CanJam 2016 OC Meet Impressions

@OJneg and @n3rdling 's descriptions of the Shangri-la more or less coincide with my own subjective experience when I listened to them in NY recently as reported in the Shangri-la thread. I just tend more towards @OJneg 's conclusion of them being rather uninspiring. But not unenjoyable. However, if what I heard is well into the 5 figure range then just barf.

 

I don't even evaluate things with regard to cost or value at this point. I just listen and see how it stacks up sonically. Everything has inflated so much in price that it'd be too hard to keep track of it all in my head. In that sense I would prefer to go into any given listening session totally unaware of price, brand, driver technology, accompanying electronics, etc. The way I figure, if the ShangriLa or Ether Estat or KSE1500 actually stood on their own feet as delivering better fidelity than the competition, I would sell my stuff and save up for them. Since it can't even approach that level of fidelity there's no point.

How much is the ShangriLa system again? It's funny how the HD800 (which has been deemed as "overpriced" or "no audible benefit" in the past) is now the ultimate summit-fi value, especially when you consider used prices in between $500-1000. I suppose the HD800S did some good after all....made all the idiots devalue a "lower-end" product.

 

Strange the difference in opinion on lcd4 from here and HF. Seems people like it over there and say its the best audeze yet, and here people are saying its a step down?

 

So true

Ali

 

I'm pretty sure HF means Hype-fi everywhere except on HF these days.

 

@Merrick what did you think of the cardas a8?

@everyone Did anyone hear the shure kse1500 at can jam and have a report?

 

Well, not entirely. I was reading an LCD-4 thread on HF a few days ago and there are two or three people praising them, and a whole lot of people who didn't like them. (Including some fan boys from the 2/3 threads...) Also, apparently they 4's have already gone through a new rev?? I gave up on Audeze the second time the wood cups cracked on my LCD-3F's... FTS! Never again Awwdudzy.

I haven't found myself in alignment with the reviewers who favoured the LCD-4s on HF, whereas here I find that a lot of the reviews mirror my feelings.

 

The A8 was good! I listened to it twice. It's well balanced but I found the mids just a touch grainy (this is compared to the IEMs from Noble, Empire Ears, and 64 Audio though, so it's certainly no slouch). For $300 it's a solid performer, although the RHA T20 was very competitive to it and $50 less. They do hang a bit heavy in the ear though, they're metal and feel it. I did listen to it via the balanced cable out from a Pono player, and that combination was very good. They should sound very close single ended. The Head-Fi thread on the A8 has some decent impressions that aren't just ZOMG BEST EVAR!!!

The dinner was a lot of fun, nice to put names to some of the usernames around here.

 

Any more impressions of the ampsandsound gear? It definitely has my attention

 

The KSE1500 are really good, very stat like, super detailed, amazing with ambiance, unbelievably quick and lifelike.

Con: Isolation is bad unless you get sensaphonic tips. Bass is non existent if not perfectly isolated. Generally unenjoyable without custom tips that can drown out all outside sound. Build leaves something to be desired.

 

Sonorous II was also a pleasant surprise. It would be a contender for new office phones if not for the near-total lack of isolation.

 

I didn't try the II, but the III is on my short list.

 

Still can't decide between PM-3 and Sine. May have to buy both with 30-day return privilege and have a real knock-down drag-out.

If I didn't already have a GOv2+ Infinity, I would be tempted by the Mojo. Cute little thing (it's like Dalton from Road House--"I thought you'd be bigger."). Doesn't do anything noticeably wrong.

 

Interested in other SBAF impressions of the Sonorous III. Wondering how it would scale in a good setup.

 

I don't think anyone else commented on the Sine, what did you think of it?

 

interesting report on the chord mojo. i initially conflated my distaste for the overpriced and overhyped hugo with the mojo. but i've been hearing some pretty positive opinions of the mojo, and it's more sanely priced. i've even read reports that it surpasses bifrost/Bifrost Multibit and some even go so far as to say it's pretty similar to Gungnir Multibit. just curious what people thought who heard it!

 

Got to listen to briefly on an iPhone. Driven pretty easily with an iPhone 6. Sounds much much much better than the EL8. The lightning cable connector was very convenient and felt well made. They don't sound as thick as the LCD sound, which is a good thing I would say. Refined, bass, and open as my friend @Pyruvate says. Personally i'd rather have that than the LCD-4. Probably would use it more often too. Haha.

 

Are they actually on ear or over?

 

Didn't have too much time to wander away from my booth and try things, but it was my first time listening to electrostatics and now I understand what the fuss is about. Only listened to Stax - in their room, on the Blue Hawaii, and a vintage pair of Lambdas through the speaker outs of a MicroZOTL2, and whichever the set-up that unique clarity was vey attractive. I was surprised that I seemed to dislike the Cavalli Liquid Gold, neither the LCD-4s or The Abyss sounded very good to me at all, and this was my first time listening to either of these headphones. The Abyss got a bit of redemption wherever it was set up on a Woo amp, and since Audeze were at the table next to us I borrowed their pair for a quick listen on the MicroZOTL, which made them sound much less dark. With luck they'll loan us a pair for AXPONA and I can spend some more time with the LCD-4. The Liquid Tungsten was the best thing I listened to at the show, with stock HD800s. Or 009s on the Blue Hawaii. Or that guy asking if I wanted a sandwich from his big box of sandwiches on the first day.