As always - thank you very much to everyone who helped put on the meet (
@koover @Coolzo @Destroysall ) and thank you to the very gracious vendors who lent and brought awesome gear ( Schiit Audio, Audeze,
@tomb / ECP Audio / Beezar, ZMF /
@zach915m, Mr Speakers /
@mrspeakers,
@redscape , and iBasso /
@jamato8 ) - I'm sorry if I missed anyone!
My purpose of the meet was mostly to connect to everyone I haven't seen or spoken to since the last meet and secondly to check out some of the new full-size headphones that have been coming out recently. It looks like we were a bit lower on the total number of people who came - I blame everything that was going on in the valley that day plus road closures that made it a pain for the East Valley folks to get out.
I started listening with the Gumby -> Mjolnir 2 -> Meze Empyrean. They look very nice and are also pretty comfortable. They have a large planar sound that is for the most part very good. I feel there are some slight tonal / timbre issues that leave me a little wanting. I tried both sets of pads and slightly prefer the alcantara pads. The mounting system is excellent - I wish more companies built their pads like this. From top to bottom - this is a very nice product that I know a lot of people are going to really enjoy.
On the same system I tried out the ZMF Aeolus and Verite. These are both great with regards to sound quality. I'd only wish for a little more dynamics. Comparing them to the Focal Clear really makes for a tough decision for an open back dynamic driver can. With the prices on the Focal coming down, it makes it a little more appealing to go the Focal route.
I had a brief listen on the T4 and Walnut setup and unfortunately I was unfamiliar with the music and headphones (HD800 SDR with Dekoni Hybrid Elite). It did slightly remind me of my own personal modified T3 setup, but it was a little more forward and dry compared to my home setup. I'm not sure what part of the chain that would have been attributed to though. Very clean sounding though. The walnut is tiny! It would be nice to hear it in my own system.
I also did a short listening session to the Ether 2. I think I need a little more time with them to get a feel for whats going on. I was unfamiliar with the music on the system. They were pretty neutral and nothing really stood out about them in any way. I'm thinking that it is a good thing though.
Lastly was Audeze - at the last meet we had, the LCD-i4 impressed me enough to purchase a pair - this time, the LCD-4 was what I seemed to enjoy the most. Unfortunately the price and weight will keep me away for some time.
Looking forward to the Winter meet already! Fingers crossed for a nice turnout with nice weather.
