There was food. Woo Audio brought free sandwiches for the attendees. Had a nice pint and enjoyed the audio offerings.
San Jose July 28, 2024 Meet Impressions
- Thread starter DeviousEnigma
- Start date
Were those Subway or a homemade by the Woo company?
Homemade? No, Jack Wu wasn't there making sandwiches to order (though that would've been epic). They were catered (not Subway).
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System one:
WA6 2nd gen with PHANTOM DAC cable and Composer by Austrian Audio headphones
System two:
WA23 LUNA with PHANTOM DAC Balanced XLR cable and Diana DZ by @Abyss Headphones
System three:
TUBE mini with POWER BASE and Diana MR by @Abyss Headphones
System four:
WA7e electrostatic amplifier and STAX SR-X1 headphones
WA6 2nd gen with PHANTOM DAC cable and Composer by Austrian Audio headphones
System two:
WA23 LUNA with PHANTOM DAC Balanced XLR cable and Diana DZ by @Abyss Headphones
System three:
TUBE mini with POWER BASE and Diana MR by @Abyss Headphones
System four:
WA7e electrostatic amplifier and STAX SR-X1 headphones
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We had freshly made sandwiches from Panera Bread (meat & vegetarian), chips, and brownie bites from Sugar Bowl Bakery. All individually packaged for cleanliness.
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This was the first head-fi meet up I've been to and it was a lot of fun, thank you to everyone who helped set this up and were at the tables with all the incredible gear!
I figure I may as well add my amateur-ish impressions here while I'm at it, I feel like I owe that much since I was able to listen to awesome gear for free.
Just for context, I'm pretty much at the lower end of summit-fi. I own and know well headphones such as HD800S and Stax 007A. I have never heard other higher ends such as Susvara, Utopia, Abyss 1266, Stax X9000, etc. I also like headphones for the fact I can switch signatures easily and use them for different genres, so I'm not particularly tied to a specific sound.
RAAL Immanis
This is the #1 reason I was excited to attend. Lots of hype around this headphone and I was curious. Got to hear this out of the Envy amp. And yes, it's the best headphone I've ever heard. (Don't forget I've never listened to most of the expensive TOTL headphones)
It reminded me of my HD800S, but just better in almost every way. The big soundstage was there, but everything sounded more clear. Bass was more defined and enjoyable. And it felt like I could place sounds more accurately. I tried a fast piece I was familiar with (Hiromi's Kung Fu Champion) and it felt very comfortable and easy to listen to the fast sections, even compared to my Stax. I enjoyed listening to it so much that I stopped by again towards the end of my stay to fit in few more songs.
If I was going to nitpick, the headphone is definitely heavier and there is a slight clamp. Without trying, I can't be sure how I'd feel with this on my head for hours. Also, I tried some Jpop with Kumi Koda's real Emotion (the FFX-2 song) and it sounded very...ordinary. Probably because of how the song is mixed, but the soundstage seemed normal and Kumi's voice didn't really stand out. For songs like these, I'd probably prefer choosing headphones that color and bring out female vocals more, whether it be a lush phone such as my W3000ANV or a smoothed out sound from my SR007A. But it was just a single instance so can't really make any conclusions.
I also tried the Magna for a couple songs and enjoyed it. Seemed a bit more aggressive (probably due to how it was tuned) and intimate due to its smaller soundstage, but I liked it a lot, seemed as technically capable as the Immanis.
I walked into this just wanting to hear the top end and thinking there's no way I'd pay 9k for this. Now, I'm like...well...maybe....lol
Woo Audio WA23 Luna
I've mainly stuck with SS amps, so I wanted to hear one of the best tube amps with my own gear (IER-Z1R) to see what it was like. I was very impressed. I'm not sure how to describe it but it just sounded more "musical" than what I'm used to. The bass impact was lower than what I'm familiar with from my own SS amps, but I definitely enjoyed the "flavor" that was coming from the Luna. I could easily see myself lost in the music with this amp for hours.
Also I've always appreciated unusual designs and I think this amp looks incredible. If I ever got a tube amp, I would definitely be considering this as I think this would look terrific in my audio shelf.
Schiit MIB/Mjolnir3
I'm a Schiit fan and I recently bought their Yggy GS2 so I was curious how the MIB would sound. To be honest though, I figured I wouldn't really be able to tell given the amp was different too and the venue noise and I was right, so I can't really compare. The biggest difference seemed to be that the bass hit quite a lot harder on my iems (IER-Z1R) compared to my home setup. It was pretty exciting and I liked how it sounded but I can also see myself getting fatigued by that sound.
Enleum and Modhouse Collab
I gave this a quick listen since I knew there was some waitlist going on for the headphone so I was curious. It sounded fine to me, but I did notice that during a section of fast strings in the song, the headphone felt like it couldn't quite keep up. Probably an unfair comparison for it though as I had just listened to the Immanis earlier that day lol.
That's what I listened to in my 2 hours there. I had a lot of fun, everyone I talked to was very friendly and engaging, and I can't wait for the next one!
I figure I may as well add my amateur-ish impressions here while I'm at it, I feel like I owe that much since I was able to listen to awesome gear for free.
Just for context, I'm pretty much at the lower end of summit-fi. I own and know well headphones such as HD800S and Stax 007A. I have never heard other higher ends such as Susvara, Utopia, Abyss 1266, Stax X9000, etc. I also like headphones for the fact I can switch signatures easily and use them for different genres, so I'm not particularly tied to a specific sound.
RAAL Immanis
This is the #1 reason I was excited to attend. Lots of hype around this headphone and I was curious. Got to hear this out of the Envy amp. And yes, it's the best headphone I've ever heard. (Don't forget I've never listened to most of the expensive TOTL headphones)
It reminded me of my HD800S, but just better in almost every way. The big soundstage was there, but everything sounded more clear. Bass was more defined and enjoyable. And it felt like I could place sounds more accurately. I tried a fast piece I was familiar with (Hiromi's Kung Fu Champion) and it felt very comfortable and easy to listen to the fast sections, even compared to my Stax. I enjoyed listening to it so much that I stopped by again towards the end of my stay to fit in few more songs.
If I was going to nitpick, the headphone is definitely heavier and there is a slight clamp. Without trying, I can't be sure how I'd feel with this on my head for hours. Also, I tried some Jpop with Kumi Koda's real Emotion (the FFX-2 song) and it sounded very...ordinary. Probably because of how the song is mixed, but the soundstage seemed normal and Kumi's voice didn't really stand out. For songs like these, I'd probably prefer choosing headphones that color and bring out female vocals more, whether it be a lush phone such as my W3000ANV or a smoothed out sound from my SR007A. But it was just a single instance so can't really make any conclusions.
I also tried the Magna for a couple songs and enjoyed it. Seemed a bit more aggressive (probably due to how it was tuned) and intimate due to its smaller soundstage, but I liked it a lot, seemed as technically capable as the Immanis.
I walked into this just wanting to hear the top end and thinking there's no way I'd pay 9k for this. Now, I'm like...well...maybe....lol
Woo Audio WA23 Luna
I've mainly stuck with SS amps, so I wanted to hear one of the best tube amps with my own gear (IER-Z1R) to see what it was like. I was very impressed. I'm not sure how to describe it but it just sounded more "musical" than what I'm used to. The bass impact was lower than what I'm familiar with from my own SS amps, but I definitely enjoyed the "flavor" that was coming from the Luna. I could easily see myself lost in the music with this amp for hours.
Also I've always appreciated unusual designs and I think this amp looks incredible. If I ever got a tube amp, I would definitely be considering this as I think this would look terrific in my audio shelf.
Schiit MIB/Mjolnir3
I'm a Schiit fan and I recently bought their Yggy GS2 so I was curious how the MIB would sound. To be honest though, I figured I wouldn't really be able to tell given the amp was different too and the venue noise and I was right, so I can't really compare. The biggest difference seemed to be that the bass hit quite a lot harder on my iems (IER-Z1R) compared to my home setup. It was pretty exciting and I liked how it sounded but I can also see myself getting fatigued by that sound.
Enleum and Modhouse Collab
I gave this a quick listen since I knew there was some waitlist going on for the headphone so I was curious. It sounded fine to me, but I did notice that during a section of fast strings in the song, the headphone felt like it couldn't quite keep up. Probably an unfair comparison for it though as I had just listened to the Immanis earlier that day lol.
That's what I listened to in my 2 hours there. I had a lot of fun, everyone I talked to was very friendly and engaging, and I can't wait for the next one!
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First off I would like to thank Schitt Audio for sponsoring the event. We would not be able to put these shows on without your support.
Thank you to Woo Audio for providing food, it was greatly appreciated!
Impressions:
Woo Audio Table:
For me the biggest draw of the show was comparing the Abyss Diana MR to the newly produced Diana DZ.
The MR boast some of the best mids I've heard while also retaining really good detail. This is on the top of my list as purchase.
Comparing this to the DZ, I found that staging was much better than the MR; but I felt that technical prowess was or more or less the same. While slightly more analytical sounding this came at the cost of the mids that sounded oh so good on the MR.
I gotta say that the Woo Audio Tube mini is such an excellent device. Everything sounds great on it and it was a really pleasant pairing.
Nitsch:
DSHA-3FN is an absolutely superb amp that really brings out the best qualities of the Utopia 2020. Very good staging and pin point detail. I also have to say it is such a beautiful looking amp as well.
Enleum and Modhouse:
This is an amazing pairing all around, the tungsten DS is exacting with great tonality and a touch of warmth. I believe the comparisons to Susvara OG are accurate. I would say is a Suvara with more bass quantity but still having excellent detail retrieval.
HFA:
The Hifi For All headphone boasts excellent build quality and comfort. It is also very impressive given this is their first headphone.
The tonality leaned neutral to my ears and for its price I believe it truly trades blows with others within the same range. One slight critique I have is that I found the treble to just a hair too high. But I'm sure with further refinement HFA will land on something truly excellent.
Community:
Susvara Unveiled to my ears is slightly more airy Susvara OG. Still just as enjoyable, but I have to say I think if I had to pick one I'd go with the OG for the protection it has.
Singularity: The bass on this iem slaps, it reaches so low while still retaining clarity. Due to the bass quantity this IEM leans a little too dark for my taste but it was an excellent and enjoyable experience.
Thank you to Woo Audio for providing food, it was greatly appreciated!
Impressions:
Woo Audio Table:
For me the biggest draw of the show was comparing the Abyss Diana MR to the newly produced Diana DZ.
The MR boast some of the best mids I've heard while also retaining really good detail. This is on the top of my list as purchase.
Comparing this to the DZ, I found that staging was much better than the MR; but I felt that technical prowess was or more or less the same. While slightly more analytical sounding this came at the cost of the mids that sounded oh so good on the MR.
I gotta say that the Woo Audio Tube mini is such an excellent device. Everything sounds great on it and it was a really pleasant pairing.
Nitsch:
DSHA-3FN is an absolutely superb amp that really brings out the best qualities of the Utopia 2020. Very good staging and pin point detail. I also have to say it is such a beautiful looking amp as well.
Enleum and Modhouse:
This is an amazing pairing all around, the tungsten DS is exacting with great tonality and a touch of warmth. I believe the comparisons to Susvara OG are accurate. I would say is a Suvara with more bass quantity but still having excellent detail retrieval.
HFA:
The Hifi For All headphone boasts excellent build quality and comfort. It is also very impressive given this is their first headphone.
The tonality leaned neutral to my ears and for its price I believe it truly trades blows with others within the same range. One slight critique I have is that I found the treble to just a hair too high. But I'm sure with further refinement HFA will land on something truly excellent.
Community:
Susvara Unveiled to my ears is slightly more airy Susvara OG. Still just as enjoyable, but I have to say I think if I had to pick one I'd go with the OG for the protection it has.
Singularity: The bass on this iem slaps, it reaches so low while still retaining clarity. Due to the bass quantity this IEM leans a little too dark for my taste but it was an excellent and enjoyable experience.
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Coming out of lurk mode to post some impressions:
Oriolus Traillii Ti - very even keeled, maybe slightly warm of neutral. Good bass impact. Decent treble extension and smoothness. I did think this deserved to be that "best stock-tuned IEM" to me. The issue is the price: $8499 is nothing to scoff at. If it was closer to $3K, it would have been on my radar.
Melodic Artification Alter Ego - neutral position is really neutral. Holy... I actually would consider purchasing this one if it didn't have a switch because I'm a sucker for "neutral". But alas... anyway, decent sound. I think $2500 is decent considering the specification and tuning. It's rare to have neutral turning. This sounded to me like a grown up Gaudio Nair.
JAR800 - on Moth 2A3, the whole system is the absolute best I have ever heard any HD800 system by a very long shot. This is very much an endgame HD800 system. Just way too good. Mitigated the issues but still sounded like a super HD800 with all of the good bits dialed past 11. Plenty of treble but very smooth, plenty of bass but with lots of impact and tightness. Wow! I could finally hear how HD800 bass can surpass some planars. Too bad Moth 2A3 is unobtainium. Also, just to clarify: I did try my HD800-based headphone on this chain to confirm how much of this is due to JAR800 too. I think impact, control and details are definitely coming from Moth 2A3. JAR800 seems like it’s responsible for mitigating all of the shortcomings of HD800 (piercing treble, veil, nebulous imaging), while keeping some characteristics (V-shaped sound, midrange still recessed, soundstage still large), and emphasizing strengths. I think both Moth 2A3 and JAR800 complement each other very well here. I really cannot fault anything in this combo despite the sound not being my cup of tea (I prefer midrange and vocals to be more forward). Congrats and thanks for bringing this for us to audition, @CEE TEE !
Stax SR-X1 - this has no business sounding like it does in this form factor. What the fu...??? And the table was empty so I guess people weren't very impressed by the size and the subdued look? Also build quality and even the way the headphone looks is kinda cheap-ish. But anyway, sound-wise, to me this is the sleeper headphone this time. Extension up top is very very good for the size. Smoothness is very very good. Midrange is smooth and silky. With SRM-D10, it's... well, okay. Midrange is there. Treble is decent. Bass is kinda light and lacking. With SRM-270, it has more meat and bottom end is phat enough. Not gonna win basshead award. For a midrange head like me, this is a grand slam. $1000 for the whole system?? Yes please. I rarely get excited for new releases anymore but I feel like Stax did an excellent job at the price point. It's so good I actually placed an order for one. Will see how it performs at home.
Oriolus Traillii Ti - very even keeled, maybe slightly warm of neutral. Good bass impact. Decent treble extension and smoothness. I did think this deserved to be that "best stock-tuned IEM" to me. The issue is the price: $8499 is nothing to scoff at. If it was closer to $3K, it would have been on my radar.
Melodic Artification Alter Ego - neutral position is really neutral. Holy... I actually would consider purchasing this one if it didn't have a switch because I'm a sucker for "neutral". But alas... anyway, decent sound. I think $2500 is decent considering the specification and tuning. It's rare to have neutral turning. This sounded to me like a grown up Gaudio Nair.
JAR800 - on Moth 2A3, the whole system is the absolute best I have ever heard any HD800 system by a very long shot. This is very much an endgame HD800 system. Just way too good. Mitigated the issues but still sounded like a super HD800 with all of the good bits dialed past 11. Plenty of treble but very smooth, plenty of bass but with lots of impact and tightness. Wow! I could finally hear how HD800 bass can surpass some planars. Too bad Moth 2A3 is unobtainium. Also, just to clarify: I did try my HD800-based headphone on this chain to confirm how much of this is due to JAR800 too. I think impact, control and details are definitely coming from Moth 2A3. JAR800 seems like it’s responsible for mitigating all of the shortcomings of HD800 (piercing treble, veil, nebulous imaging), while keeping some characteristics (V-shaped sound, midrange still recessed, soundstage still large), and emphasizing strengths. I think both Moth 2A3 and JAR800 complement each other very well here. I really cannot fault anything in this combo despite the sound not being my cup of tea (I prefer midrange and vocals to be more forward). Congrats and thanks for bringing this for us to audition, @CEE TEE !
Stax SR-X1 - this has no business sounding like it does in this form factor. What the fu...??? And the table was empty so I guess people weren't very impressed by the size and the subdued look? Also build quality and even the way the headphone looks is kinda cheap-ish. But anyway, sound-wise, to me this is the sleeper headphone this time. Extension up top is very very good for the size. Smoothness is very very good. Midrange is smooth and silky. With SRM-D10, it's... well, okay. Midrange is there. Treble is decent. Bass is kinda light and lacking. With SRM-270, it has more meat and bottom end is phat enough. Not gonna win basshead award. For a midrange head like me, this is a grand slam. $1000 for the whole system?? Yes please. I rarely get excited for new releases anymore but I feel like Stax did an excellent job at the price point. It's so good I actually placed an order for one. Will see how it performs at home.
Another special event thanks to @DeviousEnigma and the sponsors Schiit, Woo and the other amazing vendors for setting up their table with excellent gear. I wasn't able to try many things as I was busy at my own table but wanted to give my impressions of the few special things I tried.
Apos x Audio Technica R70x - I haven't heard the original, but this update was a pleasant surprise. The comfort was nice as the headphone is so light and the headband mechanism worked well with my small head. The earpad cavity was a bit small and claustrophobic but they said they were working on a new earpad with more room. The sound was the best thing for me. Excellent overall tuning with plenty of detail, impact, soundstage and mid-range. It had such a big sound for such a small package. Sounded full and smooth, hanging with every other headphone I've heard in the price range ($300-400). Design details were a nice touch, I liked the splash of color on the grills. I listened to their new DIY tube amp and I think it's a fun project for someone with some time to kill and want a very tubey sound. It's like a cheaper, mini Bottlehead.
Singularity Industries - I demo'd Matthew's new Paradox IEM with xMEMs, and was very impressed with the technicalities. He's using an amp cable to power it, and the whole thing was very compact and easy to wear. I hate big IEMs with huge nozzles, and these fit perfectly in my small ear canals. It's still early for this project, so I heard a pre-tuned version and there were some FR issues, particularly boomy bass and recessed mids. But I could easily hear the potential, and once he works on the tuning, this will be an awesome product. I'll probably grab it myself, just for the comfort alone. $700 feels like a great value for what you're getting. Crazy CNC shells, compact package, amp cable, etc.
ETA Headphones Purple - I loved this headphone. Great comfort similar to an HD800 with oversized earcups and deep chamber. Tuning was very much to my liking with a thick, full midrange, tame treble, and punchy lows. This is still a work in progress, and I'm looking forward to the final design and headband update. The whole team is very talented and I hope this product demonstrates that. I also hope they spend some time on the polish and finishing as the purple sound deserves a very handsome and comfortable package.
Thanks again to everyone who came by and can't wait to see you again soon.
Apos x Audio Technica R70x - I haven't heard the original, but this update was a pleasant surprise. The comfort was nice as the headphone is so light and the headband mechanism worked well with my small head. The earpad cavity was a bit small and claustrophobic but they said they were working on a new earpad with more room. The sound was the best thing for me. Excellent overall tuning with plenty of detail, impact, soundstage and mid-range. It had such a big sound for such a small package. Sounded full and smooth, hanging with every other headphone I've heard in the price range ($300-400). Design details were a nice touch, I liked the splash of color on the grills. I listened to their new DIY tube amp and I think it's a fun project for someone with some time to kill and want a very tubey sound. It's like a cheaper, mini Bottlehead.
Singularity Industries - I demo'd Matthew's new Paradox IEM with xMEMs, and was very impressed with the technicalities. He's using an amp cable to power it, and the whole thing was very compact and easy to wear. I hate big IEMs with huge nozzles, and these fit perfectly in my small ear canals. It's still early for this project, so I heard a pre-tuned version and there were some FR issues, particularly boomy bass and recessed mids. But I could easily hear the potential, and once he works on the tuning, this will be an awesome product. I'll probably grab it myself, just for the comfort alone. $700 feels like a great value for what you're getting. Crazy CNC shells, compact package, amp cable, etc.
ETA Headphones Purple - I loved this headphone. Great comfort similar to an HD800 with oversized earcups and deep chamber. Tuning was very much to my liking with a thick, full midrange, tame treble, and punchy lows. This is still a work in progress, and I'm looking forward to the final design and headband update. The whole team is very talented and I hope this product demonstrates that. I also hope they spend some time on the polish and finishing as the purple sound deserves a very handsome and comfortable package.
Thanks again to everyone who came by and can't wait to see you again soon.
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I got to try the new HFM. Very nice sound.
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QuasiSpecies
100+ Head-Fier
Wow, is there another event planned anytime in the near(ish) future?
DeviousEnigma
Head-Fier
The next “big” meet like this will be sometime around the end of Jan. But I won’t have an exact date until sometime in October. The next “mini” meet will be Nov 3rd. Details are in our local discord.
QuasiSpecies
100+ Head-Fier
Cool, sorry if this is easily available, but how do I join the discord?
DeviousEnigma
Head-Fier
All good. The discord link is in the original meet thread here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/bay-area-meet-july-28-2024.973144/
QuasiSpecies
100+ Head-Fier
Thanks so much, I’ll check it out.
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