[zabzaf]

First post-meet purchase made...Valhalla 2!

 

[ruthieandjohn]

 
It is. 
Lucky it sounds good. 

Someone better quick-like-a-bunny BUY that Abyss from Overture Audio (I think it is the only Abyss in captivity in a Michigan store) to remove it from the public domain as an instrument of torture and take it home to their own dungeon listening room!

 

 

[AKGunkie]

First post-meet purchase made...Valhalla 2!

that Valhalla 2 sounded so good it got me thinking, what would Lyr + AKG sound like? Schiit support told me they demo the lyr with AKGs often.I only wish we had more time to swap gear with Amps to see what my phones sounded like through some of the end game set-ups.

 

[redogfizbal]

Do these "meets" ever happen on the west side of the state?

 

[ruthieandjohn]

Do these "meets" ever happen on the west side of the state?

Funny you should ask... zabzaf (the founder of the Michigan meets) and I were talking about that at this Ann Arbor meet, thinking that if a group of folks organized one further west, it would be great.
 
cel4145 mentioned the idea of holding one at Grand Valley State College (we would have to charge admission, as one must rent their classrooms, but their rooms have tables and outlets everywhere).
 
zabzaf wants to have one in about 6 months, so now is the time to start thinking.

 

[redogfizbal]

Funny you should ask... zabzaf (the founder of the Michigan
meets) and I were talking about that at this Ann Arbor meet, thinking that if a group of folks organized one further west, it would be great.

cel4145 mentioned the idea of holding one at Grand Valley State College (we would have to charge admission, as one must rent their classrooms, but their rooms have tables and outlets everywhere).

zabzaf wants to have one in about 6 months, so now is the time to start thinking.

That would be great! Save my info, and when it draws near I would be willing to help with setup.

 

[timkwhite]

that Valhalla 2 sounded so good it got me thinking, what would Lyr + AKG sound like? Schiit support told me they demo the lyr with AKGs often.I only wish we had more time to swap gear with Amps to see what my phones sounded like through some of the end game set-ups.

 
I would love to hear a nice set of AKG's on a Lyr... could be a nice compliment to my V2 and 650's. Although I was pretty smitten with the Audez'e EL-8's... they sounded fantastic!
 

First post-meet purchase made...Valhalla 2!

 
You will not be disappointed in the least! I think I sold 2 or 3 Valhalla 2's and a few surface's while I was at the meet. Can't wait to hear your impressions after you spend some time with the V2 and your 800's.

 

[zabzaf]

You will not be disappointed in the least! I think I sold 2 or 3 Valhalla 2's and a few surface's while I was at the meet. Can't wait to hear your impressions after you spend some time with the V2 and your 800's.

Hey, which Surface were you using? I'm looking at MacBooks but I think the Surface is a little more affordable.

 

[cel4145]

cel4145 mentioned the idea of holding one at Grand Valley State College (we would have to charge admission, as one must rent their classrooms, but their rooms have tables and outlets everywhere).

Yes. It should be possible to rent a room at the downtown GVSU campus (on the river, across from the main GR downtown) on a Saturday.

 

[timkwhite]

Hey, which Surface were you using? I'm looking at MacBooks but I think the Surface is a little more affordable.

I wouldn't say that they are more affordable... once you add in the keyboard they are very similar. If you are a Mac guy then just buy the MacBook. I like the surface series quite a bit... I have 2 in fact and am trying to get work to pay for a new one (work purposes only of course). I have the original Pro model with an i5 and 8GB of ram. More than enough for most anyone besides the 10 percent'ers. They are NOT a laptop but more like a big, powerful tablet with a detachable keyboard. If you can get used to the different form factor (sitting in the couch, typing away is not the Surface's forte due to the kickstand arrangement and flexible keyboard) then they are wonderful machines. If couch quarterbacking is more your thing, then a regular laptop should be your choice.
 
That new MacBook looks nice but underpowered for my use (the core M's are not powerhouses by any stretch). I used to love Mac's but then Apple screwed me on some repairs (2 dead motherboards and no help) and I have been a windows DIY convert ever since. Besides, my main PC is a freaking beast as was 1/2 the cost of what my photography friends are paying for a Mac Pro. Just sayin'.

 

[krikor]

  Krikor's Bottlehead Crack w/speedball upgrade and HD650's paired with the Yggdrasil is a phenomenal pairing. This is the second time I've heard the crack/hd650 combo at a meet and both times were engaging experiences. In this case this was probably my standout favorite at the meet. Krikor was also kind enough to lend his macbook as a source for the Yggdrasil. Thanks again for that Craig! His AKG7XX cans were also fun to listen with through the Ragnarok.
 

 
I'm glad to have been able to help... though I've got to say the pleasure was certainly mine. I came hoping to jockey for a bit of time listening to the Yggdrasil, but being able to share it as my source for the day was outstanding! That is a beast of a DAC and I too loved the sound with my Bottlehead. Effortless is the best way I can describe it, in that I never found myself really wanting to analyze or diagnose the sound, but just listen and enjoy. And it wasn't to shabby with the Ragnarok as well. 

 
 

   
Lastly, I left before the showdown between Krikor's Bottlehead and TimKWhite's Valhalla 2 running through the Yggdrasil finished. Do you both have the same conclusions as before?

 
The Yggrdrasil was definitely the source of the incredible bass we were getting out of the Bottlehead Crack compared to the Valhalla 2 driven by the Bifrost. I for one really enjoyed the deep, defined bass of the Yggdrasil... and it really helped fill out the Beyerdynamic DT880-600 which always strike me as a lean down low. Too much with HD-650? Perhaps for some, but I was liking it.
 
Swapping the Bottlehead to the Bifrost, and the Valhalla to the Yggdrasil, revealed that the two amps had much more in common than different. I would characterize the Valhalla (given what you can discern under meet conditions) as somewhat sharper, more incisive, which for me gave it a bit of bite or edge so that I came away preferring the Crack. But then again, I own and built that Crack so there could be some bias at play. Would need to spend more time under more controlled circumstances.
 
Perhaps a Valhalla/Crack mini-meet is in order. 

 

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

Well it certainly looks like a great meet here, great job getting this together and having the pics for show!

 

[tonykaz]

Dear Sirs KayandJohn & Professor ZabZaf,
 
I'm rather suspecting the Buzz about Headphone Meets is spreading thru the HighEnd Dealer networks.  This Weekend at Overature, next week will be StereoExhcange in NY.  
Mr.Keith, owner of Overature commented about never previously having most of these folks in his store, headphones meets can be an excellent way for Bricks & Morter Hifi shops to refresh their customer base with "younger" enthusiasts.  
  I would imagine the Speciality Audio Dealers in the Western Part of Michigan ( Grand Rapids, Holland, Traverse City) would be excited to discover another way to attract a fresh customer base of repeat buyers of very nice stuff.   
 
Tony in Michigan

 

[redogfizbal]

Northwoods audio and video may be a place we could solicit to meet. I purchased my Triton 2's there. Ron doesn't sell headphones, but I cant imagine he wouldn't enjoy the company.

 

[zabzaf]

Hi All-
 
My preliminary thoughts are to keep the meet in Southeastern Michigan. I suppose that Lansing would be stretching that boundary a bit. Honestly, to organize it effectively and still be able to do my day job and tend to family needs, it needs to be close to where I live. Luckily, John lives in A2 and Overture is as well.
 
I'm currently vetting out locations that will hold the number of people I expect (40ish), are easy to get to (near freeways), and cost-effective. With a group this size, we are in the territory of room rentals. I have a beat on a location in Warren that I have a connection with that would be low cost ($5 each to cover the room), they have plenty of tables and elbow room, AND they have a cash bar!
 
So, once I get some dates from my wife (she ultimately decides when this is) I'll get a thread going. For what it's worth, I'm shooting for Sept. 12 or 19.
 
More to come!