CanJam Dallas 2024 Impressions

I liked the Viva STX quite a bit. I've heard the other Vivas on many occasions throughout the years. The 845 is meh - I think I just don't like the 845 tubes (seems the bigger the DHT, the worse it sounds), or maybe the 845 needs some special sauce from the designer which no one I met has figured out yet. The Egoista 2A3 is pretty decent. Feliks Envy sucked balls - I was like WTF this is a turd - however take into account meet conditions. The Woo WA23 was pretty looking, but sonically disappointing since I felt a decked out WA33 was far better. The problem is that people are ruined on SBAF with the DNA, EC, and older decked-out Woo stuff, which covers the spectrum of different presentations.

Didn't hear Mass Kobo.

 

Gungnir 1-A2 (old one) stays in my STAX and ortho setup via the iFi iESL / power amp. Planars are inherently smooth sounding with softish attacks (estats and nano-diaphragm orthos on this last one). The Gungnir 1-A2 has that grunt in the lowest registers with a highly energetic attack. Also, it's one of the few Schiit DACs along with Yggdrasil A2/OG (and GS) that don't use opamps for the output.

New Gungnir 2 (new) doesn't have any more snap and pop / leading edge / bite / low-end grunt than MiB, since why I keep Gungnir 1-A2 (old). I've just found the Gungnir 1-A2 to pair exceptionally well with certain setups. I also like energetic mids / upper mids.

 

Depends on the tubes.

I got those Elrog 300Bs on the Studio B which aren't as bloomy or lower mid organic as the WEs. Gungnir 2 would work well here. On my EC 45 Custom which is on the mellow side, I've stuck with Gungnir 1-A2. Soekris 2541 worked well with this set up too.

For reference, Mjolnir 3 / Gungnir 2 worked well with Mjolnir with a wide variety of headphones: JAR600, HD800, ZMF Atrium (more open mesh), Caldera Closed.

 

Just a bit dull, soft, rolled, and boring. Not excessively bloomy, but wet for sure. I used the Susvara Unveiled, which I thought was better than usual from a timbre perspective - zero metal splashy stuff. To hard to know, whether HFM ironed out the one somewhat minor kink with the Susvara, the Feliks Envy did it (which would not necessarily be a good thing), or maybe combination of both.

Bottom line is how it makes you feel. EC is big and grand, and you feel like you are at a grand event. DNA is that South Park episode where that Heavy Metal chick rubbing her big soapy sudded boobs all over you. Feliks was like watching a boring sloggy technical presentation from EQing IEMs Crinacle on YouTube while smoking weed.

It's all about the output transformers. Both Donald and Craig went to huge lengths on transformers. They typically held off releasing shit until they found the transformers they wanted for their sound.

 

You are welcome and the thanks is appreciated. I'm probably gonna do more videos because much easier (and starting to get faster) for me to explain in words than to type.

LOL, keep asking questions. I may go back the last few questions, chew on them a bit more, and post my responses on YT.

 

Oh, I forgot I also used the Feliks Envy with the Immanis. I didn't understand what people were saying that the Immanis was super resolving. It wasn't. I chalked that up to the amp. (And I know how resolving the SR-1a and CA-1a can be firsthand, let's say the Immanis didn't even get to its potential). The most resolving thing I heard those two days was the STAX X9000 from the Viva and it wasn't even close.

It's very likely the Envy couldn't drive the Immanis properly with its transformer box. But people are dumb. How may bullshit ads about "current hungry" orthos + "powerful Envy" have we seen? Bet you Magni Unity or Topping A30 makes more power into that transformer load.

Finally, meet conditions, and people here are spoiled on boutique tube amp vendors not popular on HF (or now dead). It's all relative.

 

WA33 I didn't hear at CanJam but have heard it plenty of times at TSAV in Torrance (shameless plug for sponsor here - but really they have a great place to demo, just hang, and check out a ton of stuff). WA33 is wonderful. Better than WA234567 or whatever. Maybe only Woo amp I would put into S Tier, like S-. Maybe S if I got a chance to live with it and set it up.

WA24 sure looks pretty, but I dunno. Seemed to go backwards. Maybe the 3A/109E tube just doesn't sound that great? Refined presentation for sure, but kind of meh. Or probably shitty output transformers - they crammed a lot into that chassis. Don't know how Woo stuck power transformer and output transformers into that one fairly compact chassis. Would be curious about the internals. And yes, size does matter. Earlier Woo like WA5 and WA33 are gigantic two piece units. There's a reason for that.

Again, meet conditions. Big meet conditions.