[heliosphann]

Anyone been able to try the Caldera with a DNA Starlett? I assume it won’t be powerful enough to make them sound their best, but thought I’d check.

They have plenty of headroom on the Stratus, so I would think the Starlett would power them easy enough.

 

[zach915m]

The product page lists the Caldera Hybrid pads as stock. Are those lambskin/suede or cowhide/suede ? I'm really curious for a table/graph and measurements for all the different options available ahead of purchase

Will have everything up before release.

 

[robo24]

They're not hybrid's in terms of previous ZMF pads where they are suede/lambskin. They're all lambskin, but the inside of the ear cavity is solid, not perforated.

My all suede pads are that way too. Noticed that at CanJam also and thought it was interesting since the closed dynamics have always been all solid and open all perforated.

 

[goldwerger]

Getting those out tomorrow for you I believe! Just finished the batch of Cowhide Caldera's.

So cool!

 

[helljudgement]

Anyone been able to try the Caldera with a DNA Starlett? I assume it won’t be powerful enough to make them sound their best, but thought I’d check.

From the specs it looks quite efficient ala d8kpro and rad0. If running those off the Starlett is anything to go by it should suffice in terms of power.

 

[YtseJamer]

Someone has posted some very good comments about the Caldera in another forum.

I think the cowhide pads will be a must for people (like me) who have a preference for "the warm side of neutral".

 

[scootermafia]

Will cross-post my impressions posted elsewhere.

ZMF Caldera

By Peter Bradstock, Double Helix Cables

Welcome everyone to my early impressions of ZMF Caldera. As a long-time ZMF owner, I was given the opportunity to try these pre-release. I paired them up with my May KTE > HPA4 > AHB2 stack, and got started. I do not write a lot of reviews - I'm a cable builder by trade - so this one will be a bit haphazard, but I hope I can give a clear picture of an exciting new headphone.

Preferences and headphones to date

My daily driver is usually the always nice, but always controversial Hifiman Susvara. Hard to drive and often accused of being boring, their emphasis on perfection burns out one listener after another in the end, with a dedicated few putting together a system good enough to be worthy. They are a good match for the very technical indie electronic (the sort favored by the Goldensound boss) that my collection leans toward, although I collect every genre with few exceptions. I also enjoy the Raal ribbon headphones, which despite their imperfections are insanely detailed and a good lower-budget Susvara alternative with a few quirks. The recent DCA Expanse with its vivacious personality is a good counterpoint to Sus and Caldera, with a sound that manages to be both lean and aggressive but with adequate bass punch despite all the damping. Because a lot of my music is electronic, I'm looking more for staging, microdetail, resolution, and music that sounds "interesting" on headphones. I call it "clack," you can call it whatever. Punchy, palpable little details. The track "Bon Voyage" by Droeloe is your example of that trait.

Unboxing and wearing

I'm used to this one, but it never gets old. I adjusted the clicky metal sliders, which are made of a coppery-orangey anodized aluminum to match the dished, shiny art deco style grilles and help save weight (which clocks in at 500g). I was assailed with the smell of fresh wood & leather and noted the review model stamp on my headband -- my first time getting one super-early. While ZMF has made headphones from just about every tree in the forest, the new "Coffee Oak" finish was very intriguing and matched up well with the aluminum colors. As I peered inside the cups, I saw the slats of bar magnets instead of a round dynamic driver - the first time seeing this in a ZMF since the Fostex mod days. The weight and clamp were just right, and after noticing something was different with the pads (namely, that they were heavily micro-perforated) I then noticed they had the best fit I've ever enjoyed from a headphone pad. Zach explained to me that there are specifically contoured pads for left and right and they're uniquely shaped in more than just one dimension. There is some LCD-5 style dishing and a few other tricks he considered patenting. The new pad is extremely comfortable, like an old shoe, and has an excellent seal. The tricks continue with the driver, a double-sided magnet design with specially-shaped magnets on the *inner* side (not on the outer side like a fazor, but on the side facing the driver itself), while also employing the Atrium rear damping scheme, to maximize performance. Zach doesn't do any changes or innovations unless they help the headphone measure and sound the way that is intended, and the combination of planar driver, special tricks, and overall ZMF tuning help cement this headphone in my keeper tier of headphones (and there's only 3-4 slots there).

Tone impressions, starting with the...bass.

These have a heck of a lot of punch as planars go, approaching how Susvara or Stealth punch when connected to hugely overpowered speaker amps. The membrane is not as damped as some planars - it's actually moving some air, as one of my complaints with Stealth on a normal amp is nonexistent slam. These slam all the time, without being excessive. On the right tracks, they will edge out Susvara on slam. While they don't match up with the hat-trick sub-bass of Abyss, I strongly prefer their overall sound and presentation, and they get pretty close.

Mids are sweet and lush without being saccharine; they aren't overtuned or sharp in any way, which can get in the way of enjoying LCD-5. Vocals are engaging and speak straight to you, with beautiful texture. Cloudy, syrupy, stuffy - these words don't describe Caldera, which is a nimble sounding planar with strong technicalities. Even with my harsher test tracks from Grimes, the headphone maintained its composure and didn't barbecue my eardrums. On top of the mids, there is abundant treble sparkle and resolution, while completely avoiding fatigue and sibilance. Treble issues will permanently ground any headphone for me, regardless of price or reputation - everything from original HD800, to Beyers, to AKGs have been given the ban hammer for not meeting my needs there. At the same time, there has to be enough - nobody likes treble roll off. On the same Grimes test tracks, these go into the outer reaches while maintaining listenability. There is no substitute for the conspicuously addictive treble that estats produce; I'm not saying the treble is the best I've ever heard (I loved the Warwick Bravura and it'll be joining the crew soon), but there are certain tracks that are grating on Susvara that are more listenable here. As with other ZMF, they lean more forgiving for a variety of recordings.

Soundstage, resolution, and Pirates.

For this section of the test, we get out the Susvara's hat trick feature - playing back Hans Zimmer's pirate song with really good separation between stuff. That is the one thing Sus definitely are known for. I put them through their paces, and while they're a little spare and diaphanous, you do hear all the yarrs and cannons with stark relief in between. Just about every other headphone, in comparison, sounds like blenderized oatmeal with this track, a big pastiche of nothing. Planars like Empyrean get flushed, and various costly headphones over the past year have left me unimpressed by the Zimmer. Atrium did better than I would've guessed for it, but not quite there. So, imagine my surprise when the Caldera handled it...pretty darn well! I would say the staging was wider, albeit less transparent, but well filled in with punch, attack and dynamic contrasts. No soundstage holes, more immersive, with roaring horns all around. It was a more fun rendition of the pirate soundtrack, without sounding like oatmeal. Not quite the Susvara microscope for the track, but possibly a more enjoyable alternative, and well ahead of other renditions of it from other headphones. Switching to the Raal CA1A, they sounded comparatively one-dimensional and lifeless, and I couldn't listen for long. And this is a headphone that is one of the short list of keepers...

Switching to Magdalena Bay's Mercurial World album, probably my favorite album of the decade, they kept up with Susvara while putting their own mark on each track, adding the punch of the best dynamic headphones and some ZMF easygoing richness. When I say keep up, I really do mean equal enjoyment - I was struggling to give the win to either headphone on the album that means the most to me. Sus has some great little nuances that remind you how realistic they are, but the irrepressible fun factor of the ZMF while still having very high technicalities means I really will be splitting up my head time here and doing some more soul searching as to what I really want in a headphone. Very few headphones could be called my co-favorite -- on some days it's the Expanse, but the battle will continue over the weeks and I don't think you can go wrong with any of these 3 headphones.

 

[dfiled]

Someone has posted some very good comments about the Caldera in another forum. I think the cowhide pads will be a must for people (like me) who have a preference for "the warm side of neutral"

Huh, this reviewer described the bass with the cowhide pads as “lean but tight and well defined.” If that was the majority view I don’t think I’d be buying these — I don’t want lean bass, I want punchy, impactful bass — but most of the reviews I’ve read describe the Caleras quite differently.

I also approach any reviewer who describes cables as “warm” with some skepticism.

 

[Alenotta]

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.

Let that burn in happen. They are sort of the perfect blend of energetic and smooth for me. I'm really sensitive to spice up top and they don't get me.

 

[Alenotta]

+1 for a VC comparison (maybe more than just a mid comparison if you have time). That would be appreciated.

I did a comparison on some tracks between a few headphones including the VC way earlier in the forum. To me, I find the Caldera to be easier on the ears up top, and more exciting down low. The VC presence region sometimes gets into my danger zone. The Caldera somehow rides the line perfectly. The bass energy feels more vivid/tactile. The instrument tones feel very natural on the Caldera, but with a touch of planar flavor. VC obviously is going to give you much better isolation. Comfort is on par. Separation and detail are better on Caldera. Soundstage is different, but I'm going to give it to the Caldera. VC is still an amazing TOTL headphone that I love, but Caldera has taken up all my head time.

 

[Alenotta]

Today on WILL IT DRIVE CALDERA:
I can now confirm that the Caldera will drive directly off the media screen on the back of a Delta seat. Is there synergy? No, I will not say there is. Should this effect your decision to purchase a Caldera? No.

 

[sp33ls]

Real question is... Why do you have it on a flight?

 

[geoffalter11]

Good evening Caldera lovers... I am having my first listen to a Caldera Oak with the Lambskin Perfs out of my Cembalo Labs Spring 1. Thank you, Zach! I look forward to speaking with y'all about this awesome headphone. I will write a review down the road, but for now it is just play time. Get to know their sound, synergies with my different components and just enjoy the heck out of them.

Very First Impression:
These have brand new drivers, so they are not burned in. #1 Rule of Burn-In. If they don't sound great before burn in, they won't sound great after. These sound awesome right out of the case. I expect to hear subtle changes over the coming days and weeks, but they really sound great. I have been so excited to hear them, sometimes the moment doesn't meet the expectation. Have you ever thought about whether you are underwhelmed, whelmed or overwhelmed? Sometimes, just whelm me and I am good. It is a rare occasion in life when you are truly overwhelmed. I can't wait to find out if I will be overwhelmed.

First thought is that tone/timbre are spectacular. Resolution is definitely Planar, yet still have that ZMF Dynamic imaging. Quite the combo! Lots to say, lots to learn, and just so thankful to have this opportunity. Hope you all have a spectacular Friday night. I've got a lot of fun coming. They sound amazing. Just had my first chill reach up my spine and grab me right in the back of the neck. Pacing is excellent. I am 12 minutes into my first song (Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodaloo) and I am ready to get rocking.

 

[David A Silva]

@geoffalter11 - man I can feel you grinning all the way here! Enjoy the new cans, hope to join you early adopters soon!

 

[Alenotta]

Real question is... Why do you have it on a flight?

Can't leave them behind! I mentioned in my earlier post they actually sound pretty great out of the mojo 2. That is my little travel setup.