[hardbop]

Whew! That was quite a bit of work, but it was well worth it.

Thanks to everyone for coming out and especially to Tyll!


That's all I have energy for tonight. I'll post a proper debriefing later.

 

[Tyll Hertsens]

Phew, is right! Thanks Hardbop for a most excellent spot for a meet; and doube thanks for the chow---home cookin' when you've been living in a trailor is mighty fine. And thanks to all you Houstonians for a fun time. Doliphant's R10s were just as I remembered Hirsch's: okie-dokie-I-want-a-pair good.

That's all I can do tonight, too. I did take a few pix. But it will be about a week before I can get around to posting them.

Did about 2300 miles in the past 5 days; 1500 in the next 4.

Cheers!

 

[SunByrne]

Thanks tons to both hardbop and Tyll! My first head-fi meet and well, I was wowed.

As others who went to other meets on the Headroom tour have said, the Wadia through the Max Balanced is truly amazing. I mean, really astonishing. Superlative. It just sounded so... perfect. I'm sure others will be able to describe this far better than I, but I have to say, the Wadia through the regular Max was fabulous, but couldn't hold a candle to the balanced version. If you're even considering going to a Headroom tour stop, GO, if for no other reason than just to hear this thing. And if you can get someone to bring a pair of R10s, well, that's highly recommended. Doliphant brought his and they're also astonishing. The mere idea of balanced R10s gives me hives.

I think the thing that struck me the most in terms of Headroom equipment that I might in my lifetime be able to afford was the hod-rodded Headroom Desktop, in particular the DAC on it. This was not the "max" version of the DAC, either, but rather (I believe, based on the total price of the unit) the "home" DAC. Anyway, this was hooked up to a Meridian 588 (I believe) and while it was possible to tell the difference between the Meridian and the Headroom DAC (which I did blind just to prove I could do it), the difference was strikingly small. Considering the four-digit price tag on the Meridian and the $299 it costs to add this DAC to the amp, that's saying something. It's very rare for me to buy into the zealous language found in marketing promos (like on the Headroom web site), but in this case I'd say that language is actually well-justified. Frankly, if I could buy just the Max DAC in a box for $500, I'd be all over that. (Tyll got a little peeved when I asked about that, which I think is understandable--they are, after all, trying to sell headamps! But my stereo is always on and only sometimes on headphones, so I'd use a DAC a lot more than a headamp and it's much easier for me to justify dropping money on a DAC than a high-end headamp. Sorry, I digress.) Anyway, I'd love to hear this side-by-side against a Benchmark DAC1. Having never heard the Benchmark, I'm not sure who would come out ahead but I'd love to get the chance to hear them head-to-head. Someone please bring a Benchmark DAC1 to a future Headroom stop, listen to them this way, and PM me--I'm dying to know if the DAC1 is really worth twice as much as this thing!

The amp surrounding the wonderful DAC was also very nice. It was a Headroom Desktop with Max module and stepped attenuator--pretty much the top stop for the Desktop line. With no DAC the list price on this would be $1300, which is a bit out of my price range, but it did indeed sound very good. The stock Desktop amp was clearly not as good, but comes in at $700 less, so there you go. In general, though, the Desktop line was impressive.

Another really fun aspect of the event was getting to listen to so many different headphones. Hey, headphones! I had not had extensive experience with the "classic" Senn line (580/600/650) nor any of the higher-end Grados (like 325s). I've previously had quick listens to HD600s and I used to own a pair of SR60s, but nothing like all this. So what did I get out of this? Well, as usual, the Grados sound great for rock. For rock, I'm not sure I've heard much better than the 325s. But even the 325s (which are of course much smoother than the SR60s) still just didn't sound right on classical. I was listening to a Vivaldi track and switched straight from HD600s to Grado 325s and when the violins hit, I thought my ears were going to bleed. OK, maybe not, but they just don't sound right on the Grados. The classic Senns, on the other hand, are indeed a little dark for rock. I wouldn't call it a "veil" exactly but I get where that notion comes from. I found that overall I found the HD595s (which are my primary home cans) to walk the line between the two best, and I just kept coming back to these over and over. Part of that was also because I wanted to listen to how other things affected the sound and I'm most familiar with the HD595 sound, but I think I also just really like them--though I'd boot them in a second for a pair of R10s! Oh, and I got my first listen to Sony CD3000s, which I didn't care for--too bright for me (not a huge surprise). I really should have spent more time with the Beyers, but there was only so much time available...

And, of course, it was very cool to meet some fellow Head-fi folks. Tyll was just very cool throughout, and even had freebies (mugs and stickers). One suggestion for Headroom: sell those t-shirts on your Web site! I want one...

Overall, great event!

 

[Eagle_Driver]

I agree with you on the Sony R10, Tyll. That 'phone sounds lush-tacular, even on mediocre equipment like mine - and really shines on high-end equipment. Too bad it's priced way out of my range.

 

[PsychoZX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle_Driver Too bad it's priced way out of my range.

We share the same pain. lol

 

[earache]

Thanks Headbop for getting this meet together! Big thanks also to everyone who brought the food and drinks! The clubhouse worked out great.

The new Headroom lineup is spectacular, top to bottom. I felt like a kid in the toy store trying to decide which one to play with first!

The balanced max was truly something special with the HD-650's. They truly sounded organic and rich (listened to my 650's when i got home and it just wasn't close!). This was one of the best set ups I have had the chance to listen to. A little scary when you can't figure out the pricing! Gets worse when Tyll pulls out a $900 cost attenuator option that looks like a piece of jewelry!

I listened a lot to the Desktop amps (one tricked out and one stock). I have to say that they both are quite amazing. The maxed out one was incredibly rich sounding. I think the Headroom house sound is making it's way up and down the lineup now. The dac is also a no brainer option. I did the same A/B switching between the internal dac and analog inputs and found it very hard to tell the difference between the Meridian and the internal dac. I would really like to see the desktop line set up on a table with each one having the next upgrade. I found it hard to tell which upgrade was giving the best bang for the buck (pwr supply, max module, attenuators, dac, etc.). If money were no object, I would buy it loaded today!

The biggest find of the day for me was the HD-595's with the Cardas wiring upgrade. I could not believe the difference in sound quality. I went back and forth between the stock 595's and the Cardas 595's a bunch and on every type of music the difference was dramatic. Take the fullness of the 650's and throw in some energy of the stock 595's and you get the idea.

The R-10's were like slipping your head into a velvet glove! Great sound and comfort to boot. They sounded fantastic in everything i plugged them in to, from an earmax anniv. to the maxed out desktop amp.

The CD-3000's were too bright IMHO.

The RS-1's sounded good, but the comfort level just wasn't there. It's one of those things where once you start thinking about it, you can't get it out of your head!

Big thanks to Tyll and the entire Headroom organization for putting this effort on. Tyll said he won't see home again until sometime in July. That is true dedication to the hobby! He has a real zest for the art and was a great person to talk to. If you have the opportunity to attend one of these meets, DO IT! You will not be disappointed!

 

[hardbop]

Eating and talking - Left to right is Tyll, Mario, Demetrius and Charles

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More talking, this time with Dave, Paxton and Mike.

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Here's Mario and Anthony

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This is the table featuring the portable gear. A few different setups with Micro Amps and DACs and the Portable Destop Amp.

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These two tables had the new Max Amps with the Wadia and Home Amps on the Meridian.

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Here are those amps and sources being put to good use.

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And the man himself. Thanks for bring all this gear to us!

----


It was a great time, but four hours was not enough to enjoy the company of such good people and such fine gear.

I tried out as much as I could and there was still a lot of listening left over. I wanted to get a better idea for my next purchase, but my decision is even harder than before and, potentially, much more expensive. Those DACs make a noticable difference. Even the Micro DAC was a big improvement. It's definately the way to go. The Portable Desktop was quite a bit better than I thought it would be, in comparison to the Micro stack.

I just had a few moments with the Hybrid and Home models, which sounded great, but I can't really comment beyond that. I am looking forward to tubes someday, though.

The Wadia/Max combo is perfect. That is all.

----

Too many headphones, too little time.

I tried to focus on the few headphones that I want to buy next, but it was impossible.

This was my first real experience with the upper range of Sennheiser's headphones and I like their sound. I listened mostly to the 595, 600 and 650. I prefered the 595 to the 600 and the 650 to the 595, if I had to rank them with my short time with them.

I tried to get a feel for the different cables, too, since there was a good variety. I tried the Cardas, Silver Dragon, and stock on the 650's. They each had subtly different effects on the overall sound, but it would be difficult to pick one over the other.

I definately prefer the Cardas on the 595. The headphone itself was more fun than it's 6x0 brothers, which is what I expected. What I didn't see coming was that I'd want the more neutral 'phone.

I also got to move right up the Grado line, from SR-60 to RS-1. An enlightening experience. I got the feeling that the overall sound was pretty consistent, but it kept getting clearer and clearer. The extension improved, too there was more impact. I could tell the difference once I moved to the 325i's, but I didn't have enough time to indentify it. The RS-1's were warmer and a good deal more refined, I think.

This was my first experience with Beyer's and AKG's. I liked the 880's build and the sound was good, a little closer to the 595's than the 600's, whereas the AKG's sounded more like the 600's. I wasn't real impressed with the 501's, but I didn't get enough time to acclimate myself to their sound.

Dave's R10's were incredible. I have never heard as much harmonics and decay. Music played through these headphones sounded so real. Matched with the Wadia and Max was an experience I hated to end. I'm spared the real hearbreak, since I don't know how much they cost.

----

Each of you guys were great to hang around with and to share a hobby with. Four hours isn't nearly enough. I'm really looking foward to doing this again.

Thanks a lot to all of you for coming and making this meeting so very enjoyable!

 

[dolifant]

This being my first meet, I was overwhelmed by the choices of headphones, although it was really a small meet.

Thanks to hardbop for all the work, and he works night shifts, so he was going on no sleep! Kudos. The chile con queso and enchiladas were great!

I learned alot about using lossless compression (FLAC) and Lame mp3 for streaming audio on a home network. The convienience of having a large collection of music on a server to be played in any room in the house is great. And I must say, if you play a FLAC file through an airport express to the headroom desktop, using the DAC in the headroom, it sounds great. Why wouldn't it!

The best headphone find was the Senn 595 with the cordas cable. You could really tell the difference of the cable on some CDs, particularily on comlex music. I didn't realize the 595, not their flagship could sound so detailed. Compared to the 650s, their sound is slightly brighter, and less "dense". I have gotten used to the thicker (fuller) 650 sound. But for the $$ the 595s are a very good selection.

The balanced Senn 650s/ Wadia/ through the Headroom Balanced...WOW! Almost overkill...Naaaaah! Wouldn't it be cool to have cables that had both XLR and regular so you could plud in to either type of amp. Is that thoretically possible?

As Tyll explained, the "sweet spot" in terms of value in the headroom line is the desktop series. When you move up to the max, you do get better capacitors, etc, but the cost of parts doesn't (perhaps) justify the improvement. He explained that the caps alone increased the cost by about $800, with an improvement to be sure, but $800 worth? Anyway I was very excited by the sound of the desktop with the optional seperate power supply, which we heard with the "home" DAC. You can get an upsampling "max" dac as an option. In essence the new desktop is like the old "Max", but with a DAC too. The new Max, and Balanced go beyond.

Tyll tells us that the reason the Max and Balanced are so physically large is that the boards have room for the making of a tubed amp. He outlined plans for 2 different tube amps, one requireing 2 300b tubes. It will have the $900 pot volume control, and he estimated it wouold cost something like $10K. The tubes alone can be 700-800 each! Wow, I'd like to hear that.

Headroom is a class company, very honest, and with a solid, exceptional product line. There is passion for music and audio in general, and alot of effort on tyills part is evident. More later...gotta go.

 

[Jahn]

The headroom tour is unstoppable! My grado eye spies...

1) A first generation RS-1. Whose can is that? It has the light brown leather headband and the rare red driver covers. Neato. Comfort wise I'm not surprised, I'm not a big fan of bowls either.

2)Someone is using modded yellow senn pads back there! What grado is that? the SR325?

 

[Trea]

First and foremost I'd like to thank Joel for hosting, and Tyll for bringing all the great gear. I spent quite a bit of time listening to Headroom's new line of amps and I have to say that across the board these things are great. I started off with the little guy, the micro stack.

First thing that impressed me was the overall design. It's very solidly built, and a great size for portable use. It's small enough to be carried around easily, but not so small that it makes it hard to use. The switches on the front were easy to get to and not too close together to be bothersome. One feature that I really liked was the gain switch. I also think that the crossfeed was well done, although I don't think that it's something that I would use a lot.

Now on to the sound. And before someone asks, no I haven't heard the SR-71.

Using a cheap portable DVD player as a source and connecting to the coax in on the Micro DAC, I was really impressed. The sound was very warm and detailed. I was most impressed by the control in the lower end. Bass was tight, fast and punchy. Midrange was airy and vocals sounded really nice. The highs were very liquid and balanced. Not a hint of harshness. In short, I liked what it did, and there wasn't anything it did that I didn't like.

Unplugging the DAC and going from the line out of the DVD to the Micro amp, I wondered where the sound went? Everything was muddy and congested. This isn't a knock on the Micro amp, I think that the source was to blame. I also tried plugging the DAC into a go-vibe with the OPA2227. It sounded pretty good, but compared to the Micro the bottom end was flabby and some of the detail was lost. But at over 3x the cost I would expect some difference. The Micro DAC is a big winner IMO. I'm definitely ordering one. I'll probably order a Micro amp as well, but at a later date. My wallet can't take much abuse at the moment

Moving on to the Desktop line, I would have to agree with Tyll that these are the "sweet spot" in the lineup. They have a similar sound signature as the Micro, but much more refined. I didn't listen to the portable desktop amp, but I would assume that it sounds a lot like the standard model. Listening to the standard Desktop amp with the dedicated power supply was a great experience. If you have the cash to spend this is the one to get IMO. I also liked the millet hybrid with the 650's. However I didn't care for it with some of the other phones like the DT880's and the 325i's.

There were lots of great cans at the meet. It was great to get a chance to listen to a bunch of different headphones that I wouldn't normally be able to try without buying first. I think one of the best things about headphones is that everyones tastes are so different, yet there really seems to be a can for everyone. What I may love you might hate, but chances are if you try enough pairs you'll eventually find one that suits you.

 

[Trea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn The headroom tour is unstoppable! My grado eye spies... 1) A first generation RS-1. Whose can is that? It has the light brown leather headband and the rare red driver covers. Neato. Comfort wise I'm not surprised, I'm not a big fan of bowls either. 2)Someone is using modded yellow senn pads back there! What grado is that? the SR325?

2) Those are MS-1's recabled and woodied by Larry.

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trea 2) Those are MS-1's recabled and woodied by Larry.

impressions please!

 

[hardbop]

The RS-1's came with Tyll.

Trea's modded MS-1 sounded great. They were a bit warmer and more neutral than my SR-80's. The pads were more comfortable, too, and I don't think they smooted over the highs as much as my flats.

 

[NeoteriX]

I wasn't able to stay for long... (

Girlfriends don't really seem to appreciate these kinds of things

) but thanks to hardbop for setting everything up. I got to sample of couple things here and there, and it was really wild to see so much setup. I'll have to consider those E4cs... they seem to hit the spot that the e3cs were slightly lacking. I was also impressed with the new Headroom portable amps, what with the gain adjustability and crossfeed. I've read in my crossfeed examples, the bass gets reduced as a function of the crossfeed, but was not able to detect any such deficiency. Now... where scrap up $300...

Thanks again guys~

 

[remilard]

Sunbyrne: There will be a Benchmark Dac1 and a headroom microdac in attendence at the Portland meet next week. As for Benchmark vs the other Headroom dacs, if it hasn't been done yet by the Headroom Portland stop (early August) I will make sure my Benchmark is there.