This is the official thread for the ZMF Atticus. This thread is for discussion and reviews.
- Over Ear
- Amp needed
- Closed Back
Reviews…
[Z Reviews]
[Aornic]
I have owned my Atticus for over a year now and they are still my favorite cans for fun/enjoyment listening. If anybody has any questions about them at all, just let me know and I would happy to answer.
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I would love to hear your thoughts, or at least open up this thread for more discussion! When Zach announced the Atticus and Eikon there was a lot of back-and-forth on which pair people liked more - to my recollection, the consensus I observed reading through the thread was for most folks to prefer the capabilities and technicalities of the Eikon, such as the subbass and imaging, while a number of folks preferred the tuning and sound of the Atticus for most genres (Metal571 comes to mind). I’m somewhat shocked to see Eikon get so much attention here while Atticus has none at all.
Would you say it’s fair to consider Atticus on the same “path” of fun and bass emphasis as the Argons, or the Nighthawks, and then the X00s, sort of as the flagship-tier can to represent that coloration of sound? Or in the 3-4 years since release, do other headphones stand out more as a better stop on the path to TOTL fun cans?
Also, I’m going to paste in someone’s head-fi take from page 271 of the Atticus and Eikon main thread, partly as I found it emblematic of how most described the Atticus, and also because I wonder if I can bait @M0N (Nighthawk gang! :)) into an opinion, as his insights are always appreciated:
"The Atticus has more upper mid presence than the pre fazor LCD-2 + 3. It’s closer to the HD650 but without the grain of the 650, more romantic and reverby. The Atticus bass is a bit bloomy but it hits much harder than the planars. It’s not the most clean or defined bass.
I would say the Atticus is a mix between the Fostex THX00, HD650 and LCD-2PF. Fostex bass(with added woody-ness) HD650 vocals(with added woody lushness) and elements of planar smoothness much like the old Audeze phones.
The Nighthawk is completely sucked out in the mids, badly so and takes a different character to the Atticus. NH is more thin, closed in but has a weird muddy mid bass."
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I definitely say the Atticus is fun. It’s more of a slight U shape where the bass and treble are extended and slightly north of neutral, but not in an obscene way. This is of course with the stock Ori Leather Pads. With the Ori Suede pads, the midbass is down a few db and the treble up a few. Eikon suede pads do something similar, but make them way more analytical.
I also own a pair of Aeolus as well. The Atticus and Aeolus are both my favorite headphones. I also own a Focal Clear, Focal Elegia, Sennheiser HD650 and Audeze LCD-2…but ZMF headphones are the best. The Atticus is also really good on tubes.
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@Hazi59 So now that you have both the Atticus and Aeolus, which do you prefer and why? Would you say they are both worth owning and do they sound similar to each other considering it’s the same driver?
Really interested in your thoughts on the matter. I’m wanting to get a Aeolus as my first open back ZMF later this year but I am wondering if it’s worth getting a Atticus as well later down the line.
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I don’t believe they sound similar at all. I think they are both worth owning, but I also like a bassier headphone. The Atticus may be too bassy for some (at least in stock configuration with the Ori Leather pads)…but Ori Suede pads tone down the mid bass.
I like both because the Atticus sounds different and is really good at isolation when I need to block out my environment. I prefer the Aeolus in optimal listening conditions, but I am happy that I own both. Both sound great on tubes as well. 
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Atticus is my next move too, will pair up with my Aeolus which is my favorite pair of cans right now.
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If i was looking for a higher end more capable hd600 would the atticus come close to that. Im looking at this as the rainy sunday, easy on the ears, relax with a tube amp can.
Not even close. If you want something like that, I’d suggest the Aeolus.
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Interesting, i figured it would be close to that with a U shape to it. And the differences you get with it being closed vs open.
U Shape meaning forward bass and treble…the HD600 are extremely mid forward…2 totally different sound signatures.
I mean u shaped as bass and treble have slight bumps. Just enough for a little more fullness and sparkle. Mids are not missing or recessed, theyre still the emphasis and the slight u just compliments it. But that could just be my take.
a V to me is that bass and mid forward sound
U shaped can mean neutral mids or slightly recessed mids. V shaped is referred to when the mids are extremely recessed. That’s neither here nor there though…the Atticus and HD600 sound nothing alike.
Noted and noted
On another note, the Aeolus and HD650 have similar-ish sound signatures, with the Aeolus having better more linear bass and better treble extension…something to consider…
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@Hazi59, I’m doing some budgeting/planning for a ZMF headphone and it’s difficult for me to pin down which model is what I’m looking for. I’m relatively sensitive to harsh treble (Dekoni Blues murdered me and DT770 was too much for me at times) and it seems like the Atticus is the “warmest” ZMF offers?
I’m not an especially “analytical” listener at all - I mostly prefer tight, punchy, fast bass, relatively forward mids and relaxed treble but without sacrificing detail, in a closed-back headphone. Is the Atticus that, or should I be looking at another ZMF headphone?
I should add that my signal chain is a Grace SDAC to a Liquid Carbon X.
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I debated the choice between an Eikon and the Atticus, they both seems like they would have fit my tastes but given your description preferring punchy fast bass, that’s the Atticus. I bought an Eikon and love it, it is actually similar in signature to an LCD-2 which is what I was looking for, but in a closed back. I presents a lot more refinement and better voicing with smoother highs and a good bit more detail but it does miss the slam, not that it doesn’t do it, but that it isn’t a planar capable level of slam but it doesn’t slam below 100 Khz or so.
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I appreciate your response! Yeah, I looked at the Eikon as well and the description of it having “the most sub-bass of any ZMF headphone” had me cautious. I’m 100% in the same boat as you that I’m sure they’d both fit my tastes, but I appreciate your explanation. In that case I do think the Atticus would be more in line of what I’m looking for.
Yeah I think that the Atticus would suit what you’re looking for really well, I love mine they are nice and relaxing to listen to with really good timbre and clarity whilst also having very nice bass (enough to either rival my hawks or beat them).
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The Atticus is the warmest for sure, but there is still some treble sparkle around 7 to 10 KHz…but it is nothing compared to the DT770 treble…at least with the stock leather Ori pads.
Another plus is if the Atticus is too warm for you stock, eikon leather pads make it much more neutral, but still maintains good bass extension (you do lose the midbass hump though).
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