[adorable]

 

[adorable]

 

[Netforce]

Having fun hanging around my table.

 

[Wild]

Yes! I won the Darin Fong Surround Sound Software in the raffle! This is so awesome!

Anyways, this meet was amazing. I had a ton of fun meeting all you guys. I'll post impressions and pictures soon!

 

[nhlducks35]

I'll be posting my shots to flickr when I get back home

 

[moedawg140]

Yes! I won the Darin Fong Surround Sound Software in the raffle! This is so awesome!

Anyways, this meet was amazing. I had a ton of fun meeting all you guys. I'll post impressions and pictures soon!

 
You are sooo blessed/lucky!  It was nice talking to you and others as well.  Didn't know that Jude was into wrestling (real).  The Darin Fong Out of Your Head Software is amazing, to say the least.  I'll be posting impressions and pictures as well.

 

[adorable]

 

[adorable]

Had a great time at this meet, despite the >.< drive >.< from OC.
 
   Parking here and at SoCal was smart - both near 'free' parking (here, park; SoCal, South Coast Plaza). Recommended that future events take this into consideration.
   Check-in was smooth as easy, and layout was nice though smaller than SoCal's meetup. Still, enough rooms filled with equipment to see for 3+ hours.
 
   Met the designer from Donald North Audio (DNA) who made the blue tube amps you see in the first couple of photos. Much similar to Dr. Cavalli's amps on the adjacent table, both amps were designed by 'neurotic' engineers focused on the perfection of sound according to their dreams of what good sound should be. Similarly, both were dreamy to listen to and fun to play with. He's right - all the black and silver equipment often found in audio can get 'dull' after awhile, and it was refreshing to see that the powder coated blue amps will certainly last quite awhile, if not as long as ol' school powder coated Maytag washers. lol... (what's with washing machines nowadays not being made completely out of powder coated metal?)
   Naturally, both hover south of $3k, which means more saving up here as a student >.< (Not to mention, haven't even gotten into the $1k needed for the Audeze headphones...) Might 3D home printing someday make all this 'affordable'? In any case, some of the best gear I've heard and the first stop today.
 
   Cavalli Amps + Senheisser + Fong's 3D software was mindblowing once again! Literally had music running through my head, then out in every direction you could look at! Seriously good 3D effect, Fong!
 
   A&K's players are certainly 'overkill' - heavy blocks of metal to be fighting devices... yet, not waterproof for use on the beach or snow. Perhaps the next generation of portable players will fill this niche and truly be worthy of allowing you to carry music everywhere and anywhere. Fun to play with, but priorities, priorities - no point buying the quality player if you don't even have a nice set of headphones for $$$. Thus, another item to toss on the piggy bank budget.
 
   One unusual device was the AC noise filter. Never thought whether noise on the AC line would be sufficiently suppressed by the internals of a great amp, so those designing them should pipe up! Do we even need these given the quality and build of a Cavalli or DNA?

   Old school headphones like the K240 were a delight to use with the DNA amps, so definitely lots of 'cheaper' older cans that are worth looking into.
 
   Analog is better! Or so says my ears with the Carrot One running off a real LP. Yes, lots of DSDs out there, but something missing from them - that static? lol... maybe the crackle and pop triggers something basic in humans much like a fireplace? Nice color, too!
 
   K1000 headphones are the design bomb!! And pretty nifty given how you can change the entire soundstage flipping them open. Mind boggling that normal headphones weren't designed like this, but maybe current headphone designers are too scared to try something like this design nowadays? Definitely another one to stick on the purchase list - why do great cans cost $1k+? lol...
 
   Grado RS1e are also the giggles - something about the wood that makes them stand out. Lots of fun with these.

   Subpac subwoofer were interesting. Not my cup of tea to have my back massaged, but my friend did like them for audio editing. Definitely something to try out and see if you'd like, tended to be excessive with some of my favorite tracks.
 
   3D printed Mr Speakers were similar to Audeze with less impact - an openness that you don't find in many other headphones - so an option for those that want planars w/o spending so much. But if you're going to spend $$$ for a Cavalli/DNA, might as well keep going and spend $$ on an Audeze... lol... (much like the US military budget...)
 
   Stomach got cranky around 1:50pm, so that was it for me. Lots of fun, great setup, lots of fun things to discover and new cans to listen to!

   Pick of the day for me would be K1000 cans (so cool)!

 

[n3rdling]

Thanks warren, third_eye and crew for putting this big event together.  Very well planned!  Also, shout out to the guys manning the front desk the entire meet.  Nice seeing all the familiar SoCal faces and friends again.
 
Didn't listen to much, I'll just say Frank Cooter's electrostatic 845 amp with the SR-009 was incredible.  Probably my favorite Cooter amp thus far and that's saying a lot.  What really stood out to me was the perfect balance this amp had between neutrality and lushness.  Just the right amount of romantic edge to the notes.  The case and point to point work were second to none, as always.
 
Thanks Frank for the plank of hardwood.   Also, thanks to MassDrop for donating the HD800s I won!

 

[burnspbesq]

Fun day.  As always, mad props to Warren and Ethan for doing all the heavy lifting required to make this thing work.
 
Schlepping gear to these meets is sometimes a pain, but it's all worth it when somebody shows up with with a new toy, and it's something they heard at your table at a prior meet.
 
Always kinda knew that Gary from Affordable Audio was a cool guy, but when you can have a long conversation with somebody about the pros and cons of various recordings of one piece of music (in this case, Beethoven Symphony No. 9), that clinches it for me.  I'm a future customer.
 
That cute little Carot One amp with one 12AU7 sticking out of the top is a serious value at $319.  Hope a lot of people got to hear it.
 
After getting a lot more seat time with it at this meet than last time around, I've reluctantly decided that I like the Hugo.  Can't get my head around the value proposition, though.  Pretty much the same thing for the AK 240.
 
One day I will own a Bakoon HPA-01.  That thing even sounded great downstream from an X-Sabre!  Can easily envision it sitting on top of my Hilo, or tethered to a Geek Out stuck into a USB port.
 
Sad not to see Jason.  Dude, we missed you.
 
Thanks to all the vendors, and all the enthusiasts, who make these things such fun to attend.

 

[LemSkee]

The bad news: I didn't win SCHIIT!!!

The good news: I finally got to meet Jude and Warren, thank them for keeping my wallet thin, and oh, that Stax SR 009 :: droooool ::

It was awesome - thanks Warren! Happy Birthday again!

 

[gilency]

Congratulations for the HD-800 Milo! Lucky guy you are.
Agree with your impressions. Frank Cooter's 845 electrostatic amplifier stole the show for me. Wonderful sound and amazing workmanship as usual.
It was great to talk to both of you.
And thank you to the organizers for a great show.
I missed not seen Jason from Schiit. He is a great guy.

 

[goldenSHK]

Thanks to all the meet organizers for an amazing and successful meet! This was my 3rd head fi meet and just as awesome as the previous two. Thank you Warren, third_eye, and the guys behind the scenes for a sick day. 
 
Some quick notes:
-I think I might have made history by being the first person in the world to plug an HE6 through 2 different jack converters and cables straight into an iPhone raw with no amp/dac. Special thanks to Peter at Headamp for letting me experiment.....you know...for science...wow. such sound. very planar. 
 
-Grado RS1e + Woo Audio WA6 was just unreasonably good. I mean, I would not even come close to calling myself a Grado fan, but that set-up definitely delivered...and then some. It's worth everyone's time to check that out if there's a chance in the future. 
 
-AKG K1000 was as great as always. I had forgotten how good these cans were since I didn't listen to them since the meet last year at the same location. I need one. Or I guess I can just make my own since they're literally just speakers strapped to your head. 
 
-The new Hifiman (plural Hifimen?) are basically now the gold standard in affordable planar cans. Everyone should listen to them out of a beefy amp. Be amazed how sonic quality of this level costs so little nowadays. 
 
-I digged the Bravissimo amp by Brilliant Zen. Highly recommended and a special little amp in a cool looking, exotic package. 
 
-Shoutout to the guys at Massdrop for being really friendly at their booth as well as donating an HD800 for the raffle. 

 

[Netforce]

Just got back and had some decompress time~
 
Had a great time, this meet was a lot less running around and a lot more sitting and just talking with different head fiers which was great. Members room this meet was a lot more chill and quiet, met quite a few new members and old. Dinner afterwards was awesome and great fun to keep talking about headphones lol
 
Thanks especially to warren and third_eye, all the sponsors, those running the registration table the whole meet, and everyone for coming out!

 

[nhlducks35]

Here are my photos from the event
 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nhlducks35/sets/72157646325585685/