[hanumanbob]

can I get your impressions of the Caldera vs AC?

They are sooooo different. Caldera is a better all rounder but will not initially WOW you. It sneaks up on you. The AC can wow with its bass presence

 

[Kevintj604]

can I get your impressions of the Caldera vs AC?

Both are quite a bit different so it's a hard comparison. The Caldera are noticeably more "balanced" I hate that word as a descriptor but it's what I would use in this context. They don't really share the same amount of colouration that the rest of the ZMF line-up do but that's understandable because of the planar and dynamic transducer differences.

Caldera wins in pure resolving capabilities and it's very well placed in the higher end summit-fi tier with Susvara, AB-1266, etc. The Caldera still shares the ZMF House sound but with less coloration and more pure speed where the AC is a coloured, buttery smooth and sub bass focused presentation. AC is very resolving as well but to my ears is more akin to the speed and resolution of a Verite Closed but with a smaller room size. I prefer the Caldera Suedes on the AC which tilt it closer to a sub bass boosted harmon so I have a hard time thinking the vast majority of people wouldn't like the sound of them.

@hanumanbob is correct in saying that Caldera is probably a better all rounder and I was initially wowed by it's balance, resolution and technicalities. If you're not indexing for those qualities the Caldera might not initially wow you as it doesn't have any extraordinary features that make it stand out. For my ears that's a good thing as it's really hard to make a planar not have planar timbre and Caldera sounds more like a hybrid between both transducer types.

I love them both and I would be hard pressed to choose one over the other. I've owned Atticus, Eikon and multiple VC's and would choose AC over all of those hands down. If I only could keep one headphone though the Caldera would be it. It excels at everything.

 

[AcousticMatt]

Both are quite a bit different so it's a hard comparison. The Caldera are noticeably more "balanced" I hate that word as a descriptor but it's what I would use in this context. They don't really share the same amount of colouration that the rest of the ZMF line-up do but that's understandable because of the planar and dynamic transducer differences.

Caldera wins in pure resolving capabilities and it's very well placed in the higher end summit-fi tier with Susvara, AB-1266, etc. The Caldera still shares the ZMF House sound but with less coloration and more pure speed where the AC is a coloured, buttery smooth and sub bass focused presentation. AC is very resolving as well but to my ears is more akin to the speed and resolution of a Verite Closed but with a smaller room size. I prefer the Caldera Suedes on the AC which tilt it closer to a sub bass boosted harmon so I have a hard time thinking the vast majority of people wouldn't like the sound of them.

@hanumanbob is correct in saying that Caldera is probably a better all rounder and I was initially wowed by it's balance, resolution and technicalities. If you're not indexing for those qualities the Caldera might not initially wow you as it doesn't have any extraordinary features that make it stand out. For my ears that's a good thing as it's really hard to make a planar not have planar timbre and Caldera sounds more like a hybrid between both transducer types.

I love them both and I would be hard pressed to choose one over the other. I've owned Atticus, Eikon and multiple VC's and would choose AC over all of those hands down. If I only could keep one headphone though the Caldera would be it. It excels at everything.

Just jumpin' in to say I got my Caldera (stabilized) tracking a couple days ago and then AC tracking (overrun Walnut) today, so I'll be getting both next week. First sets for me of both and reading people's experiences of both headphones is increasing excitement for sure!

 

[Kevintj604]

Just jumpin' in to say I got my Caldera (stabilized) tracking a couple days ago and then AC tracking (overrun Walnut) today, so I'll be getting both next week. First sets for me of both and reading people's experiences of both headphones is increasing excitement for sure!

You’ll like them both. Especially with your source equipment. I’ve never been so enthusiastic about two headphones at the same time.

 

[AcousticMatt]

You’ll like them both. Especially with your source equipment. I’ve never been so enthusiastic about two headphones at the same time.

I have no doubt!

 

[Daiyama]

So, I also joined the AC/VC club.

Maybe some recognise this one, it has switched continents and is now home in good old Europe.
What a beauty this is!

I just realised my AC is also labelled as Demo, could also be seen in the picture, never realised it before.
Couldn’t care less. Still looks and sounds great.

 

[Toonartist]

I just realised my AC is also labelled as Demo, could also be seen in the picture, never realised it before.
Couldn’t care less. Still looks and sounds great.

I'm with you there... wouldn't really bother me.

In fact... I would like a headband that says "Demo" or "B-Stock" next time... even if they're A-Stock. Then I could show the missus and say I paid a lot less for them

 

[Kevintj604]

I just realised my AC is also labelled as Demo, could also be seen in the picture, never realised it before.
Couldn’t care less. Still looks and sounds great.

Very nice. Looks like red brick Cocobolo from the initial LTD run. If you really don’t like the demo label on the headband you can just buy that part from ZMF. It’s a super cheap and easy fix.

 

[Daiyama]

Didn’t know there was a LTD run with these, crazyhank said they were more or less a one of a kind.
I saw similar looking one during the November sale which was labelled as “rarity”.
Maybe I need to ask @zach915m. Can I find the serial number by myself or is it to deep inside the headphone?

I just put on my new caldera suede pads, also B-stock! So I am a b-stock guy.
BTW. no labelling here.

Usually I am a leather pad fan, but it seem I like the bit more balanced sound a bit more.

 

[zach915m]

Can I find the serial number by myself or is it to deep inside the headphone?

It's inside the cups, so, likely not worth the effort for a number that only really matters to us when doing repairs.

 

[Daiyama]

Thx zach, will keep my hands of.

So can you determine from the photo if it is indeed an early LTD, a rarity or even a one of a kind?

 

[zach915m]

So can you determine from the photo if it is indeed an early LTD, a rarity or even a one of a kind?

We'll, we only made a small number of Cocobolo AC, likely it was brought to a show as a prime example.

 

[ckhirnigs113]

I have an Ash AC on order and was just giving some thought to pads. I have relatively large ears and always preferred thicker pads on my Auteur and VCs so my ears had more space.

I see the stock pads for the AC are Caldera Thins and Caldera Suedes. Do you AC owners, specifically you large-eared friends out there, find them comfortable with the Thin pads? Also, are the Caldera Suede pads thicker than the Lambskin Caldera Thins. Since they aren’t designated as “Caldera Suede Thin”, I assume they are the same thickness as the regular Caldera pads that come stock on the Caldera headphones.

I also have solid Auteur Suede and Bokeh Suede pads coming with my order to try on the AC. What is the thickness of the Bokeh pads? Is it the same as the Caldera Thin or regular Caldera pads?

@heliosphann @zach915m

 

[robo24]

I think the Bokeh suedes are a thin Caldera suede which is solid everywhere except perforated where it touches the face. I'm pretty sure the standard Caldera suedes have the same dimensions as the stock Caldera lambskins. They have significantly less bass than the Bokeh suedes on the AC. However, being more shallow your ears may touch the inside of the cups. Mine do a bit with them on the Bokeh but not when used on the AC, though I don't have large ears.

 

[Quadrangulator]

I have an Ash AC on order and was just giving some thought to pads. I have relatively large ears and always preferred thicker pads on my Auteur and VCs so my ears had more space.

I see the stock pads for the AC are Caldera Thins and Caldera Suedes. Do you AC owners, specifically you large-eared friends out there, find them comfortable with the Thin pads? Also are the Caldera Suede pads thicker than the Lambskin Caldera Thins. Since they aren’t designated as “Caldera Suede Thin”, I assume they are the same thickness as the regular Caldera pads that come stock on the Caldera headphones.

I also have solid Auteur Suede pads and Bokeh Suede pads coming with my order to try on the AC. What is the thickness of the Bokeh pads? Is it the same as the Caldera Thin or regular Caldera pads?

@heliosphann @zach915m

I also have an LTD Ash on order, and I also have large ears, which measure roughly 70mm tall, stick out around 30mm, and are very sensitive to touching anything. Because of my ears size, I suspect I will not use the stock thin pads. I asked if I could swap in Caldera standard pads instead, but we'll see.

As backup earpads, I chose the Caldera suede and skipped the Bokeh earpads because the Bokeh's are based on the Caldera thins.

As for deeper earpads, I also already own a pair of Caldera thick, which I've been using on a set of Dan Clark Audio Ether CX (requires a +6 bass shelf at 150Hz for me but is extremely comfortable with the Caldera thick pads). I also have a set of Auteur lambskin perf pads sitting around that I'll try for fit and comfort, after which I might order a set of Auteur suede, lambskin solids, or hybrids.

At the end of the day, I suspect I'll use the Caldera thick pads with the AC for comfort, but I'd be interested in Caldera thick suede or hybrid and/or Bokeh thick suede, hybrid, or lamb, too.