[ayt999]

so ya... I finally attended a meet on the east coast. fun times.

 

[Icarium]

Sleep is for the weak.

 

[ayt999]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icarium /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sleep is for the weak.

sure is. I think I've averaged perhaps 3 or 4 hours per day in the past four days or so.

 

[Superpredator]

I am going through headphone withdrawal. I want to swim in a warm sea of headphoney goodness again, with pizza.

 

[ayt999]

super thanks for the ride back from the meet Superpredator!

and the same to Barry for a ride to the meet!

 

[Barry]

Ayt, you are welcome for the ride.

Thanks all for a great time! Of course, these meets are not great for my budget - my want list grew dramatically. You guys brought some jewels!.

Barry

 

[krmathis]

Don't forget to post impressions, and perhaps even a picture or two...

 

[Febs]

I'll have some pictures shortly. We had a good turnout and some great gear. At one point I counted 28 pairs of full-sized cans, covering just about everything from the SR-60 to the Orpheus.

We started at 9 AM and wrapped up at about 5 PM, and I still did get a chance to listen to half of the gear there that I wanted to listen to.

Some highlights:

1. The Orpheus sounded absolutely spectacular to me. I listened to a live FLAC recording of the 1st movement of Beethovens' 5th from the Philadelphia Orchestra.
2. I finally had the chance to listen to k601 and k701s. I wish that I had had the chance to try each of them with a greater variety of amps. I didn't like the k701 with Fleetwood Mac. I loved it with Dave Brubeck. But I also discovered that I really like my k501 compared to either the k601 or k701.
3. We did some ABX testing. (Believe it or not, I was not the one who brought it up--I just set up the test on someone else's request!) threEchelon was able to successfully ABX lossless versus LAME -v5. Barry was unable to ABX the Orpheus from a pepperoni pizza.
4. I recorded a segment for the Head-Fi podcast. I don't know if it is going to turn out to be usable, because I had a bad cold all week, but if I can cobble something togeter that is worthwhile, it may explain the pizza v. Orpheus comment.
   
5. Fang from Head-Direct showed me some of the new products that they are coming out with, and also showed me the custom molds that are available for the PK1 and PK2. I have some pictures that I'll post later today. The custom molds with the PK2 look intriguing.
6. Head Direct also had a small portable amp that apparently sells for $70. Unfortunately, the model number escapes me at the moment, but I'll think of it and post it later. Aesthetically, it was a bit rough (the case edges weren't machined very precisely), but it sounded very, very good for $70 and should give some serious competition to things like the CMoys and PA2V2 in the budget amp category.
7. I finally had the chance try the RSA Tomahawk. Even after reading all of the threads about this amp and looking at all of the pictures, I was still surprised at how small it is! It sounds great too.
8. I had the chance to listen to an iMod--for about 45 seconds! I was just starting to check it out when threEchelon and I had to leave to pick up the pizza, and I never got back to it. My initial impression was very positive, though I was hoping to listen to it with a few amps, which I did not get a chance to do.

Special thanks to ayt999 for reterminating my k501 for me and to threEchelon for once again making the arrangements for the room at Radnor High School.

More later when I post the pictures.

 

[Coltrane]

Thanks to everyone for all the cool stuff they brought out. Special thanks to echelon for getting the room.

- The Orpheus is a good sounding headphone. I probably should have spent more time with it, but I was mainly shopping for things that I had a chance of buying at some point in my life.

- Darth Beyers have a lot of bass. WAAY too much. It was like being locked in a airplane bathroom with Flea and a 1000 watt subwoofer. My head cant take that kind of bass.

- The PS-1s didnt really do it for me. Nice and clear, but I think the sound stage of my 701s have made it very difficult to listen to Grados in short bursts. Im sure spending more time with the PS-1s, or the RS-1s, would give me a much better opinion of both phones.

- My biggest complaint about my K701s is a lack of bite with electric guitars. I found out that this is remedied quite a bit with better amplification, especially tubes.

- The tomahawk is small. I also got some distortion at highish levels with it and the 701s. I think Im gonna need atleast a hornet or SR-71 as my next portable.

- The comfort of the E500 still amazes me. I find E4 to feel very large in my ears, that is simply not the case for E500. They are worth the upgrade on comfort alone. The added bass is icing on the cake.

- I think I noticed a difference between the Bling-Bling and the Cryo dock, which frankly shocked me. Of course, for $150 more, I would like to more than just THINK I hear a difference.

- All the guys there were great and very helpful and generous with their setups and opinions. When is the summer meet? And how about having it somewhere where we can bring beer?

 

[Superpredator]

Special thanks to Febs and threEchelon for their teamwork in planning and getting the venue and their terrific pizza-delivery skills.

Thanks to me (

) and Barry for driving ayt999 to and from the meet.

Thanks to ayt999 for bringing the big O, and thanks to everyone else for bringing some really fine equipment as well.

Thanks to Head-Direct. Having a sponsor there seemed to lend something extra to the meet.


Impressions (and really, just impressions):

Orpheus and Chinese electrostatic (clone?) - I only had a couple minutes with each. The Orpheus seemed better defined (better separation, more resolving) but the Chinese one seemed a couple touches more relaxed. Relaxed is good to me.

K701 - I listened to Barry's pair (about 300 hours), and liked it very much driven by the M^3 and 336i. It became apparent to me that AKG is one of the house sounds I like. The 701 seems to have a much more natural spaciousness to me than the 501 (which I owned, but didn't listen to at the meet), which tends to keep everything at an artificial distance. The 701 seemed to offer a filled out, more balanced version of the 501's sound signature. I guess I can now finally see why the 501 is famed for its midrange; still, a distanced midrange seems somehow wrong to me.

DT880 2005 - I got to this one towards the end of the day, and I'm glad I had a chance to hear it. I think I prefer it to the 2003 version, which I recall having good width but not a ton of space otherwise. The same airy/sweet presentation was intact, and the Darkvoice was able to tame the highs exceptionally well this time around (I found it a terrible match for the 2003 version, although this may well have been due to tubes).

Darth Beyers - These gorgeous cans do not sound how they look. I didn't find them to be bass monsters necessarily, but the bass was certainly pronounced. Mostly I felt that this was due to a near absence of life in the rest of the range. I found them muddy and grainy, and the bass didn't sound normal either. This was listening to Massive Attack, where bass is an absolutely fundamental part of the sound. This was also listening through the Darkvoice, which did quite well for the DT880, the other Beyers I heard, and PS1, the other purported bass monsters. The tubes I was using (United Electron 6AS7G and Tung-Sol 6SN7GT black glass) pair together to have a very good command of the whole range, especially all but the very deepest bass. There is a bit of a deemphasis of the mids; some cans are sensitive to this, and some favor it. Highs are always well defined. I can't figure out why the Darths sounded the way they did. They were always something I lusted after. No longer.

PS1 / flats - These boys sound very good. I had a while with them to really soak up that bass (again, Massive Attack), with both the M^3 & 336i, and it was truly exceptional. Notes in the other ranges were so crisp and clear front to back. Guitar had a lot more weight and presence than with the HF1, which is a little shrouded and thin in comparison. Where bass is appropriate I love bass, and although I felt that the bass never interfered I honestly think this was just a bit too much for me for everyday listening.

RS2 / bowls - I didn't have long with these but what I heard I liked a lot. I'm not sure if anyone else had a chance to hear Grados out of the Darkvoice, but I think it does very, very well with them. It tends to breathe tons of life and energy into the highs but never crosses over into harsh. I don't like to use the word "tamed" because that implies that it tones them down a bit. It leaves them as is but makes them sound very good. I think I listened to the RS2 with the Raptor (think - I listened to a lot of cans with it as nytryder7 was packing up), and I felt like that amp was intensely bright with them. Everything was clean but it was a much harsher, leaner sound than I would ever go for.

PK2 - Plugged these into my iMod/SMaIV and just kind of walked around listening to music for a while (that's a good thing

). I don't think I would ever have a use for ear buds, but these sound big and really damn good for the price. If I had to choose between these and Vibes, I would definitely choose these (neither isolates, so they are on the same general playing field in that regard). I can't decide if they sounded larger than the UM2. They probably did. It was really kind of eye popping.

PK1 - These sound like a more refined version of their younger sibling, but I didn't listen long enough to decide how.

K340s - We had two modded pairs present. I brought my pair that was originally a full Headphile mod with a BlackGold recable, re-screening, and velour pads. They were since reterminated to balanced by Fitz and include a single-ended adapter made from his BlackClover cable. threEchelon brought his pair that included his own hefty recable job that looked great but might just be a tad heavy.

His had the stock plastic screens and pads in very good shape. Ours are also different versions, but we both have cotton in and neither of us is using tape. We both immediately heard differences between the two running them out of the amp without a name. Mine were more impactful and better defined but at the cost of sounding a little harsher than his, more so out of the amp with no name than out of my M^3. Mine seemed to channel the sound directly into my ears compared to his which had a roomier, more natural/musical sound. Soundstage was wider on mine, and separation better, but it sounds a little too drawn out. I found threEchelon's more immersive and pleasant.

(I have heard the K340 in many stages stock to modded.) Bone stock the K340 sounds very promising but there is something very boxy about the soundstage (something like a pair of junk cans from the 70s). There is harshness and glare and a generally unrefined feeling. I was never really sure which part of the modification process alleviated this and began them on their path towards refinement, but after hearing threEchelon's pair I feel like I can safely say it's the bypass / recabling that does most of the trick.

I do think the plastic grill definitely adds just a hint of weirdness to the sound, but as far as pads go I think it is all preference as to which is better. threEchelon lent me his pair and I had a chance to do some listening last night to both pairs with the mesh screens and velours. They sounded incredibly similar. There are probably differences but without quick A/Bing it would be hard to pick them out. I feel like threEchelon's might sound a bit fuller in individual notes and larger overall, but mine have a kind of delicateness around the edges making them a little more romantic. Again, I can't say this with any certainty. I also listened to his pair with just the mesh screens and the stock pads, and there was still a noticeable difference. I think the mesh screens are less "weird" than the plastic ones, but more comes through and it can be a little harsh on the ears.

I have decided that neither the velour nor the stock pads are completely ideal. The velour seems to stiffen the sound, adding impact all around and solidifying the bass but the stock pads seem to offer something gentler, larger, and more engaging, and closer to the traditional full-sized AKG sound of being enveloped in music. I'm also not convinced that the "sound transparent" re-screenings are exactly what's good for the K340. The drivers sit very close to the ears, and I'm wondering if a thicker screen might be better suited for them. I may try to go to work on a secret project or two.

Raptor - I think this amp is what Barry would call neutral.

I tried the Raptor (iMod as source) with a few different headphones and it seems to me to be the epitome of cold, analytical and bright. And from a tube amp! I don't like to swing too far over into musical and engaging, but I felt like a little bit would have gone a long way. The Raptor didn't do well with the W2002, K340 or RS2. Astonishingly it came close to making the W100 sound very bright. I felt like I was getting DT880 level highs with the W100, which from my experience seems like it should be an impossibility. The W100 is super midrangey to me, so pairing it with an amp that emphasizes the top and bottom ends can do some interesting (and good) things for it. The Raptor seemed to be all top. The W100 barely even sounded like an AT woody anymore. It wasn't bad, per se, but it was a real eye opener as far as insanely dramatic differences in amps. This is why I am a member of Team Synergy.

01 - I tried this amp with my K340. Probably not fair, but I felt like the SMaIV drives the K340 more appropriately. I should have tried it with different headphones.

Amp with no name - This amp was very impressive. I found it was extremely synergistic with threEchelon's K340 but maybe a bit too much for mine.

threEchelon's M^3 - I didn't have a chance to compare our M^3s as much as I would have liked, but holy ****, batman, it is quite intense as far as looks and functionality. Very cool to finally see.

Regrets - Not getting around to the RS1, K601 or Coltrane's more burned-in K701, not hearing the Yarland, not comparing the SMaIV to the plethora of portable amps around, not getting a piece of sausage pizza before KimbaWLion ate it all. Okay, I have no idea who finished it off, but I need to blame somebody.

Non-regrets - Not hearing Barry's Bose IEMs.

 

[threEchelon]

It was great seeing everyone, but there were too many headphones to listen too. Bring less next time.

I didn't get to spend much time with each item but here goes:

Orpheus - Extremely sibilant at times and bassy, though not too bassy. Otherwise an awesome phone. It does soundstage like nothing else I've heard. Each sound gets its own bubble. Oh, and decay is infinite.

W100, W2002, W5000 - All excellent phones. It's a shame that you have to spend over $300 to get a good sounding AT phone, but once you do, you're in for a treat. The high end AT's sound leagues ahead of their younger siblings, only retaining a teeny-tiny bit of that unnatural sound. I'd like to hear more of these

.

Beyer DT880 - Quite good in light of some recent bashings I've read. Only weird thing was that it sounded a bit buzzy... and not the kind of buzzy caused by hair.

Darth Beyers - OMG! Superpredator and I know that he was going easy one these

. I couldn't listen to them for more than 10 seconds. They were so horrible to the point of unlistenable. Wow... just wow. To anyone who likes an even remotely balanced sound signature I wouldn't recommend these. Larry's recabling work is obviously rushed too.

PS-1 - Great but not that great. Neutral sounding except for being bassy. They are not the bass monsters that I expected them to be.

RS-1 - I think I need some more time with either these or the RS-2's.

Two K340's - My impressions pretty much match Superpredator's.

Mystery Tube Amp - I'd like to compare this with my M^3.

Regrets - Not hearing the D02. Also, I just realized that I could've driven those speakers with my preamp outs. D****t!

Realizations - A lot of products are overhyped.

 

[Morph201]

Quote:

Originally Posted by coltrane Darth Beyers have a lot of bass. WAAY too much. It was like being locked in a airplane bathroom with Flea and a 1000 watt subwoofer. My head cant take that kind of bass.

THAT is the line of the year!!! Bahahahahahaha!!!

 

[fierce_freak]

What was the amp with no name?

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coltrane /img/forum/go_quote.gif ... - The tomahawk is small. I also got some distortion at highish levels with it and the 701s. I think Im gonna need atleast a hornet or SR-71 as my next portable...

Was the gain set on high? If yes you must like your music VERY LOUD!

 

[Superpredator]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrarroyo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Was the gain set on high? If yes you must like your music VERY LOUD!

I think I listened to something (PS1?) on my Darkvoice after Coltrane had just been there and the volume was set VERY high (for me).