[SpeleoFool]

Whoa, I thought the launch happened already! I was just looking for pics / store page the other day and ended up here when I didn't find any!

Caldera was the highlight of CANJAM SoCal for me. A few friends and I rented a house near the show and someone brought a loaner Caldera over on Saturday night. I was up until well past 3am listening on Nautilus, and I've been dreaming about that headphone ever since!

Tuning wise, Caldera reminded me of Atrium--pretty neutral overall, but with that trademark ZMF "fun." Except now with planar speed superpowers!

Atrium has been a favorite of mine for genres like classic rock, ensemble jazz, downtempo vocals, and other material that highlights natural instruments, voices, and spatial acoustics. Atrium's natural staging and excellent timbre really shine with tracks where these elements are the stars of the mix. And while Atrium is not really a poor match with anything I've tried, I do tend to reach for planars for electronic music due to driver speed and insane accuracy with manufactured sounds. But Caldera does both.

I stayed up until the wee hours trying track after track with a couple of my housemates, absolutely giddy with what I was hearing. Favorites for Atrium sounded cleaner, and favorites for Susvara sounded more engaging. I played the "just one more track" game until I started getting nervous about seeing the sun come up, then finally slinked off to bed vowing to add Caldera to the collection as soon as I find the right one. I nearly picked up the blackwood + aged copper set the next morning, but held out only because I'm already on the hook for the D8000 Pro Ltd, and there will be more chances for me to pick up Caldera when finances recover. But not a day has gone by since the show that I haven't longed for the day that I'll get to hear Caldera again.

 

[Alenotta]

Caldera was the highlight of CANJAM SoCal for me. A few friends and I rented a house near the show and someone brought a loaner Caldera over on Saturday night. I was up until well past 3am listening on Nautilus, and I've been dreaming about that headphone ever since!

I bet it sounded divine on a Nautilus. I've def stayed awake well into the night browsing tracks with it.

 

[warrenpchi]

And while Atrium is not really a poor match with anything I've tried, I do tend to reach for planars for electronic music due to driver speed and insane accuracy with manufactured sounds. But Caldera does both.

I've def stayed awake well into the night browsing tracks with it.

I've come to realize that duality is the Caldera's defining quality.

On one hand, if offers us the richness and sensuality of a dynamic. On the other hand, it exhibits the immediacy and incisiveness of a planar. And paradoxically, it does both at the same time - which is really pissing me off at the moment.

For better or for worse, the Caldera seems to resist critical listening. Almost every time I sit down with the intention of focusing on the minutiae that we Head-Fiers care about, I wind up becoming engrossed by the music. Ordinarily I wouldn't mind this, as that's basically the holy grail of audio gear right? We all want something that is both enthralling and technically competent that we can get that much closer to the music. But at the same time, that also stresses me out when I'm trying my best to gather impressions.

That said, I can imagine how the Caldera would be the ideal headphone for those looking to pare down their collections. Maybe, rather than hoarding a variety of different signatures and presentations, one could sell off a host of them and just enjoy the Caldera for a good long while, without the fomo on sonic happiness.

 

[SlothRock]

Is it justifiable to have a Susvara and Caldera for folks that have both? Seen a few comparisons but wonder if they both sound too similar-ish or both have very unique flavors that make them a great 1-2 punch

 

[zach915m]

Is it justifiable to have a Susvara and Caldera for folks that have both? Seen a few comparisons but wonder if they both sound too similar-ish or both have very unique flavors that make them a great 1-2 punch

I own LCD 5, Elite, Susvara, D8000 and other older Hifiman's and Audeze's, and I can't compare them, but part of my purpose of buying them aside from being a headphone hoarder who loves them all, was to make sure the ZMF Planar/Caldera would be significantly different from anything on the market, and still keep the ZMF stuff + more. I don't think you'll find it to be redundant to anything on the market. Certainly not within ZMF lore either.

 

[Alenotta]

For better or for worse, the Caldera seems to resist critical listening. Almost every time I sit down with the intention of focusing on the minutiae that we Head-Fiers care about, I wind up becoming engrossed by the music. Ordinarily I wouldn't mind this, as that's basically the holy grail of audio gear right? We all want something that is both enthralling and technically competent that we can get that much closer to the music. But at the same time, that also stresses me out when I'm trying my best to gather impressions.

I completely agree. You just want to listen. I haven't listened to my other headphones really since I got it...

Is it justifiable to have a Susvara and Caldera for folks that have both? Seen a few comparisons but wonder if they both sound too similar-ish or both have very unique flavors that make them a great 1-2 punch

So, so different than a Susvara in my book. Caldera would be my personal choice over the Susvara. Susvara may be more for a detail oriented listener who wants a lot of airy top end? Caldera hits you with weight / smooth mids.

 

[Monsterzero]

Is it justifiable to have a Susvara and Caldera for folks that have both? Seen a few comparisons but wonder if they both sound too similar-ish or both have very unique flavors that make them a great 1-2 punch

As was mentioned above, the Caldera and Susvara are quite different.....like totally.
I will speak briefly about the two in my Caldera review, which will be live this week.

 

[robo24]

Is it justifiable to have a Susvara and Caldera for folks that have both? Seen a few comparisons but wonder if they both sound too similar-ish or both have very unique flavors that make them a great 1-2 punch

I would think so if one knows they love the Susvara. CanJam was my first time listening to both. Dying to buy the Caldera, but wouldn't be interested in the Susvara even if it was the same price, myself. I found the Susvara less engaging than the Arya Stealth and HE1000v2, but of course show conditions and with an open headphone in that huge, crowded room it's really hard to give anything a proper listen. Even the Caldera on the Red October didn't impress me as much as it did in the more quiet ZMF room. I didn't find the Caldera and Susvara very similar.

 

[goldwerger]

aside from being a headphone hoarder who loves them all

I always find it a little comforting to learn there are other hoarders out there..

I will speak briefly about the two in my Caldera review, which will be live this week.

Pls put a link here when your review is up. Excited to watch it!

 

[Monsterzero]

Yup here as well as in the amp thread as I'm getting two different presentations depending upon the amp I'm using

 

[goldwerger]

Yup here as well as in the amp thread as I'm getting two different presentations depending upon the amp I'm using

(now I'm quite curious..)

 

[warrenpchi]

I don't think you'll find it to be redundant to anything on the market. Certainly not within ZMF lore either.

Which is exactly why I couldn't simply say it's a planar Atrium, no matter how badly some might have wanted such a thing!

I completely agree. You just want to listen. I haven't listened to my other headphones really since I got it...

Right, exactly.

review, which will be live this week.

EXPECTATIONS!

Dying to buy the Caldera, but wouldn't be interested in the Susvara even if it was the same price, myself.

Even if they were the same price, the disparity between amp requirements would be considerable.

I always find it a little comforting to learn there are other hoarders out there..

You would!

 

[SlothRock]

As was mentioned above, the Caldera and Susvara are quite different.....like totally.
I will speak briefly about the two in my Caldera review, which will be live this week.

I am really stoked to see your review and comparisons. Based off what folks are saying so far, I think it's pretty inevitable that I will own a Caldera. Now whether that's the current Caldera open or waiting for a Caldera Closed to pair with my Susvara is the real question

 

[Monsterzero]

I am really stoked to see your review and comparisons. Based off what folks are saying so far, I think it's pretty inevitable that I will own a Caldera. Now whether that's the current Caldera open or waiting for a Caldera Closed to pair with my Susvara is the real question

I have the Susvara on my skull at the moment, doing some final A/B vs. the Caldera, and then im off to film the review.

 

[Zachik]

I always find it a little comforting to learn there are other hoarders out there..

Hoarders?! *cough* No way! *cough*