Atrium Closed (Release date – end of April 2023)
I want to give a big thanks to Zach from ZMF for letting me have some time with the Atrium closed in both cherry and olive!
This headphone shares quite a few similarities to its open counterpart while adding in its own flavor to make it a worthwhile addition to any collection. What makes the Atrium open a great headphone is found here on the closed. The organic presentation is still here. The holographic presentation is here, just not quite as prevalent as on the Atrium open. It still brings that organic midrange from the open. The soundstage is wide, especially for a closed back, but it is not as wide as the Atrium open. The imaging I would say is on par with the Atrium open. This headphone, to my ears, is little more laid back than its open counterpart which I personally am really loving. The main thing that separates this headphone from the Atrium open is THE BASS. Sub bass is greatly increased and it goes very low, we are talking planar like levels of low with enough quantity to actually feel it while also providing a great punch in the lower and upper bass frequencies. I will say if you love bass, look no further, these are what you need. With these headphones I believe the wood choice makes a noticeable sonic difference which I will explain below.
There is a tale of two woods here. You have the cherry wood which is softer vs the olive which is a harder wood. Normally with ZMFs you would just pick what you think looks good and on your way you go. These provide a slightly different presentation depending on which wood you pick. The cherry wood offers a bass presentation that has a slightly greater bass quantity, more decay, and more relaxed upper mids. The olive wood offers a slight decrease in the bass quantity, but the bass becomes tighter, and there is more energy in the upper mids. Neither wood is better than the other, just something to keep in mind so you can choose which lines up with your preferences.
The Atrium closed is a fantastic headphone. No matter which wood you pick you are going to enjoy them. It brings most of what makes an Atrium Open so special, into a closed package while adding the flavor of some fantastic bass (especially sub bass).
Note – all listening was done with the stock Caldera lambskin thin pads on both versions of the Atrium closed.
For some more info about the Atrium closed - THE ZMF ATRIUM HEADPHONES PATENT PENDING ACOUSTIC DESIGN — ZMF Headphones
Here are some specs for those who are curious -
Driver: Dyanmic Atrium driver
Impedance: 300 Ohms
Damping: Atrium Damping System
Wood at launch: Cherry (stock), Olive (limited edition)
Weight: ~500 grams (depending on choice of wood and chassis)
More pics - More pics - Imgur: The magic of the Internet