2012 Headphone Meet @ LAX Hilton - Saturday, August 18, 2012 - OFFICIAL THREAD - Page 18  

no table needed

Cool. I'll try to bring my Super 7 and W3000 as well if I can fit them. I'd like to try some different tube combos

 

Yo Fear, that's a bunch of stuff.  Are you going to need a half-table or something?  Or do you REALLY want to carry all of that around all day? 

If all goes well I will be attending.  Will bring my HD800 with a balanced Locus Design Group Hyperion cable if anyone wants to try it out.  Otherwise I'm coming just to socialize and check out some balanced amps for a new purchase....DNA Stratus and the likes.
 

Please add Luxman P-200 and ALO The National to the amp list.

Hey, PJ! So you work in the audio business now? I hope you can make back some of that money meets cost you. :)

 

I live right next to Northridge now that I'm a student at CSUN.

Hey Mike! You're pretty close by.

Yep, and I'll see you there.

I noticed you're not using the Sonnet anymore. Do you still have it or did you replace it with the Woo?
Edited by IPodPJ - 7/25/12 at 10:04am

Long time, no see!

Yeah, I replaced it with the K Works custom mods of the Hifiman EF5 and Woo WA6-SE. By the way, the Hifiman is a pretty low-end amp before the mod, but unbelievably dynamic and beautiful afterward. (The Woo WA6-SE is pretty special but the mod brought it to astounding life.

 

The EF5 is a hybrid amp that uses an FET output stage and [horrors!] a couple opamps, along with a 12AU7 tube input stage. The marketing brochure for the EF5 describes it as using a tube to lend euphonic character which is total B.S. I don't understand why exactly, but the design of the EF5 taken as a whole makes it a very dynamic amp with explosive PRaT, and after the mods it is not only a transparent amp free from coloration (euphonic or otherwise) but it has a slightly analytical character which is something I like. (As long as an amp has musicality, I actually like that it can have a sense of giving me an objective window into what the musicians were doing.)

 

I also replaced the AKG K601 which is a pretty low-end headphone with the Audeze LCD-2, which is a pretty high-end headphone, as you know. It took me a while to find a high-end headphone that didn't have some quirky signature sound-- that is, to my ears anyway, most of the high-end headphones have a stronger signature than the low-end ones, and it's a question of whether that signature agrees with me.

 

The LCD-2 is a bit dark, but both of my amps are a little on the bright side. Perfect match.

 

My system is all K-Works-modded from the CD transport all the way to the headphones. (Not only are the headphones recabled, but there are a couple of physical mods done by K Works). Can you tell I'm a fan of K Works? (it's a one-man company in New Jersey, a guy named Igor Kuznetsoff)

 

My system is not computer-based so I can only play CDs. I think it sounds better that way. Bring some CDs of your stuff if you want to hear it with your stuff. But I'll bring a variety of music too (jazz, rock, various vocals, classical).

I've never been to any of these lately (like in the last 15 years) and I barely missed the Santa Monica event last Spring. If there's still space under the soft limit, I'm there! Looking for a HifiMan HE-500 vs. Audeze LCD-2 comparo, with the proper amps.

 

What about hifiman he-6 vs LCD-2? Whew, that's a fight

 

Glad you've gotten to a happy place!  I thought you'd never part with the Sonnet.  I haven't heard Donald's new amp but I'm looking forward to hearing it at the show (even though I'm not a tube guy).

I thought the Sonnet was a great amp when paired with a great source.  Supposedly his new Stratus is even better, but I don't really keep up with new gear any more.  I've come to a happy place, too.  The only thing that really would be of interest to me in the future would be an HD900, or something along those lines.

 

I'll have a pair of bamboo LCD-2 rev2 (with LCD-3 earpads) there on loan from a friend, along with my own phones (HD800, HD650).  If anyone is bringing along an LCD-3 and HE-6 and needs some table space for it, it will be put to good use (though my amp really isn't configured for orthos with respect to gain).

 

The only phone I'm really looking forward to hearing is the SR-009.  I'm quite curious to hear what it's capable of, though I certainly have no plans of migrating to the stat world.  I like dynamics.  I hope this phone doesn't convince me otherwise.  The only stat that ever had me contemplating was the SR-Omega as I felt it was the only stat that to my ears was on par with the HD800.  The 007 mk1 nor the mk2  ever did anything for me, though they certainly are excellent phones.  They just weren't for me.  Perhaps the 009 will be, but I can't afford it anyway nor could I a KGSS-HV build to go with it.  Besides, I think I'd do a Beta24 amp and speaker rig before I ever went down that path.  My system is pretty maxed out anyway, and suits me just fine.

I'd definitely like to check it out. Is it possible to sign me up with a +1 for the girlfriend?

I think everything i'd have to offer is pretty much covered. I'll probably have a HE-400, HD 25-1 II with me. Girlfriend may have an SR60i in tow.

Would anyone happen to be able to bring a Pico DAC/Amp to hear? I'd like to know of it can drive LCD-2s. Also, if we're talking' girlfriends then I'd need a +1 as well...

Kojaku

Is this event newbie friendly? I'd love to meet some other head-fi'er and check out some higher end gear I wouldn't normally have access to.

I have a few pairs of cans I could bring if neccessary.

AKG Q701 & K550
Sennheiser HD590 & HD580
Audio Technica ATH-A900x

and some other lower end cans which aren't of concern.

Just a Fiio E9 for an amp =\

Any tips or suggestions regardly the event would be great. Thank you!