Today, on the 27th day of the fine month that is June, a semi-local, or not, gathering of nerds listened to headphones, snake like objects, and a variety of metal and/or wood boxes filled with things I don't understand. I did not listen to the boxes so much, as it's generally difficult for me to get a good feel for box amps and box DACs without my own sources, music, headphones, and a quiet environment. So, here are my thoughts on the headphones I listened to, posted in one convenient place. But, in reality, I'm just too lazy to hunt down and/or post new threads on this crap.

MisterRogers's HD800 + EC Super 7 amp box + other boxes - Gotta say, this stock HD800 sounded pretty damn good out of the S7. My main criticism of the HD800 is the somewhat lean sound, at least from most amps. I say most amps because this HD800 did not sound lean whatsoever from the S7. Nice impact and a full-bodied sound. Treble still had that weird etch to it, but overall it was actually quite enjoyable. Enough so that it comes to mind first. I'm going to have to get an EC amp for my HD650. It still doesn't make me want to keep my HD800...650 is much better for my ears. But this was nice, no doubt about it. I thought MisterRogers was full of shit when he told me to try it out after I mentioned the lean thing, but he was not.

ATH-R70x - This one was a mostly positive yet slightly mixed bag for me. I thought it had a tastefully warm and full-bodied tone. Kind of like an HD650 but with a broader sense of warmth (i.e. not so focused around that 100Hz area, but spread out). Rest of mids and treble were nicely balanced for that pleasant sort of somewhat dark tuning. Really nothing offensive and quite enjoyable with just a slight hint of upper mid or treble oddness. Problem is the headphone didn't sound particularly hi-fi like the HD650. Checked every box but that. Also, ear pads were kind of hard and small. So, while overall it was pleasing to listen to, I can't think of any reason why I'd not just get the HD650 instead. I liked this better than the K7XX at least.

Alpha Prime - My first thoughts were that it sounded...weird. Tone and overall response, detail, soundstage, all that seemed OK. But you know that sound you get when you don't plug your headphones in all the way? Kind sounded like that. Very weird. Just something very, very unsettling about it. Placement was too left/right and yet not at the same time. I know, makes no sense. This headphone just made no sense to my ears. HOWEVER, someone later informed me the pads were on backwards, so I honestly can't say for sure if I listened to them backwards, completely, or with the pads flipped around. I'd like to say I'm not that dumb, but, eh...maybe I missed it when putting it on my head. Still, something was just screwed up on these.

HD700 - Honestly was not as bad or bright as I expected. Inherently warmer and bassier than HD800, it would seem. Treble emphasis, not quality, seems about on par with the HD800, just with more etch to it. But overall hi-fi sound, well, just is not there. Again, this is one of those, "Why would I buy this?" products. I have to say, though, there were more disappointing headphones at the meet.

EL8 Closed - This is one of those headphones that was more disappointing than the HD700. Multiple people giggled and nodded when they asked, "What did you think of the EL8?" and I had to say, "Horrible. Garbage." Bass presence was the only thing not bad about this headphone. Even then, the bass lacked picked and texture. Mids just seemed thin and dry. Treble was exaggerated and rough sounding. A real piece of crap. But there is hope that not everyone follows the "Everything is awesome and worth owning" train.

ATH-MSR7 - I was interested in these after reading Tyll's rev iew about their precision and detail. They just sounded weirdly U-shaped to me, with the standout trait being rough, harsh, and exaggerated treble. Bright. Hard to really get a feel for them because of the brightness. Not a fan. The guy who had them said he likes bright, so it was perfectly understandable to me why he'd like these.

SRH1540 - These were about exactly what I expected based on Tyll's measurements. Bassy, dark tilt. Sort of like the Fidelio X2, but with much smoother treble. Honestly, for the sort of "fun" sound that isn't particularly treble happy, these were quite enjoyable. The problem is that they weren't very hi-fi sounding. Sorta like the R70x in this regard (not tone), but probably even less clear sounding. My guess is distortion levels and CSDs aren't superb. Then when you consider the price point, it's a pass. Maybe with mods...but I ain't risking that purchase.

LCD-3 - Honestly, not crazy about these. Not as dark sounding as I expected. Rather neutral if anything, just the treble was rough sounding. Sounded like it had jagged treble. Not exaggerated, just jagged. Sort of middle of the road in terms of speed and tightness overall. Small soundstage with a large, sorta in-your-face sound...i.e. almost too enveloping and overwhelming at times. Really, not as bad overall as I'm making them out to be...just...why? Why buy this at this price when you have so many better options?

HE Jade - I only listened to these briefly on a song I had never heard before (closely recorded female vocals with a little bit of backing guitar, IIRC), but they seemed pretty nice. Decently articulate, clean, black background, balanced and slightly lush response. Again, not my gear, not a recording I was familiar with, but cool nonetheless.

That guy into pipe organs - If you're reading this, gotta say that your interest in pipe organ (as I understand it, listening and composing)...well, very interesting! Sorry I wasn't able to really relate to it or appreciate your pipe organ recordings (they were certainly interesting, but I have no reference point to give any thoughts on them), but I'm happy you had fun listening to my headphones! I appreciate your kind and friendly nature as well. Keep up the cool and unique hobbies!

Overall, I had fun! This was my first meet. It was particularly nice to put a face to some of the other Pyrates that went. I'm hoping we can organize a smaller meet in the near future with just a couple or few Pyrates to really dig into stuff like box DACs and box amps.