What a spectacular show! I'm sitting here in my room at the Marriot completely exhausted but simultaneously overwhelmed with the excitement and emotion of the previous two days trying to gather my thoughts into words. This was only my second CanJam but I can already see how each succesive experience becomes richer due to all the connections made and fellowship with all involved. I'm exceedingly grateful for everyone who made the last two days happen.
Compared to SoCal CanJam NYC was a vastly different experience in many ways due to the sheer excitement of the venue. Anaheim has its charm but what can compare with the bustle and energy of Times Square New York-- it's positively exhilarating to be here and this just added to the excitement and atmosphere of the show.
A couple caveats before getting going:
1) My interest is primarily IEMs so that is where I spent pretty much all of my time. I did get to hear a couple very hice headphones though-- more on that later.
2) When I talk about "in show highlights" and rankings I will confine myself to IEMs/sources that I heard for the first time this weekend, so stuff like the Trifecta, Annihilator and FatFreq Maestro SE won't factor into my rankings here.
3) As people who know me from the Watercooler thread probably already know my preference leans strongly towards musicality and DD driven sets. YMMV and all that.
4) As epic and wonderful as CanJam is the underlying excitement of the show and rapid fire pace of the demos make the conditions less than ideal to get comprehensive fully rounded impressions. Take everything with an appropriate grain of salt.
Top 3 IEMs of the Show
In no particular order:
1) Fir Audio Radon 6
This was one of the show stoppers for me. Radon 6 is the new IEM from Fir Audio which will be a limited batch of 300 released sometime within the next couple weeks. It's got the same driver config as the Xe6 and to me it's best understood as almost an evolute of the best of the Fronier Series. When I talked to Bogdan about it I told him that I really liked the vocal forwardness and clarity of the Kr5 but preferred the top end clarity and detail of the Xe6 and found that the Radon was something of a best of both worlds between the two and he said this is exactly what they were going for. it's got the vocal forwardness and clarity of the Kr5 and the lush & detailed top end of the Xe6-- with a more balanced bass response (quantity wise, it's still the same great quality) than both. With the (stock) silver module it was a bit light on bass for me but with the red module (pictured above) it was "chef's kiss". I listened to this multiple times over the two days and was more taken with it each time. Also they're going to release a video explaining how to remove and insert the modules because apparently most people couldn't figure it out.
It was really nice to meet Vlad and Bogdan-- two visionaries in this hobby who are always pushing boundaries and trying new things. I really enjoyed talking to Vlad, who gave me a history lesson. I grew up in Vancouver BC and always assumed that we were the OG Vancouver and that Vancouver, Washington (where Fir is based) came later. Vlad explained to me that Vancouver Washington came first and it not ideally situated as a political centre caused the British to move on and later establish the Vancouver I know and love.
2) Subtonic Storm
This artisan IEM from boutique Singaporean IEM company Subtonic caught me by surprise in a very good way. The Storm has been much discussed in my audio circles lately and given that it's marketed as the "ultimate reference IEM" I went in expecting that I would appreciate it but that it wouldn't really be my thing since I don't really go for purely reference sets and I love my DDs. I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. Superb technicalities, coherence and balance. I didn't want to take it out of my ears and kept looking for more songs to try...which is possibly the highest complement I can pay an IEM. A little plain at first but it is beguiling over time with the depth of sonic tapestry that it reveals. The passion of its makers comes out in the listening experience. Great BA bass but it's definitely BA bass. The quality of the bass is something that sets it above the similarly configured Traillii to my ears. People who took issue with the Bird's bass response will find a lot to love here.
3) Vision Ears' "pink" prototype
VE had two prototypes with undisclosed driver configurations, one being pink and the other blue. Both had their charms but the pink model-- which clearly had a DD in it-- positively took my breath away. Similar gestalt as the VE8-- rich seductive mids-- but with some of the most epic DD bass I've ever heard. Incredible bass response that manifested with a thunderous gutteral rumble. Perfect balance between mid-bass and sub-bass. This IEM leaned a touch dark but highs were refined, luscious and sweet, and the imaging superb. Many of us have been craving an IEM with VE's peerless mids and a bit of an indulgant not-qute-basshead-but-leaning-there bass response. This ticked that box and some. I really hope this one goes into production as I will be all over it.
Some other highlights and notables...
Campfire Audio Solaris Stellar Horizon
Massive and holographic with superb imaging-- very clean and precise. Bass is not dominant but it never has been in any Solaris. I don't get any of the "metallic timbre" suggested by the Audio 46 review. This has a bit of an aggressive "in your face presentation" that is characteristic of CFA IEMs. A great IEM and definitely a step up from the 2020. Better mids than the OG and better treble than the SE...tempted to consider this a "best of all worlds" Solaris. If nothing else the Stellar Horizon preserves much of the spirit of earlier models and addresses most if not all of the criticisms-- fans of previous Solari will find lots to love here. To me this new model is exactly what you'd expect if you took two of Trifecta's DDs and swapped in (4?) BAs-- you lose the full bodied analogue coherence, keep the 3d holographic stage and add a hefty dose of top end sparkle, resolution and clarity. I went back and heard the Solaris a few times and it really is fantastic. I prefer this Solaris to both Ragnar (too much top end energy for me) and Blanc.
Vision Ears Phonix LE
The Phonix LE is a knockout. I got to hear the storied Erlkonig finally this weekend and preferred its more transparent sound to that of the OG Phonix. The Phonix LE closer in sound to the Erlky to my ears. This is possibly my favorite BA set of all time. Classic VE midrange romance and excellence.
Noble Ronin
The Noble Ronin was also excellent, though for me as a BA set it falls in the towering shadow of the Phonix LE...mostly because I just jive with VE's tuning compared to Nobles which tends to lean a little brighter as a rule.
All of that said...
Noble Viking Damascus
I managed a demo of
@wazzupi's Viking Damascus and it was simply excellent. Greater perceived bass impact and presence than the Ragnar, which comes off a little bright and fatiguing to me.
@Chang, a rep from Subtonic, had a few prototype projects of his own that he is working on and this single DD, soon to be released as the "Singularity" is positively excellent. Great bass reponse and full spectrum detail and clarity. I'll definitely be buying one of these and will certainly be keeping up with (and hopefully putting on tour) some of his IEMs.
L -R: LP6, P6 Pro, Cayin N7
Old news in many respects but I finally got to hear the Luxury & Precision LP6 and P6 Pro and both are hands down two of the nicest sources I've ever heard. LP6 in particular is so much better sounding than anything-- so full bodied and muscular yet transparent, detailed and technical at the same time. The LP6 just puts out a sound that flows over you like a blissful analogue river. I quite like the new Cayin. It's a bit of a chunk but it's got a nice R2R character and isn't as bright (or, conversely, as revealing) as the n8ii...which works very well for my tastes. On that note all 3 DAPs above have a similar character to my ears. The P6 Pro is more transparent and not as full bodied as the other 2. The N7 is something of a baby LP6 with a better UI. LP6 still wins for sound but N7 is damn good for like 1/3 the price and more functionality.
On that note...
Trifecta + LP6 is currently my personal high bar benchmark for IEM excellence right now-- full bodied analogue perfection.
The one and only
Oenaryo Traillii
I finally got to hear the legendary black and red bird. Same Traillii greatness but I think the Bird may have been finally been eclipsed by the Storm for me. Great involving tuning in both cases but the Storm's bass response pulls it ahead imho.
UM MEST Mkiii
The MEST III may be my favorite MEST-- I think UM finally nailed natural sounding mids in their MEST line here.
FatFreq Grand Maestro
I was pleased to check out the Fatfreq Grand Maestro at the Musicteck table. A more refined-in-the-mids and less bass dominant presentation than the the Maestro Mini or the SE. Possibly the best "all rounder" of the Fafreq lineup.
A couple disappointments...
Campfire Andromeda Emerald Sea
Surprisingly the new Andromeda was a ilttle "meh" for me. I think they're trying to make it sound a little like the analogue Trifecta-- which imho just doesn't work with BAs. I think it's even darker than the 2020 and lacks a bit of the transparency and clarity I love from that model and the top end sparkle of (what is still) my favorite incarnation of the Andromeda-- the OG. Also for only a bit more you can get the Elysian Diva which absolutely blows this Andro out of the water.
64 Audio Fourte Blanc
This one didn't do much for me-- feels kind of 2-d, a little veiled and with blunted treble coming from the Solaris, which I much preferred and which is $1000 cheaper.
Off the beaten path...
I got to hear this magnificent setup. Unfortunately the open design combined with the very busy loud and crowded room in which I was listening made the demo less than ideal. Also I think fundamentally am not really a headphone guy-- I'm to used to the "nudged right up to your brain" intimacy that IEMs give.
The new Jomo prototype. Nice in-offensive tuning. Great bass. Mids were a touch recessed and vocals sounded a little glossy or something to me.
Other highlights...
Connecting with Lee Quan Min from Elysian via. Zoom and getting to "meet" him.
@Natesdailies is picking his brain for info on upcoming Elysian flagships. I put in a word for our tour program and we will be connecting via email set to that up with upcoming releases. Exciting!
Was nice to finally meet the one and only
@twister6.
Love these group photos with Watercooler legends. Much gratitude to
@HiFiHawaii808 for the nametags.
Pictured (L-R):
@goldwerger @Zachik @HiFiHawaii808 @Frankie D @RTodd @Sifo @Rockwell75 @twister6 @wazzupi @Natesdailies @Skyediver
Post-show IEM sesh.
Enjoying the local culture.
Forming friendships and sharing fellowship-- the true value of CanJam.
Was an epic show. I'll be experiencing some post-partum CanJam depression for the next few days I'm sure.
I had no idea some of these IEMs were present at the show and subsequently, I missed them - bummer. It was my first go at a CanJam, and I rushed through it a bit too quickly. There’s always next year! 
- Thoughts?
