[RCBinTN]

  @Theogenes here are some of the titles that I found out about at the meet:
 
1. Patrick Watson has several that are really titles. The two that I got over the weekend were Love Songs for Robots and Adventures in Your own Backyard...both of these are exceptional. 
 
2. Roger Waters: Amused to Death...a great album and and recording masterpiece. 
 
3. Daniel Lanios: Shine...I heard this on Dan's setup and really liked it but haven't bought it yet. 
 
4. Sounds from the Ground: Kin
 
5. Ryan Adams: 1989...this is a Taylor Swift cover especially for you Burnely. 

 
6. Stanton Moore: Conversations...great jazz and incredibly well recorded. 
 
These are just a few things that I picked up. They are all over the place with regard to genre. But that's how my taste run. 

 
Thanks, Matt for the music tips.
Which of these were you jamming to, when that pic was snapped?

 

[RUMAY408]

 

This is going viral

 

[RCBinTN]

Looks good.

 

[RUMAY408]

  Looks good.

and he feels good!

 

[Theogenes]

  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. 

 
Man, I am DEFINITELY down for this... I've been wanting to learn more about soldering, amp building, etc forever, but I just don't trust myself without guidance. Maybe a Bottlehead kit to start, since those are supposed to be pretty easy? Although I'd rather make a Dynahi or something... Maybe we could use it as an excuse to get together one night a week for a bit? Just a thought!
 

  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 so much for coming, man, and doubly so for taking all those pictures!! You're always welcome to our meets! And forgive me, but I forgot-- you do live around Nashville, correct? 
 

  the point of head-fi  ----------->>>>>>>>     
 
were you in the groove matt ??

 
BWAHAHAHA!!!! The MockingJay strikes again!! 
 

   

 
Sadly enough, I think I was probably the opera singer in this one...
 

  Making cables is not that hard and is quite rewarding . If you screw up it is an easy fix to make  done that). I wanted to try out my Xlr cables but didn't want to impose ( I should have as I think no one would have objected but I didn't want to impose) so I guess I have to wait for my LC. I love braiding the cables and saw the Norne cable braids and I need to copy that it is too cool. Here is a pic of the Xlr cable made of OCC copper and Silver plated OFC copper wire wraped in Paracord.

 
Nice looking cables, man! Between paracord and tech-flex, you can really make cables look like a million bucks these days...
 

  I really found it funny you thought I was casing the joint at the Spring meet. You weren't an idiot. You guys didn't know me and I was working on eastern time zone so I was an hour early. You are right that I have a great wife ; )

 
Lol! This made me laugh too. And I agree, Theresa was super nice!
 

  First off, a big thank you to Theogenes for all of his hard work and efforts!   I tip my hat to you, it was a great event! 
 
Of course, I want to thank all of the sponsors, we all appreciate their support.  Honorable mention to Joe at Headphone Audiophile, for going above and beyond.  I was hearing some static in my system, Joe let me plug my IDSD into his system, which eliminated that piece as the problem.  Actually, Theogenes helped with my issue as well, he loaned me one of his DACs trying to track down the problem.   I ended up using my iPhone6 instead of the MacBook, and all was well. 
 
Between getting there late and the issues with my system, I wasn't able to listen to as much equipment as I had hoped.  But I had wanted to hear a HD650 on my system and there were several on hand.  I was very impressed with them, and can understand why they still have such a following.  
 
The best thing about the meet was getting together with like minded individuals, who just happen to be good people.  None of my friends are into this hobby, so it was cool talking with others who have the same passion.  Thanks again to all, it was a very enjoyable day. 

 
Yeah, Joe is a pretty stand-up dude, and knows his stuff. Glad to hear your setup wasn't somehow broken! Oddly enough, every time I break down and reassemble my system (no, seriously, every time) I run into some issue or new confluence of factors I hadn't before. In fact, after plugging everything back in this time, I had some bizarro issue with one channel not working, and after chasing it down for a while, finally deciding to unplug everything and start from scratch, my setup now works better (meaning no issues I know of yet) than it has in a couple of years. Sometimes the electrical gremlins pester you to death, and sometimes they leave you alone. Either way, there's beer to help out with the process. 
 
Could not agree more with your last 3 sentences. Nailed it. 
 

  Dear All,
 
Just a great meet, thanks to y'all head-fiers who attended and to the vendors who keep coming back.  A really nice crowd and really nice feeling.  Already looking forward to the next meet.
 
Burnley, you are just cut out for hosting the meets.  Awesome job my friend, once again.  Please feel free to bring a TV next time for watching some golf, maybe a soccer match, no problem...
 
FYI, after we got home (early, had to pack-up for business travel), me and Annette watched the end of the FLA-TN game.  We usually don't watch college FB and especially since the final round of the FedEx cup was underway, but I had to see it.  Let me tell you - it was totally painful.  TN should have won that game.  They had plenty of time but didn't use the clock to their advantage. There's probably some clock management training going on this week in Knoxville.
 
As for the gear -
 
 - The Ethers sounded better to me than at the spring meet.  I really like the closed version.  Very neutral and resolving SQ.  Also very light and transparent cans.  More comfy than the LCD's.
 - The HEK seemed to be a great sounding HP, but they let in so much external noise that it was impossible to really audition them - would require a quiet room.  Annette and I placed them somewhere between the HD800 and LCD-X for SQ.  Meaning - not up to the HD800 in our brief listening experience.
 - Was impressed with the HE-560 sound when paired with my AK120ii and BHA-1.  Nice rich full SQ for their price point.
 - I don't know what Dan the Speedster has going, but everything at his table sounded great to me.
 - Got a lot of positive comments about my Gumby - HDVA600 - HD800 rig.  I agree - the rig drives the HD800 pretty well for not a huge amount of $$.
 - Enjoyed the vinyl sound again, first time in a long time.  
 - I tested Randy's LCD-3F with my Bryston amp, and still prefer the LCD-X.  The 3F have a very warm (plush?) sound that pulls you into the music, just a touch warm for my taste.
 
Missed meeting Jay and hope your wife's condition has improved!  Think I've corresponded with Jay, and valued your advice, since I became a head-fier - would be great to meet in person.
 
Didn't sell my Mjolnir1 that was on the table at $400, that's less than the other 4-5 for sale on the head-fi thread for $450 - 500.  Oh well.
 
I think the Best Western's conference room was better than the hotel in Spring Hill for the May meet.  More easily accessible.  Was quite a bit better when they brought in the fan for the 4th quarter.  Don't know about the rooms but expect they were less than spectacular...
 
And now, y'all know from watching Jude's video from Can-Jam that the true flagship has just been released at $3,995 for true headphone bliss.  The LCD-4 and they are for sale right now on the Audez'e web site.  OH SCHIIT here goes the retirement account!!  Seems like the nano-technology will be worth watching - first the HEK and now the LCD-4.  Here we go, again.
 
All the Best,
Dick

 
Thanks for the kind words, Dick. Truthfully, though, I just kind of ended up doing this by happenstance, and have no doubt there are plenty of people who could do it much, much better. That's one of the reasons I try to be so open for suggestions . 
 
As for the UT game... it's probably best just not to talk about it. That was a disaster that I won't forget for a long, long time... Maybe not ever. Like the Dooley meltdown in Death Valley, or the Music City Bowl debacle at the end of that same season, or the mind-boggling loss to LSU in the SEC championship game in '01 that kept us out of the national title game that year, or the lightning-from-a-clear-blue-sky trainwreck that the '05 season was after being picked to win the natty in the preseason, this one hurts enough to last a lifetime. God I hate the Gators so very, very, very much...
 
Nice impressions, man! I would've liked to have spent some time listening to your AK120ii, as I'm toying with the idea of picking up an AK100ii or AK120ii at some point at the beginning of next year. I don't doubt it made an exemplary source. 
 
Also, I liked how nice and cool the Spring Hill meet was, and I thought the room was a bit nicer, but it wasn't nearly as big, and cost about 25% more than the Best Western, so I'm glad you like this one . 
 
Yeah, I saw that video (although I fell asleep last night watching it). I mean, I'm glad that there are so many companies attacking the Best In The World title, but the price creep is getting to be a bit ridiculous. I get that there are more expensive headphones out there (coughABYSScough) but Audeze kind of feels like one of the companies that's really involved in our community, and that is just such an extravagant price point for headphones. I mean, $3k for the HE-1000 was already probably over the line, and now this... Maybe they'll have a "most obnoxious college football fan" contest and I'll win a pair or something. Sigh. 
 

  @Theogenes here are some of the titles that I found out about at the meet:
 
1. Patrick Watson has several that are really titles. The two that I got over the weekend were Love Songs for Robots and Adventures in Your own Backyard...both of these are exceptional. 
2. Roger Waters: Amused to Death...a great album and and recording masterpiece. 
3. Daniel Lanios: Shine...I heard this on Dan's setup and really liked it but haven't bought it yet. 
4. Sounds from the Ground: Kin
5. Ryan Adams: 1989...this is a Taylor Swift cover especially for you Burnely. 

6. Stanton Moore: Conversations...great jazz and incredibly well recorded. 
 
These are just a few things that I picked up. They are all over the place with regard to genre. But that's how my taste run. 

 
Awesome, man, thank you very much! Except for number 5. I refuse to thank you for that nonsense.
 

 

 
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHARHARHARHAR!!!!! 
 

This is going viral

 
Like the bubonic plague, yep. And in totally unrelated news: nice avatar, Dick! 

 

[RiddleyWalker]

Just got back from boating out in the sticks with no internet, so here are my belated impressions/thoughts!
 
Much thanks to Burnley (Theogenes) for putting together a fantastic meet!  This is the first headphone meet that I've attended, and I had such a blast that it certainly won't be my last.  Since my experience with audio gear going in was pretty limited, I dedicated most of my time trying to get a feel for the sound signatures of the popular Audeze, Hifiman, and Sennheiser models for the first time.
 
EXCELLENT SETUPS:
 
Yggdrasil -> Liquid Crimson/Glass -> Ether C
 
I got to listen to the LCD-3, HD800, HE-1000, and many other top-tier headphones at the meet, but when all was said and done, Dan's (mrspeakers) Ether C was my favorite!  The regular Ether was a fantastic headphone as well, and I might even prefer it for certain well-recorded tracks, but the smoother/bassier profile of the closed version works better as an all-rounder for the types of music I enjoy.  An HD650/HD800 comparison isn't completely accurate, as the Ether models are closer to each other in sound and technicalities than the Senns, but they complement each other in similar ways. 
 
Definitely the best imaging I've heard in a closed back design.  While the size of the stage isn't as wide as some of the open backs I listened to, I felt the actual layering and placement of instruments to be among the best.  Has a nice dynamic slam and sparkle without sounding V-shaped.  Bass was quick and ballsy without being overwhelming or bleeding into the mids.  Mids sounded smooth and liquid.  Sweet but detailed treble. Sounded just as good with Shpongle as it did with Dave Brubeck.
 
Would have loved to hear the Ether C hooked up to a more pedestrian front-end to see how much the Yggdrasil / Liquid Crimson was responsible for the great sound, but I never got around to it.  The headphone itself is super comfortable and light.  I liked the black painted version, hopefully that will be available in production, because the grey/red carbon fiber painted pair didn't look that great to me.  Until now, the best closed-back I'd heard was my ZMF Blackwoods, but I think they've finally been eclipsed!  I see an Ether C in my future for sure.
 
 
Gungnir MB -> HDVA 600 -> HD800
 
 
Dick (RCBinTN) is a really nice guy with a really nice setup.  This was the first time I listened to the HD800, and I can say that it surpassed my expectations.  Listening to Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's "Nashville Blues" (a fitting track for this event) was the most involving listening experience I had at this meet.  The imaging and detail was more realistic than anything I've heard.  Listening to a few other tracks, I was able to discern ambient cues and microdetails that I had never been able to hear previously.  While I generally prefer a darker/smoother sound, there's no denying that with certain well-recorded tracks, the HD800 would be my #1 choice.  Turning on some M83 though, it became evident that I would never be able to have it as my only headphone - the treble was a bit hot and fatiguing on certain genres. 
 
 
Metrum Pavane -> KGGSHV -> Airbow SR-SC11 (Stax)
 
The "WWII looking headphones" (as somebody put it earlier) from Jibzilla really impressed me.  While sounding perhaps a bit rolled on both ends, they were really clean sounding and engaging, a forward sound that had my head bopping.  Unfortunately, the wi-fi sucked and Jib's Tidal stream wasn't working out.  It got switched over to some jungle/dnb tunes which I enjoyed but made critical evaluation of the headphones a bit difficult.  He also had the amazing looking Apex Teton with an HD800 plugged in, but I preferred the Stax setup when listening to the tracks that he had available.
 
 
Other thoughts:
 
HE-1000
This is a good headphone, very comfortable, nice wide soundstage... But something about it just felt slightly off to me.  Now, don't get me wrong - these are great headphones with a generally smooth and pleasant sound that would work well with most any genre - but it's not without issues.  The bass extension was good, but seemed to have a mid-bass hump and less sub-bass quantity than the other planars I demoed.  The lows and mids seemed really smooth but then there were some peaky regions in the treble.  I actually liked Theo's modded HE-6 better!  Perhaps I'm being a bit harsh because it's a $3000 headphone and expectations are really high when considering the cost.  At < $2k I think it would be competitive.  And it's ugly.
 
HE-6
I didn't get as much time with these as I wish I had, but Theo's modded HE-6 sounded fantastic, especially from the Master 8.  Had this unique presentation that sounded speaker-like.  On my Project Polaris they sounded a bit limp and underpowered, and I preferred the HE-500, but on his beefy Master 8 I preferred the HE-6. When driven properly, these are the best sounding Hifiman's I heard.
 
HE-500
My HE-500 is an ongoing mod project, and in it's current state is frankly a bit too dark.  While I prefer the comfort of the ZMF pads I have on mine, Erik's HE-500 with Jergpads honestly sounded better all around.  If only there was a way to have the SQ of the Jergpads with the comfort of Mrspeakers / ZMF pads!  At the end of the day though, I believe the HE-500 is one of the best values in headphones.  You can pick one up used for about $400 or less, and in my opinion it stands toe-to-toe with many headphones costing several times more. 
 
 
 
LCD-2F / LCD-3F
I was shocked at how similar my modded HE-500 sounded to the LCD-2F.  Mine was still a bit darker, but otherwise sounded surprisingly alike.  I preferred the 2F to the 3F, which I thought had a strange balance akin to what I heard on the HE-1000.  I didn't get enough time with the LCD-X to form a valuable impression, but in my short demo I liked the 2F's tonality better. 
 
ZMF Omni Blackwood
I'm a big ZMF fan, and I really like my (regular) Blackwoods.  Zach kindly sent us a pair of his new semi-open design, the Omni.  Compared side by side to my Blackwoods, I found the Omnis a bit unimpressive.  The sound was less full-bodied, a bit shrill, and sounded more distant and less engaging.  Now, it's difficult to categorically judge the Omni - there are 3 different woods and 3 different pads available, for a total of 6 possible configurations.  I know first-hand that changing pads on Zach's phones can bring a big difference.  This demo was using the "protein pads", which are the brightest pads he sells.  Combined with the aggressive tonality that African blackwood offers, it was just a bit too much to my ears.  I bet the lambskin or cowhide pads would have brought the signature closer to my liking.  I'll need to wait for impressions with different wood/pad configurations to decide if I want to spring for the upgrade.
 
****EDIT:  Zach from ZMF clarified in the Omni thread that when he received this demo pair back, there was apparently a driver malfunction.  So the impressions above can mostly be disregarded...
 
 
Conclusion:
The experience of hearing all of these fantastic headphones for the first time was both exhilarating and exhausting.  At the end of the day, I was actually pleasantly surprised how well my humble rig held up.  There were certainly better sounding rigs there, but (to my ears) the improvements I heard weren't as night-and-day as I had thought they would be.  I have a much better idea now of what I like and which upgrades I will make.
 
Thanks again to Theogenes and all of the attendees for being so awesome!  I hope to see you guys again in the future, hopefully with some new gear in tow!

 

[NZtechfreak]

Just wanted to chime in and thank you guys for your impressions, I regularly check meet impression threads and just really great quality feedback going on in here. The unanimous praise for the Ether C isn't hurting either, since I'm a first batch pre-order (or at least, I hope I am, may just miss out due to a few cups being rejected at QC - if you're watching Dan and can update me that'd be great!).

 

[phillyd]

You guys are killing me

I guess I should post some impressions.

Mr. Speakers Ether and Ether C:
I heard the Ether at the last meet and thought they were without question the best headphone I'd ever heard. I still believe this is true. Very neutral, very natural and the only headphone that reminded me of the performance of good speakers.

The Ether C was a great headphone too. It is the best closed headphone I've ever heard with no question. It picks up where the Ether left off and is a little more engaging in some genres, particularly electronic. I'd have a hard time describing them tonally while differentiating them from the Ether but there are some differences.

HiFiMan HE-1000
These were disappointing. They were a great headphone, and I know I didn't give them the time they deserved on the best setups, but even so I could tell they weren't double the headphone the Ether was. They aren't even as good. I think they sound less natural while also failing to take advantage of the planar driver to do exceptional bass. They are a more interesting sound, but less neutral, so they'd work with fewer genres.

HiFiMan HE-400s
Was disappointed in these as well. They were very dry and lacking in bass. This was surprising again as they are planar.

Audeze EL-8 Open
I listened to these at the last meet and was disappointed. They were very smooth and natural but lacked the bass of the LCD-2 and other planars. However, it was found out that somebody put the connectors in wrong at some point, and they could've been out of phase. I listened again at this meet and came to the same conclusion. I should have given the close-back version some time.

It seems that Audeze and Hifiman have been focusing so much on reducing peaks in their planar headphones that they've forsaken the juicy bass completely. The LCD-2 and HE-560 still nail that though.

I honestly tried very little new equipment this meet and I should've made better use of my time. It was still a blast.

Happy 21, I hope you will eventually find that beer your looking for :wink_face:

Thanks Randy! I'll be sticking to mixed drinks for now, but I'll find a good beer eventually. Thanks for treating me to dinner too! And for the great HD650's.

Other Thanks
Dan (Mr. Speakers): Thanks again for coming and bringing amazing equipment and your knowledge. It was a pleasure to hear your headphones and discuss audio with you. I learned a great deal! And thanks for helping cover my meal at Granite City! I hope to see you at future meets and eventually get a pair of Ethers!

Kilkilkil: Thanks for the beer recommendations and holding it down with me at the end of the booth at dinner!

Burnley: Thanks a million for organizing the meet, for entertaining us with your football antics and for the great time at dinner after too!

It was a blast and I hope to see you guys in the spring!

 

[jibzilla]

                                                                                
 
were you in the groove matt ??

 

[MattTCG]

^^ Definitely groovin'. 

 

[kilkil]

   
Man, I am DEFINITELY down for this... I've been wanting to learn more about soldering, amp building, etc forever, but I just don't trust myself without guidance. Maybe a Bottlehead kit to start, since those are supposed to be pretty easy? Although I'd rather make a Dynahi or something... Maybe we could use it as an excuse to get together one night a week for a bit? Just a thought!
 
...

If you can find parts for a Dynahi, it would be a fun build.  Don't worry about complexity with any through hole circuit boards, you just have to pay attention to put the right piece in the right spot.  Surface mount components are more difficult just because of the size.     
 
If i build anything it would be a very high quality preamp or passive pre with remote volume control.  I'm happy to hang out while someone else builds.

 

[skyline315]

We need a cable-building workshop.

 

[kilkil]

  We need a cable-building workshop.

I've built cables, though my philosophy is to make quality cables and don't care about prettiness.  I never used wire covers, the ones i built were with surplus silver plated copper wire with teflon.  Thus simple soldering is all i really do to cables.  I've thought about buying silver solid wire and threading it through teflon tubing for speaker wire.  

 

[jibzilla]

Here's the thing with cables though. Proaudiola will build you a mogami cable for cost (they have a contract with mogami to do all the labor at cost) and btg has a 15% off sale going on right now if you wanna take it up a notch. If btg is not good enough for ya I don't what is. Brian don't play.

 

[buke9]

  We need a cable-building workshop.

That sounds like fun. If you really want to build some cables let me know I can give you a few pointers on that.