I did not see any or see their banner on any of the exhibits. I could be wrong cause the day passed so quickly. I'm seeing things on this thread and wondering where the heck was that!?
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CanJam NYC 2023 Impressions Thread (February 25-26, 2023)
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We donnnnnnnt, but it was goooood wasn’t it?
Day 1 Impressions:
Was definitely quite loud. Today was basically the IEM gauntlet
Stars of the Show:
FULL SIZE
Yamaha YH5000: Looks cool as heck and very comfortable. Had two sets of pads for a great mix of sound. This is probably the closest you can get to being being worth 5k. Soundwise it was expansive, full, and smooth. Will definitely check it out again tomorrow, but seems like a great all-rounder. If I had to pick one over-ear from the show, it'd be these, assuming cost is no object.
HD660S2: If you asked me before today, I'd have told you I didn't like Sennheisers. I've been through the 660s, 6XX, 800s, and 8XX, all of which didn't really do it for me. The 660S2 blew me away. Going back and forth between the 660S and 660S2 really made me appreciate just how flawed the original was, and what a stellar improvement they've made. Literally everything was better across the board, most notable the bass and lower end trebble. Compared to the 650, you do lose some of that vocal intimacy. As far as what I'd actually buy, this probably had the best price to performance. Planning to stop by again tomorrow.
ZMF Caldera: I've owned the Auteur and VC, as well as demoed through Atrium, Atrium Closed, and Aeolus. Caldera brings the best of that classic ZMF sound and really brings the detail. Great across the frequency response. Would love to have the chance to padroll, knowing how much the sound can change, but definitely my favorite of all the ZMFs I've tried.
Solitair P: I had no idea what this was when I sat down and was pleasantly. Unfortunately, wasn't able to listen to my own tracks, but from whay I heard they have excellent detail, full and resolving. Bass was natural and impactful. Not quite as wide as the Yamaha, but also very comfortable. Howevr, I'm really not a fan of the looks.
Spirit Torino Centauri: I'd never heard a Spirit Torino headphone before today. Of course I went for the Valkyria and Pulsar first, both of which are exceptional. However, the one that really wowed me was the Centauri. This was probably the smoothest, most effortless planar I heard today. Sound stage was wide and very well presented. If you told me I could pick anything from the Spirit Torino lineup... it'd be the Valkyria, because c'mon. But cost/performance, the Centauri wins by leaps and bounds. Pulsar close second.
Solitair T: These were the reasons I stopped by the T+A booth. Overall, much prefer these to the Bathys. Imo, sound is much more natural and the fit is more comfortable. Plus, I was told the pads are replaceable, which I really appreciate for a wireless headphone. Now, is it worth almost double the price over the Bathys? I don't think so, unfortunately (not that I would buy the Bathys either). I didn't get a chance to try the "high quality" mode, so maybe that'll change my mind, but I feel like you'd get better value from some wired headphones and a portable source.
IEMs in Part II
Was definitely quite loud. Today was basically the IEM gauntlet
Stars of the Show:
- Yamaha YH5000
- FiR Radon 6
- Sennheiser HD660S2
- ZMF Caldera
- Spirit Torino Centauri
FULL SIZE
Yamaha YH5000: Looks cool as heck and very comfortable. Had two sets of pads for a great mix of sound. This is probably the closest you can get to being being worth 5k. Soundwise it was expansive, full, and smooth. Will definitely check it out again tomorrow, but seems like a great all-rounder. If I had to pick one over-ear from the show, it'd be these, assuming cost is no object.
HD660S2: If you asked me before today, I'd have told you I didn't like Sennheisers. I've been through the 660s, 6XX, 800s, and 8XX, all of which didn't really do it for me. The 660S2 blew me away. Going back and forth between the 660S and 660S2 really made me appreciate just how flawed the original was, and what a stellar improvement they've made. Literally everything was better across the board, most notable the bass and lower end trebble. Compared to the 650, you do lose some of that vocal intimacy. As far as what I'd actually buy, this probably had the best price to performance. Planning to stop by again tomorrow.
ZMF Caldera: I've owned the Auteur and VC, as well as demoed through Atrium, Atrium Closed, and Aeolus. Caldera brings the best of that classic ZMF sound and really brings the detail. Great across the frequency response. Would love to have the chance to padroll, knowing how much the sound can change, but definitely my favorite of all the ZMFs I've tried.
Solitair P: I had no idea what this was when I sat down and was pleasantly. Unfortunately, wasn't able to listen to my own tracks, but from whay I heard they have excellent detail, full and resolving. Bass was natural and impactful. Not quite as wide as the Yamaha, but also very comfortable. Howevr, I'm really not a fan of the looks.
Spirit Torino Centauri: I'd never heard a Spirit Torino headphone before today. Of course I went for the Valkyria and Pulsar first, both of which are exceptional. However, the one that really wowed me was the Centauri. This was probably the smoothest, most effortless planar I heard today. Sound stage was wide and very well presented. If you told me I could pick anything from the Spirit Torino lineup... it'd be the Valkyria, because c'mon. But cost/performance, the Centauri wins by leaps and bounds. Pulsar close second.
Solitair T: These were the reasons I stopped by the T+A booth. Overall, much prefer these to the Bathys. Imo, sound is much more natural and the fit is more comfortable. Plus, I was told the pads are replaceable, which I really appreciate for a wireless headphone. Now, is it worth almost double the price over the Bathys? I don't think so, unfortunately (not that I would buy the Bathys either). I didn't get a chance to try the "high quality" mode, so maybe that'll change my mind, but I feel like you'd get better value from some wired headphones and a portable source.
IEMs in Part II
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chesebert
18 Years An Extra-Hardcore Head-Fi'er
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Ahhh that’s a bummer. One of the best.
I also loved hearing the Atrium Closed. For my preferences, it's the best closed back I've ever heard. How can a closed back headphone sound so open????
My first ZMF was my VC Olive (on the right in the pic), and I’ve always said I’d never sell that headphone. I’ve also said I’d only ever have 3 high-end headphones at a time. I had VC, Atrium, Auteur Classic, so when my Caldera arrived I sold the Auteur Classic to @Dawgfish. I also only need one closed back, so it’s VC or Atrium Closed. To make the decision even tougher, ZMF had multiple olive wood Atrium Closeds available.
Why didn't I spring for the olive wood Atrium Closed?
Rap. Hands down I think the VC is the best ZMF for rap music. There's something about that driver and how holographic the staging is in that headphone that’s simply magical. The same snippets of rap songs on the Atrium Closed were plenty dynamic, but the driver is slightly slower and the notes just didn't reverberate in quite the same way. I think the Atrium Closed is the more versatile of the two headphones, and if I could only have one headphone in the ZMF lineup, it probably would be the Atrium Closed. I loved it that much. But I have a Caldera and an Atrium Open, so I prefer the VC for now because it excels at something different. It fills a gap left by my two open back headphones, which I listen to most of the time—Atrium preferably on tubes and Caldera preferably on solid state.
Perhaps my favorite Atrium Closed of the day was this one... I think it's ebony:
I spent a good deal of time chilling in the ZMF room, which was fun. I enjoyed meeting @zach915m and @BooUrns in person. I was carrying this monster canon lens (RF 28-70 f/2.0), which both of them noticed. I asked Zach, given his film background, to take a picture of anything with the camera, and here's what he shot:
As for my other non-ZMF impressions—
Getting to meet and chat with some of my favorite reviewers, people who really gave me direction when I first got into the hobby years ago was a treat. Shout out to DMS!
Every Feliks audio amp I tried with the VC or whatever headphone was available at the station (Feliks amps were everywhere) blew me away.
I'm a (very satisfied) WA5-LE owner, but it was nice to hear some of the newer Woo amps. I really enjoyed the Meze Elite on both the WA23 and WA33.
The Holo May KTE/Bliss stack is bigger than I imagined from all the reviews I've seen. I gave the stack a quick listen, but the headphone available to me at the time was the MM 500, which I find rather bland, so I wish I could have tried that stack with some cans I really enjoy.
For the second year in a row, I got to demo Susvara and HE-1000, both of which I liked, but the Susvara especially isn't a headphone that lends itself to being enjoyed anywhere near its fullest potential under CanJam conditions. I couldn't get any real sense for the bass response, bass texture, etc. Compared to the Utopia '22, which I also listened to nearby, the lack of punch from the Susvara really left me underwhelmed. But, again, I blame the environment, not the headphones.
Overall, my favorite part of CanJam was the greater appreciation I walked away with for the gear I already own. I was fairly certain I'd walk out of CanJam having spent thousands. But I didn't spend a dime, and I left really happy. All in all, a very good day.
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If anyone is interested in hearing anything from the Empire Ears product line, including some prototypes, I'll be in the lobby on the 8th floor of the Marriott Marquis for the next couple hours. Just PM me if you need help finding me.
briantrinh86
100+ Head-Fier
looking forward to hearing a comparison bettwen Abyss diana closed vs Atrium closed. 
I tried these out yesterday here in California, at The Source AV, and I completely agree. They sound phenomenal for the price and, for me, blow away all the other 6XX series headphones I've heard and owned (which has been pretty much all of them!).
Part II
IEMS
Tbh, I just went with the most expensive I could find.
FiR Radon 6: I love all of the frontier series, especially the Xe6. I ended up owning the Kr5 since as much as I liked the Xe6, it's a bit overwhelming, especially for long listening periods. Kind of like how ice cream is delicious, but you can't eat it for every meal. The Rn6 does an amazing job of taking the best of both the Kr5 and Xe6, especially with the help of the Atom modules to lean one way or the other (silver was like a more dramatic kr5 and red, my favorite by far, was a more like a slightly tamed Xe6). The Xe6's sound is still in a realm of its own, but I'd consider the Rn6 it's more approachable little brother. Comfort is also improved with the shell size and material change to aluminum. Definitely my IEM of choice leaving the show, once I put into the red module.
Aroma Jewel: Well tuned, with slightly elevated bass and great rumble when called for. Very detailed and clear, and has a bit more unique tuning than most. Took all genres well and was probably my second favorite IEM I tried, tied with the EE Odyssey.
UM Mason FS: Almost reminds me of the u12t. Super clear and detailed highs/mids, and a bit less bass than the Jewel. If I could afford it, would be a great compliment to bassier IEMs like the Rn6 or Jewel
64 Audio Fourte Blanc: I loved the original Fourte's and the Blanc's follow in the same vein. One of the most musical and holographic sounding IEM's I've ever heard. Punchy bass and sparkly treble. A fun IEM through and through.
64 Audio U18S: Was hoping for closer to the U12t and was a tad disappointed. Surprisingly neutral, and neutral isn't really for me.
CA Andromeda Emerald Sea: My favorite of the Campfire lineup. Probably some of the best BA bass I've heard, and boy was there a lot of it. But hey, it's fun and CA did a great job keeping the rest of the sound signature unmuddled. Comfort is also improved over the original Andromeda.
Solaris Stellar Horizon: Coolest looking CA IEM, hands down. Most neutral IEM I tried, but still very enjoyable. I'm not the biggest fan of the Solaris family sound, but this feels like a straight upgrade to the previous 2020 version. My least favorite of the CA IEMs. Not to say it's bad, just not for me.
Trifecta: Probably the weakest 3k+ IEM I tried. Loads of bass, like the Andromeda, but much more rumbly. Really fun to listen to, but not something I think I'd want or need in my collection. Still, I enjoyed it more than the Solaris.
EE Odin: Technically very impressive, but too bright for me.
EE Odyssey: Now this is where the money's at. Rich and rumbly low end and sparkly treble. Absolutely my favorite of the EE lineup. Was closest to the Aroma Jewel, but a tad darker.
EE Prototype Project VIII: Be on the lookout for these. Sound signature falls somewhere between the Odin and Odyssey. We'll have to see, but from what I heard, the price on these will be super competitive.
Elysian Annihilator: No complaints, but honestly nothing really stood out to me on these. A kind of middle ground between the Jewel and Mason, though without any of the features that made those stand out.
Full sized in Part I
Hoping to visit DCA and Stax tomorrow and try some electrostatics for the first time!
IEMS
Tbh, I just went with the most expensive I could find.
FiR Radon 6: I love all of the frontier series, especially the Xe6. I ended up owning the Kr5 since as much as I liked the Xe6, it's a bit overwhelming, especially for long listening periods. Kind of like how ice cream is delicious, but you can't eat it for every meal. The Rn6 does an amazing job of taking the best of both the Kr5 and Xe6, especially with the help of the Atom modules to lean one way or the other (silver was like a more dramatic kr5 and red, my favorite by far, was a more like a slightly tamed Xe6). The Xe6's sound is still in a realm of its own, but I'd consider the Rn6 it's more approachable little brother. Comfort is also improved with the shell size and material change to aluminum. Definitely my IEM of choice leaving the show, once I put into the red module.
Aroma Jewel: Well tuned, with slightly elevated bass and great rumble when called for. Very detailed and clear, and has a bit more unique tuning than most. Took all genres well and was probably my second favorite IEM I tried, tied with the EE Odyssey.
UM Mason FS: Almost reminds me of the u12t. Super clear and detailed highs/mids, and a bit less bass than the Jewel. If I could afford it, would be a great compliment to bassier IEMs like the Rn6 or Jewel
64 Audio Fourte Blanc: I loved the original Fourte's and the Blanc's follow in the same vein. One of the most musical and holographic sounding IEM's I've ever heard. Punchy bass and sparkly treble. A fun IEM through and through.
64 Audio U18S: Was hoping for closer to the U12t and was a tad disappointed. Surprisingly neutral, and neutral isn't really for me.
CA Andromeda Emerald Sea: My favorite of the Campfire lineup. Probably some of the best BA bass I've heard, and boy was there a lot of it. But hey, it's fun and CA did a great job keeping the rest of the sound signature unmuddled. Comfort is also improved over the original Andromeda.
Solaris Stellar Horizon: Coolest looking CA IEM, hands down. Most neutral IEM I tried, but still very enjoyable. I'm not the biggest fan of the Solaris family sound, but this feels like a straight upgrade to the previous 2020 version. My least favorite of the CA IEMs. Not to say it's bad, just not for me.
Trifecta: Probably the weakest 3k+ IEM I tried. Loads of bass, like the Andromeda, but much more rumbly. Really fun to listen to, but not something I think I'd want or need in my collection. Still, I enjoyed it more than the Solaris.
EE Odin: Technically very impressive, but too bright for me.
EE Odyssey: Now this is where the money's at. Rich and rumbly low end and sparkly treble. Absolutely my favorite of the EE lineup. Was closest to the Aroma Jewel, but a tad darker.
EE Prototype Project VIII: Be on the lookout for these. Sound signature falls somewhere between the Odin and Odyssey. We'll have to see, but from what I heard, the price on these will be super competitive.
Elysian Annihilator: No complaints, but honestly nothing really stood out to me on these. A kind of middle ground between the Jewel and Mason, though without any of the features that made those stand out.
Full sized in Part I
Hoping to visit DCA and Stax tomorrow and try some electrostatics for the first time!
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Pretty cool to see all the high end stuff here, but did anyone visit the Linsoul booth? Wondering what their iem lineup was.
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Picking between these two was a tough choice! Both were outstanding out of the Mytek Empire Streamer and Grand Cayman/Blue Hawaii Special Edition, I'm still getting my thoughts together honestly... For those that heard both, what songs really stood out to you and helped your form your thoughts?
An yes!!!! I totally agree, of all the modern Sennheiser HD6## cans this has been my favorite thus far!!!! An while I don't feel the 660S1 is "flawed" it certianly wasn't as consistant and natural as the 660S2 is. I'm also still torn between where I liked it the most... the iFi ZENDac Signature V2 -> Gilmore Lite MK2 w/Golden PSU system... or out of the Mytek Liberty II & GS-X Mini.
I fee like the ZENDac n Gilmore Lite MK2 was more engaging and relaxed where as scaling up to the Liberty II & GS-X Mini gave 660S2 a snappy more transparent feel to it...
An yes!!!! I totally agree, of all the modern Sennheiser HD6## cans this has been my favorite thus far!!!! An while I don't feel the 660S1 is "flawed" it certianly wasn't as consistant and natural as the 660S2 is. I'm also still torn between where I liked it the most... the iFi ZENDac Signature V2 -> Gilmore Lite MK2 w/Golden PSU system... or out of the Mytek Liberty II & GS-X Mini.
I fee like the ZENDac n Gilmore Lite MK2 was more engaging and relaxed where as scaling up to the Liberty II & GS-X Mini gave 660S2 a snappy more transparent feel to it...
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BlackThoughtz
New Head-Fier
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Quick Thoughts
It was my first time going to an event like this. I've had this desire to try some high end tube amps for some time now. and I've wanted to compare the sound difference between the Elites I own with other flagship models to see if the grass was really greener.
The experience with the different tube amps is lovely. I tried the Wa33, Wa23 Envy, and and ampsandsounds amplifier (The audeze rep didnt know which it was but from looking at the website it's the nautilus or red october).
The wa33 had my entire head enveloped in sond and my headphones were thumping like never before. Everything about every song I listened to was like I rembered but just MORE. Idk how else to explain it. Everything felt like it was louder but it couldn't of been since I tend to get pain/ringing if music is too loud/sibillant/hifiman). The Wa23 was similar. I feel like the wa33 was sligthly better sounding but I cant really pinpoint why. I hope to try with my music tomorrow so I can play music I'm more familiar with to make a better comparison
I had a similar experience with the Envy and Elites, audio bliss. However, I got the chance to try out the Susvara. It's an amazing sound, it gave such a lifelike sound it felt like I was transported into the front row of a prince concert. However, there's something about the hifiman headphones (arya's, ananda's, now Susvara).I've tried that makes my right ear hurt like crazy
The Audeze setup allowed me to try the LCD-5's with a May/Bliss combo, it sounds similar to what I have at home with my May/v590 and Elites. However, they have a setup with this ampsandsound amp that I tried while waiting for the May/Bliss. Holy fk. It felt like I was being fed sound models through my ears. I thought I understood what holograhic sound and layering meant. This was another level. They allowed me to swap my headphones and a pair of 4z's to check the differences. My Elites were a touch below the 5's in everything I experienced with the same setup. The 4z's came in far behind, they felt similar to the 5's in what was going on. However, the punch of the 5's came like they were from a heavyweight boxer and the 4z's came from a middleweight.
I also wanted to sell my 590 for a pure headphone amp so I tried the nimbus, and it led me to believe what I have is on a similar level. So I may not need to do anything on that end and just start diving into tube world now.
Edit: Also the new Elite colorway looks sick and I wish I could swap the colorway lol
It was my first time going to an event like this. I've had this desire to try some high end tube amps for some time now. and I've wanted to compare the sound difference between the Elites I own with other flagship models to see if the grass was really greener.
The experience with the different tube amps is lovely. I tried the Wa33, Wa23 Envy, and and ampsandsounds amplifier (The audeze rep didnt know which it was but from looking at the website it's the nautilus or red october).
The wa33 had my entire head enveloped in sond and my headphones were thumping like never before. Everything about every song I listened to was like I rembered but just MORE. Idk how else to explain it. Everything felt like it was louder but it couldn't of been since I tend to get pain/ringing if music is too loud/sibillant/hifiman). The Wa23 was similar. I feel like the wa33 was sligthly better sounding but I cant really pinpoint why. I hope to try with my music tomorrow so I can play music I'm more familiar with to make a better comparison
I had a similar experience with the Envy and Elites, audio bliss. However, I got the chance to try out the Susvara. It's an amazing sound, it gave such a lifelike sound it felt like I was transported into the front row of a prince concert. However, there's something about the hifiman headphones (arya's, ananda's, now Susvara).I've tried that makes my right ear hurt like crazy
The Audeze setup allowed me to try the LCD-5's with a May/Bliss combo, it sounds similar to what I have at home with my May/v590 and Elites. However, they have a setup with this ampsandsound amp that I tried while waiting for the May/Bliss. Holy fk. It felt like I was being fed sound models through my ears. I thought I understood what holograhic sound and layering meant. This was another level. They allowed me to swap my headphones and a pair of 4z's to check the differences. My Elites were a touch below the 5's in everything I experienced with the same setup. The 4z's came in far behind, they felt similar to the 5's in what was going on. However, the punch of the 5's came like they were from a heavyweight boxer and the 4z's came from a middleweight.
I also wanted to sell my 590 for a pure headphone amp so I tried the nimbus, and it led me to believe what I have is on a similar level. So I may not need to do anything on that end and just start diving into tube world now.
Edit: Also the new Elite colorway looks sick and I wish I could swap the colorway lol
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Bought my ticket for this Sunday, can't wait to demo all the cans
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