[zach915m]

It’s funny how ASR creeps up into every thread. I’m not sure this is their intention,

Amir did respond showing the statistics of his ASR viewership vs head fi. So there's attention being paid to it, not saying it's bad to view this stuff but somehow it came up.

I do find it insulting that Arim dismissed Zach’s ability to tune headphones even though he’s been making or modding headphones over 12 years. He gave him credit for his craftsmanship but nothing for his tuning. First if he only knew how to build nice looking headphones but knew nothing about sound, I don’t think he would have survived.

The science side/research is indeed very important. But the side of understanding why people like alternatives to any said science is equally important and what should drive future research. Mad Economist pointed out some very worthwhile research is being done with the various measurement devices currently available. We all should be happy that any part of what we love is being pushed forward in these ways. And none of it validates or invalidates zmf or any other headphone as the headphones should just be used as reference points in said research.

The craft of zmf back when I was modding and making t50 mods and some of the early wood cups was very poor, but people bought them for the sound, it's kind of funny that the reversal has now happened. I do feel the craft and sonics of our work at ZMF have been in par with each other for quite some time now, but yes I'll be the first to admit I am biased!

 

[Honeypot]

Guys and girls, I can proudly announce I have pulled the trigger on the Caldera's yesterday night.
Something it took me a while to do, since I am coming from Audeze lcd-x and they were my top headphones ever had until now.
Besides that, and not in the will to steal the focus of the topic, I would like to ask if both headphones can use same cables (lcdx and caldera) since I've got pretty good aftermarket lcdx cable, and I ordered a single ended with the caldera for my otl tube amp.
Also I'm rocking a Flux Fa-12 amp that I hope csn move well the caldera.
With the lcdx the amp is just right. Mid gain mid volume to have my desired volume .

Thank you everyone to keep this threat. It helped me a lot in searching what I was looking for.

 

[Toonartist]

Amir did respond showing the statistics of his ASR viewership vs head fi. So there's attention being paid to it, not saying it's bad to view this stuff but somehow it came up.

I also wonder how many of those views are from people from other forums after he‘s released a review dismissing a product people like. I’d imagine he’s had quite a few thousand just from the Caldera review alone. Basically, toxic clickbait!

 

[iamoneagain]

I also wonder how many of those views are from people from other forums after he‘s released a review dismissing a product people like. I’d imagine he’s had quite a few thousand just from the Caldera review alone. Basically, toxic clickbait!

Well at least it’s in line with their mind think that he’s using viewership stats to validate himself.

I was only a little bit taken in by ASR when I bought the Expanse. Look at how great it measured and all the science behind its tuning. It’s an expensive headphone and still got the highest praise on ASR. It’s an excellent headphone and does many things right, especially clarity but now I know I don’t fall into the Harman curve audience. I kind of should have known that when I tested out some EQ settings for the Utopia that gave it a Harman curve and it took away what I loved about that headphone. Think it had more sub bass which was a plus, but it smoothed out its somewhat aggressive sound, which I didn’t like. Felt a little bland for my taste.

Back in my youth, we used to pride ourselves for finding unknown bands and actually kind of hated when they became popular. It took me a while to figure out a sellout vs just catching on with a larger audience without changing their sound. I’m very late to the game with ZMF but feel they too have caught on without changing their sound. Sounds like Zach could easily release some mass appeal Harman curve headphone the ASR crowd would love but that would be selling out.

 

[betula]

I do feel the craft and sonics of our work at ZMF have been in par with each other for quite some time now...

I do feel the same after receiving these absolute beauties. To me the sound is as beautiful as the craftmanship: work of art in both ways. Every day after work I look forward to putting them on, but I even enjoy just the look of them on the stand.

 

[goldwerger]

Guys and girls, I can proudly announce I have pulled the trigger on the Caldera's yesterday night.
Something it took me a while to do, since I am coming from Audeze lcd-x and they were my top headphones ever had until now.
Besides that, and not in the will to steal the focus of the topic, I would like to ask if both headphones can use same cables (lcdx and caldera) since I've got pretty good aftermarket lcdx cable, and I ordered a single ended with the caldera for my otl tube amp.
Also I'm rocking a Flux Fa-12 amp that I hope csn move well the caldera.
With the lcdx the amp is just right. Mid gain mid volume to have my desired volume .

Thank you everyone to keep this threat. It helped me a lot in searching what I was looking for.

Yes and yes

 

[zach915m]

Guys and girls, I can proudly announce I have pulled the trigger on the Caldera's yesterday night.
Something it took me a while to do, since I am coming from Audeze lcd-x and they were my top headphones ever had until now.
Besides that, and not in the will to steal the focus of the topic, I would like to ask if both headphones can use same cables (lcdx and caldera) since I've got pretty good aftermarket lcdx cable, and I ordered a single ended with the caldera for my otl tube amp.
Also I'm rocking a Flux Fa-12 amp that I hope csn move well the caldera.
With the lcdx the amp is just right. Mid gain mid volume to have my desired volume .

Thank you everyone to keep this threat. It helped me a lot in searching what I was looking for.

Nice I'm excited for you to hear them!

As for the cables, one thing I found out is that we use the 1 pin as + and the 3 as negative. I most cases aftermarket cables are fine, but sometimes custom makers use the 2 and 4 instead of the 1 and 3 only. The makers that fuse the pins works fine, but if anyone is making a cable for you for both using the 1 and 3 pins will work on all tiny xlr mods from various companies AFAIK.

 

[Lyssky]

Sounds like Zach could easily release some mass appeal Harman curve headphone the ASR crowd would love but that would be selling out.

I thought Zach tuned his headphones by luck.

 

[Toonartist]

I was only a little bit taken in by ASR when I bought the Expanse. Look at how great it measured and all the science behind its tuning. It’s an expensive headphone and still got the highest praise on ASR.

To be honest, a positive ASR review would send alarm bells ring for me. Most of the gear they like I hate and vice versa.

When I need to buy a new camera system, I'll take a look at the stats to see if there is anything whacky but ultimately, I need to get a hold of it and shoot with it to know whether it's one I can work with. Even when it passes all the physical / usability checks, it then takes a month or so for me to learn its habits and quirks etc.

Whats not obvious from graphs available is whether it's easier to recover shadows (so you shoot to the left of the histogram, underexpose) or easier to recover blown highlights (so you shoot to the right over expose). My Sony system I shoot right, Leica M is a Left . Lenses can be even harder and some data/ graphs can be really helpful. But again, it's best to use and test them thoroughly yourself first so you know the field curvature occurs at each aperture so you maximise image quality when you're working with them.

I'd imagine it's very similar with music. Stats will get you so far but you need to use something to really understand it and learn its strengths and weaknesses. Matching the right pads and cables to each amp and genre etc to suit what you want it to do.

 

[ArkNerevar]

Slight aside from the ongoing topic, I have a Caldera question, about the lambskin thick pads to be exact, should they be literally well..thicker than the stock? As in visually different or are the changes internal like some of the Verite/Atrium pads.

 

[Leto Dal]

Slight aside from the ongoing topic, I have a Caldera question, about the lambskin thick pads to be exact, should they be literally well..thicker than the stock? As in visually different or are the changes internal like some of the Verite/Atrium pads.

Yeah they are thicker, you shouldnt have any trouble to tell them apart visually.

 

[betula]

Slight aside from the ongoing topic, I have a Caldera question, about the lambskin thick pads to be exact, should they be literally well..thicker than the stock? As in visually different or are the changes internal like some of the Verite/Atrium pads.

They are physically thicker as well, so your ears sit the furthest from the transducers creating the largest soundstage from all the earpads.

 

[heliosphann]

I thought Zach tuned his headphones by luck.

Not luck, but with assistance from Aliens!

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/zmf-november-2023-megathread.970182/post-17792323

 

[feverfive]

I just saw his post with that bit and I had to go through it again to be sure I had read it right. Absolutely insane outlook.

It kinda makes me think that this is what happens when you've become captured by previous hot takes. Totally twisted.

 

[shafat777]

What are you guys' opinion on the mantle mesh? Which pads do you guys prefer with it ?