ZMF Caldera - New Planar Magnetic from ZMF!
- Thread starter ScornDefeat
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SlothRock
1000+ Head-Fier
Guys, please stop hyping the Caldera. I'm trying to maintain only having 2 headphones in my stable and all this hype is making that argument deteriorate in my head along with the launch pricing 
Received this morning 8 minutes before my endless gauntlet of meetings today. I quickly attached it to my iBasso DAP and listened for a couple minutes before I had to put them down. They sound quite good. Reminds me closer to Hifiman tuning, which I love, but with more body (which I want). Perhaps a slight bit of spicy up top. Take this with super grains of salt for now. I will have to listen to it more later, and compare to my Audeze and Susvara headphones on my home rig.
The headphone is gorgeous, and grill design really is stunning. I was getting a little bored of the headphones space this year, but first impressions is changing my opinions already.
jgwtriode
1000+ Head-Fier
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Right there with you Monster, I do rememer. " Just the facts Maam!"
jgwtriode
jgwtriode
ColSaulTigh
Headphoneus Supremus
The Verite Open was my favorite headphone for 3 years. I've had the loaner Caldera 2 days now and it's my new favorite without question. Can't even bring myself to do comparisons yet because if I have time to listen, I can't pull myself away from it yet.Guys, please stop hyping the Caldera. I'm trying to maintain only having 2 headphones in my stable and all this hype is making that argument deteriorate in my head along with the launch pricing
Does that help?
jgwtriode
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Wow, that's wild!
Takarajima
100+ Head-Fier
My third episode of music rambling with Caldera.. I began exploring various pads option, and I'm in a good mood with Cowhide perforated pads today.
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https://open.qobuz.com/album/ca0s3vcak7nka
I'm generally under the impression that cowhide+Caldera is the most masculine, bold, and energetic in presentation among the three pads sent to me. So, I wanted to pair with vocal recording with abundant physicality as well as ambience, which led me to this album by John McLean and Patricia Barber.
On Caldera, Patricia's voice was highly intimate. It came with not only sexiness but also a sense of air temperature. It was also easy to hear lots of breathing room where notes traveled. Inside the venue, Caldera reproduced airs around the crowd, the instruments, and Patricia's voice. Her voice also exhibited a good heft as if it was hard hitting the microphone diaphragm. How physical it was.
On the other hand, McLean's guitar plucks sounded fully alive and right in front of me. The phantom image was convincingly realistic with his breathing, the air encircling him, and his playing movements. There seemed to be more lower midrange energy with the Cowhide Caldera, which made the hand booms were more visceral. Needless to say, everything sounded very harmonic.
---
https://open.qobuz.com/album/ca0s3vcak7nka
I'm generally under the impression that cowhide+Caldera is the most masculine, bold, and energetic in presentation among the three pads sent to me. So, I wanted to pair with vocal recording with abundant physicality as well as ambience, which led me to this album by John McLean and Patricia Barber.
On Caldera, Patricia's voice was highly intimate. It came with not only sexiness but also a sense of air temperature. It was also easy to hear lots of breathing room where notes traveled. Inside the venue, Caldera reproduced airs around the crowd, the instruments, and Patricia's voice. Her voice also exhibited a good heft as if it was hard hitting the microphone diaphragm. How physical it was.
On the other hand, McLean's guitar plucks sounded fully alive and right in front of me. The phantom image was convincingly realistic with his breathing, the air encircling him, and his playing movements. There seemed to be more lower midrange energy with the Cowhide Caldera, which made the hand booms were more visceral. Needless to say, everything sounded very harmonic.
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Nice description and I like going on the journey with you.
I don't know the exact reasons I love cowhide with planars so much, but I discovered it with the T50rp's. On a dynamic headphone it seems to suck the life out of things a little too much, but with planars there's an energy, weight and boldness without the treble getting too muted.
Will there be an option to have the cowhide as the default pad already installed?
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Caldera Lamb or Suede will always be installed, and the option will be to get it as a secondary pad, which comes with the headphone.
For those getting suede will there be 2 types of suede pads?
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