[Kevin Brown]

 This was a fantastic event put on by a great guy: Christian. 

 
My quick impressions are:
 
K1000's: wow.
 
I was a little too much in awe of all the nice equipment to do much critical listening, but I'll save that for the next one. 

 
Next time, I need to bring a mobile amp and a minijack to RCA splitter.  It's one thing to listen to other people's headphones with their sources and their music, but I'd prefer to do it with music that I'm familiar with for the best comparisons to my gear.  I had my own source (Sansa Fuze), but for a lot of the headphones I wanted to really listen to, it was underpowered.
 
Love the Valhalla and it's price point.  But the Lyr is a better match for low impedance Grados in terms of volume output.  Maybe I can wait for a used/demo/B-stock unit sometime. 

 
One person mentioned this in the other thread, and I'll repeat it here: one cool thing about a listening event like this, is for all the awesome gear there, it makes me feel really good about the rigs that I have set up at work and at home for myself.
 
And I'm keeping an eye out for Doc B's Grado specific tube amp/kit ...

 

[CEE TEE]

Ah, something else that I forgot to mention until Calaf popped up in this thread:
 
Thanks Calaf for setting up and hosting the gear that NuForce lent us, I only borrowed a few items that I knew many of us really wanted to try but could not host them at a table for everyone.
 
After about noon (?) Calaf set up:

1. Icon Mobile
2. u-DAC 2
3. Icon HDP (DAC/AMP)
4. Icon Amp (could be used alone or with Icon HDP)

 
Everyone I saw holding the u-DAC 2 was impressed by the size, I listened to the Icon HDP for a little bit last Thursday night and liked the upper extension (good with my HF2).
 
I hope some of you were able to listen to the gear and it was nice of NuForce to lend it to us.  Maybe next time we can host some of their large Amps and CD Player.
 
 
Calaf also had a really good thought:  
 
Everyone had some great music/playlists on their gear that matched it well, could we know from members what music they chose to host with which set-ups?
 
That might be a helpful clue to understand what members like on their rigs and what their rigs shine with...and I would like to go get some of that music!

 

[Syan25]

Thanks for posting this. It makes we want to hop on a plane next time you have one...

 

[yeaman]

Were those 1950's looking tube amps DIY, or real 1950's tech?

 

[SanJoseCanJunkie]

If I could go back I would have spent the time to make a playlist of only lossless music, because I had a lot stuff and I could imagine that people might have had trouble sorting through it.

 

[shane55]

[size=10pt]No doubt about it...[/size]
 
[size=10pt]CEE TEE is amazing. As nice (if not nicer) in person as online, truly dynamic and always cheery... even when trying to herd cats... like getting us out from under the cans for the raffle. Susan... thanks for all you did too! From the online information (thanks renlute!) to the signs (mkubota !)  and raffle and organizing... next year’s lead will have some MAJOR shoes to fill.[/size]
 
[size=medium]It was a great time, and the amount of truly amazing setups there absolutely boggled the mind.[/size]
 
[size=medium]I feel so fortunate to have been able to make this meet and spend time with the wonderful people who braved the storms with all their bazillion-dollar rigs. It was a feast for the eyes as well as the ears.[/size]
 
[size=medium]I have to thank my immediate neighbors… Purrin (& gzone3lement ! ), bobcn, FrankCooter, Ironbut, rockcod. A great group who had amazing setups and were gracious and kind. All the gang in our room were fantastic, and of course we had Neko, AMB (!) and a table full of Schiit at one end. Brilliant! Yes, we had the hottest room, and Schiit was clearly responsible for much of it. Though the units actually were not as hot as I expected.[/size]
 
[size=medium]And thanks to UE for the Audiologist and wonderful toys you brought to share. Nankai (Head-Direct) had great play-things too, and also at sick prices![/size]
 
[size=medium]It was great to put faces with names, like jazzfan, Mdraluck23, KevinBrown, rhythmdevils, Mkubota1, iamvincent, Horio (Dude… you brought your VPI… !), rroseperry (thanks again for bringing DeusEx and friend! Very glad they were able to come.), SanJoseCanJunkie (I agree... use only lossless files for demos), Bigrock2150 (now I get it…), shipsupt, VLCAD, and on, and on. Sorry for not mentioning everyone I met.[/size]
 
[size=medium]The Stax. Really? Come on… Frank and n3rdling, thanks for bringing such amazing rigs and helping me understand ‘why’ Stax.[/size]
[size=medium]The LCD-2 is exactly how it’s been described on the threads. From all I’ve read, it met expectations and then some (Bob, thanks for letting me borrow yours for a while). The HD800 far exceeded expectations.[/size]
 
[size=medium]It was three rooms full of great people with amazing taste in music and equipment. It was a better time than I expected. And I expected it to be fantastic![/size]
 
[size=medium]So… next time… I may or may not bring anything other than some cans. I was so glad I was able to turn folks on to what I love and hear, but I wish I had more time to enjoy everyone else’s rigs and equipment. The day went by very fast, and before I knew it we were packing up and movin’ out.[/size]
 
[size=medium]Too many impressions to list here… I’ve rambled enough.[/size]
[size=medium]See you all next year, if not sooner.[/size]
 
[size=medium]shane[/size]

 

[calaf]

CEE TEE,
 I had also forgotten about the NuForce gear. I should thank you (and of course NuForce) for the opportunity to test-drive the HDP which I had been eying for a long time. As with the rest of the NuForce gear it was cleverly packaged, and amazingly small. The amp section was holding its own in the A/B testing I did against the Woo 3. I was less impressed by the DAC section which sounded more 2D and much less lively than the output stage of my Onyx CD player.  Perhaps upgrading the generic-looking wall wart with a beefier power supply would help, but for now my plan to replace my bulky office rig with this very 21st century little box has been put on hold. 
 
Quote:

Calaf also had a really good thought:  
 
Everyone had some great music/playlists on their gear that matched it well, could we know from members what music they chose to host with which set-ups?
 
That might be a helpful clue to understand what members like on their rigs and what their rigs shine with...and I would like to go get some of that music!

I don't remember having that thought, but it is indeed a good one, so here we go: on the Onyx player driving epocs rig and mine we were playing the Chesky demo disc


 

 

[JIGF]

Makes me happy to see so many head-fiers in one place. Wish I could be there. 

 

[purk]

Look likes a great meet you guys had!!  How does the new crops of highend gears (LCD-2, HE-6 and HD-800) measured up to the HE90, O1, O2, K1000, and R10?  Nice stuffs there guys.

 

[purrin]

 
Quote:

Look likes a great meet you guys had!!  How does the new crops of highend gears (LCD-2, HE-6 and HD-800) measured up to the HE90, O1, O2, K1000, and R10?  Nice stuffs there guys.

Can't touch 'em.

 

[kite7]

Who makes these and are they for sale?? They look great
 
Quote:

 

 

 

[DeusEx]

 
[size=medium]

Quote:

On my way....

 
It was great finally meeting you Paul, even it was only for a few moments (too bad we couldn't talk more, since there was so much gear around us!)  GL in London and keep me updated!


Quote:

Wow!!!  It was so awesome!!  I've learned so much... and it was sweet to meet to many of you face-to-face.
 

 
Walfredo -  what a coincidence it was for us that we both own Polk LSi series loudspeakers (you HAVE to upgrade to the LSi15 sometime in the future), although mine are back at home, so I'm making use of my Energy RC-10s at the moment.  Feel free to PM anytime about speaker/amplifier discussion, if you need any advice.  Best of luck to you on your journey to a great setup! (and also, looking forward to having lunch with you someday!

 
Quote:

Thank you CEE TEE for getting this wonderful meet together. Thanks also to all who helped. The maps, lists, milk crate of cords... none of those things brought themselves.
Thanks foe Susan's help in keeping things organized at the front.
 

 
Richard - thanks again for hooking us up with a ride to the meet (thanks Renee!), and also for allowing us to experience your DT880s//D7000s and the ever-wonderful Benchmark DAC1 Pre.  Which'll be my next DAC, hopefully.
 


Quote:

I had an amazing time. I got to hear a lot of awesome setups, and talk to some really cool people. I've found some inspiration to get back to work on my Chu Moy, and then move on to bigger and better things!
 
Mad props to Cee Tee for setting this awesome event up.
 
 
I took quite a few pictures, but I think this one is especially good. I couldn't let Cee Tee get all the pictures!
 

 
There's some more on my Flickr, and I'll be sure to get my film scanned in once I get it processed.

Kevin - glad I could have a fellow dorm-mate share this incredible hi-fi experience (both of us being new to the bay area), and may I usher you into Head-Fi with the traditional words of welcome: "Welcome to Head-fi! Sorry about your wallet!" 

 
-I'll be checking whether you finish the CMoy soon. Serious.  And to CEE TEE, sorry about reposting your soon-to-be infamous shot =/.
 
 
@CEE TEE, or rather, Christian - what can I say?  You truly exemplify and bring the level of being a true "Head-Fier" to another new level.  Props to everything that happened yesterday, and the days leading up towards it.  Even though I'm new to the SF bay area, hope we can work together in the future, and continue to bring Head-Fi syndrome to the bay area en masse.  Thank you.
 
Final thought?  MUST GET the HD800.  MUST---   And also, we'll get our batch of photos up soon (Matchstix's covering that).
​

[/size]

 

[Towert7]

Looks like a fun time.
Wish I could have gone.

 

[purrin]

 
Quote:

Who makes these and are they for sale?? They look great
 

 

Bigrock2150  (TechHeroMods) and yes they are for sale.

 

[bobcn]

I'd like to join the others here who have expressed their appreciation to CEE TEE for the hard work and fine job he did in putting this event together.  The meet went smoothly and professionally.  I'm amazed that this was not only the first Head-Fi gathering CEE TEE has managed, but the first that he's attended.  Thank you CEE TEE!

I'd also like to thank the many Head-Fiers who brought their prized gear to share.  Risking loading and unloading valuable electronics in windy, rainy condidions was a bit nerve wracking.  It would have been understandable for people to leave their gear at home.  Fortunately,  many braved the conditions and the variety of gear being displayed ran the gamut from basic portable systems up to the mega-buck rigs and the ultra exotic.

This was my first chance to hear the HD800 and T1.  My first listen to an HD800 was very pleasant (actually, better than I had expected).  The second listen, with a different source/amp, was not.  I concur with the previous comments about the importance of equipment synergy.  Of course, one of the main benefits of a meet like this is to learn what works with what (and what doesn't).

There were too many fine rigs to comment on.  Some of the highlghts for me were n3rdling's bh/stax gear, doc b's tape and Bottlehead equipment,  and the various incarnations of amb's B22.  I also enjoyed talking with Jason and Mike, from Schiit Audio,  about their amps.  And I enjoyed chatting with shane55, purrin, tmoney, bigrock2150, pcf, ironbut, and many others.

Frank Cooter, who I was particularly looking forward to seeing (having been blown away by his gear in the past), didn't disappoint.  Frank's a really nice guy to talk with and a true artist in the DIY world.  Once again he's created an exotic amp that's exceptionally pleasing to both the ear and the eye.  Listening to his latest amp/electrostat creation was a treat (along with the surprise of the light show that those blue mercury vapor tubes put on when they're first turned on - they strobe with an intense blue flash).

I thought I was going to escape with my wallet unscathed, but U.E. may have gotten to me.  I liked the U.E. Reference Monitors, but I wasn't blown away by them.  However, rather than just walking away, I tried plugging them in to my RWA Isabellina.  Big mistake!  They sounded holographic and I'm hooked.  The gear that U.E. was using to demo their IEMs just didn't do them justice.

Great meet!