[thaslaya]

I use size Large tips myself, and find many brands' largest size loose enough I wonder if they'd seal better if they were slightly bigger.

Whereas the XL Liqueurs are actually too large for me, so I'm using size Ls instead and wouldn't want them any bigger. Last time I encountered tips too large were the original Symbio W Mandarins which are similarly massive, but less comfortable because their silicone doesn't have a lot of give.

Nice to have more options for those of us who need bigger tips. I also personally dislike when tips only come in 3 sizes, feels like it's difficult to adequately cover the full range of size preferences with just 3.

Same here. When I ordered my first set I went with M,L,XL. The M and L actually work really well for me even though I usually need XL in other brands. I still haven't found any iem that the XL tips work with . They are chonky bois!

 

[FRank liu d]

Let's talk about the L&P W4 and its setup with various cables and devices.

W4 is my favorite USB dongle. I chose the W4 for two reasons. The first reason is its various tuining modes. With its two sound modes, plus five filters, along with several popular iem DSP tunings, the combination of sound adjustments it can produce is quite numerous.

The second reason is that the W4 probably has the best transparency among dongles, faithfully reflecting the sound features of USB cables.

Using just the basic cable, the sound of the W4 is somewhat rough and dull; Among the budget HiFi USB cables, I recommend the QLS's L03, L&P WY1, and DDHiFi's TC07.

The QLS L03 cable has a slightly warmth sound, is loose and pleasant to listen to, with a richness to the vocals. The DDHiFi TC07, on the other hand, has a smooth style for the mid and treble, while the bass is sufficiently bouncy, making the vocals clear and beautiful. These two cables provide a stable connection，though the soundstage positioning and imaging have some slight blurriness.

The WY1, being a separately powered Y-cable, has a specific sound style, which I will detail further in combination with other setups.

 

[KuroKitsu]

An idea is a good thing. However it needs to be seen to completion. I mean you can spend a lot R&D. However, what does that translate to if there is no finished product?

It's not like there's no finished product. Just that they abandon their chosen themes for new ones when it's nowhere close to being even fully explored.

See: Evo and Vogue series

Lets see how many Code and Fusion cables come out before those go the way of the dodo.

 

[FRank liu d]

part 2

Moving on to the high-end cables, I recommend the L&P WP2. With the WP2, the blurriness of the low-end cables is swept away. What is precious is that it is able to integrate details within a natural and expansive soundstage, creating a realism of vocals and instruments live on stage. It is neither the warmth of copper cable nor the slickness of silver cable sound, but a neutral in-between, delicate and natural, with a transparent sound signature, providing the W4 with a very pleasant treble timbre. Therefore, the WP2 has been permanently paired with the W4.

With the wp2 paired with the w4, the sound is as follows:
The default mode of the w4 itself is fast filtering + tune2. Paired with the wp2, the overall sound structure is very exquisite, with punchy bass, and the mid-highs sound very smooth. Another feature is a very wide and three-dimensional soundstage.

Another mode I like is ll fast + tune1. Paired with the wp2, it is a full-bodied sound, bringing vocals closer and increasing the reverb in the bass area but sacrificing a bit of clarity. In terms of the sound field, the soundstage becomes more focused, and the depth is extended. It's more suitable for vocals and live performances.

I originally thought that the wp2 combined with the w4 had already a best match among others, allowing me to listen to music comfortably for several years.Then, soundaware released the pa1, and L&P released their own "advanced plan" for the dongle and USB DACs，the wy1 cable.

 

[FRank liu d]

Part3

The pa1 is a USB interface for mobile devices, designed to filter and reduce noise for USB signals and USB power supply. However, I was initially disappointed because the pa1 could not power on the digital source hiby digital m300. Although my phone could power on the pa1, it sounded more muffled than directly from the m300, so I set the pa1 aside.

It was not until L&P released the wy1 that, luckly , the pa1 was given new life on the m300.

After getting the wy1, I eagerly connected it to the hiby m300 and a power bank. With the support of independent power supply, the sound of the w4 became more dynamic, greatly extending both tre and bass and further enhancing what I thought was already a large soundstage. I also noticed that the wy1 itself is a very neutral, high-resolution sound. superior to qls and dd in quality, but lacking the natural smoothness of the wp2.

The significant improvement of the w4 with enhancements in dynamics, density, soundstage, and bass, truly indulging my ears. Of course, I still miss the natural and smooth sound of the wp2.

How to combine the grand, dynamic sound of the wy1 with the natural tone of the wp2, I thought of the soundaware pa1. I decide to tryout the pa1. I plugged the
Pa1 into the wy1, then connected the other end to the wp2, and anxiously connected the power bank:it just works!

At that moment, I realized that the so-called incompatibility of the pa1 with the m300 might be because the otg USB port of the m300 couldn't drive the pa1.

When the wy1+pa1+wp2+w4 are combined, the sound of this setup is incredible, instruments and vocalist surrounded me seems like true to life. It changes the stereotype of me on dongle sound.

Currently, I am extremely satisfied with this setup.

 

[Frankie D]

A Cross Post from CanJam NYC. I hope you all enjoy it.

Miscellaneous Meandering, Rantings and Ravings at CanJam NYC 2024

This year I decided to go to the big city on Thursday and stay through Monday. We were going to have a mini CanJAm on Friday afternoon with Eyal (@goldwerger) and I figured why not see a Broadway play on Thursday night. Now, if you remember mhy story from last year, I was unable to get my favorite eggplant roll on the ride home (I live about 60 miles north of the city). This year I planned to get one on my drive to the Marriott from my favorite place for them, the Pelham Pizzeria. So, what do I do? I make the wrong turn and miss getting my favorite eggplant roll again! Too much traffic to turn around.

That evening I went to see the play “A Beautiful Noise.” The Neil Diamond Story. I figured Jersey Boys was fabulous, the Carly Simon Play won awards, let’s not miss this one. Big mistake. The play was okay and still entertaining, but as one local newspaper put it: “I could go to a local bar, drop a few coins in the juke box, and sing Sweet Caroline.” Still had a good time.


Everyone singing Sweet Caroline at the end of the play.

Friday came and I met a few folks at Eyal Jam (@goldwerger). We had some great wine and listened to Eyal’s superb collection of HPs on his Riviera AIC-10. A great start to the weekend!

Best sound on Friday went to the Susvara attached to the AIC-10. Below are some of my thoughts:

Caldera Closed: This was not a HP that I connected with. I liked the Caldera Open much better and my Susvara.

Caldera Open: This is a HP I would like to own. It had a nice sound and I would call it a compliment to a Susvara. Great on the Riviera AIC-10. I enjoyed the bass, mids, timbre, etc.

Bokeh Open: I did not care for this HP.

Tungsten 2 Sided: I heard this on the Riviera as well and it had a great sound. It is not in the category of the Susvara or Caldera Open, but I did like the sound and good for the price if you have the kit that can drive it (a CFA-3 will have no issue).

Aroma Audio Fei Wan: I liked the bass, but felt the mids and treble a notch below the Traillii. I do like it though and feel this is one to audition for your collection, especially if you are an Aroma fan.

We went out for Italian on Friday night and were able to have our esteemed leader, Jeff (@rockwell) join us:


Left to Right: Jeff (our fearless leader!), Todd, Frankie (me!), Jim, Mark, Zachi and Eyal.

Mark had the lasagna:


Small portions.


Saturday arrived and CanJAm began!

After a little miscellaneous wondering I entered the HeadAmp Room. There I listened to the CFA3 amplifier. I liked its look and packaging…great job! Sounded good too, but make sure to get the updated version (not available yet) as I will explain below:

Tungsten Single Sided: I heard this on the CFA-3 in the HeadAmp room. It sounded great on the CFA-3 that was still in plexiglass and had some upgrades over the black model. It had strong bass and drive with a nice midrange and treble.

CFA-3: The one still in plexiglass in the HeadAmp room sounded better than the one they had in the black case (which looks great by the way). If you order one, make sure you speak with them and get the upgrades. You do not want it as currently packaged.


Plexi-glass CFA-3

Corina: This is an electrostatic HP that was connected to the Grand Cayman Amp. I did not care for it.

Stax SR-X9000: Besides listening to the amps and HPs previously mentioned, I was able to hear the Stax 9000 connected to the HeadAmp Grand Cayman amp. The Grand Cayman has still not been released, but it sounded fantastic driving the Stax 9000. This was easily the best sound inside the HeadAmp room and one of my stars of the show.

I then spent some time with several IEMs and Todd at the MusicTeck table. I pretty much always compare any IEMs to my Traillii JP to see if they measure up. Most did not, but there were certainly some good ones, and I did enjoy most of them:

UM Mason FS Soleil: I was very disappointed in this IEM. The Red Halo/Le Jardin are some of my favorite IEM’s. Vocal specialists in my opinion and a great compliment to any other IEM. A bit of a caramel-colored midrange for sure, but still revealing and very well done. The Soleil seems to have moved to more of an all-rounder profile and not the best in my opinion. I did not hear the Amber Pearl, but I suspect that is the real follow-on to the Halo/Jardin. My advice would be to pick up a Halo/Jardin if they are available used.

Aroma Audio Fei Wan: As I mentioned earlier. A notch below the Traillii JP, but I liked its bass presentation.

Canpur CP622B: Allot has been made of this IEM lately on the forums. It is certainly a well-made and good sounding IEM. I did like its bass and overall performance. Again, though in direct comparison to my Traillii It gives up some detail, presentation, timbre, and handling of the upper mids and treble. Nevertheless, I thought this a good IEM.

Canpur CP54E: Not bad. Prefer the 622.

Rhapsodio Supreme V3: I did not care for it vs my Traillii.

Vision Ears VE10: I immediately noticed the bass and loved its VE midrange magic. This was the second-best new IEM I heard at CanJam (I am leaving out all IEMs that were available last year (Storm, Multiverse Mentor). I own the VE8, and this is superior, and I would like to own one. Some have mentioned they hear a hiss when using it. On my N8 BB in SS mode and 4.4mm output, I did not hear any hiss (the background noise was like 70DB, but I did have a pretty good seal). Jazz and rock sounded terrific.

Elysian Annihilator 2023: Please allow me to rant a bit. What can I say, I am getting grumpy in my old age. The original Annihilator that so many raved about was bass light and an inferior IEM in my opinion. I wanted to scream after hearing it last year. Yes, I liked its treble, but come on, who buys an IEM, HP, or speaker for treble alone? It must still have good bass and mids, then the treble can be what puts it over the top. The 2023 does improve the bass over the OG, but the mids are not the best and the treble on this one was nothing special. I have heard others state that it provides more details than the Traillii JP or is more resolving. I heard neither. For me there was no area the Traillii JP was not superior. Using some Oscar Peterson, the stringed bass had better timbre and detail on the Traillii. The mids were superior and I think I even liked the treble on the Traillii JP better. Same with Rock and Female Vocals. I did not try EDM. I had some HP friends go try the Annihilator and then try the Traillii and they felt the same. We all hear a bit different, but I would prefer the VE-X any day.

And of course, all my friends were asking me for my take on the new Traillii Ti vs the Traillii JP. Without further ado:



Traillii JP vs Traillii Ti

The Ti had more bass impact overall and possessed a nice overall clarity. However, I felt the JP had the edge in the mids and overall timbre. As for the upper mids/treble, I felt the Ti at times felt clearer, but at other times I felt the JP had the edge in clarity and beauty of voice. All very close. There was an occasion where I felt the treble was not as right as it could be on the Ti, but still overall excellent.

I find it amazing the difference in sound between the two as I learned the inside of the IEMs were the same. The only changes being the wires used, the titanium case and the nozzle. The nozzle is larger, and it did take me some time to get my tips on them, but once fitted the Ti did fit me well. The Ti’s sound can be thought of as complimentary to the JP.

Overall edge still goes to the Traillii JP in my book.

However, the best new IEM at the show IMHO is the Traillii Ti. I did not feel it was even close; the Ti had an edge to me overall. I felt the new UM was not close, nor the Canpur, or the FeiWan. All good, but the Ti grabbed me.

And now for the yearly Watercooler Photo:


Compliments of Alex with all our names added. Last year we were 11, now 28! Well 25 at least without the vendors/manufacturers.


Time for the Abyss room to hear one of my favorite HPs, the 1266 Phi TC. I was able to listen to it connected to both the Riviera AIC-10 and the Woo Audio WA-33 while using a Reel-to-Reel player in addition to my DAP.





For whatever reason, my mood, who knows, the 1266 did not make as great an impression on me as in prior years. Probably due to the fit. You need to spend time adjusting the fit and position of the earpads. While I thought they were set, perhaps I needed to further change their position. Still good sound overall, just not one of the best this year. I did still prefer them to the Diana.

I also spent some time with a few HP amps connected to my Susvara:

Riviera AIC-10 Amp: top notch. I could easily see this being someone’s top amp.

Viva Egoista 845: One of the best sounding amps at the show. It drove my Sus with ease and sounded terrific in the Viva room.

Mass-Kobo 465: I was able to meet the designer of this amplifier, Masuda san, in person at the show. I really liked this amplifier. The bass on my Susvara sounded crisp and powerful and the mids and treble were also excellent. For me this was in contention for top amp I could afford. I want one.

Zahl HM-1: I still love this amplifier. I was able to get it to sound close to the Mass-Kobo 465 and it can also sound much different due to its analog controls and ability to be pure Class A or introduce a bit of feedback. It can make the Susvara sing.


Zahl HM-1


Mass-Kobo 465


Masuda san and myself comparing our bellies!

Saturday night we went out for a good steak dinner at Keens Steakhouse in the city. Their signature dish is the Mutton Chop which many of us just had to try:



It was terrific. Highly recommended and tasted better than everything I heard that day!


Eyal took good care of us at dinner, and we all had a fabulous time. Mark, second from the left and next to Jeff is actually Italian.
He just does not remember!

Sunday came and I was able to listen to the Sennheiser HE-1!

Sennheiser HE-1: I finally made it to hear the HE-1 at one of these CanJams. A big thank you to Zachi for setting me up with his appointment! I was not disappointed. It is a beautiful sounding set and the HPs are extremely comfortable. Open sounding with a great midrange, matching bass, and treble. These would be special to own.


Sennheiser HE-1 in the off position. The tubes and controls are receded into the marble.


Sennheiser HE-1 Powered On. Even the lid for the HPs opens for you.

After visiting with Sennheiser it was recommended I listen to the new Raal HPs:

Raal Immanis and Magna: These were expensive ribbon-based HPs and they were excellent. The Magna has 2 ribbon drivers per side and the Immanis has 3. I preferred the Immanis, but some did feel the Magna had a more intimate sound. The stage of the Immanis is larger and the presentation grander. These were fabulous sounding HP’s and would get my vote for best sound at the show, except for the HE1 and Narukami with my Susvara attached (more on this later). The Raal might even be able to surpass the HE-1. Time will tell as these are still early in their manufacturing. The ribbons they use remind me of the ribbons used on the Apogee speakers of old (and these were also impressive to my ears). I was told Raal controls the sound by the tension of each ribbon driver. They also come with a neat stand that doubles as the connector to allow your amp to work with them. These sounded like they had it all (bass, mids, treble, soundstage, etc.).

The Raal Immanis is probably the HP I want the most from the show.



How about a few more IEMs:

EE Raven: I only spent a very short amount of time with it. The first time was extremely brief as we were going to dinner (this was before the show began on Friday night) and then during the show, but I got pulled away again to listen to something else, but I make it back for a 3rd appearance. In any event, I did like it. It was not my favorite at the show, but one I would not mind spending some more time with in the future. Check one out if possible.

Dita Perpetua: A nice IEM but was nothing special for me.

AT the A&K Table:
Vision Ears Aura: A few folks preferred this to the VE-X. Not me. I preferred the VE-X as I felt the mids and bass were superior.

Empire Ears Novus: Interesting design. I would rather own the Raven. Not bad, but the Raven sounded better to me across its frequency range.

A&K SP3000T: I did not like this DAP. It sounded way inferior to my N8. Now, in discussing this later at dinner, it was brought to my attention that perhaps I did not have it in tube mode. I thought I did and had been discussing it with the rep, but perhaps it was not actually in the correct mode. I do know some others that did like it. It is interesting in that the tube is an actual tube and not an electronic nu-tube. However, it cannot be banged around due to this fact.

64 Audio Volur: This another recent release getting some headlines in 64 Audio land. For me, it does not touch the Fourte, U12 or U18.

Fir Audio Radon 6: Our Watercooler community gave this an award for its popularity in 2023. This is another IEM I do not particularly care for. Again, in comparison to my Traillii I do not hear any additional details or even increased bass. It loses out across the board and in overall timbre. I prefer the XE6, VE-X, Fei Wan, and Ti especially.

Fir Audio XE6: I like this one much better. The bass impact was more solid sounding, and I also liked its handling of the mids and treble better than the RN6.

Campfire Fathom: A great $1000 IEM. The Fathom reminds me of the first time I heard the Andromeda years ago. It makes a great impression and is a fun sounding IEM.

Campfire Trifecta: Still that Trifecta 3 DD sound. If you ever wanted to describe something as the sound of “pure analogue” these are it. Good bass and a nice balance (if a bit dark) with the mids and treble. These would make a fabulous compliment to a collection of Traillii JP, Traillii Ti, Red Halo/Le Jardin, and Trifecta. What the heck, let’s add in an ERLK and a custom VE-10 just because…. My birthday is coming up if you are interested!

I heard a bunch of others, but nothing that made an impression.

Sony DMP-Z1: Kishore had his DMP-Z1 with him. I could not believe he was carrying this around all weekend. He carefully unpacked it for me and let me give it a listen. This is an amazing DAP. Obviously, it is not really a DAP, but a mobile desktop unit. It is extremely well made, looks great and sounds terrific. He was using it as an amp and feeding it via his DAP. I found this to be terrific and superior to the Lotoo Mjolnir which has a list of $6,999.00. Kishore said these come up for about $3,000.00 used. If you have the use case, I highly recommend going for the DMP-Z1. The volume knob alone might swing you.

I listened to the Spirit Torino HPs, IEM, and Amp. I like the designer and he will gladly spend his time with you answering questions. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of their sound. I like a more “solid” sound for lack of a better description.

In the ZMF room I was able to audition the Bokeh again (I still did not care for it, open or closed) and the Atriums using the Holo Audio Stack which is what I own for my HPs.

Atrium Open: I heard this on the Holo Audio May/Bliss stack as I mentioned and it sounded very good, but there was one I liked better:

Atrium Closed: I liked this much better than the AO. I heard the difference immediately. I preferred the bass and overall sound of this HP allot. I may have liked this better out of the Holo Stack than the Caldera Open out of the Riviera. Do I get one this year or wait? This HP impressed me. What a great sound. Great bass and overall coherency.

I would like to own both Atriums and the Caldera Open.


Holo Audio Stack


ZMF Atrium Closed On The Left

Now, what was my best sound at the show? This year that is an easy question. The Audio Technica Narukami Amp connected to my Susvara. And it was not close. A shout out to Eyal for letting me know to use my Susvara during the audition.

Narukami Amp: Is this the best HP amp ever made? Based on my audition the answer is yes. Will I ever own one? At $108,000.00 the answer to that is probably no (AT will throw in their HP). I was lucky to be able to set up my appointment. While at the show I ran into another headphone buddy, and he came with me for the audition. It was kind of funny as he was telling me how his Susvara was dialed in at home using the Trafomatic Primavera Amp and how much he loved that sound. Then I connected my Susvara to the Narukami, and the sound floored him. For me, this was easily the best sound of the show. Even the mighty HE-1 could not touch the sound being produced by my Susvara driven by the Narukami. The bass was vibrant, the mids refined and the treble about perfect. Details were easy to hear, and all so musical. We listened to the Oscar Peterson Trio doing West Side Story, Michael Jackson’s Billy Jean, Jethro Tull, Adel’s Hello, some other rock tunes I did not write down and Steely Dan’s Deacon Blues. This was a “WOW!“ moment for my friend and me. This was the closest I have heard a headphone system come to my 2-channel system. Wow again!

After this audition I went back to the Raal table to see how the Immanis compared. The Susvara-Narukami was unfortunately way better. I have been spoiled. Damn Audio Technica!

The Narukami HP was nothing special and I did not care for it out of the Riviera AIC-10 or the Narukami amp. The rep told us that AT was working on a better HP.


Audio Technica Narukami Amplifier

And the Highlight of the Show? The Mutton Chop!

CanJam 2024 was over and Eyal, Jim, Zachi and me went to a great Greek restaurant for dinner. The final Four!


Left to Right: Eyal, Jim, Zachi and Frankie. The Final 4!

And now it was time to go home. I left the Marriott on Monday. And I finally made it to the Pelham Pizzeria and brought home eggplant rolls for the family. Dinner was great!

All my best to everyone! Till next year!

 

[Sebastien Chiu]

Booo

They had an idea for a project then it left on the midnight train going anywhere the url would take them except their website

@JordonEA @Suyang and I cannot confirm nor deny

 

[Andricop]

I can remember buying a 128mb usb stick in Andora duty free for £150 and being super excited about the HUGE capacity I could carry in my pocket I am old it's was at least 20 years ago

Exactly! 25 years ago I was so excited to buy the just released 8 MB Smartmedia card for my Fuji Finepix700 digital camera.
Price was not even in €uros yet at that time ...

 

[littlexx26]

My very own Mjolnir will be in house today, looking forward to having it back, getting some nice unboxing pictures and getting my review posted for you guys.

On other big news for myself....my lovely ciem Vikings are complete and en route to me soon. Thank you very much @FullCircle you and your team did an absolutely outstanding job. They are gorgeous and turned out better than imagined.

got your Mjolnir?

 

[armstrj2]

I have taken a little time to digest everything I heard over the past weekend in Amsterdam. There was truly a huge amount of gear on show.

Before I get into impressions, I want to thank @drftr for being crazy enough to take this from an idea into reality. Having a meet-up in the EU has often been mentioned in the past, but it never gained any traction. I am certainly glad it did this time, as it was a fantastic weekend on many different levels.

Being able to meet in person people who I consider to be very good friends and to make new friends with people who are likewise submersed in this hobby was the most enjoyable part of the weekend for me. I had some really memorable chats and interactions with people over drinks and dinner on Friday and Saturday night, and it’s always interesting to see at meet ups like this how people who are very different in their own way, have so much in common because of this hobby. The shared passion was evident among the group of really nice and humble people.

The tables, which were packed with probably €200 to 300K worth of audio gear, were also a pretty nice experience, too!

Amsterdam was a fantastic location for the meet-up to be held. Quite easy for most of us to get to and the public transport system is top notch. A pretty great city to go out for a few drinks in, too.

@MatW and his wife really went out of their way to host us in an excellent venue, which was ideal for both listening and getting to know everyone. All bases were well and truly covered, and it’s set a very high bar for future meet-ups!

I got to listen to and enjoy a lot of gear which, for the most part, I hadn’t heard before:

Sources:
L&P P6 Pro Ti
L&P LP6 Ti AE
Sony 1ZM2
Cayin N30LE
iBasso DX300 Max
iBasso DX320 Max
iBasso PB5
Questyle CMA18

Cables:
PWA Orphy
Beat Audio Cyclone
Beat Audio Billow

IEMs:
Traillii Ti
Rhapsodio Supreme V3
Simphonio P-Zero
Storm
Canpur 622B
64A Volur
VE X
Fir RN6
OG Traillii to compare to Ti

On Friday evening, @Tokpakorlo had us suitably excited to hear Traillii Ti with Orphy and his LP6 Ti AE, and it didn’t fail to deliver on Saturday morning when I got to listen to it. Traillii isn’t the type of set I would usually gravitate towards, but you can’t help being sucked into the bubble it creates where you just enjoy the music and the world around you fades out.

I listened to the OG Traillii again to compare, and I came away feeling they were different IEMs in their own right and not really a replacement or upgrade for one or the other. Traillii Ti has better detail and resolution for me. It has better bass control but less overall quantity. The OG Traillii has what I would call wetter bass in comparison, and its almost unique lush mids. Easy to like both. Before I listened, I thought I would lean towards the OG Traillii, but I came away leaning more towards the Ti.

The LP6 Ti AE is a powerful beast which produces a smooth, detailed and dense sound. It is quite unique sounding. Bass texture and control were superb when listening with my Kinera Loki and you get a tactile thump with each hit.

The combination of LP6 Ti AE > Orphy > Traillii Ti has an eye-watering price tag, but it’s easy to see why Tokpa rates it so highly. His enthusiasm for that chain was infectious!



I loved the sound produced by the iBasso PB5. It was a really nice combination with my Loki, but alas, I found the volume control close to impossible to use with my RS8 as the steps either made it too loud or not loud enough, and it was a frustrating experience. On Sunday, I got to try the PB5 with Mat’s DX300 Max, and it was a much better experience for volume control vs the RS8. It would need to work better with RS8 for me to buy it, though, which was a shame.

The Simphonio P-Zero is a set I knew nothing about going into the meet up. The build quality is superb. The polished steel body and stunning faceplates are all very high quality. I only had a short listen to it as we were finishing up but it sounded very nice. It’s the type of set I’d like to spend more time with to get to know it but that is probably unlikely as I don’t think there are a lot of them in circulation.

The P-Zero was paired with the Beat Audio Cyclone cable, which I took the opportunity to try with my XE6. It is a very coloured cable, which did make me utter the word “wow” when I hit play with XE6. Bass levels were insane with it but it remained well controlled. It won’t be for everyone but I will definitely pick one up. It is very supple for an 8 wire and they look better in hand than some of the pictures make them look.

The Canpur 622B, 64Audio Volur, VE X and Fir RN6 were all very nice in their own way. The 622B was detailed and clean sounding, with a great soundstage that wrapped around you. VE X is smooth and very easy to listen to. It could be a stunning set if it had a little more detail. Volur has really nice bass quality and quantity. I struggled a little to get a good seal with the tips I had on hand, but it was very enjoyable, and I had no issues with the treble peak that shows on graphs. RN6 I enjoyed too. Played everything well and was easy to listen to.



On Sunday, I got a chance to try the Questyle CMA18. I had been keeping an eye on it since it was launched, as I loved the design. I really wasn’t expecting much from it, but I loved it. I have been looking for something light and portable to use when out and about, and I think I found it in CMA18. Sound quality was really great, and it is a fantastic looking device. @davidmolliere had quite cleverly stuck a Magsafe mount to the back of the device so you can magnetically attach it to an iPhone. Very impressive sound quality from such a small footprint.

Out of all the sources I tried, RS8 is still the most suitable for my tastes but I was delighted to get to hear all these other great devices. I’d be happy with any of them at the end of the day, but it would be great if we could cram the level of sound quality now available in the totl models into much smaller and lighter packages!

I’m sorry I didn’t take more picture but I was too busy listening and chatting and forgot! Thanks to everyone again who orgnaised and took part in what was a great weekend. Can’t wait for the next one and hopefully we can get some conversations about that started soon.

 

[Steranko]

A Cross Post from CanJam NYC. I hope you all enjoy it.

Miscellaneous Meandering, Rantings and Ravings at CanJam NYC 2024

This year I decided to go to the big city on Thursday and stay through Monday. We were going to have a mini CanJAm on Friday afternoon with Eyal (@goldwerger) and I figured why not see a Broadway play on Thursday night. Now, if you remember mhy story from last year, I was unable to get my favorite eggplant roll on the ride home (I live about 60 miles north of the city). This year I planned to get one on my drive to the Marriott from my favorite place for them, the Pelham Pizzeria. So, what do I do? I make the wrong turn and miss getting my favorite eggplant roll again! Too much traffic to turn around.

That evening I went to see the play “A Beautiful Noise.” The Neil Diamond Story. I figured Jersey Boys was fabulous, the Carly Simon Play won awards, let’s not miss this one. Big mistake. The play was okay and still entertaining, but as one local newspaper put it: “I could go to a local bar, drop a few coins in the juke box, and sing Sweet Caroline.” Still had a good time.


Everyone singing Sweet Caroline at the end of the play.

Friday came and I met a few folks at Eyal Jam (@goldwerger). We had some great wine and listened to Eyal’s superb collection of HPs on his Riviera AIC-10. A great start to the weekend!

Best sound on Friday went to the Susvara attached to the AIC-10. Below are some of my thoughts:

Caldera Closed: This was not a HP that I connected with. I liked the Caldera Open much better and my Susvara.

Caldera Open: This is a HP I would like to own. It had a nice sound and I would call it a compliment to a Susvara. Great on the Riviera AIC-10. I enjoyed the bass, mids, timbre, etc.

Bokeh Open: I did not care for this HP.

Tungsten 2 Sided: I heard this on the Riviera as well and it had a great sound. It is not in the category of the Susvara or Caldera Open, but I did like the sound and good for the price if you have the kit that can drive it (a CFA-3 will have no issue).

Aroma Audio Fei Wan: I liked the bass, but felt the mids and treble a notch below the Traillii. I do like it though and feel this is one to audition for your collection, especially if you are an Aroma fan.

We went out for Italian on Friday night and were able to have our esteemed leader, Jeff (@rockwell) join us:


Left to Right: Jeff (our fearless leader!), Todd, Frankie (me!), Jim, Mark, Zachi and Eyal.

Mark had the lasagna:


Small portions.


Saturday arrived and CanJAm began!

After a little miscellaneous wondering I entered the HeadAmp Room. There I listened to the CFA3 amplifier. I liked its look and packaging…great job! Sounded good too, but make sure to get the updated version (not available yet) as I will explain below:

Tungsten Single Sided: I heard this on the CFA-3 in the HeadAmp room. It sounded great on the CFA-3 that was still in plexiglass and had some upgrades over the black model. It had strong bass and drive with a nice midrange and treble.

CFA-3: The one still in plexiglass in the HeadAmp room sounded better than the one they had in the black case (which looks great by the way). If you order one, make sure you speak with them and get the upgrades. You do not want it as currently packaged.


Plexi-glass CFA-3

Corina: This is an electrostatic HP that was connected to the Grand Cayman Amp. I did not care for it.

Stax SR-X9000: Besides listening to the amps and HPs previously mentioned, I was able to hear the Stax 9000 connected to the HeadAmp Grand Cayman amp. The Grand Cayman has still not been released, but it sounded fantastic driving the Stax 9000. This was easily the best sound inside the HeadAmp room and one of my stars of the show.

I then spent some time with several IEMs and Todd at the MusicTeck table. I pretty much always compare any IEMs to my Traillii JP to see if they measure up. Most did not, but there were certainly some good ones, and I did enjoy most of them:

UM Mason FS Soleil: I was very disappointed in this IEM. The Red Halo/Le Jardin are some of my favorite IEM’s. Vocal specialists in my opinion and a great compliment to any other IEM. A bit of a caramel-colored midrange for sure, but still revealing and very well done. The Soleil seems to have moved to more of an all-rounder profile and not the best in my opinion. I did not hear the Amber Pearl, but I suspect that is the real follow-on to the Halo/Jardin. My advice would be to pick up a Halo/Jardin if they are available used.

Aroma Audio Fei Wan: As I mentioned earlier. A notch below the Traillii JP, but I liked its bass presentation.

Canpur CP622B: Allot has been made of this IEM lately on the forums. It is certainly a well-made and good sounding IEM. I did like its bass and overall performance. Again, though in direct comparison to my Traillii It gives up some detail, presentation, timbre, and handling of the upper mids and treble. Nevertheless, I thought this a good IEM.

Canpur CP54E: Not bad. Prefer the 622.

Rhapsodio Supreme V3: I did not care for it vs my Traillii.

Vision Ears VE10: I immediately noticed the bass and loved its VE midrange magic. This was the second-best new IEM I heard at CanJam (I am leaving out all IEMs that were available last year (Storm, Multiverse Mentor). I own the VE8, and this is superior, and I would like to own one. Some have mentioned they hear a hiss when using it. On my N8 BB in SS mode and 4.4mm output, I did not hear any hiss (the background noise was like 70DB, but I did have a pretty good seal). Jazz and rock sounded terrific.

Elysian Annihilator 2023: Please allow me to rant a bit. What can I say, I am getting grumpy in my old age. The original Annihilator that so many raved about was bass light and an inferior IEM in my opinion. I wanted to scream after hearing it last year. Yes, I liked its treble, but come on, who buys an IEM, HP, or speaker for treble alone? It must still have good bass and mids, then the treble can be what puts it over the top. The 2023 does improve the bass over the OG, but the mids are not the best and the treble on this one was nothing special. I have heard others state that it provides more details than the Traillii JP or is more resolving. I heard neither. For me there was no area the Traillii JP was not superior. Using some Oscar Peterson, the stringed bass had better timbre and detail on the Traillii. The mids were superior and I think I even liked the treble on the Traillii JP better. Same with Rock and Female Vocals. I did not try EDM. I had some HP friends go try the Annihilator and then try the Traillii and they felt the same. We all hear a bit different, but I would prefer the VE-X any day.

And of course, all my friends were asking me for my take on the new Traillii Ti vs the Traillii JP. Without further ado:



Traillii JP vs Traillii Ti

The Ti had more bass impact overall and possessed a nice overall clarity. However, I felt the JP had the edge in the mids and overall timbre. As for the upper mids/treble, I felt the Ti at times felt clearer, but at other times I felt the JP had the edge in clarity and beauty of voice. All very close. There was an occasion where I felt the treble was not as right as it could be on the Ti, but still overall excellent.

I find it amazing the difference in sound between the two as I learned the inside of the IEMs were the same. The only changes being the wires used, the titanium case and the nozzle. The nozzle is larger, and it did take me some time to get my tips on them, but once fitted the Ti did fit me well. The Ti’s sound can be thought of as complimentary to the JP.

Overall edge still goes to the Traillii JP in my book.

However, the best new IEM at the show IMHO is the Traillii Ti. I did not feel it was even close; the Ti had an edge to me overall. I felt the new UM was not close, nor the Canpur, or the FeiWan. All good, but the Ti grabbed me.

And now for the yearly Watercooler Photo:


Compliments of Alex with all our names added. Last year we were 11, now 28! Well 25 at least without the vendors/manufacturers.


Time for the Abyss room to hear one of my favorite HPs, the 1266 Phi TC. I was able to listen to it connected to both the Riviera AIC-10 and the Woo Audio WA-33 while using a Reel-to-Reel player in addition to my DAP.





For whatever reason, my mood, who knows, the 1266 did not make as great an impression on me as in prior years. Probably due to the fit. You need to spend time adjusting the fit and position of the earpads. While I thought they were set, perhaps I needed to further change their position. Still good sound overall, just not one of the best this year. I did still prefer them to the Diana.

I also spent some time with a few HP amps connected to my Susvara:

Riviera AIC-10 Amp: top notch. I could easily see this being someone’s top amp.

Viva Egoista 845: One of the best sounding amps at the show. It drove my Sus with ease and sounded terrific in the Viva room.

Mass-Kobo 465: I was able to meet the designer of this amplifier, Masuda san, in person at the show. I really liked this amplifier. The bass on my Susvara sounded crisp and powerful and the mids and treble were also excellent. For me this was in contention for top amp I could afford. I want one.

Zahl HM-1: I still love this amplifier. I was able to get it to sound close to the Mass-Kobo 465 and it can also sound much different due to its analog controls and ability to be pure Class A or introduce a bit of feedback. It can make the Susvara sing.


Zahl HM-1


Mass-Kobo 465


Masuda san and myself comparing our bellies!

Saturday night we went out for a good steak dinner at Keens Steakhouse in the city. Their signature dish is the Mutton Chop which many of us just had to try:



It was terrific. Highly recommended and tasted better than everything I heard that day!


Eyal took good care of us at dinner, and we all had a fabulous time. Mark, second from the left and next to Jeff is actually Italian.
He just does not remember!

Sunday came and I was able to listen to the Sennheiser HE-1!

Sennheiser HE-1: I finally made it to hear the HE-1 at one of these CanJams. A big thank you to Zachi for setting me up with his appointment! I was not disappointed. It is a beautiful sounding set and the HPs are extremely comfortable. Open sounding with a great midrange, matching bass, and treble. These would be special to own.


Sennheiser HE-1 in the off position. The tubes and controls are receded into the marble.


Sennheiser HE-1 Powered On. Even the lid for the HPs opens for you.

After visiting with Sennheiser it was recommended I listen to the new Raal HPs:

Raal Immanis and Magna: These were expensive ribbon-based HPs and they were excellent. The Magna has 2 ribbon drivers per side and the Immanis has 3. I preferred the Immanis, but some did feel the Magna had a more intimate sound. The stage of the Immanis is larger and the presentation grander. These were fabulous sounding HP’s and would get my vote for best sound at the show, except for the HE1 and Narukami with my Susvara attached (more on this later). The Raal might even be able to surpass the HE-1. Time will tell as these are still early in their manufacturing. The ribbons they use remind me of the ribbons used on the Apogee speakers of old (and these were also impressive to my ears). I was told Raal controls the sound by the tension of each ribbon driver. They also come with a neat stand that doubles as the connector to allow your amp to work with them. These sounded like they had it all (bass, mids, treble, soundstage, etc.).

The Raal Immanis is probably the HP I want the most from the show.



How about a few more IEMs:

EE Raven: I only spent a very short amount of time with it. The first time was extremely brief as we were going to dinner (this was before the show began on Friday night) and then during the show, but I got pulled away again to listen to something else, but I make it back for a 3rd appearance. In any event, I did like it. It was not my favorite at the show, but one I would not mind spending some more time with in the future. Check one out if possible.

Dita Perpetua: A nice IEM but was nothing special for me.

AT the A&K Table:
Vision Ears Aura: A few folks preferred this to the VE-X. Not me. I preferred the VE-X as I felt the mids and bass were superior.

Empire Ears Novus: Interesting design. I would rather own the Raven. Not bad, but the Raven sounded better to me across its frequency range.

A&K SP3000T: I did not like this DAP. It sounded way inferior to my N8. Now, in discussing this later at dinner, it was brought to my attention that perhaps I did not have it in tube mode. I thought I did and had been discussing it with the rep, but perhaps it was not actually in the correct mode. I do know some others that did like it. It is interesting in that the tube is an actual tube and not an electronic nu-tube. However, it cannot be banged around due to this fact.

64 Audio Volur: This another recent release getting some headlines in 64 Audio land. For me, it does not touch the Fourte, U12 or U18.

Fir Audio Radon 6: Our Watercooler community gave this an award for its popularity in 2023. This is another IEM I do not particularly care for. Again, in comparison to my Traillii I do not hear any additional details or even increased bass. It loses out across the board and in overall timbre. I prefer the XE6, VE-X, Fei Wan, and Ti especially.

Fir Audio XE6: I like this one much better. The bass impact was more solid sounding, and I also liked its handling of the mids and treble better than the RN6.

Campfire Fathom: A great $1000 IEM. The Fathom reminds me of the first time I heard the Andromeda years ago. It makes a great impression and is a fun sounding IEM.

Campfire Trifecta: Still that Trifecta 3 DD sound. If you ever wanted to describe something as the sound of “pure analogue” these are it. Good bass and a nice balance (if a bit dark) with the mids and treble. These would make a fabulous compliment to a collection of Traillii JP, Traillii Ti, Red Halo/Le Jardin, and Trifecta. What the heck, let’s add in an ERLK and a custom VE-10 just because…. My birthday is coming up if you are interested!

I heard a bunch of others, but nothing that made an impression.

Sony DMP-Z1: Kishore had his DMP-Z1 with him. I could not believe he was carrying this around all weekend. He carefully unpacked it for me and let me give it a listen. This is an amazing DAP. Obviously, it is not really a DAP, but a mobile desktop unit. It is extremely well made, looks great and sounds terrific. He was using it as an amp and feeding it via his DAP. I found this to be terrific and superior to the Lotoo Mjolnir which has a list of $6,999.00. Kishore said these come up for about $3,000.00 used. If you have the use case, I highly recommend going for the DMP-Z1. The volume knob alone might swing you.

I listened to the Spirit Torino HPs, IEM, and Amp. I like the designer and he will gladly spend his time with you answering questions. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of their sound. I like a more “solid” sound for lack of a better description.

In the ZMF room I was able to audition the Bokeh again (I still did not care for it, open or closed) and the Atriums using the Holo Audio Stack which is what I own for my HPs.

Atrium Open: I heard this on the Holo Audio May/Bliss stack as I mentioned and it sounded very good, but there was one I liked better:

Atrium Closed: I liked this much better than the AO. I heard the difference immediately. I preferred the bass and overall sound of this HP allot. I may have liked this better out of the Holo Stack than the Caldera Open out of the Riviera. Do I get one this year or wait? This HP impressed me. What a great sound. Great bass and overall coherency.

I would like to own both Atriums and the Caldera Open.


Holo Audio Stack


ZMF Atrium Closed On The Left

Now, what was my best sound at the show? This year that is an easy question. The Audio Technica Narukami Amp connected to my Susvara. And it was not close. A shout out to Eyal for letting me know to use my Susvara during the audition.

Narukami Amp: Is this the best HP amp ever made? Based on my audition the answer is yes. Will I ever own one? At $108,000.00 the answer to that is probably no (AT will throw in their HP). I was lucky to be able to set up my appointment. While at the show I ran into another headphone buddy, and he came with me for the audition. It was kind of funny as he was telling me how his Susvara was dialed in at home using the Trafomatic Primavera Amp and how much he loved that sound. Then I connected my Susvara to the Narukami, and the sound floored him. For me, this was easily the best sound of the show. Even the mighty HE-1 could not touch the sound being produced by my Susvara driven by the Narukami. The bass was vibrant, the mids refined and the treble about perfect. Details were easy to hear, and all so musical. We listened to the Oscar Peterson Trio doing West Side Story, Michael Jackson’s Billy Jean, Jethro Tull, Adel’s Hello, some other rock tunes I did not write down and Steely Dan’s Deacon Blues. This was a “WOW!“ moment for my friend and me. This was the closest I have heard a headphone system come to my 2-channel system. Wow again!

After this audition I went back to the Raal table to see how the Immanis compared. The Susvara-Narukami was unfortunately way better. I have been spoiled. Damn Audio Technica!

The Narukami HP was nothing special and I did not care for it out of the Riviera AIC-10 or the Narukami amp. The rep told us that AT was working on a better HP.


Audio Technica Narukami Amplifier

And the Highlight of the Show? The Mutton Chop!

CanJam 2024 was over and Eyal, Jim, Zachi and me went to a great Greek restaurant for dinner. The final Four!


Left to Right: Eyal, Jim, Zachi and Frankie. The Final 4!

And now it was time to go home. I left the Marriott on Monday. And I finally made it to the Pelham Pizzeria and brought home eggplant rolls for the family. Dinner was great!

All my best to everyone! Till next year!

Great all round review. That steak was glaring at me

 

[Oschi]

Here are my listening impressions from the Amsterdam weekend
I have to say in advance that I have very little listening experience with different IEMs. I have owned the InEar Prophile 8 for about 7 years and am very satisfied with it. I now miss a little pressure in the bass range, which is why I started looking for an alternative...
I also realized that I am not able to approach the evaluation of my sound impression analytically. With every attempt like this, after a very short time I drift off again to follow the music. That's why my gut does the judging for me
I started with the Elysian Annihilator 2023 by @Leto_Dal, which I really liked, also because of the beautiful space. But I was quickly overwhelmed by the bass.
Afterwards I was allowed to try the VE Aura from @Alexzander: Less spacious than the Anni but very balanced. It has the bass that I miss with the PP8.
I can't remember the chronological order for the other sets. The Canpur CP622B from @MatW had too little bass and spatiality. I really liked the UM Mentor from @MSwiss, but unfortunately it lacked a little pressure in the bass. @MatW's Noble Ragnar was too bright for me. The Noble Kublai Khan was balanced with nice spatial depth, but lacked bass pressure (thanks to @oliveradr). I really liked the Fir Radon 6 from @Quartex without any reservations. The Oriolus Trailli Ti from @Tokpakorlo captivated me, but I still missed the bass feel. I gave @MatW my PP8 to demonstrate to him what level of development I was at (I guess he wasn't particularly impressed by either thing ) He recommended the EE Legend Evo to me. Unfortunately, this turned out to be too dark for me. When I asked about a neutral, referential IEM, he handed me the Aroma Jewel: I really liked it - I didn't really want to give it back to him.
Mentally overwhelmed/exhausted since the second set, I borrowed the VE Aura again. This was probably a mistake. The listener immediately drew me into the music. What followed was:

I'm probably the world's worst photographer.
I like it better with each subsequent listening session. This is probably called the honeymoon phase.

 

[littlexx26]

RS8 is still the most suitable for my tastes

LP6 Ti AE not good enough?

 

[DutchKarma]

An oldy, but I always knew there was something between b and c

@slumberman maybe a suicidal crab is something to try

 

[yaps66]

About how much are they? I wouldn't mind getting a few extra to stash in various bags, just to make sure I never forget mine again. That has to be more cost-effective than having them overnighted to me for CanJams. @wazzupi @jude

Cost to Jim is (I think) US$10 per badge.

A Cross Post from CanJam NYC. I hope you all enjoy it.

Miscellaneous Meandering, Rantings and Ravings at CanJam NYC 2024

This year I decided to go to the big city on Thursday and stay through Monday. We were going to have a mini CanJAm on Friday afternoon with Eyal (@goldwerger) and I figured why not see a Broadway play on Thursday night. Now, if you remember mhy story from last year, I was unable to get my favorite eggplant roll on the ride home (I live about 60 miles north of the city). This year I planned to get one on my drive to the Marriott from my favorite place for them, the Pelham Pizzeria. So, what do I do? I make the wrong turn and miss getting my favorite eggplant roll again! Too much traffic to turn around.

That evening I went to see the play “A Beautiful Noise.” The Neil Diamond Story. I figured Jersey Boys was fabulous, the Carly Simon Play won awards, let’s not miss this one. Big mistake. The play was okay and still entertaining, but as one local newspaper put it: “I could go to a local bar, drop a few coins in the juke box, and sing Sweet Caroline.” Still had a good time.


Everyone singing Sweet Caroline at the end of the play.

Friday came and I met a few folks at Eyal Jam (@goldwerger). We had some great wine and listened to Eyal’s superb collection of HPs on his Riviera AIC-10. A great start to the weekend!

Best sound on Friday went to the Susvara attached to the AIC-10. Below are some of my thoughts:

Caldera Closed: This was not a HP that I connected with. I liked the Caldera Open much better and my Susvara.

Caldera Open: This is a HP I would like to own. It had a nice sound and I would call it a compliment to a Susvara. Great on the Riviera AIC-10. I enjoyed the bass, mids, timbre, etc.

Bokeh Open: I did not care for this HP.

Tungsten 2 Sided: I heard this on the Riviera as well and it had a great sound. It is not in the category of the Susvara or Caldera Open, but I did like the sound and good for the price if you have the kit that can drive it (a CFA-3 will have no issue).

Aroma Audio Fei Wan: I liked the bass, but felt the mids and treble a notch below the Traillii. I do like it though and feel this is one to audition for your collection, especially if you are an Aroma fan.

We went out for Italian on Friday night and were able to have our esteemed leader, Jeff (@rockwell) join us:


Left to Right: Jeff (our fearless leader!), Todd, Frankie (me!), Jim, Mark, Zachi and Eyal.

Mark had the lasagna:


Small portions.


Saturday arrived and CanJAm began!

After a little miscellaneous wondering I entered the HeadAmp Room. There I listened to the CFA3 amplifier. I liked its look and packaging…great job! Sounded good too, but make sure to get the updated version (not available yet) as I will explain below:

Tungsten Single Sided: I heard this on the CFA-3 in the HeadAmp room. It sounded great on the CFA-3 that was still in plexiglass and had some upgrades over the black model. It had strong bass and drive with a nice midrange and treble.

CFA-3: The one still in plexiglass in the HeadAmp room sounded better than the one they had in the black case (which looks great by the way). If you order one, make sure you speak with them and get the upgrades. You do not want it as currently packaged.


Plexi-glass CFA-3

Corina: This is an electrostatic HP that was connected to the Grand Cayman Amp. I did not care for it.

Stax SR-X9000: Besides listening to the amps and HPs previously mentioned, I was able to hear the Stax 9000 connected to the HeadAmp Grand Cayman amp. The Grand Cayman has still not been released, but it sounded fantastic driving the Stax 9000. This was easily the best sound inside the HeadAmp room and one of my stars of the show.

I then spent some time with several IEMs and Todd at the MusicTeck table. I pretty much always compare any IEMs to my Traillii JP to see if they measure up. Most did not, but there were certainly some good ones, and I did enjoy most of them:

UM Mason FS Soleil: I was very disappointed in this IEM. The Red Halo/Le Jardin are some of my favorite IEM’s. Vocal specialists in my opinion and a great compliment to any other IEM. A bit of a caramel-colored midrange for sure, but still revealing and very well done. The Soleil seems to have moved to more of an all-rounder profile and not the best in my opinion. I did not hear the Amber Pearl, but I suspect that is the real follow-on to the Halo/Jardin. My advice would be to pick up a Halo/Jardin if they are available used.

Aroma Audio Fei Wan: As I mentioned earlier. A notch below the Traillii JP, but I liked its bass presentation.

Canpur CP622B: Allot has been made of this IEM lately on the forums. It is certainly a well-made and good sounding IEM. I did like its bass and overall performance. Again, though in direct comparison to my Traillii It gives up some detail, presentation, timbre, and handling of the upper mids and treble. Nevertheless, I thought this a good IEM.

Canpur CP54E: Not bad. Prefer the 622.

Rhapsodio Supreme V3: I did not care for it vs my Traillii.

Vision Ears VE10: I immediately noticed the bass and loved its VE midrange magic. This was the second-best new IEM I heard at CanJam (I am leaving out all IEMs that were available last year (Storm, Multiverse Mentor). I own the VE8, and this is superior, and I would like to own one. Some have mentioned they hear a hiss when using it. On my N8 BB in SS mode and 4.4mm output, I did not hear any hiss (the background noise was like 70DB, but I did have a pretty good seal). Jazz and rock sounded terrific.

Elysian Annihilator 2023: Please allow me to rant a bit. What can I say, I am getting grumpy in my old age. The original Annihilator that so many raved about was bass light and an inferior IEM in my opinion. I wanted to scream after hearing it last year. Yes, I liked its treble, but come on, who buys an IEM, HP, or speaker for treble alone? It must still have good bass and mids, then the treble can be what puts it over the top. The 2023 does improve the bass over the OG, but the mids are not the best and the treble on this one was nothing special. I have heard others state that it provides more details than the Traillii JP or is more resolving. I heard neither. For me there was no area the Traillii JP was not superior. Using some Oscar Peterson, the stringed bass had better timbre and detail on the Traillii. The mids were superior and I think I even liked the treble on the Traillii JP better. Same with Rock and Female Vocals. I did not try EDM. I had some HP friends go try the Annihilator and then try the Traillii and they felt the same. We all hear a bit different, but I would prefer the VE-X any day.

And of course, all my friends were asking me for my take on the new Traillii Ti vs the Traillii JP. Without further ado:



Traillii JP vs Traillii Ti

The Ti had more bass impact overall and possessed a nice overall clarity. However, I felt the JP had the edge in the mids and overall timbre. As for the upper mids/treble, I felt the Ti at times felt clearer, but at other times I felt the JP had the edge in clarity and beauty of voice. All very close. There was an occasion where I felt the treble was not as right as it could be on the Ti, but still overall excellent.

I find it amazing the difference in sound between the two as I learned the inside of the IEMs were the same. The only changes being the wires used, the titanium case and the nozzle. The nozzle is larger, and it did take me some time to get my tips on them, but once fitted the Ti did fit me well. The Ti’s sound can be thought of as complimentary to the JP.

Overall edge still goes to the Traillii JP in my book.

However, the best new IEM at the show IMHO is the Traillii Ti. I did not feel it was even close; the Ti had an edge to me overall. I felt the new UM was not close, nor the Canpur, or the FeiWan. All good, but the Ti grabbed me.

And now for the yearly Watercooler Photo:


Compliments of Alex with all our names added. Last year we were 11, now 28! Well 25 at least without the vendors/manufacturers.


Time for the Abyss room to hear one of my favorite HPs, the 1266 Phi TC. I was able to listen to it connected to both the Riviera AIC-10 and the Woo Audio WA-33 while using a Reel-to-Reel player in addition to my DAP.





For whatever reason, my mood, who knows, the 1266 did not make as great an impression on me as in prior years. Probably due to the fit. You need to spend time adjusting the fit and position of the earpads. While I thought they were set, perhaps I needed to further change their position. Still good sound overall, just not one of the best this year. I did still prefer them to the Diana.

I also spent some time with a few HP amps connected to my Susvara:

Riviera AIC-10 Amp: top notch. I could easily see this being someone’s top amp.

Viva Egoista 845: One of the best sounding amps at the show. It drove my Sus with ease and sounded terrific in the Viva room.

Mass-Kobo 465: I was able to meet the designer of this amplifier, Masuda san, in person at the show. I really liked this amplifier. The bass on my Susvara sounded crisp and powerful and the mids and treble were also excellent. For me this was in contention for top amp I could afford. I want one.

Zahl HM-1: I still love this amplifier. I was able to get it to sound close to the Mass-Kobo 465 and it can also sound much different due to its analog controls and ability to be pure Class A or introduce a bit of feedback. It can make the Susvara sing.


Zahl HM-1


Mass-Kobo 465


Masuda san and myself comparing our bellies!

Saturday night we went out for a good steak dinner at Keens Steakhouse in the city. Their signature dish is the Mutton Chop which many of us just had to try:



It was terrific. Highly recommended and tasted better than everything I heard that day!


Eyal took good care of us at dinner, and we all had a fabulous time. Mark, second from the left and next to Jeff is actually Italian.
He just does not remember!

Sunday came and I was able to listen to the Sennheiser HE-1!

Sennheiser HE-1: I finally made it to hear the HE-1 at one of these CanJams. A big thank you to Zachi for setting me up with his appointment! I was not disappointed. It is a beautiful sounding set and the HPs are extremely comfortable. Open sounding with a great midrange, matching bass, and treble. These would be special to own.


Sennheiser HE-1 in the off position. The tubes and controls are receded into the marble.


Sennheiser HE-1 Powered On. Even the lid for the HPs opens for you.

After visiting with Sennheiser it was recommended I listen to the new Raal HPs:

Raal Immanis and Magna: These were expensive ribbon-based HPs and they were excellent. The Magna has 2 ribbon drivers per side and the Immanis has 3. I preferred the Immanis, but some did feel the Magna had a more intimate sound. The stage of the Immanis is larger and the presentation grander. These were fabulous sounding HP’s and would get my vote for best sound at the show, except for the HE1 and Narukami with my Susvara attached (more on this later). The Raal might even be able to surpass the HE-1. Time will tell as these are still early in their manufacturing. The ribbons they use remind me of the ribbons used on the Apogee speakers of old (and these were also impressive to my ears). I was told Raal controls the sound by the tension of each ribbon driver. They also come with a neat stand that doubles as the connector to allow your amp to work with them. These sounded like they had it all (bass, mids, treble, soundstage, etc.).

The Raal Immanis is probably the HP I want the most from the show.



How about a few more IEMs:

EE Raven: I only spent a very short amount of time with it. The first time was extremely brief as we were going to dinner (this was before the show began on Friday night) and then during the show, but I got pulled away again to listen to something else, but I make it back for a 3rd appearance. In any event, I did like it. It was not my favorite at the show, but one I would not mind spending some more time with in the future. Check one out if possible.

Dita Perpetua: A nice IEM but was nothing special for me.

AT the A&K Table:
Vision Ears Aura: A few folks preferred this to the VE-X. Not me. I preferred the VE-X as I felt the mids and bass were superior.

Empire Ears Novus: Interesting design. I would rather own the Raven. Not bad, but the Raven sounded better to me across its frequency range.

A&K SP3000T: I did not like this DAP. It sounded way inferior to my N8. Now, in discussing this later at dinner, it was brought to my attention that perhaps I did not have it in tube mode. I thought I did and had been discussing it with the rep, but perhaps it was not actually in the correct mode. I do know some others that did like it. It is interesting in that the tube is an actual tube and not an electronic nu-tube. However, it cannot be banged around due to this fact.

64 Audio Volur: This another recent release getting some headlines in 64 Audio land. For me, it does not touch the Fourte, U12 or U18.

Fir Audio Radon 6: Our Watercooler community gave this an award for its popularity in 2023. This is another IEM I do not particularly care for. Again, in comparison to my Traillii I do not hear any additional details or even increased bass. It loses out across the board and in overall timbre. I prefer the XE6, VE-X, Fei Wan, and Ti especially.

Fir Audio XE6: I like this one much better. The bass impact was more solid sounding, and I also liked its handling of the mids and treble better than the RN6.

Campfire Fathom: A great $1000 IEM. The Fathom reminds me of the first time I heard the Andromeda years ago. It makes a great impression and is a fun sounding IEM.

Campfire Trifecta: Still that Trifecta 3 DD sound. If you ever wanted to describe something as the sound of “pure analogue” these are it. Good bass and a nice balance (if a bit dark) with the mids and treble. These would make a fabulous compliment to a collection of Traillii JP, Traillii Ti, Red Halo/Le Jardin, and Trifecta. What the heck, let’s add in an ERLK and a custom VE-10 just because…. My birthday is coming up if you are interested!

I heard a bunch of others, but nothing that made an impression.

Sony DMP-Z1: Kishore had his DMP-Z1 with him. I could not believe he was carrying this around all weekend. He carefully unpacked it for me and let me give it a listen. This is an amazing DAP. Obviously, it is not really a DAP, but a mobile desktop unit. It is extremely well made, looks great and sounds terrific. He was using it as an amp and feeding it via his DAP. I found this to be terrific and superior to the Lotoo Mjolnir which has a list of $6,999.00. Kishore said these come up for about $3,000.00 used. If you have the use case, I highly recommend going for the DMP-Z1. The volume knob alone might swing you.

I listened to the Spirit Torino HPs, IEM, and Amp. I like the designer and he will gladly spend his time with you answering questions. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of their sound. I like a more “solid” sound for lack of a better description.

In the ZMF room I was able to audition the Bokeh again (I still did not care for it, open or closed) and the Atriums using the Holo Audio Stack which is what I own for my HPs.

Atrium Open: I heard this on the Holo Audio May/Bliss stack as I mentioned and it sounded very good, but there was one I liked better:

Atrium Closed: I liked this much better than the AO. I heard the difference immediately. I preferred the bass and overall sound of this HP allot. I may have liked this better out of the Holo Stack than the Caldera Open out of the Riviera. Do I get one this year or wait? This HP impressed me. What a great sound. Great bass and overall coherency.

I would like to own both Atriums and the Caldera Open.


Holo Audio Stack


ZMF Atrium Closed On The Left

Now, what was my best sound at the show? This year that is an easy question. The Audio Technica Narukami Amp connected to my Susvara. And it was not close. A shout out to Eyal for letting me know to use my Susvara during the audition.

Narukami Amp: Is this the best HP amp ever made? Based on my audition the answer is yes. Will I ever own one? At $108,000.00 the answer to that is probably no (AT will throw in their HP). I was lucky to be able to set up my appointment. While at the show I ran into another headphone buddy, and he came with me for the audition. It was kind of funny as he was telling me how his Susvara was dialed in at home using the Trafomatic Primavera Amp and how much he loved that sound. Then I connected my Susvara to the Narukami, and the sound floored him. For me, this was easily the best sound of the show. Even the mighty HE-1 could not touch the sound being produced by my Susvara driven by the Narukami. The bass was vibrant, the mids refined and the treble about perfect. Details were easy to hear, and all so musical. We listened to the Oscar Peterson Trio doing West Side Story, Michael Jackson’s Billy Jean, Jethro Tull, Adel’s Hello, some other rock tunes I did not write down and Steely Dan’s Deacon Blues. This was a “WOW!“ moment for my friend and me. This was the closest I have heard a headphone system come to my 2-channel system. Wow again!

After this audition I went back to the Raal table to see how the Immanis compared. The Susvara-Narukami was unfortunately way better. I have been spoiled. Damn Audio Technica!

The Narukami HP was nothing special and I did not care for it out of the Riviera AIC-10 or the Narukami amp. The rep told us that AT was working on a better HP.


Audio Technica Narukami Amplifier

And the Highlight of the Show? The Mutton Chop!

CanJam 2024 was over and Eyal, Jim, Zachi and me went to a great Greek restaurant for dinner. The final Four!


Left to Right: Eyal, Jim, Zachi and Frankie. The Final 4!

And now it was time to go home. I left the Marriott on Monday. And I finally made it to the Pelham Pizzeria and brought home eggplant rolls for the family. Dinner was great!

All my best to everyone! Till next year!

Love your post and enjoyed the read! Thanks for sharing!