Quick-take Miami mini-meet impressions

[boomana]

Had a portable mini-meet a few weeks ago with mrarroyo and Vorlon1, and got together again today with mostly the same gear. Though maybe not much to interest folks here, I thought I'd do a quick take on a few things I've now listened to a couple times. Both meets were pretty budget-fi meet, which is kind of nice. Anyway, here goes with mini-impressions:

Sources were three imods (4g) and a nano.

Portable amps:

Graham Slee Voyager - bass and bass and full mids and bass. Not good bass, but BASS. I didn't like it. I do like separation between notes and that was missing.

ibasso P2 - yuck. Very congested.

ibasso D2 - didn't try out the dac since everyone assumed someone else would bring a computer. Not very impressed, but it didn't suck. Again, had a congested sound, but was clean. The P2 was not. I don't know which opamps were used in either, and miguel kept switching things out. I didn't like any of them.

Little Dot portable (I forget its name)- This was the only amp I hadn't heard before, and I actually liked it. It has a lush, smooth feel to it that didn't work well with my ESW9s (it worked well with Rob's, which is a different story), but is good with detail and overall tone. It doesn't really compare that well to my fav portables, but it's a nice little amp. I understand why people like it.

SR-71 - back off Ray haters, I still like this amp a lot. I sold mine at MOA, and don't really miss it, but after hearing so many others, it's really so much better than most.

MiniBox E+ - I liked this amp so much the first time I heard it, I ended up getting one (it was in my mailbox when I got home from the meet). For $179, it really is one of the better sounding portables I've heard. I like the stock 8610 opamps. Miguel switched out a few (I don't remember which because I didn't like them), but stock, it's clean and airy. It mates perfectly with the ESW9s.

Diablo - if any one seriously wants my impressions, or how I felt it compared, feel free to email, or pm me. I will say that I like it.

Desktop amp and amp/dac:

Octavart The One (amp and dac) and the 01 (amp only) - I've been living with the amp/dac for a few weeks, and I'm really impressed by its sq considering the price (The One is $299, and the 01 is $160). It's very spacious, and with good separation and tone (fairly neutral, slightly forward and bright). It sounds good with the 600s and even with the K340 (volume maxxed). I do wonder how it might do with the 650s and will try that out at CanJam. Since there aren't too many decent budget home amps around, it's nice to find one, and I have no problem recommending it. It is interesting to note that Head-Direct sells it as well as the MiniBox and the Yuin PK1s, which I also like a lot. They all have a similar sound.

Headphones:

K340 (headphiled) - I brought these to lend to Rob. I keep thinking I should sell them, but then I listen to them and can't. Drop dead gorgeous mids, and just wonderful with female vocals. I was surprised at how good they sounded with the 01 amp. I never bothered to try the combo at home.

K501/RAL - okay, but nothing I'd ever buy or recommend.

K240DF - same as above, but I liked the smooth treble as I did with the K240S

Proline 2500/modded a la Fitz - as I said in another thread, I keep wanting to like these as there is much to like, but what's wrong is so very wrong, I just can't. I've always had trouble with the tinny mids and near shrill and sibilant highs. The mods (whatever they were; I didn't ask) took away the overall metallic sheen and tamed the highs, but what was left was far worse to my ears. It was as if someone shredded the edges of the treble notes to make them jagged and jangly. I don't know if that makes any sense, but since I've never heard anything like it before, that's the best I can do. It really sounded ugly.

ESW9 - this is interesting. I've had my pair for a few month and am a fan, even though they have their flaws. They're just the best sounding closed, portable headphone I've heard. Rob bought a pair after hearing my a few weeks ago and says that they have around 100 hours on them. His do not sound like mine. His are lacking the heavier (not too heavy) bass mine have, and have much more treble focus including the upper mids. They sound good, but so drastically different (mine never sounded like his), it was just weird. I prefer mine.

HD600/Equinox - if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with. The 600s sound good with even budget sources and amps. The 650s don't. Not surprising, they were my favs at the meet.

Oh yea, one more thing: I was happy/not happy to hear a pretty remarkable difference between a RAL mini-to-mini cable and about five others (mini-to-mini and LODs: RnB, two ALO cyros and one cotton, and two unknown to me). The RAL was simply better, and I had no idea what I was listening to when I heard it (just an ugly purple cable). Everything was slightly clearer and more open. I kept switching cables, amps, and headphones to convince myself I couldn't hear a difference, but I did each time and liked it. Rob had a black one that he switched on me without me knowing it, and I heard the same good difference. No one was more surprised than I. Fortunately, Rob's sending me a stray one he has lying around.

That's it.

[jinp6301]

The O1 amp with grados really sucks imo (but the dac/amp doesnt as much), but with senns theyre pretty nice

[boomana]

Had no Grados to listen with, but I can see that being true. When I had it at home, I used 600s.

[jp11801]

had a chance to hear the 780's and have to say not too bad, they were apuresound rewired and had a decent range a bit heavy on the bass end and tonally all wrong but it would not qualify as an enhanced interrogation technique

[grawk]

had a chance to hear the 780's and have to say not too bad, they were apuresound rewired and had a decent range a bit heavy on the bass end and tonally all wrong but it would not qualify as an enhanced interrogation technique

Wrong tonality is what I disliked about the Ed9s. I can't get past when music doesn't sound right

[zippy2001]

And that is why I sold them. Although the rewire made them much better, I didn't think that I could get used to that coloration.

As the Ultrasonistas say, just use them exclusively for a year and your brain will adjust to them.

[darkless]

Wrong tonality is what I disliked about the Ed9s. I can't get past when music doesn't sound right

Wrong tonality was one of the main reasons I sold my Qualia.