[idairyou]

Is that grill in the picture you posted stock, or 24K?

I'd be just as happy with polished brass (if it can be made into a screen).

Thats the Coffee Gold when you choose the aged oak finish.

It's the one I chose day one instead of the Kingwood. The way that Coffee Gold grill catches the light just spoke to me far more than the Kingwoods Silver grill.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Thats the Coffee Gold when you choose the aged oak finish.

It's the one I chose day one instead of the Kingwood. The way that Coffee Gold grill catches the light just spoke to me far more than the Kingwoods Silver grill.

I thought Kingwood was gorgeous. The look of that wood + SS grill knocked me out.

But I have a theory that has worked very well with me, and it pushed me to want the softest wood I could get the Caldera in:

• For headphones with real energy in the upper mids and treble (ie, VO; Caldera), I want the softest wood possible to maximize decay time
• For headphone that don't have great energy there and/or already has lots of decay time (Aeolus) I want the hardest wood possible

3 for 3 so far. And in the case of the Caldera, the mantle mesh & lambskin thicks sealed the deal (wonderful sound).

 

[Kevintj604]

I thought Kingwood was gorgeous. The look of that wood + SS grill knocked me out.

But I have a theory that has worked very well with me, and it pushed me to want the softest wood I could get the Caldera in:

• For headphones with real energy in the upper mids and treble (ie, VO; Caldera), I want the softest wood possible to maximize decay
• For headphone that don't have great energy there and/or already have lots of decay (Aeolus) I want the hardest wood possible

3 for 3 so far. And in the case of the Caldera, the mantle mesh & lambskin thicks sealed the deal (wonderful sound).

I followed your lead/advice and bought the Lambskin Thick. They are my go to pad for Caldera and since I installed them about an month ago I haven't wanted to take them off. The Mantle Mesh that I received don't have the sticker installed properly and I can't install it without ripping the felt apart so unfortunately I can't install them but I really enjoy the Caldera tonality with the Lambskin Thick's so I don't feel like i'm missing anything.

I agree with your Aeolus take as well. I've owned four different units. I'm waiting for a Blackwood or Black & White Ebony Aeolus run to buy my final keeper set. I'm hoping that this is the year that Zach opens up the possibilities for a boutique custom ordering option so I can order exactly what I want in an Aeolus as I'm looking for a unicorn type of set and I know exactly what I'm wanting.

 

[Pharmaboy]

I followed your lead/advice and bought the Lambskin Thick. They are my go to pad for Caldera and since I installed them about an month ago I haven't wanted to take them off. The Mantle Mesh that I received don't have the sticker installed properly and I can't install it without ripping the felt apart so unfortunately I can't install them but I really enjoy the Caldera tonality with the Lambskin Thick's so I don't feel like i'm missing anything.

I agree with your Aeolus take as well. I've owned four different units. I'm waiting for a Blackwood or Black & White Ebony Aeolus run to buy my final keeper set. I'm hoping that this is the year that Zach opens up the possibilities for a boutique custom ordering option so I can order exactly what I want in an Aeolus as I'm looking for a unicorn type of set and I know exactly what I'm wanting.

Glad my advice did you some good (there's a first for everything!).

Myy Aeolus is blackwood ... ideal wood for that headphone. The fact it's drop-dead gorgeous in a mysterious way is just icing on the cake.

 

[Kevintj604]

Glad my advice did you some good (there's a first for everything!).

Myy Aeolus is blackwood ... ideal wood for that headphone. The fact it's drop-dead gorgeous in a mysterious way is just icing on the cake.

Nice. I'm looking for a high gloss Blackwood Aeolus with rose gold grille and rods. Blackwood Aeolus are super rare and when they do pop up once or twice a year on the secondary market they aren't finished the way I want mine to be and I'm not interested in paying $750 extra to get them refinished through ZMF.

 

[idairyou]

I thought Kingwood was gorgeous. The look of that wood + SS grill knocked me out.

But I have a theory that has worked very well with me, and it pushed me to want the softest wood I could get the Caldera in:

• For headphones with real energy in the upper mids and treble (ie, VO; Caldera), I want the softest wood possible to maximize decay time
• For headphone that don't have great energy there and/or already has lots of decay time (Aeolus) I want the hardest wood possible

3 for 3 so far. And in the case of the Caldera, the mantle mesh & lambskin thicks sealed the deal (wonderful sound).

Here's a question for you wood experts, Is there a difference between White Oak and American White Oak?

 

[Pharmaboy]

Here's a question for you wood experts, Is there a difference between White Oak and American White Oak?

There are a number of distinctions, most relatively small, between American white oak and European oak, aka British oak.

One interesting distinction is that American oak may be red or white (my pick by far is white); but apparently in European oak, it's only white.

 

[Bootycall922]

Just got my ZMF Grand Silver Palladium Cable. Wondering do I need to burn in this cable?

 

[Benesyed]

I'm interested in the Caldera again even though my first impression of it didn't go well. I went to Axpona in April 2023 with the full expectation of listening to the Caldera and buying it if I liked it. I listened to the Caldera on 2 separate occasions at the ZMF booth at Axpona and I came away unimpressed. I ended up buying the Meze Elites which I felt were warmer and more musical for my musical preferences. The Elite's soundstage seemed larger and its bass seemed more present than the Caldera. I listen to a lot of female jazz vocals and I felt the Elite was more musically engaging than the Caldera.

Even though my first audition of the Caldera didn't leave me impressed, I'm still interested in it because maybe I didn't hear it at its best. Since I heard it at the ZMF booth, I would have thought they would match it with an amp and source that would impress potential customers but maybe not. I would like to audition it again if I can find someone that owns it in the SE Michigan area. I may go Axpona again in April but I would prefer to hear it in my system. I've owned 3 ZMF headphones and I still own my Verite Open that I like a lot so I'm not here to knock ZMF at all. If anyone in SE Michigan owns a Caldera, maybe we can get together.

You might also find the DCA high end offerings satisfying. I actually prefer less bass so I like my Calderas more than my Expanse though I use both.

 

[SteveM324]

You might also find the DCA high end offerings satisfying. I actually prefer less bass so I like my Calderas more than my Expanse though I use both.

I already have the DCA Expanse and I like it a lot.

 

[SteveM324]

On ZMF’s current headphone page, the Caldera is offered in American white oak and I think European curly ash. Which of these 2 woods is softer?

 

[JerseyD]

On ZMF’s current headphone page, the Caldera is offered in American white oak and I think European curly ash. Which of these 2 woods is softer?

They are about the same, at 1320-1350 on the janka scale, so medium hardness. Here’s a handy chart someone on here once shared: https://www.bellforestproducts.com/info/janka-hardness/

 

[SteveM324]

They are about the same, at 1320-1350 on the janka scale, so medium hardness. Here’s a handy chart someone on here once shared: https://www.bellforestproducts.com/info/janka-hardness/

Thanks!

 

[Bootycall922]

May I know what is the red ring for? And The Black cover seems to losen up. Is this a concern? Lol.

 

[Benesyed]

I already have the DCA Expanse and I like it a lot.

there you go! it's a great all rounder though not as exciting to my ears as the Caldera