Philadelphia area mini-meet Impressions Thread  

This should be good!  

The meet was pretty fun yesterday. There wasn't too many people so it was somewhat good for listening conditions at least compared to those huge meets they have where you can't hear much.

I got to hear Ari's HP-2 which was hands down the best Grado I've heard and also the most comfortable. This would be the only Grado I could use for longer than 5-10 minutes before my ears start hurting. It wasn't bright at all compared to the Grados you can buy in stores and much smoother. I would be really tempted to buy one if I could but luckily for me they are not available.

I didn't try everything but I did try most of what was there. The Lyr/Bifrost combo was nice however the Lyr runs way too hot. The knob should not be as hot as it is when it isn't even that close to the tubes. It's not the best combo with the AD2k since there was a low hum with music off but the AD2k is a pretty sensitive headphone. The LCD2 with the RWA sounded really good although a bit too warm.

The HD800 off the Silver Ghost sounded amazing as always as well as the HD800 off Prashant's F3 clone. Both amps were great with the Silver Ghost being smoother while the F3 was more detailed. 

Overall it was a good meet with many good setups and there wasnt anything that was bad there.

Thanks again lee for hosting the meet.

I had a good time and everything sounded great! Many thanks to Lee for hosting and everyone for bringing gear, snacks, and drinks.

As usual, I was blown away by some of the very expensive equipment on display, but still happy with my modest setup.

Lunch was an adventure too - we drove 20 miles in search of a good Thai restaurant (both we found were closed) but eventually settled on what turned out to be some of the best Mexican food I've ever had. What was the name of that place again?

Lee thanks for hosting a great meetup at your awesome studio.

My favorite setups were

• sphinxvc's Antelope Zodiac Silver > DIY First Watt F3 > HD800

• Lee's Schiit Bifrost > Schiit Lyr > Hifiman HE-4
• Lee's Redwine > LCD-2
• 1974's Denon AH-D7000 > my fiio E17
   

It was a pleasure and learning experience hearing equipment of this caliber which is what I've been wanting to do for such a long time.

It was also great meeting everyone and hope to see you all again.

Are you posting pics when you get a chance?
 

Copying this here from the other thread.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wavoman 

With so many fine photographers in attendance, the impression thread is going to be awesome!

 

In the meantime, let's thank leesure for being a superb host -- big comfy leather chairs, the Eagles game on a sports-bar-sized mega-screen when you wanted a break from headphones, lots of food and drink.

 

Great people, great fun, great rigs, great music, great cameras.

 

The Birds won, the weather was fantastic (Lee turned off the A/C and opened huge windows for the most amazing outdoor-feel you could get inside on a A+++ beautiful day), the Mexican food was super (especially when the take-out place refused to give us plastic silverware, nothing like re-fried beans eaten out of hand while putting on headphones to break-in the cosmetics of an HD800).

 

I got great tips on digital audio, heard some fine combos [D7000 with Fang's little hybird amp, who knew?], got introduced to terrific music (Lee has a knack for selecting the top tracks from any album) ... we're talking PERFECT Sunday here, and having nikongod to myself to pick his brain for 2 hours each way (as we flew first class in Air Lexus thanks to my wife's recent big score at the used car dealer) is just icing on the cake ... Ari being the only man alive who can drink a diet coke, eat M&M's, text his peeps, and repair a tonearm (well, walk me thru the steps) simultaneously while traveling 65 mph on the Pennsy T"Pike.

 

Lee, thank you for hosting us at your studio.  This is one of the best venues I've been to for a head-fi meet.  I had a really good time w/ all the good people that made it.  And thanks to the guys that kept me awake for the drive to and fro, I made it in one piece myself.  Somehow I got lucky and the Silver Ghost was hooked up to my source, which provided me the rare opportunity to A/B against the F3.  It's always nice to compare your own gear to reference gear (...yes Paulo, this sentence is just for you ).  

Larry's contributions of beer and hilarity were thoroughly appreciated by me.  Brasewel managed to leave with pro-quality photos for the dating websites.  Godspeed to him.  Ari, even with a shot of 120 proof in you, you were schooling everyone with engineering knowledge.  I think everyone left a little smarter b/c of you.  Pete, thanks for sharing the albums w/ me.  Ross & Bras, good of you guys to come out just to hang w/ us.

I'm looking forward to the photos.

By the way Lee, let me know when you're ready to have me come down and hold the lights.  I do require at least a Pennsylvania 8 on site, or in other words, a New York 4.  =]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1974 

What was the name of that place again?

El Limon.  

I agree, what a surprise.  

Wow.

great set of shots
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by rawrster 

 

The HD800 off the Silver Ghost sounded amazing as always as well as the HD800 off Prashant's F3 clone. Both amps were great with the Silver Ghost being smoother while the F3 was more detailed. 

 

x2!  Exactly what I heard.  I do love the HD800's.

Lee says:

And the best part was that I still liked my balanced RWA Isabellina best of all!

This did sound great -- I know the sound, I have one for my K1K's.  And my HD800's at home are driven by a Beta 22, which is much closer to the F3 than Ari's tube amp.  The F3 might beat it for the HD800, who knows.

I have learned that it is all about amp-HP synergy.

One more time -- big thanks to Lee, best Sunday in a long time.  And Lee has the best playlist ever put on an iPad.