ZMF Pads Guide: Which Ear Pads for Which ZMF Headphone?

ZMF Pads Guide

Which ear pads fit which ZMF headphone, and how material, perforation and thickness change the sound.

Two families: round pads and Caldera pads

ZMF makes two kinds of pads: round pads (Auteur, Universe, Eikon, Ori and BE2), which differ in diameter, height and ear opening, and the fluted, asymmetrical Caldera pads, which come in several perforation patterns and ship with most current ZMF models. For the headphones themselves, see our ZMF buying guide and our comparison Auteur Classic vs Atrium vs Caldera.

How pads change the sound

According to ZMF, pads can transform a headphone's sound and comfort. ZMF tunes pad depth, inner diameter and material, and matches the pads to each model's intended frequency response. The recommended pads for each model move the sound between more euphonic and more neutral; ZMF's charts show this as a scale from bright to warm. ZMF adds that its descriptions may vary with your HRTF, the way your head and ears shape sound.

Material. In ZMF's words, leather is warmer and peakier, suede typically pushes towards a more neutral sound, and hybrid pads balance the two.

Perforation. ZMF intends perforated pads for open-backs and solid pads for closed-backs, because of each model's airflow design. The Caldera pads add steps in between: their semi-perforated versions, in ZMF's words, blend the open airflow of a perforated pad with the diffusion control of a solid one. Top Perf (TP) pads are perforated on top only and recommended for the closed-backs; Top & Side Perf (TSP) pads are perforated on top and on the sides. Ultra Perf pads are also perforated on the inside, which according to ZMF enhances spatial cues and gives a more linear sound.

Thickness and shape. In ZMF's Caldera charts, thin pads sit towards the bright end and thick pads towards the warm end. On the Tessidera, ZMF says the thick Caldera pad increases the distance between driver and ear, widening the perceived soundstage and adding a slight boost in presence. The flat Vérité pad, in contrast, moves the ear closer to the driver, which ZMF says smooths out the frequency response.

ZMF Auteur pads

ZMF developed the Auteur pads for the Auteur, and they are the stock pads of the Auteur Classic: the same diameter as the Eikon pads, with a larger ear opening. In ZMF's Auteur Classic chart they sit between the brighter Universe and the warmer Eikon pads; for the original Auteur, ZMF said they bring it to what most would consider complete neutrality. Our product page describes them as balanced, natural and controlled.

ZMF's chart puts them at the warm end for the Atrium Open, where our shop offers them as a second pair, and our guide recommends the suede version for the Atrium Closed. On the Tessidera, ZMF calls the solid suede Auteur pad its most dramatic secondary option: more intimate, frontal and damped, with more presence and slightly less treble air.

Materials at ZMF: lambskin, suede and hybrid, solid or perforated, plus solid protein.

ZMF Universe pads

ZMF calls the Universe pads its most universally compatible pad: a touch flat, a touch angled, neither too thin nor too thick. They are stock on the Atrium Open, and our guide recommends them in lambskin or suede for the Atrium Open and the Auteur Classic. In ZMF's charts they are the brighter alternative on the Auteur Classic and the middle option on the Atrium Open; next to the flatter Vérité pad, ZMF calls them the warmer choice. Our product page describes them as more open and spacious.

Materials at ZMF: lambskin, suede and hybrid, solid or perforated.

ZMF Eikon pads

The Eikon pad is ZMF's larger round pad, designed for its closed-back Atticus and Eikon, which we do not carry. On the Auteur Classic it is the warm option in ZMF's chart, and our product page agrees: slightly warmer and more full-bodied, with a little more bass presence. No ZMF in our shop ships with it.

Materials at ZMF: lambskin and suede, solid or perforated, plus solid hybrid.

ZMF Ori pads

Despite the name, the Ori pads are not the pads of the current Ori 3.0, which uses Caldera pads. ZMF describes the Ori pad as its smaller round pad; in its Atticus chart it is the recommended pad, between the brighter Universe and the warmer Eikon. Our product page describes its sound as direct and punchy.

Materials at ZMF: lambskin, solid or perforated, plus solid suede, hybrid and cowhide.

ZMF BE2 pads

BE2, written BE² by ZMF, is one of its "Secret Menu" pads, sold alongside the Vérité pad. ZMF describes it as the middle ground between the flat Vérité pad and the Universe pad, preferred especially by Vérité Open owners. Wherever it appears in ZMF's charts, it sits at the bright end. Our guide recommends the BE2 pads for the Auteur Classic; our product page calls them lively and dynamic, with clear treble.

Materials at ZMF: lambskin, suede and hybrid, solid or perforated.

ZMF Caldera pads

ZMF designed the Caldera pads for its planar Caldera. Today the Caldera Open and Closed, the Atrium Closed, the Bokeh Open and Closed, the Ori 3.0 and the Tessidera ship with them. The pad is thickest behind and under the ear for a better seal, and its inside is fluted to channel airflow from the driver to the ear. ZMF fills them with a slightly stiffer, gel-infused slow-rebound foam.

• Top & Side Perf (TSP): installed on the Caldera Open, Atrium Closed and Tessidera. Lambskin (thin, standard, thick), suede, thin cowhide.
• Top Perf (TP): formerly called the Bokeh or Caldera Closed pad; for the Caldera Closed, Atrium Closed, Bokeh Closed and Ori 3.0. Hybrid, thin hybrid, thin protein, suede, wide-perforated suede (TWP), thick lambskin.
• Ultra Perf: installed on the Bokeh Open; ZMF also recommends it for the Auteur Classic, Atrium Open and Caldera Open. Lambskin, suede, protein/suede hybrid.

In ZMF's charts, the thick lambskin version is the warmest option on both the Caldera Open and the Caldera Closed.

We do not sell Caldera pads individually: you choose them when you configure your ZMF. For a spare pair, ask us.

Which pads for which ZMF headphone

What ZMF includes, what our ZMF buying guide recommends, and what you can choose when you configure the headphone in our shop.

TSP = top and side perforated, TP = top perforated, TWP = top wide perforated. Shop options as of October 2026; pad bundles and tuning kits contain several pairs.

Lambskin, suede or hybrid?

Most ZMF pads come in several materials. ZMF's rule: lambskin is warmer and peakier, suede more neutral, and hybrid pads, which combine leather or protein with suede, sit in between.

On its Tessidera page, ZMF explains why: suede acts as an acoustic absorber, gently damping upper-midrange energy and softening treble transients compared with the more reflective lambskin, for a slightly smoother, more relaxed sound with a touch less attack.

Protein and cowhide are Caldera options. ZMF recommends the thin protein TP for the Atrium Closed, Bokeh Closed and Caldera Closed, and the thin cowhide TSP for the Caldera Open, as does our guide.

Vegan. ZMF's suede is vegan, and ZMF says every model can be configured 100% vegan, with suede pads, headband and strap.

Replacing and caring for your pads

ZMF notes that you can always easily change the pads to tweak the sound, and its video guide shows how. ZMF recommends wearing the headphone with the pad seams facing forward.

When to replace them. ZMF's troubleshooting advice: if one side sounds quieter, swap the pads between sides, which sometimes improves the seal; glasses can break the seal; and if old pads compress too much, try a new set.

Cleaning. For leather pads, ZMF recommends the polish it suggests for the wood cups (MoHawk Penthouse Polish), but not too often: about once every three months is standard. Avoid wetting suede unless a product is expressly made for it.

Buying replacement pads. ZMF pads in our shop cost €89 per pair at the time of writing and are currently listed in perforated lambskin; for other materials and for Caldera pads, ask us.