CanJam NYC 2018 Show Report
Show Report By Dave Hanson

Headamp
Perhaps the amplifier that impressed me the most at CanJam NYC 2018 wasn't any big endgame amp but the pint-sized Headamp Glimore Lite MKII ($499). MrSpeakers' Dan Clark tipped me off to this amp a couple of months ago, so when I saw it paired up with the AEON Flow, I knew I had to give it a listen. What I heard absolutely blew me away. I'm not sure I've ever heard a sub $500 amp that is this transparent... in fact, I'm hard-pressed to think of a sub $1,000 amp that is this transparent!

Running off the Kitsune Holo Spring DAC Level 3 ($2,499), the Gilmore Lite MKII bore an uncanny resemblance to the $3K Headamp GS-X MKII, presenting the music with no veil whatsoever and a remarkable natural ease. In fact, comparing the two amps probably gave me the best feel I've had yet for the Spring DAC Level 3 because they were both so colorless.

While the Headamp Gilmore Lite MKII doesn't quite have the juice to drive the most power-hungry planars, it will provide a transparent window into the music for less demanding cans like the ETHERs and AEONs. I think anyone who is looking for an amp in the $500 range should absolutely give this one an audition.

Final Thoughts
Holy smokes, what a show! And that was barely the tip of the iceberg. It's interesting to see the movement in the industry – while there is a lot of big news revolving around flagship pieces like the HiFiMAN Shangri-La Jr., MrSpeakers Voce, Meze Emperyon and so on, talking to manufacturers at the show gave me the distinct impression that there is a big revolution on the horizon for mid-priced/sub $1000 products. I would say within the next year, maybe even by Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, we are going to see some very intriguing products hitting the market at very affordable prices.

Until then, we have plenty of new toys to play with. From entry level to end game, the gear just keeps getting better and better, giving us more ways than ever to... Enjoy the Music! Cheers!

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