For anyone thinking about getting these I would HIGHLY recommend a tube amp even if you don't have any experience with them. All ZMF headphones respond really well to tube amplification and the VC is no exception. Going from solid state to tubes on these made a huge difference in the sound; with wider staging and a LOT more body and richness. Also it’s been said many times but at least try the Eikon Suede pads as your second pad choice, the stock leather pads have kind of a different holographic effect especially with vocals, which is not for everyone including myself. The suedes clean that right up.
@@nathanberger618 Personally I got a WA2 and have been loving it, but I have also heard great things about the Feliks Elise and Bottlehead Mainline. It seems like the Glenn OTL is kind of the holy grail of amps for these headphones but it’s expensive and pretty difficult to get a hold of one. To be honest I’m very new to tubes and really don’t know the difference between all the different amps besides features and tonality with the stock tubes installed. If you wanted to really dive deeper there’s a ton of info on the head-fi VC page. On the topic of the pendant I really don’t know much about it but I’m sure it’s great.
@@x32i77 just reading about the HA500H It should have enough to power these headphones, but would look at a few other tube amps. My GS-X mini Class A solid state amp does a really nice job powering the VC.
Most reviewers survive with affiliate links. Considering this is a boutique headphone there is none to be had there, thus less reason for them to review and advertise these.
Great review, defitinely worth the wait. And if I understood you haven't done the reviews long but you have earned the place with your reviews, they have been great!
Bismillah For me the killer feature of ZMF is Zack himself. He is very accessible and passionate about his products. I’m not sold on the looks; I wish they would use more metal in a modern way to get that fusion of classic and industrial.
I really like the look of the ZMF product, I find them the most desirable of the higher end headphones. That blend of art and craft and engineering is very appealing.
Bismillah I had the Stellias; they are great headphones - beautiful to look at, probably the most dynamic across the entire FR, the most detailed closed I have heard. However they don’t isolate that well and unlike any other headphone I have used they hurt me. It’s like they are too detailed and dynamic, additionally they create an effect of suction in my ears that contribute to discomfort. There are so many great closed backs. My favorites right now are the Final Sonorous X (most rich and euphoric), Denon 9200 (best bass, dynamics, comfort), and AKG k872 (best isolating, long term listening, imaging and soundstage). I have not heard ZMF VC. I want to.
I'm also open headphone guy but VC changed everything, you need very good open headphones to beat those closed backs. Maybe it sounds silly but sound stage of VC is damn impressive
Nice Review, i wonder if you're sending this unit to Andrew so he can give his feedback aswell... This is a special headphone, and since there are just a few reviews of these cans on RUclips, i think it would be a good idea to have another opinion. This is the best headphone channel on RUclips and i would love to see the opinions of both of its hosts on everything!!! Keep up the good work guys!
@@ZMFheadphones Cool, haha. I wouldn't mind if you send me one too... Hahaha. I unfortunately wouldn't be able to return it to you... : P The Verité closed is my dream headphone, I live in Brazil, so maybe one day I will be able to travel to the US and buy one. But for now, I will have to settle with what I have. Congratulations for creating these amazing cans!
I enjoyed this review. It is the most descriptive and informative review I've seen that thankfully doesn't hyperbolize too much. Anyone on the fence about picking up this headphone, just pull the trigger. It's ZMF November. If I might add one criticism, it's that Chrono seems to be reading directly from the screen in front of him, which makes it a little less candid and convincing. One thing I found really powerful about Monsterzero's review of the VC, while less glamorous and thorough than Chrono's review, was that he was sometimes rendered just utterly speechless about how good he thought these headphones were. You got the sense that he couldn't even believe it himself.
Thank you for the review Chrono. This is a hf, to aspire to. would love a Desert Iron wood or Camphor Burl or Cocobolo or... with copper or brass hardware and pilot pad. At least, I already have a fitting custom cable by FAWKs in copper, which I use meanwhile with my HEDD.
in your recent headphone tier list video, all you guys said the Verite Closed sounded best with the suede pads. By that do you mean the Auteur Hybrid Soild?
I find the VC the LEAST able to block outside sounds, compared to the Stellia and the LCD-XC. Odd that you find the opposite. I definitely do not! I can hear the AC vent blowing air when they are on!
do you think the VC is more 3D and holographic than the Stellia? im looking for spherical soundstage with sounds travelling towards my head, even from behind.
Great review, Chrono. I’m interested in why you referred to the VC’s as “strangely homophonic”? Also, why do you rate the VC over the Focal Stellia (as your favorite)?
I wanted VC but Stella is far more affordable in my region. Also, I find Stellia can be driven by some portable devices without losing too much sound quality.
I can drive my VC with a tiny qudelix K5 to listening level volumes (I got me a very short cable so I can use my VC as a "bluetooth headphone" - very funny sight) And yes Stellia is easy to drive but VC is not hard to drive - the amp thing is more about what kind of sound you wanna get out of it. And yes, in this regard a good tube will rule supreme!
@@rulerofrecords1 it's not just volumn. Big cans usually sound more spacious, dynamic and clear with desktop devices. Transient reponse usually takes a hit with battery power. But I find Stellia + Hugo 2 combo pretty close to a desktop experience.
From what I've gathered from my research.....no, they are pretty much two sides of the same coin. Most people that own both would recommend keeping both if you have the opportunity. Verite is more sit back and relax; Stellia is more concentrate on the music.
Awesome review man! I'm a proud VC owner as well! I've had mine for about 8 months now and I'm still loving it! But I'm curious about what anp/dac did you pair with it? I've got the IFI Stack paired with mine. Oh and thanks for the EQ settings I'm definitely gonna try em out!
Great review! I read alot about ZMF Headphones over the last days and stumbled also over crinacles homepage. There the Verite Closed is ranked below the HD600. So would this mean, the verite closed is a down/sidegrade? I am asking since I once ordered a LCD X and it was from a tonality perspective horribly muffled and definetely a downgrad in terms of tonality compared to the HD600, but technicalities were much better. LCD-X is ranked also below the HD600. In terms of impact of wood on the sound. Can other wood still be chosen? Standard seems to be monkeypod at the moment and no specials are offered on the website . Monkeypod is softer than the wood shown here and leads to more decay?
I have the VC and hd6xx don’t have the hd600 but I’ll have to agree that VC is not below the 600 I have heard hd6xx with zen can signature and that combo does bring back 6xx back to life from dust that being said all my friends who heard my setup for both preferred Vc without knowing the price and blind hearing that is. They aren’t into headphones anyway but sound is subjective happy listening
for sheer pleasure of listening to music VC is better, Arya got larger stage more details and better sub bass IMO, punch timbre and smooth highs VC take over (whole midrange is better)
when you say the VC is your favorite, and has the 3D holographic soundstage, is that with tube amps or solid state amps? What about DAPs like the iBasso DX320? Can they drive the VC?
I get this question a lot, so I don’t mean to be lazy, but here’s a copy (from the Headphone forums) of what my thoughts were on the Vérité Closed vs Stellia comparison 😂 “That’s a really tough question, they’re both fantastic headphones. I think if you are looking for the more “neutral” sounding headphone, and you value a more open and airy sounding closed-back, then I think that the Vérité Closed would be more suitable for you. On the other hand, the Stellia is a great option if you prefer a warmer sound signature and the added portability from its smaller footprint is beneficial to you. Aside from their spatial qualities (soundstage, imaging) where the I do think that Vérité Closed does outperform the Stellia, there’s pretty much nothing splitting the two, really, in terms of technical performance. Also worth mentioning that I personally found the Vérité Closed to be significantly more comfortable; although the Stellia is still a pretty easy wear.”
@@vincenthusvh yeah. Soundstage aside performance is pretty much the same. Stellia might be just a tiny bit punchier if the Vérité Closed has the Auteur Pads, but they’re about the same with the Universe Pads.
@@djhmax09 I think they’re pretty different from each, other. So I think what’d be important is to consider if the differences they do have are ones that the you appreciate.
And here I was thinking ZMF was french, maybe it's the names of these and the style, they all look like a medieval cathedral, particularly the auteur does but all of them look very roman
I have a few sub 1 thousand dollars sennheisers, beyers and hifimans. These bad boys absolutely blow them out of the water. Driving them off schitt stack and dark voice which is clearly not doing the zmfs justice. Will be building a bottlehead crack to pair them up.
Please tell me how I get this finish? There’s no shot I’m paying $2500 for their complete shit looking stock wood. My god it looks atrocious. I’d pay $500 more over MSRP for wood like this
I used Auteur Lambskin, Universe Hybrid. However I tried a couple more. If you’re interested in the pads, I wrote a bit more about them in the written version of the review-highly suggest checking it out!
@@chrono-headphonereviews242 I did, it was great! You said in the written review that the auteur hybrid pads were your favorite. How were they vs the auteur lambskin? Or maybe that was added in by accident in the written portion?
@@djhmax09 the Hybrid Auteur were very similar to the Lambskin ones, but they had a slightly more linear response in the upper midrange, and just a touch less bass in my experience.
In case Google is not banned in your country - this might help you avoid the frustration in future, brother: www.google.com/search?q=zmf+verite+closed+price
I really want an Aeolus, but can't really bring myself to pay $1,000 on a headphone. $500 was my limit and after trying a bit I've gone back to the HD600 as my favourite, but damn thee Aeolus sounded like the HD600 upgrade I've been looking for.
@@bitterbuffalo8997 I never thought that I will invest 2500$ at headphones yet here I am with my VC 😅. Never heard ZMF before I just knew that those headphones are hand made by people with passion for sound
For anyone thinking about getting these I would HIGHLY recommend a tube amp even if you don't have any experience with them. All ZMF headphones respond really well to tube amplification and the VC is no exception. Going from solid state to tubes on these made a huge difference in the sound; with wider staging and a LOT more body and richness. Also it’s been said many times but at least try the Eikon Suede pads as your second pad choice, the stock leather pads have kind of a different holographic effect especially with vocals, which is not for everyone including myself. The suedes clean that right up.
Which tube amp would you suggest, the Pendant or something else?
@@nathanberger618 Personally I got a WA2 and have been loving it, but I have also heard great things about the Feliks Elise and Bottlehead Mainline. It seems like the Glenn OTL is kind of the holy grail of amps for these headphones but it’s expensive and pretty difficult to get a hold of one. To be honest I’m very new to tubes and really don’t know the difference between all the different amps besides features and tonality with the stock tubes installed. If you wanted to really dive deeper there’s a ton of info on the head-fi VC page. On the topic of the pendant I really don’t know much about it but I’m sure it’s great.
@@trunk5728 I mostly use my VC on my Dragon Inspire IHA-1 and it does a great job.
Will a cocktail audio ha500h do well :) ?
@@x32i77 just reading about the HA500H It should have enough to power these headphones, but would look at a few other tube amps. My GS-X mini Class A solid state amp does a really nice job powering the VC.
One of the few reviews of these cans on RUclips thank you for this.. pretty thorough
Most reviewers survive with affiliate links. Considering this is a boutique headphone there is none to be had there, thus less reason for them to review and advertise these.
Yes, sir, proud owner of VC Ltd Camphor Burl here and can confirm that this review is accurate.
Great review, defitinely worth the wait. And if I understood you haven't done the reviews long but you have earned the place with your reviews, they have been great!
The VC is amazingly listenable and organic but also full of impact. Just plain musical. A real bargain too. All IMHO.
Great job Chrono! Really enjoyed your review, keep up the great work brother!
Thanks for checking it out, man!
Bismillah
For me the killer feature of ZMF is Zack himself. He is very accessible and passionate about his products. I’m not sold on the looks; I wish they would use more metal in a modern way to get that fusion of classic and industrial.
I really like the look of the ZMF product, I find them the most desirable of the higher end headphones. That blend of art and craft and engineering is very appealing.
Thank you for this review. I've been thinking about getting this or the Stellia. Leaning towards the VC after your thoughts.
Bismillah
I had the Stellias; they are great headphones - beautiful to look at, probably the most dynamic across the entire FR, the most detailed closed I have heard. However they don’t isolate that well and unlike any other headphone I have used they hurt me. It’s like they are too detailed and dynamic, additionally they create an effect of suction in my ears that contribute to discomfort.
There are so many great closed backs. My favorites right now are the Final Sonorous X (most rich and euphoric), Denon 9200 (best bass, dynamics, comfort), and AKG k872 (best isolating, long term listening, imaging and soundstage).
I have not heard ZMF VC. I want to.
Listening to your review on my Auteur. ZMF gang wya
Let's go I was wating for this one.
Great review Chrono. I'm an open headphones kinda guy but you made me curious about the Verité Closed. Thank you for sharing.
Check out the Verite Open
I'm also open headphone guy but VC changed everything, you need very good open headphones to beat those closed backs. Maybe it sounds silly but sound stage of VC is damn impressive
Nice Review, i wonder if you're sending this unit to Andrew so he can give his feedback aswell... This is a special headphone, and since there are just a few reviews of these cans on RUclips, i think it would be a good idea to have another opinion. This is the best headphone channel on RUclips and i would love to see the opinions of both of its hosts on everything!!! Keep up the good work guys!
We will get one to Andrew soon, don't worry Andrew we didn't forget about you!
@@ZMFheadphones Cool, haha. I wouldn't mind if you send me one too... Hahaha. I unfortunately wouldn't be able to return it to you... : P
The Verité closed is my dream headphone, I live in Brazil, so maybe one day I will be able to travel to the US and buy one. But for now, I will have to settle with what I have.
Congratulations for creating these amazing cans!
Been waiting for this review! Thinking I might go for this.
Would you have any opinions on the closed VS open vérite ?
I enjoyed this review. It is the most descriptive and informative review I've seen that thankfully doesn't hyperbolize too much. Anyone on the fence about picking up this headphone, just pull the trigger. It's ZMF November. If I might add one criticism, it's that Chrono seems to be reading directly from the screen in front of him, which makes it a little less candid and convincing. One thing I found really powerful about Monsterzero's review of the VC, while less glamorous and thorough than Chrono's review, was that he was sometimes rendered just utterly speechless about how good he thought these headphones were. You got the sense that he couldn't even believe it himself.
I am also speechless, dear God give them power and play Pantera - fucking hostile, those drivers are lightning fast with precision like no other
Thank you for the review Chrono.
This is a hf, to aspire to.
would love a Desert Iron wood or Camphor Burl or Cocobolo or...
with copper or brass hardware and pilot pad.
At least, I already have a fitting custom cable by FAWKs in copper, which I use meanwhile with my HEDD.
Pretty sure they sound great and i think the build is fantastic.love that wood finish.thanks for your effort in this video.👏
in your recent headphone tier list video, all you guys said the Verite Closed sounded best with the suede pads. By that do you mean the Auteur Hybrid Soild?
not hybrid but full suede
Ah you are killing me , so jealous. I want to hear a set someday.
Hit me up if you’re ever in Las Vegas or the Detroit area and you can check mine out!
how do they compare to the Focal Stellia? An obvious comparison that no one seems to have done!?
I find the VC the LEAST able to block outside sounds, compared to the Stellia and the LCD-XC. Odd that you find the opposite. I definitely do not! I can hear the AC vent blowing air when they are on!
do you think the VC is more 3D and holographic than the Stellia? im looking for spherical soundstage with sounds travelling towards my head, even from behind.
@@Viewer13128 only the Smyth Realizer will do that. The VC is a touch wider in soundstage than the Stellia
@@Viewer13128 VC can do it with high end tubes its spectacular !
Great review, Chrono. I’m interested in why you referred to the VC’s as “strangely homophonic”? Also, why do you rate the VC over the Focal Stellia (as your favorite)?
Excellent review!
I wanted VC but Stella is far more affordable in my region.
Also, I find Stellia can be driven by some portable devices without losing too much sound quality.
I can drive my VC with a tiny qudelix K5 to listening level volumes (I got me a very short cable so I can use my VC as a "bluetooth headphone" - very funny sight) And yes Stellia is easy to drive but VC is not hard to drive - the amp thing is more about what kind of sound you wanna get out of it. And yes, in this regard a good tube will rule supreme!
@@rulerofrecords1 it's not just volumn. Big cans usually sound more spacious, dynamic and clear with desktop devices. Transient reponse usually takes a hit with battery power. But I find Stellia + Hugo 2 combo pretty close to a desktop experience.
my love for VC is so big that I'm not even curious how Stellia sounds
So are these better then Focal Stellia at 3000$ price point?
No Focal Stellia much better sounding. Using them with Chord Hugo 2. 👍
From what I've gathered from my research.....no, they are pretty much two sides of the same coin. Most people that own both would recommend keeping both if you have the opportunity. Verite is more sit back and relax; Stellia is more concentrate on the music.
Amplification? For instance, how did the iFi Micro iDSD BL do?
What are some of the songs you use when evaluating headphones? I have the VC with the desert ironwood. Absolutely love it!
I don't find any ZMF eq profiles in the link provided? Good video!
Sorry bout that, they should be there now!
Closed vs Open? For those who don't really need a closed set and trying to decide between VC and VO...
closed :D they are so unique closed cans that I prefere them over my open options
Nice review. Are you guys doing a moondrop illumination review?
They just posted that one!
ZMF is as good as it gets, the Auteur is my favorite headphone
kennerton Rognir planar closed back or zmf verite closed back?
Awesome review man! I'm a proud VC owner as well! I've had mine for about 8 months now and I'm still loving it! But I'm curious about what anp/dac did you pair with it? I've got the IFI Stack paired with mine. Oh and thanks for the EQ settings I'm definitely gonna try em out!
How do they sound with ifi stack
nice review, I love ZMF headphones
Kādus modeļus no ZMF lietojiet/esiet lietojuši?
@@ivandubov2537 Verite
How do they compare to the Sony Z1R
Great review!
I read alot about ZMF Headphones over the last days and stumbled also over crinacles homepage.
There the Verite Closed is ranked below the HD600.
So would this mean, the verite closed is a down/sidegrade?
I am asking since I once ordered a LCD X and it was from a tonality perspective horribly muffled and definetely a downgrad in terms of tonality compared to the HD600,
but technicalities were much better. LCD-X is ranked also below the HD600.
In terms of impact of wood on the sound. Can other wood still be chosen?
Standard seems to be monkeypod at the moment and no specials are offered on the website .
Monkeypod is softer than the wood shown here and leads to more decay?
I have the VC and hd6xx don’t have the hd600 but I’ll have to agree that VC is not below the 600 I have heard hd6xx with zen can signature and that combo does bring back 6xx back to life from dust that being said all my friends who heard my setup for both preferred Vc without knowing the price and blind hearing that is. They aren’t into headphones anyway but sound is subjective happy listening
@@georgelin6472 hd6xx is like $200 right? so you're saying VC is not that much better than hd6xx?
crinacle is a fool, stop telling bullshit that cheap HD600 can in any term be better than any of top players
@@Viewer13128 dont listen to that idiot, even Clear cheaper by half compared to VC is superior to HD600 in any possible way
In What way does Vérité Open/closed differ?
How does Vérité compare to Hifiman Arya?
for sheer pleasure of listening to music VC is better, Arya got larger stage more details and better sub bass IMO, punch timbre and smooth highs VC take over (whole midrange is better)
Which do you prefer, the ZMF Verite Closed, or ZMF Verite Open ?
Love my Pheasantwood Verite.
They look so beautiful.
when you say the VC is your favorite, and has the 3D holographic soundstage, is that with tube amps or solid state amps? What about DAPs like the iBasso DX320? Can they drive the VC?
class A solid state or tube but they need power all the time
@Chrono: how would you compare the ZMF Verite closed to the Focal Stellia?
I get this question a lot, so I don’t mean to be lazy, but here’s a copy (from the Headphone forums) of what my thoughts were on the Vérité Closed vs Stellia comparison 😂
“That’s a really tough question, they’re both fantastic headphones. I think if you are looking for the more “neutral” sounding headphone, and you value a more open and airy sounding closed-back, then I think that the Vérité Closed would be more suitable for you. On the other hand, the Stellia is a great option if you prefer a warmer sound signature and the added portability from its smaller footprint is beneficial to you.
Aside from their spatial qualities (soundstage, imaging) where the I do think that Vérité Closed does outperform the Stellia, there’s pretty much nothing splitting the two, really, in terms of technical performance. Also worth mentioning that I personally found the Vérité Closed to be significantly more comfortable; although the Stellia is still a pretty easy wear.”
@@chrono-headphonereviews242 thanks Chrono! Do you also think detail retrieval is about on par?
@@vincenthusvh yeah. Soundstage aside performance is pretty much the same. Stellia might be just a tiny bit punchier if the Vérité Closed has the Auteur Pads, but they’re about the same with the Universe Pads.
@@chrono-headphonereviews242 Do you think the Clear and Stellia sound similar tonality-wise? Or are they different enough to warrant keeping both?
@@djhmax09 I think they’re pretty different from each, other. So I think what’d be important is to consider if the differences they do have are ones that the you appreciate.
@Chrono: how does the VC compare to the Sennheiser hd820?
Chrono you said in your written review that VC is your favorite headphone. Why didn't you put it in your top 3 picks in that best headphones video?
Because Tyler already covered it
@@TheHEADPHONEShow But if its your favorite then its your favorite?
Thats why you were each giving your favorites?
And here I was thinking ZMF was french, maybe it's the names of these and the style, they all look like a medieval cathedral, particularly the auteur does but all of them look very roman
I have a few sub 1 thousand dollars sennheisers, beyers and hifimans. These bad boys absolutely blow them out of the water. Driving them off schitt stack and dark voice which is clearly not doing the zmfs justice. Will be building a bottlehead crack to pair them up.
they are truly glorious on tubes, only best can compete with them
Please tell me how I get this finish? There’s no shot I’m paying $2500 for their complete shit looking stock wood. My god it looks atrocious. I’d pay $500 more over MSRP for wood like this
Pretty late, but they do burl limited editions in the summer
Which auteur and universe pads did you use? One full leather and the other hybrid?
I used Auteur Lambskin, Universe Hybrid. However I tried a couple more. If you’re interested in the pads, I wrote a bit more about them in the written version of the review-highly suggest checking it out!
@@chrono-headphonereviews242 I did, it was great! You said in the written review that the auteur hybrid pads were your favorite. How were they vs the auteur lambskin? Or maybe that was added in by accident in the written portion?
@@djhmax09 the Hybrid Auteur were very similar to the Lambskin ones, but they had a slightly more linear response in the upper midrange, and just a touch less bass in my experience.
@@chrono-headphonereviews242 I see, thanks for the response! Looking forward to ZMF November. I think it's time to go VC!
From my own perspective 5.5k peak is a big problem for me
the dream
Is that the lektrik cable or the 2k?
It's the Lektrik cable from ZMF
it's frustrating when reviewers don't tell me the price
In case Google is not banned in your country - this might help you avoid the frustration in future, brother:
www.google.com/search?q=zmf+verite+closed+price
This or Stellia?
He gave his opinion in earlier comments
Very nice review! What did you use to drive the VC?
I heard these don't play well with badly recorded tracks.
I really want an Aeolus, but can't really bring myself to pay $1,000 on a headphone. $500 was my limit and after trying a bit I've gone back to the HD600 as my favourite, but damn thee Aeolus sounded like the HD600 upgrade I've been looking for.
You get what you pay for.
@@AF-rd2vf I ended up buying an Aeolus shortly after and I love it. Haha.
@@bitterbuffalo8997 I never thought that I will invest 2500$ at headphones yet here I am with my VC 😅. Never heard ZMF before I just knew that those headphones are hand made by people with passion for sound
311 Gino Ways