Certainly the biggest interest for me this meet was the Electrostat comparison. I was a bit shaky about it, because I was concerned it would push me to buy something new, but in the end, my plans for the future haven't really changed. (wallet says yay
)
I've heard the Omega 2 once before, but it was in a store environment, well before I got the 404, and I was only able to listen to classical music (while I love classical, I rarely use it for equipment testing). I knew that the Omaga 2 and the 404 had a different sound to them, but I wasn't prepared for just how different it was. The O2 is no doubt more refined, more controlled and detailed overall, but it also has a much warmer sound, heavy bass, and a smoothness that would be nice for all-day sessions, but isn't really my taste. So, while the O2 is technically the better of the two, it's not what I would really call to my liking.
The 950 on the other hand, was a different beast. Of the Stax amps we had on hand, it was by far the most stable on the 717 - on my amp and Sachu's, you could really hear that these cans were thirsting the additional voltage they were designed for, especially in the looseness of the bass. For that reason, I'm reserving any final judgment on these until Sachu finishes his DIY stat amp. However, I will say that they are very, very capable stats. more neutral than the O2, with more treble and mids to enjoy, tighter and more energetic all around, and the potential for tons of detail - easily more capable in that department than the 404, maybe even the O2 once properly amped. The frequency response is different from the 404, but it's not like a major high-mid-low balance difference, more like a third or half octave shift. It has a markedly different sound from the stax, but without more listening, I wouldn't call one or the other better.
At the moment, if I ever got a new stat amp, I could see modding it to be able to flip to the Koss voltage and owning both cans.
One thing that kept coming to mind, switching between all three - I just can't see any justification for the price difference in the O2s. They are all different, but I can't think of any measure where the O2 is
that much definitively "better". It strikes me as being geared specifically towards people who will spend tons of money to listen to classical music all day long - because that is one thing it would be exceptional for. Possibly for 650 lovers interested in electrostatics too.
This is the first meet where I've actually taken a vested interest in listening to IEMs, mostly due to the presence of the JH headphones. I've had bad experiences with IEMs in the past, and also due to past experience am tentative about anything in my ear canal, so I've avoided them for a few years (thus why I use the K81DJ as portable on the bus to shut out the noise rather than IEMs).
The JH13s were really, really nice. Pretty much what you would expect from a high-end peer/relative of the long touted UE10 - detailed, clean, and very, very well balanced. I listened to them from my Presonus' amp, which is simple, meager, but neutral, which is why I use it a lot for comparing headphones. Their efficiency was really clear in the fact that they didn't really seem to be begging for more. I'm sure they would do well on the more powerful amps, but unlike full-size cans, these can clearly sound pleasing on much less, which I could see offsetting the cost of the headphones themselves somewhat.
The JH11s on the other hand I didn't like. They surprisingly weren't very well balanced, and I kept getting sibilance in the top end, to the point that I wondered if they had fouled up the driver install on that model. Maybe for some tastes, but not mine. For that much money for something geared as a pro monitor, it should be much more neutral.
I would have liked to listen to the JH headphones more, or compare the 13 with the 10 (which was supposedly closer to the 13 than the 11) as dbel and andrew did, but trying to use the universal fit versions of these headphones with the earplugs was really a chore. I was only able to listen to a couple songs each because I was constantly having to adjust them. I think they need some better tip options for the demo units. I did get the impression though that the custom model you would actually buy could be very comfortable.
I also enjoyed the Maximo IM590, it really is a sweet IEM for the price range. Really smooth response with a slight push in the mids that makes for lovely vocals. Nice bass, and otherwise just solid all around. If I had one qualm it would be that the cable wrapping is a bit stiff and microphonic, making it better geared towards home or office use than exercise, where you would get noise from your clothing rubbing on the cable.
And man, the monster IEMs, which I didn't even realize that's what they were when I put them in... It just never ceases to amaze me the crap that company puts out.
The Denon AH-D7000 were a nice refinement over the 2000, but still too much boomy bass for my taste. They remind me distinctly of beyers. However I did really like the physical construction, especially the cable.
The Fostex T10 was also a beautiful sounding piece of history. This stuff really does need to make a comeback.
