Mini-Meet - Saturday 9/3/2016 Sherman Oaks 11 to 4

Discussion in 'The Meeting Place' started by purr1n, Aug 28, 2016.

  1. Rthomas

    Rthomas Friend

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    Requesting OJ to do a youtube review of the Utopias as well!\/
     
  2. Madaboutaudio

    Madaboutaudio Friend

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    Yes guys! I finally found something which might just be the(cheaper) magic bullet to Computer USB issues?!

    Network Media Player with AES output:


    [​IMG]

    http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DN700C

    Doens't support super high res(24/96 max) or flac though:
    http://denonpro.com/products/view/dn-700c
     
    Last edited: Sep 5, 2016
  3. Wfojas

    Wfojas Friend

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    At first I was going to agree, but then I misread due to the order. I actually thought it was the reverse of what you wrote, that the 1.03 was smoother, and the 1.10 had more detail. Let me see if I can reverse one and see. But i distinctly recall what you wrote, but the opposite of it when I did it. I remember as i disliked the Mutec 3+USB initially.

    Come to think of it, I was listening to 1.02 then 1.10, and don't recall having heard 1.03 at all.
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2016
  4. MisterRogers

    MisterRogers Ethernet Nervosa

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    Again - old dude here, with gimpy hearing running a 'pimped' Mutec 3+USB, but I perceived V1.10 sonics as an improvement. I may downgrade for laughs, try to validate some day. Either way, the sonic changes seemed very subtle to me.
     
  5. RKML0007

    RKML0007 Friend

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    just to confirm, my Mutec has v1.10 firmware and was in effect at the meet
     
  6. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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  7. OJneg

    OJneg The Most Insufferable

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    SEPTEMBER 3 2016 SHERMAN OAKES MINI MEET IMPRESSIONS

    • So yeah, HD800 is mid-fi now. Utopia FTW.


    Thanks for reading.
     
  8. gbeast

    gbeast Mighty Moral Power Ranger

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    lol

    atleast you said you were willing to eat your words.
     
  9. Rthomas

    Rthomas Friend

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    Bloody hell. Why 4K why?!

    Well in 12 months the HE-1000 has lost around 40% of its market value. I'm going to wait 2 years for the Utopia :headbang:
     
  10. OJneg

    OJneg The Most Insufferable

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    For realz tho:

    • I did confirm that Utopia is more resolving in the mids than HD800. More refined. Just better
    • We can go back on forth about resolution question, I think you might say the HD800 still has more low level resolution (i.e. plankton) but i feel the Utopia is more resolving everywhere else
    • No, I don't find it shouty
    • the BIGGEST drawback of Utopia is the staging is not as good as HD800. More left/right and behind the ear, doesn't project forward like the HD800 layering I'd say is just as good
    • separation is hard for me to describe, you can decide what that term means exactly [but I definitely don't feel things sound congested or hectic unless that's how you respond to that sort of staging]
    • of course Marv is actually of the opinion that the left/right headphone staging is more akin to speakers and therefore betterer so it doesn't seem to bother him, but I hear it as a drawback
    • bass impact and dynamics are cleaner. I have no idea what Bill is hearing TBH
    • FWIW, Marv's system does sound on the thinner side
    • Hard to say if the better distortion correspond to better midrange resolution, but I would be inclined to believe that if the measurements show it
     
  11. Bill-P

    Bill-P Level 42 Mad Wizard

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    My meet impressions go as follow:
    - HD800S on Marv's rig: wow, finally a rig I can listen to this headphone on. No longer too congested.
    - Everything on RLKM0007's rig: goddamn, is that the transport making music or the DAC?? Because it can't be the amp! This is pretty freaking awesome!
    - Cold Gungnir Multibit is still horribad. Need a few hours of on time.
    - SR-009 on SRD-7: whoa, was the SRD-7 always that good sounding? I gotta try to mod mine to Pro bias now...
    - Schiit's mystery items: please please please release these faster!
    - Andromeda: on iPhone, there's a bit of harsh/peakiness to it that isn't necessarily that bad, but it sounded a bit force. I've heard this goes away with a better source. But oveall, I really liked the tonality.
    - Utopia: eh... on the wrong rig, too shouty, borderline on unlistenable to me. On other rigs, it has a thin sound overall. I need to hear it on my own rig to really know... but for now, I'm 50/50 on it. Tonality is pretty close to my HD580, but the shoutiness quite bothers me. Certain instruments and vocals kill me, and it isn't even because of sibilance.

    Okay, now that the gears are out of the way, people were AWESOME! Loved being there with you guys! We should do this more often!
     
  12. insidious meme

    insidious meme Ambivalent Kumquat

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    And in 2 years there will be a new messiah headphone at $6k.
     
  13. brencho

    brencho Friend

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    well, there might be a new messiah headphone in 2 years -- because progress -- but i'm optimistic and hope that prices reflect inflation and not exponentially increasing prices! that said, wasn't focal going to release some $6k headphone as well? probably i shouldn't be so optimistic in my views for the future :)
     
  14. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    $6k is too little. I think $8k is better.
     
  15. philipmorgan

    philipmorgan Member of the month

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    It's not a true TOTL headphone unless you have to sell a kidney on the black market to afford it.
     
  16. brencho

    brencho Friend

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    yeah, surgery scars are a real badge of honor. sacrifice, that's what we want to see.
     
  17. drfindley

    drfindley Secretly lives in the Analog Room - Friend

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    I share this opinion. I think the soundstage of the HD800 sounds fake-isa.
     
  18. drfindley

    drfindley Secretly lives in the Analog Room - Friend

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    Can you really call it a TOTL headphone if it's not at least a 5-digit price? With at $5k cable add-on?
     
  19. Clemmaster

    Clemmaster Friend

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    4k is only 8 EpiPens.
     
  20. Gravity

    Gravity Friend

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    Anyone heard Utopia with BW? If there was a BW at the meet that is.
     

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