A few more impressions below...
JDS Labs
The first vendor I visited on Saturday morning was JDS Labs and I enjoyed their 02+ODAC Combo pictured below out of my HD650s. It drove them very well for an amplifier this size and I was impressed by the depth it was able to achieve at this price point. I don't always tend to like a lot of solid state amplifiers with the 650s, but I could tell this little guy was doing quite a lot right and it would probably pair well with another, easier to drive headphone. They also had an AKG hooked up, but I do like at least a little consistency, weight, and impact to my low frequencies, so I didn't listen through them. Anyway, nice products from JDS, well built and at good prices.
ALO Audio
I spent a little bit of time checking out ALO Audio's vinyl rig (Studio Six amplifier above and their Phono Stage as well as turntable below), and wow it was really nice and sounded great! I haven't looked into specs of the phono pre much, but it appears to also have 3 switchable input load settings, which is something I'm always glad to see. If I wasn't able to load the input of by Denon, I wouldn't like it at all. The default inputs are pretty much the same on all phono preamps, however they don't always match to a particular cartridge or system signature very well. Even being able to make small adjustments, even if only 3 total, is still very cool. I wish I had spent a little more time with this setup as it was one of the best vinyl rigs I've ever heard with the 650s.
Pendulumic - Wireless Studio Headphones
I also stopped by and checked out the Pendulumic Stance S1s. I found them to be very light in weight and I really liked the volume/play/adjust button on the side... just about what you would want in a wireless solution, with the exception that I felt like I wanted the pads to be just a bit more comfortable for extended use. Maybe an option for some nice lambskin or even thicker/better cushioning; I would probably seriously buy a pair right now if they had cushions as comfortable as the Alpha Dogs at this price point... anyway, it could be a hard solution to beat around the house, when you want to be at least a little mobile. They told me they did some tests before the show and it was able to go more than the 50 foot spec, probably because it was an open room with no walls, etc., but still pretty cool. I'm not well versed in bluetooth technology, but they use a technology called aptX, which I think is supposed to have less distortion. They also have built-in rechargeable batteries, plus additional slots for I believe 2 AAA batteries that extend the life up to ~30 hours... very nice.
As far as sound quality, unfortunately it was later in the day on Saturday and since it was my last day, I wasn't able to listen to them for very long, I would say about 12 min. or so, but I liked the overall sound signature I heard, which I found to be more warm than neutral and a little soft around the edges. The sound wasn't overly peaky nor bassy and I could see them being forgiving to poorly recorded or produced albums. They weren't the most detailed and revealing headphone I've heard, but for the functionality/versatility, and at their price point, it seemed to fill a void that I haven't really thought much of in the past. After about 5 min. I remember starting to imagine myself lying on my couch and on my bed, closing my eyes, just drifting away to the sound... crazy, but all of which I can't really do right now... why you ask? Cause I got cables... lots of them... and heavier bulky headphones that prefer you to sit up to listen to them rather than lay down (I didn't lay down while wearing the Stance S1s or anything, but I got the impression that I might very well be able to and still be at least somewhat comfy).
Anyway, I'm really glad I stopped by and checked out the Stance S1s. Finally someone is looking to raise the bar of quality (and functionality) of wireless sound because sometimes you just want to move around without restrictions or limitations, even at home, but still be comfortable and have good sound. Too much to ask for? Well it'll be interesting to see where this wireless thing goes, even in the near future...
PS Audio
Yes, that's right, PS Audio was in the CanJam room this year, showing off their new integrated amplifier, the
Sprout, shown above. Very nicely designed little amp, with sound that was really great as well. Not only was it able to drive my HD650s correctly, but it did so with nice depth and detail. It's also a speaker amplifier (50 watts per channel) and a asynchronous DAC, all built into this very classy looking chassis with a natural walnut wood grain top. Looking back, I wish I had spent more time with this little guy as the sound was very nice and refined, with excellent build quality. However, I would say that I enjoyed the sound of the iFi Retro a little more with the 650s, but it's closer to the sound signature I typically enjoy more. Also, the Sennheiser HDVA 600 was a better match with the 650s, but that's one amplifier that I felt was hard to beat with them (plus I heard it after the Sprout). However, I found the solid state sound signature coming out of this little guy impressive and with the good design/technology that PS Audio is known for, at this price point it may be the perfect solution for a smaller integrated multipurpose system, perhaps in an office or bedroom.
More to come...