Impressions... everyone was great - interesting to talk to, helpful, considerate - always makes things run smoothly. Fantastic as they are, I find meets really frustrating in some ways - they get noisy, I'm comparing a slew of various new things with limited time... after a short time my ears get pretty confused. I tend to try to use meets to find a few new things that I might be interested in, or that appeal to me for some reason, then track them down to purchase/swap/borrow so I can check them out properly. I didn't end up listening to nearly as much as I would have liked to, and had to take off a little early. I could have easily filled the day browsing, talking and listening my way through the gear.
My first listen to Beyerdynamic cans ensured I left having bought a pair - which I am enjoying now I have more time to listen properly. Did a little extra modding to the Canare cabling to quiet an irritating buzzing caused by the inner cable rattling against the inside of the can with each thunderous bass note. The bass (for which they are so well known) has a great depth to my ears. Realistically I know it's over the top in many ways in terms of balance, but it extends down so far, rumbling, threatening & looming - it's fantastic! Tracks like Angel from Massive Attack's Mezzanine brood and moan with depth. It isn't just muddy low noise either - it's full of tone - the way I'm sure bass players silently plead to be heard. At the other end of the scale I have reservations that there is a little sibilance creeping in to the highest of high notes. It isn't too harsh, but has been a little distracting for a few tracks, especially noticeable within particular vocal sections and the odd cymbal strike. Time will tell... but there is so much to be impressed with that if nothing else, I'm sure I will find something that better suits my ears within the Beyerdynamic range.
Had a few minutes with the Stax gear - my first time. To be honest I would need much more time with them to give a proper impression of any sort. The sound was lush and spacious; the space beyond anything else was what surprised me most. The other thing that struck me was how many $ I was listening to... not sure I could justify the diminishing returns myself... but a few years may change that of course, as I'm sure would a day or two of them in my listening area. I think it's only appropriate to extend a great deal of thanks to their owner for lugging it all in!
Mazz...
Really enjoyed talking to you man - I think our way of thinking / hearing are very similar in many ways. Didn't get around to comparing your Boa to my Pico in the end... next time...
I had a short time comparing the Lavry to my Benchmark, which seemed quite similar to my ears - certainly not as big a difference as I would have expected. I only compared via the inbuilt headphone out of each, and found the Bencmark winning that battle. Would love to have a listen to Justins balanced setup one day to really appreciate how the Lavry can perform - I'm sure it wasn't at its best as I heard it.
So I think the next thing for me is to explore possibilities in terms of amps for my benchmark/HD650 (and for now, DT990) setup. Not sure I'll be hanging out until the next meet for that upgrade... we'll see.
Covenant... I really can't thankyou enough. Thanks for your efforts.
, James said he was planning to DIY one, but he found that it was too similiar to the mad ear, so if you liked the mad ear, chances are you'll like the EMP