SuperBAF Can'tJam (Not CanJam / Changfest) 2016 Meet Impressions

Discussion in 'The Meeting Place' started by Draxcer, Nov 5, 2016.

  1. ohhgourami

    ohhgourami Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    597
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    SGV, CA
    The preamp is a Bent Audio NOH TVC with S&B TX-102 mk3 silver transformers - semi unobtainium. A similar preamp is sold by Music First audio which only has the copper version starting at $5k though in a prettier case.

    That last pic is not our rig. Looks like @bazelio's.
     
  2. shaizada

    shaizada Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    1,796
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Hey bud! It was great seeing you and having a chance to converse :)

    I just wanted to mention that a bookshelf speaker like that isn't really meant to fill up that massive hall with accurate and tight bass. You are correct though, the system was being pushed very hard to fill up the space. The thing to notice is that, despite being a bookshelf, being driven so hard, the mids and top end were perfectly composed. IMHO, the small 2 way bookshelf fulfilled its role beyond most such designs ever do.

    On the other hand, the Altec horns (which I loved!!) that Marv setup, were perfectly suited to fill that room with sound. They were designed for venues exactly like that. Cinema halls, Voice of the Theater sound. Horns and single driver speakers always make me weak in the knees. They are simply musically divine when done right. Yet, they cannot accurately reproduce sound like a well done multiway speaker. They are different things entirely.

    If you ever want to hear a tight and accurate bass reproduction within a 3 way EAR - Marten speaker setup, come on over to my place :) you are welcome to all my music and all my whiskey collection as well! We will make an evening out of it and play aphex twin on vinyl.

    I just want an excuse to share good music with friends on the same path. There! I said it :)
     
  3. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2016
    Likes Received:
    12,569
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Easily the thing I most regret about moving out of LA is that it moved me further away from the truly beautiful system @shaizada has put together. And I haven't even heard the current iteration!
     
  4. WNovizar

    WNovizar Facebook Friend

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2016
    Likes Received:
    191
    Trophy Points:
    43
    왜 없어?!?
     
  5. pedalhead

    pedalhead Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2015
    Likes Received:
    2,046
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Oxfordshire, UK
    Really enjoying this meet chat, thanks everyone for posting. Looks like an excellent event. We live in the UK but my wife is American & her folks live 45 mins outside of SF so perhaps next year we can make the trip under the guise of seeing family.

    For any other UK (and perhaps even EU) people feeling left out of the fun...this is a good opportunity to pimp the 2017 UK meet, details here. The main meet thread is on HF but I'm tempted to rebrand it an SBAF / HF meet just to see if Jude's head explodes.
     
  6. thegunner100

    thegunner100 Hentai Master Chief

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    2,461
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    NYC
    I don't have any other detail other than what was said. The context was that Mike knew from the start of Schiit that he wanted to build the Yggdrasil and he managed to do it, while Jason was still slowly trying to figure out what exactly he wanted to do.
     
  7. Robert777

    Robert777 Acquaintance

    Joined:
    Nov 9, 2015
    Likes Received:
    64
    Trophy Points:
    28
    I am torn. Part of me thinks that the two should be kept separate so they can go their own path. The little devil on my shoulder however would love to see the carnage unfold.

    Edit: I am also very thankful for all the wonderful impressions.
     
  8. Draxcer

    Draxcer New

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2016
    Likes Received:
    32
    Trophy Points:
    13
    Location:
    Corona, CA
    Just gonna make a little correction and say that our HE400i's have the Ether C pads on them. =)
     
    Last edited: Nov 8, 2016
  9. bazelio

    bazelio Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Nov 16, 2015
    Likes Received:
    3,417
    Trophy Points:
    113
    So you weren't in the Korean Air Force?
     
  10. bazelio

    bazelio Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Nov 16, 2015
    Likes Received:
    3,417
    Trophy Points:
    113
    With the T3, I have found 3 bass signatures with different component mixtures during various stages of modding. The AMRG plate loading resistors gave more bass than what I have now, but less controlled and a bit overdone. Perhaps preferable to some and for certain music choices, but definitely less accurate. The original (pre output CCS, stock plate resistors) was too lean. The current config is pretty balanced. Bass extension is mostly there, with a hair of roll-off, but it's tight and controlled. I prefer it this way to the "more quantity, less quality" state, but it might not suit everyone's tastes. Soundstage and bass detail are the primary areas any T3 gives up to the ZDS. Nuance and layering, the others and a bit less obvious. Glad you came around on that point. ZDS is not less resolving.

    Nasty distortion in Utopias, now that's a puzzler to me.
     
  11. TMoney

    TMoney Shits on SBAF over at Head-Case to be cool

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    760
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Sausalito, CA
    I am also a bit puzzled by the lukewarm reception of the Utopia with some of the meet attendees. IMO I think it is a monster when properly amped; probably the best dynamic headphone out there as of today. The detail, clarity, and balance are all outstanding and I've yet to notice any glaring flaw.
     
    Last edited: Nov 8, 2016
  12. thegunner100

    thegunner100 Hentai Master Chief

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    2,461
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    NYC
    I'm actually looking forward to giving it a better listen when the NYers get the loaner pair in for the meet. We'll have a warmed up Yggdrasil with a lynx aes16 and a nice variety of amps. What amps did you feel pair best with the Utopias?
     
  13. bazelio

    bazelio Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Nov 16, 2015
    Likes Received:
    3,417
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Agree with @TMoney . I don't have Utopes, but what I heard out of them at the meet through my rig, and the DSHA amp confirmed my initial impressions. I did hear (and was listening for) the ~+3db 4kHz peak in spots, but wasnt personally offended. Love them still and won't be cancelling my order.

    On the Martens.... @SteelCannon - bass distortion? Hey, now. They were not ultimately extended, nor expected to be, but they were not distorting. Even the room acoustics were quite good. I enjoyed at least a half hour or more of Marten listening time all told during the day. Stunning. I can only imagine what is to be heard at @shaizada 's house and must make my way there next time, if he'll have me!
     
    Last edited: Nov 8, 2016
  14. Donald North

    Donald North Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2015
    Likes Received:
    932
    Trophy Points:
    93
    I preferred @sorrodje's modified HD800s to the stock Utopia.
     
  15. bazelio

    bazelio Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Nov 16, 2015
    Likes Received:
    3,417
    Trophy Points:
    113
    ZDS and DSHA-3 are excellent with Utopias. T3 is less synergistic, IMO. But I think a Brimar 6060 tube compliment in the T3 might work with Utopes well also. TBD. @brencho would know. But as always, synergy, synergy, synergy.
     
  16. neogeosnk

    neogeosnk Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    1,882
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Was totally blown away how well this sounded. I would say it sounded about 90% of hifiman-x. Ordered the pads the next day.
     
  17. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2015
    Likes Received:
    89,777
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Padre Island CC TX
    Whether the Marten Dukes were distorting is relative. I felt they were being playing too loud in too big a room. Louder always equals more distortion. They were never meant to be used liked that. The bigger Martens are in another league and really should have been the ones that were brought.

    I love the Utopias but I understand where the other guys are coming from. Utopias need a warmer amp to not sound lean, and treble is not as linear and smooth as HD650. Utopia also has 40% of that HD800 6kHz glare and hardness. It doesn't bother me, because I've acclimated to it (having owned an HD800), but this combined with the other little things can make the Utopia a less compelling proposition. I would be interested in how some of the guys feel after the loaner reaches them and they have time to acclimate to the Utopia's sound signature. The fact is, the Utopia doesn't sound all that tonally different from say an OJ modded HD800.

    Warmer, expansive, slightly wetter sounding amps that take the edge off (but also don't smooth things to shit) tend to work best with Utopia: ZDS, Stellaris, DSHA-3, etc. TIII does OK. My custom 45 does OK. Studio probably no. Jotunheim probably no.

    This is the DNA Stellaris. A great amp which I feel is the ultimate expression of the DNA sound. I'd have this in my bedroom with a Utopia if I had $11k lying around. Yes, Donald's setup does deserve special mention. Donald's going to get a lot of orders for this soon.

    DSC_3147.JPG
     
    Last edited: Nov 8, 2016
  18. sorrodje

    sorrodje Carla Bruni's other lover - Friend

    Staff Member Pyrate MZR
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    2,812
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Dijon / Burgundy / France / EU
    Fixed. you and your friend brought a lot of stuff for this meeting. Much appreciated !! You should have your friend status right now ;)
     
  19. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2015
    Likes Received:
    89,777
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Padre Island CC TX
    The last rig that impressed me. (Again, I did not get a chance to hear everything - and I don't think it's appropriate for me to comment about the EC based rigs). The @n3rdling DIY stat Orpheus Clone and the SRX+. Lots of electrostatic gear and amps around, but this particular combination spoke to me. A slightly warm, more full bodied, and more lively sound than what I am usually accustomed to from electrostatics. None of that thin, prickly, flat and boring nonsense. I believe @ultrabike took measurements of the @n3rdling O-Clones. I would be curious to see them. The HE60 does quite well with the SRX too.
    DSC_3195.JPG
    DSC_3200 (Custom).JPG
     
    Last edited: Nov 8, 2016
  20. TMoney

    TMoney Shits on SBAF over at Head-Case to be cool

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    760
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Sausalito, CA
    In my limited experience I think the Utopias pair best with the big, hot-running solid state amps.

    Those tend to be the amps I gravitate towards in general though, so I'm not sure if I'm just confirming my own bias or stumbling on objectively good parings.
     

Share This Page