Author Topic: Charlotte 'Can' Fest  (Read 10970 times)

Offline stereofool

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Charlotte 'Can' Fest
« on: February 23, 2009, 03:04:02 PM »
I made the trek down to Charlotte Saturday and spent a number of hours wandering around a bit too small room...packed with lots of nice equipment and a pretty good crowd.

Obviously, the highlight of the day and (for me) a once in a lifetime opportunity to see and hear the amazing Joe Grado...live and in color  :lol:! He's a great guy and still has a very fertile imagination...read that as having come out with an amazing new microphone...which stands to (potentially) revolutionize the recording industry...should they be bright enough to adopt the technology.

No question...it was an ear-opening experience!!! There are some amazing sound headphone amps out there...some reasonably priced...some rather high priced, but still sounding fabulous.

I will try to get some pics added, as the evening progresses...provided I can remember how  :duh.

Ray Samuel's Predator DAC's...amazing sounding and 'match-box' size


Ray Samuel's Raptor headphone amp


Ray Samuel's Apache headphone amp...and preamp too (I think)


Ray Samuel's B-52 headphone amp/preamp


Woo Audio headphone amp...I forget the model #


Woo Audio WA 2


Head-Direct EF1


The MAN of the hour...Joe Grado


Joe tweaking his 'stack'...before his presentation. If you look closely just above Joe's head you can glimpse his new microphone...which can do amazing things  :shock:!


Joe's equipment stack
« Last Edit: February 23, 2009, 04:20:30 PM by stereofool »
Steve
Have you ever noticed.... Anyone going slower than you is an idiot...and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?

Offline Carlman

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Re: Charlotte 'Can' Fest
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2009, 03:20:35 PM »
Thanks for the update... Any links to the microphone technology? 
Can't wait to see pix!  Just hit 'additional options' at the bottom and add them.  If they're too big, you'll have to resize them to smaller ones.
-C
I really enjoy listening to music.

Offline stereofool

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Re: Charlotte 'Can' Fest
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2009, 03:30:47 PM »
Carl,

I'm not sure...I don't know whether it is going to be sold under the Grado Labs label or not. That might be a good place to start the quest.

Maybe someone in the Carolina Audio Society could answer that question better.
« Last Edit: February 23, 2009, 03:36:35 PM by stereofool »
Steve
Have you ever noticed.... Anyone going slower than you is an idiot...and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?

Offline stereofool

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Re: Charlotte 'Can' Fest
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2009, 03:41:49 PM »
I take that back...here is a link that will get you started..

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/joseph-grado-model-3d-4-holographic-microphone-246854/
Steve
Have you ever noticed.... Anyone going slower than you is an idiot...and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?

Offline richidoo

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Re: Charlotte 'Can' Fest
« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2009, 03:53:28 PM »
Nice pics Steve. I was thinking about you on Saturday. I'm glad you went down. How did the Raptor and B52 amps sound? Could you tell the difference between all those ultra low distortion amps or did they all sound the same? ;)  Did you bring your own cans?  What was your favorite setup of all.

I guess I didn't win the raffle  :(



Offline stereofool

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Re: Charlotte 'Can' Fest
« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2009, 04:16:46 PM »
CRAP!!! I just hit the wrong button and lost the reply I had almost finished.

Here we go, again  :duh!

NOPE...neither you nor I won...a damn thing  :(.

Yes...I took my HD600's and plugged them into most of new headphone amps. In my opinion most sounded very good, and not at all dissimilar. Obviously, the more $$$$ the better the sound.

Ray Samuel's B52 was just downright awesome...I walked up an he said..."give these a listen". It was the B52 driving a balanced pair of multi-thousand $$$$ Sony headphones. To say I was blown away would be an understatement.

I'm still a 2-channel whole room afficianado...but the experience defintely will prompt me to add a headphone amp to the mix...whenever the pocketbook will allow. Since I probably won't use them/it that much...I probably will only buy a fairly inexpensive amp.

I also listened to Ray's little Predator USB DAC being fed from a laptop and into a pair of Grado headphones. I'll have to say that the sound was unexpectedly wonderful.

Here are some links to a few of vendors present Saturday...if I don't blow this reply up again  ](*,)!!!

http://www.head-direct.com/

http://www.wooaudio.com/

http://www.raysamuelsaudio.com/
« Last Edit: February 23, 2009, 04:18:59 PM by stereofool »
Steve
Have you ever noticed.... Anyone going slower than you is an idiot...and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?

Offline SteveB

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Re: Charlotte 'Can' Fest
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2009, 03:54:31 PM »
Steve, thanks for  attending and getting those photos. I was not able to go and the pictures capture some of the goings on for us busy folks. Thanks for posting.

Offline richidoo

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Re: Charlotte 'Can' Fest
« Reply #7 on: February 24, 2009, 05:19:18 PM »
Thanks Steve... Can that predator take in spdif? Would be cool if it could, then it could be a portable amp for mp3 player, AND a high end self contained system at home.

Offline stereofool

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Re: Charlotte 'Can' Fest
« Reply #8 on: February 24, 2009, 05:53:13 PM »
Rich,

I don't remember...clicky on the raysamuels site...that should answer that question. Plus, you can read all about his stuff.

I'll have to say that Ray's build quality is almost jewel-like  :drool:!
Steve
Have you ever noticed.... Anyone going slower than you is an idiot...and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?