Hey everyone, this is my first post in this thread, and I'd like to share some impressions from the Highend Munich show.
Disclaimer: Listening to headphones and IEMs in show conditions isn't very meaningful. There's too much rotation and noise, and things that have an immediate wow-effect often don't hold up in long listening sessions. Conversely, things that don't initially impress can reveal their potential in a home environment over time. For instance, I would have never bought my beloved YH5000 if I had only heard it at a show. Additionally, we all listen to different genres and focus on different elements in the music, so these impressions are highly subjective and personal. That's why I also keep the impressions very short so people do not interprete too much into it.
ZMF Caldera Closed
Similar to the Caldera Open, but with elevated bass. The bass quality is excellent with great texture. However, the slight metallic timbre is as present as in the Caldera Open, which was the reason I sold it.
Raal Immanis & Magna
I had high expectations but was disappointed. Despite their great resolution and bass and special sauce, they did sound very artifical for me, I’d say even incoherent although they just have one driver. I expected so much more.
CFA Bonnville
The bass is very present and balanced by elevated treble, which is quite clean. Good one!
CFA Fathom
The mids had an off tonality and sounded quirky. I did not like it at all. The mid-bass was also bloated, if I recall correctly.
CFA Moon Rover
The best of the CFA lineup for me. It is neutrally tuned but not boring.
A&K Novus
The bass was very bloated with no treble to balance it out. It sounded horrible to me. So horrible, I am not even sure if I was hearing it correctly. Maybe don’t take this impression seriously.
A&K SP3KT
I wanted to check this one for hissing, but the noisy environment made it impossible.
Diana MR&DZ
They did not impress me. They traded tonality for resolution, which some may appreciate, but it lacked the special quality of the Abyss house sound which is dictated by the 1266 for me. But I am very sure it will appeal a lot of people and I think the DZ it is a great addition to the line-up.
Stax X1000
A new tuning approach from Stax, quite neutral with a good amount of bass. It will appeal to many as an entry-level Stax headphone. I liked it, but after listening to the L700 and L500, I knew what I was missing. The tonality change traded some of the typical Stax transparency, crispiness, and texture. Something in between would be my favorite. I'd like to hear it again at home. Stax offers an unbeatable price/performance ratio.
Hifiman Arya Organic
Revisiting after the last Highend, I liked it as much as before. It is a great headphone with nice bass and treble sparkle, mildly V-shaped with mostly no annoying peaks. I need to get this one for further evaluation.
Hifiman Shangri-La Mini
Incredible price/performance ratio. Nicely balanced with neutral bass and some treble elevation, reminiscent of the Susvara. However, it missed the last detail compared to the Susvara, but not by a large margin. This will be an easy recommendation for a lot of people.
Soundz Flame and Avant
I had never heard of them before, but the Flame seems hyped. I did not like either. The treble was not clean, and the bass bled into the mids. Didn’t work with my preferences. But you could tell from the people and build quality, these guys know what they are doing. The build quality was superb.
Final X8000 Prototype
A fresh new tuning that sounds extremely clear and detailed with bass presence. However, it lacks any warmth, and the treble was often over the top for me. Still, it sounds really good, one of the best headphones I've heard. I hope they tame the treble a bit. The prototype had over-ear pads, but I can't imagine how it will work as an on-ear. This will be for sure kind of a game changer in the TOTL market.
AA Composer
Having had it at home, it was the most boring headphone I've ever heard. However, at the show, the bass was outstanding, and the mids were estat-like. I don't know if I had a faulty unit or if it was due to different volume levels at the show. It sounded really good to me. I used my own DAP to drive it, so no source changes. However the AA staff was annoying, very sales driven as the promoter in the corresponding head-fi thread. Which is definitely a reason not to evaluate this headphone again for me.
FIIO FA19
Very natural sounding! The bass had the typical BA timbre. Overall, it did not wow me but could be a good IEM for long listening sessions and will appeal a lot of people!
OAE1
Sounded totally off to me. The mids and treble were quirky, and my favorite tracks sounded different in a bad way. I am also sure half the people will wear it on the wrongly. This was kind of an experience as the AK Novus. Sounded so bad, that I was not sure if I was hearing it correctly. Let’s wait for the mass reviews.
Fostex HP V8
I liked how it looked in pictures, but seeing it in person, this beast is absolutely stunning. What a beauty!
TOTL+ Class:
Hifiman Shangri-La Snr.
A great headphone, but with some sibilance. Like the HE-1 and Aperio, it can make voices sound angelic. However, it is my least favorite of the three.
Sennheiser HE-1
I visited in the morning to avoid long waits. It sounds as described in many reviews: emotional, with present bass, estat speed, and resolution. However, it wasn't the ultimate headphone for me on first listen. The tuning might be beneficial for long-term listening, so I can't fully judge it. I noticed a treble peak that made claps sound unnatural. I don't see any similarity between the Meze Empy II and the HE-1, despite some internet comparisons.
WW Aperio
Revisiting after the last Highend, it remains my absolute favorite headphone. Everything sounds incredible, with the best vocals I've ever heard. The bass is present and deep but not as prominent as on the HE-1, as the mids are the star. However, with more critical listening, the treble could be a bit over the top at times. The black version looks fantastic, and the team is great!
