[Theogenes]

The second Music City Meet took place in Nashville, TN on September 20, 2014. The original thread can be found here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/723847/music-city-meet-nashville-tn-fall-2014-sept-20-2014. This is the place to post any pictures, impressions, or unclaimed winning lottery ticket numbers.

Note: I'll update this post when I'm in front of my computer instead of on my tablet later today .

 

[Theogenes]

Pics courtesy of our resident photographer Skyline315 (which is why they look so good):

 

[jaywillin]

man, what a blast ! had 2x-3x the folks, and gear than the spring meet !
it was so good to get to put some new faces to people's names here, and great to see others from the last meet.
 
he're a few pics , to get us started
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MattTCG]

Oddly, I didn't take a single picture, but had a great time anyway. 

 

[bbophead]

Hmm, no turntables?

 

[jaywillin]

  Hmm, no turntables?

 
no,
i know one or two folks said they might bring one, but alas, no vinyl

 

[phillyd]

Impressions!

I listened to the following on the Schiit Lyr 2, Schiit Valhalla, CORDA CLASSIC and my own ASL MG-Head OTL MK3 (with some exceptions)

Sennheiser HD650: These were my favorite headphones all day. They didn't offer the lush bass of the planars, or the soundstage and clarity of the HD800, but they nailed the mid-range and impressed me with the bass extension and impact. They handled treble with exceptional clarity, without ever being harsh, grainy, sibilant or even a tad bit glaring. They really sounded better as a whole than any other headphone I tried all day. I purchased these today and am waiting for them to ship out (this means my HE-300 will be up for sale soon)!

Audeze LCD-2.1: When I put these headphones on, I knew I'd have to get some Audeze planars at some point. The bass is absolutely incredible without ever leaking into the mid-range. It has shocking extension, fantastic impact and amazing texture in the low-end. However, they seemed to suffer a bit with getting the sound inside of my head. Instead of a sound giving me an impression that it was filling my skull, it sounded just a bit like it was around my head. It's hard to explain, but this is not a good thing. This hurt the imaging and sound stage a bit too. The mid-range and treble was incredible as well, but the lack of spaciousness really killed the experience for me.

Audeze LCD-2.2: I'd describe these as having an almost identical balance to the 2.1, but with even more impressive in the low end. The major improvement, though, is that these were able to put the sound inside my head. They were nowhere near as spacious as the 650, but not problematically cramped like the 2.1. Not sure I'd ever own this as my only cans, but I'd love to have them for the bass.

Sennheiser HD800: These were the big shocker of the group. I expected bright, and lacking in bass. These had a beautifully balanced and spacious mid-range, Neutral and exceptionally clean treble (not a hint of grain, and harshness only when the music was at fault). The bass was not exceptionally impactful, but very tight, balanced, and well-extended. The soundstage and imaging were unmatched in the meet. Sennheiser really did a great job with this one. I thought I would not like these at all, but a set of LCD-2.2 and these would make a great antithetical pair, and I'll consider owning them some day.

Sennheiser HD590: This was probably the most impressive price/performance of the group. I found them to be a bit clearer and more open than my HE-300, but just as luscious. Incredible value if you can find them used.

HiFiMan HE-560: These sounded to me like a worse pair of LCD-2.2's. Similar balance, (less bass, but stronger mids, airier treble), but these sounded a lot smaller than the LCD-2.1. It almost sounded as if the sound was coming from a single point a couple inches from each ear.

HiFiMan HE-560 with grill mod: Surprisingly, the grill mod really fixed the problem I had with them. I A/B'ed the stock and modded and was shocked. They were MUCH more spacious, and the bass really seemed to open up, filling the "background" of the music. Overall I consider these a fantastic headphone and a great alternative to the Audeze's.

Beyerdynamic T5P: I tried several Beyers on, and all were far too bright for me to give good impressions of. Well, except these. The T5P, while still brighter than my tastes like, were an exceptional headphone. Their balance reminded me of the HD800, but overall not quite as good. They were balanced throughout the mid range, and a bit light on bass but not problematically so. I was surprised to like any Beyers, but I did really enjoy these.

Grados: I tried on several, including the PS1000, and I was completely unimpressed. I couldn't get past the cold, harsh upper midrange to hear any good parts of the sound. I was thoroughly disappointed.

Other Gear:

Meier Audio Corda Daccord & Corda Classic: This was my favorite DAC/Amp combo at the meet. Exceptionally clean, smooth, balanced, and powerful. They really get out of the way and let the music come through.

Schiit Lyr 2 & Valhalla: I was completely unimpressed. They both sounded muddy and closed off to my ears.

Astell & Kern AK1000: This might have been my favorite piece of non-headphone gear at the meet. It was beautifully made with a well-designed interface. It was powerful, clear and exceptionally balanced. Too bad it's $800

 

[MattTCG]

I'm looking for my braided Vanquish cable adapter if anyone found it. Black sleeved, balanced to 1/4 with a silver Oyaide plug. 
 
thanks...

 

[RUMAY408]

I realized with about 2 hours left, that I forgot to take any pics, I took 3 pics with my phone and turns out 2 were identical. 
 

I also ended up with an extra adapter which is not Matt's but maybe someone else's? 
 
If anyone has an extra piece they don't recognize as their own this might be a good place to post a pic.  
Several of us walked around and checked to make sure that nothing was left on tables or floors and I just grabbed up what was on my table (which in retrospect was a mess, and will simplify in the future) 
 
I wanted to thank Matt for helping me to re-cable the HD800 (a very daunting and scary task given I destroyed a phono cartridge yanking too hard on phono plugs) and his advice on audio and cables in general was very helpful 

 
My impression after almost 12 straight hours of listening and chatting, and one very brief trip to Wendy's:
I walked away from the meet feeling that audio is a lot more grey than black and white. It felt like we often shape our HP's around are own personal taste in music.  
That being said,
1)    Schiit Valhalla tube amp really surprised me (lush and warm with multiple HP's).
2)    Fostex TH-900 wins as the best looking HP
3)    Modded HE-560 sounded better to me than the un-modded version
4)    Tablet as a source worked for me, simple works
5)    LCD-X and the last version of the LCD-2 were the variations I enjoyed the most
6)    PS-1000 was the best Grado I tried and a really solid HP from my point of view
7)    Denon 7000 is the best closed HP I tried
8)    HE-6 was the best HP I tried during the day, detailed and complex, it paired well with multiple genres of music.  I tried it multiple times on my own set up and several others
9)    My version of Guns-N-Roses "Appetite For Destruction," sounded horrible with the HD800, Fred's version with my HP sounded great, my CD is the problem.              
10)  Ben's systematic approach to HP listening, line them up and go thru them 1 by 1, so simple and logical, I was running around like a nut
11)  HE-400i is much more comfortable than my HE-400
12)  HE-500, AKG K702 and HE-300, HD700 sounded much better than I anticipated
13)  2 Head-Fi pro's felt the T1 was better than the HD800, again this goes back to taste in music
14)  If the HD600 was there I swear I missed it
15)  1/2 of the 30 most important and amazing HP's ever made were at the meet
16)  Wildcatsare1 thank you for a great deal on the Draug cables
17)  Bitrate is less important than the quality of the recording
18)  OPPO HA looked great and sounded great
 
A unique and amazing experience, Thanks to Theogenes for the time and effort to throw the event

 

[Theogenes]

Great impressions, guys!! I just got home a few minutes ago and I'm going to get settled back in tomorrow and get some of my own impressions down.

I don't know if it was just that great, or if I'm an even bigger nerd for this stuff than I thought, but I could do that all day every day and LOVE it.... Great people, great music, and great new gear to listen to? Yeah... You can keep those comin' .

 

[Wildcatsare1]

Theogenes, thank you for pulling together a great Meet! I will put together a full review tomorrow, but quickly wanted thank all involved, you are a great bunch of Guy's, even if the Gators are universally hated, and I cannot wait to get together again!!! MattTcg, I really appreciate you installing my Über Board, it sounds wonderful.

Goodnight and cheers Y'all!

 

[MattTCG]

   
 
I realized with about 2 hours left, that I forgot to take any pics, I took 3 pics with my phone and turns out 2 were identical. 
 
 
I also ended up with an extra adapter which is not Matt's but maybe someone else's? 
 
If anyone has an extra piece they don't recognize as their own this might be a good place to post a pic.  
Several of us walked around and checked to make sure that nothing was left on tables or floors and I just grabbed up what was on my table (which in retrospect was a mess, and will simplify in the future) 
 
I wanted to thank Matt for helping me to re-cable the HD800 (a very daunting and scary task given I destroyed a phono cartridge yanking too hard on phono plugs) and his advice on audio and cables in general was very helpful 

 
My impression after almost 12 straight hours of listening and chatting, and one very brief trip to Wendy's:
I walked away from the meet feeling that audio is a lot more grey than black and white. It felt like we often shape our HP's around are own personal taste in music.  
That being said,
1)    Schiit Valhalla tube amp really surprised me (lush and warm with multiple HP's).
2)    Fostex TH-900 wins as the best looking HP
3)    Modded HE-560 sounded better to me than the un-modded version
4)    Tablet as a source worked for me, simple works
5)    LCD-X and the last version of the LCD-2 were the variations I enjoyed the most
6)    PS-1000 was the best Grado I tried and a really solid HP from my point of view
7)    Denon 7000 is the best closed HP I tried
8)    HE-6 was the best HP I tried during the day, detailed and complex, it paired well with multiple genres of music.  I tried it multiple times on my own set up and several others
9)    My version of Guns-N-Roses "Appetite For Destruction," sounded horrible with the HD800, Fred's version with my HP sounded great, my CD is the problem.              
10)  Ben's systematic approach to HP listening, line them up and go thru them 1 by 1, so simple and logical, I was running around like a nut
11)  HE-400i is much more comfortable than my HE-400
12)  HE-500, AKG K702 and HE-300, HD700 sounded much better than I anticipated
13)  2 Head-Fi pro's felt the T1 was better than the HD800, again this goes back to taste in music
14)  If the HD600 was there I swear I missed it
15)  1/2 of the 30 most important and amazing HP's ever made were at the meet
16)  Wildcatsare1 thank you for a great deal on the Draug cables
17)  Bitrate is less important than the quality of the recording
18)  OPPO HA looked great and sounded great
 
A unique and amazing experience, Thanks to Theogenes for the time and effort to throw the event

 
Thanks for this. Here is what I learned from the meet:
 
1. I talk too much. I spent much of my time talking and less time listening to hp's and gear. And I'm okay with this. 
 
2. The Audeze hp's sounded great, but the weight reminded me why I don't own them. 
 
3. The he6 sounded impressive across the board, but is also too heavy for me. 
 
4. THE star of the show for me (drumroll), Aurisonics Rockets iem. 

 The sound, fit and comfort coming from this $250 iem was stunning in it's quality and presentation. I must have it!! Unfortunately they have none for sale. 

 
5. The hd800 surprised some people, but not me. 
 
6. Thanks to Theogenes for all the hard work!!
 
It was my pleasure to hang out with you guys....
 
Matt

 

[jaywillin]

i too learned i talk waaaaaaay too much, (but its so much fun, and educational), but its so cool ,to talk to others folks who like this hobby as much as i do !
the new stars of the show to me, the lyr 2, the hifiman 560, and norne cables, also, hearing the hd800 balanced was eye opening, as was hearing the hd700.
also, it really hit home that if one is going to have different headphones, and change headphones a lot, just how nice it is to have a amp that can be used
in both balanced and single ended mode.
 
another big thanks to our organizer , theogenes, way to go, especially knowing how busy you were with real world business !!

 

[Theogenes]

Okay, it's time to do this right. I'm going to go ahead and apologize in advance for my verbosity-- I really love this stuff and I talk a lot, which makes for a sure-fire James Michener-length post. I've made a list of moments that stuck out to me, either personally or just for the meet in general, in no particular order. I've also got my meet superlatives at the end. And without further ado, here's a torrent of wordiness for ya!
 
Moments:

1. Listening to the T1 for the first time was probably the single most awe-inducing moment of the meet for me. I'd assumed I would like them based on what I'd read about them and my prior experiences with Beyerdynamic headphones-- but I wasn't even close to prepared for what I heard. The T1 is truly a world-class headphone, and it produced some of the best, most enjoyable sounds I've ever heard. I literally got goosebumps only twice at this meet-- and both times it was when listening to the T1. They just absolutely crush guitar tone and texture, while having a punchy bass and unbelievably addictive PRAT that makes them perfect for the music I listen to. As much as I respect and appreciated the HD800, I thought the T1 was clearly ahead with it's ability to render the texture of guitars and the energy of guitar-driven music. I just can't say enough good things about how good these cans are-- huge thanks to Randy for bringing them and letting me fawn all over them!
2. Watching the look on Matt and Randy's faces when they switched out the stock Sennheiser cable for the Norne Audio Draug cable-- definitely a bit of a jaw dropper for both of them! Wish I could have done a back-and-forth comparison with 'em, but I was too busy slaying digital dragons in my sources to be involved.
3. Watching Matt slyly mosey over to Zach at the Aurisonics table a few times and try to Jedi-mind-trick Zach into selling his Rockets. Zach handled it with the impressive aplomb of a career diplomat... Although after seeing the look in Matt's eyes, Zach might be wise to get new locks on his doors.
4. Dinner the night before with Matt and Kevin at Cozymels-- conversation that was involved and engaging enough that the poor waitress obviously felt like she was intruding any time she came by, and eventually just settled for refilling our waters and assuming we'd ask her if we needed anything. I got to know Matt and Kevin a good bit better, and they're both tremendously good guys. Matt has has some incredible experience with different headphone gear, and is now in the enviable position of being able to listen to products before they even launch and provide feedback on them. He was always as open and generous with his knowledge as you could possibly hope for, volunteering to help Randy change out the cables on his HD800, offering to send me grille material for my HE-6, swapping in the Uber board on Kevin's Schiit, etc etc. Really cool guy, and exactly the kind of guy you'd want to have so deeply integrated to a community like ours. Kevin has had some incredible experiences with very high-end stereo speaker setups in the past, and it was really interesting to hear him talk about hearing some of the legendary old Apogee speakers, Audio Research amps, and his current project, a mammoth Krell stereo amp that he wants to recap to use with his modded HE-560s. Overkill is never enough!
5. Dinner the night of the meet with Fred, who was unable to make it to the pre-meet eats. I didn't realize we had so many commonalities in musical interests (I tend to have some pretty out-there musical tastes), and he was even kind enough to give me a few album recommendations to listen to on the way home. For the record, Fred, I liked 'em both, and I think I dug Closure in Moscow even more than the Tesseract! Definitely a Mars Volta feel to what they're going for, especially with the vocals IMO.
6. Ben showing up unexpectedly! After making the first meet, it sounded like he wasn't going to be able to make this one, so turning around to see that he'd made it was awesome! Of course, he was right in the thick of things in no time, and made some spot-on recommendations to me for some gear pairings that are, of course, now going to cost me significant amounts of money. *shakes fists at sky*
7. Seeing all the guys from the first meet (Jay, Ben, Fred, Joe, and Eric) show up with the air of seasoned veterans. It kinda seemed like the old band getting back together or something-- just a great group of guys!!
8. Absolutely destroying the swiss-and-mushroom Backyard Burger Jay was kind enough to pick up for me while they were out for lunch... Listening to that quantity of deeply lust-worthy gear will work up a mighty hunger in a fella, I've found.
9. Chatting with Zach from Aurisonics about the Game of Thrones series and trading experiences on trying to keep track of the different characters on the audiobooks when the narrator suddenly changed all the accents and pronunciations a couple of books into the series... Good to know I hadn't completely lost my mind!
10. Watching the flicker of true gear-lust insanity like only Head-Fi can brew up in Dan's eye after he'd been there for a while and got a chance to try out his HD700 with a number of different setups... I have a feeling he'll be back to every event we get a chance to set up!
11. Phillyd's dedication to making the meet, come hell or high water, after he had to get multiple tires replaced on his car on the way into the show. Now that is determination!! Cool guy too-- has a very clearly defined sense of what he likes and what he doesn't, and he seemed to really find some gear that pushed his buttons there, like the HD650, with which he was clearly enamored. Having had that same experience-- finding something that just so beautifully nails what your ears have been looking for-- it was pretty awesome to see it happen for somebody else too.
12. Listening to Kevin's modded HE-560 was an eye-opening experience. As good as the stock HE-560 was, Kevin's modded version was clearly better-- and I'm now convinced I need to swap out the grilles on my HE-6 as well.
13. Randy's Meier stack (Daccord and Classic) from his MacBook was an unbelievably impressive experience-- that setup punches vastly ahead of its price point. Having owned the Daccord in the past and liking it (but ultimately going with something else), I anticipated a bit overly fluid and smooth-sounding setup. Not so: the texture and bite of guitars, with essentially perfect pacing. Both the Beyer T5p and AKG k702 really excelled in his setup, and it's got me even more interested in possibly snatching up a Meier Classic or Concerto amp at some point.
14. Getting a chance to compare the Grado PS1000 (original) with the Grado PS1000e, which was one of the 3 items I was most excited to hear at this meet. To my surprise, while I liked the PS1000e, I actually preferred the original PS1k overall. There's something very special about that headphone...
15. Walking into the conference room for the first time since the last meet, and being taken aback by the fact that they had stripped every square inch of wallpaper from the walls and now had bare sheetrock with writing, prehistoric stains, and even one incredibly creepy child-like drawing of a church on the wall. The same room that seemed so surprisingly nice during the first meet now looked like a place one could expect to buy crack rocks at bulk discounts and watch a Breaking Bad-esque scene. Naturally, the hotel had told me none of this before the meet. Lesson learned, I suppose!
16. Feeling the rising urge to Sebastian Janikowski my tablet and laptop when they decided to unceremoniously $#!t the bed, causing me over two hours worth of headache to get back up and running-- and after which they decided to intermittantly stop working multiple times. There's a powered USB hub that's not going to be making it home for Christmas, and that's all I'm gonna say about that, in observation of my Fifth Amendment rights regarding self-incrimination.
17. Realizing that I grabbed Matt's XLR-to-SE adapter thinking it went along with my Q-Audio cable. Fun Fact: the fabric weave on the sleeving on the Q-Audio and Norne Vanquish cable look indistinguishable unless you compare them closely, at which time you'll notice that one has more fine-grained (if that's the right term) fabric. D'oh!
18. Hearing no less than two attendees drop a "Go Vols!" on their introductions. Heck to the yeah, son. GBO!
19. Finally getting all my gear unpacked and plugged back in at my apartment, only to see that the F5 amp wasn't coming on. After a series of troubleshooting steps, I noticed that the lights seemed to dim just a hair whenever I flicked the power on in the back, although the amp's power light wasn't coming on. After leaving it in the 'On' position for an hour or so, I got the familiar waves of heat billowing from the amp's casing, indicating that it was indeed getting power. I haven't had a chance to plug anything into it to make sure it's fully functioning yet, but it looks to be fine. Thank god for Class A operation-- I'd never have thought they might be working if it hadn't been for the power drain when they switch on and the heat. *Sigh of relief*.
20. Listening to Jay's setup-- that guy really knows what he's doing. The Wadia/Bryston combination really works incredibly well together, and the sound they made with the Alpha Dog was just fantastic. Wish I could have spent more time listening, and I really wish I'd gotten to check out the HE-6 on his setup!!
21. Seeing Fred's face after he got to listen to the Aurisonics ASG-2.5. As a bassist himself, he said he'd never heard an IEM that nailed the sound of the bass so perfectly. Sounds like he'll have a pair of his own once he can find an end-around to the fiscal defense the wife is putting up.
22. All the great conversation in general-- too much to be able to list here! Randy was set up right beside me, and he and I hit it off right away. He absolutely could not have been a better guy, and he had some of the most impressive equipment of the meet for me. Beyond having a great ear for both music (I'm still gonna give him massive props for having Tres Hombres in high resolution on his computer when most people have never even heard of that album-- respect!), he was just a blast to chat with in general. Of course all the guys from the first meet were there and were awesome to talk with, just like last time. Jay is one of the most fun guys and most larger-than-life personalities I've met-- he just so genuinely enjoys music and sharing his experiences with everyone, it's impossible not to like him. Man, if I listed every awesome conversation or interaction I had, this thing would be even longer than it already is... But there were a LOT of awesome people and conversations all around all day long, and it was really what made the event so special in my mind. Cheers, guys, and I hope to be able to knock back a beer with all of ya one of these days!
23. Getting to compare the modified HE-560 to my (stock except for pads) HE-6. The HE-560 is an incredible headphone for the money, and gives the HE-6 a strong run for its money in many ways. The two are close enough that I think it comes down to personal preference: the HE-6 sounded clearer, with a bit more texture and bite (when appropriate) than the HE-560, without the additional midbass boost the 560 has. The 560, though, presented a bit smoother, more organic, and cohesive overall sound than the HE-6. I ended up preferring the HE-6, but I'd go so far as to say I'd imagine most people would probably prefer the modded HE-560. That one is the real deal, folks.
24. Hearing the Astell & Kern AK100 ii for the first time: I'd never really had an interest in the A&K stuff, having read all the issues people had with their customer support, pricing, etc. But after listening to the AK100 ii, let me be clear: whatever you might think of the company, their pricing, their support structure, etc-- this thing flat-out rocks. Excellent detail, texture and tone were incredible, and the music managed to be highly accurate while also unbelievably engaging. Once I got back to my sister's apartment after the meet, I spent most of the night reading around on the forums and elsewhere anything I could about it. As much as I listen to music while out and about, it's highly likely that I'll end up with one of these things at some point. Other than the T1, this was my biggest pleasant surprise of the entire meet. Absolutely excellent sound!
25. Getting to see a few quiet guys come through and get to listen to all the gear. A few of the fellas obviously didn't know what to expect in coming to an event like this, but it seemed like everybody really had a good time. I'd say we furthered the spread of audiophilia nervosa this weekend, for better or worse!
26. Trying to get a handle on the sound of the ALO Rx Mk3 B+ amp (which may have the most cumbersome name in the history of amps or names) with my T5p. Ben had recommended the pairing to help out with the notoriously shy bass on the Beyers, and trying to pin down what effect the amp had on the sound had me jumping around to a number of different genres and playing with the bass boost pretty liberally. Ultimately, the ALO struck me as a tremendously good amp for some music, but it just didn't get along well with complex guitar-driven music like Protest the Hero or Between the Buried and Me-- although it did well with some more concussive and straightforward metal music like Cryptopsy. Interesting amp, that one.
27. Getting to finally spend a little time listening to the HD800 for myself. I now completely get why people love it-- and why people don't. It's absolutely incredible at a number of different things, including vocals, and laying bare any effects added to vocals (reverb, etc). There's something about how it handles guitars that seems just a hair off to me, for some reason, and I ultimately preferred the T1 overall. But the HD800 is, without a doubt, a world-class headphone, and truly deserving of all the commendations it gets. The fact that it looks cool as hell and is possibly the most comfortable headphone on the planet doesn't hurt either .
28. Seeing Fred sneak and grab the HD800 whenever it was available... That's a budding love affair that bears watching in the future.

 
Attendance: At one point I counted 32 people, but it's possible I missed a couple. I'd say there were no more than 35-36 people in the entirety of the event. I was a bit concerned about having too many people there and missing out on some of the magic of the first meet, but it turned out I had worried needlessly. I think this retained all the things I loved about the first meet but actually ended up being better by having more people and more setups to check out.
 
Vendors: Aurisonics, HiFiMAN, ZMF Headphones and Norne Audio. I simply cannot thank these guys enough for their support. I talked with a lot of vendors, and most ignored me, some said no, and a few said yes but couldn't end up making it for one reason or another. These were the four that came through and took the time and effort to support our meet, and it was inarguably better due to their presence. A special thanks goes to Zach, Dale and the Aurisonics team for spending an entire day of their precious weekend time at the meet letting us pester poor Zach with questions and listening to their new offerings. These companies support us, and I hope you'll support them when you decide to pamper your ears next-- I've already got gear from 3 of the 4, and I plan on doing some more acquisitions in the future .
 
My Meet Favorites: Beyerdynamic T1, Astell & Kern AK100 ii, Mr Speakers Alpha Dog. There were plenty of others that I really liked, but these were the ones that jumped out to me personally. I already knew I loved the GS1000, the HE-6, etc, but these were the ones that best caught my attention at this particular event.

General Meet Favorites: Aurisonics Rockets, modded HiFiMAN HE-560, Grado PS-1000, Norne Draug cables. There were of course a lot of things people liked, but I heard more about these four than anything else. Which makes sense, given the fact that they were all awesome.
 
My Biggest Misses: Fostex TH900, Grado PS500, Sennheiser HD600, Schitt Lyr 2, Oppo HA-1, Sennheiser HD700, Burson HD-160, Schiit Mjolnir, and probably others. Walked over to listen to the TH900 probably 5 or 6 times and would either get sidetracked (in retrospect, having awesome headphones and food in the same line-of-sight created a choice that I don't want to have to make again... Ever.) or started chatting with somebody.
 
And in closing, here are a few more pics:
 

 

 

 

 
Guys, thank you all so much for coming and being so generous with your time and all your awesome gear!! We've gotta make this a regular thing now, you realize that-- right?
 

 

[MattTCG]

Wow, Theo. I must say and I mean this in the most flattering sense, you may be the most observant person that I know. 

  And this whole time that I saw you hunched over your failing atom processor Gateway netbook from hell...smoke coming from your ears...four letter unmentionables passing like foam from a rabid dog's mouth...you were actually still taking it all in. Amazing, truly. 
 
You are a kind a gracious host and we all appreciate the effort you went through to put it all together. Cheers to you sir...