This is a little overdue, but I've been busy with school, so I haven't had time to write up my impressions.
First off, I want to thank both lingling and tenzip for organizing this and for getting us some sweet gear and swag for the raffle. It was neat to have the opportunity to listen to some other gear, even though I didn't actually get to listen to much of the other amps (the mosfet and the cute, I think). I also want to thank Custom Electronics for allowing us to use their meeting room and bringing in all the great gear (especially the PS1000).
Headphone impressions:
Audio Technica A900: Since I've heard the limited edition version of this, it wasn't a total mind blowing experience, but it was interesting to compare this to the RX700, which looks very similar to the A900. Clearly the A900 is the superior headphone as it has a drier but more precise midrange, deeper base, and better treble extension. Overall, it's a colder headphone in comparison to the RX700, which has a mid-bass coloration that adds some warmth to the sound. I would prefer to own the A900, but I'm not willing to part with the cash at this point. For what I use my RX700 (gaming), I just can't shell out the $200 for an A900.
AKG K601: Reminds me of the K501 but with a little more bass extension. I fell in love the K501, and this seems like a good step-up from there. I think what always impresses me is the midrange on AKG headphones. It's always so lush and engaging without being aggressive. If I ever needed another open headphone, I'll look into either a pair of these or a K701.
AKG K701: I got to a comparison of these against my DT 880's and I'll say that there are some similarities between the two. I think they are both somewhat cold-sounding and very precise. The K701 has more forward midrange, but has weak bass impact while the DT 880 is the opposite. They are similar enough in sound signature that I'll stick with the 880's. I've come to love a little more bass in my sound.
AKG K240 Sextetts: I didn't really get to listen to these because I only listened to them on my Little Dot MK II and it was not nearly enough power to drive the sextett. I was really surprised at how hard they are to drive. I guess I'll just have to wait until I get a more powerful amp to even think about picking one of those up.
Grado PS1000: Simply amazing. I've never been so impressed by a headphone from a single listen. It seemed to me that it was completely devoid of any kind of coloration, beyond a certain richness in sound. What I was listening to was the recording pure and simple. The only thing that it was lacking was a more open soundstage, but as we all know, Grado hasn't been known for a huge soundstage (I'm spoiled by the 880). This is one pair that I would love to own someday. I would say that with the right amplifier, they are worth every penny. I'd sell my 880's if I could even dream of picking up a pair.
Grado RS1: A very different sounding Grado. Kind of polite, in a way. Not harsh, but had a very earthy sound to it, very organic (trying not to make a woody joke). I enjoyed it a lot and was surprised by how light it was. Not at all what I was expecting. Another headphone that is a lot easier to obtain (next to the PS1000) and I could see this possibly in the future. Much better soundstage than the typical Grado as well.
Headphones I missed out and regret not listening: HF-2 and the GR8. I'll have to drop by custom electronics again and see if they'll let me demo the GR8.
Gear impressions:
Millet hybrid amp: Sounds very similar to my Little dot. While this makes me feel good, I'm pretty sure most people can build a Millet max for less than a little dot. MMMmmmm, warm tubey-goodness.
Audio-Gd Compass: I believe this had the “earth” op-amp (or whatever they're called) in the unit, so I found it a little on the cold/boring side with my DT 880s (which has always been my imnpression of solid-state amps and the 880). I imagine that with the “moon” op-amp, I would have that little extra warmth that I get to help with 880 sound a little more engaging. I was very impressed by this amp/dac and have decided to pick one up myself. I know, I said I was going to get a Zero; however, after reading up more on the compass, I think I'll actually pick one up. Thanks for bringing it, slytown.
Corda Headfive: Daddy wants. I have never been impressed by solid state on my 880s until I heard this amp. I have to get a Meier amp for my beyers. It was a marriage made in heaven. It reminded me of my little dot, but it had more detail. It was engaging without losing quality. I also loved the crossfeed feature. It helps so much with my jazz albums. It is in the future for me to get a Meier.
Decco amp/dac: I didn't spend a whole lot of time on this amp, but I thought it sounded pretty good other than the pervasive ground noise. It had a lot of hiss, and that may have been due to something else in the set-up that was creating the issue. It's hard to tell.
Pimeta: While I thank you Gross for letting me borrow this, I didn't find the Pimeta to have enough juice to drive my 880's very well. I didn't really spend enough time with it to get a thorough listen, but it just seemed to be lacking with my 880's. I didn't really ask what it can drive, so I probably wasn't listening to something that it could have benefited from the amp (like a Grado).
Gear I missed out and regretted not listening: RA-1 clone, TTVJ Mosfet amp, Fii0 E5, Beresford TC7520, and the Millet SS.
That's it guys. It was a great day and I hope that we do this again soon. By then, I hope to have some newer gear and better tubes for my LD.
-Nylan
