January 16th Orange County Meet Impressions

Discussion in 'The Meeting Place' started by Luckbad, Jan 16, 2016.

  1. shaizada

    shaizada Friend

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    Ok, I'm going to follow up in here with some meet impressions that have I've been mulling over in my mind.

    Between playing host, playing music for people in the main room system etc, I wasn't able to get much listening in during the meet. Also, the meet had a higher than normal ambient noise level which affected some listening sessions more than others. But here are some thoughts (pardon any errors in writing...its is almost 3am!):

    1) HE-6 with Krell Rig
    I was really looking forward to hearing Jason's rig as the vigor and passion he has for this headphone really appealed to why we do all this that we do. This rig did many things well. Resolution, detail, limitless feeling of power. I felt like I did hear everything in the mix. However, I was underwhelmed by some warmth and body issues. I played Beck - Sea Change, a recording I know like the back of my hand. One thing it does not lack is body and the complete analog feel of the recording that shines through even on digital playback. The body was missing severely...I am thinking something was off in the setup so we must revisit this later again as I want to learn why.

    2) HE-6 with Firstwatt F6
    This rig got the presentation spot on! All the hallmarks of Beck - Sea Change were coming through clearly and now I was getting to really understand how good this HE-6 headphone can be. The sound of the He-6 hints at what speakers can do...they have weight, body, superb tactile feel, but I still think they lack the finesse and resolution I hear through some top notch dynamics and electrostatic headphones. The He-6 can really move some air so that tactile feeling is really nice! Good job on the rig Clem!

    3) HE-6 with EAR 834
    I don't know why we just didn't hook this up at the actual meet so that Clem and Jason could hear this pairing. Even with an ok source (AK240), this pairing was revelatory for me as to what was possible with the HE-6 headphone. There was body, warmth, fullness, unrestrained power, slam, and a level of openness and air I thought were not part of the HE-6 DNA. Jason and Clem, you two need to come back and listen to this to understand how fantastic this pairing was. This pairing was probably a perfect match for the He-6 headphone. I listened to a 24/192 of Cassandra Wilsons's - New Moon Daughter. The tones, textures, inflections of her voice were fully fleshed out, but right along side this ethereal open sounding top end with air you can almost touch and feel. Goosebump territory! You two especially need to hear this.

    4) Schiit Audio Prototype setup
    This was actually the very first rig I head at the meet. SOMETHING was awfully wrong here and I didn't know what. Sound was shrill, phasey and just awkward through 4 headphones on the table there. I didn't understand what it was...I played back a Yarlung label recording of Ciamarella Dances, a recording I am intimately familiar with as I have the CD as well as the 45rpm vinyl. Instruments were off and plain wrong. @Bill-P came up to me soon after I walked away from that desk to ask me what I thought of the sound. I laid it on him and was fully expecting him to disagree as Schiit stuff usually sounds great. He totally agreed with me and felt the same way! LATER ON, Marv told me that there were some settings that were completely wrong on the computer which he had to turn off as even HE thought something was seriously wrong. Too bad I didn't get a second chance to go and hear the "corrected" rig. I would have loved that....it was clearly a hit amongst the attendees. Maybe some other time.

    4) Accuphase CD Player + DIY Orpheus + Headmp Aristaeus Amp
    Meets are a blessing and a disaster. You get to hear gear you would not otherwise hear but the conditions do not give you a full chance to truly hear the gear. Such was the case here as well. I had to literally dial up the volume to almost 9/10 to get to actually hear the sound as the ambient noise floor was too high around me. This rig showed fantastic promise... I didn't hear anything that would stick out. From what little I could hear, everything was in balance and harmony. Top end, mids, bottom end, everything flowed like water. I would love to hear this rig without any disturbances some time...I think I need to visit Milos and hear this thing properly as it felt correct....I just couldn't tell HOW correct. Milos has a fantastic ear and taste level, so I am sure this rig will really shine, but I just need to hear it properly. Almost felt like I should have taken this rig upstairs to my listening room and just LISTEN there.

    5) Audio Zenith Setup with HD-800 and DSP with the killer broadcast quality Technics CD deck.
    Excellent setup! The HD800 had no brightness at all and it seemed like it was tamed perfectly. I think I heard a perfectly neutral sound through this setup, however, I felt that the breath of life was missing for me. There is a distortion/sound I get with tubes that pleases my ear, soothes my soul when done correctly. Connects me with performance. I felt that I got a technically perfect rendition which appealed to my mind, but didn't quite capture my heart. I think if I were to be mixing/mastering, I would use this setup everyday. However, for playback, I like emotional connection with my music. I shy away if I don't get that...Alex, thank you for this experience. Your DSP showed what this headphone SHOULD sound like when corrected for.

    6) VPI Classic + Ortofon 2m Black + Eddie Current Custom Phono + EC Studio
    For me, this was THE rig of the day with the HD-580/HD-650 headphones I heard it with. It captured the essence of total musicality, bloom, textures, tones, gobs of resolution and vigor. I have a pressing of Stanley Turrentine with the 3 sounds - Blue Hour on 33rpm Music Matters vinyl. This record tells me everything as I use it to dial in various turntables and cartridges I have. This rig let it all through in spades. The spit through the sax on the left channel, the shimmer or air around the cymbals on the right channel, the attack and bell tone of the piano in the center, the bass player, all came to the performance with all the goods. This was a magical pairing as a rig....two thumbs way up. This pairing though, was not my cup of tea with the HD800 which I also tried. The performance became distant, the magic was pretty much not there, but the detail was still all around. But this time, I found myself technically thinking what the hec is going on. I could not GET INTO it. Not sure, but I think the HD800 might need to be setup correctly if this is the rig of choice.

    I'm getting a little tired, so more to come as I have some more thoughts to share with ya'll.
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2016
  2. ald0s

    ald0s Facebook Friend

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    @drfindley how do you feel that the T3 + Black Widow compare for a HD800S rig? Im a bit scared of putting together the T3.
     
  3. sorrodje

    sorrodje Carla Bruni's other lover - Friend

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    Such a good way to express what is real resolution . :bow:
     
  4. Clemmaster

    Clemmaster Friend

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    Excellent write-up @shaizada !
    I'm actually not sure if I heard the EAR 834 with the HE-6. I might have found it too bright and didn't care for it. Or was it with the K-1000? Can't remember.
    I'm definitely down to hearing the setup again, with a better source (a TT, maybe :rolleyes:. At the very least a Gungnir Multibit/Basic III ;)).

    1) Schiit's table
    I personally *really* enjoyed the Schiit mini-stack (more so than the Prototype) and was there when Marv found out the EQ was turned on in JRiver with some of the weirdest curve I've seen :eek:.
    Once fixed, the little stack was soooo involving with the HEX I had a big smile on my face. The sound was spacious, punchy and never agressive/bright/glarey. @ultrabike seemed to also hear (and enjoy?) the spaciousness this rig was able to produce. Don't know for sure if it's the Door's remaster or if it's the rig, though. I would need to get my hands on the same master, to make sure.
    I felt the prototype had a somewhat taller and "bigger" sound (in the sense that the instruments / voices sounded larger), but lost the spaciousness and everything was left/right sounding.

    2) EC Studio
    Damn the pairing with the HD-800 was bright! I don't know how OJ manages to listen to this pairing at such loud levels :eek::D.
    The HD-650 was definitely a better pairing. But I still felt it fell short in the bass department. Now, I've heard only one recording - that I was totally unfamiliar with - that wasn't my cup of tea. Still, it was enough to put down the HD-800 after 15s.

    3) Hifiman Edition-X
    This is one polarizing headphone! I hear it as one of the most complete TOTL headphone - especially with the Gungnir Multibit + Liquid Carbon - when others find it slow, bloated and thick. I really can't get my head around why this is. Maybe its construction works better for narrower heads like me?
    For me it is superbly transparent, spacious and detailed, while retaining a natural tonal balance.
    And no, this is not a HE-400S in bigger cups: I have both in house and the 400s can't approach the HEX in any way - not even tonal balance (even thought it's quite good). The 400S has hollow upper mid, a thick lower mid (much like the 400i, actually) and is miles behind in terms of detail retrieval.
    The way some people describe the HEX sound is probably how I hear the 400S :confused:.

    Oh well... I guess I will continue to dig this headphone and will never be able to communicate how good it is, when people clearly don't hear it the same way...
     
  5. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    Yup. I heard the spaciousness and did enjoy it quite a bit. Those songs had good soundstage info, and the Schiit mini-stack did a good job with them.
     
  6. insidious meme

    insidious meme Ambivalent Kumquat

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    I am seeing alot of love here for the Gungnir Multibit/carbon stack. I've never brought anything to a meet before but it's satisfying to have the first one have such a good reception from a finicky crowd.

    Thanks again for @shaizada for being a wonderful host, and @audiofrk for the legwork for this meet. Also the wonderful friends who make this community such a great one. When's the next one? :headbang:
     
  7. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    Ok, so was the mini Schiit stack the Vali 2 (stock tube?) and a normal Modi 2 Uber and then there was a prototype DAC next to it? People seem to really dig the stack.
     
  8. drfindley

    drfindley Secretly lives in the Analog Room - Friend

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    The HD800s like tubes I've found. The BW is great for many things, orthos especially, but with HD800s, I'd want tubes. The T3 build is not bad actually. I did it as my first project and I still haven't figured out how to properly read a schematic.

    What recording was it? You may have hit something sharp there.

    I wouldn't call it slow, bloated or thick, I'd call it boring. There's just no magic. Sure it's resolving and such, but there's just no magic.
     
  9. sphinxvc

    sphinxvc Gear Master (retired)

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    Looks like it was a killer meet. Thanks for all the reports.

    Anyone have any impressions of the speaker rig(s)?

    also, @drfindley, what HP did you try with the mini stack?
     
  10. drfindley

    drfindley Secretly lives in the Analog Room - Friend

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    Probably the HD580 (bill-modded) or the HD800.
     
  11. audiofrk

    audiofrk Guest

    There was a lot of schiit

    That being said I think I listened to it before the reeq'ing as it was really bright.
     
  12. Bill-P

    Bill-P Level 42 Mad Wizard

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    Photo time!

    Darin's SR-009:

    _DSC9013.jpg

    Dr. Findley's main competitors:

    _DSC9018.jpg

    The DIY Orpheus:

    _DSC9020.jpg

    ...driven by Aristaeus:

    _DSC9021.jpg

    Engimacoustics Dharma D100:

    _DSC9032.jpg

    Cavalli Liquid Glass with character:

    _DSC9023.jpg

    Here's ultrabike's portable measurement system. I shoulda brought me cardboard coupler thing. :)

    _DSC9024.jpg

    Alright. That's it for gears! I didn't bother shooting gears as much as listening to them.

    Here are some humans.

    Mm... dat TH-X00 driven by the Schiit mini stack...
    _DSC9017.jpg

    "Uh huh? Okay... I think I get it now...?"

    _DSC9019.jpg

    Andre was obviously very happy that his HE-60 was 2nd only to the Orpheus clone! But he needs new ear pads and headband cushion for them... :(

    _DSC9029.jpg
     
  13. Bill-P

    Bill-P Level 42 Mad Wizard

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    "Oh yes, it is I, your Stax messiah!"

    _DSC9038.jpg

    "Hey, Bill, make me look handsome!"

    _DSC9040.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2016
  14. sorrodje

    sorrodje Carla Bruni's other lover - Friend

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    Fortunately, pads and headband cushion are still available. it's not hard to find :)

    Thks for the pics @Bill-P
     
  15. Andre Y

    Andre Y Friend

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    Yes, thanks. I ordered them a couple of weeks ago, and just got the shipping notice today. I found out that the sealing O-rings are also bad, so I have to get those too. Here are the part numbers for the pads and headband in case anyone else needs them:

    ear cushions: 068951
    headband: 069515

    It takes about 3-4 weeks to get them in stock, and my time was about 16 days from ordering to shipping notification.

    No idea what part numbers the O rings are: I'll have to ask their support person. n3rdling also says that the screws they use to hold the thing together are really cheap and fragile, so be careful when you unscrew them.
     
  16. sorrodje

    sorrodje Carla Bruni's other lover - Friend

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    The HE60 is worth the wait and the patience. :headbang:
     
  17. n3rdling

    n3rdling Friend

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    The O-rings should be part # 084312.
     
  18. Andre Y

    Andre Y Friend

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    Thanks for the part number!
     
  19. Rotijon

    Rotijon Friend

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    Ok, im now stupidly curious about the EAR amps, and they are also stupidly cheap once you factor in the current two channel madness.

    Anyone know if the voltage is easily convertible from 110 to 230 vice versa? Im quite keen on the HP4 on headfi now.
     
    Last edited: Jan 30, 2016
  20. shaizada

    shaizada Friend

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    The HP4 is not easy to switch voltage inside the unit from what I know. It would require a different transformer completely.
    You COULD get a step down converter, but for some reason, I always feel they would compromise the sound.
     

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