Iron_Dreamer Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Sorry I managed to miss you somehow this time, Andy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blubliss Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Yeah, you were out getting food, next time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironbut Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 It hasn't been that long since I went to a meet but I have to say that I was shocked by the sheer number of vendors mentioned in the thread. And I'm not surprised that the Chord gear sounds good. I've listened to lots of their speaker amps/preamps and I like 'em. Their DAC's aren't too shabby either but like you said Andy,..big money for all that sculpted aluminum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purk Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 $4.8k total solution isn't for the Chord? Way pricey! A friend of mine and a local headphone dealer was able to make the meet and he was very impressed by Mr. Speak Ether, HE1000, and the Chord TT. He stopped by at Headamp & Milos's table and really enjoy the gears too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blubliss Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Chord has something coming out at the Munich Show in may that is going to cost like 8,000 pounds. Rob Watts is pretty excited. I think it's an update to the QBD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggil Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 I may be able to go to a small meet if I don't work that weekend. Need to drill a few holes in my Megatron before I take anywhere though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeymad Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 yay for Frank Tube goodness - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purk Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Purk, I'd say try to setup a mini meet with some of the key players, if personal gear is what you're more interested in. This CanJam was fairly similar to the "offical" LA meets of thr last few years, where there has typically been a low member to vendor gear ratio. Not many good mini-meet to go in GA to be honest. Mostly just Mike and me getting together. I think the Atlanta crew is too lazy to organize a meet. Though we managed a 2013 Canlanta once. So you and Ed had a great fortune of comparing the HE1000 + HE amp to the SR009 + BHSE in a quiet environment...would you mind letting us know of what you think of the HE1000 pretty please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon L Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Milos's stax DAC>Aristeaus>009 was very good. What are people's feelings regarding Aristaeus for SR009 relative to BHSE or KGST? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron_Dreamer Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 Not many good mini-meet to go in GA to be honest. Mostly just Mike and me getting together. I think the Atlanta crew is too lazy to organize a meet. Though we managed a 2013 Canlanta once. So you and Ed had a great fortune of comparing the HE1000 + HE amp to the SR009 + BHSE in a quiet environment...would you mind letting us know of what you think of the HE1000 pretty please? Post is forthcoming, probably tomorrow, but the HE1000 is very much for real, and not to be discounted. It outdid the 009 in ways I was not necessarily expecting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwood Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 Teaser 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torpedo Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 I like the right side of that shelf. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justin Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 sorry you had to return the DAC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nopants Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 can't quite make out the faceplate, is that the dsd version? I'm debating getting in line for the upgrade, interested in everything except the dsd feature Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron_Dreamer Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 It is the DSD version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purk Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 (edited) Teaser Re-tube the BHSE with something better for a fair comparison! Still waiting for your impressions. Nice TV BTW! Edited April 2, 2015 by purk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron_Dreamer Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 Posted verbatim to the other site as well: Having listened to the HE1000 several times at CES, I knew the headphone was going to be a strong contender near the top end of the food chain. It had the dynamic, palpable bass of other top planar magnetic headphones with a level of speed and detail that seemed to rival electrostatics. However, no direct comparison with other top headphones was possible at the time. In this post SoCal CanJam listening session, Edwood and I were able to compare the latest HE1000 prototype and EF1000 with the Stax SR009 and Headamp BHSE (both with stock tubes). We also had the Hifiman EF-6, HE-6, and HE-560 on hand for comparison (not pictured). Source was an Ayre QB9 DSD DAC playing FLAC from a PC. I went into the comparison expecting the HE1000 to prevail in bass performance and suitability for rock and electronic music, and the SR009 to prevail in detail and airiness, and suitability for classical and acoustic music, as has been the typical split between dynamic/orthodynamic and electrostatic headphones over the years. So I started by going straight for the gusto, playing a high-res version of Beethoven's 9th. I started with the SR009, then changed to the HE1000, and was surprised to find the latter presenting more micro-detail with a more present, "live" sound. Instruments were better fleshed out with the HE1000, whose imaging made the SR009 sound somewhat diffuse by comparison. I would say the SR009 soundstage was broader and deeper, but less precise, while the HE1000 presentation was closer to the listener, and taller, but more pinpoint. On the comparison went, through rock, metal, EDM, and movies, and the initial findings remained quite stable throughout. The HE1000/EF1000 consistently produced more micro-detail, more tangible bass, and a more holographic (if smaller/closer) soundstage than the SR009/BHSE, resulting in the overall impression of a more "live" or present sound from the HE1000 and a more diffuse/relaxed sound from the SR009. In short, those who find the SR009 too "live" or present, and prefer the SR007, will likely not be candidates for the HE1000, as it is even more so. I never really thought I would hear a headphone to make the SR009 sound relaxed or diffuse by comparison, but the HE1000 does just that. The top-to-bottom fantastic detail and phase-correctness of the HE1000, combined with its' tactile bass (as opposed to the merely audible bass of 'stats) makes an extremely exciting listen, with a sense of closeness to the source material that I haven't heard before in a headphone. Now, don't this to mean more than it really does. The SR009 is still an INCREDIBLE headphone, and listening to it in isolation is as rewarding as it ever was before. However, when heard next to the HE1000, it becomes clear that the bleeding edge has advanced forward, at least in some ways. This is all still very much at the margin, and on a technical level the HE1000 likely performs no more than a few percentage points better than the SR009, however, those small gains, this far out on the curve of diminishing returns, do result in more tangible rewards for listening pleasure than their mere numbers would indicate. To be clear, I am NOT stating that the HE1000 "blows away" the SR009, rather that it has incremental gains in certain areas that resulted in a more enjoyable listening experience for me. I did compare the EF1000 and EF6 using the HE1000, and found them generally to be extremely close in technical performance, however, I found the EF1000 to be a more involving listen, for no particular reason I could put my finger on. Magical tube harmonics? Placebo? Wishful thinking? Who knows, but the EF1000 seemed to produce a sound worth its' (substantial) weight. I will be interested to see how it performs as a speaker amp, as it would be a boon for such a large amp to be an all-in-one. Comparing the HE6 to the HE1000, the old flagship sounds a bit slow and blurry, particularly in the bass, where the speed of the HE1000 is quite impressive indeed. The HE6 and HE560 both sound diffuse in imaging when compared to the more pinpoint HE1000. I would say the overall sonic balance of the HE1000 lies somewhere between the bassier HE6 and warmer midrange of the HE560, coming in relatively neutral with just a smidge of warmth to the midrange. In summary, I was rather surprised that the HE1000 did not just hold up to, but surpassed the SR009 at some of the latter's most well-known strengths. There is without question a presentation/flavor difference between the two that would doubtlessly lead some to pick one over the other regardless of technical abilities. Hopefully the production HE1000 and EF1000 will maintain at least this level of technical performance, and we will all welcome a new premier headphone system to the bounty of options now on the market. Now, more than ever before, it's an amazing time to be a headphone audiophile, and with all those working to improve headphones, I don't doubt that we will continue to see gains like this at the high end. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon L Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 In short, those who find the SR009 too "live" or present, and prefer the SR007, will likely not be candidates for the HE1000, as it is even more so. I never really thought I would hear a headphone to make the SR009 sound relaxed or diffuse by comparison, but the HE1000 does just that. The show thread at the other site has incredibly poor SNR, but I did catch multiple people mention HE1000 sounding meh. There's also some confusing claims there was a good pair and a bad pair of HE1000, etc. Wish I could have attened the show myself, especially to hear Frank's DHT amp with SR009.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron_Dreamer Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 The show thread at the other site has incredibly poor SNR, but I did catch multiple people mention HE1000 sounding meh. There's also some confusing claims there was a good pair and a bad pair of HE1000, etc. Wish I could have attened the show myself, especially to hear Frank's DHT amp with SR009.. Yeah, I heard similar confusion from people I spoke to at the meet. Not sure why. I have yet to hear the HE1000 sound anything other than fantastic. I listened briefly to Frank's amp, and it sounded great, but hard to say anything specific with unfamiliar source material and meet conditions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purk Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 Peter, Thanks for your impression. What's the retailed price of the HF1000 amplifier? Did Fang mentioned the price? BTW, I do like my BHSE a good bit better with the NOS XF4s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron_Dreamer Posted April 3, 2015 Report Share Posted April 3, 2015 Amp price is not known yet, even by Fang Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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