It's a bit more 'neutral' compared to the stock Universe pads, and closer to the Be2 to me. They don't sound the same though. I gain some soundstage with the Caldera pads which is awesome. The trade-off is you lose some of that mid-bass that is so satisfying. It's definitely still there but not...

Americana and bluegrass are some genres I wouldn't listen to in my younger days. Atrium has sort of broaden my musical perspective and appreciation for a lot of different genres that I previously wasn't that much interested in. For me at least, good audio can aid in exploring music. I don't need...

Everything I've read about the Caldera Open and especially the Closed they seem like they could be right up my alley. It's not in my budget right now but damn, that Shedua wood is tempting. I'm looking forward to reading more in-depth reviews. :) Photo from ZMF's instagram:

This Dying Soul and Stream of Consciousness are absolute gems. I haven't actually heard this album on Atrium until now. The guitar and the drumming... insane.

I was just about to post an update. I used a super flat phillips screw driver to gently pry up the tubes (had I done it normally I'd break the other tube too). After inserting and removing them a couple of times the sockets feel relatively normal, and no way as stiff as the first time. In any...

https://twitter.com/JPetrucci/status/1785662917095948798 I like that they look back at some of their older material so this makes me pretty excited for the new Dream Theater album.

Absolutely. One of the best pads for me if I want a slightly more relaxed, warmer sound. I rotate between them and the Universe pads. BE2 Suede and Caldera Ultra perforated are up there too as the best pads, it just depends what mood I'm in.

Yeah I tried both sockets with both tubes, equally stiff. There's no way I can get the other tube out without breaking it without tools. It's super stiff. The pins on both tubes were in perfect condition too, so something is up with the sockets I think.

Yeah it's very possible it was just the tube that failed. It's not unheard of that NOS tubes fail. The sockets are extremely tight, and to clarify the glass shattering happened while attempting to remove the dead tube. "Only" 2 pins got bent quite a bit but I managed to straighten them up...

Oh well it didn't take more than 20 mins and the tube died. Made a loud pop in the left channel and the tube started flickering. Thankfully it didn't take my headphones with it. Edit: The glass shattered due to excessive force needed to insert them and taking them out... The tubes aren't...

I managed to insert them eventually by rocking back and forth. It took a lot more force than expected. I accidentally slipped and bent a couple of pins on a tube, but bent them back and they seem to work just fine.

I bought an A2293 adapter from Xuling a while ago and was going to try a pair of GEC CV4079 today, but inserting the tubes in the adapter is impossible. Anyone had this issue? I'm afraid if I use more force I'll break the pins.

For Mark Knopfler / Dire Straits I love Private Investigations. (Also a good album to test new headphones).

I was in the same boat. Huge investment and never hearing a ZMF before it was a big risk. But I couldn't be happier with my purchase. I've had the most fun in this hobby since getting them and they still to this day can surprise you with how could they can sound. Lots of fun to be had with...

Got to love the red! This is going to be a great set I'm sure. Looks fantastic with the rose gold grills.