Reviews by tralfaz04
I always look forward to new headphones from the gang at ZMF. I was in the market for a new pair of planar magnetics and I asked Zach for a recommendation. Seeing as he started with modded T50's, I assumed he had probably heard most planars out there. I own two pairs of ZMF's, a pair of Cocobolo Eikons and a Walnut Burl Aeolus so I am reasonably familiar with the ZMF house sound and I trust Zach's opinion. Instead of recommending a one of the the headphones I had asked him about (Hifiman Arya or Audeze lcd X), he mentioned that he was developing his own High End Planar Magnetic headphone, and that he would be willing to let me try them out if I was willing to wait. I was, indeed, willing wait and a month or so ago a pair of ZMF Calderas showed up on my doorstep. Thank you Zach for the chance to try these out.
I have been listening to the Calderas for the last month connected to both tube (Cayin HA-3A, with Baldwin/Sylvania 12au7's and matched NOS 6V6GT Westinghouse tubes) and solid state (Audio-gd NFB-1) amps. Each connected balanced to Geshelli J2 DAC's via Blue Jeans Cables XLR cables. I also used only the balanced outputs on both amps.
While Zach made it clear that no review was necessary, I thought I would post my impressions anyhow.
Build quality and comfort – Long a hallmark of ZMF, the build on my Calderas is immaculate, no creaks, no loose nuts or bolts, nothing to indicate that these are hand assembled. By any visual measure, these are perfect. It is no lass than I have come to expect from ZMF, but I marvel each time I pick them up at how solid and sturdy they feel without feeling simultaneously heavy and awkward. The pads are soft and deep and my admittedly large ears fit comfortably with with only the bottom of my earlobes touching the bottom of the cups.
The new comfort strap and padded headband are a noticeable improvement over the previous stock headstrap while the rest of the hardware is reassuringly solid and allows for easy adjustment without fear of slippage.
One last note regarding the physical build. The slightly concave mesh grill on the Calderas is beautifully machined and sits perfectly flush with the wood. The concavity is, I assume either a function of the new drivers, or a nod to the name Caldera. Either way, the cups are approximately the same size as the Aeolus, and by definition smaller than my Eikons. The grill also lacks any visible mounting screws, which lends itself to a cleaner overall aesthetic than the Aeolus. I will have to note, for the record, that from a purely visual standpoint, I prefer the grill and wood of the Aeolus, with is marvelous gleam texture. The Caldera also sports 2 and a half pressure release vents around the grille. This is in contrast to the 5 full vents on my Eikons. As the Eikons are closed back, I assume these are necessary to relieve the pressure while the Calderas are open-ish and need less venting. I say open-ish because less sound escapes these than the Aeolus or, for example, the very open Dan Claek Audio Ether 2’s. The majority of my headphones are closed back so I have little frame of reference when it comes to open back units.
Finally, the sound. The ZMF Calderas are the best sounding headphones I have ever had the pleasure of listening to for an extended period of time. Their defining characteristic is how utterly engaging they are. The sound is full, lush and fast. Whether connected to a tube or solid state amp, the Calderas just make me want to close my eyes, smile, and enjoy my music. The sound is relaxed without being muffled in any way. On Stevie Ray Vaughn’s Mary Had A Little Lamb (Live Alive, 1986), Stevie Ray’s frenetic guitar playing floats seamlessly above Reese Wynans’ keyboard riffs. Both easily distinguishable from one another without losing any of their individual power.
Again, instrument placement and definition is excellent, to whit, Miles Davis’ Duran (Take 4) (The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions, 2005). The interplay between Davis and John McLaughlin and their relative placement in the virtual space really give the impression of two wily fighters sizing each other up. The instrument clarity is sublime while both the lows of McLaughlin’s guitar and the high’s of Davis’ horn manage to stretch the soundstage to it’s breaking point.
Female vocals are also handled with aplomb. Natalie Merchant’s San Andreas Fault (Tigerlily, 1985) is rendered silkily. Her voice, strong and smooth is conveyed flawlessly above the delicate keyboard backing track. No sibilance whatsoever.
Lastly, a bit of Electronic to round out the listening impressions and see how the Calderas convey bass. AtomHD’s I Love U (Like I Love My Drum Machine) (HD, 2013) brings the low end forcefully, making you feel like your eardrums are the synthesized drum skins.
All of this is to say that the ZMF Caldera is an exceptionally well rounded headphone. Base, mids, and treble are all handled masterfully and the overall experience is one of complete immersion in the music, regardless of genre. These are the most engaging and enjoyable headphones I have ever heard and I heartily recommend them to anyone looking for an end game headphone that will last for years and never lose it’s charm.
I have been listening to the Calderas for the last month connected to both tube (Cayin HA-3A, with Baldwin/Sylvania 12au7's and matched NOS 6V6GT Westinghouse tubes) and solid state (Audio-gd NFB-1) amps. Each connected balanced to Geshelli J2 DAC's via Blue Jeans Cables XLR cables. I also used only the balanced outputs on both amps.
While Zach made it clear that no review was necessary, I thought I would post my impressions anyhow.
Build quality and comfort – Long a hallmark of ZMF, the build on my Calderas is immaculate, no creaks, no loose nuts or bolts, nothing to indicate that these are hand assembled. By any visual measure, these are perfect. It is no lass than I have come to expect from ZMF, but I marvel each time I pick them up at how solid and sturdy they feel without feeling simultaneously heavy and awkward. The pads are soft and deep and my admittedly large ears fit comfortably with with only the bottom of my earlobes touching the bottom of the cups.
The new comfort strap and padded headband are a noticeable improvement over the previous stock headstrap while the rest of the hardware is reassuringly solid and allows for easy adjustment without fear of slippage.
One last note regarding the physical build. The slightly concave mesh grill on the Calderas is beautifully machined and sits perfectly flush with the wood. The concavity is, I assume either a function of the new drivers, or a nod to the name Caldera. Either way, the cups are approximately the same size as the Aeolus, and by definition smaller than my Eikons. The grill also lacks any visible mounting screws, which lends itself to a cleaner overall aesthetic than the Aeolus. I will have to note, for the record, that from a purely visual standpoint, I prefer the grill and wood of the Aeolus, with is marvelous gleam texture. The Caldera also sports 2 and a half pressure release vents around the grille. This is in contrast to the 5 full vents on my Eikons. As the Eikons are closed back, I assume these are necessary to relieve the pressure while the Calderas are open-ish and need less venting. I say open-ish because less sound escapes these than the Aeolus or, for example, the very open Dan Claek Audio Ether 2’s. The majority of my headphones are closed back so I have little frame of reference when it comes to open back units.
Finally, the sound. The ZMF Calderas are the best sounding headphones I have ever had the pleasure of listening to for an extended period of time. Their defining characteristic is how utterly engaging they are. The sound is full, lush and fast. Whether connected to a tube or solid state amp, the Calderas just make me want to close my eyes, smile, and enjoy my music. The sound is relaxed without being muffled in any way. On Stevie Ray Vaughn’s Mary Had A Little Lamb (Live Alive, 1986), Stevie Ray’s frenetic guitar playing floats seamlessly above Reese Wynans’ keyboard riffs. Both easily distinguishable from one another without losing any of their individual power.
Again, instrument placement and definition is excellent, to whit, Miles Davis’ Duran (Take 4) (The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions, 2005). The interplay between Davis and John McLaughlin and their relative placement in the virtual space really give the impression of two wily fighters sizing each other up. The instrument clarity is sublime while both the lows of McLaughlin’s guitar and the high’s of Davis’ horn manage to stretch the soundstage to it’s breaking point.
Female vocals are also handled with aplomb. Natalie Merchant’s San Andreas Fault (Tigerlily, 1985) is rendered silkily. Her voice, strong and smooth is conveyed flawlessly above the delicate keyboard backing track. No sibilance whatsoever.
Lastly, a bit of Electronic to round out the listening impressions and see how the Calderas convey bass. AtomHD’s I Love U (Like I Love My Drum Machine) (HD, 2013) brings the low end forcefully, making you feel like your eardrums are the synthesized drum skins.
All of this is to say that the ZMF Caldera is an exceptionally well rounded headphone. Base, mids, and treble are all handled masterfully and the overall experience is one of complete immersion in the music, regardless of genre. These are the most engaging and enjoyable headphones I have ever heard and I heartily recommend them to anyone looking for an end game headphone that will last for years and never lose it’s charm.
