My almost new Eikon has the same issue with rod not catching much. I thought it was possible to write to ZMF and get them to replace the headband other parts? I was planning to send my VC as it has the old style headband and I like the comfort on the newer ones.
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I’m going to ask a dumb/obvious question, did you try bending the headband to get more clamp force?
There’s a video on how to adjust in case you were not aware:
And here is one to show you how to fix the rod:
I have had them send me out replacement parts such as new rods, gimbal, and the rings. Quite easy to do, make sure you use the right lokite!
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You can also do this swap at home if you don’t need to send them off, those two screws on each side of the gimbal is the only thing holding the headband.
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I might actually send them in since they’re almost 2.5 years old and I think that the screw on one the cup sometimes comes loose so I just want to make sure everything is in good shape.
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Gim-bal not Jim-bal Zack.
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THANK YOU. I’m glad you asked the obvious question…I didn’t have these issues with either my Atticus or VC so the thought never crossed my mind. The guy said he never had any issues with the rod sliding and considering how loose the band was, I immediately jumped to: “giant head so he always had it maxed out” and it being stretched so far just ruined the entire band. I’m quite a presumptuous jerk, I guess.
I bent the band and tightened that screw a couple turns and now they fit like a dream! The rod is sticking like it should be and they don’t feel like they’re going to slip off my face.
These sound INCREDIBLE. They apparently have a painful bump from about 2600-3200 so I just thew a -3db peak at 2900 (about where it was the most painful) with a Q of 4 and that fixed everything. They are SO clear and detailed. They sound far more detailed to me than the VC, likely due to whatever EQ issues I still need to adjust for, but I don’t really feel like listening to any other headphone again at the moment…
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You are very welcome, glad to have asked the dumb ass question so you could adjust them better 
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Gorgeous cocobolo! And it goes real well with the all black hardware. For $800 that seems like a steal.
A little late but yes their headbands can be rebent to clamp, and them and audeze use little adjuster screws to “clamp” the rod so they can slip to adjust but grip to stay put. Audeze though also have other screws at the bottom of the rods that tend to come loose. And if its loose enough the cup will slide down and fall off.
CHECK YOUR SCREWS!!!
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If you end up needing replacement parts I would email ZMF directly and asking for them. I can’t imagine they would not help you with a resolution.
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After weeks of messing around with pads, cables, and EQ settings, I think I have finally figured my ZMF shit out.
The problem this entire time isn’t the headphone, but rather my funky ass ears. I’ve been using a frequency sweep video on YouTube that shows the frequencies as they’re changing and have listened to each set with different pads, making notes of problem areas.
For starters, swapping the interconnects out seems to have softened the issues I was having with the VC around 5500 and 7200 Hz.
But I seem to have a natural issue with like 2600-3300 Hz range, peaking between 2800-2900 Hz. Like, a MAJOR issue. For whatever reason, that range is much louder than they should be. At my normal listening levels, hitting this range made me clench my teeth and close my eyes it was so uncomfortable. I’ve known this has been a problem area for some time and have applied minor EQ (like -2 up to maybe -4 dB centered around 2850 with a Q of 4-8, depending on the tweaking for that day…and it always came after listening for a while, so my ears were fatigued and hurting and presenting sound in different ways which is why I could never seem to get standard settings locked down).
Found a test album on Tidal that has frequency sweeps and more, but the downside is that there’s no visual representation so I don’t know exact frequencies. But knowing from the YT video, I knew I had EQ applied in the problem area and, with the EQ applied and playing that Tidal track…my ears still experienced excruciating levels through the 2600-3300 Hz range. After lots of repeated listening and adjusting the EQ settings, I’m finally sitting at:
Eikon: Freq: 2800, -6.5dB, Q: 4
VC: Freq: 2750, -7.5dB, Q: 4
And I can listen for hours without any fatigue now. There are so many more details present, incredible stereo imaging (especially the Eikon) and separation. It’s so wonderful not getting ear fatigue and having sort of a veil over my hearing after listening for a while now.
These headphones are truly wonderful. I’ve found the VC to sound the absolute best with the leather Eikon pads. The leather Auteur are close but just have this sort of glare that I can’t seem to get rid of. It happens on the Eikon as well when using them.
For the Eikon, the suede Eikon pads ended up being the best. I really liked those on the VC as well, but they killed the bass entirely on those, but on the Eikon, if there is any loss in bass, it is minimal.
I really think I prefer the Eikon over the VC as well. It must be the Eikon’s biocellulose driver giving a bit more organic sound to everything. The VC are great but they just sound…slightly sterile? Detail is incredible and they are so, so fast…but I just don’t get as sucked into the music with them as I do with the Eikon.
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It is not uncommon to have sensitivity in that range, and I am pretty sure I have some sensitivity there too. Thankfully for me it is not enough to need an EQ but I do avoid headphones that tend to be pushed forward there, ie the LCD-24. Like you it can overshadow everything else and feel like it is pushing on my ears too much.
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I would often take off my headphones after extending sessions and…it wasn’t quite tinnitus, but there’s a haze/glare over my hearing for a while and everything sounded off. Putting the headphones back on would make things sound weird, which would lead to pad rolling and EQ adjustments that sounded “good” for my impaired ears, but then if I came back hours later or the next day with fresh ears, it would sound totally fucked. Hence all my previous complaints and issues with ZMF.
Nope, turns out it’s just my super sensitive ears. 
And am I crazy or is the Eikon really not far behind the VC, at least in terms of pretty much everything but transient speed? I can’t get over how they’re basically everything I love about the Atticus and VC combined.
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Your crazy 
I think the VC is a pretty clearly technically superior headphone. Though having said that there are things the Eikon does that I prefer, and when I owned both, and they sat next to each other I would often reach for the Eikon over the VC.
I kept the Eikon over the VC when I sold most of my ZMF’s, but some of that had to do with it being predominantly used at the time on a source chain that didn’t really emphasize the technical difference, and some of it was just the weight of the Ironwood VC’s I had.
The VC is just not good enough in its technicalities compared to other options to make that the reason you listen to it and the Eikon is a more “fun” overall signature IMO.
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The fun factor on the Eikon is not up for debate however when you move up in source it’s not enough. The VC on the other hand can be made a lot more “fun” with a pad change. Actually became a lot more of a well rounded can with the Universe pads IMO and I think that’s why they ultimately became the VC’s standard pad. The problem with the VC is that it’s just not worth the price given other cans out there. The Eikon is a much better value new but at a good used price and with an appropriate higher end chain I believe there’s more there with the VC than there is with the Eikon.
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Where would you place the Eikon in terms of technicalities vs other cans?
It’s price appropriate, if your running <$1000 of amplification it’s probably not the weak point in the chain.
You’ll probably still hear improvements with something like the VC, and if you can drive them something like the CA-1A is going to be a dramatic improvement in that area.
Good enough most people won’t care unless they are already accustomed to something much better.
I still own mine but they rarely get used these days.
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Thanks for the quick answer, not that well versed in 1k amps but I guess that means that a Bifrost 2 would be suitable on the higher end of amplification (not in terms of synergy but cost), so roughly Nighthawk territory. I wonder what amps pair well with it…
I’ve never really heard a night hawk, it was better technically than say a Focal Elex, well below an HD800s, maybe Clear level.
It was more a rough ballpark, if you’re running a DNA Stratus, the VC will give you significantly more in technicalities, if your running a BHC/SW51+/Quicksilver (maybe), it’s probably worth upgrading the amp to get the most out of the VC vs the Eikon.
It’s the whole you want to keep things balanced to a point.
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Well if the Eikon’s around Clear OG territory (with the right amp) then def.count me in. 
By the way, Eikon is to be discontinued when the new Traveler Zmf is finished, the new one is to be called Bokeh with a more efficient driver.
Zach supposedly said this on Socal last weekend.
I personally find that a bit of a shame because the Zmf entry was Eikon and Atticus at the time.
And should stay,but it doesn’t look like it.
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