Pharmaboy
Headphoneus Supremus
You nailed it.Surprisingly I find the soundstage width larger with the thick pads with a touch more organic timbre across the FR. It does not seem to sacrifice technicalities in any meaningful way, and just shaves off a bit off the shouty upper-mids for a more linear presentation.
I would also add that the thick pads--maybe by putting more space between the ear & the driver--gave the sound a bit more of an "atmospheric" quality, as if the listener is a few rows further from the music being played. This headphone has resolution and dynamics to spare, so there's no real cost in either for using the thick pads. I loved that sound right away...in my review, I said the sound seemed chill and more relaxed (at least for me, that's a meaningful upgrade to the already insanely good Caldera sound).
I have 2 headphones that I'm always eager to hear again on this or that amp: the Caldera open, and the Verite open. IMO they're the ideal compliment to each other: TOTL planar sound vs TOTL dynamic sound. Somehow every piece of music I play through either headphone, no matter how familiar, sounds slightly unexpected, different, and very pleasing.
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