[Gym_Turtle]

Are there any other headphones of similar performance at the price of the Auteurs?

Edit: Outside of the LFF Code-X, Focal Clear, and Audio Zenith PMx2. All three of which have been compared to the Auteur by gbeast.

 

[Hansotek]

Are there any other headphones of similar performance at the price of the Auteurs?

Edit: Outside of the LFF Code-X, Focal Clear, and Audio Zenith PMx2. All three of which have been compared to the Auteur by gbeast.

HD800/800S, ETHER Flow, SR-007 & L700 are at a pretty similar level as well, give or take.

 

[hikaru12]

What tubes are you talking about here ?

I don't know of any tubes that are said to only last 750 hours if they are NOS tubes ????

Most tubes are good for about 2500 hours and some are even good for 10,000 hours.

Would love to know what tubes these would be.

Those two tubes right there the 'double bottles' if you will are the ones I'm referring to. These aren't cheap to replace either.

 

[CoFire]

Back to the Autuer pads, what I was hearing has been corrected with a new cable that I just finished yesterday. Soundstage increased significantly, imaging is very precise, low end has gained weight, everything fell into place with just the cable. This is my first using this cable, but I ordered it targeting the Autuer for it's use. Good thing is it's a DIY cable, easy to work with compared to all the Litz I've used from DHC, this is OCC, not coated like Litz, no solder pot needed. It's light, supple, no microphonics. Now hearing the Autuer as I had hoped. Holographic, big soundstage, precise imaging!

What's components are the cable made up of?

 

[Fatdoi]

Well, my Blackwood Auteur has been playing for 100+ hours, and have gotten 15+ hours of head time. I've been doing the 'burn-in' thing ... just because. I haven't really heard any significant changes, or maybe they just crept up on me unnoticed. In any case, I'm pretty sure that at least my brain is fully burned in.

I posted a shot of my 'Wall of Fame' here:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/zmf-auteur-thread.862918/page-60#post-14094931

From left to right, Utopia, HEKv2, EFO, Blackwood Auteur. I also jut got in a used Bryston BHA-1, which I purchased in an effort to 'soften' the Utopia listening experience. To be clear, I love the Utopia (actually all these cans). But I find they can be fatiguing -- just too much detail. I had previously tried a Denafrips Ares, which did help, but at the cost of too much lost detail. Bryston does help the Utopia.

All that said, my ears hear the Auteur to be very close to the Utopia. Similar detail, dynamics/impact, soundstage and tonality. However, I don't hear the Auteur as fatiguing. In fact, while I prefer the Utopia with the Bryston amp, I slightly prefer the Auteur with my Violectric v280, although it's not a big difference.

Besides the fatigue thing, I'm finding one other reason to prefer the Auteur to the Utopia -- tonality. The treble on the Utopia can be too forward. There are a few songs where it's really striking. Some instrument (say brush on hi-hat) is too accentuated. It's great that the information/detail is there, but it shouldn't dominate the sound. It's like a dish where the cook used too much of one spice and it ends up dominating the flavor. I noticed this on a couple of songs where my first reaction was '...less bass?' but then I realized the bass was there, but it was being 'masked' by the high frequency information. It's not extreme, and not very noticeable on many songs, but it's there. An example is 'Beyond my Wildest Dreams' from Mark Knofler/EmmyLou Harris's 'All the Roadrunning'. There's some plucked guitar notes behind the voices in the second and third choruses. On other headphones those notes are just an accent. On my Utopia, they're front and center -- emphasized too much.

I just don't get that from the Auteur. Tonal balance seems right on the money. Bass is very well defined and fast/impactful without being thick or bloaty. Highs are present and detailed, but don't dominate. Mids are just beautiful. Overall, these cans are both wonderfully detailed, yet balanced and musical.

In fact, I'm going to summarize by repeating my earlier statement -- these are my 'Goldilocks' headphones -- just right.

HEK/EFO are close to each other, and quite different from Utopia/Auteur. More laid back, less detail, bigger, more open, less precise sound stage.

BTW, all listening has been PC ==> Eitr ==> EVS-modded Sonica DAC ==> Violectric v280/Bryston BHA-1. All analog connections are balanced. Using ZMF OCC balanced cable to Auteur, balanced OCC copper cable from LQI cables to Utopia.

lets say armed with current knowledge you have on both Utopia and Auteur, will you keep one or both?

 

[Pharmaboy]

HD800/800S, ETHER Flow, SR-007 & L700 are at a pretty similar level as well, give or take.

I suppose you'd have to include the Focal Clear, though it's hard to imagine 2 headphones sounding more different than the Clear & Auteur...

 

[LCMusicLover]

...best sub 3k tube amp...?

That won't generate any controversy

lets say armed with current knowledge you have on both Utopia and Auteur, will you keep one or both?

That's a question which has been bouncing around for quite a while now, and the answer is not obvious. Both are wonderful headphones.

I've got a new DAC (Denafrips Pontus -- arrived last Thursday) and a preamp coming today (Emotiva XSP-1). That will let me A/B the two cans, mixing and matching DAC/amp combos with the two sets of headphones. I plan to spend a couple weeks doing that, to come up with my favorite pairings.

My current thinking is (factors weighted 1 - 5, with 1 being the least significant noticeable difference, and 5 being a deal-breaking difference):

- Utopia best with DAPs, especially paired with Cowon Plenue 2, because it's more sensitive/easier to drive +1
- Utopia has most detail +1
- Utopia has most precise soundscape +1
- Utopia is a little more comfortable +1

- Auteur is significantly less fatiguing +2
- Auteur has preferred tonality -- Utopia (to my ears) emphasizes some high frequency information a bit much +2
- As a consequence of the above, Auteur has slightly preferred bass +1
- Auteur is acceptable with Opus#2 -- haven't heard it with my P2, since it's off in Korea getting a sloppy 2.5mm jack repaired -1 (subject to revision when/if my P2 comes back)
- Auteur comfort isn't an issue, just a bit heavy, with slightly too little clamping -1

- Soundstages are similar in size

Obviously, all this is to my ears, on my system.

I really wonder if I'm going to notice significant differences in dynamics/impact when A/B comparing the two. Also, will the difference in detail become more or less noticeable? I haven't really been able to get a good sense of the differences in these characteristics yet, but I suspect the differences will become clearer once I can do a quick switch between the two headphones.

I know it seems silly to worry about performance with DAPs -- neither of these sets go outside. But I do some portable listening around the house (while doing chores, watching sports on TV with the sound off...)

My expectation bias is that I will prefer the Pontus with the Utopia, and the Sonica with the Auteur. I have no clear expectation regarding preferred amp pairing between my Violectric v280 and Bryston BHA-1 although I won't be surprised if I prefer the Utopia with the Bryston.
=================
All that said, the succinct answer to your inquiry is the old 'Magic 8-ball' standby:

Reply hazy try again

Cheers!

 

[ZenErik]

Ordered my Auteur almost 3 months ago. Looking forward to trying it out within the next month or so. When I originally ordered my Auteur I planned to use it with a Bimby + Valhalla 2, but things have changed a lot since then. Much happier with my current setup, and I'm hoping the Auteur is the perfect addition to it.

 

[LCMusicLover]

Ordered my Auteur almost 3 months ago. Looking forward to trying it out within the next month or so. When I originally ordered my Auteur I planned to use it with a Bimby + Valhalla 2, but things have changed a lot since then. Much happier with my current setup, and I'm hoping the Auteur is the perfect addition to it.

I'll be quite surprised if that isn't a great chain (Eitr, Onyx, Kenzie Encore).

Could lead to some severe wallet damage as you obsessively roll tubes to find the perfect sound.

BTW, I feel the whole 3 month wait -- I ordered early in the pre-sale in November, and received on March 9. I'd say VERY worth the wait. All part of dealing with a boutique business where ramping up production is a challenge.

GLTY.

 

[whirlwind]

Those two tubes right there the 'double bottles' if you will are the ones I'm referring to. These aren't cheap to replace either.

Those are 6C33C tubes.
If bought NOS those tubes should last far longer than 750 hours
If the ones that come with the amp are the Russian tubes...you can replace them both and not break the bank.

 

[ZenErik]

I'll be quite surprised if that isn't a great chain (Eitr, Onyx, Kenzie Encore).

Could lead to some severe wallet damage as you obsessively roll tubes to find the perfect sound.

BTW, I feel the whole 3 month wait -- I ordered early in the pre-sale in November, and received on March 9. I'd say VERY worth the wait. All part of dealing with a boutique business where ramping up production is a challenge.

GLTY.

I'm perfectly fine with the wait time. I can't help but feel each pair going out is a little more special with the way each one is built to order. I remember Zach mentioning trying to get all the orders (at the time) out by the end of February, but it looks like that was a bit optimistic. Things happen. Honestly hasn't killed the hype at all for me.

As far as tube rolling I don't think the Kenzie Encore has many options. I recall Justin mentioning that the Mogwai SE is the better option if you like rolling tubes. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. The tubes for the Kenzie Encore seem very affordable and easy to find from what I've seen.

 

[LCMusicLover]

I'm perfectly fine with the wait time. I can't help but feel each pair going out is a little more special with the way each one is built to order. I remember Zach mentioning trying to get all the orders (at the time) out by the end of February, but it looks like that was a bit optimistic. Things happen. Honestly hasn't killed the hype at all for me.

As far as tube rolling I don't think the Kenzie Encore has many options. I recall Justin mentioning that the Mogwai SE is the better option if you like rolling tubes. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. The tubes for the Kenzie Encore seem very affordable and easy to find from what I've seen.

Shows what I know. I've avoided the tube world primarily because I'm afraid of falling down a rabbit hole and never emerging, or at least never emerging with any money left in my pocket. Although, in my odyssey to get the best sound out of my Utopia I have been tempted.

Agree regarding the Auteur production cycle. It was interesting to read about the difficulties working with Blackwood. Somewhere along the line I'd love to A/B the Teak and Auteur. Unfortunately, I'll have to travel to some show or something -- I haven't heard from anyone in Oregon with a set, let alone anyone near me (I live in a small coastal town almost 100 miles from Portland).

I hope you're at least near the top of the list.

Funny, while I was typing this, UPS delivered my preamp. Yay!!!. Can't wait to get home and start the A/B process.

 

[Hansotek]

I suppose you'd have to include the Focal Clear, though it's hard to imagine 2 headphones sounding more different than the Clear & Auteur...

He said "other than the Clear, Code-X and PMx2" - so I did not include those. FWIW, I don't think the PMx2 belongs on that list. To me it sounds extremely over-damped. I'm not a fan.

 

[NickedWicked]

Anyone have another comparison with the Auteur and the Focal Clear, I just keep thinking about the Auteur. The Clear was to my great surprise a signature very much to my liking when I auditioned them, and the Utopia was a bit too harsh and aggressive not to mention too much of a step up in money.

But the signature of the Auteur just sounds so nice from what I’ve read, a bit sweeter, a bit more natural, which suprises me since tonality is some of the best in the market with both of them, excellent detail (barely underperforming compared to a HD 800!), wider soundstage and a different sounding but deeper bass

Cheers!

 

[Phantaminum]

Anyone have another comparison with the Auteur and the Focal Clear, I just keep thinking about the Auteur. The Clear was to my great surprise a signature very much to my liking when I auditioned them, and the Utopia was a bit too harsh and aggressive not to mention too much of a step up in money.

But the signature of the Auteur just sounds so nice from what I’ve read, a bit sweeter, a bit more natural, which suprises me since tonality is some of the best in the market with both of them, excellent detail (barely underperforming compared to a HD 800!), wider soundstage and a different sounding but deeper bass

Cheers!

Here’s a good review from one of our Head-Fiers:

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