So sad I didn't get a chance to try your creations
Hey everyone!
Pud here, creator of those weird headphones like “Ol’ Thumpy” with the huge 60hz Helmholtz resonator, the “Bob” headphone with 8 drivers, the McHeadphones (with French fry diffusers to scatter the back wave) and others.
What an epic and fun weekend.
It was really a highlight of my life to finally see other people, besides my wife and kids, try out my designs, get everyone’s reactions, and see the smiles.
I met so many awesome people and made a lot of new friends. Even some locals who live nearby (SF Bay Area) I hope to hang with often.
I’ve been into headphones for a long time but this one only my second CanJam and I’m happy and proud to know this welcoming community, and to consider myself to be a part of.
Feel free to hit me up with any questions about my headphone designs (they don’t just look weird! They all serve some acoustic purpose). Or just come by CanJam NYC in 2025 and try em there. I have many new designs coming up.
As for impressions of things I hadn’t heard before, I was particularly taken by the Warwick GoldenSound, HE1000 Unveiled, and ZMF Auteur among others.
. Since I only had 1 day to spend, I was on a serious IEM mission but I hope to see you at the next one so I can try the Bob!
Spent a great deal of time at the ZMF booth. Scored a great deal on my first ZMF, an Aged Cherry Atrium open. $1999 (Demo price) and no sales tax! It was a new set, served as a demo unit for 4 hours before they sold it at the demo price. It sounds as sublime as I imagined culminating from numerous reviews. Bevin, Zach, and the whole crew working the booth were amazingly attentive and helpful.
The Ti versions are going to fly very quick, but if the RE is priced at 2k, it'll be my rec for a super engaging and musical set at ANY price point. I can't wait to get it in and am already selling stuff to accommodate it!
For me, having been to many shows, the nice find this year was the Technics AZ80 anc earbuds.
I agree I loved Hifi For All Dahlia! I'm working on my CanJam impression novel. Hopefully I'll have it done sometime this week. We are entering the age of 3d printed headphone startups that test out cool new ideas. The trifecta of sub-$1k uniquely voiced 3d printed headphones this year was Dahlia, Omega and Sierra. Also such nice and passionate people behind all three of those headphones.Day Two - My 2 Biggest Highlights:
HiFi For All Dahlia ($879) - At first, I wasn't quite sure what to make of the name, but when I saw a new, interesting looking open-back headphone sitting on their table, I decided to have a seat and take a listen. And oh wow, am I glad I did!! The Dahlia's sounded absolutely fantastic! They had excellent tone and texture, their vocal presentation was spot on, their bass was present and beautifully balanced. They were lightweight and super comfortable to wear. While I thought they looked a little bit DIY (in a good way), their fit and finish was actually quite excellent. Plus their earpads mount to a resonator ring, which are designed to be easily swapped out, and the different resonator rings (currently there are Balanced and Dynamic) will change the tuning of the headphone. What a brilliant design! These things are legit amazing for a first headphone from a brand new small company. And I learned that Christian from NITSCH is already a big fan of them, and after hearing them for myself, I can definitely see why! For me, they are currently now in my Top 5 favorite under-$1000 open-back headphones. So if you see the Dahlia's at a future CanJam, be sure to take a listen to them and see if you like what you hear. https://hififorall.com/
Meze Alba ($159) - These 1DD IEMs are some of the best sounding, bang-for-the-buck IEMs that I heard a CanJam SoCal 2024, and I much preferred them over the comparably priced FiiO FD15. While they sounded pretty good using their stock white eartips, when I switched to my favorite Final Audio Type E Clear tips, their SQ improved significantly. And I'm willing to bet that a high quality (but nothing too crazy) cable would take their performance up another notch or two. I was super impressed (and surprised!) by the SQ of these little guys. Two big thumbs way up from me for the Alba!
I'm not sure what exactly it is about these, and I have never heard of them before these posts, but you guys have seriously piqued my interest to the point I'm considering going in on a preorder... love the mounting ring design, and also a plus that it uses ZMF pads.
Yeah I suspect every year we will see cool new ideas in this price range. I really enjoyed listening to all three of them. I think the Omega and Dahlia have a more naturalistic tuning whereas the Sierra is doing some super interesting things with the 3d printed baffle to expand the sound stage. And don’t forget to save some of that budget for a Bokeh Open! Too many good ones.
CanJams are by far the best places to buy ZMF’s. I’m kicking myself I didn’t get the pair of Caldera Closed I was thinking of. The demo model savings + no tax + being able to hand pick your own pair is out of this world. This pair is beautiful! CongratsSpent a great deal of time at the ZMF booth. Scored a great deal on my first ZMF, an Aged Cherry Atrium open. $1999 (Demo price) and no sales tax! It was a new set, served as a demo unit for 4 hours before they sold it at the demo price. It sounds as sublime as I imagined culminating from numerous reviews. Bevin, Zach, and the whole crew working the booth were amazingly attentive and helpful.
I’m hoping to snag a cool AC or CC at CanJam NYC! Is it only cash for buying direct from them there?
