This is the place to discuss the ZMF Auteur Classic…
Thank you @Audiophonic for starting the thread.
I’ve been able to listen to the AC for a week or so now and have really enjoyed it so far. I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised given how much I like the Atrium and it does have the same drivers. However, there are differences of course.
I’m getting a mid-forward presentation by these but it still manages to capture a good stage and presence. The low end is nice and smooth and the treble is not peaky at all to me. I’ve only been able to drive them off of my Jot2/Modius so far but am looking forward to a tube pairing soon.
The Auteur pads has been my most time spent, however, I do also have the Eikon suede. Not really a fan of that pairing as it seems to make them a bit shouty and actually give a bit more sharpness to the highs. I was surprised by that, but hey again it is to my ears.
1500 makes these in a very competetive range of other higher end HP’s. I’ll be curious to see how these do over time. I’ll have more finalized thoughts soon, but these do have that ZMF magic in them as well.
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Just a heads up, the Auteur Classic doesn’t have the same driver as the Atrium. It’s a whole new driver that is different from the drivers in the OG Auteur and Atrium.
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My mistake on that. I should have simply stated that they are both the Biocellulose drivers, but yes the Atrium is tuned differently from it…which I know that is their ZMF driver. Also, the Atrium Damping System is what I should have referred to!
This is correct. Thanks for pointing that out.
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Congrats @skeeb23! Thx for the report, mine are due to arrive Thursday! 
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I’m still on the fence on whether or not to upgrade my Auteur. The problem is I am currently smitten with the Meze Elite and hardly ever listen to the Auteur anymore. The Auteur was my favorite headphone by far before I got the Elite. It caused me to sell multiple VCs and an Aeolus after I got it.
I don’t know if the upgrade to a Classic would sway me away from the Elite, but it might. I’m hoping to get a chance to listen to someone’s Classic at some point before I make my decision. I’ll be auditioning an Atrium in the near future, so if it doesn’t win me over, I’ll have little hope for the Classic. You never know though.
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Following, thanks for starting the thread 
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Both are fantastic in their own right. Again, biggest difference to me other then the just step up in detail and layering of the Atrium, is the mid-forward of the Auteur. It’s a good mid-forward to me though. I compared it a bit to the Clear MG Pro…but the MG Pro was too intimate for me.
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…and here are my finalized thoughts and impressions. Ok, I really shouldn’t say finalized because I want to listen on different sources that I just don’t have available as of yet. One being the BHC!
I am loving the Auteur Classic though!!
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Thank you for posting this! It’ll make an interesting video for the commute home as I’m debating which ZMF I should go for and I haven’t seen a lot of shared experience with the Auteur Classic. I also have a tube amp purchase planned in the future so I may have to prioritize one over the other in purchase order.
Regards,
Vic
Awesome. Yeah tubes is the one big thing I want to test still on the ZMF’s!
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Does someone can provide a frequency response??
Thanks for the interesting review. How significantly better are these compared to the old standard HD650/HD6XX for classical music? SPL Phonitor se is the amplifier I use. I like a neutral/warm presentation.
I own both the HD6XX and Auteur Classic, and I find the Auteur Classic a pretty easy win for classical music. If nothing else, the soundstage of the Auteur Classic is way wider, deeper, more holographic, and things are more evenly spaced apart. But impact is significantly better as well, the upper mids aren’t quite as shouty as the 6XX (as per my personal preference), and extension is better on both ends. Resolution is better as well, though not miles ahead.
I still keep the 6XX around because its overall signature is so pleasing for intimate vocals, and it’s still the most comfortable headphone I’ve ever worn. It has a warmer lower midrange too, and still a more natural timbre to the treble.
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I have a pair of of original Auteur’s which i am planning to sell. Can anyone advise me how much to sell them for?
Post a picture of them here. The wood type and look can shape a sale price by a lot.
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Have a look at hifishark.com. It shows things that are currently for sale and that have recently sold, so you can figure out a price from that.
Thanks folks. Very helpful.
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