[gandhisfist]

Post your impressions from the meet at Capital Audio Fest. What did you like? What did you hate? Let us know your thoughts on all the gear that was on display!

 

[sheldaze]

Great putting this together, one and all! I'll start with a comment I heard from someone passing nearby - too many headphones! I don't think so 

 
This was an almost perfect quantity. Looking forward to maybe hearing an Ether at the next meet 

 

 

[gandhisfist]

Great putting this together, one and all! I'll start with a comment I heard from someone passing nearby - too many headphones! I don't think so 

This was an almost perfect quantity. Looking forward to maybe hearing an Ether at the next meet   

Thanks for coming out and especially for bringing the HE-400S, was really looking forward to hearing those. I see why people compare them to the hd600 or hd650 tonally, being mid forward with a bloom to the sound.

Maybe someone can bring an HE-1000 to the next meet too.

 

[GrindingThud]

The hotel was very responsive to our needs, including tables, chairs, and power. The noise floor was a little high (reference the record vaccuum machine). For headphone listening, a less shared room might have been better, but on the other end, we had a bunch of traffic and lots of people got to experience a wide variety of very cool and unique gear.
Thanks to everyone that brought power strips and extention cords. We needed them even after the "Mother Strip" was deployed:

 

[sheldaze]

I like the idea @gandhisfist had, regarding more regular meets. Even if this means some at one or another person's residence with limited head count. I think it would help to get people (who are trying out equipment for the first time) listening at lower levels, or perhaps give us the opportunity to hear the Yggy/Rag in their original home. Immediately placing my DAC back into my speaker system, I recalled how much I enjoyed not just the peaks of sounds, but also the valleys. Often the lack of sound is what I found most shocking in my at-home listening experiences.
 
Perhaps just talking off the top of my (tired) head. It certainly did seem enjoyable for those people just passing through, with comments like, "What's this? Oh, a headphone amp." I wasn't sure what to say next. We did not get much of that at the library 

 

 

[Billheiser]

Good meet, y'all!  After trying a lot of phones I start to lose a basis of comparison - but that's fine, I just enjoyed the music.  I think LCD-3 is still my favorite, based on fairly brief sampling.  And I don't know that the Dharma is ready yet, IMHO.
 
The day before, I listened to the AQ Nighthawk in the KEF/VPI room.  An audiophile was cruising the nearby equipment, pushing buttons and turning knobs.  Then he cluelessly twirled the volume knob on the amp powering the headphones.  Oh Schiit!  Left my ears ringing - I am unable to report on the actual sound quality of the Nighthawk, just that they get very very loud. 

 

[TimeLord]

It was good meet everyone. And I agree the amount of noise did make open headphones difficult to assess. Nonetheless, I got very good impressions about headphones I've been curious about for some time.
 
The surprise headphone for me was the Oppo PM1. On top of sounding good, it was surprisingly light and comfortable to wear, especially considering it's an ortho.
 
I was disappointed in the Dharma. Maybe my hopes were too high or I simply expected more from $1200 headphones, but I honestly would not pay more than $500 for them, and even then I'd be hesitant.
 
The Chord Hugo lived up to its name. It sounded spectacular. My only hangup with it is that it's portable, but a little bit too big for portable. I suppose the idea is to be able to bring it along for use with a laptop, but for me I'd want it for use on flights with an iPhone feeding it FLAC; and for that use, I'd want it to be 2/3 of its size.

 

[Psalmanazar]

IT was nice to meet everyone. I found the the 2014 black box, silver driver HD 650 to be not veiled and great for the sibilant extreme metal I threw at it like Incantation and Dismember.
 
The HE400S disappointingly had too much bass bleed into the mids and the Oppo PM-3 didn't seal all that well. I don't see how those can expect to compete with the HD 600/650s for their prices.

 

[KillerDisturbed]

Took a few photos that came out well I think on my phone, just wanted to share these - http://imgur.com/dhsJh9T&qnRDwQ4&GdVSdZl
 
In regards to impressions, I was very impressed by that Valhalla 2/Bifrost stack, the Firefly was just as nice but I didn't really compare the two. I liked them both very much.
 
The HE400s's were a nice little upgrade over the HE-400i's that me and BigTerminator liked already, and the LCD-2's are always nice to listen to in our book. I love the Audeze LCD-2's/3's.
 
It was a fun meet, and it didn't get as hot as I thought it would - The Virginia meet got a lot hotter. Maybe just because the room was far bigger and possibly the A/C. The meet was very well organized I think, thank you again gandhisfist!

 

[gandhisfist]

Been putting my thoughts together on everything I got to demo yesterday.  Really overwhelmed by the positive response and the turnout for the meet.  I love these events and would love to do them more often, even if they are more casual or smaller.  If anyone wants to do mini-meets and has ideas on how to set one up, I'd be happy to help make that happen.  One of the nice things about these larger meets at the shows is the number of attendees that stopped by just to ask questions and try to learn about headphones.  Definitely some folks that looked at our section of the room and shook their heads like @sheldaze mentioned, but that's to be expected at a show that's primarily about speakers and with people that never took the time to appreciate headphones.  On to the impressions!
 
Senneheiser HD800:
 
Really clean overall sound, great mids and treble, but I felt there was no body to the music.  Sort of reminded me of the sound of a stat.  Really quick, but just not enough weight to the sound for me.
 
Audeze LCD-X:
 
This headphone just sounded right.  Good weight, great extension, very quick headphone.  I think I'm convinced these will be my next major purchase in headphones.
 
Hifiman HE-400S:
 
Was a bit surprised and also a little disappointed in this one.  Very different from the normal Hifiman tuning.  Much fuller mids, still has decent extension.  This headphone reminded me of the HD650 in a lot of ways, but with more bloom to the mids.  Maybe its the Hifiman veil now?
 
Schiit Rag/Ygg:
 
Holy Schiit!  This combo blew me away with its detail and sense of space.  Tried it with the HD800 and the LCD-X and was just amazed at the sound, especially out of the Audeze.  Killer combination.
 
Beyerdynamic DT880 Manufacktur:
 
Really enjoyed this headphone more than I expected to.  Treble was definitely very present but didn't take away from the sound at all, really added a nice sparkle to the music.  Mids and bass were really even and neutral sounding with good extension too.
 
Audeze LCD-2F:
 
Nice tonality and I think I finally understand what people mean about the Audeze bass.  The LCD-2F is a great sounding headphone, but a bit warm and bloomed of a sound for me, I prefer the LCD-X in that regard.
 
ENIGMAcoustics Dharma D1000:
 
I was really impressed by this one at the meet this time around.  At the last meet, the sound seemed very disjointed, you could tell when the electret driver was playing rather than the dynamic and vice versa.  This time the crossover was tuned to be much more natural and really worked well.  Highs sparkled nicely, and lows punched well with good extension.  A really nice sounding headphone, I just wish it was a little cheaper, $1200 is a bit steep for me for this one, might wait til it shows up on the HF FS/FT forum.
 
NAD Viso HP50:
 
Really nice closed back headphone.  A bit on the warm side for me, but great extension and a sound that would be really easy to listen to for extended periods without fatigue.  The headband wasn't the most comfortable, and the cups were smaller than I expected but they still fit well over my ears, which was a concern I had when first reading about them.
 
MrSpeakers Alpha Prime
 
Really surprised at how much I enjoyed this headphone.  Excellent, smooth sound to them and really open sounding for a closed back headphone.  Really comfortable pads and a very smooth, warm sound.  Not as much low end extension as I would normally like and I think the pads would probably get hot after extended wear.  Not as much sparkle as I normally look for in the treble, but really enjoyable and seems like it would be super-forgiving of poor recordings.
 
Other General Notes:
 
I think what impressed me most was not just how good the high end gear sounded, but how well some of the cheaper stuff kept up.  I was consistently impressed with the sound of the stuff normally considered "mid-fi" and how well it compared when put side by side with totl gear.

 

[Billheiser]

Down the hall from the headphone meet, there were a lot of Master & Dynamic brand headphones in the VPI room. In my brief listening to a couple of records, the MH40 model sounded good, was comfortable and nice looking. Anyone else heard these?

 

[ScottFW]

It was good seeing everyone again, a nice sized gathering with some people I recognized from the April meet, some I hadn't met before, and it looked like we had a bunch of non-head-fi show attendees and vendors listening to our rigs too. I noticed one of the guys from the room across the hall with all the Modwright gear was checking out my Crack & HD650s for a while, and I think one of the VPI guys too.
 
My impressions are unorganized and rambling, but here they are.
 
HD600s and HD650s are quite close in sound. I *think* the HD600s were a little thicker in the midrange to the point of exhibiting just a touch of congestion whereas the HD650 felt like they conveyed more openness, air & space. Tonally they were similar enough that I'd have to spend more time in a non-noisy environment while taking detailed notes in order to tease out the differences.
 
I remain unimpressed with the more upmarket HD800 and Beyer T1 for essentially the same reason: too much treble. Neither of these exhibit the slight midrange emphasis of the HD650s and perhaps they are more spectrally flat overall, but the treble of the HD800 and T1 just grates on me with rock or EDM or almost anything that has a beat that makes me want to turn up the volume. My impression is that these cans would be vastly more tolerable, perhaps even enjoyable, for classical and jazz. The one guy who had the T1 and also the T5p (Cole maybe?) mentioned that he might prefer the T5p. I didn't get to hear those, maybe next time.
 
I got to hear the iFi iDSD Micro. Sound signature is nearly identical to my Nano with the exception that the Micro's amp section has more than enough muscle to drive HD650s (8V, 4 watts) whereas the amp section of the Nano is noticeably anemic in the bass. I still feel the Nano was a great buy at <$200 for a versatile and portable DSD capable DAC that will do a passable job as a headphone amp with non-demanding loads. I'm using the Nano primarily as a DAC feeding my new Crack so I don't really need the better amp section, but for $500 the Micro would be pretty a solid buy for its capabilities.
 
I enjoyed listening to the various planar options. I'd need a lot more time with that class of headphones before being able to commit to one over the others but I think the HE-6 would be a strong contender. They're not ridiculously expensive on the used market and they sounded damn good out of the Yggy-Ragnarok & Cavalli setup. I listened to one track that had one of the most lifelike reproductions of a clarinet that I've ever heard. I forget the artist but I took a pic of the screen to look it up later. I recall hearing a set of HE-6 driven by a Krell integrated at the April meet and they seemed to do well with a variety of genres. Of course, if I bought the HE-6 I'd also have to buy a new amp to run them. Considering how far up I had to crank the Rag to get volume from them, it's no wonder people run these off of loudspeaker amps.
 
Next year I might plan to attend both days of the show. It was tough finding time to listen to all the headphone stuff, let alone visit all the other rooms full of exotic gear. First world problems, I know.

 

[gandhisfist]

  Down the hall from the headphone meet, there were a lot of Master & Dynamic brand headphones in the VPI room. In my brief listening to a couple of records, the MH40 model sounded good, was comfortable and nice looking. Anyone else heard these?

Nah, unfortunately did not get a chance to make it over there.  I have heard good things about the cans.  Anything to report other than loudness like the Nighthawk? 

 

[Billheiser]

  Nah, unfortunately did not get a chance to make it over there.  I have heard good things about the cans.  Anything to report other than loudness like the Nighthawk? 

Fortunately I heard the Master & Dynamics before that dude ruined my hearing.  Anyone see a middle aged white guy at the CAF?  Yes? He was the perp.
 
The MH40 sounded detailed but warm and nice.  FWIW, I was listening through phono cartridges and turntables and amps I'd never heard before.  But I heard excellent detail and layers, and they also rocked with the appropriate music.  Nice soft leather pads.

 

[Psalmanazar]

  Nah, unfortunately did not get a chance to make it over there.  I have heard good things about the cans.  Anything to report other than loudness like the Nighthawk? 

I walked over to them and they're obviously AT OEM. I didn't bother listening.

  It was good seeing everyone again, a nice sized gathering with some people I recognized from the April meet, some I hadn't met before, and it looked like we had a bunch of non-head-fi show attendees and vendors listening to our rigs too. I noticed one of the guys from the room across the hall with all the Modwright gear was checking out my Crack & HD650s for a while, and I think one of the VPI guys too.
 
My impressions are unorganized and rambling, but here they are.
 
HD600s and HD650s are quite close in sound. I *think* the HD600s were a little thicker in the midrange to the point of exhibiting just a touch of congestion whereas the HD650 felt like they conveyed more openness, air & space. Tonally they were similar enough that I'd have to spend more time in a non-noisy environment while taking detailed notes in order to tease out the differences.
 
I remain unimpressed with the more upmarket HD800 and Beyer T1 for essentially the same reason: too much treble. Neither of these exhibit the slight midrange emphasis of the HD650s and perhaps they are more spectrally flat overall, but the treble of the HD800 and T1 just grates on me with rock or EDM or almost anything that has a beat that makes me want to turn up the volume. My impression is that these cans would be vastly more tolerable, perhaps even enjoyable, for classical and jazz. The one guy who had the T1 and also the T5p (Cole maybe?) mentioned that he might prefer the T5p. I didn't get to hear those, maybe next time.
 
I got to hear the iFi iDSD Micro. Sound signature is nearly identical to my Nano with the exception that the Micro's amp section has more than enough muscle to drive HD650s (8V, 4 watts) whereas the amp section of the Nano is noticeably anemic in the bass. I still feel the Nano was a great buy at <$200 for a versatile and portable DSD capable DAC that will do a passable job as a headphone amp with non-demanding loads. I'm using the Nano primarily as a DAC feeding my new Crack so I don't really need the better amp section, but for $500 the Micro would be pretty a solid buy for its capabilities.
 
I enjoyed listening to the various planar options. I'd need a lot more time with that class of headphones before being able to commit to one over the others but I think the HE-6 would be a strong contender. They're not ridiculously expensive on the used market and they sounded damn good out of the Yggy-Ragnarok & Cavalli setup. I listened to one track that had one of the most lifelike reproductions of a clarinet that I've ever heard. I forget the artist but I took a pic of the screen to look it up later. I recall hearing a set of HE-6 driven by a Krell integrated at the April meet and they seemed to do well with a variety of genres. Of course, if I bought the HE-6 I'd also have to buy a new amp to run them. Considering how far up I had to crank the Rag to get volume from them, it's no wonder people run these off of loudspeaker amps.
 
Next year I might plan to attend both days of the show. It was tough finding time to listen to all the headphone stuff, let alone visit all the other rooms full of exotic gear. First world problems, I know.

I agree with you about the HD 800. The treble resonance made any rock or metal album where the drummer is hitting the snare and cymbals at the same time for the beat sound like he had three hands and was tapping the cymbals again. Every album with vaguely sparkly cymbals caused ear pain maybe worse than the DT 990s, which I only tested with Master of Puppets. Those made Metallica's guitars sound almost Entombed crunchy with less gain but made the cymbals RING. Your new HD 650s got me to buy them at MSRP with same day shipping from Amazon though. Definitely the surprise of the meet. Basically an HD 600 with better bass and no shouty sibilance.

The planars did not impress me. The ones with more linear bass extension rendered kick drums modified down to just bass (as in some house and black metal) to be very one note. Perhaps this is just due to all headphones' artificial recreation of subbass tones on older albums mixed for speakers making things sound unnatural. I didn't get to try the HE-6 though.