“The wide soundstage creates a very favorable psychoacoustic phenomenon that isn’t captured by everyone, and the intimacy of the vocal range is both equal parts revealing and comforting”
The auteur and Eikon feature our custom ZMF Bio-cellulose driver. This driver delivers the world’s first open, high impedance, bio-cellulose headphone design. The Eikon conveys the legendary ZMF bio-cellulose sound, with 24 dB of noise isolation.
By using a flexible TPU driver gasket, the auteur has optimized dynamic pistonic action. This creates a punchy and lively response, where the listener can feel the full “force” of the music playing.
Inspired by French stained glass, the auteur’s grille and overall aesthetic is timeless and intriguing. With our limited series, be on the look-out for exciting runs using different metals and woods.
The Story
In designing ZMF Auteur, Zach created a tuning and headphone platform that allows the listener to “author” their listening experience. It was through this same vein of understanding that the grille ultimately took shape; derived from intensive study of French stained glass windows and the narratives they tell. In continuation of the tradition upon which ZMF was built, Zach combines futuristic audio developments with classical inspiration. That is how we get the Auteur, the lovechild of gothic architecture and heirloom banjos driven by a bio-cellulose driver grown in optimal lab conditions.
In developing the Eikon, Zach took the knowledge gained cutting teeth on t50rp mods and applied it to the wood cup design, creating a closed headphone that won’t make you miss their open-backed counterparts.
The Eikon utilizes the perfect mix of a linear mid range and treble with a boosted sub-bass for a musically neutral tinged sound. The Eikon produces clean, fast and engaging sound, while delivering a true closed experience with 24 dB of noise isolation.
Sonically, the auteur takes the Eikon’s general downslope tuning and shifts it slightly towards neutral with the perforated Eikon pads, or brings you to what most would consider complete neutrality with the auteur pads. Regardless of your taste in sound signature, the auteur will cater to your needs with each set of earpads. Unlike many open designs, the bass extends deep and hits hard when called for.
Like our entire line-up, the auteur and Eikon are meant to complement each other, not replace each other in tuning and every-day use. The Eikon’s absolute isolation and punch, and the auteur’s liquid neutrality will suit your every need.
Both lightweight and utilizing our signature “double headband,” you’ll always wear the auteur and Eikon comfortably. The weight of Limited Editions will vary based on the wood offered.
As the perfect complement to each other, the auteur and Eikon take an engaging musical tilt with a hint of neutrality and great extension. You won’t get bored or fatigued, but you won’t miss anything from your music, either.
ZMF is all about “that wood sound",” utilizing reflective sound waves to impart a natural tone based on the density of the wood used. Our open headphones, like the auteur utilize “mostly open” tunings to impart the sonic character of wood, while adding dimension. As with all of our designs, the cups are machined from 5 x 5 x 2 blocks of solid wood. See our wood page for more info on how each wood has a unique sonic personality.
