[Redmetal1897]

I was zeroing in on the Focal Clear as a good all-around HP, until all the feedback on the Auteur. The looks are in its own class (among other ZMF products)...

Can't comment on the Focal as I haven't heard them, but the Auteurs are so neutral and have such a wonderful sense of space and imaging, it's excellent as an all round HP as a result. You can also modify the pads and they are very responsive to EQ so you can tweak the sound to your tastes.

 

[Bern2]

Can't comment on the Focal as I haven't heard them, but the Auteurs are so neutral and have such a wonderful sense of space and imaging, it's excellent as an all round HP as a result. You can also modify the pads and they are very responsive to EQ so you can tweak the sound to your tastes.

Oohhhhh.yeah baby! Glad to hear they handle EQ well. Not all headphones can do that very well.

How's the comfort? If a headphone isn't comfy...I usually pass. Doesn't have to be an all-day thing. Looking at least 1 hour though.

Bern

 

[Taverius]

I've only heard the Clear briefly, like a few hours.

Multisampling from trusted ears with similar tastes to mine, the clear is slightly more resolving - and more open, as the mesh around the driver is basically just to prevent physical entry, so it's nearly an open baffle to the Auteur's 80% open. You can see through it.

It also has the same technical forwardness that made me skip on the Utopia: they're exceptional cans, but they feel like they grab you by the ears and shout "BEHOLD MY DETAIL RETRIEVAL, MORTAL, AND KNOW DESPAIR!". It's never fake detail like an HE560, but it also shoves it right in your face.

I think I could have gotten used to that - it really is an exceptional can - except for 2 points:

1) The headband just isn't comfortable. It's 2018, there's no excuse to not have a suspension design for a headphone that heavy. And they are heavy, as it's a whole lot of metal. It felt like wearing an older Audeze or HiFiMan. Alright, not quite that bad, but there was a well defined hotspot.
2) 200$ for replacement pads. 800$ for a headband. The cushion in the headband? You can't get that separately (as far as I can tell). For a sweaty Italian with greasy Italian hair like yours truly that's a 1000$ bi-yearly maintenance bill, at least. That kind of money is insulting to me.

YMMV, if you're not an enormous wood person (I am) try to audition both.

 

[Redmetal1897]

Oohhhhh.yeah baby! Glad to hear they handle EQ well. Not all headphones can do that very well.

How's the comfort? If a headphone isn't comfy...I usually pass. Doesn't have to be an all-day thing. Looking at least 1 hour though.

Bern

For reference my existing headphones are the LCD 2 (bought in 2012) and Fischer Audio FA-003. My teak Auteurs are the same weight as the LCD 2's (~475g) but feel significantly lighter and better balanced on my head. They are very well designed in terms of weight distribution so comfort is top notch.

 

[Taverius]

The steel arch Zach uses in the ZMF Originals is very soft.

Just shape it so it matches the contour of your head - my Atticus has an ugly pointy klingon head ridge thing - and the strap does the rest and distributes the weight very nicely indeed.

I mean, they're not light, so if you have major cervical issues they're probably not for you, but then so is any TOTL except the HD800.

 

[Pharmaboy]

I was zeroing in on the Focal Clear as a good all-around HP, until all the feedback on the Auteur. The looks are in its own class (among other ZMF products)...

I don't own either the Auteur or Clear, so take this with a grain of a

I've only heard the Clear briefly, like a few hours.

Multisampling from trusted ears with similar tastes to mine, the clear is slightly more resolving - and more open, as the mesh around the driver is basically just to prevent physical entry, so it's nearly an open baffle to the Auteur's 80% open. You can see through it.

It also has the same technical forwardness that made me skip on the Utopia: they're exceptional cans, but they feel like they grab you by the ears and shout "BEHOLD MY DETAIL RETRIEVAL, MORTAL, AND KNOW DESPAIR!". It's never fake detail like an HE560, but it also shoves it right in your face.

I think I could have gotten used to that - it really is an exceptional can - except for 2 points:

1) The headband just isn't comfortable. It's 2018, there's no excuse to not have a suspension design for a headphone that heavy. And they are heavy, as it's a whole lot of metal. It felt like wearing an older Audeze or HiFiMan. Alright, not quite that bad, but there was a well defined hotspot.
2) 200$ for replacement pads. 800$ for a headband. The cushion in the headband? You can't get that separately (as far as I can tell). For a sweaty Italian with greasy Italian hair like yours truly that's a 1000$ bi-yearly maintenance bill, at least. That kind of money is insulting to me.

YMMV, if you're not an enormous wood person (I am) try to audition both.

Re "For a sweaty Italian with greasy Italian hair like yours truly that's a 1000$ bi-yearly maintenance bill, at least."

I seriously hope you 2 guys are friends...otherwise this is about the rankest ethnic/national dig I've seen here.

 

[Taverius]

What?

I'm Italian, I sweat a lot on my head, and my hair gets greasy fast.

Not sure how that's a dig, its just how I am?

 

[Pharmaboy]

HA! totally misread that...thought you were referring to someone other than yourself.

I'm half-Italian. That must be why I half-misunderstood your comment.

Sorry for the misunderstanding...

 

[jinxy245]

I've only heard the Clear briefly, like a few hours.

Multisampling from trusted ears with similar tastes to mine, the clear is slightly more resolving - and more open, as the mesh around the driver is basically just to prevent physical entry, so it's nearly an open baffle to the Auteur's 80% open. You can see through it.

It also has the same technical forwardness that made me skip on the Utopia: they're exceptional cans, but they feel like they grab you by the ears and shout "BEHOLD MY DETAIL RETRIEVAL, MORTAL, AND KNOW DESPAIR!". It's never fake detail like an HE560, but it also shoves it right in your face.

I think I could have gotten used to that - it really is an exceptional can - except for 2 points:

1) The headband just isn't comfortable. It's 2018, there's no excuse to not have a suspension design for a headphone that heavy. And they are heavy, as it's a whole lot of metal. It felt like wearing an older Audeze or HiFiMan. Alright, not quite that bad, but there was a well defined hotspot.
2) 200$ for replacement pads. 800$ for a headband. The cushion in the headband? You can't get that separately (as far as I can tell). For a sweaty Italian with greasy Italian hair like yours truly that's a 1000$ bi-yearly maintenance bill, at least. That kind of money is insulting to me.

YMMV, if you're not an enormous wood person (I am) try to audition both.

Your impressions of the clear is precisely why I didn't demo it. I have a Elear (pad rolled & some dampening) and it's just about right. When I heard that the Utopia, and now the clear are MUCH MORE DETAILED!!!! (emphasis added obviously) I was turned off, since I dampened the Elear to soften it a bit. And yes it seems to have the same headband, which I personally find less comfortable than Audeze or ZMF (YMMV of course). it does indeed create a hotspot for me, but it does take an hour or two.

The ZMF on the other hand (I have the Eikon) I could literally wear all day with only warm ears to bother me. I heard the Auteur at CanJam NYC and it was definitely one of the highlights...and felt every bit as comfortable as the Eikon (of course I couldn't wear them all day with out buying them).

If you're looking for laser focused detail, the Clear seems to be the one to get, but the Auteur is definitely in the musical camp to my ears.

 

[Redmetal1897]

I was zeroing in on the Focal Clear as a good all-around HP, until all the feedback on the Auteur. The looks are in its own class (among other ZMF products)...

http://earphiles.org/2017/12/zmf-auteur-zenith-pmx2-focal-clear-shootout/

In case you hadn't come across this!

 

[LCMusicLover]

Progress — three more shipped. I’m now in the top 5. At this pace (three shipped this week, two last week) mineWILL ship by the Ides of March

 

[Redmetal1897]

Progress — three more shipped. I’m now in the top 5. At this pace (three shipped this week, two last week) mineWILL ship by the Ides of March

They are worth the wait!

My setup

 

[cskippy]

Nice! I can't help but notice your front tube is not straight.

 

[Redmetal1897]

Nice! I can't help but notice your front tube is not straight.

I've got an adapter in there (which I just got), was a little stiff and tried to wiggle it in perfectly straight, settled in roughly like this and sounds fine. Will it be an issue if its at an angle? Might need to wiggle a bit more

 

[cskippy]

Hahaha I figured. It's fine, they just need to make decent contact. You can try wiggling it in more but don't really force it. You don't want to break the tube.