Caldera - ZMF's first signature planar-magnetic headphones, based on their proprietary flat transducer. This unique product incorporates a range of innovative technologies, ensuring the highest sound quality.
Features:
- Material: American white oak;
- Headband material: natural leather;
- Grill color: black;
- Signature planar-magnetic driver;
- Atrium damping systems (ADS);
- Cables with 6.3mm and XLR connectors.
Model ZMF Caldera is the result of countless hours working with flat drivers, modifying the T50RP model, and experimenting to enhance the sound quality, making it even more dynamic, free, and clear. It took ZMF's founder, Zach, six years to develop his signature transducer.
Signature planar-magnetic transducer
Caldera is named after a type of large volcano. ZMF uses the volcano theme because the new CAMS (Caldera Asymmetric Magnet Structure) magnet structure, for which a patent has been filed, has a volcano/mountain shape on one side. This shape allows air to naturally propagate and supports a slightly asymmetric magnetic force, making the diaphragm more responsive, pushing a huge amount of air towards the ear while simultaneously dissipating it. Combined with the patented Atrium damping system, also used in Caldera, you get a linear frequency response with a huge amount of sharpness, weight, and natural tones that ZMF is known for.
The manufacturer used neodymium N52 magnets with one of the highest magnet-to-size ratios, allowing them to be shaped appropriately while maintaining the desired magnetic flux. This leads to using the entire surface of the diaphragm, with four coils embedded to form eight tracks. This ensures faster and better-controlled diaphragm movement, resulting in higher detail and purity of sound.
Unique damping system
When creating the Atrium damping system (ADS), the company aimed to attenuate the sound waves emitted by the driver towards the ear, directed towards the internal chamber of the housing. Waves reflecting inside can affect the reproduced sound and degrade its quality or reduce the potential of the transducer, both in closed and open headphones.
The Atrium damping system is ZMF's solution to this problem. It allows the ZMF team to precisely select incoming back waves and suppress those that negatively affect the sound. The patented technology improves the sound quality reproduced by the transducer, enhancing the reproduction of planes, depth, timbre, and sound texture.
Innovative ear pads
One of the key elements in tuning ZMF Caldera was the choice of ear pads. After many hours spent testing materials, the company prepared completely new ear pads. They feature an asymmetric shape, with the thicker part located behind and below the ear, and have specially designed foam and perforation on the outside. This allows directing the sound into the ear at an angle similar to how it is emitted from the transducer through the CAMS magnetic system, so it is in no way blocked. Caldera ear pads also help achieve better chamber ventilation, resulting in appropriate pressure.
Elegant appearance and superb craftsmanship of ZMF Caldera
ZMF headphones stand out with handcrafted wooden housings. In the case of the Caldera model, it is American white oak coated with a gold lacquer (coffee cold). This guarantees a characteristic texture with beautifully highlighted grain patterns, perfectly complemented by the gold grilles.
Aluminum and leather headband
The ZMF Caldera headband is made of durable aluminum alloy, natural leather, and high-quality foam. They have an ergonomic profile, ensuring a perfect fit on the head, and the wide headband further stabilizes them. The headband is available in black, but the headphones have gold guides that match perfectly with the ear pads.
Package includes:
- Headphones;
- 6.3mm cable;
- XLR cable;
- Wooden case;
- Documentation.