[BKJarvis]

The UM MEXT might be added to my collection.

I ranked them indigo, mest MK2, then Mext. But i'd be happy with any of them for a long long time

 

[SCBob]

Day 2 thoughts:

It seems Hifiman was having trouble with their amplifier yesterday when I tried to listen to Susvara, but I’m happy to report that it was working perfectly today. Susvara sounded fantastic. I got there early this morning and snagged some time with both Susvara and lcd-5 while the floor was still empty and quiet. Susvara is every bit as spacious, detailed, and natural sounding as advertised. lcd-5 is slightly more intimate, and similarly detailed & natural sounding. Bass on them sounded about equal to my ears, but again this was only a brief listen.

I really liked the Abyss Diana TC. It seems much easier to live with vs the 1266 while giving up very little. The mids are still a bit wonky, but you’re not getting a TC for the mids anyway. It’s all about that bass.

DCA Stealth is impressive. If you’re looking for a closed back planar, this is the winner by a country mile. Think Arya but closed back. No small accomplishment technologically, I’m sure.

Absolutely LOVED the Rosson RAD-0. Way more than I thought I would. Definitely on my radar now as a potential eventual upgrade from my Arya.

IEMs: JH Audio Jolene and Empire Ears Legend EVO both impressed. Jolene’s mids are thick and lush with loads of detail. Legend EVO is every bit as skull-rattling as they say it is, and its treble was more extended and detailed than I expected. I couldn’t decide whether I like the Anole VX or U18t more - both impressed with their incredible detail and punch.

Overall, the winner of day 2 for me, once again, was the Audeze CRBN, this time paired with the eksonic T2. I can only describe the sound as “transcendent”. This has thrown my whole endgame roadmap into question. (Cheers to the eksonic room for being the highlight of the weekend for me!)

Was the Hifiman amp you used with the Susvara the ES400? Thanks.

 

[Halimj7]

any impressions of the new hifiman dac/amp?

Loved it so much! I plan to get on day one. It is not the most resolving but it has plenty power, is very compact and good looking and most of all - it has so much character. The bass has a touch of bloom and smoothness that makes it sound very analog to me. One of my best of shows.

 

[Hoegaardener70]

Hi, here my impressions for 2 days attending. I mostly checked out gear to see if my current favorite headphones – ab-1266tc and Utopia - still hold up against the stiff competition of the least years. For me, they do (exceptions below):

- Audeze CRBN and Stax SR-X9000: I put these together just because I could hear them next to each other in the Woo room (thanks guys!) … the CBRN was very pleasant. It felt tonally very balanced and did everything very well … but it stayed a normal headphone. The X9000 next to it was just something else, a new level of music reproduction. Smooth and silky and tones coming from everywhere but still having coherence. Yes, I could definitely see myself with these … well not, given the pricepoint. I guess bass lacked impact which is to be expected from e-stats, but besides this, the X9000 was just another level. If you have tons of money and love classical music, this is the one.

- Audeze LCD-5: I listened to these on my own DAP and the GSX mini and found them very good. May be even a bit higher in resolution than my Utopia (and that means a lot). But I also found it with certain types of music (rock in particular) somewhat bright, but this might be a show or tiredness related problem. The biggest caveat for me – comfort. The clamp force was way too hard, so that the reduced weight compared to the LCD4 would not be feelable.

- Susvara on dcs rig: This was my first ever encounter with the Sus and I was mightily impressed. Tonally, it came to near-perfect and comfort was top-notch. However, I find the need for a huge amp and near-speaker like power hunger a bit outdated, but may be that is just me. In the end, it is all about practicality, and the Utopia with a DAP gives me a “different from Sus but still very good” experience.

- DCA Stealth: It is always a pleasure to meet Dan and chat with him. The Stealth is a beautifully constructed headphone, lightweight and sleek in its design. Other manufacturers can really learn here. I can confirm what is written in reviews, it is a round, balanced and pleasant experience to listen to the Stealth. It is incredible it is closed. I was very tempted to get one, but reason prevailed (for the moment). It also did not ideally match with my DAP, I felt, a bit unexciting with it.

- Oriolus Traillii. This one I was interested in for a very long time and it did not disappoint. In terms of tonality, I’d see it as perfectly balanced, nothing stands out and nothing lacks. A very nice experience especially for voices. I think if you are looking for a one-and-only IEM or headphone in general, this is the one. Saying that, I brought my Evo for comparison and the power and oomph of the Evo is very obvious, the Evo is lot of fun. The Traillii is a serious and mature achievement but I’d not sell my IEM collection for it.

- Things I could not get hold of: The Fioo M17 which I wanted to compare with my M15. Ah well, another time.

Thanks to the organizers and great people at the tables, it was a cool event.

 

[Ordeith]

Thought I'd share some impressions, beyond my quick post about the Audeze LCD-5 earlier in this thread and the fantastic folks at their stand:

1. I think the variety of products on display was really good. This was my first CanJam, and what I'd like to highlight from the get-go is that there were many different 'starting points'.

2. For me, since I have been using custom IEMs since 2006 or so (and only replaced them last December - with UE Reference Remastered Pro Customs) I didn't test any of the IEMs there. But if you're new to IEMs, there was a lot to try.

3. I had been wanting to try HifiMan's HE-R10P - I believe they had a set hanging at the rear part of their section. Could I have asked to demo them? There were so many people there that I felt 'bad' demo-ing more than a song or two, and I had already tried the Aryas (not for me).

4. People were right when they said you'd get to meet others there - I actually went for lunch with a head-fier on the Saturday and we spent a few hours talking about "music" in great detail.

5. On the listening - I don't feel comfortable making direct comparisons, and I mentioned one above that I had wanted to try. But, the LCD-5s are (to date) the best headphones I have ever tried. Compared to the 4zs as a quick example, the lows, low-mids were still very accurate, but the mid-highs 'more present'. I think some might say they were a bit 'muted' on the 4zs and there's a lot of talk of the "Audeze sound", but this is what motivated me to write what I did on the first page of this thread. I know some have issues with weight - I fully respect that - but the first time I tried the 4zs after receiving them as a Christmas gift I used them for 6 hours or so straight, and didn't even really feel them. I have a buzz cut - so not sure if that helps me get the 'band comfort' just right. Weight might be a very personal part of the impressions, as much of this is - I suppose.

I should have tried the R10Ps - I'll be less shy next time

Overall - I'll be going to CanJams for many years to come. And my wallet is ready

 

[GarageBoy]

What was the 6as7g amp that was branded by raal? Yet another 6as7g otl amp?

 

[BKJarvis]

Maybe someone can help me out. I listened to so much stuff today that my ears are ringing and I can't walk straight. It was still worth it and I'd do it again tomorrow if it was an option. But one of the last sets I listened to was at the UM table. It was a green set and it was one of the best sets I've listened too. Plus they were absolutely stunning with the matching green cable. I wrote down FAaudio Mezzo but upon a quick search I can not find these. So maybe I wrote the wrong thing down. Anyone know? Thanks in advance.

 

[aaf evo]

Maybe someone can help me out. I listened to so much stuff today that my ears are ringing and I can't walk straight. It was still worth it and I'd do it again tomorrow if it was an option. But one of the last sets I listened to was at the UM table. It was a green set and it was one of the best sets I've listened too. Plus they were absolutely stunning with the matching green cable. I wrote down FAaudio Mezzo but upon a quick search I can not find these. So maybe I wrote the wrong thing down. Anyone know? Thanks in advance.

This isn't green but perhaps this?

https://shop.musicteck.com/collecti...roducts/um-mest-indigo?variant=39636621688894

 

[BKJarvis]

This isn't green but perhaps this?

https://shop.musicteck.com/collecti...roducts/um-mest-indigo?variant=39636621688894

Wasn't the indigo. That set was phenomenal as well though.

 

[msing539]

Just got back home from what was a very fun weekend. Definitely blessed to live a short subway ride from times square, although the city has gotten pretty grungy and scary lately but that’s a story for a different day. I want to say thank you to everyone involved in planning and putting on this event. You all do a flawless job and make canjam something to really look forward to each and every year.

I’d like to share some impressions with you all. Goes without saying but “meet conditions” are a real thing. It’s very loud in the main room, and for the most part the private rooms aren’t much better in that regard. As a personal anecdote - my preference leans towards a fuller, meatier, and slightly warmer side of neutral sound signature. I also put a huge emphasis on soundstage and presentation, more so than tonality which I wouldn’t know the first thing on if its “correct” or not. I’m weak on the audiophile jargon and explanations and can only speak from how it sounds to me, how it draws me in, and the emotional connection to the music.

With that said, here’s a rough list of everything I heard and spent time with over the weekend:

HPs: Susvara, X9000, CRBN, LCD-5, Empyrean, Empyrean Elite, Lyric, Verite Closed, Verite Open, HEDDphone, Diana TC, 1266 TC, DCA Stealth

Gear: WA-23, WA-33, WES, DCS Bartok, A&S Forge, A&S Nautilus, EF-1000, Questyle Fifteen, Fe Oor, Pro iCan, Dave, TT2/Mscaler, Centrance Hifi m8 v2 & Ampersand...among others I’m forgetting.

These were the show standouts to me:

Empyrean Elite – Hands down the best HP I’ve ever heard and I enjoyed it more than anything I listened to this weekend. I heard it on a couple of different setups, DCS Bartok (yikes), TT2/Mscaler, and Questyle Fifteen. Man this thing is special. If you find the original Empyrean to be great but just a little boring for lack of better words, this is a whole different ballgame. There was nothing I didn’t like about it. Gorgeous full sound, deep powerful bass, clear vocals, and fantastic presentation. As a side note, don’t sleep on the Questyle. I know people look down on all in ones but that thing sounded fantastic. Not missing much to my ears compared to TT2/Mscaler, albeit in meet conditions.

HEDDphone – Heard these off the tiny Centrance Hifi m8 v2/Ampersand combo… biggest surprise of the show for me. These were awesome. They had such an effortless, yet punchy and crisp sound. Felt like the music was coming from a deep, dark hole out of nowhere. Nothing was offensive to me. Soundstage width and depth were excellent and I got really into the music. Many will not be able to get over the size and weight of these and that is totally understandable. I didn’t mind it. I sat there for a long while enjoying these… As much as I was floored by the Elite’s - $4k is a tough sell. I think at current used prices, the HEDDphone is what I took from the show that I will be going to seek out.

Everything else:

X9000 - I heard these out of the WES in the Woo room. Really cool experience. DAMN those things are comfortable, like literally unreal how comfortable they are. I got to try them alongside the CRBN going back and forth. The CRBN were a bit more in my wheelhouse, they had a fuller bottom end to my ears and sounded much more natural and life-like. I liked the presentation of the X9000s better, unreal speed – there’s nothing else like it. I just think they were a little bright for me. I winced pretty hard when the trumpet kicked in on “Flemenco Sketches”. I think if you’re an analytical listener you’ll prefer the X9000s, if you’re more into musicality the CRBN is the choice. I did not compare with the 009s unfortunately.

Susvara – These didn’t live up to the hype for me. Comfort wise they were excellent. Heard them off of a bunch of setups but the best one was the EF-1000 at the Bloom Audio table. Don’t get me wrong, they’re awesome, I just didn’t think I was missing much of anything versus my HE6SE V2. They sounded eerily similar to me, but brighter and maybe some more resolution. They also seemed to handle busy passages a little better where the V2s sometimes get a little bogged down. They had a “soft” quality to them that’s hard to explain. Didn’t get that slam I was expecting. I’d probably be singing a different tune if I didn’t have the V2s, but I feel like they’re so close to the overall sound that I couldn’t justify moving up.

LCD-5 – I love Audeze. My reference for the last 10 years has been pre-fazor LCD-3s. It’s a shame but I wasn’t feeling these whatsoever. Heard them off of a Burson GT, Forge, and something else that’s escaping me. Holy BRIGHT Batman! Super clear sounding with lots of detail, but man these were fatiguing, ear piercingly so. I also was surprised how closed in they are - almost sounded like a closed back in terms of width. There is mile wide difference in soundstage and presentation between the 5s and all the other TOTLs I heard. I’d love to hear these EQ’d to see how they can change, but I wouldn’t buy them just to try that. Not for me.

Verite Closed & Open – Really liked the VC off the Nautilus. Had a very nice reverb effect, almost like a 3D quality to them that was very unique and frankly intoxicating. I could see these getting a bit bright and fatiguing if used with a more neutral solid state setup. Great presentation, easy to get lost in the music which is what this whole game is all about. Wish they weren’t so expensive. I was less impressed with the Opens driven by the iDSD/pro iCAN combo. I thought they had less bass than the VC, and sounded a little flat. I felt they weren’t as dynamic or special. Could be the gear pairing though.

Diana TC – Heard these off the brand new WA-23. The thing looks like it was designed for royalty. An absolute sight to behold. Wish I had an extra $9,500 lying around lol. I liked the TC a lot, very punchy with a tremendous amount of impact. Something about the Abyss is just raw, but not in a bad way. I know there are many people that want to listen at low volume but keep that full impact and slam…these are your huckleberry.

DCA Stealth – Gorgeous build, felt great. Not feeling these though. They sounded good, very coherent in busy passages, a lot of nice detail, but nothing stood out as special in my opinion. They didn’t transcend the typical closed-back characteristics to my ears.

Looking forward to next year!

I 100% agree with your overall take--I was also excited to hear the Susvara and LCD-5, which were respectively lacking and overly bright. And like you, I absolutely fell in love with the Elites... so much so that I stuck around and bought them from Meze. I am super psyched because these are endgame totl as far as I'm concerned. I would take them over the 1266, Susvara, and LCD-4/5 any day, all day.

 

[Skyediver]

What a great time. And my first CanJam in New York, as I normally have gone to SoCal. I like that there seems to be some considerable and appreciated differences between locations; I’m now opening my mind to the idea of checking out London, and who knows, maybe even Shenzen over the next couple of years. I always assumed since I only speak English that the latter would make no sense, but who knows?
Highlight for me was listening, and then preordering the Cayin N8ii DAP. Andy and the folks at the MusicTek booths were great. The N8ii paired with my Layla’s, I think my portable needs are set for a bit. Second highlight was getting to the DCS room first thing this morning and having a chance to listen to the Bartok (with their Reclocker) for over an hour, uninterrupted. THAT was a joy! I brought my own ZMF Verite, and having that time to really listen with my own headphones that I know well was nice. I’ve often heard that Sunday mornings can be a good time to listen without crowd pressure and I felt like I got that experience with the Bartok in spades.
I’ve been thinking of changing up my tube amp collection a bit so I also spent some time with Woo Audio as well as Justin at Ampandsounds. It time well spent at both, and I’m now left with a Sophie’s Choice dilemma on which path I’ll go down late in the year between the two’s multiple great offerings. Nice problem to have, I guess. What a great time to be in this hobby!

 

[BKJarvis]

Has anyone perhaps got an idea what this is from Hiby? Image from an Instagram feed, that @gLer picked out.

Hiby R5. Was my favorite Dap to use at the show. Probably wasn't best as far as sound, build ECT, but it was my favorite. Sleek look and I loved the user interface.

 

[szore]

What a great time. And my first CanJam in New York, as I normally have gone to SoCal. I like that there seems to be some considerable and appreciated differences between locations; I’m now opening my mind to the idea of checking out London, and who knows, maybe even Shenzen over the next couple of years. I always assumed since I only speak English that the latter would make no sense, but who knows?
Highlight for me was listening, and then preordering the Cayin N8ii DAP. Andy and the folks at the MusicTek booths were great. The N8ii paired with my Layla’s, I think my portable needs are set for a bit. Second highlight was getting to the DCS room first thing this morning and having a chance to listen to the Bartok (with their Reclocker) for over an hour, uninterrupted. THAT was a joy! I brought my own ZMF Verite, and having that time to really listen with my own headphones that I know well was nice. I’ve often heard that Sunday mornings can be a good time to listen without crowd pressure and I felt like I got that experience with the Bartok in spades.
I’ve been thinking of changing up my tube amp collection a bit so I also spent some time with Woo Audio as well as Justin at Ampandsounds. It time well spent at both, and I’m now left with a Sophie’s Choice dilemma on which path I’ll go down late in the year between the two’s multiple great offerings. Nice problem to have, I guess. What a great time to be in this hobby!

I thought the Bartok's mids were too forward.

Had a nice chat with Dan Clark about the design of the Stealth. He's an awesome dude! And he's a Bill Laswell fan to boot!

 

[rantng]

Maybe someone can help me out. I listened to so much stuff today that my ears are ringing and I can't walk straight. It was still worth it and I'd do it again tomorrow if it was an option. But one of the last sets I listened to was at the UM table. It was a green set and it was one of the best sets I've listened too. Plus they were absolutely stunning with the matching green cable. I wrote down FAaudio Mezzo but upon a quick search I can not find these. So maybe I wrote the wrong thing down. Anyone know? Thanks in advance.

I believe it was the FAudio Mezzo. There was a pic in one of the threads, I can't seem to remember which one. It had a green faceplate with the word MEZZO on the lower part of the faceplate.

 

[szore]

I believe it was the FAudio Mezzo. There was a pic in one of the threads, I can't seem to remember which one. It had a green faceplate with the word MEZZO on the lower part of the faceplate.

That was a demo unit sent to the Unique Melody team for evaluation. They said they were not told what the driver config was or the price...I didn't care for them, the mids sounded congested to me...