So these are my pads side by side can you tell the difference ?
ZMF Auteur Thread
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So these are my pads side by side can you tell the difference ?
The eikon pads have a more smaller, oval opening. The auteur pads have a more round opening.
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ProfFalkin
Headphoneus Supremus
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Zach, for the love of all that is holy, sew little underwear tags into these with the type of pad they are. Please?
So which pad is which ?The eikon pads have a more smaller, oval opening. The auteur pads have a more round opening.
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So these are my pads side by side can you tell the difference ?
The 2nd from left and far right are the auteur pads.
I will not defile the holy pads!
Fedex messed up and sent my Auteurs to Australia instead of Finland, they are coming to me now but it won't be until next week that I get my hands on them. I had such plans for this weekend...
Ah poo, give people a chance to guess!
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Shunnn the non believers !!The 2nd from left and far right are the auteur pads.
I will not defile the holy pads!
Spandy87
100+ Head-Fier
Got mine in yesterday. I'll to a more complete/comprehensive review after more time with them but so far it's been an awesome experience.
I do get the feeling I'd need a totl tube amp to get the most out of these, but currently the budget doesn't allow for it and it's a real bummer trying to get those in Canada. I'm running it off my cayin iha-6, balanced at the moment. I also haven't tried the Eikon pads yet.
Initial impressions:
Comfort is much better than I expected, even if they are still bulky.
Similar resolution to the Focal Clear, but with a bit more resonance. Instrument separation is excellent, staging and imaging is also some of the best I've ever heard. Not as fast as my planars, but pretty close, the amp also turns up the punch.
The tonality is quite neutral as many have already said, but this imparts a degree of clarity over other cans, especially those with upper bass bloom. Addictive midrange, I'm not sure where in the midrange in particular but this has to be one of the strongest aspects of the headphone. Bass is present but not overdone, very neutral, and I might be used to a bit more emphasis. The treble is something I'm not sure about, sometimes it sounds bright, sometimes dark. It might be due to some of that resonance, but it's a very different diffuse field representation than what I'm used to (different from the HD800 for example). But that's not necessarily bad, it just sounds like listening in a room. Certainly there is no veil, and it puts you 'there' more than anything I've yet heard. And the treble resolution is also right up there with the clear (less painful on sibilant tracks). I think here again is where the source pairing might change things.
It will take some more time to evaluate, but so far I'm impressed.
I do get the feeling I'd need a totl tube amp to get the most out of these, but currently the budget doesn't allow for it and it's a real bummer trying to get those in Canada. I'm running it off my cayin iha-6, balanced at the moment. I also haven't tried the Eikon pads yet.
Initial impressions:
Comfort is much better than I expected, even if they are still bulky.
Similar resolution to the Focal Clear, but with a bit more resonance. Instrument separation is excellent, staging and imaging is also some of the best I've ever heard. Not as fast as my planars, but pretty close, the amp also turns up the punch.
The tonality is quite neutral as many have already said, but this imparts a degree of clarity over other cans, especially those with upper bass bloom. Addictive midrange, I'm not sure where in the midrange in particular but this has to be one of the strongest aspects of the headphone. Bass is present but not overdone, very neutral, and I might be used to a bit more emphasis. The treble is something I'm not sure about, sometimes it sounds bright, sometimes dark. It might be due to some of that resonance, but it's a very different diffuse field representation than what I'm used to (different from the HD800 for example). But that's not necessarily bad, it just sounds like listening in a room. Certainly there is no veil, and it puts you 'there' more than anything I've yet heard. And the treble resolution is also right up there with the clear (less painful on sibilant tracks). I think here again is where the source pairing might change things.
It will take some more time to evaluate, but so far I'm impressed.
Taverius
Head-Fier
Wolf Ear Audio makes an OTL "Natayo" with sticker proudly proclaiming "Made in Canada, eh".
Its also cheap* enough that the ever present spectre of "Why didn't you just get a ZDS" is in another price bracket, and thus avoided.
Haven't heard it myself mind, I have his SET on order though.
You can get a lot of mileage out of a humble Cayin HA-1A, mind you. Maybe wait and see if the liquid platinum is worth the entry price? That's out soon.
* In a relative sense. None of this stuff is cheap, or good value.
ZenErik
1000+ Head-Fier
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Recently I decided to downgrade/downsize my setup a bit. There are more important things I should be doing with my money.
The Auteur sounds great from the RME ADI-2 DAC. It's surprisingly easy to drive. The treble peaks seem to respond just fine to a little EQ, and I am very happy with the outcome despite it being much cheaper than my previous setup. I think it sounds just as good, and the all the features on the RME are quite useful. The features on the RME actually help me enjoy the Auteur even more than before. I'm very happy with the EQ, cross feed, mono option, filters, etc. Because the RME is single ended I ordered a 7' Michanikos cable. Basically an excuse to get the prettiest of the ZMF cables. Hope to have that within the next few weeks. I am currently using an adapter with my 2k cable, but I don't like that as a permanent option. I can see myself using the RME and the Auteur together for a long time.
My next adventure will be trying my Auteur with a Garage1217 Horizon III as a flavor option to complement the solid state headphone out of the ADI-2 DAC. Should probably be here next sometime next week. I also have an Electro Harmonix 6922 arriving today to try with my Vali 2 which will work with the Horizon III too. I'm hoping the Horizon III has some options that add a little more flavor as I've found my Vali 2 to be a little too close in sound to the RME headphone out.
The Auteur sounds great from the RME ADI-2 DAC. It's surprisingly easy to drive. The treble peaks seem to respond just fine to a little EQ, and I am very happy with the outcome despite it being much cheaper than my previous setup. I think it sounds just as good, and the all the features on the RME are quite useful. The features on the RME actually help me enjoy the Auteur even more than before. I'm very happy with the EQ, cross feed, mono option, filters, etc. Because the RME is single ended I ordered a 7' Michanikos cable. Basically an excuse to get the prettiest of the ZMF cables. Hope to have that within the next few weeks. I am currently using an adapter with my 2k cable, but I don't like that as a permanent option. I can see myself using the RME and the Auteur together for a long time.
My next adventure will be trying my Auteur with a Garage1217 Horizon III as a flavor option to complement the solid state headphone out of the ADI-2 DAC. Should probably be here next sometime next week. I also have an Electro Harmonix 6922 arriving today to try with my Vali 2 which will work with the Horizon III too. I'm hoping the Horizon III has some options that add a little more flavor as I've found my Vali 2 to be a little too close in sound to the RME headphone out.
Pharmaboy
Headphoneus Supremus
there's just one problem w/those little underwear tags. my wife sewed them on my car keys & wallet (because I can never find either). now the only place I can carry my car keys & wallet is in...
(drumroll please)
...my underwear.
besides this being uncomfortable, I get weird looks when hauling out my wallet to pay restaurant bills.
PS: pls PM me a good working definition of "all that is holy" (I can't even imagine what that is!)
Spandy87
100+ Head-Fier
Something I noticed is that there are very few images of people wearing the Auteur, so I had a hard time getting a sense of its size and proportions as they are worn. So without further ado, I give you my critical listening face. Clearly a more in-depth review is in progress
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