[krude]

CO sounds great on 2A3 tubes, too.

Which 2A3s are your favourites? :> (not for Caldera but I really like JJ, Acme, KR and NOS RCA Double Black Plates military CRC) I still need to play with my 2A3 amp and Calderas ... I have a feeling Psvane HIFI could be a good fit as they are a bit softer and mid focused with a fleshed out bass.

 

[chrisnyc75]

Which 2A3s are your favourites? :> (not for Caldera but I really like JJ, Acme, KR and NOS RCA Double Black Plates military CRC) I still need to play with my 2A3 amp and Calderas ... I have a feeling Psvane HIFI could be a good fit as they are a bit softer and mid focused with a fleshed out bass.

I haven't tried many, but I like my NOS RCA double black plates (not spring tops) enough that I feel little need to explore Takatsukis, if that tells you anything. I think the stock tubes that came with Stellaris were PSvane (base model), and tbh I didn't spend much time for them as I was drawn in by the romantic idea of 80 year old NOS tubes. But my Sylvania>Elrog>RCA path is pretty much perfect to my ears. Works very well with Caldera, though I must admit I do prefer it on Bliss for modern/electronic music where dynamics are at a premium. The tubes add a spacious holographic effect, but at the cost of some dynamics.

 

[krude]

I haven't tried many, but I like my NOS RCA double black plates (not spring tops) enough that I feel little need to explore Takatsukis, if that tells you anything. I think the stock tubes that came with Stellaris were PSvane (base model), and tbh I didn't spend much time for them as I was drawn in by the romantic idea of 80 year old NOS tubes. But my Sylvania>Elrog>RCA path is pretty much perfect to my ears. Works very well with Caldera, though I must admit I do prefer it on Bliss for modern/electronic music where dynamics are at a premium. The tubes add a spacious holographic effect, but at the cost of some dynamics.

Yeah got the same RCAs I think, they are very good, very "direct" and lively tubes. I like them a lot as well and I also have little desire to go to Taks. I might try some NOS monoplates at some point tho : )

 

[erics75]

CO sounds great on 2A3 tubes, too.

The CO (and CC!) sound amazing on the Stratus running 2a3 tubes.

 

[erics75]

Which 2A3s are your favourites? :> (not for Caldera but I really like JJ, Acme, KR and NOS RCA Double Black Plates military CRC) I still need to play with my 2A3 amp and Calderas ... I have a feeling Psvane HIFI could be a good fit as they are a bit softer and mid focused with a fleshed out bass.

I have some stock Psvanes that sound ok but a bit dull. I also have the new Psvane Horizon tubes, which sound noticeably better. Fuller, more detailed, and less hazy sounding. The ACMEs are awesome, and are my 2nd favorite 2a3. My favs are RCA black plates, probably the ones you guys have as well. They're just solid all around, and hard to beat. The ACMEs are warmer, but lack the RCAs nuanced detail and layering. The Horizons were the surprise for me, relatively cheap by 2a3 standards, and very very solid all around. Not as clear as the ACMEs or RCAs, but close enough that i'm confident if the NOS supply runs dry I have an affordable and decent sounding option available. The stock tubes....ehh i'd rather Donald not supply tubes at all and discounted the amp by the tube costs.

 

[chrisnyc75]

I have some stock Psvanes that sound ok but a bit dull. I also have the new Psvane Horizon tubes, which sound noticeably better. Fuller, more detailed, and less hazy sounding. The ACMEs are awesome, and are my 2nd favorite 2a3. My favs are RCA black plates, probably the ones you guys have as well. They're just solid all around, and hard to beat. The ACMEs are warmer, but lack the RCAs nuanced detail and layering. The Horizons were the surprise for me, relatively cheap by 2a3 standards, and very very solid all around. Not as clear as the ACMEs or RCAs, but close enough that i'm confident if the NOS supply runs dry I have an affordable and decent sounding option available. The stock tubes....ehh i'd rather Donald not supply tubes at all and discounted the amp by the tube costs.

While I do not want to further hijack the ZMF Caldera thread, I appreciate the insight into 2A3s (I literally keep a notepad file with all such info aggregated for future reference. Because I am an uber-nerd, apparently. LOL) And it is precisely the RCA's clarity & precision that I think works so well with Caldera. Warmer bloomier tubes would be too much of a good thing, IMO.

 

[rsbrsvp]

I completed the sonic dial-in of my CO by acquiring the largest diameter OCC copper cable I could find. The result was sound of such high quality that I keep returning to it. The Caldera Open is a true high-end planar headphone, and like most high-end audio gear, it benefits greatly from some informed experimentation & accommodation.

I am no cable expert, but in my experimentation, the thicker the guage of the cable the fuller bodied the sound and especially the low end. I have a 17awg Lavracable pure occ silver headphone cable. I also have a 24awg occ silver headphone cable from years ago. Both the exact same- or nearly exact same substance- but the thickness results in different sound. The 17awg is so much fuller and smoother, while the 24awg sounds great on it's own but limp in comparison to the 17awg cable. SO- I am a big fan of thickness in headphone cable- but perhaps especially when using silver because the thickness really negates any brightness or harshness while having an incredibly open sound.

 

[Pharmaboy]

I am no cable expert, but in my experimentation, the thicker the guage of the cable the fuller bodied the sound and especially the low end. I have a 17awg Lavracable pure occ silver headphone cable. I also have a 24awg occ silver headphone cable from years ago. Both the exact same- or nearly exact same substance- but the thickness results in different sound. The 17awg is so much fuller and smoother, while the 24awg sounds great on it's own but limp in comparison to the 17awg cable. SO- I am a big fan of thickness in headphone cable- but perhaps especially when using silver because the thickness really negates any brightness or harshness while having an incredibly open sound.

Have you tried an equally thick OCC cable with your CO? If you haven't, you really should (just my 2 cents).

 

[rsbrsvp]

Have you tried an equally thick OCC cable with your CO? If you haven't, you really should (just my 2 cents).

Yes. I have one 17awg occ silver cable. I use adaptors for my headphones so it fits them all. Adaptors also use 17awg occ silver- made by Lavracables. My cable was over $1000 and I am not buying 6 of them- so I use the adaptors. Lavracables says there should be zero degradation to sound with their adaptors.

By the way- special thanks to you for alot of advice you gave me on some PM's.

 

[GarlicBiscuit]

I plan to reallocate my current Caldera cable to an upcoming Auteur, which I'm excited to have. As for now, I bought a thick-braided Hart cable that uses rust and "pigskin" as the paracord colors. Aesthetically, it's a wonderful match, and there's no issues with cable noise or memory.

 

[AudioDuck]

Coming from the LCD-XC, Caldera was dark for me. Though my brain adjusted like yours but from the opposite direction.

Such a good point.

As a former LCD-XC owner who wanted to like it, but couldn’t handle the brightness/detail level, I can absolutely see where you are coming from.

As a ZMF dynamic driver closed-back headphone fan, I’ve been waiting for a ZMF planar closed-back… and hoping that it would be as good as Caldera Closed now is!

 

[up late]

I think the summary of my previous post is: These are lively, energetic, spicy headphones and that energy can be managed, but if one overdoes the taming process, it ruins what they were built to do. My experience says- manage it- carefully, but more importantly, learn to adjust to the difference with listening periods over time- because over dulling the headphone just sounds wrong and one is better off in this case with a headphone which was built to be less "spicy".

I agree on equipment. I have all solid state ultra lively equipment- and it really wakes up my darker headphones, but with the Cladera the combination is just overspiced. Now I'm not changing equipment for one headphone, but I tried some digital filters to mellow thing out a bit with wonderful success so far, and without cripeling them for how they were ment to sound.

Those coming from darker headphones need to know what to expect and how to handel the reality so they dont give up to quickly.- so this is why I threw in my experience.

that's not how i would describe the caldera. in saying that i'm not disputing what you're hearing - that would be absurd. it just goes to show yet again how inherently subjective this hobby is.

 

[krude]

that's not how i would describe the caldera. in saying that i'm not disputing what you're hearing - that would be absurd. it just goes to show yet again how inherently subjective this hobby is.

Intetesting, how would you describe it and what chain do you use it with? We all hear differently to a certain extent but also Caldera is quite tramsparent and reacts to the chain a lot.

 

[up late]

Intetesting, how would you describe it and what chain do you use it with? We all hear differently to a certain extent but also Caldera is quite tramsparent and reacts to the chain a lot.

differently from you no doubt and my 'chain' is in my profile

 

[Lyssky]

Such a good point.

As a former LCD-XC owner who wanted to like it, but couldn’t handle the brightness/detail level, I can absolutely see where you are coming from.

As a ZMF dynamic driver closed-back headphone fan, I’ve been waiting for a ZMF planar closed-back… and hoping that it would be as good as Caldera Closed now is!

LCD-XC was very harsh at first for me too coming from HD600, Sine and VC. I am actually sensitive to harsh and piercing noises. I close my ears when a big truck or motorcycle passes by or when a toddler cries . But after a while with LCD-XC, somehow that harshness began to turn into something pleasant, don't know how. So with Caldera I actually EQ up the presence and treble regions a bit . Of course the bass too.

I understand the closed back love. I was an ''only closed back'' lover. Up until Caldera, I only had the HD600 which my father bought me as postgraduate degree gift. So me having the HD600 was only a coincidence.

This time I couldn’t wait for the closed back Caldera due to financial and logistical reasons but also I was in love with Caldera’s design. In addition my house is fairly silent. So...