. In terms of timbre, it is similar to other biocellulose ZMFs, smooth and euphonic, endlessly musical and organic, nothing artificial about it.
Soundstage and Imaging:
Much has already been said on the staging of the Atrium, but I believe it is truly one of its biggest strengths. In my system, the soundstage is vast, it has excellent depth, width, and height, living up to the headphones name; it truly feels like your head is inside a cavernous acoustically treated room. Likewise, I have found the Atrium to image extremely well, with a well-defined center image and superb horizontal and vertical localization of instruments / sounds / effects. The 3D-ism and holography is extremely pleasing and benefits every recording I have listened to, but is especially satisfying with high-quality jazz and classical recordings.
Music Pairing:
Everything. To me this is the perfect “all-rounder” headphone. I've listened to thrash metal, jazz, chamber music, industrial techno, synth-pop, outlaw country, progressive rock, hip hop, new wave, orchestral classical, downtempo, new age, and more. There isn’t one genre that I’ve felt this headphone couldn’t render well. They have the low end heft and dynamics to handle bass-centric genres, the air, imaging, and staging for acoustic and instrumental genres, the silky midrange to extract the nuances of the human voice, the culmination of these qualities results in a very balanced and satisfying listen across the board.
Comparison to Vérité Closed:
My other ZMF is the VC, a knockout headphone in its own right, I use it with its stock pads as well, the Auteur solid. By comparison, the VC is certainly a warmer listen with a perceptibly more rolled-off top end, incredible low end slam, lightning quick and crisp transients and extremely detailed. I find the Atrium to have excellent detail retrieval as well, perhaps it isn’t as razor precise as the VC, but that is also part of its charm and lends itself well to an organic presentation of the music. Not surprisingly, the Atrium bests the VC in the soundstage department and helps accentuate the air and instrument separation of well-recorded music. With both headphones on hand, I like using the VC for things like techno, trance, hip hop given its warm-leaning tone, transient attack, and bass prowess. They are two different flavors in my opinion, and the Atrium certainly deserves its placement as a co-TOTL headphone with the likes of the VC. Together, I think these two headphone complement each other well, with the VC more of a specialist when paired with the Atrium as an all-rounder.
Overall, the Atrium is a killer headphone, a satisfying dynamic to pair with my tubes
it does so many things right I can’t see how it will be anything but a success, I just love it. Looking forward to the community at large having a listen to these stunners, Zach has done it again.
Last edited:
whirlwind
Headphoneus Supremus
Here is my very modest review of the Atrium. I can have a hard time putting what I hear into words, so I really hope that this is somewhat understanding
Atrium
https://www.zmfheadphones.com/atrium
https://www.zmfheadphones.com/atrium-patent
Gear Used:
GOTL / Chatham 6AS7G / GEC L63 Tubes
GEL3N SET Amp/ Mullard EL34 xf2 / Visseaux EL3N / Mullard 53 KU Tubes
GS-X mk2 Amp
Holo Spring L3 Dac
Atrium Stock Cable & Norne Draug 3 S/C Cable
16/44 Flac
Atrium with stock universe pads.... will leave the pad rolling to others.
Listening to mostly blues/blues rock/classic rock. Examples: SRV, Joe Bonamassa, Peter Green, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, etc.
As soon as I opened the case on this demo set, I got that nice feeling that you always get when you see new gear. Then I savored everything about them, the smell, the beauty, the fantastic feel of them being in your hands. The aged cherry cups paired with the aged copper grills and rods look very classy. These headphones look as good as they sound, which has been the case for all ZMF headphones that I have owned. You feel the love that went into producing them. I like having something that was produced with someone's hands and hard work, it really does shine through in the final product.
Aesthetics is a big part of the equation with headphones for me. I want them to wow me with their looks as well as their sound, then you have the whole package so to speak. There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting pleasure through beauty. Like Deion Sanders once said, “If you look good, you feel good; if you feel good, you play good, if you play good, they pay good.” The Atrium looks, feels and plays good!
Sound
This is a very open sounding headphone and the sound extends greatly in every direction.
The overall ZMF house sound is here. For me, that is bass with an impact, and treble that is never over the top and getting to the point of being overly bright. One thing that has become very important for me when listening to music is that it has to have some weight to it and the Atrium delivers that in spades with some nice meat on its bones. This is a full sound all across the spectrum.
Bass
At first, I was so taken by the mids, they just really seemed to steal the show. I did not realize how good the bass was until listening for a while. Make no mistake the Atrium digs deep and is very enjoyable.
The mid bass just blends in nicely and is like creamy milk chocolate and never seems to intrude with any vocals and not overdone. I’m not sure how the bass can sound this good and does not intrude on the mids … this is one of the Atrium’s strong points for sure. It is truly remarkable and really stands out the more you listen. This must have to do with Zach's special sauce and the new damping. I’m not sure, but it’s very nice indeed. After extended listening, I would say that this is about the best textured bass that I’ve heard. More about this later when I talk about the staging as I feel it has a lot to do with how I hear the bass.
The Atrium does not leave me wanting more bass, not in quantity or quality. It is presented well.
Mid-Range
The mids were the first thing that stood out, in a very big way. They just seemed to grab and mesmerized me.
The mids are very upfront and can steal the show if you let them because they are so clean and clear, just phenomenal. Acoustic music is fantastic. For example, Eric Clapton's, The Lady in the Balcony Album and Joe Bonamassa's, An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House never sounded better. The finger plucks on the acoustic instruments and the vocals are so well balanced. This detail is totally off the hook while still sounding warm, which very much suits my taste. A strong point of the Atrium for me personally.
There have been very few occasions that I felt the mids were a bit too far forward, but the recordings probably have as much to do with that as anything. I listen to a lot of Live albums and many are recorded at small venues. For instance Gary Moore's album. Live in London, is recorded in a very small club and on the song Parisienne Walkways at the 2:45 - 3:05 mark I wanted to be in the fourth or fifth row and not the first row. This being said, I have aways had moments like this with all of my headphones. The music lives in the mid’s and if you are a mid’s person, then I feel the Atrium would be for you. The bass never seems to be intruding the mid’s. Overall, the Atrium delivers some beautiful sounding mids. More about the mids when I talk about the staging.
Highs – Treble
At first, I felt the highs were a little more than what I prefer, but after listening for a good amount of time they settled in nicely. For the most part, I am not as interested in the highs as I am in the lows.
I just don't like them to be overly bright and fatiguing. I am a warmer type of listener; I want as much detail as I can get without the headphone sounding too bright. I usually, give up some detail for a more warm and musical sound. I will call the highs on the Atrium warm sounding; they extend and then gradually decay and fade away in such a satisfying way.
Staging & Imaging
This is where Zach's special sauce, the damping and the position of the drivers do something pretty remarkable. I hear a little bit of reverb; I think this is from a combination of the wood cups and Zach’s special sauce that I find so enjoyable. At some point in one's headphone journey, our ears will hear something that tells our brain, wow...this is something special. For me, once I heard the Verite Closed and the LCD-4, I realized that this sound was completely on another level from what I was used to.
The 3d sounds that go flying around your head make for some great music listening, it is a very intimate experience with headphones. The Atrium does this sooooooooo good. Such a joy to listen to, so very satisfying.
The staging on the Atrium is really, really good. On my live music I can close my eyes and clearly visualize where every musician and their instrument are located on the stage, and the imaging is to die for.
Hats off to ZMF for this, it is so very much enjoyable.
Within the staging, the mids give me the feeling that they are trying to reach for the moon in their extension, making the stage feel tall.
The depth of the stage is excellent and to my ears the bass really benefits from this as it makes for a very textured sounding bass.
The width does not seem all that wide but the way that the sound seems to continue on before fading and decaying away is very cool and gives the impression of a fairly
wide stage. I guess this means it is a fairly wide stage.
Timbre
All ZMF headphones that I have heard have a very nice timbre and it is one thing that draws me to their sound. The Atrium is no exception.
Atrium has excellent timbre. It’s easy to distinguish between instruments no matter how many there are, or how loud or low they are being played. The sound is not muddy, it is very clean. The sound is very natural and it makes you get lost in the music.
Ear-Pads
I am going to leave the ear pad impressions to others. Between rolling tubes, and amps I don’t feel the need to roll pads also. It can get pretty overwhelming at times with so many options. I am going to use the KISS approach here. Whatever pads Zach puts on the headphone, as the stock pads, has always been the way that I have listened and really have never felt the urge to change them.
In Conclusion
From the aesthetics to the lovely sound, the Atrium is a wonderful addition to the ZMF line up. As always, the attention to detail is easily seen and the build quality is top notch. Add in the excellent warranty on the drivers, and the family like feeling when dealing with ZMF, you have a winner. I have always been a huge fan of the ZMF house sound and it is on full display here. I quite like the reverb sound I hear in the cups, it is subtle, yet very gratifying. If you are a person that loves mid’s and you like the mid’s pushed a bit forward, I am pretty certain you will like what the Atrium has to offer.
The new headband pad is really comfortable. I never felt my VC to be uncomfortable at all, but this is more comfortable.
I always seem to prefer tubes when listening to ZMF headphones. The sound may get colored a bit, if you will, but it gives the sound character and it always sounds more analog to my ears.
I wish I did not have such a narrow genre of listening, but what I do listen to sounds pretty spectacular.
I seemed to prefer my OTL the most. I really like the euphoric sound. My 2nd favorite would be the SET amp. Bigger sound overall, everything a little more expanded over the OTL. The SET is still euphoric, just not to the level of the OTL.
My SS amp is the GS-X mk2 and it sounds great with the Atrium, it’s just not the sound that I prefer. It sounds very good, and could be the most neutral sound of my amps. It produces detail very well but it lacks in the euphoric aspect and I prefer the bass the tubes deliver.
Thank you to ZMF for the opportunity to listen to the Atrium. The pleasure has been all mine.
PS, I am sorry for not being a more professional reviewer, sometimes my grammar and writing skills are what I would call, very lacking and I’m not very eloquent with words.
It can be difficult for me to put in words everything that I hear.
Atrium
https://www.zmfheadphones.com/atrium
https://www.zmfheadphones.com/atrium-patent
Gear Used:
GOTL / Chatham 6AS7G / GEC L63 Tubes
GEL3N SET Amp/ Mullard EL34 xf2 / Visseaux EL3N / Mullard 53 KU Tubes
GS-X mk2 Amp
Holo Spring L3 Dac
Atrium Stock Cable & Norne Draug 3 S/C Cable
16/44 Flac
Atrium with stock universe pads.... will leave the pad rolling to others.
Listening to mostly blues/blues rock/classic rock. Examples: SRV, Joe Bonamassa, Peter Green, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, etc.
As soon as I opened the case on this demo set, I got that nice feeling that you always get when you see new gear. Then I savored everything about them, the smell, the beauty, the fantastic feel of them being in your hands. The aged cherry cups paired with the aged copper grills and rods look very classy. These headphones look as good as they sound, which has been the case for all ZMF headphones that I have owned. You feel the love that went into producing them. I like having something that was produced with someone's hands and hard work, it really does shine through in the final product.
Aesthetics is a big part of the equation with headphones for me. I want them to wow me with their looks as well as their sound, then you have the whole package so to speak. There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting pleasure through beauty. Like Deion Sanders once said, “If you look good, you feel good; if you feel good, you play good, if you play good, they pay good.” The Atrium looks, feels and plays good!
Sound
This is a very open sounding headphone and the sound extends greatly in every direction.
The overall ZMF house sound is here. For me, that is bass with an impact, and treble that is never over the top and getting to the point of being overly bright. One thing that has become very important for me when listening to music is that it has to have some weight to it and the Atrium delivers that in spades with some nice meat on its bones. This is a full sound all across the spectrum.
Bass
At first, I was so taken by the mids, they just really seemed to steal the show. I did not realize how good the bass was until listening for a while. Make no mistake the Atrium digs deep and is very enjoyable.
The mid bass just blends in nicely and is like creamy milk chocolate and never seems to intrude with any vocals and not overdone. I’m not sure how the bass can sound this good and does not intrude on the mids … this is one of the Atrium’s strong points for sure. It is truly remarkable and really stands out the more you listen. This must have to do with Zach's special sauce and the new damping. I’m not sure, but it’s very nice indeed. After extended listening, I would say that this is about the best textured bass that I’ve heard. More about this later when I talk about the staging as I feel it has a lot to do with how I hear the bass.
The Atrium does not leave me wanting more bass, not in quantity or quality. It is presented well.
Mid-Range
The mids were the first thing that stood out, in a very big way. They just seemed to grab and mesmerized me.
The mids are very upfront and can steal the show if you let them because they are so clean and clear, just phenomenal. Acoustic music is fantastic. For example, Eric Clapton's, The Lady in the Balcony Album and Joe Bonamassa's, An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House never sounded better. The finger plucks on the acoustic instruments and the vocals are so well balanced. This detail is totally off the hook while still sounding warm, which very much suits my taste. A strong point of the Atrium for me personally.
There have been very few occasions that I felt the mids were a bit too far forward, but the recordings probably have as much to do with that as anything. I listen to a lot of Live albums and many are recorded at small venues. For instance Gary Moore's album. Live in London, is recorded in a very small club and on the song Parisienne Walkways at the 2:45 - 3:05 mark I wanted to be in the fourth or fifth row and not the first row. This being said, I have aways had moments like this with all of my headphones. The music lives in the mid’s and if you are a mid’s person, then I feel the Atrium would be for you. The bass never seems to be intruding the mid’s. Overall, the Atrium delivers some beautiful sounding mids. More about the mids when I talk about the staging.
Highs – Treble
At first, I felt the highs were a little more than what I prefer, but after listening for a good amount of time they settled in nicely. For the most part, I am not as interested in the highs as I am in the lows.
I just don't like them to be overly bright and fatiguing. I am a warmer type of listener; I want as much detail as I can get without the headphone sounding too bright. I usually, give up some detail for a more warm and musical sound. I will call the highs on the Atrium warm sounding; they extend and then gradually decay and fade away in such a satisfying way.
Staging & Imaging
This is where Zach's special sauce, the damping and the position of the drivers do something pretty remarkable. I hear a little bit of reverb; I think this is from a combination of the wood cups and Zach’s special sauce that I find so enjoyable. At some point in one's headphone journey, our ears will hear something that tells our brain, wow...this is something special. For me, once I heard the Verite Closed and the LCD-4, I realized that this sound was completely on another level from what I was used to.
The 3d sounds that go flying around your head make for some great music listening, it is a very intimate experience with headphones. The Atrium does this sooooooooo good. Such a joy to listen to, so very satisfying.
The staging on the Atrium is really, really good. On my live music I can close my eyes and clearly visualize where every musician and their instrument are located on the stage, and the imaging is to die for.
Hats off to ZMF for this, it is so very much enjoyable.
Within the staging, the mids give me the feeling that they are trying to reach for the moon in their extension, making the stage feel tall.
The depth of the stage is excellent and to my ears the bass really benefits from this as it makes for a very textured sounding bass.
The width does not seem all that wide but the way that the sound seems to continue on before fading and decaying away is very cool and gives the impression of a fairly
wide stage. I guess this means it is a fairly wide stage.
Timbre
All ZMF headphones that I have heard have a very nice timbre and it is one thing that draws me to their sound. The Atrium is no exception.
Atrium has excellent timbre. It’s easy to distinguish between instruments no matter how many there are, or how loud or low they are being played. The sound is not muddy, it is very clean. The sound is very natural and it makes you get lost in the music.
Ear-Pads
I am going to leave the ear pad impressions to others. Between rolling tubes, and amps I don’t feel the need to roll pads also. It can get pretty overwhelming at times with so many options. I am going to use the KISS approach here. Whatever pads Zach puts on the headphone, as the stock pads, has always been the way that I have listened and really have never felt the urge to change them.
In Conclusion
From the aesthetics to the lovely sound, the Atrium is a wonderful addition to the ZMF line up. As always, the attention to detail is easily seen and the build quality is top notch. Add in the excellent warranty on the drivers, and the family like feeling when dealing with ZMF, you have a winner. I have always been a huge fan of the ZMF house sound and it is on full display here. I quite like the reverb sound I hear in the cups, it is subtle, yet very gratifying. If you are a person that loves mid’s and you like the mid’s pushed a bit forward, I am pretty certain you will like what the Atrium has to offer.
The new headband pad is really comfortable. I never felt my VC to be uncomfortable at all, but this is more comfortable.
I always seem to prefer tubes when listening to ZMF headphones. The sound may get colored a bit, if you will, but it gives the sound character and it always sounds more analog to my ears.
I wish I did not have such a narrow genre of listening, but what I do listen to sounds pretty spectacular.
I seemed to prefer my OTL the most. I really like the euphoric sound. My 2nd favorite would be the SET amp. Bigger sound overall, everything a little more expanded over the OTL. The SET is still euphoric, just not to the level of the OTL.
My SS amp is the GS-X mk2 and it sounds great with the Atrium, it’s just not the sound that I prefer. It sounds very good, and could be the most neutral sound of my amps. It produces detail very well but it lacks in the euphoric aspect and I prefer the bass the tubes deliver.
Thank you to ZMF for the opportunity to listen to the Atrium. The pleasure has been all mine.
PS, I am sorry for not being a more professional reviewer, sometimes my grammar and writing skills are what I would call, very lacking and I’m not very eloquent with words.
It can be difficult for me to put in words everything that I hear.
Last edited:
Great reviews dropping today in this thread. Thanks!
One question/observation comes to mind based on what I've read. You say that you usually are willing to "give up some detail for a more warm and musical sound". Yet the Verite, from what I have been reading in these reviews, is both warmer and more detailed than the Atrium. Sort of like doing the impossible, or at least in relation to the Atrium. Does this mean that for those of us preferring this profile (warm, yet detailed), the Verite remains the best option, whereas the Atrium is to be preferred only in terms of soundstage (which is not bad at all on the Verite, is it)?
Thanks.
whirlwind
Headphoneus Supremus
The VC is a warmer headphone than the Atrium to my ears, but the Atrium is still a warm headphone. Neither headphone is bright so it is just a matter of what sound you like better.
If the Atrium would have a brighter treble than I would prefer, them I would most definitely go for the VC.
For instance the HD 800 had wonderful detail to my ears, but it also sounded bright to me in the treble.
I ended up selling the HD 800 and grabbing a headphone that maybe lacked a little in detail, but was not bright and fatiguing to my ears.
I like a warm sound, and I found that I can turn the sound up a bit with a warmer sounding headphone also.
I like the most detail that I can get without going over that threshold in the treble area.
Hope this makes sense, if not let me know and I will try to explain it again.
The Verite is a warmer sound, the detail is pretty close IMO.
Last edited:
Some fun pictures I took while doing my video comparison of the Atrium and Aeolus =)
A who's who of guitar gods, just need Hendrix, Wylde and W. Haynes for the complete set
jonathan c
Headphoneus Supremus
Well done!Here is my very modest review of the Atrium. I can have a hard time putting what I hear into words, so I really hope that this is somewhat understanding
Atrium
https://www.zmfheadphones.com/atrium
https://www.zmfheadphones.com/atrium-patent
Gear Used:
GOTL / Charham 6AS7G / GEC L63 Tubes
GEL3N SET Amp/ Mullard EL34 xf2 / Visseaux EL3N / Mullard 53 KU Tubes
GS-X mk2 Amp
Holo Spring L3 Dac
Atrium Stock Cable & Norne Draug 3 S/C Cable
16/44 Flac
Atrium with stock universe pads.... will leave the pad rolling to others.
Listening to mostly blues/blues rock/classic rock. Examples: SRV, Joe Bonamassa, Peter Green, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, etc.
As soon as I opened the case on this demo set, I got that nice feeling that you always get when you see new gear. Then I savored everything about them, the smell, the beauty, the fantastic feel of them being in your hands. The aged cherry cups paired with the aged copper grills and rods look very classy. These headphones look as good as they sound, which has been the case for all ZMF headphones that I have owned. You feel the love that went into producing them. I like having something that was produced with someone's hands and hard work, it really does shine through in the final product.
Aesthetics is a big part of the equation with headphones for me. I want them to wow me with their looks as well as their sound, then you have the whole package so to speak. There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting pleasure through beauty. Like Deion Sanders once said, “If you look good, you feel good; if you feel good, you play good, if you play good, they pay good.” The Atrium looks, feels and plays good!
Sound
This is a very open sounding headphone and the sound extends greatly in every direction.
The overall ZMF house sound is here. For me, that is bass with an impact, and treble that is never over the top and getting to the point of being overly bright. One thing that has become very important for me when listening to music is that it has to have some weight to it and the Atrium delivers that in spades with some nice meat on its bones. This is a full sound all across the spectrum.
Bass
At first, I was so taken by the mids, they just really seemed to steal the show. I did not realize how good the bass was until listening for a while. Make no mistake the Atrium digs deep and is very enjoyable.
The mid bass just blends in nicely and is like creamy milk chocolate and never seems to intrude with any vocals and not overdone. I’m not sure how the bass can sound this good and does not intrude on the mids … this is one of the Atrium’s strong points for sure. It is truly remarkable and really stands out the more you listen. This must have to do with Zach's special sauce and the new damping. I’m not sure, but it’s very nice indeed. After extended listening, I would say that this is about the best textured bass that I’ve heard. More about this later when I talk about the staging as I feel it has a lot to do with how I hear the bass.
The Atrium does not leave me wanting more bass, not in quantity or quality. It is presented well.
Mid-Range
The mids were the first thing that stood out, in a very big way. They just seemed to grab and mesmerized me.
The mids are very upfront and can steal the show if you let them because they are so clean and clear, just phenomenal. Acoustic music is fantastic. For example, Eric Clapton's, The Lady in the Balcony Album and Joe Bonamassa's, An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House never sounded better. The finger plucks on the acoustic instruments and the vocals are so well balanced. This detail is totally off the hook while still sounding warm, which very much suits my taste. A strong point of the Atrium for me personally.
There have been very few occasions that I felt the mids were a bit too far forward, but the recordings probably have as much to do with that as anything. I listen to a lot of Live albums and many are recorded at small venues. For instance Gary Moore's album. Live in London, is recorded in a very small club and on the song Parisienne Walkways at the 2:45 - 3:05 mark I wanted to be in the fourth or fifth row and not the first row. This being said, I have aways had moments like this with all of my headphones. The music lives in the mid’s and if you are a mid’s person, then I feel the Atrium would be for you. The bass never seems to be intruding the mid’s. Overall, the Atrium delivers some beautiful sounding mids. More about the mids when I talk about the staging.
Highs – Treble
At first, I felt the highs were a little more than what I prefer, but after listening for a good amount of time they settled in nicely. For the most part, I am not as interested in the highs as I am in the lows.
I just don't like them to be overly bright and fatiguing. I am a warmer type of listener; I want as much detail as I can get without the headphone sounding too bright. I usually, give up some detail for a more warm and musical sound. I will call the highs on the Atrium warm sounding; they extend and then gradually decay and fade away in such a satisfying way.
Staging & Imaging
This is where Zach's special sauce, the damping and the position of the drivers do something pretty remarkable. I hear a little bit of reverb; I think this is from a combination of the wood cups and Zach’s special sauce that I find so enjoyable. At some point in one's headphone journey, our ears will hear something that tells our brain, wow...this is something special. For me, once I heard the Verite Closed and the LCD-4, I realized that this sound was completely on another level from what I was used to.
The 3d sounds that go flying around your head make for some great music listening, it is a very intimate experience with headphones. The Atrium does this sooooooooo good. Such a joy to listen to, so very satisfying.
The staging on the Atrium is really, really good. On my live music I can close my eyes and clearly visualize where every musician and their instrument are located on the stage, and the imaging is to die for.
Hats off to ZMF for this, it is so very much enjoyable.
Within the staging, the mids give me the feeling that they are trying to reach for the moon in their extension, making the stage feel tall.
The depth of the stage is excellent and to my ears the bass really benefits from this as it makes for a very textured sounding bass.
The width does not seem all that wide but the way that the sound seems to continue on before fading and decaying away is very cool and gives the impression of a fairly
wide stage. I guess this means it is a fairly wide stage.
Timbre
All ZMF headphones that I have heard have a very nice timbre and it is one thing that draws me to their sound. The Atrium is no exception.
Atrium has excellent timbre. It’s easy to distinguish between instruments no matter how many there are, or how loud or low they are being played. The sound is not muddy, it is very clean. The sound is very natural and it makes you get lost in the music.
Ear-Pads
I am going to leave the ear pad impressions to others. Between rolling tubes, and amps I don’t feel the need to roll pads also. It can get pretty overwhelming at times with so many options. I am going to use the KISS approach here. Whatever pads Zach puts on the headphone, as the stock pads, has always been the way that I have listened and really have never felt the urge to change them.
In Conclusion
From the aesthetics to the lovely sound, the Atrium is a wonderful addition to the ZMF line up. As always, the attention to detail is easily seen and the build quality is top notch. Add in the excellent warranty on the drivers, and the family like feeling when dealing with ZMF, you have a winner. I have always been a huge fan of the ZMF house sound and it is on full display here. I quite like the reverb sound I hear in the cups, it is subtle, yet very gratifying. If you are a person that loves mid’s and you like the mid’s pushed a bit forward, I am pretty certain you will like what the Atrium has to offer.
The new headband pad is really comfortable. I never felt my VC to be uncomfortable at all, but this is more comfortable.
I always seem to prefer tubes when listening to ZMF headphones. The sound may get colored a bit, if you will, but it gives the sound character and it always sounds more analog to my ears.
I wish I did not have such a narrow genre of listening, but what I do listen to sounds pretty spectacular.
I seemed to prefer my OTL the most. I really like the euphoric sound. My 2nd favorite would be the SET amp. Bigger sound overall, everything a little more expanded over the OTL. The SET is still euphoric, just not to the level of the OTL.
My SS amp is the GS-X mk2 and it sounds great with the Atrium, it’s just not the sound that I prefer. It sounds very good, and could be the most neutral sound of my amps. It produces detail very well but it lacks in the euphoric aspect and I prefer the bass the tubes deliver.
Thank you to ZMF for the opportunity to listen to the Atrium. The pleasure has been all mine.
PS, I am sorry for not being a more professional reviewer, sometimes my grammar and writing skills are what I would call, very lacking and I’m not very eloquent with words.
It can be difficult for me to put in words everything that I hear.
jonathan c
Headphoneus Supremus
Tremendous job by Zach AND by you!!Here are my brief impressions of the Atrium in bubinga.
Full disclosure, I own this headphone, not a review unit. I was fortunate to have an earlier prototype of the Atrium on hand while I was designing and building an amplifier for Zach last year, very happy to report the final iteration is even better than that prototype, and it was no slouch! I tend to stick to the stock pads with ZMFs as I feel the headphone was voiced with them in mind, so these impressions were done with the Universe pads.
In terms of my system, it is somewhat unusual. The DAC I am running is the Audial S5, a NOS R2R design using the Philips TDA1541A chip. I design and build my own amplifiers, right now I am pairing the Atrium with an OTL designed around 6336 and 6528 power tubes, one of my better designs if I do say so myself.
Tone and Timbre:
Zach has described the Atrium as “ZMF neutral”, and I find that to be true. For me it is very well-balanced across the frequency spectrum, at least to my preferences, which often include a slightly rolled off upper register. The bass has excellent body and “girth”, quite detailed, slams well when called for, and doesn’t bleed into the lower midrange. Like other ZMFs, the mids are silky smooth, just the right amount of presence for me, not in-your-face, never strident, they do justice to anything from the human voice to grungy guitars riffs, to the finger plucking of an acoustic instrument, to the vibrato of a violin, it’s all very pleasing. The highs are airy, detailed, but not overly accentuated, no stridency or piercing to be heard, they blend well with the upper midrange and augment the airiness of the Atrium. Perhaps they do roll off slightly on the top end, but as I said, this is just right for my listening. In terms of timbre, it is similar to other biocellulose ZMFs, smooth and euphonic, endlessly musical and organic, nothing artificial about it.
Soundstage and Imaging:
Much has already been said on the staging of the Atrium, but I believe it is truly one of its biggest strengths. In my system, the soundstage is vast, it has excellent depth, width, and height, living up to the headphones name; it truly feels like your head is inside a cavernous acoustically treated room. Likewise, I have found the Atrium to image extremely well, with a well-defined center image and superb horizontal and vertical localization of instruments / sounds / effects. The 3D-ism and holography is extremely pleasing and benefits every recording I have listened to, but is especially satisfying with high-quality jazz and classical recordings.
Music Pairing:
Everything. To me this is the perfect “all-rounder” headphone. I've listened to thrash metal, jazz, chamber music, industrial techno, synth-pop, outlaw country, progressive rock, hip hop, new wave, orchestral classical, downtempo, new age, and more. There isn’t one genre that I’ve felt this headphone couldn’t render well. They have the low end heft and dynamics to handle bass-centric genres, the air, imaging, and staging for acoustic and instrumental genres, the silky midrange to extract the nuances of the human voice, the culmination of these qualities results in a very balanced and satisfying listen across the board.
Comparison to Vérité Closed:
My other ZMF is the VC, a knockout headphone in its own right, I use it with its stock pads as well, the Auteur solid. By comparison, the VC is certainly a warmer listen with a perceptibly more rolled-off top end, incredible low end slam, lightning quick and crisp transients and extremely detailed. I find the Atrium to have excellent detail retrieval as well, perhaps it isn’t as razor precise as the VC, but that is also part of its charm and lends itself well to an organic presentation of the music. Not surprisingly, the Atrium bests the VC in the soundstage department and helps accentuate the air and instrument separation of well-recorded music. With both headphones on hand, I like using the VC for things like techno, trance, hip hop given its warm-leaning tone, transient attack, and bass prowess. They are two different flavors in my opinion, and the Atrium certainly deserves its placement as a co-TOTL headphone with the likes of the VC. Together, I think these two headphone complement each other well, with the VC more of a specialist when paired with the Atrium as an all-rounder.
Overall, the Atrium is a killer headphone, a satisfying dynamic to pair with my tubes
Users who are viewing this thread
