[Asr]

Post all yer impressions here!

 

[john57]

I just got back from the meet.  It made me feel like a meet in a much larger city. Plenty of users having vacuum tube equipment. 
The headphone that surprised me the most was the HE-400i. The HE-400i has a very clear mid-range with very tight strong Tympani sounds. It is a more clinical sounding headphone while the HE-560 is a fuller sounding at the extremes ends of the audio range headphone. The HE-400i is very light for a planner and quite comfortable.  The Fidelio X2 was very good for a dynamic headphone at the meet. The headphone that I like the least was the NAD HP50. I do not find it to be clear in the bass or detailed. The NAD has more bass bled into the midrange. I was hoping that the Ether will show up but still surprise at the price performance ratio of the HE400i. The modified OPPO PM2(Audio Zenith) was very smooth and natural.

 

[bixby]

A great big thanks to Steve (ASR) for putting the event together.  I think this was one of the best yet.  And thanks to all the old and new friends who were so gracious and accommodating in allowing folks to hear and try gear.  Initial impressions were that we had a lot of orthos and Senn 800s at the event, and some absolutely great sounding equipment.  I don't remember a time when the vast majority of the equipment sounded so darn good.
 
It was a real pleasure to meet the new folks at the meet.
 
More impressions later, right now, I am hungry!

 

[nepherte]

One of the combos that stood out to me were the Project Ember + Audio Technica R70X. Besides the fabulous sound, it was also a really comfy headphone! And in general, it was great to see many DIY amps in action.
 
Also truly impressed by the giant tube collection somebody brought to the meet. Learned a lot about them that I can use when I venture into tube amplifiers. Can't wait to get my hands on a good set of Mullard EL34s (or 2 sets actually).
 
I would love to express my gratitude towards Steve for making all of this happen. The meet really was a great success!

 

[john57]

yes the giant tube collection somebody brought to the meet was quite the love and effort given to it. We had people that came from New Mexico and drove for six hours and then setup for up to 6 hours more. A few were overseas if I recall.
Thanks again to Steve in setting this meet up!

 

[Hardwired]

What a great bunch of folks! Thanks to Asr for getting this thing off the ground and making it happen.
 
I think I spent more time talking to folks about gear than listening to it but it was a really nice event. What a variety of everything. I thought it was funny roughly 75% of the tables had at least one piece of Schiit gear, from the Wyrd to the Rag and Yggy. 
 
The headphones were amazing. I listened to a modded $20 pair that didn't suck 

 and discovered some I had heard before and didn't much like but paired with different electronics it made a big difference.
 
Ages ran the gamut from young to old. This is one hobby (lifestyle?) that spans all ages which is really cool.
 
I had a great time and met some great people. Thanks to all who put up with my questions about tubes.

 

[Misterrogers]

Thanks a bunch for rounding this up Steve (Asr)!
 
Just got back from the airport; had to leave a bit earlier than I wanted to pick up the wife.
 
Bottom line: great meet! I have some photos I'll upload sometime this weekend.

 

[Greystaff]

As has been said before, a HUGE thanks to Asr for setting this up and making it as enjoyable as it was. The location was great. I really enjoyed listening to everyone's setups and talking with other members. I truly have a hard time getting myself to talk to others, and everyone made it very easy. I loved the huge display of tubes. They were quite impressive. I know I would not know what to do with half of those tubes. Dealing with the six or seven sets of tubes for my Lyr is hard enough for me! I was pretty impressed by the Audio-Technica headphones. Very light and extremely comfortable. I never thought I would find a more comfortable headphone than my HD700's, but I think I did today. I also really enjoyed the Bottlehead Crack that Allanmarcus brought. I think it sounded great with my HD800 and HD650 that I tried with it. If I had the technical abilities, I might be tempted to try one myself. I enjoyed listening to the Lake People G109 S,. That was a very good, powerful amp. I learned something about the reason for the gain stage on an amp. How using the lower gain stages for your headphones leads to a lower noise floor.  Also, for those who believe the Yggdrasil SUCKS if you leave it off for a while, I can definitely tell you that is not so. I had it off from Texas to here, and it sounded good. I then had it off for about forty minutes between leaving my hotel and getting to the meet. Again, sounded great! So many great people, such a good time. If this happens next year, I very well might be crazy enough to come again from Texas to visit!

 

[AudioCats]

First of all, a big thank-you to ASR for arranging this meet.
 
my takeaways from the meet:
-- Compared some ZMF cherry and blackwood models to my modded T50rp --> seems that Fostex T50RP mod's, probably, more or less, sound similar...... just variation of the T50RP flavor.
-- HD800 is very comfy and sounds really good out of my 5687 SRPP (cigar box) amp. And it was neither bright nor bass-light.
-- HE400i is good sounding and very comfy. Now the original HE400.....definitely not comfy enough for me. (so much so I didn't bother to listen to it)
-- HE560 is fuller sounding than HE400i but has no major advantage with my dynamic amp (a HCC86 Hybrid). I am in the market for some better planar phones as my daily listening phones, looks like a pair of used HE400i might be the ticket....
-- EL8 (closed) has better resolution than T50rp,  but bass is a bit hard and doesn't go deep enough for me (T50rp's bass was somehow better, both the depth and quality). The EL8 has this capability to reproduce "explosive" bass but the hardness in bass sometime makes a loud kick-drum strike sound more like a gunshot... Also a bit too bright.
-- Got to compare the HE400i / HCC86 combo against Stax 303 / SRM-Xh combo, somehow I still like the stax stuff a little more. Maybe I am too used to the electrostatic sound.
-- Shure 1540 is very very comfy (maybe more so than the HD800

) and sounds really good. If I were just starting the headphone hobby and in the market for something that can cover many needs (from unamp'ed portable to desktop use, and anything in between), the 1540 would be one of the top contenders. 
 
I set up a "sound of different resistors" challenge... Only two Head-Fi'ers were interested enough to take it.
 
All in all, great fun.

 

[arteom]

much thanks to asr for setting up the meet, was a great time. the audio zenith pmx2 was the highlight for me, thought it was an exceptional piece of gear, thanks tyler for letting me hear it for an extended period of time!! might have to pickup a set once they are released, if price is right. Also heard the alpha dogs for the first time, as well as the el8. both were great! I preferred the warmer sound of the alpha dog myself, but the el8 was perhaps better resolving, definitely more extended on top.

 

[mandrake50]

Yes, Steve/ASR, I too really appreciate the fact you went through the effort of setting up the meet. It was great, the venue was good, thank you! I got to listen to some gear that I have heard mentioned quite a bit but had not heard. Somehow I missed the Yggdrasil, which I wanted to hear... maybe next time.
I did the resistor test with AudioCat. I actually heard some differences, though very subtle. I don't think I heard what he wanted me to... But I feel better about springing for the naked resistors in my... maybe someday to arrive, Geek Pulse X infinity.. I had no time with the Senn 800s before today. I am glad that I got to listen to them with a few different systems. I liked them. I only got to listen to a song or two with them, the Audio Zenith  set was likely the highlight of the meet for me. I am not sure I can rationalize the price, but they are something I will look for at RMAF this year to get some more time with. This is not to take away from AudioCats setup with the Stax headphones, thye too were very impressive.
It was a great day, I wish I could have stayed a bit longer... it was actually quieting down enough that I  would have been able to get closer to some of the music.
 
Thanks again Steve.

 

[hans030390]

Had fun meeting and hanging out with you guys! If I'm a bit, eh, harsh on any criticisms, don't take it personally. Just my brutally honest take, and all of this is personal preference. You were all great regardless! And I know not everyone liked all my gear, and that's cool!
 
MisterRogers's HD800 + EC Super 7 - Gotta say, this stock HD800 sounded pretty darn good out of the S7. My main criticism of the HD800 is the somewhat lean sound, at least from most amps. I say most amps because this HD800 did not sound lean whatsoever from the S7. Nice impact and a full-bodied sound. Treble still had that weird etch to it, but overall it was actually quite enjoyable. Enough so that it comes to mind first. I'm going to have to get an EC amp for my HD650. It still doesn't make me want to keep my HD800...650 is much better for my ears. But this was nice, no doubt about it. I thought MisterRogers was full of crap when he told me to try it out after I mentioned the lean thing ("Try this, it isn't lean."), but he was, in fact, right on the mark.

ATH-R70x - This one was a mostly positive yet slightly mixed bag for me. I thought it had a tastefully warm and full-bodied tone. Kind of like an HD650 but with a broader sense of warmth (i.e. not so focused around that 100Hz area, but spread out). Rest of mids and treble were nicely balanced for that pleasant sort of somewhat dark tuning. Really nothing offensive and quite enjoyable with just a slight hint of upper mid or treble oddness (again, very slight, almost not noticeable - the stock HD600 and HD650 aren't perfect either). Problem is the headphone didn't sound particularly hi-fi like the HD650. Checked every box but that. Doesn't seem to scale as much. Also, ear pads were kind of hard and small, being somewhere between on and over ear. So, while overall it was quite pleasing to listen to, I can't think of any reason why I'd not just get the HD650 instead. I liked this better than the K7XX at least.

Alpha Prime - My first thoughts were that it sounded...weird. Tone and overall response, detail, soundstage, all that seemed OK. But you know that sound you get when you don't plug your headphones in all the way? Kind sounded like that. Very weird. Just something unsettling about it. And, yes, I quadruple checked to make sure I had it plugged in right! Placement was too left/right and yet not at the same time? I know, makes no sense. This headphone just didn't make sense to my ears. HOWEVER, someone later informed me the pads were on backwards (yes? no? can anyone confirm?), so I honestly can't say for sure if I listened to them backwards, completely, or with the pads flipped around. I'd like to say I'm not that dumb, but, eh...maybe I missed it when putting it on my head. Still, something sounded quite off. I didn't have a chance to go back to them, so given what I heard about the pads, could be totally off on my thoughts.

HD700 - Honestly was not as bad or bright as I expected based on what I'd read about it from guys I trust. Inherently warmer and bassier than HD800, it would seem. Treble emphasis, not quality, seems about on par with the HD800, just with more etch to it. But overall hi-fi sound, well, just is not there. I'm finding it hard to justify a purchase of this unless you want a pseudo-HD800 sound with more bass and less of the technicalities (even compared to HD600/650) for a cheap price.

EL8 Closed - Bass presence was the only thing I thought was OK about this headphone. Even then, the bass lacked picked and texture. Mids just seemed thin and dry. Treble was exaggerated and rough sounding. Not particularly good, IMO.

ATH-MSR7 - I was interested in these after reading Tyll's review about their precision and detail. They just sounded weirdly U-shaped to me, with the standout trait being rough, harsh, and exaggerated treble. Bright. Hard to really get a feel for them because of the brightness. Not a fan myself. The guy who had them, ASR I believe, said he likes bright, so it was perfectly understandable to me why he'd like these. When you look over and see my HD650 + modded PM-2, it's probably a no brainer why I didn't care for these.

SRH1540 - These were about exactly what I expected based on Tyll's measurements. Bassy, dark tilt. Sort of like the Fidelio X2, but with much smoother treble. Honestly, for the sort of "fun" sound that isn't particularly treble happy, these were quite enjoyable. The problem is that they weren't very hi-fi sounding. Sorta like the R70x in this regard (not tone), but probably even less clear sounding. My guess is distortion levels and CSDs aren't superb. Not bad, just not that real hi-fi tier sort of speed and low distortion. Then when you consider the price point, it's a pass for me. Maybe with mods it could have potential...but I ain't risking that purchase myself.

LCD-3 - Honestly, not crazy about these. Not as dark sounding as I expected. Rather neutral if anything, just the treble was rough sounding. Sounded like it had jagged treble. Not exaggerated, just jagged. Sort of middle of the road in terms of speed and tightness overall. Small soundstage with a large, sorta in-your-face sound...i.e. almost too enveloping and overwhelming at times. Really, not as bad overall as I'm making them out to be. Just not as good as I expected, especially for the price.

HE Jade - I only listened to these briefly on a song I had never heard before (closely recorded female vocals with a little bit of backing guitar, IIRC), but they seemed pretty nice. Decently articulate, clean, black background, balanced and slightly lush response. Again, not my gear, not a recording I was familiar with, but cool nonetheless. I would have loved to try these with my own source. The rare aspect of them is cool!
 
HD650 w/ Custom Wood Cups - Hard to go wrong with an HD650. I liked the cups on these! It would have been cool to compare stock against this, as my pair is modded, but my brief exposure to these was positive.
 
I'm probably forgetting something too for the time being.
 
Big thanks to ASR for organizing this!

 

[Jackson99]

Had a great time at the meet today - big thanks to Asr for putting it together.
So much cool stuff... I didn't get a chance to hear it all, but of the gear I listened to, a couple things stuck out for me:
 
- HD800 and Eddie Current Super 7:  The HD800 seems to be a somewhat polarizing headphone, but count me as a fan--especially out of the EC amp.  Prior to hearing it, I had pretty much written off the HD800, assuming it would sound too clinical and thin, but I actually quite liked it.  Obviously the amp had a lot to do with it, but I later tried the HD800s from a couple other rigs (both tube and SS), and I liked every setup I heard.  Plus, the comfort is outstanding.  So I guess I'm in the HD800 fan club.
 
- Modded Oppo PM2s:  hans030390 had a couple - one he modded himself, and one from AudioZenith (PMx2).  I liked both for different reasons.  The Audio Zenith was exceptionally neutral, and yet I did not find it boring.  It had that smooth character that I really liked about the stock PM2, but it was better extended in the highs and the bass had a little more impact.  I also really enjoyed hans030390's modded PM2.  The bass on that one had even more impact, and it seemed to have a less neutral but more "fun" sound.
 
So... now I have new gear on my mind, and it's not looking good for my wallet. 

 

 

[Allanmarcus]

My son and I had a great time. Thanks to everyone for participating. My pictures and impressions coming soon.

Did anyone happen to see or pick up an Arizona Wildcats water bottle?

 

[Effusion]

Thanks again to ASR for planning/organizing the meet, I had a really good time chatting with some old faces as well as quite a few new ones.  The best turnout I've seen at a meet before, for at least the years that I've attended.
 
I've been interested in acquiring a new pair of headphones for a while now and I was able to get some really good impressions of quite a few different pairs at this year's meet.  Although I've been thinking of getting a pair of closed cans, I haven't been able to really commit to a particular pair yet, as I always tend to enjoy the opened back pairs a bit more.
 
I did spend time with both the Alpha Prime and Alpha Dogs on my system and again thought both of them sounded really great for a closed backed pair and once again, they are one of the most comfortable headphones I've tried.  They are a step above the Mad Dogs in sound, but I'm still not 100% convinced about the Primes when compared to the Alpha Dogs, at least for the extra coinage.  Compared to the Mad Dogs though, I do enjoy the sound of the Alpha Dogs more; preferring the extra smoothness, detail, and openness that they give.  However, the Mad Dogs are still very nice sounding headphones, especially for the current discounted price.
 
I also spent a little bit of time with the ZMFs, Cherry wood cups or something similar, and they were very nice as well.  They had a nice balanced, detailed, and engaging sound, however I tend to lean toward a warmer tone than they were providing, very nice overall though.  They were also very light and comfortable and sounded more refined out of my system than most in their price range.
 
I really enjoyed hans030390's modded HD650s, very cool and interesting mod that took them, with a stock cable, to a whole other level.  I found that the mod strips just the right amount of the "veil" off, allowing the sound to open-up and ultimately smooth out even more.  I thought they sounded great out of my system and I'm thinking of maybe going this same route eventually.  In hindsight though, I should have tried my cable on this modded pair to get a a more accurate comparison to my un-modded pair, but considering that I really don't like the stock cable very much anyways, I'm almost positive they'd sound even better if I had.
 
Ultimately though, the LCD3s absolutely blew me away on my system, excellent sound all around, beating my HD650s in many ways.  Now if I just could get a good deal on a lightly used pair...

 
I really enjoyed meeting/chatting with everyone and I agree with bixby, this was the best meet I've been to and it was a nice way to get some pre-impressions for some of the gear we'll see again in October.  Some very nice gear and cool modifications this year; I especially liked the Glenlivet Scotch case as well as the modified Havana, very cool!
 
I'll try to get some pictures and more impressions up soon.  Thanks again to everyone who participated!