[Barra]

Announcement - Noble Audio CIEMs Demos (Saturday, July 26th, Head-Fi Event):
 
It appears that Noble Audio has accepted our invitation to attend the summer Head-Fi meet in July and to bring their lineup of demos including the K10 everyone is talking about. Lets make sure that they see a great turnout so that they will be encouraged to return in the future. In addition, although I am sure that they will bring their own quality DAPs, it would be good to have a wide lineup of Seattle DAPs to test them with. I will be bringing my X5 and DX90. What will the rest of you be bringing? Will everyone be able to show up for this event? We should also spread the word to non-headfiers so that we can add to our membership given the value that Noble Audio is providing.

 

[Barra]

Logistics: Portable Tables or Intermixed?
 
Big Pappa has graciously offered to provide a table or so to consolidate the portable crowd. While I don't want the Head-Fi meets to have a desktop vs. portable division, it would be nice to have the full portable lineup together for convenience. On the other hand, I have both portable and desktop setups so things can get crowded or our personal lineups can get split up. What is everyone's thoughts on logistics? How many are planning on attending the 7/26 event? What is everyone planning on bringing?

 

[fp581]

  Hey fp581, you and your inventory are added to the roster.
 
We are prepping for the upcoming summer event in July by getting as many people as possible interested and trying for manufacturer demos. If you are interested in CIEMs, DAPs, or HPs for portable or other use, please piggy back off of this club to invite them to our events or to provide demos for us to host. Otherwise, this is an opportunity to introduce ourselves and make sure that we bring our portable gear to the meets. I know that personally, seeing all the exquisite desktop setups, I have been reluctant to pull out my portable gear feeling outclassed. However, I would love to hear what all fuss is about the items that we have no other way to audition in Seattle. Personally, I am very excited to hear your Tera Player given the excitement surrounding it.

 
i'll try my best to arrive to the meeting, just need to know when and where it's gonna be so i can get vacation from work 

 

[miceblue]

Yeah I'll try to make it too; I really want to go. Career options may be out of state for me, so we'll see how that plans out in the next few months.

 

[walteroly]

I'm also interested. Here's the stuff I have:
 
iBasso DX100 - DAP
Schiit Gungnir - DAC
Schiit Mjolnir - Amp
Audeze LCD-2 - Headphones
Q French Silk - Balanced cables

 

[Barra]

 
I'm also interested. Here's the stuff I have:
 
iBasso DX100 - DAP
Schiit Gungnir - DAC
Schiit Mjolnir - Amp
Audeze LCD-2 - Headphones
Q French Silk - Balanced cables

Welcome walteroly, the LCD2 and Mjolnir is my main setup too. However, I have never heard the Gungnir matched up to it so we will have to talk. I have added you and your portable inventory to membership.
 
What are you listening to the DX100 with, the LCD2? I'm sure the DX100 probably drives them nicely, but it is not overly portable. However, even though the LCD2 sounds better with the Mjolnir, it certainly is my best matchup with my DX90 and X5. It is a wonderful pairing with both. I would also love to hear your DX100 with my Hidition NT6pros as the DX100 is supposed to be the best pairing for them.
 
I had the opportunity on Friday to hear my DX90 and X5 matched up with the OPPO PM-1, HD800, HD650, HD600, T1, HM500, Fostex TH900, and my LCD2. I have to say that my DAPs have never sounded so good with all of them, but my LCD2 and the HD800 paired the best IMO. Unfortunately, m2man's 10K desktop setup blew the DAPs out of the water - not unexpectedly - so we still have a way to go with portable. But my CIEMs bring us a few steps closer. 

 

[labrown]

Sign me up. I have the Fiio X5, Hifiman RE-400, and just picked up the Focal Spirit Professional.

 

[Barra]

Added and inventoried both Seamaster and labrown into the roster.

 

[Barra]

Logistics: IEM Demo Tips?
 
I am sure that all of us have seen a few IEMs in the inventory that we would love to try out at the next meet. However, passing around our own personal tips can be quite unsanitary. We need to come up with some options to allow us to try each others gear without sanitary issue. I wanted to through this out for discussion so that everyone feels comfortable sharing. So let me start with some questions to see if anyone has experience here to come up with the best solution.
 
Questions:

• Kits: Is there a general kit available for this purpose that provides an assortment to fit all ear shapes and stem sizes?
• Creativity: Has anyone come up with a universal way to fit any sized stem? It was suggested that my father's W3 foamy cores can be moded by removing the plastic inserts and pulling a silicone tip - that fits his ears with a seal - over the top. We may be able to create a fit kit by each getting a range of foamy inserts for the key stem sizes and a larger stem sized silicone tip to mod as needed. Any ideas or does that sound reasonable?
• Tip Master: Should we each be responsible for coming up with our own kit, or should we pool resources to have someone buy a larger kit for economies of scale? Do we have any volunteers to take this on if we decide it best to consolidate our purchasing power?
• Tip Exchange: I have a lot of tip floating around from the various IEMs or kits that I have purchased over the years that include sizes that don't fit me or that I just don't like. I am sure that we all have the same issue. Do we want to set up a tip exchange at the meet to trade for an assortment the right size tips?

 

[xtreme4099]

Geek Out 1000 DAC/AMP
Audio-GD NFB 1.32 Balanced 
L3 Headamp w/30hr Battery
Lisa 3 Desktop Headphone Amp
Sennheiser HD580 
Hifiman HE-500 with Toxic Cable Silver Poison Re-cable
Etymotic ER4P
 
Coming Soon - When it ships : 
Geek Pulse X /f /p /i  w/LPS

 

[miceblue]

Geek Out 1000 DAC/AMP
Audio-GD NFB 1.32 Balanced Sabre Dac 
Lisa 3 Desktop Headphone Amp
Sennheiser HD580 
Hifiman HE-500 with Toxic Cable Silver Poison Re-cable

Coming Soon - When it ships : 
Geek Pulse X /f /p /i  w/LPS

Did you get your Geek Out 1000 yet?

My Geek Out 450, and maybe the Geek Out 1000, should be arriving within the month.
Depending on how the Geek Out 450 sounds, I may or may not upgrade the other Geek Out (from the Indiegogo campaign) from 450 to 1000.

* to clarify, this is the Light Harmonic Geek Out product
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gavn8r/geek-a-new-usb-awesomifier-for-headphones

 

[xtreme4099]

Did you get your Geek Out 1000 yet?

My Geek Out 450, and maybe the Geek Out 1000, should be arriving within the month.
Depending on how the Geek Out 450 sounds, I may or may not upgrade the other Geek Out (from the Indiegogo campaign) from 450 to 1000.

* to clarify, this is the Light Harmonic Geek Out product
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gavn8r/geek-a-new-usb-awesomifier-for-headphones

 
Yeah I got my 1k, a friend of mine got his 450, ill have to compare the two when I see him back at work. 

 

[palmfish]

Im not really into portable gear, but since I travel fairly frequently, I do have some inventory. Here is what I currently have that is travel friendly...

iPad 3
iPhone 4S
iPod Video
iPod Touch Gen 3
Sansa Clip
Sansa Clip Zip

VentureCraft GO-DAP

Etymotic Research HF5
Koss KSC75
Grado SR60i
Sennheiser HD 558

 

[7ryder]

  Logistics: IEM Demo Tips?
 
I am sure that all of us have seen a few IEMs in the inventory that we would love to try out at the next meet. However, passing around our own personal tips can be quite unsanitary. We need to come up with some options to allow us to try each others gear without sanitary issue. I wanted to through this out for discussion so that everyone feels comfortable sharing. So let me start with some questions to see if anyone has experience here to come up with the best solution.
 
Questions:

• Kits: Is there a general kit available for this purpose that provides an assortment to fit all ear shapes and stem sizes?
• Creativity: Has anyone come up with a universal way to fit any sized stem? It was suggested that my father's W3 foamy cores can be moded by removing the plastic inserts and pulling a silicone tip - that fits his ears with a seal - over the top. We may be able to create a fit kit by each getting a range of foamy inserts for the key stem sizes and a larger stem sized silicone tip to mod as needed. Any ideas or does that sound reasonable?
• Tip Master: Should we each be responsible for coming up with our own kit, or should we pool resources to have someone buy a larger kit for economies of scale? Do we have any volunteers to take this on if we decide it best to consolidate our purchasing power?
• Tip Exchange: I have a lot of tip floating around from the various IEMs or kits that I have purchased over the years that include sizes that don't fit me or that I just don't like. I am sure that we all have the same issue. Do we want to set up a tip exchange at the meet to trade for an assortment the right size tips?

Please add me to the list. I own an AK120 and Westone ES5.  
 
As for demo tips, perhaps Noble Audio has some ideas on this?

 

[Barra]

Added and inventoried xtreme4099, palmfish, and 1ceaham into the roster.