CanJam SoCal 2023 Impressions Thread

[NovaFlyer]

@miceblue I really enjoyed reliving CanJam SoCal through your photo story telling. Bravo and thanks for sharing!

 

[adorable]

Was that the Fiio R9?

Yep!!

 

[Syan25]

The R9 has the HDMI option which was savvy on Fiio's part....

 

[acassara]

Just wanted to add I had the best experience at CanJam in SoCal this year and last. This year had the same energy as last year, so many people there having an awesome time listening to great gear. I think the highlight for me was trying my first tube amp -- Feliks Euforia Evo over at Upscale Audio. I brought my own HD800S to audition it with and boy it sounded incredible. It cemented my decision to get a tube amp before end of year.

I also had a wonderful time over at ZMF's station. Zach & Bevin are so nice and welcoming. Zach offered to grab several pairs of cans for me to try so I could keep my station, this ultimately let me finish sooner than if I had to get them myself and ask which was which. Not only great customer support but maximized the number of people who could try them out. The new Bokeh are super amazing for the price and I think a no brainer for someone wanting to get into the hobby with that kind of budget. Bevin also answered a bunch of tedious questions I had about the headphones which I so appreciated it.

Can't wait for next year!

 

[Syan25]

Thick and fast persuasion.

 

[goodvibes]

Subtonic are one of the firms out there that (rightfully so) are acutely aware of how measurements are all too often misused by enthusiasts to draw conclusions and/or form narratives instead of letting their ears decide. This problem is compounded by the fact that almost anyone can get their hands on a clone IEC 711 coupler, many of which don't even meet IEC specification (and that's not even touching on the potential issues with the acoustic impedance of the 711 coupler).

While of course, they didn't know that csglinux isn't just some kid with a clone coupler, I'm not sure being an experienced measurer makes one immune from drawing erroneous conclusions from measurement data. We're only human.
To that end, I support Subtonic's decision to abstain from allowing someone they didn't know to measure one of their engineering samples. Fully within their rights to do so, and since they supply their own B&K 4195-Q measurements on their site, I would agree with McCheese that it doesn't seem they're hiding anything.

In case it's of interest to anyone reading, I had the pleasure of being able to measure a retail unit belonging to a friend (not an engineering sample) on the B&K Type 5128-B at the show, with the assistance of the lovely Vince Rey. Attached below.
Target is the 5128 Diffuse Field HRTF, tilted downward with a -1dB/octave slope across the entire audio band.



Great to see everyone at the show! Highlight for me was probably the time spent at the B&K booth, measuring my friends IEMs. Never thought I'd even get a chance to be in the same room as one, but getting to handle it with Vince's assistance and get useful output was really one of my dreams come true.
The cherry on top was doing the quick binaural audio demo using open-canal mics and B&K's Audeze EL-8 with Jude riiiiiight as the show was closing out. Super fun stuff!

Hopefully I can make it out to SoCal next year, but if not i'll see you all in NYC in March!

It's great curve except for that huge trough at 8K where you'd expect and insertion peak and I've seen that in other response measurements as well. Perhaps it's intentional to compensate for the insertion standing wave and overdone but my guess is the super tweeters are phase inverted relative to the crossover used to achieve this. It's likely intentional and at a high enough frequency that it would sound more open and inoffensive but should show itself as less than optimum over time.

 

[Edric Li]

It's great curve except for that huge trough at 8K where you'd expect and insertion peak and I've seen that in other response measurements as well. Perhaps it's intentional to compensate for the insertion standing wave and overdone but my guess is the super tweeters are phase inverted relative to the crossover used to achieve this. It's likely intentional and at a high enough frequency that it would sound more open and inoffensive but should show itself as less than optimum over time.

Unless one's ear canal is acoustically identical to 711, the dip will not compensate the frequency of the standing wave exactly. And now you get a dip next to a peak, which sounds more peaky than the peak by itself. In my audition of the Storm, when I complained about the treble glare, I was asked more than once to go smaller on the eartip to achieve a deeper fit to make the driver-to-eardrum distance as close to a 711 as possible. In the end the dip did the job, but it was at an insertion depth beyond discomfort given how large the Storm was.

 

[goodvibes]

Unless one's ear canal is acoustically identical to 711, the dip will not compensate the frequency of the standing wave exactly. And now you get a dip next to a peak, which sounds more peaky than the peak by itself. In my audition of the Storm, when I complained about the treble glare, I was asked more than once to go smaller on the eartip to achieve a deeper fit to make the driver-to-eardrum distance as close to a 711 as possible. In the end the dip did the job, but it was at an insertion depth beyond discomfort given how large the Storm was.

Don't see how they could even do that without a phase issue There's not enough components to fit, even in that large shell, to get a noble/notch filter that steep. I was being kind but it looks like phase cancelation or simply something I'm in the dark about. The coupler used can't be far from from the correct insertion depth and I also don't see a significant peak on either side of the trough from insertion so how off could that distance be? You'll see the same in other graphs of it along with great reviews. If it sounds more open that real...

 

[titaniumfrycook]

Edit: I am dumb, I'm putting this into the 2024 impressions thread.

I'm a bit late here, but I decided to make an account to put my impressions here. This was my first Canjam, and I had an awesome time meeting everyone there. If you saw the guy with the United Airlines complimentary earbuds, that was me. I should preface that I came mostly to try IEMs primarily because I wanted to purchase one. Also, I tend to listen at lower volumes, so my impressions of over-ears are weakly held.

HEDDphone 2 GT
I found it to be a bit piercing in the treble and midrange. However, the clamp adjustment system is genuinely revolutionary and I could see myself really enjoying them with EQ.

Nightjar Singularity
This IEM holds the title of the most comfortable shell I've ever tried. Just from putting them in my ears I instantly know that the team there did an incredible job with the fit. I wish I could say the same about the bass. Keep in mind that I am not a basshead, but I really enjoy good quality bass. I found the Singularity to have a lot of bass, but there was not the sense of impact or tactility that you can find in something like the IE900. The midrange and treble tuning was quite good though, but unfortunately this was not to my preference sound-wise. I was running this off of an Apple dongle, which is my standard for IEMs.

Subtonic Storm
This is the world's most resolving IEM, hands down. The guys at Subtonic had this insane setup where they ran it off of an ABH2 and some high-end DAP I did not recognize. As a summit-fi system, this was truly excellent. In every technical aspect I could think of, the Storm sits comfortably on the throne. It's truly something special.

Zahl HM1
Normally I am not interested in source gear, however one of the units at the headphones.com booth had terrible channel imbalance, which is pretty unacceptable for its price. I tried the DMS Omega off of it, which was unfortunate because I wanted to give that headphone a try since I really appreciate its design philosophy.

Hisenior Mega5EST
Very comfortable IEM, but I perceive an excess of midbass. While every other aspect of the tuning is very normal and enjoyable, I did not enjoy this IEM for that reason. I think that this occurs because of my particular HRTF (I've EQ'd my IE200s to JM-1 and I do not have this problem with those). Still, it's probably the easiest recommendation in its price bracket.

Auribus Acoustics Sierra
I wish this headphone existed two years ago before I bought my MM500s. I would be one of those guys that would just own an HD6xx or HD600 just for how natural the midrange and treble is. Unfortunately, I do not enjoy those two headphones because of how thin the earpads are (pushing my pinna against my head is an intolerable sensation). Thankfully, the Sierra is better in the comfort department, with the exception that the earcups sit too far up on my head, even on the maximum setting. This trade-off is perfectly worth it for the HD600-like tuning and presentation. Having bass extension is just the cherry on top. I would buy these if I did not already own an MM500.

64audio Solo
I am baffled by the concept of an open back IEM. I want isolation in my IEMs, and despite the fact that the tuning and comfort are quite enjoyable, I just cannot get behind the Solo.

64audio U12t
This IEM is a legend, but it is not for me. The upper midrange dip just is not very enjoyable. While I do use EQ, it should not be a requirement for me to enjoy something. For that reason, I did not spend long enough with the U12t to appreciate its more technical aspects.

Harmonicdyne x Zeos Eris
I gotta admit, I hated this thing when I first tried it at the Bloom Audio booth. However, on Sunday, Zeos spoke these words to me: "You wanna listen to Tom Cruise?" I then saw the light. The absolutely idiotic amounts of bass and horrific treble tuning put the stupidest grin on my face. In all respects I should hate this product. However, the whole package loops back around to being one of the unforgettable audio experiences I've had at Canjam. I will purchase a set of these to keep in the closet to pull out once every few months to laugh my ass off at a movie, album, or something other. At $250, it is definitely worth the asking price, but absolutely not as a primary headphone.

Hifiman Susvara Unveiled
I have intrusive thoughts to touch the drivers. I mean, yeah it sounds good, but I should not be having these thoughts about a headphone. You can optimize your suffering by leaving the magnetic covers on when you listen to it.

FatFreq Scarlet Mini
HAHAHAHAHAHA.
In all seriousness, this is an absolutely absurd amount of bass. The most impressive thing about this IEM is that the midrange and treble still sound alright even with bass mountain stuck to the end. I am very glad that this product exists, even though I do not enjoy it much.

Jomo Audio Nautilus
I thought it was alright. I guess I could critique the extremely garish presentation and shell, but that isn't particularly interesting. I don't have any more detailed thoughts on it.

Symphonium Europa
This made me tear up and I forked over 1550$ on the spot to purchase a set of these. This is my favorite IEM in existence and I prefer it even over the Storm. The tuning of this IEM scratches every itch I have and matches my HRTF and preferences in so many ways. The bass is extremely high quality and very well balanced with the rest of the tuning. The midrange is very naturalistic with great timbre. The treble is ridiculously well extended and detailed (although I do remove a bit more of the 12kHz spike with EQ). I'm not bothered by the lack of venting and this IEM still sounds spectacular even off an Apple dongle. I love everything about this IEM and it was the second best thing I tried at Canjam. I will eventually post a review of it.

Symphonium Helios
Drums sound absolutely insane on these, but the overall thinness detracts from just about any other instrument. You can see how much progress that Symphonium has made since this product, from tuning to shell design. I get why people really like it, but I just think it is too specialized for me to like.

Nightjar Duality
The Singularity walked so the Duality could run. While keeping the massive bass shelf, the Duality actually has the subjective aspects I look for in the bass of an IEM. I also liked both of the tunings available here: a normal one and one when you want to shatter your skull with bass.

Sennheiser HE-1
This made my cry. I got off the stand-by waitlist and I got to spend 15 minutes with the HE-1. I listened to Julia Holter's Horns Surrounding Me, Foxing's Hell 99, and HFS 40,000 by Have a Nice Life. In all three cases, this headphone produced the most naturalistic, effortless, and enjoyable presentation of these songs I have ever heard. This was so far beyond any other audio experience I have ever had, it was akin to a religious experience. I literally had to go home, get lunch, and sit around for a while just to process what I have just experienced. I am still in a level of shock from this headphone. I am still thinking about the highs of Julia's voice, Foxing's ripping guitars, and Have a Nice Life's low-fi subwoofer-shredding bass. I feel so bad to Eric, he has to take this experience away from people when their time is up. Driving down to Canjam was worth it just to try this headphone.

Warwick Acoustics Aperio Goldensound Edition
I was still reeling from the HE-1 when I got around to trying this, which might explain my lack of enthusiasm for this product. I mean, it definitely gets within spitting distance of the HE-1. However, I found it to lack the special sauce the HE-1 had. I feel like if I got to try this again, I would find myself having a stronger, probably positive opinion on this headphone.

I also got to try all of Pud's cursed DIY headphones, and I made a tierlist of it. It's based purely off my gut reaction after about 5-10 minutes with each one, and I'm judging only sound, and they are all relative to each other, but the Jecklin Floats were genuinely excellent and I want to make one for myself.

S-tier
4-Driver Jecklin Floats: How is it this good?
A-tier
Felt-phone: Pretty good. Stimulates the nostrils with a burning sensation.
B-tier
Thumpy (big black balls-phone): Ascended Zeos Eris. I can feel the balls vibrate on my head.
Crossfeed tube: You can do a lot worse than being a bit bloated in the midbass.
C-tier
Horny-phone: Like the old Audeze stock tuning dialed up to 11. Less bueno.
Fry-phone: Like the old Audeze stock tuning dialed up to 11. More bueno.
Cephalopod-phone: Getting a little wonky here. Quirky even. Like being underwater in the kiddie pool.
Goldensound logo-phone: Inoffensive, but 2Chainz rattling in my ears distracts me from the music.
Beef: Well done steak. Hot in the treble.
Sharing headphone (sharing): Somehow more palatable than being the main person wearing it.
D-tier
Sharing headphone (wearing): I am straight up not having a good time.
Eyephone: Massive power requirements. Instilled the fear of god in me after the protection circuit in the Topping AX9 kicked in. I wish I could unsee this. Would be A-tier if not for the mortal terror of potentially breaking an amp.
"Pinnas" Headphone: I am allergic to closed backs and I am getting hives.
F-tier Parabolic Reflector-phone: It blows, literally. It is better as a fan for your ears than it is for playing sound.

Anyways, that's everything I have to say about what I tried. I had an amazing time, and I will be attending future Canjams just to meet you awesome people again.

 

[Syan25]

I'm a bit late here, but I decided to make an account to put my impressions here. This was my first Canjam, and I had an awesome time meeting everyone there. If you saw the guy with the United Airlines complimentary earbuds, that was me. I should preface that I came mostly to try IEMs primarily because I wanted to purchase one. Also, I tend to listen at lower volumes, so my impressions of over-ears are weakly held.

HEDDphone 2 GT
I found it to be a bit piercing in the treble and midrange. However, the clamp adjustment system is genuinely revolutionary and I could see myself really enjoying them with EQ.

Nightjar Singularity
This IEM holds the title of the most comfortable shell I've ever tried. Just from putting them in my ears I instantly know that the team there did an incredible job with the fit. I wish I could say the same about the bass. Keep in mind that I am not a basshead, but I really enjoy good quality bass. I found the Singularity to have a lot of bass, but there was not the sense of impact or tactility that you can find in something like the IE900. The midrange and treble tuning was quite good though, but unfortunately this was not to my preference sound-wise. I was running this off of an Apple dongle, which is my standard for IEMs.

Subtonic Storm
This is the world's most resolving IEM, hands down. The guys at Subtonic had this insane setup where they ran it off of an ABH2 and some high-end DAP I did not recognize. As a summit-fi system, this was truly excellent. In every technical aspect I could think of, the Storm sits comfortably on the throne. It's truly something special.

Zahl HM1
Normally I am not interested in source gear, however one of the units at the headphones.com booth had terrible channel imbalance, which is pretty unacceptable for its price. I tried the DMS Omega off of it, which was unfortunate because I wanted to give that headphone a try since I really appreciate its design philosophy.

Hisenior Mega5EST
Very comfortable IEM, but I perceive an excess of midbass. While every other aspect of the tuning is very normal and enjoyable, I did not enjoy this IEM for that reason. I think that this occurs because of my particular HRTF (I've EQ'd my IE200s to JM-1 and I do not have this problem with those). Still, it's probably the easiest recommendation in its price bracket.

Auribus Acoustics Sierra
I wish this headphone existed two years ago before I bought my MM500s. I would be one of those guys that would just own an HD6xx or HD600 just for how natural the midrange and treble is. Unfortunately, I do not enjoy those two headphones because of how thin the earpads are (pushing my pinna against my head is an intolerable sensation). Thankfully, the Sierra is better in the comfort department, with the exception that the earcups sit too far up on my head, even on the maximum setting. This trade-off is perfectly worth it for the HD600-like tuning and presentation. Having bass extension is just the cherry on top. I would buy these if I did not already own an MM500.

64audio Solo
I am baffled by the concept of an open back IEM. I want isolation in my IEMs, and despite the fact that the tuning and comfort are quite enjoyable, I just cannot get behind the Solo.

64audio U12t
This IEM is a legend, but it is not for me. The upper midrange dip just is not very enjoyable. While I do use EQ, it should not be a requirement for me to enjoy something. For that reason, I did not spend long enough with the U12t to appreciate its more technical aspects.

Harmonicdyne x Zeos Eris
I gotta admit, I hated this thing when I first tried it at the Bloom Audio booth. However, on Sunday, Zeos spoke these words to me: "You wanna listen to Tom Cruise?" I then saw the light. The absolutely idiotic amounts of bass and horrific treble tuning put the stupidest grin on my face. In all respects I should hate this product. However, the whole package loops back around to being one of the unforgettable audio experiences I've had at Canjam. I will purchase a set of these to keep in the closet to pull out once every few months to laugh my ass off at a movie, album, or something other. At $250, it is definitely worth the asking price, but absolutely not as a primary headphone.

Hifiman Susvara Unveiled
I have intrusive thoughts to touch the drivers. I mean, yeah it sounds good, but I should not be having these thoughts about a headphone. You can optimize your suffering by leaving the magnetic covers on when you listen to it.

FatFreq Scarlet Mini
HAHAHAHAHAHA.
In all seriousness, this is an absolutely absurd amount of bass. The most impressive thing about this IEM is that the midrange and treble still sound alright even with bass mountain stuck to the end. I am very glad that this product exists, even though I do not enjoy it much.

Jomo Audio Nautilus
I thought it was alright. I guess I could critique the extremely garish presentation and shell, but that isn't particularly interesting. I don't have any more detailed thoughts on it.

Symphonium Europa
This made me tear up and I forked over 1550$ on the spot to purchase a set of these. This is my favorite IEM in existence and I prefer it even over the Storm. The tuning of this IEM scratches every itch I have and matches my HRTF and preferences in so many ways. The bass is extremely high quality and very well balanced with the rest of the tuning. The midrange is very naturalistic with great timbre. The treble is ridiculously well extended and detailed (although I do remove a bit more of the 12kHz spike with EQ). I'm not bothered by the lack of venting and this IEM still sounds spectacular even off an Apple dongle. I love everything about this IEM and it was the second best thing I tried at Canjam. I will eventually post a review of it.

Symphonium Helios
Drums sound absolutely insane on these, but the overall thinness detracts from just about any other instrument. You can see how much progress that Symphonium has made since this product, from tuning to shell design. I get why people really like it, but I just think it is too specialized for me to like.

Nightjar Duality
The Singularity walked so the Duality could run. While keeping the massive bass shelf, the Duality actually has the subjective aspects I look for in the bass of an IEM. I also liked both of the tunings available here: a normal one and one when you want to shatter your skull with bass.

Sennheiser HE-1
This made my cry. I got off the stand-by waitlist and I got to spend 15 minutes with the HE-1. I listened to Julia Holter's Horns Surrounding Me, Foxing's Hell 99, and HFS 40,000 by Have a Nice Life. In all three cases, this headphone produced the most naturalistic, effortless, and enjoyable presentation of these songs I have ever heard. This was so far beyond any other audio experience I have ever had, it was akin to a religious experience. I literally had to go home, get lunch, and sit around for a while just to process what I have just experienced. I am still in a level of shock from this headphone. I am still thinking about the highs of Julia's voice, Foxing's ripping guitars, and Have a Nice Life's low-fi subwoofer-shredding bass. I feel so bad to Eric, he has to take this experience away from people when their time is up. Driving down to Canjam was worth it just to try this headphone.

Warwick Acoustics Aperio Goldensound Edition
I was still reeling from the HE-1 when I got around to trying this, which might explain my lack of enthusiasm for this product. I mean, it definitely gets within spitting distance of the HE-1. However, I found it to lack the special sauce the HE-1 had. I feel like if I got to try this again, I would find myself having a stronger, probably positive opinion on this headphone.

I also got to try all of Pud's cursed DIY headphones, and I made a tierlist of it. It's based purely off my gut reaction after about 5-10 minutes with each one, and I'm judging only sound, and they are all relative to each other, but the Jecklin Floats were genuinely excellent and I want to make one for myself.

S-tier
4-Driver Jecklin Floats: How is it this good?
A-tier
Felt-phone: Pretty good. Stimulates the nostrils with a burning sensation.
B-tier
Thumpy (big black balls-phone): Ascended Zeos Eris. I can feel the balls vibrate on my head.
Crossfeed tube: You can do a lot worse than being a bit bloated in the midbass.
C-tier
Horny-phone: Like the old Audeze stock tuning dialed up to 11. Less bueno.
Fry-phone: Like the old Audeze stock tuning dialed up to 11. More bueno.
Cephalopod-phone: Getting a little wonky here. Quirky even. Like being underwater in the kiddie pool.
Goldensound logo-phone: Inoffensive, but 2Chainz rattling in my ears distracts me from the music.
Beef: Well done steak. Hot in the treble.
Sharing headphone (sharing): Somehow more palatable than being the main person wearing it.
D-tier
Sharing headphone (wearing): I am straight up not having a good time.
Eyephone: Massive power requirements. Instilled the fear of god in me after the protection circuit in the Topping AX9 kicked in. I wish I could unsee this. Would be A-tier if not for the mortal terror of potentially breaking an amp.
"Pinnas" Headphone: I am allergic to closed backs and I am getting hives.
F-tier Parabolic Reflector-phone: It blows, literally. It is better as a fan for your ears than it is for playing sound.

Anyways, that's everything I have to say about what I tried. I had an amazing time, and I will be attending future Canjams just to meet you awesome people again.

Thank you for your thoughts and for sharing them so that others in the world can know more.

 

[HONEYBOY]

@titaniumfrycook I think you may have wanted to post here instead https://www.head-fi.org/threads/canjam-socal-2024-impressions-thread-september-28-29-2024.974304/

Nice right up

 

[TaronL]

Zahl HM1
Normally I am not interested in source gear, however one of the units at the headphones.com booth had terrible channel imbalance, which is pretty unacceptable for its price. I tried the DMS Omega off of it, which was unfortunate because I wanted to give that headphone a try since I really appreciate its design philosophy.

Yeah it was unfortunate! I just wanted to note though that the unit that was at the show has been our demo unit for close to 4 years now and has been shipped around more times than I count. Judging from our experience with couriers, its likely taken a tumble or two.

It’s on the way back to Michael so should be good as new soon!