[DocSkeekmo]

So.... Capital Audio Fest was boatloads of fun!! Great people. Great systems. And a decent, although not huge selection of headphones in the Can section.
I’ve heard most everything and reported on most already. I finally had a chance to sit down with the sort of new Mr. Speakers Aeon Flow closed and newer open models. The more expensive Mr. Speakers models are excellent but I found their tonal signature to be off from correct; and I’m a stickler for tone. The Aeon’s are WOW!!!! tonally much more correct, sexy and comfortable. These guys hit a home run with the Aeon. I preferred the closed tonally and overall over the open. They conveyed the pace and rhythm of music better, were tonally exceptional and just engaged me in the music more completely. I bought a pair of the closed without blinking. They are THAT good.

Woo Audio gave a sneak peak for a $4k pair of cans that we all need to watch for. MySphere 3.1

 

[ctsooner22]

Thanks for the update. How is the Aeon vs the Ori ....

 

[Nickapalooza86]

Wow, that was quite the read! Really cool to see the comparisons of that many headphones.

I agree with you on the M1060, my most listened to headphone at the moment. I just can't get enough of these. I tend to agree with you on the comparison part with the M1060. I think if it wasn't Monoprice and directly compared to every other headphone that it would be even more loved than it already is.

Thanks for the cool write up✌

 

[DocSkeekmo]

Sennheiser HD6XX and Fischer FA-011AE up for sale on EBay. Not because they aren’t awesome, but because I don’t need 5 pairs of headphones and some have to go.

Those HD650/HD6XX are just great deals for the money. And the FA-011AE are even BETTER deals for the money!!!!

That leaves me currently with my cherished, but really heavy, Odin’s as well as my Ori’s and my new Aeon Closed Mr. Speaker Headphones.

I’m trying to narrow down to 2. The Odin’s are staying until the new Odin Carbon Fiber come out. Then I’m hoping I’ll get same sound but light weight. I need to decide if I’m keeping the Aeons which are the worlds perfect form factor in over ear speakers and sound way better then their price dictates. Or my lovely, warm, engaging Ori’s. For now, I can’t get myself to sell any. But I only have 2 ears. And 3 cans is 2 more then I truly need. Certainly 1 more, even if I keep a travel pair and home pair.

Decisions decisions.

 

[ctsooner22]

Thanks for the updates. Hope some folks want your cans, lol. Did you post on the for sale forum here yet? Also heard that there is a new headphone that will be above the Odin and be carbon fiber. That will probably be the answer to your prayers. I will still get you to try the Empire Ears new prototype IEM once it comes out. I'll let you all know how my review goes once I get mine in CIEM version.

 

[DocSkeekmo]

Heading to CanJam NYC this Saturday. I’ll see you guys there.

 

[DocSkeekmo]

Hey gang!! I went to NY CanJam yesterday. It was awesome! Good gear, great people. I’m going to give a quick opinion based on 2 listening sessions. Everything I heard I heard twice broken up by at least an hour. I listened until I heard what I considered to be a solid taste of what they were and what they can do. This is NOT the same as having them in my home and letting them warm up for 8 hours, or cook for 3 days prior to the first listen. So keep this in mind.....

Other then the Sennheiser (and obviously the electrostatic stuff), I listened with my iPhone powering my Hugo2 on every pair. I also had a friend (CTSooner) with me and he was listening on his AK380. I encouraged his input and each of my impressions (unless specifically noted) includes his impression as well with this posting based on both of our impressions.

Here we go:

Sennheiser HD820 closed over ear - this was my most limited audition as they controlled what the source gear was and what my source music was. They did an exceptional job of making the closed over ear sound very similar in flavor, performance and frequency curve to its open ear brother. I found the low frequency extension equally limited. But if you like the open ear, the closed will definitely make you smile.

Meza Audio Emperion over ear - I think I spelled this wrong. These are still under construction. They have potential and I actually liked them a lot although I’m not sure which direction they are going to go in since they had 2 different versions. One with more “aire” and one with more texture and bass. It’s a wait and see. It also offered some cool Cayin electronics to listen with. It’s good stuff!! I actually liked the $700- solid state amp more then the $4k 300B amp.

Kennerton ??? - it’s an Odin, but lighter. Thats it. But OH MY!!! I love my Odins and these had the same magic, special, OH YES that my Odin’s have without the cow sitting on your head. Now that I know these exist, I’m selling my Odin’s and waiting for these to be available. They will be mine. Oh yes, they will be mine!!!

My Sphere - Woo Audio gave us another opportunity to hear these new My Sphere headphones. They are absolutely amazing. Tonal signature is dead on. They are rich, and textured and offer harmonics in spades!!! The form factor is way awkward and would likely stop me from buying them. But they are amongst the best headphones available and are a serious listen for anyone looking for the best of the best!

HifiMan Sundara over ear - Run to your nearest dealer and hear these!!! They are the amongst the top top of the absolute best under $500- headphone I have heard. Period. They are that good! Musical, tonally correct, engaging and did I mention thin, light and attractive?!? Open cans at their finest at bargain prices. Congrats Doc, you hit a home run with these!!!!

Focal Clear over ear - Lack emotion to me. Bass light. Bright. Definitely my favorite of the Focal line. But these are still not for me. Sorry. If I had to take a Focal these would be the ones.

Violectric booth - Ultrasone Ed. 15 over ear - mid range over bearing. Sloppy bass. Didn’t like these at all.

Klipsch Heritage HP3 over ear - meh. Just meh. Not much more to say.

Audio Technica ATH-5000 over ear - A very good example of what AT does. Maybe the best ever. If you like their sound you need to hear these. Typically bright and limited low frequency extension. Most comfortable AT ever. No more wings. Cans sit flush on your head and don’t keep sliding down.

ZMF ??? - sorry, the name of his new open cans slips my mind. But WOW!! Go Zach! These open ears are spectacular! He did it again. I preferred what he called the “bass heavy” ones. To me, they were accurate and tonally dead on. Deep, rich, musical, engaging, harmonically textured. I could have listened all day. I loved them. And he and his wife are always humble hosts.

Sonoma Stat - A tad weak down low. They are amazing form factors and the amp/DAC sustem is beautifully crafted and implemented. They do what stats are supposed to do and are solid competition for the equally priced Stax. Worth a listen!! Musical and engaging, but I liked the new Mr. Speakers electrostats more powered with the very expensive and VERY GOOD HeadAmp Blue Hawaii electrostat EL-34 tube amp. I don’t know pricing on each. I’m trying to get both in for an extended audition; Stay tuned.

Mr. Speakers Stat - see above. Musical. Warm (which is hard for stats). Better bass then typical of stats. I need to hear them again. Powered with amongst the best stat amps available it made me want to hear them again and again! Cello was perfectly reproduced with eerie timbre and amazing harmonic structural integrity; that’s not an easy task!

Stax 009 - Heard them with their top tier amp. $10k worth of gear. Not worth the $$$. Dare I say I liked the Mr. Speakers better??? The 009 has been sitting on the throne for a LONG time and everyone respects what it is. It’s nice to see Sonoma and Mr. Speakers come along and address what it isn’t.

IEM’s next.....

 

[DocSkeekmo]

2018 NYC CanJam part 2:

Keep in mind, as I learned while there, that the actual ear plug used can dramatically affect sound voicing, tonality and soundstage. It’s a way to adjust these parameters a bit.

IEM’s:

64 Audio Tia Fortè IEM - warm. Lacked high end extension with a veil that became frustrating at times. Too bassy. I wanted to like these. They offer complexity and harmonic structure that tells me they are special. Maybe a DAP like the AK1000 would make them sound better, or different ear plugs....


Campfire Audio IEM - Andromeda- Very nice. Detailed and airy. Maybe too airy at times, can be bright on some passages. Lacked complexity. The multi driver system integrated well. But couldn’t convey harmonics at a higher level. Nice bass and sub bass. I think these could also be awesome if ear plugs are carefully selected.


Shure KSE1500/foam tips IEM - light bass. Sounded like an electrostatic. Accurate, clean, detailed. If your not a bass head these are amazing.


CTM Davinci IEM - warm mids, muffled, good sub bass.


Noble IEM - not present. Sigh. I was really looking forward to hearing these!!!


Empire Ears Phantom IEM - nice, smooth, Complex, detailed, layered and wonderful. Lacks ultimate high end extension and felt veiled. I really wanted to like these, they were so close to amazing.... I want to try them with a wider and deeper ear plug; I think that might do the trick. Maybe better cables. But I try not to need a cable to properly voice anything honestly. I expect cables to make something better, not correct a flaw. Oh, lacked sub bass compared to the Andromeda. It’s there, but not visceral.


Jim Harvey Audio Layla IEM - Rockin IEM’s. Great for rock and pop. Didn’t do well with classical. Lacked the harmonic complexity to properly portray a French Horn and tympani.


1more IEM - (no time to visit)


Advanced - M5 - single driver - ABSOLUTE STEAL at $399-!!! The 5 driver variant lacked proper driver integration and the 11 driver version (which is still in testing phase), well, it needed more testing. But the single driver was MAGIC! It’s tonal signature was eerily perfect. Bass and sub bass was conveyed articulately and with visceral impact and nice body. The mids had body and soul, and the highs were extended and open but not bright. They could not convey multi textural harmonics like the Phantom, but tonally they do everything so right that I told them I have to have a set!!! Consider this a RAVE!! RAVE RAVE RAVE!!! For $399- they are stupid good and I hope they can get the 5 and 11 driver versions down with the same tonal signature. They will have a customer for life!! Oh, forgot to mention, but if you send them a mold they will do Custom with the M5 for no additional fee.

 

[TheAttorney]

Kennerton ??? - it’s an Odin, but lighter. Thats it. But OH MY!!! I love my Odins and these had the same magic, special, OH YES that my Odin’s have without the cow sitting on your head. Now that I know these exist, I’m selling my Odin’s and waiting for these to be available. They will be mine. Oh yes, they will be mine!!!.

I was quite interested in the Odin after your original positive reviews, but then I completely turned off them when I saw their weight (not a great fan of their looks either, but I could live with that if all else is good).
If the new model is going to come in under 500g, then I might just give them a try. In the meantime, my HEK V2's keep scaling impressively with every upstream tweak - it will take a lot to prise these away from me.

 

[etnt]

Adjusted properly, you don't actually feel the weight. I can listen to them for hours continuously.

 

[ctsooner22]

On the IEM front. I spend a considerable time at the Empire Ears and Effect Audio booth (they were next to each other). EA had two prototype cables and all I can say is wow. I listened to both on the Phantom's, but it wasn't until the second day that I got a wow moment. They just do so many things correctly. The new cabled warmed things up a tad and brought the stage a spec forward. not in a bad way though. The sub bass and the high end extension took off. I was shocked at how much the cable did, but more so how much a difference it made in the high end of IEM's when the crowd noise was so much less AND my ears and body weren't as fatigued.


I purchased the Phantoms CIEM's and was told that too will take it to a new level as the seal will be best. NO more tips to play with. I heard the Phantom's with two other tips and each gave it a different sound (subtly). That goes to show you that tip rolling is like tube rolling. Same thing as Matt mentioned above. I was told by the designer, Dean, that the few things that Matt had issues with will be fixed with a custom. I can say however that the IEM's I didn't love, custom won't fix. you can tell if you like an IEM or not pretty easily I think. Matt and I hear a tad differently, but we do hear tonality very similarly. In any IEm line, you will get all different signatures as that's what sells. They aren't looking at tonality as much as bass or as much as 'extended' highs etc... Lot's of IEM's have a huge bump at 12hz or so. That give them sparkle and air. they will boost the bass as in the new Legacy X from Empire Ears. That thing has TWO dynamic bass driver with 5 BA's and a special crossover. It's THE leader in the pack for BASSHEADS. There is no competition right now and anyone I spoke with told me that. I couldn't listen to it for more than an hour as it's too much for me, lol. They did make that market happy though. I went back to the Tia booth and the only one that I really would be able to be happy with is the Treo, but it still wasn't as good as any of the newer and even less expensive Empire Ear's. I also own Noble Savant's. I noticed that many of the EE guys and gals I know also own a pair of Nobles, lol. They, like me, have moved over to EE's as it's the most progressive company out there in the IEM market I think. Tia is also outstanding and I can see why they have so many followers. Just so darn expensive for what they offer.

Advanced Audio is the one, for less than 400 usd though. Matt turned me onto them and I was so impress. They aren't up to the level of the newest low price EE's IRT refinement, extension, tonality etc.., but the EE's ESR I think they are(or something like that, lol) are also $200 more. In that range that's a large difference. Great company out of NY.

Also, I got a neat bluetooth device. Great form factor and I liked the sound off of APTX better than the Westone and Westone only fits their fittings so no two pins like most of us own. Still it sounded. better. It's Bluewave out of Montreal. I liked some of the AMPs, but none of the DAC's. I still think you need to go with Codex by Ayre or Chord for DAC's. I own the AK380cu and listened extensively to that along with my Mojo, the AK1000 (what a player) as well as many of the less expensive dAPs. I like the Sony, but no Tidal (still like the AK380cu better when I listened for long periods of time it has much more detail retrieval and better bass. Just not quite as warm). The AK 1000 was brighter, but not fatiguing. It just gives gobs of micro and macro detail. I didn't get to hear it with the Phantom and the EA prototype cable, but that would have been a treat I think.

 

[DocSkeekmo]

Adjusted properly, you don't actually feel the weight. I can listen to them for hours continuously.

I notice them even when properly adjusted. It’s not as bad as I imply. But I do find the Aeon’s more comfortable due to their form factor and lighter weight. The new Kennertons are everything Odin but on a weight loss program.

 

[hollis7]

HifiMan Sundara over ear - Run to your nearest dealer and hear these!!! They are the amongst the top top of the absolute best under $500- headphone I have heard. Period. They are that good! Musical, tonally correct, engaging and did I mention thin, light and attractive?!? Open cans at their finest at bargain prices. Congrats Doc, you hit a home run with these!!!!

i don't know if you hear it, what how these compared with the hifiman he-400i? there are right now great deals of hifiman he-400i (and he-560 too), i used to have one (he-400i) but find it a bit lacking in the bass deparment. After your great initial post i also considering the monolith m1060 and fostex thx00, they seem (based on your post) the best deals in the sub 500$ category.

 

[DocSkeekmo]

i don't know if you hear it, what how these compared with the hifiman he-400i? there are right now great deals of hifiman he-400i (and he-560 too), i used to have one (he-400i) but find it a bit lacking in the bass deparment. After your great initial post i also considering the monolith m1060 and fostex thx00, they seem (based on your post) the best deals in the sub 500$ category.

Hi. I couldn’t A/B them. I didn’t listen for an extended period and I wouldn’t make a solid recommendation on a listen at a show with any open ear cans. They did everything well and were much much thinner then the 400 series, which I liked. Faster as well. From memory, the new ones are deeper and faster. But that’s from Memory. I much prefer the form factor of the Sundara. Monolith are also great but the build quality of the Sundara is much better. Again, I would have to A/B to give an opinion. I liked the Monolith quit a bit, the Sundara are thinner and lighter.

I was told by the people at the HifiMan booth that these were unquestionably better then the previous HE-560, 500 and 400 models. That could be true or marketing speak.

Fostex are closed (essentially) and WAY more low extension. Sound stage is narrower. The Fostex are punchier and more lively. The Thx00 need some tweaking to get them right.

Hope that helps.

 

[DocSkeekmo]

Hey, I finally found a pair of V-Moda headphones I like the sound of. I’ve been a fan of V-Moda’s collapsibility, compact case carry, quality build and looks but not a fan of their V shaped sound signature. The new’ish V-Moda Crossfade 2 over ear (although they are really a sort of semi on ear/over ear hybrid) wireless (aptX compatible) but also work wired (which is how I use them) headphones are the audiophiles V-Moda, finally. Still a touch bass heavy and with a lusher then should be midrange, they are NOT V shaped. Highs are extended, mids are a bit overly lush but warm and musical and the bass is a tad over stated. They are immature headphones, lacking true depth, harmonic structure and that proper sense of musical texture that a true high end headphone offers. But damn if they are not the thinnest, most compact on/over ear headphone to throw on and plug right into your phone, if you want to travel and don’t want to take your $2+K Hugo2 DAC and multi thousand dollar headphones!! The awesome Black Pearl are WAY better and also relatively portable. But they don’t collapse or offer easy carry, require an external DAC/amp to sound their best, aren’t as flat to the head as the V-Moda headband or can itself, and are $1500’ish !

Don’t get me wrong, I think that the around the same price Advance M5 IEM (available for free as a custom if you offer the mold) is probably a better choice for travel, but if you just have to scratch that real headphone itch, just want to own a pair of V-Moda cuz they are just balls to the wall cool looking, or don’t like IEM, then try to take a listen. They are not reference, not accurate, not the best, and not what I would grab if I was home. But heading to the airport or a car trip, it’s these or IEM’s i’d grab, and leave my Hugo2 and expensive cans home so I don’t have to worry about anything expensive getting nipped.

That all said, I don’t know what kind of seal I would get and thus how well they would work on an airplane. Time will tell....

PS - in an effort to reduce my headphone collection to what I actually need, I just put my prized Odin’s and Aeons up for sale on eBay. Both VERY well priced!