This is probably a little late, but if anyone is in the Champaign area, Head-Fi members are having a meet there.

I'm going to be there along with my headphone setup. It would be cool to have some axiom folks there!

Full details here: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f24/illinois-meet-champaign-3-14-09-a-405886/

That would be fun to attend, but my wife & I already have plans for tomorrow. Oh well...

Now, if it were an Axiom owners GTG, the plans would be canceled.

dan, I didn't know you were in Champaign. Cool.

I would do an Axiom meet in a heartbeat. My headphone interest has weakened as of late. I know someone has some nice headphone stuff for sale

I'm actually in the middle of Indiana...but I live in Chicago.

That looks like it would be a lot of fun. I can't wait to read your post about the experience.

Dang, just saw this thread, the wife is a little under the weather since yesterday and I have to watch the kids. Otherwise, I might make the 4-5 hr drive from Des Moines.

I think it would be fun to have an Axiom party, sonicfox fox would have to attend.

If we had an Axiom party, a beer tasting would also be in order.

Pictures and stuff: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f45/champaign-il-3-14-09-meet-impression-414548/

I need a conference room. Very cool. Thanks for the link.

Which one is you Dan?

I'm the dude in the black shirt with orange design on the back in the fashionable wood Alessandro MS-Pro's. You can almost make out the stains on my jeans in the picture.





There is my hand. Did a little side-by-side comparison with the RSA raptor and my woo.


It was a great time :-). The Zana Deux headphone amp was nothing short of amazing with HD 600's. The large tubes it uses were the same type used in MIG fighters! Awesome.

Listening to the Sony R10's ($4000 cans) was incredible. Super refined and smooth, really an amazing sound. Wish I could have listened to them more.

pretty cool stuff man, thanks for the pics...

Ha!

Glad you had a great time. There are more cans in that room than at a Las Vegas revue.

Looks like fun. Lots of headphone porn going on in that room. If there ever is a Central Illinois Axiom meet, you can absolutely count me in.

Are there enough of us around the midwest to actually make it worthwhile?

And if it's near Springfield, IL, I know many places that serve a good beer. And horseshoes.

That photo doesn't make it look too appetizing!

Ditto! Mark, your services are required. Maybe you could strike a deal with them where they throw a party for you and all your Axiom friends in exchange for more beautiful, enticing photographs of their wares...

No it doesn't...

Like leprechauns, horseshoes are hard to photograph.

Asking the great google, and trying to find a decent photo, I find...

A hamburger Horseshoe (the most popular). There's a second beef patty on the left side that you can't see.


A ham Horseshoe (the original).


And many places will make a Breaded Tenderloin horseshoe, which consists of the breaded pork tenderloin that this guy is eating , but on a plate with cheese & fries. Serious appetites only.

The secret is all in the cheese sauce. Crappy places basically just use Cheez-wiz, which is an insult to the Horseshoe.

Good places (the places I would take my Axiom buddies) use something more akin to welsh rarebit.

Here's a happy Horseshoe customer, doing it the proper way with a good beer in one hand and a Horseshoe in the other.

Exactly why I photograph models!

Not to derail this derailed train, but I'm curious which headphone amp and which cans were the "winner"?

Headphones? Headphones? Who the hell is talking about headph..... oh.....wait.... OK...OK...

Back on topic...

Did you have a chance to compare any of the high-end tube amps to a Little Dot? I've got a Little Dot MKII that I use with my HD-650's. I'm extremely happy with the setup, but just curious how the LDMKII compares to some of the more pricey tube amps.

The Zana Duex and HD 600's were a pretty amazing combo. Just...awesome. So smooth and rich.

The Sony MDR-R10's $4000 (The ones in the red velvet box with the odd shaped wood cups) with the RSA B-52 Tube amp...$5200 was like a fine wine tasting...also an extremely expensive combo.

The more outlandish grado 'phones were amazing too. Didn't have time to fully listen to them on music I knew, but the PS-1's and the HP-1's were there. Very clear, open, and transparent phones.

It's hard to do comparisons at meets because 1) There is an overwhelming amount of gear/headphone combinations, 2) There are a bunch of people talking while you listen and you end up talking to a bunch of people, 3) You don't have the time to really sit and listen because there is just so much you want to try! 4) Sometimes the equipment doesn't allow you to listen to music you're familiar with for whatever reason.

I did learn that I should bring a case full of burned CD's with music I know well, that way I can make good comparisons. Otherwise, it gets to the point where everything just sounds "good" and its hard to make conclusions on unfamiliar music.




I haven't heard the Little Dot yet. You really have to hear for yourself. Some people have discerning ears, some don't. It's all "ignorance is bliss" until you've heard the next thing better. If you're happy with the combo (from what I've heard the little dots are great for the 650's) then more power to you.

The more you go up, the more refinement and wow factor you get. It just depends what flavor you like and how much you want to spend :-)

It looked like a good time to be had.

Wow... I don't know which is more impressive, all the headphone gear or that first picture of a Horseshoe Sandwich

Sorry, wrong thread. I thought we were talking about headphones. I don't know what a MDR-R10 or B-52 is, but for $9,000 it better fit me and all my friends inside to enjoy the sound. $9,000 for a headphone setup? Do you people live in a van down by the river? Why can't you plug some speakers in? I'm dumbfounded at the waste of money, I must go now.
[leaves in a cloud of smoke is his $500,000 Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce]

Somebody smeared key lime pie all over your pretty car.

Yes, it was the free-be car. My normal car had a problem with the steering wheel heater - little too hot for New Orleans.

Lol, Charles, take a look at your avatar...looks like he's pissed about the car, maybe dropped one of his butts and started the fire?

Agreed. $9,000 would get you:

• 2xM80's
• 4xQS4's
• 2xVP150's
• 2xEP800's and 1 EP500

Yea...

Would way rather have that than a $9000 headphone setup :-)

It's all relative. $9,000 is pocket change to some people.

But I do agree, $9k is a whole lot of money for a headphone setup. But then again, I have a few friends and more than one relative that thinks spending $1,500 on a pair of speakers is insane. Why do that when you can buy a whole "Home Theater System" at WalMart for $199?

And when they've asked what my whole HT system cost, and prod enough that I give them a ballpark figure, the response was 'you could get a car for that!'

I know, I know....

It's all relative.

Then just say you ride your bike to work. ;-)

I figured that was you when that dude didn't show up in your pictures of the event. Plus, I could sense the magic... which may or may not be the stains you're talking about.