[G8torbyte]

Yeah, the Raal table was busy and sadly did not get a chance to try the ribbon tech design on their HPs. I did talk with Danny about another issue I'm having with a RAAL tube amp acquired a couple years ago and he is going to help sort it out

 

[szore]

Funniest thing I saw was all the girl friends and wives standing around staring at their wrist watches...

 

[VandyMan]

I guess the downside of the biggest CanJam ever is the noisiest CanJam ever. I had a good time, but it was too loud in most places to get too much of a sense of anything I was hearing. I did get to hear some headphones that I'd like to listen to more in better conditions:

Couple more...

Audio Technica ATH-AWKG: Beautiful looking and nice sounding $2000 headphone that sells for $4400. Only 100 produced.

DCA E3: Really good. I was afraid to compare it to the more expensive Stealth, which I own.

Empy II: Somehow forgot to listen to this. Next year!

 

[chrisnyc75]

After my 3rd CanJam, I've learned one thing which I shall put into practice next year:

You WILL be overwhelmed and you WILL forget what you wanted to check out. Make a checklist - a literal list on your phone - of what you MUST SEE, and don't leave until you've checked off every item.

Things I missed this year that I really wanted to demo: Empyrean II, Audio-Technica billionaire amp & headphone, EE Raven, Feliks Envy 25th, Mass Kobo, Subtonic Storm

 

[msing539]

- Grell + Drop OE1: Very interesting. Definitely want to hear again. If they are priced around $400 (may have misheard), these could be a huge bargain.

I overheard $500. Spoke with Axel about them because I initially thought the headband wasn't easily replaceable, but it clips together at the seam. He said Dekoni will make and carry those along with pads. The driver will also be user replaceable with two solder points, and Axel said "matched" drivers.

 

[Nago]

Quality of the watts

Watt is a unit of power. There is no such thing as higher/lower quality

 

[F208Frank]

Funniest thing I saw was all the girl friends and wives standing around staring at their wrist watches...

Hahahhahaha

 

[Hofy]

The Vali 2++ (stupidest name ever) has 60V rails while the Vali 3 has 100V rails (according to its info card). There are probably some other small tweaks to its circuit design as well.

That is what I want to know, what changed inside (besides the 100v rail) I guess we will find out when it shows up on the Schiit home page soon.

 

[Casey’sToneQuest]

Anyone see if the blessing 3 dusk was available to try or was it just a teaser box? Was too busy whenever I went by. What a fun time!!

 

[XERO1]

I overheard $500. Spoke with Axel about them because I initially thought the headband wasn't easily replaceable, but it clips together at the seam. He said Dekoni will make and carry those along with pads. The driver will also be user replaceable with two solder points, and Axel said "matched" drivers.

The only real problem I had with the prototype that was at the SoCal CanJam was how stiff and uncomfortable its pads were.

If the final pads are softer (like you'd expect of any normal headphone pads), I'll definitely be getting one, especially if it comes in at around $500.

 

[cocolinho]

Any impression about the futur Symphonium IEM?
Thanks

 

[Filon]

DCA E3: Really good. I was afraid to compare it to the more expensive Stealth, which I own.

Hi, can you briefly compare them?

 

[msing539]

I'm sitting at the Linsoul table at 4 pm yesterday debating buying a Thieaudio Prestige and look over and see 7hz Zero 2's... an orange, blue, and a silver. So I yoink the silver and put it next to me.

These kids come up and grab my silver and James is like, those are already sold. Then these kids just keep asking me if I wouldn't prefer the baby blue one over silver. I was like... brah... nah... I gotta wear these in public.

 

[VandyMan]

Hi, can you briefly compare them?

I think the E3 has a livelier tuning and the Stealth is a little bit more neutral, but I did not listen to them side x side and show conditions, etc. Not huge differences.

It would also be interesting to compare them with the upcoming ZMF Caldera Closed. For ergonomics (comfort, adjustability, storage), the E3 wins easily, IMO. However, some who criticize the Stealth as boring (I disagree), may prefer the sound of the Caldera Closed over the E3.

 

[Cotnijoe]

Flagship/tribrid IEM rounds

I had the opportunity to try the noble Ragnar a few months back as well as the plussound allegro and was pretty impressed with the sound - of course expected of the price tag. So I was pretty on board with the trend of the tribrids that have been hitting the market and was interested in testing as many of these IEMs out as I can while I was here.

Thought I’d share some very brief impressions.

Firstly all the IEMs were really good and clearly summit-fi and flagship worthy and without a doubt better than the 1-2k IEMs I brought along with me, so prices are somewhat justified. I certainly didn’t have enough time with each or the brain capacity to nitpick which ones have the most details, but again they were all pretty dang good and you would be picking hair at this price bracket.

Overall, I wasn’t as sold on the tribrid as I initially thought I was. I feel like they’re not quite as coherent as some of the full BAs and such I listened to.

UM Mason FS and FS Soleil tombe
the unique melody Mason will alway have a special place for me. It’s one of the most ideally tuned IEM for my taste. Comparing the two, the FS SL is a little warmer with slightly more bass punch overall compared to the FS. At their price though, I didn’t feel they were really punching significantly above what some of the offerings were bringing to the table for a few thousand less.

Aroma fei wan
A highlight for me. All of these flagships are fairly neutral for the most part, and this certainly follows the trend, but it also probably has the most luscious mid range of the bunch. Really well tuned, and really enjoyable and inoffensive in general. Good Bass punch, but not necessarily the most articulate compared to others here. I saw the price tag and was a little sad, but I didn’t feel like it was egregious. This is a 10BA 2DD IEM, and you can just tell the drivers are working in sync better than some of the tribrids. The overall sound is just more coherent and consistent.

Oriolus traillii Ti
Another highlight. Firstly, very happy they changed the shell to a full metal shell. I think it looks nicer than the original acrylic shell, it feels sturdy, it’s compact, and comfortable. Overall, it’s more neutrally tuned than the Fei wan. Little more air in the vocals with less low end, but cleaner punch. 6k is a hard pill to swallow, but this would probably be one of my top picks price no object. However, because of its price, to me, it gets beat out by another IEM that I’ll mention later down.
Edit: Ti is 8.5k supposedly. Oof…

Canpur 622B
Again, another overall good IEM. It’s one of the IEMs I feel does a better job integrating the electrostatic high with the rest of the frequency. The tuning may be a little too safe, honestly nothing quite jumps out at me. it also has less low end presence compared to the others, with the exception of the Ragnar. I can definitely respect it and see why it’s gotten a lot of love.

Noble Ragnar
The IEM that got me interested in looking into tribrids. However wasn’t quite as impressed second time around. Incredibly detailed, with accentuated but not overly sibilant highs, but they just really scream for attention and overall I feel like the coherence between the highs and the rest of the frequency isn’t quite there. I think it’s a great reference piece with great technicalities, but at too much of a sacrifice for naturalness.

Campfire trifecta
A lot of bass. A lot. Definitely too much for me and I feel like to the detriment of lower mids to some extent. It was also not as expansive of a soundstage as the other IEMs, which for the most part were somewhat comparable. Resolution is still top tier but a bit behind the others. I think this is a pretty niche product and it’s gotta be something you really love.

Subtonic storm
Finally got to try this and was very pleasantly surprised. I was expecting an absolute bass cannon. It has a lot of bass, but it’s articulate and clean and coherent. As someone who isn’t huge on bass, honestly this thing is awesome. It also has smaller staging similar to the trifecta, but I prefer it to the trifecta without a doubt.

Empire/AK Novus
I love the empire ear team, and it’s definitely an agree to disagree thing, as I mostly don’t prefer the tuning of their flagships. The novus is a similar story. Big meaty bass that’s articulate and clean, just too much for me. Midrange is a little aggressive but with really fast transience. This thing can seriously move some air. Overall definitely a win for the empire team and one people will like. An objectively good IEM, but just a pass for my preferences.

qdc emperor
Big winner for me. It’s tuning is similar to Mason and the oriolus, but also at half the cost. Bass has a gentle bump with really clean punch and articulation. Mids are a bit forwards but with good air. Not as warm as the Mason but just a really accurate and clean presentation. The 4EST highs also do good work and is well integrated into the sounds. I haven’t been big on qdc in the past but this would be my pick. Reasonable price and really stellar performance. It also is one of the more comfortable of the bunch. It’s massive but the shell shape is excellent. I can see myself listening to this for hours without hot spots or discomfort. Highly recommended!

Elysian Annihilator
Admittedly not my favorite of the bunch. Overall a forward sounding IEM with a slightly boomy bass (not to degree of trifecta), fairly forward upper midrange and vocals, and a good bit of treble sparkle (not to the degree of the Ragnar). Staging wise and detail wise it’s appropriately on par with the others but I think the tuning is a bit aggressive.

Rhapsodio supreme V3
Initial impressions were positive. Really nice balance between vocals and instrumentation, great detail, but as I listened more, unfortunately just a bit boring. Bass hits are clean and textures but a bit lacking in presence. Highs are more of a highlight but without feeling too harsh or sibilant. A good sounding IEM that’s bit of a niche tuning.

FiR Rn6
Fun sounding IEM with nice bass emphasis while maining a clean sound. Another IEM that does a nice job moving air and just tickles your ears a bit. Imaging is good but size of staging falls behind a bit compared to some of the others here.

VE10
This and the the fei wan really makes it obvious when you’re listening to a tribrid vs a mostly BA based IEM. Another well tuned and natural sounding IEM throughout the frequency range. Admittedly I don’t remember much else of this IEM standing out to me. Regardless, worth a listen and one I look forward to hearing again as my impression was positive, but not very vivid.