IMPRESSIONS THREAD AND REVIEW, with pics: 2016 SE Michigan Head-fi.org Fall Meet
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Oct 29, 2016 at 9:04 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 22

JEspina456

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Post your impressions, thoughts and future purchases here!
 
I was very happy with the turnout at this meet. We had a great variety of gear to listen to compare and contrast.  There were entry-level headphones, mid-fi and TOTL cans.  We had sources galore:  Windows laptops, Macs, a turntable, a reel-to-reel and a audiophile's dream CD transport.  
 
It was great having Zach (zach915m) from ZMF Headphones (http://www.zmfheadphones.com) and Brian (AxelCloris) from Head-fi.org joining us.  They provided a lot of headphones and knowledge during the meet.  
 
And a few new faces showed up this time.  It was nice to have new members of our local community attend and bring their gear, experience and questions.  Having people of all ages and levels of interest and setups make for great discussion and sharing.  
 
All-in-all, I think that it was a fun day.  We are starting to get to know each other better and strengthen our chapter of Head-fi.org here in Southeastern Michigan.  
 
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So what did I take from the meet?   I enjoyed comparing the Focal ELear and Utopia. The former is attainable, the latter, only if I win the Mega Millions or Powerball.  I would like to eventually upgrade my Sennheiser HD800 to the HD800S.  I would still like to demo the Dharma next meet if it's available.  
 
The reel-to-reel was a pleasant surprise.  It was so warm an analog sounding, but very clear.  I was expecting pops and hiss.  TOPNut's setup never fails to impress.  I listened to a little Herbie Hancock and fell right back in love with CDs.  Oh, and the Sony MDR-Z1r is fantastic.  Not so sure about the looks, but the sound is bassy, tight and solid, perfect for dance and electronic music, my preferred genre.  But, as hikaritenchi stated, "You're not looking at it!"  
 
 
Great meet guys.  Looking forward to the 2017 Spring Meet!
 
John 
JEspina456
 
Oct 29, 2016 at 9:26 PM Post #2 of 22

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Oct 30, 2016 at 1:04 AM Post #3 of 22
Thanks again for organizing the meet. Had a great time even though I got there later than I would have liked.

I think the biggest surprise for me was just how well my own modded HD-650 kept up with the more expensive headphones. That being said, I think I'm leaning toward the Elear as my next purchase when it's financially feasible. The modded 650 is surprisingly close in overall tonality, but the Elear edges it out with superior subjective speed and transient response. It is a touch more "sparkly" in the upper registers than I'd nornally like, but not offensively so. I got the impression that they have more to offer in a quieter home environment.

The biggest let down for me (as happy and enthusiastic Mojo owner) was the headphone out of the Dave. Not terrible sounding by any means, but a terrible value IMO. Taking consideration of meet conditions, I found it only slightly better than the Mojo with iUSB 3.0. Not that I was in the market for a Dave, but I expected better out of a cost no object flagship. Perhaps it's DAC function is far better though.

The new ZMF headphones were decent but not my personal preference of signature. I have to commend the build quality though. Easily the nicest build quality of botique headphone builders I've yet seen. They feel very much hand crafted (in a positive way, not in a DIY way). Like an heirloom item.

Frank's EC Studio....not much to say, It speaks for itself. Makes the HD800 godlike, and my modded 650 a sleeper (Frank even seemed pretty impressed). Suprisingly, I wasn't really digging the Utopia, despite liking the Elear. Thankfully for my wallet. Great headphone, no doubt, but there was some weird resonance or something in the upper midrange that put me off. Possibly a characteristic of the Beryllium, as I've read elsewhere.

I kind of wish I tried the Elear on the Studio to see how it scales, but it slipped my mind. And I forgot to try the new Sony flagship. My ADHD kicks in really bad at these meets, as I regress into a child at Toys R Us.

The Elear cable though.....exceptional build quality, but they need a shorter option.

An honorable mention to the brief listen to the Decware CSP3 at Zacks table. It tricked me into thinking the iFi Retro sounded way better than it actually did, when it was feeding it as a preamp. So I took the Decware out of the chain, listened to the iFi, then the Decware by itself. The iFi was decent, but a little less "groovy and seductive" on it's own. The Decware alone with the modded 650 really got up and boogied, but was maybe a little thicker sounding than I'd prefer as a primary amp. But it did balance out the thinner sounding iFi nicely as a preamp. On the flip side, the Cavalli Liquid Gold showed me that I'm still a tube guy for the reasonable future. Even state of the art solid state just doesn't do it for me anymore.

Thanks again for making this last meet for awhile (for me) a memorable one. It was very enlightening for me.
 
Oct 30, 2016 at 4:36 AM Post #4 of 22
  ......and a audiophile's dream CD transport.  
 
John 
JEspina456

 
Could you please tell us what brand/type was this CD Transport ?  and close picture ? 
 
thanks
 
Oct 30, 2016 at 11:54 AM Post #5 of 22
Could you please tell us what brand/type was this CD Transport ?  and close picture ? 

thanks


He's probably talking about the AMR CD-77. Which is a full CD player.
 
Oct 30, 2016 at 8:09 PM Post #7 of 22
Could you please tell us what brand/type was this CD Transport ?  and close picture ? 

thanks


I actually don't know the name of it. I'll find out. I didn't take any close up pics either. Sorry. Lol
 
Oct 30, 2016 at 8:52 PM Post #8 of 22
The name of the transport is here...

http://www.head-fi.org/t/824283/impressions-thread-and-review-with-pics-2016-se-michigan-head-fi-org-fall-meet#post_12972104
 
Oct 30, 2016 at 9:46 PM Post #9 of 22
I wanted to say thanks to everyone who brought their set ups, it was awesome to have the chance to try out so many great headphones to help me decide what I want to buy.

I don't really know where to start with my impressions... So here goes.

A couple of the first sets I tried were the hd650's and the HE400s' my friend brought both of those to my place, and the difference surprised me. I loved how fast and responsive the he400's were, but I hated the lack of low end punch. I could hear the bass, but I couldn't feel it.
The hd650's sounded much smoother in comparison. The details were not as pronounced in the music, but the better low end I enjoyed.
Here I want to throw in a thanks to Zach bringing along the eikon and atticus! I tried the eikon first and loved the sound out of the tube amp he had set up. The headphone was heavy but comfortable while I used it, and a very awesome and unique look. It seemed to have a very good low end, and was all around very musical and warm. I wish I got more than a few minutes with each set because I don't feel like I can do them justice. I did prefer the eikon as the atticus had a little too much bass for me.

I also got to see a little bit of the hype with the hd800's thanks to Frank. That might have been the most blown away I was amongst everything there. It really did have a massive soundstage, with every detail highly pronounced. It felt very unique, and I see why some people love it.

The chord Dave was awesome too, but it will forever remain out of my budget. As good as it was, I couldn't resolve much difference between it and the mojo. I could hear it, I just can't explain it.

Finally, the elear's. They seemed faster than the hd650s. Able to better place each note and isolate them. I liked the heaver bass compared to the 650's as well. Both it and the utopia had wonderful build quality.

Welp, hope that wasn't too long or typo filled. Writing it on my phone.
 
Oct 31, 2016 at 5:36 PM Post #10 of 22
Has anyone heard from @hikaritenchi? I'm wondering how he's feeling today!

Haha, I'm still alive, no heart attack yet...
 
I unfortunately arrived late and didn't get much of a chance to sample a lot of different equipment, but I was able to do the two things I had set out to do.
 
1. Listen to some vinyl
I impulse bought (story of my life) Babymetal's Metal Resistance album on vinyl, but didn't have a turntable, so I was hoping to eventually try them out. When I heard zabzaf was bringing his turntable, I really wanted to try it out. There was definitely a disconnect for me, since I don't really associate metal with vinyl, but I can see how the experience is pretty special. There's definitely a charm in the physical interaction with the media. The sound was really interesting. I wasn't sure how it would sound, but it was not too bad. I feel like there are probably better genres of music for the media, though.
 
2. Try the MDR-Z1R
Someone told me that if I tried the Z1R's, I'd want to throw my Z7's away. I really didn't want to believe it, but after trying the two of them side by side, I definitely wanted to throw my Z7's away. Even when they were being driven by the "flawed" amp of the ZX1. Fortunately, after going home and spending some more time with my current setup, I have ended up not throwing away my Z7's. If I were to make a comparison, if I put the Z7's at a 10, my Sony MDR-1R's would be a 4, and the Z1R's would be a 13. Clearly superior, but I lack the ability to convey in what way. I do value how female vocals and EDM-like music sounds, though. Fortunately for me, going back to the Z7's just made me realize that these headphones don't have a lot of flaws, and I'm perfectly comfortable with $2000 more in my bank account. Maybe after I win the lottery...
 
I took some pictures too, and hope to get them up this week.
 
Oct 31, 2016 at 10:26 PM Post #11 of 22
As always it was a great way to spend the day. I got a chance to listen to a few(if not most) cans that are out of my grasp at this moment. I enjoyed the Sony Z1R quite a lot. They sounded fantastic powered by my cheap Emotiva A100. Bass was perfect, mids abundant and crisp, clear highs. Also the Focal Utopia were an absolute treat. They sounded closest to speakers as I've ever heard. With that said the Focal Elears were right on it's heels for a fraction of the cost. And my biggest surprise was the Fostex TH-X00 Purpleheart. They freakin' rocked!!! Played everything I through at them with ease. Bass sounded great along with clean mids and smooth highs. This will be my next purchase for sure unless I can find some Focal Elears for a decent price.

Had a great time with some great people. The Old Detroit Bar after was great. I will have to get my picture on that wall very soon!

I didn't know that Zach had the new ZMFs there. I didn't even listen to them.
 
Nov 2, 2016 at 6:46 PM Post #12 of 22
Ok, if your wife or girlfriend ever makes fun of you for being into music and headphones, show her this. Tell her that you could be a flashlight guy!

https://youtu.be/8rkadw7n4JY
 
Nov 2, 2016 at 9:02 PM Post #13 of 22
Ok, if your wife or girlfriend ever makes fun of you for being into music and headphones, show her this. Tell her that you could be a flashlight guy!

https://youtu.be/8rkadw7n4JY


My daughter always says "at least you're not a flashlight guy!"
 
Nov 3, 2016 at 7:02 AM Post #14 of 22
IT is always a pleasure to be able to attend these meets.  we are very lucky to have such an active and helpful membership.  that being said i had a great time i learned you can control a computer thru a tablet using a router and make everything compleatly portable wow. i now have a new project yea.   now about the cans man, ZMF  nailed it for me the ikon thru my valhalla2 bifrost4490 is not to die for nothing is but the next best thing 
 
 
i wont expound or wax poetic, just really hit my ears in all the right places.  mmm. yeah man
gotta save alot more bread by christmas. 
 
the reel to reel was nice to hear again its been a while no hiss thru my cans he400s, wide stage as well as dynamic range from top to bottom.
the fantastic eddy current made an appearance and an impression  sooo  gooood.
 
it is special to be able to hear such a wide range of equipment such as a turntable or reel to reel to the most modern dacs amps usb line conditioners and the folks to help explain how the operate is priceless 
 
thanks again for another wonder filled meet
 
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