[MrTie84]

Already Sold:
Schiit Bifrost Uber
Valhalla 2
 
Almost Sold/process of selling:
Schiit Bifrost Multibit
Lyr 2
 
Bought:
One of the last new HE-6s
 
No longer selling:
Denon AVR-X4000 moves back into the living room in place of the Anthem i225.
 
Re-purposed:
Anthem i225 amplifier for sacrifice to the god of inefficacy HE-6
With a sys inline this actually works wonderful even for my HD800 and sounds extremely clean and powerful.
DAC turned to my Asus Essence ST....though a gumby may be in the farther future.

 

[hikaritenchi]

I went to the first recent-ish meetup in Troy, and wow, this was a great upgrade. Big thanks to all the people who were able to make it and everyone who let me try out their setups. Special thanks to @zabzaf and @JEspina456 (Congrats on your HD800's!) for organizing, and Overture Audio for hosting. I got to meet @jude and try out some of his amazing stuff too, glad to know we're both fans of the MDR-1R's comfort! I'm still new to all the audiophile stuff, and I thought that I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a lot of the setups, but I'm glad that I could at least differentiate between headphones, and I can't wait to let future meetups further influence my purchases
 
@PETEREK I drive a silver Mazdaspeed 3 with a semi-black matte painted hood, with a U of M plate. Was I parked somewhere weird?
 
I can't remember all the headphones or dac/amps that I tried, but I'll list a few that really impressed me.
 
I've never heard any electrostatic headphones before, but the two that I tried (I believe the Shure KSE1500 and Stax L700 and associated stack) were absolutely amazing. I simply couldn't find fault with the Shures, and I can only hope my audio piggy bank gets fatter faster than my hearing degrades
 
I was a little surprised by the sheer amount of Schiit gear that everyone had. I was thinking of getting suggestions for an entry-level dac and/or amp, since the FiiO ones I have are a little flaky. Eventually when I upgrade, I'll just get a Schiit, unless I find something better at the next meetup!
 
I actually didn't realize that @zabzaf had brought the Sony MDR-Z7's. I had been eyeing them ever since Sony announced them as their new flagship, but the price tag was a little much, especially considering I had paid the most I ever had for the MDR-1R's earlier that year. I finally got to try them, and they were everything I had dreamed them to be and more. I have had issues with other high quality cans in its price range that have sounded like they distort the female vocals that I tend to enjoy listening to the most, and I was afraid that these would do the same. (Un)fortunately, they had a very similar sound signature to my 1R's, just...better in every way. A wider soundstage, bass that moved me, and the same treble signature that I had loved with my 1R's, but with a major improvement in the midrange. My music sounded so much more alive! Even before the meet ended, I was trying to scour the Head-Fi buy/sell forums for these headphones, but there was beer to be had and stories to be shared at Wolverine State Brewing Co., and I had forgotten about them until @JEspina456 PM'd me a link on Sunday evening to a seller. Needless to say, the PayPal transaction has finished for my shiny new Z7's that should be arriving soon, and it was only because I got to hear them at this meetup that I could pull the trigger on them.
 
That being said, I think I'm going to try and part ways with my ATH-M50's and maybe my FiiO amp and get a Schiit...
 
Thanks to everyone again for the great conversations and insight, and I can't wait to see everyone at the next meetup!

 

[AKGunkie]

Ok, quick impressions
 
Shure Electrostats are truly ridiculous, the only other time i've laughed from listening was when i first hooked up my jbl synthesis speakers. They really were the star of the show
 
HD800S & K812s are both really good. I'm happy with my 812s but the 800S are really good and very well balanced
 
Stax L7something, sibilant and disappointing. the previous stax I have heard were well balanced.
 
Couldn't tell apart multibit from standard Bifrost, Happy i chose to stay with the standard and probably saved $200
 
N90Qs have loudspeaker highs and I can't wait for my pair to arrive.
 
Got to hear a bunch of other gear and I still love my current setup.
 
great to see and talk to everyone again, I hope everyone enjoyed the slew of AKGs i brought!

 

[AxelCloris]

 
@PETEREK I drive a silver Mazdaspeed 3 with a semi-black matte painted hood, with a U of M plate. Was I parked somewhere weird?

 
You didn't park in a weird location or anything, but several of us were commenting and drooling over your choice of vehicle.

 

[Criss969]

These meet-ups look like so much fun! I am tempted to make a border crossing at the next nearest one, but am a bit hesitant. I'm certain that once I try some high-end equipment, my personal equipment will no longer satisfy my ears. For the record, I am broke.

 

[PETEREK]

 
@PETEREK I drive a silver Mazdaspeed 3 with a semi-black matte painted hood, with a U of M plate. Was I parked somewhere weird?

The only thing I didn't like about your park job was that it wasn't in my driveway!

 

[JEspina456]

  These meet-ups look like so much fun! I am tempted to make a border crossing at the next nearest one, but am a bit hesitant. I'm certain that once I try some high-end equipment, my personal equipment will no longer satisfy my ears. For the record, I am broke.

You'll fit right in, my friend.  Because of these meets, we're all broke!  Keep your eyes open for the next one, should be in September sometime. 

 

[hikaritenchi]

@PETEREK
@AxelCloris
Haha, I hear ya. I can't say that I haven't heard those compliments before ;D

 

[HAWKEYE7]

 
Lots of thanks to give out.
A Big Thank You to everyone involved in putting this together. Great Time! So much stuff to try and great people to meet and talk to.
A special thanks to the guys at Overture Audio for guiding me over the phone into their parking lot from somewhere a crossed the street. Those address numbers do funny things in that area. Now that I’ve been there I will be able to find it again no problem.
I want to thank Jude for letting me try his Shure KSE1500's. These had the clarity and detail of the HD700’s I tried at the very least. I’m sure that if I had played with the settings and volume they would have sounded even better than that. They are, by far the best IEM’s I have ever listened to.
I came to the meet intending to compare tube amps in advance of my purchasing a tube amp to power my HD650’s and SE535’s to heights my current set up (Mobile: FiiO X5 II + JDSLABS cMoyBB v2.03, Home: Marantz SR430 Stereo receiver ) can’t reach. Well, that plan went right out the window once I walked in and saw all the amazing set ups and equipment that was there. I did eventually get back to focusing on the tube amps after I came back to my senses and had tried out about 6-8 sets of cans I have always wanted to hear.
For what it’s worth here are some of my impressions of the equipment I tried out.
Sennheiser HD700, amazingly light and comfortable. There was a noticeable upgrade in detail from my Sennheiser HD650’s. When I did a side by side comparison from the HD650 to the HD700 to the HD800 & HD800S I learned several things.
First, just how good the HD605’s really are for the money. Second that the HD700’s are an upgrade from the HD650’s but not as great an upgrade as I thought they would be. Third, that all the love thrown at the HD800’s is justified. They really were that much better than the HD650’s to justify the additional cost. The detail and clarity was amazing.
Other equipment I tried out were:
HiFiman 500
HiFiman1000
Cardas A-8
Fostex TH-X00
Grado RS2e
HifiMan HE-500
HifiMan Edition X
Sennheiser HD 650
Sennheiser HD 700
Sennheiser HD 800
Sennheiser HD 800 with Anax Mod
STAX – (shown in the photo posted)
APPJ 1502a
Gustard H10
Schiit Lyr 2
Schiit Mjolnir 2
Schiit Valhalla 2
Schiit Bifrost
Schiit Bifrost Multibit
Shure KSE1500
One or two others I forgot to write down
I really wanted to try out the Bottlehead Crack Speedball to compare it to the Schiit Valhalla 2 but unfortunately it was not available. The APPJ 1502a was very nice and at the price I could see this as a very good buy for a starter amp. I was impressed by the Lyr 2’s clean detailed sound but the Valhalla 2 made my HD650’s sound absolutely amazing. Right now that is the amp I have on the top of my list as my next purchase. That is if I can resist springing for the HD800S.
This meeting was excellent. The opportunity to meet and talk to so many fellow audio enthusiasts as well as to try out so many new and different pieces of equipment is invaluable.
Thanks again to Brian - zabzaf, John, John and Jude for all the hard work, goodwill and advise. Now I can’t wait for the next meet!

 

[MrTie84]

 
 
Lots of thanks to give out.
A Big Thank You to everyone involved in putting this together. Great Time! So much stuff to try and great people to meet and talk to.
A special thanks to the guys at Overture Audio for guiding me over the phone into their parking lot from somewhere a crossed the street. Those address numbers do funny things in that area. Now that I’ve been there I will be able to find it again no problem.
I want to thank Jude for letting me try his Shure KSE1500's. These had the clarity and detail of the HD700’s I tried at the very least. I’m sure that if I had played with the settings and volume they would have sounded even better than that. They are, by far the best IEM’s I have ever listened to.
I came to the meet intending to compare tube amps in advance of my purchasing a tube amp to power my HD650’s and SE535’s to heights my current set up (Mobile: FiiO X5 II + JDSLABS cMoyBB v2.03, Home: Marantz SR430 Stereo receiver ) can’t reach. Well, that plan went right out the window once I walked in and saw all the amazing set ups and equipment that was there. I did eventually get back to focusing on the tube amps after I came back to my senses and had tried out about 6-8 sets of cans I have always wanted to hear.
For what it’s worth here are some of my impressions of the equipment I tried out.
Sennheiser HD700, amazingly light and comfortable. There was a noticeable upgrade in detail from my Sennheiser HD650’s. When I did a side by side comparison from the HD650 to the HD700 to the HD800 & HD800S I learned several things.
First, just how good the HD605’s really are for the money. Second that the HD700’s are an upgrade from the HD650’s but not as great an upgrade as I thought they would be. Third, that all the love thrown at the HD800’s is justified. They really were that much better than the HD650’s to justify the additional cost. The detail and clarity was amazing.
Other equipment I tried out were:
HiFiman 500
HiFiman1000
Cardas A-8
Fostex TH-X00
Grado RS2e
HifiMan HE-500
HifiMan Edition X
Sennheiser HD 650
Sennheiser HD 700
Sennheiser HD 800
Sennheiser HD 800 with Anax Mod
STAX – (shown in the photo posted)
APPJ 1502a
Gustard H10
Schiit Lyr 2
Schiit Mjolnir 2
Schiit Valhalla 2
Schiit Bifrost
Schiit Bifrost Multibit
Shure KSE1500
One or two others I forgot to write down
I really wanted to try out the Bottlehead Crack Speedball to compare it to the Schiit Valhalla 2 but unfortunately it was not available. The APPJ 1502a was very nice and at the price I could see this as a very good buy for a starter amp. I was impressed by the Lyr 2’s clean detailed sound but the Valhalla 2 made my HD650’s sound absolutely amazing. Right now that is the amp I have on the top of my list as my next purchase. That is if I can resist springing for the HD800S.
This meeting was excellent. The opportunity to meet and talk to so many fellow audio enthusiasts as well as to try out so many new and different pieces of equipment is invaluable.
Thanks again to Brian - zabzaf, John, John and Jude for all the hard work, goodwill and advise. Now I can’t wait for the next meet!

 
Well if it makes you feel any better. The Valhalla 2 is an astoundingly good match for the HD800/S as well.

 

[Audio addict19]

Well i'm gonna have to say it, the stars of the show for me are the Audeze LCD X on TOPnut's rig for fun music, and the HD 800S for all other music. Thank you to everyone who let me try their gear on my Adcom CD player, surprised how it fared against the much more expensive things out there! Might have to get a Schitt stack one day for my laptop for digital music, but for now i'm happy with my MDR-7520's on my laptop. I'll be getting a HD 650 soon since they're in my price range, comfortable and I loved the pairing on my Adcom. Awesome meet and cannot wait for the next one! Thank you to everyone who put this together and for Overture Audio for putting it all together!

 

[zabzaf]

I know timkwhite and AxelCloris took a ton of pictures that I can't wait to see.

I took two...

 

[timkwhite]

I know @timkwhite and @AxelCloris took a ton of pictures that I can't wait to see.

 
Yes, I have 40 or so I will post soon... I usually end up on the phone with China or Japan each night for work, so it will take me a few days to find some time. But they are coming, as are my impressions which as always are nothing but positive.

 

[elrod-tom]

Ugh...gotta find the time to post some impressions!!  Sadly, I'm too slammed with work stuff.  Why, right this minute I'm listening to my Enigmacoustic Dharma D1000's for the first time with balanced termination! Turns out the inputs are the same as the Sennheiser HD800's...how did I miss this before now?  
 
Also been spending some quality time with ZMF Headphone's Blackwood (purchased at the meet!).  Very very pleased so far...well done Zach!
 
Thanks to the good folks at Overture Audio for hosting us again.  Had a great time as usual.
 
Now here's hoping I can get to this impressions thing by the weekend

 

[timkwhite]

First and foremost, I want to thank all those involved with the planning and execution for this meetup. Additionally, I would like to thank the exceptionally helpful and gracious employees at Overture Audio for allowing us to invade their showroom to share in our oh so over the top hobby/interest/obsession.
So my original intentions were to do the following.
 

• Compare my standard BiFrost with the BiFrost Miltibit - want to understand the 250 dollar upgrade...
• Compare my SE535's with the SE846's - I hope I can save myself the upgrade, but most likely not from what I have been told...
• Find a great compliment to my HD650's - compliment means very different like the Mr. Speakers, Fostex, etc...
• Listen to as many AKG's as I can... I never found the time last year, so I will be making time this year...
• Find a suitable amp for number 3 above...

 
So how did I do…

• I took the multibit challenge thanks to @mrtie84 and saved myself 250 bucks to put towards another set of cans.
• I never did find the SE846’s so that was a fail. I DID find the new Shure KSE1500 electrostat IEM’s and I fell in love. But at 3K I will have to admire them from afar.
• I tested many, many headphones looking for something fun and exciting including the ZMF’s, Fostex, Mr. Speakers, etc. I fell in love with the look of the latest Massdrop Purple TH-X00’s and ordered them without ever hearing a Fostex. After hearing the TH-X00’s, I made a FANTASTIC decision. August cannot come soon enough for those gorgeous cans.
• I want to thank @akgunkie for providing a vast array of AKG’s. The Q701’s were not what I was expecting and the K812’s are definitely on my short list. I like them better than the HD800’s on regular, non-summit-fi gear as well. A used pair may be in my future.
• I think I will wait until I try them out thoroughly with my current setup as so far it has proven it can drive many different HP’s without issue.

 
OK, so onto the other impressions.
 
I finally, finally, finally found a setup where I liked the HD800. Thank you to @topnut for providing his summit-fi setup and with eddie current amps, the HD800, a great recording, the HD800 is just sublime. Best I have ever heard in all honesty. But it will remain with others as that level of amp/dac/source is out of my wants. But at least I get it now. I also see that ultra resolution needs a fantastic recording as a poor recording just about blew my ears out with the highs of the HD800. I didn’t get a chance to try the HD800s.. that is for next time.
 
The ZMF headphones: I listened to several different cans and all were really, really surprising in their clarity, speed and low end response. They remind me of the Audeze series of LCD headphones; fantastic sounding but way to heavy, way to uncomfortable and way to eager to fall of your head. For 10 minutes they are fantastic, but after that… give me a lightweight, all day headphone like the HD650. Truly great work though.
 
The Mr. Speakers Ether C. Loved this headphone. It was light, comfortable, fantastic sounding and super, super clear and responsive. It seemed a bit bass light to me form what I was expecting but other than that, just a fantastic set of cans. I would highly recommend a listen for those who have not heard a pair.
 
The Fostex/Massfrop TH-X00. I. Am. Really. Glad. I. Am. Getting. A. Pair. Just a great all around set of headphones that are fast, clear and have just the right amount of bass when it is required. So, so glad I joined the purplewood massdrop.
 
AKG’s – I did not like the Q701 at all; too light in all dimensions. The 551’s were really, really nice and the K812 is just fantastic. It is extremely resolving and has a bunch of airiness, great soundstage and a wonderful presentation without requiring a huge investment in the upstream gear and perfect recordings like the HD800 seems to crave. It is definitely on my short list.
 
Multibit – I for the life of me cannot see a difference given the comparison that was presented. I did find a difference initially, but once the levels were adjusted to more closely match, there was no discernable difference. I wish all those that can find a difference good luck as their bank accounts will require much higher end gear than I need to be happy. I will just keep plodding along with my BiFrost and Valhalla V2 and spend my money on different HP’s. As they say the order of influence on sound would be HP’s, Amp, DAC, Source. I will happily accept this.
 
It was great to see everyone again, meet new friends and help out those with car issues, which seemed to be overly present at this meetup. Thanks to those who ended up at dinner afterwards as the discussions were very fun and relaxing, if not nauseating (those present will understand).
 
See you next time and enjoy the pics!