I'm really glad I attended because I finally got to listen to some headphones I've been dying to hear, and really should have auditioned by now. I also got to listen to higher end CDPs than what I'm used to, as well as many different types of amps.
Sennheiser HD 600 and HD 650: I found these headphones, at least with the cables that were on them, to sound very different from one another. The HD 600 had a slightly bloated midrange and incoherent presentation, while the HD 650 was -very- warm and heavy sounding. The HD 650 was a bit too much for me to take, but I liked it more than the HD 600. I found the soundstage of the HD 600 to be surprisingly very small, especially compared to the HD 650 and the DT 880. Hearing these finally put my curiousity to rest, I'm just not a Sennheiser guy. They present a detail level on par with other headphones in the price range, but the frequency balance is what I have issues with.
Music Hall CD25 + Creek OBH21/SE + DT 880: I thought this was the perfect casual listening combo. Both amps have a very dark background, but the SE sounds more coherent and focused. Although it lacked slightly in detail, the smoothness and relaxed nature of the sound was very pleasant.
Sony MDR-SA5000: These seem to be pretty picky about amp synergy. I tried these on a variety of amps, and found that on my amp(listed in sig), they sounded way too honky. On one of the other amps my friend Sol brought along, they had an extreme level of detail I've never heard. The bass was a bit shy, but the detail was just amazing. I didn't find them to be harsh on this amp either. They reminded me of my past MDR-CD1700s actually, but with loads more detail.
Eastsound CD-E5 + PsychoZX's Tube/Mosfet Hybrid + DT 990: This amp is a bass monster, and the DT 990s came to life on it. The sound had so much power behind it, and was pretty lively to listen to without being too fatiguing. I think I tried my K 240s on this amp as well, but it wasn't as impressive. Just good synergy with the DT 990 I suppose.
Original CD2800 MKII + Singlepower MPX3 + DT 880: This is the first time I've tried my DT 880s on a tube amp, and I can definitely see why people like that combo. It was a bit dark, but very warm as well which made it very easy to take. Detail level was great, and the soundstaging and imaging was top notch from what I remember. Great setup.
Olive Musica Server + Headroom Desktop + DT 880: Unfortunately I didn't really dig on this setup at all. I had issues with the lifeless presentation. The midrange seemed exaggerated with a fatiguing high end, something that definitely does not jive well with the DT 880s. I reckon it might not sound so bad on the HD 650s, but I didn't bother trying out any other headphones.
Other stuff I liked: I thought the SR325i was neat sounding, but there's no way I could wear those for more than 10 minutes with those pads. I finally got to hear an Alessandro headphone, and it was great! I really dug the C-padded MS2i's(at least I think they were the "i" version). Very neutral sound with comfort to boot.
I didn't listen to the GS1000 much, but from what I heard I was impressed. I wouldn't say it was revolutionary or anywhere near worth $1000, but I enjoyed what I listened to. The K 601 sounds exactly like the K 501, with a bit more bass. Wish I could have compared them to K 701s.
For anyone that listened to our setups with the homemade amps + Pioneer players, please comment! My amp(photo in sig link) was next to the Tube/Mosfet hybrid. The other amp was to the right of mine, with a silver chassis + blue LED.
I had a great time, and I hope next time isn't too far off. Big thanks to Drew for hosting!
Again, I regret not being able to make it to this one
