Verum One

The Verum 1 is an open-back planar made by an Ukrainian audio enthusiast named garuspik, and was launched in early 2019 after a successful Kickstarter campaign. So far, only a few hundred units were produced.

Its low impedance and average sensitivity (96db/mw) makes it easy to power from a phone or laptop. Aesthetic is definitely unique, some people will hate its look. I don’t mind it. Comfort is very good ; the Verum is heavy but ear pads and headband are plush and the weight is evenly distributed. It’s maybe the most comfortable headphone above 500g I have tried so far.

The Verum is priced at $350, which puts it directly against the Hifiman Sundara and Audeze LCD-1.

○ Release : 2019
○ Current status : In production
○ Type : Over-ear / Open-back
○ Measured weight : 542g
○ Impedance : 8 Ohms
○ Sensitivity : ~96 dB/mW
○ Average used price : $280-300

Sound Impression
I think the Verum is a solid all-rounder with no major sonic flaws, but does not excel at anything. Tonal balance is on the warm side. As usual with good planars, bass extension is excellent – it goes well down to 17-18hz, which is my hearing limit. It still does not have the quantity I prefer, that is 1.5 or 2 dB above linear bass level. Texture of the bass is good but not as refined as the best dynamics like the HD800 or Utopia, or the LCD4 / HE1000 (which are of course way more expensive).

Midrange is in my opinion better than the LCD2s, the latter are too recessed in the presence area, around 3-5khz. The Verum actually has some energy there, and gives a moderate boost to vocals and lot of instruments with harmonics in that area.  Treble is smooth – I don’t hear any particular sibilance or harshness from 5khz to the upper-treble. Maybe it would benefit from some sparkle around 11-12khz. It sounds slightly veiled sometimes.

Staging is pretty wide and beats most planars under $500, and of course, the HD600/HD6XX. But I never really cared about the width (or depth, or height) coming from an headphone, as long as it doesnt not sound too small or closed-in.  The Verum has good sense of dynamics and attack, but it’s not an extremely well resolving headphone, even considering its price.

The midrange is slightly veiled and not as crisp as the HD600 serie, or the HE500, or liquid like the E-mu Teak or LCD2.2. Those are better than the Verum for microdetails rendering and lack of grain. Despite that, the Verum is a solid buy for $349. I easily recommend it, even as a complement to the HD600/HD6XX.

Measurements & Resources