Naw. Just tried to hang out and be a fun and respectful attendee. 
Oh, and avoid buying things - so much temptation everywhere! I feel like CanJam is Frogger for your wallet. 
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It sounds like CJ NY 2023 was much busier than CJ Chicago 2022. I liked how quiet it was in Chicago, because I could try anything without waiting in line, but I’m sure the vendors weren’t pleased.
CJ is moving to a different Chicago location this year, closer to the airports, and (I think) closer to lower cost hotels, so hopefully the attendance is up enough for this to continue in the future.
This does not compute. O’Hare? It’s a solid 1-2 hour rush hour drive from downtown to the NW, but certainly an audiophile-friendly neighborhood. Midway is down south and not that close to either downtown or O’Hare. I’m not sure how many people would rather be there instead of downtown either.
Were the pandemic restrictions still in place in 2022? Was the neighborhood experiencing Chicago’s known ‘troubles’? Are they moving it out of Cook County? That would signify deep changes.
I don’t understand…
The CanJam location last year (McCormick Place) had nice views of the lake but you had to battle traffic to get there.
This year, it’s in Schaumburg, which has no views, but is more convenient from O’Hare and (more importantly) my house.
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Schaumburg, yes. Perfect for the industry. There are also umpteen golf country club hotels in DuPage County that would suffice. Itasca or Wood Dale if near O’Hare?
Your ‘airports’ plural threw me, as they triangulate with downtown. Plural airports would put it in the middle of hmmmm…Oak Park, Berwyn, and Cicero? Hamburger University?
I’ve not been to Can Jam Chicago, last year or any year, but I did live in Chicago for the better part of a decade. Axpona is now held in Rosemont, in a conference hotel close to O’Hare. It was well-attended last year. A mild pain for folks in the city to get to, but I suppose easy for folks flying in.
Midway is very much Chicago’s second airport, and as far as I know, not a real hub for conferences and events.
CanJam 2022 was held at a hotel near the large, downtown-ish conference center McCormick Place. As far as crime goes, I wouldn’t worry about it there. I lived pretty nearby. No issues that you wouldn’t find in any major city.
Looks like CJ 2023 is being held in Schaumburg, a NW burb also close to O’Hare. Pretty bland, IMO, but I suppose there will be plenty of space.
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significantly busier, tho I liked Chicago, it was steady/slow enough to have better conversations and listens of gear
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@andris Very Tardy CanJam NYC 2023 Impressions
What an awesome CanJam! I got to try some spectacular gear, learn from great lectures, and meet so many fellow enthusiasts (especially familiar forum members). Below are some impressions, which are only a product of my personal taste, posted for fun and reference (just in case it helps anyone). Of course, it’s totally cool if we disagree - that’s what makes this hobby interesting!
First, Superlatives!!!
Most beautiful headphone: This ZMF Atrium - I was SO close to buying it. I still wonder why I didn’t. I still think about emailing Zach about it…
Most Disappointing Headphone: Utopia 2022 - Guys. You all know how much I adore my OG Utopia. As of today, I still wouldn’t take any headphone over it, regardless of cost. As such, I was super pumped to hear the new (and improved?) Utopia! Sure, I was dreading the possibility of feeling like I really needed to buy it, but boy, that didn’t come to pass. I A/B’d the Utopias at two different stations and found that I handily preferred the OG I had along with me. That doesn’t mean I thought the 2022 was bad. Not at all. If I were to start my flagship headphone search from scratch, it would still be a top contender, but I can’t say for sure I’d definitely pick it to be “the one”, and that kindof sucks.
Favorite amp: Woo WA23 - This was close between the Woo WA23 and the Feliks Envy, but the Woo WA23 amp has some special magic to it that grabs me every time I hear it. I’m not looking to trade in my Stellaris anytime soon, but this is one of the few amps that I would consider a very real contender. Also really nice that it seems to drive tough headphones without breaking a sweat!
Most disappointing amp: dCS Lina amp - I literally asked if there was EQ on with a massive bass shelf. Not for me.
Favorite new-to-me brand: TEAC Audio - These guys were not very busy, so I took a seat. Why not!? Turns out the Tokyo Electro-Acoustic Company (TEAC) has been around for quite some time and makes some great-sounding gear. I plugged into their UD-505-X HEADPHONE + USB DAC AMPLIFIER (MSRP $1,850) and was super pleasantly surprised. It’s such an elegant-looking product, and sounded really clean. From what one can glean from show-floor listening, I thought it seemed like really good value!
Favorite Lecture: Jude Mansilla, Evolution of Hearing Simulation, And An Examination of Frequency Response Targets And How We Use Them - Jude had an incredibly compelling presentation on frequency response targets, and how we (and particularly reviewers) are using them. Long story short, the variability in measurement equipment combined with the fact that preferences are along a spectrum (rather than a single line) means that we should be taking measurements with a MUCH larger grain of salt, and perhaps even moving toward evaluating headphones within a preference band rather than a specific line. He also demonstrated how some measurements can completely misrepresent how headphones are perceived by even trained listeners. This was only built upon further in Dr. Sean Olive’s presentation the next day, where he showed that test measurement equipment can vary GREATLY from how headphones measure in real people, and that measurements can start to diverge wildly below ~100 Hz and above ~2KHz due to physiological differences. This might be why, for example, some people find a headphone to have stabbing highs, and others may not perceive that at all. While it’s understandable to try to find ways to evaluate equipment without being able to actually hear it, this was a great illustration of the severe limitations of looking at FR plots, including interesting suggestions for alterations that could make them more useful.
Favorite Planar Headphone: Hifiman Susvara - I’m not a big fan of almost any planar (I find the timbre of the mids and highs unnatural to me), but I wanted to find one I like, and I succeeded! I enjoyed both the Susvara and Abyss 1266 TC, and somehow, I hadn’t heard either from a proper source before this CanJam. The 1266 TC sounds incredible, but is just too goofy to wear, so the Sus takes the cake for me! I’m still not tempted to trade in my Utopia OG, though
Item I spent the most money on: Drop HD 58X - While I like summit-fi gear as much as the next person, I get lots of joy out of moderately priced stuff too! I was tempted by a few more expensive items (namely that desperately beautiful Atrium), but ultimately, this is the only thing I bought. I’ve had a 6XX for a while, and for whatever reason, it just doesn’t do anything for me. I got to A/B the 58X next to a 6XX and found I not only prefer it, but really enjoy it! Yay, mid-fi!
Best booth: Headpones.com (DUH!) - Seriously, though, this was an amazing setup. The staff were all super friendly, engaging, and non-judgmental toward the newest newbies, while also being able to talk details with die-hards with ease. I also loved that there was a massive range of headphones and source equipment to try so that one could get a sense of different headphones on very different chains. You’re all fantastic and I can’t wait to see you folks next year!
Quick Takes: Stock going up, or staying high
Dan Clark Audio Stealth - First time I heard this last year, I thought it was a total dud. Technical masterpiece, but lifeless. Must have been the chain (I forget what it was), but I heard it on the Hugo TT2 / M-Scaler in the Headphones.com booth, and I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. I personally wouldn’t buy one, but definitely a “stock up” for me!
Burson Soloist 3x GTX - This was hooked up to a Chord Qutest in the Bloom Audio room, and I was super pleasantly surprised. I had heard about some quality control issues, which the Bloom folks said had been acknowledged and fixed by Burson at this point, so I wasn’t primed to like it, but it was super controlled while also being vibrant and full of life. I briefly owned a SPL Phonitor XE, and I’d take this Burson over that any day at that price point.
Zahl HM1 - Astonishingly good, but who does that surprise? I’ll think about it more if/when there isn’t a massive waitlist for it.
Hifiman Susvara - A planar I like! Big, deep stage, tons of detail, and pretty natural for a planar. I get the appeal.
Abyss 1266 TC - Another planar I like! This hits harder than the Sus, tons of detail, pretty natural timbre, and perhaps an even better stage (but that’s off of non-back-to-back listening). Looks absurd and don’t love the fit, but I get the appeal of this one, too.
Feliks Envy - This came out of left field for me. I had, and didn’t really like the Euforia AE I owned for a few weeks, nor did I think the new one improved on it that much. However, the Envy is just a completely different amp. Incredibly refined, and a seemingly dead-quiet background. I’d seriously consider it if I were looking at a 300B amp.
ZMF Atrium - Currently my second favorite headphone, and one I may buy at some point. As a compliment to my Utopia, I love that it would warm up the timbre a bit, take an edge off the detail, and push out the stage - perfect for recordings that aren’t, well, perfect.
TEAC UD-505-X DAC/Amp - Incredibly classy aesthetic and super refined sound for a (relatively) reasonable price. I’m not in this market, but I’d consider it if I were.
RME ADI-2 DAC FS - I finally got to hear the much-hyped DAC/amp, and I thought it was really really good! I’d still take the Chord Mojo 2 over it based on outright sonic performance, but regardless, I thought the RME was really resolving and clean, and oh my goodness does it look better and have nicer functionality than many amps in its price range.
Sennheiser HE-1 - I lucked out by overhearing chatter to even realize this rarity was present, and just squeaked in to hear it via the wait list. This is clearly the most capable headphone I’ve ever heard. Seemingly infinite extension up and down the frequency range, detail reproduction like I’ve never heard before, clarity into the music that was absolutely beguiling, and punchy to boot! My only gripe is that I couldn’t help but feel like it’s actually held back ever so slightly by the digital front end. Maybe this is bold to assume on a short listen, but it seemed clear that the transucer had virtually limitless capability to reproduce what was fed to it, and would have benefitted from something like a DAVE + M Scaler or Rossini Apex.
Drop + Koss KPH40X - Not too shabby for a $40 headphone! Sure, it starts to struggle a bit once you start throwing something complex or busy at it, but it’s $40! Light, comfy, and sounds super solid. Cool!
Final D8000 Pro - One of the better planars I’ve tried. Still not quite getting mid and treble timbre right for me to consider buying, but I found it enjoyable.
Quick Takes: Stock going down, or staying low
Spirit Torino Valkyria - I’m gonna kick this section off with a hot take: The Valkyria does nothing for me. I wouldn’t call it bad, of course, but I also didn’t find anything about it to be special. I tried it last year and felt similarly, but given others’ glowing feedback, I thought for sure it was just an iffy source (right!?). Well, Spirit Torino came armed with their own giant setup, and still - meh. I found it unfocused and somewhat incoherent. I didn’t think the spatial presentation seemed right, the detail wasn’t up to par for a flagship, and I didn’t think it was particularly comfortable either. A piece of art searching for a sound. I’d buy at least 10 headphones ahead of it, even if you lopped a zero off its $11,000 price tag. Or maybe the show room floor just doesn’t let it shine and I’ve lost my mind. Who knows.
Focal Utopia 2022 - Breaks my heart to put it here, but I’m disappointed in it. I still really like it, but because the OG Utopia is my favorite headphone, it’s a bummer to feel like the update has lost some magic.
T + A Solitaire P - I’m not generally a fan of planars, but I’m particularly not a fan of this one. I just feel like it’s super tinny and plasticky - basically an exaggeration of the timbral qualities that often bug me in planars.
T+A DAC200 and HA 200 - I also tried the T+A stack on my Utopias, and I thought it was good, but that’s it. Maybe it was because they were just looping some playlist without letting the listener choose, but even so, I just didn’t hear any magic. For a $16K+ stack, I want to be wowed.
dCS Lina Stack - A major caveat here is that I didn’t hear the DAC+clock via another amp, so this may be all the amp’s “fault”, but a hard pass for me. The bass seemed completely out of whack. Didn’t seem to have the control or linearity I would expect out of such an expensive stack. I’d take a Bartok with the headphone amp over this stack. I hope to try just the dac and clock out of a different amp, as the amp may very well may be the weak point.
Dan Clark Corina (flagship electrostat) - I heard it on the Headamp Blue Hawaii and something just seemed off. I can’t put my finger on it, but I wasn’t compelled to listen for more than a minute. I thought it lacked a liveliness and coherence. I am generally not big on electrostats, but I prefer the Stax and Audeze offerings by a mile.
Drop HD 6XX - Turns out I like the 58X more! I guess this should be unsurprising given my preference for the Utopia OG tuning vs the Utopia 2022, as I understand the difference between the 58X and 6XX to be similar (in very broad strokes).
Feliks Audio Euforia EVO - I owned a Euforia AE for a couple of weeks before feeling quite certain it wasn’t for me. The EVO isn’t either. A bit too tube-y and fuzzy for my taste.
That’s all, folks! More than anything, it was awesome just being around so many like-minded folks and hearing what everyone else is pumped about. See you all next year!
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Awesome read @andris. Thanks for sharing!
I definitely need to make it to one of these down the road. Glad it was enjoyable!
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Agreed, and not just ‘too goofy’, also just too much trouble. But have you tried the Diana TC? Same driver in a “conventional headphone” form factor. It’s not exactly the same thing, but it’s close enough that it is very much on my endgame planar radar. Less soundstagey than Susvara, but much slammy-er. More resolving than Caldera. Honestly, given our generally similar preferences I think it would be right up your alley.
Totally agree. I spent a good half hour a/b’ing Corina, X9000, CRBN, & Shangri-la on the Grand Cayman and came away feeling very “meh” about Corina. Honestly, I keep waiting for a DCA headphone to wow me, but every one of them sounds “almost as good as an Arya” to me. 
I found Shangri-la the most engaging and interesting by a country mile.
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I have. Not this year, but I heard it last year and quite liked it. Still not enough to buy one, though. It still has the planar timbre thing (for me), albeit much less than many others. It would be a contender if I did seriously pursue a planar. I just don’t feel the need to at the moment, especially since I don’t have an amp for it.
I’m mad at myself for missing that. Argh. Didn’t hear it 
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