ZMF Caldera Review and Impressions

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by Vtory, Sep 12, 2022.

  1. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    For what it's worth. Willing to take input and modify.
    upload_2022-11-30_14-11-34.png

    All headphones optimized with DAC/amp pairings at their best including custom EC amps, Krell monstrosities, long USB defuckifier chains, etc. I either owned this shit, sat on them for a long time, and/or revisited them again and again and again. LCD2C was the A-grade one reviewed here several years ago. Graphs represent maximum potential with respect to gear, recordings, etc. YMMV especially if sub-optimal upstream gear is used. Abyss above is the AB1266 OG non-Phi. For entertainment purposes only.
     
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    Last edited: Nov 30, 2022
  2. neo_the_one

    neo_the_one Acquaintance

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    [scratch] Might be useful to put OG Utopia in there, since it is a headphone a lot of people are familiar with?[/scratch] Also is that Abyss 1266?

    Edit: I see all the headphones are planars.
    Edit: Is there any such graph for popular dynamic drivers? Seems mighty useful for comparing across the board vs FR graphs which tells nearly jack in terms of cmparison.
     
  3. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Yes Abyss 1266 regular edition. I dislike comparing planars and dynamics because any arguments one way or another go nowhere.
     
  4. Vtory

    Vtory Audiophile™

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    While I'm unsure if spider chart is the right way of presentation for audio evaluations, here's my take anyway. Hope everyone enjoys interpersonal rating discrepancies!

    A few descriptions
    • I'm believing Susvara stock pads hugely disservice at least to me .. so alternative pads included
    • Caldera is rated with suede pads.. but stock pads will result in more or less similar scores
    • Anything else is all with stock pads
    • I tried to replicate Marv's axes but with one additional axis and slightly re-defined terms
    • Solid lines mean that I directly ABed (side by side) within 3 weeks and in a very confident environment (usual rig, usual music, my room, etc)
    • Dotted or dashed lines mean I compared depending on my recent memory (dashed: <8 weeks, dotted: <6 months) and/or meet conditions
    • Note that interpersonal variability is always subject to various hidden variables (taste, definition, music, rig/gears, etc)

    upload_2022-11-30_16-44-53.png
     
  5. Philimon

    Philimon Friend

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    Nice but should add some details like model number and year (Audeze!) and some disclaimer noting distant memory comparison (like Vtory).
     
  6. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Included a few sentences. My distant memory comparison is spot on. Everytime I doubt myself and re-examine during a meet, a new opportunity, it's always as per my original assessment. Because of my audio karma, I tend to bump into the same shit over and over again. Heck, even my triangulation is 90% spot on. Did add a YMMV disclaimer.
     
    Last edited: Nov 30, 2022
  7. Philimon

    Philimon Friend

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    I dont doubt your memory is strong but I appreciate you added the disclaimer anyway. Some people are geniuses at specific stuff and its possibly why you were pulled so deep into this hobby. Sometimes when I read high end reviews instead of feeling envy I think to myself that I am glad I dont have their ears and experience because then Id never be happy with my lower (affordable) tier schitt… I groan when someone shares a song with me by playing it over their phone’s speakers.
     
  8. JeremiahS

    JeremiahS Almost "Made"

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    @purr1n
    This is quite a good chart and I mostly agree. I think my OG HE-6 is slightly above the level of Arya Stealth in technical performance but it has dynamism that is not present in modern HFM headphones and also very well tuned, just neutral slightly leaning towards brightness but not edgy.

    I'm not familiar D8000 Pro and I don't really like most Audeze headphones. I think the current TC generation of Abyss headphones are definitely worth trying out. Diana TC is more normal sounding while the AB1266 is weirder but paired with tube amps that help to fill out its midrange, it offers quite a special experience. Both have heft and offer a muscular sound that no other planars have IMHO. I'm more of a HFM man myself but I really like the Abyss house sound also.

    Anyway after thinking about it I think I understand why Caldera didn't really impress (for me) and I'm speaking of a perspective of a primarily planar user (I was using Susvara for a really long time before COVID hits hard and I was forced to sell most of my audio gears, and downgrading to the OG HE-6).

    Caldera is an overall well balanced headphone but I think my main problem is they occupy a difficult spot in ZMF lineup. They're not as romantic and special sounding as the Atrium, Auteur (which can be bought for a lot cheaper) and Verite (I don't like its upper mid tuning but many people are fans) but they don't really offer anything special either to compete against top planars like the Susvara with its extremely balanced and articulate sound or Abysses with their dynamism, timbre and bass response.

    I think Caldera is a good planar option for those who are primarily ZMF dynamic users but I'm sorry to say that other brands have more compelling choice if you want to experience the best planar has to offer. I hope I don't offend anyone.
     
  9. zach915m

    zach915m MOT: ZMF Headphones

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    My goal with the Caldera was to create something that is different from what else is on the market and could add to a collection of headphones rather than make something that "bests" the rest of the world of planar headphones. I own all the aforementioned headphones - there's so many amazing planars, trying to make betterer would be a failing journey! I do totally understand that it is odd for us to release a planar after focusing on dynamics for years.

    I'm not sure why you're worried about offending anyone, it's a subjective hobby where we can use objective data to figure out our personal tastes.

    What is odd to me is that you're making finite statements about Caldera after demo'ing it at Zeppelin and Co (or BTM) for a couple of hours, and haven't owned it or had an in home demo. I think these contexts are important for readers, as @purr1n and @Vtory have included theirs to help people find context.

    Please correct me if I'm wrong.

    Caldera changes a lot with sources weirdly, and its hard to make finite statements on it without trying more than a couple sources.

    All viewpoints are valid and helpful when situation and subjectivity are presented.
     
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    Last edited: Dec 1, 2022
  10. JeremiahS

    JeremiahS Almost "Made"

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    @zach915m
    That is a very fair comment , I'll try to put more clearer disclosure next time.

    I do agree that Caldera is surprisingly quite transparent to what is feeding them, both the Cayin HA300 MK2 and Bakoon are leaning towards a warm type of sound, perhaps a better result could be gotten from a sharper, more precision oriented amp like the HeadAmp GS-X MK2. I will see if I can demo them again with my own GS-X. This is interesting because usually ZMF headphones do better with tube amps, at least in my experience...

    English is not my first language so sometimes I don't get across my meaning clearly. My statement is also related in regards to pricing and I just happen to feel the pricing of Caldera is high enough that it's getting scarily close to the staple like Susvara (which is a better all rounder IMHO), at least in my country. Atrium is such a very fairly priced headphone that offer a lot for the money so I guess that also affected my thinking a bit in regards to your lineup.
     
  11. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    What was interesting to me after the chart:
    1. These are all different headphones that excel at different things.
    2. Caldera isn't at the top with respect to what most people typically associate with planar things.
    3. OG HE-6 modded, while beat in many aspects by newer planars, is still a very competitive all-rounder, assuming one has a suitable monoblocks to power it.
     
    Last edited: Dec 1, 2022
  12. Jinxy245

    Jinxy245 Vegan Puss

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    I’ll start as I usually do with sincere thanks to ZMF for allowing this amazing headphone to go out on loan. They were generous enough to allow a considerable amount of time in order to put it through it’s paces and I sincerely enjoyed my time with them. There’s a lot of info already out there about the Caldera's development and construction, I think it's worth reading & watching:

    https://www.zmfheadphones.com/caldera-acoustic-design
    https://www.zmfheadphones.com/measurements



    Fit, Comfort and build

    ZMF has a reputation for making headphones that are on the heavier side, and the Caldera is no exception (490 - 560 grams in current stock wood). IME ZMF also makes these headphones as comfortable as possible with their well padded headbands and suspension straps. Personally I've found that they never disappear on the head, but I've also never had an issue wearing ZMFs for hours at a time.

    Like all ZMFs I've seen to date, the Caldera is simply beautiful for my tastes. The craftsmanship is impeccable, and the design is appealing. I'm always surprised how aesthetically pleasing I find each new ZMF release, but I probably shouldn't be. Zach and company have been at this for a while, and the quality of parts as well as the overall care in assembly is evident.

    Review Details

    Before I offer my listening impressions, I’ll start with a little about myself and other points of interest. I’m over 50 years old and have less than perfect hearing. I’ve been a music lover for as long as I can remember, and my preference leans toward the warm side of neutral. I’m a huge believer in the “my ears/your ears” axiom, and I believe the signal chain makes a difference. Feel free to liberally add as many mental IMOs and YMMVs as you want while reading.

    My chain for playback is various WAV, FLAC, & MP3 files from my refurbed HP Elite Desk via USB to a Bifrost 2 to either my ifi Pro iCAN (1st version) or ZMF Pendant (also 1st version). The Caldera sounded wonderful from both the Pendant as well as the ifi, but I had a slight preference for the Pendant and did the majority of my listening utilizing that amp. No need to burn in during this go around since I have it on good authority that it has a couple of hundred hours on it already.

    Sensitivity

    For a planar the Caldera is fairly efficient with about 95db efficiency and 60 0hm impedance. As mentioned I only used my ifi Pro iCAN & Pendant which can drive them easily, but you can probably get decent results from many lower and mid tier priced rigs. I'd wager synergy will play a part here, but that is usually the case IME. If you're going to invest in a headphone of this caliber it makes sense to play it on a chain that'll maximize performance, but it's good to know that it's not a requirement for enjoyment.

    Sound

    When you hear the Caldera it is easy to hear the ZMF roots in the sound. I appreciate Zach's commitment to creating something unique with each headphone, which is evident when listening to the 1st fully in house designed ZMF planar. I only had one set of pads on hand which I can only assume were the stock lambskin pads, and I had no issues with them sound or comfort wise.

    I think I understand why others have noted that the Caldera doesn't sound like a stereotypical planar. There is a recent trend (that seems to be thankfully changing) of utilizing the thinnest micro-nano-quark-sized diaphragm chasing the fastest transients and the lightest airiest sound. The stereotype speaks more to that trend than to planar technology itself. Obviously a planar can be tuned differently just as any driver out there. Hopefully the caldera will help to hasten the demise of this unwarranted bias.

    Even though ZMF doesn't incorporate the thinnest most agile driver here, there is plenty of speed for my tastes. It is definitely faster than any beryllium drivers I've heard, but it's certainly not trying to sound like an electrostat. The flip side of that sonic coin is that there is a certain amount of heft & weight to the notes that you also wouldn't necessarily associate with the current crop of planars. Combined with the novel magnet structure and ADS (Atrium Dampening System, patent pending at the time of writing) the result is something fairly unique, which I believe was Zach's goal.

    Bass

    If you like the ZMF house sound I think there's a lot you'll like here. Being a planar, sub bass reaches low and it also has decent impact. More importantly there's texture and nuance to the bass; uprights don't sound electric, finger and pick plucking is audible, and electronic music is a joy.

    Mid-bass is more subdued but is still full, rich and present. The emphasis is slight here, not bombastic, overblown nor bleeding into the mids. It's still a ZMF so probably more than many would describe as neutral, but Caldera sounds rather even throughout the spectrum to my ears.I found it easy to hear into busy passages, not just in the bass level, but I did notice it the most there.

    Mids

    The mids sound a bit more dry than I'd expect from a ZMF, but it's far from sterile or brittle. The slight recess around 1khz that others have mentioned didn't bother me in the least and wasn't particularly noticeable for me, unless that somehow contributed to the sense of dryness I noted. Either way vocals, both male and female, as well as all manner of brass & strings had plenty of detail and presence without edging into being perceived as shouty, shrill or overdone.

    Treble

    The treble is not your embellished over emphasized ear dagger by any means, however I found there to be more sparkle than I'm used to enjoying without fatigue. Despite this I has no issues listening to Caldera for hours on end without discomfort.There definitely could be a YMMV here given hearing loss. Also notably Caldera nails the timber of cymbals and such better than many other planars I've heard.

    Detail

    Detail retrial is quite good, I'd say among the best I've heard. It's not what I sometimes call hyper-revealing where the presentation is all about magnifying details, but I found plenty of sonic information when I listened for it. I found that if I did concentrate I could isolate many hidden gems in the music, but more often than not I found myself getting lost in the song itself. I think detail is important when it's lacking but at a certain point that emphasis can be distracting for me. Caldera straddles that line without ever crossing over.

    Compared to Atrium

    I don't have a planar on hand that would be a good comparison here (just the HiFiMan 400i & a memory of some time spent with the D8000 - not the pro) so I figured the Atrium would be a good side by side despite the drivers being different tech. Note I'm using the stock Universe pads with the Atrium & the solid mesh (I'll have to try the perforated mesh one day since many people I know that have heard both seem to prefer it).

    Comfort

    Despite being about the same weight (cherry Atrium is also supposed to be 490g), I found the Atrium to feel a bit lighter. IDK if it's because of clamp or weight distribution, but it was noticeable for me. Keep in mind I had no comfort issues with Caldera, but it's worth noting.

    Bass

    Caldera bass definitely reaches lower with a more even mid-bass, and the Atrium has a more pronounced mid-bass accentuation. Atrium sub-bass does roll off yet it is still audible if not as forceful. Caldera is tighter, Atrium looser though no where near flabby or indistinct. Atrium definitely slams harder though Caldera is no slouch.

    Mids

    Caldera mids are slightly dry and Atrium comes off as more lush yet both presentations I found extremely engaging. Caldera had a bit more lower mid presence and the Atrium a slight push in the upper mids in comparison. Neither sound too forward nor too recessed to my ears, though my mids preference seems to lean toward the Atrium overall. I'll note here that overall I found the Atrium to be more forgiving of sub-par recordings, and the mids may have a bit to do with that I think.

    Treble

    As mentioned treble is indeed not my strong suit, but from what I can hear Caldera is less rolled off and more even and airy up top. IDK if it's related to the treble but I found that Caldera was more resolving overall in comparison to the Atrium though not by a huge margin. Detail was easier to discern, and I found that especially so in the treble region.

    Headstage

    Headstage is wide deep & coherent. The Atrium bests it to my ears, but Caldera definitely has a great sense of width & definitely depth. Height isn't lacking, I just didn't find it to be on par with with the other axes, and I didn't find it to be distracting. There is still a great sense of space and "realness" that I don't often find with other headphones. Both headphones draw me in like few others I've heard, and though the Atrium does seem to have an advantage I wasn't turned off by the Caldera staging at all.

    End Words

    After comparing the two I'm not sure I could pick one over the other, both the Atrium & Caldera are an absolute pleasure to listen to for my tastes. When going back & forth comparing songs I found myself having a slight preference, but it was never for the same headphone. I always enjoyed what each headphone brought to the table, and it was always track dependent. If I didn't already own the Atrium I could definitely see myself saving for a Caldera since the sub bass reach and overall detail appeal to me. Owning the Atrium already I don't feel I'm missing anything, and the Atrium's strengths align well with my preferences. If I had the money, I would more than likely have them both in my stable. IMO Caldera is definitely worthy of it's co-flagship status and is worth checking out.
     
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  13. DJ XtAzY

    DJ XtAzY Acquaintance

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    My VC with the magnesium chassis is also around the same weight as your Atrium and I do find them to be lighter. Caldera does have a stronger clamp force, but no discomfort issue as well.

    For me I had to eq up 1.5 khz region by a few DBs. It helped bring out the female vocals for me a lil bit more and slightly more "wet"?

    Honestly, the Caldera is getting more head time compared to my VC. I guess I really do prefer the mids to be more forward. I wish I have the Atrium to compare with.

    I also agree with this too (although I can't compare to other planars since Caldera is my first planar). I think you will also enjoy the treble with the suede pads.

    Since I have the 3F, I definitely prefer this with the nickel transformers over the amorphous for treble, but I think it was the other way around for the VC. The amorphous made the treble a slightly hot for some of the tracks I listened to.
     
  14. bokonon

    bokonon New

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    Can Ragnarok be a good pairing?
     
  15. earnmyturns

    earnmyturns Smartest friend

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    I'm a bad, impatient reviewer. Just got my Caldera and at the same time, following @jexby, a Ferrum Oor. I know, I know. I should not comment on headphones (and maybe amps) barely burned-in, but I can't resist calling out this combo's so detailed, multilayered rendering of the jazz drumset, especially cymbals, snares, including sharp attacks and decays full of slowly vanishing texture. I'd say that the bass feels somewhat disjoint from the rest at this point, but I'm starting to see this new combo as the analytical counter to Stellaris+Atrium. The weird thing is that it does not sound dry to me, just a bit disjointed and raw for now, but the potential seems to be there for a different but very worthy alternative to my other setups.

    PS. My wife, who hears and explains better than me, says that what stands out is how each note pops up on its own and does not bleed into neighboring notes.
     
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  16. JeremiahS

    JeremiahS Almost "Made"

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    That good separation of notes is a planar specialty.
     
  17. penguins

    penguins Friend, formerly known as fp627

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    Just realized I had notes from after my initial listen but forgot to post them. Same as before - I had these for only a few days before the official loaner started. These notes were written as I listened over the few days I had it.
    ------------------------
    TLDR version - good headphone, but it's not for me. I was going to buy the Atrium until I saw the Caldera was going to be out soon. After hearing both a few times, I'm definitely buying the Atrium later on as it matches my preferences much better.

    Summary and Sound:
    - Based on memory, I actually agree with most other reviews here on their general thoughts w/ regards to the sound - I just don't personally like this HP as much as they did. (This sentence was written right now, not as I listened).

    - The Caldera sounds relatively neutral for ZMF and probably the least ZMF sauce of any ZMF beyond just a neutral FR.
    - There is also a good chance the Caldera has better technical performance than the Atrium but I can't judge fairly as I don't think my chain was up to it (see below + purrin's comments about this HP needs the right gear).
    - To me, the overall defining sound like it would have pretty minimal distortion and "good measurements". I realize this probably doesn't make sense to most people, but I don't have another way to say it. Don't interpret this as me saying it's "ASR-fi" or ear grating or is that "wire with gain = digital nastiness"
    - Probably the least "planar sounding" planar I've heard in recent memory and no random planar oddities that keep me from really getting into planars.

    - Unfortunately, it's not for me as this HP just wasn't engaging for me. I don't think this is just "I don't like planars" either - I've heard several other planars that were engaging for me.
    - Of all things, the notes actually felt like they had no weight
    - It also felt like almost everything (different genres, types of music, languages or instrumentals) had no cadence - and oddly, this HP doesn't have bad PRaT.
    * However, once again, while I'd say at least 50% of the blame is on the headphone for the 3 issues above, I don't know how much of the other 50% is due to my chain (see below).
    ----------------------------
    Other Sound Notes:
    It has the least "planar" sound out almost any modern planar I can think of. Least planar timbre and glossed over notes, least wall of sound, least other "planar sins of commission". Notes were also more "clear" sounding than other planars. Notes also had their natural texture and oscillation in them - something that planars normally don't do right for me, which really bugs me [EDIT: To clarify - this natural texture wasn't on every setup I used, but based on what I did hear, this planar can actually do it.]

    However, is also has the least weight in the bass and other notes and is not as engaging to me (maybe I need a different amp though). No heft or slam in bass - much less than Atrium actually. But somehow without the "soft-fi man" sound of the new HFMs despite no weight in notes.
    ------------------------------

    GEAR:

    As purrin says above, this headphone needs to be properly paired. I'm going to write a bit about the gear I used because the results weren't what I expected. If it's too long - I underline the key points.

    DACs:
    I still speculate that a Burl B2, Prism Callia, or 50/50 maybe a Bricasti M3 would probably be the "right" DACs to use here, depending on the amp used and personal preference.


    With my own gear:
    After a few more days of listening, I settled on listening to the Caldera out of the SW51 with the Yggdrasil A2 and a modded Modi MB using the SE out. Modi MB because it adds some thickness and a hint of richness that I think this HP needs. Richness comes via the almost sort of tape reel sound that the Modi MB. I personally also think this HP sounds better with a hint of the syrupy sound the MMB has - and I'm not someone who typically tries to add syrupy sound. Yggdrasil because it gets closer to the level of performance that this HP can offer while having much better synergy to me than the Spring 2. It not only "pushes" the headphone a bit, but it also brings some life and texture to the overall sound. Spring 2 lacks push/direction/cadence to a degree at times and that certainly isn't helping my lack of cadence complaint above. This is in addition to several other minor complaints I had about the S2 with this HP.

    Amps:
    Bluntly put - If I were to try the Caldera again, I want a different amp than what I've tried so far.
    Given how much this HP costs, it needs an amp that can do it justice and squeeze the $3k+ worth of juice out of the lemon, not just "enough" juice. I'd probably want to try with a SPL Phonitor or ECP DSHA 3F as a base level reference. I speculate that the phonitor would have more control and add a little umph to the sound while the 3F would be able to add more engagement. If I could find one, I'd also want to try Audeze's "The King" hybrid amp - that amp also seems to make planars sound more engaging but as a hybrid option instead of SS. Last option would maybe an amp based on a particular Nelson Pass based DIY amp I heard (I don't remember which number) - relatively neutral sound that I speculate would pair well with the strengths of the Caldera, but I remember that particular amp also driving other planars like they were toys and I want to see what this HP can do when it's properly driven.

    However, with the amps I did hear it with:
    With the Cavalli LC - it was a bit of a conundrum. The headphone sounds much better driven than with the Stellaris, Vali2+, and SW51+, but somehow, if felt like something was missing in the sound. Unusual given how full and thick the Cavalli house sound is. The HP wasn't quite dry, it wasn't quite thin, wasn't missing anything obvious, and it wasn't because the HP was missing the extra "fill" I normally expect from the LC. Anyways, I don't have a better way to express what was missing, but something was definitely missing. I don't think I've ever said this about the LC with planars before other than with the HE6 simply b/c the LC isn't a speaker amp - anyone who has tried the HE6 before on a good speaker amp + pre before knows what I'm talking about. (For reference, the LC puts 5W or so into 50ohm, which I assume is via nominal RMS at 1 khz).

    When listening again with the Stellaris the same thing happened as my initial listen + post - all the notes from just about any instrument felt weightless and not present. I think the circuit and topology just doesn't do well with a lot of planars despite it being the king of the hill with dynamics and my favorite piece of audio equipment. Even at meets, I rarely see or hear of anyone using a planar with a DNA amp for any extended period of time.

    With the Vali2+ in high gain (fed by Yggdrasil only, I don't really like this amp with the modded Modi MB or Spring 2), it was actually OK. It felt "mostly" driven actually (Schiit website says Vali 2+ outputs 1W/channel into 50ohm). There weren't any obvious flaws. It added some texture back to the notes somehow to where it almost didn't sound like a planar anymore. In low gain it sounded about the same but without the texture in the notes and slightly blunted macro and micro dynamics. However, the headphone needs a "bigger amp" to do it real justice for serious listening, the technical performance isn't there, and bluntly put, the Caldera was just a bit boring on the Vali2+.

    With the SW51+ - Once again, just like @ChaChaRealSmooth said, this pairing was a total surprise (see my initial post on page 2). However, while it was good, I wouldn't say it does the headphone full justice, so keep in mind my positive comments here are relative. Anyways - the HP doesn't sound as well driven as it did with the Vali2+ (SW51 = ~220mW into 32ohm nominal) but it's not as under driven as I would have expected per the specs and the sound is more engaging than with my other amps if that makes sense. It also seems to wake something up in this headphone and sort of puts some of the cadence back into the sound - I don't know how to describe it better though. Some overall richness is added to the sound and some of the extra harmonic richness this amp is known for is also added. (Neither are good or bad, I realize some people actually dislike amps adding richness while others like it). Also on a neutral note, somehow the amp doesn't actually "sound like an SW51" when used with this HP. Downside is the technical performance still isn't there - not just because "it's not a TOTL amp", but because it's just not quite there as a pairing.

    At Can Jam, I used this with a dcS Lina stack, Bakoon amp + DAC, and another unknown to me amp (if anyone recognized it - it was to the left of the Lina stack, roughly the same size as a Stratus / Stellaris with big diameter capacitors sticking out the top of the case). Similar to the LC, I actually think all 3 drove the Caldera better than the Stellaris, Vali2+, and SW51, but I didn't find the Caldera engaging with any of these.

    Cables and stuff:
    I didn't like my silver cable with the Caldera. I ended up using the stock cable although if I were to buy one of these, I'd consider an upgraded copper cable. If you don't believe in cables, that's fine too.


    Wood:
    All other ZMF headphones I've heard in the past change a lot more than one may expect (mostly with transients, decay, a bit of the thickness / thinness, etc.) with different wood and I've wanted to change the stock wood on every ZMF I've heard before. However, I think the the stock oak is a good pairing. If I were to try a different wood, it would probably be a different type of oak for looks or another wood that could introduce slightly better or more natural decay (planar decay has always been a bit weird to me).

    -----------------------------
    I could also give some comparisons to other planars for triangulation purposes. Excluding though because I just don't have that much recent experience with planars, some opinions are only based on demos, and I do not consider my own opinions definitive.
     
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  18. earnmyturns

    earnmyturns Smartest friend

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    Interesting. I was a bit concerned with this before I got the Caldera, but at least from HQPlayer>May>Oor, I'm getting solid, 3D notes in my typical mix of small ensemble jazz. Just listening to the classic "Body and Soul" played by Aaron Parks, Matt Brewer, and Eric Harland (outstanding trio!) and piano, bass, and drums all fill their respective spaces, but again without any bleeding across them. Bass is less lush than if I were using Stellaris>Atrium rather than Oor>Caldera, as one might expect, the difference is somewhat like two different jazz venues, Oor>Caldera more like a modern, neutral-tending, open space like SFJAZZ, Stellaris>Atrium more like a traditional jazz club like Village Vanguard.
     
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  19. Vtory

    Vtory Audiophile™

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    I'm hearing this way, too. But I enjoyed reading what @penguins claimed (thanks for the honest opinions!). Good to see the product portfolio (Caldera-Atrium-Verite) is covering individual diversity.
     
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  20. penguins

    penguins Friend, formerly known as fp627

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    This. I think we're much better off being able to choose the right HP for our preferences rather than having everything sound like tweaked versions of the same sound.

    Regarding perceived lack of weight - I did try this very briefly on chacha's EC UL when I returned the HP. This thing can power and HP sufficiently, including the HE6. IIRC, it had more weight with that amp, but still didn't have the weight I was expecting out of either a planar or higher end dynamic. Hence my assessment. Only reason it wasn't mentioned above was because I'm not super familiar with the amp and it was for only 5-10 minutes.
     
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