Here are some of my quick notes from yesterday. Will have to revisit them tomorrow:
EnigmAcoustics Dharma: slow bass, fast treble, midrange kinda okay with some upper midrange emphasis around 1-2KHz, sounds like it could be peaky, but due to the 'stat drivers workin' over time to ensure that doesn't happen, what you get is a nice smooth sound. Very cool trick. Me likey.
Audeze EL-8: open version potentially better than LCD-2F to some folks due to tonality...? I think I heard either a 1KHz or 2KHz emphasis that causes vocals to get slightly higher-pitched. Not unlike Audio Technica voicing. Bass is solid, but sounds a bit distorted, and highs are a bit smoothed/rolled. Sounds like typical Audeze house sound to me. Closed EL-8... uhh... no body, thin, tinny, a bit shouty, very peaky, very sharp, and bass is solid, less distorted than open version but doesn't hit as hard. Neither version sound very focused with regards to bass and placement/locality.
Hifiman HE-1000: I think I heard a bad sample of the the HE-1000. Will have to revisit tomorrow. My impressions of them would be very different compared to everyone else's. 'nuff said!
Fostex TH900: now I hear its neutrality. The bad part is dat bass. It sounds kinda... thick and not very detailed/layered. I don't think I heard much of the treble issue, which is good.
Mr. Speakers' Ether: sounds to me like a stock pair of HE-560. Not a bad performer at all, but not very stellar, either. With the way they sound, they're priced kinda... a bit too high. If they were the same price as the Alpha Prime now, it would be more reasonable. Other than price, I don't have much else to complain about.
Cavalli Liquid Carbon and portable amps: very good amps. Clean, clear, smooth, liquid, effortless, but with very good impact (scary good!), and resolving to a point, as they hit a wall with the DACs used. Me likey.
Frank Cooter's SR-009 system: sounds great to me. Full sound that's still smooth, resolving, and effortless, and not edgy at all. Some didn't like this sound because they find the 009 sounds odd that way. Frank says his SR-007 Mk.2 sounds better with that system. I believe him. 007II would make that listening experience a delicious one!
Sony MDR-R10 (bass-light): surprisingly not as bright as legend would have it. Warm and full sounding with a good amount of resolution, and deep soundstage. Would love to see how this one looks like on a measurement rig.
I hope I'll be less of a jerk today after some good sleep. We'll see...