Vancouver Head-Fi Meet - January 14, 2012

[ianmedium]

Hi Ian
 
Thank you for your wonderful cabls...

I am so glad you enjoyed them Victor and am so glad other folks got to hear what the Toxic's bring to the music and enjoy them. I really loved your set up and forgot to ask what your amps were? combined with the AR CD player and HD650 I thought the sound sublime, the sort of sound one can listen to for hours on end and be fully absorbed into the music, perfect synergy!

 

[vkung]

You look at Elekit TU-882 (no 8)
http://www.head-fi.org/t/402585/review-summary-a-ranking-of-32-tube-and-tube-hybrid-headphone-amps
 

 

[n3rdling]

tonereef can you give some insight into the design of your custom electrostatic tube amp?

 

[gurus]

Vancouver Meet Impressions excluding my set-up!
 
Best sound was from the HD800 being driven by the Weiss DAC202 playing Asia Roots CD thru  (Meridian?) CD player setup by Element Audio.
Best DIY amp:Victor's daughters DIY kit amp
Disappointments: Stax SR-007 and 009. I owned the Stax SR-007 in 2004 and after trying it with a few different amps I gave up on it as I thought it never had the right pace for different kinds of music.  For the SR-009 same except more natural sounding, better bass but definitely lacking in dynamics for me.
                               
All I can say about the LCD's is : Glad I was not able to buy one when I wanted one as Audeze was out of stock just before the introduction of the LCD-3 at CanJam.

 

[ianmedium]

I loved the sound of your HE6 Guru and I know your were not keen on the LCD's which I think goes to prove my point earlier, there is no right or wrong, we all just have to find what suites us as individuals. I sat at home last night and spent a lovely three hours absorbing the music. Funny thing is that at home where it was quiet I heard those parts on Jeeps blues, the cymbals if you remember, perfectly!

It was great meeting you.

 

[gurus]

Quote:

I loved the sound of your HE6 Guru and I know your were not keen on the LCD's which I think goes to prove my point earlier, there is no right or wrong, we all just have to find what suites us as individuals. I sat at home last night and spent a lovely three hours absorbing the music. Funny thing is that at home where it was quiet I heard those parts on Jeeps blues, the cymbals if you remember, perfectly!
It was great meeting you.

Thanks, Ian.
 
Different strokes for different folks. I know you love your LCD's and are passionate about them and that is fine. As I know there is no Holy Grail in/of stereo equipment so I do accept people's personal preferences.
 
 

 

[vkung]

Quote:

Thanks, Ian.
 
Different strokes for different folks. I know you love your LCD's and are passionate about them and that is fine. As I know there is no Holy Grail in/of stereo equipment so I do accept people's personal preferences.
 
 

100%  agree
 

 

[CompassRoseNxNW]

 
 Thx Viktor for your efforts in organizing & putting on the Meet & everybodies efforts in bring their nice setups & the opportunity to listen to some Fab Gear/Sounds, really enjoyed meeting all.
 
 Really looking forward to the next one.
 
Cheers,
Tristan.
 
ps... Guru, got a question for you? [ Can You ...]   Loan me A Dime?

 
 I know you'll enjoy the entire Album but esp The Track! Cheers...
 

 

[gurus]

Quote:

 
 Thx Viktor for your efforts in organizing & putting on the Meet & everybodies efforts in bring their nice setups & the opportunity to listen to some Fab Gear/Sounds, really enjoyed meeting all.
 
 Really looking forward to the next one.
 
Cheers,
Tristan.
 
ps... Guru, got a question for you? [ Can You ...]   Loan me A Dime?

 
 I know you'll enjoy the entire Album but esp The Track! Cheers...
 

Tristan
 
It was tough finding the album with that title but I got the track. It was in his  2nd album self titled "Boz Scaggs". I should have in next week. Thanks. If the album is worth it you get your dime back!

 

[CompassRoseNxNW]

Hi Guru,
 
  Thx for that.
 
  Man you drive a hard bargin, but I am confident I will get my Dime back, maybe even with your 2 cents worth/interest, as I know the Album Is THAT GOOD!

 If you remind me b4 the next meet I will try & find the disk as well as the Steve Miller album that I was telling you about & burn you copies of both ok.
 
  Thx again for your nice setup & music as well. Good stuff.
 
Cheers,
Tristan. 

 

[tonereef]

It was indeed great meeting everyone and hearing some wonderful sounds! I really enjoyed your HE6 setup, Gurus. It would be interesting to compare them to the LCD3 - maybe next time someone will have those. Also, I'll bring my other (EL34) amp for the Stax, you'll find it's a little more dynamic.
 
Travis of Headphone Bar told me he'd like to set up a meet with support from manufacturers. For him it would have to be on a Sunday though.
 
Ian, what are the in-ear phones you've had for so long and still like best? A friend of mine was asking.
 
Tony

 

[tonereef]

I have two actually. The one at the meet is based on the Stax T1 (which I also still have, though don't listen to much). But  better parts, better power supply regulation etc. The other, more recent one, uses 4 EL34s and takes into account the Blue Hawaii design although it is different in a number of ways. I'm ignorant when it comes to electronics but could put you in touch with the guy who built them if you'd like more specific info. I can't tell you how they sound compared to the Blue Hawaii, Woo or other electrostatic amps because no one I know has them.
 
Btw I found that replacing the 6DJ8s in the 2nd position of the EL34 amp with 6FQ7s helpfully ameliorates the brightness of the 009s and perhaps brings out a little more fullness lower down. The 6SN7 amp has a softer presentation to begin with. The EL34 is more dynamic and more revealing; it definitely drives the 007s better, bringing out detail that the other amp smears. Of course the 009s are detail champs no matter what.
 
Quote:

tonereef can you give some insight into the design of your custom electrostatic tube amp?

 

 

[ianmedium]

It was indeed great meeting everyone and hearing some wonderful sounds! I really enjoyed your HE6 setup, Gurus. It would be interesting to compare them to the LCD3 - maybe next time someone will have those. Also, I'll bring my other (EL34) amp for the Stax, you'll find it's a little more dynamic.
 
Travis of Headphone Bar told me he'd like to set up a meet with support from manufacturers. For him it would have to be on a Sunday though.
 
Ian, what are the in-ear phones you've had for so long and still like best? A friend of mine was asking.
 
Tony

Tony, I do apologize for forgetting your name earlier. I am still thinking of your wonderful 009's and that lovely amp!

The in ear monitors I have are the Etymotic ER4S. They require an amp to perform at their best and a pretty good amp at that. However, if your friend simply wants to listen out of a portable music source then they can get the ER4P which is much less harder to drive and has a very slightly warmer sound with a little more bass.

I have tried a number of in ear phones as you know and even though these are very old designs they still are magnificent phones, the proof of which is that after 17 years they still make them pretty much unchanged apart from small cosmetics!

 

[vkung]

 
Please take a look  Edward's thread.
http://www.element-acoustics.ca/audio_visits.php
 

 

[ianmedium]

That was wonderful of Edward, what a great write up. I really enjoyed meeting the folks of Element Acoustics, such an obvious love and enthusiasm for music and what great reproduction systems can do for that love of music.
Thank you once again Victor, what a great way to start the new year!