[shafat777]

Hello, anyone here that owns both the LCD X and Auteur, could you please share your thoughts on how the 2 compare? Specifically the bass.
Thanks!

I used to own the LCD-X (now sold) and I do own the Auteur. Hope this helps....

The LCD-X has a very impressive bass response. Its probably one of the best bass producing hp i have ever owned. Its punchy, dynamic, and often rumbly if and when needed. The huge 105mm drivers are very capable of producing even some of the lowest notes.

The Auteur, on the other hand, is very versatile hp. It can produce bass, but in a different way. While the LCD-X can get bass heavy on certain tracks, the Auteurs keep everything under control without letting the bass take over the sound. The auteur can sound bassy without letting the bass over power the mids and highs. Also, the bass of the auteur can be tightened and even increased with some pad swaps. From my memory, the Eikon perf lambs make the auteur sound really bassy by sacrificing soundstage and air. But it still sounds really good.

I would say this....if youre looking for bass, then the LCD-X is your choice. PLain and simple. If youre looking for anything else, the auteur wins hands down. Theres something about Audeze bass that is yet to be matched by any other company, IMHO. I sold my LCD-X because it was too heavy for my neck. I kept my Auteur because its so darn beautiful and sounds like a ZMF headphone, LOL.

PS. if bass is your thing, then i might also recommend a Sony Z1R. These arent as heavy (actually really comfortable) and will give you thumping bass. But then again, Audeze bass in the best bass, IMO. Let us know what you think.

 

[jonathan c]

I used to own the LCD-X (now sold) and I do own the Auteur. Hope this helps....

The LCD-X has a very impressive bass response. Its probably one of the best bass producing hp i have ever owned. Its punchy, dynamic, and often rumbly if and when needed. The huge 105mm drivers are very capable of producing even some of the lowest notes.

The Auteur on the other hand, is very versatile hp. It can produce bass, but in a different way. While the LCD-X can get bass heavy on certain tracks, the Auteurs everything under control without letting the bass take over the sound. The auteur can sound bassy without letting the bass over power the mids and highs. Also, the bass of the auteur can be tightened and even increased with some pad swaps. From my memory, the Eikon perf lambs make the auteur sound really bassy by sacrificing soundstage and air. But it still sounds really good.

I would say this....if youre looking for bass, then the LCD-X is your choice. PLain and simple. If youre looking for anything else, the auteur wins hands down. Theres something about Audeze bass that is yet to the matched by any other company, IMHO. I sold my LCD-X because it was too heavy for my neck. I kept my Auteur because its so darn beautiful and sounds like a ZMF headphone, LOL.

PS. if bass is your thing, then i might also recommend a Sony Z1R. These arent as heavy (actually really comfortable) and will give you thumping bass. But then again, Audeze bass in the best bass, IMO. Let us know what you think.

Good points….I own both. The LCD-X of mine has the non-cantilever headband . I have every intention to keep both. !

 

[4LoveOfSound]

I ordered the bocote with the aged copper grill and rod. Now the painstaking wait begins!

 

[LCMusicLover]

I ordered the bocote with the aged copper grill and rod. Now the painstaking wait begins!

 

[whirlwind]

I ordered the bocote with the aged copper grill and rod. Now the painstaking wait begins!

That is one beautiful headphone...congrats

 

[lupoal]

Been over two years since I bought my cocobolo Auteur. The Auteur and the HD650 are the only headphones in my collection now.

... I have a HD650 (but also a 580 and a 530) and I'm thinking (since too much time to be honest... but the reason is explained below) at an Auteur as I've seen/read reviews where the Auteur is defined as a "better HD650"... my question for you is: why you kept both? where are differencies between them?

I mainly listen classical and jazz... and some international too, my headset is driven by a small OTL, a Little Dot MK2 slightly modified to use, in proper way, much better tubes... with HD650, and some slight EQ, it sounds pretty good... but curiosity you know...

p.s.: I do hope ZMF will have a dealer here in Italy soon... the policy they have about warranty transfer is quite a trouble (and also imho not understandable as the warranty is about quality problems in the product not about bad/improper use of it... so if there is a problem about quality who is the owner doesn't matter, warranty should be applied... if has been used in a bad way again the owner doesn't matter as it is not coverd by warranty) ... I would like to avoid buying that outside Italy, inside Europe... in that case I would be covered by european law/rules but no way to listen in advance... c'mon Zac, Italy is waiting for you

 

[L0rdGwyn]

... I have a HD650 (but also a 580 and a 530) and I'm thinking (since too much time to be honest... but the reason is explained below) at an Auteur as I've seen/read reviews where the Auteur is defined as a "better HD650"... my question for you is: why you kept both? where are differencies between them?

I mainly listen classical and jazz... and some international too, my headset is driven by a small OTL, a Little Dot MK2 slightly modified to use, in proper way, much better tubes... with HD650, and some slight EQ, it sounds pretty good... but curiosity you know...

p.s.: I do hope ZMF will have a dealer here in Italy soon... the policy they have about warranty transfer is quite a trouble (and also imho not understandable as the warranty is about quality problems in the product not about bad/improper use of it... so if there is a problem about quality who is the owner doesn't matter, warranty should be applied... if has been used in a bad way again the owner doesn't matter as it is not coverd by warranty) ... I would like to avoid buying that outside Italy, inside Europe... in that case I would be covered by european law/rules but no way to listen in advance... c'mon Zac, Italy is waiting for you

Well many times people say "[X] headphone is a better [Y] headphone", but regardless of any similarity, they are still different headphones! And will present music differently. The HD650 is a true open headphone, the Auteur, for me, is more like semi-open. With a good upstream chain, the HD650 can have a very wide and spacious soundstage and has a very nice midrange, the reason I like it. It also pairs very well with tube amps of course and IMO, is very very responsive to upstream changes in amplification, I often use it as an evaluation tool when I prototype a new amplifier design. With the right amplifier, it can really take on a new level of performance. The Auteur, while I think tonally might be similar to the HD650, has a more intimate soundstage, but more defined and extended bass and better transients, dynamics, detail. Also a great tube pairing. So I keep both, at different times they suit different moods / music, and like I said, the HD650 is also somewhat of a tool for me. Just my opinion of course, maybe others will disagree with the comparison, I don't spend very much time evaluating or comparing headphones these days.

 

[Levanter]

Well many times people say "[X] headphone is a better [Y] headphone", but regardless of any similarity, they are still different headphones! And will present music differently. The HD650 is a true open headphone, the Auteur, for me, is more like semi-open. With a good upstream chain, the HD650 can have a very wide and spacious soundstage and has a very nice midrange, the reason I like it. It also pairs very well with tube amps of course and IMO, is very very responsive to upstream changes in amplification, I often use it as an evaluation tool when I prototype a new amplifier design. With the right amplifier, it can really take on a new level of performance. The Auteur, while I think tonally might be similar to the HD650, has a more intimate soundstage, but more defined and extended bass and better transients, dynamics, detail. Also a great tube pairing. So I keep both, at different times they suit different moods / music, and like I said, the HD650 is also somewhat of a tool for me. Just my opinion of course, maybe others will disagree with the comparison, I don't spend very much time evaluating or comparing headphones these days.

That's different from what i hear on mine. I find the Auteur having a significantly wider & deeper soundstage compared to the HD650 which is well known for their already congested intimate soundstage

 

[lupoal]

@Levanter
... wider and deeper... but natural? I mean... not like HD800 that sounds so unrealistic to be disturbing (to me of course) ?

 

[AngryTank]

... I have a HD650 (but also a 580 and a 530) and I'm thinking (since too much time to be honest... but the reason is explained below) at an Auteur as I've seen/read reviews where the Auteur is defined as a "better HD650"... my question for you is: why you kept both? where are differencies between them?

I mainly listen classical and jazz... and some international too, my headset is driven by a small OTL, a Little Dot MK2 slightly modified to use, in proper way, much better tubes... with HD650, and some slight EQ, it sounds pretty good... but curiosity you know...

p.s.: I do hope ZMF will have a dealer here in Italy soon... the policy they have about warranty transfer is quite a trouble (and also imho not understandable as the warranty is about quality problems in the product not about bad/improper use of it... so if there is a problem about quality who is the owner doesn't matter, warranty should be applied... if has been used in a bad way again the owner doesn't matter as it is not coverd by warranty) ... I would like to avoid buying that outside Italy, inside Europe... in that case I would be covered by european law/rules but no way to listen in advance... c'mon Zac, Italy is waiting for you

Trust me you won’t have any quality problems with your Auteur if you buy directly (they make sure you get a flawless product, aside from the cups wood discrepancies), the warranty is only for the drivers as improper/accidental damage to the drivers are inevitable, that’s why it’s a lifetime warranty.

 

[L0rdGwyn]

That's different from what i hear on mine. I find the Auteur having a significantly wider & deeper soundstage compared to the HD650 which is well known for their already congested intimate soundstage

Well we all hear it differently certainly ears, brain, and upstream gear all play a part. In my experience though, as I said, the HD650 is very changeable. With a good source and, in my opinion, a good tube amplifier, the soundstage can be quite large, really transforms the headphone.

This is a bit of an extreme example, but I am listening to it now in an all tube analog chain (turntable, tube phono, SET amplifier). No congestion whatsoever! It is very spacious, airy, staging you would expect from an open-back headphone.

 

[Levanter]

@Levanter
... wider and deeper... but natural? I mean... not like HD800 that sounds so unrealistic to be disturbing (to me of course) ?

Yes it sounds natural, no where near the soundstage of the HD800. It’s not that the Auteur have a big soundstage, the HD650 soundstage itself is small compared to many other open backs.

Well we all hear it differently certainly ears, brain, and upstream gear all play a part. In my experience though, as I said, the HD650 is very changeable. With a good source and, in my opinion, a good tube amplifier, the soundstage can be quite large, really transforms the headphone.

This is a bit of an extreme example, but I am listening to it now in an all tube analog chain (turntable, tube phono, SET amplifier). No congestion whatsoever! It is very spacious, airy, staging you would expect from an open-back headphone.

Definitely everyone hears them differently, but I think you are one of the few rare ones I’ve seen describing the 650 as spacious, airy with a big soundstage.

 

[lupoal]

In my experience though, as I said, the HD650 is very changeable. With a good source and, in my opinion, a good tube amplifier, the soundstage can be quite large, really transforms the headphone

... if I may add my experience too... I can hear big differences, congested vs. large and deep soundstage, in function of my mental status... when I'm unable to switch off my continuos-thinking-brain the sound is nice but not so spaciuous/deep... when I'm able to stop thinking and just listen music, let's say in more relaxed way, the things change a lot, this is mainly true with classical symphonic music where I'm able to feel better the depht of the stage and position of the instruments... the secrets, in my head, is to just music flow instead of looking obsessively for details... and stop thinking at job

in any case, relaxed or maniacally concentrated or stressed, I've been able to clearly discriminate the differences between an HD800 and my HD580, the first one sounding really unaturally big

so... when I'm in proper mental status the HD6XX is quite a good headphone set... what I'm looking for is something that makes easier to me the perception of deept-space, with some more space but remaining really realistic, without loosing the fantastic mids of my HD6XX, clearly at a price level 3-4 times higher then a HD6XX it has to do also all the other things noticeably better... is that the Auteur?

 

[L0rdGwyn]

Definitely everyone hears them differently, but I think you are one of the few rare ones I’ve seen describing the 650 as spacious, airy with a big soundstage.

It is all relative, certainly isn't a HD800, but it really does open up with certain amplifiers. Maybe one day we will both be at a meet and we can compare

... if I may add my experience too... I can hear big differences, congested vs. large and deep soundstage, in function of my mental status... when I'm unable to switch off my continuos-thinking-brain the sound is nice but not so spaciuous/deep... when I'm able to stop thinking and just listen music, let's say in more relaxed way, the things change a lot, this is mainly true with classical symphonic music where I'm able to feel better the depht of the stage and position of the instruments... the secrets, in my head, is to just music flow instead of looking obsessively for details... and stop thinking at job

in any case, relaxed or maniacally concentrated or stressed, I've been able to clearly discriminate the differences between an HD800 and my HD580, the first one sounding really unaturally big

so... when I'm in proper mental status the HD6XX is quite a good headphone set... what I'm looking for is something that makes easier to me the perception of deept-space, with some more space but remaining really realistic, without loosing the fantastic mids of my HD6XX, clearly at a price level 3-4 times higher then a HD6XX it has to do also all the other things noticeably better... is that the Auteur?

I think mental state is always going to affect how you hear the music. Other than headphones, I listen on my two-channel system. It is very good, IMO, but if I try to listen after a long day at work, it sounds "off", nowhere near its potential. Of course if I am off of work the next day, it returns to its usual form the brain is very powerful and ears do respond to stress. I think you would be very happy with the Auteur.

 

[Coztomba]

It is all relative, certainly isn't a HD800, but it really does open up with certain amplifiers. Maybe one day we will both be at a meet and we can compare



I think mental state is always going to affect how you hear the music. Other than headphones, I listen on my two-channel system. It is very good, IMO, but if I try to listen after a long day at work, it sounds "off", nowhere near its potential. Of course if I am off of work the next day, it returns to its usual form the brain is very powerful and ears do respond to stress. I think you would be very happy with the Auteur.

I certainly think the metal aspect is real. Somedays I'm completely content and satisfied. Audio nirvana. I feel like my gear is exactly to my tastes and, "it doesn't get any better than this". I can completely sink into the music.

Other days, things just seem off. No matter what headphones I try I'm not happy. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen.