I got my start in this whole audiophile madness in 2012 with a SONY XB 700 and later Beyerdynamic DT 880. Over the years I've heard, reviewed, bought and sold dozens upon dozens of headphones. As time has passed I've become not only a better listener but a more critical reviewer. With so many players in this space I feel it's necessary to only reward excellence and politely express my disappointment in mediocrity candidly. That said, at the end of a decade I feel one headphone stands out above all of them.
It is of course the ZMF Auteur which is priced starting at $1599 with other woods and ear-pads available! I won't drone on regarding the build quality of what's in the box as I feel there is enough coverage regarding the exceptional construction and craftsmanship of each ZMF Headphone.
I'd also like to thank the ZMF team for allowing me the chance to have an extended listen of a Auteur in Cocobolo with it's stock pads, my review consists of my own thoughts and I have not been compensated for them.
There are a few different woods available and Cocobolo tends be to a little quicker, so slightly less reverb [or wetness] and resonance than softer woods, creating a more distinct attack or leading edge. As a whole though the driver itself and Auteur line present an extremely consistent sound quality. I'll also add changing the wood and pads for Auteur will allow you to make fine adjustments to presentation and tonality based on your preferences but won't change the overall character of the headphone or performance of the driver.
During my time I found my self constantly impressed with the level of dynamic contrast Auteur presented as well as it's resolve. Detail both mechanical macro detail and transients are presented with clarity and distinction. It's imaging was precise and cohesive with what I'd say is an average sized sound-stage. The only flaw I could find was a slight lack in clarity and precision with large orchestral/symphonic compositions.
Still when declaring a headphone best of a decade I feel comparisons will have more weight than my straight forward praise!
My Prefazor LCD 2.2 and HD 800 felt like appropriate comparisons and my track-list was as follows;
An regarding that "pop" of detail, I never felt Auteur presented such detailed louder or with any extra emphasis. Rather it was more easily discernible and identifiable,
Tonally while both headphones can be considered warm, the PreFazor LCD 2 rev2.2 is much wetter. So tonally it presents a richer harmonic content, as a result there are some differences in timbre between the two especially within the mid range
Namely I found the midrange presentation on PreFazor LCD2 rev2.2 to be;
It is of course the ZMF Auteur which is priced starting at $1599 with other woods and ear-pads available! I won't drone on regarding the build quality of what's in the box as I feel there is enough coverage regarding the exceptional construction and craftsmanship of each ZMF Headphone.
I'd also like to thank the ZMF team for allowing me the chance to have an extended listen of a Auteur in Cocobolo with it's stock pads, my review consists of my own thoughts and I have not been compensated for them.
Sound Quality & Signiture
Overall I find Auteur to be fairly balanced with a slight warm tilt. Auteur has excellent extension on both ends and has a touch bass emphasis tonally and it's presentation has some emphasis on the Decay/Sustain giving it a rich sound.There are a few different woods available and Cocobolo tends be to a little quicker, so slightly less reverb [or wetness] and resonance than softer woods, creating a more distinct attack or leading edge. As a whole though the driver itself and Auteur line present an extremely consistent sound quality. I'll also add changing the wood and pads for Auteur will allow you to make fine adjustments to presentation and tonality based on your preferences but won't change the overall character of the headphone or performance of the driver.
During my time I found my self constantly impressed with the level of dynamic contrast Auteur presented as well as it's resolve. Detail both mechanical macro detail and transients are presented with clarity and distinction. It's imaging was precise and cohesive with what I'd say is an average sized sound-stage. The only flaw I could find was a slight lack in clarity and precision with large orchestral/symphonic compositions.
Still when declaring a headphone best of a decade I feel comparisons will have more weight than my straight forward praise!
My Prefazor LCD 2.2 and HD 800 felt like appropriate comparisons and my track-list was as follows;
- Marta Gomez: Chesky W.G.A.Vocal.Recordings - Cileto Lindo
- Igor Levit: Goldberg Variations - Aria
- T.U.D.D Chesky/McCoy Tyner & Joe Henderson - Ask Me Now
- J.S Bach/ Eugene Drucker: Gigue
- Skream - Backwards
- Sarah Jarosz: Build me Up From Bones - Simple Twist of Fate
- System of a Down: System of a Down - Mind
Truthfully in my mind Auteur's biggest strength is it's straightforwardness, I also had many opportunities to share Auteur with friends and family who haven't ever listened on anything more than a set of Bose Speakers or Apple Earpods. Almost all of them immediately grasped to some extent the reason behind all this "Hi Fi" madness as some of them call it. An I feel the ZMF team really capture the magic of HiFi and present it in a way that is accessible to any one who loves and enjoys music with Auteur. Every one that had a chance to hear their favorite song on Auteur had a smile on their faces!
So that said I don't see Auteur as a the best fit for those of you who enjoy building, listening and maintaining multiple systems. Rather Auteur shines the brightest by itself on what ever system the listener has. While I do feel Auteur scales extremely well it doesn't suffer much on entry level equipment such as the JDS Labs Atom and DACs like the Schiit Modi 3 or Topping D10.
So that said I don't see Auteur as a the best fit for those of you who enjoy building, listening and maintaining multiple systems. Rather Auteur shines the brightest by itself on what ever system the listener has. While I do feel Auteur scales extremely well it doesn't suffer much on entry level equipment such as the JDS Labs Atom and DACs like the Schiit Modi 3 or Topping D10.
So for my comparisons I used the same DAC my NFB10ES2 set to Low Gain out via it's RCAs. I used a Schiit Etir for Coax input running no more than 24/192 files. An for each headphone comparison I used the Amp I felt was optimal for that Headphone.
So with my Prefazor LCD 2 REV 2.2 I used my Project Ember II amp for both Auteur and LCD2, Output was set to .1 for LCD 2 and 35 for Auteur.
So with my Prefazor LCD 2 REV 2.2 I used my Project Ember II amp for both Auteur and LCD2, Output was set to .1 for LCD 2 and 35 for Auteur.
With my HD 800 I used my modded APPJ PA 1502A SET tube amp for both headphones.
PreFazor LCD2 REV 2.2 vs Auteur
Now the biggest differences between these two fall at the extreme ends of their frequency response and how they present sound within a recorded space.
Regarding Imaging and Sound-stage I found the Prefazor LCD2 rev2.2 to;
- Offer equal precision and cohesiveness
- Not lacking "air" or a sense of precise and smooth cohesive separation
- Presented a narrow often intimate stage
- Again not lacking air or a sense of separation however instruments often sounded closer together relative to each other. So not as MUCH air or space in-between
- Sounds that are recorded/mixed/mastered panning across the audible stage don't pan quite as strongly
- Suffers even more so from congestion with large symphonic/orchestral recordings
So Auteur does provide an even more spacious and often airier presentation over Prefazor LCD 2 and suffers less from getting a touch congested.
Regarding resolve, dynamics and envelope I found the PreFazor LCD2 rev2.2 to;
- Present equivalent micro-detail
- Transients where just as vivid
- So bends and slides on a guitar string
- vibrato in horns or vocalists
- Fretting and the sound/noise of a reed on wood wind instrument
- ect...
- Trailing edge of sounds or the "release" was equally as vivid
- Sustain was equally as vivid,
- Attack of the leading edge was slightly less vivid
- Sometimes detail that was present, defined and audible on LCD2 did not quite "pop" as it would on Auteur
- Dynamic contrast was slightly less vivid
- Macro detail wasn't as vivid
- So mechanical sounds, foot steps, breathing and other detail that's mostly present in higher frequencies was not as apparent
Tonally while both headphones can be considered warm, the PreFazor LCD 2 rev2.2 is much wetter. So tonally it presents a richer harmonic content, as a result there are some differences in timbre between the two especially within the mid range
Namely I found the midrange presentation on PreFazor LCD2 rev2.2 to be;
- Wetter or "fuller"
- Tho some instruments, Folk guitars for example, were a bit too full or wet for my tastes
- Others sounded more correct however like Classical Guitars
- Vocals sounded more "grounded"
- Or realer in how the harmonic overtones are presented through out the entire envelope of that singers voice
- Heavier/weightier but not any less tactile or present
Each was beautiful and overall I feel it's easier to make slight changes to Auteur's presentation than PreFazor LCD 2. For example a softer wood on Auteur gives it a bit more wetness/body & reverb which some of you may enjoy and find more correct for your tastes. Now you can also put Auteur on a wetter tube and achieve a similar adjustment while keeping some of the "speed" of a harder wood.
My point is there's more flexibility with Auteur to fine tune it to your tastes.
My point is there's more flexibility with Auteur to fine tune it to your tastes.
Regarding it's presentation of High Frequencies vs Auteur I found PreFazor LCD2 rev2.2 was;
- Recessed
- In that macro detail didn't quite stand out as much
- However subjectively I found no detriment to the timbre of instruments with a lot of high frequency spectra
- Vocalists sometimes lacked a sense of "airiness" or the sound lips/mouth/breathe
- Equally as extended
- So while it didn't lack anything it wasn't always as apparent or as forward
- Somewhat unnatural with Spoken Word
- If it's sung it sounds lovely, spoken word tho is hit or miss
- Jim Morrison's spoken word style is quite right
- Rap that's delivered more like spoke poetry is also correct
- NOT as correct when presenting speech recorded in/for TV and Movies
An I don't find Auteur to be excessively forward or emphasized in the top end, overall I felt its presentation was quite right vs PreFazor LCD2 rev2.2 which is undeniably dark.
Regarding it's presentation of Low Frequencies vs Auteur I found PreFazor LCD 2.2 to be;
- Heavier with more "power"
- Slightly better detail with complex riffs
- Quicker and more nuanced
- Simply more resolving with Synth Basslines
- Acoustic response is better on "modest*" amplification
Modest as in my dinky little tube amps, while I enjoy them and feel under $500 they're performance and clarity is tough to beat I've heard better from my headphones on more complex and cleaner amp designs. That said I will say this, Auteur on a vintage top of the line max spec Moth 2A3 tube amp did surpass my PreFazor LCD2 Rev2.2 presentation of those bassy instruments such as Chellos, double basses and even big Tom and Kick Drums.
However such an amp is no longer attainable and I can't say what is comparable today as sadly I've not heard anything as good as that Moth 2A3 amp yet! But that listen with Auteur was simply unforgettable...
At the end of the day tho for Electronica and Heavy Metal my PreFazor LCD2 rev2.2 was simply the better headphone when presenting the heavy and complex bass lines, an for Classical Auteur was simply better at presenting the complex timbre of big massive drums especially in larger symphonies where there may also be deeper brass instruments and spectra added into the mix.
Still Overall across the board I do feel Auteur is a more balanced headphone and better suited for a variety of music and multi media content.
HD 800sdr vs Auteur
While the Prefazor LCD 2 rev2.2 and Auteur share more similarities than differences, I do feel HD 800sdr and Auteur are starkly different!
Namely HD 800sdr is;
Namely HD 800sdr is;
- Expansive
- Staging is often larger than life
- Lean with a Mostly Studio Neutral Tonality
- Tho a little withdrawn in the mid-range relative to highs
- Bright
- Timbre is lean or not as harmonically rich as reality
- Some may find it's timbre slightly un-natural or lacking richness
- Overly Technical
- Unforgiving of mix/master faults
- Details are more in your face
- Like is the guitarist doing something weird with the pick? Did the mic pick it up... I think so, an now it's hard to ignore!!!!!!!
Frankly I prefer HD 800sdr and don't have any dislikes or problems with it, tho I do pair it with a tube to help add some of that naturalness back into it's presentation and pull the mid-range slightly forward.
I don't particularly like HD 800 on a lot of the solid state amplification I've heard it on. Your experience may differ, but I feel the SDR Mod and a well designed low distortion [relatively speaking] tube really make HD 800sdr ideal and minimizes it's weakness without impacting or changing it's strengths
That said, from the very same well designed relatively low distortion tube VS H800sdr I found Auteur is more so;
- Grounded
- The audible image or sound stage isn't often larger than life
- Wet with a Warm Tilted Tonality
- Slightly forward mid-bass relative to sub-bass and mid-range
- Mid-range forward relative to top end
- Pleasant audible cup reverb
- "rich" timbre that some may find slightly excessive
- Detailed but not overly technical
- Resolving of detail but not forcefully so
- Is the Guitarist doing something weird with the pick? Dunno... maybe, but this riff sounds amazing!
Regarding it's presentation of Low Frequencies vs Auteur I found HD 800sdr to be;
- Not quite as heavy/weighty
- So not as enjoyable with Synth Bass-lines
- More resolving of complex harmonic overtones
- So more life like with larger acoustic instruments & big drums
However I will say on that very same legendary Moth 2A3 Amp I find you get both the weight of Auteur with the same detail of HD 800sdr in the lows, I was kinda bummed out listening to the HD 800sdr on the Moth 2A3 amp... as it was only slightly better than what I'm used to but wasn't as impressive as Auteur...
Regarding Mid-Range Frequencies I found HD 800sdr to be;
- Not as wet
- Or "rich"
- Slightly harder
- A more defined leading edge
- More Detailed
- Transients are more easily discernible
- Especially those relating to the sound of contact or the texture of things
- Fingers/picks again'st strings and fret boards
- The sound of mouths on/again'st a reed
- Literally how a vocalists takes a breathe or unique ways they form/sing words
- A bow across strings
I'll also add again for some people these details can be distracting and some feel such fine detail is too apparent on HD 800sdr so it's "forceful" with detail in that regard. I disagree as I've always picked up/enjoyed those things when listening to live musicians in intimate acoustic spaces.
Regarding High Frequencies I found HD 800sdr to be;
- Slightly emphasized
- Which lends even more "airiness"
- Also lends itself to overemphasizing room reflections captured in recording process
- Which is very distracting to my ears and often offensive
Now what's unique about HD 800sdr is that it's brighter tonality combined with it's massive staging creates the perception of even more air or space between instruments. However, unlike Auteur, HD 800sdr has no issues with congestion regardless of the size and number of instruments or musicians playing at any single given time.
Regarding Staging, Detail and Dynamic Contrast HD 800sdr is technically superior, the driver quite literally resolves more quite low level sounds that occur within fractions of seconds, however some who do not enjoy it's tonality will not even appreciate or even perceive it's technical advantages.
It's staging is also to my ears perfectly fine, for better or worse I've never felt it was too big or excessive. By the same token I also didn't feel Auteur was too small or closed in of it's own accord.
So for me both Auteur and HD 800sdr sound correct within the audible spaces they present, still there are some moments where HD 800sdr exhibits some over-emphasis of things like room reflections that Auteur does not emphasis. An there are recordings I simply can not enjoy on HD 800sdr because of that, I feel Auteur is exceptionally detailed while still slightly forgiving.
An this aspect of HD 800sdr's presentation is to my ears a forced or forceful detail, I again enjoy hearing and listening for how things sound within a space. It's something I do in reality same as when listening to a recording and I do feel HD 800sdr exaggerates this kind of detail a bit to much at times.
So for me both Auteur and HD 800sdr sound correct within the audible spaces they present, still there are some moments where HD 800sdr exhibits some over-emphasis of things like room reflections that Auteur does not emphasis. An there are recordings I simply can not enjoy on HD 800sdr because of that, I feel Auteur is exceptionally detailed while still slightly forgiving.
An this aspect of HD 800sdr's presentation is to my ears a forced or forceful detail, I again enjoy hearing and listening for how things sound within a space. It's something I do in reality same as when listening to a recording and I do feel HD 800sdr exaggerates this kind of detail a bit to much at times.
Conclusion
Now for my personal tastes I keep my PreFazor LCD2 and my HD 800sdr as I appreciate the stark contrast they each have and appreciate their presentations for different kinds of music.
For me what makes Auteur the defining headphone of the decade tho is how well it presents a variety of musical genres and multi-media content. During the many months I had it there were weeks at a time where I had no need or desire to listen with anything else. Where as I actively switch between HD 800 and my LCD 2 PreFazor, Auteur was simply one headphone that did everything I could want phenomenally well. You could say Auteur had the best elements of both without the defects of either. Tho it doesn't have the beautiful weight, tone or power of LCD 2 PreFazor and will never be as detailed and beautifully technical as HD 800sdr.
Even better is that you can switch up the woods, ear pads and amplification to make slight changes to it's tonality and presentation based on what you want. While there are more resolving headphones on the market and within the ZMF family I don't think anything new or old is quite as good as Auteur given the price it's at. To the this day I still feel it is THE perfectly balanced jack of all trades headphone to buy for Audiophiles.
