Blog: Head-Fi CanJam London 2019 – Report

Today’s post is all about the Head-Fi Canjam London 2019 show. Check out previous reports by clicking HERE.

Canjam London 2019 – Intro

This show report is offered by AudioConcierge. 

When Lieven and I visited CanJam London 2018, I knew I was going to participate in the 2019 show. After all the preparations and paper work (visa), I was able to attend and what a show it was. Traditionally, the show was held in Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel. Head-Fi’s Canjam London is always nice. You get to hang out with great people that have become friends over the years and it’s one of the only occasions where the HFN writer team actually is united.

CanJam London 2019 – Headfonia

Once again, a sheer number of brands were present at the Park Plaza Westminster Ballroom. We tried to visit every one of them and tried to listen to as much gear as possible. It’s of course not possible to listen everything, but we still have lots to share with you in this report!

CanJam London 2019

Remark: This report’s breakdown is exactly the same like last year’s CanJam. Below I will list my favorite gear from the show, and Lieven will add his particular impressions to sum it up. Let’s start.

Digital Audio Players

The FiiO M11 was the first DAP that I was curious about. It just has everything in one package with a great price level. The sound is neutral, slightly mid-centric with a realistic soundstage, yet it’s a little in your face kind of sound. It has great dynamics and transparency for the price. Also the design, UI and build quality is marvelous.

However, like you’ll see in Lieven’s impression at the end, the M11 Pro model is the real deal. It hasn’t been released yet but the price is going to be extremely competitive for this sound. It plays beautifully with obvious advantages over the standard model. The bass has a better response in every aspect, the resolution is better, transparency level is higher and the stage is deeper. Also, it has better timbre over the standard model. This is the best device FiiO have ever come up with.

The iBasso DX220 is another popular item lately and I of course checked it out with its new Amp 9 module. The sound is very organic, stable and tidy. The warmth of the tubes is definitely present. The bass hits great and I can say the mids are quite realistic. Transparency is very good. The stage is very well established. Treble is not very very obvious, but the resolution is good. With this sound (Amp 9) I must say that I found it close to LPGT. iBasso also had the DX120 on their booth but I wasn’t very impressed with its sound, although it shows great build quality and design.

And there’s the AK KANN Cube with all the heft and weight. The device was even bigger than I imagined it, but to be honest the sound quality is drastically improved over the original KANN model. Although the target for A&K with this device is somewhat certain, I don’t think it’s impossible to carry this device around after hearing the sound quality.

Thanks to Jomo Audio, I’ve listened to Joseph’s LPGT and it left great impressions on me. The device is compact and lighter than I expected. It is very convenient to use and the interface is quite nice. Its ease of use reminded me of the Sony Walkmans. Build quality is very good as well. It’s impossible not to like this device’s sound. Everything is in place, bass is very ideal, resolution is very good and imaging is great. The sound generally reminded me of the Hifiman R2R2000. There is nothing it does wrong. Mids also play with great transparency. The device also has a very powerful output. One of the best DAPs available right now in my opinion.

The report continues with Full Size Headphones on the 2nd page HERE.