[Jon L]

Prices keep increasing with every release while those so called endgame products often fail to even content with stuff half their price.

Head Fi prices have truly gotten out of control. Then again, speaker Fi price hikes are probably worse, so there is some solace ?

 

[enz0pt]

I read almost through all posts, but what did you heard around 500$ that was wow, I need this?

 

[Benesyed]

Posting some of my thoughts below along with a little context so people can filter if its helpful for them or not:

Spoiler: Background

Fairly new to the audiophile arena so my experience and knowledge isn't extensive, but I also am honest with what I like and don't like nor do I have any strong convictions. I do most of my listening through my DAP (Sony WM1-AM2) and on my Sony MDR-Z1Rs and Monarch MK2.

I listen to mostly techno, progressive house, modern and 90s rock/alternative, and some thrash and 2000s death metal. Splashed of some hans zimmer and ludovico einaudi. Music is mostly FLAC format but a few 320kbps MP3s depending on where I bought them from or if it was an artist free release.

TLDR;
IEMS - FirAudio Xe6 and Rn6 were my favorite for their obvious strengths. The established "good" iems were all good as expected, nothing that I thought was bad to my ears.
Headphones - Nutopia, Abyss Phi, Bravura and ZMF AC were really impressive. Susvara unsurprisingly. Perhaps Caldera too. DCA stealth and expanse were flops for me.

IEMS:
I tried a lot of the more "famous" kilobuck iems and my take away was as follows:
1. Annihilator - Really fun without being as fatiguing as I would have imagined. Bass is satisfying but not as visceral as Fir Audioos offerings. I did not find the highs to be shrill.

2. U12t - very all around pleasant if a little boring, not colored and exciting but I can imagine it being something you listen to for long sessions and up reaching for more times in the week/month than others

3. Noble Audio ragnar - I remember thinking it was good but it didnt leave a strong impression for me

4. Empire Ears Odin - I thought they were very similar to the annihilator and preferences would come down to how you like upper mids vs treble handled, I think in a short listening environment i slightly liked the annihilator more

5. Trailli - Interesting experience for me, I liked them for vocal tracks and few blues tracks but i missed the bass slam of other IEMs. That being said they are very natural and pleasant sounding. If i had the money for them currently I would get them to balance out my various V shaped and U shaped IEMS

6. Aroma - Pleasant but did not do anything for me, sort of like a less awesome trailli for what I prefer, but I again can see why some people like them.

7. Rn6 and Xe6 - really liked both of these; the guys were telling me that Rn6 is supposed to be the more relaxed of the two but I found the Xe6 more smooth and relaxed to my ears. I was surprised but I did not like the Kr5 even though I thought that would be my favorite based on peoples reviews and comments. caveat, these are def more musical and could be fatiguing to some but they were my favorite IEM that i tried and something I felt would actually add to my collection

Headphones:
1. The Solitaire T by T+A are wonderful. I own the ML5909 and have tried the px8, bathys, and many others. I think hands down the SolT in high quality audio mode are the best. They are gentler in the bass compared to the ML5909 with ANC on BUT they respond to EQ amazingly well. i used the wavelet app and was able to get a much better change in the EQ than I could with the ML across frequencies. If you can try these and have the money on SQ, they are the best.

2. The Solitaire P were good but at that price I felt I tried better headphones, some listed below. Also was not comfortable because the headband rubbed on my head, too steep of a curve for me

3. I was very shocked but I did not like any of the DCA Stealth or Expanse. Of the two I liked the expanse more but i found both way to dry and clinical. Bass was unsatisfying. I did not expect to feel that way given the great reviews. Maybe I need to give them another listen but they were not for me

4. I enjoyed the Yamaha's but they were not the true standouts for me. I would call them great but not top tier for myself. That being said I thought they were better than the SolP.

5. The Susvaras to me were great, I was very very surprised by how good things sounded esp my style of music. In general I just assume that the best e-stats are overkill for electronic music and perhaps not the best bass but I was very very satisfied.

6. The focal utopia through the lina stack were a standout. They might have been my favorite thing tried at CJ. I did not think they would be my favorite flagship based on their relative sub-bass frequency dip but I was wrong. Maybe it was the Lina, idk, but wow I would

7. ZMF Atrium closed were the only closed back headphones I tried that I would consider leaving my Sony MDRs for entirely rather than as a sidegrade. Will have to thinkg more about this harrowing fact haha.

8. ZMF Caldera - Also enjoyed these a ton, would want to listen to them again and see if I liked them more or less than the nutopia

9. Bravura - Loved these, probably as much ore maybe more than the utopia. I did not really have a fault with these. My listening environment was not as good for these as the utopia was so It is hard to say for sure but I was really impressed by these

10. SJY audio - really excellent small company making really awesome headphones that I thought sounded really excellent. The creator makes his own drivers and tunes them. I will likely get a pair in the next few months and I suggest others look into it before he comes to his senses and raises the prices.

11. Finally tried the Senn 800; did not get to listen to them a tonbut also a pair I enjoyed though not stand out for me

12. Abyss Phi TC - Also top tier, very wonky fit and design but damn they sound really good.

 

[ericpalonen]

I don’t hear a noticeable difference between any of the headphones. I tried a lot from Sennheiser, ZMF, and 1 by T+A and Focal.

Sennheiser 800S is maybe the best so far. I talked to someone testing in the ZMF room whose fav was the 660s2 but that headphone, like most others, strikes me as unremarkable.

We appreciate you coming by to check 'em all out!

First time to a can jam. It’s been an amazing experience! Am fairly new to the headphone scene.
My first priority was to try out things in my price range and then some gear slight above my range.

Some standouts for me:

1. Sennheiser HD660s2. I really enjoy the midrange of HD6xx, just wish it has more bass. The 660s2 really did it for me.
2. Meze 109 pro. Very dynamic sounding and it just looks beautiful. Very comfortable to boot!
3. Woo Audio WA7 fireflies. Really compact and powerful tube dac/amp with a really small footprint. Perfect for the small nyc apartments.
4. What took the cake for me was ZMF Atrium (open). Heard them thru Feliks Audio Echo. I fell in love with this pairing! Guitars just sound amazing thru it! Tired the Atrium Closed too but personally preferred the opens. The Closed had more bass and sub bass but overall preferred the soundstage and airiness of the opens. Think I may have found my endgame pair of headphones. And it’s only slightly above budget for me. And before yesterday I had never heard of ZMF. I also tested the VO, it sounded great as well but overall I preferred the sound signature of the Atriums.

We're so happy you got to try out the S2 and welcome to the CanJamFam

 

[sergioalb64]

Day 2 Impressions:

Much more quiet today. Focused on over ears.

Stars of the Show:

• HE-1 (Lol)
• ATH-2022WB
• Hifiman Audivina
• Sennheiser IE200

HE-1: Not much to say. Who the heck is gonna buy this? Might just be worth the price, though.

Hifiman Audivina: Hifiman's really nailed making spacious closed backs ever since the R7DX. Audivina takes the same sound stage, bumps it up a notch, and brings in great mid vocals and bass. It was a bit brighter than I'm used to, but everything else was so well implemented, I really didn't mind. Comfort and looks were also top of the line, even though I usually don't like the Arya-style shape and headband. Once the Diana Closed is finished, it'll really be a tough choice between the two.

Hifiman R10P: The R10P is fairly neutral and smooth, with HD600 like intimatacy. However, overall, I found it a bit boring in comparison to the Audivina. Great technicalities, but soundwise, these were just ok. If I had to pick between these and the Audivina, I'd go Audivina no question.

ATH-2022WB: Audio technica's anniversary wireless headphones. A total knockout in the looks department, and super comfortable to boot. However, actually listening to these was a small tragedy. Imo, they're just way to bright. Like even more than the TH900s, but with less low end. Why was it a star of the show you ask? If I ignore the tuning, having DACs for each driver really seemed to pay of in terms of sound quality and detail, two areas which I think are the weakest for wireless vs wired. Compared to both the Bathys and Solitaire t, these are in a league of their own. So, while I'm not a fan of the ATH-2022WB's, I'm really looking forward on how they move forward from here. All the pieces are there to make the one bluetooth headphone to rule them all.

DCA Corina: I'm pretty new to electrostats, so I can't really say where this falls in the grand scheme of things. I was, however, able to A/B with the Voce. The Corina was a bit darker, but with a much fuller sound, and impactful base, which is a definite win in my book. In the general field of headphones, I probably wouldn't invest in an amp just for these.

UM Mentor: Really solid set of IEMs falling somewhere between the Aroma Jewel and UM Mason FS. Has some good bass rumble and excellent sound stage. However, I feel like this falls in the "jack of all trades, master of none" category when it comes to this caliber of IEM. I'd probably just go with the Jewel or Mason at this point unless you're really looking for soundstage and don't like the 64 Audio Tia Fourte

Vision Ears Phonix LE: Unfortunately, I haven't heard the original Phonix, but the LE's hit me with a very fun and bassy tuning. On the downside, it's a bit to dark for my liking, and not quite as versatile as it's competitors above.

IE200: These were the one thing I actually bought. At $150 it punches well above it's weight. Nothing crazy, just a solid little V-shaped IEM, and sometimes that's all you need. I do miss some of the detail and low end you get on the IE600 and IE900, not to mention the aluminum shells, but cost/performance these are hard to beat, no doubt.


Conclusion

Of the newcomers, the YH-5000 was still my favorite. I do wish the perforated pads held their own a bit better against the suede, but that aside, these were my favorite of the TOTLs. In terms of what I'd actually buy, it'd still probably be the Meze Elites, especially if they come out with color variants like Chameleon again. They just continue to impress me, especially on amps like the Viva Egoista 845. Sound wise, I think I prefer the T+A Solitaire P, but probably not worth almost double the cost. Audivina might also be quite the contender, depending on pricing (hoping for Arya level, expecting Susvara). The Spirit Torino Centauri were also surprisingly impressive, though price wise, I don't think it's as competitive to it's peers. Biggest disappointments were probably the Utopia 2022, Susvara, and Valkyria. Don't get me wrong, they're great headphones, but just didn't wow me. Hopefully, I'll have a chance to try them again under more favorable conditions. Now, if money were no object, I think I'd jump on the electrostatic train. Aside from the HE-1, Headamp was also really impressive.

On the IEM side, my first choice is easily the Rn6. Looking at other TOTL's, I always find myself missing the Atom modules and Kinetic Bass. My favorite sound signature is still the Xe6's, but the Rn6 brings that down just enough where I can see myself listening to it more regularly. The Mason FS were a close second, but considering the price tag, aren't something I can see myself owning. Competition in the IEM market is fierce, with everyone seeming to put out bangers.

For the future, I'm most looking forward most to seeing how Audio-technica, as well as others, innovate in the wireless headphone market. The ATH-2022WB proved to me quality and comfort are really starting to get up there. Maybe when we get true lossless bluetooth.

Thanks a ton for these impressions, much appreciated! The Audivina is said to be $2,000 per the web ads / pages I've seen. Can't wait to give them a try in March once they're available!

 

[ralphp@optonline]

Some day, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service for me. But until that day, consider this justice a gift on my daughter's wedding day.

And remember to leave the gun and take the cannoli.

 

[Nomax]

I think HE-1 is more of a statement piece than anything. Also exorbitant cost creates an air of exclusivity and unobtainium that benefits the brand as a whole. See also Rolex.

It was a statement...it is one....and will remain one in the long run which is really possible from an acoustic point of view




NOMAX

PS.The ones I know who own a HE1 have reduced their Headphone collection by 90 percent and bought their marble stone with the proceeds of the sale.
(Yes a lot of money, but in the long run you save a lot of money )

 

[adrianm]

It was a statement...it is one....and will remain one in the long run which is really possible from an acoustic point of view

NOMAX

PS.The ones I know who own a HE1 have reduced their Headphone collection by 90 percent and bought their marble stone with the proceeds of the sale.

@Ciggavelli would you do that?

 

[Monsterzero]

10. SJY audio - really excellent small company making really awesome headphones that I thought sounded really excellent. The creator makes his own drivers and tunes them. I will likely get a pair in the next few months and I suggest others look into it before he comes to his senses and raises the prices.

Zero points for cup design originality

 

[569424]

It was a statement...it is one....and will remain one in the long run which is really possible from an acoustic point of view

NOMAX

PS.The ones I know who own a HE1 have reduced their Headphone collection by 90 percent and bought their marble stone with the proceeds of the sale.
(Yes a lot of money, but in the long run you save a lot of money )

Good choice for a summit headphone!
and decades from now probably still worth the same or even more if God forbid they get discontinued. And most importantly they will still be holding up build-wise and working just like new, unlike some other notorious competitor.

 

[Nomax]

Good choice for a summit headphone!
and decades from now probably still worth the same or even more if God forbid they get discontinued. And most importantly they will still be holding up build-wise and working just like new, unlike some other notorious competitor.

In any case, I have enough tubes



NOMAX

Ps.lol

 

[Pansbjorne]

Thanks a ton for these impressions, much appreciated! The Audivina is said to be $2,000 per the web ads / pages I've seen. Can't wait to give them a try in March once they're available!

2k is better than I've expected. Puts it in good competition with the Meze Liric, though, I'd probably still wait for the audivina to go on sale.

 

[Zhanming057]

I have demo'd the HE1 in private on multiple occasions and with different setups, including a Chord Dave and a TotalDAC, and I was never particularly impressed. The system doesn't really do anything for me meaningfully beyond either alternate eStat systems (009S, Shangri-La, etc.), or top end planar systems driven by high-level power amps (the 1266 TC on an Airtight 300b, etc.). Actual $50k SR1a systems (Nagra or CH power amps) are capable of far more.

It's not the DAC - it just doesn't push the frontier forward in a way that more exciting transducer innovations do. I would maybe pay $10-15k for the setup without the marble furniture.

 

[chrisnyc75]

5. Trailli - Interesting experience for me, I liked them for vocal tracks and few blues tracks but i missed the bass slam of other IEMs. That being said they are very natural and pleasant sounding. If i had the money for them currently I would get them to balance out my various V shaped and U shaped IEMS

I got a similar impression of the Traili. Much to my surprise, I totally understood why people call it "the bird" (listening to Annie Lennox "The Crying Time"). They do vocals in a way I've never heard any other IEM or headphone do before, and a way I didn't even know I wanted or was possible. Would I spend $6k on them? Probably not, unless my entire music collection was all about female vocals (spoiler alert: it isn't)

 

[Benesyed]

I read almost through all posts, but what did you heard around 500$ that was wow, I need this?

SJY audio. Extremely extremely good!