[NightWoundsTime]

As is customary, I am tasked with starting the meet thread. What can be said at this point about a Florida meet? Well for one thing everyone realizes by now that when we say 12/2 we probably mean the entire weekend and possibly week centered around a few calm hours sitting in a room pretending to listen to all those wonderful toys. The rest of it is about the hardcore BSing, boozing, and schmoozing. Expect at least the first 5 pages of these impressions to be completely free of mentions of gear. We're having our own Fear and Loathing here people, and I don't really know if you should feel honored to be an observant of the insanity. Either way, the insanity goes on and we will record it in the best fragments we can manage. May God help us all.


I'm ripping off Flecom's image to give you all a visual guide to most of the members present. Something I usually wish for when reading an impressions thead:

Back row: Boomana (Vicky), Guss2 (Gary)& Xenia, Voltron (Al)
Middle: Mikhail, Hifihaxor (? sorry man), PsychoZX (Joe), * , Tyll, Melinda (no not with the cap, that's: ), Highlife (Dominic), Agile_one (Gene), MikeG, Tyrion (the other Mike), Nightwoundstime (me! Matt), WMcmanus (Wayne).
Front row: The providers of much slapstick comedy for the evening, Ray Samuels and Stevieo.


* Wayne's friend whose name I will not attempt to spell, since I only barely learned to pronounce it. I know you signed up man so drop me a PM and I'll name you properly.

 

[Voltron]

So, here I am in Florida for the infamous SoFlo meet and we are already staying up all night listening before the meet is supposed to happen in about 9 hours. As NightWoundsTime has already intimated, we have been boozin' and shmoozin' and such all day. Here are some first pics and possibly some impressions from our improptu meet in Boomana's room that started after going to see the Jaco Pastorius memorial birthday bash at a local strip mall bar and grill nightclub place. Jaco's son on bass, his nephew on drums, and other youngsters really jammed for over two hours without stopping. The alligator po'boy was something to remember, too, by the way...

Stevieo being wheeled into the hotel

JP#s enjoying the music (while blinding the rest of the room)

Agile_one, Boomana and tyrion enjoying dinner and the show

Son of Jaco and company

The unofficial start time of the meet: 1:05 a.m.

Our hostess for the evening with R-10s and great tunes in them

PsychoZX with Agile_One's WJP11s and some NIN pumping into them (and no, he wasn't imbibing those brews imported from California for the event--Joe is only 20, and his father would not approve!

)

Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, nor dead of night could stop Ray Samuels from making for this meet!! After 3 cancelled flights out of Chi-town due to a BLIZZARD he finally managed to get here on the lucky 4th flight. Sadly for this evening's festivities, the B-52 and various other RSA goodies did not make it onto his plane. Tomorrow morning after the egg-fest (do not confuse with tomorrow night's Oz-fest) we hopefully will pick up his mondo-Pelican case tomorrow.

Another weary traveller rolled in about midnight after fighting to make it to southern Florida. Nightwoundstime says he is being nice tonight, but will let loose tomorrow. I can't wait!

Last, but not least, Wmcmanus is making his way to Davie in his new convertible. He started in Chicago yesterday sometime and crossed the state line about 11pm. If he can catch a few Santa-winks he will be ready to spread his cheer and have some fun at the official meet later today. Drive safe, Santa-baby!

 

[Tyll Hertsens]

So, while those guys surf the hallways on bell-carts in a drunken haze, I've decided to get to work getting some serious gear pix.

Here's the room 30 min after it opened, obviously the guys are a bit slow getting started this morning.

Hey things are starting to happen. Steveo seriously listens to Tyrions Zana.

Here's a close-up of the Zana (notice the Bookers in the back, it'll be gone tomorrow).

Ooooooo! I know what that is: a BlockHead! What a classic, brought by Agile_One.

Speaking of a classic, or maybe that's "class act" a sweet, sweet Audio Technica set-up. Also brought by the Agile One himself.

OK, more folks have shown up; I'm going back to work.

 

[krmathis]

This thread is worthless without any impressions!

Nice pictures though...

 

[Hi-Finthen]

OOOOHHH.... This should be good.... Looking forward to you guys enjoyment with all that gear assembled, and your impressions to follow...

Stays tuned~

 

[akwok]

Oh god.. it's the W2002 and HA2002!

 

[Voltron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif This thread is worthless without any impressions! Nice pictures though...

Impressions? OK, I'll try to type with my best Bogart impression...

I guess if you guys are tired of pics I'll won't bother to upload my shots of the two world premiers... Oh well.

But seriously folks, these Florida folks know how to throw a party, er, I mean, a meet!

Tyll was set up first so I checked out the new Desktop Balanced and was glad I did it when I had a quiet room and a chance to hear a full song through on both the 650s with a balanced Cardas cable and then with my Wyvern Audio balanced cables. Stevieo had put in the CD of a alt-country jazzy female singer which sounded very sweet with some serious driving power. The high gain setting was best for me and really had the 650s singing. The Wyvern cable was more to my liking for 650s and showed off the big soundstage out of this *little* balanced beauty (although the 600s respond better to Cardas IMO). The attenuator couldn't make it past 11 o'clock at high gain but that was ok by me. Very nice amp that I need to spend more time with.

The other premier for the meet came from Mikhail who just magically appeared without ever confirming whether he could make it or not. He travelled light but treated us to a brand new amp in a PPX3 case. The SinglePower EXTREME is another monster in a small package. This amp was set up with a 12AT7 driver and Western Electric 421A (aka 5998) output tubes. Man, does this thing rock! John McGlaughlin and Mahavishnu Orchetsra out of JP#s' Ayre CDP really had an amazing sound. The muscle of this amp is impressive. Super clear as I cranked up the volume. With another incredible range of tube possibilities-- drivers can be 6414, 12XX7, 6SN7, 5687, etc., and the outputs have some interesting possibilities for a vartiety of big tubes that I don't know by number. Mikhail is going to run a Holiday special on this amp, so people better line up fast!

Ray is just getting the B-52 going now after it arrived a day delayed from his crazy trip here. I will add some more thoughts on the production model, but I have heard and loved the prototype. CAn't wait to get those balanced Qualias, R-10s and PS-1s going with that beast.

So that was the new stuff but while typing I have been listening to two clasics. First, Agile_One's AT W2002s out of their mate, the HA2002. I don't think I have heard them together and really dig the sound of these cans from this amp. I like the AT sound but sometimes feel they can be mushy with the wrong amplification. Not this setup. Fast and sweet at the same time. Very Nice. Second, Gene also walked by with his transportable rig of FLAC tunes coming out of the iMod, into a Micro amp, and finally into the HP-2s! Nice rig.

I helped Boomana set up her nice table of fun and affordable gear (other than the high-end cans that she has there, of course). The DarkVoice went through a transformation when Tyrion gave her a NOS Sylvania tube that made the amp 100 times better. It really was crap with the stock 6SN7 but now sounds great for the money. It was only sourced with my iPod but still had a nice sweet sound. The K340s had to be redlined to make them at a normal listening level but the DArth Beyers sounded great on the full volume range. The Heed Canamp and MiniMax CDP are a great combination and sound fabulous with the Headphile K340s. Great amp for the cash, seriously.

Finally, for now, the Headphile K340s that Vicki has make my stock cans sound like tin cups strapped to your ears. Full bodied and so much cleaner without losing the beauty of their natural sound. Loved it. It easily made my decision to fully mod them for me. Just thought I would throw that out there.

More later, but we have about 5 hours of meet left before the evening festivities start. TheMonkey wants us to post later anyway because we get *funnier* that way!

Cheers folks!

 

[Voltron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by akwok /img/forum/go_quote.gif Oh god.. it's the W2002 and HA2002!

And they make such beautiful music together! Who said you can't be both beautiful and talented at the same time!

 

[n_maher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Voltron /img/forum/go_quote.gif I guess if you guys are tired of pics I'll won't bother to upload my shots of the two world premiers... Oh well.

Pfff, ignore krmathis and give us some pics! Some of us are stuck slaving away at the office today and could use the distraction

.

 

[Tyll Hertsens]

Okie dokie, a couple more, first Mike_G's McAlister EA-4...old school brought by the old school.

About school, evidently Boomana encourages her middle school kids to act good in class by letting them listen to her gear if they're good. She said the boys like it but the girls still would rather get stickers. I guess I'm a boy, looks good to me.

ArrowMark grins like a schoolboy as he listens to a PPX Extreme. A what! you say. Yes, a new gizzy from Mikhail...notice the 300Bs. SHWEEET!

The Agile_One certainly is to fit yet another sexy little system on his table...count'em, here's the third pic of his gear.

 

[akwok]

Quote:

Originally Posted by n_maher /img/forum/go_quote.gif Pfff, ignore akwok and give us some pics! Some of us are stuck slaving away at the office today and could use the distraction .

What what what, I didn't say anything!

 

[n_maher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by akwok /img/forum/go_quote.gif What what what, I didn't say anything!

Completely my bad, got the quote completely wrong! I corrected my post above, most humble apologies and all that. akwok is my hero

 

[akwok]

Quote:

Originally Posted by n_maher /img/forum/go_quote.gif Completely my bad, got the quote completely wrong! I corrected my post above, most humble apologies and all that. akwok is my hero

That PPX3 Extreme looks like it's going to steal the spotlight at the meet. And steal the spotlight for this holiday season.

A sub $1000 300B'd Singlepower? Sounds good! Wonder how it mates with R10s, considering they love the Cary 300SEI.. you guys have a pair there, try it out!

 

[Voltron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by akwok /img/forum/go_quote.gif That PPX3 Extreme looks like it's going to steal the spotlight at the meet. And steal the spotlight for this holiday season. A sub $1000 300B'd Singlepower? Sounds good! Wonder how it mates with R10s, considering they love the Cary 300SEI.. you guys have a pair there, try it out!

Ask and you shall receive. The answer is simple. This amp is killer with the R-10s. Mikhail says the 5998 is like 2 300Bs in each tube because it has dual plates (did I get that right?). Very nice sound and the R-10s have really made the rounds here today, from Extreme to Zana Deux to Eddie Current's HD30 prototype to the TOMOHAWK

and I have yet to hear them sound bad. The moment I can break through the line of people over there, I will try them with Mikeg's SupraSDS and then compare them to the Extreme because they are now on the same source for comparos. Mike said the R-10s sound best on his Supra, with the B-52 being close to the same level and then the Zana Deux being the second best match. For him, a certified R-10 nut, the next best were the Extreme and the HD30, both of which are under $1K. Nice.

 

[procreate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Voltron /img/forum/go_quote.gif The DarkVoice went through a transformation when Tyrion gave her a NOS Sylvania tube that made the amp 100 times better.

So, compared to the Heed, both with the K340, which one wins for Jazz (both instrumental and with a singer) and Fusion?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Voltron /img/forum/go_quote.gif The K340s had to be redlined to make them at a normal listening level […]

What does this mean? You need to crank up the volume to get a decent sound out of the K340 with the Darkvoice?