Some brief positive impressions:
Was greeted at the entrance by the always-gentlemanly Alwayswantmore. Probably got to spend more time with his gear than anywhere else. I was particularly surprised by how much I liked his AKG-K702! I don't know if this was due to the ALO recable, the RWA DAC/AMP, the choice of music (none of which I was familiar with), or some combination. But this is the first time I have EVER enjoyed listening to a K70x, which have always struck me as too bright for my taste. As always, a really nice guy with really nice gear. Kudos!
Stopped by briefly at the Moon Audio station and eventually got to try out the headphones I was most interested in trying: the Denon AH-D5000 and AH-D7000. Surprisingly, I actually preferred the D5000, which was more forward and less harsh. The D7000 had more sense of air and a much wider and deeper soundstage, but the highs, like my usual experience with K701's, seemed too bright for me. Didn't get much time with any piece of music, but this was evident with someone's copy of Hotel California. Didn't get to try with any of my own gear or music since it was just too damn crowded.
Got to try out the EF1 at the HeadDirect table, and was pleased with it. Again, too crowded to do any adequate comparison with other gear or my own music, sadly, but this amp left a good impression.
Lastly, I got to interact briefly with Ray Samuels, who was very friendly and helpful. I'd met him in NYC 2 years ago, and bought my first amp from him a bit before that, but hadn't really gotten to chat with him previously, and was pleased with how friendly he really is in person. Aside from that, I finally got to try out the Predator (with some music in his iTunes collection that I was actually familiar with), and was both pleased and disappointed. With the Grados he had hooked up, the Predator was amazing to listen to! Wonderful sound from such a tiny amp! However, it's clear that his amps have poor synergy with Future Sonics IEMs, since with my Atrio it sounded about the same as the Tomahawk does with the same earphones: too much bass and not enough depth. I'm glad I got to try with his Grados, though, as the synergy there was stellar! Amazing little amp!
Aside from these things, I have to admit having kind of a lousy time at this meet. Getting a $350+ speeding ticket on my way there was an especially bad start to the morning, but it didn't help that the room was simply too small and too crowded. There was a lot of amazing gear there, but I simply felt rushed and claustrophobic everywhere I went. I guess I'd been hoping for something more laid-back and low-key like the Chapel Hill meet last year, but with so many pros packed in to such a tiny space, it really wasn't the right place for fans with more budget-minded gear. I tried setting up some gear, but the few people who glanced at it either showed disinterest (including, amazingly, the ones who had previously expressed interest), or outright disdain (including one person who seemed to drop my beyers in disgust after seeing that they weren't top of the line). I don't know if it was simply my claustrophobia and early morning frustration talking, but this whole experience left me feeling very unwelcome. Perhaps it would have helped to have a second room, like the meet I'd attended in NYC, or perhaps I simply am out of place down here with budget gear. Either way, a larger room was definitely warranted for this meet.
Special thanks again to Ray Samuels, Head Direct, Moon Audio, and especially Alwayswantmore for their kindness and fantastic gear! Hope everyone else had a better experience!
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