Amen! Lol!One of my favorite things about this thread is not only the shared love for the music and sonic magic of the Auteurs, but also the craft that goes into the making of these heirlooms.
ZMF Auteur Thread
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Pharmaboy
Headphoneus Supremus
WHAT HE SAID!
(but only if Annie is a down-the-rabbit-hole, addicted-to-audio headphone wonk)
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auteur Classic upgrades are open: https://shop.zmfheadphones.com/collections/hot-cup-summer/products/auteur-classic-upgrade
We are doing about 20 this time as well, and will do another round later on after we complete these.
We are doing about 20 this time as well, and will do another round later on after we complete these.
Thank you for the heads up Zach. My OG auteur recently developed a slight channel imbalance and ive been itching to upgrade to the classic as well. Cant wait to get these upgraded.
geoffalter11
Headphoneus Supremus
I know for a fact she is not. A buddy was her personal chef for yrs. Eccentric and talented as the day is long. Hardest job he ever had. I just used her as an example. I am sure there are a litany of choices out there.
Zach, you must make a coffee table book of your headphones. Iāve got a spot ready and waiting! Right next to my āA Day in The Life of Thailandā, āLeroy Neimanā, āVinyl the art of making recordsā, āBest Selling Albums of All Timeā, āProvence Cookbookā and āTuscany Cookbookā.
Yeah yeah, I know I have a lot of coffee table books. Who doesnāt like coffee table books?
BuddhaBruce
500+ Head-Fier
If anyone is looking to sell some cool Auteur or classics I'm looking for a set! Love the limited stuff
Anyone in PA with an Auteur Classic willing to do a meet up or a temporary exchange? Iād really like to give them a listen before I decide if I want to go through with the upgrade, Iām very tempted to see what the upgrade is all about.
Just a brief endorsement of the update to Classic for those on the fence. At least for me, it has made a good thing better, in that the peerless Auteur tonality is preserved but with a bit better bass extension, slightly smoother treble (now entirely non-fatiguing), and a meaningful improvement in headstage realism. Like ZMF's in general, also very responsive to pad rolling. I am currently using Eikon Suede for a slightly smoother treble and notch more impactful bass versus Auteur lambskin or Auteur hybrid. A very enjoyable listen with my preferred genres of classical piano, chamber music, female vocals, acoustic jazz and the occasional classic rock chestnut. 
geoffalter11
Headphoneus Supremus
You are right, the classic is amazing. I cannot stop listening to it and continue to be completely in awe of how ZMF used the new damping system to create increased soundstage depth and the ability to separate the intimacy of vocals from the grand stage of instrumentation. The ability to hear vocals out front with the band behind them is quite incredible. Both the Atrium and Classic do this. But for Auteur owners, this change in stage depth is extremely noticeable and something you only hear in headphones from the Atrium and up. It is a light bulb moment for sure.Just a brief endorsement of the update to Classic for those on the fence. At least for me, it has made a good thing better, in that the peerless Auteur tonality is preserved but with a bit better bass extension, slightly smoother treble (now entirely non-fatiguing), and a meaningful improvement in headstage realism. Like ZMF's in general, also very responsive to pad rolling. I am currently using Eikon Suede for a slightly smoother treble and notch more impactful bass versus Auteur lambskin or Auteur hybrid. A very enjoyable listen with my preferred genres of classical piano, chamber music, female vocals, acoustic jazz and the occasional classic rock chestnut.
Enjoy your classic with the suedes. Gonna try those tomorrow. @LoryWiv is right about how great this headphones sounds.
BuddhaBruce
500+ Head-Fier
How do the Atuteur classics measure up against the Verite open?
biggest differences are the mids, brightness and the speed.
VO is a faster, less forgiving listen, while the Classic adds alot of the staging that the VO and Atrium have, with more upfront and prominent mids, and a longer decay
geoffalter11
Headphoneus Supremus
Very true. The Classics are laid back and open sounding. Verite driver is way faster in its implementation against the Classic. The Classic is a mighty fine headphone, as is the VO.
geoffalter11
Headphoneus Supremus
I don't find the Auteur OG to be bright. It certainly has more upper midrange and treble energy, but that is mostly because the soundstage isn't as expansive giving the sounds less room to breath on the OG. I am not overly sensitive to treble, though. I had issues with my ear drums as a kid. Lots of ear infections, tubes in my ears and scar tissue on my ear drums from years of challenges as a child. It has mostly healed, but I notice that I am not as sensitive to hot headphones. I am more sensitive to peaks and holes in the upper midrange. The Elear was unlistenable for me. It gave me a headache. The OG is NOT bright per se. But in comparison to the Classic it is certainly hotter up top. But, there is no etch or brashness to the sound. Just more forward due to soundstage size. Just my two cents.
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AudioDuck
Headphoneus Supremus
Iām pretty sensitive to treble, and this has affected my setup choices over time. (Though I love the Elear with the gear Iāve hadā¦
)That said, I completely agree- with my gear (including pads and cabling), the OG Auteur is not bright. A little bit leaner in the midrange with more detailed treble than the Eikon? Definitely.
IMHO- this is where amp and source choices help dial in some of the sound signature ādownstreamā to the Auteur, and cable/pads are your final calibration of how you prefer your music.
Deleeh
Headphoneus Supremus
Hello,
of the whole palette, the Og is the brightest.
If I take the Lcd 2 directly after I have had the Auteur Og on, I find it quite dark.
I am a bit sensitive to the treble.
But with the Og I don't feel any pain or anything like that, I think it's dosed really well.
You have to like the forwardness a bit and it tends to be more a matter of taste for the listener.
When it was new and had to be played in, it was rather annoying. Listener's mouth, somewhat unbalanced and a bit sharp in the trebles, but everything settled down after playing in.
With tube amplifiers you have very good possibilities to reduce certain attributes if it bothers you and it remains very natural in sound.
It's different from using an eq.
That is why it is worthwhile to roll the tubes to reduce some attributes and to emphasise others a bit.
And it also gives you the possibility to adjust the auteur to your personal needs.
Regarding the brightness, there are certainly some from other manufacturers that are even brighter but also sound very thin.
And also the Zmf magic is missing in the headphones, I notice that directly when I put on the Lcd 2 that something is missing.
It's not as much fun as the Auteur.
of the whole palette, the Og is the brightest.
If I take the Lcd 2 directly after I have had the Auteur Og on, I find it quite dark.
I am a bit sensitive to the treble.
But with the Og I don't feel any pain or anything like that, I think it's dosed really well.
You have to like the forwardness a bit and it tends to be more a matter of taste for the listener.
When it was new and had to be played in, it was rather annoying. Listener's mouth, somewhat unbalanced and a bit sharp in the trebles, but everything settled down after playing in.
With tube amplifiers you have very good possibilities to reduce certain attributes if it bothers you and it remains very natural in sound.
It's different from using an eq.
That is why it is worthwhile to roll the tubes to reduce some attributes and to emphasise others a bit.
And it also gives you the possibility to adjust the auteur to your personal needs.
Regarding the brightness, there are certainly some from other manufacturers that are even brighter but also sound very thin.
And also the Zmf magic is missing in the headphones, I notice that directly when I put on the Lcd 2 that something is missing.
It's not as much fun as the Auteur.
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