La Vérité
THIS ISSUE: Herb checks out headphones from ZMF and headphone amplifiers from ZMF and Hagerman.
Almost a year ago, a headphone pal loaned me the Zach Mehrbach–designed ZMF Auteur LTD headphones. He said, “Herb, see if you like these.” I took them home and right away thought, Wow, these headphones really disappear!
Nothing about their sound attracted my attention. The only thing I noticed, casually, was how relaxed and unbelievably transparent they were.
When my friend asked how I liked them, I said they reminded me of the AudioQuest NightOwls, except more detailed and transparent.
ZMF AUTEUR LTD
The zebrawood Auteur LTDs I auditioned weigh 490–530gm, cost $1699, are very sensitive (97dB/mW), and offer high impedance (300 ohms). A non-LTD version, in ambrosia maple, is also available. Both versions come in a beautiful hardwood box with two sets of earpads, allowing owners to “author” the sound by choosing either the standard, perforated Auteur pads—which, according to Mehrbach, “enhance the neutrality” of the headphones—or they can use the Eikon pads “for a warmer sound quality.” During my months of casual listening, I never even tried the Eikon pads. Why? Because the Auteur pads generated one of the most delectable midranges I have experienced, and I saw no reason to change. When, for the sake of this review, I finally tried the Eikon pads, I found they emphasized the bass enough to slightly obscure that luscious midrange.
The test track I used to confirm this judgment was “Yaponske Kino” (Japanese Movie) from the Dakh Daughters’ album (16/44.1 FLAC, self-released/Tidal; also available as a FLAC download at Bandcamp). “Yaponske Kino” opens with a close-miked plucked acoustic bass followed by a whispering vocal, this followed in turn by notes from the middle register of a piano. After that comes a bowed bass and a chorus. This track made differences between
