ZMF ORI 3.0 HEADPHONES REVIEW
ZMF ORI 3.0 headphones reviewed by Oscar Stewart for HiFi PiG.
ZMF is an American company that makes a range of headphones, earpads, and amplifiers. They started in a similar way to Dan Clark Audio, in that they originally started out with models based around Fostex planar drivers and modifications to those. They have since evolved and make their headphones using their own drivers; they have ranges that use dynamic drivers, and others that use planar magnetic – in both open and closed-back designs.
One thing ZMF is well known for is their beautiful hand-crafted wooden build, with limited runs from time to time using stabilised wood and wood/resin creations. In this review, we are looking at their latest model, the Ori 3.0 – a successor of their original Omni (which changed name to Ori for legal reasons), which uses a closed back design and sports ZMF’s own planar magnetic driver in their classic wood styling – let’s take a closer look.
BUILD QUALITY AND FEATURES OF THE ZMF ORI 3.0
Starting off with the build quality, you will struggle to find a better-made headphone. The headband arms are sturdy and made from metal (you can choose the type of metal you want on their website), along with a leather headband strap and leather headband cushioning. The cups are made from Torrefied Limba wood – this process removes moisture from the wood and makes it both lighter and more stable, perfect for a headphone built to last. They feature new Ori-specific earpads, which are also made from leather and are easily replaceable (earpad tuning is something ZMF likes to offer, and if you are vegan, you can pick vegan options for both earpads and headband padding). The cable features sturdy 4-pin mini XLR connectors on each earcup, and the standard cable is twisted and sheathed in nylon – for a stock cable, it is impressively well-made. These are sturdy headphones, and the wood should age very well. Each pair is hand-made and unique due to the wood grain; you are paying for true craftsmanship instead of just another pair of mass-produced headphones.
The build quality does come at a slight cost; these are not lightweight headphones, coming in at 580g according to my scales. Luckily, the headband and its comfort strap design with plenty of arm adjustment allow for a comfortable fit for most. Those used to heavier headphones won’t have too much trouble with these. I personally found listening sessions of 2-3 hours to be fine, with the weight becoming noticeable after that.
The Ori 3.0 use trickle-down planar tech from the Caldera model for both tighter and bigger bass. Whilst they are not the most difficult headphones to drive, they do have moderately low sensitivity, which does mean they sound their best with a headphone amp with a bit of grunt behind it. One big feature of the Ori 3.0 is the new bass port, which gives the headphones 3 different signatures. Fully open for the biggest bass, semi-open for a little more control without sacrificing too much body, and a closed plug for a tighter yet still tastefully elevated bass response.
One thing to note here is that my pair of Ori 3.0 are one of the first that went out to reviewers such as myself, and they came with 3D printed bass port plugs. The retail models will come with two sets of TPU-like, 3D printed plugs; this is purely cosmetic. I did, however, think it was important to mention this.
Whilst these are closed-back headphones, they do have some venting, which does mean they won’t isolate quite as well as some other closed-back models. They are great for home use and dulling some background noise without completely isolating you from everything.
SOUND QUALITY
As per usual, I ran the Ori 3.0 out of my iFi iCAN Phantom as the reference amp, using the S.M.S.L D6s DAC running balanced XLR into the iFi. I used a stock 4-pin XLR balanced cable with the Ori 3.0. Music played was a mix of CDs, ripped FLAC, and Qobuz streamed through Roon.
Starting with the bass port fully open (no plugs), it only seemed sensible to play something with a bit of bass to test these out. Funnily enough, The Gereg by The Hu seemed to give me just what I was looking for here, and with the bass ports open, these deliver borderline bass-head levels of both punch and depth. The bass is big, bold, and full; whilst it may feel on the verge of dominating, the midrange still somehow manages to cut through with great clarity, and the treble is crisp and well extended without ever sounding harsh. If you like a healthy amount of bass, these are going to deliver what you are looking for, and they do so without too many drawbacks in terms of resolution and control. Yes, for my personal tastes, this is a bit too much in terms of quantity. I cannot, however, knock how tastefully implemented the bass boost is. They never sound congested, they manage to keep up with complex mixes, and they are effortlessly articulate too, and drop down to 20Hz without any complaint.
Another track with the port open, Machine by The Horrors. This one showcases the ability of the Ori 3.0 to paint a wide soundstage from a closed-back design. The intro is open and spacious with great accuracy in terms of placing the subtle effects within the soundstage. When it gets going, there is a great driving bass beat that is once again at the forefront of the sound with the bass ports open; however, the vocals, cymbals, and synths are all given enough space to breathe. They never lose control. This is a bass-boosted headphone that isn’t a one-trick pony; it delivers detail and resolution with a healthy dose of low-end presence. A highly engaging and fun listening experience, and something quite different from a few of the models I’ve been listening to recently.
Moving on to the vented port plugs, these are possibly my personal favourite as they tighten up the sound a little without taking away what the Ori 3.0 does so well – engagement. Take Waiting For the End by Linkin Park, Chester’s vocals are tonally accurate, and the bass beat is punchy and full yet doesn’t quite dominate in the same way as with the ports fully open. These are still very much a full-bodied sounding headphone, even with the ports vented, they just sound a little more controlled with these ports in, without losing any extension. The Ori 3.0 give such a huge sound from a closed-back headphone; there is a true sense of air and space between each layer in the recording, and the detail you get from these is quite astonishing. There is a sense of refinement to these that allows them to be big and full-sounding without ever losing track of the finer details. The treble is incredibly well behaved with a crisp and clear presence that is devoid of any harshness.
Equally engaging is You Moved Away by Death Cab for Cutie, an atmospheric track that has plenty of space and swirling sound effects mixed in with real instruments and soft vocals. The underlying bass line is articulate and full with the vented ports fitted; however, the increased control allows the finger-picked guitar parts to shine through, and vocals still have great presence. I’m still not sure how ZMF manages to make their closed models sound so spacious, but they do, and these give you a convincing soundstage that is both deep and wide. This is the kind of sound signature that is on the fuller side of neutral, but that doesn’t sound wrong or wonky; it gives you a subjectively pleasing fullness that encourages longer listening sessions.
Moving on to the closed plugs, these offer the most linear sound out of all the options. Don’t expect these to suddenly become studio neutral, though. The Ori 3.0 are tuned for a bit of fun, and it would be silly to try and remove this. With the closed plugs, though, you do tame the bass a little, bringing it more in line with the rest of the frequency range. Plainsong by The Cure, for example, still has that fullness to the intro, yet the more the bass becomes controlled, the more the midrange seems to come forward. The presentation changes slightly as the lowered bass response brings a perceived change to the mids and treble, bringing them forward. With the closed plugs, there is a slight forwardness in the upper midrange/lower treble that is more noticeable, with a hint of sibilance at times, only on certain tracks though.
The tighter bass is quite noticeable on Yellowjacket by Spiritbox; the bass guitar line is thick and articulate, however, the kick drums lose a little of their body and impact. The midrange really does take a step forward, too, and I personally found the slightly more spacious sound of the vented plugs to sound a little more natural. There is still a sense of fullness and body to the overall sound, but they just are not quite as “fun” as when you use the vented plugs or fully open.
I find the Ori 3.0 to be an energetic and fun headphone, and the closed plugs take a little of this away, in my opinion. Now, I am aware that this will come down to personal preference, and this closed configuration will please some people more than others, but the Ori 3.0 does bass so well that keeping them vented gives you that delicious bass whilst still sounding natural and with excellent detail retrieval to boot.
Many people will be asking how the Ori 3.0 compares to the Caldera Closed, ZMF’s current flagship closed planar model – luckily enough, I have one on hand that I can compare these to. Firstly, I found that using the vented port plugs (middle) gave the best sound for a comparison between the two models. The Caldera closed are a more refined headphone, and they sound a little more reserved, whilst the Ori 3.0 go for a more engaging and energetic sound. This does mean the Ori are slightly more in-your-face in their presentation and have a bit more fun factor to their sound, whilst the Caldera closed are more controlled, whilst still offering up a slight sub-bass boost that gives the sound a pleasing fullness.
Chimera by Polyphia showcases the Calderas’ more controlled sound with cleaner transients and improved imaging and detail. The Ori handle this track very well too; they just sound a little more up-front, and the bass emphasis is a little stronger, so it will appeal to those wanting to add something a bit more fun to their collection.
There is quite a price difference between the models, and hearing them side by side, you can understand why. Comparing the two, though, does highlight that the Ori 3.0 are seriously fun for the money, and their sound signature is different enough that having both doesn’t seem silly to me. I will be writing up a full Caldera Closed review, so stay tuned.
QUIBBLES
The only thing I can think of here is the weight of them, not everyone will get on well with that; however, they do distribute the weight very well, and the build is incredibly solid.
CONCLUSION
ZMF has created such a fun headphone with the Ori 3.0, and you can tell they have trickle-down tech from the Caldera model. Whilst they don’t have the sheer refinement of their costlier sibling, what they do offer up is a more direct and fun sound, without ever sounding closed in. The bass port with tuning plugs is a great idea, and implementation is great; you get three different tunings, giving you the flexibility to choose the one you personally prefer.
Whilst the bass was a little too much fully open, I found the vented plugs to be my favourite, as they retain all the fun whilst giving them a little more control. The closed plugs are great for those wanting a more intimate midrange and tighter low end, but once you’ve heard them fully open and vented, though, I think you will struggle to go fully closed (as they are just so much fun).
This is a pair of headphones tuned for musical enjoyment, so they may not win any awards for graphs that look pretty, but they do deliver your music in a different way that I found to be highly engaging and downright fun. I have enough models that sound well-balanced, and so it is always refreshing to get something different – and these sound different in the best way. They don’t neglect the basics; they have natural tonality, even with that added low end, they are spacious sounding (full stop, not just for a closed model), with great transient response and detail retrieval.
AT A GLANCE
Build Quality And Features:
Solid handmade headphones made to last
ZMF calls these headphones an heirloom, and they will last a lifetime and more with a bit of care
Bass port tuning via included port plugs
Earpad tuning via options in the ZMF shop
Sound Quality:
Big, bold, and fun
Spacious, well separated, and engaging
Value For Money:
Add in the build and sound quality, and you get quite a lot for your money
We Loved:
The build quality and craftsmanship
The tasteful tuning that is bass-oriented without skipping the fundamentals
We Didn’t Love So Much:
The weight on your head
Elevator Pitch Review: ZMF knows how to make a fantastic-looking headphone, and they are backed up by excellent tunings. The Ori 3.0 comes in to satisfy those who crave a low-end boost without forgetting about the rest of the frequency range. These have a very tasteful bass-boost that you can tailor to your liking via the included bass port plugs. If you want something that’s different from the usual well-balanced tunings that are so prevalent, give these a listen. A word of warning, the sound of these can be quite addictive, and you’ll be asking yourself why you didn’t buy a pair of more “fun” headphones before now. ZMF have nailed the tuning here, and if you appreciate them for what they are (not neutral) they are a brilliant buy for the money.
Price: $2199 / £2199
Oscar Stewart
