CanJam Shanghai 2024 Impressions Thread

[thaslaya]

Ok, so....no pictures, sorry! Had my camera with to shoot video and was just not in the mood today.
Been an age since the last CanJam, I could only go today (Sunday) and it was quieter than I had expected - but in previous years I was there on the first or second day, so maybe that accounts for some of it.

Second apology - I didn't listen to much of what I suspect you all will be wanting reports on. Three people ahead of me at the Sus Unveiled and when I checked back later, it was the same story so didn't hear them. Hope my impressions below will be of use to someone, however.

For the record, I listen to Nighthawks at work, Ananda at home (and for mixing), OG Mest and InEar Prophiles. Portable DAP is iBasso DX220 with Amp 8.

Fiio K11 R2R DAC/AMP and Fiio FT1
FT1 is an as yet unreleased closed back headphone with wooden cups. I loved them. Not a closed back sound at all. Very spacious, nice quality bass, good definition up top. Then I found out that each one of these is selling for around 1000RMB (you can convert to your own currency). That means 2000RMB (or a touch less) for a really beautiful sounding desktop kit. Very impressed with both.

Also heard the PREPOSTEROUS JT1. 400RMB (!!!!) Open or Semi-Open headphones. Build quality is not awesome, they feel like their price. But wow, they do not sound like it. Lovely sound from these. Very impressed. They're not going to stand up to much travelling but if you have off-spring and want to get them onto the good stuff, this is a great place to start. Or nieces or nephews. I don't know how they do it for the money.

Next I got stuck at Letshuoer but I'll save them till the end.

Unique Melody Mentor, Mest III and bluetooth earbuds
Wasn't going to pass up the chance to hear the mentor. Wow. Just, a perfect earphone. Though to be fair, it was not the only one. But a sublime set and while they are out of my price range, I can certainly see why someone with the cash would go for these. Wide, airy, textured, everything.

Mest III - nice, but I didn't prefer it to my OG (though the fit was a considerable improvement)
UM Bluetooth Earbuds - U-Free? I think. First set were super quiet, second set better. Actually, a great reproduction through these, I liked them a lot. ANC is a non-starter though. I didn't spend much time with them, but I liked what I heard. Difficult sell without the decent ANC of the leaders though.

Elysian and Effect Audio
Elysian Diva - lovely set but...and you're going to get this a bit from now on. One gets to a certain spot in this market where everything is excellent but nothing is remarkable in its tier. And that's where these are. Beautiful quality to the sound, quite open staging, everything as it should be. Didn't really do anything to make me want it over any of the other upper-level IEMs. That's not to say you shouldn't check them out. Just that there are a lot of IEMs offering a similar experience.

Elysian Pilgrim Noir (with Effect Audio) - ok, so these are somewhat in the same spot, but perhaps a little less warm (not cold, just slightly less warm) and a touch more definition in the upper register. And, very strangely, it seems like they are half the price. Now THESE, I would jump at (if I didn't already have what I have). Comfortable too.

Spirit - Valkyria and IEM Twin Pulse
Didn't get to hear their over-ear headphones, but did listen to their IEMs. Twin beryllium drivers. Bullet style (kind of). Around $1000.
Now THESE did something special in their price range. Presentation of music was like floating in a cloud of sound. Staging was spacious in all directions, imaging was precise, transients for DAYS. Fantastic feel to the bass and wonderful technicalities. I really loved these. I think the price is more than fair. Also, this was the first time I've heard beryllium drivers and actually liked them. Wonderful earphones, absolutely worth a listen if you ever get the chance. I remain unconvinced about one particular design choice, however - the spikey gear wheel at the end of them. That aside, these were one of the high-points in a very impressive couple of hours.

If I listened to anything else, it didn't stick with me. (I did listen to the Focals, the two new ones. Didn't make an impression I'm afraid) In which case....

Letshuoer
Ok, this table was my winner for the day. And while one could argue, I guess, that the Pilgrim and the Spirit IEM were technically "better", Letshuoer was the table I returned to for a second listen, after spending a good thirty minutes there at the start.

EJ07
Finally got to listen to this - a famous IEM for those seeking soundstage. It did not disappoint. Everything else as it should be, plus wonderful staging. Loved them.

S08 - as yet unreleased, coming this month I think. Wonderfully expansive stage. Very decent imaging. Great representation of all frequencies. Somewhere between a touch laid back and a touch technical. I just felt that these IEMs really got it right. I was smitten, to be honest. I spent most time listening to them. I don't know if they're single DD or BA or what. But I loved them. And then I discover that they will sell for $100 which is just insane. Pick them up when they come out. Just grab a pair. I have no idea how they created such a wonderful set for such a low price. No, they're not PERFECT and no, they're not quite as transcendent as the Spirits. But damn, they were lovely. Less than a 10th of the price of my usual gear.

Cadenza 4 - much more technical, a touch sharp up top but not too bad. Very very capable. Again, a ridiculous price for what they offer. I enjoyed them.

S15 - Planar Magnetics, I think. Lovely, sweet, laid back sound which does not sacrifice detail or clarity. They're like a warm blanket of sound. But again, I stress, they do not miss upper end detail. Nor are they bloated. A gorgeous experience. Well worth a listen. And again, I think the price is beyond competitive for what they offer.

Rondo 8 - as yet unreleased. God knows how many BAs. Technically very proficient - a great set for music analysts. But still musical and still a very enjoyable listen. No idea of pricing. Very impressive though.

I do not need more IEMs at all but would happily pick up the S15 and the S08 from Letshuoer just to have them in my collection and be able to listen to them. Actually, I would do the same with the Fiio DAC Amp and those closed backs.

And I think that was about it. Finally got to listen to the Sennheiser 800S.

Great to see so many vendors there, and wonderful to have the chance to listen to such varied gear. I know there are a lot of big names I didn't check out, but I really enjoyed what I listened to. Thanks to all who organised this. Hope the attendee numbers were good enough to encourage you to do it again next year. Has it been four years since the last one? Damn! A lot has changed.....

I can shed some more light on the Letshuoer S08 (I have one for review atm). They have a single planar driver per side and the build quality is fantastic. Metal shell available in matte black or silver finish, modular cable with 3.5 and 4.4 terminations, and an awesome little puck case with a soft rubber coating. I hadn't heard the price yet and if it is indeed $100, then Letshuoer should be able to sell these no problem. They are absolutely great at that price and even for double they'd be competitive.

 

[M700LTR]

Is Shanghai show basically a mid-fi and IEM show? Didn't see any worthwhile setup. Kind of disappointed TBH.

Gear on show: Viva STX + Corina/ CRBN, BHSE + Corina, Viva 2a3/ 845 + DCA, Dave + LCD5/ LCD4z, Aurender/ Rockna + Utopia 2022 (random equipment by a vendor, not Focal booth), several Lotoo Mjölnirs, EF1000/ Prelude + Susvara OG/ UV, T+A DAC200, Aperio, Shang Mini, Spirit Torino.

This being my first CanJam, I was very excited. In fact I planned to bring my Tungsten DS to share/ demo as I'm guessing there aren't many - or any - floating around in China. Lucky I guess, since not many amps here are gonna power it. I can appreciate that coordinating/ hosting an event like this is no easy feat, also it was free, but lots of heavy hitters were missing vs CanJam USA/ UK, e.g. Feliks, Zahl, Raal, Riviera, dCS, Mass Kobo, Abyss, Stax, ZMF, inter alia. No Holo, Denafrips, Cayin either (Chinese brands). I left after 2h feeling disappointed since I can demo most of the show gear locally. Don't want to come across unappreciative, but I think understandably so given underwhelming gear vs CanJam USA/ UK.

I will add, Warwick Aperio is universally being named best in show on Chinese forums. There's a Susvara OG/ UV impressions, but it isn't from CanJam Shanghai. Otherwise, there's not much other chatter.

 

[misteral201103]

Nice info, on the front page picture, what are those half translucent IEM?

Thanks for letting me know I was linked on the front page!!! And thanks to whoever did it
IEMs in the picture are the Letshuoer EJ07 (I had to screenshot and then do a TaoBao image search!)

Gear on show: Viva STX + Corina/ CRBN, BHSE + Corina, Viva 2a3/ 845 + DCA, Dave + LCD5/ LCD4z, Aurender/ Rockna + Utopia 2022 (random equipment by a vendor, not Focal booth), several Lotoo Mjölnirs, EF1000/ Prelude + Susvara OG/ UV, T+A DAC200, Aperio, Shang Mini, Spirit Torino.

This being my first CanJam, I was very excited. In fact I planned to bring my Tungsten DS to share/ demo as I'm guessing there aren't many - or any - floating around in China. Lucky I guess, since not many amps here are gonna power it. I can appreciate that coordinating/ hosting an event like this is no easy feat, also it was free, but lots of heavy hitters were missing vs CanJam USA/ UK, e.g. Feliks, Zahl, Raal, Riviera, dCS, Mass Kobo, Abyss, Stax, ZMF, inter alia. No Holo, Denafrips, Cayin either (Chinese brands). I left after 2h feeling disappointed since I can demo most of the show gear locally. Don't want to come across unappreciative, but I think understandably so given underwhelming gear vs CanJam USA/ UK.

I will add, Warwick Aperio is universally being named best in show on Chinese forums. There's a Susvara OG/ UV impressions, but it isn't from CanJam Shanghai. Otherwise, there's not much other chatter.

My impression of the show was a little different I guess.
I'd been to the two previous Shanghai CanJams and I'll say that there was a wider range of brands and equipment at both of those. However, the number of visitors was also significantly higher and more diverse. Bearing in mind I was there day one with the other two CJs and this year I was day two or three.

But in that four years we've had Covid and an increasingly deteriorating political atmosphere between China and the West (notably US and UK). Foreign visitors this year are 30% of what they were in 2019 and so many expats (immigrants!!!!) have left, as have the companies they worked for. So it's a really different landscape now in a lot of ways and I would imagine it was not easy to make this CanJam happen at all. Have to say though, that doesn't explain the absence of some Chinese brands that I was hoping to see there (specifically Cayin).

For me, while it may not have been the smorgasbord of previous years, there was still a ton of stuff for me to check out - some that I had an inkling about and some which were completely new and unexpected. As ridiculous as it may seem, this was the first chance I had to demo a Sennheiser 8XX headphone. Fiio had a range of new gear at a range of budgets. The SusUV was demoed for the first time. UM just had a tray of EVERYTHING. Creative had their Aurvana Ace 2 with the new MEMS drivers. And on and on. Some of the earphones and headphones I heard, maybe I could have demoed them at ConcertGoer or EarphoneKing (is that still alive?) or Soundluck, but I wouldn't have been able to do it all in one place, and there was enough other unreleased gear which made this CanJam still a special event for me.

Not in any way saying you, or others who have expressed a similar sentiment are wrong!! Just giving an alternative subjective opinion

I will say, that there's one serious downside to visiting CJSh for me. I had been out of the audio game for a good few years, super happy with what I have. I am now trawling through TaoBao trying to resist the urge to get one of these, and two of those, and since I can't get that I should get one of these. I honestly can't afford it right now, but I'm still trying to bargain with myself!!!!

 

[psy472]

My impression of the show was a little different I guess.
I'd been to the two previous Shanghai CanJams and I'll say that there was a wider range of brands and equipment at both of those. However, the number of visitors was also significantly higher and more diverse. Bearing in mind I was there day one with the other two CJs and this year I was day two or three.

But in that four years we've had Covid and an increasingly deteriorating political atmosphere between China and the West (notably US and UK). Foreign visitors this year are 30% of what they were in 2019 and so many expats (immigrants!!!!) have left, as have the companies they worked for. So it's a really different landscape now in a lot of ways and I would imagine it was not easy to make this CanJam happen at all. Have to say though, that doesn't explain the absence of some Chinese brands that I was hoping to see there (specifically Cayin).

For me, while it may not have been the smorgasbord of previous years, there was still a ton of stuff for me to check out - some that I had an inkling about and some which were completely new and unexpected. As ridiculous as it may seem, this was the first chance I had to demo a Sennheiser 8XX headphone. Fiio had a range of new gear at a range of budgets. The SusUV was demoed for the first time. UM just had a tray of EVERYTHING. Creative had their Aurvana Ace 2 with the new MEMS drivers. And on and on. Some of the earphones and headphones I heard, maybe I could have demoed them at ConcertGoer or EarphoneKing (is that still alive?) or Soundluck, but I wouldn't have been able to do it all in one place, and there was enough other unreleased gear which made this CanJam still a special event for me.

Not in any way saying you, or others who have expressed a similar sentiment are wrong!! Just giving an alternative subjective opinion

I will say, that there's one serious downside to visiting CJSh for me. I had been out of the audio game for a good few years, super happy with what I have. I am now trawling through TaoBao trying to resist the urge to get one of these, and two of those, and since I can't get that I should get one of these. I honestly can't afford it right now, but I'm still trying to bargain with myself!!!!

I think the passport requirement and restrictions killed the Jam. Even though most of us won’t be going out of the city except for CanJam, it could be a nice option for some to bundle their tourist activities with the CanJam. But with them requiring a special visa vs no visa but get tied down to the city, that’s a big Heck No for many. I can see why many of the makers didn’t bother to attend.

 

[gzbaga]

I trust @HONEYBOY , he's part of the Head-Fi Elite and has tons of experience with Summit-Fi.

Also, from what I've heard from someone I also trust is that it's more dynamic, and FR slightly more up front in the upper mid/ low treble but the sub bass is also more prominent vs midbass, so it punches more in general. I think this is why the impressions are variable because it's both "clearer" sounding and also "punchier" though it could tilt both warmer and more forward that Susvara Unveiled based on music pairing.

Ultimately, can't wait to get mine!

I actually think that's a very good summary of the Sus Unveiled's sound. Another point to consider is the challenge of precise volume matching due to the sensitivity differences, which might be tricky with the EF1000 DAC’s volume knob. This could also contribute to the variability in impressions.

Are you sure you listened to the Susvara unveiled !?! your impressions are the opposite of most who have auditioned them in some capacity.

I'm not surprised. It's still a 'Susvara', so the tonal resemblance is there. The key difference, as I mentioned, is in how they present the sound. In the tracks I sampled, the new version sounded sharper, perhaps 'more engaging' if you will. Like I said I find it similar to the change between the Arya Stealth and Organic, with the Organic having more subbass but less of the midbass warmth. The mids presence region is more forward on the Sus Unveiled, and the OG emphasises fundamental tones more by comparison. Perhaps this makes it easier for those not familar with the Arya models to see what I mean.

 

[theveterans]

I think the passport requirement and restrictions killed the Jam. Even though most of us won’t be going out of the city except for CanJam, it could be a nice option for some to bundle their tourist activities with the CanJam. But with them requiring a special visa vs no visa but get tied down to the city, that’s a big Heck No for many. I can see why many of the makers didn’t bother to attend.

Now if it's held in Taiwan, I would see far more people residing in the West attending the event

 

[misteral201103]

I think the passport requirement and restrictions killed the Jam. Even though most of us won’t be going out of the city except for CanJam, it could be a nice option for some to bundle their tourist activities with the CanJam. But with them requiring a special visa vs no visa but get tied down to the city, that’s a big Heck No for many. I can see why many of the makers didn’t bother to attend.

Oh wow, I didn't know about that. Yes, that's very restrictive and not exactly conducive to inviting people in to the country....

 

[theveterans]

Oh wow, I didn't know about that. Yes, that's very restrictive and not exactly conducive to inviting people in to the country....

Geopolitics gets in the way of fun unfortunately

 

[misteral201103]

Geopolitics gets in the way of fun unfortunately

Sadly true.

 

[newworld666]

oh the itching.. -)

I found this detailed site, with impressions: https://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/topic/special/1584097.html

It very interesting to read (through google translate) .. there are a lot of explanations .... unfortunately no one measurements shown to guess if impact of each point has a real effect or not on sound quality. I understand that not everything can be measured, but some could have been.

So, I have no idea if in real life all these interesting points have any significant effects or not on sound quality..
I will never buy a Ferrari, Bugatti in my life, 18000$ is far to be in such price range, but I don't think I will spend such amount just for some IEM, though I have hesitated to spend more or less 11000$ in Sony's interesting combo DMP-Z1 + IER Z1R .. but I imagine Sony's team is at another technical level of the little respectable Brise Audio Team ... Sony can also develop their own drivers to match at best their sound quality level requirements, it seems Brise Audio is not.

But ... it can be interesting to be able to listen such complex combo.

 

[Zaghamkarim]

What was the 15th anniversary special demo from Effect Audio? Is it a new cable launch?

 

[Derivative]

Spirit - Valkyria and IEM Twin Pulse
Didn't get to hear their over-ear headphones, but did listen to their IEMs. Twin beryllium drivers. Bullet style (kind of). Around $1000.
Now THESE did something special in their price range. Presentation of music was like floating in a cloud of sound. Staging was spacious in all directions, imaging was precise, transients for DAYS. Fantastic feel to the bass and wonderful technicalities. I really loved these. I think the price is more than fair. Also, this was the first time I've heard beryllium drivers and actually liked them. Wonderful earphones, absolutely worth a listen if you ever get the chance. I remain unconvinced about one particular design choice, however - the spikey gear wheel at the end of them. That aside, these were one of the high-points in a very impressive couple of hours.

I have these and I couldn't agree more - including your point about the spiky gear thingy!
Bought them second hand so the value for money was even better. They are so lovely for long sessions on jazz or soul. Super soundstage and great timbre.

 

[Kevintj604]

That sounds like a huge downgrade to my ears.

Thx for the impressions

I agree. The way that @gzbaga describes the Sus Unveiled sounds like a complete downgrade from the original. Especially at the current second hand market prices with the OG Susvara. I'm still interested in hearing it but i'm no longer excited.

 

[OnlySoMany]

"On the second day, I revisited the Susvara Unveiled for a deeper dive. My initial thoughts hold up: the Susvara Unveiled brings a fresh twist on the classic Susvara sound. It retains a well-balanced and smooth profile, but injects more sharpness and immediacy into the mix. Bass is nimbler but slightly leaner, similar to the change from Arya Stealth to Arya Organic."

Glad to hear that I'm not missing out on anything. The last thing Susvara needed was less warmth and more sharpness/highs. Sounds like they were engineering just for the sake of it. And to charge a hell of a lot more.

 

[OnlySoMany]

Which do you think is the best dac/amp under 10k usd?

Used Chord Dave. Without question.

Or if you want separates, used Chord Dave and ZMF Decware.