ZMF Atrium Closed Headphone Review

[Wavey22]

There is always a cult-following for every brand and item in all things produced on the planet.
The ASR 'cult' is mostly about measurements (electronics, speakers and headphone) and a bit about psycho acoustics, humor and ...... UFO's
But there is also room for listening to music which is preferred over 'plot-gazing'.

I think everyone has a right to their own opinion but a lot of people confuse their opinions with facts (measured science in this case) and they usually get the full load even when it was not merely to troll (which happens a lot with new members coming on hear to voice their dismay with ASR).

Stick around ....

 

[unpluggged]

Which other "better" headphones do you suggest?

I'm not that experienced and not that into closed-backs. But to me, the HD 6XX/HD 650 sound natural and significantly better than the subject. And they take EQ well, if you want them to sound more exciting. That's for an order of magnitude lower price. They are also lighter and feel better on my head.

For closed backs, my Shure SRH1540 sound better in the highs than the Atrium. The 100-250 Hz region is bloated, though, and that muddies the sound, but when this is taken care of with EQ they sound great, very open, detailed, and a bit laid back. They also are much more comfortable, and their build quality is at least not any worse than the Atrium's.

 

[Wavey22]

I'm not that experienced and not that into closed-backs. But to me, the HD 6XX/HD 650 sound natural and significantly better than the subject. And they take EQ well, if you want them to sound more exciting. That's for an order of magnitude lower price. They are also lighter and feel better on my head.

For closed backs, my Shure SRH1540 sound better in the highs than the Atrium. The 100-250 Hz region is bloated, though, and that muddies the sound, but when this is taken care of with EQ they sound great, very open, detailed, and a bit laid back. They also are much more comfortable, and their build quality is at least not any worse than the Atrium's.

Cool that you seemed to have found something you like and find enjoyable the way you like them.

 

[Somafunk]

Nope. I actually started with the sr-80 and was blown away. I have sense moved on. But might return with the rs1x for my Americana needs.

What do you listen to for metal?

I bought the SR-80 years ago after seeing it get the WhatHiFi award every year (I know…WhatHiFi ), it was absolutely ****ing awful sounding, no bass all shrieky highs that pierced my skull.

I last listened to metal/rock back in 1991 age 19, at age 20 in 1992 I went to my first illegal rave in a field and given my first pill, it’s been “Techno…..Techno……..Techno” or electronic music ever since

Glad you seem to enjoy the Grado but I don’t think I could cope with a Ronnie James Dio screech whilst wearing grado’s

 

[Jimster480]

I think customers are not very well aware of how these headphones measure. So little independent reporting. And even those (reviewers) that measure, are motivated to say everything expensive is good. So purchases are made and companies think they are doing the right thing.

That is such a shame. There should never be products like this with such poor performance at such a high price. It really gives a bad name to all high end headphones. Since someone can purchase something for thousands and then feel like they lost all their money or that Hi-Fi is for fools only when they listen to another headphone which costs way less than what they have purchased and it sounds so much better overall.

 

[A Surfer]

The thing is, there are people who love the sound signature and feel it is money well spent. I wouldn't be one of those people, but we have to allow for personal preference.

 

[A Surfer]

....

Glad you seem to enjoy the Grado but I don’t think I could cope with a Ronnie James Dio screech whilst wearing grado’s

Nobody could. I'm also a huge electronica fan as well.

 

[amirm]

The thing is, there are people who love the sound signature and feel it is money well spent.

If only we could be sure of that....

 

[Jimster480]

The thing is, there are people who love the sound signature and feel it is money well spent. I wouldn't be one of those people, but we have to allow for personal preference.

Sure there are always people who will love any product. However when the performance is bad, the point is that you can find such performance for way less money.

 

[A Surfer]

If only we could be sure of that....

Believe me there are. Just spend time in the ZMF love fest that is Head fi.

 

[amirm]

What they say is not representative of what they truly hear.

 

[A Surfer]

What they say is not representative of what they truly hear.

I agree, but they don't think so. The Placebo effect is a real thing. If someone convinces themselves so deeply that something is true, for them it is true.

 

[DenverW]

What they say is not representative of what they truly hear.

I feel a little slow, but I need to ask what that means...?

 

[Soria Moria]

Even though taste is real I still feel that people who buy headphones that are very not neutral are in the end more likely to feel dissatisfied and sell them and keep wasting money on bad headphones over and over again because they think «everything is subjective and this one was just not for me!», instead of realising that they are simply not good headphones and that they should chance course in choosing headphones

 

[A Surfer]

I feel a little slow, but I need to ask what that means...?

He means they have convinced themselves that they are hearing really well tuned headphones because that is what they want to believe despite the evidence to the contrary.

 

[DenverW]

He means they have convinced themselves that they are hearing really well tuned headphones because that is what they want to believe despite the evidence to the contrary.

Gotcha. I thought I was missing something, because there isn't any science in a statement like that.

 

[aravaioli]

Here is another opinion. Note that I browse both this and the Headfi forum, and despise any hype bandwagon.
I went to the last London Canjam and had no intention to buy a ZMF headphones, essentially because I find them so damn expensive. Their models are a big hit for those into the look of things, and I am exactly at the opposite side of the spectrum: all I care is sound and comfort and I love cheap looking headphones that weigh little, for example the HD490 Pro.
Having said that, I visited the ZMF stand as I did other times in the past and this time I truly loved this model, the Atrium Closed. I tried to talk myself out of the purchase because of the price tag (comfort is really good despite the weight) and, at the end of my visit, I failed in this effort and surrendered to making that remarkable expense I wanted to avoid. And that is an important point I want to make: I did not try to convince that I loved that headphone, I actually tried to do the opposite. It was very easy to do with the Caldera, which is ok, perhaps more than that, but absolutely overpriced in my view.
I realise that this forum is about objective measurements but, in my view, it focuses excessively on distortion. I am not convinced soundstage can be measured (although some attempt to do so) but that is the main factor why I bough it: it has a marvellous enveloping soundstage that is as close as it gets to an open headphone. Sounds comes truly from all directions, including from the back of the ears, as in my Meze Elite. With that said, I also found the frequency response remarkably pleasant, a great balance in between warmth and definition/resolution which are typically antagonistic traits of a headphone: for example the Denon D9200 I used to have is very detailed, great detail definition, but it sounds quite cold and fatiguing. Somehow in the same way, my Dan Clark Aeon 2 Noire, well-respected in this forum, might have less distortion but also an average soundstage and a neutral-to-cold frequency response that I find less pleasant (inviting to listen) than the Atrium Closed.
At that show I also tried the Dan Clark E3, again another favourite of this forum. Now, this one competes and possibly exceeds the technicalities of the Atrium (and the AHD9200), excellent soundstage, very well defined details, possibly more resolving than the Atrium. It came across as a technical marvel rather than a pleasant auditory device. More a sport car than a Cadillac. Besides being even more expensive than the Atrium Closed (at least at that show), I did not feel that I would have wanted to listen to it for very long (I do not listen rock but I am betting those would be really grating for the ears with that genre).
Long story short, my point is that while I see the value of objective measurements, a live experience may reveal preferences that are diverging from the conclusions you might get from the measurements. That is nothing new, I know, but I wonder how many of those who voted have actually hands on experience with this headphone.

 

[aravaioli]

So far out of the 4 ZMF headphones reviewed here I'm seeing a pretty significant pattern. The frequency response isn't neutral on any of them, but the newer designs (Caldera, Bokeh Closed) have much better engineering behind things like distortion and resonance control. Both of those got a recommendation with EQ, where the older models (Atticus, Atrium Closed) had problems EQ couldn't fix. I'd be interested to see a review of the Caldera Closed, just to see if the pattern continues, but it's not particularly likely given the price that someone would send it in.

Interestingly enough, if you like the wood cups it seems like the best choice of the various ZMFs is the less insanely priced Bokeh Closed.

PS: Did the owner mention which pads were on the headphone? It probably wouldn't affect the review, but like most ZMF headphones it has several choices when you order it.

Yes, a neutral frequency, or better, compliance with a Harman Curve or with the target curve of Amir, is not one of their objectives. Zach has a rather extensive experience in the business and may have strong views on what his target market likes.
I have listened the Caldera closed: my guess is that its frequency response curve is less diverging than the Atrium Closed (which I preferred) from Amir's target, but still probably quite divergent.
Dan Clark has this curve covered, and yet many of its models have not been a hit anywhere but here (the Stealth being possibly the most prominent example).

 

[A Surfer]

@aravaioli There is nothing wrong with liking what you like. I have enjoyed headphones that objectively probably would measure poorly. It happens. We all get to decide how to spend our money.

Science also leaves room for variation, and clearly there will be people who love this headphone the way it sounds like you do. That doesn't change how it measures either.

I'm glad that you love your new headphone. Enjoy it.

 

[Somafunk]

Having said that, I visited the ZMF stand as I did other times in the past and this time I truly loved this model, the Atrium Closed. I tried to talk myself out of the purchase because of the price tag (comfort is really good despite the weight) and, at the end of my visit, I failed in this effort and surrendered to making that remarkable expense I wanted to avoid. And that is an important point I want to make: I did not try to convince that I loved that headphone, I actually tried to do the opposite. It was very easy to do with the Caldera, which is ok, perhaps more than that, but absolutely overpriced in my view.

Sounds like it hit the sweet spot with your particular HRTF so sit back and enjoy it