DC Area Meet - December 15th, 2019 Impressions!

[Silverion77]

I'm really really tired. I'll leave this to everyone else for now.

Thanks everyone for the gear. Thanks @blacktone for the amazing space! That space definitely made this meet head and shoulders above the rest. Thanks to @lcasadonte for the light refreshments. That bagel kept me trucking through the day (actually...). Thanks @schiit, @willsw (and the rest of the LTA crew....sorry Nick, I don't know your tag ), @justin w. (HeadAmp) for the manufacturer representation!

I'll post some impressions and pictures later of all the stuff. I need to sleep -_-

 

[Silverion77]

Also, shout out to Josh W. for winning the Woo Audio Stand raffle (he was also there to take it at the end, quite convenient). As much as I really wanted it for myself, I let someone else shuffle and pick a number .

 

[willsw]

@jtnt is Nicholas, LTA's go-to guy and the reason we were able to bring some neat stuff and it wasn't just me showing up from the train with my HD650s in my bag.

Thanks again to @blacktone for the great space, the various organizers, and a big thank you to @lcasadonte for generously providing the coffee and snacks!

The solid-state amp comparison rig @sheldaze set up was impressive and I could have spent much longer there. As it was, I mostly ignored the ECP and EC (blame right angles) and concentrated on the Headamp GS-X Mini and the Pass HPA-1. Depending on the track and headphones I was leaning slightly in favor of one or the other, though I think if I was always using the balanced output of the GS-X I could have come down in its camp. Just get the DACT stepped attenuator upgrade and I'm sure the Headamp will pull away.

I was happy to be able to hear the Rosson RAD-0, courtesy of @justin w. , though, as always, I should have spent more time with them. Initial impressions were positive and I'll be looking for future opportunities to hear them.

Interested in anyone's impressions of the new Schiit gear and what other people heard on the amp comparison setup.

 

[willsw]

I regret that we had to leave early - we missed the RAAL, the Orpheus, the Abyss, and all kinds of other things! Nice pictures.

 

[darmanastartes]

Thanks again to everyone for setting this event up and sharing their gear.
The highlight of the meet for me was hearing the Rosson Audio RAD-0. It was my first time hearing it and I was sold instantly on the sound. It came across as superbly neutral while still delivering impact and without sacrificing detail. I hope I can get my hands on one for a more extended review at some point though. They were heavy and the clamp force was intense, and while that was tolerable for the time I was using them, I would need to sit with them for a longer span of time to make a definitive call on whether I'd be happy owning them.
I also loved the Klipsch Heritage HP-3, which to me sits as the pinnacle of the Fostex biodynamic sound while avoiding the construction pitfalls of other entries. It was much airier than the RAD-0 and had a more upfront treble presentation but did not convey the same heft in the midrange.
Link to sick gear pics: https://lensdump.com/a/head-fi-meet.i8A5o

 

[GrindingThud]

Looks like I missed a great meet - awesome photo set!

 

[gandhisfist]

Thanks again to @blacktone for the excellent space and @Silverion77 for organizing! A great meet, happy to see so many familiar faces and a few new ones.

Biggest surprise of the meet for me was definitely the Bifrost 2. This is a much cleaner and clearer sounding dac than the previous gen and I think it competes with the gugnir multibit easily. A bit less wide sounding but I think it has better depth and a blacker background, the SE and XLR outputs didn't seem as far apart as the ones on the gumby either.

Honorable mention for the Dangerous Convert 2. This thing has great dynamics with slam that will really hit you over the head. Has a similar tonal profile to the Dangerous Source I think, just refined and even more dynamic. Good layering and separation on this as well. Heard this through the Phonitor X(?) which seemed to just get out of the way which was really nice.

Also honorable mention for @yage's DNA Stratus. Sounded great hooked up to the Ayre CD player. A little tube warmth, a great sense of stage, great resolution, and a really meaty presentation, was really enjoyable.

The little comparison station for the Magnis was a treat, thanks to Schiit for that. I definitely think the Magni 3+ is a small step up from the 3 in clarity and separation. Comparing the 3+ and the Heresy was interesting. I definitely prefer the 3+, something is off about the timbre and dynamics of the Heresy that sounds flat, thin and unnatural to me.

The other comparison station @sheldaze had set up was also a real treat. I thought the gsx mini was pretty clean but a bit bright sounding, like a boosted air region and cymbals sounded a bit hashy. The Pass HPA-1 was a bit smooth and compressed sounding to me, having a little bit of a "normalization" effect on the music. The DSHA 3F sounded a bit smooth like the Pass but warmer leaning (possibly just a reaction between my headphones and the output impedance of the amplifier, I also understand this doesn't have the amorphous core transformers which are supposed to provide more clarity) and more dynamic. The Black Widow remained my favorite of the bunch. Slightly less refined sounding but quite resolving, dynamic and even.

 

[dcguy73]

Arrrgggh! Can't believe I missed out on this. I didn't see the meet information until just now. Curses!

 

[jashpasta]

Hey guys, finally made a Head-Fi account. Thanks for organizing this meet!
I'm the one who brought the Focal Elex and left with the Woo Audio stand

 

[kendavis]

Hey guys, finally made a Head-Fi account. Thanks for organizing this meet!
I'm the one who brought the Focal Elex and left with the Woo Audio stand

The traditional response is... Welcome to Head-Fi. Sorry about your wallet.