[Bill-P]

Okay, it is happening.
 
Date and time: Sunday, September 21, 2014 12:00PM to 6:00PM
 
Location:
 
Pivotal Labs, 5th Floor, 875 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103 (at 5th St)
 
Here's a photo of the venue:
http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/d/d/2/e/highres_196136622.jpeg
 
And here's a map to the parking garage for those who are not taking BART:
http://notfine.com/snaps/Google_Maps_2014-08-29_08-51-09_2014-08-29_08-51-12.jpg
 
Thanks to sofauxboho for providing us with the place and helping to make this meet happen!
 
I feel like I'm not doing much aside from doing a "call to arms".
 
Attendees: (count: 24)
Bill-P
sofauxboho
kodreaming
jjcha
richcon
baronkatz
sandab
JustinBieber
ed45
HiFiGuy528
gevorg
amoto
Zashoomin
metaldood
Ffenix
Ending
SanJoseCanJunkie
R120
attilahun
stjj89
itstheshus
ipdtt
moss sound
Pooger
 
List of gears:
 
Headphones: (? means "possible")
AKG K271 Mk.II
AKG K701
AKG K702
Audeze LCD-3
Audeze LCD-3F (with Fazor)
Audio Technica ATH-ESW9
Audio Technica ATH-ES10
Audio Technica ATH-ES10 (Bill-P's version 2.0)
Audio Technica ATH-W1000 (Bill-P's version 2.0)
Audio Technica ATH-W10VTG
Beyerdynamic DT48
Beyerdynamic DT480
Beyerdynamic DT250 80 Ohm
Beyerdynamic DT880 600 Ohm
Beyerdynamic T1
Beyerdynamic T5P
Beyerdynamic T90
Blue Mo-Fi
Creative Aurvana Live!
Denon AH-D750
Denon AH-D950
Grado RS-2 (w/ Stefan AudioArt Equinox audiophile headphone cable & Headphile V10 C-Pads)
Hifiman HE-400
Hifiman HE-500
Hifiman HE-560 (Focus Pads A)
Hifiman HE-560 (Focus Pads A, grill mod)
Hifiman HE-560 (Focus Pads A, grill mod, removed pad felt)
Hifiman HE-560 (stock)
Sennheiser HD650
Sennheiser HD800
Sennheiser Momentum
Sennheiser PX100
Shure SRH1540 (?)
Sony MDR-7520
Sony MDR-R1 Mk.II
Sony Qualia 010
Stax SRX Mk.III
ZMF Vibros
 
Amplifiers:
AMB Beta 2
Bill-P's DIY amplifier (can drive Hifiman HE-560 and Beyerdynamic DT880)
Crown D75a
Emotiva Mini X
Krell KSA5
La Figaro 339
Matrix M-Stage HPA-2
McIntosh MAC 4100 vintage receiver
Schiit Lyr w/ Vokshod '74 Rocket Logo Gray Shields
Schiit Lyr 2
Schiit Magni
Schiit Mjolnir
Schiit Vali
Schiit Valhalla 2
Violectric HPA v200
 
DAC & sources:
AMB y2 (Gamma 2)
Audio-GD NFB-28 (non-DSD version)
Audioquest Dragonfly
CiAudio Transient Mk.II
Concero HD
Cypher Labs Algorithm Solo
Cypher Labs Theorem 720
Fiio D3
Fostex HP-P1
Geek Out 720
Grace Design M902
iBasso DX50 (?)
Meridian Explorer
ODAC
Peachtree X1 USB-to-coax converter
Schiit Bifrost Uber
Schiit Magni
Schiit Gungnir
Yulong DA8
Yulong DA18

 

[sofauxboho]

Interested in this!
 
Things I can bring:
 
I currently have:
Audeze LCD-3
Schiit Modi and Magni
 
By the time this happens I will probably also have:
HiFiMAN HE-400
Schiit Mjolnir and Gungnir
 
If anyone cares I could bring:
Sennheiser HD 555 (with HD 595 mod)
HeadRoom Total BitHead
PSB M4U 1
Grado SR125 (original, not i or e)
iGrados
Sennheiser PC 350 SE
 
Could also potentially host at my office in SOMA if that'd be helpful.

 

[kodreaming]

If it can happen in the city, I will be interested too. 
 
I can bring 
 
DAC:
CiAudio Transient MKII
Concero HD
 
Amp:
Violectric HPA v200
 
Headphone:
K701

 

[DavidRex]

Is it cool if I just come to these things? I'm new to the Head-Fi community and am trying to find my way through proper amp/DAC combos. 

 

[Bill-P]

 
Could also potentially host at my office in SOMA if that'd be helpful.

 
Sounds great!
 
And yes, it will be helpful! I am in Santa Cruz, and my place is really far away from the bay, so I don't think a lot of people can make it.
 
How many can you accommodate at your office?
 

  If it can happen in the city, I will be interested too. 

 
Let's see if we can make it happen in the city. I would hope so.
 

  Is it cool if I just come to these things? I'm new to the Head-Fi community and am trying to find my way through proper amp/DAC combos. 

 
It's totally cool to just drop by and audition gears.
 
However, I think it would be nice if you can bring your own gears to the meet so people can listen to what you have been listening to, and at least you can make comparisons to see if an upgrade would be worth it.

 

[sofauxboho]

   
Sounds great!
 
And yes, it will be helpful! I am in Santa Cruz, and my place is really far away from the bay, so I don't think a lot of people can make it.
 
How many can you accommodate at your office?

As many as we can convince to show up. We've got 30,000 sq ft. And then another floor of the same size. ::
 
Here's a pic of part of the space:
http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/d/d/2/e/highres_196136622.jpeg

 

[kodreaming]

  As many as we can convince to show up. We've got 30,000 sq ft. And then another floor of the same size. ::
 
Here's a pic of part of the space:
http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/d/d/2/e/highres_196136622.jpeg

Just tell your HR, this is going to be a hiring event...They might even supply food/drink.

 

[Bill-P]

  As many as we can convince to show up. We've got 30,000 sq ft. And then another floor of the same size. ::
 
Here's a pic of part of the space:
http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/d/d/2/e/highres_196136622.jpeg

 
Wow... it looks like we should hold a big meet instead of a "mini" one. Seems like you have enough space to accommodate pretty much everyone!
 
Thank you for the offer! I'll put it in the first post to indicate that we've got a possible place for the meet!
 

  Just tell your HR, this is going to be a hiring event...They might even supply food/drink.

 
Grease and soft drink splatters on expensive headphones!!!???
 
Nah, I'm just kidding. I'll bring pizzas and some drinks.
 
-----
 
Edit: okay, I have revised the first post to a more formal format. This one is definitely happening. Let's decide on a date, and then we can all mark our calendars. I am okay with any Friday/Saturday/Sunday at around noon time. How about you guys?

 

[sofauxboho]

 
Wow... it looks like we should hold a big meet instead of a "mini" one. Seems like you have enough space to accommodate pretty much everyone!
 
Thank you for the offer! I'll put it in the first post to indicate that we've got a possible place for the meet!

 
Happy to help out! The space is Pivotal Labs, 875 Howard St at 5th, SF, CA 94103. We'll probably use the 5th floor.
 
And yeah. I'm pretty sure we won't run out of space. ::
 

Edit: okay, I have revised the first post to a more formal format. This one is definitely happening. Let's decide on a date, and then we can all mark our calendars. I am okay with any Friday/Saturday/Sunday at around noon time. How about you guys?

 
It's an actual office during the week, so Fridays are out. Saturday or Sunday at noon sound good, though! 
 
How soon are you thinking? September? October? It looks like the space is currently available these days:
9/20 - 9/21
9/27 - 9/28
10/3 - 10/4 (But that's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass)
10/12 (But that's CanJam @ RMAF)
10/18 - 10/19
10/25 - 10/26
 
In other happy news my Mjolnir, Gungnir, and HE-400 all came! So I'll have both the mid-end Modi/Magni/HE-400 rig and the top-silly Mjolnir/Gungnir/LCD-3 setup.

 

[jjcha]

Hey - sad I missed the last mini meet, but hoping to join for this one (whenever is decided).  No preference on day at the moment, Sat or Sun at noon is fine.
 
Sony Qualia 010
Audio Technica ATH-W10VTG
Stax SRX-mk3
 
Lol, all my headphones are discontinued... will be interesting to see how some of the newer stuff compares to the some of the greatness of yester-year.  Will also bring a Meridian Explorer and Grace m902 and other stuff.

 

[Bill-P]

  Happy to help out! The space is Pivotal Labs, 875 Howard St at 5th, SF, CA 94103. We'll probably use the 5th floor.
 
And yeah. I'm pretty sure we won't run out of space. ::
 
It's an actual office during the week, so Fridays are out. Saturday or Sunday at noon sound good, though! 
 
How soon are you thinking? September? October? It looks like the space is currently available these days:
9/20 - 9/21
9/27 - 9/28
10/3 - 10/4 (But that's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass)
10/12 (But that's CanJam @ RMAF)
10/18 - 10/19
10/25 - 10/26
 
In other happy news my Mjolnir, Gungnir, and HE-400 all came! So I'll have both the mid-end Modi/Magni/HE-400 rig and the top-silly Mjolnir/Gungnir/LCD-3 setup.

 
I think we can shoot for end of September. It gives people some time to get their schedules in order, and also it avoids the upcoming October fests.
 
And that's good news! You'll get my HE-560 to compare as well. If you end up liking the HE-400, maybe you'll like the HE-560 as well.
 

  Hey - sad I missed the last mini meet, but hoping to join for this one (whenever is decided).  No preference on day at the moment, Sat or Sun at noon is fine.
 
Sony Qualia 010
Audio Technica ATH-W10VTG
Stax SRX-mk3
 
Lol, all my headphones are discontinued... will be interesting to see how some of the newer stuff compares to the some of the greatness of yester-year.  Will also bring a Meridian Explorer and Grace m902 and other stuff.

 
Glad you can join us!
 
I think you'll find that newer doesn't necessarily mean better. For instance, my vintage receiver, the McIntosh MAC 4100, is still one of the best headphone amplifiers I have heard even though it was made in 1978.

 

[richcon]

I'd love to come by to one of these.
 
I can't bring that much since I currently only own three cheapo Sonys (a decent $60 on-ear set with a iPhone mic/controller, a $20 pair of on-ear headphones I use at work, and a set of $30 over-the-ear MDR-XD200s I use on my $2500 professional digital stage piano. Go figure.)
 
But I just decided life's too short for crappy headphones and ordered some Sennheiser Momentums from Amazon. Should be here Tuesday. I couldn't find anywhere around here with Sennheiser display models to try out, so they were picked out completely by reading the online reviews. I'll find out how I like 'em soon enough!

 

[jjcha]

 
But I just decided life's too short for crappy headphones and ordered some Sennheiser Momentums from Amazon. Should be here Tuesday. I couldn't find anywhere around here with Sennheiser display models to try out, so they were picked out completely by reading the online reviews. I'll find out how I like 'em soon enough!

 
Cool.  I've been wanting to really sit down with the Momentums for a while. They sounded pretty good during the brief auditions I had back in Tokyo (where there are tons of them on display in major electronics stores).  Will be fun to compare and contrast with my Sony MDR-R1 mk 2.

 

[Bill-P]

  I'd love to come by to one of these.
 
I can't bring that much since I currently only own three cheapo Sonys (a decent $60 on-ear set with a iPhone mic/controller, a $20 pair of on-ear headphones I use at work, and a set of $30 over-the-ear MDR-XD200s I use on my $2500 professional digital stage piano. Go figure.)
 
But I just decided life's too short for crappy headphones and ordered some Sennheiser Momentums from Amazon. Should be here Tuesday. I couldn't find anywhere around here with Sennheiser display models to try out, so they were picked out completely by reading the online reviews. I'll find out how I like 'em soon enough!

 
Welcome to the group!
 
Please bring anything you can. It's good to have something that you're familiar with so that you can make comparisons and judge if an upgrade is worth it.
 
Another side of the game is basically... there are cheap headphones that sound surprisingly good. They can easily rival some of the far more expensive options. One of my friends might join us with his Denon D950, which is one such rarity.
 

  Cool.  I've been wanting to really sit down with the Momentums for a while. They sounded pretty good during the brief auditions I had back in Tokyo (where there are tons of them on display in major electronics stores).  Will be fun to compare and contrast with my Sony MDR-R1 mk 2.

 
Oh great! Allow me to rope that Sony MDR-R1 Mk.II into the list. I'd like to demo it as well... as I wonder how Sony has improved upon the second version. I heard the first one, and I think they were... very close. I enjoyed their recent products like the PHA-1 and PHA-2, and I can't wait to see what they'll come out with next!

 

[richcon]

Another side of the game is basically... there are cheap headphones that sound surprisingly good. They can easily rival some of the far more expensive options. One of my friends might join us with his Denon D950, which is one such rarity

 
The XD200s have big drivers and sound surprisingly accurate on simple things like that piano as long as the volume's kept low. They seem to disappear and it sounds like you're playing a real grand piano.
 
But listen to actual studio-recorded music with the volume cranked up and they start vibrating distortion like your spaceship's warp core is about to blow. They have their purpose, and that ain't it.