HeadRoom & LA/OC Audio Society - 8/24/08

[Asr]

Not really a "meet" per se, at least as far as Head-Fi meets go, but a good time regardless. As the event was only 4 hours and primarily for the LA/OC Audio Society, I did not expect to do much listening, and indeed did very little and got to spend only a few minutes with a phat pad-modded Audio-Technica AD2000. (Which was still pretty good, even if it sucked out the mid-range a bit compared to a stock non-modded AD2K.) I spent most of the event talking to various people and taking photos wherever I could. The Head-Fier/Head-Caser turn-out was pretty good actually and I saw various familiar faces.

Notable equipment highlights - Tyll's Wadia (not sure which model) & HeadRoom Max Balanced, the Audiophile Desktop w/ the Harbeth speakers, Luxman DU-80 universal player w/ P-1 headphone amp, and a Modwright-modded Transporter.

Random equipment visual impression - the CRL Silver Series analog ICs (one of the raffle prizes) are THE thickest interconnects I've ever laid eyes on. These were definitely over the diameter of the Acoustic Zen Silver Reference II that I previously owned which were exactly 0.5" thick. Insanity.

Head-Fier setups included someone's MacBook w/ Apogee Duet, my laptop w/ the HeadAmp Pico (both Edwood's and Iron_Dreamer's), someone's Eastsound CD-E5 w/ M^3, and another setup which wasn't easily identified (but which I took a pic of). More than a few Audio Society members seemed to be impressed by the Pico. I suspect Justin will have some more orders coming soon.

I'll upload my stash of pics tonight.

And thanks to Tyll for coming out and sponsoring.

[Asr]

JVC HP-DX1000

Luxman P-1 headphone amp, front

Luxman P-1 back panel

Tyll presenting on Class D amplification...

...complete with diagrams

Luxman L-505u integrated amp

Modwright Transporter, front

Modwright Transporter, back panel

Luxman SQ-N100 integrated tube amp

[hYdrociTy]

i spot a dds pro

[laxx]

What are those wooden blocks in the second picture?

[guzziguy]

that luxman stuff looks the part!

IMO, while they look the part, they neither felt nor (the one I listened to) sound the part. Amps at this price range should have a silky smooth motion when turning knobs and, for things like balance and tone controls, have a detent at the center position. These amps did not. If I closed my eyes, I could have easily been playing with a $100 generic receiver. I also listened to the headphone jack of a $3500 el84 based integrated amp. It was nice but nothing special. For that kind of money, it should be special.

What are those wooden blocks in the second picture?

That's Frank Cooter's latest creation. If you don't remember Frank, he's the guy that brought the wonderful and bizarre diy amp to MOA. This amp sounded very nice to, but I prefer his MOA amp. Of course, the conditions here were very bad to do any listening so I reserve the right to change my mind on that. I told Frank about HC so hopefully he'll be joining us soon.

[guzziguy]

that's too bad about the luxman gear.

i'm not sure a big 1940's lookin' radio type box would go with my decor.

Actually, it's two boxes. One is the power supply. Frank used to be a cabinet maker. The woodwork is magnificent and consists of ebony and Australian lacewood. It definitely has the "retro future" look that Moth made famous. I loved the look. The power supply also has two of the famous mercury vapor tubes that were in the power supply of the MOA amp.

[Dusty Chalk]

I told Frank about HC so hopefully he'll be joining us soon.

Huzzah, I hope he does.

[Augsburger]

Well I think we need to give the Luxman gear a fairer audition. The HP amp they provided had just arrived from Japan and had never been fired up until that morning. I couldn't get near the gear because of the lines. In person the other amps look really sweet and I would love to hear their cdp in a reasonable setting. Philip the Luxman rep there told me that Luxman will be coming out with a newer version of the HP amp and three new models of cdps by January 2009.

[guzziguy]

Well I think we need to give the Luxman gear a fairer audition. The HP amp they provided had just arrived from Japan and had never been fired up until that morning. I couldn't get near the gear because of the lines. In person the other amps look really sweet and I would love to hear their cdp in a reasonable setting. Philip the Luxman rep there told me that Luxman will be coming out with a newer version of the HP amp and three new models of cdps by January 2009.

Definitely. Conditions there were pretty worthless for judging SQ. However, that doesn't change the chintzy feel of the controls in the amps. I didn't hear the headamp. There were always too many people hanging around it. I listened to the el84 based integrated amp.

Fortunately, it doesn't matter to me. I'm not close to looking for a new source or amp.

[Voltron]

I am curious about the Luxman gear as well, and will consider one of the integrated amps for a MOA solution that the family can operate a little easier. I checked out the amp at Todd's (he's a Luxman rep, btw) and did not get the sense it was cheaply built at all. I would love to hear that HP amp just to see how it compares with some of the other solid state options out there. Is it true that there are balanced inputs but no balanced headphone outputs?

[Augsburger]

I am curious about the Luxman gear as well, and will consider one of the integrated amps for a MOA solution that the family can operate a little easier. I checked out the amp at Todd's (he's a Luxman rep, btw) and did not get the sense it was cheaply built at all. I would love to hear that HP amp just to see how it compares with some of the other solid state options out there. Is it true that there are balanced inputs but no balanced headphone outputs?

Check out the picks on On a Higher Note :: they are the distributor for Luxman and deal directly with TTVJ. The website has some nice pics and details about the construction of their line.

If there is enough interest in the headphone amp there is a small chance they will demo one at a future So Cal meet some time. I am interested, but I am just one guy. Evidently the headquarters people in Japan are not convinced there is a large enough market in the US to commit too many marketing resources at this time.

[Dusty Chalk]

I'd be interested...to hear other Californians' impressions.

[Asr]

I am curious about the Luxman gear as well, and will consider one of the integrated amps for a MOA solution that the family can operate a little easier. I checked out the amp at Todd's (he's a Luxman rep, btw) and did not get the sense it was cheaply built at all. I would love to hear that HP amp just to see how it compares with some of the other solid state options out there. Is it true that there are balanced inputs but no balanced headphone outputs?

It's true, no headphone XLR output. Seems pointless to have the balanced input on this amp.

If there is enough interest in the headphone amp there is a small chance they will demo one at a future So Cal meet some time. I am interested, but I am just one guy. Evidently the headquarters people in Japan are not convinced there is a large enough market in the US to commit too many marketing resources at this time.

Um....CanJam 2009!

[dweeb]

Thanks for all the pics Asr!

[grawk]

It's not pointless to have balanced inputs if they have a good method to derive a single ended source from the balanced.

[Augsburger]

Good point Grawk, the engineers at Luxman have their reasons, their reasons may not be shared by others but they were well thought out reasons for things being designed the way they are. Luxman does not seem to cut corners just to hit a price point look at the pictures of the innards. Anyway, I want to let my ears be the judge and hopefully we may have an opportunity at some future So Cal meet. Then we can praise them or trash them based upon actual impressions in a meet wow, what a concept.

[Iron_Dreamer]

Tyll dishes on all things amplification:

Dan Wright of Modwright gives the rundown of his latest creations:

Ultimate Ears' lead engineer answers questions:

The masses congregate and listen:

Raffle prizes waiting to be plundered:

Too bad this Modwright Transporter wasn't one of them:

Luxman's gleaming lineup:

But Frank Cooter stole the show, again, with another completely crazy custom creation:

And the blue glow is back!

Frank designed this amp specifically to drive his JVC-Victor DX1000:

The DX1000 drew some interesting reactions:

Edwood's K1000 was the subject of analysis and discussion as well:

Ultimate Ears' table was among the busiest of the room:

Tyll and his legendary energy kept 'em busy:

While his big box o' headphones and amps kept 'em listening:

ASR and I blew through quite a bit of the meet rambling on about camera gear:

[jinp6301]

great pics everybody!

[Tyll Hertsens]

great pics everybody!

+1!

Iron Dreamer, would you email me a higher (not necessarily RAW but just about maybe 4x larger) pic of this? [email protected]. Or you could just point me to a page on imageshack where I could pick it up. I assume it's still OK to use one of your pix in an ad? What do you want me to put for a photo credit? Thanks, mang.

Here's mine, just a few.

Thanks for coming, everyone. It was a pleasure as always.

.

[Augsburger]

Tyll, you did an excellent job in presenting and trying to educate the masses. Man that desktop amp feeding the K701s sounded sweet, it drives them sooooooo well! Oh, and I want me some Harbeth's too, my new years new office resolution.

[n_maher]

What do you want me to put for a photo credit?

Photo credit, you guys give photo credit now?

[Dusty Chalk]

Tyll looks like he's giving the kiss of sweetness in that one pic.

(French accent)"Ze crepes, zey were superb..."(/french accent)

[guzziguy]

Tyll looks like he's giving the kiss of sweetness in that one pic.

(French accent)"Ze crepes, zey were superb..."(/french accent)

What do you expect? He is Belge after all.

[Voltron]

Photo credit, you guys give photo credit now?