[Aegentirony]

My impressions from a newb...
 
First of all thanks to Warren and Thirdeye for putting the meet on! 
 
Walked up to the Registration table and was greeted by two very nice gentleman. Then i met Warren, very cool and personable ! 
Got my badge and some cool head-fi bands and i was off! 
 
Went into the Vendor area first and sat down at Mr. Speakers booth. Talked to Dan and Jude? i think his name was ..Both super cool guys!! These cans are one of two i am debating on now. Thanks for the technical explanations to the newb and the patience jude to hear my lil budget rig and give me some feedback. 
 
Went over to Denon's booth and talked with the gentleman there as well as the nice lady who explained things. Nice cans for sure i walked away impressed , although i did not like the design IMO . I will say i am very interested in the bluetooth headphones though! They were cool! 
 
Next stopped by Astell and Kerns booth. 
Umm WOW and i wish to be able to afford one of these players in the future! WOW 
Cool ui and elegant looking little player. ! 
 
Then to the Schitt booth. Cool guys and very cool stuff..!!  Lyr + Bifrost + Lcd 3 was above anything i thought was possible. i walked away wanting the Magni and Modi..On my list for sure! 
 
Then i made my way into the member rooms. 
 
There were a few standouts....
 
Mbritt - Those Akg K550's were awesomeeeeeeee The other pair on my list to get with the Mad Dogs
 
Sceleratus . Your setup with the Lcd3 and putting on "Babe, i'm gonna leave you" was one of the highlights of my day.. I could have listened to that all damn day...
 
Everyones stuff was soo nice i was super jealous!
 
One thing i noticed and its just IMO is that it was all mac's, i have nothing against them but i dont use them often and was interesting figuring things out. Also i really thought Music Selection was lacking. at almost every rig i tryed i struggled finding anything i wanted to hear and usually settled on something just to hear the cans...
 
Overall Awesome time and experience i had ! I sure learned a whole lot!! 
Now to find a way to make more money 

 

[sceleratus]

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Sceleratus . Your setup with the Lcd3 and putting on "Babe, i'm gonna leave you" was one of the highlights of my day.. I could have listened to that all damn day...
 
 

 

 

[Gilly87]

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One thing i noticed and its just IMO is that it was all mac's, i have nothing against them but i dont use them often and was interesting figuring things out. Also i really thought Music Selection was lacking. at almost every rig i tryed i struggled finding anything i wanted to hear and usually settled on something just to hear the cans...
 
Overall Awesome time and experience i had ! I sure learned a whole lot!! 
Now to find a way to make more money 

 
I had a PC there, just my little HP laptop feeding an hrt microstreamer. I had an enormous selection of music, too...should've stopped by the Calabasas room

 

[warrenpchi]

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Denon AD-H600s are very nice to me as well thanks to Warrenpchi for recommending I take a listen... 

 
Of course!  I find it to easily be the best of the line in terms of balance - a very nice surprise right in the middle of their line. 
 
Also, I don't know if you had a chance to listen to their AH-C400 IEM at all, but that dual BA IEM is intoxicating if you love mids.  In a nutshell, it's mids mids mids with detail detail detail.
 
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Also after discussing it with my lady, the next time I am coming by myself so I can spend more time hanging with you all... also I am willing to help in anyway I am able!

 
Please let her know that it was wonderful to finally meet her!  I hope she didn't have too bad a time with us devout audio zealots. 

  But yeah, that is definitely a good idea.  We also listened quite a bit outside of the meet, in our rooms upstairs, wish you were there!
 
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none of the sources at my table were mine.  They were generously contributed by HiFiGuy528 and morserotonin respectively. 

 
You are welcome, I hope people enjoyed my music out of the WA7 as much as I did!!!

 
Jack is gonna kill me for this... but I was so busy in the days leading up to the meet, that I really didn't get a chance to enjoy the Woo WA7.  I had just enough time to verify that it works and do some simple tube/cable rolling for the meet setup. I'll be setting it up later on tonight for my own audition.
 
BTW, in case y'all didn't know, the WA7 isn't mine.  Jack @ Woo Audio heard about our little meet-up and very generously lent us the WA7 Fireflies to audition - complete with a matched pair of Electro-Harmonix's 6C45 tube upgrades!  And when Jude told me how much he loves the WA7, I jumped at the chance.  Thanks so much for that Jack!
 
I'm sure all of you will agree that, once it was set-up, it was simply beautiful, and beautifully simple.  Mac > WA7 > cans.  A very clean and excellent performer.
 
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And for the record the Michael Jackson wasn't mine... but I did enjoy listening to it out of the Dark Star!  

 
Right?  I've been talking mikemercer's ear off about how much I love that thing.  If amps were cars, the DarkStar would be a Hemi.  Better have your wits and balls about you, or it will take them both.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  If there is such a thing as power overkill, the DarkStar is an example of overkill done right, just right.
 
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Part one & two video is now live. 
 
Had a wonderful time.  Got to meet some very nice people.  BIG THANK YOU to Ethan and Warren for putting this together.  You guys are awesome!  
 

 

 
Wow, that's cool!  Thanks for the vid caps bro... I love having those so that everyone who couldn't make it can live vicariously through them. 

 
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Glad people enjoyed my L3000 Leatherheads. 

 
I totally did, and I was rather surprised that I liked it as much as I did.  And of course, it was easily one of the most gorgeous rigs I've seen in some time. 

 
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No worries re: the Lismore.  I think people bring their favorite Scotch for the same reason that people bring their Headphone rigs; they want people to enjoy the same stuff they do.
 

 
I've never tried Lismore before, and I must say that I liked it quite a bit!  I don't know why some people were saying it was harsh.  I found it wonderfully sweet and smooth, with a quick finish that never overstays its welcome.  Nice, very nice indeed.  Thanks so much for that! 

 
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It was great seeing everyone at the meet on Saturday! Thanks to everyone who came to the meet and to check out the Astell&Kern line of products. It was a first time attending a Head-Fi meet for us too and had a blast sharing the AK100 and AK120 with all of the Head-Fi'ers.
 
It's always nice connecting with the community who truly understands the need for portable hi-fi audio. We can't wait to do it again! Perhaps a winter meet should be in order???

 
I truly feel that we're about to enter a golden age of personal/portable fidelity here.  With the rapid innovations happening on the universal IEM front (Tralucent 1plus2, Shure SE846, etc.) - paired with fidelity-focused DAPs - I'm seeing a bright future indeed.  

 
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I was hesitant to being the Tranquility Base - but my boys convinced me after hearing it under the amp!

 
Just saw a pix of your Tranquility Base; became intrigued. Which model do you have? I take it the Tranquility in your system has brought you... (don't make me say it 

). I'd like to enjoy this quality inside my listening room as well.

 
Silent, that thing is absofreakinlutely crazy!  I'm not going to tell you what it does to the sound so as to suggest any notions to you beforehand.  But everyone that mikemercer has shown it to (including myself) all heard the exact same change.  Some of us like it, some of us don't.  But to have a component - that technically isn't part of the signal chain - influence the sound like that is just weirdness.
 
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On that note, I'm probably not going to do another LA meet.  Drove up from San Diego and spent much more time on the road than at the meet.  Just hate LA traffic.  I know people traveled much further but I'll just wait for the next San Diego meet.

 
Originally Posted by sceleratus /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
I feel your pain.
South 405 at 5:00 pm was no fun.
 
I happened to have a carpool dummy that made it tollerable.
 
Originally Posted by Silent One /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Although I could not make the meet, I feel bad about your drive from LoCal to SoCal. Personally, I'm hoping to make one of your meets in SD/Coronado. Wonderful pix from the last meet!

 
I'm sorry about the traffic fellas. 

  I'd love to return the favor and come down for an SD meet sometime though! 

 
Where/when do you guys typically have them?  Wouldn't mind visiting either La Jolla or Coronado again... haven't been there in ages!
 
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Walked up to the Registration table and was greeted by two very nice gentleman. Then i met Warren, very cool and personable!

 
Very kind of you to say sir! 

 
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Thanks for everyone who made it possible!
 
Originally Posted by HiFiGuy528 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
BIG THANK YOU to Ethan and Warren for putting this together.  You guys are awesome!
 
Originally Posted by purrin /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Thanks Ethan, Warren, (and all the other guys who helped) for putting this together.
 
Originally Posted by JmoonAK /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Edit: Thanks to Warren, Ethan, Jude, Tyll, and everyone who made the meet the best it could possibly be!
 
Originally Posted by Aegentirony /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
First of all thanks to Warren and Thirdeye for putting the meet on!

 
No, please, thank all of you for coming!  Also, it was mostly Ethan, I just helped out here and there where I could. 

 

[n3rdling]

Does anybody have the contact info for the Affordable Audio rep? 

 

[warrenpchi]

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Does anybody have the contact info for the Affordable Audio rep? 

 
Yup!  http://www.head-fi.org/u/368439/gkatay

 

[Silent One]

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Silent, that thing is absofreakinlutely crazy!  I'm not going to tell you what it does to the sound so as to suggest any notions to you beforehand.  But everyone that mikemercer has shown it to (including myself) all heard the exact same change.  Some of us like it, some of us don't.  But to have a component - that technically isn't part of the signal chain - influence the sound like that is just weirdness.

 
I previously read about this product on another forum and seen it pop up on the Net here/there. But this time 

 we know someone who got one! Do you remember which model MM has? Have you thought of contacting SR for an audition? 
 
Can't believe you just kicked the little cube to the curb didn't allow yourself enough time before hand to settle in with the WA7. 

 

[warrenpchi]

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Silent, that thing is absofreakinlutely crazy!  I'm not going to tell you what it does to the sound so as to suggest any notions to you beforehand.  But everyone that mikemercer has shown it to (including myself) all heard the exact same change.  Some of us like it, some of us don't.  But to have a component - that technically isn't part of the signal chain - influence the sound like that is just weirdness.

 
I previously read about this product on another forum and seen it pop up on the Net here/there. But this time 

 we know someone who got one! Do you remember which model MM has? Have you thought of contacting SR for an audition?

 
He's got the XL, the super huge one.  We played around with it for hours and hours shortly after he got it, so I probably don't need to contact Denney for a unit unless I'm going to review it someday.  Again, not going to say what it does so as to be leading anyone that's planning an audition.  But the fact that it does anything consistently at all is just freaky deaky. 

 
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Can't believe you just kicked the little cube to the curb didn't allow yourself enough time before hand to settle in with the WA7. 

 
LOL, it so wasn't like that.  Jack and I had the same goal.  We just wanted to make sure that it was there, and ready, for everyone at the meet.  But I'll have an opportunity to make up for lost time tonight. 

 

[Sko0byDoo]

Really enjoyed my first meet!  Got great table-mates: mikemercer, Autark, uzi!  Met Jude and Tyll in person, how cool.  Lot of gears!  Love the Stax's, LCD-3's, and that epic Abyss from purrin.  The bass from the Stratus + HD800 combo sounded awesome, third_eye!  Couldn't go through all the gears though, may be next time.
 
Hat off to third_eye, warrenpchi (so cool that you got our avatars on the nametags!), and the helping crew!
 
Again in 6 months?   
 
  

 

[HiFiGuy528]

Mike Mercer,  too bad I had a long drive home in the morning.  We got to get together when you're up in the Bay again.  

 

[warrenpchi]

OH BTW... have you all seen HiFiGuy528's vids yet?  Audeze confirmed that the closed backs would be out soon - and let it slip around when - and HiFiGuy528 got it on camera! 

 

[billybob_jcv]

It was a great meet and really good turnout.  

Glad people enjoyed my L3000 Leatherheads. 

The L3000 combined with the matching amp was really, really cool!!

On the Tranquility Base - I'm glad that was the XL, because if they made a bigger one, you could probably put a net on it and play ping-pong...

I don't know what all you guys are talking about on the drive - I was home in well under an hour. Clearly, you live on the wrong side of SoCal!!

 

[HiFiGuy528]

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OH BTW... have you all seen HiFiGuy528's vids yet?  Audeze confirmed that the closed backs would be out soon - and let it slip around when - and HiFiGuy528 got it on camera! 

 
it was perfect timing.

 

[shiorisekine]

OH BTW... have you all seen HiFiGuy528's vids yet?  Audeze confirmed that the closed backs would be out soon - and let it slip around when - and HiFiGuy528 got it on camera!  :eek:

Oh god my wallet is not ready. Also I realized that after your first meet, you don't go so much to just listen to new rigs you go more to talk to the people you met last time. But that might have just been me, I didn't realize it until after the meet but i only heard i think in total 4 rigs and like 1 new headphone.

But I have to say my favorite rig there was Ethan's, not only did he have great taste in music but the DNA was an amazing amp. and I actually talked to Donald about the amp and about the T90.

I listened to some stax 009 rigs and Eddie Current's Vinyl rig. But other than that I was either walking around talking to people I knew or meeting new people.

I also got to hear the D2000 again, which was amazing as it was back when i heard it in May at the Newport Show. Sadly I didn't get to hear the R10, or the D7000. But there is always nest time.

Also big shout out to Ethan (third_eye) and Warren for doing all of this, I don't think I thanked you guys enough HAHA.

 

[kokushu]

It was a great time for me too.  I get to try on some nice gears that I would never dream off.  Hope I could do this again next year or at RMAF.