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I can't believe I get the first post. Happy birthday to me!
LA Meet August 12
- Thread starter Tyll Hertsens
- Start date
Heheh, go to sleep, buddy.
Cya tomorrow.
Happy Birthday. Helluva Birthday gift you won, eh?
-Ed
Cya tomorrow.
Happy Birthday. Helluva Birthday gift you won, eh?
-Ed
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Just wanted to make sure I got the first post. What a whore!
So, David threw a great meet. My pictures are still in my camera; still at his Mom's studio awaiting tomorrows concluding session....as is our dear 909. Yes, David is nighty-night on the danceroom floor, surrounded by a million dollars of headphone gear. I should give him my two-of-a-kind First National Head-Fi Meet SECURITY T-shirt for guarding the gear overnight. What a man!
Anyway, the meet was GREAT! I got a birthday cake and all! But that wasn't the half of it. You see, I never enter the raffles. Never. But there was this--no poop--12 CD set of remastered Led Zeplin albums. I about hacked up a fur-ball! Mostly I listen to jazz standards, but I'll take Zeplin as rock standard anyday. So, I plunked down my $20 for two tickets and crossed my fingers.
We went down the line pulling winners with the music first, so it was "The First 50 Years" of Capitol Records---pretty good collection of stuff---didn't win. Beach Boys "Pet Shop Boys." Two albums. Please! Don't pull my ticket! Not that the Beach Boys aren't American classics, I just have the album. Then the Zeplin. LFF puls the winning ticket. IT'S IN MY FRIGGEN HAND! AAAAAAAAAAA!!!
Holy Crap! I Won!
Happy birthday to me!
And better even than that can there possibly be? Yes! I've got a 20 hour drive home to listen to it...twice, almost.
Muah ha ha ha haaaaa!
So, David threw a great meet. My pictures are still in my camera; still at his Mom's studio awaiting tomorrows concluding session....as is our dear 909. Yes, David is nighty-night on the danceroom floor, surrounded by a million dollars of headphone gear. I should give him my two-of-a-kind First National Head-Fi Meet SECURITY T-shirt for guarding the gear overnight. What a man!
Anyway, the meet was GREAT! I got a birthday cake and all! But that wasn't the half of it. You see, I never enter the raffles. Never. But there was this--no poop--12 CD set of remastered Led Zeplin albums. I about hacked up a fur-ball! Mostly I listen to jazz standards, but I'll take Zeplin as rock standard anyday. So, I plunked down my $20 for two tickets and crossed my fingers.
We went down the line pulling winners with the music first, so it was "The First 50 Years" of Capitol Records---pretty good collection of stuff---didn't win. Beach Boys "Pet Shop Boys." Two albums. Please! Don't pull my ticket! Not that the Beach Boys aren't American classics, I just have the album. Then the Zeplin. LFF puls the winning ticket. IT'S IN MY FRIGGEN HAND! AAAAAAAAAAA!!!
Holy Crap! I Won!
Happy birthday to me!
And better even than that can there possibly be? Yes! I've got a 20 hour drive home to listen to it...twice, almost.
Muah ha ha ha haaaaa!
granodemostasa
Headphoneus Supremus
I’d like to say how wonderful it was to do this and meet everyone… as always, the best part about these meets is meeting everyone I read on the forum
I’d like to thank all the Members of the Trade, especially all those who let me take apart their setups, barrow things and listen extensively when I was making my endless comparisons.
Thanks to Lili and David for letting us use their place, it was a pleasure.
Results: Using the HD650 for most of them and strictly classical music (Mahler, Dvorak, Esa Pekka Salonen, Smetha)
(Zana Deux) > (Headroom Max)>(EC-H)>(HD300-redone)>(B52)
I must say this first: Throw out the notion that the HD650 needs to be balanced to sound good, and the notion that the HD600 is better than the HD650. Out of the top amps the HD650 is clearly the better headphone of the two: it’s simply more musical, more holographic, and builds images to higher degree.
If you have 2000$ I would simply not hesitate to get the Zana Deux from Eddie Current. In this event, it proved itself the best dynamic headphone amp: beating the Dynahi balanced, Gilmore Reference, GS1, and Headroom Max Balenced (although, the headroom sounded the most technically correct-and i only heard it through the cardas cable...which i can easily say isn't my favorite, so it may not have been fair...nevertheless...). The Deux simply has the best soundstage I’ve ever heard in dynamic, the deepest most impacting bass and elicits emotion and involvement from the music like nothing else I’ve ever heard (including the electrostats).
The B52 might be the best amp out there for jazz; it just sounded that good, that accurate, etc…. However, when it came to classical, it was one long screech… listening to Mahler on that thing was terrible; only the Bose Triports made me yank the headphone off my head faster! (although, i'll admit that i was listening single ended, not balenced when this happened)
Note: single ended, I heard no major differences between the maxed out desktop and the big max; there is a big difference balanced though.
Note II: the PPX3 balanced gets very hot and maybe not as good as the MPX slam. The PPX Slam, on the other hand, seems to be the best sub 1000$ amp out there (at least from the ones I’ve heard).
(Headroom millet) > (GS1)
I thought that with the new module the GS1 would have done well… it didn’t. Here is the deal: the GS1 is a wonderful amp for many different headphones…for the HD650 when playing classical music. With Mahler, I’d rather hear it from my head five (which at least has some emotion). The amp is simply metallic and too hard on the edges.
For this purpose, the Headroom millet mated surprisingly well with the HD650 to the point where I would call it a better amplifier… except that it sounded a bit muddy in some locations, still wonderful.
(Wavern senn cable)> (Blue Dragon=Equinox)> (Cardas)
This was on the Balenced Max-Wadia combo using a single ended connection and Gerog Solti’s 1973 recording of Mahler’s 8th with the CSO. The ayt999 cable is actually wonderfully balanced, extended and clean (I really thought I would have hated silver, but in this case, it’s a wonderful implementation). Next came the Blue Dragon and Equinox cables: the equinox showed more clarity and presented an upfront glorious sound while the Blue Dragon presented a deeper sound that did a wonderful job at separating sections in an orchestra (instead of mixing voices and instruments together). The Equinox, on the other hand had a smaller, yet taller soundstage that really did get rid of the three-blob soundstage on the HD650, while the Blue dragon continued to have the standard Sennheiser soundstage…although, it was a far deeper cable.
Then came the New Cardas; while not as ATHish as the older one, it failed to live up to expectations and simply is better suited for the 600 than the 650.
(L3000)>(HD650)>(K1000)>(HD600)
This is my most controversial part: and I’m not entirely sure how to say it…The L3000 is the smoothest, most addictive headphone at the show. The HD650 can be glorious. The K1000 was great, but lacking in impact and the ability to bring the listener into the music (from the RSA raptor), while the HD600 seemed lifeless….like the K701.
(Meredian 508)>(Stello)>(Zhaolu Ori Dac)
We did a shoot out… I’m sorry to say, the Meridian had a nice soft wonderfully musical and natural presentation that hit deepest in the bass. The Stello was a better dac for hard hitting drums, although it leans to the detail-bright side of the world. I’m not sure where the fully modded Zhaolu leans (it has both a treble roll off and is lacking in bass)… maybe the center (but that would neglect the lack of something musical there too). It’s soundstage was also smaller than the Meredian…although the same size as the Stello.
Note: the modded Zhaolu did have a major disadvantage of being about 20 decibel levels bellow the other amps… which colored the perceptions and made it extremely difficult in the A/B environment… maybe a long term listening/audiophile audition would be better in this case.
Note 2: I did A/b on the b52 using 3 dacs (obviously favoring the two loudest) while others used the orpheus with long terms tests... so it might account for the different results...
(UE10pro way over UE super fi. 5 pro)
Seriously, if the XXX sounds as good as the UE10, then my next purchase will be the new UE headphone.
(Stax Omega II)>(HE90)> (HE60)
I had never heard a proper Omega II setup before and had always come away from meets with the impression of the HE90 as the king of them all. Hearing it from the ES-1 amp, however made a difference. The OII was more believable than the HE90… even if the HE90 was pleasant… it was just that.
(ES-1) >> (HEV90)
Everyone knows this… the ES-1 is the king of all electrostatic amps…and maybe all amps in general.
I’d like to thank all the Members of the Trade, especially all those who let me take apart their setups, barrow things and listen extensively when I was making my endless comparisons.
Thanks to Lili and David for letting us use their place, it was a pleasure.
Results: Using the HD650 for most of them and strictly classical music (Mahler, Dvorak, Esa Pekka Salonen, Smetha)
(Zana Deux) > (Headroom Max)>(EC-H)>(HD300-redone)>(B52)
I must say this first: Throw out the notion that the HD650 needs to be balanced to sound good, and the notion that the HD600 is better than the HD650. Out of the top amps the HD650 is clearly the better headphone of the two: it’s simply more musical, more holographic, and builds images to higher degree.
If you have 2000$ I would simply not hesitate to get the Zana Deux from Eddie Current. In this event, it proved itself the best dynamic headphone amp: beating the Dynahi balanced, Gilmore Reference, GS1, and Headroom Max Balenced (although, the headroom sounded the most technically correct-and i only heard it through the cardas cable...which i can easily say isn't my favorite, so it may not have been fair...nevertheless...). The Deux simply has the best soundstage I’ve ever heard in dynamic, the deepest most impacting bass and elicits emotion and involvement from the music like nothing else I’ve ever heard (including the electrostats).
The B52 might be the best amp out there for jazz; it just sounded that good, that accurate, etc…. However, when it came to classical, it was one long screech… listening to Mahler on that thing was terrible; only the Bose Triports made me yank the headphone off my head faster! (although, i'll admit that i was listening single ended, not balenced when this happened)
Note: single ended, I heard no major differences between the maxed out desktop and the big max; there is a big difference balanced though.
Note II: the PPX3 balanced gets very hot and maybe not as good as the MPX slam. The PPX Slam, on the other hand, seems to be the best sub 1000$ amp out there (at least from the ones I’ve heard).
(Headroom millet) > (GS1)
I thought that with the new module the GS1 would have done well… it didn’t. Here is the deal: the GS1 is a wonderful amp for many different headphones…for the HD650 when playing classical music. With Mahler, I’d rather hear it from my head five (which at least has some emotion). The amp is simply metallic and too hard on the edges.
For this purpose, the Headroom millet mated surprisingly well with the HD650 to the point where I would call it a better amplifier… except that it sounded a bit muddy in some locations, still wonderful.
(Wavern senn cable)> (Blue Dragon=Equinox)> (Cardas)
This was on the Balenced Max-Wadia combo using a single ended connection and Gerog Solti’s 1973 recording of Mahler’s 8th with the CSO. The ayt999 cable is actually wonderfully balanced, extended and clean (I really thought I would have hated silver, but in this case, it’s a wonderful implementation). Next came the Blue Dragon and Equinox cables: the equinox showed more clarity and presented an upfront glorious sound while the Blue Dragon presented a deeper sound that did a wonderful job at separating sections in an orchestra (instead of mixing voices and instruments together). The Equinox, on the other hand had a smaller, yet taller soundstage that really did get rid of the three-blob soundstage on the HD650, while the Blue dragon continued to have the standard Sennheiser soundstage…although, it was a far deeper cable.
Then came the New Cardas; while not as ATHish as the older one, it failed to live up to expectations and simply is better suited for the 600 than the 650.
(L3000)>(HD650)>(K1000)>(HD600)
This is my most controversial part: and I’m not entirely sure how to say it…The L3000 is the smoothest, most addictive headphone at the show. The HD650 can be glorious. The K1000 was great, but lacking in impact and the ability to bring the listener into the music (from the RSA raptor), while the HD600 seemed lifeless….like the K701.
(Meredian 508)>(Stello)>(Zhaolu Ori Dac)
We did a shoot out… I’m sorry to say, the Meridian had a nice soft wonderfully musical and natural presentation that hit deepest in the bass. The Stello was a better dac for hard hitting drums, although it leans to the detail-bright side of the world. I’m not sure where the fully modded Zhaolu leans (it has both a treble roll off and is lacking in bass)… maybe the center (but that would neglect the lack of something musical there too). It’s soundstage was also smaller than the Meredian…although the same size as the Stello.
Note: the modded Zhaolu did have a major disadvantage of being about 20 decibel levels bellow the other amps… which colored the perceptions and made it extremely difficult in the A/B environment… maybe a long term listening/audiophile audition would be better in this case.
Note 2: I did A/b on the b52 using 3 dacs (obviously favoring the two loudest) while others used the orpheus with long terms tests... so it might account for the different results...
(UE10pro way over UE super fi. 5 pro)
Seriously, if the XXX sounds as good as the UE10, then my next purchase will be the new UE headphone.
(Stax Omega II)>(HE90)> (HE60)
I had never heard a proper Omega II setup before and had always come away from meets with the impression of the HE90 as the king of them all. Hearing it from the ES-1 amp, however made a difference. The OII was more believable than the HE90… even if the HE90 was pleasant… it was just that.
(ES-1) >> (HEV90)
Everyone knows this… the ES-1 is the king of all electrostatic amps…and maybe all amps in general.
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See! I knew I had to get my post in. OK, I'm going to bed.
Jon L
For him, f/1.2 is a prime number
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- May 20, 2003
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A Big Thanks to 909 for hosting the meet again and to everyone for lugging in some serious gear. Some Pics and Impressions.
Singlepower PPX3 and MPX3. Both sounded great, but I preferred the balanced HD650 via PPX3 vs. single-ended HD650 via MPX3. No surprise here, and despite the serious heavy-hitters at this meet (HE90 x2, HE60, R10, K1000), balanced HD650 sounded nice pretty much on every balanced setup.
Foo_Me's new toy, Singlepower ES-1 powering HE90 and Omega II. I spent most of my time at this table, testing and comparing various stuff, including stock Zhaolu D2 vs. Ori modded Zhaolu, both fed by Meridian 508.24 as transport. Stock Zhaolu sounded slightly less good compared to Meridian to my ears, but I preferred the Ori Modded Zhaolu (OMZ) over 508.24 by quite a bit. With OMZ, there was simply more detail, resolution, speed, and presence.
In fact, OMZ->ES-1->HE90 was my favorite setup at this meet, and it's a good thing I can't even begin to think about affording the ES-1/HE90
It just had utmost fidelity, musicality, clarity, and natural speed. My only regret was that my OMZ was optimized for single-ended output (no XLR out), so half of ES-1's balanced circuitry was being wasted. But not to worry b/c I hear Foo_Me has ordered OMZ with XLR optimization
RSA B52 amp. Yup, it sounded as impressive as it looked via balanced HD600 using some military surplus wire. Another 508.24 as source. I guess more money does get you a bit more b/c balanced B52 sounded better to my ears compared to the Raptor, with the usual balanced virtues of effortless power, control, ease, and resolution. Very nice, Ray!
Imagine Hi-Fi setup with the new Esoteric DV60, Almarro A205a II, NuForce IA-7 integrated amp, K1000, and PassThru Cables. K1000 sounded great through both Almarro and NuForce, with the Former having that single-ended "illumination" in vocals and the latter a bit more resolution and control. If I listened primarily to vocals, especially female, Almarro would be my choice, but if your tastes run more towards complex instrumentation, NuForce does have more control over the notes, up and down the ranges. Both great sound! I also found out Almarro sounds fantastic with AKG K701, more so than with HD650. I think Almarro and AKG both start with "A" for a reason..
Justin's HeadAmp table. I concentrated on the KGSS Electrostatic amp on the left, mainly trying to compare HE90 and HE60. I have come to the following conclusion about these two siblings. HE90 has just about perfect stage perspective, being neutral to slightly laid back yet with perfect presence. HE60's perspective is quite bit more forward, which can seem more upfront and immediate but also less refined, too revealing of bad recordings. The sonic pixels seem a bit coarser with HE60, but only in direct comparison to HE90. HE60 also seems to have a more noticeable and punchy "fun" upper bass, but HE90 has a more balanced, linear bass that extends deeper and with more authority. On the solid state KGSS, I definitely prefer HE90, but I would not be surprised if this balance tilts more the other way on a good tube amp, such as ES-1, where some of the forwardness and exuberance of HE60 can be put to good use.
Eddie Current table with the Zana Deux. I have no idea why I didn't get a chance to listen to the Zana Deux. Actually, I do. Every time I wanted to try it, somebody else was in the listening seat! I did listen to the Moth/EC amp via R10 and K701, and both were pretty darn nice.
Another mystery is why my camera refused to take a good pic of the Orpheus system. The mighty Wadia 861SE CDP feeding HE90/HEV90 should sound pretty passable, right? Indeed. The natural synergy of the Orpheus system was quite evident, if not quite as resolved as the ES-1/HE90 system. The bass extension and power of Wadia 861SE is simply unbelievable, however, as I have heard elsewhere in the past.
Headroom Balanced Max was making some mighty music. Pretty much everything that was balanced sounded great, including balanced HD650 and K701. I did some comparisons between balanced HD650 and K701 on this amp, and the verdict is.... They are both PHAT, my friends. Balanced HD650 builds music from bottom up, and balanced K701 builds music from top down, relatively speaking, and I guess your preference will depend on whether you're a basshead or an airhead.
DynaMight setup. Didn't get to it
Ultimate Ears UE-10 pro "universal," among other things.
Another KGSS being packed up.
Another Zhaolu setup
Beautiful FEEL amp. Didn't get to try it
Another Zhaolu and an M3 amp.
Borat's MHDT Labs Constantine NOS DAC. Here's a DAC I really wanted to listen to and compare to my OMZ, but didn't happen, but maybe someone else can comment?
Cary 306/200 CDP, which I KNOW to be great-sounding and one of Audiogon's greatest bargains.
Singlepower PPX3 and MPX3. Both sounded great, but I preferred the balanced HD650 via PPX3 vs. single-ended HD650 via MPX3. No surprise here, and despite the serious heavy-hitters at this meet (HE90 x2, HE60, R10, K1000), balanced HD650 sounded nice pretty much on every balanced setup.
Foo_Me's new toy, Singlepower ES-1 powering HE90 and Omega II. I spent most of my time at this table, testing and comparing various stuff, including stock Zhaolu D2 vs. Ori modded Zhaolu, both fed by Meridian 508.24 as transport. Stock Zhaolu sounded slightly less good compared to Meridian to my ears, but I preferred the Ori Modded Zhaolu (OMZ) over 508.24 by quite a bit. With OMZ, there was simply more detail, resolution, speed, and presence.
In fact, OMZ->ES-1->HE90 was my favorite setup at this meet, and it's a good thing I can't even begin to think about affording the ES-1/HE90
RSA B52 amp. Yup, it sounded as impressive as it looked via balanced HD600 using some military surplus wire. Another 508.24 as source. I guess more money does get you a bit more b/c balanced B52 sounded better to my ears compared to the Raptor, with the usual balanced virtues of effortless power, control, ease, and resolution. Very nice, Ray!
Imagine Hi-Fi setup with the new Esoteric DV60, Almarro A205a II, NuForce IA-7 integrated amp, K1000, and PassThru Cables. K1000 sounded great through both Almarro and NuForce, with the Former having that single-ended "illumination" in vocals and the latter a bit more resolution and control. If I listened primarily to vocals, especially female, Almarro would be my choice, but if your tastes run more towards complex instrumentation, NuForce does have more control over the notes, up and down the ranges. Both great sound! I also found out Almarro sounds fantastic with AKG K701, more so than with HD650. I think Almarro and AKG both start with "A" for a reason..
Justin's HeadAmp table. I concentrated on the KGSS Electrostatic amp on the left, mainly trying to compare HE90 and HE60. I have come to the following conclusion about these two siblings. HE90 has just about perfect stage perspective, being neutral to slightly laid back yet with perfect presence. HE60's perspective is quite bit more forward, which can seem more upfront and immediate but also less refined, too revealing of bad recordings. The sonic pixels seem a bit coarser with HE60, but only in direct comparison to HE90. HE60 also seems to have a more noticeable and punchy "fun" upper bass, but HE90 has a more balanced, linear bass that extends deeper and with more authority. On the solid state KGSS, I definitely prefer HE90, but I would not be surprised if this balance tilts more the other way on a good tube amp, such as ES-1, where some of the forwardness and exuberance of HE60 can be put to good use.
Eddie Current table with the Zana Deux. I have no idea why I didn't get a chance to listen to the Zana Deux. Actually, I do. Every time I wanted to try it, somebody else was in the listening seat! I did listen to the Moth/EC amp via R10 and K701, and both were pretty darn nice.
Another mystery is why my camera refused to take a good pic of the Orpheus system. The mighty Wadia 861SE CDP feeding HE90/HEV90 should sound pretty passable, right? Indeed. The natural synergy of the Orpheus system was quite evident, if not quite as resolved as the ES-1/HE90 system. The bass extension and power of Wadia 861SE is simply unbelievable, however, as I have heard elsewhere in the past.
Headroom Balanced Max was making some mighty music. Pretty much everything that was balanced sounded great, including balanced HD650 and K701. I did some comparisons between balanced HD650 and K701 on this amp, and the verdict is.... They are both PHAT, my friends. Balanced HD650 builds music from bottom up, and balanced K701 builds music from top down, relatively speaking, and I guess your preference will depend on whether you're a basshead or an airhead.
DynaMight setup. Didn't get to it
Ultimate Ears UE-10 pro "universal," among other things.
Another KGSS being packed up.
Another Zhaolu setup
Beautiful FEEL amp. Didn't get to try it
Another Zhaolu and an M3 amp.
Borat's MHDT Labs Constantine NOS DAC. Here's a DAC I really wanted to listen to and compare to my OMZ, but didn't happen, but maybe someone else can comment?
Cary 306/200 CDP, which I KNOW to be great-sounding and one of Audiogon's greatest bargains.
Jon L
For him, f/1.2 is a prime number
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Internal pictures of HeadAmp's custom KGSS Electrostatic Amp. Impressive build quality!
Internal Pics of HeadAmp GS-1
More pics of Ray's B-52.
And another pic of Zana Deux. Maybe next time.
Once again, the meet was great fun and very educational. Sorry I missed many excellent setups, but I wanted to concentrate on OMZ and various electrostatics this time. Happy birthday, Tyll, and Great many thanks to everyone for being part of this great tradition. Until next time, ciao!
crazyfrenchman27
Headphoneus Supremus
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boo yah!
Round Two in a few hours...
GOOD NIGHT!
-Matt
Round Two in a few hours...
GOOD NIGHT!
-Matt
yellafella321
500+ Head-Fier
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Did anyone get the try the Zana Deux w/ Grado's? I hear the field in LA was very anti-grado, but i know I saw a pair of rs-1's in there somewhere!
Can someone please compare the mpx3 vs the zana duex for me with grados if you can?
And wow...no gs-1000 in that field...painful! I would have brought mine...but I had no ride! (coming from berkeley)
Can someone please compare the mpx3 vs the zana duex for me with grados if you can?
And wow...no gs-1000 in that field...painful! I would have brought mine...but I had no ride! (coming from berkeley)
909
Organizer for Can Jam '09
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It's like I've died and gone to headphone heaven.
What an absolute great day with friendly Head-Fiers and awesome gear. Thanks to everyone that helped out or donated something to the raffle. And a big thanks to all the trade members that attended and especially those that traveled such long distances to make it here.
I've got some clean-up to do then serious listening to some of the awesome gear. I feel like a kid in a candy shop.
What an absolute great day with friendly Head-Fiers and awesome gear. Thanks to everyone that helped out or donated something to the raffle. And a big thanks to all the trade members that attended and especially those that traveled such long distances to make it here.
I've got some clean-up to do then serious listening to some of the awesome gear. I feel like a kid in a candy shop.
Jahn
Headphoneus Supremus Prolificus
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Holy! It's like the West Coast National Meet - you guys pulled out all the stops! That's it, next Meet I'm just going to be a kid in a candy store and just spend all my time listening to tunes and chatting with folks instead of running around like a headless chicken. *tosses away the coordinator armband* It looked like you guys had a great time, I look forward to checking out the Cali crew's gear next year!
Quote:
LOL, try not to have any "Nekkidgod" moments, OK?
And try to sleep a little bit. Heheh.
Nighty nite.
-Ed
| Originally Posted by 909 It's like I've died and gone to headphone heaven. What an absolute great day with friendly Head-Fiers and awesome gear. Thanks to everyone that helped out or donated something to the raffle. And a big thanks to all the trade members that attended and especially those that traveled such long distances to make it here. I've got some clean-up to do then serious listening to some of the awesome gear. I feel like a kid in a candy shop. |
LOL, try not to have any "Nekkidgod" moments, OK?
And try to sleep a little bit. Heheh.
Nighty nite.
-Ed
mrarroyo
Headphoneus Supremus
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Man, you guys had great gear. Is that a new tube amp by RS? Can anyone post impressions? Thanks.
Nik
Headphoneus Supremus
Very, very interesting meeting! Thanks guys!
I find my HD650/Equinox -> Cary (with special tubes), the best headphones setup I ever had and heard: the synergy is (IMO) HD650/300B ...
I find my HD650/Equinox -> Cary (with special tubes), the best headphones setup I ever had and heard: the synergy is (IMO) HD650/300B ...
nanahachi
Head-Fi FAQ(s) Volunteer
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First, thanks to 909 for being a terrific host. This meet was organized and ran like a finely tuned machine. From the tables, to the power strips, to the food, to the raffle, it was great, nothing was lacking and everyone had space to set up their gear (although the second room was a bit too spartan
).
Thanks to everyone for showing up, especially those of you who drove/flew in. And special thanks to Mikhail (who had to deal with the crazy airport situation WITH all of that gear) and Jasper994, both of whom were running on 0-3 hrs of sleep, yet somehow made it all the way through the meet from start to finish!
I don’t have pics to post. Tyll's monster cam should yield some fantastic pics, as should our regular photog Edwood. Can't wait to see them.
Highlights of the meet for me:
* Finally hearing the Orpheus.
* Hearing the Orpheus with the HEV90 mega amp
* Hearing the Orpheus with the Singlepower ES-1 -- even more magical, IMO
* Stax Omega 2’s with ES-1 – perhaps a better match than even the HE90s
* Shure e500s
* Headroom balanced Max + Balanced Senns + Wadia CDP
* and as always, AC1's impressive Stax rig. once again, he's proven to me how much I love the O2s and that a PC-based rig can sound just awesome. He has, by far, the most impressive PC rigs I've seen/heard, although I couldn’t begin to explain all the things he has in his foodchain.
Other fun things I got to try:
* UE-10 with the universal plugs
* the new, forthcoming (?) Studio 3 IEMs, especially with Shure tips – these are THE $100 phones to buy. Period. Amazing sound for that little dough. These are the solution to all the “I need new phones for my iPod” threads.
* Singlepower balanced PPX3 – this thing was powerful and fun!!
* Audio Technica L3000 – not my cup of tea, but it was great hearing them!
* Sennheiser HE-60 with Headamp KGSS deluxe edition
I went to the meet wanting to hear 2 things: GS1000 and E500s. I got to hear one of those (b/c the GS1000 never showed), and if I had the money, I think I'd be buying the E500s. I'll need a good IEM that isolates well when I'm back in school in 2 months, and even in the loud, bustling room of the meet, I was able to enjoy the music without problem at all. Even the PTH worked well and in fact was pretty neat. I was skeptical of it for sure, but it didn’t seem to hamper the sound, and sliding the switch on and off to hear/not hear the people around me worked flawlessly. Thanks to Tyll, we had a pair of E500s to use. First Aaron (Jasper) had them, then AC1 got a chance…and then I had my turn, moved off into a corner with my iPod (unamped) and held onto those puppies for a good while. I finally gave them up, other people had their chance, but I tried them out a few more times before the night was done (11 or 11:30pm).
I’m an Etys guy by admission. And there was much Ety hating at the meet.
But, I have to say I’m very much impressed by the Shure E500s. They revealed a part of the spectrum my ER-4S and 4P don’t emphasize as much…the lows, the bass. The overall fullness and musicality of the E500s are what impressed me most. It is a very different presentation from the Etys. I think AC1 and I likened the difference of the Etys and the E500s to being akin to comparing the Orpheus + HEV90 to the Omega 2s + KGSS: 1 of them is more focused on the upper range, while the other is more robust, full, and has such satisfying lows. I’m a detail freak, but I think if I have to settle on 1 set of IEMs for school for the next many years, I may have found them (if I can afford them). In short, I LIKE!!
I also went into the meet knowing that I can’t buy anything anytime soon, as in for years, so I had little incentive to try new things. But, it left me with complete freedom to try out the big boys, the rigs that I might never be able to own. This is why I don’t have major impressions of the big boys…I just sat and listened to listen, not to critique. On that note, I have nothing but respect and congratulations for Foo_me, whose HE90 + ES-1 rig is just so wonderful and like he said, just lets you sit back and enjoy the music. It may not be the perfect rig, but it sure is easy to enjoy!
What’s a bit funny to me was how Ed’s R-10s were mostly neglected. They certainly got their use, including by me, but I don’t think there was an amp there that truly did them justice. In the past I’ve used them with a SP Maestro ZR and the combination was nothing short of heavenly. However, there weren’t any of the big SP boys there, and I left my Supra at home. I think that was a good thing, however, since I wouldn’t be able to afford them anyway. I’ll just keep dreaming about Omega 2s.
I might head out there for today’s downsized part 2, but I got my fill yesterday.
It was great seeing everyone, particularly the usual crew of Edwood, Jasper, AC1, LFF, Iron_Dreamer, Tyll, Mikhail, petery83, Foo_me and the rest of the guys (the list would go on too long). Meets wouldn’t be the same without you guys and our conversations are always great. It was great meeting new people too, especially Bruce (Utep10) and Justin Wilson of Headamp (thanks for coming to LA!).
I’ll probably post more impressions later. Must decompress and listen to my own rig for a while.
Thanks to everyone for showing up, especially those of you who drove/flew in. And special thanks to Mikhail (who had to deal with the crazy airport situation WITH all of that gear) and Jasper994, both of whom were running on 0-3 hrs of sleep, yet somehow made it all the way through the meet from start to finish!
I don’t have pics to post. Tyll's monster cam should yield some fantastic pics, as should our regular photog Edwood. Can't wait to see them.
Highlights of the meet for me:
* Finally hearing the Orpheus.
* Hearing the Orpheus with the HEV90 mega amp
* Hearing the Orpheus with the Singlepower ES-1 -- even more magical, IMO
* Stax Omega 2’s with ES-1 – perhaps a better match than even the HE90s
* Shure e500s
* Headroom balanced Max + Balanced Senns + Wadia CDP
* and as always, AC1's impressive Stax rig. once again, he's proven to me how much I love the O2s and that a PC-based rig can sound just awesome. He has, by far, the most impressive PC rigs I've seen/heard, although I couldn’t begin to explain all the things he has in his foodchain.
Other fun things I got to try:
* UE-10 with the universal plugs
* the new, forthcoming (?) Studio 3 IEMs, especially with Shure tips – these are THE $100 phones to buy. Period. Amazing sound for that little dough. These are the solution to all the “I need new phones for my iPod” threads.
* Singlepower balanced PPX3 – this thing was powerful and fun!!
* Audio Technica L3000 – not my cup of tea, but it was great hearing them!
* Sennheiser HE-60 with Headamp KGSS deluxe edition
I went to the meet wanting to hear 2 things: GS1000 and E500s. I got to hear one of those (b/c the GS1000 never showed), and if I had the money, I think I'd be buying the E500s. I'll need a good IEM that isolates well when I'm back in school in 2 months, and even in the loud, bustling room of the meet, I was able to enjoy the music without problem at all. Even the PTH worked well and in fact was pretty neat. I was skeptical of it for sure, but it didn’t seem to hamper the sound, and sliding the switch on and off to hear/not hear the people around me worked flawlessly. Thanks to Tyll, we had a pair of E500s to use. First Aaron (Jasper) had them, then AC1 got a chance…and then I had my turn, moved off into a corner with my iPod (unamped) and held onto those puppies for a good while. I finally gave them up, other people had their chance, but I tried them out a few more times before the night was done (11 or 11:30pm).
I’m an Etys guy by admission. And there was much Ety hating at the meet.
I also went into the meet knowing that I can’t buy anything anytime soon, as in for years, so I had little incentive to try new things. But, it left me with complete freedom to try out the big boys, the rigs that I might never be able to own. This is why I don’t have major impressions of the big boys…I just sat and listened to listen, not to critique. On that note, I have nothing but respect and congratulations for Foo_me, whose HE90 + ES-1 rig is just so wonderful and like he said, just lets you sit back and enjoy the music. It may not be the perfect rig, but it sure is easy to enjoy!
What’s a bit funny to me was how Ed’s R-10s were mostly neglected. They certainly got their use, including by me, but I don’t think there was an amp there that truly did them justice. In the past I’ve used them with a SP Maestro ZR and the combination was nothing short of heavenly. However, there weren’t any of the big SP boys there, and I left my Supra at home. I think that was a good thing, however, since I wouldn’t be able to afford them anyway. I’ll just keep dreaming about Omega 2s.
I might head out there for today’s downsized part 2, but I got my fill yesterday.
It was great seeing everyone, particularly the usual crew of Edwood, Jasper, AC1, LFF, Iron_Dreamer, Tyll, Mikhail, petery83, Foo_me and the rest of the guys (the list would go on too long). Meets wouldn’t be the same without you guys and our conversations are always great. It was great meeting new people too, especially Bruce (Utep10) and Justin Wilson of Headamp (thanks for coming to LA!).
I’ll probably post more impressions later. Must decompress and listen to my own rig for a while.
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