makes 100% sense… it’s so important to think of the entire chain and your own ecosystem as part of the upgrade paths and what can compliment and add flavor etc
I’ve learned I’m more a planar type, and I’m still struggling to figure out my tube/solid state preferences lol
I own a VO and an Aeolus, and I spent probably at least a third of CanJam Chicago in the ZMF room, listening mainly to the Atrium, so I’m probably a bit biased.
When I bought my Aeolus, my friends all told me to get the Suede Universe pads. I didn’t love the Aeolus and, having other options, left it on a shelf for several months until another friend persuaded me to try the original stock Aeolus pads, which made it sound a lot warmer, and I immediately loved it.
I realized that the Suede Universe were pushing the Aeolus towards neutrality, and I think there are better ZMF headphones that suit neutrality, like the Auteur or the Verite, if that’s what you’re shooting for. The Aeolus is naturally warm, and even if the Aeolus pads made it too warm for many (and maybe that’s why they aren’t sold any more), I still think that other pads would have suited its character more than the Suede Universe.
That’s obviously my opinion, and there’s a good chance I’m the outlier, because I still see recommendations for Suede Universe.
I’ll be getting a tour Atrium soon, so it will be interesting to be able to compare it to my VO and Aeolus on my system.
Hello,
Thanks for the assessment 
.
Unfortunately, I don’t know what standard pads the Aeolus has.
As I said, it is on loan.
But I think that this kind of tuning is not really my thing.
It’s also a bit tiring to listen to it like this, almost more tiring than the Auteur when I got it, which is really strange.
The colleague who has my Auteur had a similar experience 
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It’s too light for him and it took him a few days.
I think with the pads it’s too dark and the middle bottom end kind of hides the details.
The top end could also be a bit more explosive for my taste and go higher.
The bass effect is okay but also exhausting in the long run.
I feel a bit cramped when listening to music, maybe too intimate?
I had a look at the Zmf site and spontaneously I would have said that the Be2 Lambskin would probably be more my cup of tea.
Unfortunately, I personally don’t know how much this changes the Aeolus.
You always pay a price for it somewhere when changing the pad.
But you also have to say that the Auteur is really the opposite of the Aeolus, which of course takes some time to get out of your head.
I will get it back next week and have both on the table.
Let’s see which one is more balm for my ears.
On the other hand, the Aeolus probably doesn’t appeal to me in that way.
But if it were to get complicated, I would let it go voluntarily.
I don’t want to have another pair of headphones that goes right to the Fostex level.
That would be too complicated for me 
Yes, that was my reaction to the Aeolus with Suede Universe too. Going back to the stock pads relaxed the sound, making it more palatable for me.
That’s strange and of course good to know.
Why do most people find the Sueude uni so good if it is so exhausting?
A mainstream thing?
If so, it’s absolutely not my cup of tea.
And I probably won’t get used to it.
All this ZMF talks made me take off my VC listing and keep it for now lol
I think it comes down to the fact that people like different flavors of tea.
That’s the upside of all those pads, allowing you to dial in the sound you like. The downside is that it can take some time and money going through ZMF pads to figure out what you like.
You can adjust the height adjustment by tightening the screws there. BUT btw I really do agree the system of adjustment is a bit too “boutique” for me. I’ve bitched about it before so I won’t get too into it. But would be nice if it was like focal or LCD style even. The way ZMF does it you have to do alot yourself, bending headband, also because the whole pad rotation thing being able to cause channel imbalances if you don’t have it right. It feels like alot sometimes lol. But yeah I really prefer the more simple approaches from Audeze, Focal, basically any other headphone makes.
At the end of the day tho, I’m here owning and loving my ZMF Verite Closed so I guess joke Is on me lol
Also personally I love the heft, I got a solid neck and I love my 2k headphone feeling premium too. If it’s too light it just dosent do it for me. Thankfully my pair has the normal chasis that’s heavier!
VC GANG RISE UP
Well ZMF gang in general I guess hahaha
I’ve owned the Aeolus twice. It was my first ZMF and I had never spent anywhere near that much money on a headphone before. I got the stock Sapele and was very impressed versus my Mod House Argon I’d been using before.
I then got it in my head that I needed a closed-back because I often listened late at night after my wife and kids were asleep. Needless to say, I convinced myself to save up for a Verite Closed. I sold my Aeolus right before ZMF November started so I’d have my PayPal balance primed and ready to make a quick purchase.
I got super lucky and landed a ZMF red-stained Manchurian Ash Verite Closed within a few minutes of the sale going live. I’d had every intention to get the cheapest B-stock Monkeypod VC that was available for purchase. When I got my VC, I was still using a very modest setup, a JDS Labs OL DAC and EL Amp II. It still sounded amazing to me, and for my preferences, was a big upgrade from the Aeolus.
Over the course of about a year I was pretty content. I made the mistake of opting into email notifications when classified listings popped up on Head-Fi. I made an impulse buy of a Cocobolo Aeolus, Olive VC and then a Manchurian Ash Auteur. At one point I had 3 ZMFs at once and realized I need to get rid of a few. I sold the Olive VC and Cocobolo Aeolus. I thought the harder Cocobolo wood would change my opinion of the Aeolus, but it did not. The Auteur had become my new favorite.
I bought a Blackwood Auteur to compare with my Ash set and ultimately preferred the looks, lower weight and sound of the Ash version. I was surprised as most have spoken so highly of the Blackwood Autuer.
I think I just prefer the higher reverb of the softer woods.
Somewhere along the line I upgraded my DAC to a Bifrost 2 and really liked the change it made even with my cheapish JDS Labs amp. I got the itch to get my first tube amp after reading from so many that ZMFs are at their best when powered by tubes. I ended up getting two tube amps within a month of each other, the SW51+ and then the Quicksilver Headphone Amp. These both sounded excellent with my ZMFs with the nod going to the Quicksilver overall.
I now find myself in possession of a VC for the third time. I have been casually comparing them to my Auteur, and it’s interesting. I have made this comparison before and the Auteur won me over in the first face off. I am having mixed feelings this time around. The only difference in my setup this time around is the addition of a iFi Zen Stream and better tubes in the Quicksilver.
I’m noticing a higher engagement level when listening to the VCs versus the Auteur. The VC is just more exciting with its faster driver and higher resolution. Then again, the Auteur is such a smooth and natural listen overall. I’m tempted to keep them both as they are such excellent complements.
I’m currently tempted by the Meze Elite though. I’ve never had a high-end planar, so I’m looking for someone to trade with for my VCs. If I don’t find someone, I’ll keep the VCs around for a while. I’m also going back and forth on whether or not I want to upgrade my Auteur to become an Auteur Classic. I’m leaning towards yes, but I may wait to hear more feedback from other Auteur owners that go the upgrade route.
Interesting comparison, wether you feel like you ultimately do prefer one or the other it’s interesting to hear your perspective and how it develops!
Also I would Def be curious as to how you like the meze once you get your hands on one!
The stock Aeolus pads are the perforated Universe lamb, which I believe is the default pad for all ZMF open backs…
I completely agree with your assessment on the Univ suede (perforated). I got them as alternate pads for my Aeolus, and after quite some time I finally swapped out the U lamb pads for the suede. I didn’t like what the suede pads did. Yes, they made the headphone sound more “neutral” but it wasn’t as enjoyable. I gave them about 10 days, then switched back.
If I want to listen to something more “neutral” I’ll listen to my Verite or maybe Focal Clear. 
Hello,
A tube recommendation from a member who lent me his Aeolus for the Euforia.
It works well with the Aeolus, but I’m totally in love with the Auteur right now, it’s more to my taste.
It’s an El38 tube set (with adapter) at the output and 6SN7 Brimar Gty at the front for amplification.
Great crisp bass response,nice smooth,deep almost to the touch midrange,with a nice smooth low end.
And a bit of analogue sound as well for good measure.
Tames the Auteur a bit in the midrange but not to the extreme that it wouldn’t be fun,seems a bit tidier and less sharp.
The rest remains typical Auteur.
I’ve had a big change of opinion on the ZMF Verite Closed (with my chain). Since I got the HD600 OG my opinion on the ZMF Verite Closed has changed a fair bit. First of all, the VC always was extremely warm on my chain however now it straight up feels kind of on the darker side and most definitely my go to for bass. Lol. It’s still very organic and has a great midrange but the bassy nature when paired with the WA8, the natural midrange but the not particularly detailed nature of the headphone coupled with the speaker like presentation in addition to the very punchy sound that the VC has really really really reminds me of a pretty obvious step up to the Auido Quest Nighthawks. Again that is with my very warm WA8 chain, I’ve heard the VC on a more neutral offering, the HPA1 Pass Labs and it’s completely different where it is much more neutral and much faster. It’s interesting how much it can change depending on chain. The 600 OG has kind of shit on every headphone I ever owned so it’s unfair to say anything negative about the VC just based on the 600 OG but I will say that the sense of value does feel like it dwindles down a fair bit on terms of sound. Also it really feels like an Audeze or Nighthawk interpretation of soul while Sennheiser and I would assume Audio Technica take a more bright interpretation of musical it feels like the VC and Audeze (LCD2pf) take a more warm to dark interpretation of musical. It’s been a very interesting comparison 
Hello,
Zach has announced the price of the Auteur classic as well as for the upgrades.
A technical video on this subject should also be in the making.
auteur classic stock wood with Black/Black Chassis/Grille: $1499
auteur classic upgrade first owner: $400
auteur classic upgrade second hand: $600
Warranty renewed on all upgrades, more details to come in video tomorrow/Thursday AM.
Why second owners should pay more is not so clear to me at the moment regarding the upgrade.
Even if you don’t have to, it would be voluntary.
Let’s see if they say anything about it in the video.
Personally I don’t know if I will do it.
I’m very happy with the Auteur as we’ve come to know him and he’s an enrichment.
I also seem to have found tubes that harmonise very well with it and leave the Lcd2 C to the left.
I am nevertheless very curious about the first reports where people dare to upgrade or buy the Classic.
I just posted a ZMF Verité LTD Ironwood in the Used Deals thread.
I’ll definitely be excited to hear if anyone gets their Auteur upgraded. (I’m an Eikon-owner, so it’ll probably still be a while before an upgrade for my ZMF is available.)
You also have a very pretty pair, so if you do decide to upgrade that stays unique.
I don’t think so.
I’ve only had it since mid-May and am slowly getting used to it as it is and always like it more than when it was new.
I also have relatively enough reserves in this respect due to 2-3 tube pairings that I have found, and they make the Auteur sound very nice.
The capacitor upgrade on the Euforia to Vcaps certainly contributes to this.
And I don’t really have high-end tubes running on it, so I’m amazed that it’s so good and can enjoy it.
Since it is still quite new, I would also find it a bit of a shame to replace the driver that has just been run in.
I’d like to wait and see what you can read about it.
I think a new one in the Classic variant could also be considered.
I’m already looking at the Atrium or VC.
Zach also said that the upgrade will keep the Auteur line and only slightly improve various areas, so nothing that will stand out or put the Auteur in a different light.
We’ll have to see how it is with customs, sending from Germany to America is usually not a problem, but the other way around might be a problem.
It could be that the German customs would like to see the taxes.
I had a type. Meant to say IF you decide to upgrade you get to keep a pretty pair.
No pressure here from me either way.
Kinda not a fan of the 1st owner vs 2nd owner pricing.
