[The_Duke_Of_Eli]

It was a great meet again, thanks to everyone for coming. Let's see some impressions, and whoever has pictures PM me and I"ll dump them to my gmail and I'll host them and post them. Now for my impressions:

> AT a900 "Limited edition"

These were the first headphones I wanted to try, seeing how at the price point they looked pretty good, and how they got rave reviews. These headphones first impressed me with clear and tight highs, punchy bass (but not muddy) but the mid-end was severely lacking which becomes very apparant in any kind of rock music. For most other kinds of music such as classical or jazz they will sing at the price point, but since I like my rock, I don't think I'll be upgrading to a 900 anytime soon. (Note: these were well burned in, played through a hornet)

> K701

These were actually a very nice set of cans. They were burned in ~400 hours and it really showed the strong mids and not too aggressive AKG sound. There were miles ahead of the 271s. The bass was punchy, but not overly so, and it was the nicest all around sounding can at the meet and the hornet really made all the difference compared to when I tried it with the pa2v2 for comparison.

> 325

I should've made a notice here that I'm Grado-bias. These 325s really did shine over the 125s and 225s with the strongest lower end then the K701s and a900s. The mids and highs were fine, classical grado bright, which was a bit bothersome, but not overly so. The bass was very punchy and the large soundstage was instantly apparant.

> 225

Well; I thought these sounded ok, until I heard the HF-1s and MS-1s. The 225s don't sound as good as the HF-1s and are alot muddier and sloppy. Honestly, compared to the quarter-modded comfies on the MS-1s, I preferred the MS-1s.

> MS-1

These are what the SR-60s should be. Great clarity, nice tight bass and clean highs with prominent mids to boot. These really are the best grado-value headphones. Athough they're slightly more expensive then the SR-60s, I'd recommend everyone not to waste their time with the SR-60s and jump right on the MS-1s.

> SR-80s

Compared to my SR-60s these had slightly more bass and better more clarity. The bowl pads are optimal, but still the MS-1s take the prize.

> PX100s

These really do blow your socks off. You don't expect much from the little guys, then bam; it hits you. They're fairly comfortable, the sound quality is quite admirable, especially for ~40$. For value, portability (they swivel up into an eyeglass-like case) these are the best headphones I tried.

> KSC-75 (unmodded)

Sounded ok. Don't know what all the humbug was about. PX100s were much better. 'Nuff said.

> HF-1

Anyone at the meet knew what was my favorite cans. I won't post any impressions on the RS-2 (didn't really get a good chance at it). These HF-1s have amazing bass, clear mids and soaring highs. They played my rock music effortlessly and sounded the best out of the medium-range bunch (apart from the different sounding K701s and Jay's K340s). These did beat out the 225s in my heads-up comparison, and I was pursuading people left and right that thought the 225s beat the HF-1s. The HF-1s will be my next headphones, as long as they're not in the RS-2 price range.

Favorite headphone at the meet: for great sound, comfort and soundstage, the HF-1s take the prize.

Best sounding headphones: tie between Jay's K340s and Pixel Pusher's K701s out of the hornet.

Best "Budget" headphones: tie between the PX100s and MS-1s. One is 40$, the other 100$. Having both wouldn't hurt. The PX100s win for portable use, the MS-1s for home use (although basho still swears by his SR-80s on the subway

).



Now what we've all been waiting for:

Me enjoying alexs' MS-1s (quarter-modded) before the gear table got crouded. I think blitzzz is hiding in the back after seeing the size of the Er-6is...



Again, me with the MS-1s which I really liked and tried to pry away from alexs. Escaboi is playing with the HF-1s while Jagwire in the back (barely visible) gloats of his triports; good thing Jay wasn't nearby.



Jay seems to be finishing off setting up his lavry and impressing Daniel. Or is Daniel just realising now he should've sold me his 280s? Hm....



People watching me masterfully applying my custom shure foamies to the E4s. Rob's in the back enjoying what looks like his 271s.



Crammed gear table, Jay with his blackberry (note the lack of the sunhat) and someone's about to try my foamies on the E4s and really likes them.



Someone's liking the beyers as Esaboi, Daniel and Blitzzz finally find the Britney Spears on the mac's itunes. And fight over who gets to try the k340s first

The head of the gear table with what looks like alexs' incredibly overexposed face, like when he woke up after his dream of getting one of the last few HF-1s.



I dunno, what caption to use for this one. Seems like escaboi and jay are both in deep thought.



The battle of the K701s. Hey! Who invited the stormtroopers?



K340 vs. HF-1 shootout maybe? Maybe jay'll know.



Jagwire and daniel looking at something.



The table of gear. Yes that is a girl.



Me discovering I hate hte Er-6is.



Rob trying out the a900 ltds. He seems happy.



PX100s and Px250s being modeled.


Great meet guys, we'll do it again soon.

Other picture was like 10kb too big so didnt bother. But I think Jagwire is to the left talking to himself about his 200$.

 

[alexs]

hey nick

It was a good day, I enjoyed it a lot. Thanks to you and bashot for organizing this.

Didn't try too many amps at the meet, but there is always next time

i got to see and hear the HF-1s which were awesome. I've only seen the infamous signature/number on the back of the box in pictures. Another thing I wanted to try was K701s. Not overly impressed with them..I can see how they can be regarded as all around cans though.

(btw. MS-1 featured hole modded Senn HD414 pads)

 

[bashot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Duke_Of_Eli although basho still swears by his SR-80s on the subway .

Didn't say for the subway but for the good 'ol outdoors. Nothing can beat walking around with Grados on a sunny day - if you can accept wearing them outside (and of course only if its not raining). Best moment I had all week was walking to school on thursday and blasting simon and garfunkel out of the sr80s. I say all week because...

the strongest impression I had is that this meet could not show off the true potential of the gear that was present. Maybe it was the atmosphere or the slightly overwhelming task of trying to sample everything that was present (for those like me who have not had the pleasure to do so previously). Yes, a lot of headphones sounded great, in particular the K701s had an edge over the 271s across the board, and I'll attribute most of this to a much more 'balanced' presentation of the bass and the cleaner sound allowed by an open design. But... when all was said and done, I can sit at home with my 271s and pimeta and really ENJOY the music. I never had a stong connection with anything I tried that made me say "wow, this really blew me away". For that, I think you need a bit more solitude.

So philodox... on that note can you lend me the DA10 and K340s for a couple months?

That said, I'm really glad this went though and we all got a chance to meet each other and try out new things. So thanks to everyone who showed up. I was really impressed with the MS-1s compared to a lot of the other Grados present. I was also very glad to try the DT-880s. I think I can see what people mean when they call these beyers 'too neutral'; but I'd consider that a strength of them that allows you to really play with the entire signal path to get the sound you want. And the Goldrings DR150s... that was an interesting experience. A *lot* of bass for a 'reference headphone'. Wish I tried these a bit more and could describe them in greater detail...

 

[JaGWiRE]

Although I didn't try much on (for my own good probably becasue of money), I did enjoy the 880's mainly because of comfort. They all sounded good, I couldn't get the grados on my head comfertably, the design is too awkward for me. The k701's were also nice, and I did walk home with a pair of 600's. I'm pretty sure the 880's are more in the 650 range, but these three headphones are in somewhat of the same league.

Once again, the meet went great, but we needed some full size amps, some good sources, a few more dacs, and definitley some food (i'll stop whining about that.)

I wish I knew who was who online from real life, other then bashot, Alucard, and Philodox / ELI.

 

[The_Duke_Of_Eli]

Anyone who tried my "custom" E3/E4/E5 foamies, impressions would be nice. One person I gave them to said they were amazing and really opened up the sound. I may make a revision if there's interest.

 

[JaGWiRE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Duke_Of_Eli Anyone who tried my "custom" E3/E4/E5 foamies, impressions would be nice. One person I gave them to said they were amazing and really opened up the sound. I may make a revision if there's interest.

I should had tried them just for a taste of real IEMS. My sony ex71's are unwerable, they leave my ears sore, give me a headache (even at low volume), suck up my wax, and fall out of my ear, even if I push them into to an unbearable level.

I didn't really see them till we were packing up and they were in the box. Oh well, there will be more meets Eli

. No more #!#@!#!#@ macs though.

 

[GlendaleViper]

Hey folks,

Well, I think last night went over pretty darn well considering the short notice. I'm glad we got the turnout we did - things really seemed to explode in the last 4 days leading up to it.

So, here's the chance to post impressions. I guess I'll start:

ATH-A900LTD - These are the cans I was most excited to get to hear. I'm usually a big fan of the sound a closed can presents, so getting a chance to hear a mid-high end sealed phone, particularly by AT, was at the top of my list. What did I think? Meh. They are very comfortable, show impressive bass and ok highs, but they spike pretty bad on the high end. The high and low FRs are so predominant that the mids feel completely carved out, like listening to music out of a large oil drum. Also, I found the cable to be extremely microphonic, especially when the cable comes into contact with itself. Considering these were the "limited" versions of the a900, I felt pretty disappointed here. On the upside, they did handle some rap and electronic music well and as I mentioned, they are supremely comfortable to wear. Maybe I'll have to give the a700's a try in the future...

Grado HF-1 - Wonderful cans. I had no idea I would have a chance to hear these babies, let alone the two or three pairs that showed up. First off, I must mention that I prefer the sound of my SR225's very slightly over the darker presentation of the HF-1s. The wooden chambers really produce a more laid-back sound compared to the plastic ones which, as far as I could tell (wish I spent more time with them), kept them from handling the music in as lively a way as the phones they're based on. I will be keeping my eyes peeled for any option to buy these headphones. They are a cool variant from the 225s, sound wonderful and, of course, have that elusive collectibility that cannot be denied. Very cool, very elusive, very desired.

Sennheiser PX-100 - My surprise favourite at the meet. I couldn't stop listening to these little wonders! Being that you can find these for much cheaper than their Canadian MSRP of $79.99, these headphones will find their way into my collection in the very near future. Perfect for the gym, I've never heard an earpad-based earphone sound so clear, with such thumping bass and exciting presentation. And I normally don't like the Sennheiser sound! Kind of wish I had a chance to compare the porta pros, but at the price point, I'm certain they will both be mine without having to worry about the budget. Excellent little beauties.

Wish I heard more (or at all): Beyer DT880s, K340 modded, My own K701s through a better amp; Grado RS-2
Wish they were there to be heard: Sennheiser 555, 595; ATH-PRO700, a700; Koss PortaPros; Sony MDR-a5000

So, all things considered, it was a fun night with a few laughs and some fun gear to try out. Can't wait to hear what everyone else has to say! The forum is now open!

 

[The_Duke_Of_Eli]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JaGWiRE I should had tried them just for a taste of real IEMS. My sony ex71's are unwerable, they leave my ears sore, give me a headache (even at low volume), suck up my wax, and fall out of my ear, even if I push them into to an unbearable level. I didn't really see them till we were packing up and they were in the box. Oh well, there will be more meets Eli . No more #!#@!#!#@ macs though.

I'm officially declaring no more UTAC meets until I get my HF-1s.

 

[The_Duke_Of_Eli]

Glendaleviper not only started another impressions thread; but he said he likes the 225s over the HF-1s! Lol. I'll get him next meet.

 

[JaGWiRE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Duke_Of_Eli I'm officially declaring no more UTAC meets until I get my HF-1s.

LOL, next meet I promise I will try on more hedaphones, and try a pair of hf-1's on for head-fis sake.

I'm going to tell him to post in this thread, hopefully we can get them merged.

Can't believe he liked 225's over hf-1's, I thought hf-1's were more in the 325 / rs series.

 

[JaGWiRE]

I would had brought 595's, but I returned them a few weeks earlier. I still love the 600's, even without an amp.

You made a new thread for no reason, post in here:
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...=1#post2041836

Can a mod merge these two threads together, and then delete the second part of this post about posting in the wrong thread? Or I'll edit it.

 

[alexs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JaGWiRE LOL, next meet I promise I will try on more hedaphones, and try a pair of hf-1's on for head-fis sake. I'm going to tell him to post in this thread, hopefully we can get them merged. Can't believe he liked 225's over hf-1's, I thought hf-1's were more in the 325 / rs series.

You didn't listen to either of those

Maybe you would prefer 225s too...

 

[The_Duke_Of_Eli]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JaGWiRE LOL, next meet I promise I will try on more hedaphones, and try a pair of hf-1's on for head-fis sake. I'm going to tell him to post in this thread, hopefully we can get them merged. Can't believe he liked 225's over hf-1's, I thought hf-1's were more in the 325 / rs series.

You can't really compare the HF-1s to something like an RS-1. They are close, but the RS-1 just truly is a better set of cans when properly amped.

 

[philodox]

I'm going to reply to what you've said here in the other impressions thread.

EDIT: They merged the threads and now this makes no sense.

 

[philodox]

Nice meeting you all. I am sorry that I didn't get a chance to chat with more people than I did. I think I was a little thrown off as these things usually last a little more than 4 hours. I remember seeing a few people at the end and thinking, "They look interesting, why haven't I talked to them yet?"

As for listening impressions, I don't have many. Most of the gear that was present I had heard previously. The AE-1 was interesting, though had some static issues that it is apparently being sent back for. I heard the same small soundstage on the Hornet that I heard at the Oakville meet. I really meant to listen to the Larocco PR II and was curious to see if it could drive the K340's, but it slipped my mind. I am horrible with names, but to the guy that brought that and the new Goldring headphones, we need to get together sometime for a little listening session... I'd love to hear the HHF-1's that you left at home, give the Pocket Reference a shot, and just chat music.

Speaking of the Goldring DR150's... quite a nice headphone. This might be the solution for people that like Grado's but prefer circumaural headphones and want a bit more soundstage. Their bass was *very* present with a decent amount of slam. I can't wait to hear what they sound like with some burn in. Quote:

Originally Posted by bashot So philodox... on that note can you lend me the DA10 and K340s for a couple months?

LOL... You can pry 'em from my cold dead hands.

I do agree that it was hard to get any accurate impressions with the noise level in there. Next time we should make a 'no screeching' rule and maybe have a time out area when it is needed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JaGWiRE I wish I knew who was who online from real life, other then bashot, Alucard, and Philodox / ELI.

I also have a problem with names. I think I picked up a couple, and would recognize some by screen names, but not with much accuracy.

Not sure where all the pics are, I saw quite a few being taken. I had my camera there, but didn't bother once everyone else started taking pictures. Once they are posted if people that attended could point themselves out that would be great.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlendaleViper ATH-A900LTD - These are the cans I was most excited to get to hear. I'm usually a big fan of the sound a closed can presents, so getting a chance to hear a mid-high end sealed phone, particularly by AT, was at the top of my list. What did I think? Meh. They are very comfortable, show impressive bass and ok highs, but they spike pretty bad on the high end. The high and low FRs are so predominant that the mids feel completely carved out, like listening to music out of a large oil drum. Also, I found the cable to be extremely microphonic, especially when the cable comes into contact with itself. Considering these were the "limited" versions of the a900, I felt pretty disappointed here. On the upside, they did handle some rap and electronic music well and as I mentioned, they are supremely comfortable to wear.

Yeah, that was about what I thought of the non-LTD version when I heard them. Quote:

Originally Posted by GlendaleViper Wish I heard more (or at all): Beyer DT880s, K340 modded, My own K701s through a better amp; Grado RS-2

You didn't get around to hearing the K340's eh? Oh well, I'm sure there will be a next time. You should have plugged your K701's into the Lavry... it seemed to be a good match at the Oakville meet when we tried it there.

Oh yeah, THIS THREAD IS WORTHLESS WITHOUT PICS.