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Oh you were the guy who kept asking me if I had listened yet? It's gonna be a while longer until I get to listen to the BHSE, I left it in LA in the hands of blubliss. Not in a hurry and I'll have other things to keep me company in the meantime.

I just got off the phone with Todd (TTVJ) earlier and found out two interesting pieces of info: (1) He had an extra Luxman P-200 at CanJam to sell, damn! It's also still available if anyone might be wanting to buy it. Way too tempted.... (2) He also confirmed the Luxman P-1 will return in about 3-4 months, at a higher price of $3K and it will be slightly tweaked. Well it's a good thing the AD2K is extremely durable, most headphones would've been damaged from a fall from table height. I abuse my AD2K all the time and it keeps on tickin' despite the many licks it's taken!

Scattered Final Impressions Audio-Technica AD2000 V3 balanced: I gave my own headphones a quick spin on my system (Bryston BDA-1, HR Balanced Max) and didn't find a noticeable improvement with balanced operation. I've previously tried my AD2000 in previous balanced systems like my former dCS P8i and Bel Canto CD-1 through a balanced Beta22 (and also the RSA Apache from a Meridian 508.24) and I'm starting to think it may be waste of time to keep these headphones balanced because they just don't seem to sonically benefit from it much. Not sure what the reason could be. I found it more responsive to the APureSound V3 cable upgrade. So right now I'm unsure if I'm going to be keeping a balanced system, will just have to wait a bit longer and find out for sure though. AKG K701 Equinox balanced: My K701, on the other hand, improved with balanced operation in the ways that I expected. I haven't recently used my K701 so this was more of a refresher and it was nice to listen to them again. I almost can't believe I used to think the K701 was clear-sounding, there's totally a kind of veil on it that the HD800 and Qualia don't have. But it's still a decent headphone IMO, and balanced mode really helps bring out the bass and soundstage. Audeze orthos: I didn't know I listened to these, I had no idea what they were and I recognized them when I saw someone else post a pic of them. These sounded pretty good - fast and clear-sounding was my initial impression. Something about the bass felt wonky though. And they didn't fit my head very well. Comply foam tips: I was told by the Comply rep that these are more for comfort than isolation. I don't really have issues with comfort when it comes to IEM tips (all of the ones that came with my Klipsch X10 fit me pretty well) but I tried these anyway to see if they gave better isolation, and they didn't - well, at least not what I expected. I thought these would 100% completely attenuate out the world. I don't know if I inserted them deep enough or not but I still heard ambient noise faintly. Woo Audio 22, correction: I saw I posted earlier that I took a pic of the tubes when I clearly did not, I only photographed the tubes on the WES. Regardless, both the 22 and WES had upgraded tubes. The 22's tubes: Sylvania 7236 ($110), Sophia 274B ($150), RCA 12AU7 ($80), for a total $2140 (from the $1800 special offer). The WES' tubes: Treasure 6CA7 ($460). TS 6SL7, TS 5V4GA, & Mullard EL34 included at the list price of $4500 (I guess Woo decided to change the complement from the current one mentioned on the Web page). (I'm copying this tube info from a piece of literature that was in their room.) It's also mentioned on the Woo Audio literature that their prototype DAC uses the Wolfson WM8741. I saw its back panel and it did not have balanced output, only single-ended.

Recap & Kudos Man I'm still reeling after CJ09, 'twas a ball o' good times! As I've said before, HF-ers (and HC-ers too) are a cool bunch of people. I needed a break from the monotony of work lately and this was the perfect way to do it - lots of audio goodness and familiar faces with some tasty pizza (though I didn't get to try that fry-topped one, I was already full at that point) and more than ample selections of liquor to wash it down with. 'Twas a great party. Ok so there are some people I want to thank. First, the all-star team of John, David, Greg, Ed, Luis, Aaron, and Peter. You guys rocked it big-time, this meet was pure win on multiple levels. So many vendors, the cool lectures, the great layout (if still confusing - that hotel needs a better interior designer, all the hallways look the same!), all the preparations, etc etc. There was so much awesomeness that two days was not enough to take it all in. I think if next year's CanJam is bigger than it should expand to 3 days! Rocky Mountain Audio Fest successfully pulls off 3 days, and if they can do it, then so can Head-Fi! I also have to thank Greg specifically for taking care of the equipment I shipped out to him, Justin for getting my BHSE done and shipped in time, and Andy/blubliss who'll be taking care of it for the next few weeks. Oh yeah and I want to thank all the vendors who came - the legendary stalwarts HeadRoom, TTVJ, RSA, HeadAmp, Woo Audio, et al, and newcomers I had no clue about, like JH Audio (who I didn't discover until after I won that raffle prize), Comply (ok so I don't follow the IEM scene very much), Donald North Audio, and others. And Jude for Head-Fi too, without which this would not have been possible. Most people I ran into were familiar faces and they all know who they are, but I also met a bunch of new people too who were all really cool and nice. I did not get to listen to much member gear at my own detriment. What else...the Joe Harley (AudioQuest) and Steve Hoffman lecture was really cool, and it was great to listen to classic rare recordings on those amazing Von Schweikert speakers (though my speaker lust is still for Monitor Audio, drool). The speakers were awesome btw, I was impressed. That room was pretty big and the speakers more than filled it! Hoffman was both entertaining and informative at the same time. The raffle was crazy. cetoole racking up 5 or 6 prizes, and zippy2001 got about as much too. Man I got so close to winning a couple more myself! There was a very cool spread of good stuff to go around. I did not get to do an In-N-Out rush but I don't need an In-N-Out fix anymore because of this: LARKBURGER (woohoo!)

I think I'll follow up next with....the sweet raffle prizes I scored: - Eastwind Imports jazz sampler 3-CD set - Monster Turbine IEMs - and the JH Audio JH13Pro custom IEMs! I was actually kinda thinking about getting new IEMs prior to CJ09 but held off since there were conflicting impressions of the various universals and I'm glad I did. These will be my first customs, really looking forward to it. All told, pretty sweet stash for the minimal amount of cash I threw in, I think. And I got these for free too: - custom-molded earplugs (the JH Audio audiologist screwed up on the first mold and gave them to me as a set of earplugs) - a pair of Klipsch X10-compatible triple-flanges from the Comply table Equipment Impressions Sennheiser HD800: I did actually get a chance to listen again, a few more times in fact, and I came away pretty excited about it. I definitely think this might replace my Qualia - not that I think the HD800 is better necessarily, but it's more of what I'd like to own from a relatively bright-sounding headphone. It has nice treble, mid-range, and most notably bass, which is pretty much the only thing I don't like about the Qualia. I like treble but I also need moar bass! (And mid-range.) I was also surprised at how quick-sounding the HD800 was despite its 300 Ohm impedance rating. I also read some posts over at HF about the HD800 and some people seem to be saying the HD800 is overpriced. Well, IMO those people have no idea what they're talking about and none of them seem to have a wide frame of reference. The Qualia is the only other dynamic can that sounds a little bit like it (I have heard all the major dynamic cans) and it's discontinued, and when it was in production it was $2.6K. I'd consider $1.4K a pretty good deal considering that. You can get either the HD800 or pony up for a Qualia for this kind of sound, and even then, there's going to be some SQ compromises either way since subjective perception will vary between people. I was also able to compare the HD800 balanced vs single-ended briefly (using the HR Ultra Desktop vs the BUDA) and found a noticeable improvement in the areas I expected - bass, speed, soundstage, clarity. Grado PS1000: I also got to listen to these again and I'll add that anyone who likes the PS-1 should probably check this one out, as there's something definitely similar about them. I love the PS-1 (but not enough that I'd own one) and the PS1000 is just as awesomely fun-sounding. I had to play In Absentia on it again and was blown away, what an awesome combo! I wouldn't say the PS1000 has as much bass as the PS-1 though. Unlike most of the other Grados, the PS1000 also has a soundstage, as opposed to putting you right up with the band. System used was the Luxman DU-80 with TTVJ Millett 307A. Grado HF2: I tried this one a few times in different setups and with both flats and bowls, and I have to say that I instantly despised it with the flats. As in, a "get it away from me!" kind of despise. It was really thick-sounding with the flats and the bass bloated....I mean I like bass when the music calls for it, but man these overblew it with the flats, yeow. I vastly preferred the bowls for this reason, but I can still see how some people might prefer the flats. As far as SQ, well I was kind of disappointed coming after the PS1000, it wasn't quite as fun and snarly, I think due to less forward upper mids/treble. It's still very good though and any fans of Grado will probably like this one too, clearly has the house sound. The other Grados it sounds similar to, based on memory, might be the SR325i and RS-1 with bowls. I was personally hoping for an HP1000-like sound but was sorely disappointed on that point, oh well. (The HP1000 is my other top favorite Grado next to the PS-1, I'm actually thinking about getting one again.) Systems I trialed the HF2 in: TTVJ's room with the FET-A (I forgot the source), and mine with Bryston BDA-1 & HR Balanced Max, operating in single-ended of course. Sony Qualia 010, balanced: I decided I had to find out if the Qualia benefits from balanced operation on my own system, which was the Bryston BDA-1 DAC with HeadRoom Balanced Max (which is for all intents & purposes identical to the BUDA). And the Qualia definitely did benefit, the soundstage became even wider and there was an increased sense of clarity, speed, and bass. I could also not discern any big SQ detractions with the BDA-1 compared to recent memory of my Plinius CD-101 when I switched the Qualia back to single-ended. So the BDA-1 has piqued my curiosity and I look forward to spending more time with it. Westone 3: I thought these sounded ok, nothing really wrong with them, but they didn't really impress me either. Source was my iAudio X5 and I found them not as efficient as I was hoping, I had to dial the volume up to 14-15 for moderate volume, whereas I usually do 16/17 with my Klipsch X10. For reference, I used 12/13 with my former UE triple.fi 10 Pro. Westone UM3X: These were pretty good I thought. Good bass and mid-range, though the treble was spotty - it seemed like it was trying but I didn't feel enough spark from it. I'd say they're about as "average" as the Klipsch X10 - no serious detractions, just decent-sounding IEMs that most people would probably like. Woo Audio 22: I brought over my own balanced Qualia to check out this amp and found no noticeable detractions with any of my music. It seemed to drive them just fine and did not slow down the speed, as I've heard other amps do. This specific unit had upgraded tubes. The Woo Audio literature stated a list price of $2.1K with the upgraded tubes (some of them shown in my earlier pic). Woo Audio WES: I did not get a chance to listen to this amp, but I will say that it looked even better in person. Absolutely stunning. If I didn't already own a BHSE now, I would probably buy one. The Woo Audio literature stated a list price of $4.5K. Luxman DU-80: Obviously no SQ impressions for a digital source, but I'll say that this is a great-looking CDP. Very sleek and modern, oozed quality. The transport mechanism was also very solid and quiet. I'd like to own one. Spectral SDR-2000: The SDR-3000 transport blipped out later on but I was disappointed by this DAC for only one minor reason: it has 0.75V output! I had to crank up the volume to get any serious volume with either my OII MKI or SR-X MKIII, even with the XLR input. It was impossible to get any serious impressions in this room because it was continually mobbed and usually loud. Did people miss the "Table Manners" leaflets? JH Audio JH13Pro IEMs: I did not get a chance to audition these so I have no idea what to expect when my customs arrive in a few weeks. Hopefully I'll be blown away. Plenty of other people whose ears I trust told me these were amazing so I'm anxiously looking forward to them. HeadAmp Blue Hawaii SE: I did not get to listen to my own amp (aside from a brief 5-minute testing session), not that it matters since it'll be coming home later. But in terms of the build and aesthetics, Justin has outdone himself - this is by far the best thing he's done since the Aristaeus! It oozes high-quality craftmanship everywhere and the polished front blue/gray panel is just stunning. I love the HeadAmp aesthetic and the BHSE is the finest example of it with its clean, simple, sleek, and very classy exterior. And you know it packs even better goods on the inside, where it counts. I did not get a chance to listen to any other equipment, at least that I thought was good or better. Things I missed that I would've liked to hear: mikeymad's Woo Audio 5, Augsburger's Trafomatic Head One, amb's y1++, naamanf's DIY amps, and blubliss' SR-Omega. More to come later.

Just got home....whew! What a blast! Another astounding National Meet, these just keep getting better! Big kudos to jpnums and team for the herculean effort, it paid off extremely well. There was so much to see and do, but more importantly, so many people. Amazing turn-out, this was definitely the most-trafficked meet yet! There are so many things I could post next, I think I'll do the rest of my pics. I have no more pics after these as I ran out of time on Sunday. These are all from Saturday night's pool-side party. Not pictured: the hot woman in the string bikini emerging from the hot tub, drying herself, and slowly walking back into the hotel...followed by blubliss! You had to be there! Fries-topped pizza, anyone? Left to right: Grahame, bhd812, justin w., unknown #4 guy Left to right: Iron_Dreamer, agile_one, jpnums Tyll about to scarf down a slice! Attack of the Edwood pizza devourer! Left to right: Edwood pizza bot, stevieo, Voltron, thrice? blubliss chillin' with his soda

edit: oops wrong thread, deleted

Rainbow of Pico amp/DACs Pico Slim (chassis parts not ready) Blackbird Audio's vendor table with Heed CanAmp Eddie Current Balancing Act AMB y1++ (Gamma 1) FallenAngel's balanced Beta22 velogreg's Trafomatic Experience Head One jpnums' Stacker Hybrid mikeymad's Marantz SA-7S1 Woo Audio WA5 Luxman P-200 - top panel engraving Woo Audio WES Woo Audio WES 6CA7 tubes Woo Audio 22 Registration table - jpnums, LFF, Iron_Dreamer, zippy2001 EMI/Capitol's donation stash Spectral SDR-2000 DAC and SDR-3000 transport Rockhopper Audio Buffalo DAC PS Audio PerfectWave transport & DAC

Brief Impressions - Grado PS1000 and Sennheiser HD800 Source was Luxman DU-80 and amp was the TTVJ Millett 307A, in TTVJ's room. Ambient noise was minimal - there were people talking in the room but not many. My brief session with the HD800 was both positive and negative. Granted I don't know the sound of the CDP or the amp, so all I could discern was the basic sound of the headphones. It has two key similarities with the Qualia 010 - it's about as "open" sounding (in terms of displacing virtual air in the soundstage), and it also has very good overall clarity. As in, every individual element is cleanly separated so you can hear everything going on. I'd say that's where the similarities end (at least that I could quickly hear), as the HD800 has stronger bass and weaker treble in comparison, and I found it rhythmically slower too - it didn't leap off bass as quickly as the Qualia does. That said, I delayed my order with TTVJ a few days ago so I could hear the HD800 first and decide if I wanted to still buy it, and I decided I'm going to keep my order in. It was definitely a promising session for me. I wasn't really pleased by the weaker treble as compared to the Qualia but I suspect I could easily rectify the issue in my own system. The stronger bass is something I definitely like though, it's one of the reasons I actually use my Qualia less than my Audio-Technica AD2000 (and on that note, I wouldn't say the HD800 has AD2000-like bass either - definitely different, though I can't say how yet). The Grado PS1000 was a wham-BANG experience! It really reminded me of the PS-1, though since I've only ever heard the PS-1 in meet conditions, I can't be any more specific other than that the PS1000 has a kind of similar tackle & assault style in the mid-bass and mid-range. There was definitely some of that Grado-style forwardness. Really strong mid-bass too. I've never heard Porcupine Tree's In Absentia more powerful or growling than this, it was truly headbang-worthy. The PS1000 quickly lost my interest though due to: (1) too much mid-bass, (2) unsecure fit on head (primarily due to the bowl pads), and (3) something about the treble put me off. It's possible my complaints could easily be rectified by a change in earpads though.... I probably won't have time to listen to the HD800 again this weekend, though it won't matter since I'll be receiving my order soon from TTVJ now.

No impressions for now, to come later. Pics below from Friday 5/29. Posters fresh off the press Edwood hard at work, finishing up room signs Luxman DU-80 The party in TTVJ's room w/ Voltron, Pete Millett, & Tyll Grado PS1000 Dual Singlepower ES-2s - blubliss' on right, neilvg's on left ....and, drumroll.....my Blue Hawaii SE!

Pics from Memorial Day weekend in Estes Park, starting with the infamous Stanley Hotel of The Shining fame. Need to learn how to meter light better cuz I had to Photoshop all of these to some extent...

Monitor Audio PL300. I dream about it every day and one day, I will own a set.

^^ And the amazing value that it represents, with the latest thinking from one of the greatest minds of our time! The BHSE is a masterpiece that will forever be unequalled! Hey Justin, any chance I could get the lesser of my next 2 orders for free?

Ok then, sounds like a plan.

^ If I end up not liking it, you want to buy mine? $1200 shipped to another HC-er.

Where's my e-mail with tracking number?? Also if shipping cost more than what I already paid for, I will gladly pay the difference. You know how to contact me. IIRC, Justin has a few units that may be available.

What is this cable tomfoolery? I say they make an audible difference! /shakes fist

My BHSE should be shipping today. It's going to LA to be displayed at CanJam '09 (on Icarium's Spectral SDR-2000) so hopefully it gets there on time. It'll also be staying in the LA area for a few weeks after CanJam so if any SoCal-ers want to check it out after the big event, let me know.

Julie London Katie Melua Madeleine Peyroux Radiohead Thievery Corporation Probably wouldn't hurt to include a film soundtrack or two either. Here are some I personally have that most people have probably heard: Black Hawk Down Lord of the Rings - Return of the King The Dark Knight The Village There's also a really good recording of Gustav Holst's The Planets on HDTracks.com which can be downloaded as FLAC and then burned to CD.

Do the CDs have to be available from Acoustic Sounds? If so, that's kinda limiting, but I found a handful of ideas regardless right away: K2HD sampler: Various Artists - This is K2 HD Sound! - K2 HD CD Best Audiophile Voices Selection: Various Artists - Best Audiophile Voices Selection - CD Best Audiophile Voices Vol. 1: Various Artists - Best Audiophile Voices Vol. 1 - CD Oliver Nelson - The Blues and the Abstract Truth: Oliver Nelson - The Blues And The Abstract Truth - CD Rebecca Pidgeon - The Raven (SACD): Rebecca Pidgeon - The Raven - Hybrid Multichannel SACD Some relatively popular artists not on Acoustic Sounds I'd recommend: Alison Krauss & Union Station, Massive Attack and/or Portishead, Porcupine Tree, Shelby Lynne, Sigur Ros

NSFW: Make Love Not War - a set on Flickr

$1900 is a fantastic price. I want one. I will most likely buy one in silver to match with the rest of my equipment. Been a long time since I last had a tube amp and I've been itching to try one again...

OII MKII review at StereoMojo, written by saisunil (Head-Fi username): Stax SR 00 Mark II Heaphones Review

The Crystal Method - Divided By Night I'm about halfway through the CD listening for the 1st time and I'm vastly unimpressed - seriously depressed, actually. This is the first TCM album I really don't like. Not sure most TCM fans will like this CD, it's a pretty far step from their previous work. Lots of vocals, not enough breaks and sampling. I also hate the digipak case!!!

Your impressions could be potentially even more useful to yourself you know....