[Level5]

Where did you read that? The Auteur's are supposed to be the most neutral out of the 3 TOTL headphones and, having heard the Eikon (slightly warm) and Atticus (warm), that wouldn't be dark at all...


I'll be getting the HP-3 today and will do some out of the box sound impressions, burn them in for a week straight, then some final impressions. I've been looking for a more natural TH-900, so if these don't cut it, I'll return them and just go back to the Fostex.

From cskippy: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/zmf-auteur-thread.862918/page-30#post-13891332

"System Synergy

I need to point out that the Auteur will probably be too warm and dark coming form most headphones, even the HD650. I was initially put off by this but instead decided to rework my system to be brighter to suit the Auteur since it did so much right. I changed my interconnects from Blue Jeans Cables to Pangea and the Auteur became much more neutral yet still musical and pleasing plus the sound stage just opened up even more. I plan on getting a silver cable for the Auteur to get the last bit of treble extension and tightness in the bass. If you find yourself wanting a little tighter bass and more treble, give the Pangea or maybe silver interconnects a try with the Auteur"

I used to own the ZMF Eikon and Atticus, but decided to sell both because I wanted a more open/airy/transparent yet not as warm sound signature/presentation. The Eikon however were my preferred choice between the two due to a better tonality and resolution overall.

I decided I'll be a guinea pig and try these out as well and will provide some impressions/comparison soon!

 

[BuddhaBruce]

Where did you read that? The Auteur's are supposed to be the most neutral out of the 3 TOTL headphones and, having heard the Eikon (slightly warm) and Atticus (warm), that wouldn't be dark at all...


I'll be getting the HP-3 today and will do some out of the box sound impressions, burn them in for a week straight, then some final impressions. I've been looking for a more natural TH-900, so if these don't cut it, I'll return them and just go back to the Fostex.

From cskippy: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/zmf-auteur-thread.862918/page-30#post-13891332


I used to own the ZMF Eikon and Atticus, but decided to sell both because I wanted a more open/airy/transparent yet not as warm sound signature/presentation. The Eikon however were my preferred choice between the two due to a better tonality and resolution overall.

I decided I'll be a guinea pig and try these out as well and will provide some impressions/comparison soon!

You pioneers will be a basis if I decide to get one!

 

[ctaxxxx]

* See updated impressions HERE.

Alright, out of the box impressions!!!

First off, the case is ridiculously beautiful and HEAVY. Not to mention the outer packaging it came in was large and thick too lol. No wonder it was 16 lbs. It's the first case though where it really feels like it's meant for a thousand dollar headphone.

Second, comfort is a mixed bag right now. Could be because it was sitting in the cold, so it needs to warm and loosen up, but this is my thoughts of it out the box. Clamp is tighter than I would like. I may need to loosen it manually. The pads, on the other hand, are not only thin, but stiff. I'm a little disappointed with them. They're like a stiff memory foam. Maybe these will loosen up as well.

Now SOUND. Straight out of the box, my first impressions are DEAR LORD THESE HAVE SERIOUS PUNCH!

The bass on these are incredibly tight and punchy. I'm a basshead (and I mean nauseating BASS), and as I mentioned before, I've been looking for a more natural TH-900 since I've sold them and... these might actually be it! The sub-bass isn't as authoritative as the ridiculous Fostex TH-900, but wow they sure do rumble, and rumble low. These are more mid-bass focused like my Sony MDR-Z1R, but with less bloat and more sub and punch! I tried these with metal (Fear Factory) and damn these are satisfying. The kick drum, the cymbals, the vocals, the everything!

The treble is elevated but not harsh at all. No lower treble glare that the Eikon had (which I'm very sensitive to). These are higher up in the frequency range, which is good for me. This makes loud listening very much possible and fun! I'll try to touch on air and soundstage later.

Mids are wonderful. No sibilance from what I can tell right now. Voices are natural sounding. Not cold, dry, and analytical like the TH-900 for sure. Upper mids aren't overly recessed too, like the Elears were.

The sources I used for these impressions are an iPad (Spotify) and the DX200 AMP3 (balanced with my own silver cable). Throughout the week, I'll burn them in while I'm gone, but try them out for music and gaming every once in a while. I'm playing through Horizon Zero Dawn and need to hear it in virtual surround sound with these headphones!

Ask me any questions and I'll try and answer them to the best of my ability!

 

[Level5]

Alright, out of the box impressions!!!

First off, the case is ridiculously beautiful and HEAVY. Not to mention the outer packaging it came in was large and thick too lol. No wonder it was 16 lbs. It's the first case though where it really feels like it's meant for a thousand dollar headphone.

Second, comfort is a mixed bag right now. Could be because it was sitting in the cold, so it needs to warm and loosen up, but this is my thoughts of it out the box. Clamp is tighter than I would like. I may need to loosen it manually. The pads, on the other hand, are not only thin, but stiff. I'm a little disappointed with them. They're like a stiff memory foam. Maybe these will loosen up as well.

Now SOUND. Straight out of the box, my first impressions are DEAR LORD THESE HAVE SERIOUS PUNCH!

The bass on these are incredibly tight and punchy. I'm a basshead (and I mean nauseating BASS), and as I mentioned before, I've been looking for a more natural TH-900 since I've sold them and... these might actually be it! The sub-bass isn't as authoritative as the ridiculous Fostex TH-900, but wow they sure do rumble, and rumble low. These are more mid-bass focused like my Sony MDR-Z1R, but with less bloat and more sub and punch! I tried these with metal (Fear Factory) and damn these are satisfying. The kick drum, the cymbals, the vocals, the everything!

The treble is elevated but not harsh at all. No lower treble glare that the Eikon had (which I'm very sensitive to). These are higher up in the frequency range, which is good for me. This makes loud listening very much possible and fun! I'll try to touch on air and soundstage later.

Mids are wonderful. No sibilance from what I can tell right now. Voices are natural sounding. Not cold, dry, and analytical like the TH-900 for sure. Upper mids aren't overly recessed too, like the Elears were.

The sources I used for these impressions are an iPad (Spotify) and the DX200 AMP3 (balanced with my own silver cable). Throughout the week, I'll burn them in while I'm gone, but try them out music and gaming every once in a while. I'm playing through Horizon Zero Dawn and need to hear it in virtual surround sound in these headphones!

Ask me any questions and I'll try and answer them to the best of my ability!

Very good day 1 impression and I like how you mentioned the Z1R in to the mix since I adore those cans also. Can't wait to get mine and put them on tubes!

 

[Slim1970]

Alright, out of the box impressions!!!

First off, the case is ridiculously beautiful and HEAVY. Not to mention the outer packaging it came in was large and thick too lol. No wonder it was 16 lbs. It's the first case though where it really feels like it's meant for a thousand dollar headphone.

Second, comfort is a mixed bag right now. Could be because it was sitting in the cold, so it needs to warm and loosen up, but this is my thoughts of it out the box. Clamp is tighter than I would like. I may need to loosen it manually. The pads, on the other hand, are not only thin, but stiff. I'm a little disappointed with them. They're like a stiff memory foam. Maybe these will loosen up as well.

Now SOUND. Straight out of the box, my first impressions are DEAR LORD THESE HAVE SERIOUS PUNCH!

The bass on these are incredibly tight and punchy. I'm a basshead (and I mean nauseating BASS), and as I mentioned before, I've been looking for a more natural TH-900 since I've sold them and... these might actually be it! The sub-bass isn't as authoritative as the ridiculous Fostex TH-900, but wow they sure do rumble, and rumble low. These are more mid-bass focused like my Sony MDR-Z1R, but with less bloat and more sub and punch! I tried these with metal (Fear Factory) and damn these are satisfying. The kick drum, the cymbals, the vocals, the everything!

The treble is elevated but not harsh at all. No lower treble glare that the Eikon had (which I'm very sensitive to). These are higher up in the frequency range, which is good for me. This makes loud listening very much possible and fun! I'll try to touch on air and soundstage later.

Mids are wonderful. No sibilance from what I can tell right now. Voices are natural sounding. Not cold, dry, and analytical like the TH-900 for sure. Upper mids aren't overly recessed too, like the Elears were.

The sources I used for these impressions are an iPad (Spotify) and the DX200 AMP3 (balanced with my own silver cable). Throughout the week, I'll burn them in while I'm gone, but try them out music and gaming every once in a while. I'm playing through Horizon Zero Dawn and need to hear it in virtual surround sound in these headphones!

Ask me any questions and I'll try and answer them to the best of my ability!

Nice, this sounds like my kind of sound signature and headphone. I absolutely love the sound of my Z1R's and TH-900 MKII's. Based on your impression these seem to fall right in between the TH-900's and Z1R's with some qualities of both. Now I'm really interested!

 

[BuddhaBruce]

Alright, out of the box impressions!!!

First off, the case is ridiculously beautiful and HEAVY. Not to mention the outer packaging it came in was large and thick too lol. No wonder it was 16 lbs. It's the first case though where it really feels like it's meant for a thousand dollar headphone.

Second, comfort is a mixed bag right now. Could be because it was sitting in the cold, so it needs to warm and loosen up, but this is my thoughts of it out the box. Clamp is tighter than I would like. I may need to loosen it manually. The pads, on the other hand, are not only thin, but stiff. I'm a little disappointed with them. They're like a stiff memory foam. Maybe these will loosen up as well.

Now SOUND. Straight out of the box, my first impressions are DEAR LORD THESE HAVE SERIOUS PUNCH!

The bass on these are incredibly tight and punchy. I'm a basshead (and I mean nauseating BASS), and as I mentioned before, I've been looking for a more natural TH-900 since I've sold them and... these might actually be it! The sub-bass isn't as authoritative as the ridiculous Fostex TH-900, but wow they sure do rumble, and rumble low. These are more mid-bass focused like my Sony MDR-Z1R, but with less bloat and more sub and punch! I tried these with metal (Fear Factory) and damn these are satisfying. The kick drum, the cymbals, the vocals, the everything!

The treble is elevated but not harsh at all. No lower treble glare that the Eikon had (which I'm very sensitive to). These are higher up in the frequency range, which is good for me. This makes loud listening very much possible and fun! I'll try to touch on air and soundstage later.

Mids are wonderful. No sibilance from what I can tell right now. Voices are natural sounding. Not cold, dry, and analytical like the TH-900 for sure. Upper mids aren't overly recessed too, like the Elears were.

The sources I used for these impressions are an iPad (Spotify) and the DX200 AMP3 (balanced with my own silver cable). Throughout the week, I'll burn them in while I'm gone, but try them out music and gaming every once in a while. I'm playing through Horizon Zero Dawn and need to hear it in virtual surround sound in these headphones!

Ask me any questions and I'll try and answer them to the best of my ability!

Can you compare these more to the Eikon? and Teaks perhaps?

How's the sound stage on these? Is it lush and smooth in it's transition? Would you say this is a 'warm' headphone or 'brighter'?

 

[ctaxxxx]

Can you compare these more to the Eikon? and Teaks perhaps?

How's the sound stage on these? Is it lush and smooth in it's transition? Would you say this is a 'warm' headphone or 'brighter'?

Even though I've owned the Teaks in the past, it's been a while since I've sold it. But they are a little more peaky and mid-bassy compared to these if I remember correctly. The EMUs had the standard V-shaped Fostex tuning, but was a little smoother.

Going from memory again, the Eikon's have more power in the sub-bass, but lacked the satisfying mid-bass impact of the Atticus imo. These have both sub-bass and mid-bass power without either being overdone (from a basshead perspective lol). I'll go ahead and say the ZMF headphones have better mids (Atticus is still what I consider flawless), but I did feel the Eikon's upper mids were a little too recessed. It wouldn't have been bad if it wasn't for the sudden, uneven spike into the lower treble, which made me sell them. That, and the weight... As for Atticus, they just lacked any sub-bass power. They would have been perfect to me otherwise.

I'll dive more on soundstage later, but these are definitely larger than the closed backs you asked about. Not TH-900 or HD800 large, but good width and depth.

Kind of hard to say. Definitely on the brighter side of neutral, but nothing harsh and overdone. I guess these would be U-shaped? I'll touch on this after some more listening and burn in.

 

[ahmadfaizadnan]

Alright, out of the box impressions!!!

First off, the case is ridiculously beautiful and HEAVY. Not to mention the outer packaging it came in was large and thick too lol. No wonder it was 16 lbs. It's the first case though where it really feels like it's meant for a thousand dollar headphone.

Second, comfort is a mixed bag right now. Could be because it was sitting in the cold, so it needs to warm and loosen up, but this is my thoughts of it out the box. Clamp is tighter than I would like. I may need to loosen it manually. The pads, on the other hand, are not only thin, but stiff. I'm a little disappointed with them. They're like a stiff memory foam. Maybe these will loosen up as well.

Now SOUND. Straight out of the box, my first impressions are DEAR LORD THESE HAVE SERIOUS PUNCH!

The bass on these are incredibly tight and punchy. I'm a basshead (and I mean nauseating BASS), and as I mentioned before, I've been looking for a more natural TH-900 since I've sold them and... these might actually be it! The sub-bass isn't as authoritative as the ridiculous Fostex TH-900, but wow they sure do rumble, and rumble low. These are more mid-bass focused like my Sony MDR-Z1R, but with less bloat and more sub and punch! I tried these with metal (Fear Factory) and damn these are satisfying. The kick drum, the cymbals, the vocals, the everything!

The treble is elevated but not harsh at all. No lower treble glare that the Eikon had (which I'm very sensitive to). These are higher up in the frequency range, which is good for me. This makes loud listening very much possible and fun! I'll try to touch on air and soundstage later.

Mids are wonderful. No sibilance from what I can tell right now. Voices are natural sounding. Not cold, dry, and analytical like the TH-900 for sure. Upper mids aren't overly recessed too, like the Elears were.

The sources I used for these impressions are an iPad (Spotify) and the DX200 AMP3 (balanced with my own silver cable). Throughout the week, I'll burn them in while I'm gone, but try them out for music and gaming every once in a while. I'm playing through Horizon Zero Dawn and need to hear it in virtual surround sound with these headphones!

Ask me any questions and I'll try and answer them to the best of my ability!

I always want something in between Z1R and TH900 but never thought it actually there now. Well, I've listened to HP3 but never had any chance to a/b them with Z1R and TH900. I really should listen to the HP3 again

 

[canthearyou]

If Klipsch doesn't get the Ebony back in stock, I may have to settle for the walnut.

 

[Level5]

If Klipsch doesn't get the Ebony back in stock, I may have to settle for the walnut.

Why wait? I ordered my ebony at Crutchfield and they have a nice 60days return to boot.

 

[canthearyou]

Why wait? I ordered my ebony at Crutchfield and they have a nice 60days return to boot.

I get a nice discount through Klipsch.

 

[BuddhaBruce]

I get a nice discount through Klipsch.

10% off?

 

[canthearyou]

10% off?

I can't say but it's a bit more than that.

 

[BuddhaBruce]

I can't say but it's a bit more than that.

Dang help a brotha out!

 

[ctaxxxx]

If Klipsch doesn't get the Ebony back in stock, I may have to settle for the walnut.

If you do go for Walnut, I would like to hear your impressions as well. Wood usually has a noticeable difference in the sound and, in my experience, Ebony tends to the smoothest. The cup seems to be mostly wood too.



This is coming from when I owned the EMU Teaks and had purchased additional Palo Santo and Ebony cups. I've also heard Purpleheart as well with the TH-X00. Although, ZMF headphones were more subtle in the wood changes, so this might be similar to that instead.