The [somewhat] logical part of my brain says that if I pared down to two ZMFs, it should be my Caldera and Bokeh as they really seem like opposite ends of the ZMF spectrum. But I love the Auteur and it sits between them when I want best of both worlds.
I find the Caldera to be pretty neutral overall (I'm not the best at picking out specific FR changes across the spectrum though) but part of my comment is also concerning the technicalities where the Caldera is so fast and detailed and the imaging is insane; it is impressive to listen to. The Bokeh is fun and warm and engrossing so you kinda forget about the details. Caldera's also fully open vs Bokeh fully closed. The Auteur is neutral, but still has a bit of a bass bump, details and stage are great and present but maybe not the first thing you notice, and it's also semi-open, so for me it sorta sits in the middle.
I honestly think the Bokeh/Auteur combo is probably the best complimentary sets you can have. You get the bassiest, arguably most musical ZMF in the Bokeh, and the most neutral and natural sounding in the Auteur.
I sent my auteur in for the classic upgrade and yeah i'd agree the bokeh and the classic compliment each other well. Especially since i've landed on the suede pads and solid mesh filter on the bokeh. But when switching to protein pads and no filter it gets a lot closer to the Auteur classic. still different in profile, but suddenly more similar in capabilites.
*** Auteur Classic and Auteur OG each has its own special mix of virtues: the layering of Atrium, a tactile midrange magic for example. Is Classic "better" than OG? In the absolute, no one can say. Is Classic preferable to OG? Possibly for you ...
The VO is definitely quite a faster & more detailed heapdhone but when it comes to timbre and tuning I prefer the AuC. To me the AuC strikes a perfect balance between good technicalities and natural timbre/tuning.
Auteur Classic is a better headphone technically (better detail, soundstage, layering), but there is a magic to tuning of the OG Auteur. The mids have a creaminess and intensity at the same time that’s hard to put into words. The Auteur Classic is much more neutral and natural, and that’s where its magic lies.
Well I traded my Auteur OG for a set of Aeon 2 Noire. Perhaps in the future I will re-acquire a set of Auteur. Still working on my Bokeh in finding the right tuning. I sometimes regret selling my Aeolus. I can't afford the higher end ZMF headphones.
I was gonna wait until November but holy moly these are incredible. I guess I missed the boat though because I can't see any of them on the site anymore...?
I was gonna wait until November but holy moly these are incredible. I guess I missed the boat though because I can't see any of them on the site anymore...?
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