[odigg]

Quote:

The LCD-2 was clearly the best cans I heard all day followed by the Denon 7000's.
 

You were singing a different tune after you heard the JH3X
 
**edit** And after I posted this you posted your comment about the JH3X.

 

[sachu]

Quote:

The LCD-2 was clearly the best cans I heard all day followed by the Denon 7000's.
 

The amplification does make a huge difference on how the LCD-2s sound..though they are quite decent sounding on most SS and tube hybrid amps.
 
I am listening now to the same amp that they are using at Canjam, The Cavalli Audio Liquid Fire..I have heard the LCD-2 on this amp and I would be surprised if anyone found it lacking in any way whatsoever. 
 
See..the LCD-2 is all that it is made out to be. When I said it humbled my thunderpants I wasn't kidding..
 
anywyays..more pics please....What..everyone's probably off drinking and dining.  Good thing titty bars are a bit of a rarity and an expensive proposition in the Chicago area..else these guys wouldn't be back till after 2 AM

 

[Jian]

Come on guys, do us  a favour to post more pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TheWuss]

you guys at canjam are blessed.
and with great blessings come great responsibility:  POSTING PICS!!!!!!!!!  

 

[bikeboy999]

Okay here is a link to 56 unedited/undocumented pics.  
http://picasaweb.google.com/bikeboy999/Canjam2010Day1?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ7r4JT3hpCI6AE#

 

[Jian]

Hi 999, great start!
 
have you got a pic for he6?

 

[AmanGeorge]

I didn't bring my camera, so no pics from me, sorry. But I'll echo other folks - the LCD-2 are stunners. I'll have to start thinking about what's going to get sold for me to get on the waiting list for a pair. Best sound of the show to me.
 
The Rudi headphones are damn impressive too. I wasn't actually expecting much - they were flying really under the radar, and given the price point, I guess I expected to be underwhelmed but I wasn't at all. These were fantastic - incredibly smooth and effortless. Definitely on the bassy side of neutral, but not in an unpleasant way at all and without intruding on the mids and treble from what I could tell. I think this is what the HD650 wished it sounds like. Build quality was really bad, although the headphone on display is a pre-production model which looks pretty different from (and uglier than) the promotional pictures of the final model they had around.
 
The other rig I spent some time with today that I loved was jp11801's Jade rig - these are truly outstanding headphones. I was drawn into the Summit-Fi room because it was less crowded and therefore a quieter listening environment than some of the other rooms, and the Jades really surprised me. Really fantastic set of 'stats.
 
Also heard and liked the T1 a lot - I can see why people like this better than the HD800. Very pleasant and balanced presentation which sounded great on a lot of different rigs.
 
Listening to the HE-5 and HE-5LE was less impressive to me. They sounded good but not on the same level as the other TOTL cans here. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to hear the HE-6 today, it was just too busy and this guy ended up cutting in front of me because he didn't realize I was waiting... hopefully tomorrow I can get some head time with them.
 
PS for those wondering what the HE-6 look like (I don't think any pictures have been posted but I could be wrong), the answer is... exactly like the HE5LE - virtually indistinguishable. Same for the HE-4. Don't know if this is just because they are pre-production units and Fang is using a common housing or something, but for now you're not missing out on any exciting eye candy.
 
In terms of things that didn't quite do it for me - I tried a universal model of the Sensaphonics dual-driver headphone and it did not sound good to my ears at all. Not engaging in any way - one of my few forced smiles and "this sounds great"'s of the day.
 
The Omegas still don't really do it for me. Heard them off a BHSE and off jp11801's exStata, and they are too dark for my tastes. Give me a Jade or one of the Lambdas any day.
 
Meeting up with people was great, of course - very nice to see folks who I caught at RMAF, CES, and the last couple of DC-area meets in attendance.
 
Hope this is helpful to those of you guys who couldn't make it - lots of exciting stuff!

 

[bikeboy999]

I put in a few quotes, being a novice with equipment.  I don't know much from how to tell how much tighter something is.  But I can tell you what I liked.  Those wooden super comfy headphones at Skylab's table.  The Rudistor, the cable from Whiplash I tried out on my tf10s.  The 800s in  TTJV's room, were the first thing I tried really liked and things just got better.  I liked the T1's on  Headamps portable desktop amp (I could be corrected if wrong).  Tomorrow more critical time and meeting people I missed today.
 
 
B

 

[TheWuss]

well.  that answers one big question:  he-6 looks like he-5le.  oh well. 

 

[odigg]

Here is a link to pictures of the HE-5LE.  As has been stated, there were a lot of headphones on the Head Direct table that looked the same.  The only difference is the letters on the side.

 

[MoJaveMan250]

Hi, I'm Jaran for those of you who may remember my name.  I wanted to post my impressions of the meet...
 
It was great!  I could only attend Saturday but it was well worth it.  Here are some of my impressions from hearing most everything for the first time.
 
-The  Headroom BUDA/Ultra DAC with Cardas balanced cables powering the HD800 was my personal favorite rig.  I loved the sense of space and clarity.
 
-The second best IMO was a toss up between the Stax SR-007/Blue Hawaii and the Stax SR-007/Woo WES.  Both were absolutely amazing.  If I had to choose one I guess I would go with the Blue Hawaii but they were both outstanding. 
 
-I was surprised to find that the SR-007's are so comfortable.  I would say they were the most comfortable headphones with the HD800s and the Sony R10 and Qualia right behind.  I understand from what I have read on here that some people have a hard time getting the Qualia to fit correctly but I found it to be very comfortable.
 
-I wish I could have spent more time with the R10 but from the short time I listened to them I can say they are the best headphone I have ever listened to. I think I might prefer the HD800 for music where you would want more of a sense of space but the R10s were superior with everthing I threw at them.
 
-I preferred the HD800s to the Qualia but the Qualia was still great for certain types of music.  I undersatnd now why they are thought to be one of the most detailed dynamic headphones..wow
 
-The Woo products were my favorite overall line of amps. 
 
-The Denon D7000 was more comfortable and sounded better than I expected.  They were my favorite closed cans I tried.
 
-The Ultrasone Ed. 8 was good but I thought it was a little uncomfortable.
 
-All of the orthodynamic cans and also the JH13's were awesome.  I can't believe IEMs can sound that good.
 
-I had a chance to listen to an RS-1 out of an Eddie Current Zana Deux and I have never heard them sound better.
 
-The DT880 vs K701 the K701 wins in IMO for most music.
 
-TTVJ's pinnalce amp is amazing.  The Manley stingray is a sweet amp as well.
 
-The Monster Turbine Pro Copper was one of the best sounding IEMs I have ever heard, but of course the JH13's were better.
 
-I really enjoyed the Beyerdynamic T1 but I liked most of the similarly priced headphones more.  They had excellent clarity but I thought they were a little overpriced for what you got.
 
-I didn't like the Grado GS1000 much but I enjoyed the PS1000.  They were a bit heavy and did not have good ergonomics but I thought they had very good detail and punch.  Like the T1's they are great headphones but I think they are also overpriced.
 
-They only headphones I wanted to hear which weren't there or I didn't get a chance to hear were the Orpheus, the K1000, and the Grado PS1 and ATH-L3000.  It didn't matter though as there were PLENTY of headphones to satisfy
 
-I won a pair of Maximo iMetal 590's from Headroom so I was pretty excited.
 
I am very happy I went.  It was my first meet and an awesome time.  I put a lot of faces to names which was cool.  Jude is a great guy and I want to thank him for Head-Fi and Can-Jam.  Recstar is a very cool guy and I also want to thank him for organizing Can-Jam.  Absorbine Sr and Tyll Herstens are funny/great guys.  Uncle Erik was cool to talk to and a very nice guy. Trevorlane (i believe), I love your R10's!  The Woo Audio family are very nice.  Craig from Whiplash Audio is a great guy. The Monster Cables guy were awesome.  The Jerry Harvey crew were all nice.  Everyone I met were all great people and I definately plan to attend more events.
 
Oh and no pics sorry haha

 

[Seamless Sounds]

More photos from me! http://s928.photobucket.com/albums/ad121/brncao/ I didn't get the chance to check out the members setup on the first floor cuz I was so busy on the 2nd floor

My first audition was pure amazing. Tbh I didn't come just to enjoy music, I came to audition and compare (and enjoy music)!
 
The room I enjoyed the most and had the most time in was Headroom lmao because I had to audition 3 (AKG K701, K702, and Dt880 (250ohm)) headphones extensively as I was planning on buying the AKG K70x or DT880, which both fits my budget and use. Headroom seemed to be the only vendor where I could use my laptop. I auditioned other cans as well for the heck of it. My source was the Headroom Desktop Amp w/ PSU (see the pic with the laptop and headphones on top). I used Adobe Audition to precisely playback the same section over and over to compare the differences and I've used different types of music (FLAC and 320kbps). I also used the quick swap method: One headphone on the ears, the other in hand. I would push the other headphone off my ears and let it fall around my neck as I put the other on lmao. I also take breaks in between. All these factors help lessen subjectivity imo.
Listening procedures: I've been transcribing music for several years now so my ears are more trained and developed so that's a plus. Frequency: I compare by starting from the low end and work my way up to the high end of the frequency response and as a whole. Instrument separation and detail: I select an instrument from within the music, and ask if it is clear and revealing or muddy and hidden.
 
Here's my first impressions!
 
AKG K701 vs AKG K702
They actually sound the same to me. I've done this for like 10 minutes, but could not discern any differences. That said, I will use "K70x" instead to compare it to other headphones.
 
Beyerdynamic DT880 (250ohms) vs AKG K70X
The difference is very noticeable. Some people say the AKG K70x is bass anemic. I don't think it is. The bass actually sounds the same or similar to the DT880 imo. The K70X is actually brighter or has more upper mids+ than the DT880. My theory for the "bass anemic" notion is due to the treble overpowering the bass giving you the impression that there's something wrong with the bass, when it's probably the treble that's masking it. The DT880 has more mids, or what I think correctly is less treble. Switching from a K70x to a DT880 will give you the impression as mellow sounding. On the contrary, switching from DT880 to K70x will give you the impression it's bright. However,the K70x was only slightly brighter over the DT880. In terms of instrument separation and detail, you can't go wrong with either. To prove it, I spent over an hour comparing the two and could not come to a conclusion lol. I was able to detect and discern every single instruments used on both phones (better than my crappy ones at home). I had to run through more and more songs. The AKG K70x did have a bigger soundstage. It was more airy, probably because the cup is bigger than the DT880. Listening to an orchestrated piece, I could hear where the instruments were placed and the distance.
 
Do note the material used inside these cups. The AKG K70x uses a soft wire-mesh like cloth and the DT880 uses foam. These two factors greatly affect the frequency response imo. I think the foam in the DT880 absorbs the high treble frequency giving it a mellow sounding headphone while the AKG K701 lets it all through giving it a brighter sounding headphone. Because the drivers in the K70x are more exposed, more sound gets through and therefore slightly more detail and clarity is heard in the AKG K70X. In the end I favored the AKG K70x over the DT880 for transcribing purposes (and for listening and enjoyment).
 
 
For the rest, I didn't do any intensive listening so the impressions are rather short. I only took mental notes what stood out the most for me.
 
Denon D7000
The first thing I noticed after I finished comparing DT880 and AKG K70x was the bass. Now these are for those who like their bass! Kick drums really stuck out. You know those tracks that are mixed a little too hot and the kick drums having no punch? Well if you want that punch back, Denon D7000 is the way to go. The bass is even bassier than T1 or HD800. But I really enjoyed hearing those punches in the kick drums and toms as I don't hear it too often. Is it something I want? No, it doesn't help me transcribe. The bass masks the upper frequency.
 
HD650
I didn't like these at all. It was too laid back. It sounded claustrophobic. I believe it's because of the vice grips on these cans. When you push the cups closer to your ears, things begin to sound awkward, which is represented by the vice grip.
 
T1 vs HD800
I like them both equally. They are truly above AKG K70x and DT880 and I would get either one, but alas I'm poor.  It's really dependent on the type of music you listen. Ugh I forgot which music sounded better with which cans. But FWIR they both sounded very good to my ears. Oh you guys should hear it for yourselves (those who didn't audition these two are missing out!)

 
Grados
I never really liked the Grados. They're uncomfortable...
 
 
Outside Headroom I had the chance to audition all kinds of electrostats! However, without anything to compare to using my above methods, I can't really tell No fun when you can't compare. The Stax omega 007t is truly comfortable. The headband self-adjusts and the cups are very comfortable around your ears.

 

[Kayk]

The Stingray, this thing just looks like a beast

 
What was right next to the stingray

 
WooAudio

 
Beyerdynamic T1's

 
iPad on a DAC

 

[barleyguy]

My impressions are probably quite similar to many others above, but I'll chime in anyway.

  I spent most of my time at vendor tables, and chatting with people throughout the meet.
 
The first highlight was listening to the demo version of the Westone ES5's.  It's quite good, and on my wish list.  Compared to the JH13 demo (an obvious comparison to make), I think it is comparable in detail, but has a little less 5 Khz (high mids) and a little less 50 hz (sub bass).  IMO it has great detail and is extremely flat.  It may even be more flat than the JH13's, though there is the obvious question of whether the 13 is hyped in those two regions or the ES5 is recessed.  I'll skip making an opinion on that and wait for subjective measurements or a general consensus once people start getting them.  I can say pretty definitively that the ES5's are excellent though and worth consideration against the competition.
 
The next highlight was the Liquid Fire (i.e. EHHA2) amp from Cavalli Audio.  Just excellent.  There's something about that particular design that I just love the sound of.  The original EHHA was one of my favorites, and this one is even better.  I listened with the LCD2's, but also tried it with my own Grado 225's to see how much the amp was contributing.  The Liquid Fire sounds excellent even with the 225's.  It's also on my wish list, though it's not likely to be an inexpensive amp.  Alex Cavalli said that their parts cost for the demo unit was pretty high (over $2K I believe).
 
The LCD2 was also excellent.  It has an amazing amount of detail, great imaging, and the best bass of any ortho that I know of.  Definitely a standout.
 
Tyll had his headphone measurement lab set up in its own room, and was gathering a sampling of headphones from the meet to do measurements on.  He said the LCD2 is one of the best measuring headphones he has ever tested, on par with the HD800.  He also did tests on many of the members' custom orthos.  My pair did pretty OK.  The Thunderpants by Smeggy (Colin's pair) did excellent.  It was the best of the hobbiest built headphones I think.  Tyll also tested lot of other headphones all the way from super cheap to very expensive.  One of the worst was a pair of Radio Shack ear clip buds that had almost 100% distortion and were freaking out the tone test by not playing the right frequencies.  It provided a good example to use if someone asks "Are expensive headphones really better than my $5 earbuds?".   The Sony Qualia also didn't do well considering its price.  I'm actually being diplomatic there, you can check out the measurements on that yourself.  Tyll said the best subjective price versus performance is likely the PX100-II, which is a much better headphone than the first version, and possibly the best headphone at its pricepoint, in subjective terms...  Overall, having the headphone measurement lab at CanJam was educational, and a great way to gather data on subjective measurements of headphones without Tyll having to buy every headphone himself.
 
Non gear highlights of the day were the live jazz performance this evening, some great conversations, and Giordano's deep dish pizza. 

 
That's all for now.  I'll make another post tomorrow about the things I forgot to mention and things I'll hear tomorrow....
 

 

[sachu]

had no doubt that the TPs would measure well. 

 I think Colin is using a damping method similar to what dBel84 did on Steve's pair..maybe not identical..but close. Hope Tyll puts all the measurements up on the site..would love to see how far off the TPs are compared to the LCD-2.
 
^^ Thanks for the impressions