Yeah I feel the nervousness for sure, it just seems wrong to mess with it 
But sound-wise the Dekonis are great. Iām definitely sensitive to treble, and the only thing these pads seem to dampen are some of those peaks, while the mids/bass are as clear as ever. Plus I love the feel of their memory foam. I think they were a great rec from DMS
Iāll check the video, thank you! 
Can you tell me exactly which Dekoni pads you bought for the Caldera? Thank you.
https://dekoniaudio.com/product/choice-suede-ear-pads-for-audeze-lcd-headphones/
They come with a plastic ring for the LCD, which you can simply throw away as the pads themselves have the same slip on sleeve that ZMF uses, so the installation is exactly the same 
Well, I need a checkup from the neck up for doing this, but I just ordered these Dekoni pads.
Itās borderline crazy because I tried 4 pads with my Caldera, per the review I posted on Head-Fi, and my clear favorite was/is the lambskin thick pads. I didnāt care for the ZMF suedes at all. So trying another suede pad (Dekoniās) is risky and maybe silly of me.
Then again, >50% of my audio habits are risky & silly (if not outright delusional).
My friend, a few weeks ago I ordered the Modhouse Tungsten, a headphone that Iāll probably have to buy a new expensive amp to actually drive, and in all likelihood it wonāt be any better than the Caldera I already have. THATāS delusional. At least we can be honest with ourselves about it 
And Dekoni does allow returns 
I know we have slightly different taste (I prefer the stock lambskin pads) but the suedes werenāt for me either, at least on the Caldera. On the other hand, the suedes are perfect for me on my Atrium Closed. But Iām looking forward to your findings because I think I can triangulate from your preferences to mine.
You do realize youāre in a forum full of delusional people, which actually makes us all normal.
Yes. Momentarily, contextually normal.
But turn away from the screen and mingle with friends, loved ones, coworkers, and complete strangersāand itās right back to audio/crazy.
Oh yes, Iāve come to the right place
Does anyone have the lambskin thick and/or suede pads that they donāt want and would like to try the lambskin thin or cowhide pads? Iād love to arrange a trade.
Howās the clarity on the Caldera? The VO and VC were more veiled than I liked as I tried other things.
Would the clarity be up there with something like a D8KP or Utopia?
Is the bass in the same area as a D8KP?
I had a Caldera on extended loan. Clarity very very good. Definitely better than the ZMF Dynamics, but not quite Utopia level. Canāt speak to D8KP.
Bass on the Caldera is super impressive and reaches waaaaayyyy down - meaningfully deeper than Utopia.
Agree with what Andris said. Caldera is every bit as clear and resolving as Utopia. Its presentation is less āin your faceā by virtue of the difference between dynamic vs planar presentation, but every detail is there. Definitely clearer and more detailed than VO, which Iāve always found to lose some detail in that flavored bass.
I also havenāt heard D8KP, but Calderaās bass extends linearly all the way down and those lowest frequencies create a really satisfying air pressure effect. And it doesnāt sacrifice one iota of texture or detail. Best sub-bass Iāve heard on any headphone IMHO.
Ok cool. I have one on the way so weāll see how this compares.
Iāll be running it off the DNA and MJ3. Time will tell.
Just unboxed these Dekoni pads. I must say, these are beautiful pads: they appear well made and the material is very nice to the touch.
A little later Iāll take the plastic rings out and install them on the Caldera, then do some listening to see if theyāre in the ballpark of the various ZMF pads Iāve tried on this headphone.
Very curious. Can you take pictures pls?
Sure. Not sure how these pix will displayā¦hopefully theyāll be visible.
These pads have legit Audeze/LCD dimensions. I measure 1 & 5/8th inch deep, 110mm circumerence. So itās obvious theyāll fit the Caldera.
Didnāt think to take a picture of the back. Each pad has the standard leather or pleather back flap that is about 5/8 inch wide all around, so I expect no problems putting it on the Caldera.
Will do that in next day or twoā¦
So Iām finding the Caldera from the DNA Stellaris on the 1/4 output with TRS down (Low) and TRS up on the second switch (0db) to be the best option. More juice I believe which helps the dynamics of the Caldera. Plenty of impact, great separation and layering, and I feel itās pulling plenty of detail vs something like the MJ3.
Get the same results with the D8KP.
Agreed, Iāve found quite a difference with Caldera in the 1/4 vs XLR jacks.
OK, I put the Dekoni suede pads on my Caldera today and did some listening. It was a strange experience.
Physical component:
1 - These pads were rather difficult to install because their backflap is twice or more wider than the ZMF pads. That meant the Dekoniās backflaps couldnāt fully insert in the slots that run around the edge of each earcup. Thus, the installed pads move around more than Iām used to. Theyāre not secure.
2 - The Dekoni pads are considerably deeper (~1/2") than even the ZMF lambskin thick pads, the deepest of the 4 ZMF pads made for the Caldera. That meant that when I put the headphones on w/the Dekoni pads, the clamp force was much greater; also, the fit of the entire headphone was tighter. If I intended to keep the Dekoni pads on the Caldera, Iād have to let out one or both earcupās slider a notch.
Sonic component
This is where it gets interesting. I expected the sound of the Dekoni pads to be significantly different (and significantly worse) than the ZMF lambskin thicks. But that didnāt happen. The changes in sound were audible, but not onerous or excessive. The Dekoni pads didnāt push the Calderaās sound away from what Iāve come to know. Specifics:
1 - Tonally, the entire bass portion seemed to be shelved down a little. Not a lot, and not a problem. But some of the slam and pressure of the bass diminished with these pads, yet not in a way that detached the bass from the other frequencies, causing an imbalance. The sound was still very good.
2 - Thereās a bit more air in the upper mids and the treble with the Dekoni pads. This change isnāt even close to becoming bright or edgy, just a bit sharper and more distinct.
3 - I couldnāt be sure without seeing measurements, but I thought I heard a relatively narrow spike in the upper midrange, where certain transients, especially drums/percussion, jump out a bit more. I noticed it, but again, it wasnāt excessive or problematic, just not quite what Iām used to with the lambskin thick pads.
Net/net: The Dekoni pads are very well made and their sonics with the Caldera are relatively discrete and sensible. Some might really like these sonic changes, which mostly consist of putting more air in the treble.
However, while these sonic changes arenāt excessive, theyāre also not really to my liking. Between that and the physical discomfort these pads brought, I wonāt continue using them with the Caldera.
But I must give credit: these pads are very well made, feel great in the hand and against the skin, and do relatively restrained, interesting things to the sound. Theyāre not super expensive, though theyāre also not cheap. Overall, I can recommend them.
