nattonrice
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Nice pics but damn that site is a pita :S
Nice to see that the "headphone room" got a single picture...
Nice to see that the "headphone room" got a single picture...
CanJam at RMAF Denver CO October 2,3,4
- Thread starter jp11801
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Quote:
I believe they said the HE-5 were now 28 ohms.
Here is the crazy part where I lose all credibility (if I had any to start with) - I felt the HE-5 sounded better on the $299 EF1 tube hybrid in head-direct's rig than they did on my ZDT in my rig. I felt the ZDT could drive them like a K1000, but it wasn't the best; but I also had just compared the HE-5 with my HD800 which put the HE-5 closer to the level of my APS v3 cabled RS-1 and not as good as HD800.
However, with the EF1 amp I thought the RE-5 were a little better than the Audeze LCD-2 which were being driven on a loaner ZDT. The detail, impact, speed and bass punch of the HE-5 was significantly better on the EF-1 amp than with my ZDT, which is strange since the ZDT is enormously powerful with my low impedance Denons and Grados. However, if only listening to both planars on the ZDT amp then the Audeze was better for me. I have a problem with tinnitus and sonic distortion with loud noises in my right ear - with the LCD-2 I heard some mild coloration in the lower mids/upper bass region, which when played louder makes it sound like I am in a roaring crowd at a football game that is too loud (I complained about that a few months ago with some of my other IEM). I didn't experience this nearly as badly with the HE-5 at much louder volume levels out of their EF-1.
While I would love to have either one of those orthodynamics to play with, I feel that my HD800 are better, and I'm hesitant to add any phones to my gear when a better source or better stat amp is a higher priority.
| Originally Posted by AmanGeorge /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, they do indeed require a lot of power, more than the K1000 - I tried both on my amp, and the K1000 was fine but the Head-Direct 'phones got pretty distorted when I tried to get them loud the way I like it. |
I believe they said the HE-5 were now 28 ohms.
Here is the crazy part where I lose all credibility (if I had any to start with) - I felt the HE-5 sounded better on the $299 EF1 tube hybrid in head-direct's rig than they did on my ZDT in my rig. I felt the ZDT could drive them like a K1000, but it wasn't the best; but I also had just compared the HE-5 with my HD800 which put the HE-5 closer to the level of my APS v3 cabled RS-1 and not as good as HD800.
However, with the EF1 amp I thought the RE-5 were a little better than the Audeze LCD-2 which were being driven on a loaner ZDT. The detail, impact, speed and bass punch of the HE-5 was significantly better on the EF-1 amp than with my ZDT, which is strange since the ZDT is enormously powerful with my low impedance Denons and Grados. However, if only listening to both planars on the ZDT amp then the Audeze was better for me. I have a problem with tinnitus and sonic distortion with loud noises in my right ear - with the LCD-2 I heard some mild coloration in the lower mids/upper bass region, which when played louder makes it sound like I am in a roaring crowd at a football game that is too loud (I complained about that a few months ago with some of my other IEM). I didn't experience this nearly as badly with the HE-5 at much louder volume levels out of their EF-1.
While I would love to have either one of those orthodynamics to play with, I feel that my HD800 are better, and I'm hesitant to add any phones to my gear when a better source or better stat amp is a higher priority.
wiatrob
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Just a quick note before I cork off - I'll post pics and further notes tomorrow.
First and foremost - a shout out to all my old and new friends. The greatest strength of this community are the dedicated, bright, funny folk who sponsor and support these meets.
Thanks to Jude and JPNums for their organizing, ASR, Sherwood, HPA, Aman, Barleyguy, greenman9 for beautiful rigs - this was an amazing collection of thoughtfully assembled components and cans...
All the vendors, of course... Especially Tyl for the pitchers tonight.
Highlights of the show for me were getting a chance to audition all the 'stats, at length - I didn't get to see a damn thing at the show, but that's ok.
And after I just swore off dynamics... those JH13s nailed me...
First and foremost - a shout out to all my old and new friends. The greatest strength of this community are the dedicated, bright, funny folk who sponsor and support these meets.
Thanks to Jude and JPNums for their organizing, ASR, Sherwood, HPA, Aman, Barleyguy, greenman9 for beautiful rigs - this was an amazing collection of thoughtfully assembled components and cans...
All the vendors, of course... Especially Tyl for the pitchers tonight.
Highlights of the show for me were getting a chance to audition all the 'stats, at length - I didn't get to see a damn thing at the show, but that's ok.
And after I just swore off dynamics... those JH13s nailed me...
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Quote:
Yeah, you and Sherwood both fell victim to the Dark Side today. They sold about 50 pair of custom IEM this weekend!
| Originally Posted by wiatrob /img/forum/go_quote.gif And after I just swore off dynamics... those JH13s nailed me... |
Yeah, you and Sherwood both fell victim to the Dark Side today. They sold about 50 pair of custom IEM this weekend!
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Fun, fun, fun! Awesome group of people--the Colorado Head-Fi'ers were welcoming, and graciously drove their out-of-town mates out to a couple of great dinners.
Asr (Steve) took a boatload of pictures--I asked him if he would post his photos and impressions, and he agreed to. I took some photos, too, but won't be posting them or anything else until I get back home.
This was an awesome weekend.
Tiiiiiiired. Early morning shuttle out. Sleep.
Asr (Steve) took a boatload of pictures--I asked him if he would post his photos and impressions, and he agreed to. I took some photos, too, but won't be posting them or anything else until I get back home.
This was an awesome weekend.
Tiiiiiiired. Early morning shuttle out. Sleep.
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I left my camera in the car most of the time, but I still have a few PHOTOS up: MobileMe Gallery
AmanGeorge
Headphoneus Supremus
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Quote:
I'll add what little credibility I have in support of yours - I had the exact same experience testing the HE-5 in my rig, even at low enough volume levels that the HE-5 wasn't yet sounding distorted.
| Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif Here is the crazy part where I lose all credibility (if I had any to start with) - I felt the HE-5 sounded better on the $299 EF1 tube hybrid in head-direct's rig than they did on my ZDT in my rig. |
I'll add what little credibility I have in support of yours - I had the exact same experience testing the HE-5 in my rig, even at low enough volume levels that the HE-5 wasn't yet sounding distorted.
mypasswordis
Member of the Trade: Corsonus
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Even with all the good things said about the EF1, and the fact that the HE5 was no doubt voiced using the EF1, do you think Head-Direct will sell the HE5 by itself, and if so, what the price would end up being?
Sherwood
Headphoneus Supremus
Price is tough to say right now, but Fang estimates it at $1200. Lean on his wife to bring that down.
If that does end up being the price, I'd say the Audeze LCD-2 blow them out of the water. I bought into those headphones hook, line, and sinker.
If that does end up being the price, I'd say the Audeze LCD-2 blow them out of the water. I bought into those headphones hook, line, and sinker.
Sherwood
Headphoneus Supremus
Game changers, you say? There were four, so far as I could tell.
1) Cavalli/Spruce Canyon ExStatA (lol). This is the DIY amp designed by Alex Cavalli, and prototyped by the who's who. The one on display was all transistor, balanced/SE, drove Pro and Normal bias, and had two pots (as two are much less expensive than one). It bested HPA's Woo GES on both o2s and lambdas, to my ears. Very, very powerful and dynamic. I've got mine on order, right effing now. Something like $300 parts cost.
2) Audez'e LCD-2. These are WAAY better than the LCD-1 in both sound and fit-n-finish. The headband is still in Beta, as it was a little goofy and clamped my head tighter than I enjoyed, but WOW what a sound. I've never been a huge ortho devotee, though now I wonder why. Deep, tight, impactful bass, smooth frequency response curve (or sounded that way, at least) and slightly less-than-sparkly top end. I do likes teh sparklez, but these are the best "bass phones" I heard at the show. Loved 'em. I really enjoyed the HE-5 as well, and their fit n' finish is superior to the Audeze, but their price is currently much higher, and I don't know if they're worth the extra. It will be interesting to see how these two similar orthos compete for the high-end enthusiast market.
3) JH13. Lots of pixels have been spilled over these, so you all know what's up. Ton (sp?) was there taking impressions, Jaime and Jerry and Brittany and Bree and Brandi and Brady were all charming, and the phones themselves were beyond stunning. I was either directly or indirectly responsible for 6 pairs sold, by my count. One of those was my own pair, and one was a pair of JH5 for my wife, who is excited like a little girl. Brent, I spent time with the JH5 and the JH13 universals side by side for you -- I'll write my impressions in the relevant thread.
4) Cavalli EHHA. This drove my k1000s better than my moth does, for something like $500 in parts. Sachu will build you one, if you ask him to. It is stunning -- clear, powerful, articulate, just wonderful. I'm clearly gushing over Cavalli here, but it really wowed me. I can't give terribly substantive comments, as I listened primarily to Bill's music through his source and my k1000s, but it was effing brilliant. If only I wasn't selling all my dynamics for the JH13s....
Lots of other notable stuff. The ultrasone Edition 8s were ghastly, even worse than the 9s. They are my new suck barometer.
More than anything, though, this was a phenomenal weekend of spending time with new and old friends, meeting the hifi elite and laughing at their silly floostanding headphones, drinking Colorado beers, and eating great food. I wish I never had to go back to work. Thanks to JP#, Jude, Augsberger, ASR, AmanGeorge,Alex and Shankar, Larry, Drew from Moon, Ray Samuels, Jerry Harvey's hottie entourage, and everyone else there for a phenomenal weekend. I almost couldn't find the time to actually listen to anything with all the talking, eating, smoking and drinking. I'd sooner give up the headphones than the meets.
1) Cavalli/Spruce Canyon ExStatA (lol). This is the DIY amp designed by Alex Cavalli, and prototyped by the who's who. The one on display was all transistor, balanced/SE, drove Pro and Normal bias, and had two pots (as two are much less expensive than one). It bested HPA's Woo GES on both o2s and lambdas, to my ears. Very, very powerful and dynamic. I've got mine on order, right effing now. Something like $300 parts cost.
2) Audez'e LCD-2. These are WAAY better than the LCD-1 in both sound and fit-n-finish. The headband is still in Beta, as it was a little goofy and clamped my head tighter than I enjoyed, but WOW what a sound. I've never been a huge ortho devotee, though now I wonder why. Deep, tight, impactful bass, smooth frequency response curve (or sounded that way, at least) and slightly less-than-sparkly top end. I do likes teh sparklez, but these are the best "bass phones" I heard at the show. Loved 'em. I really enjoyed the HE-5 as well, and their fit n' finish is superior to the Audeze, but their price is currently much higher, and I don't know if they're worth the extra. It will be interesting to see how these two similar orthos compete for the high-end enthusiast market.
3) JH13. Lots of pixels have been spilled over these, so you all know what's up. Ton (sp?) was there taking impressions, Jaime and Jerry and Brittany and Bree and Brandi and Brady were all charming, and the phones themselves were beyond stunning. I was either directly or indirectly responsible for 6 pairs sold, by my count. One of those was my own pair, and one was a pair of JH5 for my wife, who is excited like a little girl. Brent, I spent time with the JH5 and the JH13 universals side by side for you -- I'll write my impressions in the relevant thread.
4) Cavalli EHHA. This drove my k1000s better than my moth does, for something like $500 in parts. Sachu will build you one, if you ask him to. It is stunning -- clear, powerful, articulate, just wonderful. I'm clearly gushing over Cavalli here, but it really wowed me. I can't give terribly substantive comments, as I listened primarily to Bill's music through his source and my k1000s, but it was effing brilliant. If only I wasn't selling all my dynamics for the JH13s....
Lots of other notable stuff. The ultrasone Edition 8s were ghastly, even worse than the 9s. They are my new suck barometer.
More than anything, though, this was a phenomenal weekend of spending time with new and old friends, meeting the hifi elite and laughing at their silly floostanding headphones, drinking Colorado beers, and eating great food. I wish I never had to go back to work. Thanks to JP#, Jude, Augsberger, ASR, AmanGeorge,Alex and Shankar, Larry, Drew from Moon, Ray Samuels, Jerry Harvey's hottie entourage, and everyone else there for a phenomenal weekend. I almost couldn't find the time to actually listen to anything with all the talking, eating, smoking and drinking. I'd sooner give up the headphones than the meets.
AmanGeorge
Headphoneus Supremus
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EDIT.... I clearly misunderstood what was being said. Whoever told me at a young age that literacy was overrated is no longer my friend.
barleyguy
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Quote:
Oh man. You gave in. I remember you telling me on Saturday "I don't plan to listen to them. I don't want to know how good they are. I just like building stuff." (I think that's almost an exact quote.)
So, did you get impressions and place an order at the show?
BTW, they nailed me too. But as I've mentioned to everyone, I have other life priorities that involve not buying JH13s right now. Though if I stash $50 a week and give in at $200, I can order some in January.
| Originally Posted by wiatrob /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just a quick note before I cork off - I'll post pics and further notes tomorrow. First and foremost - a shout out to all my old and new friends. The greatest strength of this community are the dedicated, bright, funny folk who sponsor and support these meets. Thanks to Jude and JPNums for their organizing, ASR, Sherwood, HPA, Aman, Barleyguy, greenman9 for beautiful rigs - this was an amazing collection of thoughtfully assembled components and cans... All the vendors, of course... Especially Tyl for the pitchers tonight. Highlights of the show for me were getting a chance to audition all the 'stats, at length - I didn't get to see a damn thing at the show, but that's ok. And after I just swore off dynamics... those JH13s nailed me... |
Oh man. You gave in. I remember you telling me on Saturday "I don't plan to listen to them. I don't want to know how good they are. I just like building stuff." (I think that's almost an exact quote.)
So, did you get impressions and place an order at the show?
BTW, they nailed me too. But as I've mentioned to everyone, I have other life priorities that involve not buying JH13s right now. Though if I stash $50 a week and give in at $200, I can order some in January.
Sherwood
Headphoneus Supremus
Quote:
How right you are, Sachu. User AmanGeorge, who showed some excellent gear at the RMAF member rig table, is Jacob's son. I got the chance to speak with him and hear his phenomenal speakers, which was a treat. I one drove down to Arizona to hear them, so walking up a few flights of stairs was well worth it.
Quote:
Even my wife bought a pair of JH5s
| Originally Posted by sachu /img/forum/go_quote.gif thanks JP..others that perhaprs Sherwood might be interested is the Rethm loudspeakers from India. They are Lowther based horn speakers. Jacob George is the guy who owns it...nice man..worth a visit. |
How right you are, Sachu. User AmanGeorge, who showed some excellent gear at the RMAF member rig table, is Jacob's son. I got the chance to speak with him and hear his phenomenal speakers, which was a treat. I one drove down to Arizona to hear them, so walking up a few flights of stairs was well worth it.
Quote:
| Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, you and Sherwood both fell victim to the Dark Side today. They sold about 50 pair of custom IEM this weekend! |
Even my wife bought a pair of JH5s
manaox2
Headphoneus Supremus
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Need moar Tesla-1 impressions in the world.
AmanGeorge
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Quote:
They look reasonably nice? Beyer apparently decided after the German show that they weren't done with the design, so all that was brought to RMAF was a non-functional shell.
| Originally Posted by manaox2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Need moar Tesla-1 impressions in the world. |
They look reasonably nice? Beyer apparently decided after the German show that they weren't done with the design, so all that was brought to RMAF was a non-functional shell.
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