[ProfFalkin]

Well, both Eddie Current and especially Cavalli amps have been exposed as having quite poor build quality and you can do way better for the price typically. Examples:

https://www.head-case.org/forums/topic/11304-cavalli-audio-liquid-lightning/

https://www.head-case.org/forums/topic/12662-ec-black-widow/

I'd get a Dynalo from Mjolnir-Audio instead. Built buy a guy who knows what he's using, using a tried and true circuit known for its cutting edge transparency that few amps can match.

I never could stomach the fanboy nature and groupthink of head case. They've crap on some pretty good amps and then the be-like-Mike followers hype up the crap talk with no experience to back it up. Not to the extent of ASR, clearly, but it comes close. A shame, really, but I guess it happens a bit on every site.

I'll keep jamming on my Gumby/Black Widow 2/Eikons and be happy.

 

[vc1187]

If you do find an SS amp that pairs well with the Auteurs+Auteur pads that's not obtanium let us know. I've been asking myself this same question for a few months now.

Did you mean not unobtanium?

Try to audition both, or their siblings or something similar. Since those DACs are on the opposite ends of the spectrum: the Chords are oversampling delta sigma DACs, while Metrum DACs are non-oversampling R2R DACs. Also be sure to audition both kinds with 44.1 KHz music, because oversampling becomes less important/noticeable at 88.2 KHz and above.



Well, both Eddie Current and especially Cavalli amps have been exposed as having quite poor build quality and you can do way better for the price typically. Examples:

https://www.head-case.org/forums/topic/11304-cavalli-audio-liquid-lightning/

https://www.head-case.org/forums/topic/12662-ec-black-widow/

I'd get a Dynalo from Mjolnir-Audio instead. Built buy a guy who knows what he's using, using a tried and true circuit known for its cutting edge transparency that few amps can match.

Despite all of the flack Cavalli products have received on HC, I have found nothing but joy from the Cavalli Audio Liquid Gold. When I receive a pair of Teak Auteurs in a couple of days, I can post some impressions on how the two pair.

 

[Gambitek]

I stopped EQ'ign down the treble. My head has gotten used to it and am enjoying the clarity. The -2db at 200 hz is optional; I use it to reduce some warmth to enjoy the mid-bass and sub-bass with a greater sense of "air".

New EQ settings:

 

[NickedWicked]

What do you guys think of the Auteur for in a studio? At the moment I tend to use a Focal Clear for some finer details when mixing that my relatively high-end monitors sometimes miss.

My ash Auteur is very close to being shipped this week but I can't help but wonder.

 

[petervenkman]

What do you guys think of the Auteur for in a studio? At the moment I tend to use a Focal Clear for some finer details when mixing that my relatively high-end monitors sometimes miss.

My ash Auteur is very close to being shipped this week but I can't help but wonder.

I have teak Auteur's coming in later this week and I plan to add it to the list of ways I listen to my mixes.

Also, have to remember most people aren't listening with headphones like us wackos so I always make sure to test with Apple buds other less revealing solutions.

 

[hikaru12]

What do you guys think of the Auteur for in a studio? At the moment I tend to use a Focal Clear for some finer details when mixing that my relatively high-end monitors sometimes miss.

My ash Auteur is very close to being shipped this week but I can't help but wonder.

Theyre very neutral but have a bit of coloration that might get in the way. You also have to realize even though something may be detailed it won’t appear to your consumer that way as they most likely won’t be listening on enough high end equipment to make use of it. I found the HD800 stock the be more detailed than the Clears myself.

 

[NickedWicked]

I have teak Auteur's coming in later this week and I plan to add it to the list of ways I listen to my mixes.

Also, have to remember most people aren't listening with headphones like us wackos so I always make sure to test with Apple buds other less revealing solutions.

Thanks! Yeah I too have a pair of “meh” headphones and speakers for that purpose, but it’s always nice to throw nuanced things into the mix imo that can be unraveled by listening on some higher end gear.

Theyre very neutral but have a bit of coloration that might get in the way. You also have to realize even though something may be detailed it won’t appear to your consumer that way as they most likely won’t be listening on enough high end equipment to make use of it. I found the HD800 stock the be more detailed than the Clears myself.

Detail certainly isn’t the most necessary thing here, but the fact that the Auteur and the Clear are so nicely balanced across the spectrum it would seem like a very good companion for in the studio and certainly a step up from a universal standard like the HD 650, which is still often used in studio’s.

 

[hikaru12]

from a universal standard like the HD 650, which is still often used in studio’s

Oh yea definently, you really don't need much more than that. Point is you don't really need detailed headphones for monitoring - you just need neutrality so when a kick really is bassy you can hear it as is without going overboard and adding distortion, etc. You can certainly go cheaper to find absolute neutrality. The Clears are probably more energetic due to the treble while the Auteurs are laid back, relaxed headphones. Definently, balance comes to mind. Detail is very similar all across the $2k mark with them.

 

[heliosphann]

Did you mean not unobtanium?



Despite all of the flack Cavalli products have received on HC, I have found nothing but joy from the Cavalli Audio Liquid Gold. When I receive a pair of Teak Auteurs in a couple of days, I can post some impressions on how the two pair.

I'll save you the trouble, they sound really, REALLY good together!

 

[mysticstryk]

Try to audition both, or their siblings or something similar. Since those DACs are on the opposite ends of the spectrum: the Chords are oversampling delta sigma DACs, while Metrum DACs are non-oversampling R2R DACs. Also be sure to audition both kinds with 44.1 KHz music, because oversampling becomes less important/noticeable at 88.2 KHz and above.



Well, both Eddie Current and especially Cavalli amps have been exposed as having quite poor build quality and you can do way better for the price typically. Examples:

https://www.head-case.org/forums/topic/11304-cavalli-audio-liquid-lightning/

https://www.head-case.org/forums/topic/12662-ec-black-widow/

I'd get a Dynalo from Mjolnir-Audio instead. Built buy a guy who knows what he's using, using a tried and true circuit known for its cutting edge transparency that few amps can match.



Well don't forget Zach's lineup also includes 50 ohms planars, his first headphones in fact. High impedance means you need to be a bit more selective with amp choice, tubes naturally fit that bill but so do really good well rounded solid state amps. What amps have you tried the Auteur with?

Kevin Gilmore's disdain for EC is well known, don't take his words at face value. In my experience owning two EC amps and knowing many others who have owned EC gear, the build quality is top notch. Of course no electronics have a perfect failure rate regardless of price.

I've used Mjolnir amps before as well, very well made.

 

[Hansotek]

What do you guys think of the Auteur for in a studio? At the moment I tend to use a Focal Clear for some finer details when mixing that my relatively high-end monitors sometimes miss.

My ash Auteur is very close to being shipped this week but I can't help but wonder.

I think it does well, there aren’t any big recessions or colorations there to mess you up. Imaging, separation and detail are more than enough. I think it ultimately comes down to how well you know the headphone. You can mix with any relatively uncolored headphone as long as you know what things are supposed to sound like through it.

 

[K.J.]

Have sonic differences between the Ash and Teak been recorded yet?

I kind of want to go with the Ash, just because I already have a Teak headphone, but on that same note I am also very intimate with how special the latter can be.

 

[gLer]

certainly a step up from a universal standard like the HD 650, which is still often used in studio’s.

I wonder why? If neutrality is key to mastering, then surely the slightly warm, slightly dark, slightly veiled HD650 wouldn’t be a good studio fit?

 

[NickedWicked]

I wonder why? If neutrality is key to mastering, then surely the slightly warm, slightly dark, slightly veiled HD650 wouldn’t be a good studio fit?

Fatigue mostly, HD 650’s are very easy on the ears and mixing can be done for hours on end, although imo it’s better to limit it to 1 to 2 hours a day to keep your ears fresh.

With a good powerful SS amp the veil is as good as gone and the dark sound gets raised into something more neutral yet slightly dark.

 

[Hansotek]

I wonder why? If neutrality is key to mastering, then surely the slightly warm, slightly dark, slightly veiled HD650 wouldn’t be a good studio fit?

Neutrality is more key for mixing than mastering. Mastering is more about understanding minimums, maximums and the most common result. Neutrality is more of a tool in the box in that scenario.

Back to the HD650’s use as a studio tool, there is a school of thought among many audio pros that the slightly darker stuff like HD650s and Audezes more closely resembles the sound of speakers in a room due to the way high frequencies attenuate more quickly as they move through the air. Some engineers believe this makes a darker headphone a more reliable predictor of the end sound. Other engineers want to use headphones to really “zoom in” on the sound, which is why the HD800 remains a popular studio tool. IMO, the HD800s need a warmer setup to be most effective as a studio tool as the treble peak can be equal parts helpful and a hinderance, and the somewhat lean bass kind of necessitates a second headphone headphone with fuller bass to preview the master like an Audeze, Abyss, etc.

The key above all else though is the engineer’s familiarity with the sound of the headphone. Ultimately, it’s a tool and you want it to yield predictable results.