Thank you!
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Put this on the front page and make him a community author. From how you write, it’s clear you’ll fit right in here 
Great read and welcome to SA!
I’m curious enough to try the Caldera at some point and feel like you have a good description of where its strengths are but more importantly how it compares to other ZMFs which is very helpful (I haven’t heard the RAD unfortunately)
How do you think of it compared to the Susvara?
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Thank you! Happy to be here. Great content and info.
To my ears, the Caldera’s technical performance gets it a seat at the table with the other flagships such as the Susvara, unlike prior ZMFs. The Susvara is more transparent, with sharper edges to the notes and more treble information. The Caldera has more physicality and is richer in the mids and upper bass, with less sparkle but which is nudged upward with the suede pads. Sub bass is similar in detail, texture, and extension. Each are excellent at conveying soundscape, room, spatial, transient, and micro information. Susvara leans more elegant and with finesse/precision. Susvara is like filet mignon, green tea, Chambolle Musigny Pinot Noir. Caldera is like NY strip, oolong, Vosne Romanee. Where the Susvara aligns more with the drier and more transparent presentation of certain Eddie Current tube amps and WA33, the Caldera aligns more with the not overdone richness of DNA. It would likely come down to preferences and pairings. For what I listen for, I find the Caldera more engaging and balanced.
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That’s some high praise for the Caldera!
I’m actually more interested now to see how it balances with my WA33 and if that ends up being a perfect balance or a complete boring disaster.
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Wow, great review, and welcome also. Thanks too for the heads up on that other forum you posted this!
Yours and my sonic preferences sound similar enough that your Caldera write up is super helpful. Our chains are different, but my feelings re Rosson, Atrium, and Verite closely align.
I primarily run my headphones through a Schiit Yggy OG and Burson Soloist GT. With that combo the RAD-0 and the Atrium both sound pretty fantastic, but different of course. You pretty much nailed the differences above with staging and sound signature differences.
Great write up, glad you’re here! 
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Pardon the lag, one of those days.
I can see the WA33 and Caldera being a superlative pairing. The push-pull design and added power of the WA33 should have authority over the drivers and encourage macrodynamics which the Caldera can benefit from. The Woo also throws a massive stage with spatial information that the Caldera should fit like a glove. The tradeoff is richness and tonal weight, but could be in line with your preferences. It’s highly unlikely to be a complete disaster!
@Robson thank you and you bet! Glad you found it helpful and that our sonic preferences line up. Nice stable of gear you have that provide you with alternative presentations.
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I recently sold off my VC, I’d used it as my DD for quite some time. I moved into the VC as I was craving more technical ability, more detail than the Eikon I previously had. I enjoy the ZMF sound and I’ve found that one of the things I enjoyed most about ZMF cans is how much you could tailor them with pad swaps.
Listening to you describe the Caldera, it sounds close/er to a D8K Pro which is what I’ve pared down to now for the most part. I’m a 2-CH guy and and headphones are a necessity more than passion in how enjoy taking my music.
As an observation though it seems to me that a lot of flagship cans don’t have “pad swaps” as part of their feature set so ZMF seems to be alone in that space which may be a value add when compared to other flagships.
I’ll probably never own a Caldera as that ship has sailed for me recently committing to and resourcing headphone cash into my 2 CH system. So I wish Zach luck but I also fear that it may be a case of too little too late in introducing a ZMF planar flagship. Focusing for so long on the aesthetics and riding that wave of financial success but potentially becoming stagnant in the business.
The Caldera seems to have a lot riding on it from a business standpoint so it struck me how the difference in pads may be one of the differentiators between it and other flagships currently at the table. Nothing other than thinking out loud here with the post, like I said, I’m a 2 CH guy.
Welcome BTW.
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We’ve had similar paths. With the Eikon, I liked the larger stage with the Auteur pads. With the VC, I liked the added perceived detail with the Be2 pads. I generally prefer the immediacy of ZMF lambskin pads. I tend to be bass sensitive, where sloppy or bloated bass gets in the way of my enjoyment of the rest of the frequency response.
That should be accurate - while I haven’t heard the D8K Pro, I think I can triangulate to what they sound like based on the impressions of trusted sets of ears.
That is true, and now they offer pads for non-ZMFs. The ability to swap is probably attributable to Zach’s start doing mods before taking things commercial. But then see the counterview of other designers such as Audeze and Rosson: Why We Use Adhesive to Attach Earpads on our Upper-end Headphone Model - Audeze
Timing is everything.
We shall see. 2022 has been a banner year of sorts for ZMF with the introductions of the Atrium and Caldera. I didn’t enjoy previously ceasing to be a ZMF owner when my ears led me elsewhere, and I also questioned their stagnation. It turns out that Zach was in development mode, dealing with the pandemic, and focused on the move to their new space. That momentum may continue with the impending releases of a closed Atrium, closed Caldera, less expensive headphone, etc. It’s possible that a less expensive planar with trickle down technology of the Caldera may be a sweet spot of the lineup.
Similar to wood type, I don’t find the difference in pads to sway a headphone selection or purchase decision from a sonic perspective, but do allow for fine tuning and optimized gear pairings.
I used to be more of a 2-channel guy. I do change up my listening, but personal circumstances have caused me to focus less there. For my current setups and room, I connect more with the music with headphones.
Thank you.
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Amazing write-up and welcome. Based on your impressions looks like the Caldera will be a good match to balance out the incisiveness of the EC Studio. Will try it in the future (instead of the LCD4 which was in my radar as a darker warmer planar)
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Thank you. The EC Studio should be a good match. I understand that Zach designed the Caldera as a planar that could be paired with tube amps, which is consistent with its 60 ohm and 95 dB sensitivity. As an alternative to the LCD4, perhaps consider the Rosson RAD-0. To help with the comfort, I use a suspension strap that a friend made and recently received this ZMF crescent strap. Crescent Snap – ZMF Headphones
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Nice! Is that ZMF Crescent Snap new? I don’t recall seeing it before.
Did you get the suspension strap that @rustyrat makes? (he’s on forum.headphones.com) It’s a really solid idea, well made, works well too.
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I believe it just started selling in the last couple days. Zach just posted a video on YT today.
Indeed, I have a rustyrat strap! It works quite well and greatly improves comfort.
I’m considering removing the stock cushion from the RAD and using the ZMF button strap. However, the removal is irreversible and destroys the stock headband. The added cushion of the ZMF strap isn’t fully enjoyed because one’s head only makes contact with the center portion of the ZMF strap where the stock cushion resides and doesn’t make contact with the rest of the ZMF strap.
Otherwise I find the two to be on par, with the ZMF having a higher potential upside.
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Just bought a couple of those crescent snaps to see if they might help out comfort on the mysphere. Always thought if the mesh padding of the mysphere was replaced with soft leather it’d make things way more comfortable for me, but we’ll see. Even if it doesn’t work out I’m sure I’ll find a use for them on other headphones.
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I was lucky enough to borrow a Caldera yesterday, with a full complement of pads, and have had multiple hours using it over 2 days.
My chain was Mojo Mystique X SE → Pass HPA-1 (also borrowed) , using the following cables:
Silver DHC Molecule Elite - very detailed and textured, neutral signature with no warmth (but not bright).
Copper DHC Complement-C - less detailed than Molecule Elite, warm signature, where mids and upper bass are accentuated, treble is slightly rolled off.
Copper Danacables Lazuli OG - least detailed, nice warm mids, more even in tone than Complement-C.
Music was a mixture of rock, punk/indie, 80s synth pop, jazz.
Audio preferences/biases: I probably value technicality a little less than many other high-end audio owners, instead relying on my subconscious reaction to the music, i.e. of something is less technical, but I’m enjoying it, then I’ll keep it.
I’ll start by warning any ZMF fans that you may feel disappointed when you first hear these, if you have the expectation that it has that warm ZMF house sound. I fully expected it to sound like the RAD-0 (which I’ve previously described as “If ZMF ever designed a planar, it would sound like this”), but it is much more neutral, and more detailed.
TLDR: My first reaction was “I don’t like this, I’m going to buy an Atrium instead”. My conclusion was “I love this, I’m going to buy one”.
Maybe the best way to describe my journey between 2 extremes is to describe my reaction to the different pads.
I first tried the stock “Caldera” lambskin pads, which are very neutral. However the uber-detailed combo of Pass HPA-1/stock pads/Molecule Elite was too much of a good thing for me, as it gave cymbals more sizzle than I can take. Complement-C brought the treble down, but pushed the mids too much, so the winner for me was the Lazuli, which added the warmth I was craving. There was still plenty of detail and texture, but less so than the Molecule Elite. If I were to keep these pads, I’d consider going up the Danacable range to keep the warmth but expose more of the detail that I know the Caldera has.
I then tried the cow hide pads, which are warmer than the stock lambskin. They paired very well with the silver Molecule Elite cable. This was my favorite combination by far, as I got a combination of huge stage, lots of detail but slightly warm of neutral tone. It is still more neutral than than a RAD-0 or typical ZMF dynamic, but it was a magical feeling to be enveloped in a big bubble of sound. Vocals are holographic. Bass is lean but tight and well defined. Both stringed and brass instruments have a 3D texture, whether it’s rock or jazz. I think the RAD-0 gives synths a bit more body, but the Caldera is not lacking.
I didn’t like the suede pads and couldn’t find a pad/cable combo that hit the spot for me. They had a nice tone, less sizzle in the treble than the stock, but vocals sounded either distant or muffled, depending on which cable I used.
The Caldera has a different signature than my other headphones, much more neutral and detailed, but that’s a good reason to buy it as a complement to my existing collection (RAD-0, Verite, Stellia) rather than an Atrium, which is more of a variation of what I already have.
After my initial negative reaction to the stock pads and silver cable, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to spend any more time with the Caldera, but I’m so glad I persevered.
Teaser for part 2: I will be borrowing a DHC Prion 4 cable tomorrow. It has lots and lots more silver than my Molecule Elite, so it will be interesting to find out how it sounds with the various pads.
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It looks like it would be great for Focal, especially the Clear OG. It would make it more comfy and protect the light colored headband.
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I should specify that I haven’t heard the Susvara with speaker amps or amps beyond WA33 EE, Feliks Envy, and HPA4. While it’s been established that the Susvara scales, the Caldera’s ceiling has yet to be determined. However, see comparison here from Peter at DHC using AHB2.
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Outstanding take! Even if I hadn’t heard Caldera, your carefully crafted attention to both technical performance and preferences would have steered me to understand them well.
I don’t have much to add, except that Caldera stole the show for me as well at SoCal. I brought Nautilus with and stayed up way too late running through track after track on Caldera. I’ve been missing that sound ever since.
Atrium on Nautilus has been my favorite setup for rich vocals and natural timbre; I immediately gravitated to material like classic rock (60’s / 70’s), and uncomplicated arrangements that highlight vocals and natural instruments. It’s my favorite chain for connecting with music on an emotional level, when I can sit down and listen, and get lost in the music.
I tend to prefer planars for electronic music–the extreme precision of ultra fast drivers renders artificial soundscapes with stunning focus and clarity, which really heightens my listening experience with that type of material. I daily drive Hypsos / Oor on my desk and lately have been running headphones like Susvara, Elite, and CA-1A with plenty of electronic stylings that keep me focused while I work.
Caldera managed to combine my favorite aspects of both of these families of setups, delivering a jaw dropping listening experience with modern music styles that fuse engineered sound with natural instruments, vocals, etc. Whatever compromises might be made at one end of the spectrum or the other felt immaterial next to the ability to throw on anything at all and be wowed by the experience.
Synergy with Nautilus was intoxicating. I’ve always liked ZMF cans on tubes, but Caldera was just next level. I found myself not even wanting to reach for Atrium, and feeling a bit guilty for that, but there was nothing not to like. I covered as much ground as could be covered in several hours of marathon listening and still had to force myself to go to bed before the sun came up. 
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Somewhat. I think Caldera still has more richness / ZMF tuning magic to it, but that’s untested theory / expectation, so take that with a grain of salt. I’m rocking D8KP LE right now, and the DNA is similar to Caldera in the sense that it doesn’t feel quite as neutral as Susvara, but has a bit more energy to the presentation, making it a touch more lively and engaging. Both are still on the neutral side as opposed to “fun” or colored tuning.
I need to do more listening. 
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Which tap do you like to use on the Nautilus? I was originally using 32 ohms for neutrality but Zach recommended that I try 100 ohms, which thickens up guitars a little, more to my preference, and that is my favorite.
The Caldera also has great synergy with the MZ3. I didn’t think it would have enough power but I only had to turn the volume knob up from my normal 25ish to about 35. The MZ3 gives it nice rich mids that are great for relaxing listening.
I’ve decided that I like the stock pads with a good copper cable the best. The yet-to-be released DHC Chimera cable sounds outstanding but costs about the same as the headphones.
Looking for something affordable, I realized I hadn’t actually tried the stock ZMF OFC cable yet, and was shocked at how much I liked it. This makes sense because Zach had told me that he tunes his headphones using stock cables. That led me to an Arctic Cuprum that I normally use for travelling, but I knew from experience that it had a similar sonic profile to a ZMF cable, but it has a little better clarity, stage and smoothness, possibly due to the OCC copper.
Listening on the Nautilus right now. The Caldera appears to be able to handle any genre I throw at it. It’s speed is perfect for the intricate guitar playing in “Saturday Night In San Francisco” by Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin & Paco De Lucia. Switching to some Latin-influenced pop, like Gloria Estefan, brings out the rhythm of the music. Switching to “Pneuma” by Tool or “Trampled Under Foot” by Led Zep shows that it can rock out.
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I don’t recall, but might have been 16. Given that I only had a few hours to play, I didn’t spend a lot of time messing with configuration (e.g., zero pad rolling). Every minute I had was “what does this one sound like?”
Thanks for the pointer on 100 ohms. I’ll be sure to try that once I actually get my Caldera. I already had D8KP LE reserved, so didn’t have budget for a surprise ZMF summit at the show, but it’s the only “must buy” thing on my radar currently.
Right? That’s like what my Saturday night was like at SoCal. I started trying to trip it up at one point then gave up, lol. Everything I threw at it made me want to sit up and listen.
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