[Orcin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by s1rrah /img/forum/go_quote.gif "It's funny to see all those guys listening very concentrated with the head-phones on!"

I resemble this remark (in the photos).

 

[Orcin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cswann1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I found that the bass in my D7000's was really nice but it was so dominating that it was out of balance with the rest of the music. I did a "half-Markl" mod and I'm pleased with the results. My Denons now are a more balanced and refined sounding headphone imo.

I knew this was coming.

My response to this is "more balanced to you". I don't think the bass is unbalanced on the stock phone. And by the way, I am not talking about D7000's. The D2000 is a different phone.

I appreciate your point of view though. I know that a lot of people swear by this mod, so I am not claiming to be right. I hope you are the representative for the pro-mod community, because you were pretty nice to me.

I just hate when people who have never heard the stock phone think that it needs to be modded before they ever break it in and live with it (because of what they have read). Then they don't like the phone, sell it, and bad-mouth the phone... even though they never owned "the phone".

 

[shellylh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orcin /img/forum/go_quote.gif kh6idf, jnewman, jazzychu, sumguy, Steven (we didn't get your Head-Fi name doh sorry)... were newcomers. Welcome! It was great to meet you. And thanks again to Jack Wu for the Woo Audio headphone stands that MJM58 and jazzychu won as door prizes. What else... oh yeah. JH-13's... who knew that they sounded that good??!!! WOW! I may have to re-think the whole headphone rig thing. You mean I can get sound like that out of those little earphones and an iPod? I must have dreamt that... yeah that's it. Just like that whole balanced thing that doesn't exist either. Whew, ok my rig is stable again.

Stephen's head-fi name is mugdecoffee

Thanks also to Drew Baird at Moon Audio for sending a pair of Blue Dragon Interconnects for a door prize.

I had a great time at the meet.

The JH13 balanced out of Steve's (swt61) balanced B22 + Original 2008 MkII CD Player was crazy good and a pretty funny sight to see (you can see Stephen (mugdecoffee) using the JH13's out of Steve's B22 in S1rrah's pictures above). They also sounded really sweet out of my GS-1 + Marantz SA8001. I can see why they are the FOTY. I thought I could get away with not wanting to buy something after this meet, but I may have to sell of some gear and buy a pair. It looks like I may have finally found a pair of closed headphones that I can live with... they just happen to be really tiny.

More later ...

 

[pabbi1]

Such a blur... left Friday with 6 amps, one source and two headphones. One amp under the weather, one 'in the hangar'. Headed for Houston, by way of Austin (about 6 hours) to enlist reinforcements - more headphones, a variac, tubes, a violin, well, and Marc.

Got to Houston, went to Pappadeaux, then to work about 10:30pm... til about 2am. Back up at 7:30, breakfast, and more amp work until 10, so, we were late to the meet - NOT my usual style, but, ok.

I really wonder how you go to a meet and listen to, like, NO rigs? Listened to Joel's Raptor/DX-1000 (was really familiar with Raptor from years ago, and wanted to hear the Victor's, as I have the drivers for a Frankenphone project, chronicled elsewhere with drama) for, like, two songs but destiny intervened.

Must apologize about Blue Hawaii's absence - the Navy surplus server case she is in had a complete IEC malfunction (it is actually some massive filter section which is typical Milspec design to withstand pulse and fireball), but not made to live for 40 years, so, fail.

But, the Raven was brought to life by luvdunhill by sheer triumph of the will, so, the rest of my time was evengelizing.

Listened to both the Stax 202 and 303 on the eXStatA tube variant - well for a minute each. Very good synergy. Also baselined the 202 with a Stax 323 - a good starter rig, but there are better amp options.

Really wanted to hear the Woo 5 with the hd800, as my 'differential' (aka Balanced) Bijou just does not drive the hd800 like it NEEDS to be driven. Listened a bit to the hd800 with the b22, but, just need the tube sweetness in the middle.

That need is answered by Raven, even after 3 hours of circuit burn, and completely WAG by Marc on bias by ear - one of the more interesting things I have ever witnessed in person regarding DIY audio. Here was a peerson obsessed with a circuit he didn't design, depending on boards he didn't design (and didn't follow the schematic exactly), working on an amo he didn't even build, where I built everything wrong that possibly could have been. Just magic, especially where no one else even knew what the result was, except, no sparks.

That made it a great day for me - a build that started in February from a schematic, selected specifically for the HD800, and to hear her for the first time offsite, physically exhausted, less than 24 hours after being on the brink of a scrap decision on the boards was, well, special. Oh, and got my loaned hd800 back.

Sad that a meet, from my perspective, seems to be about everything except listening to gear, and, spending more time talking to folks. Didn't take a single picture - what's up with that?

Ken, the hd600 is a FOTM you can revisit every year - maybe more like a constant that simply holds it's appeal, though some hottie might catch your eye for a while, the hd600 always does what you need them to.

Note to self: Don't take 6 amps and one source to a meet, especially if you aren't even going to power up 3 of them.

So, outta say sorry I missed the meet - just like the old Zombies song '(S)he's not there'.

Left at 4 (an hour late, but better than anything in recent memory), drove 80 all the way home (lots of company on the Texas Autobahn), rolled in right at 8, and even brought my wife Strawberries Romanov from La Madeleine, so, everybody's happy.

OK, now to unload and get to work.

 

[Orcin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pabbi1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif even brought my wife Strawberries Romanov from La Madeleine

Good call!

We enjoyed the show put on by you and Marc down in the pit. Sorry you didn't get to listen as much as you wanted. We'll just have to come to you next time.

 

[jazzychu]

Great meet!

I actually just realized how much I have missed out, after spending considerable time to compare the Stax 202, 303 and 007 on various amp. I guess that is my inexperience at my first meet.

Funny thing we found out was the 303 has more bass than the other two, from my SRM-323II at least.

Once again, thank Ken for making this happen.

(That headphone stand by Woo Audio is very nice -- I just need to find a good looking phone to match. K1000 is bit weird on it)

 

[robm321]

Really enjoying reading the impressions. Good stuff. Thanks!

 

[kh6idf]

I have some pictures here:

Houston Head-Fi meet Oct 17, 2009

Some duplication since there are already pictures posted.

 

[s1rrah]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kh6idf /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have some pictures here: Houston Head-Fi meet Oct 17, 2009 Some duplication since there are already pictures posted.

Awesome pics!

 

[mugdecoffee]

That was a lot of fun! I was surprised how quickly the time went by.

The K1000/B22 combo was really the highlight for me. The soundstage of course was incredible. The earspeaker design is so different for any other headphones. It's really a new experience. I think part of their secret is that there is nothing touching your ears. The HD800s had a huge soundstage as well but because your ears are physically covered you're still aware that you're listening to headphones.

I also really like s1rrah's GS1000/Raptor combo. I've always thought of Grados as having a small sound stage but it was not so. The bass was also meaty without messing up the rest of the music.

I was really surprised how much I liked Shelly's GS-1 especially with the ATH-AD2000s. The sound was really clean and everything was well separated. I'm thinking that maybe the tube warmth isn't for me.

Finally, I think everyone was surprised by how good the JH 13s were. I listen to a pair straight out of my ipod and it sounded better than my K701's with my Bijou.

 

[s1rrah]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mugdecoffee /img/forum/go_quote.gif That was a lot of fun! I was surprised how quickly the time went by. The K1000/B22 combo was really the highlight for me. The soundstage of course was incredible. The earspeaker design is so different for any other headphones. It's really a new experience. I think part of their secret is that there is nothing touching your ears. The HD800s had a huge soundstage as well but because your ears are physically covered you're still aware that you're listening to headphones. I also really like s1rrah's GS1000/Raptor combo. I've always thought of Grados as having a small sound stage but it was not so. The bass was also meaty without messing up the rest of the music. I was really surprised how much I liked Shelly's GS-1 especially with the ATH-AD2000s. The sound was really clean and everything was well separated. I'm thinking that maybe the tube warmth isn't for me. Finally, I think everyone was surprised by how good the JH 13s were. I listen to a pair straight out of my ipod and it sounded better than my K701's with my Bijou.

I too was very impressed with the JH IEM's ...

Though considering the price and having spent a good year with a pair of SE530's?

I'd say go for the Shures and save a ton of money.

But if you have a ton of money?

Go for the custom fit JH's ...

It's an economic decision at best.

Jus' sayin...

 

[Orcin]

LOL. You really did take this pic.

 

[s1rrah]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orcin /img/forum/go_quote.gif LOL. You really did take this pic.

That's an awesome shot. I've already spammed it to MySpace and Facebook (and among both I might add, you guys are all Hero Geeks(tm) of legend at this point) LOL. Glad to be a member.

 

[pabbi1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mugdecoffee /img/forum/go_quote.gif Finally, I think everyone was surprised by how good the JH 13s were. I listen to a pair straight out of my ipod and it sounded better than my K701's with my Bijou.

Pity we didn't even power up the balanced Bijou.

 

[shellylh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pabbi1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Pity we didn't even power up the balanced Bijou.

Yes, that is a pity!