☯️ Cavalli Audio presents The Source AV’s Summer Series 2016

[Peti]

   
Yes...I'm ready to try them out as well...no matter what they won't have the bass earthquake feeling of the Tactions! 

  No doubt the drivers will sound very good, though!

Tactions? You mean the Schwarzenegger cans?

 

[moedawg140]

 
Tactions? You mean the Schwarzenegger cans?

 

 

[Peti]

No problem on getting the cans for you. I have a new problem. You know the event we have scheduled for June 18th? The date we've been sworn to secrecy on? Well that date has 3 cans (all one manufacturer) for a world exclusive. It's so secret I can't even tell the prices. Well the best of the 3 is my ultimate can. As for today, I like the HD800S on the Liguid Gold.i liked this combination with the Questyle QP1R and the A&K 380. I like the pronounced second order harmonic push and the high frequencies were even, distinct and smooth. I was listening to Miles Davis "All Blues", Alison Krauss "Whiskey Lullaby" and "Graceland" by Paul Simon. On the Questye Gold Edition I heard a different presentation. I still hear the bass and low mids very similarly but the rest of the frequencies were more forward. Both amp/DAC combos were great! Both worked for me. I guess I'm jaded in that I can't take my mind off of the cans coming on June 18th. Those are without a doubt the finest ever made at any price. The Ultimare Headphone! It has no competitors and two others at lower price points. I'm dying here. I want them NOW!!

I was just wondering how could it be even better than this during the upcoming meets but you just answered my question! Thank you guys for putting this series of events together. Where else you would have a chance to listen to all these top products free of charge in great company with fellow enthusiasts in a relatively quiet environment?? I have a hunch this event will grow much bigger in time and I'm proud I could be there at the first one that started it.
 
Was great fun to compare two HD800's (SE vs Balanced) on the same rig. For the first time I have heard that balanced cabling does make a difference sound-wise. Now it's time to find a balanced cable for my own HD800!

 

[Peti]

   

Yes Sir!

 

[moedawg140]

It's always good to see you, @Stillhart. 

 
I am also kind of sad that you changed your avatar. 

 

 

[moedawg140]

 
I was just wondering how could it be even better than this during the upcoming meets but you just answered my question! Thank you guys for putting this series of events together. Where else you would have a chance to listen to all these top products free of charge in great company with fellow enthusiasts in a relatively quiet environment?? I have a hunch this event will grow much bigger in time and I'm proud I could be there at the first one that started it.
 
Was great fun to compare two HD800's (SE vs Balanced) on the same rig. For the first time I have heard that balanced cabling does make a difference sound-wise. Now it's time to find a balanced cable for my own HD800!

 
There were several events before, but yeah, this was the first one of the summer series. 

 

 

[TSAVJason]

I was just wondering how could it be even better than this during the upcoming meets but you just answered my question! Thank you guys for putting this series of events together. Where else you would have a chance to listen to all these top products free of charge in great company with fellow enthusiasts in a relatively quiet environment?? I have a hunch this event will grow much bigger in time and I'm proud I could be there at the first one that started it.

Was great fun to compare two HD800's (SE vs Balanced) on the same rig. For the first time I have heard that balanced cabling does make a difference sound-wise. Now it's time to find a balanced cable for my own HD800!

That's easy! We have KimbeKable "Axios", Nordost "Blue Heaven & Heimdal 2", WireWorld and Sennheiser balanced cables

 

[Peti]

That's easy! We have KimbeKable "Axios", Nordost "Blue Heaven & Heimdal 2", WireWorld and Sennheiser balanced cables

It seems I have some homework to be done comparing those cables during the next meet...if they will be available for a comparison.

 

[Netforce]

First and foremost big shoutouts to The Source AV and in particular @TSAVJason and his crew for hosting the event! To Cavalli @warrenpchi and @Stillhart and Questyle @bSquared64 and @mikemercer!
 
The HD800 and the HD800S on both the questyle and cavalli setups sounded wonderful so picking a favorite between the 2 was tricky. In the end after flip flopping between the 2 I would say my personal preference was the HD800S though the original HD800 was a more interesting can.





Wonderful track I heard from Mercer's suggestion! Loved it!
 
And then as it got a tad busy went to different part to listen to some awesome setups with all the cans and rigs The Source had!




Wow wow the th-900 are some lovely and bassy headphones, thanks @Bones1885 for giving me a chance to hear your cans~
 
Then @moedawg140 showed up and I whipped out a few of my iems I brought along with my cans...

Then we had an impromptu little meetup! Lots folks floated by, we talked and joked a lot, heard a lot of gear from moe! And I got to hear the new Hifiman He-350 moe brought....

$99 open back dynamic from hifiman and massdrop? Personally as a big hifiman planar guy hearing this dynamic open back was in my opinion nice. For the price and the clarity it is nice contender for probably the best value can at $99. As it is stock pads and through my fiio x5 my first desire like with a lot of my headphones was to try it with an amp so I hooked it up with my Topping X1 amp and we got a nice improvement to the bass. Treble I found in a bit bright.
 
After listening to it stock and passing it around so others could listen to it I decided to take my angled brainwavz pads and put them on the headphones and holy moly we got an improvement to the bass! For the treble I did some experiments with some paper towels and tried adding some to tame the treble, initially 4 pieces was a touch too veiled, 1 piece seemed like it was what most people preferred! Did a little quarter size hole mod and that wasn't as well received. So overall with like most hifiman cans modding was a lot of fun and simple! 
 
 
 
I had a wonderful time at the event and I look very much forward to the future events! The Source Av is a great location or I even daresay probably the best location in SoCal for a store with headphones~ Jason is a wonderful man who ordered us a delicious lunch and after the event when we went to dinner he was very very hyped about the next events and kept teasing to us the headphones premiere next month... Still very curious about it...

 

[KefkaticFanatic]

Out of town for this one, but I'll try to stop by for the Ether showdown!

 

[moedawg140]

Always nice hanging out with you, @Netforce! Thanks so much for bringing your IEMs, wish I could have listened to more of them. I'll be adding your Shozy and Fiio IEMs to the QP1R review in the near future for sure. I'm also going to be uploading the video I took of you and add more with regards to the modding section in the HE350 review. I was going to write and post all of this tonight, but I'll just work on it in the morning if I can after I get some sleep...

I do agree, The Source AV is literally in the best location in SoCal - I'm biased because the area is my stomping ground, but the facts that the ocean is down the street, hiking is up the hill and almost anything you want food wise is within a few mile radius are simply amazing, in my opinion. Til next time!

 
 
*Edit, the video is live!

 

[boblauer]

Really wanted to attend but some personal stuff got the way and hopefully will allow me to attend a few of the rest. Won;t be around for the next one but hope to see folks July 9th.  

 

[TSAVJason]

Tactions? You mean the Schwarzenegger cans?

Hahahaha I guess my phrase is catching on. Yes that is the Arnold Schwartzeneggar NECK cans.

 

[Peti]

Have a workout while enjoying your music and headphones. I like it, it's a killer idea, makes everyone smile!
 

 
Else: The more I listen the HD800 on high-end rigs (like y'day on the Cavallis, Woo and Questyle) the more I respect the Classic HD800. As I said before in another thread, I believe the Sennheiser engineers created something around 2008-2009 that exceeded its age. Amp and DAC makers have been catching up though and I feel the future will bring even better amps to do justice to this ultimate dynamic headphones. So mush so, that I've settled with a new avatar!

 

[vitalogyx]

This is why I didn't wanna audition the Liquid Gold in the first place.
I was afraid I would fall for it as I heard the rumors.

I have heard nothing like the LAu and it made my HD800 sound like an out of this world experience.
The harshness and treble spikes I experienced listening through the Valhalla II and other SS amps were gone.

It was pure Eargasm.

Can't wait to make it to the Ether shootout.

I'm spoiled.