If you haven’t heard of HiFiCON based out of the San Francisco area, you may not be alone. This remote, but highly engaged personal audio show actually only exists in its digital form on a chat app known as Discord. Discord as a chat service rose to popularity among online gamers, and the new form of HiFi community cannot be denied as yet another way for audiophiles to connect over their shared passion. The bi-yearly HiFiCON that took place last week is no doubt a solid testament to that.
Among the tables lined up in the Newark community center was a SF regular that goes by the name of NITSCH audio. The company is known for its revamped, pumped-up modded versions of Schiit Audio gear. At the show this took the form of the Pietus Maximus, which starts at $600 and goes up from there depending on options. Updated internals are packaged into the Schiit all-in-one amp in the mid-sized footprint for this model, and they also had a wide variety of killer headphones to sample the goods with. Expect some new upcoming collaborations under the NITSCH banner, most of the fine details are still unreleased as of early October.
Among the large collection of cans available to demo at HiFiCON was a good cross-section from ZMF headphones. Pictured here with the stabilized wood Salire (which always stand out at a show). Matching ear cups from the popular models are often available as limited time drops and specialized editions. The Chicago-based company’s latest headphone is called the Ori 3.0 ($2.2k). From the ZMF site: “a closed‑back planar that marries the macrodynamic wallop of the first Ori with modern ZMF tech: CAMS magnets, ADS damping, Caldera pads and a lightweight, kiln‑roasted/torrefied Black Limba cup that looks as lively as it sounds.”
One of my favorite finds in the Bay Area headphone community is this eccentric fellow that goes by the name of Pud online. He seemingly designs headphones with a purely exploratory and entertainment-based goalposts. Are these headphones even for sale? https://pud.com Regardless of Pud’s ROI on the endeavor he is pulling in some major entertainment cred in my book. From headphones that employ 8 drivers to ones that are shaped like McDonald’s fries, the man has put in the work for the whatever output he is aiming for. At the show, he had a huge bass driver that sits on the users chest – which supplemented the missing feeling you get in your body from traditional speakers. There was also a pair of “regular” headphones that had an additional high excursion bass driver so you could feel some vibrations through your head. The embed above includes as the usual antics we have come to expect from Pud’s Small Batch Headphones.
Perhaps the latest and greatest upcoming headphone to be revealed at the show was from a Long Beach company called ETA audio. Their newest headphone features a huge ear cup and is called the ULI (for ultra low impedance). The feature set at the show boasted a few new firsts, and while the demo unit may still undergo a few changes before it hits production, the ULI is promised to be out to market in the very near future. According to the company website, the new can should retail for close to $2.5k.
Also making a big appearance at HiFiCON was Schiit Audio. In addition to be the main event sponsor, they showcased both the Midgard and Mimir separates. The two retail for $219 and $299 respectively, and offer an interesting upgrade path should the buyer want to swap out a source or include a tube somewhere in the chain. Also on active display was a version of the company’s flagship DAC called the Yggdrasil, which has new $3.5k version called “Singular” that is available to order on Schiit.com.
Romania-based Meze also had a strong showing available to demo at HiFiCON. The product line has grown exponentially since the early days of our favorite 99 Classics, and has stepped up to include high ticket headphones as well. Pictured above is the $4k Elite Tungsten, but recent adds to the space also include the $3k Empyrean II and the latest $2k open-back planar called POET.
