Oh, on the topic of the RNHP, I went back and looked at the one that was offered to me for $375, he has very clearly in his listing that he upgraded the capacitors. is this a plus or minus for this?
I think you can ask for that amp at $300 unless he has pictures and tech specs of the capacitors. That amp doesnāt need capacitors.
Stupid question, but is there a classifieds section on this site? Iāve looked and somehow canāt find it. Are you saying he has one for sale? Tempted to go with that if Iām ending likely to end up with ZMF
Sort of 
ā¦
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Thank you!
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So imo I think itās a bit risky since you donāt know if it was a quality mod, you remove any chance of having it under warranty or service later on, and the mod will change the sonic signature, which could be good or bad. Personally I wouldnāt go for a modded unit unless you are extremely confident in the mod and the modder. As @DagoRed mentioned, @ValentineLuke is selling his rnhp, as is @FiCurious, so I would see if you can get a good deal from them if you were interested in a rnhp. Also I would agree with dago in that the rnhp does pair very well with the eikon/auteur if you want something more neutral and refined while remaining organic. But you get less impact compared to other amps in the range imo (still very good pairing though for sure and this can be a bit more offset with a dac with good punch and impact)
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So keep in mind this is based on me testing these other three headphonesā¦ But assuming I come back from this experience with a sound signature preference that matches up well with something like the Aeolus, what kind of pairing would you suggest for that?
I will happily buy the best setup for me once I get to test these. If itās totally the other way from ZMF then okay, but I just like to know my options and what makes the most sense for me. I will say, Iāve been communicating with Zach about a set of headphones and he feels that the Aeolus would serve me better for gaming and the music I listen to then the Auteur would all things considered.
Honestly, put the Focal Elegiaās on that list. Theyāre not amp picky, play nice with the RNHP, would work great for gaming. Trade up for the ZMFās because if youāre that serious about your setup, having a custom card coming with your hand made headphones with your name on it is an AWESOME experience.
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Believe me man, I honestly want to purchase ZMF. As I am sure it is readily apparent here! For me, itās about following the advice of the people that have experience (you guys) and doing what I need to, to make sure that I am spending my money wisely.
That being said, I kind of need to keep the budget to just those three and not add another pair to the list at this point.
When you say trade up, what do you mean? Haha. Iāve been through some bespoke/custom experiences in the past for other hobbies and it is seriously one of the best experiences you can ask for, so that is definitely a draw!
Sell gear you donāt have a use for as you know what you want that is more expensive. The truth is most audiophiles mostly use used stuff as they retain the experience pretty well overall. Buying new and throwing away isā¦ very expensive. The elegiaās are recently out of production so the values are quite good now and availability will drop. They will introduce you to the focal sound signature which honestly, for gaming might be up your alley. ZMFās require a bit more research because you might find yourself really wanting the verite. Plus if you competitions, personally the ZMFās are a work of art and I wouldnāt let them leave the house. Focalā¦ I would.
I agree with the comments here regarding the RNHP. I use mine with Focal Clear Pros, Audeze LCD-X (Sold), and Fully Lawton modded Fostex TH610ās and they all performed very well off of the RNHP ( the Lawtonās being my favorite).
I havenāt tried ZMF headphones off of it, so I couldnāt speak to the performance of those on the RNHP.
As much as I like Zach and what he does, I just canāt understand the aeolus and why he would feel it would preform better for your music and gaming to me. The eikon imo can hit harder, has more precise imaging and soundstage, has tighter control and separation, and doesnāt really get flabby sounding overall, the aeolus in comparison can sound pushed back and recessed and smooth over everything to make it generally agreeable, but I canāt say thatās a worthwhile trade-off when it sacrifices the actual capabilities of the headphones imo.
But if you are going to go for an aeolus, amp wise my recommendation would still be the hagerman tuba, that was easily my preference in the price range for what amp I enjoyed with them
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āHelp me determine how to spend $1,500ā
Iād go with hookers and blow.
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As an Aeolus owner i can only agree. I cant compare it with the Eikon.
But i bought it because DMS and Zeos claimed it was the best Headphones Around 1000$ in 2018 or 19 dont remember.
My LCD2C, Elex and HD800s show me how much it is actually lacking. So many people talked about how good it is.
I dont know i experienced something different.
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Honestly your experience does mirror others that I know and have seen. I can see the appeal for some people that never want any harshness and want the smoothest most relaxed thing they can get at the expense of technicalities, but generally I canāt say thatās what people are typically going for
Yes i was starting with unbalanced treble and sharp highs and thoughtā¦ i must be one of those prople that want a dark and laid back Headphone. And i took advices from youtubers until i got the Aeolus.
But thats over everday with the Arya gets better. Still a bit much treble im waiting for the Liquid P. should arrive next week.
@Sschaffer24 i think going for the ZMF is only a good Idea If:
1: You can test it beforehand
2: you are obsessed with the Style
3: You know exactly what Kind of Sound youāre looking for.
If youāre looking just for the best bang(sound) for the buck i dont think ZMF is the one. Itās about Handmade HP, Support and Something Special.
But itās just a feeling i only used Aeolus the old ones are probably something else since they wouldānt have cost me 1350 Euros.
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I do think zmf offers a fair price for the amount you pay with their other lineups, but not the aeolus/attikus imo
Personally I do like the thought of buying 3 cheaper headphones with different sound signatures to decide on what u like and eventually just buy a more expensive version of the one u pick. But at the same time since I assume you havenāt listened to much and you say that once u buy something you tend not to go back at all I donāt think it would be the worst if you pick something safe. Just something that super well rounded etc. So what Iām saying is both routes sound great. One just takes a quote bit longer but it also makes this more of a journey or hobby which is actually super duper fun. And the other one is just about getting the job done which is fair enough!
Iāll say this much, I wouldnāt be able to appreciate headphones like the hawks or the focals if I hadnāt heard all the headphones I did go through! Which does add to the value ultimately
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