[qusp]

 
 
 

 
Quote:

Good pics.
I noticed the absence of QUSP in the pics.
He must have been stuck in the broom closet finishing off the work that overwhelmed him at the Sydney meet.
I wonder if he will get to listen to a headphone at the next meet - probably not - there's always something to build, repair, fiddle with, tune, waste time on, or desecrate.

WTH?? mate desecrate??. yes I should have pulled the pin in Sydney when it became obvious that I had to build an entirely different dac/amp than planned, in Sydney, with no sleep, with none of my tools, surrounded by peopl and in an unfamiliar workshop,  (after having only a bit over a week to finish a project years in the making) in a matter of hours; that was dumb, to rush with my own gear put into a state it will never be used in for others to hear and for appearances more than for myself. there was some really good gear there thanks to the generosity of yourself and others (though you yourself were missing of course), but the best of the stuff that was there apart from K1000, I know is really not to my taste anyway and I assume from your post that you took my mentioning this in the thread as some kind of personal affront, because i'm not sure I have ever even met you. I dont really like stats, HD800 stadium soundstage doesnt do it for me and my music; and the T1 I have heard before at length when recabling Eric's balanced pair that was there that so many have complimented me on. I only regret I didnt get to catch up with the PEOPLE there until afterwards at dinner, oh and I wish I heard the wicked looking DIY amp at the top of the stairs with the superb casework
 
still eagerly awaiting to hear one of your DIY builds, i'm sure with your immense knowledge of our field that when you get around to finishing one of your own, it will be really something to behold.....
 
then after some sleep and caught up on my actual job building cables when I returned and preparing the house (and my workshop) for going on the market, I went about disassembling the buffalo II dac that was 99% done and building the ackodac that was meant to be in sydney, with no firmware to run it (though it works in defaults), but decided I didnt want to miss another meet, so pulled the pin and turned up around 2. funnily enough the gear I brought with me, my portable/transportable stuff with JH13 mostly, still sounded better to my ears than anything I got to try while there.
 
 
Impressions
Right, with justifying my life done, my impressions of the Brisbane meet are fairly brief, but I managed to get around to most of the stuff I wanted to hear.
 
the HE-5 were quite nice out of the HiFiMAN amp, I like the nice touch of the regulator and heatsink viewable through the window in the case. the speed of these cans was quite impressive, comfort a touch lacking, but the weight was not as bad as I was expecting and the sound overall was very good. I can see how these or something like them (something planar) could fit in my stable, I need a really different can like those or LCD-2 to compliment what i already have. The only issue I see is I would ideally need to build myself a new amp to bring the best out of either of these cans, as they are quite different in design to anything else I own. not the easiest headphones to audition in a meet enviroment because of being so very open, but all the same I got enough cues to decide that they and the LCD-2 are on my short list (very short) of headphones that I still want to buy.
 
 
the W1000i/x? just like many of its relatives really is a beautiful headphone to look at and while it gets most things technically right, very articulate etc; I just find it leaves me cold. It lacks the visceral punch I want in a headphone to make up for the lack of physical space and these are strangely lacking in natural tone for a woody. I have this same problem with all AT though, its annoying because I really would love to own a pair, as they are just so god damn pretty to look at!!. I just figure i'll never get to own one though, as I have tried them all with an open mind and really wanted to like them (some more than once) and the result is always the same, perhaps with some tubes?? though I didnt find that enough to help W5000. my taste is if anything a smidge warm of neutral (what I consider 'natural') and I look to my headphones generally to provide that natural tone, the rest of my rigs are built/bought to be as transparent as possible; thus my love of discrete solid state and even the odd opamp lD
 
I was quite surprised by how good the little Kingrex PCM270X? USB dac sounded with the ipad and camera connection kit, feeding my modded FiQuest and HD600/JH13 the sound was quite good really, with a nice USB input and perhaps ASRC reclocking (if needed) in a dac this could be a really great little transportable holiday rig for movies, music and perhaps games as well, I was expecting the ipad to spit out a pretty jittery and perhaps sibilant sound with this. it wont work with my D10 (without modification) because the dac's power runs off USB in the ibasso, so this was the first time I got to listen to the digital out of the ipad, i've only had it a week though.
 
pity I didnt get around to listening to the Eddie current 'balancing act', thats a serious looking tube amp!!; was my beat up old HD600 balanced cable really the only balanced cable there?? Glad it still worked, that thing has really been through the ringer and the connections in the BAXLR are solderless, so was slightly worried there might be a bad/loose connection looking at the state of the connector housings before I handed it over :S
 
the modded beyers (DT880??) were really bassy, even with the bass knob on my Lisa III turned all the way down, I like Denons too, so in the right mood I dont mind a bit extra slam, but I just found the detail in the midrange to suffer a bit, was a bit distracted at that point though, so didnt give that much of a chance.
 
 
overall not bad at all guys, the venue turned out quite well, there was a good vibe and weve made a pretty good start; it can only get better/bigger from here. i'm a bit spoiled (as Natonrice said to me) with the last 3 years sydney meets being my only reference, but there sure is more going on here in my home town than I gave it credit for, jebus youre all babes in the woods though, I felt like an old man at 36
 


 

 

[MomijiTMO]

Well you've got Jeff there for company .
 
Thanks for coming Qusp - there are only so many hours in the day to solder away. You should sleep some more!

 

[qusp]

indeed I should, dont really have much time for it lately though . thanks for hosting it mate, 

 

[tisb0b]

goddammit my desktop got jealous of all my spending on audio equipment and decided to crap itself today which means my lcd-2 plans are going to be delayed. But this new comp should be a nice upgrade to my 4 year old e6400 box.
 
i7 930: 353
Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R: 269
G Skill 6G(3x2G) DDR3 PC12800 8-8-8-24 (6GBRM): 214
OCZ 60G Vertex II E Series SSD: 264
Silverstone raven RV02: 190
Noctua U12P: $96
Windows 7 home premium oem: 120
Corsair VX550 PSU
Sapphire HD5770
1.5TB Samsung hdd
TOTAL: 1506

 

[Audio Jester]

Some quick impressions.
 
Firstly, as many would know, a meet is not the ideal listen environment so I may have missed the more subtle goodness of some of the cans so keep that in mind.
 
Denon D2000:  Since I own these headphones I tested them after listening to several other HPs hoping to be able to compare them while keeping my bias to a minimum.  The D2000's are known for their bass, and as expected they delivered it in mass quantities, but it was somewhat uncontrolled.  The mids seemed quite forward and delivered a nice level of energy, but again they suffered from that lack of control and the micro-details were blurred.  The highs were laid back and clear, but I would not go so far as to say "crisp".  Interestingly we had some MarkL (correct me if wrong) Modded D2000's on show.  These really had a more refined sound and were overall more laid back.  I felt they had lost some energy and the bass was less "hammer of Thor" and more concise.  At the end of the meet I was still very happy with the stock Denons and I would happily purchase them again.  I find them fun and exciting with great aesthetics and luxuriously comfortable.  They seemed to respond favorably to many of the rigs I tried them with, but they are a not really cut out for the higher grade gear.
 
AD2000:  These cans were quite a surprise to me.  I did not find the 1000's or the 900's very engaging, but the 2000's offered a nice level of detail and were a fantastic all-rounder.  I look forward to giving them a go in a more quiet environment.
 
DT880:  I am a basshead, but I still can enjoy a pair of highly detailed low-phat headphones.   These cans failed to deliver the Beyer bass that I had read about, but they also were lacking that upper sparkle.  Honestly, these were a bit of a let down for me.  Even through the mighty Balancing Act they sounded limp and lacking in character.  I now look forward to hearing the 770's.
 
HD 600 - HD 650:  These two cans were the highlights for me.  I have listened to many Senns, but this was the first time I had heard any Sennheiser sound this good.  I spent the most time with these cans, comparing them head to head on various rigs, with different cables and different musical genres.  I was very pleased with the level of Bass in both.  When they were put through the Eddie Current rig they sounded solid and authoritative.  The presentation seemed more forward in the 600's but the level of detail was higher in 650's.  I found that the veil was not as bad as I had imagined and I feel that it may be a slight advantage to have a little of that as the highs were smooth and not piercing (as I am quite sensitive to trebles usually).  The "suction cup" fit did not bother me, but I do wonder if they would get fatiguing because of that.  Both cans obviously like more high-end rigs and I can now understand why people find them difficult to pair.  Overall, I think I would choose the 650's.  I preferred the standard black finish over the "granite" and found that the more laid back sound was very detailed and enjoyable.  These are now on my Christmas wish list.
 
AKG 701:  I have listened to these cans before, but it was nice to hear them through better gear.  I love the look of them and they are amazingly comfortable, but I would choose the HD600, or 650 over them due to a stronger bass presence.  If bass does not do it for you then these might be the cans you are looking for.
 
Grado GS1000:  I listened to these first up on the day through the RWA Isabella rig.  Firstly, I don't like bowls... these things never sat on my ears properly and that irritated me greatly.  Overall they offered a fantastic sound, but it was not really my thing.  I can see why some people love the Grado sound, but I felt that they tended to favor Jazz and Classical music (perhaps even light rock) and overall they did not give me that X-factor.  On a side note, I think that I preferred the RS1's; partially because of the fit and partially due to the presentation.  Maybe this is due to the bowls, but I found the RS1's more intimate and I feel they were better suited to my tastes in Jazz etc.  
 
HE-5:  This was the strangest headphone of the meet IMO.  I first listened to them on the Balancing Act and I did not enjoy what I heard.  The word that kept coming to mind was unbalanced.  There seemed to be some strange "spikes" in the spectrum ( I think one in the lower mids and another in the middle highs).  Again I will state that this is a guess on my behalf in a less than adequate listening environment so take this with a grain of salt.  They were a very detailed HP and offered a nice soundstage (not too wide or too close).  BUT!  I later tried these cans on the HifiMAN EF5 rig and they became a completely different beast.  As this amp was made for these HPs I feel that they managed to tame that unbalanced sound and create a truly beautiful headphone.  So, if you like the sound of the HE-5's get the matching rig... it is definitely worth it.
 
That might do it for the moment.

 

[jjinh]

You're talking about qusp's denons right? I could be wrong but he's good with diy so I suspect he modded them himself.

 

[qusp]

nah mine werent there as i'm in the middle of recabling them with another balanced cable and giving them one last chance before selling them. I really like them, but I just find that I dont use them all that much and its a bit of a waste. I did mod them, recable them and upgrade to the same gen 2 cups markl uses (which are made in australia BTW) I have the tasmanian blackwood ones and they really are beautiful headphones, Mine aree only partially modded, because I found that the full mod took away too much of that fun factor.
 
but yeah I just find that if I want bass I have the JH13 which does all that better anyway and even with the fairly porous wood the soundstage isnt really much bigger on the denons, if at all. really good headphones, but JH13 are great headphones and if I feel like a larger sound stage from a full size headphone; I reach for the balanced HD600.
 
its funny the whole 650 vs 600 thing, I definitely prefer the 600, even though I agree the 650 looks better, the marble finish is a bit tacky, but for sound the 600 to these ears is a more refined headphone and I actually feel its more detailed. they both scale really well with good gear and for similar cans, seem to suit very different cables

 

[jjinh]

Quote:

nah mine werent there as i'm in the middle of recabling them with another balanced cable and giving them one last chance before selling them. I really like them, but I just find that I dont use them all that much and its a bit of a waste. I did mod them, recable them and upgrade to the same gen 2 cups markl uses (which are made in australia BTW) I have the tasmanian blackwood ones and they really are beautiful headphones, Mine aree only partially modded, because I found that the full mod took away too much of that fun factor.
 
but yeah I just find that if I want bass I have the JH13 which does all that better anyway and even with the fairly porous wood the soundstage isnt really much bigger on the denons, if at all. really good headphones, but JH13 are great headphones and if I feel like a larger sound stage from a full size headphone; I reach for the balanced HD600.
 
its funny the whole 650 vs 600 thing, I definitely prefer the 600, even though I agree the 650 looks better, the marble finish is a bit tacky, but for sound the 600 to these ears is a more refined headphone and I actually feel its more detailed. they both scale really well with good gear and for similar cans, seem to suit very different cables

So are you saying Mark sources his wooden cups from Australia? Didnt know that.

 

[qusp]

yep, if you are keen on some, let me know and i'll sort you out with a list of the woods that are currently available, I buy direct. hadnt you noticed most are native australian timbers?? tasmanian blackwood, bubinga, sheoak etc

 

[wink]

Qusp,
No offence taken, nor intended.
It's just my "unique" sense of humour getting the better of me.
I admire your professionalism and dedication to, what for me, is a hobby.
Keep up the good work, and take my sense of humour and irony with liberal doses of salt.

 

[jjinh]

Quote:

yep, if you are keen on some, let me know and i'll sort you out with a list of the woods that are currently available, I buy direct. hadnt you noticed most are native australian timbers?? tasmanian blackwood, bubinga, sheoak etc

 
Interesting.
 
Mine are African sapele so I hadnt noticed. I am curious about them, but probably not curious enough to buy another set of cups as I'm not so sure about the difference they'd make... although silky oak and sheoak and some of the other look beautiful. 
 

 

[qusp]

Quote:

Qusp,
No offence taken, nor intended.
It's just my "unique" sense of humour getting the better of me.
I admire your professionalism and dedication to, what for me, is a hobby.
Keep up the good work, and take my sense of humour and irony with liberal doses of salt.

wow OK, was pretty convincing the word I pulled out and replied to was the only one I really took wrong, the rest i'll wear, because I really should have a bit more fun at the meets and certainly wasted most of this years sydney meet obsessed with getting something done that I had started, that really didnt matter on the greater scale of things.
 
i'll gladly just move forward and now try to take you as intended, as its something i'm always trying to get people to do with me; people also take me rather seriously most of the time it seems
 
peace
 
Quote:

 
Interesting.
 
Mine are African sapele so I hadnt noticed. I am curious about them, but probably not curious enough to buy another set of cups as I'm not so sure about the difference they'd make... although silky oak and sheoak and some of the other look beautiful. 
 

 
 
actually they do make a difference to the sound, mostly to the soundstage, if you have heard the difference damping makes, its along those lines
 

 

[Audio Jester]

One complaint I have about the Meet is I am now having terrible thoughts about emptying the olde bank account on more gear.  The HeadFi forums were bad enough, now I have the psychotropic effects of HeadFi Meets.... I hate you all.
 
 
... just jokes... I don't hate ya,  my future poverty-stricken self does.
 

 

[tisb0b]

I bought all my crap before the meet so I didn't run into that problem >
 
Quote:

One complaint I have about the Meet is I am now having terrible thoughts about emptying the olde bank account on more gear.  The HeadFi forums were bad enough, now I have the psychotropic effects of HeadFi Meets.... I hate you all.

 

[Mr Joboto]

PICTURES! Time to look