CanJam NYC 2024 
Ahh - New York City. The city so nice, they named it twice. My favorite place in the world. Somewhere I feel more at home than I do in my home city, Boston. Just don’t tell any of my family members that…
This was my second go at CanJam NYC and this year was even better than the last. I was far more comfortable and free on the showroom floor, going into it with no clear defined list to shuffle through, but rather allowing my emotions to guide me through the many many different options on display. Trust me - it’s a lot 
The biggest highlights this year include a bunch of IEMs (of course), meeting @Precogvision and having a small chat with him, and at the top of the list has to be hanging out after the event ended with the guys from Symphonium. Felix, Phil, and Gary are all top-notch guys. Discussing IEM R&D with Felix was so fascinating, I learned quite a bit about how BA drivers work and the challenges they face with using them solely (not for long) on a majority of their IEMs. They also allowed me to take home a pair of Crimsons for an extended Demo and photos. What a bunch of rock stars those guys are.
Jump in, the waters fine
Let me start by saying I did not listen to as much stuff this year as I did in 2023. I was not compelled to try and listen to so many IEMs this year, and I wondered why this was the case going into the event. I believe now that it’s simply because of the amazing generosity my buddies have shown me over the last few years, sending me and the rest of the tour group IEM after IEM. The likes of the STORM, Imperial Loki, Monarch MK3, and many more have crossed my desk so, I just think I’ve tasted the top and quite frankly, anything I could have listened to at CanJam would either be a downgrade or a side grade at best. With that being said, here’s everything I took stock of on Sunday!
Noble Spartacus - These are a very decent IEM, but nothing special stood out to me at all. The resolution is, of course, that of a flagship, but outside of that, nothing shouted “These are special”. It was a relatively short listen admittedly, and the entire reason I picked them up in the first place is due to them being damn pretty and I was waiting for @GooberBM to be done listening to the IEM he was listening to lol
Symphonium Titan - wow. Now THIS is bass that digs very very deep. Some of the best Sub-bass rumble and tactility I’ve heard in a little bit. This set very much reminded me of an improved Monarch MK3, with better mid-bass control, sub-bass texture, and a similar technicality suite. These also have a “hidden” vent for that 8mm DD so there was 0 discomfort or pressure build-up - Thank goodness. “I’m very intrigued” is what I wrote in my notes whilst I was listening, but holy crap, boys… These have lived in my head rent-free for the past 2 days. According to Felix (Symphonium R&D guy), these will retail for $1000 and IMO, that’s a crazy good price for these. I was expecting more like $1,500+. Look out for these if you’re a bass-head or enjoy a good slam and rumble.
2nd go with the Anni 2023 - I am shocked and disappointed that I am not as blown away as I was last year. I have heard so many other incredible IEMs since then, admittedly, but they don’t sound as special to me. Jesus h. Christ. All that to say these are still incredible IEMs. Layering and resolution are both something to behold. The way these render the Space in which the music is being recorded in is very impressive. I just need more bass and slightly less upper mids. Female vocals are emotional and incredibly textured, just a touch too forward for me. The treble, on the other hand, is probably a step above everything I’ve ever heard besides the STORM. Simply put - intoxicating. Chills.
2nd go with the Divas - Interestingly, I think I like these more than the Anni. There is something about the bass on the Divas that gives a little bit more of an elastic texture and bounce that I really really enjoy. Not to mention, the Treble sounds more airy and open, although, not as refined as the ESTs in the Annihilator. I am pleasantly surprised. The Divas, unlike the Annis, have surpassed my feelings from last year. These have always been on my radar since 2023, but now they’re a serious contender for a purchase down the line, as long as Lee get’s his shit together and buttons up on all the QC issues.
Anole VX - Oh boy, interesting… They’re… too thin, there is just simply not enough bass, even with the switch on - the timbre is way off for me. Clean as a whistle though. Its reputation is not a lie. Res is absolutely off the charts. They’re just not for me.
Canpur CP622B - strange but incredible fit once they’re in. Excellent isolation and comfort for my ears.
The Sub bass is absolutely excellent with very good articulation between different notes and tones in the sub bass. It’s kind of hard to explain, it’s not a blob of rumble and bass, but various tones within said bass line. Excellent resolution that cuts through all the bass, which is probably the ideal amount. Layering and res are excellent. Timbre fantastic, maybe a little off with BA timbre, maybe? But it’s almost non-existent so it’s easy to shrug off. Yes, these are awesome, and very balanced sounding to my ears with excellent bass and resolution. I would say from memory and reviewing the notes I took, these are probably one of the most balanced pair of IEMs I’ve yet to hear.
Scarlet mini - Obviously, huge bass. Boomtastic nasty-ass sub bass with a darker tone for the overall sig to my ears but vocals are still fairly clean and well separated from the crazy bass. They’re definitely similar to Maestro Mini, just…. MORE bass, and maybe a smoother upper mids but I never had an issue with the Maestro Minis in the upper mids until I had them in the desktop rig. Maybe too much sub-bass for me, it does have a lack of control. Very blob-like with little rumble definition. I have grown from this kind of bass, unfortunately. These have a very distinct lack of control to my ears. But there’s no doubt it’s fun from time to time! Good thing I have the Maestro Minis at home.
MEST MKII - FINALLY, I get to try the MEST 2. The first thing that jumps out to me is the space -the width seems wider than usual for me, and the resolution is nutso. These are hitting my HRTF with very little to no masking because of that relaxed pinna… at first, they weren’t doing it for me, somewhat underwhelming but as the song went on, it changed. However, something is lacking, and I think it’s the lack of noteweight and lower mids support. But the sub-bass is hella clean, very nice definition. Just needs more mid-bass/lower mids for me to be completely blown away. But I do like these a lot. I think my expectations were just so high because I’ve been dying to listen to these for 2 years now, nothing was going to satisfy me 100%.
The Titanium Bird - These are probably the cleanest IEM I’ve ever heard, without being thin whatsoever. These are the definition of “effortless”. I am very impressed at how smooth these render every single part of the music from the bass, to the beautiful smooth mids, to the extremely natural treble. Man, color me a fan.
Lacking in the sub-bass is the only real complaint I’d have, and it’s very noticeable for some songs but it is not a deal breaker.
Definitely not worth the money tho.
Timsok TS - 316 - These are a very decent single DD IEM that has great resolution across the board, at the sacrifice of being a touch too spicy for me. However - the bass quality is glorious. Tons of detail. Somewhere between 3K-6k is unnaturally boosted to the point where it sounds almost BA-like, but these are pretty fun. For some of the daft punk tracks on my test playlist, these were having me vibing at the table.
64 Audio Velour - I have absolutely no idea what the hell happened here, these were disappointingly boring. Admittedly, I only had access to the m15 module due to the M20 not being available according to the guy at the Headphones(.)com. So, aye, not the best impressions but I turned them off after 30 seconds.
Thieaudio Hype 10 - That isobaric bass be slapping, my boy. Reminds me of the typical Thie sound sig, nothing groundbreaking but I must admit that the bass on these is hitting hard and clean. Plenty of texture, with a great balance with the rest of the sound sig. just from memory, the Monarch 3 sounded boomier with less texture and control interestingly. The Monarchs, however, sound far more smooth in the uppermids and treble. More refined, even. is that due to BA vs. ESTs? I doubt it. But maybe… I’d go with the Monarch over these if I was to choose.
Singularity - These had less bass than I expected for some reason but still a very healthy amount of low end more towards the mid-bass and lower mids so it sounds more full, with less bass separation from the mids and upper mids leaving them slightly less defined than I’d like. The mid-bass is extremely thick though. I’d like maybe a touch more treble with cymbals and whatnot in the air -
lol that’s where my notes ended haha
Well, that’s it for IEMs. Not much at all, I know, maybe I should have tried more. But I don’t have any regrets. After a while, it almost starts to feel like they all sound so similar… Some rapid fire on some sources I listened to;
FiiO KA17 - DUDE, this was an awesome little dongle. So much power! These really drove my Monarch MK2s so well, a little towards the warmer and fuller sound but still had plenty of details. For $150, if they sort out all of the issues with the software of this thing, it could be my next purchase in terms of sources for portable use.
FiiO R7 - Not too much to say about this one, I didn’t go super crazy and test it up down left, and right, however, it sounds good of course. Probably similar to my stack at home, or even the K7 if I’m just going from memory. It’s on the cleaner and more lean side IMO. The software was fine but my problem is that it’s running an outdated Android OS with an underpowered Processor on the inside and guess what? It’s stuck TO the damn DAC/Amp. Decent Idea and very good execution, but a little short-minded in my opinion.
That ends my impressions from this year! I probably should have listened to some of the newer stuff but, luckily my bud @GooberBM did lots of heavy lifting on Saturday and he’s got you with a bunch of stuff that he heard from the show.
Meeting the boys at Symphonium was definitely the coolest part of the show for me. From about 4 pm to 5:30 ish, I hung out at the table with them, listened to Titan most of the time, and had cool and interesting discussions about audio, R&D, how BAs work, and so much more. I just want to thank them for being such top-class guys, trusting me to take home their IEMs to provide some honest impressions, and being literally the most laid-back company ever. I am so happy they’re the first company that decided to give me a shot with demos and photos by sending me loaner sets because they really set the bar high for others if I ever decide to go that route.
Top class, Gentleman, top class 
Here are some random pics I took for your viewing pleasure - Till next time!
