Awesome meet, probably my favorite meet so far. Thanks JP! You done good! I found myself trying to do a million things at once, and none of them very well. I listened to quite a few things, but missed a lot too, and felt to scattered to really lay into any one rig for very long. I usually wait till the end, and then just chill with one of the big boys, but didn't get to it this time. It was good to see fellow headphone addicts again. I'm always impressed by this crowd, you all are so in love with this stuff it's just great.
HD800: I don't know, I wasn't that into it. It sounded like they designed it to sound (and look) impressive, and forgot that it also had to sound good. When I listened to it, I kept thinking "wow this is impressive" but I didn't really care, as it seemed to take all the emotion out of the music for me. There was too much emphasis in higher frequencies, and it cut out a lot of richness that should have been there. I was listening to the band Mono, which has a lot of crazy distorted guitar, recorded beautifully on tube equipment, and it should sound really rich, but with the HD800 it sounded more, um, shall we say more "solid state". It was also seriously lacking in bass, and I'm feeling that they did that to help give it that super clean sound, just like AKG did with the K4/5/6/701. I noticed though, that it sounded very different with different amps, moreso than I've ever noticed a headphone change. So I'm thinking with the right amp, I'd like it better. I think synergy is going to be much more important with the HD800 than just power, I'd put money down on it sounding better with certain portables than certain full power rigs. Impressive headphone though, and I actually thought it sounded like a perfected K701 in some ways.
Pico Slim: great synergy with the HF2, it seemed to work with it's strengths and against it's weaknesses. Hard to say more without a direct comparison to another portable.
Shure SRH840: I thought this phone sounded awesome for a closed phone. If I needed/wanted a closed phone, I'd get it for sure. It is one of the more balanced sounding phones out there, IMO, even amongst open phones. Everything sounded right, without sounding rolled off at all. If you like K501 bass, these aren't for you, but I didn't find the bass overbearing in my brief time with it, it didn't bleed into any of the other frequencies. I also thought they sounded very open for closed cans.
GMP 8.35: really really really bright. I mean this thing was nothing but treble, and it was etched, and harsh. Worse than the first silver SR325, and had no bass. I guess the stock pads had a bit of cloth, that might tame the highs, but this was nothing that some speaker cloth was going to fix. Can't believe people like these.
Pioneer Monitor 10: I thought these sounded decent. Clean sound, not much sound stage, pretty closed in. They sounded fairly neutral, but cold in tone, and not really any bass to speak of. They fit in an interesting way, the pads were unlike any pads I've seen on any other can, seemed like they were trying to make a circumaural with as little air volume as possible, probably to help with bass. They look absolutely awesome.
Ironbut's tape and HEaudio stat rig: This is one of the best rigs I have heard. It was just fantastic. I really wish I could hear this in a quiet setting. Iron, if you ever need someone to come over and keep your reel to reel company for a couple hours, please let me know
There was a classical recording reeled up, and I must say that it was the best I have ever heard classical music, I don't think any concert hall anywhere could create such an experience. It was both bright and warm, lush, but alive, light and nimble, but with body and texture. The brass horns would come in so rich, but that brassy texture so clean and transparent, and then little bells twinkling with complete delicacy. Wow. Nice one.
Fallenangel's rig was awseome I wish I could have spent more time with it. He's got a great collection of cans, you can tell he's put a lot of effort into the collection, not to mention his amps! I wish I would have spent some time with the HP2 and the melos, but there were so many new toys to play with.
Audeze LCD-1: This headphone ate up a lot of my time, because I really wanted it to be the best thing in the world. And partly it was, the delicate, nimble detail of Iron but's rig, but the weight and dynamic sound of...dynamics. But I couldn't help but feel there was a diffused sound to them, kind of mushy. Gotta listen more, but I do have high hopes for Audeze. We're going to be hearing a lot about them in the future
JH13pro: This was definitely the best IEM I've ever heard (but it's also the only IEM I've ever heard, I have a weird fear of puting things into my ears that I pushed through to feel the glory
) It was also one of the best headphones I've heard. I think they may take the throne with the HP1000 as the most natural sounding headphones. That says a lot, because I have never found something come close to the Joe Grado magic before. These things were really natural, and didn't sound warm or bassy to get there. Some instruments were warm, some were crisp, everything well defined. Bass was amazing, I heard subtle bass tones coming up underneath me that I never heard in songs. And this was straight out of my ipod, I didn't even bother with an amp. This being said, they were kind of annoying being IEM's, something about the sound going right into your ear doesn't sound quite as good as full sized headphones. But I bet the customs make that better.
I think it's time for me to
try Sennheisers again. I listened to a pair at the meet, and wasn't boared by them like I usually am. I think it's time to find a pair for a THIRD time! Anyone not using their HD600 want to loan it to me for a bit?
