[Keithpgdrb]

Place impressions here

 

[warrenpchi]

Yes, yes, yes, please!  I'm particularly interested in what people think of the DAVE > LAu > Abyss rig.  

 

[DVass13]

It figures that as soon as I move down to NC, Warren announces discounts on Cavalli gear and a LAu shows up at ChiUniFi. I had a great time last fall and am now even more disappointed I couldn't make it. Please, everyone post pictures and impressions so I can live vicariously through you all    

 

 

[warrenpchi]

I had nothing to do with that, it just automagically happened!  

 

[Audio Addict]

Yes, yes, yes, please!  I'm particularly interested in what people think of the DAVE > LAu > Abyss rig.  

Definitely preferred the Gold over the HeadTrip with both being fed by Dave. Most of the time I used the Gold in the low gain setting. Even then with Steve ' Pioneer Master's, I had 2 to 3 clicks in balanced. I tried converting the balanced to single ended, which gave more control over the volume control but loss some of the magic. In the end preferred the balanced configuration. Definitely enjoyed the time with the CA Gold.

 

[ogodei]

I have just one thing to say about the event.

Their really WERE candies, puppies, and magical singing unicorns in the back of the van. I call upon those of you who were BRAVE enough to ride with me to testify to this truth.

 

[warrenpchi]

 

Yes, yes, yes, please!  I'm particularly interested in what people think of the DAVE > LAu > Abyss rig.  

Definitely preferred the Gold over the HeadTrip with both being fed by Dave. Most of the time I used the Gold in the low gain setting. Even then with Steve ' Pioneer Master's, I had 2 to 3 clicks in balanced. I tried converting the balanced to single ended, which gave more control over the volume control but loss some of the magic. In the end preferred the balanced configuration. Definitely enjoyed the time with the CA Gold.

Thanks a bunch!  

  I've been around the HeadTrip many times, but never had an opportunity to listen as I was usually working the show that they were at.  

  Still, several ears I trust have been telling me that the HeadTrip is pretty darned good, and that has piqued my curiosity quite a bit for almost a year now.  

 

 

[saidentary]

I had a great time last fall and am now even more disappointed I couldn't make it. Please, everyone post pictures and impressions so I can live vicariously through you all    

 

+1

 

[Audio Addict]

Thanks a bunch!     I've been around the HeadTrip many times, but never had an opportunity to listen as I was usually working the show that they were at.     Still, several ears I trust have been telling me that the HeadTrip is pretty darned good, and that has piqued my curiosity quite a bit for almost a year now.    

It is not the HeadTrip wasn't great, it is the Gold just had that finese. The HeadTrip has that brute strength but that isn't my preference. Also the step attenuator had too large of steps for more efficient headphones. The Gold can adapt to a variety of headphones with the smooth volume control combined with the L/H gain option.

 

[warrenpchi]

 

Thanks a bunch!  

  I've been around the HeadTrip many times, but never had an opportunity to listen as I was usually working the show that they were at.  

  Still, several ears I trust have been telling me that the HeadTrip is pretty darned good, and that has piqued my curiosity quite a bit for almost a year now.  

 

It is not the HeadTrip wasn't great, it is the Gold just had that finese. The HeadTrip has that brute strength but that isn't my preference.

 
Ah yes, I know exactly what you mean!  Perfectly phrased!  I too have that preference for finesse and grace over brute force immediacy.
 

Also the step attenuator had too large of steps for more efficient headphones. The Gold can adapt to a variety of headphones with the smooth volume control combined with the L/H gain option.

 

Right, I gotcha.  Though I suppose if someone only wanted an amp to drive an HE-6 (or an Abyss), that probably wouldn't matter as much.

 

[Hansotek]

Great meet, as always guys! I have so much fun every time we get together. Big thanks to Keith for doing the heavy lifting to bring it all together.

Lots of really impressive stuff to hear today. I kicked it off listening to Keith's HE-6 wired into his vintage Yamaha. Quite nice. I really dig the bass and it felt like it had some really killer drive.

Next I spent some time with the ZMF Vibro MKII and a few brief moments with the Omni, both wired into the Wells Audio Headtrip. This thing is an absolute beast with hard-to-drive orthos, and really brought out all the magic zach915m's headphones have to offer. I was really, really impressed with the new Vibro MKII, which is an absolutely insane value and has to be a contender for one of the top headphones at it's respective price point. The tone is just gorgeous!

I spent a good amount of time listening to the new Shure KSE1500 electrostatic IEM, and I have to say, this thing rocks! It brings that super airy and transparent feel you get with a STAX or HD800, without being harsh or fatiguing at all. The one knock on it I will say, is that the onboard DAC in the energizer unit is somewhat lacking. At first listen I wasn't super impressed. Then I hooked it up via line-in from the Chord Mojo, and it was a whole new ballgame! Just jaw-droppingly good with a good DAC behind it. I think I still personally, subjectively prefer the slightly warmer, more romantic sound of the Noble K10, but for hardcore HD800 and electrostatic fans, the Shure KSE1500 is an absolute must-try.

Finally, I spent lots of time listening to my HD800 on the Cavalli Liquid Gold fed by the new Chord DAVE, and it was just phenomenal. The Liquid Gold and the HD800 are such a fantastic match, and the DAVE brings it up another level with excellent transparency, timbre, and very natural balance. It's a little more laid back and natural compared to the Mojo, but not overly so. It's basically in a sweet spot where it's perfectly balanced between uber-detailed and uber-realistic. Building on that foundation, the Liquid Gold adds a tremendous sense of natural warmth and control, making the HD800 bow to the DAVE's every command. This combo is truly special. Big thanks to jude and warrenpchi for making this one possible!

 

[dBel84]

Glad you had a good time. I was unfortunately working today but had hoped that I might be able to sneak down for a few hours. Hopefully next time..dB 
 
I would have loved to hear the KSE1500 - this would have been the equipment highlight for me. 

 

[JoelT]

Thanks to everyone for being welcoming and for a fun meet. There was lots of nice gear in attendance and it was fun to get to listen to some things I'd never heard before. For me, the biggest highlight was definitely getting to (finally) hear the DNA Stratus - highly resolving, spacious, excellent separation between instruments with a tasteful dose of tube liquidity. Really excellent. I also enjoyed hearing Zach's ZMF headphones for the first time. His Blackwood model in particular appealed to me with a warm but relatively neutral presentation - beautiful looking headphones as well.
 
ZMF Omni - Warm with emphasized bass. A nice take on a fun tuning.

 
ZMF Blackwood - A bit more neutral leaning and my personal preference of ZMF's lineup.

 
MicroZOTL amp at the ZMF table

 
Checking out the ZMF Omni being fed by the Wells Audio Headtrip and the Chord Dave. The Headtrip's power had excellent grip of the drivers, tightening up the presentation and opening up the staging.

 
AKG K701's

 
HiFiMan HE-1000's via Bottlehead S.E.X and Yggy

 
 
HiFiMan HE-6's powered by a vintage Yamaha CR-2020

 
Grados

 
DNA Stratus and the Sennheiser HD800S 

 
DNA Stratus headphone outputs - The amp comes in any color of your choosing as long as it's blue.

 
Talking Shop

 
Chord Dave

 
Wells Audio Headtrip - Lots of power and synergistic for low efficiency cans. Higher efficiency headphones ended up too low on the stepped attenuator and there was too great of a volume difference between steps. Horses for courses... 

 
Checking out the various systems

 
Mr Speakers Ether

 
Stax - One pair was modded I believe, though I wasn't sure who's they were to discuss what had been done.

 
Jude listening to the HiFiMan Edition X

 
Astell and Kern AK240 AK380 with the HiFiMan Edition X - Warm and very relaxed.

 
Woo Audio WA7

 
AKG K7XX and the Woo Audio WA7

 
Assortment of cables

 
ENIGMAcoustics Dharma

 
Pioneer SE-Master 1 - Surprising to see these out in the wild. While they weren't my cup of tea, they were fun hear.

 

[adamaley]

@JoelT get some sleep man. It was definitely great to meet everyone. Very fun easy-going group, all with well thought out systems. Thanks to Keith for organizing the event. Special thanks to Ogodei (Steve) for allowing me to indulge with his DNA Stratus, the highlight of my day. I got to hear the RSA Raptor for the first time, after reading so much about it. It was a great listen coupled with great music selection. I'll post pics later today.

 

[buson160man]

@JoelT
 get some sleep man. It was definitely great to meet everyone. Very fun easy-going group, all with well thought out systems. Thanks to Keith for organizing the event. Special thanks to Ogodei (Steve) for allowing me to indulge with his DNA Stratus, the highlight of my day. I got to hear the RSA Raptor for the first time, after reading so much about it. It was a great listen coupled with great music selection. I'll post pics later today I
Thanks for the compliment .