noper
100+ Head-Fier
Anyone get a chance to try out the Mr. Speakers Electrostatic? As compared to the open Ether Flows would be ideal!
CanJam SoCal 2017 Impressions Thread!
- Thread starter joe
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No. I wanted to but they literally turned me away because I didn't have an appointment. I guess they were trying to be like Sennheiser with their HE-1 and making it 'oh so exclusive'.
It's been at several shows since it debuted at last year's Canjam so, fortunately, there are plenty of impressions floating about. I don't believe it's changed significantly since the last Source event so you might try checking out those impressions. Tonally, it's going to be similar to the open Flow and AEON. But you know... e-staty.
Well still collating my impressions as I just got back home but I do have one big regret and that was not taking a bit of time to talk to Dan Stillhart . He was so cool last year as pertained to listening to the Liquid Tungsten. I should have stopped by to say hello but I did not and for that I feel bad. He was not at the booth will I was listening to the Mini Tungsten and the Utopia's and Tungsten setup (more on that later) . Sorry Dan
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It's pretty darn good, certainly much better than the Sonoma offering.
I still prefer the SR-009 + BHSE though, even off the Kitsune DAC.
BigAud
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I realized after spending the afternoon Sunday that I could have spent two full days there!
Here are some “Impressions”:
Little Labs Monotor Amp
http://www.littlelabs.com
I met this amp and its designer at the CanJam L.A. Sunday.
What I heard:
Absolutely clean, no high frequency “Tizz”.
Dynamic power in spades.
I like neutral, clean and detailed sounding equipment. Preferably dynamic. Above all – musical.
Have heard Sennheiser HD600 on several different systems. I have never heard them sound so dynamic yet clear as with the Little Labs amp – for the first time I was adding the HD600's to my short list.
In and probably above its price bracket, this is the amp to beat – if you can.
Modular Ears in ears:
www.facebook.com/ModularEars
Prototype demonstrated. Totally pure and clean and smooth frequency response. Very rare for ANY ‘phone or speaker.
The one I heard was weak in the bass, BUT they said these are totally tunable. Not equalizable, but tunable by changing modules. If the bass is as clean as the rest, this will be (or is) killer and hard to best.
ImNano Siren v1 Headphone
(Also they had an electrostatic IEM!)
FromShanzhen, China. www.imnano.cn
A very smooth headphone with detail, bass, etc.
However as demo’d with smart phones, (they are designed for that - 32 Ohms) the dynamics are compressed, so music is not exciting enough. I am sure a good amp would help. But The Beyerdynamic T51i I had with me was much better driven out of a phone.
I enjoyed talking with them, and talking with the “tech guy”, their patriarch, about this. (One of their people was a good translator.) Possibly it needs a tighter magnet motor.
The lovely girl who modeled their phones in their handout was there and helpful as well.
Sonoma electrostatic headphone with amp. Very clean, smooth, detailed. However acoustically transparent, so the room noise meant I could not evaluate their abilities.
Note I never heard of any of the above before the CanJam.
Brandon
My background:
I am not a headphones expert. Yet. But I am a many decades audiophile, started by building the family speakers (three foot tall solid ash cabinets – not a kit) at age 14. They looked like furniture and went into the living room.
I have since built much better speakers and modded my other equipment.
Here are some “Impressions”:
Little Labs Monotor Amp
http://www.littlelabs.com
I met this amp and its designer at the CanJam L.A. Sunday.
What I heard:
Absolutely clean, no high frequency “Tizz”.
Dynamic power in spades.
I like neutral, clean and detailed sounding equipment. Preferably dynamic. Above all – musical.
Have heard Sennheiser HD600 on several different systems. I have never heard them sound so dynamic yet clear as with the Little Labs amp – for the first time I was adding the HD600's to my short list.
In and probably above its price bracket, this is the amp to beat – if you can.
Modular Ears in ears:
www.facebook.com/ModularEars
Prototype demonstrated. Totally pure and clean and smooth frequency response. Very rare for ANY ‘phone or speaker.
The one I heard was weak in the bass, BUT they said these are totally tunable. Not equalizable, but tunable by changing modules. If the bass is as clean as the rest, this will be (or is) killer and hard to best.
ImNano Siren v1 Headphone
(Also they had an electrostatic IEM!)
FromShanzhen, China. www.imnano.cn
A very smooth headphone with detail, bass, etc.
However as demo’d with smart phones, (they are designed for that - 32 Ohms) the dynamics are compressed, so music is not exciting enough. I am sure a good amp would help. But The Beyerdynamic T51i I had with me was much better driven out of a phone.
I enjoyed talking with them, and talking with the “tech guy”, their patriarch, about this. (One of their people was a good translator.) Possibly it needs a tighter magnet motor.
The lovely girl who modeled their phones in their handout was there and helpful as well.
Sonoma electrostatic headphone with amp. Very clean, smooth, detailed. However acoustically transparent, so the room noise meant I could not evaluate their abilities.
Note I never heard of any of the above before the CanJam.
Brandon
My background:
I am not a headphones expert. Yet. But I am a many decades audiophile, started by building the family speakers (three foot tall solid ash cabinets – not a kit) at age 14. They looked like furniture and went into the living room.
I have since built much better speakers and modded my other equipment.
Hey yeah, sorry I missed you, man! I was at the booth most of the show but I did sneak away a few times to try and hear some toys. I saw you around a few times but never quite managed to run into you. :-/ Let me know if you have any questions on the new amp prototypes. I'm trying to get Warren to start threads for people to discuss them, but I suppose one of us could just as easily do it...
This seems like a 'gem' of an amp for the price. It reminds me of the Rupert Neve RNHP but seems even better designed/optimized. I'm considering purchase.
BigAud
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I went hoping to hear 1. Beyerdynamic Amiron and others. 2. Fostex Massdrop again.
I was able to hear both. And a lot more.
I did get to hear a Fostex TH-X00 (Mahogany) again, thanks to Darin Fong of Out Of Your Head software fame.
It is just as good as I remembered. My favorite near its price (up to say $600). Dynamic, clean, alive. Closed back but sound more like open in some ways. Strong bass – but clean and to me thus more like live music than many headphones. Dare I say, Fun?
Beyerdynamic
Amiron: smooth, balanced, detailed, relaxing. BUT less dynamic than I like, sort of compressed. Excellent for relaxing after work for example.
DT1770 and DT1990 smooth, balanced, detailed but dynamic. Very good. The DT1770 closed back has a little more bass, the DT1990 is a little more open, spacious. But these are two peas from the same pod. Well three, with the Amiron.
The above were driven by Beyer’s A20 amps, the T1 by the three times more money A2, if I remember right.
When I was done I plugged in my Beyer T51i’s to see how much I was losing.
I was SHOCKED. They gave up very little to the DT1770/1990’s. A little less bass, a less flat mid to lower treble range – but only when directly compared – probably a tad less space. I had to check to see which was on my head! The 1770/1990’s are twice the money. Are the T51i’s half as good? Sorry, no. They give up very little. I never feel I have to take them off because the sound isn’t good enough.
And they are much more portable, and are setup for iPhones.
Eventually I listened to the T1 gen 2. In seconds I was floating away into the music. Wow! Even modded Senn HD800 (or gen2) didn’t do this for me, and I love the space those give.
The T1gen2 is the one for me...
Well, until I can afford the Stax SR-007, fed by tubes. Which at the Headamp Blue Hawaii booth was my Best in Show.
Wish I could have listened to everything!
Brandon
I was able to hear both. And a lot more.
I did get to hear a Fostex TH-X00 (Mahogany) again, thanks to Darin Fong of Out Of Your Head software fame.
It is just as good as I remembered. My favorite near its price (up to say $600). Dynamic, clean, alive. Closed back but sound more like open in some ways. Strong bass – but clean and to me thus more like live music than many headphones. Dare I say, Fun?
Beyerdynamic
Amiron: smooth, balanced, detailed, relaxing. BUT less dynamic than I like, sort of compressed. Excellent for relaxing after work for example.
DT1770 and DT1990 smooth, balanced, detailed but dynamic. Very good. The DT1770 closed back has a little more bass, the DT1990 is a little more open, spacious. But these are two peas from the same pod. Well three, with the Amiron.
The above were driven by Beyer’s A20 amps, the T1 by the three times more money A2, if I remember right.
When I was done I plugged in my Beyer T51i’s to see how much I was losing.
I was SHOCKED. They gave up very little to the DT1770/1990’s. A little less bass, a less flat mid to lower treble range – but only when directly compared – probably a tad less space. I had to check to see which was on my head! The 1770/1990’s are twice the money. Are the T51i’s half as good? Sorry, no. They give up very little. I never feel I have to take them off because the sound isn’t good enough.
And they are much more portable, and are setup for iPhones.
Eventually I listened to the T1 gen 2. In seconds I was floating away into the music. Wow! Even modded Senn HD800 (or gen2) didn’t do this for me, and I love the space those give.
The T1gen2 is the one for me...
Well, until I can afford the Stax SR-007, fed by tubes. Which at the Headamp Blue Hawaii booth was my Best in Show.
Wish I could have listened to everything!
Brandon
That is a hard thing to judge. I have heard both more the E's than the Flow's. They are two different headphones and two different category so not a lot to compare there.
BigAud
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Unless you prefer tube sound, the Little Labs Monotor Amp is excellent SS sound.
Brandon
You didn't miss me you did say Hey Brent and that was cool you remember me from last year.
Just a little off topic story from my time in Socal if you don't mind. I'm from Kentucky just south of Louisville and i love my Bourbon. There are a lot of special bourbons and they are put out to other parts of the country before we see them here. That is fine let others know what we got. There was a little Liquor store just down from the JW Marriott that had two bottles of Rhetoric orphan barrel bourbon whiskey it is very good stuff they are going to stop producing the 21 year old so I tried to buy the two bottles but they said only one per costumer. At $109 the stuff isn't cheap but can go for $160 easy here as we don't get it. My intentions were not to make a profit just to get very good bourbon . The wife went out the next day to try to acquire the other bottle and after negotiating a bit they said it is now $299 so that sucks. It is good bourbon but not that good. Will go on topic from here.
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Alright folks, I'm reserving this spot for my auspicious return to Head-Fi. Allow me to entice you all in the meantime with a picture of me and *dad*:
I live in Hollywood now, so I'm gonna go hang out with Kylie Jenner and tell her to maybe stay out of the limelight/drink Coke instead for a bit.
Kojaku
I live in Hollywood now, so I'm gonna go hang out with Kylie Jenner and tell her to maybe stay out of the limelight/drink Coke instead for a bit.
Kojaku
moedawg140
Grand Master Moe "G"….Don't crossface me, bro!
Ping Pong Champ: SF Meet (2016,2017), CanJams (London 2016, RMAF 2016, NYC 2017, SoCal 2017, RMAF 2017)
The ladies willing to dance (and lack of) at the Audeze event weren't in the highest numbers, but it was fun to hang out and dance around with you at the event, Kojaku! You've got some good moves, some of the best I saw at the event! 
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