[erics75]

It really is quite something, how the sound can be so energetic and exciting, yet non fatiguing at the same time. When I first start to listen, I always think ok this is close to my threshold up top, and then I get used to it after a few tracks, and then it seems I can listen forever without fatigue. They really are something special.

So what is Zach doing to get this effect? I'm thinking he's grinding up unicorns into dust and sprinkling them onto the drivers... Don't share this with anyone, it's a spy photo from inside the ZMF compound.... poor things.....

 

[LXMc]

So what is Zach doing to get this effect? I'm thinking he's grinding up unicorns into dust and sprinkling them onto the drivers... Don't share this with anyone, it's a spy photo from inside the ZMF compound.... poor things.....

 

[iamoneagain]

I'm a big metal listener, and I am really enjoying it with the CC. Guitars have a nice crunchy hardness to them that reminds me of the live version. And the mids in general are a perfect amount of forward enough without being too forward. Bass is tight and powerful, and solos have good bite and enough presence to make you clinch, just like the real thing! It's a more lively and energetic response than the AC, which is bassier, smoother, and less forward in the mids. I'm not sure I'd say the CC is "better" than the AC yet for metal, but definitely as good, just different. Been going down memory lane today with my old thrash favorites like Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Pantera, Anthrax, etc. And to follow up on the Tuba/CC combo, it's been awesome! Not Stratus good, but more than enough to keep me satisfied. The CC is a fast aggressive listen so far for me at work, but I'm not fatigued yet. That's a good sign. And i've been distracted by the music all day, enjoying the CC's rendition of my beloved favorites. Mustaine shredding on Megadeth's early stuff is really exciting.

One thing that keeps coming into my head with the CC is it's Grado-like in it's speed and attack. Aggressive and energetic, with forward mids and treble. But unlike Grado, I'm not getting tired yet. Even the best Grados i've heard tire me out within an hour. My ears ring too much and I have to stop. Not so here, so far at least! But woo this headphone is fun. As i learn it more i'm seeing a pattern develop in regards to my preferences and the overall ZMF lineup. I adore the Atriums, Bokeh, and Atticus. The slower, bassier, warmer headphones. This is more like the Auteur in it's brighter nature, and makes for an excellent compliment to those other models. At lunch I ran home and grabbed my LCD2 Closed for fun. It only took a few tracks for me to toss it back in the case and end that experiment. It just has nothing against the CC. It was thinner, more strident, less resolving, and overall just hazier and less engaging. I really need to sell it, i'm just lazy right now. So anyone thinking they can save money and approximate the CC with the LCD2C....don't even bother. If the CC is out of your budget get a Bokeh, or keep saving.

One thing I do want to try is the other mesh, the black one. @zach915m which mesh has the most treble attenuation? The red or black?

It’s interesting that you mention Grado. They were my first love in this hobby. Well the Ety ER4 was first and then Grado. Started with a Senn H650 and while impressed with the sound it didn’t move me with rock music. I never got fatigued by Grado but was looking for something with a little more soundstage. The bagel style pads on later models didn’t have same magic. Didn’t find that magic again until the AT L3000 and then finally the Caldera. Well if I knew about ZMF early might have found it on other models. Some people hate Grado but for me, they captured a feeling and feel ZMF does that too but on a higher level.

 

[Wes S]

So what is Zach doing to get this effect? I'm thinking he's grinding up unicorns into dust and sprinkling them onto the drivers... Don't share this with anyone, it's a spy photo from inside the ZMF compound.... poor things.....

LOL! I think it just might be Zach's tuning with the ADS. . .

 

[Wes S]

LOL! Clever pic!

 

[G8torbyte]

 

[erics75]

It’s interesting that you mention Grado. They were my first love in this hobby. Well the Ety ER4 was first and then Grado. Started with a Senn H650 and while impressed with the sound it didn’t move me with rock music. I never got fatigued by Grado but was looking for something with a little more soundstage. The bagel style pads on later models didn’t have same magic. Didn’t find that magic again until the AT L3000 and then finally the Caldera. Well if I knew about ZMF early might have found it on other models. Some people hate Grado but for me, they captured a feeling and feel ZMF does that too but on a higher level.

I do love my Grados, despite the complaints. In short to medium length sessions they're ok, just nothing for me over an hour or two. Even if my ears aren't fatigued, they're itching from those dam pads. I really hate those things. But I've yet to find a better sounding alternative that feels better on the ear. I still have my modded 325 That with a nice tube amp is so fun!

 

[jandrese]

I'll make life harder for you guys. Introducing the Caldera Closed suede pads:




Oh and then there are the mesh permutations:




I hope everyone now sees why a Caldera Closed review merits longer time than pretty much any other set of headphones

Sweet, I prefer the Eikon suede pads on my VC and the suede Caldera pads on the CO. I’ll be getting some suede for the CC for sure!

 

[goldwerger]

The second post in this thread (previously reserved) has been updated for the benefit of future visitors with final specs from @zach915m + some fun glamor shots!!

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/zmf-caldera-closed.972056/#post-18018450

 

[GarlicBiscuit]

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/zmf-caldera-closed.972056/#post-18018450

I have a strong feeling the CC in the third and fourth photos was the exact pair I demoed at Axpona, down to the left/right grain direction. That unit looked really nice in person, probably my favorite ash pair I've seen so far (photo attached for reference).

 

[erics75]

Would love to get some quick and dirty impressions of the CC pads (specially the hybrids/suedes) on the Caldera Open if some generous individual gets a chance

Ok this will be stream of thought as I listen and swap.

Started with the Caldera open thick pads to acclimate myself to the stock sound, and also in between swaps to reacclimate to the stock sound.

CC Hybrid pads:

Odd sounding, stage sounds tall but narrow in width. As ears adjust it gets less intrusive, but still odd. Bass has a somewhat hollow quality to it. Not as thick and impactful. Vocals seem ok. Treble a bit more present. It sounds closer, if that makes any sense. Sharp transients, but overall resolution seems dimmed. Doesn't sound coherent overall, different frequencies mixing poorly with others. Mid bass and vocals conflict at times. David Bowie Golden Years the kick bass makes his hushed lyrics sound muffled. Higher range vocals unaffected, only when he goes low is it problematic. These pads just don't sound like they're made for the CO.

Back to CO thick after CC Hybrid:

Vocals back in place, no bleed/blurring. Bass more dense but seems to hit just slightly more softly. More "delicate" is what comes to mind. Treble sounds more reserved, more in line with the upper mids. Coherent comes to mind. Sounds natural, nothing artificial other than the super fast planar decay, which is present with all pads.

Protein pads:

First, they're tighter to mount! I'm assuming they're shaped for the Bokeh still, it's a tight fit. Shallow pad wall height, ear touching fabric at back of pad. Not uncomfortable. Honestly I don't have an initial reaction. I'm struggling to hear anything significantly different from the CO thick pads. Maybe a slightly nasal quality to male vocals. "Slight". Bass seems good. No bleed. If anything, i'd say the overall sound is a bit subdued vs the CO thick pads. A bit more "tame", for lack of a better word. Transients not quite as snappy. Highs a bit smoother. But overall sounds oddly like the CO thick pads.

Calling all CO owners with access to the Bokeh protein pads, give me a sanity check please. I'm just not hearing a big difference between the protein pads and CO thick pads. I won't use the other CO pads right now as I've logged the most hours with the CO thick, and want to stay as familiar as possible with what I perceive to be the CO stock sound.

Anyhow, a quick listen to the CO thick again confirms that I just don't perceive a huge difference between them and the protein pads, other than the protein pads being a bit more tame/subdued.

CC Suede pads:

Back to the odd tonality of the CC hybrids. Nasal vocals. More nasal now. Bass lacking impact and punch. Transients slower. Very mellow sounding. Kinda boring. Highest frequencies have more hardness to them, zinging my ears. But other than that it's more subdued overall. Great for napping I guess.

Hope some of that helps. I love the CO thick pads best so far.

 

[LXMc]

Ok this will be stream of thought as I listen and swap.

Started with the Caldera open thick pads to acclimate myself to the stock sound, and also in between swaps to reacclimate to the stock sound.

CC Hybrid pads:

Odd sounding, stage sounds tall but narrow in width. As ears adjust it gets less intrusive, but still odd. Bass has a somewhat hollow quality to it. Not as thick and impactful. Vocals seem ok. Treble a bit more present. It sounds closer, if that makes any sense. Sharp transients, but overall resolution seems dimmed. Doesn't sound coherent overall, different frequencies mixing poorly with others. Mid bass and vocals conflict at times. David Bowie Golden Years the kick bass makes his hushed lyrics sound muffled. Higher range vocals unaffected, only when he goes low is it problematic. These pads just don't sound like they're made for the CO.

Back to CO thick after CC Hybrid:

Vocals back in place, no bleed/blurring. Bass more dense but seems to hit just slightly more softly. More "delicate" is what comes to mind. Treble sounds more reserved, more in line with the upper mids. Coherent comes to mind. Sounds natural, nothing artificial other than the super fast planar decay, which is present with all pads.

Protein pads:

First, they're tighter to mount! I'm assuming they're shaped for the Bokeh still, it's a tight fit. Shallow pad wall height, ear touching fabric at back of pad. Not uncomfortable. Honestly I don't have an initial reaction. I'm struggling to hear anything significantly different from the CO thick pads. Maybe a slightly nasal quality to male vocals. "Slight". Bass seems good. No bleed. If anything, i'd say the overall sound is a bit subdued vs the CO thick pads. A bit more "tame", for lack of a better word. Transients not quite as snappy. Highs a bit smoother. But overall sounds oddly like the CO thick pads.

Calling all CO owners with access to the Bokeh protein pads, give me a sanity check please. I'm just not hearing a big difference between the protein pads and CO thick pads. I won't use the other CO pads right now as I've logged the most hours with the CO thick, and want to stay as familiar as possible with what I perceive to be the CO stock sound.

Anyhow, a quick listen to the CO thick again confirms that I just don't perceive a huge difference between them and the protein pads, other than the protein pads being a bit more tame/subdued.

CC Suede pads:

Back to the odd tonality of the CC hybrids. Nasal vocals. More nasal now. Bass lacking impact and punch. Transients slower. Very mellow sounding. Kinda boring. Highest frequencies have more hardness to them, zinging my ears. But other than that it's more subdued overall. Great for napping I guess.

Hope some of that helps. I love the CO thick pads best so far.

Really appreciate the impressions, this will keep me from just picking some up to try on a whim.

When I originally got the Bokeh I tried the protein pads on the CO and similar to you I remember them sounding pretty good (I will have to give them another test to refresh my memory) which was why I hoped the CC pads might be a decent/better match. Thanks again!

 

[ng5921]

Would someone be able to create a product page for the CC where we can post our reviews? I would try but I don’t want to mess it up

 

[erics75]

Really appreciate the impressions, this will keep me from just picking some up to try on a whim.

When I originally got the Bokeh I tried the protein pads on the CO and similar to you I remember them sounding pretty good (I will have to give them another test to refresh my memory) which was why I hoped the CC pads might be a decent/better match. Thanks again!

No worries, glad to help. I love trying different pads on different models, even if they weren't intended for such use. Sometimes you find a winner! But I do admit most of the time the results are less than stellar. The protein pads are quite surprising in their flexibility. I'm using them on my AC and love how they sound. I might try them on the Atticus for fun.

 

[zach915m]

Would someone be able to create a product page for the CC where we can post our reviews? I would try but I don’t want to mess it up

I'm not sure exactly how to do this, I'll check with a moderator if they can do it in the proper way.