As a former student of the ancient Greek theater and film industry, ZMF headphones model names take me back to my younger-youth as an honorary Athenian. Flashing forward to present day, outward consciousness, and after giving many of the ZMF headphones a solid listen at AXPONA 2019, I can say that they all live up to their Hellenic names.
There is plenty of new happenings at ZMF Headphones to be excited about, so let’s get to it. The still-new Verite and Aeolus models still mop-up much of the attention at the ZMF booth with showgoers, but of particular interest to me are the new limited edition wood options now available for all of the Dynamic series of headphones. ZMF will be doing three iterations of limited wood options throughout the year, so let’s break down the first options.
The closed back models Eikon, Camphor, and Atticus received Burl wood limited edition earcups, and for the open back models like the Auteur, they’ve received Cocobolo and Ambrosia finishing. Most stunning to me is the Verite in Ziricote wood finish, for in person (and with the right light) the headphones sometimes take on purple or green hues that can appear like rivers amongst the deep rich brown. Aeolus received the African Bubinga wood treatment, and for only that model at only $1,499 USD, I am firmly intrigued.
Of course all these exotic woods should impart a little of their nature on the sound with their differential densities and properties. So that’s something to get interested about, even if you already own a model of the same headphone now offered in a new wood.
Dendrophiliacs be warned, the gorgeous woodwork and sounds coming from these limited ZMF Headphones would make your palms sweat, ears tingle, and wallets lighter.
Metal venting options are also not to be overlooked, and with that, the metals in the cables. An exciting development in the works from ZMF Headphones (due within a month or so of this show report) is a flagship pure silver cable, which adds to the flagship line started with Zach’s 2K Copper cable. The 2K headphone cable famously offers 513 strands of copper litz per conductor for a total of 2,052 strands per 4-conductor cable. Hence the 2K name.
And while we are talking about new developments, let’s talk about developing amps. ZMF Headphones had partnered with ampsandsound on the development of their stupendously powerful ZMF Pendant tube headphone amplifier. Coming soon will be an ampsandsound monoblock version of the Pendant amplifier, aimed at reaching new heights of sonic enlightenment. So be on the lookout for that amplifier when and wherever it arrives.
by Eric Shook
