South Bay area Head-Fi meet late 2016 + impressions - Alum Rock Library 11-26-16
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Nov 1, 2016 at 5:15 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 116

DecentLevi

Headphoneus Supremus
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OK all you awesome, innovative die-hard Bay Area Head-Fi'ers / audiophiles... we finally have a new event coming! That's right, I swore I would never have the chance to set up another meet, but here you go... this one's for the community.
 

ANNOUNCING...

South Bay area Head-Fi meet late 2016!

 
WHEN:   Nov. 26th 2016 (Saturday)
               10:00am - 4:00pm sharp
 
WHERE: "Dr. Roberto Cruz" Alum Rock Branch Library
               3090 Alum Rock Ave. 
               San Jose, CA 95127    map link

               (after entering the library doors it's the huge community room on your left before entering the main library area)
               
 
  1. MAXIMUM CAPACITY: The official max. is 100 people. There are also many tables approx. 5' x 2' feet and 75 chairs, all of which can be folded & moved. 
 
  1. SET-UP / CLEAN UP: The doors will open at 9:30am only for those who have gear to set up or can lend a hand, then the event begins at 10am. I strongly recommend coming in early to set up your rig, so that we can make the most of the 6 hours we have there.

    Clean up must start at 3:30pm so we can vacate the room by 4pm
 
  1. PARKING: Free with big ground-level library lot
 
  1. ADMISSION: Free
 
  1. FOOD: Food is allowed, but catering is not planned. Bring your own or there are many good local eats such as a Mexican restaurant, 2 pizza places and a Pho restaurant within 2 blocks walking.
 
This is a community-driven 'local' meet up, meaning we supply our own headphones, amps, DAC's, DAP's, etc. for exhibition / discovery of others... it's up to YOU to make this a good show with the gear you can share. However those without gear are welcome to come check it out. Newcomers welcome.
 
This will be held in the community event room of the San Jose Alum Rock library. This is a huge, nice event room - not your traditional library conference room! And this is a totally separate room from the main library area, so you won't have any librarians telling you to keep it down, so long as talking is kept to a normal level. 
 
This is a public event, so that any library patrons are free to come in and join in. There may be only be a couple extras to wander in, but I strongly encourage you to invite anybody "into our world" who seems to be wandering in cluelessly - let them listen to a rig and share some insight for a moment.

 
This library is also equipped with thousands of music CDs of a diverse variety that can be used on your rig. However these will need to be checked out (for free) with a library card, which can be easily obtained for free with a Calif. ID.
 
This will likely be your only chance to experience a Head-Fi meet in California before the official Can Jam, happening April 8-9th. This will take place in an exciting new location and looks like it could be the largest one ever, so I hope to see you all there as well!
http://www.head-fi.org/t/822835/canjam-socal-2017-april-8-9-2017
 
Please post a message below if you plan to come, and the list of gear you would like to bring.

 ​

GENERAL RULES:

Nametags
These won't be needed, however I would like to kindly suggest that you would please bring some sort of paper or card with your name or Head-Fi name on it so your rig can be identified if you step away. This will also assist people to find who you are if they would like to ask permission to try your equipment. 
 
Permissions:
Generally, a rig is set up to be shared, so people should be able to try your rig when it's available. However if you prefer them to ask before touching anything, please indicate so on the nametag by your equipment. However for moving / reconfiguring anything, always ask the owner first.
 
Theft / liability
Neither myself or the library are accountable for any possible theft or damage to your equipment. We encourage anybody that may notice something suspicious to say something. Look out for each other's items - such as somebody pocketing gear that you know does not belong to them: challenge them to ask them where they bought it, or report them to me or the library staff (who are in a separate area). Generally speaking however, there will be mostly genuine Head-Fi members who come to look into equipment upgrades, research, etc. who would never dream of doing anything that would jeopardize their standing in the community. There were no problems last time at this same venue.
 
Fighting, etc.:
Anyone engaged in seriously disruptive behavior will lose the privilege to remain on premises.
(don't worry I haven't seen it yet at other meets)
 
Talking:
We will all be in one big room so please use a 'moderate' voice so that people can do critical listening.
 ​

A FEW FAQ's:

 ​

Q: Can I bring a guest with me?
A: Yes feel free to bring up to 2 guests with you, no need for permission. Please post that you're coming however.
 
Q: Do I need to bring any gear?
A: It is recommended to contribute, but feel free to come just for the experience.
 
Q: What should I bring, if any gear?
A: Make sure to bring your own power strip if bringing more than two components that need an outlet, and a music source for your rig such as a DAP, laptop with DAC, or even vinyl.
 
PS- Just call me Levi

 
List of members / gear on display: (tentative)
 
@DecentLevi
Amp:             Feliks Audio Elise OTL tube amp with upgraded tubes
DAC's:           Modi 2 Multibit AKA 'Mimby', Gustard X12 or Questyle QP1R playing hi-res DSD (SACD) files via Foobar
DAP:             Questyle QP1R DAP / DAC
Headphones:  Unique self-modded HD-650, ultra unique Tru-Fi Speakers modded HP-100 (rev. 4)
 
@walfredo 
Amp:            Shanling PH300
DAC:            Dac Lite 60 R2R PCM DAC, Ifi Nano DSD DAC
Headphones:  Audio Technica ATH W1000, W1000X & W1000Z
+  assorted portable gear
 
@Fidelity King
 
@Packdemon of home-startup Tru-Fi Speakers
custom modded SoundMagic HP-150, Beyerdynamic DT770 and DT1770 
 
@koven 
Amp: Woo Audio WA2
 
@NA Blur
Amp/DAC:              Grace Design m903, HeadRoom BUDA amp, Schiit BiFrost DAC
power components: SMSL Stack ( M8, VA2, Linear PSU )
headphones:           Hifiman HE-400i, Audio Technica ATH-R70x
 
@CEE TEE       
 
@hselburn 
 
@headphonatic
headphones: HE-500 (modded)
speaker amp
SD-1955 DAC 
 
@DMck2000
 
@R120
 
@Bill-P 
 
@trappedintime 
 
@Z3ph3r 
 
@Rainstar
Amp: Cary audio Sli 80 Ultimate edition Integrated Tube amp
Headphones: HD800S, HD800, LCD3 F
 
DAC: Eastern Electric Minimax modded DAC
 
USB signal enhancement: USB disruptor, Mutec MC3+
Power conditioner: Shunyata Venom PS8
 
@HeadAmpTeam
Amp: GS-X MkII 
DAC: Holo Audio Spring multibit DSD / PCM DAC 
Headphones: HE-1000 V2
 
@Jozurr 
 
@HiFiGuy528 (Woo Audio rep.)
Amp: WA8
Headphones: Focal Utopia
 
@amb 
Headphones:
 Sennheiser HD800 and HD600 headphones
 
Custom DIY gear:

Amps:
 AMB β22 amplifier
 AMB Mini³ portable headphone amplifier
 
DACs:
 AMB γ3 high resolution DAC
 AMB γ2 compact high performance DAC
 AMB γ1.5 miniature high-res USB DAC + headphone amp
 AMB γ1 miniature DAC
 
Components:
 AMB κDCX-enhanced Behringer DCX2496 DSP electronic crossover
 
@linuxworks
Sercona PGA preamp he co-designed with Jeff Wilhelm
 
@trappedintime
 
Headphones: balanced AKG K812, balanced AKG K7XX
DAC: Gustard X20U, PS Audio Directstream Junior
 
Amps: Schiit Ragnarok, Cavalli Liquid Carbon 
 
@SomeTechNoob
 
DACs: CEntrance DACport HD, CEntrance DACport Slim
Headphones: Philips SHP9500, AKG K553 Pro 
 
Nov 1, 2016 at 5:25 AM Post #2 of 116
Also I must give props to @Fidelity King - whom inspired me to give one more go at a local meet. And what about @Packdemon, are you in to exhibit your latest headphone mods? I know I'm not missing this one 
cool.gif

 
Here are a few highlights from the event I put on last January in this same venue:
 

 

(that's me sitting, in the blue)
 
And here was the impression thread from the last event
 
Nov 3, 2016 at 10:32 PM Post #5 of 116
Sounds stellar, @walfredo! Definitely bring your wooden ATH headphones, looks like many have yet to hear these, myself included. You have an impressive gear list! Would you mind bringing a few of your amps and a DAC along? This will help get the ball rolling, since it's only you and I thus far... a complete list would be helpful so I can post it above.
 
Also for anyone who may be on the sidelines of my Elise tube amp system, I have massively upgraded my tubes with world-class 'gems', and this time I'm going 'native' config., with only standard-class tubes, so nothing to fear with the likes of experimental tube setups this time. 
 
Nov 4, 2016 at 12:34 AM Post #6 of 116

Sure thing, @DecentLevi .  I'll bring my ifi nano dsd DAC, ifi can and shagling AMPs, as well some assorted portable gear.  Headphone wise, I'll take W1000, W1000X, W1000Z.
 
Nov 4, 2016 at 1:37 AM Post #8 of 116
Yup I happened to just earlier already invite Bill-P (if he's still in California), and hopefully he can also invite his local hi-fi hobbyist crew from the 'other website' that's not allowed to be mentioned on Head-Fi (ending with A.F.).
 
Also I hope my buddy @CEE TEE would show up, who's now a Massdrop insider and has many great products up his sleeve! 
basshead.gif
 
 
Nov 5, 2016 at 10:44 PM Post #10 of 116
Added two new visitors to the tally above.
 
Also added two new topics:
 
Clean up must start at 3:30pm so we can vacate the room by 4pm
 
Q: What should I bring, if any gear?
A: Make sure to bring a power strip if bringing more than two components that need an outlet, and a music source for your rig such as a DAP, laptop with DAC or even vinyl.
 
Nov 6, 2016 at 12:51 AM Post #12 of 116
  sweet a local event, i just added this to my calendar and will stop by although might not bring any gear if that's okay

Koven I would really like to hear the WA2 amp, and any thoughts on its' comparison to the WA22 which I may be keen on getting sometime. Also I've just spent at least $1k on top 6AS7G class tubes (perfectly matched / NOS tested), and would like to try some of them out in your WA2 if you don't mind. I'm sure you'll be impressed with the result too!
 
 
Nov 6, 2016 at 8:26 PM Post #14 of 116
@DecentLevi
Thanks for hosting again, you rock!
 
I'll try to make it. Being at the end of November puts it in prime family time, but if I am around I will swing by.
 
Tentatively bringing:
 
Grace Design m903 amp/DAC
HeadRoom BUDA
SMSL Stack ( M8, VA2, Linear PSU )
Schiit BiFrost DAC
 
HE-400i
Audio Technica ATH-R70x
 
Nov 6, 2016 at 10:35 PM Post #15 of 116
  @DecentLevi
Thanks for hosting again, you rock!
 
I'll try to make it. Being at the end of November puts it in prime family time, but if I am around I will swing by.
 
Tentatively bringing:
 
Grace Design m903 amp/DAC
HeadRoom BUDA
SMSL Stack ( M8, VA2, Linear PSU )
Schiit BiFrost DAC
 
HE-400i
Audio Technica ATH-R70x

Heck yeah my buddy! Same great venue again. I vividly remember how your M903 + ATH-R70x was one of my top favorite setups of the meet, and would totally love to try those 'cans on my Elise amp. I'm predicting these to match quite well and think you would like the sound of my Elise too. I've also tried the Gracie M9XX amp / DAC, but the M903 was a good 6x better to me!!!
 
Interesting you're dabbling in power cleaning with the SMSL. Have you ever heard of power "regeneration" components? I've read from somebody who was absolutely over the moon with such an unexpected boost in the overall fidelity with one connected to his already great sounding Elise amp.
 
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