ZMF Caldera - New Planar Magnetic from ZMF!

Oct 2, 2024 at 12:16 PM Post #8,116 of 8,602
Hey guys, it was not an easy route for me but I finally found my preferred sound signature in ZMF Caldera. They came today and I am loving every bit of this musical miracle... 😇🎶

PHOTO-2024-10-02-17-30-45.jpg
 
Oct 2, 2024 at 12:19 PM Post #8,117 of 8,602
I finally obtained a Decware Taboo and am running it in this chain: Lampizator Amber 3 -> ZMF Reference OTL -> Taboo MK3.

Wow...now I understand the hype behind this setup and why no one wants to sell their Taboo :) I don't think I have heard the Caldera Open sound this good! The Taboo really brings it to life, and the LUCID modes add such an interesting change to the soundstage and imaging.

Congrats!

Best chain I’ve heard the Caldera to date, and remains my favorite go to ❤️
 
Oct 3, 2024 at 5:38 AM Post #8,118 of 8,602
Can anyone from you guys located in Europe suggest where to buy ZMF pads for Caldera in Europe? I am aware I can order them directly on ZMF web shop and wait for delivery from US.
 
Oct 3, 2024 at 9:53 AM Post #8,119 of 8,602
Can anyone from you guys located in Europe suggest where to buy ZMF pads for Caldera in Europe? I am aware I can order them directly on ZMF web shop and wait for delivery from US.
Hello, there are some ZMF dealers located in Europe. Hopefully they have stock of the PADs you're looking for

In this link you can find the dealers: https://www.zmfheadphones.com/dealersnew
 
Oct 4, 2024 at 10:55 AM Post #8,120 of 8,602
Can you please advise what is the stock position of the pads? Is it where the seam are somewhere near the connectors?
 
Oct 4, 2024 at 10:58 AM Post #8,121 of 8,602
Can you please advise what is the stock position of the pads? Is it where the seam are somewhere near the connectors?
Yes, general intent for all Caldera pads is for the seams to align with connectors (and adjust from there as needed)
 
Oct 4, 2024 at 11:37 AM Post #8,122 of 8,602
Can you please advise what is the stock position of the pads? Is it where the seam are somewhere near the connectors?
I asked this to a ZMF employee at CanJam and he said that’s the starting point. Then you can adjust so thickest pad sits comfortably behind your ear to create a seal. Don’t think the seal is that important for open vs closed models.

For me, I just leave it aligned with the connectors and check that it’s positioned right each time I wear them. My pads can easily spin. I also noticed at CanJam that not only were they not aligned with the connector, but each pad was in a different position. So it’s no wonder meet conditions can produce such different results. When I tested the open vs closed Caldera made sure pads were aligned the same and compared stock to stock configurations. Was surprised the closed model needs more volume to sound the same.
 
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Oct 4, 2024 at 4:18 PM Post #8,124 of 8,602
Isn't that fairly standard considering the damping involved? This was definitely the case back in the Mr speakers ether days
 
Oct 12, 2024 at 10:29 PM Post #8,125 of 8,602
Can anyone tell me the size difference of the Caldera thick pads and stock pads? I just picked up a used pair of Caldera opens. The seller said they came with two pairs of stock pads. But on closer examination, one pair of them is 1 inch thick and the other pair is 1.25 inches thick. I just ordered a pair of thick pads from ZMF and now I'm wondering if I already have a pair and should try to change my order.
 
Oct 13, 2024 at 1:20 AM Post #8,126 of 8,602
Can anyone tell me the size difference of the Caldera thick pads and stock pads? I just picked up a used pair of Caldera opens. The seller said they came with two pairs of stock pads. But on closer examination, one pair of them is 1 inch thick and the other pair is 1.25 inches thick. I just ordered a pair of thick pads from ZMF and now I'm wondering if I already have a pair and should try to change my order.
I just checked my thick pads, and they measured roughly 30/31 mm. It sounds like your other pair are indeed the thicks, seeing as all the other Caldera pads are thinner.
 
Oct 13, 2024 at 1:59 PM Post #8,127 of 8,602
Here's something I'm curious about. I usually wear the Calderas closer to the front of my head, and this orients the magnets at an angle relative to my ears. Can the sound change based on whether the magnets line up with your ears or not (so pretty much positioning towards the back of the head)? I might try that myself at some point in the future.
 
Oct 13, 2024 at 2:06 PM Post #8,128 of 8,602
Here's something I'm curious about. I usually wear the Calderas closer to the front of my head, and this orients the magnets at an angle relative to my ears. Can the sound change based on whether the magnets line up with your ears or not (so pretty much positioning towards the back of the head)? I might try that myself at some point in the future.
I only got mine a few days ago but I have been experimenting with front and back positioning too. I can hear a difference I think. If I position them further forward, the angle places the drivers further away which seems to open the soundstage and move the singer more in front. Positioning them back makes it a bit more intimate and feels like the sound is at my nose bridge. I like the way they sound further forward but they are certainly more uncomfortable for me that way.
 
Oct 13, 2024 at 8:14 PM Post #8,129 of 8,602
Here's something I'm curious about. I usually wear the Calderas closer to the front of my head, and this orients the magnets at an angle relative to my ears. Can the sound change based on whether the magnets line up with your ears or not (so pretty much positioning towards the back of the head)? I might try that myself at some point in the future.
Repositioning headphones can definitely have an influence on how things sound, but it doesn't have anything to do with the magnets. Those are just there to make the film wiggle, and the wiggling is the same regardless of orientation. Ear position, however, is going to matter somewhat.
 
Oct 14, 2024 at 6:50 AM Post #8,130 of 8,602
Repositioning headphones can definitely have an influence on how things sound, but it doesn't have anything to do with the magnets. Those are just there to make the film wiggle, and the wiggling is the same regardless of orientation. Ear position, however, is going to matter somewhat.

Repositioning headphones definitely changes how the pinna of your ear interacts with the overall acoustics. Headphones would be a bit less position sensitive if you didn't have pinna, but I wouldn't recommend that unless you're Van Gogh or a diehard fan of Reservoir Dogs. ;-)
 

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