and avoid mirrors upon opening them ;)

it's always like this in the lead up to a (major) new product launch - rumours and speculation abound

^ wow! you've gone down the rabbit hole in near record time. hope the elite scratches that itch. :wink:

a surprisingly neutral and more resolving zmf headphone is my take away from that review

i'm not one to speculate about these things but if hifiman is close to announcing a successor to the susvara then i might have made the right decision to not purchase one at this time

i would like to hear dr fang bian's take on the optimal amount of power required to make the susvara 'sing'

was dr fang bian standing on the deck of a listing ship?

yeah, i worked that out eventually. thanks anyway.

yes there is and i suspect that the lambskin thin pad is ultra perforated but i'm not sure

i've read your review - good stuff btw. :relaxed: these are the measurements of the cowhide pads from the zmf website: Caldera ST (RED) vs Cowhide (DOTTED)

is the thin pad in this measurement from zmf's website the ultra perforated pad? CALDERA: DIFFUSE FIELD MEASUREMENTS Caldera STOCK (RED SOLID) vs THIN (DOTTED)

must include caldera's to be on topic

what a difference changing ear pads can make!

much appreciated @bunnygal23 :relaxed:

very helpful impressions. thank you both.

i have read the zmf caldera thread and just finished this one (i really should think about getting a life). i am interested in adding a planar magnetic headphone to my collection and am leaning towards the caldera and elite as the two most likely candidates. i have auditioned the elite a couple...

which meze's are you referring to? i've not heard the liric 2 btw.

the empyrean 2's sound signature differs significantly from the og empyrean and elite to my ears, which may explain why those reviewers 'have come around'. Resolve wasn't as fulsome in his praise of the empyrean 2 as DMS and Joshua Valour were but he does regard it as an improvement over its...

phew! just finished a marathon read of this thread. what a helpful and friendly place to hang-out. i don't think that i have a question about the caldera that hasn't already been answered here. i can't think of a more responsive and unassuming headphone maker than Zach. his passion for his craft...

i am going to assume that those statements are accurate. but you are comparing your subjective perception and opinion of these headphones with his. the only fact here (apart from statement a and b) is that your opinion differs from his. is this really so difficult to comprehend?

well, seeing as you think that i 'take this too seriously', i am inclined to think that you are being overly sensitive about this. i do agree that we should move on from this discussion and i don't think there is any need to take it to PMs.

the reviewer has expressed his opinion, which is subjective. asserting that it is 'factually wrong' does not make it so. i'd be interested in knowing how you would prove that.

the reviewer's subjective experience differs from your own. that's not unusual in this hobby. what i find puzzling is that you regard the replies to your posts as being confrontational.

so you've concluded that a subjective review is 'factually wrong' without having seen it. i like your thinking.