[Pharmaboy]

"My personal opinion is that the Classic's wider and deeper soundstage mitigates the perception of a more lit up top end."

(excellent!)

 

[haasaaroni]

Best CanJam ever!! Welcome to the family, Auteur Classic And thanks so much, Zach and Bevin!!

 

[heliosphann]

Best CanJam ever!! Welcome to the family, Auteur Classic And thanks so much, Zach and Bevin!!

Congrats, those are some beauties. They look like they have a different finish than my demo pair.

 

[haasaaroni]

Congrats, those are some beauties. They look like they have a different finish than my demo pair.

Thanks! It’s the wax oil. Some pairs at CanJam had this matte texture, and others were that glossy coat. I think it just depends on the wood grain which they choose to do.

 

[geoffalter11]

Best CanJam ever!! Welcome to the family, Auteur Classic And thanks so much, Zach and Bevin!!

The light blue in the grain is gorgeous. As is the color in the screen. Very cool!

 

[haasaaroni]

The light blue in the grain is gorgeous. As is the color in the screen. Very cool!

Thanks! I think so too. The lighter screen color really makes the black grill visible. It’s a very different look from the grill on my Aeolus. I saw this pair as soon as I walked into the ZMF room, and grabbed onto it for dear life haha

 

[geoffalter11]

Thanks! I think so too. The lighter screen color really makes the black grill visible. It’s a very different look from the grill on my Aeolus. I saw this pair as soon as I walked into the ZMF room, and grabbed onto it for dear life haha

Good for you.

 

[geoffalter11]

Thanks! I think so too. The lighter screen color really makes the black grill visible. It’s a very different look from the grill on my Aeolus. I saw this pair as soon as I walked into the ZMF room, and grabbed onto it for dear life haha

Highlights of the show for you? Did you try anything that surprised you or that disappointed you?

 

[haasaaroni]

Highlights of the show for you? Did you try anything that surprised you or that disappointed you?

Yeah! For the ZMF room I really liked the Caldera, but surprisingly for a planar, I especially loved it on tubes, like most ZMF’s. I heard it on the upcoming ZMF OTL from Deckware alongside the Atrium and thought it was my favorite ZMF I’ve ever heard. The sound was intense, detailed, and just huge. I also really loved the Atrium, I thought it pulled the mids back from the Auteur Classic and added more micro detail better separation and layering. But both were outside my budget, so I went with the still very mighty Auteur Classic.

I think the overall highlights were hearing the LCD-5 on the Ampsandsound Nautilus, and the Stax X9000 on the Blue Hawaii SE. Both of those setups were just unreal. The LCD-5 on those tubes sounded so perfectly natural and lifelike, and the speed from the X9000’s make for the most dynamic presentation I’ve ever heard, in headphones or in real life.

Honestly, nothing I heard sounded bad. The DCA Expanse was very mellow and very resolving at the same time, with a huge stage, but I wasn’t too moved by it. I also found myself hunting down all the HD800S’s that I could to hear them on a bunch of different stuff, and I think they’re going to replace my Arya Stealth’s very soon.

Oh! There was one headphone I really didn’t get: the Abyss 1266 on the Lina stack. Comfort was just weird, and it had a very planar-like timbre that made everything sound unnatural. I wasn’t a fan of the new Utopia either, but I think most Focal headphones sound too harsh, so no surprises there.

 

[robo24]

Thanks! I think so too. The lighter screen color really makes the black grill visible. It’s a very different look from the grill on my Aeolus. I saw this pair as soon as I walked into the ZMF room, and grabbed onto it for dear life haha

It was by far the best looking of the stock wood ones, and really looked like a LTD version. Reminds me some of some of the less showy olive VCs, which I thought were all quite beautifully elegant.

 

[geoffalter11]

Yeah! For the ZMF room I really liked the Caldera, but surprisingly for a planar, I especially loved it on tubes, like most ZMF’s. I heard it on the upcoming ZMF OTL from Deckware alongside the Atrium and thought it was my favorite ZMF I’ve ever heard. The sound was intense, detailed, and just huge. I also really loved the Atrium, I thought it pulled the mids back from the Auteur Classic and added more micro detail better separation and layering. But both were outside my budget, so I went with the still very mighty Auteur Classic.

I think the overall highlights were hearing the LCD-5 on the Ampsandsound Nautilus, and the Stax X9000 on the Blue Hawaii SE. Both of those setups were just unreal. The LCD-5 on those tubes sounded so perfectly natural and lifelike, and the speed from the X9000’s make for the most dynamic presentation I’ve ever heard, in headphones or in real life.

Honestly, nothing I heard sounded bad. The DCA Expanse was very mellow and very resolving at the same time, with a huge stage, but I wasn’t too moved by it. I also found myself hunting down all the HD800S’s that I could to hear them on a bunch of different stuff, and I think they’re going to replace my Arya Stealth’s very soon.

Oh! There was one headphone I really didn’t get: the Abyss 1266 on the Lina stack. Comfort was just weird, and it had a very planar-like timbre that made everything sound unnatural. I wasn’t a fan of the new Utopia either, but I think most Focal headphones sound too harsh, so no surprises there.

Thank you for your impressions. I know this isn't the right thread, but really appreciate you taking them time to write this out. The Caldera is exciting. The Atrium is a wonder. The Classic has a similar vibe, so even though your budget only allowed that gorgeous Classic, there is more similarity than not to the Atrium. They both possess an amazing sense of front to back stage depth and an incredibly articulate midrange. The Classic fits on my head like a lambskin hat. So comfy and all encompassing. While I truly adore my Auteur OG and the new Classic, I have been gobsmacked by the Atrium. With my Icon HP8 I find myself every night wanting to hear just one more song. Neither the Classic or Atrium are as resolving as my 4z, but they aren't lacking either. Everything is there! Both have this innate sense of pacing that makes listening a pure joy. Sleep patterns be damned...

Interesting to hear your impressions of the LCD-5 with Nautilus and the Expanse. I have had similar issues with comfort when trying the 1266 as well. I happen to love certain Focal headphones. Not all, but many play beautifully with my current chain. The new Utopia definitely intrigues me, but not to the point where I will lose sleep if I don't ever hear or own one. It sounds like your affinity slides more towards dynamic drivers versus planars.

Really appreciate your thoughtful reply! If you are heading back for round 2, have a great time.

 

[Reputator]

Thanks! I think so too. The lighter screen color really makes the black grill visible. It’s a very different look from the grill on my Aeolus. I saw this pair as soon as I walked into the ZMF room, and grabbed onto it for dear life haha

It was by far the best looking of the stock wood ones, and really looked like a LTD version. Reminds me some of some of the less showy olive VCs, which I thought were all quite beautifully elegant.

That's definitely the way to go if you have the option. A pretty major downside of buying online is you can't see the woodgrain of the one you'll be getting, or have the option to pick between them. Congrats @haasaaroni!

 

[haasaaroni]

It sounds like your affinity slides more towards dynamic drivers versus planars.

Really appreciate your thoughtful reply! If you are heading back for round 2, have a great time.

Yes, it does. Hearing the LCD-5 like that was the first time I didn’t hear any hint of the drawbacks I usually hear from a planar driver. But it only took a $15,000 setup

No round 2 for me, but I look forward to impressions of others!

By the way, I’m hearing all the changes everyone else is pointing out between the OG (from memory) and the Classic, the stage width and depth and that amazing layering the Atrium damping system allows for, the more even treble response with no hint of a 5khz peak, but what’s wowing me the most is the low end. It’s so much more impactful and elevated than the original! Could be my Forge though, coming from a BHC with my OG. I noticed the Kenzie I tried brought much more power to the low-end of the OG Auteur too.

 

[haasaaroni]

That's definitely the way to go if you have the option. A pretty major downside of buying online is you can't see the woodgrain of the one you'll be getting, or have the option to pick between them. Congrats @haasaaroni!

Thanks! Yeah it’s really the ideal buying experience from ZMF if you can swing it. No wait time, no shipping cost, you pick the exact wood grain you want (and see it in person rather than a picture like in ZMF November), and they even had a nice show discount on both A-stock and B-stock headphones, with some really cool stabilized sets too. Keep your eyes peeled for @Smallpie ‘s set in the Caldera thread, either here or on the headphones.com forum…boy did he luck out!

 

[geoffalter11]

Yes, it does. Hearing the LCD-5 like that was the first time I didn’t hear any hint of the drawbacks I usually hear from a planar driver. But it only took a $15,000 setup

No round 2 for me, but I look forward to impressions of others!

By the way, I’m hearing all the changes everyone else is pointing out between the OG (from memory) and the Classic, the stage width and depth and that amazing layering the Atrium damping system allows for, the more even treble response with no hint of a 5khz peak, but what’s wowing me the most is the low end. It’s so much more impactful and elevated than the original! Could be my Forge though, coming from a BHC with my OG. I noticed the Kenzie I tried brought much more power to the low-end of the OG Auteur too.

Could be the tuning or the amp. I actually don't hear the low end as different. It sounds the same to me in terms of quantity, but I think the changes to the staging and imaging play a part in internalizing the bass differently. The Classic is definitely an evolved version of the OG. I can't write that the OG is better. But, the differences are great enough that I like to think of the headphones each on their own merits. I think the Auteur OG was a seminal moment in design for ZMF, and must be preserved for what it is. The Classic is wonderful. A step forward, but so much of the tuning remains untouched to my ears. The introduction of the ADS gave them so much more room for creativity with the sound. The ability to open up the midrange and use the damping to project near and far sounds more acutely gives the bass and treble a totally different feel. Not sure this makes any sense on a Sunday morning. I totally get why you feel the bass to be more impactful on the Classic. I have been trying to get to the "whys" as the amount of bass sounds so similar, yet its presentation is different. Of course, YMMV. I am by no means an expert.