I arrived at Grado Labs with jpelg a bit before 1:00pm, just in time to help Bozebuttons and his son lug all their stuff upstairs. I also split before the group photo (and the mass giveaway of Grado phones, sob, sob), but I had a blast, wore my ears down to the nub and wish to share.
General Observations
What a swell bunch of guys! Turns out the headphone geeks look more like a bikers' club than a bunch of nerds... not a pocket protector in the bunch.
Talk about kids in a candy store. There were: Headroom Blockhead, Headroom Maxed-Out Home, Cary 300 SEi, RKV, Sudgen Headmaster, ASL mg Head, Melos SHA-1, Earmax Pro, Mapletree Ear+ plus a Cosmic and bunch of portables. Headphones included Senn 580 & 600 with most cable options, 2 pair of AKG 1000's, most Grado's, including 2 pair of HP-3's, Sony mdr-CD3000, those little AT clip-on guys plus whatever I missed. Thanks to John Grado for his kindness and generosity; special thanks to bozebuttons and Highway Star, who seemed to be the primary moving forces behind this.
Additional General Observations
Before I get into what I listened to and what I liked, I think it is worth reporting that not everyone agreed about everything, with the possible exception of the Cary. Because we all can't audition every piece of equipment personally, we tend to rely on the opinions of others, particularly if the others arrive at a mutual consensus. Just a note of caution: I know that on one 'phone/amp combo, and I'm not sure I remember which (but it doesn't really matter which), I liked what I was hearing and Highway Star didn't. Who's right? We both are. This is very individualistic. Listen to whatever you can yourself. Buying blind is fine as long as there's a reasonable market for mistakes.
I make these comments because I probably came out at a different place than many others in attendance. And despite (or because of) having so much to listen to (in terms of sources, cables, amps, 'phones & music), it can become a little confusing.
My Mission
I had been reasonably happy with my own stock-cable Senn 580's, having eliminated Grado's based on an unhappy short-term relationship with a pair of RS-2's, so my mission Saturday was which amp would be the best upgrade from my humble OBH-11. Simple, no? But then things got complicated. After making the round of reasonable affordable amps with my Senns, I got curious about some of the Grado 'phones that John Grado had so generously left around, not to mention the "legendary" HP-3's that Boze (and someone else, I thnk) had brought. Well whaddya know, with the right tube ampage, those badboys sound pretty good on that rocknroll-- open, upfront, lively, but not overbright, the traditional Grado bete noire. (My Senn's felt a bit reserved in comparison.) The bass was all there, but the usual bass sludge wasn't. There was an appealing simplicity. Hmmm, perhaps less truly is more. I liked the HP-3's a lot, perhaps just a smidge more than the 325's. Best amps for driving them? I preferred the Mapletree Ear+ and the Earmax pro.
Honestly, I didn't spend that much time with the kilobuck stuff, as I was looking for actionable answers to my real-life needs. The ASL and Sugden were nice, but the Mapletree and EMP had that wonderful tube ease. I agree with JoeLongwood's observation that "Everything sounds good through the Earmax Pro." Less is more yet again. The EMP = simple, simple, simple and oh, so good. Not flashy, just so musical. In comparison, the RKV felt very big, as if it were trying to impress the listener. The Melos did not sound as good to me as aeberbach's Melos did a month or two ago; I don't know if it was different tubes or what, but the Melos at this meet sounded very muddled to me. The Headroom's all seem sterile to me. I'm inclined to get me an Earmax Pro and retire from this ceaseless quest for the "perfect" sound.
But the issue of headphones remains, and here I was less able to come to a single conclusion. I liked the aforementioned Grado HP-3 and 325; I also dug the Sony mdr-CD-3000, which was, as I thought it might be from what I'd read about it, at an interesting place between the Senns and Grado's. A more traditional Senn-like presentation, but the Sony's felt livelier in the upper end and less laid back overall. Also comfortable as all get-out. I think a pair of Sony's are on Santa's list, along with an EMP, and a Grado or two. Just when I thought I had it all figured out. One thing is clear-- time to move on past the Creek.
BTW, regarding the Grado speakers with the 37 headphone elements per, I thought it was a pretty good sounding speaker. (I didn't hear Ella, I listened to the Allman Bros. Fillmore Concerts CD and Led Zep II vinyl. I can tell you that they didn't offend, and in my experience, that's a pretty good start. I've listened to plenty of well-touted speakers and walked away wondering how anyone could listen to them, much less recommend them. As far-fetched as their idea is, they didn't have an agressive high-end, they sounded like "normal" speakers, and to get into an argument without actually having heard them truly is "junior high."
Speaking of which, special props to JoeLongwood who brought all the stuff I ended up really digging: the Earmax Pro & the Sony cd3000's. (And to jpelg, aka Moby, thanks for navigating.)
In all, a date which will live in infamy, for all the right reasons. Thanks, guys... let's do it again!
