[Pharmaboy]

Yeah it does seem like the stock cable is braided. I use the stock cable with my HD6XX which is rubbery. I don't have any issues with it. I have tried other cables from brands like Periapt and Hart Audio. Both are quality cables yet I had issues with microphonics which I never have with the stock Sennheiser cable.

I didn't mean to imply the HD6XX has a spacious sound. I know it's fairly narrow. I was just asking if the Aeolus or other ZMF headphone have a spacious sound.

I find the soundstage on 4 ZMF headphones (old or new) to be above average (or better):

• Ori - discontinued closed back planar w/better soundstaging than you'd expect
• Eikon - closed back dynamic driver HP w/really exceptional soundstaging for a closed design (IMO)
• Aeolus - open back dynamic with well-above average soundstaging
• Verite Open - " " " " " "

Maybe it's those big wooden earcups that create more resonance; or maybe Zach does some kind of soundstage voodoo when voicing his headphones--but most ZMF headphones I've heard have above-average or better soundstage.

 

[Marlowe]

Yeah it does seem like the stock cable is braided. I use the stock cable with my HD6XX which is rubbery. I don't have any issues with it. I have tried other cables from brands like Periapt and Hart Audio. Both are quality cables yet I had issues with microphonics which I never have with the stock Sennheiser cable.

I didn't mean to imply the HD6XX has a spacious sound. I know it's fairly narrow. I was just asking if the Aeolus or other ZMF headphone have a spacious sound.

Well, this all goes to personal preference. The two ZMF cables I have are not all that dissimilar from the stock 6XX cable, which I disliked and replaced immediately. (I keep meaning to get a balanced cable for the 6XX, but I use it so seldom it's hard to justify. Though the amp I have that probably pairs best with the 6XX, the Schitt Valhalla 2, is only single ended anyway.) I have not seen the current braided stock ZMF cable, so I can't comment on it.

I have balanced XLR cables from Periapt for my Sennheiser HD700 (my primary TV headphones) and Focal Elex. They are pretty decent cables and a good value; personally, I have never had a microphonics problem with either. They are also a great company to deal with. When the 3.5mm connectors were too large to fit into the recessed jacks on the Elex, they graciously replaced it immediately. The Arctic cable that I have for the Aeolus is a bit nicer than the Periapt, but it should be at something over twice the price.

 

[Valens7]

Not sure if this is the best place to put this but I decided to compare all three ZMF stock cables and gathered some impressions which may be of interest...

OG stock cable: I may be wrong but this appears to be made from the same wire that Audeze used previously in its headphone cables. It seems like it gets a bad rap but I think this is mostly unwarranted

As a sort of baseline, this cable does not really have any serious problems. I don’t hear any frequency attenuation (such as with Mogami 2893 for instance) and its minor shortcomings really only show up in relation to the other cables described. To that point, it sounds a bit “diffuse” to me

What do I mean by that? Transients are not as incisive which reduces the clarity of the image being presented. Dynamic impacts are slightly blunted which makes songs more dull than they might otherwise be. The combined effect of these weaknesses results in bass that sounds (relatively) looser on the Atticus by way of example

OFC cable: Plenty have enjoyed this cable as an upgrade over the OG stock cable over the years and with good reason. But I do have an issue with it for my part

The OFC essentially resolves the issues with the stock cable. Transients are sharper and dynamic impact is more solid. The overall sonic image is just better defined; no more diffuse quality. In fact I’d say there is a bit more depth (y-axis) to the stage than with the stock cable

However, there is a certain darkness of tone (not sure if that’s the right phrasing) to the OFC cable. Some might say this stems from a more "refined" treble than the stock cable but I hear it as a negative. I’m not sure I’d say that the highs are attenuated but there is less energy there than I think there ought to be. This leads to a slight lack of air that’s exacerbated on, say, the Atticus. And it can’t really afford any perceptible reduction in that FR region

To sum up, it’s a more punchy cable with a mildly darker tone. Preferences will vary on other ZMF headphones but I had found myself using the OG stock cable with the Atticus despite its shortcomings

Braided stock cable: Zach recently began offering this cable in lieu of the Audeze-style wire as a more suitably premium inclusion with his headphones. But I happen to prefer it even over the OFC cable and I’m glad that I picked up a set

Basically the braided stock sounds like a “meatier” version of the OG stock. That is, it performs somewhat more in line with the old cable than the OFC but absent the issues described previously. While it may lack the slightly enhanced depth perceptible with the OFC cable, neither does it suffer/benefit from that darker tonality. The result is that transients and dynamic impact come across suitably on point minus any reduction in airiness. Staging is more upfront than OFC but with a more textured note delivery (if that makes sense)

I don’t believe that one should feel obliged to purchase a fancy headphone cable to get optimal performance from their headphones. And I think this (new) stock cable meets that standard nicely

So people know what I gear I used to arrive at these conclusions, I listened to my Padauk Atticus driven between a DNA Sonett 2 (XLR output) and KSA-5 Klone (SE only) being fed by a Soekris 1421

PS: To clarify, the attenuation which I referenced re: Mogami 2893 is in the lower registers. I have headphone cables made from that wire and they just sound too thin to me

 

[MacMan31]

I had a similar experience, and I am currently using a Valhalla 2 with my Aeolus and Atticus. With the tubes I have in it, I am getting some seriously good sound. Roll in some Brimar Cv4033 (Tubemonger Exclusive) or Raytheon 7728's with some Foton 6N6P, and get ready for some TOTL sound. My V2 with the tubes mentioned smoked my BHC. In fact, the V2 with good tubes (adapters + CV4033) blows the BHC out of the water, when it comes to resolution, impact, and sound stage, as well as tonality and timbre.

By the way, with my V2 there is no upper mid range glare at all (tubes make a big difference), and I am very familar with the Schiit upper mids glare (OG Jotunheim I am talking about you). Funny thing is I sold most of my gear making room for a Pendant SE, and while I wait for it, I pulled out my V2 (first amp ever) from storage to just get me by. Well, to my surprise the V2 with the tubes I use, blew my mind and sounds better then anything I have owned so far. Tubes make a big difference, and can really take the V2 to another level. The V2 is my number 1 rec, for an entry level OTL that pairs insanely well with Aeolus and Atticus.

Valhalla 2 with Brimar CV4033 and Foton 6N6P

That looks awesome with those tubes. I'm considering an Aeolus but I have never had a tube amp. As another poster said it can be pretty tiring looking for and swapping tubes. My amp/DAC right now is the Marantz HD-DAC1. Sounds really good with my HD6XX so I would hope it would sound just as good or better with an Aeolus.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Not sure if this is the best place to put this but I decided to compare all three ZMF stock cables and gathered some impressions which may be of interest...

OG stock cable: I may be wrong but this seems to be made from the same wire that Audeze used previously in its headphone cables. It seems like it gets a bad rap but I think this is mostly unwarranted

As a sort of baseline, this cable does not really have any serious problems. I don’t hear any frequency attenuation (such as with Mogami 2893 for instance) and its minor shortcomings really only show up in relation to the other cables described. To that point, it sounds a bit “diffuse” to me

What do I mean by that? Transients are not as incisive which reduces the clarity of the image being presented. Dynamic impacts are slightly blunted which makes songs more dull than they might otherwise be. The combined effect of these weaknesses results in bass that sounds (relatively) looser on the Atticus by way of example

OFC cable: Plenty have enjoyed this cable as an upgrade over the OG stock cable over the years and with good reason. But I do have an issue with it for my part

The OFC essentially resolves the issues with the stock cable. Transients are sharper and dynamic impact is more solid. The overall sonic image is just better defined; no more diffuse quality. In fact I’d say there is a bit more depth (y-axis) to the stage than with the stock cable

However, there is a certain darkness of tone (not sure if that’s the right phrasing) to the OFC cable. Some might say this stems from a more "refined" treble than the stock cable but I hear it as a negative. I’m not sure I’d say that the highs are attenuated but there is less energy there than I think there ought to be. This leads to a slight lack of air that’s exacerbated on, say, the Atticus. And it can’t really afford any perceptible reduction in that FR region

To sum up, it’s a more punchy cable with a mildly darker tone. Preferences will vary on other ZMF headphones but I had found myself using the OG stock cable with the Atticus despite its shortcomings

Braided stock cable: Zach recently began offering this cable in lieu of the Audeze-style wire as a more suitably premium inclusion with his headphones. But I happen to prefer it even over the OFC cable and I’m glad that I picked up a set

Basically the braided stock sounds like a “meatier” version of the OG stock. That is, it performs somewhat more in line with the old cable than the OFC but absent the issues described previously. While it may lack the slightly enhanced depth perceptible with the OFC cable, neither does it suffer/benefit from that darker tonality. The result is that transients and dynamic impact come across suitably on point minus any reduction in airiness. Staging is more upfront than OFC but with a more textured note delivery (if that makes sense)

I don’t believe that one should feel obliged to purchase a fancy headphone cable to get optimal performance from their headphones. And I think this (new) stock cable meets that standard nicely

So people know what I gear I used to arrive at these conclusions, I listened to my Padauk Atticus driven between a DNA Sonett 2 (XLR output) and KSA-5 Klone (SE only) being fed by a Soekris 1421

PS: To clarify, the attenuation which I referenced re: Mogami 2893 is in the lower registers. I have headphone cables made from that wire and they just sound too thin to me

You're doing everyone here a real public service by comparing cables. I happen to really like the recently-launched braided stock cable on my VO--but am simply too lazy to compare it to my 2 aftermarket cables (ForzaAudioWorks Noir HCP MkII; Danacable Lazuli).

Or maybe it's not just laziness. This VO w/stock braided cable sounds so good to me on every amp & every genre of music, that I'm not motivated to get down in the sonic weeds--prefer instead to keep enjoying that sound!

 

[Bruc3]

I am deciding between the Aeolus and Auteur.

Who here prefers the Aeolus over the Auteur and what are the reasons?

 

[Valens7]

I am deciding between the Aeolus and Auteur.

Who here prefers the Aeolus over the Auteur and what are the reasons?

Technicalities are broadly similar between both the Auteur and Aeolus, with perhaps a modest edge to the former. So you might find that Auteur has a bit more room to scale in a listening rig with favorable synergy. But, price difference aside, choosing between them largely comes down to music choice and upstream gear considerations. I owned both and I somewhat preferred the Aeolus. It’s more versatile in music genres and less picky about sources/amps

Given that you appear already to have an HD800S, I think the Aeolus would be a more complementary alternative. Auteur is rather different from the HD800 but they are relatively direct competitors in terms of what they try to achieve with their respective tunings. For my part, I think the HD800 tops the Auteur on technicalities and would prefer to keep that, assuming you can tolerate and/or mitigate its rather dry sound

 

[Pharmaboy]

Technicalities are broadly similar between both the Auteur and Aeolus, with perhaps a modest edge to the former. So you might find that Auteur has a bit more room to scale in a listening rig with favorable synergy. But, price difference aside, choosing between them largely comes down to music choice and upstream gear considerations. I owned both and I somewhat preferred the Aeolus. It’s more versatile in music genres and less picky about component flexibility

Given that you appear already to have an HD800S, I think the Aeolus would be a more complementary alternative. Auteur is rather different from the HD800 but they are relatively direct competitors in terms of what they try to achieve with their respective tunings. For my part, I think the HD800 tops the Auteur on technicalities and would prefer to keep that, assuming you can tolerate and/or mitigate its rather dry sound

I was 1/2-thinking of replying (w/the admitted handicap of not owning the Auteur vs owning Aeolus)--but you nailed it so exactly, there's almost nothing left to say ... great post.

 

[Bruc3]

Given that you appear already to have an HD800S, I think the Aeolus would be a more complementary alternative.

Thanks for the reply, this is pretty much my thinking exactly.

I think if I had no headphones then I would likely get the Auteur, but I agree Aeolus is better complement for the HD800S.

I also have SS and OTL tube amps to pair with them.

I have listened briefly to both Aeolus and Auteur when I went to a recent meet, but was honestly not long enough to really get a good feel for it. I ended up listening to the Aeolus bit more during that audition and like what I heard, especially with the BH Crack.

 

[Mizicke5273]

Thanks for the reply, this is pretty much my thinking exactly.

I think if I had no headphones then I would likely get the Auteur, but I agree Aeolus is better complement for the HD800S.

I also have SS and OTL tube amps to pair with them.

I have listened briefly to both Aeolus and Auteur when I went to a recent meet, but was honestly not long enough to really get a good feel for it. I ended up listening to the Aeolus bit more during that audition and like what I heard, especially with the BH Crack.

The Aeolus sounds good out of the La Figaro 339; if that helps with your decision!?

 

[Callius]

I'am recieving both the Auteur and Aeolus next week with an Feliks Espressivo mk2 to demo for a week. If i buy the Espressivo i get it for about 50% off since it is being discontinued. This seems like a great deal even though i have almost bought the xDuoo ta-30, and looked at other amps. I have been looking for an Dac to compliment the ZMF sound and i'am considering the Topping E30, SMSL su-8, any tips? I have also been offered to buy an used Cayin idac ( 2x AK4490 chipsets) for around 400 USD (resale was 999 usd back in 2016). Is this an good dac? Has anyone heard the Espressivo?

 

[Bruc3]

I'am recieving both the Auteur and Aeolus next week with an Feliks Espressivo mk2 to demo for a week. If i buy the Espressivo i get it for about 50% off since it is being discontinued. This seems like a great deal even though i have almost bought the xDuoo ta-30, and looked at other amps. I have been looking for an Dac to compliment the ZMF sound and i'am considering the Topping E30, SMSL su-8, any tips?

Please do share your comparison/impressions when you do receive the Aeolus and Auteur, keen to know.

For DAC, maybe consider an R2R/multibit DAC which should provide a more warmer and organic sound.

 

[Callius]

Please do share your comparison/impressions when you do receive the Aeolus and Auteur, keen to know.

For DAC, maybe consider an R2R/multibit DAC which should provide a more warmer and organic sound.

I will definitely post my impressions of both. I have been looking at the denafrips ares II just for the warm organic sound. But that would mean pushing my budget considerably above its current level of 800 euro for dac + amp. That’s why I’m looking for an interim dac to be used until I can afford it. Soekris are supposed to release a new dac around the 500 usd price point. Might look at that also.

 

[CaptainFantastic]

I will definitely post my impressions of both. I have been looking at the denafrips ares II just for the warm organic sound. But that would mean pushing my budget considerably above its current level of 800 euro for dac + amp. That’s why I’m looking for an interim dac to be used until I can afford it. Soekris are supposed to release a new dac around the 500 usd price point. Might look at that also.

In my experience the Ares II misses too much detail when used for headphones. I heard it's great with speakers, but for headphones the organic sound gains are not worth the staggering loss of detail (and at that time I was comparing to my RME, not the TT2).

 

[Bruc3]

That’s why I’m looking for an interim dac to be used until I can afford it. Soekris are supposed to release a new dac around the 500 usd price point. Might look at that also.

There is also the Audio-GD R2R-11 for $350 usd, maybe worth to consider.