CanJam SoCal 2024 Show Coverage

Hello True Believers, it’s time again for the annual headphone extravaganza known as CanJam SoCal 2024. The event is being hosted at the Irvine Marriott Hotel in Orange County, California on Saturday September 28th and Sunday September 29th. This year SECRETS is being capably represented in sunny SoCal by our very own Lory Hawley and our newest team member, Dr. Eric D. Hieger.

. Both Lory and Dr. Eric will be providing full coverage of the show which we will be updating on this page as we get it in. Also keep an eye on the SECRETS Instagram and Facebook feeds for any updates we get during the show proper. So please check back often as we bring you all the new product news and impressions our team puts together. We hope you enjoy our coverage.

HIFIMAN

I just returned from CanJam SoCal 2024. I will be writing about the show in detail, but I want to highlight a couple of standouts right now.

Stopping at the HIFIMAN booth, I wanted to see the two new headphones. One was an update to the Ananda Bluetooth over-ear Planar Magnetic headphone. Dr. Fang Bian feels that wireless is where the personal audio world is evolving, and this latest offering shows that commitment. HIFIMAN has added the most recent developments including the Himalaya R2R DAC with improvements in energy consumption, total harmonic distortion, and signal-to-noise ratio, and the latest Stealth Magnet Technology.

They have a built-in mic and can be listened to as wired through USB C, or wirelessly. They offer support for up to 24bit/192kHz (through a usb cable) and 24bit/96kHz lossless audio streaming, and high-resolution protocols including LDAC, aptX, and aptX-HD.  I gave a listen and there is much to like about them. Even in a Bluetooth congested environment, they paired almost instantly with my iPhone. They’re light and comfortable, though I struggled to get them to fit properly; probably user error, as I was rushed since there was a crush of folks waiting to have a listen.

Specifications:
Frequency Response: 8Hz-55kHz
Sensitivity: 103dB
Impedance: 25Ω
Weight: 469 g
Price: $799

A big surprise to me was the HE1000 Unveiled, which is sharing the revolutionary technology of the flagship Susvara Unveiled. Unveiled means the protective outer grill has been removed to ensure that there are no reflections that might distort the sound.  They sport removable protective “veils” that are used when not listening to the headphones.

Like the HE1000 original series, these have a sound profile similar to the Susvara. They are extremely comfortable and effortless to adjust. Again, I only had a few minutes in a noisy, crowded space to give a listen but wow, I was impressed. They had the clarity and openness of the Susvara Unveiled, plus an easy-going warmth.  I pictured these as a pair of headphones I would put on while working, not just for careful, focused listening. I think they are very special and for those who don’t have the budget for the Susvara Unveiled, but want to own that “unveiled” sound, these fit the bill.

Specifications:
Frequency Response: 8Hz – 65kHz
Sensitivity: 95dB
Impedance: 28Ω
Weight: 450 g, excluding magnetic veils and cable
Price: $2700

There is an initial small production available for pre-order

AUDMA

AUDMA Maestro HPA1 headphone amplifier/DAC

Next to the HIFIMAN booth was a small table with one product, the Maestro HPA1 headphone amplifier/DAC made by the Italian company, AUDMA. I could easily have missed it if it weren’t for the three radiantly enthusiastic Italians who greeted me. There was one attendee who had just finished listening to the Maestro HP1. The fellow couldn’t stop praising what he had just heard. He motioned to the empty seat and insisted I sit down and take a listen.

The Maestro is a class AB solid-state amplifier with an AKM AK4490REQ DAC. Beautiful as only the Italians can design a headphone amp, it is made entirely in Italy and features its patented ELISA (Electronic Loudspeaker Imaging Simulating Amplifier) circuitry designed to restore the larger, speaker-based sound of the original studio recordings. I had my choice of several brands of flagship headphones to use to listen to the Maestro. I chose the Susvara, because I know how power hungry it is, and how it would reveal any lack in the amplifier’s output. The music source was provided by AUDMA. I was curious about what issue the amplifier was addressing; was this a solution looking for a problem? Without going into too many details here, the improvement in the audio was noticeable.

Briefly, the designer, Cesare Mattoli, who loves headphones, had noticed what he considers a “flatness” in the sound field. He felt the punch and spatial reflections of speakers was lost with headphones and over the years it was his dream to design circuitry to address that. This is not DSP magic or cheesy digital adjustments, but a sophisticated set of user adjusted controls that can be turned off or on as needed. Even turned off, the Maestro performed admirably. The Susvara seemed to love the power it was being fed, and since I’ve spent time with the Susvara Unveiled and the flagship EF1000 DAC, I was impressed. The soundstage not only widened and filled out, but there was a spatial sense that really did add a bigger sound…Again, I only had a few minutes to listen, but I will say that I had goosebumps when I first heard the effect turned on.

Price: $9600

Audeze

Audeze CRBN2 electrostatic headphone

When attending CanJam, it is always a treat when an invitation is offered to hear/experience a highly anticipated new piece of gear in a quiet private suite. For me, this year, that gear was the Audeze CRBN2 electrostatic headphone. Fellow Secrets reviewer Eric Hieger and I joined Audeze engineer Peter James who gave a brief presentation about some of the unique design features of the CRBN2.

Most important was the use of Audeze’s new 2nd generation carbon nanotube electrostatic driver with what Audeze calls their patent-pending “SLAM” technology. Eric and I were stunned by how much bass there was, something e-stats tend to struggle with. We both tried to describe the sound we heard; not like any of the three driver types we were most familiar with, but a warm holographic presentation that was simply beautiful. This is a must see for anyone who can find one to listen to. Maybe the next CanJam in Dallas?

$5,995

HEDD Audio

HEDDphone TWO GT

Frederick Knop, co-founder of HEDD audio and his lead engineer were at the show with the new HEDDphone TWO GT, a new version of the HEDDphone TWO.

With an updated AMT driver, the sound has been tuned to be warmer while keeping the precision of the HEDDphone TWO. The headphone was easy to adjust and fit me much better than the previous generation.

S2,199

Noble Audio

Noble Fokus Apollo over-ear wireless ANC headphone

Noble, known for some of the best IEMs, has ventured into over-ear, wireless, ANC Bluetooth headphone territory. But true to form, they continue to innovate with the world’s first 1x40mm dynamic driver + 14.5mm planar magnetic hybrid driver speaker arrangement. The Bluetooth codecs include LDAC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD and SBC and have a battery life of 80 hours. I found the Fokus Apollo light and comfortable with a tuning designed for long listening sessions. I think this might be the perfect travel headphone.

$649

Technics

Technics EAH-AZ80 Hi-Fi True Wireless Earbuds

This is Technics’s flagship wireless ANC earbud, with “JustMyVoice” voice call technology for crystal clear phone calls. The earbuds paired with my iPhone almost instantly, and with the ANC turned on, my music came through beautifully despite the noise around me. Unfortunately for me, as usually happens, I couldn’t get a good seal, so I wasn’t able to appreciate what I was told is solid bass performance. My fault, not the earbuds!

$299.99

Women at CanJam!

I know manufacturers are changing their marketing to include women, but I am acutely aware of how few of us there are at audio events. I’m delighted to say I spotted more confident looking women who were there for their love of audio than I did last year. I didn’t have a chance to meet all of them, but here is a sampling.

Behind the tables were Shauna Garshon of Reel Sound and Metaxas & Sins, Sunny Wong of FIIO (chatting with an IEM fan) and Luana Castiglioni of Audma. I spoke with a woman who owns several of the Meze headphones, and two engineers (one a studio engineer) evaluating the Focal headphones, and a fan of the HIFIMAN Susvara Unveiled. Here I am with my fellow reviewer Eric Hieger, and Adam Sohmer and Tomasz Danus from the HIFIMAN team.

FiiO

If there is one thing to say about attending a CanJam event, it is that we will have the chance to see, touch, and listen to the best of the best in the personal audio world. I certainly was in awe most of the time, even gob-smacked by a few things. One of the highlights for me was the FIIO BT11 portable high-res Bluetooth transmitter.

It will give my iOS Apple devices the ability to transmit music to my wireless audio gear with the highest Bluetooth codecs, like LDAC and aptX. It is a compact USB-C dongle that can pair with two devices simultaneously via Bluetooth 5.4, and they claim it has an ultra-long transmission range. I hope to review this little cutie in the future and will report back on how well it does this.

FIIO is one of those companies whose innovating spirit continues to surprise me with such items as their CP13 portable cassette tape player (red/blue/transparent $99.99, black $109.99) and DM13 portable CD player (standard $139.99 and Bluetooth $149.99), both of which playfully give a bow to the Sony Walkman era. Cassette tape? CD player? Of course, these feature all the latest technology, including Bluetooth. Staying with that theme, they also were showing the TT13 automatic Bluetooth turntable. I think we are going back to the future here!

Meze Audio

Meze Audio is a high-end audio company from Baia Mare, Romania. They are known for their striking designs and exceptionally well-made headphones. This year included the rare personal appearance of Antonio Meze, the industrial engineer who founded the company in 2011.

I gave a listen to both the 109 Pro, which is one of the prettiest headphones around, and its more affordable siblings the new 105 AER. Like the 109 Pro, it is an open-back dynamic driver. It has a 50mm carbon fiber-reinforced paper dome, a spring steel headband with PU leather, ABS PC earcups, and zinc hardware. Aer is the Romanian word for air, and that is how they think of the 105 AER; as Antonio Meze expresses it “air is silent, unseen, essential; air finds expression through invisible vibrations that become audible poetry”.

I found the sound signature to be similar to the 109 Pro: airy and warm, but more relaxed with softer highs. Both are very comfortable, as are all the Meze headphones I’ve listened to.

Here is a little bit of trivia. The logo of Meze is a stylized Lyre bird, known for both its beautiful song and its ability to mimic almost any sound it hears.

Meze 105 AER $400.00

iFi

IFI is a British audio company which is a subsidiary of AMR, a high-end audio products manufacturer in England, known for their flagship amplifiers, DACs and USB filters among other products. Founded in 2012, iFi has become an award-winning player in the portable audio market. I spoke with Tom Gandulla, the National Sales Manager for the U.S. market. I asked him to summarize what the company does in one sentence. He said, “we don’t make headphones, we make headphones sound better.”
I’m currently reviewing the iFi Go Bar Kensei dongle DAC/amp which incorporates the K2HD filters developed by JVC Kenwood in Japan originally for Victor recording studios to restore the original studio sound to music. It was a treat to go to the source for questions and instruction on how to operate the rather complex options of filters for the best playback through my headphones. While there, I looked at the iCAN PHANTOM, the analogue headphone amp which is the evolution from the Pro iCAN and the Pro iESL, which is a separate component designed for electrostatic headphones. Combined into one unit, it is both a valve/tube and solid-state amplifier that is like three amplifiers in one: tube, solid state and electrostatic.
iFi has updated the very popular compact desktop DAC/amp, the Zen DAC 2, with the Zen DAC 3 which has twice the available resolution up to 768kHz, which they said future proofs it for all music formats. The Zen DAC 3 is equipped with a Burr-Brown DAC chipset which they modified, and should you need more power for power hungry headphones, it can be powered from the Zen Can amp. By way, these are xMEMS ready.
iCAN PHANTOM $3749.00
Zen DAC 3 $229.00
Zen Can $229.00

Sony

Sony returned to CanJam after 15 years with two new over-ear headphones. The MDR-M that Sony is calling their professional reference closed monitor headphone. Super lightweight at 216g, these 40mm dynamic driver, closed back headphones were easy to fit and wear. They have a frequency response range from 5Hz-80kHz and a sensitivity of 102dB and an impedance of 50Ω.
I gave a listen and noted a couple of things; they have good sound isolation. I found the sound somewhat clinical without much weight to the bass, but they do call these studio monitors, so a neutral sound is appropriate.

I then tried out the MDR-MV1, also a 40mm dynamic driver studio reference monitor that is open-back, weighing in at 233g. It shares the same frequency range, but the sensitivity is 100dB and the impedance is 24Ω. The sound was a bit warmer and fuller, and I thought that of the two, this was the star and an excellent headphone, especially at the price, which seems like a bargain.

MDR-M $249.00
MDR-MV1 $399.00

Sennheiser

Sennheiser brought their new HD 620 S closed-back dynamic driver headphone to the show. They wanted to create a closed-back headphone with a more open-back sound.

Like the open-back 600 series, these have very good detail retrieval, but a bit more punch in the bass. My notes mention that I found them a little bright, but perhaps that was the emphasis on the detail. I only had a short time to listen, so don’t quote me.

$299.00

Metaxas & Sins

One of the most show-stopping booths was for “Reel Sound Distribution.” The owners, Jeff and Shauna Garshon were exhibiting the wild kinetic audio sculptures of Metaxas & Sins, the Netherlands based company of Kostas Metaxas, a designer of luxury brand products. I don’t have words to describe how wild and beautiful these very large audio pieces are.

The centerpiece of the exhibit was the Tourbillon reel to reel tape deck, which was flanked by the humanoid-sculpture/electrostatic Ethereal headphone amp on either side.

Though I didn’t sit down to listen, I had fun people watching and how users would react to how they had to control the volume. In this case, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Starting at $32,000.00

Dekoni Audio Ensemble Cables

Dekoni, known for their replacement ear pads has launched a new line of headphone cables.

They are making a modular cable system composed of two parts: the lower split, which connects to your audio source, and the upper split, which attaches to your headphones. The twist-lock cable connectors allow the mixing and matching of various lengths, cable styles and types of connectors that reduce the need to have every kind of cable and connector type for various headphones and amplifiers. There are currently two lengths: 52” and 64”.

While I was there, YouTube star, DMS, wearing his DMS Project Omega 3D printed headphones stopped by to say hi to his good friend, Dylan, project engineer for Dekoni.

Prices vary depending on cable material and length.

T + A Audio

T+A’s, (which stands for Theory and Application) slogan is “Engineering Emotion.” What an oxymoron; however, when you listen to any of this German company’s headphones it makes sense. They are built like tanks; I’m guessing they’ll still be working when our sun dies out. This family-owned company had developed working relationships with numerous German universities and is part of a sponsorship program to support gifted science and technology students. Talk about making a commitment to future growth.

The wired Solitaire P, Solitaire P-SE, and the wireless ANC Solitaire T were available to audition.

I listened to the Solitaire P, a Planar-magnetostatic headphone with an impedance of 80Ω and a frequency response of 5Hz-54kHz. These are open, over-ear headphones and seem to fit a bigger head size than mine. They were just too big for me so I couldn’t get a proper fit. However, pressing them to my ears gave a sample of how dynamic, bass rich and clear they are.

Their wireless, closed-back, around-ear dynamic-driver headphone, the Solitaire T was a much better fit. It was lighter; clearly a travel headphone and can be both Bluetooth wireless and USB-C connected wired.

The frequency response Active/wireless is 4-22,000 Hz and passive/wired is 4-45,000 Hz. It uses a hybrid noise canceling system, and the battery has a 70-hour charge, and 35-hours in HQ mode.

Solitaire P $6900.00

Solitaire P-SE $3900.00

Solitaire T $1700.00

STAX

No visit to the show would be complete without a visit to the STAX room down the hall from the main floor.

My first experience of the STAX electrostatic earspeakers was last year at the show. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing two models, so I felt like I was visiting old friends. Douglas Ip, the STAX rep, is laid-back and seems to take delight in introducing new folks to the STAX world. There was a large cue of folks waiting to listen to the various models, so after a quick hello, fellow reviewer, Eric Hieger and I said “Sayonara,” until next time.

Prices vary with models and their energizers.

Topping Technology Co.

I stopped by the Topping booth to chat with Hailin Huang, the co-founder of Topping. It is such a treat to be able to go to this show and meet some of the big names in this audio world. Mr. Huang is a shy, quiet man; who would ever know he co-founded one of the big-name players in the DAC/amp world?

I asked him what he would like to show me, and he walked me over to two beautiful desktop units; the A70Pro, fully balanced headphone amplifier with 1700mW x2 @ 16Ω; very impressive. Even at 600Ω it still produces 670mW; bring on the Susvara!

Mr. Huang then showed me a new DAC that made me smile. It’s been several years since Topping produced an R2R DAC, but coming out in Q4 2024 is the Centaurus fully balanced R2R DAC. This is a DAC I’m going to be looking forward to listening to, as I prefer the sound of an R2R DAC, and they are much less common.

A70Pro $499.00

Centaurus R2R DAC price to be announced upon release.

Warwick Acoustics

When you see a long line snaking through the show, you know that Warwick Acoustics is there.

This year was no exception, though the product was. Martin Roberts, the managing director and Orazio Pollaci, the director of marketing were thrilled to present their collaboration with the British YouTuber, GoldenSound, aka Cameron Oatley.

I guess someone should have run through the show shouting “the British are coming,” because they brought something rather special. The Warwick Aperio Goldensound Signature edition. When a company is bold and forward looking, they can take their best and make it better. In this case, the Warwick engineers and Cameron Oakley, musician, singer, acoustics epicure combined their knowledge to refine every aspect of the Aperio’s tuning.

The result, according to comments from those who have spent time listening to it, is a musically rich, timbre accurate sound with a wide and deep soundstage with controlled but deep bass. I’ve included a photo taken of me while I was listening to it. I could have stayed all day listening to music on that system, but the line was long and my time in the booth was short, so until next year…

$38,000.00

According to Ethan Opolion, Producer, CanJam Global, SoCal 2024 was another huge success and the largest show yet, with more than 90 exhibitors and approximately 2500 attendees!

Dita Audio

Empire Ears

The newest “tribrid” release from Empire Ears, the Triton LE (Limited Edition) is a limited release of only 350 units worldwide. This exclusive edition includes the Monarch cable, a high-end accessory crafted from a blend of five precious materials, including solid-core silver and palladium-plated silver.

The Triton LE employs a W9+ subwoofer driver, an EMP75 balanced armature, and dual high-mass bone conductors. These IEMs follow EE’s success formula. If you prefer a warmer and gentler sound delivery, look elsewhere. Empire Ears’ tuning and sound delivery is assertive and demands the listener’s attention.

The Triton LE present phenomenal definition with powerful bass that doesn’t negatively affect the midrange. There is some elevation and a slight glare in the upper midrange (somewhere between 3-4.5 kHz?), creating a lively sound signature. Overall, the tuning sounds well-integrated and cohesive. The performance of the IEMs is highly tip dependent.

The Triton LE were among the most visually stunning IEMs at the expo. With performance to back up the stellar design, they were one of my favorites at the show in the sub-$2000 range. MSRP: $1,799.00.

Sony

Finding a Sony booth at CanJam was the first of two surprises from the famous professional audio Goliath.

Surprise #2: the MDR-MV1 open-back reference monitor headphones released earlier this year. They house a 40mm Neodymium dynamic driver. With low impedance and high sensitivity, these headphones are easily driven by most sources.

At a much higher MSRP than their mainstream workhorse studio models, the MDR-MV1’s materials, engineering, and resulting sound are far superior, especially for enjoying music. The outer grills are aluminum alloy, the connectors are machined aluminum, and the pads are Alcantara. Even with superior materials compared to other Sony models, they are feather-light at only 223g.

Thanks to some highly advanced and clever engineering, they produce surprisingly impactful bass performance (not just for open backs), boasting a super deep and wide frequency response range (5Hz to 80kHz). The sound is neutral and slightly warm, though still detailed. From what I heard, these will meaningfully compete with the Sennheiser and Beyerdynamic models that commonly frequent professional studios. In addition, these will have broad appeal for audiophiles and enthusiasts. MSRP $399.99

Audeze

The Audeze CRBN2 flagship electrostatic headphones, expected in November, were the stunners of the show for us. As Audeze’s TOTL, excellence is expected in every aspect. Yes, yes, yes, and more. Super premium design, build, and comfort complement the performance of these headphones. The nuance to be found in musical reproduction is transcendent. Beyond the tuning, there is magic here in the rendering of sound – these headphones bring music to life in a way that will bring one to rapture.

The new SLAM system makes a huge difference vs. the original CRBN. The enhanced low-end results from physical changes in the rings, akin to frequency movements through physical channels. This results in approximately +5-6 dB below 40 Hz. The tuning is exceptional without any EQ. We expect the CRBN2 will soon be a new TOTL benchmark mentioned in any serious conversation debating the best headphones presently available in the market, with no fine print exceptions.

FatFreq

A new affordable collaboration with HBB/BGGAR, the Deuce’s pre-orders (8000+ !!) have already broken FatFreq’s sales records and stressed the company’s limits in producing such high volume at the quality level they demand and their fans expect.

I was thrilled to discover that the FF team had brought one early production model to see and listen to. The overall performance of this Deuce package is impressive. Everyone expected monstrous bass, FF’s signature for many IEMs, and HBB’s tuning preference. At this entry-level price point, I did not expect the surprisingly good balance of moderate-heavy bass response with acceptable-good clarity in the midrange and sizzle in the treble without sibilance.

I expect sales will increase as the first orders go out (happening now!) and more feedback rolls in. Congratulations to FF and HBB on a truly smashing success, even before the Deuce reaches customers’ hands!

NOBLE Audio

Noble is well-regarded in audiophile circles for high-end IEMs produced by a family business with a deep passion for sound and performance. While the new and innovative BT ANC FoKus Apollo headphones were stealing all the attention, I also listened to two of their IEMs.

The Noble Spartacus (MSRP: $1799) features six Sonion drivers: One ultra-high balanced armature, two bone conductors, one mid-bass balanced armature, and two bass and ultra-bass balanced armatures. The impressive driver array is housed in a stunning composite resin body, each IEM with a unique organic fiber composite faceplate. They are perfectly well-rounded IEMs with excellent treble control and deep, textured bass.

The Noble Onyx (MSRP: $3200) features eight cutting-edge multi-technology drivers including Sonion electrostatic drivers, Knowles BA drivers, a custom 10mm dynamic driver, and a PZT bone conductor housed in precision CNC’d aluminum for durability and rigidity, with a Raffir composite faceplate, and a stainless-steel wax guard. Compared to the Spartacus, the Onyx presents more fine and incisive details with a livelier, energetic presentation. The bass extension is deep and impactful, maybe a small amount more.