[yage]

Great meet and thanks for booking the room (as well as the free vinyl) @Billheiser
. I listen to headphones mostly at work so I was eager to try the Ether C on my setup. I only got to hear a few tracks on it at the last meet so this was the first chance I had to get it on my system. I thought it sounded good overall - a little light in the bass, but very even in the midrange and treble. It didn't have the dynamic impact or the bass punch that I'm used to on the LCD-XC, though it certainly sounds more natural through the midrange and treble. It's also not as sensitive as the Audeze, so I was close to maxing out the volume pot on the Sonett 2 on some classical music. I think I'm going to stand pat on the LCD-XC for the time being.

@willsw
- I listened to the microZOTL 2.0 with the Genalex tubes and I thought that it brought a warmer, more tubey sound to the table, though it also could've been the Musette at work. If you ever want to send a stock and a Genelex'd microZOTL 2.0 my way for a more in-depth comparison, I'd be more than happy to oblige.  

 

[TimeLord]

@Billheiser thanks for making this mini meet happen. This was the most "productive" meet for me. I got to hear so many headphones that I've been wanting to hear. Where to begin...
 
I'll start with the one that I was most curious about walking into the meet: The Sennheiser HD 800 S. As a relatively new convert to Sennheiser's offerings, I have been spending a lot of time to figure out what I wanted corrected in the HD 800. I most wanted to have more bass presence and to tame the stinging bits of the highs; leave everything else as is. So the question is did the HD 800 S accomplish this? Partially. The bass has definitely been improved, but I'd have liked a bit more bass. As for the highs, I'm not sure any improvement has been made to tame them. At this time, I don't think there is enough improvement over the HD 800 to justify an upgrade.
 
The Hifiman HE 1000: A very pleasant headphone that has a very good reproduction across the spectrum; it did little wrong. And in fact, I was quite taken aback at how good it was. However, something kept nagging at me about this can. So after my listening session with it, I picked my HD 800 and what was wrong became apparent. The HE 1000 sounds like I'm listening to them through a warm wet cloth. Everything feels like it is recessed, if that makes sense. It's not that vocals are recessed compared to instruments or the bass is overpowering the mids; it's everything being evenly recessed. I don't know how to describe it other than to say the sound felt distant. Absent the knowledge how present the sound could be with something like the HD 800, one could be very happy with the HE 1000.
 
The MrSpeakers Ether C: I was really disappointed in what I heard. Released from the constraints of the Fostex drivers, I was expecting MrSpeakers to deliver a closed back headphone that addressed the shortcomings of the Alpha Prime. Unfortunately, the Ether C lacked bass response, which was never a problem on the Alpha Prime. It didn't have the sibilance of the Alpha Prime, but the highs and mids seemed lifeless. What I did like about them is that they are very light and very comfortable to wear. The Ether C is the most expensive headphone sold by MrSpeakers, but the Alpha Prime is still their flagship headphones.
 
Fostex x Massdrop TH-X00: I have an ongoing search for the "perfect" closed back headphones. When I saw the TH-X00, especially the supposedly improved Purpleheart iteration, I wanted to know more. Before even starting to analyze the sound of the mahogany version of TH-X00, there are fatal flaws with its design. The earpads are too small, and on me, the pads rest ON my ears, which I know will be a terrible idea for any length of use. Consequently, I cut my listening time short. These are not for me.
 
Audeze LCD-4: Since I have a pair of LCD-X, I was certainly curious to see what $4k would do. In short, the LCD-4 sounds just like you would expect a pair of Audeze headphones to sound like: A darker signature, plenty of bass, and clear vocals. Were there improvements over the LCD-X? Maybe. After listening to them over several songs, nothing prompted me to do a direct comparison with the LCD-X. It simply didn't have the kind of improvements I'm seeking from Audeze. I would like Audeze to keep that exceptional bass and vocals, but I would like the instrument reproduction (especially piano and string instruments) to have crispness. The LCD-4 does not do that, instead it sounds more or less just like my LCD-X. The LCD-4 is much more comfortable than the LCD-X, thanks to the new headbands. So, instead of contemplating a $4k purchase, I will instead upgrade my LCD-X's headband to the one the LCD-4 uses.
 
The surprise headphone of the meet was the Talos modified version of the Fostex T50RP MK 3. This headphone did a lot of things right. There is room for improvement such as the muddiness around 800 to 900 Hz. There are also design changes that need to happen like having cables go to both cups, which I think is in the works. But overall, especially considering the price point this will come in, they represent a very good mod.
 
Thank you to everyone that came.

 

[antsin3d]

How many hrs burn in/use did those Ethers have?

 

[willsw]

How many hrs burn in/use did those Ethers have?

 
They were pretty fresh. I don't know how much MrSpeakers does at the factory, but we picked them up new at the SoCal CanJam, had them for visitor use for two days, and they haven't seen much action since. They did get a few hours while I was also burning in some tubes. Probably around 20 hours total. Gonna need to give them some heavy head time before they sit on our AXPONA table. I will say that a few people at the CanJam said they preferred the Ether Cs (then pretty much new) at our table to others they had heard around. 

 

[antsin3d]

Right on - in that 200+ page Ether C thread Dan suggested bass heavy EDM at higher-than-comfortable volume levels for at least 100 hrs. Supposedly has a more drastic result on these cans than most. Dunno myself, not being blessed to possess a set (yet).

 

[BigTerminator]

I was not at the mini meet you guys just had, but I was at the original meet back in February and I gave my impressions, speaking highly of the Alpha Primes that @TimeLord brought. Well my brother wanted to ditch his 400S for my X2's so somehow I snatched a used pair of Alpha Primes for $600 including the DUM cable.
 
Being able to actually hear them in quiet conditions without the time constraint and pressure of the headphone meet, all I can say is I am just as impressed as I was at the meet. These just play everything beautifully and even though they are neutral they are so musical and enjoyable. The bass goes deep but is a little light. Like a volume knob on a subwoofer, I eq'd a bit  of extra bass and now they really are perfect. 
 
Funny thing is I honestly never even knew about the Alpha Primes until the meet, and I am usually up to date with all the high end cans out there. I never would have seen myself getting a closed back headphone, let alone one from Mr. Speakers until the meet. And even after the meet, I just could not see myself spending 3-4 times the amount I did on my lovely X2's. I am really glad I did, and now I have a truly high end headphone that can run with the big boys you guys thankfully bring to all our meets. 
 

The MrSpeakers Ether C: I was really disappointed in what I heard. Released from the constraints of the Fostex drivers, I was expecting MrSpeakers to deliver a closed back headphone that addressed the shortcomings of the Alpha Prime. 

 
May I ask what you consider the shortcomings of the Primes to be? 

 

[Billheiser]

Enjoyed the attendance on a sunny Saturday; if we had 2-3 more persons, we would have spilled into the hall.  I think the most outstanding headphone there was the Flare; all the other headphones sounded from good to excellent, but the Flare was uniquely horrible.   
 
- I dug the HE1000 most of all I think, hearing it from @sheldaze's MicroZOTL and Mark's Nuprime.  The only downside was the external sounds; I could hear fellow attendees through them as clearly as the music.  A good home-alone headphone.  
 
- I enjoyed the modded TH900 with the spalted maple cups; I think they might be bright to live with, but they were lively and clear with deep solid bass.  
 
- At the last meet, I really enjoyed Will's TH600; at yesterday's event, however, my music selections seemed to result in overly-elevated bass.  I think @gandhisfist heard the same.  
 
-I enjoyed the 800S again, clearly preferable to the 800 for me.  Also liked the LCD-3 yet again; if it's dark, then I guess I like dark. 
 
- The Talus T50RP mod was surprisingly good for a projected price of $250.  Lively, upfront, clear sound.  I then listened to the ZMF Omni, which was more relaxed and spacious/atmospheric in sound, and I liked it even better.  First time I had heard these T50 based 'phones, thanks!
 
Have headphones, will travel, if DC or MD folks want to host the next meet.  I won't be able to make this summer's CAF.

 

[TimeLord]

   
May I ask what you consider the shortcomings of the Primes to be? 

I find the soundstage on the Alpha Prime to be rather small; I realize that a lot of it is a compromise for the level of isolation they provide; nonetheless, it is a shortcoming. Additionally, they can be sibilant even with all the blue monkey dots and discs in place. I suspect this is where MrSpeakers could not overcome the shortcomings of the Fostex T50RP MK 2 drivers. Overall, especially for closed back headphones, these are a wonderful pair of headphones. Plus who can say no to those 3D printed claret cups?

 

[BigTerminator]

  I find the soundstage on the Alpha Prime to be rather small; I realize that a lot of it is a compromise for the level of isolation they provide; nonetheless, it is a shortcoming. Additionally, they can be sibilant even with all the blue monkey dots and discs in place. I suspect this is where MrSpeakers could not overcome the shortcomings of the Fostex T50RP MK 2 drivers. Overall, especially for closed back headphones, these are a wonderful pair of headphones. Plus who can say no to those 3D printed claret cups?

I come from DT990's and Fidelio X2's which both have very good soundstage and these are very close if not on their levels. It won't have HD800 soundstage, but for a closed back I have to say the sound is not at all congested and does sound open and natural. I am not sure about the dot configuration my pair have, but I find the treble to be close to the line of being too much but still not there. I would honestly blame the mix first rather than the headphone if a track were to be too sibilant.
 
These are such a wonderful headphone! I am a speaker guy first, but right now I just want to listen to these only. 

 

[gandhisfist]

I know a few folks were talking about it, so linking it here just in case. Final production run of the liquid carbon: http://www.head-fi.org/t/803956/cavalli-audio-liquid-carbon-final-production-run

Will be updating the thread at some point with photos and my own meet impressions.

 

[gandhisfist]

Impressions:
 
Mr. Speakers Ether C
The Mr. Speakers Ether C struck me as a very mid-focused headphone.  I can certainly see why Tyll like it so much as he tends to prefer a mid-emphasized and slightly warm signature.  I agree with @yage in that I found the bass a bit light for my taste.  Overally a very clean sounding headphone with good clarity and detail retrieval, but a balance of sound that left me wanting a little more thump.
 
Audeze LCD-4
I didn't really know what to expect with this headphone other than it probably having the standard Audeze sound signature.  To my surprise it sounded a bit darker than the normal Audeze signature to me, especially in comparison to @TimeLord's LCD-X.  If I really cranked up the LCD-4 to a loud volume, I was able to get really nice clarity and detail, however at a normal listening volume the treble was simply shoved too far down to me.  the roll off in the mids also put female voices behind male voices quite a bit in my listening.  Also to my surprise, the bass was probably my biggest problem with this headphone, lacking the signature impact and texture that Audezes are normally known for.  I was quite disappointed in the bass really.  The overall attack of the notes on the LCD-4 was quite soft and reminded me a bit of the Hifiman HE-1000 a bit in that regard.  I feel the HE-1000 is probably the better headphone of the two current summmit-fi planars, and the LCD-4 is probably not worth it unless you're really after the Audeze sound signature.
 
ZMF Omni (Blackwood-cupped prototype)
I was quite interested to check out the Omni partly because I had heard so many good things about it and partly because I had brought my friend's Fostex T50RP mkIII mod to share and get additional impressions on.  While the construction, fit and finish on this headphone is quite nice, it's sonics were not my preference.  I felt there was a real lack of lower mids, which lent an overall hollow and weightless character to the mids.  I think this was probably further exacerbated by the low mid distortion that's characteristic of the T50RP driver.
 
Fostex TH-X00 and TH-600
I found these both to be quite similar overall with the big differentiator being the bass.  I agree with @Billheiser that the bass is a bit overdone on the TH-600 and overtakes the lower mids.  I thought the TH-X00 was slightly more balanced in this regard, but still had that lower mid recession that colored the mids too much for me.  The upper mids and treble came off as dry, bass was a bit overdone in the subbass I feel, but not to a degree that made it unpleasant like the TH-600.
 
Ayre QB-9
This was a dac that caught me by surprise, an excellent implementation of the Sabre ESS9018 chip that is often poorly implemented.  A very smooth and resolving sound signature.  The only thing that really pains me about it is the price, out of my league.
 
Comments:
 
Thank you again @Billheiser for organizing this excellent mini-meet.  I was able to try a lot of stuff that I had been looking forward to and it's always a pleasure to see the familiar faces in this area, chat and share impressions.  I've also included some pictures I snapped while at the meet.  Hope we can do this all again soon, I certainly wouldn't mind another meet before the CanMania meet in the summer at Capital Audio Fest.  I'm glad to hear some positive impressions of the Talos and would love to hear everyone's attempt to describe the Flare R1, its quite the conversation piece.
 
Photos:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GrindingThud]

Bummed I missed this one, looks like a great collection of people and gear!

 

[TimeLord]

I come from DT990's and Fidelio X2's which both have very good soundstage and these are very close if not on their levels. It won't have HD800 soundstage, but for a closed back I have to say the sound is not at all congested and does sound open and natural. I am not sure about the dot configuration my pair have, but I find the treble to be close to the line of being too much but still not there. I would honestly blame the mix first rather than the headphone if a track were to be too sibilant.

These are such a wonderful headphone! I am a speaker guy first, but right now I just want to listen to these only. 

I'm glad to hear you're enjoying them this much. Cheers!

 

[Barry S]

Couldn't make it because I got sick this weekend--pretty sure no one wants a germy guy at a small head-fi meet. Thanks to everyone for posting your impressions.I missed the LCD-4? Damn!  Can't say I'm surprised by the group's reaction, but Audeze phones can be picky with amp pairings. LCD-2 bass can sound bloomy on some amps--wonder if that was the case withe LCD-4? The LCD-3 needs an amp that thins out the mids and drives the treble a bit. Otherwise, it can sound almost syrupy.
 
In other news, I finally put my Gungnir up for sale, and it was snapped up right away. Trying not to look at the nice Stratus in the classifieds.

 

[markm1]

Sorry to have missed you Barry, hope you are on the mend. Speaking of amps, does anyone know if Questyle or Aurolac is coming to the Can Mania portion of CAF? I'd really like to hear the CMA and Taurus products series at some point.