[cho8]

@joe can I get my attendee badge too

 

[conquerator2]

As someone who attended his first CanJam, it could not have been much better. I hung out with the best folks, listened to the best phones and had an absolute blast!
Amazing event. Here is to next year
I will post impressions ASAP.

 

[joe]

@joe can I get my attendee badge too

 
 
You, sir, are all set.

 

[musicday]

Was good to be in London again at the meeting,and to talk to Jude.
I really liked Hidiz +Hugo+ T1, and Stax 009 was the best in the house.Hugo can drive T1 600 oHm headphones to a very high level.
I had the only Tera player around and many were amazed including the people at Seinhaiser boot,is made in Germany after all
I have a T-shirt never worn or tried size L if anyone is interested,PM.
Musicday

 

[AxelCloris]

Joe, can you send me back in time and transport me to London so I can get credit for attending the meet?

 

[snejk]

Thanks all involved for arranging a fantastic CanJam! It was a blast getting to audition that amount of great gear and meeting a lot of friendly and fun people, headfiers are indeed a good breed. Speaking with Maurice, who without hesitation handed over his HE1000/QP1R-rig to me was a pleasure. And I'm amazed by the enthusiasm and friendliness of Jude.
 
Gearwise I'll need to compose my thoughts a bit, but the SR009/BHSE was easily my favourite of the show, surprise. Well, yeah for me it actually was a surprise as the last time I listened to a Stax (SR007 mk2) I wasn't very impressed. But the SR009 was a whole nother experience to me.
 
I couldn't resist buying the ETHER at the show so I guess I liked those as well Opposed to a few others I preferred the open version to the closed. Shortly after the purchase Customcable needed to get their fancy card reader out once again for the nice, very thin and comparatively cheap Linum Bax cable for my JH16Pro's. I'll be looking out for the upcoming SuperBaX.
 
/Jacob

 

[joe]

  Joe, can you send me back in time and transport me to London so I can get credit for attending the meet?

If I could, I'd do the same thing!

 

[pedalhead]

Thanks everyone for your excellent impressions of this event.

If possible could anyone provide further information regarding the Pioneer SE-Master 1 e.g what amp source used plus music files used flac etc. preferences with amp/dacs sources used.

Also any impressions between the pioneers & HE1000 & Ethers, T1v2 would be very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 
When I listened to the Pioneer SE-Master 1 it was out of the Pioneer U-05 DAC/amp (admittedly not exactly a high end unit, although nicely built). That corner of the room was quite noisy when I demo'd them, so I can't make much of a fair assessment. I did feel they were decent enough, with what sounded like a nicely balanced response, although I sadly tend to find most dynamic headphones (this one included) a bit slow/dull compared to the best orthos on the market. The room was quieter when I heard the HE1000 and the Ethers, but certainly I came away feeling that the HE1000 (well, two out of the three of them) sounded superb, a definite step up from my HE-560s. The Ethers were also excellent to my ears, especially the closed version which may very well be replacing my current closed (Alpha Prime) and open (HE-560) headphones once I get some more head-time with them.

 

[ejong7]

Thanks everyone for your excellent impressions of this event.

If possible could anyone provide further information regarding the Pioneer SE-Master 1 e.g what amp source used plus music files used flac etc. preferences with amp/dacs sources used.

Also any impressions between the pioneers & HE1000 & Ethers, T1v2 would be very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

I had the chance of comparing both Ethers, the SE-Master 1 and my own TH900s based on the Ygg and the Rag. To keep it 'fairer' I tried it all through the single ended output since the Pioneers were only single ended (my Fostex were recabled to balanced).
 
In my own hierachy, just sound quality wise, I would say its : Ether > Ether C > TH900 > Pioneers. Through Pioneer's own amp the Master 1 sounded great but I'm not sure whether its pairing with the Schiit stuff (doubt so, Ethan liked it) but I felt it was a little underwhelming. Less refined than both the Ethers in my point of view. Also the soundstage was even a little smaller compared to both Ethers. I rank my TH900s just a peg higher (quite close tbh) just because if I'm gonna trade refinement off I rather my music to sound a little more fun, which the Master 1 did not.
 
Tbh for the price tag I am slightly put off from buying the Master 1, but if both Ethers were never constructed ever then I could see myself buying it actually. Its quite comfortable and although the bass was decent  (well coming from the TH900s, not saying its bad) and the mids had that body that I actually like, I personally think the Ethers are the better pick, better yet its actually cheaper.
 
Oh just for reference I was mainly listening to some U2's. Not sure what file types were used though.

 

[bearFNF]

  Joe, can you send me back in time and transport me to London so I can get credit for attending the meet?

Me to please, I will need to make sure to go next year.

 

[Ra97oR]

Had an excellent weekend at CanJam London, I hope to meet everyone again next time.

I have to sincerely thank everyone that have helped with organizing this amazing event and taken the effort to travel to UK only to be greeted by a cold and damp British summer.

Special shout out to moedawg140 and jude bringing in their own personal IEM collections for everyone to try out and especially moedawg140 for manning the IEM clinic throughout the weekend!


Money no object:

STAX SR-007Mk1 with BSHE

I personally can’t believe STAX have discontinued these in favour of the SR-007Mk2!

To my ears the SR-007Mk1 have the SR-009 beat for long listening sessions but unlike the SR-007Mk2 it was not overly warm and mellow. While it does not have the SR-009’s unique ultra-detailed presentation, the SR-007Mk1 is quite possibly the most realistic headphone I have ever heard.

Pioneer SE-MASTER1

Unlike many other high end statement products, it did not forget about building a pair of headphone that not only sounds good, looks good, fits well but also feels exquisite in your hands. The build remind me of the SR-009’s solid aluminium cups but even better with a better headband system. It had the best headband system that I have ever used, with adjustable clamp tension even with a metal construction. It is not light at 460g but it spreads the weight extremely well.

The sound actually reminded me of the SR-007MK2 but with a punchier bass and more treble presence, lush and relaxing. The price tag and the extremely limited availably of 1000 was a shame though, but I will certainly keep my eyes open for any deals for those even if it is going to be very unlikely.

MrSpeakers Ether

Finally a flagship orthodynamic that truly combines comfort, build quality and sound in a single package. A major upgrade from the Alpha Prime both in sound and build quality, certainly not the same headphone. To my ears, it’s a very neutral pair of headphone without any clear emphasis in any region. Excellent sound all round with minimal weight on your head that many flagship ortho tend to put on.

Comfortable, capable and sensible. I certainly like the sound of the Ether.

Questyle QP-1R

Simply one of, if not the best sounding standalone DAP I have ever heard. Undeniably premium construction, with 2 mircoSD card slots. It’s usable and very pocket able unlike many other high end DAP, while to me, sounds superior to many of them. It is going to give a rude awakening to the high end DAP market with a more reasonable price tag at $899USD.  


Great price and performance

Oriolus




A hybrid IEM that didn’t sounds like one. The crossover is extremely well tuned and the whole IEM sounds simply coherent, with exceptional bass tightness too. Until I was told I assumed it was a full BA IEM with some monster low end driver in there.
But the highlight was the mids and highs for me. It simply had better treble extension than my MH334 without being remotely bright, it was clean and airy, the mids are similar in presentation and was very lush and intimate. It also have a very natural soundstage, not unlike the FitEar.

MSRP at $999USD, to me having spent significantly more on my custom MH334, seems like a bargain. Exceptional treble presentation and a natural sound signature, it is one of the best IEM I have ever heard.

Noble Savant

Sounds like a mini FitEar 334 with less than half the price. I personally love my FitEar MH334 to bits but the Savant was able to capture the essence of the MH334 and chop the price right down with worldwide availability. I did miss out a bit on the bass texture and punch but it can very well be improved with better seal, sadly I did not have enough time to play around with different ear tip options and sizes.

Lush mids, well defined bass, crisp high without being fatiguing with overall a hint of warmness, all for a rather reasonable price, kudos to Noble being sensible.

Fostex TH-500RP

This one is difficult. For my addiction to female vocal; the Fostex TH-500RP does vocal so well that I nearly bought it. However, it remain unspectacular in other areas. The overall build quality is great but the “leather” pads on it was not up to par and felt rather stiff.

If you are craving for super clear and lush mids the Fostex TH-500RP should be on your list to try, but try before you buy.

Promising prototypes

Jaben HyperDynamic

A hybrid IEM with a piezoelectric and dynamic driver, planning to launch at under $300USD(?).
The sound is very clean and well defined with exceptional low end, the treble on the prototype was a bit on the hot side for me but it remains clean and defined without any notable spikes heard. Really interested in seeing how this pairing will evolve in the future.

Others notable listens




The AKG N90Q combined silly amount of tech into one a pair of headphones, can’t wait to try out the final version with USB DAC working as well!

I was also pleasantly surprised by the new V-Moda Zn, it was such a departure from their standard bass heavy sound signature into a clean neutral presentation with a slight bass boost. While I can’t remember the exact MSRP, but it was relatively affordable, definitely have a look at those if you are looking for more affordable IEMs.

 

[saidentary]

...and, this is where I have my problem with all things head-fi related (some may understand, and others may think I'm stupid) that the Laylas have spoilt me, and I cannot seemingly listen to anything else, as they all sound tonally and spatially off...

Not a good curse to have

I suspect that quite a few people would love to be "stricken" with that very "curse."  It means you're satisfied, correct?  Me too, but not everyone is.  

 

[Duncan]

I suspect that quite a few people would love to be "stricken" with that very "curse."  It means you're satisfied, correct?  Me too, but not everyone is.  

It does, but what concerns me is that a lot of the gear people have been drooling over all sounds a bit "meh" to me, (nothing BAD, just nothing that unwound spend money on when it comes to headphones) so I have a feeling I've gone a bit too far down the personal road I'm travelling down...

Wish I'd have listened to the Stax setup, a have a feeling that is the new direction that I need to head in...

 

[Tro95]

I found Snuggs were extraordinarily expensive. If you are wanting full sleeves for any IEm, consider the Custom IEM Company (I got some for my Shure SE846s and love them). Snuggs seemed to be around twice the price for no visible difference.

 

[Ali-Pacha]

Subbed.
And as always, a bit surprised by some reports, since TOTL are not mentioned that often. Looks like this hobby is unique...could you imagine going at a motor show and toroughly avoiding Ferrari / Porsche / Bugatti / Rolls Royce ?

Ali