[Preachy1]

I've noted this before, but for me, aesthetics play a very large part in my purchase decisions. The one thing that stopped me from getting the Aeolus is the visible screws that hold the grid in place. Silly, right?

 

[jawks]

I've noted this before, but for me, aesthetics play a very large part in my purchase decisions. The one thing that stopped me from getting the Aeolus is the visible screws that hold the grid in place. Silly, right?

Hey, we all have our personal preferences, so I don't think it's silly at all! I happen to really like the grills on these open headphones, which is why if I ever decided to get a Verite, I would probably prefer the aesthestics of the open to the closed.

 

[Inoculator]

You guys are really making me miss my Auteur! (It is in for repair). Luckily I have an Aeolus keeping me company in the meantime, but there is just some magic with the Auteur and my chain that I miss. Auteur just has an unmatched musicality and I am a sucker for the bass slam. I must just really love that driver because the Eikon has edged out the Aeolus for me as well.

@jawks I will be interested to hear what you think of the Aeolus vs the Auteur. Just be sure to give the Auteur a good long burn-in before passing too much judgment. 50 hours minimum in my experience.

 

[jawks]

You guys are really making me miss my Auteur! (It is in for repair). Luckily I have an Aeolus keeping me company in the meantime, but there is just some magic with the Auteur and my chain that I miss. Auteur just has an unmatched musicality and I am a sucker for the bass slam. I must just really love that driver because the Eikon has edged out the Aeolus for me as well.

@jawks I will be interested to hear what you think of the Aeolus vs the Auteur. Just be sure to give the Auteur a good long burn-in before passing too much judgment. 50 hours minimum in my experience.

I'm sorry to hear that your Auteur is in for repair. Hope you get it back soon!

I will be sure to post my thoughts about the Auteur vs Aeolus once I've had some time with them!

 

[LoryWiv]

What amps do you like using with your Auteurs?

Feliks-Audio Elise...tube rolling is a joy with my trusty, faithful Auteur to evaluate the sound.

 

[LoryWiv]

Anybody also listen to jazz or classical with these headphones? I'd be interested in hearing your impressions.

I listen to mostly classical, some classic jazz, female vocals and rock. Auteur excels with my preferred classical sub-genre of keyboard music, with excellent piano tonality and a clarity that allows me to hear the counterpoint in Bach distinctly without bleed. Chamber music such as string quartets are impressive as well, terrific instrument separation in space but producing great musicality in addition to technical prowess. At times I could wish for a lusher presentation of massed strings / orchestral music but some tube rolling on my amp has improved that greatly.

My grades:
-Solid "A" for classical, especially solo keyboard and chamber music
-"B+" for jazz, very organic and emotive, great sense of "PRaT", the venue space, at times could use a bit more "ting" on cymbals etc...
-"B" to "B+" for classic rock, generally excellent but not very tolerant of poorly recorded older material.
-Extra credit grade: "A+" heavenly for female vocals with my tube amp. Full throat-ed but not "syrupy", bell-like clarity with no sibilance or stridency.

Hope this helps!

 

[mwhals]

What amps do you like using with your Auteurs?

I like my Wells Audio Milo with the Auteurs.

 

[metal571]

You know what sounds awesome on all ZMF headphones? Like so good that it almost seems like the headphones were designed for it? Medeski, Martin & Wood. Ever since Tyll mentioned their tune Chubb Sub in one of his articles about audiophile reference testing tracks, I've taken a deeper dive into their work and love it.

 

[Hansotek]

You know what sounds awesome on all ZMF headphones? Like so good that it almost seems like the headphones were designed for it? Medeski, Martin & Wood. Ever since Tyll mentioned their tune Chubb Sub in one of his articles about audiophile reference testing tracks, I've taken a deeper dive into their work and love it.

Great band. And I agree, they sound awesome on ZMFs. End of the World Party and Uninvisible are two of my all time favorite albums.

 

[erics75]

I may have mentioned this before, but be sure to check out their version of Floyd's "Echoes". Astounding how they do that song on just three acoustic guitars..

Echoes was excellent. I'm a huge Queen fan so I also love the version of Bohemian Rhapsody they did. I love how the audience gets into it at times too with laughter and clapping. Adds an ambiance to it that's very charming.

 

[erics75]

I have to admit - it's hard to stop looking at these headphones. Felt that way about the Aeolus as well when I received them. Love the craftsmanship!

The craftsmanship is one of my favorite aspects of ZMF headphones. I see people dismissing this quite a bit online, but it really is something you have to experience firsthand. Holding them, seeing the grain of the wood, the pores, how the light affects the hue, etc. all adds up to a very special experience, beyond just listening. Until you've held one firsthand, you really can't understand the experience. I do wish i could listen to open sets more often, i love how the open models look vs the closed counterparts. Those grills add something really special to the look.

 

[LCMusicLover]

You know what sounds awesome on all ZMF headphones? ...

Grateful Dead!

 

[gLer]

I've noted this before, but for me, aesthetics play a very large part in my purchase decisions. The one thing that stopped me from getting the Aeolus is the visible screws that hold the grid in place. Silly, right?

Not silly at all, I feel exactly the same way. That, and the PET driver is simply no match for the beautiful, organic biocellulose sound of the Auteur/Eikon driver. More fun and bombastic, yes. More organic and natural, no. The Auteur is easy the best looking of all the ZMF headphones, especially my own very rare and never-made-commercially-available African Wenge wood specimen:

 

[Preachy1]

Grateful Dead!

DUDE!!!! I’ve spent the better part of the last several week revisiting E 72!!

 

[erics75]

Not silly at all, I feel exactly the same way. That, and the PET driver is simply no match for the beautiful, organic biocellulose sound of the Auteur/Eikon driver. More fun and bombastic, yes. More organic and natural, no. The Auteur is easy the best looking of all the ZMF headphones, especially my own very rare and never-made-commercially-available African Wenge wood specimen:

love the silver metal next to the dark wood, perfect contrast. and excellent photography! the lighting and depth of field are spot on! i won't post any of my product images yet of my ZMFs as i haven't gotten the lighting down. my sets are all glossy, and i cannot keep reflections off them, or hot spots, no matter how i try to angle or diffuse the light. man those Auteurs are breathtaking.