[dallan]

Someone posted earlier that it was in the corner of a less traveled room and not hooked up when they went in.  Sad, that would be a contender on my eventual balanced list.

 

[Clarkmc2]

RE: Balancing Act
 
MY friend Dave Monell and I came up Sunday - I had to work Saturday - and spent most of the short day manning our table. We did venture out the last hour or so, his Grado 325s and my Stax 007 Mk IIs in tow, to each listen to some rigs on phones we knew well.
 
He liked the Woo room a great deal and the WA5 was really something. Then we went to the high end room and he tried the Zana Deux (sp?), which really impressed him. While I was talking to Dr Gilmore and trying the T2, I noticed Dave had camped out at the Balancing Act. (The room was almost empty, it was the end of the meet.)
 
Dave is a tube guy and was immediately drawn to the rig. (Wow, look at those Ken-Rads!) If I remember correctly, he said it was the best dynamic amp he heard at the event. I can tell you that he has gone to the CES many a year, has heard a heck of a lot of expensive rigs, and he was impressed. Very, very impressed. When he found out who the designer was, he was not surprised.
 
He also said the Bottleheads sounded really great.
 
Clark

 

[cooperpwc]

Good info, Clark. Thanks. I'm not surprised that it sounds so good either. Of course looks don't matter, but with KR-XP-4 tubes, it is also insanely beautiful.

 

[Absorbine_Sr]

Quote:

RE: Balancing Act
 
MY friend Dave Monell and I came up Sunday - I had to work Saturday - and spent most of the short day manning our table. We did venture out the last hour or so, his Grado 325s and my Stax 007 Mk IIs in tow, to each listen to some rigs on phones we knew well.
 
He liked the Woo room a great deal and the WA5 was really something. Then we went to the high end room and he tried the Zana Deux (sp?), which really impressed him. While I was talking to Dr Gilmore and trying the T2, I noticed Dave had camped out at the Balancing Act. (The room was almost empty, it was the end of the meet.)
 
Dave is a tube guy and was immediately drawn to the rig. (Wow, look at those Ken-Rads!) If I remember correctly, he said it was the best dynamic amp he heard at the event. I can tell you that he has gone to the CES many a year, has heard a heck of a lot of expensive rigs, and he was impressed. Very, very impressed. When he found out who the designer was, he was not surprised.
 
He also said the Bottleheads sounded really great.
 
Clark

Excellent. The Zana Deux was my rig, the Balancing Act was morphsci's. We were both part of the organizing team so we didn't have a lot of time to hang near our gear. I did get a few minutes to spend with a balanced pair of Thunderpants on the Balancing Act and it was nothing short of stunning. It is one hell of an amp.
 
A_Sr.

 

[manaox2]

I heard the balancing act shortly with the AKG K340 that were a bit modded at least with wood, so not sure what the internals are for sure... but that sounded great.

 

[mobayrasta]

CanJam DC. Washington DC would be a great place for CanJam.. Would love to help, in some way!

 

[markmaxx]

 
Quote:

CanJam DC. Washington DC would be a great place for CanJam.. Would love to help, in some way!

We are awfully fragmented....

 

[Exediron]

The mid-fi and even low-fi headphones were certainly present, but as a previous poster said, almost everyone has heard them already. However, since there was a request for impressions, I'll give one of my direct impressions (also vs one of the new tops, but with a somewhat different conclusion) with a few others for added flavor.
 
The BeyerDynamic table had a selection of (I believe) all current production cans of theirs. I auditioned the DT990 and DT880 directly against the T1, and in both cases the most dramatic difference was the imaging and clarity of the T1, which is completely in a different league. The T1 retains most of the familiar BeyerDynamic sound, but is faster and somewhat more airy than is usual for one of their designs. I'm not terribly familiar with the DT990 or the 880 (I have a 770), but it was my impression that the mid-range is somewhat less recessed on the T1 than on either of the other two. Certainly less than on my DT770. The T1 has an almost electrostatic sound to it. My conclusion was that the T1 was vastly superior to the other current Beyer cans, as it should be considering it's price.
 
At the Headroom table I also auditioned a T1 vs an HD800. Both were recabled and balanced, I think. Although I found them to be quite comfortable, overall I was not terribly impressed with the HD800. I think they sound too thin and insubstantial. I've commonly heard that the imaging is better on the HD800 than on the T1, but I didn't find that to be the case. I definitely preferred the T1 of the two. I briefly listened to the PS1000, but I've never been a fan of either Grado house sound or Grado comfort, and I didn't give it a very serious listen.
 
I listened to Skylab's vinyl rig on Sunday, both with his own Audio-Technicas and with my Denons, and preferred the ATs. The sound with the Denons was too warm for my taste.
 
Those are the impressions that come to mind. When I receive my T1 I'll probably make a more formal impressions thread for it, against my own headphones.

 

[nbourbaki]

 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Exediron /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
The BeyerDynamic table had a selection of (I believe) all current production cans of theirs. I auditioned the DT990 and DT880 directly against the T1, and in both cases the most dramatic difference was the imaging and clarity of the T1, which is completely in a different league. The T1 retains most of the familiar BeyerDynamic sound, but is faster and somewhat more airy than is usual for one of their designs. I'm not terribly familiar with the DT990 or the 880 (I have a 770), but it was my impression that the mid-range is somewhat less recessed on the T1 than on either of the other two. Certainly less than on my DT770. The T1 has an almost electrostatic sound to it. My conclusion was that the T1 was vastly superior to the other current Beyer cans, as it should be considering it's price.
 
At the Headroom table I also auditioned a T1 vs an HD800. Both were recabled and balanced, I think. Although I found them to be quite comfortable, overall I was not terribly impressed with the HD800. I think they sound too thin and insubstantial. I've commonly heard that the imaging is better on the HD800 than on the T1, but I didn't find that to be the case. I definitely preferred the T1 of the two. I briefly listened to the PS1000, but I've never been a fan of either Grado house sound or Grado comfort, and I didn't give it a very serious listen.

 
My experience with the T1 mirrors yours.  It was too noisy in most rooms to really get a feel for the HD800.  They are much more of an open design than the T1 and the noisy conditions didn't give them a fair chance.  I also thought the sound signature of the T1 was similar to electrostatics.  Very fast and transparent.  I own a pair of 2003 Beyer DT880 which I really love but they are not in the same league as the T1.
 

 

[ironbut]

Quote:

RE: Balancing Act
 
MY friend Dave Monell and I came up Sunday - I had to work Saturday - and spent most of the short day manning our table. We did venture out the last hour or so, his Grado 325s and my Stax 007 Mk IIs in tow, to each listen to some rigs on phones we knew well.
 
He liked the Woo room a great deal and the WA5 was really something. Then we went to the high end room and he tried the Zana Deux (sp?), which really impressed him. While I was talking to Dr Gilmore and trying the T2, I noticed Dave had camped out at the Balancing Act. (The room was almost empty, it was the end of the meet.)
 
Dave is a tube guy and was immediately drawn to the rig. (Wow, look at those Ken-Rads!) If I remember correctly, he said it was the best dynamic amp he heard at the event. I can tell you that he has gone to the CES many a year, has heard a heck of a lot of expensive rigs, and he was impressed. Very, very impressed. When he found out who the designer was, he was not surprised.
 
He also said the Bottleheads sounded really great.
 
Clark

I'm glad your buddy enjoyed the Bottlehead Crack amps and even more, I'm glad that folks made it into the hi end room. I having a feeling that it may have been just a little too tucked away and far  from the main action to get the traffic it deserved. It certainly did make for a good listening environment though.
I have to admit that I spent the majority of my time "upstairs" too. Just too many great new gear not to.

 

 

[Exediron]

I didn't even find the Summit-Fi room until about halfway through Sunday when I was on my way back from that days presentation. I spent a little time in there (there was a T1 in the room and I was trying them all out), but it was too late to audition most of the stuff. It was quiet, however.

 

[carlseibert]

At this late date just about everything's been said.
 
I do want to pop in to thank everybody for a great meet. It was great people, great gear and a great time.
 
My $.02 worth on some of what I heard.
 
The Pete Millett designed Pinnacle in Todd the Vinyl Junkie's room was a real treat. It sounded marvelous with a few different headphones.
 
The LCD 2s were very impressive - fast and well balanced. I was happy to see them driven well by a Woo 6SE (since I have a 6SE) It was a tough room for cans with near zero isolation, though. I want to hear the LCD 2s some more under quiet conditions (my den would be a good place
 
I got to hear swt61's gorgeous Thunderpants on the same rig. They sounded outstanding and as they're closed back, you actually could hear them. They carried the day in that noisy environment, but I suspect they'd hold their own in some pretty fast company no matter the environment.
 
I was pleased to hear - and like - a couple of ExStatas. Now all I need to do is get my own built......  Alex's own ExStata was an absolutely delightful build, as was his even more impressive-looking, and great sounding, Liquid Fire.
 
I listened to T1s in a couple of rigs and they just weren't my cup of tea in either of them. I got a steely, or maybe clinical, vibe from them that just didn't float my boat.
 
jvlgato's RS-1s sounded terrific on my little portable rig. This isn't exactly a news flash, I realize, but it was a pleasant surprise for me and it got me thinking about mid-level Grados and maybe a little wood turning.
 
The Neko DAC sounded very fine - musical and effortless- with a Donald North amp and familiar headphones in a room that was quiet on the one hand but probably not as well traveled as its residents would have liked on the other. I went back for a second listen.
 
Colin suggested that I visit the ECP Audio table, where I encountered a prototype of another transformer-coupled DAC. So soon there will be two. The ECP is very different from the Neko, but when it's released it will be very interesting to compare. The ECP was housed in a solid block of Rosewood. Yeah, you don't listen to the casework, but still, it's tough to argue with a block of rosewood.
 
Matt Engstrom had early production samples, or maybe they were technically prototypes, of the new SE 425s and SE 535s at the Shure table. I thought on my portable, with my, ah, well broken-in Comply tips they sounded like an incremental but worthwhile improvement over their predecessors, Ergonomically and practically though, they are a real jump ahead. The housings fit very flat in your ear, giving the cables much less leverage to pull them out or break the seal.  The cables are removable now, too. I'm a fan of the 420s and I coveted the new model.
 
And, oh yeah, the new JH-16s and the prototype  A-3 crossover/amp thingie are as impressive as everybody says they are. Vicki was impressed enough to put her credit card where her ears were at the JH Audio table in the first hour of the meet. Which made her winning the darn things in the raffle the high point of the event, IMHO!
 
And I won the Shures I was coveting! How cool is that? Made my day for sure. Mind you, the photos of the raffle are a little frightening. Vicki- win. Colin - win. Me- fail. Thirty five years of making a living from photography and I didn't give Iron Dreamer so much as a fist-pump. How embarrassing. You can be well assured I'll be enjoying the earphones though!
 
 
Once again, thanks to everybody for a wonderful time.

 

[Exediron]

 
Quote:

I listened to T1s in a couple of rigs and they just weren't my cup of tea in either of them. I got a steely, or maybe clinical, vibe from them that just didn't float my boat.

I agree with this impression that they sound somewhat cold and clinical, although obviously I don't agree with the conclusion. I find the vast majority of wooden headphones to be far too warm for my taste.

 

[immtbiker]

Quote:

We are awfully fragmented....

 
Start>Accessories>Defrag. You won't be sorry, I promise.
 
[start of sales pitch ] I say that we hold the next Canjam in NY from whence in it came. Full Circle. We can have at least 200 people within driving distance, all able to bring their setups. You would have an-uber experienced meet host (me) with a ton of
experience (holds successful meets year in and year out) and a plethora of co-co-ordinators with a hundred years of
experience between us).
 
You have a minimum of 200 Head-Fiers, all which can jump in their car with tons of gear, from Maine to Northern Virginia,
Atlantic Ocean to Ohio. 20 minutes away from 3 major airports and one smaller International one (Islip). Every highway in NY
passes by all of the hotels and the night life is unsurpassable. Now, I even have the advantage of Johnnie Numbers in a 2 hour proximity. We would use a nicer hotel, and the attendance could be through the roof, which is what the Manufacturers need to
know which would give us an insurmountable amount of schwag.
I am offering my services as host, and can assemble a team that would make it an experience to remember. Heck, we get 90 people just for our local spring and fall meets.
 
Whaddya say? Did I make a good sales pitch. If not, there's plenty more where that came from.
The first (inter)national meet made half of my hair turn gray (top and bottom) and I need to even things out by going totally gray.
I hear girls dig it, so my wife would be pleased about that. And then there's the promise of 500 cheesecake brownies and an
assortment or chocolate covered strawberries and pretzels. BrownieLady could start now. [end of pitch]
 
I offer my services, and you all have my resume.

 

[SoupRKnowva]

Quote:

Quote:

We are awfully fragmented....

 
Start>Accessories>Defrag. You won't be sorry, I promise.
 
[start of sales pitch ] I say that we hold the next Canjam in NY from whence in it came. Full Circle. We can have at least 200 people within driving distance, all able to bring their setups. You would have an-uber experienced meet host (me) with a ton of
experience (holds successful meets year in and year out) and a plethora of co-co-ordinators with a hundred years of
experience between us).
 
You have a minimum of 200 Head-Fiers, all which can jump in their car with tons of gear, from Maine to Northern Virginia,
Atlantic Ocean to Ohio. 20 minutes away from 3 major airports and one smaller International one (Islip). Every highway in NY
passes by all of the hotels and the night life is unsurpassable. Now, I even have the advantage of Johnnie Numbers in a 2 hour proximity. We would use a nicer hotel, and the attendance could be through the roof, which is what the Manufacturers need to
know which would give us an insurmountable amount of schwag.
I am offering my services as host, and can assemble a team that would make it an experience to remember. Heck, we get 90 people just for our local spring and fall meets.
 
Whaddya say? Did I make a good sales pitch. If not, there's plenty more where that came from.
The first (inter)national meet made half of my hair turn gray (top and bottom) and I need to even things out by going totally gray.
I hear girls dig it, so my wife would be pleased about that. And then there's the promise of 500 cheesecake brownies and an
assortment or chocolate covered strawberries and pretzels. BrownieLady could start now. [end of pitch]
 
I offer my services, and you all have my resume.

where do we vote?? i want to go +1 for immtbiker. what a pedigree!!