[FullBright1]

Caldera mini review : Updated : 12-6-2022 *

See the : Midrange section *

Arrived in Black Heavy duty case

2 Cables : Cloth SE and Rubber OFC 4.4mm

Dac Amps used for initial evaluation:

Ferrum Erco

Fiio K9 Pro

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Wood Cups : White Oak

Headband : All Leather, black., and has the addition of thick soft nodules for added comfort.

Pads.: Stock Leather, very comfortable (secondary Suede pads)

Leather Headband, and the clamping force out of the box is : Moderate, can be adjusted easily

Weight : Not an issue. Put them on and smile.

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Mini review : Created only using the ZMF supplied Leather pads.

The Caldera is ZMF's first foray in to the world of Non Dynamic Drivers.
ZMF has created with the Caldera his first Planar Driver Headphone experience.
It has a impedance of 60 Ohms and a Sensitivity of 95dB/mW.

As im Using a Ferrum Erco or a Fillo K9Pro, initially, i find that both amps have plenty of power on tap to make the Caldera's run all day and all night just right. I have discovered and you will discover that the Caldera's do not need a squeaky clean clinical Dac-Amp with a ton of power to make them achieve significant detail retrieval and resolution.

Ive now listened to quite a few different genres` of music, prior to offering you my "right out of the box" review. This music includes Pop, Rock, Female and Male vocalist's, Electric and Acoustic Guitar, Dance, Middle Eastern, Country, Jazz, Hard Rock, and Metal.

Here is what im hearing when listening ZMF's Brand New Caldera's, right out of their container.
Im hearing what i wanted to hear from the Hifiman Susvara and Im hearing what i hoped to hear from the LCD-5, but it wasn't available inside that lovely gear.
What i wanted from those 2 Brands, models, was "sounds real", "crazy detail", "musically involvlng", and "never offensive to my ears".
The Susvara was lacking substantial low end , and the LCD-5 wasn't supplying me with much soundstage while it provided too much glaring midrange.
I'm happy to report that the Caldera does for my ears, what those 2 gears could not supply them, as i had hoped they would.

So, What does a ZMF"Caldera" sound like?
Well, for you who want to know...its does not sound like any other ZMF ive ever heard.
This means its not trying to achieve, sonically, the ZMF house sound, which is a thick, rich, full, saturated sonic experience that ive heard ZMF produce since ZMF was first modding headphones.
The Caldera is a true Planar sound that is designed and tuned by ZMF, as i hear it, to be a extremely resolving and impressively detailed sound.
The sonic revelation that it provides, is spectacular.
Reader....Some headphones put a veil on music, while the Caldera turns on the resolution and lets you see it all, right down to the musical atoms.
Do you want to hear all the details? Then listen to these headphones. Do you want world class instrument separation and textual nuance? Do you want to sit amazed while listening to acoustic guitar, choral voices, and especially female voices....then strap these on and they will take you there as far as you need to go.
This is a great set of headphones.
Truly.


Treble : Extended. Detailed. Slightly energetic yet non-offensive.

Midrange : Natural, Realistic, and insightful.. not recessed at all. Its never glaring.
Its revealing, and produces great clarity regarding voices, strings, drums, piano, and any acoustic instrument. Its revealing. Its leading edge detailed. The lower mids add enough warmth so that vocals and acoustic guitars have a natural timbre and snare drums never sound hollow or tinny. Voices, well recorded have startling clarity. There is a impressive overall natural tonality offered by the Caldera's midrange.
* Update : As the Caldera's have achieved now some burn in.....the mids, especially the lower mids have broadened. This has allowed the headphones to become more rich, warm, and full.

Bass : As i hear it, .. ZMF decided to create the Caldera as a detail machine that has a mostly natural tonality/tuning. So, The Caldera's Bass is balanced, textured, very full, but is not designed to slam.
The Caldera's bass absolutely hits with generous authority and reaches deep into the bottom where the subs live.., but never does overarch upon the midrange or prevent the Caldera's incredible resolution and detail retrieval from being so very clear and impressive.

Soundstage : The depth of the Caldera's soundstage is impressive, and the width of the soundstage is wide. The Caldera's SS is very good, immersive, outside your head, often holographic, but not so wide that the Caldera's sonic insightfulness could be impugned.

Instrument Separation : End Game. Final answer.

Resolution and Detail Retrieval : Susvara like with much better Bass.


Timbre : Cinematic


Final Analysis : The Caldera easily surpasses the Verite C regarding detail retrieval, comfort, and overall musical analysis. The Caldera is definitely a Planar sound, and a lot of lover's of TOT'L Planar sound will believe the Caldera is quite possibly the best overall SQ being produced by a Planer that you can purchase today.
The Caldera's sound is indeed : Sonic Revelation
= Fantastic Gear.

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[TheMiddleSky]

Thanks for the impression!

I do still think Caldera is in line with ZMF house sound, but of course in "planar magnetic" way. Other than that I agree with most of your review

Organic, natural, and still deliver clean information definitely what make me love Caldera.

 

[FullBright1]

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[FullBright1]

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[FullBright1]

Wanted to offer a "month of listening" update for you.

A.) End Game.

Ive not owned a set of headphones, over the years, that have proven themselves to be so consistently outstanding, as the ZMF Caldera.
They are never boring, never annoying, and never disappointing.
Ive never changed their "stock" Pads, and i own a lot of ZMF pads. Ive also owned or own every set of ZMF headphones, include the very early Mods.
I have not owed the Atrium.
No prob.

Im using a FiiO K9-Pro with Meze Balanced Upgraded Silver 4.4mm cables, and that's it.
Simple wonderful sound.

Why have i not changed the stock pads?
Because there is no FR issue that needs to be addressed within the Caldera's Sonics.

My Advice?
Buy a set.
And, if you are caught up in the "Susvara" Hype, and are sitting there with about $4000 USD = waiting to spend on a "like new" set of Pre-owned Susvara's... then instead buy a new set of ZMF Caldera's, and your ears will thank you from day one and this will continue.

 

[Emmanuel Palmer]

Wanted to offer a "month of listening" update for you.

A.) End Game.

Ive not owned a set of headphones, over the years, that have proven themselves to be so consistently outstanding, as the ZMF Caldera.
They are never boring, never annoying, and never disappointing.
Ive never changed their "stock" Pads, and i own a lot of ZMF pads. Ive also owned or own every set of ZMF headphones, include the very early Mods.
I have not owed the Atrium.
No prob.

Im using a FiiO K9-Pro with Meze Balanced Upgraded Silver 4.4mm cables, and that's it.
Simple wonderful sound.

Why have i not changed the stock pads?
Because there is no FR issue that needs to be addressed within the Caldera's Sonics.

My Advice?
Buy a set.
And, if you are caught up in the "Susvara" Hype, and are sitting there with about $4000 USD = waiting to spend on a "like new" set of Pre-owned Susvara's... then instead buy a new set of ZMF Caldera's, and your ears will thank you from day one and this will continue.

How would you compare it sound quality wise vs your two favourite headphones, DCA expanse and Raal ca 1a?

 

[FullBright1]

How would you compare it sound quality wise vs your two favourite headphones, DCA expanse and Raal ca 1a?

ive a few favorites, with the Raal and the Expanse being the latest, prior to me receiving the ZMF Caldera.

Id just say that the Caldera and the Raal are different yet both are excellent.
If you were stuck on an Island, and had the Raal and the Caldera, then you'd be a happy camper, as one clears the sonic palate regarding the other.

The Expanse, has the obvious DCA FR Genetics.. It reminds me of a significantly sonically evolved Ether 2, sound wise.
So, if you like the DCA sound, and liked the Ether 2, then you will love the Expanse, as its Dan's best sounding gear.

When listening to the ZMF Caldera...... you discover a vivid accuracy regarding sound stage, instrument separation, and Timbre.
Ive noticed that a lot of Caldera's were purchased during the November "sale", and if you notice the Head-FI classifieds.....you are not seeing a lot of them for sale, as you saw when the Audeze LCD-5 showed up, or the recent MM-500, or even the Expanse.
The Caldera is ZMF"s best sounding gear.....absolutely, and it's a keeper.

 

[LuckyPantsu]

The Caldera is ZMF"s best sounding gear.....absolutely, and it's a keeper.

But you've sold yours.

Thanks for the review it was interesting to read

 

[FullBright1]

But you've sold yours.

Lucky, .....you jumped too quick to a wrong conclusion.
Let me help you with that...

See....IF your point is that the Caldera must not be a keeper because i sold them, then you've missed the point.
And do consider that i actually buy the headphones i review. Im not Joshua Valour or Zeos or DMS, or most Youtube reviewers who review them for FREE.
Do you see the difference?
I pay for all mine and that frees me from having to not SELL THEM with praise so that the headphone builders will keep letting me review them for FREE.
See how that works?

The ZMF Caldera's, as my review states, are the best sounding headphones that ZMF has ever produced.
IN like fashion, the DCA Expanse Open is the best sounding set of headphones that Dan Clark has ever created.
The RaaL Ca-1A is fantastic, also..... exceptional.
I sold my Caldera's because i wanted to buy a set of Electro-Stats, and did. = Headamp.com just shipped them about 30 mins ago "over-night".
Maybe i'll review them tomorrow, ........ could be.
Bloom Audio just shipped me a set of Meze 109 Pros. To be delivered tomorrow. It could be that i'll review them also.
I waited on purchasing them, as i kept noticing that many said that the 109's have a treble spike, and im treble sensitive. And then yesterday i watched Zeos review, and he loved them, and JValour said they are the "product of the Year, and then i watched Chronos, review them, and he also really likes them, and He's treble sensitive.
Ive noticed that Chronos and I have very similar hearing....as his description match mine, nearly 100%.
So based on those 3, i pulled the Trigger and Bloom Audio took the money..
If they both impress me, and i feel that they both can be a "keeper" regarding people who read my reviews and PM me about gear, then that is why i would review them both, or just one, or neither one.
I dont sell headphones as a "review".. so that i can keep my Youtube Channel alive.... I just review them.
And it is true that i will never give a headphone a bad review.... I will just not review it if i think its a misfire.
This is why i didnt review the LCD-5 and some others i purchased.

So, what i want to do now about the Caldera's, is buy another set that is created with exotic woods., as that will be my "keeper"...
But before i do that, more then likely,..... i'll buy the Caldera Closed and review it.
The Caldera Open is so good that its the only headphone ive listened to since i bought it and reviewed it upon the day it arrived, = November 28, 2022.
All my other headphones, just sat and waited, as i only listened to the Caldera for weeks..... as its thats good, until i ordered, received, and reviewed the Moondrop Venus.
Then yesterday, i sold the Caldera's to buy a set of Electro Stats.
I'll own the Caldera Open again...... but it'll be a bit later., probably after i buy the Closed version.

 

[LuckyPantsu]

Lucky, .....you jumped too quickly to the wrong conclusion.
Let me help you with that...

See....IF your point is that the Caldera must not be a keeper because i sold them, then you've missed the point.
And do consider that i actually buy the headphones i review. Im not Joshua Valour or Zeos or DMS, or most Youtube reviewers who review them for FREE.
Do you see the difference?
I pay for all mine and that frees me from having to not SELL THEM so that the headphone builders will keep letting me review them for FREE.
See how that works?

The ZMF Caldera's, as my review states, are the best sounding headphones that ZMF has ever produced.
IN like fashion, the DCA Expanse Open is the best sounding headphone that Dan Clark has ever created.
I sold my Caldera's because i wanted to buy a set of Electro-Stats, and did. = Headamp.com just shipped them about 30 mins ago "over-night".
Maybe i'll review them tomorrow, ........ could be.
Bloom Audio just shipped me a set of Meze 109 Pros. To be delivered tomorrow. It could be that i'll review them also.
If they both impress me, and i feel that they both can be a "keeper" regarding people who read my reviews and PM me about gear, then that is why i would review them both, or just one, or neither one.

So, what i want to do now about the Caldera's, is buy another set that is created with exotic woods., as that will be my "keeper".

Nice speech, for me “keeper” is what you keep after a review because you like it too much to sell... Just didn't know anything about your strategy and wording.
Sorry if I somehow offend you with my phrase about the selling, it was just a fact...

And btw if I can ask since you had experience with plenty of headphones, can Caldera compete with dynamic drivers' headphones in terms of presentation in a natural way? And what dynamic headphones are best-sounding for you?

 

[FullBright1]

Nice speech, for me “keeper” is what you keep after a review because you like it too much to sell... Just didn't know anything about your strategy and wording.
Sorry if I somehow offend you with my phrase about the selling, it was just a fact...

And btw if I can ask since you had experience with plenty of headphones, can Caldera compete with dynamic drivers' headphones in terms of presentation in a natural way? And what dynamic headphones are best-sounding for you?

Thanks for the questions...

ZMF makes the best sounding Dynamic Driver gear along with Focal.

The older Sennheisers, like the 600 and 650 and 800S, are still very good, but, .. its better to be getting into this headphone game through them, then to try to go back in time to them, once you've experienced the more recent products, that are just better Sonic tech.

And yes, the Caldera can compete with the Susvara, and i think its better......so it can compete with Beryllium and any other dynamic driver as well, and topple them all.
It is the King of the Planer Mountain....IMO....at this time...
In fact the Caldera is a Planer that sounds incredibly natural, as does the Atrium, according to all the reviews..., and its a dynamic.
The Caldera provides a sense of realism that is worth its cost....and then it goes deeper with terrific soundstage, instrument separation, and resolution.
Its fantastic.
I want one in Flamed Maple, or Cocobolo, or Zebrano.....

One thing tho...
The harder the wood, the more dense the wood, the less damping the wood provides... so, as the Caldera is very dynamic and has a lot of presence..... it could be that a hardwood like Ziricote, or Cocobolo, or Bocote, or Rosewood, .....all very hard dense woods, will be OVERKILL with a Caldera.
It might be best to go with a softer wood, such as Mahogany or Koa, or Maple or Australian Blackwood, or similar, as softer woods provide less initial LEADING EDGE attack, which is going to work, imo, best with the Caldera's incredible dynamics and sonic JUICE...

Its a fact that i sold the Caldera's to buy Electro Stats from Headamp.com..... as i want to get into this world, this world of E- Stats.... as im a bit jaded on waiting for new Flagship Planer headphones to show up every 4 or 5 yrs.
It takes too long for the "next one", and ive owned everything, or still do.....regarding Planers.
It just takes the builders, the vendors, too long to make a new one...
For example....where is the new HIFIMAN Flagship?
The Susvara is 6 yrs old or 7. ... ???
What are they waiting for? They could put out a Susvara JR for less money.... or a Susvara V2 for a lot more money.... yet, ..... nothing in 6+ yrs other then intro levels and "Arya Redux".
Ive owned the STEALTH ARYA 2x...and all the HEK's at least once..... and i liked the Arya Stealth and reviewed it .... and that is the last thing they put out that isn't a into level gear...... and that is 2 yrs ago.
What are they doing ?
Did we need a Closed version of the Sundara? Really?
Where is the NEW FLAGSHIP from Hifiman? From SennHeiser? From BEYER..... From Rosson Audio?

We are fortunate that RaaL has come along with the most excellent Ca-1A, as its only MEZE that is really giving us something NEW. along with ZMF.
Audeze is asleep and making gaming headphones, and thats about it.

So, i decided yesterday to get into Electro Stats, and i decided to put my beloved Caldera's (that are a non-exotic wood), up for grabs at a price that would make a Head_fier happy., and someone who has purchased from me before, came calling.

. Its a fact that i will again own a set of Exotic Wood Caldera's, but more then likely i'll get the Closed Caldera, first.
And why the C-O again?
Because the Caldera Open, is the best Planer sound yet created, and no matter how good the Closed Caldera v turns out to sound, the Open is going to sound different and its just SO GOOD.

 

[Frabera]

Any idea when the Closed Caldera might be available this new year, using mainly only closed back HP I cannot purchase both version.

 

[FullBright1]

Any idea when the Closed Caldera might be available this new year, using mainly only closed back HP I cannot purchase both version.

Not yet.
Hopefully Zack won't wait till the 'November Sale", to release it, as he did with the Open Version, but, ... could be.
Ive no idea.

 

[FullBright1]

Passion for Sound : Review
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