July 15, 2017 - People's CanJam Pasadena Impressions Thread

I heard a stratus a while ago with the mesh tubes and it sounded very warm and soft and intimate that time. The stellaris I heard yesterday wasn't soft at all, so I'm thinking I heard it with other tubes. Much preferred this sound to the Stratus with mesh tubes I heard last year. Makes me want to hear a stratus with different tubes now! Or become real familiar with the lil soldja boy donor center close by to slowly save up for a stellaris...

 

I came to this forum for the hardhitting no-bs content, but what's really kept me here are the unconventional strategies for financing high-end gear. Many thanks, @brencho!

 

Looks like another awesome west coast meet. I'd would LOVE to make it someday but it's a long way from the east coast. One day...

 

All with different firmwares...

 

I'll post some photos and impressions later when I get the chance. I have to finish up some things beforehand. I uploaded a sound comparison demo video on n3rdling's rig between the SR-009 and the Orpheus Clone using the in-ear binaural microphones.



For those curious, I was listening to the Overwatch video game soundtrack
0:20 - Hollywood (SR-009)
1:38 - Victory (SR-009)
4:00 - Hollywood (Orpheus Clone)
5:16 - Victory (Orpheus Clone)
7:16 - Route 66 (Orpheus Clone)
8:50 - Route 66 (SR-009)
10:13 - Silence that I forgot to cut out....

 

Thanks to all who came out for an awesome meet!! Especially @Ringingears, one of the catalysts of having a meet and who drove down from the Bay area for it. Loved meeting everyone and hanging out with so many friends. I definitely spent more time meeting the SoCal sbaf crew than listening to stuff!

Marv is right, @LFF 's music library and remastered material is f'ing awesome. 500%-2000% better sounds right to me. Awesome to see you again Luis (and glad shit with your program is kinda sorted out), can't wait to meet up and listen to more music. @Bill-P also received his Code-X, I don't think I've ever seen a happier, giddier or more excited Bill before. This rivaled his excitability when showing off a new mod of his own creation. Congrats man! Don't forget to stop by so I can give you a cable for them and thanks for helping me fix the horrible interface of the ZX2.

@Donald North I wish I hadn't heard the Stellaris. It's a really special amp. Probably the most special amp I've heard. I kinda wish I hadn't, ignorance is bliss and all that, because I may never be big-dick enough to own one. I know there's some controversy behind tube choice, so I'll say right now that what I heard was not soft nor warmfag. It had really nice impact and dimensionality with the Code-X, top notch separation, really f'ing satisfying tonality. Like, steak-and-whiskey-for-dinner tonality. But without sacrificing texture or detail...My cup of tea. Speaking of tea, also really enjoyed your home brewed blend of whiskey. Lets do it again soon. Plus now I have to hear that insane cost-no-object phono stage you build!

Loved seeing Craig at the meet and getting to hear the Aficionado again. It's a super satisfying amp. Has some of that ZDS tonality, soundstage, and magic but with more resolution and speed. The Utopias sounded "right" from this amp (also sounded great from Stellaris). Bill's modded Darth Vader HD800 was amazing from the Aficionado, same with the HD6X0. It did ok with the Code-X, and it put meat on the bones of the Edition 6k Yen, but if I had this amp I'd probably run it with dynamic headphones. I believe this had RCA tubes and a WE 396a.

@Audio Zenith great seeing you again Alex. You taught me that the Ragnarok is actually less bright than even the Mjolnir 2 with tubes. Don't know why this fact escaped me for so long. The AZ PMx2 are a perfect match for the Ragnarok. I felt they were a tiny bit bright and hard sounding from my Mjolnir 2 at home, but they sounded just right off the Ragnarok. If someone wanted to keep it simple, they'd get the PMx2, a Ragnarok, and some efficient speakers and be happy for a long time.

Had lots of fun chatting with Jason @schiit about DACs, amps, and vinyl/ 2 channel gear. Loved what I heard, looking forward to what's coming. The Vidar with the tube preamp was really nice with the Code-X and Hifiman Avalokitesvara. Gripped those drivers by the balls and made them kick real hard. Can't believe that thing costs so little. Really loved the stoic black casework. I'd like to hear this amp in a 2 channel arrangement. Guess I should get off my ass and stop by the schiitr soon and listen to that. I'll always be grateful to schiit for making affordable DACs that sound great. I was DAC-less for a little while after selling the Yggdrasil, but thanks to @Marvey i went from having 0 DACs at home to having 3 on loan... well 2, cause one of them doesn't count (the Audio GD Trash 19). In fact, we did some fun comparisons between Modi Multibit and the AGD dac and the Modi Multibit made the Trash 19 sound like music at 7-Eleven.

Finally got to hear @n3rdling 's clones. Holy crap those things are amazing. I never heard stats like this before, never even liked stats that much before this. They are magical. If only they didn't cost so much to produce, or require a Blue Hawaii amp but man those things are eye-opening. Awesome to meet you, and insanely awesome work man!

Aside from the Clones I heard, headphone-wise, nothing has changed for me. I still love the Utopia but can't justify the price. The Suspiria sounded a bit thin and bright off most amps but on tube amps like the Aficionado and Stellaris, it felt more fleshed out and meatier, which I liked, but like, Fang, divide the MSRP by 6 and then give me a call. The Bill modded HD800 sounded great from those amps as well. But I'm definitely happy I pared down all my shit to just the Code-X (and Andromeda). I remember back in the day it felt insane to me to spend 1k on a headphone, but by today's standards, the Code-X and Andromeda feel like real bargains and hang in there with the best of them. Love the tonal balance of the Code-X, makes me not want another headphone. Well, though I must say that ohgourami's modded HE-6 were excellent. The Code-X are actually pretty similar to them. I just like that I can run the Code-X off of a regular amp since they don't require quite as much juice. But yeah those HE-6 on a special rig would sound amazing I'm sure.

Huge thanks @Marvey for lending me these dacs and those heavy as f**k space-age speaker cables. I'll plug them in as soon as my in-laws leave town. Come over again sometime and we'll mess around with cables and amps some more.

More later...

 

Well, it sounds like a missed a great event. Thank you all for posting impressions and comments!! I will make the next one unless it falls on a race weekend!!

 

Anyone tried the HE-1000 on the Aficionado or the HD800 on the Stellaris?

 

From our own time with the Clones, back in January, our stax zealots decided that it sounded pretty much as good from the BHSE and the much more pedestrian SR-X.

That gives some hope for a decently priced e-stat rig.

 

I might have "accidentally" converted one or two more dudes at the meet to consider ZX2.

These be wise and true words. I shall proceed to hunt down the elusive non-25th Anni CD then!

But on that note, 25th Anni version on Code-X didn't really sound as bad as on other headphones!

 

Always fun hanging out with you guys.

There was a few awkward turtles that showed up and stood in the middle of the room all by himself for an hour and left. I tried to make the effort to introduce myself and show you around. For anyone that is new to these meets, PLEASE COME UP TO ANY ONE OF US AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND SAY YOU ARE NEW. Any one of us would be more than happy to show you around and introduce you to others. Sometimes we get caught up in the conversation around us and might not notice you but we welcome newcomers.

And for us old timers, please try to keep and eye out for these guys.

*The above does not apply to HD650 warmbutts.

 

yeah i know but Asia jokes are one of my favorite joke genres

 

Yes, I brought along some vintage Sylvania dual flat plate 2A3s but wanted to demo the amp with tubes which are readily available.

 

@miceblue cool idea, I didn't know you did that!

I really enjoyed this meet. There weren't a ton of people, but there was a very strong sense of community. Most people seemed to know each other, and those who were new fit right in. It was nice meeting the few of you who had never been to a meet before, hope to see you guys in the future. Lunch was nice. Thanks @brencho for organizing the meet.

I think I only really listened to the Aeon and Susvara. Some impressions:

Aeon - Really wasn't a fan of these. Bass was good at times, and seemed to have a hole at other times. Mids were way off, almost hollow, especially with certain voices. Eric Clapton sounded fine, but Don Henley sounded like he was on his death bed. Almost leaning towards AM radio sound. Treble was very sibilant and harsh. I don't like closed HPs in general, but if you want a closed HP from MrSpeakers the Ether C kills this. The pads on these are really nice though, maybe the nicest feeling pads I know of. Comfort great as always. n3rdling WTPP (willing to pay price): $75

Susvara - Sounded a little better than the prototype I heard, but I think Marv mentioned modding this set with toilet paper. I don't think this HP has anywhere near the impact of the HE-6, in fact I don't really see many similarities besides the treble etch. These weren't bad, but nothing about them really seemed great either. Soundstage was a little too constricted for my liking on a flagship. The left channel had distortion in the bass. n3rdling WTPP: $350


Got some good feedback on the clones. Seemed most preferred it to the 009 which is nice. Had a good time, see you all at the next one!