[vipervick]

 
Interesting that you say that. Open headphones are usually more revealing, engaging, awe inspiring ones out there. 

They might, if I could get any volume out of them... Like I said, most things I tried I couldn't even really hear. And my hearing isn't THAT bad!!!

 

[Audiowood]

 
Awesome!  Lol, lemme know what you got and how you like it. 

 

 
After comparing 3 TOTL CIEM (Roxanne, K10 & UE18 PRO) - I blew my kids size wallet on the the UE18 PRO. 
 
I almost went for the Roxanne but then it resemble SE846 so much and since I have already own the SE846, I was looking for a breath of fresh air.  but of course the Roxanne is every way superior than the SE846, from the deep bass, super lush mids, smooth high and sound stage is unheard and out of this world, its so 3D. I was put off  by the size of the nuts, boy that is about he biggest Nuts I ever held on my hand beside my own. Its really huge.. 

 
All these 3 CIEM kinda have a very different school of thoughts on tonality. The K10 would resemble the Stax type of precision clarity, out of the world extended high, deep bass and very well controlled bass with a wide sound stage, Its a little analytical with a touch of warmth here and there, very unique tonality and they are the most beautiful CIEM I have seen. The Roxanne is more tune towards the Planar magnetic tonality and boy, for a short moment I thought I was listening to LCD X, its that good, more of a headphone than CIEM. The soundstage is one of the best I have heard including full size open headphones. Bass so powerful from the lowest level to mid bass so coherent, I feel my jaw rattle once in a while, the vocal is oh so lush with great clarity and a good attack, the treble is very smooth, can't detect harshness at all. Its a warm CIEM and it turns my little IPOD into a tube amp.This is the CIEM that I would buy again and again. 
 
THe UE18 PRO is very special in my opinion. I feel its tune more towards an easy going listening session, a very audiophile kind of melodic tonality and I can vision raising the volume without realizing I have pass my limits. In direct comparison, the Roxanne might sound a little shouty on the vocal, the K10 a little too sharp on its treble (the cymbals almost knock me out) on high volume, the UE18 Pro feels like everything is so well connected without any of these peaks to bother me.  The tonality is very unique, the bass is really powerful, from the sub to mid very perfectly blended together, if there is a scale, I would give it 9.5 out of 10 (this is exact kind of bass I like), It has a little mid bass emphasis which add a little warmth and add a little slam to the drums. The treble is a very unique, the UE18 Pro has some tricks up its sleeves. At one point, I feel its pleasingly warm and just when I thought it would roll of on the cymbals, it sparkle at the top giving it enough top extension. I was impressed by the way it handle treble. I spent alot of time comparing both Roxanne and UE18 Pro at the AK240 table, and I want to thank the rep (sorry I miss your name) for helping me get a proper seal and if you're reading this you can get the e-cig from Kangertech. 
 
So overall, the UE18 Pro falls exactly on the type of tonality that I like, plus the 20% off, plus the free impression, I broke down and bought it right there.. I am weak.

 

[warrenpchi]

 

 
Awesome!  Lol, lemme know what you got and how you like it. 

 
After comparing 3 TOTL CIEM (Roxanne, K10 & UE18 PRO) - I blew my kids size wallet on the the UE18 PRO. 
 

---

  So overall, the UE18 Pro falls exactly on the type of tonality that I like, plus the 20% off, plus the free impression, I broke down and bought it right there.. I am weak.

 
Ha, you got a great deal!  CIEMs aren't something you can pick up used (or on overstock clearance) so you did the right thing.
 

  I almost went for the Roxanne but then it resemble SE846 so much and since I have already own the SE846, I was looking for a breath of fresh air.  but of course the Roxanne is every way superior than the SE846, from the deep bass, super lush mids, smooth high and sound stage is unheard and out of this world, its so 3D. I was put off  by the size of the nuts, boy that is about he biggest Nuts I ever held on my hand beside my own. Its really huge.. 

 
So size matters then? 

 

 
All these 3 CIEM kinda have a very different school of thoughts on tonality. The K10 would resemble the Stax type of precision clarity, out of the world extended high, deep bass and very well controlled bass with a wide sound stage, Its a little analytical with a touch of warmth here and there, very unique tonality and they are the most beautiful CIEM I have seen.

 
Sounds like you're describing an SR-009 audition.  For me, I am still firmly in the properly-driven SR-007 Mk I camp.  If you ever get a chance to hear a KGSSHV-driven 007 Mk I, please do so.  It's not what you would think, and is a far cry from the stereotypical impressions most often posted about an 007.  Here's a hint:  it's NOT dark.
 

  The UE18 PRO is very special in my opinion. I feel its tune more towards an easy going listening session, a very audiophile kind of melodic tonality and I can vision raising the volume without realizing I have pass my limits. In direct comparison, the Roxanne might sound a little shouty on the vocal, the K10 a little too sharp on its treble (the cymbals almost knock me out) on high volume, the UE18 Pro feels like everything is so well connected without any of these peaks to bother me.  The tonality is very unique, the bass is really powerful, from the sub to mid very perfectly blended together, if there is a scale, I would give it 9.5 out of 10 (this is exact kind of bass I like), It has a little mid bass emphasis which add a little warmth and add a little slam to the drums. The treble is a very unique, the UE18 Pro has some tricks up its sleeves. At one point, I feel its pleasingly warm and just when I thought it would roll of on the cymbals, it sparkle at the top giving it enough top extension.

 
That's a pretty good description yeah.  I usually simplify it for people by saying that a UE18 is not unlike the love child of a pre-Fazor LCD-2 and pre-Fazor LCD-3.  But then again, that depends on people having heard those. 

 

 
I spent alot of time comparing both Roxanne and UE18 Pro at the AK240 table, and I want to thank the rep (sorry I miss your name) for helping me get a proper seal and if you're reading this you can get the e-cig from Kangertech.

 
That would be my friend Owen Kwon, VP of Business Development at Astell&Kern. 

 

[Silent One]

A special round of applause for the warrenpchi; third_eye; mikemercer; amb and the usual suspects hard at work on both sides of the tables (you guys & girls know who you are...) 

 

 

[No_One411]

I have to say I thought I was done with Head-fi...but after this meet I think I got sucked back in! 
 
It was really nice being able to meet members of the community in real life. 
 
I had a blast talking with the DIY guys next to AMB's table. They definitely seemed really knowledgeable and helpful. Definitely makes me wanna get back into DIY. 
 
The modded Tascams (sorry I don't remember your name 

) sounded amazing for $30 and a couple simple mods. They were one of the bigger surprises of the meet for me. 
 
The Pendulumic wireless headphones sounded really good for wireless headphones. I honestly couldn't tell too much difference between wired/wireless. 
 
Shoutout to Dan of MrSpeakers for coming out to dinner with us. He's a really down-to-earth guy to talk to.
 
Alex of Wywires was a blast to talk to. He was very patient with everybody that stopped by his booth. 
 
Darin Fong's software was amazing. I spent some time picking out a couple of my favorite presets. It'll probably be something I'll consider in the future. 
 
Highlight of the meet was winning the Noble 4's! I've never had much luck with raffles before, but its pretty cool that I won the Noble 4s, which were my favorite of their huge selection. 
 
All in all, great meet! Props to everybody that organized it! 

 

[JACONE]

Damn! I flew in from Vietnam on Sunday 7/20 and missed meet by a day. It sucks big time!
 
I'm jealous I was not able to attend!
 
Next time for sure!

 

[Silent One]

Considering your journey and even your consideration to attend...

 

[warrenpchi]

  I have to say I thought I was done with Head-fi...

 

 

[warrenpchi]

  A special round of applause for the warrenpchi; third_eye; mikemercer; amb and the usual suspects hard at work on both sides of the tables (you guys & girls know who you are...) 

 

 
Thank you sir! 

 

[bcschmerker4]

Originally Posted by zerodeefex /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
...As for gear:
 
Kudos goes to:

1. Warren and Ethan - For toiling thanklessly to remotely organize a big ol meet. You guys did a great job! I LOVE the renovated Doubletree. CT was right, it's a great spot for meets!!!
2. OJneg's ECP Torpedo - Holy moly, I have no idea what the heck he did here, but I preferred this gamma 2 > torpedo > HD600 to my old gamma2 > balanced beta22 > HD600 rig. Just hit all the right buttons with the HD600. Pretty darned detailed and great bass control (and quantity).
3. Geek Out - I own the 450 and 1000 and now I'm glad I have more of their products on the way. Great resolution, surprisingly non-SABRE-y treble, and the 450 has just the right tonal balance. Head and shoulders over any of the other dac/amps in the space (and I own 90% of them).
4. The random Bakoon amp at the massdrop table - No sure of the price, but it sounded pretty decent with the HD800s. I was surprised, very few amps are able to coax out the wonderful bass of the HD800. I couldn't tell in my brief listening if the bass was as well controlled as the better amps I've heard, but it was pretty pleasant to listen to (with stock HD800s no less). I'm not trading in the 2A3 MKIV anytime soon, but this was pretty decent sounding for a little box. Someone mentioned it would be on sale for well under $1000 which seemed like the right price.

 
Boo-dos go to:

1. Iriver Astell & Kern line ID - The MK2 versions of the 120/100 and the AK240 are way uglier in person than I ever imagined. The players went from attractive with good ergonomics to terrible monoliths this generation. As a product guy, the AK240 made me throw up in my mouth a little bit in person. 
2. Matrix X-Sabre - After about 5 minutes of listening I remembered exactly why I dumped this DAC. It's well built and great for the price range, but hard to listen to for a long period of time for me. The grainy treble is too much for me.
3. Oppo PM-1 - Would have thought it was a mid-fi can until I remembered the price. Felt crazy closed in, especially after having spent a few weeks with the Paradox Slants. Purrin kept trying to get me to try the pad revisions, but the chain was changed up on me and I had a hard time making a quick call on whether my opinion was dramatically swayed. Either way, Oppo's marketing dollars must be going a long way if these are popular at the $1100 price point. I wish I had some time with the PM-2s with the new pads. At $500-700, my tune might change.

After checking the Wikipedia article on the Golden Raspberry Awards, I found that no technical Razzie categories are routinely nominated, other than the Governor's Award.  Would the PM-1 be a candidate for Worst Post-Production Headphone, as the leadoff Post in Battle of the Modern Planars: LCD-X vs. HE-560 vs. PM-1 might suggest (it brought up the rear on flanged sonics)?

 

[mikemercer]

  A special round of applause for the warrenpchi; third_eye; mikemercer; amb and the usual suspects hard at work on both sides of the tables (you guys & girls know who you are...) 

 

ThanX!!
This was a new experience for me - manning a table for a manufacturer - BUT, at least it was Audeze!
And, being labeled an "Audeze Jihadist by some troll at The Absolute Sound's site (which my cousin said is a compliment - as it shows I have good taste 

)
it was a good fit!! It's no secret how much I love their cans!!

and getting to hear the custom-painted black AKG1000 on my Studio Six and my Cavalli Liquid Gold were also HIGHLIGHTS

 

[mikemercer]

  I rarely go on Head-fi, so I don't really know most of you guys. If you saw me (guy in blue hoodie), nice to meet you! I just have no idea who you are! 

 
BTW, there was an older white guy who I inadvertently kept annoying by taking up the headphones he wanted to try out (both Alpha Dogs and later, the LCD3). Sorry!
If any of you are interested in some pictures my friend took and impressions from an audio noob, here you go: (The rest is copied pasted from my blog so sorry if a comment or two felt out of place for a Headfi impressions post.)
 

 ​

 ​

​

Little picture of stuff for sale in the meet from various Headfi members. They were giving out free stands?!​

 

​

This is the Audeze table. It's hosted by a very cool DJ/audiophile. On the table were LCD 2, 3, X, and XC. I prefer open headphones myself, so I was trying to hear the differences between each. These are the high end bass machines! A very different headphone from my HD800s. Mark and I both really enjoyed these. Favorite headphones on the show!​

 My biggest issue with the LCDs is that the leather doesn't really breathe. Long sessions of gaming in a warm room sounds bad. They are also a bit on the heavier side. Not ridiculous but not the best.​

 

​

​

I take picture of you taking a picture of them! The guy is very passionate about not just audio gear - but music. It's something you don't see that often in Headfi-circles, believe it or not. Some lay the charge that audiophiles spend more time listening to their gear than listening to music. Then again, we can draw a similar parallel for overclockers spending more time tweaking overclocks and running Prime95 than fragging people at Battlefield 4. But this guy, he's a DJ, he mixes his own music. Interesting display of songs, unlike the normal stereotypical audiophile type of tracks. These tracks play to the LCD's strengths I think... I can actually hear the bass with these tracks as opposed to Hifiguy528's table. Cool, smoking, chill dude, rocking out to music! My only gripe is that he likes his music LOUD, as a DJ. You could turn the headphones into head-speakers at that point. Yes, they are open so they sound quieter than a normal person would assume from outside. But the volume was loud enough to cause issues to my ear, but not quite loud enough for me to quickly turn down the volume. (Turning down the volume affects his volume as well.) I wish I kept better track of which songs I enjoyed in the meet. The guy had a nice setup that allowed for many headphones to play at once. I'd like that one day. Nice for ABX tests, nice for minimal-hassle headphone switching.
(I just noticed the dude I'm talking about is one post above mine. How's that for coincidence?)​

  ​

​

 Just a random picture of peoplez. There are a total of... I think 4 women in the entire place. Why are my hobbies so predominately male? (Besides like clothing etc) What exactly do females DO?​

 ​

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​

 Entrance. $20 to get in. They had me marked down as "Dark_wizzie" cuz i'm teh wizzle.​

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​

This is Hifiguy528's table. He's a Youtuber. That's me trying out the Audeze LCD3. But the guy has very light songs, so I wasn't very impressed with them at this table. Mark is there trying out the HD700s. Why does EVERYBODY there have Macs or ipads? It's kindda creepy.​

 ​

​

 Hifiguy528's Wooaudio amps, although not my cup of tea, certainly LOOKS cool.​

 ​

​

 I was very excited to try out the STAX. As you might be able to tell, Mark there has donned the STAX 009, the most expensive headphone I know of - $4000! It is an electrostatic headphone, so its technology is different and requires a different amp. I really enjoyed the STAX 009. I think it does the sound better than my HD800s - but I think the soundstage is shrunk down. I'd still probably try my HD800s for gaming. But the electrostatics are LIGHTWEIGHT! It is way lighter than it looks.​

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 PHOTOBOMB! I made a solemn pact long ago in the Andes Mountains to never smile in a photograph, EVER.​

 ​

Apart from the Audeze LCDs and the Alpha Dogs, I also enjoyed the Hifiman HE-6, even though they are a real dog to try to amp properly and is one of the few headphones that will make my O2 amp struggle. Mark enjoyed the AKG Q701s, but frankly I didn't like it. For some reason they sounded too harsh on the highs. Mark thought they were very comfortable, but my HD800s are comfortable enough as is. When I'm on the Battlefield, the map is wide open, so it should sound WIDE open. Gotta love the HD800s for that.​

 ​

​

Mr. Speaker's table! He's a cool guy! My second favorite table behind the Audeze table! Mark and I both enjoyed the LCDs more than these but the price gap is huge. We also both enjoyed these headphones even though they were closed. We both preferred the Alpha Dogs over the Mad Dog. The Alpha Dog is the first headphone to be 3D printed! Mr. Speakers (love his name BTW) has a nice selection of tracks too. Nice down to earth guy. When we keep swapping between the two headphones, the wires started becoming more and more tangled. We had to manually detangle them!
 

​

 Little on-the-move shot of us walking from Headfi room to room in the hotel.​

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​

 Look at me, I am soo0o0oOOOo0o0oo Audi-O-File! I'm standing behind a water dispensing contraption that contains only melted ice! I'm drinking water from a glass cup! Come at me bro! SNOB SNOB SNOBBERY SNOB SNOB!!!111 ​

 

​

 

Why am I smiling while pouring water? Anyways, I like this water dispensing contraption! Really cool!​

Come to SF, they said. It'll be cold, they said. Then it hit me that it's summer time and I'm in a hotel, not outside being hit by wind from the Bay. ​

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So to break it down, my favorite headphones from the meet (HD800s not counted): LCDx or LCD3, HE-6, and Alpha Dog. I wasn't expecting much from the HE-6... Reviews didn't seem to be that great and it's a pain in the ass to amp. But I enjoyed it. And the Alpha Dog, which are closed, meaning sound doesn't easily come out. I think open-backed headphones are typically nicer, allows for a more spacious, natural sound, but the Alpha Dogs were quite nice. Ultimate Ears had a table but the guy there said he was a replacement guy. He seemed like the most disorganized person in the room. He had a few earphones placed on a table with no device to try them out with on the table. My two favorite tables are the Audeze booth and the Mr. Speakers booth. Both had a fun dude at the helm and good tracks. I was pleasantly surprised at a wireless headphone table I went to. I forgot the name, but you could charge it via usb cable or use batteries. And the sound plus the wireless capabilities for a price of $175? I'd recommend it! Overall, it has been a fun day. I didn't get to try everything though, because I was time limited to 3 hours before my ride leaves without me.

I was such a sincere pleasure playing music for you guys!!
I haven't had a chance to play my own mixes (which is how I end up testing headphone performance much of the time - using my music - as I wrote, engineered, and mastered the tracks!
Your enthusiasm was infectious! As I haven't DJ'd professionally for a few years now - except for the occasional after-party when my friends are in town to DJ!!!!
 
And: SO sorry I listened so loud! I realize that I was listening to the LCD-2 w/ Fazor - as you guys were listening with the LCD-X and XC - or, at times I just had to blast time! 

Next time feel free to tell me to turn it down!
 
Your post made my night!
  

 

[mikemercer]

Yes, I enjoyed it very much. It's just awesome driven by LAu

I had an absolute BLAST listening to the AKG1000, in BLACK - AND re-wired with Moon Audio Blue Dragons!!!!
 
Driven by my Cavalli LAu and Studio Six at the Audeze booth (I had to fill in for them - as they were busy gearin' up for their first event - Twilight Sessions at The Village Recorder)
 
   

 

[Silent One]

Originally Posted by mikemercer /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
 
ThanX!!
This was a new experience for me - manning a table for a manufacturer - BUT, at least it was Audeze!
And, being labeled an "Audeze Jihadist by some troll at The Absolute Sound's site (which my cousin said is a compliment - as it shows I have good taste 

)
it was a good fit!! It's no secret how much I love their cans!!

and getting to hear the custom-painted black AKG1000 on my Studio Six and my Cavalli Liquid Gold were also HIGHLIGHTS

 Looking forward to meeting my audio brother-in-arms!

 

[amb]

One thing I thought I should bring up for future reference. At least two people did not realize that there were two smaller rooms full of member gear until tear-down time. I think the recessed entry into these rooms (one of them blocked by a large column) made them somewhat invisible. The fact that the reception desk is further down the hall from these rooms may also be a factor. If we have future events at this venue, more prominent signage might help.