ZMF Auteur - An open back ZMF

My impressions of the ZDT Jr. (Basically a slightly better Laconic NBM) were done mostly with my Auteur.

http://www.superbestaudiofriends.or...t-jr-official-thread.5408/page-18#post-192741

 

I own a Utopia and a coin+dampener modded HD650 that I run through a ZDS and Gungnir Multibit(Gen5) (I also happen to have a DAVE atm at my place). I am considering the auteur.

I love the HD650 for its tonality, which I find simply unbeatable, however, the utopia offers more detail, very precise imaging, and in some ways a better stage. I would love to hear more about how the Utopia and auteur compare (I have found one mention of the utopia in this thread). I am also curious about the imaging on the auteur. As I understand it the stage is smaller than the HD800, but is the image more precise? When I have listened to the HD800(stock) I found the image to be diffuse.

 

@aPole Here is a link to my Review with comparisons ro HE-6 and HD650. I'll write a little comparison against Utopia when I get home.

http://www.superbestaudiofriends.or...teur-an-open-back-zmf.5088/page-8#post-179001

 

In my mind this price range comes down to the Focal Clear, and the Auteur. I've heard the clear, and while the resolution was impressive, I wasn't a fan of something in the midrange and the soundstage. I'm hoping the Auteur is the better choice, and I hope the weight doesn't get to me. We'll see. I'll post a review/impressions once I get it, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited after all the hype haha.

 

I'm not sure if you already placed your order, but if weight is a concern definitely go for the Teak. The Blackwood is a bit heavier.

 

The weight distribute so well, it's never been an issue for me. The LCD2s though, which are lighter, did pose issues.

It's like a good backpack, distribute the weight better and you can carry more. Put all the weight squarely in one area, and you're screwed.

It also helps to have a massive head. Your neck muscles have to develop to compensate. (My head is like an orange on a toothpick, so I'm good with heavy cans.)

 

haha I spit out some of my tea when I read that. Yeah people keep saying the weight is well-distributed, and I get that. I'm just a total comfort freak, and I've had heavy/uncomfortable headphones in the past (HE-500). I'm not a fan of bulky stuff, even though I'm a fairly physically robust person. I use headphones for 8+ hours per day, but I'm not opposed to switching to lighter ones or my andromeda after that period when it just gets to be too much.

 

If I find the HD650K warm of neutral, HD600 neutral, what would the Auteur be?

 

You know I was doing lots of Auteur comparisons to my other cans just the other day...



For reference I currently own HD6XX and have owned HD650 and HD600 (at the same time). But I haven't heard a modded HD650, only stock. And my Auteur is Padauk. I have only heard my pair and another Padauk pair, so I haven't heard Blackwood or Teak. I also consider HD650 warm of neutral and HD600 close to neutral, though I would say it might just be a tad too forward in upper mids/low treble and of course bass isn't extended as far down as I would want.

So It kind of depends on your definition of "warm". If you think of warm as being bass-emphasized and treble rolled-off, like an overall negative tilting slope in FR, then Auteur is not that. I usually think of that as "dark" and it isn't "dark" like say stock HD650 or LCD-2. If you think of warm as just specifically having a little emphasis on the upper bass/low mids such that most natural instruments and vocals have some body to them, then that is true, particularly with the perforated Eikon pads as that bumps up the sub-bass and mid-bass a few dB. But with either pad choice (Eikon or Auteur) it is still going to have overall more treble energy and air than HD650, and even more than HD600, but not quite bright like HD800 levels, and not as upper mids/low treble emphasized as HD600. Treble is smoother and more refined without the sharper peaks of HD800 so it isn't as fatiguing and there is no wanting for mods. The upper mids are maybe just shy of HD650 level, but it is still quite a mid forward headphone. In fact, most people would agree that HD800 sounds nothing like HD600/650 and that it shouldn't be thought of as a successor or direct upgrade to HD6x0. I agree that HD800 isn't that, but I actually think Auteur could be. It sounds more in line with HD6x0 than HD800 and if you put all 4 together on a table HD800 would sound like the odd man out.

Overall, I think of Auteur as the most direct upgrade to HD6x0 of any headphone I have ever heard. Auteur with Auteur pads is basically what my ears consider "neutral". Bass is very close to planar abilities in extension and texture, much superior to HD6x0. Mids are basically on par with HD6x0, and treble is a little brighter and adds more air and instrument separation. It maintains that smooth and coherent transition across the FR. Soundstage is much wider than HD6x0 but not on HD800 level. Auteur is more detailed than HD6x0 but doesn't resolve the last bit of microdetail that HD800 does.

Another reason that Auteur reminds me of the HD6x0 is because it is also 300 Ohm and scales very similarly and benefits from the same types of tube amps. I think any sources that play well with HD6x0 also do well with Auteur. So with that, if you want to lean it warmer akin to HD650, you can swap on the Eikon pads and put it on a warmer source and it will do that. Hope that helps.

 

That's helpful, thanks. I'm having the hardest time deciding between the Clear and Auteur. I've read a few impressions now and it seems that most are in the camp of the Auteur being the direct upgrade to the HD6x0. @purr1n seems to be the exception.

I'm leaning towards the Auteur. I had the Elear and didn't care for it too much. Despite its well-established problems I found it too punchy and aggressive. If the Clear is more of the same, I think Focal's house sound may not be for me.

 

Yep, I have Elear too as you might have seen in my photo. I actually auditioned Elear and Clear side-by-side and the Clear is definitely a more refined version of Elear and fixes the main problem of Elear, the sucked out upper mids. I only bought Elear because I got a really good used price on it and I wanted to see if I could get it to sound better using EQ and different source gear. I never could and I am still planning on replacing it with Clear eventually when hype dies down. But you are right on the money that even though Clear isn't as bassy as Elear, and thus is more laid back in relative comparison to Elear, it is still quite punchy and aggressive as is Utopia. I really do think that is the Focal signature house sound. I like that sound for certain moods (energetic) and genres (pop/electronic), and I think upon first listen it is a more "impressive" and "wow" sound compared to Auteur. But I think sometimes all that macrodynamic emphasis can bee too much and fatiguing to listen to. I also don't think Focal's excel in natural timbre the way Sennheiser and ZMFs do. I believe Zach uses HD650 and HD800 personally so you can hear the Sennheiser influence in his cans.

I think the Auteur would be a much better fit for you than Clear. I too was surprised that Marv considered Clear to be an HD650 upgrade moreso than Auteur (I even asked him about that directly in the Clear thread). For me, I think the strengths of HD6x0 has always been their really smooth and cohesive sound from mid to treble transition with natural timbre and understated resolving power that doesn't shove detail in your face. I don't think they have that immediate wow factor and I think that is also why some people find them boring or feel disappointed when first listening to them. I would say if someone finds the HD6x0 boring, they would probably feel the same about Auteur as it also doesn't have that same type of wow factor that Clear has, though I do think it is more impressive sounding than HD6x0 simply because of the bass extension and quality that you don't expect to hear on an open back dynamic.

Another thing that I love about Auteur (as does everyone else) is the hand-crafted wood appeal. Zach's cans are just impressive in hand. The build quality is top notch and makes other wood headphones like the Fostex variants feel like toys. There is a certain weight and feel to the ZMF cans that inspires confidence. While I like the metal and classy look of Focals, I don't like the comfort. They feel very stiff and non-compliant (prone to creaks) and with the headband being perfectly round I will get a hot spot on the top of my head after extended use compounded by the weight. With the ZMF cans I find them supremely comfortable because the headband is fully flexible and you can shape it any way you want to curve around your head as well as increase or decrease clamp. They are definitely heavy headphones, but they carry their weight really well.

 

Clear is a great headphone though.

Main issues with it - only real issues with it - are a couple very small spots of brightness in the treble that can be fatiguing depending on what you're sensitive to, and comfort since it's heavy without suspension.

It is focal-forward but that's the kind of thing you get used to pretty quick; the comfort is a killer for me though.

I never managed to get enough time under one too see if the treble would annoy me, but the headband definitely did.

My blackwood & brass Auteur (hasn't shipped yet) will weight in at like 40% more, and it'll still be way more comfortable on my head.

You really have to try it though, as there's plenty of people who manage to wear a Utopia for hours and hours.

 

I hope you're taking whatever amplification you're throwing at your new headphones in to consideration as well. We don't know what the rest of your chain is. It takes more then just transducers to make your sweet sweet sounds...

If your amp is bright, one might lean to the camp of ZMF. And if your amp is mid centric, then one could ponder an upside to the Focal...

 

Yeah I feel like Focal's headband either fits the shape of your head really well or else it becomes an issue. I know the top of my head is a little pointy so if the padding had a little indent like HD650 it wouldn't be a problem. Elear just starts to bother me after maybe 30 minutes and I have to shift it around a bit. Not a dealbreaker and I am still going to get a Clear despite that.

And I don't mean for my impressions to take anything way from Clear as I really do like it. Like I said, I plan on owning it soon. That Focal sound can really be engaging and I think Clear's balance is the sweet spot between Elear's overly warm sound and Utopia's aggressive treble forward sound. I think Clear and Auteur would be great complements to each other as they both kind of emphasize different things.

 

Have a ZMF Auteur in Teak at the moment, been listening to it for about a week and the overall tone is just fantastic. Great dynamics and seems to be a souped up HD6x0 with a much better housing and finish. Love it and definitely looking to buy a pair in the future.

 

Just picked these up yesterday from FedEx currently running XLO burn in tracks on them! Zach did an amazing job!
Still keeping the modded 650's
( Frankenheisers)! They still are quite worthwhile offering comparably good or a hint better midrange and surprisingly similar detail in that range. Beyond that it's all Auteurs even right out of that gorgeous presentation box!

Happy Listening

 

Nice, are you going with Auteur pads? or Eikon. Also what amp are you driving them with?

 

Autuer pads for now. Running them directly from a completely modified Oppo Sonica DAC! The output stage was rebuilt, high bias class A to drive them. Running a Zenwave Audio Silver/Gold OCC stranded dual quad braid cable soldered directly to that output stage!
Very happy with the results! Just upgraded to Mad Scientist's latest USB cable as well. Works wonderfully together!

 

This is a very cool thread. Nicely done.

I am not sure if the review you posted has a mention of the DT1990 or if someone else replied to the review and mentioned the DT1990. I have not read anything on reddit until now so my apologies if its not yours but the paragraph I am asking about is quoted here:

"DT1990: This headphone is also close to neutral with well extended and punchy bass. In fact, bass response on DT1990 was probably my favorite from a dynamic until Auteur. Everything about DT1990 is tighter and sharper than Auteur. But the DT1990 is much brighter up top and more edged. The mids aren’t as forward and as natural as Auteur. Overall, the Auteur does a better job in integrating a more cohesive sound. The Auteur is a more musical and smooth sounding headphone with more detail. The soundstage is on similar levels though. The Auteur is heavier, but I prefer the bigger leather pads of Auteur over the round shaped Beyer velour pads."

If it was part of your post on reddit, could you expand a bit more on the paragraph, in particular the tighter and sharper comment? What do you mean by tighter and sharper in this case?

I would like to read more on this becasue I really like the bass the DT1990 provides (with the Analytical pads) but at the same time, I think the HD650 (unmodified) is indeed smoother. The DT1990 is great (EQ-ed) to my ears, but its still somehow not 'it' as a complete upgrade over my HD650 so I thought the Auteur might be.

 

Yes, that's all part of my post, I always add comparisons to other headphones I own when I write reviews. All Beyerdynamic and Focal headphones have a very similar feel to me (not tonal balance). They all focus more on macrodynamics and hitting hard with more slam and visceral feel. Transient response is usually faster and clearer. For DT1990, it feels less smooth and cohesive. It is a bit etched with harder edges to its attack. Decay is faster with less sustain compared to both HD650 and Auteur. The Focals are the same way. They always feel more dynamic, lively, and more aggressive. Senneheiser and ZMF always feel smoother and more cohesive. Auteur in particular excels at being very refined and clean sounding. There is nothing really off about it, no weird peaks or dips. It has good attack, but I think the wood cups give it just a bit more sustain and reverb that adds to a pleasing sound, like a certain sweetness to it. Like HD650, I think both that headphone and Auteur are excellent in mid timbre and natural instruments sound correct. I think DT1990 feels a bit off in that regard. Also, DT1990, like all Beyers, uses that treble spike to enhance detail and sort of shove it in your face. HD650 and Auteur are similar in that they are super resolving and have great detail retrieval, but it is more integrated and nuanced in their presentation.

In that same review I talked about how Auteur compares to HD600, and how I feel it is the truest upgrade to the HD600/650 headphones I have heard. You can read more about that comparison there. I personally feel that if you are a fan of mids with emphasis on natural timbre and a smooth and refined sound, the Auteur is fantastic. If you like DT1990 with the harder, quicker, and punchier sound, the Focal Clear is the best upgrade to that.