I wrote most of this post earlier and then lost it somehow. It fits with the spastic way I have been posting in this impressions thread. I just haven’t caught up with real life since the meet. Anyway, here is one last shot at it, with some pics and scattered impressions along the way.
Here’s my setup sometime during the early afternoon. Although Grahame advertised the meet for 10am, most people didn’t show until the afternoon and the buzz really got going at about 2pm. I had fun playing some vinyl for a few people, but I never managed to break out Hey Jude in a tribute to the generous host of this whole community. I was glad that I brought my Headroom Desktop setup because it was the only HR amp in the place (I saw a Micro Dac but no amps) and because it saw a lot of use. We used it for a few comparisons and ran it both through the Home Dac and through the analog inputs. It is a very versatile setup. The MPX3 has made the rounds previously and was one of three at the meet. Mine has the standard 6SN7 tubes while yellafella and PFKMan’s MPX3s both have high-powered tubes running. I think some people made the rounds, but I only heard the other two amps briefly. Talk about versatile, this amp can be made to sound so many ways while always maintaining a consistently high SQ.
My table-mates were episiarch and iamdone, and the latter is setting up behind the table in this pic. Blessingx is checking out episiarch’s rig, after he set up his new Lunchbox for a listen in my rig. My iGrados sat unused most of the time, although a couple people checked them out, and I think Ori said they would be good with an iPod on the go--exactly as intended.
Also pictured, although not featured, are my new K340s that I am loving (as I type, in fact!). They may get the full Headphile/Philodox mods someday soon...
One more pic of the Eddie Currents with yellafella rocking to the Zana Deux. Simply an awesome amp, and maybe the best companion for RS-1s to my ears that I have come across. As I may have said already, I was impressed by how well it drove both Grados and Senns. The high current available to the output stage provides huge power and authority that really grabs onto the drivers and controls them with intense dynamics. There is a lot of slam and great extension high and low, but the control and clarity don’t disappear even at pretty high volume. I own a highly upgraded MPX3 that I love dearly, but this Zana did things mine cannot. I believe with different tubes the MPX3 could have a similar drive, but with 6SN7s, mine does not match what I heard from the short time I had with the Zana. OK, I said it, I think this amp is better than my own at least in some ways. I have not had enough time with it to really gauge the transparency or what music it did well and not, but I know I want more time with it.
Like the iRiver rockin’ the Big O and Concerto, I loved the incongruity of this beautiful HPA-1 and HP-1 combo playing straight from an iPod! :
: The HP-1s are very cool, and I was glad to have a chance to try them out with the matching amp. I love the sound -- and they actually fit my big head unlike others at the meet -- and I would love to have a pair. Still might be a little *too neutral* for me, but it is an effortless sound that sounds so natural and easy it is a very pleasant listen.
Next door is the RKV amp that was powering a K1000. They sounded good in this rig that was getting a digital signal from my Squeezebox through the Lavry dac, but I still cannot see going out of my way for these cans. Of course, I might have a different opinion if I hadn’t screwed up again and failed to hear them with the beautiful little Pass Aleph 3 that showed up later. (It was quite difficult to separate xantus from that rig and when he offered to give me a shot I deferred because I was trying out Sleestack’s balanced K701s that he hasn’t even heard yet on daba’s Dynamight. I am not sorry I checked out the K701 because it was a HUGE improvement to my ears over the stock setup. I had heard Tyll’s balanced pair in NYC but only briefly and before I had spent any time with my own. Nice.)
By the way, the HP-1 and K1000 setups belonged to a really good guy by the name of Bobcn who has amassed all of 7 posts in 18 months on Head-Fi! Obviously he is reading and learning, but he needs to speak up a bit! Maybe post some thoughts here? It was a pleasure meeting you Bob and I hope to see you at more meets.
As I think has been mentioned, Mikhail didn’t make the meet until late. The details show his dedication and persistence. I talked to him in the morning because the TSA held up -- and maybe screwed up -- his crates-‘o-amps until sometime like 3pm but he still checked them out in San Jose and then drove all the way to Marin. He even gave PFKMan a ride to the meet. Anyway, he set up and immediately people plopped on the listening couch and set to checking out the new Concerto ES. In this pic, (L to R) NeilPeart is contemplating something while daba and xantus are getting in some critical listening.
More early evening fun, with the same crew on the couch and PFKMan, Mikhail and Ori setting up while NeilPeart tells them what to do.
The crew was flagging, so we picked up some Thai food (which is becoming a Bay Area meet tradition) and other refreshments. At table (L to
R, again), we have the back of hostess Joanne’s head, Grahame, Tom of TTVJ, Ori, xantus, NeilPeart and Mikhail.
And for my Florida hop-head friends, here is a close-up of one of those refreshments.
Basically, we spent the rest of the night warming ourselves from the glow of the tubes and rockin’ and ravin’ to xantus’s iRiver selections. Shpongle was a blast, and I gotta get me some. Obviously, this was some fun times. Other than me, (second from left), the only person in these pics who has not been named a bunch of times is Neilvg (second from right) who graciously brought his Orpheus and e-stats, as well as his EmmLabs setup with its own rack! Thanks for sharing again Neil.
By the way, there are both stock K701s in the front and Sleestack's Black Dragon balanced K701 in the back. Nice.
Finally, I call this one “Creatures of the Night.” It was taken in the purposeful darkness before the blackout that was imposed on us by Grahame’s complex. On some level, it was probably best because we might not have stopped once we got locked into Shpongle zone with SPEED OF GOD POWER!
