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My Amsterdam EU Cooler Meetup Impressions - A Complete Guide
I’m finally back home, what a weekend it was. AMAZING!!! I am still reeling in just how much fun I had! With totally unknown expectations, having never been to a CanJam or a real meetup before, I really had no idea what was in store. My wife and I joked beforehand that it would be this dark room full of ultra-nerds with coke bottle glasses, pants up like Steve Urkel, speaking in braces fueled lisps, cradling their headphones like Gollum with whispers of ancient codes and cable materials wafting through the air. Unsurprisingly, it was nothing like that at all, haha!Everyone was so wonderful, quite “normal”, just a big group of like minded, deeply spirited, joyful people who love music, life, and who also happen to enjoy collecting IEMs. I had lovely talks with everyone, many I have much in common with - like a history of drugs and craziness, being sober and a vegetarian, or traveling the world. Spirituality, a love of food and caffeine, tattoos, and of course all the audio insanity anyone could stand. It felt more like a class reunion than meeting a room full of new people, and I had instant connections with several that surprised us both at the instant comfort and depth. I would solidly say this was one of the best weekends I’ve had in years. Really! The audio hobby for me can be quite isolated; most people I know or would meet simply don’t understand what we do, the lengths we go, or the dedication/addiction that engulfs us on our quests for audio perfection. In fact, in my professional life I keep this all quite secret. So how joyful to meet up with a big group of funny, crazy audio people such as myself, where one could spend the day, and night, and day again, waxing poetic about anything and everything, while listening to the best audio gear on the planet. And these weren’t vendors, or companies - just people sharing their hard earned toys and gear for all to try and enjoy. Sharing for sharing’s sake. I’m sure CanJam is amazing, (and I cant wait to go) but I think this kind of meetup is super special too. We had basically everything anyone would want to try, without the lines, noise, crowds, florescent lights and hectic energy that comes with an event like CJ.
What follows here is a LOT of info, so be warned. So much happened, so many impressions, and while I came for the weekend really to hear a few things, I ended up hearing a ton, and liked quite a few. It’s taken me a few days to digest, unpack and somehow put pen to paper in an effort to share it all with the most clarity possible. I hope you enjoy the ride, I certainly did! Please keep in mind these are my personal feelings, nothing is fact. Also, my photos are terrible. It’s super embarrassing that a professional photographer could take horrendous shots as I did, but I guess I was too involved in the listening process to make the effort to stand up and find better lighting. Or even place things nicely. And I missed a bunch of stuff, so you’ll just have to imagine what it looked like for some. Sorry, I was preoccupied to say the least.
Before I get into it, I would like to make a huge shout out to the guys who make this all possible: @MatW and @drftr. (And Mathijn’s wife, who was a pleasure to talk to and seemed to truly want us comfy and happy.) We had a beautiful well lit space with all the snacks, coffee and shtuff anyone could ask for. One big table where you could just wander around and see what everyone was doing, listening to, or talking about. The room was fabulous, and the vibe was perfectly curated. I know the amount of work and planning that went into this was heavy, and I really want to thank them from the bottom of my heart for making this weekend all that it was. You created this legend atmosphere, and all we had to do was show up and enjoy. Seriously, mad kudos guys! (There was talk about the next one being in Prague, I’m totally happy to host.
And so, without further ado - my weekend in Amsterdam:
FRIDAY - My plane from Prague was several hours late, so the appointment I had made for Headphone Auditions Amsterdam was sorely missed, as I landed 5 minutes before I was supposed to be there. Thankfully Stephan was super nice and agreed to come in an hour early the next day, on a Saturday, to give me a chance to have the personal listening experience I had missed. Such a nice guy! That evening I met up with @Scubadevils, @F700, and @armstrj2 in the city center for dinner. Having never met, or having a clue what anyone looks like, I wasn’t even sure I could find them. But I walked in, and immediately there they were, clear as day with smiles greeting me. Within seconds it was like I had known them for years, old friends catching up, chatting away excitedly over a drink and some Italian food in some hole in the wall Italian restaurant. A wonderful evening, guys, you’re awesome!
SATURDAY MORNING - I was up early, and arrived to HAA at 9am. What a cool spot, Stephan has some major gear, and the vibe is amazing too. Stacks of vinyl, megakilobuck speakers all over the place, and every headphone or amp one could ever want to try. I will admit this was my first time demoing high end HPs, my main reason to come was simply demo stuff I would never otherwise have a chance to hear - but also to see if anything could run off my LP6Ti AE. I know many have big desktop rigs, but since I travel a lot, and my 2.5 year old son manages to take up every moment of my waking life, the need or use for this kind of setup has thus far evaded me. IEMs I know very well now, but I had never truly dived into a TOTL desktop system, so I was really excited to try all the goodies. Most of my time was spent with the ROON fed DCS Lina Stack (wow) and the Riviera Audio Labs AIC-10 (double wow). This is an insane combo, and everything sounded amazing out of it. I even tried my Traillii Ti through it, and f**&$ing hell that was something. Jaw meet floor. The idea of selling my car to buy that setup did cross my mind, but ultimately a stationary behemoth might be money wasted for me. So I saved $25k, that’s also fine.
I tried a lot of HPs, and here are the most memorable for me.
ABYSS 1266 and Diana TC - I really like the Abyss house sound, but they all require immense power, so no dice on my gear, not even close. That being said, the 1266 deserves all the praise it gets, wow. A beautiful blend of air, space, with great technicals and musicality too. Diana TC is good, but the 1266 is otherworldly in comparison. I really enjoyed the fit and feel of the Diana TC, very low profile, especially when you pop the 1266 on your head. I know it’s supposed to be fitting like that, but it just feels weird to have them so far away from my ears. It felt almost comical, amazing sound though. I would prefer a bit more body and bass, but that could be because of the fit too. Abyss was very impressive.
ZMF Caldera + Atrium - I really like the ZMF stuff, and far easier to drive. A thicker sound, more bass, with a very satisfying power to the sound. I found the Caldera phenomenal with my LP6 Ti AE, more than enough power to shine. Of course they scale, but I could enjoy them daily on a DAP, and amp them when stationary if desired. Atrium Open has the same house sound, but not the same level of finesse or technicals, still great. They both have more bass and thickness in the note weight department over the Abyss stuff which I like, but there is a bit less of that airiness and reference detail that had me yearning a bit for the latter. ZMF does bass right for sure, but I found it to overshadow the mids just a tad, if only because I heard it directly after the 1266. They are very beautiful too, all the wood and resin mixes. The open Caldera was my favorite, supposedly there is a closed model coming later this year, something I would like to hear when available.
Austrian Audio Composer - This is a fabulous headphone, especially for the price. Very balanced, super comfortable and light, easy to drive. It’s not on the same technical level as the Summits, but really nice. An easy recommendation, they look awesome too. I know a few others tried these out during the weekend and the impressions seemed to be the same. $2.5k, an easy recommendation. These on a good DAP and you’re good to go.
RAAL SR-1b and Ca-1a - Wow, these are really amazing. They require immense power and an extra Interface box to work, so this is far from a transportable setup, no DAP for sure. The SR-1b feels like you’re wearing something out of Minority Report, they look wild and feel the same. The soundstage is essentially limitless, the space and air is without question the best of anything I have ever heard. These are not a rock out kind of thing; vocals, jazz and spacey stuff was incredible, but they didn’t have the girth or body that a lot of my library requires. The Ca-1a is more “standard” shape, fit and sound, but still much more airy and spacious than thick. The SR is certainly the flagship, and its reputation and hype is well deserved. Very cool to finally hear this Legend, cross it off the bucket list. I think owning something like this you’d already own quite a few HPs, and this would be the crown in the middle.
Erzetich Charybdis - After hearing the Susvara briefly, (amazing) Stefan handed me this silver headphone, and with a smile, explained how some of his Susvara customers are quite upset about how good this one is, how similar to the Sus it is, with many even preferring it, especially that it’s half the price and super easy to drive. While I’m no expert, and my time with the Sus was very short, I would have to agree - I preferred it too. That’s not to say it’s better, keep your pitchforks stowed please. This is an incredible headphone, with the world’s largest planar driver, it sounded surreal off my AE. Its was as easy to drive as many IEM’s, and the sound was spectacular! Super comfy with these squishy leather pads, I was in love instantly. Lush, detailed, balanced and plenty weighted when called for. Beautiful mids, great bass, and a high end that was silky smooth and very extended. If anyone loves the Sus, but wants a more flushed out bass presentation this might be your ticket. Very similar in many ways, just a fantastic headphone all around - only $3k too. If I decide to get a headphone it will be this one. Anyone wants an awesome headphone that can be powered from a DAP to full potential, this is it.
Stephan’s Silver Box Amp - In an unmarked silver project box with no cover, Stephan told me is his personal project. I can’t remember which company built it for him, to his specs, but it’s a headphone power amplifier. No LO, no pre-amp, no controls, just power. So you use your DAP’s volume control with no double amping, and this just gives extra power. I found it to be quite transparent, lots of power, and I was able to use my LP6AE to power anything in the shop. It sounded great! It would allow anyone to just plug in their DAP and power their favorite headphones, with a very small and AC powered transportable amp. $3k if I remember correctly. Very very cool.
After all these headphones, just for fun, I plugged in my Traillii Ti to the big boy setup (Lina+Riviera), and as I mentioned earlier, this was staggering. @Alpexis happened to be in the shop, he asked to try it out, and from the look on his face I think he had the same feeling I got. What I have realized is, as amazing as HPs can be, at this time in my life, I prefer IEMs. I get more of that oasis feeling, taking me out of the world and into my own little bubble where music is the only thing. They might be more intimate (comparatively), but the way details are presented, the physical feel and power, plus the dynamics and closeness I find more enjoyable. The fact they fit in my pocket is another plus. And while the staging and space of headphones is bigger, I was quite surprised how insanely huge the Traillii was capable of getting with such a desktop rig to power her.
So, I heard a lot, really enjoyed my time, but happy to save another $15k and stick with what I have. It’s nice to leave a place like that wanting for naught.
Big thanks again to Stephan from HAA, very kind of him to extend me so much time. After my 3 hours in HAA I had to run, grab a coffee, quick lunch and rush off to the meet.
THE COOLER MEET - My biggest reason for coming to Amsterdam was meeting people, and to hear the Storm again. I flew to Elise Audio in London a year ago to hear it, and while I fell in love with it, the fit wasn’t good for me. I was so bummed. I’ve often since cursed the heavens for my small ears, and how difficult it is for me with universals, leaving only customs as options for me. A few months ago I got myself the Eletech Baroque tips which are amazing, and lo and behold I was able to get a great fit with Storm this time! In fact with the Baroques I was able to get a good fit with most of the IEMs I tried this weekend, which is an amazing turn of events for me. So a big thank you to @ericchong for his fabulous tips - I saw nearly everyone using them, I’m glad they’re so popular. One funny thought I wanted to share; as I walked around checking out what everyone else was listening to, I saw that quite a few of us have smaller ears, and that many IEMs stick out, or at funny angles, with only a few having the magic ear shape where all IEMs vanish inside a flush fit. So I’m not alone! And somehow that makes me feel better, and in knowing so I’ll try to avoid shouting curses at the sky next time something doesn’t fit as I would wish.
I ended up hearing quite a lot of gear over the two days, here are some of my favorites. Unfortunately I didn't take photos of many of these, as mentioned before I wasn't thinking.
Best IEM Surprise Winner: Anni 2023 - This is a phenomenal IEM, and I just loved it. I heard the 2021 version and didn’t care for it at all, but this version I fell in love with instantly. It has this big and bold sound, lots of weight and thickness, with an overtly analog and slightly warm tonality that made it work with every genre I tried it with. Bass is great! Some have said it’s not the tightest, or fastest, but I found it just fine and fitting the rest of the tuning. Great big mids, lots of detail and musicality, and some of the best treble I have ever heard. Sublime really. Effortlessly extended and silky smooth, wow. The shells are really chunky, but I found the fit and comfort to be fine. They stick out of my ears, but they held in place well securely, and I found no issues at all. They require some power to shine, but with my AE they were simply stunning. With the DX320 MAX, N30LE or P6Pti also. Even better amped, MK475 or PB5 were fantastic. I wish they were 2 pin so I could have tried out some cables, but stock sounded great so what to do. If anyone is looking for a great IEM that works for everything, the Anni 2023 gets my highest honors. Best in show for what I never heard before.
Best IEM Second Chance - VE Erlkonig - I tried this a few years ago and somehow didn’t gel with it. Maybe it was fit or pairing, or I was in a bad spot at the time, but man this is a gorgeous IEM. Thanks to @MatW for giving me the chance to hear it again, one of the best I’ve heard for emotional mids. I could have spent the whole day just sitting in a chair with closed eyes with this one. Perfectly balanced, good bass that is more towards the upper and less sub, fantastic sultry mids to die for, and a very open treble. It was more lively than I expected, not overly smooth or slow, just perfect. Makes me want to try the Phoenix LE at some point. AE was amazing pairing, also P6P Ti. It’s funny how tastes can change over time, at this point in my audio life something like this scratches the itch for just about anything. Perhaps I was too young… or too something. Moving on.
Best New DAP - Hands down the Cayin N30LE was amazing. Praise and hype is real here, I was very very impressed. Loads of power, lots of tuning options, though I kept it on P+ and Tube mode 99% of the time. A big sound, nicely weighted, very detailed and musical. Huge stage. I can kind of see how some people compared it to the LP6 AE, and while I don’t really agree, it’s certainly going for a similar analog and vast sound. The AE is more analog and rich, with bigger weight, more impact and a more dense and dynamic vibe. Then N30 is more digital, a bit thinner and more spacious perhaps. For a digital player it’s very inviting and lush. It’s not really fair to compare them as the tech and design is so different, but the N30 is very good. It’s not going to replace my AE, it’s just untouchable in my option, but I do get the appeal. The N30LE is quite big and gets pretty hot, so more of desktop kind of situation, or at the very least transportable only. Doesn’t really suit my use case, but it is my favorite DS DAP so far. I’m waiting anxiously for my E7 EE to arrive and we’ll see if that crown stays on or not.
Best AMP - TIE PB5/475 - I was a big amp guy the last few years, but will admit I stopped using them lately in an effort to move around lighter. I prefer a DAP in my back pocket, but honestly hearing these two made me think hard about that. I really liked them both, for different reasons. The PB5 has this lush inviting vibe, tubey and warm. I liked it a lot, especially with the DX320 MAX or LP6AE and Storm. I didn’t like the stepped volume control, the change between the clicks was too much, and sometimes one side would cut out while adjusting volume, ala DX320 MAX. Perhaps that’s part of the design? Sonically very good, loved it. Easy recommend since it’s quite affordable for a TOTL amp. The MassKobo 475 is a more neutral and revealing sound. It has a more dynamic sound, more clinical and clean, comparatively. I would probably reach for it over the PB5 only since my DAPs are fairly warm and analog already, but that doesn’t mean I like it more. When amping the Storm I was torn between the two, it just depends on which direction you want to go with the Storm. 475 is more reference, PB5 is warmer. They both had enough power. A tie for me, can’t choose.
Overall IEM Winner - TIE Traillii Ti & Storm - This one is a comparison many people were interested in I think. I can tell you, skipping everything else, these two are top contenders for the best IEM ever made. They’re both unbeatable for what they do, at least for my tastes, and while I heard a lot of great stuff over the weekend, these two were at the forefront of mind. I wish to thank @slumberman for his graciousness and generosity in letting me spend so much time with his Storm. A brother from another mother for sure, what a kind and amazing guy he is. We have a lot of the same gear, as well as very similar tastes and desires for how music should sound. What surprised me, between the Bird and Storm, was just how similar they actually are. I spent several hours with both, with several DAPs and amps, during the day, that night in the hotel lobby, and again the next morning. They both go for a reference tuning, with great realism and timbre. They both have fast and energetic sounds, that stay very musical and lush at the same time. They both are insanely dynamic, super resolving, and very technical. They both have incredible BA bass that reaches super deep and leaves me forgetting about the lack of DD often. Comparatively one might lean more dry, the other musical or sweet, but same ballpark. Staging, positioning, layering, top notch. Ti with Orpheus and Storm with Sovereign Symphony, their summit “default” setups, amazingly good. Ti with Symphony and Storm with Orphy, a very interesting swap, making the Ti more technical and extended, and the Storm more emotional and vast. Both paired with Symphony resulted in the most surprising of all, they were soooo similar in their presentations and abilities that a “winner” between the two couldn’t be found for me.
And so, it seems some of the magic the Storm brings was indeed inside this Symphony cable. (Which is an extension/update to the Mira, Storm’s stock cable). After all my hours of listening it became clear, this is the secret sauce for that last few % - and I absolutely need to have one. It’s the most impressive cable I’ve heard since Orpheus, and in the end I actually preferred it over the Orphy with the Ti. (Blasphemy I know!) @slumberman’s face said it all when he tried it out with the AE, and we both preferred it with Ti. In fact, if I had to pick just one item for the “winner of the weekend”, it would be the Sovereign Symphony Cable from Nightjar Acoustics. Phenomenal. It is big and heavy, but somehow manages to stay soft and limber enough to avoid discomfort. The resolution is nuts, it’s a bit more neutral than the Orphy, while still retaining much of the magic. It pushes the sub bass out more instead of the mid bass focus of Orphy, and gave it more top end extension, which the Orphy rolls off some. Faster transients instead of Orphy’s trademark relaxed smooth vibe. Vast, dynamic, layered, extended, detailed, just wow.
Crazy expensive, heavy and thick - don’t care. Buying one immediately. Amazing job @nightjar
Compared to the Storm, the Ti is a bit more emotional, with a thicker sound and more out of head. The Storm is a bit flatter and drier, with the sound more in front of you like a great 2 channel system. Both paired with the Symphony cable had similar transients speeds and intensity, deep bass, fast and articulate mids, surgical details, and extended treble. They both sound huge, the Ti has a more thunderous analog sound, while the Storm has more bass, slightly thinner mids are a touch brighter up top. It’s maybe 5% more clarity based, and the Ti trades off that bit for an edge in emotion. It’s like choosing between your children, you just love them both. The thing about Storm that needs to be said, in my opinion, it is FAR too hard to drive correctly. While I was able to get the volume I wanted from a lot of gear, but nothing made it sing except for a few combos. With N30LE it ran well, and this is probably the only portable setup I tried where the Storm felt unleashed close to full. It seems like all Storm owners use the DX320 MAX, and while that combo is indeed great, I still felt it still needed an amp to reach that amazing potential. Im not speaking about volume here, Im talking about headroom. Even on 320MAX, the headroom was almost gone powering the Storm. A monitor such as the Storm, like great studio monitors, require a lot of GOOD power. When they are powered right, even at very low volumes, they just sing and sound monstrous. Untouchable really. The Storm is like this, when it’s good it’s insanely good. Blow your mind good. But when it’s not, I can feel it in my bones, and it bums me out, because I know what’s just out of reach. This is different than scalability mind you, Storm scales like mad. Better is better, more is more. But I think the Storm’s point of entry is much higher than with any other IEM I’m aware of. In all fairness, in my opinion, the Storm is really a desktop IEM. When it’s powered right it’s simply stunning, and without a doubt one of the best IEM’s ever made. Maybe the best. Check out the Storm thread and you’ll see most have it paired with an insane desktop rig, and that’s where it sings. I’m sure I’ll get angry messages from Storm owner’s showing how they power it easily, so I’ll just be clear that this is, again, only my personal opinion. Once I heard the Storm at its potential, it’s really hard to go back. And nothing that moves easily sounded like that.
And so with that in mind, if I was forced at gunpoint to pick a winner between the two, personally, I would choose the Traillii Ti. All things equal, with the same Symphony cable, I preferred the emotional edge of the Ti, along with the fatter and more analog vibe. I know there is much debate at the moment about the JP vs Ti, and while I don’t want to get in the middle, I think it all depends on tastes. I hear quite a big difference between the two, more of a departure than a side step. As a reference lover, I lusted after the idea of mixing my beloved Traillii JP and Storm into a sort of hybrid monster that would satisfy me forever. After this weekend I can say, if one wanted something in-between the original Traillii JP and the Storm, the Ti is it 1000%. I actually seem to be going in the opposite direction of the JP, reaching for a more reference sound, veering for technical over sweet, that is more energetic and powerful. I don’t feel I’m missing out on the emotion, just adding that amazing punch and resolution. I know many prefer the JP, that’s fine. I know many also prefer the Storm, and I know why. Sometimes I did too. Same technicals, same abilities, just slightly different presentations. What clinches the win is the ease in driving them to potential. It’s no secret Traillii is one of the easiest IEMs to drive, and it sounds phenomenal with anything. The same cannot be said for Storm, which is supremely hard to sound right. They both scale like mad, but if you’re stuck with DAP only then things become clear to me. As someone who must move around, the Storm is just too hard to drive daily, for me. If I had a desktop rig at home, or maybe the N30/320MAX and an amp, the choice would be MUCH MUCH harder. I realize for some it would be the opposite, and that’s fine too. I went back and forth many times, and loved them both, but ultimately for my life, the Ti reigns just a tad higher for me.
In fact, I will go on record to say Traillii Ti paired with Sovereign Symphony and LP6 Ti AE was simply the best portable audio setup I’ve ever heard. When I came in Sunday morning with fresh ears, I went straight for that combo, and it moved me to tears. I was actually shaking. I had my head buried in my hands as I whimpered to myself. It was absolutely incredible. I also had an incredible experience with the Storm the night before in my dimly lit hotel lobby, but somehow that emotional edge, the heart moan, the tears, wasn’t present.
“It’s nice to leave a place like that wanting for naught”
Honorable Mentions:
P6Pro Ti - As expected this sounds amazing. Being an avid lover of the P6Pro, this brings it up a level or two, with some upgrades from the AE design. Mids are incredible, and the whole presentation is more effortless and lush over the standard. I prefer the LP6 tuning, but for many this is the best you can get. I know my vocal lover friends call it the GOAT Ti.
Nostalgia Camelot - I tried the Tesseract and really didn’t like it, but this one is fantastic! Lush and textured, nice technicals, very good bass that is more neutral which I like. A really balanced set, sounded great with everything. Mids and treble are very good, clear and clean, while staying very musical. Thanks @Scubadevils for lending me your set.
Nightjar Singularity - I don’t own a single DD, but this one is awesome. Great bass. Probably more for electronic stuff but I really enjoyed it.
Dita Perpetua - Another magic single DD, better fitting to my tastes and library. Warm and enveloping, analog and lush. Good technicals but more of a relaxed and groovy vibe. Had good fit too. @Scubadevils told me he uses it for late night “melt-into-the-couch” kind of listening, and I would do the same if I had one.
Rozenkranz Karaki - Yet another great single DD, but this one costs like $8k. Very good sound, a bit bassy for me. For that price it’s more warm and lush, vs something like the Rhapsodio V3 which is a detail monster. I struggled to find tips that fit while also attenuating the bass a bit, and was unsuccessful. It sounded great, but that’s a hefty sum for a single DD I didn’t fall head over heels in love with.
CFA Prototype - @slumberman was kind enough to bring this new proto he is designing with Ken, and it sounds awesome. I don’t know any details, undisclosed drivers, etc, but it was super good. I’m not usually a big CFA fan, so didn’t allot much time with it, but it certainly caught my attention. Can’t wait to hear the final version.
I guess that’s it. Wow, I wrote a lot more than I expected to. Sorry. I hope some of this was helpful, or at the very least entertaining in some way. I know that I have a penchant for witting a lot, I have a hard time expressing my feelings with few words. Like Miles Davis told John Coltrane, “Just take the horn out of your mouth”.
But I experienced so much, heard some much, and I like to share. I walked away from this weekend knowing what I want to do, and how little I want to change in what I have. I actually haven’t felt this content with my gear ever, except that Symphony cable better hurry up haha, I’m still drooling. But in the end the biggest takeaway was the people I met, all the fun we had. I really felt a connection with many of you, thank you for sharing your feelings, stories and ideas with me. Thank you all for making me feel so at home, so comfortable, and so invited. And thank you for sharing your hard earned goodies too. Yay for friends!
What an amazing group photo, that one goes on the Fridge for sure. (This way my wife is certain of what I am doing, hanging with my fellow übernerds!!
I can’t wait for the next one, again, happy to host!
Fantastic post and it was great to meet you… That Italian restaurant on the Friday night was quite an experience!
It weighs around 9 lbs and is quite premium feeling!
