MY CANJAM CHICAGO 2022 OVERVIEW
I promised a few folks I'd report on my impressions, so I am going to attempt my first comprehensive write up. I will do it in the order of how I walked the show. This is a layman hobbyist's view, subjective, and all that jazz. It is the story of my experience of the last two days..
My focus has been on headphones and headphone amps. To keep things as directly comparable as possible, I've carried around: (1) my Susvara (to test amps), (2) my AK SP2000, which I usd line-out to either a dual XLR cable or a dual RCA cable. This let me compare headphones and amps using mostly the same DAC. The one exception was where the Bricasti M3 was used as a DAC, which I have at home and therefore can discern the changes in the chain; or in case of a built in DAC.
Before jumping into some great gear, I have to mention that the highlight of the event was reconnecting with friends and making new ones. Including a gathering in the lobby the prior afternoon, an ad hoc conversation ended up slowly built into a gather, and into an eveing-long conversation about head-fi, sci-fi, and everything in between... with
@warrenpchi ,
@third_eye ,
@joe ,
@AxelCloris ,
@Rob Watts , Marshall ,
@Frank I , and Roger and Adam (Hifiman); and a very memorable night out at the end of Day 1, with
@HiFiHawaii808 ,
@Kerry , Marshall, and
@Makiah S
Further below are my impressions of the following gear, which will follow in this order (in case you'd like to quickly scroll down to any one particular you may be interested in). This is not a critical review. Rather, these are my personal impressions and experiences of CanJam Chicago:
- ZMF Atrium
- ZMF Aueteur Classic
- dCS Lina (amp only, followed by the amp/dac/clock stack)
- @L0rdGwyn Airmid (amp)
- Spririt Torino Pulsar (headphone)
- Spirint Torino Sigfrid (amp)
- Audeze CRBN
- Well Audio Head Trip III, Level II (amp)
- Well Audio Commander, Level III (pre-amp)
- RAAL-requisite CA1A
- Dan Clark Audio Stealth
- Ampandsound Nautilus
- Stax SR-X9000
- Eksonic T2
- Rupert Neve's Fidelice Precision DAC
- Abyss AB1266 Phi TC
- Cayin HA-300MK2
- Noble Audio Limited Edition Gold & Diamon Noble Sultan
- Noble Audio Kublai Khan
- Audeze MM-500
- Ferrum Orr+Hypsos
My very first stop was at
ZMF. A genuine pleasure to finally meet
@zach915m and Bevin in person. Such nice people!
I planned to little spend a bit of time trying out the new
Atrium and
Auteur Classic. I ended up staying for 2 hours.. They had a magnificent set up with lots of amps to pair with!
I own the VC and Aeolus, which were a reference points. The
Atrium provides a real interesting complement to the VC. The Atrium is sound is more lush and "analog" feeling. Lower bass is less defined than the VC, but the sound stage feels much wider. It is very evenly tuned, and it is super enjoyable. Like all ZMFs, it sounds best with tube amps (more below). The
Auteur Classic sounds a bit leaner and faster than the Atrium. It will provide a great alternative in its price tier to the HD800s and Arya.
ZMF had lots of limited editions on display for immedite sale. I walked the "wall of shame", bowed my head in submission and awe, and conceded to the fact that I am walking out with an Atrium... some of the options included:
I chose the Maccassar Ebony (which
@zach915m later told me was his favourite; I think he may have posted it on the ZMF channel the prior evening):
ZMF had the
dCS Lina stack, and at my early time of arrival, I had an opportunity for a quiet listen.
I first tested the Lina amp ONLY. I connected my AK player directly to the amp with XLR cables off my AK, and connected my Susvara to the amp (with the generous permission of the team). Making a long story very short, the Lina amp will provide sufficient volume but it is not good enough to drive the Susvara well. It will however, power any other headphone well (I believe
@HiFiHawaii808 may have mentioned that it drove the 1266 well). I have also tested the LINA amp with the VC, Atrium, and Auteur Classic. That worked very well. However, I can't put a nice spin on it, but imho is not worth $9,100. As a standalone SS amp, I prefer the Ferrum Orr+Hypsos at $3,200 (more on the latter further below).
I then tested the entire Lina stack, including the clock, DAC, and amp. It is a very good setup. I think that dCS fans will be very pleased. It is similar to the Bartok's sound signature, packaged into a very small, desktop friendly, form factor. Needless to say, it is built very, very well. The dCS sound offers a thinner and more analytical sounding. My taste goes more to the smoothness the Bricasti sound signature. At the price point of $29,000 for the stack, the target market is the price-indifferent buyer, so there is no need to comment on value. Personal choices and all that.
ZMF had a wide variety of tub amps. They were all great, but the one that stood out to me was the
Airmid. Unfortunately, this DIY OTL amp isn't built regularly; but I hold an ounce of hope (prayer?
this will change in the future. The bass on this (tested with Atrium) was magnificently resonant. Very memorable. I will be the first to get one if/whenever
@zach915m can convince
@L0rdGwyn to let him build them...
My next stop was
Spirit Torino.
Having tried the stratospherically priced
Valkyria at CanJam NYC earlier this year (a modest $11,000), I was very curious to test their newly launched limited edition sibling, the
Pulsar ($5,500). It was good to reconnect with Andrea Ricci, the passionate designer, and his always gregarious partner (and occassional translator) Guido Haschke.
The change from the Valkyria to the Pulsar resulted in a much lighter weight and a more comfortable headphone. It remains exceedingly well built. As far as the design, you will either love it or hate it. It is meant to be distinct! It's certainly on brand.. Note that, like before, the cables are undetachable, following Andrea's obsession with controlling every aspect of the sound chain (the good news is that they are very soft and comfortable; I believe one can order them to any length desired). I'd have preferred them detached, as I assume would most folks.
Sound wise, they are much more balanced to my ears than the bassy
Radiante (for reference), while still retaining the open sound of the Valkyria. Andrea's ambition to capture the sound and feel of a live concert is the strength of this headphone, and it delivers on that. However, compared side-by-side with my Susvara (with which it would need to compete at this price point), it can't match its resolution or timbre. If Spirit Torino were able to iterate again and deliver yet another younger sibling at $3k.... hint, hint...
Spririt Torino also showcased their
Sigfrid amplifier ($10,000). This is a hybrid amp (tube input stage with SS output stage). It is great! They kindly let me test it with both the Pulsar and my Susvara. I can report that it can drive the Susvara beautifully (for the numbers hungery, 5 Watts into 32 Ohm). It is clean, transparent, and sounds effortless (it can also power speakers, with 30 Watt into 8 Ohm). In contrast to the Lina amp, this one delivers. It does have one major disadvantage however, which is an unwieldy form factor. similar an old upright PC tower. Branding stays consitent..
[footnote to the Spirit team: putting a Geshelli DAC in your chain isn't the best choice for what you aspire to achieve. I ignored it and didn't use it, but most everyone else has; this impacts your voicing... ahhm]
Next up,
Audeze CRBN.
Audeze chose to demonstrate this headphone with the Mjornir Carbon amp. This was my second time trying this combo, as they used the same setup at CanJam NYC earlier this year. It is also familiar grounds, as I own the Mjolnir Carbon amp (and love it).
The CRBN has many fans. I am not one of them. Don't misunderstand, I think it is a very good headphone. But, to me, it sounded like the most planar-like headphone among the estats. It is not surprising for Audeze to tune close to their house sound. Personally, when I reach for my estats, I crave their unique sound porfile, that excitement of audible speed and super-fine imaging. I also found the CRBN mid-forward. If you like that, you should really try them out. I prefer my music a bit more evenly laid out in front of me.
Following was one of my show's highlights:
Wells Audio.
Jeff Wells is a perfectionist. His attention to detail is insane, as his selection and testing of every single component in his products, which he hand builds. This is one passionate guy..
@warrenpchi pointed me in this direction, for a good reason. The
Headtrip III, Level II debuted at this show ($15,000). I tested it first in isolation, connecting my AK directly to it. This is a very powerful SS amp that can drive the Susvara effortlessly, without breaking a sweat. It has a speaker-amp like soundstage.
I next added the
Commander, Level III tube pre-amp to the chain ($18,000), connecting my AK directly to it (and it, in turn, to the Headtrip III). I was BLOWN AWAY. The Commander beautifully rounded off the edges, providing a rich texture and silkiness to the sound. This hybrid combination (tube pre + SS head amp) was inspiring. It may be one of the best headphone setups I have heard, and the best setup in which I've ever heard the Susvara. Let's get one thing quickly out of the way: This is a $33,000 (!) headphone setup, the relm of unobtainium to most mortals. But if you are ever able to demo it, give it a listen. It is an experience worth having. Is it worth it? There are no definites in audio.. wait, there are. Holy #$% - yes, it is!
Off to
RAAL-requisite!
One of the other new products showcased at CanJam Chicago was RAAL's new circumaural (aka normal
headphones, inspirationaly named the
CA1A... They are lightweight and comfortable (yay!). I've seen a thread of commnets earlier from both attendees and the company, but impressions are just that. And the headphone simply felt cheap. The foam, acoustics properties and considerations aside, is a Ux turn-off. I suppose RAAL has never tried to play it safe and win based on its heapphones' look or feel, but has followed a path of sonic conviction in its design. I'll give them that!
Has it paid off here as well? It is a very well-sounding headphone but, alas, that x-factor of the SR1A is gone. The CA1A did not have anything that I found unique or memorable. So I moved on...
...to
Dan Clark Audio.
I listened to the
DCA Stealth on the
Ampandsound Nautilus.
@Rob Watts shared with me the prior evening his love for the Stealth headphone, which prompted me to seek and try it out again. Using the Nautilus was a great choice, it drove the Stealth very well. I am not a Stealth camper. My ears perceive its excellent resolution and accurate presenation, but I confess that I miss some euphony. It brings me deep appreciation and profound respect for what it can achieve performance wise, but it doesn't bring me joy. In the end, I want to listen to my music rather than listen to my gear. What can I say, I'm a tough customer
Seeing Justin Weber's handywork, another passionate, perfectionist, headphone amp builder, was a real pleasure. For a moment, I again bemoaned Ampandsound's absense from Chicago. Justin's debut of the
Red October at CanJam NYC was one of that show's highlights for me, and it is currently at the top of my aspirational shortlist. The Nautilus voicing is different, but both amps share an astounding build and sound quality.
As Day 1 concluded, the real listening was just beginning... It was time to introduce
@HiFiHawaii808 to the electrostatic rabbit hole, and promptly push him right into the deepest end! And so...
@Makiah S brought the
Stax SR-X9000 and a Bricasti M3,
@Kerry offered his spectacularly well-built
Eksonic T2 amplifier, and with Marshall and yours truly in tow, we all headed to Eksonic and closed the doors behind us.
@Kerry also provided the
Stax SR-007mk1, one of the most enjoyable headphones (which I have at home, and is in very high use in my rotation). The T2 can power both headphones simultanously, which allowed for easy comparisons as well as shared listening. As
@Kerry put it, the X9000 is the girlfriend you'd like to bring home your parents, and the 007mk1... (..............is the one you take to your greatparents!! gotcha!!! Shame on you...
The
X9000 ($6,200) to me is one of the best headphones I have ever heard. I aspire to get one (Stax has such supply chain issues that even dealers cannot get on their waitlist). It would compete with the Susvara heads on (or perhaps it is the other way around?). The X9000 is very balanced, and to my ears it is laid back across the entire frequency range, making all instruments equally accessible and spread right in front of you on the soundstage. Its resolution and imaging are outstanding.
And, the
Eksonic T2 ($13,000 or so) is the best electrostatic amplifier I have ever heard. It is the only amp which, to my ears, bests my Mjolnir Carbon (for reference on my preferences, I love the BHSE and find its voicing very similar to the Carbon, for which I have a slight preference; but I could go either way with those two). The T2 makes any estat headphone I have tried on it soar (the above aforementioned headphones, and previously also the 009s and CRBN). The combination of the T2 and the X9000 is sublime. Pure magic!
One day, when I grow up, I will be getting a T2
@HiFiHawaii808 , learning to drive on a Ferrari...
We capped Day 1 with a nigh out on the town (
@warrenpchi again pointing us safely in the right direction..):
Day 2!!
Rise and shine... first stop,
Rupert Neve's Fidelice "Precision Digital-To-Analog Converter" (perhaps time for a quick branding braindstorm session?
. The
Fidelice Precision DAC ($5,000) is an all-in-one DAC/headphone amp. I wasn't expecting it to power my Susvara, and it didn't. But it should work very well with all average to high sensitivity headphones. The voicing of this unit is warm. Too warm for my taste, but if warm is your cup of tea then this unit is worth checking. Its very well built. At its price point, I assume this is geared less to optimizing audiophiles and more for well-heeled convenient-seaking consumers who want an easy entry into head-fi (competing with Unity Atom HE and similar products).
I continued to Abyss, and listened to the
AB1266 Phi TC ($6,000) powered by XI Audio Formula S and Sagra DAC. There is something about the bass of the 1266 which is physical and palpable. It (literally) moves you. That is what this headphone is built for, and boy does it deliver on that end. But I find the mids lacking and unnatural in their timbre, and since vocals and acoustics account for a big share of my personal listening, this headphone remains out of bounds for me. If you listen to lots of rock, EDM, or other bass-heavy music, you will get a literal kick out of these cans!
I spotted the
Cayin HA-300MK2, which I wanted to try, at ZMF's in the main hall. They had the VC at hand, which I own and know well (another can in high rotation), offering a useful reference. This amp is extremely powerful. I had to listen at the lowest volume setting (I might have adjusted my AK line-out voltage, but I didn't think to do so at the time). The 300B offers a lush and rich texture. The amp is a little too warm for my taste (compared to my Auris Nirvana, which is more transparent and linear sounding).
Next, a reunion with Fumie and Jim at
Noble Audio. Another wonderful couple in audio!
I got my
Noble Sultan ($2,900) from them at CanJam NYC, which I love. Those are wonderfully resolving, with an insane bass.
As a treat, Jim pulls out something and hands it over to me with a wink. Fumie looks at me with a knowing smile. Apparently, it is the
Limited Edition Gold & Diamond Noble Sultan. This is not a gold-plated IEM, it is pure gold. I gingerly hold them in my palm and feel the literal weight of gold. Those are two small concentrated pieces of jewelry. But, in my ears, they fit as well as the "regular" Sultan and are very comfortbale. Then.. they tell me they cost
$27,000 !!! It's a good thing I wasn't drinking hot coffee at that moment.. It is obviously meant to be a (billionaire?) collector item (and I learned that collectors abound in the Asian market). Putting that aside, there is in fact a slight sonic difference in this variation. That’s to be expected, as the sound waves interact with a different encompassing material. It is, in fact, a bit improved. Fumie surreptitiously snuk that picture while I was listening.. the joy was very real
I next tried Noble Audio's new
Kublai Khan ($2,600). The added bone-conductor subwoofer enhances the bass, which was lacking in the original Khan. This IEM has great clarity in the mids and treble. But I do still miss the bass presence of the Sultan, so the Sultant remains my personal preference. For those seeking a more counter-clockwise frequency response, you should really try it.
Back to
Audeze, this time to try the just launched
MM-500. It is built and meant for leaning forward and mixing music in the studio, rather than for leaning back and kicking your legs up at home listening to music. It is therefore super flat in tuning, very revealing, and not a lot of fun to listen to. I am pretty sure that a mixing professional would be delighted with it. I am just not one mixing professional
But I can say I gave it a listen. On to the last stop....
My last stop was at
Ferrum, where I revisited the
Orr+Hypsos stack ($3,200) with my Susvara. This is a setup which I tried at CanJam NYC and had good memories of. With some mileage under belt with the Susvara since (on my Auris Nirvana, my Moon 330A speaker amp; and many of the amps mentioned above), I was curious to gain a fresh perspective. I was, yet again, impressed. This small stack packs a very big punch. The Susvara is driven with authority and a offers a perception of depth of soundstage that is impressive and enjoyable. This was a foot-tapping moment. At this price point, in this form factor, it is just a fantastic setup. If I didn't get addicted to tubes... too late
After 2 days and 2 nights of non-stop audio & friends, it was time to catch my flight home. I got to share one last moment with my listening buddies
@buke9 and
@HiFiHawaii808
This has been a pure joy. Thank you Head-Fi team -
@jude @third_eye @warrenpchi ,
@joe ,
@AxelCloris - from all of us.
See you all soon!
He'll have to go next year I guess!
@goldwerger and @HiFiHawaii808, be sure to ask @buke9 about "October" (he'll know what you mean by that). 
