After getting an opportunity to try the VC first hand ( thank you @Towa ) I have decided these are the next HP for me.
I really enjoy the signature of my Eikons but I often found myself wanting that little more oomph in the detail dept. I the heft of the ZMF cans, unlike other folks I really don’t mind wearing heavy headphones like the LCD2 etc. Maybe being accustomed to wearing a helmet or whatever but I can wear the ZMF cans all day without issue.
Another interesting happenstance of life, cities are loud and closed cans allow me to hear more music than open. That being said, I’m confident that spending cash on these is good especially since I can recoup some cash from selling my Eikons.
That being said, I’m curious of good chains for them.
Currently I have a Yggy A2 which I enjoy but I really need something much smaller in size. I’m also very much enjoying the Burson Conductor 3XR but I know I can do better sonically from an amp standpoint. The question is if it’s good enough (similar level) to the VC from a pairing standpoint. I also am enjoying the signature and it reminds me a bit a Liquid Platinum but a much more capable LP. The thing with the amp is that the built in DAC is just not up the the quality upper mid tier standalone DACs out there.
So enough of the back ground and hopefully it’s enough to get some good small chassis DAC for the chain recommendations.
The VC is in every way better than the Eikon except in the level of bass slam. The timbre is more natural to me, the detail is a notch above, the micro dynamics are considerably better (I think this may be the biggest difference) and the staging is better, as good at the staging is on the Eikons. The VC just feels for spacious, there’s also a bit more depth to the sound and when voices are close, it feels more intimate at the same time. The VC pads also provide more stage width. But I enjoyed the sound of the Universe pads more, because it helps to recapture some of the bass, albeit at the expense of some stage contraction but I find it’s a fair trade off and it makes the VC a little more fun overall.
EDIT: I will be trying out the Pendant amp thans to @NickMimi however size it going to be precious and I know the Pendant has a huge footprint. Is the Allnic HPA3000 much smaller by comparison and how would that pair?