[Panimation]

Just rejoined the Auteur club after selling my Teak Auteur in the summer. I secured the Blackwood Auteur this time



It sounds as great as the Teak Auteur sounded and possibly better but more similar than not. In my opinion, that is a good thing because it proves that Zach has a consistent process for producing these headphones without wild variances.

That said, the Blackwood Auteur is not in immaculate condition like the Teaks that I previously owned. I'd classify it as "Good" condition. It arrived with some minor dings and scratches, some noticeable, some not so noticeable. The wood finish on the left cup particularly appears to be smeared or worn out and the Auteur pads are greasy (not sure if this is due to sweat, hair gel, or leather treatment, but hopefully the latter).

Someone in this thread or another ZMF thread mentioned using Howard Feed-N-Wax Wood Polish and Conditioner, Beeswax & Orange Oil for wood polishing and conditioning on their ZMF headphones, so I have purchased a bottle for that purpose.

Does anyone have any advice on the proper way I should clean/restore the Auteur pads? The Eikon pads that arrived with the headphones do not have the same issue with being greasy. In fact, they seem like they've never been used.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/polishing-wooden-headphones.885239/#post-14387150
Zach posted this in another thread.

 

[matti55]

Anyone that can recommend me a good tube amp for the Auteur(as well as the AFO) in the $500 range?

 

[jinxy245]

Anyone that can recommend me a good tube amp for the Auteur(as well as the AFO) in the $500 range?

There are lots of options, some may be better than others depending on taste. You might want to give a hint as to the sound signature you're looking for.

 

[LCMusicLover]

Anyone that can recommend me a good tube amp for the Auteur(as well as the AFO) in the $500 range?

Interested to hear what might be recommended, given the big difference in impedance.

 

[matti55]

There are lots of options, some may be better than others depending on taste. You might want to give a hint as to the sound signature you're looking for.

Honestly, I don't have anything specific in mind, mainly looking for something that may add some color given that what I currently have is a Magni/Modi combo, which I've heard doesn't play well with the AFO. I've also heard the Auteur may benefit from a tube amp so just looking for general recommendations.

 

[Liu Junyuan]

La Figaro 339 (purchased second hand) or Bottlehead Crack come to mind. Speaking from experience, the former is an excellent pairing. For a more neutral sound and more budget friendly option, you might look at the Valhalla 2.

 

[thecrow]

Anyone that can recommend me a good tube amp for the Auteur(as well as the AFO) in the $500 range?

Avoid any otl amps for the AFO and other low impedance headphones

I have a woo wa2 for my hd800 amd auteur but thats no good for low end mp headphones.

I now have a cayin iha6 for those others

 

[Fatdoi]

Anyone that can recommend me a good tube amp for the Auteur(as well as the AFO) in the $500 range?

With your price range, the Lyr3 can be an option... And I think the Lyr is best bang for buck for hybrid tube but whether it can drive the Auteur to its max potential not too sure.. Otherwise you'll need spend much more in the OTL world..

 

[thecrow]

With your price range, the Lyr3 can be an option... And I think the Lyr is best bang for buck for hybrid tube but whether it can drive the Auteur to its max potential not too sure.. Otherwise you'll need spend much more in the OTL world..

that might be a good way to go to fit into the budget

there appears to be some good reports re the lyr 3 and there is a range of members in that thread using a range of headphones with the lyr3

 

[ProfFalkin]

With your price range, the Lyr3 can be an option... And I think the Lyr is best bang for buck for hybrid tube but whether it can drive the Auteur to its max potential not too sure.. Otherwise you'll need spend much more in the OTL world..

I use the Lyr 3 at work with the Eikon / Auteur, and it is excellent. I would readily recommend it. Just budget an extra $80 for a good tube, like the Ken Rad VT231 black glass, Sylvania Bad Boy, or (if you can find one) Westinghouse Reliatron D-getter. Honestly, that can be put off for a while, as the stock russian tubes are quite serviceable.

 

[matti55]

Thanks guys, some interesting recommendations. Leaning towards the Lyr 3 I think.

 

[Liu Junyuan]

When making my original recommendation, I didn't see that you were also looking to drive your AFO. The Lyr 3 makes a lot of sense then.

 

[matti55]

That's good to know. Have you heard both the Lyr and Valhalla? Is Lyr as neutral as Valhalla is described?

 

[Benjamin6264]

I'm considering getting a pair of Auteurs...does anyone have experience pairing them with a Bottlehead Crack (+ Speedball)?

 

[Liu Junyuan]

That's good to know. Have you heard both the Lyr and Valhalla? Is Lyr as neutral as Valhalla is described?

I owned the original Lyr for nearly three years, but I have not heard the Lyr 3, which is supposed to be a huge step up from the original. What I understand is that the Lyr 3 shares the raw power and versatility of the original Lyr while being more capable of bringing out more micro-details. Other than that, they are pretty much completely different amps.

I have had the Valhalla 2 (not the original) in my system for a couple of weeks. I really liked that amp, particularly for the price. As I said, it is relatively neutral in presentation and has a very nice holographic, spacious image with a slight sense of sweetness in the mids. I don't think it would be a particularly good pairing with the AFO. I would think it would make a fantastic pairing with the Auteur.