[bhjazz]

That rocked!

Impressions?

Go!

 

[grape ape]

Yeah, I expect lots of detail and juicy pictures to make me REALLY regret missing this meet.

 

[AudioCats]

Lots of cool people and lots of cool stuff, and food was great too

I really want to thank Brian and Young for putting together this meet, and thanks everybody, for bring all the treasures

There were a lot of high end stuff, only had time to listen to a few of them though

First of all, I have to say I am extremely impressed by the HP-1's that Xtreme4099 brought, they had..... shaken my electrostatic faith

Really, I was gonna get a pair of O2 and call it good, but those HP-1's....they just sounded so.... well, so right! (I probably need to shut the f^&* up now or this might push the HP-1 price even higher.) I want them!..... and I just received the 07 tax return $$

[size=small]Must resist![/size] [size=x-small]Must resist![/size] [size=xx-small]must resist[/size].. must resist......as you can see already, the resistance is futile, ouch

Brian's CKIII is very cool, it has such great synergy with that HP-1

The big Dynahi amp, despite having "unhappy" power caps, sounded super nice too, very crispy and clear. I am not saying other high-end amps at the meet didn't sound good, but this one was toasty hot and I like it

.

Special thanks to Young and Wittyz for letting me compare the various cables (my tri-braid silver, quad-braid silver, copper-balance-silver, Wittyz's Nordust RedDawn, and Young's fancy tube cables which I seem to always forget the brand), using Wittyz's Stax SR303/SRM300. I like the RedDawn alot, the sound is creamy smooth/lush and has lots of weight, just the right kind of cable for Jazz. Meanwhile, Young's "spiral silver/gold wires in tubes" cables have more sharpness and a more open sound stage, great for everything, well, except Jazz.... somehow the background details were not as detectable as the RedDawn, I noticed that in some of the Diana Krall songs. And my silver cables.... lets say they held up surprisingly well considering their price

FooTemps' YH-100 orthodynamic drivers in QP housing and cotton/OFC cable: super smooth beautiful sound, but they didn't have the super bass like I remembered

, which kind of surprised me. when both were driven by the Dynahi, I actually felt my silver/copper recabled old Beyer990/600 have a little more bass, and the bass quality was quite similar. Just wish my Beyers have the YH-100 smoothness....

And I really like that floated BlueNotes tube-output CDP (lets replace the output caps with Mundorf Silver-in-oil and see how much warmer/smoother it gets?

)

Again, the food was great, I think I had three croissant sandwiches, two rolls (what was in it? tasted good), and two soda pops. Good people, good music, good food, and I even won a little DIY amp in the raffle (

I had never won anything before!).....How much more fun can you ask for in a Saturday afternoon?

Thanks guys

 

[bhjazz]

Initial impressions as I wander through my tired brain.

We really had a great time today. SO much more gear than ever before. And so many more people! Wow! At one point, around 2pm or so, I'm sure we had over thirty people there. FANTASTIC! I didn't take nearly enough photos, so if anyone took a few please post!!!

As usual, I spent far too much time chatting and not enough time listening. What is with me? Orthodynamics? What the? I'm sure I would have enjoyed them. One of these meets I swear I'm going to show up with no gear, say nothing to nobody, then listen to everyone elses stuff. I think that's the only way for me to catch up on all the great gear.

Cosmo. You are a nice guy! I'm so glad your first meet got to be here in Seattle, presenting Streamline Audio Video to us. Hope you had a great time and made some good contacts. It was nice talking music with you and hope to see you at future meets. Thank you so much for coming and helping with setup and cleanup. MUCH appreciated! BTW: I'm STILL thinking about that Marantz unit. The PMD620 had great sound...the Marantz sound...in a portable. Plus takes SD cards. And while my recording needs are small, the thing sounded great and is definitely on my future research list. Neat product!

Next, Mike/motherone...genius. How I think I can talk DIY with you is just silly. Youdaman. I will be in touch regarding the Dynahi...and thanks for your help.

I'll post some pics soon...

 

[socrates63]

A big hearty welcome goes out to Cosmo and his lovely companion from Streamline Audio. Seattle Head-Fi has officially reached the big times with the attendance of our first vendor in recent memory. I finally got the chance to audition the entire Shure IEM line-up: SE110, SE210, SE310, SE420, SE530. My aural tastes have definitely changed since I last owned the E500 briefly when it first came out. Shure IEMs sounded very good and I would be very happy to own any of them. The SE110 would be great to use as a beater set and for going to the gym. Otherwise, if you want something audiophilic, then start with SE210 or SE310. I think the sweetspot (ie., bang for the buck) is the SE310, maybe a close second goes to the SE210. Also, the Marantz PMD620 recorder was simply cool. Where was it 20 years ago when I was in college?

The food... thanks for the compliments, Kevin. You can thank the hard working people at Costco in Woodinville for putting together such good food. I decided to go with the croissant sandwiches and the turkey and cheese rolls instead of pizza like last time since I expected you guys to go for pizza after the meet. You can thank Mike (motherone) for the sodas. By the way, the cable is the Bogdan Spirit.

And speaking of motherone, the Millet Max and the tricked out Millet Hybrid sounded awesome. I could really hear the lush tubey sound, and I was surprised to find that my AD2000 sounded good with them. I didn't expect that as the AD2000 doesn't sound that great with my MPX3. I finally got a brief chance to hear the PPA v1 as well. While it sounded very good, I would have liked a little more treble sparkle. Mike's maxxed out Super DAC was very good sounding. Next time, a DAC shootout is in order.

Staying with the DIY theme, bhjazz's CKKIII had me floored. First the case work was fantastically fabulous -- very classy and high-end looking. That curvy handle on the face plate with the lighting was an ingenious touch. And it sounded as good as it looked. Sorry but I did not take a single photo at the meet today. I briefly compared hte CKKIII to some more expensive amps, and it certainly more than held its own. Brian, if you ever want to sell it, you have my number. Brian's Sony DVP-S9000ES was also a beauty to behold. Too bad I didn't have the chance to listen to a SACD.

A big personal thank you goes from me to Thesrot who toted a Mapleshade Samson rack, among other gear, to the meet. The rack was simply gorgeous. And another thank you for restoring my faith in the possibility of digital. Your Bluenote Stibbert player sounded so good and so analogy with the HD600 and the Headroom Home Max that I literally dropped to the floor with my mouth open. Team Source First FTW! I'd be very interested in seeing your recommendations for cheaper digital sources, something that would keep me happy until I can reach a level similar to your Bluenote.

Witty, I didn't get enough time with your Stax

and this was a high priority item on my list. I also didn't get a chance with your stock and modded W100.

smeggy, the Gamma Pro (?) was awesome... an oldie but goodie. Of course, the K1000 were awesome as ever, but I've shifted focus towards 'stats as my next direction for headphones. I feel like I'm pretty much done with dynamic headphones. I'm glad you could make it.

Since I had to leave early (although I left at 3pm instead of 2pm), I didn't have nearly enough time to talk to everybody and try more gear. I want to thank everybody who came, especially people new to Head-Fi. It's fun to meet new faces and get the chance to associate a face with the user names. Also, thank you to the Vancouver BC contingent for turning the meet into an unofficial international meet. I missed hearing the DynaHi. Come down again anytime.

And a big thank you to bhjazz for putting the meet together. Awesome job, Brian.

Also, while I gladly personally cover for the cost of the food, thank you nevertheless to the people who donated money for the food.

By the way, who won the raffle items?

 

[WittyzTH]

It was the great meet. I really enjoy lots of stuff.

The most impressive gear to me is smeggy's K1000, very nice sound stage and good dynamic. Honestly, I never fall for any AKG but only K1000 made me WOW!!

Also, I really love Mike's L3000. It's great as usual although I don't like much of this setup L3000 and DHA3000 (I prefer Electrocompaniet ECD-1 and MAD Ear+)

Most of time I only seeked for my new amp. Young's MPX3 still impress me over and over. One thing I don't like about it is its look.

Also, Young, thanks a lot for your ride.

Brian CKKIIII also make me surprised. That little amp sounds really great. Sadly, I haven't had chance to compare it with my Opera side by side. (we sit so far to each other.

)

Brian I for got to ask you about the Sigma11 too.

Thesrot's CDP is stunning. I really like the rack and the CDP's sound. Sadly, I really want to try your Power Cable and PS Audio Power outlet.

Dynahi is awesome too. hope it will be fixed soon.

I also like W2002 but not much because it sounds a bit dry to me esp. when using with the DAC1.

Kevin, lol the mad scientist. you've done lots of DIY stuff and it's very interesting to me esp. the Orthodynamic driver in the cheapo silver head cup. It looks weird but sounds great. (surprisingly they need lots of power too.

)

Still more impression, but laters.

 

[AudioCats]

Quote:

Originally Posted by WittyzTH /img/forum/go_quote.gif esp. the Orthodynamic driver in the cheapo silver head cup. It looks weird but sounds great. (surprisingly they need lots of power too. )

Those are SFI planar tweeter drivers in Sony CD-180 housings. Need lots of power? are you kidding me? The power rating for those tweeters is.... 60W!

 

[BIG POPPA]

OK the meet was off the chain. The after meet was as you expected, The FOO FOO was the chauffeur. More to come.

 

[bhjazz]

Speaking of vendors, as I'm talking with Cosmo a second person introduces himself. Ken Garza of Revolution Power. Ken is not a Head Fi member, but frequently browses Head Fi. He noticed our meet was in town and nearby, so there he was. Ken, glad you could make it! Revolution Power focuses completely on...the power! Their line includes Marinco, acme, Wattgate, oyaide. Right here in our own hometown! Thanks for coming, Ken!

 

[curbfeeler]

What an embarrassment of riches!
Felt like a kid in a candy store.
Enjoyed meeting the Head-Fi locals.
Their generosity seemed boundless.
These meets are most valuable for the opportunity to experience all that exotic hardware, and to be able to try the interface between one’s own gear and other’s.
Thanks to Cosmo for the audition of the Shure 530 IEM. It was the first thing I've tried with the integral amp of the Cowon M5L that sounded balanced and involving. On my short list, though I'd like to hear the 310 before plunking down the cash for the 530.
Thanks to all who participated. See you at the next meet.
Perhaps I can share some of my expertise with vinyl playback then.

 

[Thesrot]

Had a great time, was very pleased to meet everyone one and check out all the gear. Glad everyone seemed to enjoy my Bluenote. Not to be lost is the fact that I was running a Headroom amp with the crossfeed on. I would never buy an amp that didn't have it and I never turn it off. I highly recommend everyone experiment with the crossfeed. I've heard it's perhaps less significant on new recordings, but I wouldn't know anything about that modern stuff.

Thanks to eveyone for bringing sooooo many headphones. I only have one pair and my favorite part was being able to hear all the different one. I may have to get some AKG 701s, not to replace my HD600s, but to have the choice depending on what I'm listening to. Though I did seem to have a fondness for the old school stax and those Koss electrostatics. Thanks Smeggy and Audiocats.

I was able to try a couple other cables too which was nice. Next time if anyone wants to try my cables or power cords just ask! I can't recommend anything better than a power cord upgrade! New Power cords for everyone!
Big Poppa said his new $50 cord was a great investment and bjhazz was way into all that stuff, he got me reinterested in that darned $$$ Hydra conditioner. Sigh.

Next time I'm leaving the rack at home but should have some more new goodies to drag along, wonder what they will be... I still wanna try that Bedini, but that leaves something for next time. Hope the aftermeet was fun, sorry I missed it.

And wow, I feel like I won the grand prize at the raffle, solder work / bench time from bhjazz! Thanks bhjazz, can't wait to start getting my gear frankensteined. I'm enjoy doing electronic projects at home, but I'm not competent to poke around inside my precious gear. Auricaps, Blackgate, Vishay here I come! Buying them is the easy part, getting them in without trashing everything else is something I'm not ready for. Thanks for taking a peek too Audiocats. I'll post some pics of the innards and would love to hear your thoughts too.

Was good talking to you all. It's great to hang out with people who understand what this is all about. Much better than trying to explain it to the uninformed and uninterested.

 

[Thesrot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by socrates63 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd be very interested in seeing your recommendations for cheaper digital sources

If I had recommendations for cheaper digital sources I'd own one and and a fatter checking account to go along with it. Frankly for me the answer is either vinyl, or digital in the price ranges we discussed. As you mentioned under a certain price point digital just doesn't compare to vinyl if that's what you are used to.

There's always the Bluenote Koala though. I haven't tried it but it's supposed to be nice. I believe it has a tubed ouput also. I think it's 1k ish. Though at that point you start thinking the 1k+ should go toward the real deal. Tough decision. Locally try the Ayre players (not cheap) and if you're in L.A. (Van Nuys area) call up Elliot at Acoustic Image for the Bluenote and Lector. I never got around to trying the Cary, but it has tubed outputs and also might be a good solution. But first just upgrade your power cords! And don't forget your Hi-Fi Tuning fuses.

 

[iamoneagain]

I had a great time at the meet and the after meet. Thanks to everyone for pulling this whole thing off.

One of the biggest surprises was how much I enjoyed the HP-1 this time. At the last mini-meet, they didn't do too much for me. I could have been this time they were hooked up to bhjazz's amp and SACD player. When I listened to my L3000 on the same setup, it sounded congested a little bit. I took it back to my DHA3000 and it opened it up again. Not as much as the HP-1.

I really enjoyed WittyzTH's assortment of ATH headphones. I liked the stock W100 (I think that's the model) a lot. I had a nice warmth to the them. I also was really impressed with the smaller portable model he had. I never tried the clip-ons that Young had.

I also enjoyed the K1000 again. I still haven't spent much time with them but enjoy the way they present the music. I still have a hard time getting over their looks and don't know how comfortable I'd be wearing them for a long time. I also liked the electrostatic headphone that was over there. It was the round brown model.

 

[bhjazz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thesrot /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's great to hang out with people who understand what this is all about. Much better than trying to explain it to the uninformed and uninterested.

AMEN! The uninformed and uninterested. We've been living similar lives....

My question to all of this is as follows:
If you love art, your are an "art connoisseur".
If you love cars, you are a "car guy".
If you love fine food, you simply love the "culinary arts".

But if you love music and find music reproduction...you are an audiophile, and likely some kind of oddball!!! What's with that? I think we all go through it. And when people start giving me "the look" I tell them, it's no different than art, or cars, or food: I just love music so much that I want to get closer to it, to understand it more, to get it in my head.

/sermon over

Welcomd David. You're amongst friends now!

 

[bhjazz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamoneagain /img/forum/go_quote.gif It could have been that this time they were hooked up to bhjazz's amp and SACD player. When I listened to my L3000 on the same setup, it sounded congested a little bit. I took it back to my DHA3000 and it opened it up again. Not as much as the HP-1.

I've got one word for you:

synergy!