[gsferrari]

I apologize for not writing sooner. Unfortuunately it took me longer than expected to get home on Sunday and I missed several hours of "work time" for a report due this morning. I was at work uuntil 10:00pm last night finishing it. Now I have a few hours...so here goes...



[size=medium]SOURCE IMPRESSIONS:[/size]


[size=small]Shanling CD-T100:[/size]

* Underwhelmed by the sound
* Sounds very thin and without body
* Bass is clean but light...a matter of preferencee
* Cosmetics and build quality are fantastic
* I like the ability to switch between tube and solid-state output
* I think it is overpriced at $1900.00 (?) $700.00 is a more realistic pricec for the sound. You are paying for the cosmetics and construction.
* Tuberolling potential

[size=small]Shanling SCD-T200:[/size]

* Now here is a shanling I would like to buy
* Crisp highs and solid walls of bass
* midrange is a bit stretched out but leaps and bounds better than the T100
* Tube output is definitely superior to the SS even with the stock tubes.
* tuberolling potential
* I dont have to repeat myself about the cosmetics and build quality

[size=small]
Shanling CD-T300:[/size]

* I am undecided about this puppy
* Cosmetically the nicest IMHO (it is a preference thing again...)
* Sonically inferior to the SCD-T200 from my investigations

All the units were brand new and therefore these impressions are probably worthless. But neverthless I can only make a purchase decision based on my impressions and I felt that the $1000.00 Cyrus CD6 offered tremendously better sound than the T100 and T300. Only the T200 left a solid positive impression in my mind.


[size=small]SONY SCD-1[/size]

* Built like a tank...I think it could be bulletproof...
* Nice transport mechanism...a little too slow for my taste
* Sound quality is excellent...left me quite breathless with SACD playback
* Redbook was on par with the Meridian 508.24
* This source in balanced mode with the balanced supra sds and balanceced HD-650 is simply mesmerizing!



[size=small]Berendsen CD1:[/size]

* Flakey build quality on the top chassis (placing a weight on it messed with the transport funnctionality)
* Sound was leaps and bounds above anything that had the privelege of plugging into the Dynahi (the shanlings, cyrus cd6, meridian 508.24)
* front panel is classy...very German...precise with clean lines. I would love to have this in my future "home"

[size=small]micromega DAC/Transport:[/size]

* dinky

* sounds stuunning! I am looking for one right now to purchase!
* unassuming looks...I know where the attention of the engineers went

* very impressive for an outdated source. So much so that it is on the top of my list with the Cyrus CD6.



[size=medium]HEADPHONE IMPRESSIONS:[/size]


[size=small]AT L3000 Leatherheads:[/size]

* I have always found these headphones to be congested and cloudy...they still are
* I appreciate the powerful and moving midrange but it tends to cloud everything else
* They are a bit too warm for my tastes but a nice contrast to the SA5000
* I honestly like them now...I have tangible dreams of listening to yo-yo-ma or other string maestros with this headphone...perfect for acoustic guitar!



[size=small]SONY R10:[/size]

* Still blindingly good headphones
* Now that they are rare...I wouldnt buy one even if I had the chance
* sound quality is to die for...particularly out of the MPX3 / Raptor
* Nothing more to add...



[size=small]Stax Omega-II:[/size]

* Oddly enough these sound similar to the L3000 in tonality.
* Dark presentation leaves something to be desired from certain music genres
* They come to life with jazz/blues and TRUMPETS sound ultra-real
* To generalize - excellent phones that seem to have been voiced by with wind instruments in mind
* Significantly darker than the SR-404 and Orpheus (HE-90)


[size=small]Stax SR-404:[/size]

* The ugly duckling in the electrostatic lot...looks like a pine cone

* I found the overall tonality to be closer to the Orpheus than the Omega-II
* It shares the high end of the SA5000 and the low end of the Omega-II
* I believe it is the best value in the electrostat lineup. The warmer sound will please many who find certain headphones to be shrill. I wouldnt call it "warm" but is not as analytical as the SA5000 and Qualia
* it looks like corrugated ass

[size=small]Sennheiser HE-90 Orpheus:[/size]

* The best headphone in the world beyond doubt
* The sound is NOT speaker like...it is beyond that...I could enjoy these more than expensive speakers
* The build quality on such an expensive headset is questionable but the driver looks gorgeous through the grille
* I cant describe the sound...it is just RIGHT...gives you goosebumps and shivers...divine!


[size=small]SONY QUALIA 010:[/size]

* The best current production headphone in the world - in my opinion
* manages to divide the populace on it's sound...which means that it will achieve the popularity and cult status enjoyed by the R10 in a couple of decades

* Almost everything is right about the sound once you have a good fit and seal...the midrange could sound a little less digital and a little more analog but hey...I like it
* Picky about amplification...sounds heavenly out of a Dynahi/Raptor/MPX3 and sounds like crap out of a CI Audio Amp / SR71
* comfortable and cool to wear. It is easy to forget that it is on your head.



[size=medium]AMPLIFIER IMPRESSIONS:[/size]



[size=small]FEEL HP-200SE:[/size]

* The unexpected star of the show
* Definite FOTM in the future
* Build quality is both structurally and visually stunning...it uses REAL GLASS on top!
* Heavy and large beast...
* Sound quality is absolutely unbelievable for the price...how do they do this for so little money!?!?
* I want one...just for cosmetics...but I will paint it bright maranello red for the "effect"

* Shipping costs are crazy...half the price of the amp...enough to put me off

[size=small]Singlepower Balanced Supra SDS XLR:[/size]

* the name is too long

* this is possibly the pinnacle of headphone audio
* chassis is too big for my taste...looks nice but I need to buy a bigger house for it

* I have never heard the HD-650 sound this good...running in balanced mode out of this amplifier...with the SCD1 as the source. I saw the white light and the angel at the pearly gates told me to piss off

* If you can afford it...go for it...rewire your favorite headphones and say bye bye to HeadFi. I cant see it getting any better than this!
* make sure you put one part in front of the car and the other in the back...putting both in the same side will tip your ride over

[size=small]RSA Raptor:[/size]

* Dinky little bugger
* Perfect for someone like me who is looking for a small footprint headphone amp for a small Sq.Ft home
* Sound quality is beautiful....very balanced and does everything right
* Amp gets a little too hot but not so hot that you cannot change the volume anymore
* Two box configuration is an excellent idea and in-line with RSA philosophy
* Excellent tuberolling potential...the benefits are apparent when tubes are switched
* Ray may not like the Qualia but it sounds heavenly out of his amp

[size=small]Singlepower MPX3:[/size]

* I am very familiar with this amp and the sound is as good as I can remember
* A small-ish singlepower amp for the space starved audiophile

* Tuberolling potential is HUGE...you can go crazy...with ample rewards


[size=small]Stax 007T:[/size]

* I like this amp...quietly does what is demanded of it without undue style
* low profile styling suits my needs. Smaller footprint than the KGSS makes it ideal for my new and coming setup
* Sound is excellent...better with the Orpheus than either of the Stax headphones on show

* No complaints about the sound...everything seems to be present and I like it enough to want it!
* I still think the Rudistor Egmont had a more "Euphonic" quality that got the listener involved in the music. Anyone want to send me an Egmont?

[size=small]SR-71:[/size]

* the little dink
* anyone can just get either this one or the XP7+PSU and forget about amps for a while. Highly capable performers
* it is interesting to see that Headroom seem to have followed Ray's successful design philosophy in their micro amplifiers. the similarities in layout are an obvious indicator of the source of inspiration for their new products.
* it is a testament to the design ability of Ray to put out an amplifier a few years ahead of the competition...and have his design adopted by the competition. I hope all portable amp makers adopt the layout because it works so well in the SR-71. But hearing some of the other portable amps makes me wonder if they will ever catch up with the attention to detail and the sound of the SR-71...


[size=small]Woo Audio 3:[/size]

* bigger than I expected it to be
* very nice tubey sound
* Improved dynamics from the Woo Audio 1
* A lot more speed and power on the upper registries than the WA1
* I think this amp is a worthy successor to the WA1
* Sound quality is stunning...Build quality is also amazing! Oncec again...how do they do all this for the price!?!?

 

[gsferrari]

[size=small]LET THERE BE SOUND![/size]


OZ! a.k.a Oswald was very kind in inviting us into his store. Having a bunch of certified kleptomaniacs in a store without video cameras is a HUGE risk. Fortunately there was nothing that was small enough to carry away so the gsferrari was thwared in his attempts to walk out with a VPI HRX Turntable.

They shouldnt call it a turntable...it is as big as a full sized table

The store was tastefully laid out and the listening room was a trip! We were entertained to some stunning stereo vinyl recordings and I was very impressed by a pair of tiny bookshelves! I am working towards creating a similar setup in my new apartment...I might have to snuff out the neighbours if they complain though

Oz was very sweet...had drinks for everyone...watching him handle his gear reminds me of when I used to parade around with white cotton gloves during meets

People called me crazy then...I guess they think I am a hero now

(no problem...it is a tacit understanding...you dont HAVE to tell me how awesome I am if you feel shy about it

)

I walked out with the CD player of my dreams but returned it because I think it is best to pony up the cash before vamoosing with someone's property. These sentiments havent stopped me before but since Oz is a nice guy...I want to return the treatment.

The DVD demo was just stunning! We had Bill Wilson (sewerguy) on the drums for the "Crossroads" concert DVD. I was so enthralled by the sound that I was dancing, whooping and orgasming right there! The sound was fantastic! much better than anything I am used to!



[size=large]
CONCLUSIONS:
[/size]

This was the mother of all HeadFi meets. I have been to more than a few and let me tell you that NO other meet has been this well planned and well executed. The rooms were perfect, the conference hall was perfect for the meet, the demo at OZ's place was the icing on the cake. There was so much room to move around and listen to gear...very very nice indeed.

Thank you Mike for putting this together. Thank you Gail for the food and drink

A BIG thanks to Gene for providing the rooms and driving our asses around. A HUGE thanks to raaj for showing me his in-car audio system (WOW!) and being so nice as to drop me off at the airport for my very very redeye flight. Thanks to Stevio for the Qualia and the comic relief!

Thanks to Wayne for bringing the Shanling sourceces!

big props to both Ray and Mikhail for coming and bringing their flagship products for us to try and steal. I could have stolen a Raptor...the SDS was out of the question...

Thanks to JMT and Rockhopper for sending their M3 amplifiers.
Thanks to Headroom for sending their stuff.

MANY thanks to everyone else who showed up at the meet...you guys are awesome and we made another successful FL Chapter HeadFi meet again!


The next meet will have a hard act to follow...I can only imagine what we are going to be doing next...I think a full time FL trade show is in order

gs

 

[Nik]

Respect to all the Stax drivers (717 and 007t) all the Egmont line have a fuller and massive sound, not euphonic exept for the Signature with Mullard CV181 tubes.

Best!
Nicola

Guru, nothing about the EarMax Anniversary? (even with the Qualia or other cans...).

 

[Jon L]

"micromega DAC/Transport:

* dinky
* sounds stuunning! I am looking for one right now to purchase!
* unassuming looks...I know where the attention of the engineers went
* very impressive for an outdated source. So much so that it is on the top of my list with the Cyrus CD6."

Do you know which models of Micromega these were? The small boxes?

I used to run Micromega Trio top-loading system many moons ago, and Micromega sure does digital right b/c it sure sounded better than the Linn's, Theta's of the day. There's just something right and organic along with fluidity with their sounds IME.

I've also heard Shanling T200 and T300. T200 only has a pseudo tube stage that tacks on to the end of the SS output stage as an extraneous stage. Not the best way to go IMO, though it sounds pretty good.

T300 is their statement product and uses four tubes for actual gain and buffer stage; therefore, its sound WILL change hugely with good tubes. Drop in something like NOS Siemens instead of the stock EH tubes, and there will be a reckoning IMO.

 

[Guss2]

The Micromega setup sounded excellent to my untrained ears.I believe this was part of Gene's collection(agile one),maybe he could chime in and answer.

 

[Rob N]

Stop all this SDS-XLR talk!

I've only just ordered one and it will be several months before I get it.Mine will be in the smaller Maestro case 15" x 11.5 x 7" I think, and with a tube power supply.Can't wait

 

[tyrion]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob N Stop all this SDS-XLR talk! I've only just ordered one and it will be several months before I get it.Mine will be in the smaller Maestro case 15" x 11.5 x 7" I think, and with a tube power supply.Can't wait

Did anyone mention, how nice the balanced 650's sound out of the SDS-XLR. If you can afford one of those than you can handle our abuse.

 

[tom hankins]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob N Stop all this SDS-XLR talk! I've only just ordered one and it will be several months before I get it.Mine will be in the smaller Maestro case 15" x 11.5 x 7" I think, and with a tube power supply.Can't wait

Way to go Rob! Make sure and get the Balanced Zu cable to go with the 650. It's the cable that was used with the phones at the Florida meet.

 

[Rob N]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tyrion Did anyone mention, how nice the balanced 650's sound out of the SDS-XLR. If you can afford one of those than you can handle our abuse.

Who said I could afford it

 

[tyrion]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob N Who said I could afford it

Well, I guess only me. Enjoy the amp!

 

[gsferrari]

I must comment about a few pieces of gear that I left out:

[size=small]Cyrus CD6:[/size]

* Very very nice CD player for the money
* Small footprint
* control placement is a bit annoying but a non-issue if you use the remote
* controls get in the way ONLY when the tray is open
* build quality is impressive
* Sound is dynamic and lively with a hint of the magic that the Shanling T200 exudes


[size=small]RSA XR10 Phono Stage:[/size]

* Extremely well thought out and executed
* Symmetrical layout is a treat to the eyes
* Chassis is attractive and the power within is understated
* Excellent feature set...a MUST have for the vinyl junkie
* I used it and I rate it more than a few steps above the XR2

 

[tyrion]

My only regret about the meet is that I didn't get more people to check out my Berendsen CDP-1. I want to do a review but want to hear some other high end cdp's before I write it. I think this cdp is special. I wish someone brought a G07 or G08 to the meet.

 

[Jon L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tyrion My only regret about the meet is that I didn't get more people to check out my Berendsen CDP-1. I want to do a review but want to hear some other high end cdp's before I write it. I think this cdp is special. I wish someone brought a G07 or G08 to the meet.

Who sells Berendsen in U.S and for how much?

It's well-known that Berendsen CDP-1 is the same player as the acclaimed Gamut CD-1 with some improvements as well for 2/3 the price!

It's reported to use passive digital filtering, so that opens up some possibilities for simple parts mod, such as output cap to something like VH Audio OIMP or teflon caps.... Yummy.

 

[gsferrari]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon L It's well-known that Berendsen CDP-1 is the same player as the acclaimed Gamut CD-1 with some improvements as well for 2/3 the price!

Yes...Oz told me that it is in fact BETTER than the old Gamut with improved electronics and component selection. It really sounded quite special!

 

[Guss2]

I did'nt listen to the Berendsen at all Mike,sorry.I was too preoccupied with so much great equipment everywhere,that some things just fell through the cracks.I did'nt hear the JMT3 either and hardly listened to the Woo at all.If you and Os want to get together sometime for a session,just drop me a line.

By the way,I had a blast this weekend and will be attending many meets to come.You did a great job organizing this meet and the people were very generous and knowledgable.Steveio,I'll PM you about the cable soon.I hope to see all who attended this meet at the next.Gary.

P.S.Thanks for the nice comments regarding the SCD-1.It really has never sounded so good.I just wish I could afford an SDS XLR.