CanJam2023 First Day Impressions

Submitted by MrRIP t3_11c41ng in headphones

It was my first time going to an event like this. I've had this desire to try some high end tube amps for some time now. and I've wanted to compare the sound difference between the Elites I own with other flagship models to see if the grass was really greener.

The experience with the different tube amps is lovely. I tried the Wa33, Wa23 Envy, and and ampsandsounds amplifier (The audeze rep didnt know which it was but from looking at the website it's the nautilus or red october).

The wa33 had my entire head enveloped in sond and my headphones were thumping like never before. Everything about every song I listened to was like I rembered but just MORE. Idk how else to explain it. Everything felt like it was louder but it couldn't of been since I tend to get pain/ringing if music is too loud/sibillant/hifiman). The Wa23 was similar. I feel like the wa33 was sligthly better sounding but I cant really pinpoint why. I hope to try with my music tomorrow so I can play music I'm more familiar with to make a better comparison

I had a similar experience with the Envy and Elites, audio bliss. However, I got the chance to try out the Susvara. It's an amazing sound, it gave such a lifelike sound it felt like I was transported into the front row of a prince concert. However, there's something about the hifiman headphones (arya's, ananda's, now Susvara).I've tried that makes my right ear hurt like crazy

The Audeze setup allowed me to try the LCD-5's with a May/Bliss combo, it sounds similar but slight step down to what I have at home with my May/v590 and Elites. However, they have a setup with this ampsandsound amp that I tried while waiting for the May/Bliss. Holy fk. It felt like I was being fed sound models through my ears. I thought I understood what holograhic sound and layering meant. This was another level. They allowed me to swap my headphones and a pair of 4z's to check the differences. My Elites were a touch below the 5's in everything I experienced with the same setup.  The 4z's came in far behind, they felt similar to the 5's in what was going on. However, the punch of the 5's came like they were from a heavyweight boxer and the 4z's came from a middleweight.

I also wanted to sell my 590 for a pure headphone amp so I tried the nimbus, and it led me to believe what I have is on a similar level. So I may not need to do anything on that end and just start diving into tube world now. I saw an upcoming colorway of the Elites and want to find a way to swap my silver for the matte black. It looks amazing!!

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Comments

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ku1185 t1_ja1k949 wrote

Just came from the Head-fi impressions thread and I think I'm getting deja vu. =)

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MrRIP OP t1_ja1w2d1 wrote

Reddit is my internet home. I love talking here the most lmao

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cryptodolphins t1_ja1q6j8 wrote

I've only got a few hours to go to CanJam tomorrow, do you have any recommendations for must tries to concentrate on?

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MrRIP OP t1_ja1vzuf wrote

Definitely try the LCD-5 with the red ampsandaudio amp, the Susvara with the Envy and the Elite with the Wa33/23. Those were the best listening experiences I had.

I didn't find it hard to demo what I wanted. However, I did get there pretty late and from combing other impression posts around the net. I think most of the hype was near the Abyss table earlier on in the day.

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Beatboombox t1_ja1uwit wrote

Did you get the chance to try out the ZMF headphones? They were fun to listen to at Canjam. I enjoyed the Atticus a lot.

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MrRIP OP t1_ja1v47u wrote

Not yet, tomorrow. I got there late today so I was there from about 4-6 and time really flew while being there

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SchiitMjolnir2 t1_ja22qw7 wrote

Did you try all of HP out (8, 16, 32, 100, 300 ohm) with the Red October (300 B) or Nautilus (KT88) on Susvara?

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MrRIP OP t1_ja6fh95 wrote

No, I think I should’ve. The rep told me in his experience is that he didn’t notice a difference in either of the outs so I took his word for it and just compared at 16. Honestly, didn’t know the brand or anything about the amp so I didn’t wanna start experimenting with stuff that isn’t my own

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SchiitMjolnir2 t1_ja6fziy wrote

Glad you liked the sound though since I own their cheapest tube amp which is the Forge 32/300 ohm. With my DCA Aeon X Open, there's a noticeable difference in dynamics between 32 out and 300 ohm headphone out and I actually prefer the 300 ohm out since it takes away the mid-bass bloat (it's the output impedance effect on FR) while revealing a snappier, tighter grip on transients. It changed the tonality to reveal a better technicality aspect of the Aeons

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MrRIP OP t1_ja6h4va wrote

Interesting. I’m not well versed in tube amps at all, but now I am. Did you go to can jam? Or heard the wa33 or Feliks envy? I’d like to know your opinion on the sound differences you’d noticed between them all with your pair.

Also is every input hole like adding gain on a standard amp?

I’m at the point of where I was when I was searching for a “perfect” pair of headphones. So many options between tube amps and I have no idea on how they work and it looks like the only place I can demo them is at shows like these which is frustrating.

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SchiitMjolnir2 t1_ja6kfs3 wrote

I've heard both during my time at CanJam 2022 Socal. From what I recall, WA33 is more technical and less rolled-off in the treble than the Envy. I believe, I used the low-impedance setting in the WA33 and medium impedance with the Envy with the Suvara pairing. The Envy has a more "expressive" mids than the WA33, and both have that concert-hall imaging that is the trademark of tube amp.

When it comes to tube amps, the best breed would be the "Directly Heated Triode" Single Ended Tube amp (WA23, WA5 LE, Feliks Envy, Eddie Current amps) or Fully Balanced Push-Pull directly heated triode amp (WA33). They differ in output power as well as output transformers and as such will react differently with the same headphones. Only way to tell is to actually demo them with your headphone of choosing.

> Also is every input hole like adding gain on a standard amp?

Nope. If you use two of the headphone amp outs at the same time, you increase the load of the amp (on the output transformer specifically) and depending on the sensitivity of the headphones used, one will sound louder or quieter than the other

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