I wish I could have attended - you needed a Spider-Man to attend. That's what should have happened.
CanJam New York 2024 Impressions Thread (March 9-10, 2024)
- Thread starter AxelCloris
- Start date
Well, it’s such a different headphone, it really interests me. Doesn’t hurt that the different traits of the headphone seem like they were read straight from my wishlist… but it also surpasses expectations too. I wanted angled drivers, but these are some of the most angled. I wanted open back, but these are some of the most open enclosures. I wanted good bass presence, but it’s a biodynamic driver with the same diameter as the HD 650.
I am a gamer, and I play games more than I listen to music, but I want more than that. I got to borrow a Sony MDR-MA900 from a friend, and that had uniquely good soundstage, imaging, as well as mids timbre, and it was awesome at competitive videogames especially 3D ones with headphone surround processing… but I felt it lacked extension in both highs and lows, not great for me at music or even movies, so I never bought a pair. I still want good music. But I think the grell OAE1 will do that, as long as it doesn’t sound like the drivers are positioned below my ears
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, if I get a pair I’ll try to review them.
BeowulfTheFoldin
New Head-Fier
its defintely worth it, as my friend jordan put it this thing sounds like a thousand dollar headphone and they were very impressed, which coming from a stax addict says somethign haha
BeowulfTheFoldin
New Head-Fier
honestly i remember aperio sounding way too incoherently wide when it turned on spacial audio on the wandla, made it sound wrong lol.Hello there! Just wanted to pop in and give some of my impressions from the show. This was my 2nd Canjam but my first one in NYC and the difference between this and Dallas was crazy, soo many people and vendors. While I do miss the quiet of Dallas, I got to try out a lot more gear in which was fun, esp since I'm local, will definitely be going again next year. I tried to take pics but they are not be the best so pls excuse my shoddy photography. If anyone is curious, I was the girl walking around taking notes with an orange notebook and the Avatar backpack, got into some great conversations with fellow audiophiles and vendors. These are all my impressions in what has been established as a noisy show floor so...
Impressions/ Highlights/Surprises in no particular order:
Abyss 1266 Phi TC: The Abyss/Woo room was really nice, I really wanted to try the 1266 but I unfortunately could not even get it on my head, to be fair my hair was extra poofy that day, oh well..... The reel to reel that had there was pretty cool though, never seen one before.
Abyss Diana MR: This one I could wear, it wasn't the most comfortable on my head though, however I really enjoyed the sound especially the bass performance, if I had a better fit I'd seriously consider buying it since it has a much smaller profile compared to my other HPs. I'd feel less self conscious wearing this in public lol.
Woo WA23: Okay this thing looked absolutely gorgeous, I thought I would find the gold a little gaudy but in person it has a very classy refined look. I brought my ZMF Atriums and Meze Elites with me and I soon as I plugged them in, I was incredibly impressed, especially with the sound coming from my Atriums. The sound opened up considerably and vocals had a very sweet tone. The Suvara on it was also very impressive but I was more wowed by the Atruims. Sadly it's way out of my budget but I'm glad I got to try it!
Abyss Diana TC: The fit was the same as the MR so not great but the sound was incredibly detailed and vocals were very textured. It was paired with the Woo Wa33 and again, if the fit was better and I could actually afford that amp, it'd be under serious consideration. The MR on the Woo Fireflies was an excellent paring as well.
Austrian Audio The Composer: I don't remember what this was hooked up to but I think because I had just come off the Atriums on tubes I found the sound to be a little thin and it had a bit too much treble emphasis for me. The build and comfort were fantastic though, very lightweight, definitely all day sort of headphones.
Modhouse Tungsten DS: This was driven off one of the big Viva Tube amps, what stood out to me was the sub bass performance, I put on Mountains by Hans Zimmer and in the part with that decending bass line, I could follow it all the way down. The comfort could be a bit better but I liked the purple face plate. Didn't get a chance to demo the SS or try it on other amp unfortunately, will definitely plan for another demo if I can.
Raal Magna and Imannis: I was super excited to try these out as I am always curious to check out newer driver technologies. Didn't get a chance to try the SR1A/B or the CA1A unfortunately. Out of the two I definitely preferred the Immnais, the sound was very detailed and resolving yet rich, they also seemed to have a widder sound stage. The Magnas were great in their own right and more comfortable due to the lighter weight but I found them a little brighter and I tend to like darker tuned headphones. Unfortunately since they were hooked up to an iPad with preselected songs I didn't get a chance to try out my music, definitely looking forward to them showing up at stores so I can do a proper demo, the driver tech sounds very promising.
Final D7000: This one was interesting, I had never tried any other headphone from Final before, the headphones themselves were very lightweight but I could not seem to get a good seal on my head and I think this most likely affected the bass and I found the sound to be a bit lacking, this was directly after the Raals so maybe that's why I didn't find them to be very resolving or detailed, overall it sounded a bit mushy to my ears, wish I got a better fit.
Violectric V550 Pro: I am expecting a Limited Edition V281 in a few weeks but wanted to check out the other Vio offering. I plugged both my Atriums and Elites in and they sounded great, even in the noisy room I could tell it had a very clean background. I preferred the Elites on it more than the Atriums though.
Warwick Aperio/ Ferrum Wandla GoldenSound Edition: This was the system set up at the headphones.com booth and it definitely stood out, the aperio amp literally glimmered. The headphones themselves were very nicely built but I found the clamp force a touch too much on the sides of my head, that being said it probably helped the bass because the sound from that thing was unreal. It sounded so effortless, rich yet detailed, I could hear so many nuances in the track even in the noisy show floor, can't even imagine the sound in a quiet room. It was hooked up to the new Wandla golden sound dac and the spacial enhance feature was really impressive! I definitely heard a difference as I toggled back and forth, didn't get the try the other features but I came away incredibly impressed. I unfortunately didn't get to check out the Bravura and I wish I did cause that system price wise is more attainable and if it's at least 90% of the Aperio, I'd get it in a heartbeat.
Focal Utopia/Focal Stelia: I went straight for the top dogs cause I have heard pretty much all of focals other offerings, briefly had the Clear MG but couldn't get on with the fit, focals do this weird clamp thing around my lower jaw that gets uncomfortable after a while. As you can see, fit and comfort are VERY important to me so shows like this are a great opportunity to check that. Right of the bat, I found the Focal Utopia to be simply superior. The Utopias were powered off the Naim Unity amp I think and they sounded impeccable, I had previously heard the old Utopia and I found them a bit harsh up top, the Utopia 2022 was so smooth yet so detailed, the instrument separation was fantastic and vocals were so clear and textured. Only knock was it's definitely a more intimate soundstage and I prefer bigger sounding headphones. Coming off of them directly to the Stelia I noticed some boxiness, voices sounded hollow and things were not as well defined. Sounded okay but compared to the Utopia, it wasn't even close. If I ever figure out the fit on Focals, Utopia will be my next purchase.
Audeze LCD-5: I have a love/hate relationship with Audeze, the LCD-4 is still one of the best headphones I have ever heard, the bass performance is still unmatched for me and I absolutely love the tuning. Unfortunately given its weight and clamp, I could never wear it for more than 10 minutes hence why I do not own one. The LCD-5 on the other hand was way more comfortable and lighter, still clampy, but manageable. The bass performance on this was excellent, I could hear every nuance of the drum recording I played, but I wasn't as impressed with vocals. If I only listened to drum based tracked the LCD-5 would be a serious contender. Drove it off the DCS stack, too rich for my blood but the sound was great.
ZMF: I tried pretty much all the ZMF's on display. I just love the energy in that room and seeing all those amazing headphones an amps when I walk in. While I loved the Caldera and Auteur classic, the Atrium still holds a special place in my heart, hence why I have one. It was fun plugging my Atriums into all the amps they had, the Decaware was quite good. Unfortunately I didn't get to try the Caldera closed or Bokeh open as there was such a long line behind those newer models, hoping to try them out more in Dallas.
Senheiser HE-1: I was one of the lucky people who got to try this system. First of all just the start up sequence with the tubes rising and the headphones being displayed is quite the site to behold. Everything oozed quality and luxury, even the volume wheel was sublime to interact with, I went up first and got to listen to two tracks and I don't know if the tubes were not fully warmed up yet but the sound was a lot more neutral than I expected. Don't get me wrong the instrument separation and imaging were absolutely fantastic, definitely on par with the Aperio but when the vocals came in, I expected more richness and body and I didn't get that. My brain saw those tubes rise and expected a particular presentation I guess. I was however immensely impressed when I put on Time by Hans Zimmer, it was an amazing experience and I am glad I got to opportunity to listen to it, wish I had more time with it, those 10 minutes flew by so fast.
CFA Trifecta/ Fathom/ Andromeda etc..: I didn't really get to try a lot of IEM's as I am primarily a Headphone user but I am in the market for one so I did check out a few booths. Spent a lot of time at the Campfire booth since they had such a large selection. The Andromeda and the Fathom I liked because they had the best fit for me, I tried the cascara and while I especially loved the bass, I found the shell a little to big for my smaller ears. However the stand out for me was the Trifecta, it is one of the few times I have heard a large soundstage in and IEM. The fit was also fantastic, the only thing holding me back is the price as I set a sub $1500 budget for myself. I'm hoping to get more iem demos at Audio46 later this week so hopefully I find something great. Glad to see how big the IEM market has grown, I'm not a huge fan of closed backs so I'm leaning towards IEMs for travel and work.
Speaking of closed backs:
Meze Liric 2/ DCA E3: I know I just said I'm not a fan of closed backs but if I had to get one it'd be one of these two. The Liric looked fantastic and was very comfortable, I absolutely love Meze's design philosophy and their focus on comfort, it's why I love my Elites so much, the pad swapping system is also a plus. The sound was very pleasant, but not as resolving as the E3, however I could see myself wearing that all day and never getting fatigued. Driven off my Chord Mojo 2, it was very enjoyable. The E3 is definitely more technically capable and equally comfortable and while I found the sound exciting at first, I can sense that I might get fatigued quicker on this vs the Liric, for shorter bursts though the E3 is solid.
Stax/Hifiman Shangri-la: Estats have always been impressive to me and this was no exception. I really enjoyed the L700Mk2, 007mk2, the X9000 and the Shangri-la. I'm still on the fence about getting fully into Estats beacuse I still prefer a warmer tuning but I can definitely see why people love them so much. The 007Mk2 and X9000 stood out to me cause I really enjoyed the bass performance, esp compared to the other phones there. The L300 on display was hooked up to the little stax SRMD10 and idk of it was just loud in the room but I could barely hear anything even on the highest setting. Overall still an enjoyable experience
SJY Horizon: This to me was a stand out. Not only beacuse of the design but the sound. I heard it at the headphones.com booth and was incredibly impressed so much so I asked the price, when I heard it was less than a thousand dollars I was even more impressed, it easily sounded like a $2000 headphone. Build was great and comfort was fantastic. It was driven off the Chord Hugo so I'm not sure how much heavy lifting the Hugo was doing but it sounded amazing esp for the price. I'm definitely going to check out some of their other offerings, would make awesome birthday/ Christmas presents.
Felix Audio Envy/ Zahl HM1: Finally, I want to highlight a standout from the show for me and that was the Felix Audio Envy Amp. I was always of those people who never really liked the Suvara. I know technically it's still one of the best planars out there but I always found the sound to be a little thin and slightly bright. As soon as I plugged it into the Envy, I was blown away. It sounded just like how I have always wanted it to sound. Everything sounded perfect. I plugged both my Elites and Atriums in and they also sounded amazing. Plugged in some Utopias, DCA Stealth, Abyss Diana MR...amazing. That amp could seemingly do no wrong. This was in the stock configuration too so I can't even imagine the performance Edition or with upgrade tubes. The amp made me seriously reconsider my stance on avoiding tube amps. If I ever did decide to bite the bullet on tubes, that would be the amp I would get, not only for its sound but its versatility. If I were to go Solid State end game it'd be the HM1, everything sounded fantastic on it but I would lean more towards the Envy as the better all rounder. I went with my BF and some standouts for my him were the Susvara on the Viva Egoista 845, the HE-1, LCD 5 and the SJY Horizon. He also loved the Elites and is currently borrowing mine.
This was way longer than intended but hopefully you had fun reading. Tried a lot more gear but wanted to focus on the main ones I took notes on. Once again I had a blast both days, the Headfi guys really did a great job, it was nice bumping into Warren again, and seeing a lot of reviewers I enjoy watching on YouTube. Even my boyfriend who's not really into this stuff said he had a great time and is looking into buying some gear for himself. I am looking forward to Dallas and next year!
geoffalter11
Headphoneus Supremus
Great vid my friend. Thank you! I especially appreciate that you spent your time with headphones instead of IEMs. I kind of feel like IEMs are where the hobby is ultimately going. On the go offerings at ridiculous prices. I came away from Canjam Dallas with the exact same best in show products. Especially that Rossini Apex. And for $33,000 it can be yours. But, it is truly a magnificent product. And already owning a CFA3, I can hardly disagree with your assessment. My only difference from you was the Meze 109 Pro. I didn't love it, and I did love the Empy II. I didn't find it 100% neutral, I did feel it was still a bit warm, but I did hear it on a tube amp, which definitely helped as did hearing it on the Rega Planar 6 turntable and it was absolutely incredible on a turntable.
Thank you for your video...
thaslaya
500+ Head-Fier
Nice! Damn I wish I lived closer to you so I could demo these
Nice! Damn I wish I lived closer to you so I could demo these
me bugging @emdeevee and @theflyingtoad so I can combine Trifecta with Sovereign Symphony
I can see that, the spacial enhancement was already on when I started listening so once I turned it off, everything sounded almost congested by comparison, I wonder if it would have sounded weird the other way around lol. I'd still like to try it out at home in my system at some point, seems like a cool feature.
BeowulfTheFoldin
New Head-Fier
i actually tried it first on and quickly shut it off so id stop hearing the alt j be 3 blocks away haha
Drop just sent me the OAE1 over the weekend! My first impressions are here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/axel-grell-headphone.967413/post-18075011
I'm very late but the FBK hoodie was me!
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Awesome impressions. I'm glad to hear that to hear that you agree with the tuning differences. The one from CanJam SoCal sounded pretty rough, but I liked what I heard at NYC.
Aaay nice! Akai naaaa~
Great video, takes me back to re-live the two days there. Thanks for sharing and taking the time to film and edit.
