Received my Teak pair of Auteurs yesterday. Just wanted to give the community my impressions FWIW. A caveat: I do not consider myself an expert by any means but just an average joe who is slowly evolving my equipment into what I seek for my personal preferences.
My audio habit has evolved from listening for pure enjoyment to being obsessed with trying to hear details I have not noticed before. This often involves active listening that can be fatiguing and a tendancy to forego tube sound for the possibly harsh but more revealing solid state sound. These are the first pair headphones that I have tried that I feel like I lose next to nothing from using tubes and gain so much that I am unwilling to take the tube amp out of the mix. Moreover, they are not fatiguing at all. For me, this headphone is about finding the right balance.
Setup:
JRiver-> Wireworld USB-> IFI USB 3.0-> IFI Gemini-> IFI IDSD BL -> Chord clearways -> Amps and Sound Kenzie-> Default ZMF cable--> ZMF Teak Auteurs.
Soundstage:
The diagram in CSkippy's review is spot on in my opinion.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/zmf-auteur.22744/reviews
The right and left sides come in closer to the ears and the middle is slightly recessed further back. For me, the soundstage is sufficiently wide to lend itself to isolating and identifying various instruments in the mix while still having an intimate feeling like you are right there. This is so even on tracks that have a lot going instrumentally. I am still able to identify overlapping tracks and their associated instruments.
Coloration:
I think these are perfectly balanced for what I want. Some people may consider them warm. I can understand this as they seem a little rolled off compared to the HD800 for example, but I think this is a good thing. I have yet to get that stabbing high end that can take you out of the music. In fact, this is the first headphone setup that has allowed me to listen to jazz recordings again at the desired volume without the fear of that effect at the end of a high note run. Another example, is "Don't know why" on the Come away with me album by Norah Jones always felt piercing within the first phrase even though it is a very well mixed album. That uncomfortable intro is now enjoyable. All that being said, rock is where these cans really shine in my opinion. I wouldn't say that they reveal more in terms of the presence of certain parts of the music, but there is more texture than what I am used to in other setups. The dynamics of guitars are more discernable, as is the heft of the phrasing. For piano parts, particularly in the middle or lower register, you can hear the force used when striking the keys. The bass extension across the board is excellent but still tight and not flubby. Even with slightly less emphasis on the high end, cymbals still sound authentic and clear. Some people have compared these to the HD650. Although these were my first love when venturing into headphone audio, over the years I have found them woolly or muddy compared to others given such an emphasis on mid-range. I feel like they drown out the detail in the treble area. I do not get this impression from the Auteurs and I don't see a reason to use my HD650s anymore.
Why I believe this headphone creates an excellent balance of factors:
Good Soundstage but intimate as well
Not too bright, not too mid or bass heavy that it becomes muddy. Everything in its place with no over-emphasis.
The balance makes it non-fatiguing.
It REALLY likes tubes. I don't feel you lose detail, but actually get more dynamics and texture.
A ripping guitar tube amp sounds like a ripping guitar tube amp - there is meat on the bones that you can feel.
Even on lower quality recordings music still sounds good.
Also, just FWIW, I have never really had a position on the effects of burn in for cables or headphones. I know that Zack does some burn in in-house, presumably for quality control. It may be confirmation bias, but in coming back to the heaphones today after further burn-in, I was like WOW, these seem better than they did yesterday. This could also be my ears getting used their particular sound, but I just think its great when you come back to a piece of kit and can be suprised in that way. These cans do that for me.
If anyone has any specific questions please let me know and I will try to answer them.
