High-end headphone mania hits New York

My pal Wes Bender checks out a pair of classic AKG headphones.

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

On Sunday, I went to a meet organized by Head-Fi, a national headphone club.

The vibe at the Bayside, New York, event was relaxed as I sampled the mind-expanding sounds of Grado, Sennheiser, AKG, and Stax headphones, driven by awesome headphone amplifiers, some of which were commercial products. Some were one-offs, built by their proud owners.

A few of the amps were portables, and the standout was the superslim MiniBox D ($79) from Head-Direct. This little thing pumps up the power of iPods with amazing gusto, and while listening to Head-Direct's Yuin PK2 earbuds ($79), the sound was remarkably un-headphone-like (more like listening to speakers). Bass was deep, rich, and weighty.

The catch: these headphones, plugged directly into an iPod, won't play at all loud; you really need to use the Yuin earbuds with the MiniBox D to get the full effect.

The MiniBox D headphone amplifier

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

I next listened to a set of Sennheiser HD880 headphones over a Shanling PH3000 amp ($400). This combo's dynamic range, impact, and resolution of fine detail blew my mind. Truly amazing.

I was totally wowed by Woo Audio's vacuum tube headphone amplifiers. First of all, they look amazing, the quality of the machined metal chassis is extraordinary (it's made for Woo in China, but the internal construction is handled here in New York).

Instead of the usual printed circuit boards, Woo hand-wires each unit; it's a labor-intensive process, but it yields the best sound quality. And since the amps are hand-built, they can be custom-ordered with all sorts of parts upgrades. I spoke with Jack Woo, and he explained that his company does that sort of thing all the time. It can build one-off designs, and yet the prices are solidly in the affordable range.

The Woo all-tube amp delivers bona fide high-end sound for a real-world price!

(Credit: Woo Audio)

I played my own CDs over Woo's $570 WA6 all-tube headphone amp while listening to a Grado headphone not so different from my Grado RS-1 'phones.

It was almost magical the way the Woo WA6 made every recording sound better than I thought it was. There was a satisfying "wholeness" to the sound, voices were so much more natural, flesh and blood human, and the bass definition was truly exceptional. Treble detail was sweet, delicate, and clear as can be.

The fact that Woo can offer artisan craftsmanship at prices competitive with the plastic, disposable tech sold at chain stores and Web sites is icing on the cake. For about a grand, you could pick up one of Woo's amps and AKG's stellar K 701 headphones.

Head-Fi has meets in cities all over the country. Check its Web site to see when it'll have one near you. I had a blast.

[bcstringham]

FYI: The correct term is "one-of" as in "one-of-a-kind," not "one-off."

[headfi]

Actually, I'm quite sure that "one-off" is a correct term.

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-one4.htm

[Bob_McBob]

Incorrect: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-one4.htm

[1_off]

"FYI: The correct term is 'one-of' as in 'one-of-a-kind,' not 'one-off.'"

Clearly wrong. You should be embarrassed.

[headfi]

Steve, I'm glad you had a great time, and thanks for the coverage on your blog. I wish I could have made that Meet to meet you, but was not able to.

I did want to mention to your readers that the upcoming 2008 Head-Fi International Meet (called "Can Jam '08) will be held on May 3-4, 2008 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (at the Embassy Suites). There will be many exhibitors there, showing off their latest and greatest in headphone hi-fi (and personal audio) goods, as well as a good number of DIY'ers showing their custom-made "one-offs." ;-)

Also, there's a limited-seating dinner/concert event, so those interested in attending the dinner/concert better reserve their tickets asap.

For more information on Can Jam '08, your readers can click on the following link:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f93/

Again, Steve, thanks for participating in the Head-Fi Bayside Meet, which was the home of the first International Head-Fi Meet in 2006. I hope you can join us in Florida in May!

Best Regards,
Jude Mansilla
Head-Fi.org

[bigstax91]

Your comment about the Yuin pk2's is false. Don't get me wrong, I'm not challenging the fact that they sound great, I have a pair myself. However, they are VERY easily driven by an ipod. I think that you meant to say the pk1's are hard too drive, which would be a true statement.

[AudioSmack]

[AudioSmack]

It may be in the best interest of your users to consult other forums than Headfi.org. It has been my experience that Head-fi is more interested in increasing the sales of it's sponsors than allowing all opinions of audio equipment to be voiced. Many posts about alternative equipment(other manufacturers) and negative opinions of experiences of main sponsors have been deleted over the years. In my opinion, really getting a true understanding of high end audio equipment and what products will meet your needs; Head-fi is no longer the main source to consider.

Hmm - that's a very odd comment and certainly not in line with my experience.

If folks are interested in headphone related audio, head-fi is the place to go. It's not only the largest headphone-related audio site, but the largest audio site according to Alexa.

As for the community supporting it's sponsors, that semi-true. I wouldn't say that the community members are shills for the sponsors, they happen to like and appreciate what these sponsors provide. And if you look at the sponsors you'll see the best of the industry there (HeadRoom, etc.) so that's not surprising. But the community also loves finding new products, regularly reporting on little manufacturers from china that show up on ebay, as well as a formidable DIY community. Indeed, a number of the sponsors have grown out of the DIY community.

It's no accident that the author attended a head-fi meet - what other community has dozens of local headphone meets throughout the world each year as well as a massive national one?

[klor5]

Actually it's one-off.As in one-off the block.Damn Philistines are everywhere these days!