Miscellaneous Meandering, Rantings and Ravings at CanJam NYC 2024
This year I decided to go to the big city on Thursday and stay through Monday. We were going to have a mini CanJAm on Friday afternoon with Eyal (@goldwerger) and I figured why not see a Broadway play on Thursday night. Now, if you remember mhy story from last year, I was unable to get my favorite eggplant roll on the ride home (I live about 60 miles north of the city). This year I planned to get one on my drive to the Marriott from my favorite place for them, the Pelham Pizzeria. So, what do I do? I make the wrong turn and miss getting my favorite eggplant roll again! Too much traffic to turn around.
That evening I went to see the play “A Beautiful Noise.” The Neil Diamond Story. I figured Jersey Boys was fabulous, the Carly Simon Play won awards, let’s not miss this one. Big mistake. The play was okay and still entertaining, but as one local newspaper put it: “I could go to a local bar, drop a few coins in the juke box, and sing Sweet Caroline.” Still had a good time.
Everyone singing Sweet Caroline at the end of the play.
Friday came and I met a few folks at Eyal Jam (@goldwerger). We had some great wine and listened to Eyal’s superb collection of HPs on his Riviera AIC-10. A great start to the weekend!
Best sound on Friday went to the Susvara attached to the AIC-10. Below are some of my thoughts:
Caldera Closed: This was not a HP that I connected with. I liked the Caldera Open much better and my Susvara.
Caldera Open: This is a HP I would like to own. It had a nice sound and I would call it a compliment to a Susvara. Great on the Riviera AIC-10. I enjoyed the bass, mids, timbre, etc.
Bokeh Open: I did not care for this HP.
Tungsten 2 Sided: I heard this on the Riviera as well and it had a great sound. It is not in the category of the Susvara or Caldera Open, but I did like the sound and good for the price if you have the kit that can drive it (a CFA-3 will have no issue).
Aroma Audio Fei Wan: I liked the bass, but felt the mids and treble a notch below the Traillii. I do like it though and feel this is one to audition for your collection, especially if you are an Aroma fan.
We went out for Italian on Friday night and were able to have our esteemed leader, Jeff (@rockwell) join us:
Left to Right: Jeff (our fearless leader!), Todd, Frankie (me!), Jim, Mark, Zachi and Eyal.
Mark had the lasagna:
Small portions.
Saturday arrived and CanJAm began!
After a little miscellaneous wondering I entered the HeadAmp Room. There I listened to the CFA3 amplifier. I liked its look and packaging…great job! Sounded good too, but make sure to get the updated version (not available yet) as I will explain below:
Tungsten Single Sided: I heard this on the CFA-3 in the HeadAmp room. It sounded great on the CFA-3 that was still in plexiglass and had some upgrades over the black model. It had strong bass and drive with a nice midrange and treble.
CFA-3: The one still in plexiglass in the HeadAmp room sounded better than the one they had in the black case (which looks great by the way). If you order one, make sure you speak with them and get the upgrades. You do not want it as currently packaged.
Plexi-glass CFA-3
Corina: This is an electrostatic HP that was connected to the Grand Cayman Amp. I did not care for it.
Stax SR-X9000: Besides listening to the amps and HPs previously mentioned, I was able to hear the Stax 9000 connected to the HeadAmp Grand Cayman amp. The Grand Cayman has still not been released, but it sounded fantastic driving the Stax 9000. This was easily the best sound inside the HeadAmp room and one of my stars of the show.
I then spent some time with several IEMs and Todd at the MusicTeck table. I pretty much always compare any IEMs to my Traillii JP to see if they measure up. Most did not, but there were certainly some good ones, and I did enjoy most of them:
UM Mason FS Soleil: I was very disappointed in this IEM. The Red Halo/Le Jardin are some of my favorite IEM’s. Vocal specialists in my opinion and a great compliment to any other IEM. A bit of a caramel-colored midrange for sure, but still revealing and very well done. The Soleil seems to have moved to more of an all-rounder profile and not the best in my opinion. I did not hear the Amber Pearl, but I suspect that is the real follow-on to the Halo/Jardin. My advice would be to pick up a Halo/Jardin if they are available used.
Aroma Audio Fei Wan: As I mentioned earlier. A notch below the Traillii JP, but I liked its bass presentation.
Canpur CP622B: Allot has been made of this IEM lately on the forums. It is certainly a well-made and good sounding IEM. I did like its bass and overall performance. Again, though in direct comparison to my Traillii It gives up some detail, presentation, timbre, and handling of the upper mids and treble. Nevertheless, I thought this a good IEM.
Canpur CP54E: Not bad. Prefer the 622.
Rhapsodio Supreme V3: I did not care for it vs my Traillii.
Vision Ears VE10: I immediately noticed the bass and loved its VE midrange magic. This was the second-best new IEM I heard at CanJam (I am leaving out all IEMs that were available last year (Storm, Multiverse Mentor). I own the VE8, and this is superior, and I would like to own one. Some have mentioned they hear a hiss when using it. On my N8 BB in SS mode and 4.4mm output, I did not hear any hiss (the background noise was like 70DB, but I did have a pretty good seal). Jazz and rock sounded terrific.
Elysian Annihilator 2023: Please allow me to rant a bit. What can I say, I am getting grumpy in my old age. The original Annihilator that so many raved about was bass light and an inferior IEM in my opinion. I wanted to scream after hearing it last year. Yes, I liked its treble, but come on, who buys an IEM, HP, or speaker for treble alone? It must still have good bass and mids, then the treble can be what puts it over the top. The 2023 does improve the bass over the OG, but the mids are not the best and the treble on this one was nothing special. I have heard others state that it provides more details than the Traillii JP or is more resolving. I heard neither. For me there was no area the Traillii JP was not superior. Using some Oscar Peterson, the stringed bass had better timbre and detail on the Traillii. The mids were superior and I think I even liked the treble on the Traillii JP better. Same with Rock and Female Vocals. I did not try EDM. I had some HP friends go try the Annihilator and then try the Traillii and they felt the same. We all hear a bit different, but I would prefer the VE-X any day.
And of course, all my friends were asking me for my take on the new Traillii Ti vs the Traillii JP. Without further ado:
Traillii JP vs Traillii Ti
The Ti had more bass impact overall and possessed a nice overall clarity. However, I felt the JP had the edge in the mids and overall timbre. As for the upper mids/treble, I felt the Ti at times felt clearer, but at other times I felt the JP had the edge in clarity and beauty of voice. All very close. There was an occasion where I felt the treble was not as right as it could be on the Ti, but still overall excellent.
I find it amazing the difference in sound between the two as I learned the inside of the IEMs were the same. The only changes being the wires used, the titanium case and the nozzle. The nozzle is larger, and it did take me some time to get my tips on them, but once fitted the Ti did fit me well. The Ti’s sound can be thought of as complimentary to the JP.
Overall edge still goes to the Traillii JP in my book.
However, the best new IEM at the show IMHO is the Traillii Ti. I did not feel it was even close; the Ti had an edge to me overall. I felt the new UM was not close, nor the Canpur, or the FeiWan. All good, but the Ti grabbed me.
And now for the yearly Watercooler Photo:
Compliments of Alex with all our names added. Last year we were 11, now 28! Well 25 at least without the vendors/manufacturers.
Time for the Abyss room to hear one of my favorite HPs, the 1266 Phi TC. I was able to listen to it connected to both the Riviera AIC-10 and the Woo Audio WA-33 while using a Reel-to-Reel player in addition to my DAP.
For whatever reason, my mood, who knows, the 1266 did not make as great an impression on me as in prior years. Probably due to the fit. You need to spend time adjusting the fit and position of the earpads. While I thought they were set, perhaps I needed to further change their position. Still good sound overall, just not one of the best this year. I did still prefer them to the Diana.
I also spent some time with a few HP amps connected to my Susvara:
Riviera AIC-10 Amp: top notch. I could easily see this being someone’s top amp.
Viva Egoista 845: One of the best sounding amps at the show. It drove my Sus with ease and sounded terrific in the Viva room.
Mass-Kobo 465: I was able to meet the designer of this amplifier, Masuda san, in person at the show. I really liked this amplifier. The bass on my Susvara sounded crisp and powerful and the mids and treble were also excellent. For me this was in contention for top amp I could afford. I want one.
Zahl HM-1: I still love this amplifier. I was able to get it to sound close to the Mass-Kobo 465 and it can also sound much different due to its analog controls and ability to be pure Class A or introduce a bit of feedback. It can make the Susvara sing.
Zahl HM-1
Mass-Kobo 465
Masuda san and myself comparing our bellies!
Saturday night we went out for a good steak dinner at Keens Steakhouse in the city. Their signature dish is the Mutton Chop which many of us just had to try:
It was terrific. Highly recommended and tasted better than everything I heard that day!
Eyal took good care of us at dinner, and we all had a fabulous time. Mark, second from the left and next to Jeff is actually Italian.
He just does not remember!
Sunday came and I was able to listen to the Sennheiser HE-1!
Sennheiser HE-1: I finally made it to hear the HE-1 at one of these CanJams. A big thank you to Zachi for setting me up with his appointment! I was not disappointed. It is a beautiful sounding set and the HPs are extremely comfortable. Open sounding with a great midrange, matching bass, and treble. These would be special to own.
Sennheiser HE-1 in the off position. The tubes and controls are receded into the marble.
Sennheiser HE-1 Powered On. Even the lid for the HPs opens for you.
After visiting with Sennheiser it was recommended I listen to the new Raal HPs:
Raal Immanis and Magna: These were expensive ribbon-based HPs and they were excellent. The Magna has 2 ribbon drivers per side and the Immanis has 3. I preferred the Immanis, but some did feel the Magna had a more intimate sound. The stage of the Immanis is larger and the presentation grander. These were fabulous sounding HP’s and would get my vote for best sound at the show, except for the HE1 and Narukami with my Susvara attached (more on this later). The Raal might even be able to surpass the HE-1. Time will tell as these are still early in their manufacturing. The ribbons they use remind me of the ribbons used on the Apogee speakers of old (and these were also impressive to my ears). I was told Raal controls the sound by the tension of each ribbon driver. They also come with a neat stand that doubles as the connector to allow your amp to work with them. These sounded like they had it all (bass, mids, treble, soundstage, etc.).
The Raal Immanis is probably the HP I want the most from the show.
How about a few more IEMs:
EE Raven: I only spent a very short amount of time with it. The first time was extremely brief as we were going to dinner (this was before the show began on Friday night) and then during the show, but I got pulled away again to listen to something else, but I make it back for a 3rd appearance. In any event, I did like it. It was not my favorite at the show, but one I would not mind spending some more time with in the future. Check one out if possible.
Dita Perpetua: A nice IEM but was nothing special for me.
AT the A&K Table:
Vision Ears Aura: A few folks preferred this to the VE-X. Not me. I preferred the VE-X as I felt the mids and bass were superior.
Empire Ears Novus: Interesting design. I would rather own the Raven. Not bad, but the Raven sounded better to me across its frequency range.
A&K SP3000T: I did not like this DAP. It sounded way inferior to my N8. Now, in discussing this later at dinner, it was brought to my attention that perhaps I did not have it in tube mode. I thought I did and had been discussing it with the rep, but perhaps it was not actually in the correct mode. I do know some others that did like it. It is interesting in that the tube is an actual tube and not an electronic nu-tube. However, it cannot be banged around due to this fact.
64 Audio Volur: This another recent release getting some headlines in 64 Audio land. For me, it does not touch the Fourte, U12 or U18.
Fir Audio Radon 6: Our Watercooler community gave this an award for its popularity in 2023. This is another IEM I do not particularly care for. Again, in comparison to my Traillii I do not hear any additional details or even increased bass. It loses out across the board and in overall timbre. I prefer the XE6, VE-X, Fei Wan, and Ti especially.
Fir Audio XE6: I like this one much better. The bass impact was more solid sounding, and I also liked its handling of the mids and treble better than the RN6.
Campfire Fathom: A great $1000 IEM. The Fathom reminds me of the first time I heard the Andromeda years ago. It makes a great impression and is a fun sounding IEM.
Campfire Trifecta: Still that Trifecta 3 DD sound. If you ever wanted to describe something as the sound of “pure analogue” these are it. Good bass and a nice balance (if a bit dark) with the mids and treble. These would make a fabulous compliment to a collection of Traillii JP, Traillii Ti, Red Halo/Le Jardin, and Trifecta. What the heck, let’s add in an ERLK and a custom VE-10 just because…. My birthday is coming up if you are interested!
I heard a bunch of others, but nothing that made an impression.
Sony DMP-Z1: Kishore had his DMP-Z1 with him. I could not believe he was carrying this around all weekend. He carefully unpacked it for me and let me give it a listen. This is an amazing DAP. Obviously, it is not really a DAP, but a mobile desktop unit. It is extremely well made, looks great and sounds terrific. He was using it as an amp and feeding it via his DAP. I found this to be terrific and superior to the Lotoo Mjolnir which has a list of $6,999.00. Kishore said these come up for about $3,000.00 used. If you have the use case, I highly recommend going for the DMP-Z1. The volume knob alone might swing you.
I listened to the Spirit Torino HPs, IEM, and Amp. I like the designer and he will gladly spend his time with you answering questions. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of their sound. I like a more “solid” sound for lack of a better description.
In the ZMF room I was able to audition the Bokeh again (I still did not care for it, open or closed) and the Atriums using the Holo Audio Stack which is what I own for my HPs.
Atrium Open: I heard this on the Holo Audio May/Bliss stack as I mentioned and it sounded very good, but there was one I liked better:
Atrium Closed: I liked this much better than the AO. I heard the difference immediately. I preferred the bass and overall sound of this HP allot. I may have liked this better out of the Holo Stack than the Caldera Open out of the Riviera. Do I get one this year or wait? This HP impressed me. What a great sound. Great bass and overall coherency.
I would like to own both Atriums and the Caldera Open.
Holo Audio Stack
ZMF Atrium Closed On The Left
Now, what was my best sound at the show? This year that is an easy question. The Audio Technica Narukami Amp connected to my Susvara. And it was not close. A shout out to Eyal for letting me know to use my Susvara during the audition.
Narukami Amp: Is this the best HP amp ever made? Based on my audition the answer is yes. Will I ever own one? At $108,000.00 the answer to that is probably no (AT will throw in their HP). I was lucky to be able to set up my appointment. While at the show I ran into another headphone buddy, and he came with me for the audition. It was kind of funny as he was telling me how his Susvara was dialed in at home using the Trafomatic Primavera Amp and how much he loved that sound. Then I connected my Susvara to the Narukami, and the sound floored him. For me, this was easily the best sound of the show. Even the mighty HE-1 could not touch the sound being produced by my Susvara driven by the Narukami. The bass was vibrant, the mids refined and the treble about perfect. Details were easy to hear, and all so musical. We listened to the Oscar Peterson Trio doing West Side Story, Michael Jackson’s Billy Jean, Jethro Tull, Adel’s Hello, some other rock tunes I did not write down and Steely Dan’s Deacon Blues. This was a “WOW!“ moment for my friend and me. This was the closest I have heard a headphone system come to my 2-channel system. Wow again!
After this audition I went back to the Raal table to see how the Immanis compared. The Susvara-Narukami was unfortunately way better. I have been spoiled. Damn Audio Technica!
The Narukami HP was nothing special and I did not care for it out of the Riviera AIC-10 or the Narukami amp. The rep told us that AT was working on a better HP.
Audio Technica Narukami Amplifier
And the Highlight of the Show? The Mutton Chop!
CanJam 2024 was over and Eyal, Jim, Zachi and me went to a great Greek restaurant for dinner. The final Four!
Left to Right: Eyal, Jim, Zachi and Frankie. The Final 4!
And now it was time to go home. I left the Marriott on Monday. And I finally made it to the Pelham Pizzeria and brought home eggplant rolls for the family. Dinner was great!
All my best to everyone! Till next year!
I had the same experience. I thought the Xenon were better than the Radon. For some reason the Radon sounded more sibilant and harsh to my ears.
