[badf00d]

  ...
 
4. Getting a good listen with the Liquid Carbon with multiple headphones. Even though the LC is a good amp after getting more time with it, I no longer regret canceling my pre-order. 
 
...

 
Hi Matt. How would you describe what you heard, what you didn't like, and what you prefer over the LC?

 

[Theogenes]

Okay, time for replies, in my trademarked Avalanche of Verbosity^©: 
 
@RCBinTN: Thanks for getting the thread started, man!! And thanks for the pics... I was going to take you to task for having such unflattering pictures of me, until I realized I must just look like that. Wow. I look super serial-killer-y in the pic where I'm watching Owen Williams recovering from a tough play.... Note to self: never watch a football game with any female I'd like to date. They'll undoubtedly assume they'll end up in my trunk, which isn't true... I hope.
 
@Wildcatsare1: Hope Kharkov is treating you well, my friend! Hate that you couldn't be here-- this was definitely the biggest meet we've had yet, and (in my opinion, anyway) it still had that bunch-of-buddies-at-someone's-house feel. I, true to form, didn't think once the entire time to record or Periscope anything, so thankfully there are other, more responsible guys in the group taking pictures. When you get back, I wanna see your pics of Mahther Rahsssia!
 
And as for the Vols-Gators game... Be glad you weren't there. I'm sure there were Vol fans who took that game like men, but I wasn't one of them. I've spent my idle moments in the remaining days reading other articles from fellow fans who are at least as insanely aggravated as I am about how that turned out. Fun Fact (quoting from Wes Rucker at GoVols247): "College football teams are 188-3 this season when leading by 13 points or more in the fourth quarter. Tennessee has two of those losses." That is freaking astounding, and not exactly causing the fanbase (myself included) to be overly encumbered with faith in the coaching ability of Jones et al. I love what he's done for this program, and I absolutely want him to continue to be our football coach-- I just want him to realize that sitting on a lead is sh--ting on a lead in the SEC, and stop turtleheading back into brainless conservativeness towards the end of tight ballgames. 
 
I'm going to try to stop talking about it now... here at least. As much as I want to vomit saying it: congratulations to your Gators on their win. I know I would be ecstatic if we won a game the way you guys did. *scrubs self thoroughly in shower*
 
@jaywillin: Really hated it that you couldn't make it, man. Several people came up to me and asked if I thought you'd make it, and everyone was genuinely concerned about your lady. We'll keep having these, and we'll always keep a chair for you, man . 
 
@rmoody: Cool   talking to you, man! I'm planning on using the Ether C from the DX90 > Leckerton UHA-6S Mk2 as my portable rig when not using IEMs, so it sounds like we have similar audio preferences. Btw, don't know if you got a chance, but check out the LCD-XC too if you haven't already. Nowhere near as light or comfortable as the Ether C, but a different sound you might like. 
 
@rtaylor76: That was awesome of you to bring the turntable. I looked over several times (in between moments of grand mal happiness or despair from the game) and saw people, eyes closed or barely open, just bobbing their heads slowly with the tunes. That tells you all you need to know about how well your setup connected with people . Plus, I was pleasantly surprised by those Ultrasone HFI-650s you had-- it's a bit brighter, which I like, and it seemed really rugged. Wish I'd taken a few more minutes to check them out!
 
Nice impressions too. I'm telling you, the more people that get to hear the Ether and Ether C, the more people that are going to take the plunge, and possibly just be done at that point. Good call on the Modi, too-- even if you just found it to be the same as the O2 amp, buying a Modi is a vote for (by all accounts) a pretty great guy, while the O2 designer is, although technically gifted, not the most diplomatic individual. 
 
Oh, and nice avatar . 
 
As for the AKG K7XX: I only got to listen to those briefly today before I shipped them back off, but I've gotta say, I was darned impressed! Having just gotten done comparing the HE-1000 to the HE-6, they of course don't have anywhere that level of sophistication, but man, for $200?? They sound great for $200! To the point that I'm going to start recommending those to some of my friends who are looking at getting a pair of decent headphones for the first time. They do way more right than they miss, and they're comfortable to boot. To my ears, they sound way, way better than the HD650 (probably an unpopular opinion), and ought to be one of those default recommendations in their price range. Loved 'em!
 
@skyline315: I have your power supply-- I'll PM you my cellphone. I'm off tomorrow and can swing it by you at the school or wherever you'd like. Also, that Project Ember of yours is pretty intriguing... Among my post-meet regrets is not actually listening to the HE-6 (or anything else) on there. We've been talking about having a mini-meetup for local guys anyway-- maybe this could be an extra incentive for me to get off my duff and get something like that going . 
 
And your impressions line up really well with mine overall (with the stuff I got to hear). I love the Ether and Ether C, and think they work together marvelously well. The HE-1000 takes an unoffensive sound signature into the stratosphere, and I just can't imagine too many people disliking it. Now, being willing to cough up three thousand dollar-menu burgers for it is another matter, but I think on sound signature alone, most people are going to be really impressed. And hey, glad to hear you dig the HE-6 so much! Awful confession: I didn't even listen to them between the Spring and Fall meets-- the HVAC unit in my apartment sounds like it's running on a 1940's tractor engine, and I'm basically only able to used closed-back cans. So if you wanna borrow them for a while...
 
@jibzilla: James, thanks so much for coming, man! You have an incredibly impressive collection. That was a ton of gear to lug all the way down here, and I heard several people commenting on how good your setup sounded. Thanks for coming! And next time, we'll have to kidnap Preproman and get him down here too for the shootout . And no worries on the Tidal issues-- had you been at MCM #2 (I think it was #2),  you would've seen the steam roiling out of my ears as I attempted to determine where the malevolent gremlins of mayhem and treachery were hiding in my setup, and establishing new world records for the use of profanity in the process. You handled it like a champ; color me jealous. 
 
Btw, I think the Ether C is fully closed; at least to my ears, it isolated quite well. Definitely better than my LCD-XC, which I think does a pretty good job already. 
 
@sheldaze: Good to meet you, man! And I second your opinions on the HE-1000... They are pretty fantastic. I spent last night and this morning listening to them pretty extensively (since I didn't even put them on at the meet itself), and they are pretty darn legit. As for the room-- this is the first time we've been a bit tight on space, and this is the biggest of the rooms we've used thus far. I'm thinking next time we'll have to either arrange for more long tables or use the round tables and tape drop cables to the floor to get power out to 'em. Or, of course, I could do the obvious and just win the lottery so I can buy a building to dedicate to this specifically. I should get on that...
 
@titusbartos: Glad you liked the HE-6, man! Honestly, everyone seems to like that particular configuration better than I do-- after doing some extensive comparisons with the HE-1000, I think I'm going to go back to the old HM5 pads, which open up the treble noticeably. Thanks for taking and sharing the pics, too!! Oh, and on the notebook--shoot me a PM with your address and I'll get it shipped off to you tomorrow, if that's cool. I should've tried to get that done today, but today was a bunch of moving stuff around in boxes, setting things up again, shipping things off, and cleaning up my pigsty of an apartment. Btw, you probably won't have to wait a year for the next meet-- we try to do them every 6 months or so, and we'd of course love to have you back!
 
@MattTCG: Thanks a lot, man, I really appreciate it! And you'll see just how "professional" those name badges are when you take them out, realize they were printed on standard paper, and were cut as if they were categorically opposed to right angles and proportional frames. Arts and crafts just ain't my thing, so I'll give myself an E for effort and move along . 
 
As for the game... Sorry for the intensity. I've been going to the Vols games since Johnny Majors was coaching there, and this is the biggest game of the year for me personally. Next time I'll take a Valium, schedule on an off week, and have a psych warden in the corner at all times with a tranq dart full of Thorazine if I start to go too bananas. And it would help if we'd just win the $%^&^%$%^&*&^%$%&* game.... but I digress. 
 
And talking about Dan and the guys at the meet: I could not agree more. Dan is just a superlative guy, and one of those people who is not just a blast to talk with, but one from whom I consistently learn something during every conversation. Can't say enough good things about him-- and that's before even talking about his headphones!! The Ether C will only be my second pair of Mr Speakers headphones (after the Alpha Dogs, which I listened to on Jay's system a few meets back and just loved), but I could honestly imagine someone picking up the Ether and Ether C to cover all the bases for open and closed headphones and just calling it quits-- they're just that good. People often mention the Ether with the HD800 in terms of detail retrieval, but I think the Ether is enormously better at tonality (particularly on electric guitars) than the HD800, and I don't see that talked about much. Our meets are a ton better just having Dan there-- having his headphones too is just icing on the cake! Can't wait to see what he does next...
 
Nice impressions too, man. Gotta ask you: what did you think about the Ether C versus the HE-1000? I heard one person say he thought the Ether C was better than the HE-1000, and apparently Dan has heard that from multiple people before. I'd be interested in your thoughts!
 
@buke9: Glad you had a good time, man!! Honestly, as long as these things end up with a bunch of good people having a good time and enjoying each other's company, gear, and music, then we'll keep doing them. And Theresa was not only a trooper for coming down here, she was also just a delight to talk with! And although you might not, in a technical sense, actually have any real "fault" in the fact that I purchased the Ether C's, I hope you'll understand when I blame you anyway. I need a scapegoat for my utter lack of self control, and you seem like a really good dude, so you got roped into being the whipping boy on this one.
 
@NZtechfreak: Hey man, good to talk to you!! Yeah, I preordered a pair after giving them a listen. Based on what I gathered from the Ether C thread, I'm guessing you'll either get yours about two weeks before I do (if you made it into the first batch, which it sounds like you did) or roughly the same time as I do, since I'm in the second batch. I wasn't able to do nearly as much critical listening as I would've liked, as I got called away a few times and my day was basically cut in half by the fact that my beloved Tennessee Volunteers were playing against our most hated rival on the same day, but I liked them enough to order them that day on the spot. I tried to compare them to the LCD-XC (which I have and really like a lot, sound-wise), and the only note I have on the production-tuned pair was that in comparison to the XC, the Ether C made Chris Cornell's Songbook sound less aggressive in a good way ("further from sibilant" is how I put it when listening). I had actually spent some more time listening to a pre-production tuning first, and wasn't quite as taken with it. Had I only heard the pre-production version, I almost certainly wouldn't have bought one, but the production tuning just seemed to nail texture and tonality with a healthy dose of detail in my short time listening, so it ended up being a pretty easy call, actually. A couple other quick notes: the Ether C's isolate really well, definitely better than the XC, which is important to me in a closed can; they are just insanely light and comfortable, especially in comparison to the cinderblock-esque weight of the XC; the carbon fiber looks pretty sweet in person, but it's not so ostentatious as to arouse undue attention when being used in public; they come with a carrying case that is the first I've seen that actually bests the V-Modas for design in aesthetics and usability; and they are significantly less efficient than the XC, which works out well for me, as I tend to listen at super low levels and can therefore turn up the volume and get more into the comfort zone of whatever amplifier I'm using. Having some idea of what you like, I think they'll be basically a slam-dunk for you, as they were for me. I'm hoping that I can listen to them and maybe sell my LCD-XC, which I love sound-wise (and aesthetically) but which are just too heavy to be able to use while watching movies or while sitting in certain positions. There are certain companies that you kind of realize over time that tend to voice things in a way you like (for me, Beyerdynamic, HifiMAN, some Ultrasone, some Audeze), and Mr Speakers is one of those companies. I got a chance to talk with him a bit about his process, and he basically voices by ear with the assistance of graphs to confirm what he's hearing. Normally, I'd be somewhat wary of such a process, but in this case-- it just works. I've yet to hear a bad-sounding pair of headphones from the guy, even though I wasn't overly enamored of the Mad Dog 3.2 when I first heard them. 
 
Sorry for the massive block of text. TL;DR-- they're great, you're gonna love 'em!! Btw, when you get yours in, definitely let me know what you think!!
 
Also, in reference to the Gustard amp: I didn't get to listen to it this time around, but it just didn't strike me right the first time I heard it (admittedly driving the HE-6, which is a tall order). I wouldn't mind getting a better listen in at some point, maybe with the XC or Ether C to get a better handle on how it sounds. 
 
@pippen99: Thanks for the kind words, man. And you know, it's funny you say that about checking in on me after the Vols game-- a buddy of mine called me today to see what was up, since I hadn't replied to any of his text messages since the game, and he knew I would've definitely watched it. I don't think he thought I hanged myself from the rafters or anything (hey, I don't even have rafters!), but his tone indicated he thought I might've at least been sulking around my apartment, mumbling curse words and soaking in antipathy. Which wasn't that far off, I guess... 
 
You know, as much as I enjoyed the Liquid Carbon at the last meet, it's a shame I didn't get a chance to listen to yours there. I dig the Cavalli stuff I've heard, and wouldn't mind owning one of his SS amps at some point. I noticed a Liquid Gold for sale on the FS forum today (first time I've been on there in MONTHS... just like Oscar Wilde, I can resist anything but temptation) and I had to go look at something else. He definitely makes gear that hits the trifecta (sound quality, build quality, and aesthetics), but he generally does so beyond my price range. I'll have to check out the LC at the next meet! Not to mention the Auralic... *facepalm*
 
And no worries on not being a fan of the HE-6. Anybody who takes personal offense at the fact that someone else's combination of HRTF, aural experience, grey matter, and audio preferences results in a different opinion on equipment might just be missing the point of an opinion. I don't personally hear the HE-6 as being dark, but I do think the Audeze Vegan pads I have on there damp down the high end a bit in a way that everybody but me seems to really like. Personally, I'm probably going to switch back to some much-less-comfortable but more treble-extended pads. You might like 'em better this way, and I'll probably do it before the next meet... unless somebody dangles shiny keys in front of me, at which point I'll forget entirely, of course. 
 
@RUMAY408: Great pics, man, thank you!! Also, thank you for the Granite City dealio-- you didn't have to do that! And yeah, if it's a Norne original black or Q-Audio black and black-with-red XLR-to-SE adapter, it's prolly mine. Let me know when you'll be up this way next and we'll figure something out. I don't really use them that often (just run balanced most of the time).  Also, I wish I'd had some more time with your GS-X Mk2. I got to listen to the HD800 on it briefly, but I really should've listened to the HE-1000, Ether C, and LCD-XC on there at the very least. That's a really, really nice piece, man. They say it's a pretty good preamp too-- are you using the pre in it, by any chance? 
 
EDIT: saw that picture, and yep, that's mine. Just holla and we'll figure it out. 
 
Great impressions too. Agreed on basically every point (well, except maybe for the HD800, which just doesn't like my ears for some reason). Glad to hear the HD700 get some love, as I think it's actually a pretty good headphone, and people were just vitriolic in the early reviews of that thing. As for the Fostex TH900: this was my first time hearing it, and although it sounded a bit hot in the treble on some tracks in the setup I heard, I really, really liked the sound a lot. That's a headphone I could most definitely own and appreciate. Not to mention striking aesthetically... gorgeous!
 
@speedster2333: Glad to see our robot overlord could make the trip again this time! Bwahahaha!! Seriously, though, can that thing see my thoughts? 
 
You know what, after all my talk about being excited to finally hear a Simaudio piece, I didn't even get over to hear Bert's DAC-- how was it? 
 
And hey, now that I think about it, I don't recall seeing your HD700 there-- did you bring them? EDIT: nm, just saw them in a picture, so they were definitely there. I'm just not super observant, it would seem. 
 
@kilkil: Good to have you there again, Tom! And I'm with you on both the Ether C's and the HE-1000-- they were both pretty stellar. I know you have no qualms about being straightforward with concerns or criticisms on gear, so to have you say you don't have a single bad thing to say about the Ether C says volumes in itself. Btw, if you'd like to borrow any of my closed headphones to check 'em out in your system, lemme know and we'll meet up!
 
@taxicrab: What, we talk for that long before the meet and this is all you have to say?? Good to have you there, Bert! It's interesting to get an avowed speaker guy's take on headphones... I'd be more of a speaker guy if my living space and finances could accommodate it. Oh, and you need to get the guys at Premier to send over a Simaudio 430 next time 

 
@mrspeakers: I was only 7 hours late in replying to your email, but it's done now . And yeah, I know, I'm a typical Southern SEC football nutjob. But man, have you seen those Alabama whackjobs??
 
Seriously, man, thank you again SO MUCH for coming. The fact that you made it all the way over here with a finger that looked like it lost a fight with a garbage disposal is just waaay above and beyond. You're a rockstar, man, thank you!!
 
Random Thoughts: 
 
As always, the story of the day was the great conversations and connections happening all day long. It never ceases to amaze me just how much of a community this truly is-- there was never a hit of discord, or snobbery, or tribalistic chest-thumping; everyone just genuinely enjoyed everyone else's conversation. And the dinner before and after just confirmed that, in my mind. You guys are awesome, and I hope you know I mean that!
 
As for the gear, my listening time was *ahem* cut short by a certain sporting event that was scheduled to start about halfway through the meet, meaning my post-meet regret-o-meter was buried deep in the red this time around. I barely got to listen to Randy's GS-X Mk2, never got to hear any of James' stuff (including the Stax setup, which I would've very much liked to hear, given how much I enjoyed the last Lambdas I heard), and didn't get a single moment with the Liquid Carbon, Gustard DAC and amp, Cavalli amps at Dan's table, Yggsdrasil, or any number of other awesome bits of kit. That does not, however, mean that I didn't get to hear anything, and I still had a few takeaways from my time on Saturday (and some listening at home after the meet). 
 
To my ears, the big winners at the Fall 2015 meet were the Mr Speakers Ether C (I bought one, if that tells you anything), the HE-1000 (which truly is exceptional-- the fact that it's probably not the absolute best in any single category belies its overall excellence when you stitch all those very, very good pieces together), and on a more personal level (since I hadn't heard them before), the Fostex TH900. This isn't to say there wasn't other good gear there-- there most certainly was. 
 
There was a TON of stuff there I really liked, but I'll try to narrow it down to a couple more: I thought the Massdrop AKG K7XX was just a steal for the money, and did an absurd number of things right, and damn near nothing wrong for $200. If you're in the market for an open-backed headphone in that price bracket,  you're nuts if you don't give this one a listen. I also liked the Questyle QP1-R portable, which I thought paired exceptionally well with my Etymotic ER4PT, to the point of being the best pairing for the Etys I've yet heard. When I let Joe take a listen to the Etys (his first time hearing them), he remarked that he didn't understand why people thought they were bass-light; he thought they sounded great, actually. I told him they absolutely did have very good bass-- on the QP1-R, but not on anything else I've heard. I didn't get a chance to compare the Questyle with the AK 100ii, which I would have loved to do, given how flabbergasted I was with the AK at a previous meet. (I also got to listen to the HifiMAN HM-802, which seems to be more genre-dependent, as it sounded really good with some stuff and less so with other material). Also, I have to say that I still think the LCD-XC acquits itself very nicely versus the vast majority of everything I've heard in terms of sound quality (I'm listening to them now, actually). 
 
One thought that did pop up several times during the meet was pretty simple, but most definitely gave me pause: what happens if our meet is this much bigger next time? The previous two meets had, at our closest count, 34 people each (yes, same number for both meets). While I wasn't able to get the sign-in sheet printed the day before the meet (don't ask), one of the guys at the meet offered to help me keep count while he was there, and he counted 28-- early on, before quite a few people had arrived. I'd say we had somewhere around 50 people there all told, and this was the first meet we've had where space was a concern. Thus far, I've been able to just throw a few hours of maniacal planning/calling/emailing-type work at the meets beforehand and kind of figure it out if there were any other issues, but I might have to actually handle this whole thing like an adult going forward (shuddering at the thought...). Definitely going to need to give more thought to table layout, accessibility to outlets (so we can utilize the middle of the room with more tables there), and a number of other details... What a great problem to have, though, right? And it's just impressive to me that even though this meet had another growth spurt, we still had zero issues with anybody getting upset or being careless or disrespectful... Literally everybody made a point to get along well with everyone else, and abide by the general vibe of camaraderie and fellowship we try to promote. (Except for the jackass having conniption fits near the tablet while watching that monitor... what was that guy's deal???)
 
I had a million other thoughts and things I considered saying, but since we've broken the 500,000 word mark already in this post, I want to close it out by adding another note of appreciation. I've already mentioned a few times how much I appreciate everyone who came to and supported our meet, but I want to take a second to specifically call out the enthusiast companies that supported us, whether by attending or by sharing their stuff with us sight unseen. So, to Dan at Mr Speakers, Joe at Headphone Audiophile, C.P. Pores at MagicMind Audio, HifiMAN, ZMF Headphones, Woo Audio, Norne Audio, and Massdrop, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!! Without these guys, there'd be no HE-1000, no Ether C, no Questyle amps, no... pizza!! Seriously, when it comes time for you pick something up for your collection, please give some thought to giving these guys a look first. I promise you, I have reached out to a ton of companies about supporting us, and very, very few even reply-- and these guys all actually made a point of taking their time and money and helping us make our meet better. If you knew how many places blow us off (or actually reply and can't attend for some reason) each meet, you'd know how great it is for these guys to be as forthcoming with their time and gear as they are. So when you have a little love to share, at least give them a look-- it just strikes me as the right way to do things. 
 
Apologies for the uberlong post, guys, but hey-- y'all know me well enough by now to know this is just kinda how I roll. Darn lit majors
 
Cheers, fellas (and ladies!). I'm off to bed, but I'll hop back on here a bit over the next few weeks!

 

[MattTCG]

@Theogenes I thought that the Ether C was exceptional across the spectrum. The sound stage was surprising to me. I've always had issues with the way closed headphones reproduce staging and image especially with regard to voices. The ETher C does both so well, I could hardly believe it. They put a big smile on my face each time I listened to them. They are truly a no compromise headphone and they are at the top of my list for my next purchase. I agree with you that the open and closed version would cover all bases and be end game. 
 
@pippen99 The LC is a good amp for sure. I have two issues with it. One, it doesn't beat my desktop amp in terms of overall reproduction with the Ether and I really don't need a transportable amp. Two, I'm a little disenchanted with how the production of the amp has played out. I want go into details but it has changed my opinion of Cavalli to be completely honest. Ask Dan how many production deadlines he's missed despite problems that were not necessarily his (the answer is zero). I'll just leave it at that. 
 
Thanks again to everyone who made the effort to be here and share their gear and knowledge. I learn something every time I make this trip. This time I learned:
 
*just how good the Ether C is and that it will be my next headphone
 
*a simple vinyl setup can sound...impressive. Ultimately I'm too lazy to commit to it though. 
 
*Ether open really does replace the hd800 for me
 
*a ton of new music thanks to Dan and several others. I came home and bought several albums
 
*the ifi itube added a touch of tube sweetness to my personal rig, which took my setup to the next level of enjoyment. Thanks for that Joe! I listening to it now
 
*be sure to keep small children and the infirm away from Burley if he's watching a Vols game...unless you don't like them. Bhahaha!!

 

[rtaylor76]

@Theogenes I think you have the Modi mixed up with the Magni. I love Schiit products, but I have a hard time keeping up with their names too. In reading Jason's book, I had to keep referring to the website and like "Is that an amp, a DAC, a tube amp?" Those mythology names are hella confusing.
 
But I ordered a used Modi, 1st gen. It is one of my favorite chips, the AK4396. Really, AK makes pretty great chips. I love my Presonus Firebox with the AK4358. I know the Bitfrost and Modi2 has the 4399 that is 32-bit and I am sure is a tad smoother. The original Modi also only does 24/96, but it does not require drivers, I got a great deal on it (on a tight budget), and allows me a bit of room to upgrade later.
 
I am in the process of building my own O2. I've had all the parts for a few weeks and was still going to get started later rather than sooner, but the meet inspired me to get started this week.

@MattTCG Vinyl is a rabbit hole. It all starts with a decent table. Even my Pioneer I had at the show did not very expensive, but it did come without a stylus (an old cartridge, but no stylus). I am sure there are many great decks available from Craigslist in Atlanta. PM me if you want to take the plunge.

 

[Theogenes]

Interesting comments across the board, @MattTCG. Since I was, uh, distracted at times during the meet, are there any particular artists or songs you'd like to share? I came back with a few names from the last meet that I really enjoyed, but not so much this time around. (And for the record, it's not quite that bad with every game-- the Gators are a unique case. In so, so many ways.)
 
@rtaylor76: D'oh, you are right-- I got 'em mixed up. Maybe I shouldn't type and drink delicious beers all night . 
 
Also, you've got me toying with the idea of finally setting up my turntable at my apartment... I've said I'm not going to get everything set up again until I'm in a bit more permanent living situation, but now I'm not so sure...

 

[kilkil]

  ...
 
I am in the process of building my own O2. I've had all the parts for a few weeks and was still going to get started later rather than sooner, but the meet inspired me to get started this week.
...

I miss building.  The last thing i built was a Grub DAC about 6-7 years ago.  Good luck with the build.

 

[kilkil]

@RUMAY408
I just realized that the GSX MK2 is based on the Dynahi design.  I should have spent more time comparing the amps with my single ended Dynahi, I'll have to do this next meet.

 

[skyline315]

For those of you with building experience, care to give me a tutorial sometime?  I'd love to learn and since we live nearby we might be able to set something up.
 
rtaylor, if your O2 is going to take some time I'd love to come by and observe.

 

[kilkil]

  For those of you with building experience, care to give me a tutorial sometime?  I'd love to learn and since we live nearby we might be able to set something up.
 
rtaylor, if your O2 is going to take some time I'd love to come by and observe.

I'm happy to help anyway I can.  I don't know enough electronics to design anything.  I usually read the build thread where people make suggestions to make it better and implement them.  I've build a Millet Hybrid amp, the Dynahi amp, and Grub DAC. 

 

[rtaylor76]

I am more used to working on guitar tube amps. This O2 through hole circuit board is tiny.

 

[skyline315]

  I'm happy to help anyway I can.  I don't know enough electronics to design anything.  I usually read the build thread where people make suggestions to make it better and implement them.  I've build a Millet Hybrid amp, the Dynahi amp, and Grub DAC. 

 
 

  I am more used to working on guitar tube amps. This O2 through hole circuit board is tiny.

 
I was very tempted to try building the Ember myself, but I chickened out.  You get a 5-year warranty if they do the building, so that seemed like the safe play.
 
I'd love to make some cables, too.  Seems like a nice hobby since cables are so ridiculously overpriced (in my opinion).

 

[Stillhart]

   
 
 
I was very tempted to try building the Ember myself, but I chickened out.  You get a 5-year warranty if they do the building, so that seemed like the safe play.
 
I'd love to make some cables, too.  Seems like a nice hobby since cables are so ridiculously overpriced (in my opinion).

 
I built my Solstice myself.  I made some really bone-headed mistakes but it still started up perfectly and, once I moved the voltage jumper to the right voltage for my tube, worked perfectly.  It's not all that hard and it's a fun learning experience!

 

[vincedog3]

I had a fun time seeing all the cool Headphone listening devices, and more. It was fun taking pictures and learning more about how you can get that little closer to sonic nirvana.

 

[skyline315]

  I had a fun time seeing all the cool Headphone listening devices, and more. It was fun taking pictures and learning more about how you can get that little closer to sonic nirvana.

 
Thanks for the pictures!  I brought my camera to resume picture-taking duty, but when I saw you doing it I was relieved.
 
It gave me permission to just enjoy listening without any other obligations hanging over my head

 

[pippen99]

@Theogenes  
@pippen99 The LC is a good amp for sure. I have two issues with it. One, it doesn't beat my desktop amp in terms of overall reproduction with the Ether and I really don't need a transportable amp. Two, I'm a little disenchanted with how the production of the amp has played out. I want go into details but it has changed my opinion of Cavalli to be completely honest. Ask Dan how many production deadlines he's missed despite problems that were not necessarily his (the answer is zero). I'll just leave it at that. 
 
 

I understand how you could feel disenchanted.  I recall our conversation about development and manufacturing capabilities.  I am not a Schiit fan but they did it right.  Develop the new pieces, get the equipment manufactured and have it ready to ship when the pieces are announced.  I for one am giving Dr Cavalli the benefit of the doubt.  I believe he has been up front and communicated well when these delays happened.  He also went above and beyond to get me the LC for the meet when he didn't have a clue who I was.  I am relatively inexperienced in this hobby but the delays and communication do not seem to rise to the egregious  levels of one manufacturer well discussed on Head-fi.