[fuhransahis]

Yes, it's a Tor Balanced. I've not yet tried it with the Atrium yet. I'm enjoying the Atrium on solid state first to really absorb its sound signature before I move on to tubes. Trying to savour the journey.

I'm sure you'll enjoy the Tor with the Atrium

I had my Tor Balanced for a few weeks with the Atrium and it was excellent with RCA VT231 Smoke Glasses - awesome staging, very euphonic and incredible imaging and vocals. The RCAs run warm though and the Tor inherently does so too a little, but it is also extremely responsive, so wish I had the chance to try some more neutral tubes with it.

Only reason I moved on from it is I came across a good deal on a Euforia AE, but the Tor very much outperforms its own price point, is very responsive to tube rolls (compared with stock on my end, others have mentioned the same responsiveness), is very compact, and is a looker as well.

 

[Mike C]

Whoa whoa! Those are nice words, but I certainly wouldn’t list myself as high as clever people like Wes or Jonathan. The OG crack has a very tubey euphoric sound which can be preferred, especially depending on your system. Speedball adds clarity and control, which a lot of people like. I had the same issue with the mainline as Geoff; it was excellent sounding but a bit under what some hungry planars like the he6se need. I actually preferred the crackatwoa to the mainline overall, especially with upgraded caps. But all of the Bottlehead amps really pair well with every zmf I’ve used them with (Aeolus, auteur, Atticus, eikon). I assume the atrium is no different.

A good writeup from an expert.

I have not heard a Crack, but I do know valve amps so I'll add some comments.
For low distortion, a valve needs a high load; a good rule of thumb is to use a load resistor of 5x the valve internal resistor. This drops a lot of voltage, which means a high voltage power supply (that's what I do in my latest headphone amps). So, many amp makers use a less than ideal load to keep the supply voltage low. This increases distortion, which in a valve amp may not be awful; but it explains the 'tubey' sound of some amps, and can (possibly) give a slow sound.
I believe this explains the sound of the OG Crack.

I sometimes use an active load instead of a load resistor (I use a nice pentode), so the valve sees a very high load without needing a high voltage. Speedball is exactly that, which explains why distortion is very much reduced, giving clarity, control, and perhaps extra speed. Also the active load tends to give a degree of isolation from the power supply, so any deficiencies in that are reduced.
Good engineering by Bottlehead to get these results at a low price!

To the original poster; build with Speedball, and use film caps for the output caps, and you'll get high clarity, control, speed, transparency as well as valve tonality and sound.
In my OTL amps I have tried a few film caps for output and like Mundorf EVO oil and Kemet DC link 800V (both 100uF), very similar indeed ... Mundorf a tiny bit fuller tone, DC link a tiny bit more transparent, but differences are really tiny, they are 99% the same. How to fit these big caps is a problem though .....

 

[sp33ls]

I actually preferred the crackatwoa to the mainline overall, especially with upgraded caps. But all of the Bottlehead amps really pair well with every zmf I’ve used them with (Aeolus, auteur, Atticus, eikon). I assume the atrium is no different.

Can confirm that the C2A is a perfect match with both the Atrium and Verite.

 

[L0rdGwyn]

Fantastic! That's my default chain for all these headphones. The Bricasti is such a wonderful and musical DAC. And the Nirvana has so much power, delivered super linear and clean, they match great together! I'm actually very content on that end.

The only changes regards to playing my ZMF headphones I'd ever look to do on the amp side, on day, are either (or both?):
- The Red October - hearing the VC on that amp at CanJam NYC this year was a show highlight. Something about the synergy between those 300B tubes with the Ampandsound wonderful discrete implementation was pure magic. That's an image I've found hard to shake, which usually means trouble...
- A quality OTL amp - I'd order an Airmid in a heartbeat, if only @L0rdGwyn still buil them (the Atrium on that amp at ZMF's room at CanJam Chicago was pure magic. That aside, I think the new ZMF Decaware is heavily in my line of sight

Will you be going to CanJam SoCal @goldwerger ? I am planning to send this amp to Zach beforehand, maybe you can try it and tell me what you think. Relative to Airmid, it is a totally "old school" circuit, no silicon whatsoever, it is a warmer more euphonic sound, larger soundstage, more full-bodied bass to my ears. It is a prototype, unique circuit among headphone amps, nothing like it on the market, but could potential become an offering down the road. I'll be seeking feedback, assuming I get it to him in time! Waiting for one last part, but I got the ship date moved back so we should be good to go oh and transformer coupled, should pair well with planars.

 

[9bphillips]

I made an adjustment with my Atrium today that has made a really nice difference in comfort. I couldn't get the perfect fit with them because on the highest notch I could wear them the Atrium sat too low on my head and was just a little loose. On the notch below that they seemed a little to high and the clamp force wasn't bad. I ended up taking my suspension strap off and making new holes above the normal holes. I barely went up any but it worked great. Now the Atrium feels like a part of head and the clamp force isn't to tight or loose. I tried this on my VC also and got the same results. Both sets fit PERFECT now!

 

[geoffalter11]

A good writeup from an expert.

I have not heard a Crack, but I do know valve amps so I'll add some comments.
For low distortion, a valve needs a high load; a good rule of thumb is to use a load resistor of 5x the valve internal resistor. This drops a lot of voltage, which means a high voltage power supply (that's what I do in my latest headphone amps). So, many amp makers use a less than ideal load to keep the supply voltage low. This increases distortion, which in a valve amp may not be awful; but it explains the 'tubey' sound of some amps, and can (possibly) give a slow sound.
I believe this explains the sound of the OG Crack.

I sometimes use an active load instead of a load resistor (I use a nice pentode), so the valve sees a very high load without needing a high voltage. Speedball is exactly that, which explains why distortion is very much reduced, giving clarity, control, and perhaps extra speed. Also the active load tends to give a degree of isolation from the power supply, so any deficiencies in that are reduced.
Good engineering by Bottlehead to get these results at a low price!

To the original poster; build with Speedball, and use film caps for the output caps, and you'll get high clarity, control, speed, transparency as well as valve tonality and sound.
In my OTL amps I have tried a few film caps for output and like Mundorf EVO oil and Kemet DC link 800V (both 100uF), very similar indeed ... Mundorf a tiny bit fuller tone, DC link a tiny bit more transparent, but differences are really tiny, they are 99% the same. How to fit these big caps is a problem though .....

This was extremely informative, thank you. I’d love to learn what makes my Icon Audio HP8 sound so good. To understand technically how it was designed and what makes it sound the way it does. It is such a wonderful amp.

 

[goldwerger]

Will you be going to CanJam SoCal @goldwerger ? I am planning to send this amp to Zach beforehand, maybe you can try it and tell me what you think. Relative to Airmid, it is a totally "old school" circuit, no silicon whatsoever, it is a warmer more euphonic sound, larger soundstage, more full-bodied bass to my ears. It is a prototype, unique circuit among headphone amps, nothing like it on the market, but could potential become an offering down the road. I'll be seeking feedback, assuming I get it to him in time! Waiting for one last part, but I got the ship date moved back so we should be good to go oh and transformer coupled, should pair well with planars.

Oy, I’m not eating myself up from the inside for missing socal.. I have an event back home in NYC that same weekend that’s pre scheduled a year out and I can’t move it. I’m so so sad to miss it, and to miss the opportunity to listen to your new prototype!

I’d be delighted to test it anytime if other possibilities come up! (And of course I’ll be here for CanJam NYC in February)

Oy.. I really want to listen to your new amp

 

[Shockadelica]

I’m currently narrowing down my next pair of headphones to get, and both the Atrium and the Verite Closed are strong contenders.

Realise this might be a long shot, but has anyone here purchased both products and able to offer me their personal opinion on what they’d recommend?

I’m not going to be in a position to demo these anytime soon, so online advice is key, ahead of any potential purchase.

I have also read that a closed version of the Atrium is coming? Is this likely to happen before the end of the year?

Finally, worth hanging on for ZMF November, based on prior offerings?

Lots of questions there, but I appreciate any answers!

 

[ThanatosVI]

I’m currently narrowing down my next pair of headphones to get, and both the Atrium and the Verite Closed are strong contenders.

Realise this might be a long shot, but has anyone here purchased both products and able to offer me their personal opinion on what they’d recommend?

I’m not going to be in a position to demo these anytime soon, so online advice is key, ahead of any potential purchase.

I have also read that a closed version of the Atrium is coming? Is this likely to happen before the end of the year?

Finally, worth hanging on for ZMF November, based on prior offerings?

Lots of questions there, but I appreciate any answers!

What is ZMF November?

 

[Shockadelica]

What is ZMF November?

I understand, that in previous years, the company has offered special deals (limited edition versions of existing products etc.) specifically throughout the month of November.

 

[LCMusicLover]

What is ZMF November?

Annual sale ZMF runs where they clear out 'odds and ends'. Some one-offs, some B-stock, some amps he's gotten in to test/demo. Different each year. Here's a link to a previous sale post (from 2019):

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/zmf-auteur-thread.862918/post-15321712

 

[erics75]

I’m currently narrowing down my next pair of headphones to get, and both the Atrium and the Verite Closed are strong contenders.

Realise this might be a long shot, but has anyone here purchased both products and able to offer me their personal opinion on what they’d recommend?

I’m not going to be in a position to demo these anytime soon, so online advice is key, ahead of any potential purchase.

I have also read that a closed version of the Atrium is coming? Is this likely to happen before the end of the year?

Finally, worth hanging on for ZMF November, based on prior offerings?

Lots of questions there, but I appreciate any answers!

First, you're so close to Nov, might as well wait and see what Zach has up his sleeve for the event.

Closed Atrium is a thing but I've not heard anything on availability. I'd guess it's not close to production yet, still in the design/prototyping phase. Maybe 2023?

VC - Faster, more resolving, deeper subbass, more treble presence, slight midrange recession. IMO this is the pick if you value technical performance.

Atrium - Slower, more natural sounding, more forward mids, more midbass presence, bigger soundstage. IMO this is the pick if you value naturalness and musicality.

Both the VC and Atrium are excellent headphones, but they have very different strengths/weaknesses. If you're someone who gravitates towards the Utopia, HD800, or Stax, the VC would be the most similar. If you gravitate towards the HD650, older LCD2, or RAD-0, the Atrium would be most similar. Just my opinions though, you won't really know without trying.

 

[darktooth8]

I feel very lucky that I stumbled upon @zach915m 's listing of his ampsandsound nautilus in the classifieds...

Zach and Bevin were so welcoming and you could tell how much they enjoy the hobby

The attention to detail there was amazing - everyone really cares about the headphones we have.

Thanks again Zach! I'm enjoying the amp and have gone through a variety of DACs. Tube rolling will be next! I'm re-experiencing my hd800s too

My wife was like ok, let's hear it! but then laughed when she realized it's for headphones (I don't have nice speakers to hook up to it yet)

I'm loving every moment with this thing

 

[goldwerger]

has anyone here purchased both products and able to offer me their personal opinion on what they’d recommend?

I agree completely with @erics75

I’d add that use case is obviously important. The VC are closed and provide outstanding isolation, if that’s needed/values.

Otherwise, the VC is very fast and punchy so I love it for rhythmic music. The Atrium is a touch less resolving than the VC but still great resolution, and has a beautiful decay and weight on the notes, which makes their tuning and tonality absolutely joyful; it’s my go to for vocals, jazz, acoustics.

 

[Shockadelica]

First, you're so close to Nov, might as well wait and see what Zach has up his sleeve for the event.

Closed Atrium is a thing but I've not heard anything on availability. I'd guess it's not close to production yet, still in the design/prototyping phase. Maybe 2023?

VC - Faster, more resolving, deeper subbass, more treble presence, slight midrange recession. IMO this is the pick if you value technical performance.

Atrium - Slower, more natural sounding, more forward mids, more midbass presence, bigger soundstage. IMO this is the pick if you value naturalness and musicality.

Both the VC and Atrium are excellent headphones, but they have very different strengths/weaknesses. If you're someone who gravitates towards the Utopia, HD800, or Stax, the VC would be the most similar. If you gravitate towards the HD650, older LCD2, or RAD-0, the Atrium would be most similar. Just my opinions though, you won't really know without trying.

Thanks for this reply! That’s a great breakdown for reference.

I currently have a pair of the closed-back Campfire Audio Cascades, and whilst the VC’s would offer what they do, only a lot more so, I’m starting to wonder if a more natural sounding, wider soundstage option might be my best next step.

I do a lot of my headphone listening with a DAP, rather than hooked up to my main hi-fi setup, but I’ve read that you can still get the benefit out of ZMF’s products via this route, and I would think it likely that my Hiby R6 Pro should be powerful enough to accommodate either model’s potential sufficiently.

I think I’ll hang on for ZMF November as you suggest though!