[SlothRock]

Is there any ballpark eta of when a Caldera closed-back may be released?

Considering we're still waiting on the Atrium closed and the open released months ago, I am not anticipating the Caldera closed until at least Summer, if not fall 2023. I'd love to be wrong tho

 

[Benno1988]

1. Anyone measured yet? Apologies if I missed it

2. @zach915m These have the same headband steel as whats in this demo set of Atrium I have? Its a lot softer than ZMF of past (have owned them all), very easily bent, bit hard to get a highish level of clamp (my preference).

 

[Pharmaboy]

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.

I just want everyone to know something. See all those glitzy multi-colored spotlights behind that dude? Well, IRL Monsterzero has those same lights behind him 24/7.

Honest! I couldn't make up something like that...

 

[Pharmaboy]

We're finally in production for some more units, and more review units will go out soon. Here's the stock models, I promise to post more pictures soon!

Stock Oak - this will be $3199 at release with MSRP of $3499.



Golden Coffee Oak, with Coffee Gold grille and rods. $3399 at release, $3699 MSRP. The do not weigh more, as we used aluminum for weight saving on the grille, and matched it to the Coffee gold that matches our proprietary ZMF jacks on the ZMF braided cables.

I absolutely love oak. It's killer furniture wood; and now it's killer headphone wood. The grain in each picture knocks me out. I'm guessing the "Golden Coffee" finish in the 2nd picture interacts with the tannin in the oak, creating that greater contrast and visual drama (a spectacular finish for oak...I'd love to see oak furniture with that finish).

ZMF has introduced me to a number of wonderful sounding headphones. It also introduced me to some of the finest, best finished species of wood around.

(one of those things is a big bonus, but I'm not sure which)

 

[Zachik]

If all goes as planned - I will get a loaner Wells Audio Milo soon...
That will allow me to audition the Caldera with my source, DAC and music collection!!
Excitement level is high

 

[DenverW]

I love how the caldera thread has picked up again over the last 24 hours. We’d hit a lull there for a bit.

When Zach releases the zmf November info things are going ballistic.

 

[Monsterzero]

I just want everyone to know something. See all those glitzy multi-colored spotlights behind that dude? Well, IRL Monsterzero has those same lights behind him 24/7.

Honest! I couldn't make up something like that...

Drugs are bad, mmkay?!

Editing the Caldera review, and there is a sneak peak of the ltd. wood in there. Stay tuned.

 

[Monsterzero]

My Caldera review

 

[paradoxper]

My Caldera review

Sounds like Caldera is going to parallel with Elite.

 

[David A Silva]

My Caldera review

Thanks for posting your extensive descriptive review!

 

[Raidersfan8118]

My Caldera review

Awesome review. I was the member who is excited to hear all the crap from less than stellar recordings lol. I have to ask which zmf is your favorite for rock/metal?

 

[Monsterzero]

Awesome review. I was the member who is excited to hear all the crap from less than stellar recordings lol. I have to ask which zmf is your favorite for rock/metal?

lol, I didnt want to name you, but yes!

Fav ZMF for metal? Probably the Atrium for slower stuff, but if you like faster stuff like black, death, melodeath or thrash or speed metal, the Caldera is tough to beat with that planar speed built in. The fact that you enjoy the rawness that this headphone conveys from $5.00 production makes it a no-brainer IMO.

 

[Raidersfan8118]

lol, I didnt want to name you, but yes!

Fav ZMF for metal? Probably the Atrium for slower stuff, but if you like faster stuff like black, death, melodeath or thrash or speed metal, the Caldera is tough to beat with that planar speed built in. The fact that you enjoy the rawness that this headphone conveys from $5.00 production makes it a no-brainer IMO.

Haha wouldn’t have bothered me. Sounds like I’ll really like it since I didn’t think the verite closed mids were too recessed. I was hoping the mids wouldn’t be any more recessed than them.

 

[Monsterzero]

Haha wouldn’t have bothered me. Sounds like I’ll really like it since I didn’t think the verite closed mids were too recessed. I was hoping the mids wouldn’t be any more recessed than them.

I will say that the Aegis TC amp that @L0rdGwyn designed and built is quite mid centric, to the point that with the Atrium it got to be almost too forward sounding with the rest of my gear. On the Cayin the mids were not quite as forward sounding.

I did all of my ZMF A/B on the Aegis, whereas I used the Cayin IHA6 to A/B the Caldera va. Susvara. The Aegis can drive the Susvara but it gave the Susvara too big of a stage and too much air for my tastes. I didn't think that there was such a thing as too big of stage or too much air, or mids that were too forward, but I did find my personal limits on the Aegis.
The Aegis review will be coming soon, possibly next week, and I will post that in the ZMF amp thread.

 

[Raidersfan8118]

I will say that the Aegis TC amp that @L0rdGwyn designed and built is quite mid centric, to the point that with the Atrium it got to be almost too forward sounding with the rest of my gear. On the Cayin the mids were not quite as forward sounding.

I did all of my ZMF A/B on the Aegis, whereas I used the Cayin IHA6 to A/B the Caldera va. Susvara. The Aegis can drive the Susvara but it gave the Susvara too big of a stage and too much air for my tastes. I didn't think that there was such a thing as too big of stage or too much air, or mids that were too forward, but I did find my personal limits on the Aegis.
The Aegis review will be coming soon, possibly next week, and I will post that in the ZMF amp thread.

Zmf recommended cayin to me I’m leaning that way. I think the Aegis isn’t possible for me but I bet I’d like it.