geoffalter11
Headphoneus Supremus
YES!!!! Mobley was incredible.
ZMF Auteur Thread
- Thread starter PacoTaco
- Start date
geoffalter11
Headphoneus Supremus
Pharmaboy
Headphoneus Supremus
A great player and a great composer. Hank did it all. Hard bop at its best.
Absolutely! I'm a huge fan of Hank Mobley also.
Very synergistic, at times treble is still a bit bright but less so with Eikon Suede pads and Classic less so than OG. All else is incredibly good, especially overall tonality and euphony without being too "tubey", just the right amount.I'm curious how the Euforia sounds with your Auteur
A slightly warmer leaning sound, Euforia sounds terrific from with my Focal Clear MG as well. Significant sound mods. can be achieved with tube rolls as well. Really enjoying this amp.
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skhan007
1000+ Head-Fier
AudioDuck
Headphoneus Supremus
Very nice! Thanks for sharing-I decided to try a bit of pad rolling today to see if I could enhance lower end frequencies and still keep a nice upper mid range and high end response. I put on the suede universe perforated pads and I believe this was excellent!
I, for one, am so very thankful that the ZMF designs and serious efforts put into pad differentiation give us sonic tuning options.
devilsearsidleplaythings
New Head-Fier
Not too sure yet - was told to not bother upgrading from the audio-gd R2R-11 as anything under $1k would be a side-grade. That said, I'd like to try a traditional DAC still to compare and I've been drooling over the Geshelli woodcases esp. after Zach's newest video. Running laptop > Bottlehead S3X (single-ended) > Auteur (OG>Classic hopefully soon!). Any thoughts or suggestions?
jonathan c
Headphoneus Supremus
What do you mean by ‘traditional’ DAC?
I'm not the OP but probably Delta Sigma as opposed to R2R technology.What do you mean by ‘traditional’ DAC?
geoffalter11
Headphoneus Supremus
That is a tough one. There are a lot of really good DACs in that $1000 price range. Depends on what you like. Delta Sigma, R2R, FPGA, etc. I'd probably go for the Denafrips Ares 2. My main DAC is the Exogal Comet+ with linear power supply. They just went out of business, so you can find a $3500 Comet+ for like $1200 right now. For $1200 you won't find a better DAC. If you want new, the Gustard R26 is supposed to be awesome, although a bit higher in price at $1600 or so, and then there are the Border Patrol and MHDT DACs that are quite wonderful. I don't know much about the delta sigma DACs as they aren't really my cup of tea. I tend to prefer R2R or FPGA DACs as I find them to be resolving and musical. If you can go up a level the Pontus II, or the Audio-GD R8 MK2 are also amazing. I absolutely loved the Pontus II.
Depends what you are looking for. If measurements are your thing then get a Topping or SMSL which measure almost perfectly. However, they are all so technically advanced now that even the ones that don't quite measure as well still measure to the point past human hearing.
I find the sweet spot for DACs is between $2k-$3k where you get 80-90% of the sound of the big boys at reasonable prices. But, I wouldn't spend that much on a DAC unless your amps are resolving enough to get the most of out of those DACs. DACs are 3rd in my opinion in importance. Headphone-Amp-DAC. However, the better the rest of your chain, the more you will get from your DAC. It really is so subjective. Not sure this helps, but that is what I think. Your OG should be happy with the Bottlehead. Super musical combo. I'd get the Ares II, I think if you want to stay below $1000.
Whoever told you that another $1000 DAC would be lateral is probably pretty accurate. You would need to go up a level or two to really hear a significant difference. And then, it will be percentage points.
Abacus-based?What do you mean by ‘traditional’ DAC?
Seriously though, there was a Sonnet Morpheus used for $2k on ebay the other day, maybe still up. I got rid of my TT2 soon after getting mine. Every bit as detailed and as wide of a stage, but just more body and without some of the sharpness the TT2 has.
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geoffalter11
Headphoneus Supremus
I didn't like the TT2 either. I haven't heard the Morpheus, but used to own a Metrum DAC. I loved it! Super punchy with great musicality and just a fun sounding DAC. I agree that the TT2 is way too analytical for my tastes. However, it is an engineering marvel. Just not my sound.
I want an Abacus DAC. Put in a good analog stage and a good power supply and I'd love for those beads to run 1s and 0s.
geoffalter11
Headphoneus Supremus
The thread has been quiet for a day or so. Not like all the excited Auteur lovers out there. I need more pictures. Tonight has been a Classic night. New toy syndrome in full flight. I have been spending so much time with the Atrium I haven't focused nearly enough on this beauty. I spent the weekend enjoying my OG Bocote LTD, a headphone that I will not upgrade. I like it the way it is.
The Classic:
First, I think it deserves its own thread. I am not the first to say this. Hardly an original thought. Hopefully there will be a bit more originality from here on out.
It is a very different sounding headphone. I don't want to upgrade my OG because they are different enough that I hope to own both. They occupy different headspace and ultimately different musical experiences. Is the Classic better? Tough question... it certainly is more evolved, more technically adept and more subtle. The Classic has the same quality as the Atrium. The ability to separate near/far sounds within the soundstage. I don't find the treble to actually be any different from the OG. My personal opinion is that the Classic's wider and deeper soundstage mitigates the perception of a more lit up top end. However, I hear the treble as very similar. Cymbals and High Hats still have bite, and piano sounds sublime. I find all of ZMF's headphones do a great job of capturing the sound of a bass player who is not using a pick. I can hear the bass players fingers stroll up and down the fret; an easy Sunday stroll.
Expanding the stage depth and width makes things unfold with more time, which gives you the feeling that you are strolling into the midrange versus running. The OG is very lively and dynamic to my ears. The Classic is a bit more laid back. Again, I don't hear this as a change in tuning or voicing, but the expansion of the stage and imaging prowess. Instrument placement is wonderful, and the Classic retains my two favorite attributes of the OG. Midrange tone and sub bass. The Classic is not overly mid bass centric, another quality that I find quite fetching. As for vocals, this is the most interesting part of the Classic to me. Because of the headphones innate ability to separate sounds, the instruments sit back while the vocals stay up front. This makes the Classic realistic and emotive. When you see a concert, the sound engineer generally turns up the bass player, guitar player and lead vocals, while separating the harmonies and rhythm section to create layers and subtlety. When the band is good enough they are able to maximize the way they play to create a truly unique soundscape. The Classic picks up these moments and has no trouble unfolding the entire mix within the stage with all of the instruments exactly where they are placed.
The last piece I want to talk about tonight is the Classic's cohesive nature with pace and timing. Music is all about time. The Classic doesn't sound overly fast, nor overly slow. It is just right. Some headphones are too fast and can't slow down with the music. Others slog around and can't keep up as the music increases its pace. The Classic does what Gabriel Garcia Marquez did with his writing. Melts space and time. You lose track of everything but the music. Do you ever read a book and feel like if you put it down something is going to happen that isn't written in the pages and you will miss it? Great writers make you feel this way. So do great musicians, and great pieces of audio equipment made to disseminate this feeling. Bravo ZMF! The Classic is melting space and time.
Hope you all have a good night. Back to my world of musical magical realism.
The Classic:
First, I think it deserves its own thread. I am not the first to say this. Hardly an original thought. Hopefully there will be a bit more originality from here on out.
It is a very different sounding headphone. I don't want to upgrade my OG because they are different enough that I hope to own both. They occupy different headspace and ultimately different musical experiences. Is the Classic better? Tough question... it certainly is more evolved, more technically adept and more subtle. The Classic has the same quality as the Atrium. The ability to separate near/far sounds within the soundstage. I don't find the treble to actually be any different from the OG. My personal opinion is that the Classic's wider and deeper soundstage mitigates the perception of a more lit up top end. However, I hear the treble as very similar. Cymbals and High Hats still have bite, and piano sounds sublime. I find all of ZMF's headphones do a great job of capturing the sound of a bass player who is not using a pick. I can hear the bass players fingers stroll up and down the fret; an easy Sunday stroll. Expanding the stage depth and width makes things unfold with more time, which gives you the feeling that you are strolling into the midrange versus running. The OG is very lively and dynamic to my ears. The Classic is a bit more laid back. Again, I don't hear this as a change in tuning or voicing, but the expansion of the stage and imaging prowess. Instrument placement is wonderful, and the Classic retains my two favorite attributes of the OG. Midrange tone and sub bass. The Classic is not overly mid bass centric, another quality that I find quite fetching. As for vocals, this is the most interesting part of the Classic to me. Because of the headphones innate ability to separate sounds, the instruments sit back while the vocals stay up front. This makes the Classic realistic and emotive. When you see a concert, the sound engineer generally turns up the bass player, guitar player and lead vocals, while separating the harmonies and rhythm section to create layers and subtlety. When the band is good enough they are able to maximize the way they play to create a truly unique soundscape. The Classic picks up these moments and has no trouble unfolding the entire mix within the stage with all of the instruments exactly where they are placed.
The last piece I want to talk about tonight is the Classic's cohesive nature with pace and timing. Music is all about time. The Classic doesn't sound overly fast, nor overly slow. It is just right. Some headphones are too fast and can't slow down with the music. Others slog around and can't keep up as the music increases its pace. The Classic does what Gabriel Garcia Marquez did with his writing. Melts space and time. You lose track of everything but the music. Do you ever read a book and feel like if you put it down something is going to happen that isn't written in the pages and you will miss it? Great writers make you feel this way. So do great musicians, and great pieces of audio equipment made to disseminate this feeling. Bravo ZMF! The Classic is melting space and time.
Hope you all have a good night. Back to my world of musical magical realism.
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