Overall Thoughts:
I consider the experience an overall success as it achieved the things I wanted it to do (the other participants are free to disagree). Five people showed up out of a potential of eight that expressed interest, though the space could have held maybe 20 people if I moved the furniture. The first two hours were spent setting up, listening to music, and chatting. The next hour was a break for lunch and libations. The last hour was spent listening to music again, chatting, and taking down equipment. Folkvangr ran for 2 hours.
Equipment Impressions:
I didn’t spent a lot of time trying out people’s source equipment, but instead spent most of the time either talking or listening to other people’s headphones on either the Bifrost 2 & Asgard 3 (BF2/A3) or the Gungnir Multibit & Folkvangr (G/FV) stack (depending on what wasn’t being used). I won’t mention what other people brought - I’ll leave that up to them. That said, here are my subjective and unqualified reflections:
Hifiman Susvara on Holo Spring(?):
I was very impressed by the adjustment slider for the suspension strap - very comfortable and a different take on adjustment. What I most remember about this headphone and stack was how clear everything was - extremely resolving and detailed. They’re not something I would purchase, given my use case, but I enjoyed them.
Rosson Audio Designs RAD-0 on the BF2/A3:
I could hear the Audeze DNA in these planar. I liked how comfortable they were with the additional suspension strap. Nothing really seemed out of place or offensive with these on the equipment used. They were headphones that made the music “present” as opposed to allowing it to become a passive experience. I would find it hard to do anything other than listen to music with them - a very active listening headphone.
ZMF Caldera on G/FV:
Maybe this is an example of the next new thing syndrome, but I really, really liked this setup despite being slightly skeptical that they would sound good on the FV. However, I should have known better considering how well the LCD-2 (2022) sounds with the G/FV. These sounded and felt like a better in all the ways LCD-2. They are not 3x better (considering the price difference), but if I could only own one pair of headphones, the Caldera could be them. I would consider them an active listening headphone, but less so than either the Susvaras or RAD-0s - I could just as easily not pay attention to the music while wearing them and go to passive listening mode while working on other things. This experience has complicated my ZMF November decision.
ZMF Atrium of G/FV:
Another setup I really liked. Compared to the Caldera, the Atrium are more of a passive listening mode that could go active if I wanted. I think I used the analogy of sitting near a fire, drinking a Boulevardier, and listening to a jazz quartet. No matter what I threw at it, it sounded good. Maybe less in your face than the planars I listened to today, but still very present if I wanted it to be and very atmospheric if I wanted it to be. I wished I had some Verites to try out, but thank you to those who have owned both to share their experience - I’m leaning more towards the Atrium than either the VC or VO for the Folkvangr.
Lessons Learned:
- Bring one stack not two
- Bring signage so people know where to go
- Bring your own headphones so you don’t have to rely on memory
- Stoup’s child-size pizza is for more than one child so order it instead of the hamburger (which was pretty good)
- Take better photos so you can post them
I’d like to thank everybody who took the time to come out today - this gathering would not have been a success without your participation. I hope to schedule these gatherings once a quarter so the next one would be in January, February, or March.
Regards,
Vic