ZMF Auteur - An open back ZMF

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by PacoTaco, Sep 18, 2017.

  1. rott

    rott Secretly hates other millenials - Friend

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    Thanks for providing these initial thoughts. Will be interesting to read your detailed impressions, especially about the Auteur perforated suede.
     
  2. Vtory

    Vtory Audiophile™

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    Correct.

    AL = Auteur Lambskin (perforated)
    EL = Eikon Lambskin (perforated)
     
  3. lcmusiclover

    lcmusiclover Friend

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    Funny, I was thinking:

    Will be interesting to read your detailed impressions, especially about the Eikon perforated suede.
     
  4. Vtory

    Vtory Audiophile™

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    I prefer EL to AL. Those who opposed to my taste may prefer AS to ES!

    The latter difference is much smaller than the former one though. :)
     
  5. Elnrik

    Elnrik Super Friendly

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    Interesting. I prefer the comfort of the AS, as the ear opening is larger. That's the primary complaint I have of my Eikons. Love the sound, just hate it when things touch my ears. That may put me into AS category.
     
  6. sacredgates

    sacredgates Audio-Technica's high priest

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    My ZMF Vérité and Auteur Blackwood comparative impressions (also posted in Vérité thread).

    Intro:

    @Taverius generously has made his personal Vérité available for a EU loaner program. As the last one on the list I just had it for a week with me to gather impressions and make some comparisons with my own Auteur Blackwood. First of all a huge thank you to Taverius. It is not obvious to send around such a precious piece of privately owned equipment, including two cables and 4 different pad sets!

    The first months after the launch of the Vérité I wasn´t too interested. I thought it would be too warm and dark for me. There were rather confusing impressions all over the internet (especially here in Germany) and I couldn´t really get a grasp on it. About a month ago quite a few SBAF members started mentioning the Vérité again and praising its qualities. That´s when I decided I needed to get some first hand impressions and I contacted Taverius to see if I could still be added to the loaner list.

    I have not been doing much pad swapping and pad comparisons as this was not my headphone, so my impressions will not go in detail regarding pads.

    Comparative impression:

    I feel the extra qualities and technical superiorities of the Vérité compared to the Auteur all are the result of the special BE coated driver and the strong(er) magnets. The achieved extra control and fastness results in slightly better resolution, better dynamics, better bass quality and control and slightly more precise imaging.

    However, the more obvious difference is the tuning. Vérité is more colored. It represents the ZMF house sound in a much more obvious way as the Auteur. I love the tuning of my Blackwood Auteur. It´s neutral with a hint of "Zach"... just perfect.

    The Vérités uniqueness lies in its control and fastness while at the same time avoiding any brightness to spice up an impression of perceived extra resolution as so many other headphones do. Interesting as it is, for me, the Vérité has gone just a few notches too far from neutral and therefore it resides on the other darker side of the border of my preferences.

    Despite its obvious qualities the Vérité quite a few times did something between the midbass and lower mids which was too much of a good thing for my taste. It was like a slight oversaturation or like room modes´ enhancements which made some frequencies from certain instruments and voices more bloated as they should be. The BBC dip in the frequency representation probably made me even more aware of this.

    The better control and fastness of the Vérité definitely showed. The extra plankton and better macro and microdynamics more than once gave a deeper insight in the music triggering stronger involvement and a deeper emotional connection to the music. Once in a while however those exact same qualities induced the opposite effect: some music became just a tad overly aggressive (mostly with one of the pad sets, but I forgot which one) and fatigue was setting in sooner.

    Just as listening fatigue might set in with certain music with the Auteur because of its brighter tuning, the Vérité might do so for some folks because of its more aggressive way of presenting the music. There is just more testosterone in play, take it or leave it...
    Auteur is a bit slower and less controlled, but it partly makes up because of the more generous presenation of the treble, which not seldom contributes to some perceived snappiness.

    Following bass lines is a more rewarding experience with the Vérité. Also bass notes hit harder and are more visceral. On the other hand high hats and the metallic sheen or sounds of some instruments or rendered by the Auteur in an excellent manner.
    Both convey voices well. Vérité with lots of warmth and body, Auteur with a more neutral and natural charm.

    A lot is going to boil down to preferences and which music you listen too. Ambient and electronic music for instance will go well with the Vérité. I am mostly into slower paced acoustic music. Here Auteur does well and presents the music just a tad more flowing and organic.

    The jumpy dynamics in Mussorgskys Pictures of an exhibition were better represented with the Vérité, and the listening experience became more enthralling and rewarding.
    The more surging dynamics in Stravinskys Sacre du Printemps however, were at least as enjoyable with the Auteur.

    I did not find huge differences in headstage and imaging precision, but Vérité does have the upper hand. It paints the musical landscape with an even finer imaging brush and a little more depth.

    I like the build of these headphones. A lot. For my taste the Vérité outshines the Auteur with its gorgeus grills. Both are heavy (especially the harder wood editions), but I have no problems with comfort.

    Personal conclusion:

    In the grand scale of things Auteur and Vérité are more similar as different (more so than Eikon or Atticus, which enticed me less). Also I think the Auteur Blackwood version is already a notch closer to the Vérité because of the harder wood.
    It´s easy with both to recognize Zachs signature.

    My small criticisms here and there should not deter from the fact that I love both these headphones and consider them TOTL flagships worth building a system around if you like their basic character.
    As I said before, Vérité is the technically more advanced headphone, but it´s more colored as well.
    My favorite would be an "Autité", a combination of the best traits of both Auteur and Vérité.

    As it stands I am happy with my Auteur. I would be delighted with the Vérité as well, but I would need to check out pad possibilities carefully, maybe even dial in a bit of EQ, and/or look for ideal synergetic equipment to bring it a bit closer to neutral.

    Note:

    And what has the Audio Technica ATH-W3000ANV to do with it all. It was my first woodie. It has the most Japanese tuning. Technically it can´t compete with Auteur and Vérité. It is by far the slowest and least controlled. But it does voices (especially female) and certain slower paced acoustic music well. Did I say it´s Japanese?
     
  7. ButtUglyJeff

    ButtUglyJeff Stunningly beautiful IRL

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    Dude, your headphones are huge....
     
  8. sacredgates

    sacredgates Audio-Technica's high priest

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    @ButtUglyJeff : sadly my bottles are small...:(. But like this I can drink a bottle a day without my GP complaining :).
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2019
  9. ChaChaRealSmooth

    ChaChaRealSmooth SBAF's Mr. Bean

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    Like others here, I've tried to compare the Verite with the Auteur. However, as alluded to in my status posts, I really can't seem to gather my mind enough to comparatively listen critically in an A/B fashion. So while I'll allude to the Verite here, this is going to be more about just the Auteur in general, how I think it compares to some other cans, and using other members' words in trying to describe what I hear. All listening so far was done with the standard perforated lambskin Auteur pads (the Auteur itself is cocobolo). Also note that Zach recommended me burn in the Auteur for 200 hours, and the Auteur is probably not even in the double digits yet.

    It's probably very apparent for those who have been reading the impressions from me, but I heavily value emotional engagement. I'm willing to trade technical prowess (a good sized-portion of it) for things like timbre, dynamics, and just sheer ability to make me forget wtf I'm doing; I'm very much a right-brained listener. And the Auteur just delivers in that respect.

    No, it's not perfect. It has limitations in that it's somewhere in-between a semi-closed and an open can, and it lacks that speed and extra resolving ability of the Verite. Its stage is rather intimate (somewhat larger than a HD 6XX, but it's not by much and I might be fooled by that cup resonance). However, from a sonic standpoint, it all comes together in a cohesive package that just makes it so addicting to listen to.

    Tonality probably falls somewhere in the ballpark of "the tonal balance that I love." I understand it's not ideal for everyone, but I hear it as more cohesive than the HD 6XX. The bass is delivered with authority and has good texture, the mids are to die for, and the treble sparkles without being sibilant. This, along with the Verite, are the headphones where I find myself sometimes cranking the volume up; I want more! It's very well-balanced; it actually sounds a bit warmer than the Verite, but that could be the wetter sound. The way the Auteur delivers bass has more heft than the Verite, which might fool you into thinking that the Auteur has more bass, but further listening confirms the Verite is the bassier headphone.

    I agree completely with the sentiment that the Auteur has a timbre which is somewhat neutral with some of that ZMF sound. The Auteur is less colored than the Verite, and this is probably the difference that is the second most immediately apparent. It sounds a bit smoother than the Verite, possibly because it's slower. This word is overused, but it sounds very natural. I think the best way I can describe it is that it sounds like a HD 6XX that has a ZMF tweak, with a bit more liquid wetness to the sound and way better extension in both treble and bass.

    Stage, as mentioned, is kind of small. I think it might be a touch larger than the HD 6XX, but it's not like the Verite where it feels quite large. This is definitely the area where it's obvious that you're listening to an Auteur and not the Verite. However, I find the images to be well-placed with a stable center, so honestly I don't see this as a bad thing (no three-blob here either). It's just part of the headphone. It does have that recital hall-like feel with the cup resonance, which I think is more apparent on the Auteur than the Verite. Either way, different presentation, still quite nice.

    Transients are slower than the Verite, and it doesn't quite have the microdynamics nailed down as tight, but it's not slouch in these departments either. Instead of a pillow at 100+ mph, think about 80 mph. Combined with its timbre, I find it at least as seductive as the Verite, albeit in different ways. The seduction manifests itself differently between the two headphones; the Verite has passages where it just pulls at your heartstrings and gently caresses you when you feel the tears coming, whereas the Auteur lays on its general character on the music and politely asks you to sit back and enjoy yourself. Not sure if that makes any sense, but words fail me.

    Going a bit off the previous point, I think the Verite is the technically superior headphone with more coloration in timbre, and the Auteur is the more musical one with better timbre and tonality. However, saying one isn't musical, or one isn't technical, is downright incorrect; they're both spectacular in their own regards and in the vision that they try to achieve. Truly complementary rather than competing headphones. That being said, if one is looking for a general purpose headphone (and only one headphone), I think the Auteur is the better choice.

    I'll be very sad when my loaner period is over and I have to send the Verite back to @Elnrik. However, I have a feeling that the Auteur will comfort me every time I miss it. It's more than a suitable headphone, and my own tastes seem to slightly favor the Auteur; I can easily see myself preferring either one based on genre and/or mood. That being said, assuming you like the ZMF sound, I think anyone would be happy with either. Just be warned that the Auteur is reportedly more amp-picky than the Verite (I have no personal experience with this though).

    Edit: Pic or it didn't happen...

    Edit 2: Having had the Auteur for quite a while now, I think that burning it in has made the timbre even sweeter while smoothing out the treble tonality a touch. Not sure, but it does sound a touch more cohesive top-to-bottom. Of course, since it's now my primary can some of this might be brain burn-in. All that being said, I do find myself wishing that the Auteur would be a bit more macrodynamic; it's a bit overly polite in that area. I'm still very pleased with the sound and while I could buy more headphones (Verite comes in mind since I do miss it), I'll probably use loaners to satisfy curiosity and determine future purchasing decisions, especially since at the time of this writing I'm slowly trying to put a two channel system together.

    Edit 3: Forgot to mention, but once the headband was bent into my head shape the Auteur became extremely comfortable.
     
    Last edited: Jul 27, 2019
  10. ColtMrFire

    ColtMrFire Writes better fan fics than you

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    @DEATHxMACHINE is a lovely dude. Loaned me his Convert 2 DAC and ZMF Auteur. Have been using it plugged into my maxxed Torpedo 3/Modi 3/CDP setup and comparing to my HD600. Was not really a fan of the Convert 2 for extended listening, so I stuck with Modi 3 for the majority.

    The ergonomics took getting used to, especially coming from the light as a feather Senns. The Auteurs are heavier, but not annoyingly so. Once used to the weight, the issue became kind of moot... a major part of this is the pads, which are super comfortable, beating out the Senns in this area. The nice cushy pads take some attention away from the weight, so there's some smart craftwork/design philosophy going on here from @zach915m ... his filmmaker roots totally make sense now. The head adjustment mechanism is weird for me, since I've never used a headphone like this, but it's a set it and forget it thing, since your head is only one size. So not a big deal at the end of the day.

    Visually, they are beautiful and pleasing to gawk at. I'm not too big into "bulky" looking headphones, but these clearly have special care and attention paid to them, which is a nice contrast to the plastic, assembly line, processed look of alot of big manufacturer cans. These will look scrumptious on a headphone stand next to a TOTL amp and DAC on a table/desk with the midday sun shining on them through a window. [insert angelic choir]

    Tonally the Auteur is quite something. Tastefully done mocha to the HD600's chai latte? Stupid coffee analogies aside, the Auteur is a very good headphone that has great synergy with the T3, an amp made for high Z dynamics. Slightly dark side of neutral. Laid back... borderline polite. Excellent resolution, microdynamics, plankton and a little less grainy than the 600. Macrodynamics fall slightly behind to my ears. Overall sound is a bit more refined though. Very 650 like in that sense. Edges have almost a rounded presentation. Part of the slightly dark slope to the sound I suppose.

    Treble is very tastefully presented... reaching HD650 levels of smoothness. You almost have to listen quite intently to get a handle on the treble, as it's kind of hiding a bit... not recessed, just chillin'.... relaxed... I'd really like to hear this headphone again when I get the Gungnir Multibit back, because the DAC's more extended treble performance over Modi 3 would probably bring a little more life to that frequency.

    My biggest criticism is the mids. Something weird going on there. Sucked out/hollow/compressed? Not sure how to describe it exactly, but it was by far the most notable difference compared to the 600, which sounds airer/more opened up in the mids. The Auteur mids thing could be a result of the pads as well. I was given three sets, not too sure of what to call them. One set was thick and fluffy and without holes, with a suede like texture. The other two sets looked identical to each other and were slightly thinner and had holes and a leather texture. The first set had WAY too much bass for me and overwhelmed the other frequencies. The other pads remedied this. I'm not too up on the pad thing, so maybe there are some other options that would remedy the issue I have with the mids. Gungnir Multibit may also help here as it just more open compared to Modi 3. But one man's open mids is another man's shoutiness. YMMV.

    Probably my favorite aspect of this can, after the tone, is the bass. It is plentiful without being smothering, goes low and thumps with the right amount of impact. Has texture and nuance. But overly bassy songs became a bit too much of a good thing, like Pharrell's "Lost Queen" from his amazing GIRL album. I feel like the bass might be ever so slightly too prominent, mostly because the mids are a little subdued to my ears. As a whole the Auteur ends up sounding a bit V-shaped to me. None of this is egregious, and we're talking centimeters, not inches with regard to the extent of the issues. It's one of those things that one would probably get used to after extended listening, and certain amps/dacs/pads/ might alleviate or exacerbate things. And again, YMMV.

    Headstage is layered and dense. Pulling ahead of the 600 a bit in those aspects. But physically, things sound a bit more cramped, again compared to 600. Imaging is quite good, maybe a bit better than 600. These days, I think I'm leaning more toward's @purr1n 's philosophy regarding headstage and realizing it's kind of a non issue. Headstage sounds very similar to me on most of the headphones I've tried and it's the last thing I pay attention to now. The exception being classical, with its naturally mic'd acoustic spaces, but again, not a big deal unless it's the HD800 for obvious reasons.

    As natural and tonally lovely as the Auteur is, it's a bit "hi-fi" sounding to me compared to the 600. I think the mids and slight V shape have alot to do with that. Ultimately, the 600 might be a bit of an unfair comparison, 1. because a used 600 is 5 or 6 times cheaper than a used Auteur, and 2. because the T3/600 is THE best amp/headphone combo I've ever heard, synergy-wise, and I've heard quite a few, even on the TOTL side. It is extremely hard to beat.

    But on its own, the Auteur is more than a worthy contender. It's not something I would recommend for people on a budget, as I feel the Senns are virtually impossible to beat on that front, but for those who have a bit less free space in their wallets, it's an easy recommend if you're after a smooth, relaxed but resolving listening experience and aren't a slave to HD6x0 like mids.

    I'd like to sample some other ZMF cans, because I get the feeling each brings something different to the table, and individual taste is going to play a huge factor in choosing one. The 600/650 are more similar than different, but ZMFs line is probably more varied?

    EDIT: Switching to the Eikon pads alleviates some of my issues with the mids. The sound seems more balanced as well, a little less V shaped. Digging this configuration quite a bit.
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2019
  11. lcmusiclover

    lcmusiclover Friend

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    Nice write-up. I couldn't tell from the post, nor from @DEATHxMACHINE's profile/sig -- what wood are those Auteur?
    As for the pads, the two sets of perforated leather pads are probably the two which ship with Auteur automatically:

    Eikon perforated
    Auteur perforated

    Consensus is that the Eikon perfs boost the bass and shift tonality towards warm, while the Auteur perfs are more neutral.

    Not sure, from your description, what the other pads are. Maybe you can tell from this post:

    https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...eur-an-open-back-zmf.5088/page-17#post-258480

    Anyway, enjoy.
     
  12. ColtMrFire

    ColtMrFire Writes better fan fics than you

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    I believe they are the teak wood, but @DEATHxMACHINE might know better.
     
  13. DEATHxMACHINE

    DEATHxMACHINE Friend

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    They are indeed teak. I sent perforated auteur and eikon pads and non perforated suede eikon pads.
     
  14. ColtMrFire

    ColtMrFire Writes better fan fics than you

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    Hmm, I thought the perforated pads were the same. I will swap back and forth when I get home.
     
  15. lcmusiclover

    lcmusiclover Friend

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    Someday, I'm going to get a chance to compare Teak and Blackwood. I mean I really want to know how much difference there is.
    Lucky guess on my part :)
    Here are a couple posts (on HF) from Zach telling how to ID those two pad sets:
    https://www.head-fi.org/threads/zmf-auteur-thread.862918/page-92#post-14214145
    https://www.head-fi.org/threads/zmf-auteur-thread.862918/page-118#post-14329814
     
  16. ChaChaRealSmooth

    ChaChaRealSmooth SBAF's Mr. Bean

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    Yes, actually; measurements do show that the Auteur has a bit of a 3k dip, so maybe a bit Audeze-like. Personally I found this less offensive on the Auteur than the Audezes, and also to my liking since I've always felt that the HD 6XX was too forward here. I'm certain some people will dislike this dip greatly.

    Overall, the Auteur is pretty well tonally balanced.
     
  17. rott

    rott Secretly hates other millenials - Friend

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    I concur with your comparison of mids between the Auteur and HD600.

    Nice to have the Auteur for most of my listening, but the HD600 remains my "only-headphone" if it came to that.
     
  18. ColtMrFire

    ColtMrFire Writes better fan fics than you

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    600/650 is definitely a "desert island" phone for alot of people I imagine. Me included.
     
  19. zach915m

    zach915m MOT: ZMF Headphones

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    Eikon perforated suede might be to your taste. Happy to donate a set to @DEATHxMACHINE if you still have the headphone. Send me a PM with your address if so!

    I generally don't recommend solid pads on our open headphones unless you want skull crushing bass haha.
     
  20. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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