I guess it’s my turn to chime in ...
Everything was great! IMHO, any time spent listening to music is time well spent. I was not only impressed by the gear, but also the music and, of course, the people.
I found the TTVJ Hybrid pocket amp very surprising. It is well made, although there are a few minor things that could be improved. The only really noticeable fault (if you want to call it that) was the bend in the volume knob. Before I would shell out that much $$ for a pocket amp, I would expect a bit more quality control. Appearance aside, the amp sounded vibrant and surprisingly had enough juice to run my MBs, which are power hungry.
TTVJ vs. Headroom Micro, my choice would be the HR amp. Sound was terrific and I was surprised how small they are in person. My only caveat is I wouldn't mod my iPod. I'd have to do a closer comparison to really say how much of an improvement there is with the mod, but the interface menu is too small for me, but that's just my personal taste.
The big tubers all sounded exotic, but my personal preference is for the Extreme. Even after the DAC swap, I found it to sound more lush and melodic with several different phones. It perhaps isn't as revealing as the Zana, which is usually what I prefer, but anything that gets me more absorbed in the music, to me, is better and the Extreme certainly had me very involved. Still one could not go wrong with either amp.
DACs, to me, are a strange bird. They are unique in any variety. Hardwired certainly had a point stating it seemed oxymoronic to have a tube DAC. Perhaps it's just because it’s a newer concept. I don't recall ever seeing one years ago and, that in the last decade, many more specific devices (DACs, CDPs, etc) are now including tubes. I certainly do believe there is still room for tubes in this vastly SS realm.
The modded Benchmark DAC1 was very good. My feelings on the Cayin are still out, but I do feel the DAC1 is no slouch on its own. Pairing the right phones would be the key, and it would depend on direct to DAC1 or output to tube amp that would make the biggest difference. In this instance I think compuryan has made solid choices but I am sure his adventure isn't over yet.
All the headphones were great but a few surprising. The 'Baby O' was certainly the icing on the cake [Right HC?
]. It definitely had awesome clarity and soundstage, far broader than anticipated. The Grado RS-1 were where as I expected but the MS2 surprised me. The MS2 sound was richer, more liquid and warm than I anticipated for an aluminum phone. The midrange was clear and the treble not harsh or overly bright, at least to my ears with K2HD CD.
Certain high frequencies cause my inner ear to vibrate. Not painful but very annoying. Imagine a fly stuck in your ear and you can't reach it to pull it out or scratch the itch. Any device that causes that for me is out. I thought the MS2 might generate that while listening to horns, but such was not the case. Rolloff? Maybe. I think just more top end control, although possibly due to other items in the chain as that was my first time hearing Alessandros and an Extreme. I would certainly associate the MS2 (and SR-325) more with tube amps rather than SS to avoid generating any additional harshness.
The AKG 701 were wunderful. No surprise there for me. Great things come from Austria.
Clean, clear midrange, tight bass and sweet soundstage. Talking soundstage in headphones is, I feel, somewhat irrelevant because, let's face it, it is still all in your head. That aside, the AKG and the Senns certainly do push more "outside the box". All were non-fatiguing and highly musical. The Senns have more bass than the AKG but I feel that's part of the preference for listeners and music genres. I'd reach for 701's for Moonlight Sonata and Senns for Big Blue Ball.
The Denon AH-D2000 were very comfortable. The Ultrasone Edition 9 were tighter than I expected. Both had an all-around good sound but neither are my cup-o-tea, mainly due to weight (neck problems). Surprisingly I'd choose the Denon over the Ultrasone. Converse to Hardwired's earlier statement, I think I could enjoy a fairly wide variety of music via the Denons.
I've been toying all year with the idea of getting a tube amp and this meet certainly proved enlightening towards making my decision. I expect to have a tube amp of some variety soon. Thanks for all the new research I now have to do!?!?
Seriously though I did appreciate all the terrific gear to hear and am very happy that light has been shed for me on a resurrected hobby. I spent way too many years away from music and coming back to headphones at this stage appears to be fortuitous with all the options available.
The DiY was very cool. My roadie was extremely curious about the amps. Perhaps this was nudge he needed to make me an amp. He is very into electronics and certainly has enough parts to make me something special, although not nearly as cool as Chobint’s DiY.
Oh! Thanks for adding to my CD collection!! You know I have to have the K2HD CD and some Shinedown. I've got those and more already enroute.
Also, the CGT concert was awesome! They recorded it live and I've got a copy! I was surprised they remembered me from ten years ago when they hit Cincinnati during the King Crimson Tour but they did! It was an awesome evening, ended way too soon and five minutes after leaving I was ready for the next tour!
It was an awesome weekend all around for me!! I hope it was for everyone else and that we can get to do it again. I know there has to be more headfiers in this area and that we can make it an even better experience the next time.
PS: Happy Camper .. Me evil? Now where would you get an idea like that? 
