[swt61]

I got a chance to listen to wareagle69's rig w/his woodied/C padded Grado 225's. Really nice rig! That's the first pair of woodied 225's I've heard, and they're drastically improved over stock IMO.

I loved the Woo 6 SE! Very sweet amp. It had enough oomph to make a decent show of driving my K340, and even more difficult "Chocolate Donuts". The Donuts are a fair amount harder to drive than stock Yamaha YH-100s, and that's saying something.

I tried to get a chance to stick luvdunhill's Fostex T-50 in my bag, but he was on to me, and watching much too closely. Man those are nice phones!

shellyh had some cool stuff, and I learned from her pair that I'm definitely not an Ultrasone guy.

Al's entire rig was impressive to say the least, but that SOHA really surprised me. And talk about gain!

The modded Denon 5000 that s1rrah brought was gorgeous. I didn't get the chance to listen, but was taken by the excellent wood working.

Marc's Hot Rodded KGSS driving the Koss stats at the higher voltage was again the winner of the show for me. I like it much better than the OIIs. Those of you that have only heard the Koss driven by the dedicated craptastic Koss amp have no idea what these phones are capable of. And the higher voltage is a big part of the transformation as well. A Kevin Gilmore trick if I'm not mistaken.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orcin /img/forum/go_quote.gif I wanted to tell you to be sure to listen to the "Butts Band" LP. It was a project by a couple of ex-Doors members, their first after Morrison died. It is pretty rare and has some really excellent tracks. Medusa is another gem. It's an early effort by some people that went on to have careers in other bands. Also, both National Lampoon albums are absolute classics. I am not sure Radio Dinner was ever released on CD, and you've got to have Lemmings to go with the Woodstock LP set.

I'm going to listen to them all very soon, but want to wait until the step up transformer arrives, so I can crank the speaker rig.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orcin /img/forum/go_quote.gif By the way, the pic of my desk is on page 20 of this thread.

I'm confused, as there are only 6 pages in this thread at this time. Unless the word "this" was supposed to be a link?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orcin /img/forum/go_quote.gif Anything that looks good with it would be fine. As I said at dinner, I have no intention of telling the artist how to do his work. I am sure it will be wonderful.

From the dark Cherry finish you described I'm assuming it's a classic style, and because of that I'm thinking that turning an ornate Cherry post for the upright of the stand might be very nice. Maybe a Quilted Maple hanger and base to go with it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orcin /img/forum/go_quote.gif I really enjoyed meeting you, and I hope to see you again in Dallas in January. By the way, my wife said a weekend on the beach might be pretty neat!

I enjoyed meeting you too, and everyone at the meet for that matter. I'll try to organize a Port Aransas sleep over meet again. The penthouse condo I have access to will sleep six very comfortably, and that leaves two couches and uber floorspace for the younger attendees.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orcin /img/forum/go_quote.gif Steve's woodied CD3000's are still on my mind... and he said they work single-ended also... ehh, but they can't be as good that way, right?

Maybe you'd want to spend some time with them in your system without the meet noise. I'd be more than happy to send them to you to further evaluate. They don't get much head time ATM anyway with my crazy work schedule. I also wanted to experiment with some cotton batting inside the cups.

Next meet lets set a C-Moy on fire though, they're much cheaper fuel.

 

[kydsid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by swt61 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I enjoyed meeting you too, and everyone at the meet for that matter. I'll try to organize a Port Aransas sleep over meet again. The penthouse condo I have access to will sleep six very comfortably, and that leaves two couches and uber floorspace for the younger attendees.

Forget the penthouse. I'm pitching a tent on the beach for that meet! Come on that's what real Alaskan men do! *clears throught*

 

[swt61]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kydsid /img/forum/go_quote.gif Forget the penthouse. I'm pitching a tent on the beach for that meet! Come on that's what real Alaskan men do! *clears throught*

But the beach in Homer has the Salty Dawg to wander into when the seaguls crap on your head. They won't help you clean it off, but they'll get you drunk enough that you don't care!

 

[Orcin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by swt61 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm confused, as there are only 6 pages in this thread at this time. Unless the word "this" was supposed to be a link? From the dark Cherry finish you described I'm assuming it's a classic style, and because of that I'm thinking that turning an ornate Cherry post for the upright of the stand might be very nice. Maybe a Quilted Maple hanger and base to go with it?

Arrgh. Yes, this was supposed to be a link. That should do it.


Here's the actual desk. They say the finish is "chocolate patina", whatever that means.


If you mean something like this, yeah that's gorgeous. I think the color of the post is perfect, and the stand is really neat. I am not sure I like the maple though. I have to look around the room this evening and see if it compliments anything else in there. I'll have to satisfy my wife's decorating scheme, or she'll banish it to the closet.

So then I started looking at all your pics

, and I like this style of stand a lot. Do you think that would work with my desk? What other kinds of wood could be used in the middle (something sorta dark but with less red)? Am I making this too hard?

I should take this to PM soon, but then I couldn't pimp your beautiful stands.

Plus then people couldn't chime in and vote.

Quote:

Originally Posted by swt61 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The penthouse condo I have access to will sleep six very comfortably

I'm assuming that's not all six together. That could be a tougher sell.

Quote:

Originally Posted by swt61 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Maybe you'd want to spend some time with them in your system without the meet noise. I'd be more than happy to send them to you to further evaluate.

Oh god, please don't. I spent $1500 today already!

 

[Jon L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by s1rrah /img/forum/go_quote.gif But "Alexandra Leaving" is one lovely and sweet and utterly gut wrenching bit. Sounded fine fine fine on your Stax setup.

Hey, thanks. That just reminded me, so I'm listening to "Alexandra Leaving" on my 'stat rig as I type. Yummy.

If you like that, check out Cohen's "Dear Heather" album that came out after "Ten songs." I like it even better!

 

[swt61]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orcin /img/forum/go_quote.gif Arrgh. Yes, this was supposed to be a link. That should do it. Here's the actual desk. They say the finish is "chocolate patina", whatever that means. If you mean something like this, yeah that's gorgeous. I think the color of the post is perfect, and the stand is really neat. I am not sure I like the maple though. I have to look around the room this evening and see if it compliments anything else in there. I'll have to satisfy my wife's decorating scheme, or she'll banish it to the closet. So then I started looking at all your pics , and I like this style of stand a lot. Do you think that would work with my desk? What other kinds of wood could be used in the middle (something sorta dark but with less red)? Am I making this too hard? I should take this to PM soon, but then I couldn't pimp your beautiful stands. Plus then people couldn't chime in and vote. I'm assuming that's not all six together. That could be a tougher sell. Oh god, please don't. I spent $1500 today already!

That stand design would work well. We could do the base and hangers in the same Cherry with the Chocolate glaze rubbed deeper around the edges, just like the desk. Then I'd suggest a dark Wenge for the center pillar. That would be gorgeous IMO!

As far as the CD3000, I completely understand where you're coming from, but it really is an innocent offer to just spend a little more time with them. I'm too busy ATM to use them much, and I actually have no intentions of selling them any time soon. I still want to tweak them to see what I can get them to do, I was just pulling your chain at the meet. They are an interesting set of phones, and I think they have even more potential locked away in there. I also think the Woo 6 SE might be a good match to bring a little warmth to them. So if you'd like to just borrow them for a time you're more than welcome to.

 

[MJM58]

It was great fun to meet everyone, and check out all the great rigs there.

Shelly, Shelley Shelley how do get any sleep with all those great headphones?

I know, if I had half that many, I would not have time to sleep.

I liked the Single Power Amps, and AKG 701's that Shelley and Charles had at the meet.

Here is the details on my Meet Rig a la cart

MJM58 RIG for Houston Head Fi Meet

Power – APC AVR with Electro Clear Filter QRT-1---Tripp Lite HT10DBS sitting on Herbie’s Spikes

Source--Pioneer DV-FO7 used for Transport with Herbie Tenderfoot Footers, Zu Firemine 75 Ohm Digital Coax

DAC—MHDT Paradisea V 1.0 early built with OPA 2604 opamp, 2.2 UF Output CAPS, RCA NOS Cryo treated tube, Herbie Blackberry Tube Dampener , Zu Birth AC Power Cable, Moon Audio Interconnects made from DH Labs Silver Sonic BL-1 Series II wire with Cardas GRCM connectors sitting on Herbie Iso-Cups with Lampblack Balls, and Supersonic Stabilzer on top.

Yaquin Vacuum Tube Buffer with Holland made NOS-6DJ8-Amperex tube with Herbie UltraSonic Titanium Tube Dampener, Zebra Power Cable, DH Labs Silver Sonic BL-1 Series II wire with Cardas GRCM connectors sitting on Herbie
dBNeutralizer Acrylic Domes

Head AMP—Channel Islands VHP-2 powered by VAC-1 Power Supply with Revelation Audio Labs Parable Cryo-Silver Reference Power Cord sitting on Herbie Baby Booties wth SuperSabilizer on top.

Headphones—Grado SR 225 modded with Headcoverage Rewire, Mahogany Cups, leather headband, and Headphile Grado C Pads, Herbie Grungebuster Dots on transducers

Some items also sit on Maple Boards with Herbie Baby Booties

Also Ferrite EMI/RF filters on some power cords

 

[Orcin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by swt61 /img/forum/go_quote.gif That stand design would work well. We could do the base and hangers in the same Cherry with the Chocolate glaze rubbed deeper around the edges, just like the desk. Then I'd suggest a dark Wenge for the center pillar. That would be gorgeous IMO!

Beautiful! Perfect! I love it. Can you have it ready to ship by Friday?

Just kidding, really, just wanted to see you smack your forehead again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by swt61 /img/forum/go_quote.gif As far as the CD3000, I completely understand where you're coming from, but it really is an innocent offer to just spend a little more time with them.

You talked me into it. That would be a lot of fun. Indeed, it would be interesting to see how the WA6SE does with them. Thanks! I'll PM you with my shipping address. You'll have to put in some kind of single-ended adaptor though, because I don't have anything like that (or point me to where I can buy one cheap.)

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Sounds like a really nice meet. I'd be interested in hearing more about how the 3yr old prototype GES performed - was it "shot down" or "close but no cigar"?

Before I shipped the prototype down to Houston Sherwood and I found that it was on about the same level as his vintage SRM-T1, while my new Maxed GES is clearly more transparent and spacious.

 

[wareagle69]

Quote:

swt61 "I got a chance to listen to wareagle69's rig w/his woodied/C padded Grado 225's. Really nice rig! That's the first pair of woodied 225's I've heard, and they're drastically improved over stock IMO."

Steve, I wish they were mine, but alas they were a part of Michael's excellent tube/solid state set-up. You are absolutely right that they sounded great.

Michael, thanks for posting the details of your rig.

 

[luvdunhill]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sounds like a really nice meet. I'd be interested in hearing more about how the 3yr old prototype GES performed - was it "shot down" or "close but no cigar"? Before I shipped the prototype down to Houston Sherwood and I found that it was on about the same level as his vintage SRM-T1, while my new Maxed GES is clearly more transparent and spacious.

I'd say it probably sounded best with the Koss, which are fairly easy to drive compared to the more difficult phones like the He Audio and the Stax SR-007. I did not really like it with the Stax SR-007 at all.

The All-Triode Direct Drive design is what it is, a 12 year old design that was bettered by the KGSS and then the Blue Hawaii. Any designer will tell you, no amount of boutique caps and power supply upgrades can compare with a redesign.. and then a second redesign. That said, it sounds good with the Koss and Lambda series headphones. Also, the build quality and price value ratio is fantastic. I think I could definitely recommend it over a T1 and is a great intro amp! I'm not sure how it would fair against a transformer box with a nice high-end amplifier driving things, but that would for sure be a worthwhile shoot-out.

Also, I actually have the unit right now and am awaiting further instructions.

 

[shellylh]

Unfortunately, I woke up on Sunday morning with a horrible cold but I am starting to feel a little better. Here are some more of my thoughts from the meet.

I really liked MJM58s nice little setup. The CI Audio amp was much smaller than I thought it would be! It was tiny. I liked the sound of his uber-tweaked Grado SR-225. I compared it against the stock Grado 225s and his was much smoother. It really calmed down the highs that can be quite piercing with the stock version. I liked it!

Kydsid brought a Mapletree Audio amp (I forget which kind) which was something that I have wanted to try for a while. Unfortunately, his main rig is in storage and could not make it. More unfortunate was the fact that the DAC that his friend sent to him before the meet was dead so he had to use some backup DAC (I don't remember what it was). I tried his setup with his Grado 225s. I wasn't so enthusiastic about it. I still felt that the Grado 225s highs were a little too shrill for me with this combination. Perhaps it was DAC. I wish I could hear the Mapletree audio again, maybe with a different pair of cans. Interestingly, I found that the stock Grado 225s to have more piercing highs at the meet than usual. I wonder if this is because I was listening to the music much more loudly than normal?

Another headphone I tried was S1rrah's friend's modded Denon 2000/5000? It was really very beautiful! However, I found it to be a little too dark and muffled sounding and preferred my stock Denon 2000 (luckily for my wallet). Perhaps it was the woodies that made it sound dark.

Hmmm, this post seems to be getting kind of negative. I better wait til I am feeling better before I post anymore.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvdunhill /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd say it probably sounded best with the Koss, which are fairly easy to drive compared to the more difficult phones like the He Audio and the Stax SR-007. I did not really like it with the Stax SR-007 at all. The All-Triode Direct Drive design is what it is, a 12 year old design that was bettered by the KGSS and then the Blue Hawaii. Any designer will tell you, no amount of boutique caps and power supply upgrades can compare with a redesign.. and then a second redesign. That said, it sounds good with the Koss and Lambda series headphones. Also, the build quality and price value ratio is fantastic. I think I could definitely recommend it over a T1 and is a great intro amp! I'm not sure how it would fair against a transformer box with a nice high-end amplifier driving things, but that would for sure be a worthwhile shoot-out. Also, I actually have the unit right now and am awaiting further instructions.

I didn't get my SR-007 Mk2 till after the GES prototype shipped out so I didn't get to try them on it, but my new GES Maxed sounds nice with the O2 Mk2 (w/Spritzer spring mod). The HE60 and ESP950 and Lambda Signature also sound better with the new maxed than they did with the prototype.

But the improvements over the prototype are not so much in the power output as they are in the transparency and spaciousness and frequency balance. As for power, I can get about the same loud volume levels with a nice 12 watt Nuforce Icon speaker amp and SRD-7 Pro, and I really don't need to ever play it close to max volume.

But the Nuforce Icon/SRD-7 Pro has a little more forward mids than the GES maxed, and doesn't have the same air and space and ambience, so I prefer the GES maxed with everything. I wish I'd had the guts to send my Maxed GES to Houston instead, but I'd only had it for less than 10 days and couldn't part with it. I wonder what a better speaker amp will do for the sound out of the SRD-7 Pro - still toying with the idea of the Almarro A205A Mk2.

 

[spritzer]

How loud the amp can drive a set of headphones has nothing to do with its power output once you step above the level of a SRM-Xh and the like. With more power you have the ability to handle the more difficult lower impedance of the treble and bass (and any other lows on the far from smooth impedance graph of all ES designs) so that the amp isn't holding the transducers back any more. The end result is a much deeper and more controlled bass response, great treble extension and a far more controlled soundstage.

 

[swt61]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wareagle69 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Steve, I wish they were mine, but alas they were a part of Michael's excellent tube/solid state set-up. You are absolutely right that they sounded great. Michael, thanks for posting the details of your rig.

I knew I'd mix up names, I'm horrible at that.