I wanted to thank John for his hospitality. It was a small meet but as always, it was fun. John and I spent the first 1 1/2 hours doing a comparison of my Micro-ZOTL, his Moth S2A3 and Fisher kx-100 driving his Omega Superhemp speakers. The Micro did a nice job driving these very efficient speakers. It was not the equal of the Moth but for the money is a keeper for me. I need to pick up some tubes since it currently has the the stock tubes. It is amazing how the Omegas disapear leaving nothing but music behind. The soundstage doesn't go past the outside edge of the speakers but the depth is excellent. The air around the instrument is tremendous. I really enjoyed these speakers. I would consider them in the future but will probably start out with a lower model in the Omega line.

Here are some pics:







I want to take this opportunity to introduce the newest member of the Florida contingent, Melina. She was the quietest and cutest one at the meet:

Sounds like a great time. About time you slackers got a post up, though.

Melinda is a beauty, congrats again to Xenia and Gary.

thanks to all that attended I had a great time

Mike the Micro ZOTL is a great amp and an incredible buy. As good as it was as a 1 watt wonder with speakers it was great with AKG 340s and Senn 650s. This amp is very light on its feet with great speed and presents space around the instruments well. i really think this amp with better tubes would be much better it had a pair of EH 6sn7s and while I am not an expert on 6sn7s I have to believe that some NOS valves would make a nice difference.
Gary and Xenia, Melinda is absolutely wonderfull and was the hit off the meet!! This was the first meet I had some quiet time with the Orpheus and wow I was blown away.
Vicky thanks for making the meet, you are establishing yourself as the go to person for great music you had incredible and diverse cds in your bag.
More later I am wiped out after a full blown day of music, friends and of course beer

Here is the HE90/Egmont Sig. rig. As always the HE90, proves why it is the best headphone I've heard. The Egmont with stock tubes really sounds nice with the HE90. I imagine some nos 6SN7's would be even better than the EH's. The HEV90 is still my favorite with the HE90 with the ES-1 next. I hope to hear Justins amp soon, once Guss2 takes delivery (when will that be?).



Here is John's vintage amp store/bedroom rig. There is a Fisher 500c on the otherside that I didn't take a picture of. Here we have his second Fisher KX-100 and a Scott 222 (I believe). I didn't get to hear this rig.



I don't have a pic of Vicky's K340 with the Headphile rewire and wood mod. This is easily the best K340 I've heard. It was great out of the Raptor and the Micro-ZOTL. I thought it sounds so nice that it may be something to look into in the future. John has the K340 which was Larry's first re-wire of the K340 and it was not wired the same as Vicky's. I didn't get a chance to compare but others said Vicky's sound better. Vicky, thanks for the cd! Too bad I am selling all my cd's and digital gear in favor of my new vinyl rig.





As always, John's Linn LP12/Sheler 501 > Moth S2A3 sounds great. With the new Omega Superhemps it takes it to a new level. Thanks for the loan of the Grado cart. Maybe, once I add the 501 cart. my rig will reach the level of yours.



Some pics of people hanging around.

Gary and John


Xenia (mom) and Gary (dad)


Did I mention Melinda (daughter)?

Thanks for letting us dirty up your place a bit John and Melinda thought your bed was just the right firmness.I agree that John's Omegas sounded pretty good for being a one driver box,but they were also being driven by the Moth amp and his Ayre,which sounded superb.Mike's Micro-Zotl was a real surprise for me.It was hooked up to the SOTA turntable and drove Vicky's modded AKG 340's,it was very smooth and quite effortless in it's presentation.I preferred the Micro to the Raptor for the ease at which the music was being conveyed,never forced.The Egmont,SCD-1,HE90 combo sounded great as always,so I won't spend any time talking about it,you've heard it all before.That reminds me,a big thanks to Wayne for the extended use of the Egmont,I hope to have it back to you shortly.Oh,and if you're ever at John's house for a mini don't drink the "sour beer",it's absolutely horrible!Gary

"Sour beer" As I said to John after drinking a glass, "do you have any sour milk that I can use to get that nasty beer taste out of my mouth?" It was horrible.

Quote:



you really should sue your parents for being born with tin ears and defective taste buds

I think the SOTA with the 501 is going to equal or better the LP12 I was really impressed with it with the 20 year old low end Grado cart

Yeah,I humored John by drinking the whole glass.

Quote:



I think a serious attempt at misdirection, misinformation, and deluding the good members of Head-Fi is in place here. Methinks that Johnny Numb must have stumbled onto the perfect beer formula, and you east coast lummoxes are attempting to keep it all for yourself.

Quote:



More of the same, just confirming my suspiscions that this must be great stuff.

Quote:



x2

Send some of that swill over to Sarasota, and Matty and I will be the judges of its worthiness.

Thanks guys, John especially for hosting. How wonderful for someone (me!) who is new to this addiction to drive 30 minutes, walk into a room of 5 1/2 headfiers, and the have HE90, K1000, HP1000, Senn 650, and K340 (2 pair including mine) be the selection with hours to spend. May I add that with the addition of beautiful Melinda...the utilmate newbie...South Florida may have the largest female headfi membership, though I suppose it's hard to tell.

Since I just got my K340s back from the woods near Seattle, I was very interested in playing with amps. Spent a minute with the Raptor, but I too prefered the Micro-Zotl, both hooked up to the SOTA turntable. Had to turn that knob to 2 o'clock and a little bit more to get what I wanted to hear, but once there, I'm sure I was wearing a giant grin (Mike, what the heck did you have on that turntable when I first landed?). Did spend some time between John's K340s and mine...won't say night and day dif, but noon and dusk...Quickly ditched his and spent the rest of my time on this set up going back and forth between my K340s and the HP1000s (nice nice nice) and managed to listen to all of Zeppelin's IV and much of Pink Floyd's Animals undisturbed. Don't think the Micro-Zotl's what I'm looking for though for myself, and should have plugged my 340s into the Moth to give a listen, but...

the K1000s were so nicely waiting for me there. Barefoot and kicked back on comfy sofa, my flamenco guitar contest CD never sounded this way before....dang....muuusstt hear again.

I must also win the lotto now too. Thanks for letting me listen so long to the HE90s, even while packing up around me, including removing one chair from under me and slipping in another....very gentlemanly of you boys.

Those with better ears and vocabularies than mine can fill in the details, but for a newcomer (second meet and 6 months in), all I can say is, "When's the next one?"

John, thanks also for letting me stick around and going down memory lane. It's not every day...er...decade...or maybe at all...that someone will sit with you listening to old FEAR, Bad Brains, Propane...with a little Illinois Jacquet dropped in the middle. Nice to know we were probably at the same Irving Plaza shows back in the day, and were definitely at the same Carefree Theater shows recently...too bad it's now closed. And thanks for the lentil soup!!!

Vicki

Quote:



I should sue you for subjecting me a taste that is somewhere between what I imagine the contents of a septic tank would taste like and Busch Beer.

Quote:



Trust me on this one. There is no misdirection other than John telling me "you have to have some, it's good." Ask Canman about the Flemish Sour we had at Monks in Philly, the stuff John had made that taste like a good beer.

Quote:



Sure, Vicky gets the lentil soup, Gary and I get the worst possible tasting beer imaginable. Hey John, did I say thanks for having us?

John, one more thing, nice little turntable.

Quote:



Gene I could have served them coors light and told them it was a limited edtion Belgian Golden and they would have loved it, try to serve the Bud crowd something interesting and this is the thanks I get.

Seriously it was pretty sour and while I liked it the most any human could drink of this Fllemish Sour Ale is 4oz tops.

Quote:



Geez if you had your priorities straight you would have stayed, I mean how many of your wife's birthdays do you really need to attend


Mike I think Oz was right the SOTTA may give the LP12 a serious run it sounded so musical.

Quote:



if it was a jazz trio with a drum solo in the first song it was We Three Roy Haynes/Paul Chambers


Quote:



If you won't say it I will it was no contest your 340s trounced mine. This really goes to prove a simple rewire while improving the 340 does not do it justice. The additional bypass of the crossover and directly wiring to the electret and bass driver as well as the screeen mod are must haves.

Quote:



don't let that fool you they were all raised by wolves

Quote:



my pleasure I had a blast jumping from Hardcore to Jazz.