[wazzupi]

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxISU6s4kFJC_7ChqCo0GTwYpdRL7mPlOY

Video speaks for itself lol

 

[GadgetryTech]

This format is a little different but I made a 27 min video on my experience at Can Jam SoCal. First 3 min is just some nice b-roll of products on display, then I spend a few minutes at a time talking about a few products that either stood out to me or I've been asked about. That included Utopia 2022, Meze 109 Pro, VZR Model 1, Centrance Dac Mini, dCS Lina stack, Audeze CRBN and MM-500, ZMF Caldera, Soekris, T+A. Warwick Acoustics, and the Hifman EF400. Just wanted to share!

 

[pbui44]

Had to sneak in a visit to In-N-Out before heading back to the east coast tonight. It was a blast California, hope to redo this again next year!

I am glad that this is becoming a tradition now. No trip to the Pacific coast is complete when there is no In-N-Out visit for me.

 

[Sajid Amit]

This format is a little different but I made a 27 min video on my experience at Can Jam SoCal. First 3 min is just some nice b-roll of products on display, then I spend a few minutes at a time talking about a few products that either stood out to me or I've been asked about. That included Utopia 2022, Meze 109 Pro, VZR Model 1, Centrance Dac Mini, dCS Lina stack, Audeze CRBN and MM-500, ZMF Caldera, Soekris, T+A. Warwick Acoustics, and the Hifman EF400. Just wanted to share!

Awesome.

Loved the vid.

 

[GadgetryTech]

Thanks!

 

[KG Jag]

A good and lucky day today.

My case and remaining kit arrived for my CanJam purchased ZMF Auteur. On top of that I received an email notifying me that I had won the Benchmark 2022 CanJam Giveaway DAC3B. Follow-up and due diligence slated for tomorrow.

 

[Netforce]

A good and lucky day today.

My case and remaining kit arrived for my CanJam purchased ZMF Auteur. On top of that I received an email notifying me that I had won the Benchmark 2022 CanJam Giveaway DAC3B. Follow-up and due diligence slated for tomorrow.

Nice stuff! I remember we had a nice conversation about the George Harrison Pro-Ject turntable we were also giving out but glad to see you won the Benchmark!

 

[JacobLTA]

I'll try write up a better impression thread later but..

At the risk of sounding cliché, I will state that one experience that stood out to me the most was the people. I felt such a sense of belonging, excitement, and wonder, all thanks to the amazing people and brands there. So many that are passionate, knowledgable, yet still excited by everything there, both new and old. Shows and conventions for a hobby are great because we are all there sharing a similar passion.

Zach and Bevin from ZMF are some of the kindest people I encountered. The passion behind their brand and love for this industry was palpable. The folks at dCS were incredibly down to the earth and knowledgable. They were just as happy talking about music and headphones as their own stack. The folks at RAAL, Wells, Amp&Sound, T+A, VZR, Centrance, and more were all great to hang out and chat with. I'm leaving many great people and brands out, but I think this makes my point.

Regarding some audio gear, here are some cliff notes (for now):
Warwick Aperio blew my mind. It's almost like connecting a good DAC directly to your neural pathways. Incredible presence, clarity, and resolution. Not for bass heads. Very analytical without being over the top in any way. Built with incredible quality and detail. You could almost sense the power behind the planar electrostatic drivers.


T+A Solitaire P with HA 200 Amp - Talk about speed an energy. They feel so eager to convey the song to you, almost like they sipped some espresso before hitting play. Transients are on another level, and I still found it to have excellent bass response. I didn't find the treble too fatiguing either. I think they will continue to grow in the US as the word gets out more. They also feel incredibly well built, easily one of the best in their price ranges.


dCS Lina Stack - Seems to be as close to a reference sound as I've heard, but without it sounding too sterile or compressed. I find some "reference" or to some people, "flat" sounding stacks to sound too dull or lifeless, even with more lively headphones, but that wasn't the case here. The Lina seems to work with many different headphones. I was able to hear the Focal Utopia 2022 edition in this room for an extended period of time, and I think this was the best spot to hear those. Not only was the room quiet, but the stack paired incredibly well with the Utopia 2022 sound signature. I could see myself enjoying the new Utopias on them for hours at a time, as the Lina stack kept them in full control and eliminated some of the abrasiveness I observed in the main room (where the noise floor was much higher) . The Lina Stack with the Hifiman Susvara was simply sublime. This setup could easily rival the best pairings out there and, to many, would be their happy end game.


Soekris entry level DAC (I think DAC1221) - This will be a new entry level R2R DAC that's slightly larger than a JDS atom, and will be selling for under $500. After enjoying my Denafrips Ares II and what it brought to my setup, a high quality R2R under $500 may be a great addition to a lot of people's gear without breaking the bank. R2R can be a lot of fun to listen to, so I'm excited to see this come to market soon.


ZMF Caldera - I listened to multiple ZMF cans and they have so many hits on their hands. I can see why their room was always full. The Caldera may be one of my favorite planars I've listened to. Great bass response and presence, but not overly emphasized. ZMF sound but with planar characteristics, and a lively presentation in the upper midrange and treble. Imaging was incredible, and listening to songs like Radiohead's Identikit really took me for a ride. Perhaps one of my favorite headphones for the money right now, considering you don't need a special stack to enjoy them (as I picture them with a dCS stack below). It was the best photo I had of them!


Meze 109 Pro - I'll keep this short and sweet. Typical Mesa build quality and beautiful (subjective) looks are still there. As far as sound quality goes, this may be the best valued options from Meze right now. Less bass heavy, more open, yet still intimate sounding. I think this will be wildly popular this year. Tonality was amazing at this price, and I think I could listen to all types of music on this headphone throughout an entire day.


Audeze CRBN (connected to Mjolnir Audio amp)- I'll end my writeup with this one for now, as it took me on an emotional roller coaster. I sat down at the Audeze table so I could finally listen to the MM-500s and compare against the LCD-5X (both were excellent in their own way). They MM-500s were all tied up (all the excitement on them!), so they asked if I wanted to hear the CRBN. Of course I couldn't turn that down, so away I went. I sat at that seat longer than most spots in the show. I wouldn't even say it was my favorite headphone there, but it was the most revealing to me. Revealing beyond sound. The bass is incredibly tight, controlled. Almost like having small bites of filet mignon instead of big old chunks of Ribeye. I was craving more, but loving every bite. The mid range clarity and resolution blew me away. Vocals cut right through with such refinement and poise, it began surprising me. The highs were excellent, perhaps sounding better than most of the planar Audeze headphones I auditioned afterwards.

My roller-coaster was this... This setup got me a little emotional because a few things happened at once. I realized how early I was in my audio journey, and was reminded how beautiful music can be. I was listening to new music I haven't heard before (after a few of my benchmark go-to's), and some tracks just sounded so incredible. I went on a journey with the music which doesn't always happen, and it happened in the chaos of CanJam. This headphone, paired with that beautiful amp from Iceland, quickly reminded me how much more I had to discover in this space. It was eye opening and exciting at the same time. The same songs can be presented in so many different ways, and more than one can be "right".


Any way, I meant to write this 2 hours ago but ended up listening to some jams while reading what all of you had to share so far. I'm beat.

Edit - Added some pics

Did you take a moment to listen to the CRBN with the Z10e? I'm interested in your thoughts on this pairing...

 

[KG Jag]

^^ Shortly after my session with you and the Harrison TT, I found my way to Robert and the Pro-Ject table. While there I took the opportunity to listen to their upline fully balanced TT system/audio chain featuring a high quality low output MC cartridge. I even found his Japanese pressing of Steely Dan's "Gaucho", giving it a listen as CanJam closed for good late Sunday afternoon. As it turned out, Robert and I were on the same SWAL flight out of John Wayne. We had a great conversation about audio, headphone and audio equipment and especially TT's, cartridges and the Pro-Ject line of products--both present and past. During that conversation, Robert told me that you two were sharing a single anti-skating weight after yours separated from its "fishing line". He also told me that a young person had won your Harrison TT. This was great news, as the Harrison TT is a great match for someone getting into vinyl--even better if at some point they can swap out the stylus for an Ortofon OM 20.

 

[rush1]

This format is a little different but I made a 27 min video on my experience at Can Jam SoCal. First 3 min is just some nice b-roll of products on display, then I spend a few minutes at a time talking about a few products that either stood out to me or I've been asked about. That included Utopia 2022, Meze 109 Pro, VZR Model 1, Centrance Dac Mini, dCS Lina stack, Audeze CRBN and MM-500, ZMF Caldera, Soekris, T+A. Warwick Acoustics, and the Hifman EF400. Just wanted to share!

Great video @GadgetryTech I really like your video, the b-roll of products makes those like me that did not come to the event feel the ambiance of the great show, also I really like how you zoomed in on the products for me to further see, indirectly, the quality of the workmanship.

I think it is the first video I saw that mentioned and shows the Centrance new product. I have been using the Centrance dacmini since the day it launched, and you are right the reason I bought it other than it simply is great sounding but also because it stacks nicely with mac mini that I was using back in the 2012.

I am a happy customer indeed, I am still using the dacmini since… well I forgot, maybe 2012 until now. Although lately I have been feeding the dacmini with external dac, especially when I listens to DSD recordings.

I certainly hope you or any other reviewers can get to review the dacmini2, really is interested to read on how it sounds. I am about to upgrade most of my gear and the new centrance might or might be not settle in my desktop given there are a lot of products to consider nowadays.

Enough maundering from me now… great reading the coverage from all of you that made the posting, those are great watching and reading experience indeed

 

[GadgetryTech]

Did you take a moment to listen to the CRBN with the Z10e? I'm interested in your thoughts on this pairing...

Sadly I did not, sorry! There wasn't enough time to really play with them all, as that room was quite busy and there was typically a queue to hear something.

Great video @GadgetryTech I really like your video, the b-roll of products makes those like me that did not come to the event feel the ambiance of the great show, also I really like how you zoomed in on the products for me to further see, indirectly, the quality of the workmanship.

I think it is the first video I saw that mentioned and shows the Centrance new product. I have been using the Centrance dacmini since the day it launched, and you are right the reason I bought it other than it simply is great sounding but also because it stacks nicely with mac mini that I was using back in the 2012.

I am a happy customer indeed, I am still using the dacmini since… well I forgot, maybe 2012 until now. Although lately I have been feeding the dacmini with external dac, especially when I listens to DSD recordings.

I certainly hope you or any other reviewers can get to review the dacmini2, really is interested to read on how it sounds. I am about to upgrade most of my gear and the new centrance might or might be not settle in my desktop given there are a lot of products to consider nowadays.

Enough maundering from me now… great reading the coverage from all of you that made the posting, those are great watching and reading experience indeed

Thanks so much for the kind words Rush1! It's great to hear from actual customers on products like these, and how much they enjoy it. Michael, the owner, seems like a great guy and he's really passionate about his brand and what they make. I hope to get my hands on the DAC Mini 2 down the road but we'll see!

 

[Death_Block]

Almost like having small bites of filet mignon instead of big old chunks of Ribeye.
LMAO. I love it. Awesome analogy

 

[MRHiFiReviews]

My impressions after getting some time with the Expanse since CanJam!

 

[ppbb]

I agree. Excellent across all genres. Well balanced with great tonality.

I did for a few minutes. Actually got to A/B with the the Voce and Expanse. The crbn has superb mid range and treble. Clear and transparent with air but on the warm side as opposed to harsh or clinical. The bass was boomy (punchy] but muddy and inarticulate when compared to the planars. I prefer articulate well defined bass with leading and trailing edges of tones. My impression is that estats have trouble in this region. Crbn is well built and comfortable.

Only estat that really impressed me was the Warwick Aperio. Just magnificent. However, the Amp has almost no headroom for me. Normal listening volume was at 90% of max.

The Z10e has PLENTY of power too.

 

[MRHiFiReviews]

I agree. Excellent across all genres. Well balanced with great tonality.

Thanks!

DCA Expanse Flagship Headphones First Look; the greatest Dan Clark Headphones ever made?