I was lucky enough to borrow the new ZMF Caldera planar yesterday, with a full complement of pads, and have had multiple hours using it over 2 days.
My chain was a Mojo Mystique X SE DAC, driving a Pass HPA-1, Burson Soloist 3XP or ampsandsound Nautilus. I stuck with the Pass for the most part to reduce the variables when I pad and cable rolled.
I’ll list the cables I used, only to give context to my findings:
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.
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. But please give it some time, and allow your brain to adjust to the new sound, and let some of your biases drain away.
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.
When I tried the suede pads, I 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. And the great thing about the subjective side of our hobby is that you may dislike the sound I love and love the sound I dislike, yet there’s probably a pad that will suit your tastes.
