[FrankZ]

Re restricted attendance; can fully understand the misgivings of those showing kit.
 
However I'm a just-joined member. Have been lurking for a while, saw the thread about the meet, and thought I should join to post a message about intended attendance, especially since Alvin Stardust said above "we aren't exactly snowed under with confirmed attendees (so far)."!  Thought you should know that the thread has piqued the interest of at least one lurker.
 
Rather disappointed to read that I might be too late.
 
As a newcomer I may well be misunderstanding the purpose of a meeting like this, but given that you are looking for sponsors (presumably trade sponsors and vendors of headphone-related kit?) I'd imagined that one of its aims might be to sell some kit. Is that not what was intended, at least partly?
 
As far as I can find (could be wrong), there aren't too many retailers out there where a relative beginner can go and hear a range of equipment, and see/hear what the extra expenditure on some top-line equipment will give you, over something more measly such as my own existing Grado SR-60s and a portable HeadRoom amp. These are OK as a start but it would be great to hear what a £2000 budget might offer. Hence the great appeal of a meeting such as yours.
 
Can well understand the discomfort that exhibitors (especially personal ones) might feel, and I don't suppose that anything I might say would alter that! However, perhaps worth voicing my two-penny-worth anyway...
 
Re security; from a personal point of view, showing ID at the door would be fine, but I'm very protective of ID docs (ID theft, etc) so would not agree either to leaving that doc at reception, nor to having it copied. But some other method of security might be acceptable - a large deposit, perhaps?! I don't know, but leaving/copying ID would be out as far as I am concerned. You may say that's fine, my choice, and I couldn't disagree! It's your kit. Fully understand. Just offering the view of an outsider.
 
I do hope you find a way to resolve this. I'd love to come, on any of the days proposed so far. Based in Oxfordshire, by the way, so London venue is great.
 
Best regards
 
"Frank"

 

[alvin sawdust]

It's sawdust dear boy, sawdust.
 
Welcome to wallet-fi, sorry for your head 

 

[alvin sawdust]

Can't say i'm keen on handing my passport or driving license over. I don't mind bringing it with me and showing it.
 
Does anyone know how security is handled for the US meets?

 

[FrankZ]

Quote:

It's sawdust dear boy, sawdust.
 
Welcome to wallet-fi, sorry for your head 

 
Sawdust in my head is what it was. Sorry! Hopeless.
 
Showing signs of interest in all this seems to indicate incipient dementia.
 
Quote:

@ FrankZ, your concern is the reason the earlier poster suggested that a trustworthy person hold on to these.I don't think a large deposit would be a solution as some might not be able to do this and I for one would be more comfortable letting someone hold my I.D then a large sum of cash and how large a deposit can you exactly ask for, there will be single pieces of gear that cost £1000+ at the meet but it's an option I guess.

Wasn't casting aspersions on the honesty of any potential ID guardians, simply expressing a neurotic reluctance (but justified, I reckon) to be handing ID over to anyone! Staggers me how often both this and the supposed necessity for all and sundry taking copies occurs these days. I always refuse.
 
http://www.no2id.net/
 
Of course you're quite right about a cash deposit. Wasn't really meant as a serious suggestion, more an acknowledgment that coming up with something suitable is difficult. Especially when faced with a difficult sod who won't hand over his ID!
 
Personally I'm more than happy to provide full contact details etc prior to coming to an event, but can see that this probably doesn't help much either. Hmmmm....
 
"Frank"

 

[03029174]

I think we're over reacting a little regarding security. I understand the concerns but people spend a lot of time with their rig/ equipment and if there's kit you want to try out, you just ask the person next to you to watch it for 10 mins. When I went to the LA Canjam meet, we paid upfront via pay pal and picked up a lanyard when we got there. There wasn't any additional checks but I agree flashing photo Id would be a good idea so there is a log of everyones real names.

 

[Bizzel]

That seems a reasonable compromise - we wouldn't have to take anyone's IDs or take a copy, we'd just log their full name and use the photo ID to check they are who they claim. I can appreciate any reluctance to hand over ID. Out of interest, has there ever been a case of theft at a UK meet? I ask because security wasn't...well...it wasn't...at the previous meet I attended (2007 or 2008 I think).

 

[Type35]

If I am in London when the meet is scheduled, I'd like to join you guys.
I can bring my Nuforce Icon HDP which I didn't see on the latest gear list.
Thanks a lot for organizing this meet, it's really invaluable to have the opportunity to compare different rigs and meet fellow headfiers!

 

[alvin sawdust]

Quote:

I think we're over reacting a little regarding security. I understand the concerns but people spend a lot of time with their rig/ equipment and if there's kit you want to try out, you just ask the person next to you to watch it for 10 mins.

Totally agree. 03029174 and myself attended the Manchester 2009 meet. The atmosphere was very relaxed and everyone soon got to know each other. You picked up your lanyard on the way in and that was that, at no time did i feel that I had to be watching my gear.

 

[EddieE]

I've put together a couple of mini meets, but when it's ten-fifteen people in a small room it's not hard to keep track of everything.
 
I think Col is just talking about sensible precautions that should responsibly be thought about here, it's not saying that anything untoward would happen or is expected to happen, just preparing for every eventuality. If something expensive did disappear I'd expect the victim to come to the organisers and ask what precautions were taken to protect them - well that's what we're trying to work out now.
 
Regardless, all that has been said so far has been ideas bouncing around; nothing is decided or final and when we have the fundamentals down like date, venue and whether or not tickets will be needed we will make full announcements about the proposed plans then.
 
All that said, this is looking pretty exciting and some of the gear on that list has me salivating! Should be a lot of fun...

 

[jr41]

To echo and support MusiCol's and EddieE posts, which I think reflects very well the ambitions and intended approach of the organisers, Security is an important consideration. Gear bringers need to feel happy that their gear is safe and we really don't want anything to go missing, that would be a real tragedy - and apart from anything else, it would probably destroy the chances of any future meets.
 
As stated, we haven't finalised the security arrangements or any rules about exclusion/inclusion to help ensure security, etc., so I'm glad to see this is being discussed - this is something I believe we need to take seriously and all suggestions about how to ensure security while avoiding having to exclude anyone just because they've been a member for only a certain period of time, etc., will be gratefully received.
 
I think the principle reason behind considering enforcing that 'only those who joined head-fi before the meet was announced can attend' is that it helps guard against people joining the forum with the specific desire to attend the meet to lift gear. Of course, such a rule isn't perfect, this could be a desire of someone who joined the forum prior to the meet being announced etc., and it excludes those who are new the forum and have a genuine interest. I think It's right to say that we should also be careful of becoming paranoid and over zealous, if I were a betting man I'd put money down that 99% of the people on this site are honest, but that's still a gamble and given the consequences it's not a risk we can take lightly.
 
I think the idea of confirming 'real' identity via ID such as passport or driver's license is worth considering. I too would be reluctant to leave such documents in another person's hands, but I'd be happy to present them for authentication purposes. I'm very much in favor of the idea of name badges, apart from being a security aide, it helps a bunch of people who've never physically met before identify each other!
 
RE kit security, I propose that kit bringers divide up into tables/groups and agree to keep an eye on each others gear. That way, one person stays at a table while the other(s) has a wander - to ensure kit bringers don't have to be glued to their seat - and then they rotate around. What do people think?
 
Again, glad to see this is being discussed and please keep possible ideas coming.
 
Thanks. 

 

[vkvedam]

Quote:

Quote:

I think we're over reacting a little regarding security. I understand the concerns but people spend a lot of time with their rig/ equipment and if there's kit you want to try out, you just ask the person next to you to watch it for 10 mins.

Totally agree. 03029174 and myself attended the Manchester 2009 meet. The atmosphere was very relaxed and everyone soon got to know each other. You picked up your lanyard on the way in and that was that, at no time did i feel that I had to be watching my gear.

 
And even I was there as well. Nice meet and I tried 03029174's PS1000s on Maestrobator.

 

[03029174]

PS-1's dude
Gone a totally different direction since that meet. The only thing that remains is the dac
Wonder what system il have in 2 years from now, boy this hobbie is a nightmare, never 100% happy!

 

[Severanth]

I know it has already been said, but to support Frankz's comment.  I find myself in exactly the same position.  Lurked reading forum for a few months and then decided to join when I saw the meet was being organised. So would be excluded if the join date becomes a rule for the meet.  
 
Would happily bring photo ID along to confirm identity.  
 
Very reluctant to leave ID with anyone else. Would be one more thing to be organised and dealt with rather than getting on with having a listen with each others kit.
 
Having never been to a meet before I was wondering if it is normal or doable to have switches for A/B testing available?  Sponsors ever do this?
 
Also how about having a blind testing chair or two so we can rank some kit blind?  Just thought it would be interesting and entertaining.  After having a go you could be responsible for doing next person to have a seat. So no one has to be stuck in 1 spot.  
 
What would everyone like to blind test?  Balanced against unbalanced setup, Tube/digital amps, quality cd-player/lossless from computer, ipod/another portable player, off the shelf wiring/hi grade wire?   Anyone have one of those meters to make sure decibels is same at the output?  Obviously limited by kit available, but I see we have doubles of a few things.
 
Thanks much to organisers, appreciate the effort being put in. Looking forward to it.

 

[EddieE]

Would love to have something like that going on personally (the blind testing) but really wouldn't have the first clue about how to set it up, let's keep discussing it on this thread and see if we could work out the logistics.
 
Re, the "rules" - again - nothing is decided yet. We don't want anyone excluded but are try to balance this with being responsible about memebers gear.
 
Hopefully something can be worked out to acommodate everyone, but we'll announce all of that in due course.

 

[03029174]

I personally don't know if i want people taking bits and pieces of my rig to go and test on other systems. I understand the reasons but it would flag up the security case again for me personally. It would be alot easier for a USB Cable / IC / power cable to go missing etc.