New York SBAF Pyrate Cove

Discussion in 'The Meeting Place' started by thegunner100, Sep 13, 2016.

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  1. Jinxy245

    Jinxy245 Vegan Puss

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    I should be there around 12ish if anyone cares....tan ZMF sweatshirt & salt & pepper scruff on my face...
     
  2. Colgin

    Colgin Friend

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    did you paint those yourself; looks slick. Enjoy the show. One day was enough for me yesterday. But had a fun time.
     
  3. Jinxy245

    Jinxy245 Vegan Puss

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    I found them...they were quite good IMO, I enjoyed them as you predicted. I can't comment on the nuances since I have zero experience with the Fostex DAC/Amp they had it paired with, but it didn't sound like a V shape sound sig. to me. Nice bass boost, still tight though, some sparkle up top, but it didn't sound horrible...maybe a little peaky, but again, unfamiliar DAC/Amp. Mids were quite clear though...great job!!
     
  4. Ksaurav402

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    Hey I saw someone with these today at Meier audio booth, I just saw this pics otherwise would have come and said a friendly “Hi”
     
  5. Ksaurav402

    Ksaurav402 Friend

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    Wanted to meet few SBAF friends in person but got late and reached at 3 only.
     
  6. Jinxy245

    Jinxy245 Vegan Puss

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    I think I saw @Maxx134 's headphones too at one point, but I didn't make the connection.
    Maybe another NY meet sometime, it's always good to put the face to the avatar.
     
  7. ohshitgorillas

    ohshitgorillas Friend

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    I'm in suburban purgatory... I mean eastern Connecticut and would like added to the list. Just back from my first CanJam. Got into the city late Saturday and hung out with friends for a while, got a total of 15 minutes at the show, went drinking until 1 am, and made it to the show by 2:30 pm (lol) with a hangover that is still weighing on me as I'm typing this. It was still enough time to hear the things that I was really interested in.

    Some really quick impressions:

    RAAL Requisite RS1a out of Schiit Jot R/Bifrost 2 - Oh my f'ing god. These are everything. They sound scary close to a nice pair of speakers, and even in the noisy environment of a convention, the size and precision of the soundstage was insane. These are the best 'headphones' I have ever heard. Headphone-kind has reached a new level of sound quality altogether. I'm excited to see where this technology goes as it evolves.

    Hifiman Shangri-La - These are supposed to cost how much? I actually didn't care for these at all. I think I heard a bit of a V-shape? The treble was just.... no. It was sibilant and sounded completely unnatural. I can't describe the rest of the sound because I was so distracted by the weird hard top end.

    Focal Utopia - I spent very little time with these. They are obviously extremely competent headphones. The treble, however, just a little bit hard for my tastes. More analytical than natural sounding, but I prefer the latter.

    Hifiman Susvara - WOW. The price is a bit out of proportion, but I think they nailed it sound-wise. These were my third favorite headphones of the whole show, after the RAAL and Stax. Razor sharp imaging and precision, superb detail retrieval, these almost sounded as good as a good pair of electrostats... and sooooo smooth. I would take these over the Shangri-La every time.

    Chord DAVE + LCD-4 - I was underwhelmed. It might have been because the Chord booth was in a pretty noisy neighborhood, I could hear the Audeze house thickness a bit and it was good, but it didn't really feel "massive price tag TOTL" special.

    dCS Bartok - Very difficult to describe, basically like it wasn't there at all. It didn't sound digital, nor did it sound analog, it was just kind of...transparent. Not warm of analytical, not smooth or harsh, not full or thin, the music was just kind of....there. Okay... maybe a hint of warmth. I feel like it would have been good for bad recordings, then again, I only heard it through a couple ZMFs.

    ZMF Verite/Auteur + Glenn OTL + Metrum Onyx - While these don't get you to electrostatic levels of detail, in terms of musical enjoyment having just the right sound signature for my tastes, this was it. I will admit though, even though the Verite is technically superior, I liked the way the Auteur was tuned way more. The Verite was more spacious and the Auteur was more full and intimate, and I prefer the latter. Now I really want an Auteur.

    ampsandsound Big Bertha w/ Schiit Yggdrasil - I felt this had a little too much boom/body on the low end and it was distracting for certain music. I like it warm, but that was just a bit too much. I was using ZMFs with the "high" tap.

    Cayin N8 - Damn. This thing is actually really good. Granted, I couldn't hear my own music on there unfortunately, but in tube mode, I was pretty impressed with what it could do. It actually does kinda sound like a good tube amp. If I had the cash for it, I would love to have one of these.

    Overall thoughts: Not as big as I thought it would be. I went to an Austin meetup back in 2015 and honestly, I preferred that just because there was more than just "crazy high end", there was a pretty wide range of budget levels represented, and with plenty of the TOTL stuff. Still, it was a very good time in spite of the hangover, and I will definitely do it again.
     
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2020
  8. Jinxy245

    Jinxy245 Vegan Puss

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    Sounds like you had a blast. I was going to ask if anyone had any impressions, it seems not a lot of opinions here (which is not normal). I wouldn't say I was underwhelmed, but this CanJam drove home how happy I actually am with the set up I currently have. Not that I might change my mind with the next FOTM, but I didn't catch any upgradeitis this time around which is a good thing.

    I have had a new DAC on the radar for a while, so I'll express my disappointment here (I already mentioned in the Unison thread) that Schiit doesn't bring the whole lineup to shows currently. They only bring the new and/or improved. No Gungnir M/B with Unison, and the only Bifrost 2 was hooked up to the Jot R/RAAL setup so I couldn't get a good handle on it sonically since this was my 1st time hearing the RAAL, as well as the Jot R. It sounded good, but lean...I might not have been able to get good positioning. Wasn't really my cuppa from what I heard. On the plus side I thought the Vali2/Modi3 sounded really good with the HD800S.

    The Hedd setup was wonderful sounding. A little wonky in the highs, but I have no idea if that was the amp/DAC (Phonitor I believe) or the headphones themselves. They did feel heavy...heaviest I've worn I think. I usually don't have a problem with weight, but I could see this being an issue. Sonically though I could see someone building a system around this...killer bass & addictive overall sound. Expensive AF yes, but that seems to be the norm these days.

    The Rupert Neve Designs Fidelice did sound very good overall, but that price. You could get a Ravenswood & Yggdrasil/Metrum Onyx/Soekris 1541 or whatever for around the same. Speaking of the Ravenswood, the hands down best thing I heard at the show was the Auteur (not sure which wood or pads off hand) from the Ravenswood in Zach's room (glad he upgraded to a dedicated space, though it was hot int there!). I think he was running it through the Metrum Ambre streamer. That is definitely endgame level shit right there.

    I did get to hear a couple of good high priced headphones there IMO. I enjoyed the new(ish) Audio Techinica flagship ATH ADX5000. It does remind me of a less bright HD800 which I think I read here (so confirmation bias?). At 2K it seemed a little flimsy feeling, but by the same token it was hella light and comfy

    The Audeze table is always hopping, but I managed to get my 1st listen to the LCD MX4, which was quite good to my ears. Classic Audeze richness but the mids/highs didn't sound as peaky. Hard to tell in that environment & I don't remember the amp nor DAC. And 3K for that one.

    Woo was running one of the Abyss Diana (IDK if it was a Phi, a V2 or what) from one of the WA11 Topaz portable amps. I have to say it sounded really good, but I can only imagine that it was being underpowered. And shit the price for that combo makes me shudder.

    I think this idea has been implemented before, but the Crosszone CZ-1 (another 3k) uses a woofer/tweeter configuration to try to create a more spacious headstage. No magic going on here, but it is a damn good headstage, especially for a closed back. It didn't sound too exaggerated or artificial to me. I imagine it might be too laid back in the mids/highs for some, but I thought it was a great sounding headphone. I'd be curious if anyone had heard it & what they thought.

    On the cheap(er) side there was a new Planar for $500, the Andover PM-50. It reminded me of a good Audeze type sound, small earcups though. Almost on ear, but I found them comfortable enough. I wouldn't call them value, but it does buck the trend. It again highlights what a tremendous value there is in some of the tried & true standbys we love on this site. it can be fun to search for the next new thing, but it can be more rewarding rediscovering the gems we know.
     
    Last edited: Mar 3, 2020
  9. Tchoupitoulas

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    I’ll keep my impressions short since I’m a novice and not well known. My preferences, for reference: bass and vocals aren’t priorities; congestion is a bother; my setups are Airist RDAC—>ZDT Jr—>HD 800 for music with acoustic instruments and HD 6XX as all-rounders; speed, resolution, and a wide, open and airy soundstage all make me happy.

    Raal-Requisite SR1a: these are disconcertingly different, their speed and resolution are striking. Of course, the clarity and the wide open soundstage appeal the most; it was as though I could make out the spaciousness of the auditorium listening to Birgit Nilsson singing in Solti’s production of Tristan und Isolde. The SR1a sound bright but that could just be a function of the clarity, it was hard to tell in the exhibit hall. The bass is also surprisingly strong and growly on the right track. If you’re in the mood for analytical listening, these are incredible - not so much for mellowing out after a long day. My tinnitus wasn’t happy afterwards. I’ve not heard the AKG K1000 but these sounded superior, to me, than the Myspheres.

    Hedd headphone: lots of detail and clarity but the mids didn’t sound right, as though the frequency response wasn’t well balanced, although I suspect this had everything to do with my inexperience and the show conditions than the headphones themselves. I heard them through a Chord Hugo TT 2.

    Focal Elegia: great value for the sound; they have a surprisingly wide stage and are nicely open sounding (much more so than my TH-X00 Ebony, which are decent in this respect); the mids were lovely; I didn’t hear the metallic, zingy sound of the open-back Focals but I only listened for 20-30 minutes or so. The Stellia were clearly a step up, if only marginally so, given the higher price. If my mattress were to be sufficiently well stuffed I’d rather spend the difference on a pair of ZMF Vérité Open.

    ZMF Vérité Open: these were glorious. I heard them out of an Yggdrasil to a Pendant and to an ampandsound Big Ben. I can see why these headphones are so widely and lavishly praised: they’re super fast and detailed; they might appear ever so slightly warm (?), and yet their resolution and speed are possibly as good, if not superior to the HD 800; and they have great layering and separation. Mingus’s Black Saint and the Sinner Lady sounded magnificent, brass instruments remained clear and distinct (they tend to collapse on lesser headphones), and the imaging was as good as I’ve ever heard on this album. Best of all: the timbre and texture of instruments came across beautifully, especially guitars, brass, and bass instruments. They remind me of the Campfire Audio Andromeda for their lovely texture and engagement. They could be a sole, desert-island headphone.
     
  10. ohshitgorillas

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    I agree with both of you that the RAAL RS1A was maybe a touch bright and thin. I was really impressed with how well the bass and mids came through, tho... especially the bass. For something with no seal, actually felt like it had pretty decent kick and rumble to it.

    That this thing was the best headphone I've ever heard is doubly impressive considering that I generally prefer a warm and relaxed sound with more intimacy than width/depth to the soundstage... but while listening to the RAAL, none of that mattered anymore. The overall presentation is just... godly.

    All that being said, I would not actually buy a pair myself (even if I could afford it, which I can't). Being the first headphone of its type (to my knowledge), there are definitely improvements that can be made in the future in the realm of comfort, tuning, etc. Like I said above, I'm really excited to see where this technology goes as it's developed further... hopefully, by the time it's matured, I'll be able to afford a dedicated rig for something like it.

    Lastly, after a bit more reflection on the issue, I do want to emphasize re: my impressions of the DAVE and Bartok, that the environment may have had a lot to do with my preference for the Bartok... the Bartok was in an isolated and relatively quiet room, whereas the DAVE/LCD-4 was in one of the most crowded and noisy corners of the main hall. I would love another chance to listen to the DAVE. I also wanted to include one of the notes that I took that the Bartok, while very very impressive, did lack one thing that I really enjoy: fullness, richness, meat on the bones. So far I've only been able to get that kind of sound from R2R DACs. It did have a hint of D/S dryness/thinness, or maybe it is just better described as a lack of R2Rish solidity... that said, it was still very impressive for its transparency and detail.
     
  11. EagleWings

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    @ohshitgorillas , I can assure you, Dave doesn’t have much meat either.
     
  12. Darkstar1

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    Just my quick thoughts on CamJam...

    Not a lot really wowed me considering the prices on some of this gear.

    I didn't fell lacking with the gear I already have.

    I wish Schiit would have had the Gungnir Dac to hear
    Shangri-Laf was blah for me. Didn't sound bad just nothing crazy accept the price
    RAAL RS1A understand why some would love it. To thin sounding for me. Feel ridiculous wearing them.
    ZMF looked amazing and sound was good. ZMF Vérité Open: very good but not the sound I prefer> I would go for the Atticus's sound signature and thought it was priced fairly and would be something I would consider if I didn't have the LCDX.

    I was impressed with how good Hifiman bluetooth $300 headphone sounded.
    Liked the Mr. Speakers new Aeon 2 closed. Super comfortable and sound very good for a closed headphone. Just can't justify the cost for the little time I need a closed headphone. Plus Ether C on drop is the same price or cheaper if on sale.

    The only thing I thought I could see myself buying in the future was focal utopia and the WA8 Eclipse amp. Loved this sound. Other Focal headphones have been too analytical and to edgy/bright in the highs. There was some synergy going on there.

     
  13. AdvanTech

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    Might anyone know who I can talk to in the NYC area to get some speaker cabinets made? This new speaker design from Troels Gravesen seems to tick a lot of boxes for what I'm looking for http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/Faital-3WC-15.htm
     
  14. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    I think it's funny Troels is doing BWC now, at least more of it. He used to be a tower of very very expensive driver guy.
     
  15. edzyy

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    Bronx in the house.

    Pelham Bay area.
     
  16. thegunner100

    thegunner100 Hentai Master Chief

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    Welcome to the New York SBAF Pyrate Cove!

    I've never heard the Philharmonic AA's but @Dr. Higgs Phil 3's were amazing! Just saw that Dennis went out of business last year but thankfully found a new business partner this year to re-start again.
     
  17. SalR406

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    Another New Yorker, here. Just joined.
     
  18. Drifterxny

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    Where you able to find anyone?
    I'm thinking about getting a satori set as my first speakers sometime next yr.
     
  19. AdvanTech

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    Yep, PMing you his email address.
     
  20. thegunner100

    thegunner100 Hentai Master Chief

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    Its been way too long since I've seen you all. I've been inactive on SBAF for a while now, but I do plan on organizing NY meets once it is safe to do so in the future. Until then, I hope you all stay well!

    Welcome!
     

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