FreeWheelinAudioLuv2
Headphoneus Supremus
Gonna find out how Can Jam SoCal shakes out, and if it's anywhere near the fun and fabulous I'm expecting, then I'll be making my first trip out to NYC (literally!).Awesome. Cannot wait
CanJam New York 2025 Impressions Thread (February 22-23, 2025)
- Thread starter AxelCloris
- Start date
I finally posted my CanJam report. It had to be 2 parts. Please enjoy. Links below:
Part 1: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...n-first-page-all-welcome.957426/post-18629001
Part 2: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...n-first-page-all-welcome.957426/post-18629079
Part 1: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...n-first-page-all-welcome.957426/post-18629001
Part 2: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...n-first-page-all-welcome.957426/post-18629079
I feel like I already know how this story ends
See you in SoCal and New York
The March date is good news. I wont have to take a heap of clothes next time.
Being Italian.....the Canjam is a bit far , and so I did not go . Question for those who went and listened ....
Is there anything similar to Noble Viking Ragnar ?
Is there anything similar to Noble Viking Ragnar ?
Just before Singapore starts off, I present my part two of the CJ NYC. Many apologies for the wait but on the upside, there is SG Impressions coming soon from the rest of community!
The signature of a Day 1 at CanJam is the long line before the show starts. As I finished breakfast a bit later than expected, I was farther back in the line. However, I was not by my lonesome as other Watercoolers, some familiar others first encounters, stopped to say hello. We exchanged our plans, many of which centered around securing the goody bags at Bloom Audio. Others opted to secure a seat at the Musicteck table, a valuable piece of real estate especially at the start of the show. Soon enough, the countdown began and CanJam officially began. There was a hurried pace of folks going to Bloom Audio, where as I took a left turn directly to the Abyss/Woo Audio Room. Thrilled with my 1266 TC, I opted to give the range of Abyss products a try including the Diana and JOAL. As the first ones in the Abyss Room, I found a table with a JOAL and quickly pulled out my DMP Z1 from my bag. Quick FYI going forward, DMP Z1 is my reference system. If a portable transducer doesn’t work well with DMP, I am simply not interested in purchasing it. Luckily, I haven’t come across a headphone or IEM that doesn’t synergize well with it, DMP Z1 makes any gear I connect to it sound wonderful. However this does come at a cost, I need to bring my DMP Z1 to shows or meets for me to appreciate how an IEM or headphone sounds. Upon listening to the combination of JOAL and DMP I realized it was a relaxing listening. This sound signature is warmer, with a slight emphasis on midbass. Treble and higher frequency detail are gently presented, a fun laid back listen. This is a headphone made to get folks into the hobby I suspect, not punishing recordings that aren’t strictly audiophile grade. I suspect the plus suede earpads has a hand in this inoffensive presentation. However those who are more accustomed to the Abyss detail oriented presentation, will likely pass these over. The largest takeaway from JOAL is it’s remarkable comfort, as it’s lighter than MR and disappears completely on the head. Dare I say this headphone is as comfortable as Austrian Audio Composer. Abyss hit this aspect out of the park and I could easily see this being a headphone for casual every day listening for hours at a time. The material of the JOAL is a tad rougher than MR, as it doesn’t have the smooth machined finish I expect from Abyss headphones. Apparently JOAL is designed around a cost effective manufacturing process, and I can tell when comparing MR and JOAL side by side.
Satisfied with my listening session, I thanked the Abyss team and left to see some friends at the Musicteck Table. One of the benefits of being part of the Watercooler community is the amount of friends you make. So much so, when I head to CanJam, I have more fun speaking with people than auditioning gear. The unique addition at NYC was the Watercooler banner at the Musicteck Table, signifying to those with the Watercooler Badge, to come hang out.
I found an empty seat and got my hands on the UM MEST Jet Black a new set tuned in collaboration with Musicteck. This set is a departure from the MEST MKIII due to Jet Black’s clearer presentation in the resolution, specifically in the upper mid range. It reminded of those Claritin commercials, when the filter is peeled off revealing a clearer world. The bass is stronger, leading to a more engaging presentation. The bone conduction impact is more vivid, compounding on the already engaging presentation. Jet Black represents a combination of musicality without warmth, and strong bass while keeping clear presentation throughout the range. I think Jet Black is the best allrounder for new entrants into this hobby, as it doesn’t offer much coloration, sweetness, or bass bloom. Jet Black can convince even the most ardent Bone Conduction skeptics there is an added dimension to music that such drivers can provide. I am grateful you can purchase the IEM by itself which helps lowers the purchase price.
Most of the day consisted of socializing with vendors and friends. The end of the first show day was punctuated with the Watercooler Awards Event which had a phenomenal turnout with thanks to Bloom Audio for facilitating a giveaway at the end. A notable highlight was the father and son duo from Audma Audio flying from Italy to accept their Watercooler Award which left many of us humbled. Seeing the joy on their faces is a sight I will not forget and reminds us that there are real people and, in this case, families behind these products. In these times of headfi gear prosperity, it can be easy to take the bountiful gear for granted, but it wouldn’t be possible without such risk takers executing on a long-held passion.
The Second Day was almost as busy as the first, I took this opportunity to try out some less known Chinese brands and cables. Afterwards, I went to the Campfire Audio booth and tried out the Ponderosa and Moonrover. Nothing really stood out, however I did catch a fellow next to me trying a Trifecta and I snapped a pic
I did stop by Bloom Audio room to try out the Narukami headphone system. I found the AWKG headphone does not benefit as much from the amplifier compared to planars such as Susvara. With Susvara, I noted exceptional air and natural timbre in the midrange, with plenty of room for instrument layering. The standout of Narukami is how natural vocal decay is presented, this can be evidenced on well mastered recordings such as Diana Krall’s The Look of Love. Of course, this system is reserved for only the most passionate and well-heeled audiophiles, as a speaker system for 1/5 of the purchase price would easily be rendered superior due to speaker staging and bass frequency transmission. However, if your living situation precludes speakers, or if your economic power renders 108k as 10k for others, there are worse ways to spend your money. However you may want to check out The Watercooler Desktop Thread and ask community members to get the best performance for the money at any price point.
Later at the show, I walked to the Austrian Audio booth and checked out the Composer headphone. As my experience in SoCal, I was taken with the headphone. Exceptional ergonomics aside, The Composer delivers authoritative bass with superb resolution that makes Focal Utopia almost a comedy at its 5k USD asking price. A minor fault with the Composer is it’s fatiguing nature in lower treble at higher volumes, which may be corrected with a tube amplifier. My impressions were from Full Score One amplifier, with its TTT enabled.
A bit tired at this point, it was already getting to the end of the show. I walked up to the Watercooler Lounge, and I took a look at the exhibitors, with some taking down the stands and packing up. I reflected on the experiences so far and was grateful I could attend. NYC has a certain feel to it, like you’re in a whirlwind and it’s a lot of fun. However it goes by so quickly, I yearned for an extra day.
I look forward to SoCal and I hope to see many of you there!
The signature of a Day 1 at CanJam is the long line before the show starts. As I finished breakfast a bit later than expected, I was farther back in the line. However, I was not by my lonesome as other Watercoolers, some familiar others first encounters, stopped to say hello. We exchanged our plans, many of which centered around securing the goody bags at Bloom Audio. Others opted to secure a seat at the Musicteck table, a valuable piece of real estate especially at the start of the show. Soon enough, the countdown began and CanJam officially began. There was a hurried pace of folks going to Bloom Audio, where as I took a left turn directly to the Abyss/Woo Audio Room. Thrilled with my 1266 TC, I opted to give the range of Abyss products a try including the Diana and JOAL. As the first ones in the Abyss Room, I found a table with a JOAL and quickly pulled out my DMP Z1 from my bag. Quick FYI going forward, DMP Z1 is my reference system. If a portable transducer doesn’t work well with DMP, I am simply not interested in purchasing it. Luckily, I haven’t come across a headphone or IEM that doesn’t synergize well with it, DMP Z1 makes any gear I connect to it sound wonderful. However this does come at a cost, I need to bring my DMP Z1 to shows or meets for me to appreciate how an IEM or headphone sounds. Upon listening to the combination of JOAL and DMP I realized it was a relaxing listening. This sound signature is warmer, with a slight emphasis on midbass. Treble and higher frequency detail are gently presented, a fun laid back listen. This is a headphone made to get folks into the hobby I suspect, not punishing recordings that aren’t strictly audiophile grade. I suspect the plus suede earpads has a hand in this inoffensive presentation. However those who are more accustomed to the Abyss detail oriented presentation, will likely pass these over. The largest takeaway from JOAL is it’s remarkable comfort, as it’s lighter than MR and disappears completely on the head. Dare I say this headphone is as comfortable as Austrian Audio Composer. Abyss hit this aspect out of the park and I could easily see this being a headphone for casual every day listening for hours at a time. The material of the JOAL is a tad rougher than MR, as it doesn’t have the smooth machined finish I expect from Abyss headphones. Apparently JOAL is designed around a cost effective manufacturing process, and I can tell when comparing MR and JOAL side by side.
Satisfied with my listening session, I thanked the Abyss team and left to see some friends at the Musicteck Table. One of the benefits of being part of the Watercooler community is the amount of friends you make. So much so, when I head to CanJam, I have more fun speaking with people than auditioning gear. The unique addition at NYC was the Watercooler banner at the Musicteck Table, signifying to those with the Watercooler Badge, to come hang out.
I found an empty seat and got my hands on the UM MEST Jet Black a new set tuned in collaboration with Musicteck. This set is a departure from the MEST MKIII due to Jet Black’s clearer presentation in the resolution, specifically in the upper mid range. It reminded of those Claritin commercials, when the filter is peeled off revealing a clearer world. The bass is stronger, leading to a more engaging presentation. The bone conduction impact is more vivid, compounding on the already engaging presentation. Jet Black represents a combination of musicality without warmth, and strong bass while keeping clear presentation throughout the range. I think Jet Black is the best allrounder for new entrants into this hobby, as it doesn’t offer much coloration, sweetness, or bass bloom. Jet Black can convince even the most ardent Bone Conduction skeptics there is an added dimension to music that such drivers can provide. I am grateful you can purchase the IEM by itself which helps lowers the purchase price.
Most of the day consisted of socializing with vendors and friends. The end of the first show day was punctuated with the Watercooler Awards Event which had a phenomenal turnout with thanks to Bloom Audio for facilitating a giveaway at the end. A notable highlight was the father and son duo from Audma Audio flying from Italy to accept their Watercooler Award which left many of us humbled. Seeing the joy on their faces is a sight I will not forget and reminds us that there are real people and, in this case, families behind these products. In these times of headfi gear prosperity, it can be easy to take the bountiful gear for granted, but it wouldn’t be possible without such risk takers executing on a long-held passion.
The Second Day was almost as busy as the first, I took this opportunity to try out some less known Chinese brands and cables. Afterwards, I went to the Campfire Audio booth and tried out the Ponderosa and Moonrover. Nothing really stood out, however I did catch a fellow next to me trying a Trifecta and I snapped a pic
I did stop by Bloom Audio room to try out the Narukami headphone system. I found the AWKG headphone does not benefit as much from the amplifier compared to planars such as Susvara. With Susvara, I noted exceptional air and natural timbre in the midrange, with plenty of room for instrument layering. The standout of Narukami is how natural vocal decay is presented, this can be evidenced on well mastered recordings such as Diana Krall’s The Look of Love. Of course, this system is reserved for only the most passionate and well-heeled audiophiles, as a speaker system for 1/5 of the purchase price would easily be rendered superior due to speaker staging and bass frequency transmission. However, if your living situation precludes speakers, or if your economic power renders 108k as 10k for others, there are worse ways to spend your money. However you may want to check out The Watercooler Desktop Thread and ask community members to get the best performance for the money at any price point.
Later at the show, I walked to the Austrian Audio booth and checked out the Composer headphone. As my experience in SoCal, I was taken with the headphone. Exceptional ergonomics aside, The Composer delivers authoritative bass with superb resolution that makes Focal Utopia almost a comedy at its 5k USD asking price. A minor fault with the Composer is it’s fatiguing nature in lower treble at higher volumes, which may be corrected with a tube amplifier. My impressions were from Full Score One amplifier, with its TTT enabled.
A bit tired at this point, it was already getting to the end of the show. I walked up to the Watercooler Lounge, and I took a look at the exhibitors, with some taking down the stands and packing up. I reflected on the experiences so far and was grateful I could attend. NYC has a certain feel to it, like you’re in a whirlwind and it’s a lot of fun. However it goes by so quickly, I yearned for an extra day.
I look forward to SoCal and I hope to see many of you there!
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The Second Day was almost as busy as the first, I took this opportunity to try out some less known Chinese brands and cables. Afterwards, I went to the Campfire Audio booth and tried out the Ponderosa and Moonrover. Nothing really stood out, however I did catch a fellow next to me trying a Trifecta and I snapped a pic
That’s certainly one way to wear the Trifecta!
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