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Portable
It’s clear that the Bokeh will sound excellent with a whole series of powerful desktop amplifiers. As usual we will recommend to try it out with your favorite amp before you buy it (if possible). Switching to portable is where we really get to test the Bokeh’s drivability claims, so let’s get started.
One of the most popular portable choices still is the Chord Electronics Mojo 2, and it has on many occasions proven why it is such a great unit. With the Bokeh (single ended output), you get a more solid state like sounding Mojo, where the focus is on the extended, energetic top end as well as the bass. Overall fullness and body here are excellent. The bass has good presence and impact but the sub bass part is less audible and the bass isn’t the tightest. The vocal and treble section however are really nice. All-in-all you do get a more intimate presentation with a focus on vocals, higher frequencies and bass. It’s good and very enjoyable, but I have to say that the Bokeh with the above desktop amplification sounds more complete and performant. Volume and head room wise there is nothing to worry about though, and the Mojo has plenty of power to drive the Bokeh.
The Cayin RU7 still is one of the most popular dongles when it comes to page views on Headfonia. It with the Bokeh (even in low gain) performs excellent, and you get good weight and a nice technical level. The sub bass part is really impressive, as are the mids, vocal presentation and lively top end. The only downside I find here is that the bass isn’t always as controlled or tight, but the RU7 makes up for that with the note extension and decay. It’s a refined and powerful combo, with a natural and musical presentation. It sounds lively and the mid-timbre as well as the vocal presentation are excellent. I easily prefer this DAC/AMP over the Mojo2.
The last few years I haven’t really been focusing on portable gear myself, and as such the only recent DAPs in my collection are the Astell&Kern SP3000 and SP3000T. The SP series are excellent but they’re certainly not always the best for driving full-sized headphones and as such my expectations for this combo weren’t very high. The SP3000 proved me wrong however as it perfectly controls the Bokeh, delivering good body from top to bottom, as well as a punchy and impactful bass. The delivery is energetic and precise, but that is no surprise as the SP3K excels in these areas. In this setup you get an excellent technical level, as well as perfect control and a musical delivery. This combo sounds excellent and the SP3000 does it all effortlessly, I could listen to this all day long. If I have to say something bad about this combo, I would say the sub bass control could be a tad better, but then I am nit-picking, What a nice surprise!
This also shows that the ZMF Bokeh indeed can be driven by all types of sources, no matter portable or desktop. I am not saying the Bokeh will sound as nice on all of them, but part of that is personal preference as well. Try before you buy is always good advice. I have not included the Aegis in the amp list as the tubes I have rolled in there now make it overly heavy and full sounding. The combo isn’t the best for the Bokeh, unless you like a lot of weight, warmth and smoothness. I’ll get back to this combo in the Aegis review (soon!).
Comparison
For this section I am using the SAEQ PDA-1b as it allows you to connect up to four headphones at the same time, without loss of power or quality. The DAC still is the Pegasus and the connections are balanced. The headphones chosen for this chapter are the DCA E3, Meze Audio Liric II, Sennheiser HD 620S and the ZMF Atrium Closed. The Bokeh is equipped with the standard, hybrid pads.
The Meze Liric II is lighter sounding than the Bokeh and that from top to bottom. The bass presence also is lighter. With the ZMF you will get the bigger bass impact, but the bass detail is more apparent on the Liric II as the ZMF is hiding it in the bigness. The Liric II is a more v-shaped headphone and that makes it totally different sounding from the Bokeh, as the focus here is on the bass and treble section. That does also mean that the Liric II is more energetic, lively on top and it has a better clarity overall. It just sounds cleaner where the Bokeh sounds more lush in comparison. The Bokeh has a bigger, more “in your face” kind of tuning with omnipresent vocals, where the Meze is more refined, better defined, with the vocals blending in more. The Liric II has the typical high-end reference tuning. Both headphones are very differently tuned, making them compatible for your collection.
The Dan Clark Audio E3 is a very popular headphone and it has won many awards already. Like the Liric II it is lighter in overall body and weight. It is in better control and delivers a more refined, detailed and energetic sound. Like the Liric it is more clean and clear sounding than the Bokeh, and it also has that high-end reference tuning. The E3 – like the Liric – is easier on the ears and it becomes very obvious when switching between these headphones. The Liric II and DCA E3 are more refined and more high-end tuned. They also sound the most naturally open (for closed back headphones). Both are easier to listen to as in they are more relaxed on the ears. The Bokeh with its body and bass delivery, as well as with its full vocals, can become a little (ear)fatiguing during longer listening sessions. Both the Meze and the DCA are twice the price of the Bokeh as well, so that shouldn’t be a surprise at all. The ZMF Bokeh also isn’t going for this typical type of tuning.
The ZMF Atrium Closed with the thin lambskin pads (perforated) goes for double the price of the Bokeh but it is quite a step up from the Bokeh as well. You get the same fuller, bigger and bolder sound, but it is also more natural, open and spacious sounding. The Atrium Closed is easier on the ears and it has a more refined detailed and extended presentation on all fronts. The Atrium Closed is playing at a higher level on all fronts, but it in my opinion also needs bigger and better amplification. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying the Bokeh is bad here, but it is clearly is a little brother of the AC. ZMF has never pretended that the Bokeh would be a competitor to the high-end Atrium or Caldera Closed either, so no surprises here.
The Sennheiser HD 620S is selling for $350 USD and it is one of the most popular closed-back headphones of the moment in the lower price segment. The look and feel of this headphone is very different from the Bokeh and the build quality of the ZMF just is miles ahead of the Senn. With the HD 620S you feel like you’re holding a plastic toy, while the Bokeh gives you a tough, quality headphone. Both are transportable and easier to drive, but the ZMF is a bit taller to put in your bag. Sound wise the tuning also is very different. Where the ZMF is full sounding, with great body from top to bottom, the HD 620S is very light, with a very neutral amount of body. The bass impact and slam in the Senn is almost non existing if you compare it to the Bokeh. The ZMF is also softer to the ear with a smoother and ore natural tonality. It’s a more relaxed and fun sound to listen to (dynamics!). The fatigue with the HD 620S is much higher, especially with longer listening sessions. The vocal presentation of the Sennheiser also is very different. It is lighter, sharper and it is placed more to the front. The Sennheiser however is the faster and cleaning sounding headphone of both, and because of the lighter weight, the note extension and openness are more apparent/audible. If you like the top end to be energetic, lively and more extended, then the Sennheiser will please you most. The Bokeh, coming from the Sennheiser, can be a nice and huge upgrade and a first step into high-end audio, but the tonality and tuning are quite different.
Conclusion
The ZMF Bokeh is a beautiful and well-built headphone which really lets you enjoy your music. For a closed-back headphone the sound quality is good, though the focus here really is on the musical enjoyment and not on the ultimate precision or performance. Its isolation qualities are exemplary.
The Bokeh isn’t a cheap headphone but it is a lot more affordable than its bigger brothers and you do get a lot in return (like the beautiful (wood) craftmanship). The Bokeh comes in a well-constructed package with a nice set of stock accessories, but we do recommend going for the full-option package, so you can further finetune your Bokeh with the pads and mesh.
Summary
Pros:
– Fun tuning
– Dynamic sound
– Beautiful design
– Excellent Build Quality
– Drivability
– Packaging & Accessories
Cons:
– Technical performance
Page 1: ZMF, Bokeh, Box & Accessories & Price
Page 2: Design, Build Quality, Comfort & Isolation, Specification, Sound Intro, Sound general
Page 3: Sounds Pads, Sound Mesh, Sound Desktop amplification
Page 4: Sounds Portable Amplification, Comparisons, Conclusion, Summary
