Have you tried rotating the Caldera Suede pads to see if you can alleviate the pressure above your ears?

Agreed, I find Caldera Suedes more comfortable than the Caldera Thins or Bokeh Suedes for my big ears. The Solid Auteur Suede pads are the most comfortable though, as they are even deeper than the Caldera Suedes.

From Zach's recommendation, I got the Bokeh Suedes with my AC. You might want to switch your order to those instead of the Bokeh Hybrids. I would also second the recommendation to pick up the Caldera Suedes. For many of us, those are our favorite pads on the AC. Unfortunately, I don't think any...

Cocobolo is definitely a hard wood. It’s heavy, dense and beautiful. I really love my mid-density Ash AC. In my mind, I’m getting a nice mix of the best qualities of hard and soft woods.

Looks like I can help you out. I have owned my OG Auteur for quite a few years now. I had many different VCs over the years as well, but found I preferred the Auteur over it in the end. I found it always sounded more natural no matter the musical genre. Flash forward to today, I still have my...

No doubt! A simple head cold can dramatically affect how you hear music. Though I’ve always found my mood improves after listening to good music.

I’ve found a great DAC can elevate the performance of an amp. I underestimated the ability of some of my amps back when I had my BF2 (which I loved for years, btw). When I got my Yggy A2, my less expensive amps sounded much better than expected. In my experience, it’s about finding the...

After a few months with the Caldera Suedes, I decided to do some pad rolling. My AC should be fully burned in at this point (200+ hours), so I swapped back to the stock Lambskin Caldera Thins to see if they’d work for me again. I think in my setup, the bass level is still a bit too high for me...

Someone should snatch up that SW51+ in the classifieds. It’s a great little tube amp with every ZMF dynamic I’ve plugged into it. It’s also less than $400! I’m tempted to buy it as a back-up. Someone buy it before I do something silly like that.

Agreed. It’s the first amp I’ve had that clearly showed the limitations of my BF2.

The guy that didn’t like the MJ3/Elite pairing seemed to be listening to a setup that had something wrong with it. His description sounded like something was broken instead of him just not caring for the sound of the combo. In my opinion, the MJ3 is a great SS amp with everything but probably...

As a counter to that, I find the Elite/MJ3 combo to be the best I've ever heard the Elite. I use the Angled Alcantara pads, and these substantially clean up the mid-bass vs the stock Hybrid pads. The chain also plays a big role, and I noticed a big jump in bass clarity when I upgraded from an OG...

From what I’ve heard personally, the bass quantity is highest with the stock Lambskin Caldera Thins. I think in the PassionForSound YouTube review, he mentioned liking the Solid Auteur Hybrid pads. I think they bring the bass level up even higher than stock. I have the Solid Suede Auteur pads...

Can’t speak to the HP8 specifically, but I always leave my XLR-to-6.35mm adapter plugged into my little SW51+ tube amp without the headphone cable attached to it. I always plug in the headphone cable to the adapter before turning on the amp though. I can’t imagine there could be anything...

I tried the paracord trick myself, but it still wasn’t quite as comfortable as the Caldera Suedes. Obviously comfort is a very personal thing, so I encourage everyone to try out all the different combinations.

I also have the Bokeh Suedes. I might be the first to try them on the AC because Zach recommended I include them in my AC order after discovering he liked the combo. He said they fall right between the stock Caldera Thins and Caldera Suedes, at least in regard to bass quantity. I think he was...

I will back up the claims that the DAC feeding the MJ3 makes a big difference in the overall sound. I had an OG BF2 for years and loved it with my Quicksilver Tube Amp (now sold), Cayin iHA-6, and SW51+. I am amazed at how much better the MJ3 sounds with the Yggy A2 I got. The Yggy also elevated...

I have a Mod House Argon MK2, which is based on the Fostex T50RP like the Ori and Blackwood. It sounds great on my Mjolnir 3, even from the lower-powered SE output. I haven’t tried them with any cheaper Schiit amps, but I’m sure an MJ3 isn’t necessary. I have better headphones than the Argons...

The MJ3 doesn’t have an impedance switch unfortunately. I wish it did! As far as the switches go, I’m using low gain, push-pull, and feedback off. I also use XLR in/out as well.

To be clear, I have the Atrium Closed, but in general I think the MJ3 is great match with it. Occasionally I prefer the higher output impedance of my SW51+ tube amp because it tends to bring the mids, and particularly vocals, more up front. The MJ3 is unquestionably the superior amp in every...

Glad my Ash set inspired you to get your own! I really lucked out buying my Ash Auteur all those years ago. It’s my favorite ZMF, as far as looks are concerned, of all the many sets I’ve owned. I’m always tempted when a beautiful Ash set comes up for sale. There’s a nice Ash Caldera for sale...

Love me some Ash!

That’s a Head-Fi specialty!

Haha, this is pretty standard forum behavior. We can never stay on topic 100% of the time. I say it’s a win if a thread manages to remain on topic at least 75% of the time.

I see you’re a fellow Elite/Atrium Closed owner like me and @Toonartist. It’s a great combination of headphones to have, as I’m sure you’d agree.