Audio-Technica ATH-M50 (source: Arcam rDac | amp: Schiit Asgard): I've been wanting to try out the M50 based on everything I've read about them on Head-Fi, but have never bothered to actually buy them for one reason or another. So when HeadRoom showed up at RMAF with one, I had to try it of course, in my computer setup where I was able to quickly run through a variety of music that I'm familiar with. I ended up thinking that the M50 was pretty good but I wasn't sure if it was good enough for me to buy one. The music I used was primarily from The Crystal Method, Nightwish, Symphony X, Alison Krauss & Union Station, and Zero 7, and the M50 did an acceptable job with each one - clear, relatively fast bass, fairly clean treble, and properly "assertive" on metal (I wouldn't call it aggressive per se). I also felt that it might be a bit bass-light compared to the AT AD2000 (but I didn't do a direct comparison, just guessing). But the primary reason I wasn't sure of the M50 was because I didn't get to try it for anything related to PC gaming (specifically FPS games) because that's how I use my ES7 and if I got the M50, that'd be the only thing that I'd use it for - not for music listening. The comfort of the M50 wasn't bad either, at least for my head.
Beyerdynamic T5p (source: Arcam rDac | amp: Schiit Asgard): Some folks in the Head-Fi room were practically raving about this headphone so I pawned them off from Moon Audio to try in my computer setup. I ended up both underwhelmed and disappointed. The first thing I noticed was a slight hollowness to the mid-range, and the upper treble wasn't very clear either, there was too much blurring. The headphones also enhanced bronzy/nasal qualities in the sound, and the bass was neither very deep or solid. The soundstage also seemed off and made everything sound too distant, which didn't work for metal music.
Schiit Audio Valhalla (source: Rotel RCD-1072): There was only one thing I wanted to find out about the Valhalla, and that was how well it worked for the Beyer T1 that I own. It was a solid amp as far as I could tell in the show environment from limited informal listening. It certainly had more than enough volume, not that volume has anything to do with how well it drove the T1 electrically though. It didn't seem to slow down the impulse response (I've heard some amps that do slow down impulse response for whatever reason). I wasn't really sure how much low bass it was able to push through though, because I got an impression that there was some low bass missing from the T1 compared to my usage of it in my home setup (Plinius CD-101 w/ Rockhopper M3). But for only $349 from an American company plus the 14-day return policy, I think the Valhalla is a no-brainer! Who cares how it sounds?
Tyler Audio D2 speakers (source: Plinius CD-101 | amps: Plinius Tautoro & SA-103): The only reason I bothered to sit down in this room and listen was because of the CD player - I also own one, so why not, right? I know how it sounds which removes that variable from my listening impressions. 
I was told the Plinius equipment was actually from Silver Circle Audio's personal system, which I thought was interesting. The speakers underwhelmed though - the D2 didn't deliver what I was expecting. They had a bronzy/nasal quality, a semi-hollow mid-range, and the treble had none of the clarity or speed that I know the CD-101 is capable of. Too bad.
Aperion Audio Verus Grand Tower (electronics unknown): I played Massive Attack's "Inertia Creeps" on these and these speakers did a good job - good deep bass, solid and assertive overall. They also whacked the belly drums nicely - not exactly something that every transducer is capable of, as I've found out. For the price ($899), I think they're probably a safe choice for an all-round floorstander under $1K.
YG Acoustics Carmel (source: PS Audio PWT/PWD | amps: Veloce pre-amp & monoblocks): I used only one of my reference CDs in this system, Julia Fischer's Bach Concertos, and it did not sound good. The orchestra sounded small instead of big which negatively affected the violin sections the most, soundstage just seemed off with odd positioning of the instrument sections, there was a loss in dynamics (loud/soft contrasts), and there was an unpleasant forwardness in the bronzy part of the frequency response. The rep running the room negatively commented on the quality of the CD recording but what I was really thinking to myself was that he was full of BS commenting on a CD he probably hadn't heard before, because this CD sounds awesome on my setup at home when I play it on the Stax OII MKI & HeadAmp BHSE. It sounded a lot less awesome in this system on the Carmel.
Quad 22L2 (Quad Elite CDP & Stereo int amp): If there's one particular type of speakers that I'm most interested in, it's compact floorstanders, and the Quad 22L2 has been on my radar of speakers to check out for a while. I played only two different CD tracks, In Flames' "Artifacts of the Black Rain" and Alison Krauss' "A Living Prayer". Recording quality aside, the In Flames did not go well on the 22L2 - it simply lacked assertion, let alone aggression. Or in other words, it sounded boring and bland. "A Living Prayer," on the other hand, sounded really good with room-filling vocals and a wide soundstage. So I guess metal probably isn't ideal for the 22L2.
On a final note, I saw from Positive Feedback's press coverage that there was also a room with Marantz electronics with the Monitor Audio PL200 floorstanders. AW CRAP!!!! If there's one speaker I'd have loved to hear more than any other at RMAF, it would've been those - and I totally missed seeing them! I am totally kicking myself now and wish I had a time machine so I can go back and listen to them. 
I listened to more gear than what I've written down here but because of limited notes & documentation, I won't bother posting anything about them. The gear impressions provided above are all that I can offer.
Edited by Asr - 10/31/10 at 11:16pm
