And even then, itās just width without much depth or placing accuracy imo
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Pretty much this. Youāre paying for a package that has the whole air of custom artisanry around it and that is a lot of the cost that goes into it, over sound performance. After comparing other headphones to zmf headphones Iāve owned, Iāve gotten over the whole āZMF IS THE BEST; THEY SO PRETTYā thing and wouldnāt care to own any anymore.
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I love my Aeolus ā¦ and its pretty much true. So much DNA of the 650 in the Aeolus. Its a love letter to the headphone.
With the Bopp filter on it sounds in my opinion artificially dark.
Seeing as the Bass slams hard and mids are so rich then all of a sudden the treble in comparison at first seems smooth but sounds dead after feeling how alive the bass and mids are.
Bopp filter off is great, treble is airy sounds great still. But now the headphone is bright, time to address pads. The perf Suede sounds PERFECT with this combo, stock Aeolus pads feel too bright not a good synergy.
If you treat this like an Audiophile enjoyment headphone like the Fostex X00 and 650 then youāre going to love it. Especially on tubes that are gooey. It adds so much to the layering and has a similar effect to throwing a 650 on a tube.
That may lie the problem it does soundā¦ extremely close to a 650 on a tube in general. Theres definitely a reason why the Aeolus is recommended with usually OTL Crack tubes because it can be tuned to be gooey and matches with the Aeolus to be an extension of the 650 on a tube with slightly more edge to it. More detail less laid back.
To be honest I agree with if youāre looking for more technical detail this isnāt recommended even my Elex and Aiva have more technical prowess. Theyāre substantially cheaper and the Elex slams as hard and is as warm. Treble is still harsh but great on a tube [and goes on sale sometimes for $550]
Just have in mind what you want from this headphone as its expensive for what you get. Elex and X00 slam as hard. 650 has as rich mids and on a tube is so close. and still I love mine.
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My views a bit less severe than this, Iāve owned 3 ZMFās, I never got the Aeolus, and Iāve never understood peoples love affair with them, but I wonāt dismiss it.
They donāt resolve very well, and they have no bite at all, but they arenāt a bad headphone, just not competitive with whatās available at the price point when it comes to technicalities. I think the people who love them are wanting that inoffensive sound.
FWIW a I thought the Aeolus was better on Harsher SS than with tubes, it really needs anything to give it some bite.
The Eikon, and Verite C are probably price competitive at new prices, with whatās available, but once you start looking used they struggle to compete, the Eikon is probably the best used value, because they donāt hold their price.
The Verite C is still the best closed back Iāve heard, though thee are a few others Iād like to listen to.
But yes a lot of ZMF is the experience and the cool wood cups.
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I think there is a certain prestige to getting a ZMF for the most part. The Aeolus is one of the more affordable ZMF headphone and it looks great. So if you are upgrading from a 58x/Sundara or similar level headphone and the Aeolus is their first ZMF, I can throw them a bone. I can understand that no one wants to hear that their headphone sucks and choose to defend it, especially after saving, waiting, etc for their prized Aeolus.
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And Iām not saying that, they donāt do anything for me personally, the fact people who own higher end ZMFās and other headphones still seem to use them is baffling to me. But itās a thing.
I think the T50RP3 is garbage (for different reasons), worst headphone I own, and lots of people like those too.
I do think the Aeolus get overvalued for the build.
But there is something people like in there from an audio standpoint, to me itās relaxed and soft, which is inoffensive and uninteresting, but if people are looking for a warm soft tone I could see it.
Same reason Iām not a fan of very wet tube amps, to me it stops instruments sounding natural, and thatās what I want to hear.
I tilt with some of the assertions made hereā¦Aeolus are not the best performing technicallyā¦there are other headphones that can provide that detail and crisp sound ā¦but guess what ā¦they are meditation/zenā¦friendlyā¦warm and lush and fucking beautiful aesthetically. I love emā¦i loved em when I got my first used pair at 800 dollars ( resold) and I love the new stable set I got new from ZMF.
This headphone shit is subjective and having a set of cans like this on my self is another arrow in my quiver, eye candy for dayz and to me worth every god damn penny. Go support the things you feel this way about ā¦I hope you find em ā¦cause that feeling of grabbing the set off the self with the warm glow of the tubes and plugging in, to sit back and feel the day slide offā¦there just aint nothing like it.
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I agree on a solid state its a lot faster sounding. its very aggressive on Tubes its so much more laid back.
You could send them in for Argon treatment and make them top tier. [Get the lambskin pads]
Good for you. The worst is not knowing what you like or dislike, then you end up getting things that donāt fit you and that is bad. I find it cool that we have different ears and that for some the looks are important and for others it is the least important thing.
No matter what brand of HPs we can discuss, some like them and some donāt.
The only thing I find relevant in a discussion like this is:
Have respect for what other people like/dislike, because we are not the same and saying someone is wrong for not liking the same as you, is not true and it is plane wrong.
Has there been anyone in this thread that has said anyone is wrong for liking the Aeolus? I certainly havenāt. I know I enjoy the Aeolus far more than a couple others that have posted negative thoughts on ZMF in this thread. My problem is purely from a price/performance ratio of ZMF. That isnāt something I had perspective on until I gained more experience with other headphones. I also noticed they didnāt seem to scale as well on higher end dacs/amps than other headphones of similar or lower price point. Neither of those things mean that they are ābadā headphones. I ended up giving my Verite to my SO because itās a great all-rounder and sounds great still on lesser gear, and Iāve kept my Aeolus out of nostalgia simply because it was my first relatively ābigā expense into the 1k+ range of headphones.
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No and it was not aimed at you, so no worries 
Yeah I take a lot of stuff people say - often things the serial posters in these kind of threads say - with a grain of salt. Too many times you come across people with overly strong opinions on headphones they either have little experience with or havenāt tried at all. And couch those opinions as unassailable fact, or imply negative judgement of others who would disagree. I prefer people who at least make an attempt to frame their impressions as just that - impressions - and not as anything more authoritative. I.e. several of the posts above concluding that people mostly or only like ZMF - or entry level ZMF - because āmuh pretty wood cupsā etc.
Iām probably guilty of this elsewhere Iām sure. For example one of my strong audio opinions - aside from thinking that cables actually matter quite a bit - is that the entry level amps and DACs are kind of worthless. To me, thos $15 Apple dongles sound as good or better. But hey, some probably strongly disagree and thatās fair.
What got me interested in the Aeolus isnāt their technicalities. For technicalities, right now, I have my Thieaudio Monarch, which is strong in that area. I was mostly looking for a really comfortable set of phones that are nice and lush and warm. As close to a 6xx upgrade as I could get, I guess. Though Iām sure thatās not all Iām looking for - just an approximation of what I think I want. Of course, Iād want the Aeolusā technicalities to exceed in performance those of the 6xx. If they most definitely do not, thenā¦ then Iād definitely consider removing them from my search (was also looking at the Clear MGs but Iām not into the idea of my ears resting against metal grates all date long - as the pads compress over time, I hear more and more peopleās ears touch the grates - would rather, if they were to touch anything, itād be soft felt material or similar as they do with the 6xxās).
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I really like my ZMF HPs, but I also really like my BD 1990 Pro; there is a big difference in price and sound, but they suit my needs, my wallet and my desires. There are some HPs I wwould NEVER buy, even though they are very much appraised for their good sound; we all have our quirks and desires and that is good.
I have the Aeolus and can rec them as an easy going and very non-fatiguing epsecially on a tube amp. I have not heard the 6xx, so no comparison is possible, but I have never regreted buying the Aeolus. If I want to listen to the music and not the HP and get a warm sound, then I reach for my Aeolus. And when not listening, I enjoy how it looks. I like the pretty wood cups, I like it is handmade and yes there is a cost combined with that; so what, it is my decision.
You just summed up my exact thoughts so much better than I ever could when it come to the Aeolus. I call it my ultimate āchillā headphone. Well said!!!
I have my Aeolus for chill, relaxed, warm gooiness and have the Clear MG for everything the Aeolus is not. Although I have many other headphones, these two open backs cover my desires quite effectively.
FWIW I donāt think the Super HD600/650 exists.
I think itās just those headphones on better source gear.
The Aeolus has IMO a more complete FR on SS than the 6xx, but the loss youāll take is in the midrange timbre where the 6xx really shines, the Aeolus is so smooth, it just glosses over it all.
Doesnāt make it worse or better overall, but itās most definitely not a super 6xx.
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You should go make a list of what people have called super 6xx, on it youāll find a massive list of headphones, most of which to me do not sound like a 6xx.
What the 6xx/600/650 do to me is exceptional midrange timbre, you trade that off for somewhat lackluster Bass and Treble response on SS, and somewhat limited resolution.
On a good tube amp itās a better headphone, because the impedance spikes fill out the FR a bit, and you donāt really lose anything in the midrange, and it scales incredibly well, it never gains any real resolution, but it really can sound fantastic given the price point.
Iāve heard/owned it and the Aeolus, and while I can see some similarities in overall tone, they really are very different headphones to me, I like the 6XX, and Iām completely ambivalent about the Aeolus.
Again itās all opinions, though Iāve reached the point Iāve stopped paying any real attention to any reviewers.
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The Metal review (more than the Zeos review) was what put me on the scent of the these headphones in the first place. Was surprised to hear such a sharp, critical reception on this board in response to my post. The other reviews of these headphones I came across online - at least in video format - were similarly glowing or close.
Bummer that itās basically impossible to audition a pair of ZMFs in the states short of CanJamā¦ And I live in one of the biggest markets too! East coast.
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They hold value pretty well, especially the limited editions, if you buy when they are severely backordered, or just buy used, you donāt have to lose a lot on them.
That tendency for them to hold value is one of the reasons they donāt really compare well at used price points.