[bixby]

Post your impressions here, now that the show has begun!

 

[HK_sends]

Wishing I was there!  Definitely planning for next year!
Enjoy the show everyone!  Please keep news and impressions flowing!
Cheers and All the Best!

-HK sends

 

[miceblue]

It's not really impressions of gear since I'm still at the airport, but it's really cool to connect to completely random strangers through this hobby. I found a fellow with a Head-Fi sticker on his phone and that sparked a conversation. Apparently we're staying in the same hotel! XD

 

[jfoxvol]

My favorite sounding setup so far was in one of the budget rooms on the second floor. Focal Elear out of a Schiit Jotunheim. That's a seriously good headphone.

 

[nmatheis]

First stop was to the Cayin + MusicTeck booth in the back of the tent to say hi to Andy and Andrew and drop off a bunch of Cayin gear from the Portland meet earlier this year. Andrew had the updated Unique Melody IEM lineup. Nice update with slightly refined sound and much better cables. I'd encourage people to stop by, say hi, and take a listen.

Here's a pic of me and Andy:


I then stopped by iFi to say hi to Tyler and discovered that my man Lawrance Lee (aka Cotnijoe) works for iFi now. I grabbed a listen to the new iEMatch with my PAW Gold + UM Maestro. It gave me about 50% more headroom on the volume pot and gave the setup more punch and sparkle. I bought one on the spot. I gave Lawrance and Tyler a listen to some of my gear. They both agreed that THE Teriplayer G1 (a handmade Indonesian DAP) punches way above is price point. Tyler also agreed with me that the Unique Melody lineup is very good.

Here's a pic of me with Lawrance:


I also hung out with Zach from ZMF for awhile and tried his new dynamic driver headphones. They sounded especially good out of the tube amp setup Zach had. Stop by and give them a try.

After that, I stopped by HiFiMan and tried their revised HEX and HEK. Man, do I love HEX. That headphone ticks all the right boxes for me. I wanted to try Super and MegaMini, but they had fun of of juice by the time I'd gotten there. I also tried Shangri-la. So... Damn... Expensive...

From there, I dropped by the Fostex both and tried the new Fostex + FitEar IEM. Man, what a nice full, musical yet detailed sound very nice! This was also the only booth that had Metal music for audition. Stop by tomorrow, and they should have the new Meshuggah ready to test out with their headphones \m/ \m/

Last stop was at Meze. It was nice to meet these guys since I reviewed (and loved) their 99 Classics. I'm glad I stopped by because my main complaint about those was the earpads. My ears didn't fit into them like I expected Well, I'm happy to report that they've got new earpads that fit my ears perfectly. I think these are on my buy list for the show!


Up for tomorrow is...

Meeting my man Forrest at the FLC booth. I highly encourage people to stop by and listen to FLC8S and the Celeste prototype!

I also want to stop back by the Cayin + MusicTeck booth and try the new budget EarSonics IEM Andrew is supposed to get in tonight. Nighthawks are on my must try list, too. After that, I'll just see what catches my eye...

Be back tomorrow with more from the show...

 

[brent75]

I had a great time today. It was my first audio show...and with the added factor of the hotel renovation...I had no idea what to expect. But thought it was fantastic. Here's a quick run-down of my afternoon:
 

1. Registration was quick and painless
2. Despite the construction issues, I thought the tent was totally fine (even listening to open headphones)
3. I began the day in the "How Low Can You Go/Affordability" seminar discussion with Darko, MIchael Lavorgna and Steve Silberman
4. Talked to Steve and John for a while afterward...great guys
5. Got to listen to all sorts of gear I read about here and never thought I'd get a chance to hear (Chord DAVE, Focal Elear and Utopia, Ether Flow C, TOTL from Hifiman/Audeze/others, stuff from Meze, iFi, Westone, Schitt and more)
6. Learned and listened to what Audioquest is about to release -- very nice
7. Learned what's in the works for Chord Mojo, but had to promise I wouldn't tell
8. Happened to be at the 64 Audio booth when Tyll was there, so I heard/watched him film his entire interview while I sat next to him
9. Ran into NBA Hall of Famer David Robinson (and found out he's scoping headphones just like the rest of us)
10. Combed through as many hotel rooms as possible to hear the stereo set-ups, and saw some truly insane things
11. The room I probably enjoyed the was was ELAC with Andrew Jones...so cool to interact with him, and also learn all news around Elac plus see the new releases
12. The other room I really liked was with Dr. Hsu -- what a nice and humble guy
13. My favorite headphone by far was the Focal Elear --- man that thing was insane
14. The other combo I really, really liked was the Ether Flow C combined with Cavali (I think it was Liquid Carbon but can't remember)
15. Overall everyone was so nice -- all in all a great experience

 

[mscott58]

Wish I was there! Have fun all!

 

[Effusion]

Well, day one has now officially concluded and what a show so far!  Thank you to all the vendors and the enthusiasts that came out.  Even though the hotel is in renovation, the temporary structure/tent seems to work well, if not for a bit of poor lighting and not quite the same amount of airflow; which actually might be a plus since there are usually cold spots.
 
Below are a few snaps of a few of the vendors I had the pleasure of visiting today, along with some brief initial impressions:
 
Lowry Audio Woodworking
 
First off, a non-headphone company, but one that I thought deserves attention for their amazing woodworking and craftsmanship.  Absolutely stellar work from Daniel Lowry, a Colorado local.
 






 
Acoustic Research
 
I checked out both their new DAP offerings, the AR-M20 and AR-M2.  Both were excellent driving both my 300 ohm HD650s as well as 80 ohm custom Beyer 770 Pros.  The software was excellent and very responsive and the design/function was top-notch.  My only complaint was that the units were both a bit wide in size for my tastes, which was noticeable when holding/gripping the players.  The M20 was a bit thinner and boosts a longer battery life, however this is mainly due to the M2 having a better and more powerful amplifier section.  I did have to turn the M20 almost all the way up in volume with both of my cans, in which a message appeared on the screen warning me of potential hearing loss at high volumes; gave me a bit of a laugh as I had to acknowledge by pressing "Ok".  Good players all around and with the 20% off promotion they are running currently, they are very reasonably priced compared to other offerings.
 

 
E-MU Systems
 
I have never heard of them prior to the show, but they really impressed me and were one of my top highlights from day one.  They offer two types of headphones, one over the ear (the Teak) and another on-ear (the Walnut), both with cups made from hand-crafted wood.  They had several offerings of each in different types of wood and finishes, all sounding very different to each other.  While one was a bit dark, soft on the highs, and laid-back in the mids, another was much more neutral, if a bit forward, albeit with a bit less bass and a tad more thin.  All were very comfortable, being light in weight with nice headbands and great leather pads.  The big plus for me was the price of both, which for the sound I was getting out of them, made them a great bargain.
 

 

 
Final Audio Design
 
Final Audio had numerous IEMs on display as well as several versions of their over the ear full size, the Sonorus.  I really enjoyed the version III, which to my ears gave me a full/rich enveloping sound and ran great out of my low power DAP, at only 16 ohms.  Below are a few pictures of their IEMs:
 


 
oBravo Audio
 
Another company that was new to me, but also one that really surprised me as well.  I tried both versions of their HAMT over the ear headphones and both sounded really great.  I preferred the fuller sound of their flagship offering the HAMT-1, I believe it was, but both were really nice and were driven off my low powered DAP very easily at around 56 ohms.  The headband design was similar to that of the Abyss headphones, which isn't really my cup of tea, but these were actually comfortable and not as stiff and awkward as the Abyss are to me.
 


 
Darin Fong Audio
 
Once again, a vendor I was not previously familiar with, but this one ended up blowing me out of my seat, literally.  Darin has designed software to transform your headphones into speakers, yes that's right, speakers.  The virtual speaker software, correctly dubbed "Out of Your Head", runs on both Windows and with Macs and lives at the driver level, meaning that you select it as your output device and it incorporates your DAC, etc. into the process.  So, essentially I believe it would work with just about any player software one might be running and has its own control console through the OS.  For those who are unsure though, there is a trial/demo version that is available for free.
 
I sat down at Darin's table and experienced his demo with my custom Beyer DT770 Pros and was very intrigued.  His software essentially turned my headphones into a 7.1 speaker system and I was just blown away while watching the demo's video, which was in-sync to my listening experience.  He has dozens of "speaker" packages, each turning the listener's headphones into various known speaker arrangements and environments.  For someone who is more familiar to listening to speakers or for someone like me, who often enjoys a movie on headphones, this software is worth a check and since the trial/demo version is free, you really have nothing to lose.
 



 
Rupert Neve Designs
 
I stopped by their table and checked out the RNHP Precision Headphone Amplifier, which was excellent all around.  No crazy designs nor materials used here, nope, just all that one needs, great sound and solid performance/materials at a price that is very reasonable.  Very nice to see an offering that isn't just all about what's on the outside.
 



 
ZMF Headphones
 
I've spent some time with a local head-fier's ZMF headphones previously and I've always been intrigued, so I spent some time at their booth this afternoon.  I quite enjoyed the new Atticus Headphone and found it to be very natural, full, and musical, if a bit on the polite side.  The new Eikon was also excellent.
 



 
MEZE
 
Unfortunately it was towards the end of the day and I wasn't able to spend as much time at the MEZE table as I would have liked to, but I really enjoyed their headphone offering as it both sounded great and was very light weight and comfortable.
 


 
HiFiMAN
 
A company that needs no introduction.  I have to say that I quite enjoyed their MegaMini player and it drove my 80 ohm custom Beyer DT770 Pros like a champ.  With expandable memory up to 256GB and a battery life of up to 15 hours, paired with the lower retail price, makes this a player to look out for.  I enjoyed the design, layout, and screen a bit more than the SuperMini actually.
 

 
A few other HiFiMAN products at the show:
 


 
1MORE
 
Never heard of these guys either, but they had a Bluetooth full-sized headphone that was intriguing.  Their MK802 was very nice and sounded actually quite good through the Bluetooth.  The cool thing is that they can also be hardwired using an included cable, which bypasses the Bluetooth amplifier/battery.  So, essentially, the Bluetooth is really only optional.  In addition to this they are extremely flexible/strong and very lightweight as well as comfortable; plus, I like their teddy bears with the chains!
 


 
Well, that's all I got for now, but more to come!

 

[heliosphann]

  I had a great time today. It was my first audio show...and with the added factor of the hotel renovation...I had no idea what to expect. But thought it was fantastic. Here's a quick run-down of my afternoon:
 

1. Registration was quick and painless
2. Despite the construction issues, I thought the tent was totally fine (even listening to open headphones)
3. I began the day in the "How Low Can You Go/Affordability" seminar discussion with Darko, MIchael Lavorgna and Steve Silberman
4. Talked to Steve and John for a while afterward...great guys
5. Got to listen to all sorts of gear I read about here and never thought I'd get a chance to hear (Chord DAVE, Focal Elear and Utopia, Ether Flow C, TOTL from Hifiman/Audeze/others, stuff from Meze, iFi, Westone, Schitt and more)
6. Learned and listened to what Audioquest is about to release -- very nice
7. Learned what's in the works for Chord Mojo, but had to promise I wouldn't tell
8. Happened to be at the 64 Audio booth when Tyll was there, so I heard/watched him film his entire interview while I sat next to him
9. Ran into NBA Hall of Famer David Robinson (and found out he's scoping headphones just like the rest of us)
10. Combed through as many hotel rooms as possible to hear the stereo set-ups, and saw some truly insane things
11. The room I probably enjoyed the was was ELAC with Andrew Jones...so cool to interact with him, and also learn all news around Elac plus see the new releases
12. The other room I really liked was with Dr. Hsu -- what a nice and humble guy
13. My favorite headphone by far was the Focal Elear --- man that thing was insane
14. The other combo I really, really liked was the Ether Flow C combined with Cavali (I think it was Liquid Carbon but can't remember)
15. Overall everyone was so nice -- all in all a great experience

 
Somebody needs to photoshop The Admiral with some TOTL cans on. 

 

[bixby]

@Effusion
 
Wow, great on the scene photos.
 
 
We appreciate it!

 

[bmichels]

- Could someone go to Asten&Kern and ask when the successor to the AK500n will arrive? (May be a beer will be necessary to make them talk

During High-End in Munch I was told "before end of 2016" by an A&K manager !


-Also, if someone goes to the HeadAmp booth, can you try the MrSpeaker Ether Electrostatic prototype headphone. I wonder if it sound better than my SR009 with my BHSE.


Thanks in advance

 

[bmichels]

Apparently there are 2 electrostatic BHSE each attached to a different DAC. One of them being the Holo Audio spring DAC and the other a EMM Labs DAC. Will be interesting to get listening feedback of those 2 different pairing. which DAC offer the best synergy with the BHSE.

Thanks

 

[tme110]

Check out the Vinnie Rossi LIO, the headphone amp is amazing.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

My son (HeadFanatic) and I arrived late yesterday, but the show was still going until past 7PM, instead of the usual 6PM, so we still got to see a few things.  We're heading out to breakfast now to try out as much as we can today, and we're here tomorrow as well.
 
I got to try out the latest revision of the HiFiMan Edition-X and thought they were very good. Via iPhone and iPhone with CCK + CEntrance DACportable they had good bass extension, full rich mids, and a nice treble shimmer up top.  They sounded fairly open and expansive, but the show is too noisy to consider a more extensive review or comparison with all the things going on around that leaks in.  Regardless, we'd both like to own a pair.
 
The HE-1000 V2 also sounded very good via the new balanced amplifier, but I only had time to give them a cursory examination - I appreciated the thinner ear cups with thicker more comfortable cushions, and they seem lighter than my original HE-1000.  I'm not convinced the Shangri-La electrostatic system is a huge improvement, but they also sounded very nice.  Again, I only gave them a cursory examination until today or tomorrow.
 
I spent some time prior to the HiFIMan booth at JH Audio, and came away impressed as well.  The demo version of the JH16Pro V2 vs my JH16Pro freqphase showed a similar bass and midrange, but the V2 had a little better treble presence and sparkle in cymbals with zero sibilance from either.  I kinda wish that I also had the two treble drivers in mine too, because I came away feeling that my pair are slightly dark in comparison.  
 
Out of my CEntrance DACportable and the AK240 DAP my Roxanne sounded a lot like the JH16Pro V2, but with the ability to crank the bass way up with the pots on the headphone cable on my Roxanne, and a more expansive soundstage to go with it.  I tried the new 3 driver IEM that I think is like an improved version of a Westone 3 in a custom, without the treble issues that the W3 can have with the wrong tips.  They had very strong bass like a Roxanne without over-doing it, with full mids and smooth treble.  I think they will be a big hit in the lower price point custom IEM, and elimate the need for the JH5 and 7 etc.
 
I should mention that the CEntrance DAportable is fantastic with my Roxanne, as well as every other IEM I've tried, and yesterday I didn't bring my beloved HiFi-M8 out with me since it's bigger and I wasn't trying out desktop headphone with my rig.  Today I'll have both with me, but the DACportable could be your only portable DAC/amp if it came down to it.  It can just about drive the HD600 but not quite as powerfully as the HiFi-M8 that's 4-5x bigger.  It might struggle with some of the previous generation planar magnetics, and I plan to try some out today.
 
I'll try to remember pictures today.

 

[Deftone]

Cheers lads!