THE WATERCOOLER HEADPHONE EDITION – Headphones, Amps, DACs, and desktop/home audio related – a freewheeling discussion of gear, impressions, music, and musings.

Welcome!

I’ve been inspired by @Rockwell75 ’s wonderful portable audio community thread, The Watercooler, and wanted to offer a similar platform for the many community members interested in overhead Headphones, Amps, DACs, and related gears.

All topics are welcome!
Impressions, banter, music; new product releases and vintage gear; dynamic, planar, and electrostatic systems; power, interconnect, and headphone cables; music discovery and recommendations; tube rolling, industry news, or whatever floats your boat.. please share your experiences.

My goal is to bring fellow headphone enthusiasts in this thread to share our audio discoveries and experiences and spread joy. I have made many friends in this wonderful community and hope to make news ones here. I hope you will too. This thread is for you.

No judgments.
Everyone’s opinion is valued. Whether you pursue TOTL or budget headphones, like to invest in custom cables or buy generic ones on Amazon, prefer dynamic, planar, or electrostatic systems, believe in burn in or not, prefer tubes or solid date, R2R or Delta Sigma, open or closed back, new or vintage… share your experiences and respect others’. Enjoy!


2024 Kickoff Poll Results

Tube brands in current production

2024 Summer Poll: AMPLIFIERS Results

CanJam SoCal 2024 meetup

CanJam Dallas 2024 meetup

CanJam NYC 2025 meetup

2024 Year-End Poll: BEST OF 2024 Results

This weekend I am getting to know two new headphones, one new, one vintage, and revisiting a recent purchase.

ZMF Caldera Closed

I recently received a demo unit from @zach915m of the ZMF Caldera Closed headphones (released yesterday). It's been a couple of months since I had them for an evening, right before CanJam NYC, and I’m really enjoying getting to know them again with a fresh perspective.

I have so far listened to them with the protein pads using the Riviera AIC10 amp, which really opens up the soundstage significantly. These headphones scale!

The few things that quickly jumped at me on first listen:

1. A very smooth tuning that sounds effortless.
2. A great sense of space. A holographic presentation that feels spacious and natural (a massive coup for a closed planar). I really love that!
3. The balance between attack and decay is just right for me - snappy on the front, but with a nice decay on the trailing ends of notes. It just feels organic and analog in a way that planars normally do not. Like the feel of a high-end receiver from the 70s with ton of power and warmth.
4. Tonality wise, a good low extension with a well-defined sub-bass, mid bass is crisp, mids are warm - with lower mids (male vocals) forward and higher mids (female vocals) recessed - and treble is gently rolled off [in comparison, the AC have more elevation in the lower bass and more forward upper mids, whereas the CC feel a bit more even; these two headphones are quite distinct]

I enjoy warm tuning and like a great bass, but I also like treble extension (my only deal breaker is any hint of sibilance, but above that I am not treble sensitive), so I will likely try the alternate mesh at some point (waiting to get it).

I also have a couple alternate pads to try, the stock hybrid and deep lamb pad, and a few amps that I want to pair the CC with. I expect it will take a few weeks to find the ideal tuning for me, but I’m really excited to get to know these headphones. So far, they are a lot of fun right out to the gate!

Hifiman HE6



I got a package in the mail today from Hong Kong with a set of Hifiman HE6 (OG 6 screws). I have been curious about these vintage headphones, an itch I had to scratch. I’m only a few hours into my first listening session, but so far I have discovered two things:

1. These headphones are very amp picky. Not just in terms of power, but in synergy. I was surprised to find how much their tuning changed with different chains used. With the AIC10, I have found their presentation to be dark, while with the Decware/ZMF OTL preamp into the Decware Taboo amp (old SE84TS+ version), their presentation opens up and is decidedly brighter.
2. Sub-bass is rolled off in comparison to current top planar performers, including Hifiman’s own HE6 successor, the Susvara. I put on order in this afternoon for ZMF’s Hifiman+ subs hybrid pads, which should elevate the sub-bass (thanks @buke9 for the advice).

Beyond new discoveries, I’m also sneaking in some time this evening, as I write these notes, with a recent purchase.

Autio-Technica ATH-AWKG

Made from Kurogaki (black persimmon) wood, these beautiful headphones were launched at CanJam NYC. I have a personal story related to the included ZMF pads (detail in my CanJam NYC 2024 writeup) so I have a bit of an irrational emotional connection

The AWKG have a great synergy with the Auris Nirvana amp. I’m so happy I got this older Nirvana version when it was still sold. Each time I move my hand above its smooth wood and leather finish to adjust the volume, I enjoy a sense of tactility and its design. I’m not a fan of the new black metal finish. But I digress. This amp really works very well with AT headphones. Every time I think of letting it go to make space for a new amp adventure, I fold on this account. The Nirvana has a crisp and tight presentation, a grabby, punchy bass with fast attack and a clear center image. The AWKG with the ZMF Universe Hybrid pads offer a very warm and mid-bass centric presentation; the Nirvana’s incisiveness works great with them.

As an aside, the AWKG’s passive seal is awesome. I can’t hear my wife’s TV nearby, and she can’t here my music. Happy wife, happy audio life…

Last, but not least, my music discovery of the weekend is Vanny Vabiola, an Indonesian female singer with a voice as clear as crystal water:




Have a great weekend everyone! And welcome to the thread!!

I’ll start. My gripe is why does the ZMF Aegis have to be so dang heavy. I’m too weak to carry that thing upstairs so I can’t buy it.

Woooo !!

Congrats on the launch of this thread, I will post one of my favorite headphone, PhilPhone!

Awesome. This is exactly what we need for headphones and desktop systems. Can't wait to see how it goes!

Is there a house sound signature to AT’s headphone much like Grados or HiFiman?

psy472 said:

Is there a house sound signature to AT’s headphone much like Grados or HiFiman?

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What a great question.

Yes, but in my experience that can change dramatically with pads (not a very common practice for AT users as it is for ZMF users).

In general, AT headphones tend to be fast, light on their feet, with lots of resolution and treble extension.

While one AT headphone is reknowned for its bass (the vintage L3000), they are mostly known for being bass light; I have found that to be a "yes, but" situation.

I first experienced this with the L5000. This limtied edition headphone from about 3-4 years ago had exactly that reputation. When I got them, I realized this was because they were designed with the head shape of the average Japanese male person in mind, and therefore most people didn't get a proper seal. I replaced the original pads (more detail) and was rewarded by what I find, to this day, to be one of the best and most neutrally tuned, yet engaging, headphones. That experience was what led me to the AWKG pad swap: the stock AT pads result in a bass thin and shouty headphones to my ears; but with the secondary ZMF pads, they are very warm and mid bass centric.

With the ADX5000, also reputed to be bass light, I found that these 400-ohm impedance headphones synergizes very well wtih the Decware/ZMF OTL amplifier. The high output impedance of the amp yields a nice damping ratio that results in a lush bass without losing any of the speed and treble extension of these headphones. A wonderful personal discovery for me.

Long story short, with proper tuning - of pads and chain - some of these headhones can change their character quite a bit..

goldwerger said:

ATH-AWKG

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Audio Technica makes some of the best looking wood cup headphones.

The W2022 are my all time favorites.

SemperMalum said:

Audio Technica makes some of the best looking wood cup headphones.

The W2022 are my all time favorites.

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Indeed they do

And when it comes to wooded heapdhones.. one must mention ZMF as the ultimate brand for handmade wood craftsmanship

Thrilled that you created this thread. It is welcome and long overdue.

I have been spending part of this weekend with the Mass-Kobo 465 connected to both my Sus and Empyrean to see what it can do for the Empy. I am happy to report it is actually able to open up the Empy a bit in the mids and treble while tightening up its already strong bass response.

psy472 said:

I’ll start. My gripe is why does the ZMF Aegis have to be so dang heavy. I’m too weak to carry that thing upstairs so I can’t buy it.

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Don't buy a Gustard DAC to go with it. X26Pro at 16lbs I felt like I was going to tip over carrying it up the stairs...

Thank you! I only discovered the Watercooler thread not long ago despite being on/off on Head-Fi for some years.

So keen to say a quick “hello” and be an early adopter having been chasing my ideal headphone set-up for a number of years.

ZMF are absolutely gorgeous. Grado also come to mind although I have very limited experience with them.

Be keen to hear more impression of the 465. It seems quite highly rated and I haven’t been able to audition it yet. No local stockist. Empyreans were one of my favourite with its musicality and timbre. I let them go as they weren’t as technically capable as the Utopia and LCD5, with the microdetail and staging. But the Empyrean timbre - I’ve been searching for something that sounds like them since.

In it to win it! Oh wait… not what this thread is for.

I split my time between IEMs and HPs, so I’m looking forward to this thread growing, too!

Being a HP guy I was constantly looking for the equivalent Watercooler, very glad you made this thread.

psy472 said:

I’ll start. My gripe is why does the ZMF Aegis have to be so dang heavy. I’m too weak to carry that thing upstairs so I can’t buy it.

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The Aegis is a really great amp. I have the DIY version (I'm actually lucky to have the amp designer @L0rdGwyn 's first built unit) and it's so great to see it now available as a commercial build. It's unique in its refine presentation and how it presents soundstage with extarodinary scale.

As an aside, realizing you were joking, there is something that correlates TC tube amps build quality and weight. Sounds silly, but really great transformers and power sections usually means some heft..

Tanalasta said:

Thank you! I only discovered the Watercooler thread not long ago despite being on/off on Head-Fi for some years.

So keen to say a quick “hello” and be an early adopter having been chasing my ideal headphone set-up for a number of years.

ZMF are absolutely gorgeous. Grado also come to mind although I have very limited experience with them.

Click to expand...

RenoGu said:

Being a HP guy I was constantly looking for the equivalent Watercooler, very glad you made this thread.

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Most welcome!

Aetherhole said:

In it to win it! Oh wait… not what this thread is for.

I split my time between IEMs and HPs, so I’m looking forward to this thread growing, too!

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Me too