WOOD AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH MUSIC TRACES NEARLY AS FAR BACK AS THE INCEPTION OF TOOLS. IT IS NATURAL THAT THE RESONANCE AND TIMBRE OF OUR HEADPHONES SPEAK TO THAT PRIMAL AURAL CONNECTION. WE DESIGN OUR HEADPHONES TO UTILIZE THE PROPERTIES OF WOOD TO BRING BOTH TRADITIONAL CRAFT, AND MODERN ACOUSTICS TO THE FOREFRONT. OUR HEADPHONES WILL WITHSTAND THE TEST OF TIME WITH OUR MODERN ASYMMETRICAL DESIGNS, AND WORLD CLASS ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE, JUST LIKE INSTRUMENTS AND ANTIQUES THAT HAVE GAINED VALUE FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION AS HEIRLOOMS.
Shaping the Sound
ZMFheadphones are all CNC cut to a tight tolerance for consistency, hand sanded for detail, and finished according to species. They are then measured on state of the art Audio Precision measurement systems to ensure sonic accuracy with R/D work done on a Brüel & Kjær 5128 HATS unit within an anechoic chamber. ZMF uses only premium kiln dried hardwoods, which remain stable for a lifetime of use. We tune all our headphones to the same frequency response targets for each model, regardless of wood type. You hear the full timbre of each wood type. Cups are paired from the same boards to ensure approximation in grain, texture, visual symmetry, and density. While we wish we could book-match each set, they typically will be from adjacent parts of the same board as exotic species we use are rarely thick enough for book-matching. Current wood options for each model can be viewed on the shop page. LTD editions rotate every 3-6 months and are specific to model.
HEADPHONES MAY VARY FROM SAMPLE PHOTOS DUE TO NATURAL WOOD VARIANCE.
Below you’ll find an array of our previous runs both stock and limited editions. While we strive to bring you the most exciting pieces, the woods we have available are what you find listed on the shop portal. However, stay tuned you never know what you’ll find
Processes: the Visual story of wood
All species used by ZMF are chosen by founder Zach for their density, workability, and visual appeal. Whenever possible, blocks are hand selected for grain arrangement or unique character quirks from local lumber yards. Exotic woods are inspected remotely. Once in the shop all pieces receive a second QC inspection where repair needs are accessed, grains are matched, and imperfections are rectified.
Pieces selected for desirability are then cured, cut to size and CNC machined within exacting tolerances. ZMF utilizes advancements in CNC (Computer Numerical Control) and 3D Printing to viably support small batch part manufacturing of our signature wood cups and biodegradable low-toxicity TPU gaskets. As often as possible cup twins are CNC’d from the same block to assure visual symmetry and matched density. These are then hand sanded by our team to address any lingering imperfections, achieve polish, and prepare the wood for finishing.
In the finishing of our products we use the least caustic options available. Our typical favorite is the Osmo wax for porous woods; comprised of natural seed oils and waxes. However, each set are uniquely catered to according to the woods’ makeup. It is our goal to assure the character of the wood is foremost in the presentation of each piece. Wood has the unique material quality of having lived a life prior to its reconstruction as our headphones. Properly prepared and cared for our wood cups will age with their user eventually telling their story along with its own.
All of our woods are procured through accredited dealers.
Our classification between the use case for each species and model it is applied to simplifies to Stock, Limited Edition, and Reserve. Stock woods are selected for the integral acoustic properties in the model they present, typically a domestic wood that holds within it a rich history of American traditional use. Limited Editions are shorter seasonal runs of exotic, usually hardwoods, that juxtapose their native stock counterparts. Reserve models are those selected for their individual complexity
Each and every ZMFheadphone is uniquely crafted from carefully selected hardwoods. Part of the beauty of wood cups is the character of natural growth rendering every one an individual piece of art. Below find an index of common natural growth aspects. Our headphones are never built with any unnatural markings. Machining and undesirable markings non-native to the wood are repaired and reserved for b-stock builds sold during our promotional ZMF November period. These as well as the below are purely aesthetic variations and don’t affect the durability or acoustic qualities of the finished piece.
Formerly the base connection between tree branch and trunk, knots are the most common natural formation found in woods. They take many shapes though typically denoted by their eye-like structure.
Separation between the growth rings of wood; often as a result of the kiln drying process or natural decay. In most cases of shake, the basic cause is a weakening of the wood caused by anaerobic bacteria that come into the tree stem through the roots.
Spalting is a natural formation in some species of wood as a result of fungal growth. While mostly found in dead trees it can occur in living hosts under stress. It can weaken structure but is still sought for its unique coloration and pattern. Properly treated it is merely aesthetic.
SAP: the soft outer layers of recently formed wood between the heartwood and the bark, containing the functioning vascular tissue. HEART: the dense inner part of a tree trunk, yielding the hardest timber.
A feature of certain wood varietals in which the growth of the wood fibers is distorted in an undulating chatoyant pattern, producing wavy lines known as "flames", Also referred to as curly, ripple, fiddleback or tiger stripe.
Medullary rays are cellular structures found in some species of wood. They appear as radial planar structures, perpendicular to the growth rings, which are visible to the naked eye.
Many of our woods live their previous lives as host to a litany of nature including common wood boring larvae. Though their front doors are always identified and sealed the character left behind is unmistakeable and one of a kind.
Holed vessels which in a live tree serve as the pipelines within the trunk, transporting sap within the tree. (Softwoods completely lack vessels, and instead rely on tracheids)
The rays of striation in wood grain and arrangement of parenchyma vary widely across species and even cut angle within the same block. We arrange each to balance visual appeal with structural integrity
The grain of wood seen when it is cut across the growth rings. Often Sealed with wax leaving residual coloring, elsewise warps.
A type of malignancy which forms as the result of the tree undergoing some form of stress. Outwardly appearing as a grouping of bulbous protrusions. It is highly sought for its density and compounding swirls.
The color variation of species varies widely due to any number of methods involved in growth and treatment from oxidization, UV exposure, staining or grain density in the absorbing of finish.