[johnwmclean]

Thanks to all who oganised this meet, I had a great time meeting up with old faces and new ones.
 
 
This guy made quite an impression on me...
 

 

[nattonrice]

Thanks to the organizers and all who attended.

I'm very happy to see such a surge of interest in stats!

Next time I'll bring the bhse instead for something different... ish.

 

[wink]

Next time I'll bring a starving student and SR60 for something really different.
 
Thanks to all who put up with me and my sense of humour.
 
Thanks to Vlad (Svyr) and Paul (pkwak) for your great organisational skills.
 
Thanks to Pacific Power who kept the electrons rolling in.
 
Thanks to the vendors for their goodies, and putting up with all the eager grubby fingers at their tables.
 
Thanks to all the photographers and their flashes as they took all the unsolicited photos. I hope my visage didn't do any permanent damage to your lenses.
 
Thanks to all the people who made sure my phones were well burnt in.
 
Thanks to Tom (nattonrice) for bringing his DIYT2 and Ramos (rzy6cn) for connnecting his Stax SR009 to it.
 
A big thanks to John (johnwmclean) and Ryan (caution) for the backbreaking task of helping me pack up my gear and load the car with it.
I'd like to say that I owe you one, but you really did need the exercise.......

 

[rzy6cn]

 
Nattonrice's DIY T2
 

 
WA22 from Addicted to Audio
 

 
My Grado PS-1
 

 
DAC202, probably the best source of the can con
 

 
Modded HE6, I am pretty impressed by the sound.. although still personally do not like Hifiman
 

 
Electrostatics
 

 
Addicted to Audio new amp, sounds awesome!
 

 
Brothers
 

 
All belongs to Wink, I should rob some...
 

 
Wink's setup, DIY KGSS, wow..
 

 
WOOAUDIO TRANSPORT
 

 
FOSTEX TH900, the most balance closed can I've heard until now.
 

 
Addicted to Audio Setup, hmm... runs TH900 really well
 

 
What's this?
 
 

 
Tralucent Audio
 

 
Addicted to Audio
 

 
Tralucent Audio...again
 

 
Twisted Cable
 

 
 

 
Wink...
 

 
Wink again....
 

 
Wink again, again...
 

 

 
ED10 is really a nice looking can, but it sounds....
 

 
The thinker?
 

 

 
Wink, why always you!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
All done~~

 

[wink]

 
You could say we made a big splash...........

 

[johnwmclean]

1) DIY Buffalo 32 DAC  / DIY T2 / Stax SR007 MK1’s
Overall this combo was the bomb, Toms T2 is art, just beautiful. 
 
2) DIY Buffalo 32 DAC  / DIY T2 / Stax SR007 MK2’s
Very nice and so close if just for a slight emphasis in mid bass and a smidgen less dynamic.
 
3) DIY Buffalo 32 DAC  / DIY T2 / Stax SR009
Honesty tacked on to a wire with gain, doesn’t aways play nice, but when it does this combo was breath taking.
The 009’s are great cans, but I do I prefer the 007’s as they are a little more forgiving, plus I’m a louder listener, the 007’s sound better loud to me.
 
4) WEISS DAC 202 / FOSTEX TH-900
Surprising combo, very smooth. Best closed cans I’ve heard. DAC was excellent.
 
Other stuff
I heard the LCD-3’s with some Audio GD was ok, not wowed though.
The award for best clenched teeth goes to the Ultrasone Edition 10’s, I survived!

 

[drez]

Quote:

Thanks to the organizers and all who attended.
I'm very happy to see such a surge of interest in stats!
Next time I'll bring the bhse instead for something different... ish.

 
Thanks again for bringing the stats (thanks to Wink also) - never though I would get a chance to hear them otherwise!  I have some saving to do I think!
 
My thoughts on the small fraction of gear I got to hear today:
 
-not enouugh time to listen to everything

!  I think we need a whole weekend, maybe a whole week

 
-nattonrice's STAX gear - probably most surprised by the Buffalo32 - I have never heard such a high quality SABRE DAC before.  For the 007 mkii and 009, the treble and midrange on these really is something else.  009 was superlative but I think I could live with the 007 mkii.  I will have to save my pennies.
 
-Sennheisser HD800 - I will have to buy a pair some time - these made a big impression especially with the Anaxilus mod which completely transforms them into a neutral headphone.  Fantastic midrange detail and imaging, maybe a tad faster than my HE-6 also, but less body as well.  Perhaps without the Anax mod the violins could be a little steely on my system though.
 
-Schiit Mjolnir - I hooked this up to my DAC to compare against my Master 6 - very impressive, excellent bass drive and control like I have never heard from the HE-6.  I am actually used to a little more laid back/looser bass response as it tends not to draw attention as much, whereas bass on the Mjolnir demands attention.  Midrange and treble were very transparent but a little unforgiving with the HE-6.  Soundstage and layering were both impressive.  Maybe better paired with a DAC which has smoother treble or something.  Excellent value for money IMO.
 
-Sandalaudio's gear: Grace M903 - very, very nice DAC,.  I was really impressed with the RA-1 clone.  BCL was quite impressive as well - fantastic coherency.
 
-Fostex HP-P1 - very clean DAC and HPamp, maybe a little skeletal but very clear and precise.
 
-LCD-3 - for some reason did not pair well with my system, I don't think I heard it at it's best :/
 
-LCD-2 r1 - beautiful vocals superb presence and emotion, but again strings were a bit mushy on my system.  Actually sounded better than the LCD-3 with my gear...  I have my suspicions the the power supply was struggling on my amp DX"  No doubt part of this was down to qusp's superb cable.
 
-Wink - that amp is a beast - it could run multiple K1000 and HE-6 without breaking a sweat - fantastic for comparing power hungry headphones.  Anax mod HD800 and the LCD-2 r1 were fanstastic - I'm sad I didn't get to hear the K1000

  Next time I guess.
 
-a_recording: EX1000 - fanstastic, balanced, one of a kind earphone, superb bass, natural, articulate and textured midrage - not bright at all, at least not compared to its older brother the EX700

  JVC HA-FXC-71? - absolutely incredible value - fantastic midrange and treble, but a little tilted in the bass which sounds a little funny with classical (think big sub "XD)  I hope they introduce a flat FR model soon.  I wonder if these can be tuned/modified?

 
-qusp - love your work - the LCD-2 cable worked brilliantly and the quality of workmanship was very impressive.
 
Sorry if i have missed anyone, again I think we need another whole day to properly listen to everything!  Thanks again to everyone for such a great event.

 

[johnwmclean]

Photos:
 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/82163546@N06/sets/72157631127299978/

 

[Monkee]

Wink, thanks for letting is try to blow up your amp by plugging both sets of AKG K1000's into it at once
 
A2A - sorry I didn't get to audition the woo tubes. I even brought my wallet with me. Now you have to lug them home!
 
alex699 - thanks for not being called alex, and really nice to meet you. you've both encouraged my HD800 yearning, and made me want to pull the pin on re-cabling my K702's.
 
grant625 - thanks for letting me listen to your HD800's for a while. lovely phones and I hope you get to use them more at work. Just cause the apprentice an accident and then you can start wearing them at work again sorry we didn't get a chance to catch up more!
 
sandalaudio - lovely gear, lovely bloke we'll catch up soon! enjoyed your other stuff - and most especially your taste in music. my wife would be right at home
 
drez - we'll catch up. ook! nice to meet you, sorry it was brief! After we started talking outside, I thought @sandalaudio was gonna freeze to death if I didn't find a seat heater asap!
 
Some really lovely stuff there - think we need another day sometime as a lot of us didn't really start switching around the tables til pack-down time, but a pleasure to enjoy what was there I'm really curious as to how the balanced HD-800's would sound, and what amp would go with them, now.
 
 
best,
 
Monkeh
 
Quick edit: if you unplug a power adaptor at the wall or unplug someone's gear, please make sure the volume is turned to zero and then the power switch is turned off, for each device in the chain. hopefully no-one else had anything damaged during 'quick unplugs'. It's always best not to unplug other people's gear in general - you can always get an organiser to holler their name or call their phone!

 

[johnwmclean]

Toms T2, what a beast... my favourite shot.
 

 
Toms warning to tube noobs ...
 

 

[wink]

Quote:

Wink, thanks for letting is try to blow up your amp by plugging both sets of AKG K1000's into it at once
 

Not a chance of it, not a problem.
It could handle 9 K1000's plugged in, and some more connected to the speaker terminals......

 

[pkwak]

Wink, thanks for letting is try to blow up your amp by plugging both sets of AKG K1000's into it at once

A2A - sorry I didn't get to audition the woo tubes. I even brought my wallet with me. Now you have to lug them home!

alex699 - thanks for not being called alex, and really nice to meet you. you've both encouraged my HD800 yearning, and made me want to pull the pin on re-cabling my K702's.

grant625 - thanks for letting me listen to your HD800's for a while. lovely phones and I hope you get to use them more at work. Just cause the apprentice an accident and then you can start wearing them at work again sorry we didn't get a chance to catch up more!

sandalaudio - lovely gear, lovely bloke we'll catch up soon! enjoyed your other stuff - and most especially your taste in music. my wife would be right at home

drez - we'll catch up. ook! nice to meet you, sorry it was brief! After we started talking outside, I thought @sandalaudio was gonna freeze to death if I didn't find a seat heater asap!

Some really lovely stuff there - think we need another day sometime as a lot of us didn't really start switching around the tables til pack-down time, but a pleasure to enjoy what was there I'm really curious as to how the balanced HD-800's would sound, and what amp would go with them, now.


best,

Monkeh

Quick edit: if you unplug a power adaptor at the wall or unplug someone's gear, please make sure the volume is turned to zero and then the power switch is turned off, for each device in the chain. hopefully no-one else had anything damaged during 'quick unplugs'. It's always best not to unplug other people's gear in general - you can always get an organiser to holler their name or call their phone!

Does that mean you had something damaged? Oh no. Tell us what is wrong and perhaps one of our talented member could help you fix the problem?

 

[svyr]

This guy made quite an impression on me...

Erwin's happy face is much happier than my happy face

Next time I'll bring the bhse instead for something different... ish.

Thanks Tom ! nice T2 note btw. didn't notice it when listening since Erwin was plugging things in and out


also -
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/SennhheiserHE60.pdf
vs
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/StaxSR009SZ91278afterburnin.pdf
vs
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/StaxSR507SE11049.pdf
hmmm

I maybe regret selling my stax setup. Pity they didn't make closed ones aside from the questionable 4070.

Next time I'll bring a starving student and SR60 for something really different.

Thanks to Pacific Power who kept the electrons rolling in.

Thanks to all the photographers and their flashes as they took all the unsolicited photos.

....
I'd like to say that I owe you one, but you really did need the exercise.......

don't forget thank the TNSPs and DNSPs and market operator and retailer (also whatever, pacific power

Will post some photos later.

Thank you for bringing the 009 btw

The award for best clenched teeth goes to the Ultrasone Edition 10’s, I survived!

Tyll/innerfidelity approve. I kinda liked ED8. Until Jeremy told me all about what they're made of and how

Fostex's OEM denon was good too. I liked it better than D5000 and D7000. (tho I wish they'd pick a different frame and get leather pads ? were these pleather?)

-not enouugh time to listen to everything !  I think we need a whole weekend, maybe a whole week

-Sennheisser HD800 - I will have to buy a pair some time - these made a big impression especially with the Anaxilus mod which completely transforms them into a neutral headphone.  Fantastic midrange detail and imaging, maybe a tad faster than my HE-6 also, but less body as well.  Perhaps without the Anax mod the violins could be a little steely on my system though.



-a_recording: EX1000 - fanstastic, balanced, one of a kind earphone, superb bass, natural, articulate and textured midrage - not bright at all, at least not compared to its older brother the EX700   JVC HA-FXC-71? - absolutely incredible value - fantastic midrange and treble, but a little tilted in the bass which sounds a little funny with classical (think big sub "XD)  I hope they introduce a flat FR model soon.  I wonder if these can be tuned/modified?

hmph. Didn't realize there was a HD800 variation on neutral/missed EX1000 and XB4 if people brought them. really wanted to hear EX1000...

Not a chance of it, not a problem.
It could handle 9 K1000's plugged in, and some more connected to the speaker terminals......

I'd be more worried about the fuses blowing in the building



must not spend $800 on sealed Tralucent's hybrid IEMs (1PLUS2)... (vs Merlin being vented. It looks to combine what I like from merlin and the 3 driver 3 way xover UM IEMs I own and is close to what I really want). I'm probably going to think about it after my SM3x8 is finally back from UM with the retune (1+2 sounds a bit like LCD2s bass-wise, less bright in the mids than merlin, but there was more sub-bass, although I don't know how much of it was due to seal differences (my merlin seal with silicon tips is a bit lose) (edit: nope, definitely more sub bass on 1+2) ). Their T1 amp was very nice with the hybrid IEMs.
Would be nice if they have a loaner program similar to UM. (I'm secretly hoping somebody buys a pair and decides to sell it quickly for needing money reasons at a discount )




>if you unplug a power adaptor at the wall or unplug someone's gear, please make sure the volume is turned to zero and then the power switch is turned off, for each device in the chain.

That's good advice. Also possible to unplug the unit at the back and not realize it had a voltage converted at the power point and then replug it using a standard cable without it. (fun fuse time. extra fun if it's a new stax amp)

 

[syfjhz22]

I really enjoyed black/golden Stax and square Stax and HE60
 
Great photos, thanks
 
Quote:

if you unplug a power adaptor at the wall or unplug someone's gear, please make sure the volume is turned to zero and then the power switch is turned off, for each device in the chain.

 
Well, when I saw someone trying very hard to plug 3.5mm OPTICAL into 3.5 jack, my heart was like

...

 

[MomijiTMO]

Yay lots of photos. I wish I was there, just to hear the Stax gear .