Official NYC Spring 2010 Meet: Members & Agenda

Bring power strips & extension cords

Bring power strips & extension cords

Newbies & Manufacturers are welcome to attend. No fees or registration necessary.

Saturday March 13, 2010
10 am - 5 pm (Setup begins at 9am)
The Adria Hotel Conference Center
221-17 Northern Blvd
Bayside, NY 11361
(800) 27-ADRIA or (800) 272-6232 or (718) 631-5900
Right near the Cross Island Parkway
1 hour train ride from manhattan, short distance from Bayside Train Station, the hotel has several parking lots, food nearby.

We have two rooms.
The annex is the room open to the circular driveway at the front of the hotel.
Salon D is inside through the lobby.

Directions

For directions, see the directions page on the Adria Hotel and Conference Center web site.

Role Call

The official list is in the Main meet thread on Head-Fi.

  1. agbassano
  2. Asr (in abstentia)
  3. beyerpete18 (Beyerdynamic)
  4. BlingBlingDr +1
  5. bozebuttons
  6. brownielaydee
  7. cck5
  8. cetoole
  9. dannyandelyse
  10. daveDerek
  11. davidhunternyc
  12. DC12k
  13. deacongreg
  14. Drag0n
  15. El_Doug
  16. erikzen
  17. Fang (Head-Direct)
  18. garrett.mccutcheon
  19. Gopher
  20. grbwitt
  21. hockeyb213
  22. immtbiker
  23. ivanrocks321
  24. J&J
  25. Jazzy
  26. joelongwood
  27. jp11801
  28. jpelg
  29. Kerry
  30. MD1032
  31. Midrange Monster
  32. mkapszewicz
  33. Monster Cable (MonsterCable)
  34. mrarroyo
  35. MrSlacker
  36. Nankai (Head-Direct)
  37. nikongod
  38. OwlAudio
  39. pistolsnipe
  40. Ray Samuels (Ray Samuels Audio)
  41. SACD-Man (Whiplash Audio)
  42. saisunil
  43. Scottsmrnyc
  44. SiBurning
  45. sonance
  46. SonicBrewtality
  47. strid3r
  48. The Monkey
  49. tyrion
  50. vcoheda
  51. vpivinylspinner
  52. VT Skier
  53. warrior05
  54. wavoman
  55. WooAudio (WooAudio)
  56. Yikes

Members Equipment

agbassano

Asr's gear

One of

BlingBlingDr

bozebuttons

cck5

Drag0n

Portable Amps

Headphones

El_Doug

Headphones

Amps

Source

erikzen

Gopher

hockeyb213

ivanrocks321

J&J

joelongwood

Headphones

jp11801

Midrange Monster

MDR-V6s

nikongod

Source

Something digital

Amplifier

Headphones

SACD-Man

LIST of secret stuff

saisunil

SiBurning

sonance

The Monkey

vcoheda

G08 -> HR Bal Home -> HD800 (bal cardas)

vpivinylspinner

Headphones

Amps

Source

VT Skier

Yikes

Source

Probable

Maybe

Noteworthy

Special thanks to immtbiker for organizing this meet.

Wanted Dead or Alive (Equipment that is)

erikzen wants to hear a Beyerdynamic Tesla T1

cck5 really would like to hear the p51 mustang, tomahawk, pico, and a headsix.

jpelg is wondering if anyone coming has a pair of current production Fostex T50RP headphones available to try?

jpelg also wants to audition an example of Beyerdynamic's DT48.

ivanrocks321 is asking if anyone can bring ps1 and ps1000?

sonance is looking forward to hearing 'Stat setups (both Stax and Jade) and balanced rigs.

Gopher needs a transport for an Eastern Electric Sabre32 Minimax DAC

Scottsmrnyc wants to hear a HD 800s with a Headroom Balanced Max Amp

jp11801 needs a a macbook with firewire

Special Features

Steve Guttenberg, who writes The Audiophiliac, a high-end audio blog, will be attending our meet.

DIY parts swap box.

Raffles, Auctions, & Giveaways

El_Doug
1 LP: "Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em" - MC Hammer; Vinyl: NM; Jacket: NM-
immtbiker
Adcom GTP-400 Pre-amp/Tuner which was highly rated in '96 when it was purchased.
erikzen
3 single 12AU7 tubes: JHS Sylvania, 12AU7A Cleartop, Tung Sol
strid3r
old Sony portable CD player with a power adapter
nikongod
humble toob amp
SACD-Man
a bunch of stuff to add...

... and a whole lot more.

About the Main Raffle & Auction

Aside from the occassional sponsored drawings, We often hold a group raffle or auction. They're rather informal at NYC meets. Depending on the quantity and quality of donated goods, we might have an auction or raffle or both. For auctions, we have a form where people can write down their bids. Sometimes members get into silly bidding wars just for the fun of it. Other times you can pick up gear for a song. If there's enough decent gear to make it worthwhile, and if donations at the door need encouragement, we might sell raffle tickets. If that doesn't work, we just yell and people fork it over anyway. Other times, everyone just gets a free ticket. All the money goes first to pay for the room, and any left over goes to support head-fi. There's been some nice gear in both the auctions and the raffles. At one auction I donated an Etymotic er4p I won at the national meet, and took home a decent digital camera and an SACD player that just needed a whack and a cleaning. Sometimes it drizzles. Other times it pours. If you have some gear you don't need, consider donating it for the head-fi cause. It doesn't even have to be audio gear.

Extracurricular activities

official meet uniform unofficial alternate uniform
where'd that t-shirt go? where'd that t-shirt go?

What's a meet?

What should I expect at a meet? (courtesy of upstateguy)

Picture of a meet

As I was reminded before my first meet: this is a "meet," not a trade show and the members make the meet (lol, that sounds funny to me). So you are encouraged to bring some gear. The range will run the gamut, which is what makes it so cool--from budget to top-of-the-range; from portable to massive. And make sure to bring some of your own cans so you can try out different sources, amps, etc. Of course there will be many different headphones there, but it's great to be able to plug your own into some of the rigs to really hear the difference a component can make.

Tips for Newbies

Personal Hygene is important.

The most important thing of all is to have fun.

Get organized.

Remember that you're trying out another member's gear.

If you're bringing gear

The more equipment we have, the more everyone gets exposed to, that otherwise wouldn't be available to them.

At a minimum, everyone needs to bring their own power strip, and probably an extension cord. Extras are also needed, so if you have any extra, please bring them. Don't forget to pack them and bring them with you.

You might want to set up a card or something by your gear with your name on it so people know whose gear is on the table. For portable gear especially, you might want to label every piece of gear. People will walk around with your portable equipment (hopefully after asking permission), especially to test it out in combination with other gear. Not that we've had any serious problems, but there's usually someone with an extra or missing cable when we're busy trying to break down.

Packing & transporting your gear can be a challenge. Good luck with that. If you have tips, please share them by private message with SiBurning, or post in the meet thread or the Meeting suggestions thread.

Misc. Tips

Keep it quiet

Here's one additional etiquette request, which will probably go unheeded, but I'll throw it out anyway. Some people go to meets to hear the gear; some go to schmooze with friends old and new; some go to do both. It's all good. However, in the past, I've found it hard to hear what I was listening to because there was so much yak in the room. Obviously, some talk revolves aroung a particular piece of gear and needs to take place there. But would it be possible for pure meeting, greeting, old times and chit-chat to move to an adjacent space? In other words, can we try to keep it kinda quiet so those who are auditioning gear can hear the subtle nuances that differentiate the Tung Sol with the green getter from the pinched-waist Amperex?

For additional tips, see the Meeting suggestions thread.

Frequently Asked Questions

I'd like to attend. Do I need to register or do anything else to attend?
No, Just show up. We like to keep the "official" NYC meets open to all members. We do recommend you post to the Main meet thread to let us know you're coming. We're getting pretty big, and might need to organize shifts or impose some rules just to fit in the space we rent.
Is registration required for other meets?
Meets are organized by the members who host them. The rules are whatever the members decide upon. Some meets require an invitation, if only because space is limited. Mini-meets are usually small and organized over a few days, usually hosted in a cafe or someone's home, so you can't just show up for those.
Can I bring a friend?
Sure, within limits. We're always happy to attract others to our addiction. Please make sure they understand the basic tips, especially about treating equipment with respect. If you have controllable, quiet kids, they're always a welcome addition. But, please, leave the pack at home. We don't even have space for the regular members. One solution is to plan to stay for a short while, and be flexible and willing to wait if the room is crowded. I personally will clear out for a good long few smokes to make room.
Who pays for the meet?
We'll be passing the hat to pay for the room. Any money left over will go to support the head-fi web site. Donations are welcome (at the door) to cover the cost of hall, but are not necessary to attend.
Can I buy gear at the meets?
Generally not. The meets are primarily for members to share their gear and ideas: to give other members a chance to audition gear they wouldn't otherwise be able to hear. Manufacturers are encouraged to bring their gear to show off, and while they're welcome to bring product for sale, meets aren't a sales forum, they're a listening forum. The National meet is an exception. We purposely encourage large vendors to attend and offer products for sale there.
I make gear. Can I attend and bring gear for sale?
You're welcome to come and show off your gear. If you have product for sale, you're welcome to bring it. There are no restrictions. Just remember this is primarily a listening forum. Focus on letting people audition your gear, and keep the marketing to the side. Don't expect too many or even any sales at a meet.
Do I have to bring gear?
No. If you have no gear or just can't bring it for whatever reason, just bring your ears. Don't leave your headphones at home just because they're crappy and think noone else wants to hear them. It might be helpful for you to use them to compare with something familiar.
Is my gear safe? Do I need to watch it all the time?
Maybe we've been lucky, but most head-fi members would agree that the head-fi community is trustworthy and you can leave your gear unguarded at a meet. So far noone's lost any gear at a meet except little things like cables, adaptors, and CDs. These inevitable get mixed up by accident. You might want to clearly label your cables and adapters so people don't forget and pack it by accident when they break down. If you're concerned, watch your gear, or ask someone you trust to watch it. If you do lose something, just post in the meet impression thread. There's a good chance you'll get it back.

Send updates, corrections, etc. by private message to SiBurning on head-fi, or post them in the main meet thread. I'll update every few days.

Bring power strips & extension cords

See you there

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This page was last updated Friday March 12, 2010 2:45 pm, US Eastern Standard Time