CanJam NYC 2023 Impressions Thread (February 25-26, 2023)
Mar 2, 2023 at 6:35 PM Post #736 of 960
Thanks to everyone who stopped by and visited us at Audeze, even those who really only came for the Holo Bliss and Ampsandsound Nautilus :sunglasses:

We hope you had fun, and look forward to the next one, Maxwell just the beginning from Audeze this year.
Thank you for having the Holo Bliss in your booth and letting us demo it. I got to hear 5 headphones on it including the LCD5 and LCD 4z. It sounded great with all of my headphones. And, it was the best I have ever heard the LCD5.
 
Mar 2, 2023 at 6:37 PM Post #737 of 960
Slightly off topic, but when was the first official CanJam and where? I was having a conversation about CanJam through the years this weekend and couldn't remember when my first CanJam was. I do remember at least CanJam RMAF back in 2016, but am pretty sure there may have been a few before that. I know CanJam evolved from Head-Fi meetups over the years.
first CanJam was Florida in 2008 I believe the year before was San Jose and it was called Headfest and year before that it was the First International Head-Fi meet held in glorious Queens New York. In 2009 we held the event in Los Angeles then Chicago in 2010 I believe, after that it moved to RMAF for several years prior to the current team taking the concept global and year round. The current team has rocked the concept!
 
Mar 2, 2023 at 7:11 PM Post #738 of 960
Thank you for having the Holo Bliss in your booth and letting us demo it. I got to hear 5 headphones on it including the LCD5 and LCD 4z. It sounded great with all of my headphones. And, it was the best I have ever heard the LCD5.
Agreed! Best LCD-5 system IMHO.
 
Mar 2, 2023 at 7:49 PM Post #739 of 960
meet mini impressions and thoughts

First once again what a great show and I love the side rooms as a way to engage with truly world class gear. My focus this year was primarily connecting with old friends and my quest for my unobtainable perfect IEM.

First a shout out to Audeze - in this community we primarily focus on the high end and traditional headphone experience. I think Audeze if they can take the tech from the Maxwell and mate it with some truly awesome sound like the LCD-5 or MM500 having DSP and high res audio mated with a high end wireless experience would be amazing. It also allows their drivers, that take EQ extremely well to truly be tailored to the end user preference in a way we currently don't have today in a single integrated platform. My only hope is the community embraces the tech and keeps an open mind.

Now onto IEMS
64 Audio - I wanted to try several of the offering as I currently own the U12t
Fourte - I found these to be somewhat oddly tuned and did not sound great to me as the frequency response was a bit wonky. Given the price I was somewhat relieved :)
Trio - these seemed to be a more fun alternative to the U12t and I could see myself getting a pair as they are more engaging that the u12t at the expense of being a fun tuning. Bass was elevated and the mids seemed wetter and more present that my 12t.
Nio - these I wanted to like but were too bassy and gave up detail and speed to the u12t

out of these three and the u12t fr me the winner would be the trio with the u12t closely behind with more tuning variables with the modules to change the bass shelves and headstage qualities.

Theiaudio - I own the Oracle mkll which is not my cup of tea but see the potential of the brand as they are super detailed just lack the bass weight I like
Prestige - I wanted to like these so badly but between the tuning and the physical size of the shells I was underwhelmed. These seemed neutral to a fault and needed 3-5 db lift in the bass to be every day IEMs for me. My notes indicate also that the vocal lacked body as well. My verdict was good but not great for my preferences.
Monarch MKll - after seeing these as a certain reviewers top IEM and some super fan love on the community I had to try these and see the merits and value but lacked control in the bass to me giving the bass region a somewhat mushy quality. Midrange and Highs were very good but not top of class. These were better to my ears than the prestige but not better than some of the IEMs in my current stable so dodged a $999 purchase

FIR - first let me say the guys from FIR are outstanding and I had a great time at their table. I own the M5 and have a love hate relationship with them. Great bass and I love the midrange but the treble range is a bit hazy/shimmery and elevated that I need to adjust to their sound but once on for a few minutes I sink into musical enjoyment.
I listened to the new lineup NE4, KR5 and 6 series.
NE4 - great bass and midrange but the treble was lacking as was the details. Great for long listening sessions but ultimately not good enough to supplant my Sony M9. Love the build quality and the sound was fun and I could see these lending themselves to long listening sessions but I think I would miss the snap of the treble that was missing.
KR5 - ok now this is where it starts to happen for me. Way better top end resolution than the 4 and the oh the bass. Still slightly congested sounding to my ears but on the whole very nice. Still while I wanted badly to love these they were very good but not good enough for me to part with the asking price.

Elysian Audio - wanted to hear the high regarded Annihilator as well as the Diva and Gaea
Gaea - wanted to fall in love and was left wanting. I found the vocals on my demo tracks to be recessed. Guitars sounds pretty nice and bass was also very nice. I just felt underwhelmed by these and might prefer both the Sony M9 or Moondrop S8 over these for clarity and vocal presentation. They looked outstanding and the cable was also a work of art.
Annihilator - this is where it is at, after you get past the nozzles that make putting tips on an exercise in frustration. Bass on my demo tracks was outstanding. Killing in the Name Of by RATM was killer. Guitars on Pearl Jam Daughter sounded lifelike and very present. Vocals on Rod Stewart Reason To Believe was god like. all and all a stunning product that some may find slightly and I mean slightly too bright but these were top class to me.
Diva - not at all neutral but the sound they produce is just intoxicating. You do need to play with the bass settings on the earpieces to match them to your listening preference. The max bass setting was a bit too much and I found myself settled on the middle setting. I want these, while I hear a lot about female vocals I though these rocked with 90-2000s rock and also great with some Miles Davis In A Silent Way. I see why these rarely come up on the classified section.

Aroma Audio - I was able to audition the Thunder and Jewel. I thought they both lost out to the Annihilator and while good for e not worth the MSRP. I know others will disagree but I guess this is why we have so many flavors, in my opinion too many flavors to choose from in IEMs.

Final Audio A8000 - wow I took a bit of a shine to these and would like more time with them as I am not sure if the top end would be fatiguing over time. So coherent and the bass and midrange were top notch to me. Treble was also very good with perhaps just a touch too much bite in them. Tip rolling and DAP selection could make of break these.
Noble Audio - I hadn't heard this brand for some time and got a listen to the Viking Ragnar and Ronin. The Viking was somewhat of an icepick to the brain in the treble but the Ronin was better but still not all the way fixed for me to consider them. Great looking and visually they are works of art just not my sound preference at all.

While I listened to more that the above I didn't always take notes on them due to all the distractions at the meet. Also in a more quiet environment some of my impressions may shift somewhat as big meets are pretty loud even for IEMs.

I can't believe I missed the Subtonic while at canjam, this bummed me out but at the MSRP they were not likely to be a product I'd go for so maybe for the best not to hear them.

All listening impressions were from my Shanling M6 Ultra
 
Mar 2, 2023 at 9:02 PM Post #740 of 960
I want to underscore what other responders have already said. The lack of preamp outputs on the HA 200 was the critical missing feature for me. I use both headphones and small desktop powered speakers (Genelec 8030C) in my setup. I wanted to buy the HA 200 due to its wonderful sonic performance and truly beautiful case work. I bought a Niimbus US 5 Pro instead, which does offer preamp outputs. The Niimbus is also outstanding and I've been very happy with it. I don't consider it to be a step down. Nevertheless, I started off wanting the HA 200.





Thank you to T+A for exhibiting the 200 series and Solitaire headphones at CanJam NYC. I did visit the table and audition the setup again.

You have good taste on DAC! :ok_hand:
Here are mine….
E5392C8E-6F02-44E6-B30C-5E218B169400.jpeg

511B4CE9-C394-494D-8A7F-33DD188D35D7.jpeg

DCD60077-276C-4CF7-B6A5-4A03959699AC.jpeg
 
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Mar 2, 2023 at 9:24 PM Post #741 of 960
Forming friendships and sharing fellowship-- the true value of CanJam.

Love this! I'm really bummed that I wasn't able to make it this year after getting into head-fi during COVID, but if anyone would like to do local head-fi gear meetups I would love to try to throw something together in the Hudson Valley area (lower or upper Westchester county, Putnam, lower CT)!
 
Mar 2, 2023 at 9:26 PM Post #742 of 960
Love this! I'm really bummed that I wasn't able to make it this year after getting into head-fi during COVID, but if anyone would like to do local head-fi gear meetups I would love to try to throw something together in the Hudson Valley area (lower or upper Westchester county, Putnam, lower CT)!
I'm in RI so could be interested
 
Mar 2, 2023 at 9:26 PM Post #743 of 960
Thank you for having the Holo Bliss in your booth and letting us demo it. I got to hear 5 headphones on it including the LCD5 and LCD 4z. It sounded great with all of my headphones. And, it was the best I have ever heard the LCD5.

Agreed! Best LCD-5 system IMHO.

Interesting...

For me, stock May/Bliss/5 is pretty good and ok.

But, couple that with Mitch Barnett's filter and HQP upsampling to DSD1024 and it's soul levitating levels above that to me. Phenomenal.

Looking forward to CJ Dallas and if anything can topple this recipe.
 
Mar 2, 2023 at 9:32 PM Post #744 of 960
You have good taste on DAC! :ok_hand:
Here are mine….
E5392C8E-6F02-44E6-B30C-5E218B169400.jpeg
511B4CE9-C394-494D-8A7F-33DD188D35D7.jpeg
DCD60077-276C-4CF7-B6A5-4A03959699AC.jpeg
Hey, thanks. Bricasti makes some good ones, don't they. And it looks like you've got them all! I've been waiting for Roon Ready certification on the M21 so I can upgrade. I love the idea of a streaming endpoint, delta-sigma conversion, R2R ladder conversion, and 1-bit DSD conversion in a single chassis.
 
Mar 2, 2023 at 10:01 PM Post #745 of 960
meet mini impressions and thoughts

First once again what a great show and I love the side rooms as a way to engage with truly world class gear. My focus this year was primarily connecting with old friends and my quest for my unobtainable perfect IEM.

First a shout out to Audeze - in this community we primarily focus on the high end and traditional headphone experience. I think Audeze if they can take the tech from the Maxwell and mate it with some truly awesome sound like the LCD-5 or MM500 having DSP and high res audio mated with a high end wireless experience would be amazing. It also allows their drivers, that take EQ extremely well to truly be tailored to the end user preference in a way we currently don't have today in a single integrated platform. My only hope is the community embraces the tech and keeps an open mind.

Now onto IEMS
64 Audio - I wanted to try several of the offering as I currently own the U12t
Fourte - I found these to be somewhat oddly tuned and did not sound great to me as the frequency response was a bit wonky. Given the price I was somewhat relieved :)
Trio - these seemed to be a more fun alternative to the U12t and I could see myself getting a pair as they are more engaging that the u12t at the expense of being a fun tuning. Bass was elevated and the mids seemed wetter and more present that my 12t.
Nio - these I wanted to like but were too bassy and gave up detail and speed to the u12t

out of these three and the u12t fr me the winner would be the trio with the u12t closely behind with more tuning variables with the modules to change the bass shelves and headstage qualities.

Theiaudio - I own the Oracle mkll which is not my cup of tea but see the potential of the brand as they are super detailed just lack the bass weight I like
Prestige - I wanted to like these so badly but between the tuning and the physical size of the shells I was underwhelmed. These seemed neutral to a fault and needed 3-5 db lift in the bass to be every day IEMs for me. My notes indicate also that the vocal lacked body as well. My verdict was good but not great for my preferences.
Monarch MKll - after seeing these as a certain reviewers top IEM and some super fan love on the community I had to try these and see the merits and value but lacked control in the bass to me giving the bass region a somewhat mushy quality. Midrange and Highs were very good but not top of class. These were better to my ears than the prestige but not better than some of the IEMs in my current stable so dodged a $999 purchase

FIR - first let me say the guys from FIR are outstanding and I had a great time at their table. I own the M5 and have a love hate relationship with them. Great bass and I love the midrange but the treble range is a bit hazy/shimmery and elevated that I need to adjust to their sound but once on for a few minutes I sink into musical enjoyment.
I listened to the new lineup NE4, KR5 and 6 series.
NE4 - great bass and midrange but the treble was lacking as was the details. Great for long listening sessions but ultimately not good enough to supplant my Sony M9. Love the build quality and the sound was fun and I could see these lending themselves to long listening sessions but I think I would miss the snap of the treble that was missing.
KR5 - ok now this is where it starts to happen for me. Way better top end resolution than the 4 and the oh the bass. Still slightly congested sounding to my ears but on the whole very nice. Still while I wanted badly to love these they were very good but not good enough for me to part with the asking price.

Elysian Audio - wanted to hear the high regarded Annihilator as well as the Diva and Gaea
Gaea - wanted to fall in love and was left wanting. I found the vocals on my demo tracks to be recessed. Guitars sounds pretty nice and bass was also very nice. I just felt underwhelmed by these and might prefer both the Sony M9 or Moondrop S8 over these for clarity and vocal presentation. They looked outstanding and the cable was also a work of art.
Annihilator - this is where it is at, after you get past the nozzles that make putting tips on an exercise in frustration. Bass on my demo tracks was outstanding. Killing in the Name Of by RATM was killer. Guitars on Pearl Jam Daughter sounded lifelike and very present. Vocals on Rod Stewart Reason To Believe was god like. all and all a stunning product that some may find slightly and I mean slightly too bright but these were top class to me.
Diva - not at all neutral but the sound they produce is just intoxicating. You do need to play with the bass settings on the earpieces to match them to your listening preference. The max bass setting was a bit too much and I found myself settled on the middle setting. I want these, while I hear a lot about female vocals I though these rocked with 90-2000s rock and also great with some Miles Davis In A Silent Way. I see why these rarely come up on the classified section.

Aroma Audio - I was able to audition the Thunder and Jewel. I thought they both lost out to the Annihilator and while good for e not worth the MSRP. I know others will disagree but I guess this is why we have so many flavors, in my opinion too many flavors to choose from in IEMs.

Final Audio A8000 - wow I took a bit of a shine to these and would like more time with them as I am not sure if the top end would be fatiguing over time. So coherent and the bass and midrange were top notch to me. Treble was also very good with perhaps just a touch too much bite in them. Tip rolling and DAP selection could make of break these.
Noble Audio - I hadn't heard this brand for some time and got a listen to the Viking Ragnar and Ronin. The Viking was somewhat of an icepick to the brain in the treble but the Ronin was better but still not all the way fixed for me to consider them. Great looking and visually they are works of art just not my sound preference at all.

While I listened to more that the above I didn't always take notes on them due to all the distractions at the meet. Also in a more quiet environment some of my impressions may shift somewhat as big meets are pretty loud even for IEMs.

I can't believe I missed the Subtonic while at canjam, this bummed me out but at the MSRP they were not likely to be a product I'd go for so maybe for the best not to hear them.

All listening impressions were from my Shanling M6 Ultra

i had really similar impressions on the 64 audio stuff. although when i tried the Diva it sounded off (maybe out of phase when someone was changing cables?) so i won't comment on that.

I did however, really like the bone conduction on the Fir Audio stuff, but the mids felt recessed (across the board for all four). i second your take that the mids lack treble on the NE4. that bass technology is legit though - much preferred to other BCD implementations from EE and UM.

Some others impressions for me...
  • CFA Solaris "Stellar Horizon: :)really enjoyed. pretty neutral with a bit of mid-bass/lower mid-range bump. soundstage/imaging were awesome.
  • CFA Andro "Emerald Sea": Versus Andro 2020, this comes across as warmer, bass emphasized, but also very smoothed over in the treble. details are not a strength here IMO. soundstage is adequate but i think it's missing the clarity that was found on the other Andro models (even the 2020 one which had less treble). i was surprised to hear an andro model with textured/punchy bass though!
  • CFA Trifecta: wasn't a huge fan, pretty emphasized bass that makes it a warm sound, but i didn't find the bass dynamic enough - bass had very slow decay and seemed "bloomy" at times. since i listen to a lot of modern music this one wasn't for me. really really cool stage though, amongst the most headphone-like IEMs.
  • VE prototype: Another one with crazy stage, headphone like in that it is very tall. quite punchy in the bass. imaging was distinctly three-blob with a left and right column, along with a small sense of center image. few folks next to me said they would buy it on the spot if they could
  • FatFreq Maestro SE: sub-bass is a cool party trick but mostly felt out of place, even if not overpowering. other parts of the spectrum seemed fine but unremarkable. maybe i'm just too used to neutral IEMs:sweat_smile:
 
Mar 3, 2023 at 12:09 AM Post #746 of 960
Hey, thanks. Bricasti makes some good ones, don't they. And it looks like you've got them all! I've been waiting for Roon Ready certification on the M21 so I can upgrade. I love the idea of a streaming endpoint, delta-sigma conversion, R2R ladder conversion, and 1-bit DSD conversion in a single chassis.
Well the M21 functions as a Roon Endpoint already; it's just visible as the M12 to Roon but more or less works as intended. I imagine you could manually rename it to M21 in Roon but I don't believe there is a loss or lack of function, @kilkil has more insight with regards to roon than I
 
Mar 3, 2023 at 12:11 AM Post #747 of 960
More Enleum HPA-23RM impressions please
 
Mar 3, 2023 at 12:25 AM Post #748 of 960
Got to hear the Shangri-La Sr with the Grand Cayman and heard it right after I returned from the Sennheiser suite to hear the HE 1. I loved both, but I must say I preferred the Shangi-La Sr with the Grand Cayman. Well done.
Not surprised. I personally wasn’t as blown away by the HE-1, especially in relation to other flagships on ridiculous systems. Two of these would be:
- an X9K on a dCS Rossini and a 3ES
- a 1266 off a Rossini and a WA33 Elite / Accuphase e800 speaker amp (cheaper in Asia)
Others’ mileage my vary. 🤷‍♂️
 
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Mar 3, 2023 at 1:21 AM Post #749 of 960
I had a fantastic time at this year's CanJam New York! It was easily one of the busiest shows I've attended in a long time, so busy it would seem the Hi-Fi police had to be called in to keep things under control! I still can't believe those guys tried to arrest me... and for the silliest of reasons; regardless, I managed to escape and get back to our Ballroom Booth and spend two unforgettable days showcasing some fantastic gear, answering your questions, and enjoying music together!

First and foremost, I'd like to give a shoutout and thank you to all of our show organizers and staff who help things run smoothly, @third_eye, @warrenpchi, @joe , @AxelCloris, @jude and so many others who make sure each CanJam is an excellent experience for both new-comers and long time enthusiasts alike! Not to mention the work they've put in to grow our community over the years and create a space for all of us to come together within and share our collective love for headphones, music, and everything in between! That sense of community and camaraderie is what keeps me coming back again and again, year after year!

Before digging too deep into impressions, I want to start by sharing my go-to test tracks:
Daft Punk's - "Get Lucky,"
Eva Cassidy's - "Oh, Had I a Golden Thread"
"Angel Eyes" featuring Rob Wasserman and Cheryl Bentyne

ex_shngSr_gc.jpg


For me, this year's show highlight should come as no surprise; the all-new HeadAmp Grand Cayman Electrostatic Amplifier is breathtaking! Despite having worked with @justin w. for a little while now, this was my first time sitting down and listening to it. Like many, I remember when the concept was first announced, and I can confidently say it's been well worth the wait. Even more so to listen to it sourced from the fantastic Mytek Empire Streamer; this system is easily one of the most unique, jaw-droppingly incredible playback systems I've ever heard.

Between the STAX SR-X9000 and Hifiman Shangri-La Electrostatic headphones, I lacked nothing. Grand Cayman added heft, power, and a life-like weight to the Shangri-La, unlike anything I've heard previously. With Grand Cayman, I finally found the Shangri-La's massive, detailed, and beautifully layered presentation firmly planted in reality. To get things started, I dove head first into some Eva Cassidy. What I love about "Oh, Had I a Golden Thread" is how much of the room acoustics within Blues Alley is preserved within the recording. Most systems I've demoed Shangri-La with struggle to balance the immediacy of Eva's powerful voice and the band alongside the nuance and depth of the space she's performing within. I either got a well-layered presentation with a slightly thin tone or a full-bodied sound with some slight congestion and overlapping elements. However, with Grand Cayman, the balance was perfect... easily the best I've ever heard the Shangri-La and this track!

ex_x9k_gc.jpg

"Angel Eyes," as performed by Rob Wasserman and Cheryl Bentyne is a beautiful duet; while its composition is simple, the performance of each individual is explosively stunning... the STAX SR-X9000 remains my top pick for enjoying this track. Having found myself impressed many times while listening on the HeadAmp Blue Hawaii Special Edition, I was pleasantly shocked by the improvements Grand Cayman brought. Most apparent were improvements to the lows, not just simply hearing more body & reverb, but feeling more tangible power and immediacy, experiencing the tactile sensation of that gorgeous double bass. I also discerned sharper, more vivid transients within both Cheryl's voice and Rob's performance on double bass. Our Grand Cayman and the Mytek Empire together allowed me to dig even deeper into this track; all in all it was a magical & mesmerizing listening experience!

n_corina_bhse.jpg

For my first listen to the all-new Dan Clark Audio Corina Reference Electrostatic Headphone, I decided to listen with the BHSE sourced from the Mytek Empire. This is a system I've heard many times with a variety of great electrostatics, I felt these two together would give me the most precise picture of DCA's new Corina, an if I had to pick a single word to capture the essence of Corina it would be... engaging! Reminiscent of the STAX SR-007mk2 but with notable improvements to both sound-stage size and precision, alongside more vivid details and a sharper transient response. From that funky bass line, the sweet twang of the guitar, and Pharrell's beautiful voice, alongside the drums' splash, crash, and sparkle, the DCA Corina pulled me in! I found my toes tapping, my head bobbin, and shoulders-a-rockin. Not to say that its presentation was "fun" or "v-shaped" in any way, but simply that each element of the composition had a rich, full-bodied tone, with great texture and detail all placed within a spacious and cohesive soundstage. Corina offers a clear improvement over the VOCE while maintaining that stunning DCA fit, finish and build quality, making it a fantastic headphone backed by the support of an outstanding group of people. It's definitely on my radar as an upgrade to my current daily driver!

This wraps up part one of my CanJam New York 2023 coverage! While I continue to work on part two, I'll attach a few shots from it as a little sneak peek... so stay tuned!
 

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Mar 3, 2023 at 1:30 AM Post #750 of 960
I had a fantastic time at this year's CanJam New York! It was easily one of the busiest shows I've attended in a long time, so busy it would seem the Hi-Fi police had to be called in to keep things under control! I still can't believe those guys tried to arrest me... and for the silliest of reasons; regardless, I managed to escape and get back to our Ballroom Booth and spend two unforgettable days showcasing some fantastic gear, answering your questions, and enjoying music together!

First and foremost, I'd like to give a shoutout and thank you to all of our show organizers and staff who help things run smoothly, @third_eye @warrenpchi @joe @AxelCloris @jude and so many others who have helped grow our community over the years and create a space for all of us to come together within and share our collective love for headphones, music and everything in between!

Before digging too deep into impressions, I want to share my go-to test tracks:
Daft Punk's - "Get Lucky,"
Eva Cassidy's - "Oh, Had I a Golden Thread"
"Angel Eyes" featuring Rob Wasserman and Cheryl Bentyne

ex_shngSr_gc.jpg

For me, this year's show highlight should come as no surprise; the all-new HeadAmp Grand Cayman Electrostatic Amplifier is breathtaking! Despite having worked with @justin w. for a little while now, this was my first time sitting down and listening to it. Like many, I remember when the concept was first announced, and I can confidently say it's been well worth the wait. Even more so to listen to it sourced from the fantastic Mytek Empire Streamer; this system is easily one of the most unique, jaw-droppingly incredible playback systems I've ever heard.

Between the STAX SR-X9000 and Hifiman Shangri-La Electrostatic headphones, I lacked nothing. Grand Cayman added heft, power, and a life-like weight to the Shang-Sr, unlike anything I've heard previously. With Grand Cayman, I finally found the Shangri-La's massive, detailed, and beautifully layered presentation firmly planted in reality.
What I love about "Oh, Had I a Golden Thread" is how much of the room acoustics within Blues Alley are preserved within the recording. Most systems I've demoed Shangri-La with struggle to balance the immediacy of Eva's powerful voice and the band alongside the nuance and depth of the space she's performing within. I either got a well-layered presentation with a slightly thin tone or a full-bodied sound with some slight congestion and overlapping of elements. However, with Grand Cayman, the balance was perfect... easily the best I've ever heard the Shangri-La!

ex_x9k_gc.jpg

"Angel Eyes," as performed by Rob Wasserman and Cheryl Bentyne is a beautiful duet; while its composition is simple, the performance of each individual is explosively stunning... the STAX SR-X9000 is still my favorite for enjoying this track. Having found myself impressed many times while listening on the HeadAmp Blue Hawaii Special Edition, I was pleasantly shocked by the improvements Grand Cayman brought. Most apparent were improvements to the lows, not just simply hearing more body & reverb, but feeling more tangible power and immediacy, experiencing the tactile sensation of that gorgeous double bass. I also discerned sharper, more vivid transients within both Cheryl's voice and Rob's performance on double bass. Grand Cayman and the Mytek Empire together allowed me to dig even deeper into this track; it was mesmerizing!

n_corina_bhse.jpg
For my first listen to the all-new Dan Clark Audio Corina Reference Electrostatic Headphone, I decided to listen with the BHSE sourced from the Mytek Empire. This is a system I've heard many times with a variety of great electrostatics, I felt these two together would give me the most precise picture of DCA's new Corina, an if I had to pick a single word to capture the essence of Corina it would be... engaging! Reminiscent of the STAX SR-007mk2 but with notable improvements to both sound-stage size and precision, alongside more vivid details and a sharper transient response. From that funky bass line, the sweet twang of the guitar, and Pharrell's beautiful voice, alongside the splash, crash, and sparkle of the drums, the DCA Corina pulled me in! I found my toes tapping, my head bobbin, and shoulders-a-rockin. Not to say that its presentation was "fun" or "v-shaped" in any way, but simply that each element of the composition had a rich full-bodied tone, with great texture and detail all placed within a spacious and cohesive sound-stage. I definitely feel that Corina offers a clear improvement over the VOCE while maintaining that stunning DCA fit, finish and build quality making it a fantastic daily driver back by the support of an outstanding company.

This wraps up part one of my CanJam New York 2023 coverage! While I continue to work on part 2 I'll attach a few shots from it as a little sneek peek... so stay tuned!
Did Ev go to the show? Which ETA is it?
 

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