Introduction

CanJam NYC is arguably the world’s largest headphone show. It’s where a community comes together to celebrate a hobby centered around one of the primary senses. Friends are found. Wallets are bled. New products are shown off with pride. Yet, I almost didn’t make it this year. But a few things came together at the last minute and I found myself on a 12 hour bus ride into New York. Sleep deprived, I stumbled past the exhibition gates the morning of, ready to indulge in music for the next 48 hours.

This show report is a compilation of my thoughts on a random assortment of products that I walked around and tried. Set to a rough outline with a few anecdotes sprinkled along the way, treat this article as a form of edutainment. I’m not going to even pretend that my ears are fully functional with this much listening on a show floor. Nor did I really consider price or value or most of the things that go into a typical review. This is an experiential account of wandering, listening, and noting. But hopefully you’ll find a few nuggets hidden in here that resonate with your own audio journey.

Headphones

Meze Poet

I have a confession: I’ve barely listened to any of the Meze headphones. Like, I’ve heard them in passing but ask me to tell you anything about any one, and I’m at a loss for words. But hey, that doesn’t mean it needs to stay that way. Hence I sought out the newly released Meze Poet. It helps that I’m a sucker for the copper aesthetics.

If you haven’t seen Resolve’s review of the Poet, my thoughts line up almost exactly with his. The Poet sounds great from the low end through to the upper mids. There’s a nice rich sound coupled with solid bass extension. It really is just pleasant to listen to. That is, until the upper treble. I have a strong treble tolerance, but the Poet is hard to stomach when instruments (hats and cymbals) fall into the crosshairs of its extreme treble peak. It’s almost like a jumpscare - everything can sound amazing until that stray note comes and the treble explodes in my ear.

That said, this might not be an issue for some people. I was manning the Headphones.com booth and asked a few people trying the Poet if the treble was too hot. For a surprising number of them, it wasn’t a bother at all. Lucky. Well, maybe not for their wallets since the Poet costs a cool $2,000.

Abyss JOAL

Abyss is a brand that for me, just kind of exists. I never sought out their products seriously, but would listen to them every now and then if I ever get the chance. The JOAL is the first of their headphones that I liked. The fit was about 90% good for me - just a minor gap at the bottom of my ears. The bass response was less about pure grunt and physicality, and more about nuance and definition. In the midrange, vocals sound somewhat depressed and reserved. Not in a good or bad way, but in a way that imparts a different color to the presentation. Treble is peaky for me occasionally. It can be overly crisp at times and uncontrolled with the hats and cymbals. These notes spray out and the timbre gets broken up. But overall, the JOAL is the Abyss headphone that I would take.

RAAL Magna

First things first: the treble is very peaky and very sharp. If your music has hats and cymbals, it’s almost certainly going to be painful. But if you can look past the treble woes, the Magna is quite a unique headphone. The first thing I noticed was how macrodynamically available it is. Notes hit very hard with a strong sense of definition. In a way, this sense of definition (not the dynamics) reminds me of really good balanced armature IEMs, but taken to extreme levels. There’s not a hint of the roundedness that I find with dynamic drivers. The bass is effortless in how it’s able to extend into the last octaves. It does so with excellent clarity, nuance, and control. The midrange is where it gets interesting. It seems to have a lusher tone to it, but more importantly, the overall presentation has a surprisingly “dark” undertone. As in, emotionally, music seems to be shifted a little more into the minor keys. I’m not sure what to make of this and it’s this characteristic that made me listen to the Magna on consecutive days.

RAAL Immanis

I heard the Immanis off a $120,000 source set-up. Yes, you read that right. The room it was in was showing off their Viva amp system and the Immanis was one of the headphones used to showcase it. But I don’t think I have golden enough ears to talk about that. So instead, I’ll tell you that the Immanis is a more neutral sounding Magna, except the treble peaks are even harsher. Once again however, if you can avoid any form of brass instruments, the Immanis delivers a really unique experience with its ribbon drivers. The hard defined edges of the notes and dynamic weight take a step up in the Immanis compared to the Magna. Or maybe it’s the $120k source set-up, who knows.

FiiO FT7

FiiO is a mystery to me. For years, they released unremarkable products yet suddenly started making some very competitive source gear in the past couple of years. And now, they’ve finally ventured into headphones. The FiiO FT1 and FT1 Pro were all the rage not too long ago, and here at CanJam FiiO has unveiled their newest headphone at CanJam: the FT7.

In contrast to the questionable build of the FT1 Pro, the FT7 has a much better design. It has a carbon fibre headband with a satisfying ratcheting mechanism to adjust the suspension strap. It’s quite comfortable due to its lightweight nature and uses a fairly open planar driver. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to quite get a good handle on its sound. I know I liked it, but like the FT1 Pro, there wasn’t anything I could point to that I loved about it.

So here’s a funny story. The FiiO team was taking notes on what I was saying, and I asked them how much the FT7 would cost. I got a noncommittal $700-800. I told them, in broken Mandarin, that that’s too expensive and they should price it at $500-600. They have one successful headphone, the FT1 Pro, at $200. Don’t jump to $800 because that’s a much, much more competitive market and it feels arrogant that they’re trying to take advantage of their one success. I’m not sure how well my pleas translated for them, but I want you all to know I did my part to try and make these headphones more affordable.

Fosi Audio's Planar Headphone

Case in point, Fosi Audio had an unnamed $500 planar headphone at CanJam that looked like a cheaper HiFiMan Susvara in black. Surprisingly, it didn’t sound bad at all, especially for a first attempt from a company that has only ever produced DACs and amps. The midrange had a bit of a scoop and the treble might have had a few peaks here and there, but there was nothing particularly off-putting with its sound. I didn’t manage to get a more critical listen, but this is a headphone I’d be curious to see if the Headphones.com team can get in for measurements and review.

Mass Kobo (Susvara and Utopia)

Mass Kobo is a Japanese brand that focuses on building high-end source gear. In many ways, it’s your typical Japanese boutique where the owner is an old veteran of the industry handcrafting products according to his personal vision in limited quantities. While there’s a lot to be said about the exotic nature of these products, it’s impossible to deny their appeal to source gear connoisseurs. Of which, I am not.

Yet I couldn’t pass up the chance to hear the Mass Kobo. The first combo I heard was the original Utopia off the Mass Kobo 433. Poor auditory memory aside, this is the best version of the Utopia that I’ve heard. It removed the “metallic” character of the treble that many people complain about, though it is still rather sibilant. Bass retains the Focal punch and physicality, but it feels much better integrated into the mids rather than being a distinct region to notice. This is that so-called “organic” feeling that many people love to talk about when it comes to amps. It makes the Utopia sound very coherent overall. Surprisingly, it does add a forwardness in the upper mids and vocals. It makes them stand out perhaps a little too much around the 1 - 2 kHz region. I think I poisoned a few people’s wallets after I told them to go try this pairing.

The second combo I heard was the Mass Kobo 465 and Susvara. The 465, for those unfamiliar, this is their flagship amp and costs about $15,000. The 433 was only a measly $2,500. Here, the Susvara is still a bit bright and sibilant. There is maybe a little more warmth in the lower mids, and the 1 - 2 kHz midrange dip isn’t quite as noticeable. Bass hits harder than expected, but it’s still nowhere near the Utopia. I regret not putting the Utopia on the 465.

Pud Headphones

If you’ve ever browsed the /r/headphones subreddit, you might’ve come across local celebrity Pud. He makes some of the craziest, wackiest headphones out there. Wholly impractical, but totally awesome. Case in point, I got to try out the Ol’ Thumpy - a headphone with a 60 Hz Helmholtz bass resonator. And if that wasn’t enough, I got to wear a bass medallion to literally feel the bass impact.

As far as sound goes, it’s honestly not as bad as you might expect. The music isn’t totally enveloped with the bass, and you can still make out a surprising amount of detail in the mids and highs. Yes, the bass is kinda muddy, but dammit, it’s a lot of fun. What I liked most about the Ol’ Thumpy (other than being punched in the chest) is the very real sense of resonance as music travels through the resonator chambers and then back into my ears. It gives a whole new meaning to soundstage.

In-Ear Monitors (IEMs)

CrinEars Project Meta, Daybreak, and Reference

Community-turned-industry member Crinacle always has something to look forward to at his booth. This CanJam was extra special - it marks the release of his personal CrinEars brand. No longer are his IEMs chained to a collaboration with another company. On display were the Project Meta, Daybreak, and Reference.

Before I even talk about the sound, I have to give some serious credit to Crinacle for the build of these IEMs. While they don’t have any crazy designs, they are exceptionally well built being made fully out of metal and more importantly, the shells are small and fit comfortably in my ear. Far too many IEMs (including Crinacle’s previous ones) forgo ergonomics in favour of shoving more drivers into a shell. The included stock cable is soft and supple and just feels good. This goes for the Meta and Daybreak, and I presume the Reference will get the same treatment (I believe it was a prototype at the booth).

With my short time with these three IEMs, I’d rank them Meta > Daybreak = Reference. The Meta was right up my alley. A great midrange, physical and textured bass, and crisp treble. Crinacle knows what he’s doing and it shows. The Daybreak I felt was a more colored version of the Meta that was a step-down all around in what I enjoyed about the Meta. I didn’t get a good sense of the Reference. It was generally good, but nothing outstanding.

I don’t know the prices, but I’m going to guess the Meta will be a $200 IEM. I’d say it “sounds like one”, but I don’t say that to be derogatory. Rather, it’s more that knowing Crinacle’s preferences and the history of his products, I would guess that this is where he’d place the Meta as to be arguably the best $200 IEM you can buy when it comes out. I can’t imagine the Daybreak or Reference being too far off pricewise, with the Daybreak probably being a little cheaper and the Reference being a little pricier. Here’s hoping I can get all three in hand for a review someday.

Elysian Acoustic Labs Apostle. Credit to Elysian Acoustic Labs website.

Elysian Acoustic Labs Apostle

Elysian is a brand that seemingly always has a new product around the corner. To be honest, the whole cloak and dagger business around their releases has become tiring for me. But still, I wouldn’t pass up a chance to hear it if presented to me. I really like the midrange tuning of the Apostle. It’s less in-your-face than their highly acclaimed Annihilator 2023. The bass I felt was better. It was meatier and had greater depth than the Anni which was more front-loaded. However, it’s perhaps not quite as “technical” and the treble extension doesn’t soar quite as high. Regardless, it’s a nice listen that takes a more laid-back approach to the Elysian house sound. However, after listening to the Apostle longer, I did find myself longing for the aggressiveness and edge that the Anni brings to the table. Ideally Elysian could combine these two IEMs for the best of both worlds (hint hint, nudge nudge).

Hercules Audio Moses. Credit to my friend Akela.

Hercules Audio Moses

Hercules Audio is a brand from Hong Kong that I had never heard of before. I actually ignored their tiny booth until someone told me I had to try their stuff, proclaiming it’s the best of the show. So curiosity bit me and I gave it a shot.

The Moses is their flagship IEM and it is a beauty. The first thing I noticed about it is how utterly coherent it sounds. That’s a word I tend not to use, but it’s what my gut told me. Every note and every passage feels right at home. The second thing I noticed was the sheer quantity of bass the Moses has. It brings a big, big bass body and meatiness to the sound. There’s an awesome sense of physicality here in the subbass, and the midbass is no slouch with the grunt and oomph that the Moses delivers.

In contrast, the midrange and treble of the Moses is shockingly reserved. It’s a bit of a warmer IEM, but more laid back than truly warm. The treble is great. There's less energy in the lower treble so the crispness of the transients are softened, and is followed-up with a nice sense of shimmer in the mid-treble. Upper treble extension abounds so you do get that airiness and sparkle, but these notes never linger a moment too long.

The refined take on the Moses’ tuning does make the bass stand out in comparison. In a way, it feels almost like two different IEMs merged together. One that wants to be a basshead monster, and the other that wants to serve a measured and tasteful musical experience. This is the one place that broke the illusion of coherency for the Moses. It’s not a dealbreaker by any means, just an observation to mull over. Personally, I might’ve liked if they dialed back the midbass quantity just a tad to make the transition more seamless, while still maintaining all that physicality in the lower octaves.

Overall, I am pleasantly surprised. Many of the high-end Chinese IEMs have strange tunings to try and grab your attention at showfloors and rely on absurd prices to drive momentary interest (which we will see below). The Moses has a very mature design and isn’t desperate for attention. I expect whoever buys one will be pleased for a very long time. I usually don’t consider costs for super high-end products like this because they’re typically insane and I have no plans to buy anything, but the Moses was one that made me reconsider. For the $4,200 that it costs, I think it’s “reasonable” as far as top-of-the-line endgame options goes. As one of my friends put it: “The Moses is the Anni 2023, but better in every way”. While I’m not convinced it’s the best IEM at the show given the existence of the STORM and other great IEMs, I will say it’s the one I’ve thought about the most since leaving New York.

Subtonic STORM

Regarded by many as the greatest IEM in the world, the Subtonic STORM is a must-hear IEM. I wrote my magnum opus of a review for the STORM last year, and this time I went back to confirm if my thoughts still held true. It does. The STORM is still one of the most dynamically dominant IEMs in the market, with a rare truly neutral midrange tuning. The bass elevation is dialed in just right, and the treble, while it can run a little hot, brings forth the upper harmonic definition that brings sheer resolution. There isn’t anything more that I can say that hasn’t been covered in my previous review, so if you’re itching for endgame, read that if you have a healthy bank account.

Symphonium Audio Giant

The Symphonium Giant is the latest release from Singapore’s hottest IEM brand. But it’s quite a departure from their usual tuning. The Giant is a rather warm IEM and surprisingly, it’s a hybrid unlike the all-BA nature of their other products. Personally, I thought it might have been an all-BA IEM at first as while the bass had a full body, it still had that characteristic defined and edged transients. The biggest distinction is that the bass notes felt a tad rounder and the notes lingered just a little longer. From that lens, a hybrid makes sense. The treble is quite a bit tamer than the rest of their other products, though it still exhibits a crystalline sort of spray in the timbre.

Speaking with the Symphonium team, it seems that the Giant was purposefully made as an experiment to be different from the rest of their other products. They wanted to see how warm they could make the Giant before they themselves started to dislike it. Given that I tend to agree with their tunings, I can see why this was the stopping point. I’m not sure what the Giant will come in at, but I’m guessing it’ll be around the $700 mark.

Dita Mecha and Project M

Dita is yet another IEM brand from Singapore and shared a booth with the Symphonium team. If you’re into the scene, you’ll know that they have quite a good reputation within the community for having a number of tastefully tuned products. I figured it’s high time I gave them a try.

The Mecha is a single dynamic driver IEM built inside a full titanium shell. It’s pretty good. The bass is beefy, but more punchy rather than having a lingering presence. It is rather mid forward and a bit bright. This sort of tuning is up my alley, but there wasn’t anything about the Mecha that stood out, good or bad.

The Project M on the other hand was more interesting. The first thing I noticed was its shell. It has an extremely clear resin shell that practically looks like a glass sculpture. Inside is a very shiny metal driver featuring the Dita logo along with a single BA if you look closely. It’s gorgeous. Soundwise, the treble is the star of the show. It’s extremely well extended. It’s very sparkly, very airy, but not harsh or peaky. It is a little exaggerated however, where treble notes linger too long or have too many trailing tones. But if you like that sort of thing where you hear every little detail in your hats and cymbals, the Project M delivers. The bass isn’t quite as prominent as the Mecha, with a light punchy low-end. The midrange is forward just like the Mecha.

Looking up the prices for these after the fact, the Mecha comes in at about $900 while the Project M is at $325. Neither of these are great value IEMs given that these are boutique IEMs, but it’s less outrageous than expected. I’m not surprised to see the Mecha at $900. I am surprised to see the Project M at $325. It’s a compelling offer.

IEMs Rapid Fire

Canpur CP622b

The CP622b is what put the Canpur brand on the map. Hailed for its massive excellent response and silky smooth midrange, quite a few high-end enthusiasts have called it endgame worthy for the tonal perfection it brings. Unfortunately, I wasn’t quite as smitten. Don’t get me wrong, the 622b is an undeniably excellent IEM. It has a relaxed midrange presentation with a tasteful touch of warmth. There’s very little to complain about, save for it being maybe “boring”, but that’s a good thing. Treble is a light simmer - it’s present and compliments the music, but never steals the spotlight. There is no peakiness or harshness whatsoever and extends well into the upper treble. The bass is surprisingly big and visceral. Like many IEMs with great bass, it delivers grunt, body, and physicality. However, it does fall a little short on the textural qualities in the subbass, and is instead more midbass focused.

And here is where my strange nitpick with the CP622b comes in. Like with the Hercules Audio Moses, I felt that this big bassy response felt a little out of place in the overall midrange focused tuning. The strengths of the CP622b’s bass response are a double-edged sword here - by being so visceral, the midbass stands out and announces its presence and forces me to notice the lower mids/midbass transition. And because the CP622b is aiming for a neutral sort of tuning, this bass presence stands out all the more. I think with more time beyond this first impression I would’ve gotten used to it. But in the moment, that was my biggest takeaway. That being said, I can totally see why folks would love the CP622b for these reasons.

Canpur CP74e

Overall, the CP74e is a good IEM well balanced. However, the bass stood out to me as being rather “slappy”. By that I mean, the timbre sounded odd where the notes are overly defined so you hear a hard leading edge to the note that’s flattened instead of being a sharp transient. The rest of the bass note gets overshadowed by this hard edge. It’s impossible to describe without actually hearing, but it just doesn’t sound like a realistic boom or punch where there’s an element of roundedness to the envelope of the bass note. Like the CP622b, Canpur is pushing their IEMs to the edge and sometimes, it tips just a little over.

Canpur CP54e

Going by the model names, the CP54e is expected to be in the middle of the pack. Yet this was my favorite Canpur IEM, and one of the better ones I heard at CanJam. I liked the balance overall, though it was more on the V-shaped side of things. The treble is a bit sharp in the transients of cymbal crashes with really physical and meaty bass like the other Canpur products. However, I didn’t get as much of a sense that it was intruding into the mids like I did with the CP622b. I think perhaps it’s because it doesn’t try to go for a neutral tuning that my mind doesn’t try to fit it into that mold.

Canpur CP32e

This felt like the CP54e in a number of ways, but much more colored. It’s comparatively bloated in the bass and comes off as thick. There’s a bit of midrange wonkiness at play here as well. I do think that some will like this IEM for the colored nature of it, but it wasn’t for me. Interestingly, looking at frequency response graphs after being at CanJam, my impressions are totally opposite - the CP32e has significantly less low-end energy than the CP54. Just goes to show how much impressions can be utterly misled, especially when listening to dozens of products within a couple of hours.

Quill Acoustics Satin

The Satin is another IEM that was heavily recommended to me to try, but I didn’t find anything about it that stood out in particular to me. There’s good bass and subbass extension and rumble. Treble is bright with mini peaks that spray out, but nothing painful. I did find that it can get a bit congested on really busy tracks. But otherwise, I liked the overall presentation of the sound. I just felt that if I was going for a product in this class, I want it to do something that stands out more.

Alpha&Omega Fulgrim

Wow. Subbass galore. The bass on the Fulgrim is one of the biggest I’ve heard, even bigger than the Moses. It gets down satisfyingly deep, though I still think the Moses might beat it out in terms of control and quality. The treble is bright with lots and lots of brilliance. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a good sense of the vocals with my attention being pulled by the bass and treble. But it didn’t strike me as particularly off in any way, so I’ll give it a pass for now. The Fulgrim might have been the most immediately impressive IEM I heard at CanJam, but unlike the Moses, that lustre didn’t last quite as long. This is an IEM I need to go back and try again.

AME Mousa

I’m split on the Mousa. There’s a ton of bass that consumes the low end. It’s so much bloat that it wraps around to not really being bloated, kinda like how when the blades of a fan spin so fast it looks like it’s going in slow motion. Somehow, there’s still definition in the bass lines despite that. Despite the sheer quantity, I didn’t find it very physical or meaty feeling, likely because there isn’t enough contrast. The treble is sharp sounding, with a heavy hand on the transient attack and little shimmer. There’s sibilance, but it’s not unbearable by any means.

For some instrumental music, the Mousa can work great. For example, in jazzy tracks where the double bass needs to be big and bold, and the cymbals tap away in the corner. There’s decent instrument separation and staging. Overall, I don’t hate the Mousa, but I went in thinking it would be a lot better than it ended up being. That said, I’m sure it has an audience as I had friends telling me about how they spent hours contemplating if they should buy it. It’s just not me.

Wrap-Up

Despite all the time I spent talking about sound and different products here, it wasn’t the gear that was the highlight of my trip. It was the meeting with community members and friends from all around the world that reinvigorated my love for this hobby. I’ve always thought that beyond the sound, the best part of this hobby is when you find your people. Someone who shares your tastes, your thoughts, your feelings. When your eyes light up and together you can get into the weeds of why music is so beautifully rendered, or try and puzzle through the not so good. Just as much as headphones and in-ears and sources give us that musical experience, being a part of a community hobby gives us that human experience. And at the end of the day, isn’t that what we’re all looking for?