Pfft. Never met a dude that was excited his lady had just spent 1200 bucks on shoes.
Don’t make it about gender if it ain’t about gender.
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it was meant as a joke… instead of trying to respond, i’ll just remove the line so as not to offend anyone.
Been a lot of jokes about females, spending and perceptions of value. I’d like to think that when anyone starts looking for information about headphones they won’t have to wade through a bunch of jokes at their expense.
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Terrific headphones–and a rare find of a girlfriend!
That’s the best feeling for any kind of long wait! From all I’ve heard in regards to ZMF, you won’t regret any of it!
@MRHifiReviews Yo! Saw your ‘AMP Camera’ in the Radiance stream, love the idea of that. You’ve got the AMPs on your desk that I’m considering between for my ZMF Aeolus. When you’re listening to the Aeolus, what’s the choice for you? Asagrd, Echo, Jotunheim, Crack, Lyr? Thanks man!
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Hey, @Bob Thanks, man!!! For me right now it is between the Feliks Echo 2 I picked up from Taron as they now carry Feliks Audio!
The Bottle Head Crack with Speedball,
Or for over 1k but under 2k I also really love the ZMF Pendant with the Aeolus, they have a great synergy!
https://shop.zmfheadphones.com/collections/amps-dacs/products/zmf-pendant
I need more time as the Feliks Echo 2 is pretty new to my chain, so I need some proper comparisons but so far the Bottle Head Crack with Speedball and the Feliks Echo V2 on my desk are my favorites with the ZMF Aeolus under 1,000 dollars. For over 1k but under 2k I also really enjoyed the iFi Pro iCAN
I hope that helps! I will have an upcoming live stream on the Echo 2 as well and will discuss how it pairs with the Aeolus.
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Helps a ton! Can’t wait for the Echo 2 stream. Thanks!
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You should have a live web cam so we can keep track of what you’re listening to in real time!
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Hmmmm well I always try to post on the discord and here as much as possible but that is a cool idea that could push to my website.
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Been a few weeks since I’ve gotten my Aeolus. I think it’s time my trusty HD 600 get passed on as they have been bested by the Aeolus. Which says a lot because the HD 600 has survived some unduly high competition in the past from Mr Speakers, Audeze and Focal.
I’d be pretty darn happy to stop here with the Aeolus and Asgard 3 combo. Will enjoy this for awhile and wait for a Bottlehead Crack + Speedball website sale as I have some free space on my desk to try some tubes!
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@TylersEclectic - Given how you described the Aeolus, where does the Auteur fall within this comparison among the Focal headphones?
I’m trying to understand the difference between the Aeolus and Auteur. I have a Clear Mg and am looking for a ZMF headphone (under 2000) but can’t decide which to go with. Any advice?
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Maybe I can chime in and just say that I had Clear OG for about year and have Aeolus.
Clear is … clear indeed, but feels clinical, leaning on the bright side, sometimes with harsh treble to my ears and doesn’t really go well with many amps. While Aeolus w/ universe pads is just pure pleasure headphone, very enjoyable and it’s amazing out of everything.
I didn’t hear Auteur, but I’d guess that Aeolus is a “safe bet”. Just don’t forget to get the universe pads also.
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Thanks for this! I’m so torn between the Aeolus and the Auteur, in particular. But maybe the Aeolus is a good starting point since is a nice all-rounder.
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I’ll chime in too. The Auteur is closer in tonality to the Clear. It’s warmer, but won’t be a big departure sonically. The Aeolus is much warmer and smoother sounding. If you want something that’s just a tweak of the Clear sound signature, that’s the Auteur. If you want to shift the tonal balance noticeably warmer, that’s the Aeolus. Both are excellent, but have very different signatures.
Quick summary of my thoughts on the Auteur (AU) vs Aeolus (AE): AU has more treble and subbass extension. It reaches higher and lower, with less body/thickness in the mids. It’s mostly neutral sounding with a touch of warmth to avoid sounding clinical. The AE is warmer and smoother sounding, with tremendous midrange presence and body. It’s more colored and thicker sounding, but still very detailed and resolving. Both have good soundstages, I don’t hear a dramatic difference between them. Pad swapping is equally effective on both. You can warm up the AU noticeably, or lean out the AE, so they can get somewhat close to each other sonically. I like more neutral tubes on the AE, and warmer tubes on the AU.
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This is great! You very clearly outlined the respective characteristics of the Aeolus and Auteur, so thank you for that!
Based on what you said, I think that the Aeolus will give me a more differentiated way of experiencing my music so I think I’m leaning even more towards that. A new flavor, so to speak. I think pad swaps will also be quite effective in giving my a wider spectrum of tonality to experiment with, too.
Thanks again so much. I’m new to the forum (and relatively new to the hobby) but it’s been so cool to be here and learn more from some many others.
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If there were a linear scale between “fun” and “reference” Aeolus would be closer to fun, and Autuer would be closer to reference.
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@iamrisc1 the above posts are pretty much what I would have said ha! I ended up selling my Clear OG after having my Aeolus for awhile… the Auteur like what @mfadio said is more of a “reference” sound… while still being sweet… Aeolus is the more well rounded of the two… while the Auteur is exceptional in the midrange… and with tonal balance and vocals.
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Thanks @mfadio and @TylersEclectic for the added insights. I think everyone here has so very helpfully swayed me to start with an Aeolus first!
I guess that means my next problem is how to protect my wallet from the other ZMF headphones I’ll probably end up wanting…I mean, needing…after I hear this!
Will be placing my order soon! (I am curious about the fate of my Clear, too…
)
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You do not protect a thing by keeping it under your wing, there it only grows weaker, and more dependent on your help.
You protect a wallet by making it learn, grow and adapt, exposing it to harsh abuse, and tough conditions. You protect it by making it strong!
Ya Hya Chouhada!
Kidding. (Kind of). Lots of people are very happy with the Aeolus. You don’t have to worry about that, you need to worry about self mastery. If you get the upgradies, selling zmfs is frighteningly easy. If you get the collecties, well… make sure to post everything on the What’s in the box! thread so we can live vicariously through you.
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