[lentoviolento]

I have the Auteur and AFO here with me and I just compared a little more. They are pretty close in terms of punch. The main differences between the two are the staging and detail. Auteur is more open sounding and linear compared to AFO. AFO sounds just a little muffled in comparison. Auteur has significantly more depth and much more precise layering between the different degrees of depth. AFO sounds pretty flat/two-dimensional when you compare them head-to-head. The other difference is the detail - and by detail, I mean the inner resolve of the instruments. The Auteur gives you a lot more detailed picture of the nuances of the instrument, whereas the AFO stops resolving much sooner. Guitars, voices, strings, percussion - all of it sounds more unique and nuanced on the Auteur. Both great headphones, but you can definitely tell that the Auteur is the higher-end headphone when you compare them directly.

thx very exhaustive.
and what about atticus vs afo? i know that it's sort of apple vs oranges comparison but i'm just trying to find something different and why not better. and here in italy they are not available..

 

[Hansotek]

Yep, does make sense.
Apart from my interest for a top/favorite headphone in general there are two things I am looking for in yet another headphone:
- reproduction of electric guitar sound in 60s to 90s rock/hardrock. I beleive the Eikon does that very well, perhaps the Auteur even better?
- use for surround with the Realiser for movies mainly, concerts on DVD/Blu-ray and also some games (driving sims where sound is not that important or a nice horror or other story driven game from time to time, not a shooter fan).
What do you think? Probably the best phones for surround remain the HD800? But apart from those? Utopia, TH-900, Auteur, others?
I’m not llooking for a budget option since it’s not only for surround, I want it to be a great headphone for listening to music as well, be it stereo or in surround.
It would be connected to the Realiser via a headphone amo.

It definitely does guitars very, very well. Being an open headphone, it has fewer reflections to deal with, and I feel the midrange has taken a pretty nice jump up from the Eikon.

Depth and stage cohesiveness will definitely be nice with the realizer. Also the nice punch and subbass extension on the low end are awesome for games and movies. As for what is the best option, that's pretty subjective. HD800 is wonderfully open and immersive for games and movies and it is nice because it weighs nothing, but every once in a while, you'll get bitten by a sharp treble sound, and that ain't fun. I stopped using it for gaming a while ago. Never watched movies or played games with the Utopia. The Fostex headphones are fun for gaming, especially if you hook up a sub - it's like being in a theater and it really gets your heart racing... again, watch the treble because they can bite. Auteur is a good balance between the two - exciting and hard hitting, but still pretty open and the treble doesn't bite. All good options, just understand the caveats.

FWIW, I was at the Chicago meet where Zach debuted the Auteur. A dude who was relatively new to head-fi came to the meet sporting his new TH900's. He was a cool guy and we chatted for a bit. I asked him what he thought after he listened to the ZMFs and he said, "I think I made a mistake. I like those better than my headphones." True story. Just one guy's experience, but it seemed relevant to share here since you're asking.

 

[nScott89]

I basically ordered a Valhalla 2 based off of IWantTacos's Auteur review. Auteur pairs VERY well with it. I am absolutely loving this. Out of the Klone the mid-bass sounded a bit bloated but Valhalla 2 makes it sound a lot better to me. I hope to write more soon but get your Auteur orders in before the preorder period is up, people!

Theta Progeny -> Valhalla 2 -> ZMF Auteur.

 

[AppleheadMay]

It definitely does guitars very, very well. Being an open headphone, it has fewer reflections to deal with, and I feel the midrange has taken a pretty nice jump up from the Eikon.

Depth and stage cohesiveness will definitely be nice with the realizer. Also the nice punch and subbass extension on the low end are awesome for games and movies. As for what is the best option, that's pretty subjective. HD800 is wonderfully open and immersive for games and movies and it is nice because it weighs nothing, but every once in a while, you'll get bitten by a sharp treble sound, and that ain't fun. I stopped using it for gaming a while ago. Never watched movies or played games with the Utopia. The Fostex headphones are fun for gaming, especially if you hook up a sub - it's like being in a theater and it really gets your heart racing... again, watch the treble because they can bite. Auteur is a good balance between the two - exciting and hard hitting, but still pretty open and the treble doesn't bite. All good options, just understand the caveats.

FWIW, I was at the Chicago meet where Zach debuted the Auteur. A dude who was relatively new to head-fi came to the meet sporting his new TH900's. He was a cool guy and we chatted for a bit. I asked him what he thought after he listened to the ZMFs and he said, "I think I made a mistake. I like those better than my headphones." True story. Just one guy's experience, but it seemed relevant to share here since you're asking.

Thanks, good to hear from someone who uses them for surround as well. Bad for my wallet I suppose.

Yep, the TH-900, or LA-900 in my case.
These have been haunting me for quite a while, so much I had 4 pairs (a stock and three modded ones, some gradually to compare).
But what's even worse in my case is that everything I compare to them gives me different and never similar enough to replace them.
Damn, that Realiser should come in, been a year since I ordered it and I really need it to see what headphones of my collection I want to use with it.

 

[RatFarm]

Was going to place an order today for either the Auteur or Eikon but my 2003 Honda Accord transmission decided to pick today to break thus preventing me from joining the ZMF club today.

 

[Hansotek]

thx very exhaustive.
and what about atticus vs afo? i know that it's sort of apple vs oranges comparison but i'm just trying to find something different and why not better. and here in italy they are not available..

The Auteur and the AFO are more different than the AFO and the Atticus. I wouldn't have thought that prior to comparing them head-to-head right now, but the tests tell a different story. The Atticus is very slightly more open and diffuse in its presentation, has a little more sparkle and has some more nuances in vocals, etc. but most of the differences are relatively small.

 

[AppleheadMay]

Was going to place an order today for either the Auteur or Eikon but my 2003 Honda Accord transmission decided to pick today to break thus preventing me from joining the ZMF club today.

Ditch the Accord, get a this instead. ;P

 

[Hansotek]

Was going to place an order today for either the Auteur or Eikon but my 2003 Honda Accord transmission decided to pick today to break thus preventing me from joining the ZMF club today.

Damn. Sorry to hear that. I can definitely relate. My last car died completely like 2 months after an unrelated $3K repair. Hope you have better luck than me.

 

[lentoviolento]

The Auteur and the AFO are more different than the AFO and the Atticus. I wouldn't have thought that prior to comparing them head-to-head right now, but the tests tell a different story. The Atticus is very slightly more open and diffuse in its presentation, has a little more sparkle and has some more nuances in vocals, etc. but most of the differences are relatively small.

mmm.. so it would make more sense skipping the atticus ang going straight forward to the auteur?? what filters do you use on afo??

 

[Pharmaboy]

It's Zach, actually. His headphones maybe little wonders but we don't have to exaggerate.

Well, there is a slight facial resemblance. But totally different clothing--and no stigmata.

Was going to place an order today for either the Auteur or Eikon but my 2003 Honda Accord transmission decided to pick today to break thus preventing me from joining the ZMF club today.

That really sucks. It's 2 bad things at the same time: big/expensive car repair; and no ZMF endgame headphone.

Good luck with the car repair (we've all been there).

 

[jermaink]

Can anyone comment on how the Auteur is affected by wearing glasses (of the semi-thick variety)?

 

[BuddhaBruce]

I could have swo

Can anyone comment on how the Auteur is affected by wearing glasses (of the semi-thick variety)?

If it's anything like the Eikon it's not good at all. You cannot wear glasses with these giant cans.

That said... I'm on the fence of preordering. Someone convince meeee

 

[lentoviolento]

I could have swo


If it's anything like the Eikon it's not good at all. You cannot wear glasses with these giant cans.

That said... I'm on the fence of preordering. Someone convince meeee

if you got the cash..... what are you waiting for?

 

[Hansotek]

mmm.. so it would make more sense skipping the atticus ang going straight forward to the auteur?? what filters do you use on afo??

I don’t use any of the filters.

 

[BuddhaBruce]

if you got the cash..... what are you waiting for?

I have the aeon opens as well. And I guess money isn't necessarily the issue but still justifying 1400 on a pair of headphones is not easy for me :x