[kilkil]

Starting to setup

 

[kilkil]

I really enjoyed this weekend. It was great hanging out with friends.

Here is my quick review of some of the items i listened.

Audeze LCD-XC, initial response is that it sounds like a wooden closed headphones, which it is. Slightly colored and closed, however after listening more, it has a very pleasing bass and a great, slightly bright midrange/upper end. I really liked the sound.

2022 Focal Utopia, hard hitting bass and narrow soundstage, I see why people enjoy it, though the soundstage makes me not enjoy this headphone.

Hifiman Susvara, bass had much more presence than the 1000, and this was the most comfortable of these headphones, though I didn't care for the sound, i put this one as the worst of these 5 headphones.

Hifiman HE 1000, this is on the bright side, quite comfortable and beautiful sound. This is my favorite of these 5.

Audeze 5, on sound only, this slightly edged out and beat the 1000, though its comfort is lacking. Probably the most comfortable of the Audeze line.

Enleum Amp-23r, a nice amp, compaired to Mytek Liberty, more detail and better control of the bass. In comparison to my Dynahi, the Dynahi is a brighter amp and has more micro-detail, which is definitely my preference.

​

 

[kilkil]

FYI, I created the next meet for April 22nd 2023
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/tn-center-hill-lake-whiskey-fi-head-fi-meet-april-22-2023.965307/

 

[DelsFan]

Sounds like a great lineup; I haven't heard the Susvara or the HE-1000; sorry I had to miss out! Thankfully @Makahl brought the Utopias last time and I was able to compare them to my Empyreans. The Utopias are great, but listening to them just confirmed I like the extra spaciousness provided by the planer magnetics.

Thanks @kilkil for hosting; sorry I couldn't make it this time!

Sigh, I'll miss it again. I really miss you all. Hopefully next time. Anyone who has not gone and is on the fence, do it.

Yep, anyone semi-interested should just go ahead and put the April 2023 meet on their calendar; there is always tons of good and interesting equipment and headphones to listen to, in all price ranges. Not to mention brisket (or something equally as good), homemade bread, etc.

 

[JeestersMandelbrot]

Bummed I had to miss this one. That Shiit with the multiple tubes looks incredible.

 

[kilkil]

Bummed I had to miss this one. That Shiit with the multiple tubes looks incredible.

Looks is the key word.

 

[JeestersMandelbrot]

Looks is the key word.

ha good to know

 

[kilkil]

ha good to know

to go into more detail.
Schiit Amps, I never cared for them. Please note that I have had my Dynahi since I built it in 2005, essentially everything pales in comparison.
My first real experience is with the Ragnarock, and it just lacked so much detail that I get with the Dynahi, and that solidified my opinion. Then I had the Vidar in my house for a meet and connected them to my Quad2905, there was just no hope for Vidars, they couldn't handle the load of the Quads successfully or they were just like their name implies. So folkvangr, compared to all the amps at the meet, it was rated the worst, Rupert Neve amp, my build of the original Pete Millet Hybrid, original Chord Mojo, et al.

At the same meet that I hear the Ragnarock, I also heard the Yggdrasil. It was an amazing experience, up until this point, I had the opinion that DACs didn't really influence the sound much at all. I eventually bought my first Yggdrasil about 7 months later, my delay was partially due to using my previous DAC (NAD M51) as a preamp and the Yggdrasil didn't have volume control.
I love my Yggdrasils. They are an excellent DAC, especially for the price. It took a while, but I did finally replace it with the Bricasti M21 for my main system, I'm still using the Yggdrasil in my office system.

 

[buke9]

Don’t care for Schiit amps much either and the Folkvangr was no exception not horrible but not that great either. Your Dynahi is fantastic. I think the Zahl HM-1 would impress you though but it is crazy expensive @$8K and you have what a couple hundred bucks in parts in your Dynahi ?

 

[kilkil]

...I think the Zahl HM-1 would impress you though but it is crazy expensive @$8K and you have what a couple hundred bucks in parts in your Dynahi ?

I would be happy to hear the HM1, maybe it will be the amp that beats my Dynahi. I built the Dynahi about 2005 and I think it was around $600, I did try not to pay too much attention to everything I bought for it.