[DavidSerig]

I’m running mine on an Agatha 2021 and much prefer stock lamb

I waiting for the Christie update before I buy an Agatha.

 

[Raghu6446]

Lampizator big7 mkiii with 300b Kr tubes, Auris nirvana, lumin streamer and caldera

 

[shwnwllms]

I waiting for the Christie update before I buy an Agatha.

Stupid Autocorrect. Gets me every time

 

[Sound Eq]

I must say the Caldera definitely is now my fav headphone, knowing I have the Susvara and Utopia 2022 as well, and it deserved a top of the line cable

So I did alot of research on cables and in the end I contacted Arctic Cables, and they told me about a new cable that would be a perfect match to Caldera, which is called Sonoro which is something they have working on for some time and will be offered soon on their website as its a custom special edition release


The Sonoro is
- X3 20AWG clear pure occ litz copper
- X3 20AWG dark pure occ litz copper
- X2 18AWG clear pure occ litz silver
- cotton+kevlar centeral core per wire

I got it 3 days ago and without even finishing the burn in, it was an immediate wow factor once plugged to the Caldera

The stage became so holographic and full, rich and the details in the highs extended so naturally that simply I could not believe that cables can make such a difference as I own other cables from different companies. The Sonoro is a masterpiece in build quality and performance

Really amazing combo for someone looking to improve on the masterpiece Caldera, I sincerely now can say the Caldera has a way bigger soundstage than my Susvara and on top of that it has a full bodied midrange and extended bass that digs so deep and highs that are so smooth and extended so naturally

More to be shared once I finish the 100 hour burn in

Here is my follow up on the Arctic Cables- Sonoro


High purity cables made from premium materials will enhance your experience in comparison to the stock cables, whether you will hear better bass performance, wider soundstage, more vivid midrange, etc…

When I adore a headphone, the hunt begins to first find the best amp and dac for it, and my journey with that led me to buy the Holo Audio Bliss and Gustard R26, and with all honesty those 2 gears are simply an outstanding combo that will push the listening experience to the max and both are reasonably priced

After I nailed the Amp and DAC, my journey started in finding the best price/performance cable for my ZMF Caldera.

I contacted some companies and felt that mostly they offered a generic feedback and did not care that much about truly testing the synergy of their cable with the headphone in quest, and simply were after just closing a deal.
So my journey led me to Arctic Cables, and I started to correspond with them on emails and told them about my quest to take the Caldera to the next level.

Caldera has some issues and that is a fact shared even in the Caldera head fi thread, which is that it has some issues with the highs being a bit too much peaky, in addition for me at least I found also the soundstage was a bit constrained and not wide as I like it. So my discussion with Arctic cables was to address those, and after lots of front and back, Arctic cables informed me they were designing a great cable which in their opinion and after they themselves tested it on Caldera could be an answer to my quest.

The Sonoro is
- X3 20AWG clear pure occ litz copper
- X3 20AWG dark pure occ litz copper
- X2 18AWG clear pure occ litz silver
- cotton+kevlar centeral core per wire

Before I had the Sonoro I heard it with the Lavri Grand cable and with both my Norne cable Silvergrade and Moon Audio Silver Dragon, and the experience was good, but I did not feel they offered something that is so outstanding in comparison to the stock cable. I liked the built quality of both but nothing magical to really write about

After long thoughts, I took the decision and placed an order for the Sonoro and waited. I thought well even if it will not give me a wow effect I know it’s beautiful and made of best materials.
I received the cable and once I unpacked the box and held the cable in my hands, I was mesmerized by its built quality that gorgeous cable was something I never held before from any company

Arctic Cables informed me to burn in the cable for 100 hours. So I will not dive too much about my experience once I received it, but I can say I was super impressed.

After 100 hours of burn in, the cable evolved and started to show its real character and capabilities. I can tell you all this cable is something even cable doubters should try

So how did it affect the Caldera, well I will not write big long articles about how each song will now sound and make the reader of my impression get lost in words. I will keep things simple and straight to the point

Bass: the bass of the Caldera is great but I felt it could be more refined and shine through and have more impact, and that is what the Sonoro brought to the table, a better bass experience and definition of notes and I can tell you the punch and impact of the bass is what will draw your attention from the first time you will experience this cable

Mids: fuller mids with more resolution and clarity. You will feel that the Mids have a more accurate presence and are allowed to shine through with such a grand experience. The notes are more natural and rounded. It’s difficult to say in words that experience. The mids are showcased with more fullness and more resolution. The vocals whether male or female vocals simply became more natural and had this great texture shining through with grandiose feeling. I am a person who simply cannot tolerate a headphone that does have issues in the mid range at all. As such my tonality chasing journey is all about the mid range experience. And I can tell you this, the Sonoro simply took the Caldera to another resolute level in the mids. Simply full, organic, natural with a lot of texture

Highs: As some experienced that treble issue in Caldera, I did too, but not that it bothered me at all, but it was there. Here comes in the Sonoro and just irons out those imperfections, So that any treble peaks are now rounded and smoothed out with great extension. It is an absolute noticeable effect that you will hear so clearly how the highs are so well addressed

Stage: Well, dare I say that the Caldera went from good stage to really wide and holographic. Yes. I dare and that is something all my friends who auditioned the Sonoro and Caldera agreed on. It simply allowed the stage to take a bigger dimension which was a bit confined with the stock cable or some of the other aftermarket cables I experienced. The stage became deeper, wider and fuller. That stage simply made me now declare that the Caldera has a bigger stage than my Susvara for now. I do not know if I will use a Sonoro cable or any other suggested cable by Arctic cable on my Susvara what will happen, that is something that I will try next.

Thanks to Arctic Cables for being so professional and so tolerant. They simply care about customer experience and they do not push a customer in any direction. They simply aim to get the best customer satisfaction

Finally being so impressed by Arctic Cables, as they use top notch premium materials in making their cables and impressed by their amazing customer service I am now planning to buy a cable from Arctic Cables for both my Susvara and Utopia 2022

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

Here is my follow up on the Arctic Cables- Sonoro


High purity cables made from premium materials will enhance your experience in comparison to the stock cables, whether you will hear better bass performance, wider soundstage, more vivid midrange, etc…

When I adore a headphone, the hunt begins to first find the best amp and dac for it, and my journey with that led me to buy the Holo Audio Bliss and Gustard R26, and with all honesty those 2 gears are simply an outstanding combo that will push the listening experience to the max and both are reasonably priced

After I nailed the Amp and DAC, my journey started in finding the best price/performance cable for my ZMF Caldera.

I contacted some companies and felt that mostly they offered a generic feedback and did not care that much about truly testing the synergy of their cable with the headphone in quest, and simply were after just closing a deal.
So my journey led me to Arctic Cables, and I started to correspond with them on emails and told them about my quest to take the Caldera to the next level.

Caldera has some issues and that is a fact shared even in the Caldera head fi thread, which is that it has some issues with the highs being a bit too much peaky, in addition for me at least I found also the soundstage was a bit constrained and not wide as I like it. So my discussion with Arctic cables was to address those, and after lots of front and back, Arctic cables informed me they were designing a great cable which in their opinion and after they themselves tested it on Caldera could be an answer to my quest.

The Sonoro is
- X3 20AWG clear pure occ litz copper
- X3 20AWG dark pure occ litz copper
- X2 18AWG clear pure occ litz silver
- cotton+kevlar centeral core per wire

Before I had the Sonoro I heard it with the Lavri Grand cable and with both my Norne cable Silvergrade and Moon Audio Silver Dragon, and the experience was good, but I did not feel they offered something that is so outstanding in comparison to the stock cable. I liked the built quality of both but nothing magical to really write about

After long thoughts, I took the decision and placed an order for the Sonoro and waited. I thought well even if it will not give me a wow effect I know it’s beautiful and made of best materials.
I received the cable and once I unpacked the box and held the cable in my hands, I was mesmerized by its built quality that gorgeous cable was something I never held before from any company

Arctic Cables informed me to burn in the cable for 100 hours. So I will not dive too much about my experience once I received it, but I can say I was super impressed.

After 100 hours of burn in, the cable evolved and started to show its real character and capabilities. I can tell you all this cable is something even cable doubters should try

So how did it affect the Caldera, well I will not write big long articles about how each song will now sound and make the reader of my impression get lost in words. I will keep things simple and straight to the point

Bass: the bass of the Caldera is great but I felt it could be more refined and shine through and have more impact, and that is what the Sonoro brought to the table, a better bass experience and definition of notes and I can tell you the punch and impact of the bass is what will draw your attention from the first time you will experience this cable

Mids: fuller mids with more resolution and clarity. You will feel that the Mids have a more accurate presence and are allowed to shine through with such a grand experience. The notes are more natural and rounded. It’s difficult to say in words that experience. The mids are showcased with more fullness and more resolution. The vocals whether male or female vocals simply became more natural and had this great texture shining through with grandiose feeling. I am a person who simply cannot tolerate a headphone that does have issues in the mid range at all. As such my tonality chasing journey is all about the mid range experience. And I can tell you this, the Sonoro simply took the Caldera to another resolute level in the mids. Simply full, organic, natural with a lot of texture

Highs: As some experienced that treble issue in Caldera, I did too, but not that it bothered me at all, but it was there. Here comes in the Sonoro and just irons out those imperfections, So that any treble peaks are now rounded and smoothed out with great extension. It is an absolute noticeable effect that you will hear so clearly how the highs are so well addressed

Stage: Well, dare I say that the Caldera went from good stage to really wide and holographic. Yes. I dare and that is something all my friends who auditioned the Sonoro and Caldera agreed on. It simply allowed the stage to take a bigger dimension which was a bit confined with the stock cable or some of the other aftermarket cables I experienced. The stage became deeper, wider and fuller. That stage simply made me now declare that the Caldera has a bigger stage than my Susvara for now. I do not know if I will use a Sonoro cable or any other suggested cable by Arctic cable on my Susvara what will happen, that is something that I will try next.

Thanks to Arctic Cables for being so professional and so tolerant. They simply care about customer experience and they do not push a customer in any direction. They simply aim to get the best customer satisfaction

Finally being so impressed by Arctic Cables, as they use top notch premium materials in making their cables and impressed by their amazing customer service I am now planning to buy a cable from Arctic Cables for both my Susvara and Utopia 2022

What pads are you using and are you using the mantle mesh?

 

[Sound Eq]

What pads are you using and are you using the mantle mesh?

I am using the cowhide pads. I am not using the mantle mesh

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

I am using the cowhide pads. I am not using the mantle mesh

Ok thanks for clarifying.

 

[betula]

Here is my follow up on the Arctic Cables- Sonoro


High purity cables made from premium materials will enhance your experience in comparison to the stock cables, whether you will hear better bass performance, wider soundstage, more vivid midrange, etc…

When I adore a headphone, the hunt begins to first find the best amp and dac for it, and my journey with that led me to buy the Holo Audio Bliss and Gustard R26, and with all honesty those 2 gears are simply an outstanding combo that will push the listening experience to the max and both are reasonably priced

After I nailed the Amp and DAC, my journey started in finding the best price/performance cable for my ZMF Caldera.

I contacted some companies and felt that mostly they offered a generic feedback and did not care that much about truly testing the synergy of their cable with the headphone in quest, and simply were after just closing a deal.
So my journey led me to Arctic Cables, and I started to correspond with them on emails and told them about my quest to take the Caldera to the next level.

Caldera has some issues and that is a fact shared even in the Caldera head fi thread, which is that it has some issues with the highs being a bit too much peaky, in addition for me at least I found also the soundstage was a bit constrained and not wide as I like it. So my discussion with Arctic cables was to address those, and after lots of front and back, Arctic cables informed me they were designing a great cable which in their opinion and after they themselves tested it on Caldera could be an answer to my quest.

The Sonoro is
- X3 20AWG clear pure occ litz copper
- X3 20AWG dark pure occ litz copper
- X2 18AWG clear pure occ litz silver
- cotton+kevlar centeral core per wire

Before I had the Sonoro I heard it with the Lavri Grand cable and with both my Norne cable Silvergrade and Moon Audio Silver Dragon, and the experience was good, but I did not feel they offered something that is so outstanding in comparison to the stock cable. I liked the built quality of both but nothing magical to really write about

After long thoughts, I took the decision and placed an order for the Sonoro and waited. I thought well even if it will not give me a wow effect I know it’s beautiful and made of best materials.
I received the cable and once I unpacked the box and held the cable in my hands, I was mesmerized by its built quality that gorgeous cable was something I never held before from any company

Arctic Cables informed me to burn in the cable for 100 hours. So I will not dive too much about my experience once I received it, but I can say I was super impressed.

After 100 hours of burn in, the cable evolved and started to show its real character and capabilities. I can tell you all this cable is something even cable doubters should try

So how did it affect the Caldera, well I will not write big long articles about how each song will now sound and make the reader of my impression get lost in words. I will keep things simple and straight to the point

Bass: the bass of the Caldera is great but I felt it could be more refined and shine through and have more impact, and that is what the Sonoro brought to the table, a better bass experience and definition of notes and I can tell you the punch and impact of the bass is what will draw your attention from the first time you will experience this cable

Mids: fuller mids with more resolution and clarity. You will feel that the Mids have a more accurate presence and are allowed to shine through with such a grand experience. The notes are more natural and rounded. It’s difficult to say in words that experience. The mids are showcased with more fullness and more resolution. The vocals whether male or female vocals simply became more natural and had this great texture shining through with grandiose feeling. I am a person who simply cannot tolerate a headphone that does have issues in the mid range at all. As such my tonality chasing journey is all about the mid range experience. And I can tell you this, the Sonoro simply took the Caldera to another resolute level in the mids. Simply full, organic, natural with a lot of texture

Highs: As some experienced that treble issue in Caldera, I did too, but not that it bothered me at all, but it was there. Here comes in the Sonoro and just irons out those imperfections, So that any treble peaks are now rounded and smoothed out with great extension. It is an absolute noticeable effect that you will hear so clearly how the highs are so well addressed

Stage: Well, dare I say that the Caldera went from good stage to really wide and holographic. Yes. I dare and that is something all my friends who auditioned the Sonoro and Caldera agreed on. It simply allowed the stage to take a bigger dimension which was a bit confined with the stock cable or some of the other aftermarket cables I experienced. The stage became deeper, wider and fuller. That stage simply made me now declare that the Caldera has a bigger stage than my Susvara for now. I do not know if I will use a Sonoro cable or any other suggested cable by Arctic cable on my Susvara what will happen, that is something that I will try next.

Thanks to Arctic Cables for being so professional and so tolerant. They simply care about customer experience and they do not push a customer in any direction. They simply aim to get the best customer satisfaction

Finally being so impressed by Arctic Cables, as they use top notch premium materials in making their cables and impressed by their amazing customer service I am now planning to buy a cable from Arctic Cables for both my Susvara and Utopia 2022

How much is that cable, if you don't mind me asking? My EA Code23 brings similar results to the table.
Also, don't you find the R26 a bit bright and lean in comparison to other R2R DACs?
Thanks!

 

[Sound Eq]

How much is that cable, if you don't mind me asking? My EA Code23 brings similar results to the table.
Also, don't you find the R26 a bit bright and lean in comparison to other R2R DACs?
Thanks!

It's a limited edition sold at a special price. From what I understand, the Sonoro will be available for only one month for $899 instead of $1299. Not sure when they will release the cable on their site, but I think that if you contact them, you can get it before the official release like I did.

As for the R26 well I was not impressed that much with it in the beginning using USB, but once I used the FMC mod I can attest to what a great dac it is and it matches my holo audio bliss perfectly. Also using the purple fuse made a big difference which as well was not expected

 

[betula]

In this post I would like to make two points.

1, I fell in love with the Caldera. Are they perfect? Sure, they are not, nothing is. But they are unique, and I prefer uniqueness to perfection. So, what makes the Caldera unique? It somehow wizardly combines the advantages of dynamic driver characteristics with planar technicalities. Full body and tangible timbre of dynamic drivers combined with planar speed, clarity and bass extension. Definition and impact in spades; the palpable and organic sonic character makes the Caldera a unique offering. A combination of sonic characteristics that no other headphones can match. Some dynamic headphones might even have a little better timbre, fuller body, but they will never be as clear as the Caldera and will never have the speed and extension due to the physical limitations of dynamic drivers. Other planars might sound even more detailed and refined but they are boring, lacking body/weight and will never sound as natural, alive and organic in comparison. What a perfect balance the Caldera hits!

2, I read some opinions on how poor of a source the Cayin HA-3A is for the Caldera. I recently tried a bunch of 12AU7 tubes, and I see why those opinions surfaced. Pretty much all 12AU7 tubes I tried had a hazy and unrefined low-end, lacking definition and energy. The tubes I have in my HA-3A (Mullard M8136 CV4003 12AU7 (old logo) combined with some Brimar 6V6s) sound like a big step up in bass rendering compared to all other 12AU7 tube sets. There is control, extension, impact, clarity, definition. So much, that I enjoy this amp with the Caldera more than I did with the Ferrum or HPA4 DAC/amp stacks (both retail above 4K). Sure, something like the Holo stack (10K) will sound even more precise and more impactful with better clarity, but do not underestimate a good transformer coupled tube amp with the right set of NOS tubes! The fact that I get better bass performance (and a more natural sound in general) with my current NOS tube set and upgraded DAC at around 2.7K tells a story about synergy and fine tuning as opposed to readily available and hyped DAC/amp sets.

 

[GridIroN]

Recently popped my Caldera lava spout...

Currently running it off a Burson Soloist 3XP with Sparko op-amps. Of course it sounds fantastic. Most impressive ZMF thus far. That all being said, I had my heart set on picking up a Cayin HA-3A as an entrance into the world of tubes, but doing my research like a good lil'audio boy, it sounds like the HA-3A isn't a great pairing with the Caldera unless you manage to find holy grail tubes?? Consensus seems to be keeping it on SS is best and of course the Bliss is better, but the Bliss is $1~2K more so one would hope it would be...

I suppose I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts on moving from a Soloist to the Cayin HA-3A, if there are other amps I should be considering instead, and/also if tube amps or similarly priced SS amps would even be a better pairings than what I already have (a relatively well respected SS amp, the Soloist)?

 

[Pharmaboy]

Recently popped my Caldera lava spout...



Currently running it off a Burson Soloist 3XP with Sparko op-amps. Of course it sounds fantastic. Most impressive ZMF thus far. That all being said, I had my heart set on picking up a Cayin HA-3A as an entrance into the world of tubes, but doing my research like a good lil'audio boy, it sounds like the HA-3A isn't a great pairing with the Caldera unless you manage to find holy grail tubes?? Consensus seems to be keeping it on SS is best and of course the Bliss is better, but the Bliss is $1~2K more so one would hope it would be...

I suppose I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts on moving from a Soloist to the Cayin HA-3A, if there are other amps I should be considering instead, and/also if tube amps or similarly priced SS amps would even be a better pairings than what I already have (a relatively well respected SS amp, the Soloist)?

FWIW, the best sound I've gotten with my Caldera is from these 3 amps:

1. Violectric V281*
2. Wells Audio Milo**
3. Icon Audio HP8 (TC-tube amp w/the best NOS tubes I could afford)

Of course they don't all sound the same, but in each case, the very special sonic attributes of this headphone got even more audible (and special).

I haven't heard Violectric's new small form-factor desktop units the V202 (single-ended) and V222 (balanced), but I'd get the latter in heartbeat to get that slightly warm, resonant, great-bass Vio sound for the Caldera. The V222 if often described as sounding very similar to the V281 (by contrast, the bigger/more expensive new Vio models have gone further into "neutrality," which after hearing the V281, isn't such an appealing thought).

*The V281 has been my favorite amp (period) for 5+ years. Yesterday I was astounded to hear there's a limited edition reissue of the V281 now accepting pre-orders by the very fine U.S. agent for Violectric, Arthur Power:
https://power-holdings-inc.com/Violectric-HPA-V281-Reissue-Headphone-Amp-p585718067

**The Milo has extreme power (26dB). That means unless your DAC is single ended and putting out lower than usual voltage (ie, 1-1.5V vs trad SE output of 2.0V); or you have a DAC with a transparent, high-quality volume pot--it's difficult to use the Milo for any headphone, even a planar. I have a DAC w/good volume pot AND ordered my Milo w/the per-channel 13 dB attenuator switches, so I'm good to go w/any headphone.

 

[shwnwllms]

Recently popped my Caldera lava spout...



Currently running it off a Burson Soloist 3XP with Sparko op-amps. Of course it sounds fantastic. Most impressive ZMF thus far. That all being said, I had my heart set on picking up a Cayin HA-3A as an entrance into the world of tubes, but doing my research like a good lil'audio boy, it sounds like the HA-3A isn't a great pairing with the Caldera unless you manage to find holy grail tubes?? Consensus seems to be keeping it on SS is best and of course the Bliss is better, but the Bliss is $1~2K more so one would hope it would be...

I suppose I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts on moving from a Soloist to the Cayin HA-3A, if there are other amps I should be considering instead, and/also if tube amps or similarly priced SS amps would even be a better pairings than what I already have (a relatively well respected SS amp, the Soloist)?

I’d look for a ZMF Pendant SE. it drives them well and there are plenty of tube rolling options. It’s no longer in production but they come up often in the classifieds

 

[Wes S]

Recently popped my Caldera lava spout...



Currently running it off a Burson Soloist 3XP with Sparko op-amps. Of course it sounds fantastic. Most impressive ZMF thus far. That all being said, I had my heart set on picking up a Cayin HA-3A as an entrance into the world of tubes, but doing my research like a good lil'audio boy, it sounds like the HA-3A isn't a great pairing with the Caldera unless you manage to find holy grail tubes?? Consensus seems to be keeping it on SS is best and of course the Bliss is better, but the Bliss is $1~2K more so one would hope it would be...

I suppose I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts on moving from a Soloist to the Cayin HA-3A, if there are other amps I should be considering instead, and/also if tube amps or similarly priced SS amps would even be a better pairings than what I already have (a relatively well respected SS amp, the Soloist)?

Dang! That is an amazing looking pair.

 

[GridIroN]

FWIW, the best sound I've gotten with my Caldera is from these 3 amps:

1. Violectric V281*
2. Wells Audio Milo**
3. Icon Audio HP8 (TC-tube amp w/the best NOS tubes I could afford)

Of course they don't all sound the same, but in each case, the very special sonic attributes of this headphone got even more audible (and special).

I haven't heard Violectric's new small form-factor desktop units the V202 (single-ended) and V222 (balanced), but I'd get the latter in heartbeat to get that slightly warm, resonant, great-bass Vio sound for the Caldera. The V222 if often described as sounding very similar to the V281 (by contrast, the bigger/more expensive new Vio models have gone further into "neutrality," which after hearing the V281, isn't such an appealing thought).

*The V281 has been my favorite amp (period) for 5+ years. Yesterday I was astounded to hear there's a limited edition reissue of the V281 now accepting pre-orders by the very fine U.S. agent for Violectric, Arthur Power:
https://power-holdings-inc.com/Violectric-HPA-V281-Reissue-Headphone-Amp-p585718067

**The Milo has extreme power (26dB). That means unless your DAC is single ended and putting out lower than usual voltage (ie, 1-1.5V vs trad SE output of 2.0V); or you have a DAC with a transparent, high-quality volume pot--it's difficult to use the Milo for any headphone, even a planar. I have a DAC w/good volume pot AND ordered my Milo w/the per-channel 13 dB attenuator switches, so I'm good to go w/any headphone.

Interesting. I'll see if I can get some info on the Violectric V222...interesting product.