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Thank you for making my day less boring and answering my question. I will label you as a troll and a psychopath.

You must feel so clever after writing that long, dishonest, and manipulative wall of text. It's the most cowardly and hypocritical thing I've ever read. Let me make this painfully simple for your confused brain, so you can see exactly who I was replying to: When I mocked the irresponsible 'crap' comment, I was talking to KEVIN GILMORE. When I despised the 'only warning' threat, I was talking to CRAIG SAWYERS. When I slammed the coward who hides behind others and calls for backup, I was still talking to CRAIG SAWYERS. Do you get it now? And you, jamesmking, jumped in every single time like a dog whose tail has been stepped on, desperately defending all of them while crying 'It wasn't me! It wasn't me!'. You are not an independent debater. You are their HUMAN SHIELD and their designated CLEANUP CREW! Your only purpose is to follow them around and try to polish the turds they leave behind. And you're 'saddened'? Oh, please. Don't you dare lecture me on 'respect' and 'the grey between the extremes' when you end your little sermon by calling me a 'psychopath'. Your line about 'I haven't reported you (this is NOT a threat)' is as sincere as the rest of your nauseating hypocrisy. You are not a debater. You're not even a competent coward. You are the most pathetic kind of apologist machine, completely devoid of independent thought, attached to your friends' coattails. So take your sanctimonious pity and shove it. Your 'journey' is nothing but a muddy path of you rolling around in the filth your masters leave behind.

for me that's the entire heart of the matter. I want maximum pleasure from music and if the devices giving me maximum pleasure don't measure fantastically I don't care. If they do measure well that's fine by me too. That's my hearing and that's what I optimise my hifi for.

I see we have a member of the audio religion in our midst, how fun to see the scientologist poke their head out of their echo chamber. Arguing whether Class A is better than Class B is fucking retarded so let's not but the question of measurements is a fun one. Are you measuring something that actually matters or is it voltage swing in an electrostatic amp, meaningless stat that is measured in the one spot that makes it even more meaningless? If you go from 0.01 THD to 000.1 THD... how does that change the sound? Do we have hearing good enough to spot that or are we picking up something different? If something measures badly but sounds good, which is correct? If you claim something terrible sounds good... do you have enough experience to know it sounds bad? Just because you have ears, doesn't mean you know how to use them. Same goes with a scope or a test suite, just because you have it, doesn't mean you know what to look for. If you take a cult leader, hand him a device he doesn't understand because he's as thick as brick, he measures it incorrectly and claims "I don't understand why anybody think this is good"... was the device at fault or was the cult leader being retarded? If you smother everything in feedback, can you hear that? What if you remove all the feedback and make an unstable circuit, can you hear that? There are so many good questions out there...

"So I will ask again, because no one has dared to answer it: Can a design with objectively flawless data be dismissed as 'crap' based on an outdated topological label?" <-------you unilaterally decide that the topological label is outdated have you considered that I (I almost put we but I don't want to put words into others mouths) do not accept this premise. Unless you wish to be flexible in a debate and have a little bit of an open mind (and a good helping of respect) debate is meaningless. no design is "objectively flawless" this highlights your black and white thinking with zero nuance. Surely objective flawless would be 0% THD infinite frequency response etc. this is obviously impossible. So again I reject you impossible premises. "Who started this by calling a product they hadn't measured 'crap'" < ---I DID NOT "Who, after failing to debate, issued a threat: 'This is your only warning'? " <--- I DID NOT and you decided you won the debate. I don't believe you have but you obviously have a strong desire to win at any cost under your imposed rules and premises and if they are not fully accepted you think you win by default. "Who just used the term 'cheap plonk' in a passive-aggressive insult against other people's choices?" <----- I DID NOT I did not mention the word cheap. I said PLONK - plonk can be expensive I used to it refer to something that the drinking find of low quality - in other words I acknowledge the drinkers choices and they get to decide what they consider to be plonk. threats?? what threats? when have I threatened you? (perhaps I might be threatening your ego) "It was you lot" <- again your black and white attitude that all the people other than you in the debate are the same. lack of nuance. "play the innocent victim" <- how have i attempted to play the innocent victim? I entered the debate with a rough idea of the direction it was heading and I was proven correct. You language and insults have progressively increased (I assume because we are not insulting you back and that's what you deeply want inside to fight physiologically injure us and for you to win. You proudly proclaim you have already won, I think the others in this "debate" may not quite see it your way - and maybe that's the entire problem here. Can you accept that others can have valid views different from your own?). At every step I have tried to debate and you insult rather than debate, or perhaps insulting is your debating style? I cant speak for others but I am not made angry by your words just saddened. I also question if you have a place in this forum, but its not my place to decide and I have not reported you to the moderators (this is NOT a threat its a fact). "We're obviously happy as we are," <--- I did not say this but bare in mind this forum makes no money from membership and (in my opinion) is a fairly close nit community of (mostly) like minded individuals. There are debates and arguments from time to time but usually this is amongst people who have been here a while and at least got to know each other a bit and have some respect for each other and some tolerance. tolerance is something you seem to lack along with reflectivity. I can't decide if you are a troll, deeply troubled or a psychopath. Ether way I wish you well and hope one day you discover the grey between the extremes and learn that you don't have to win every debate because sometimes the debate/journey is more important. regards James P.S. ultimately you might also want to ask your self why did you join this forum?

I like lost causes.

Lol. Seriously, why are you still in a place filled with people you contempt? Your existance and behavior contradict with each other. Just shoo away and let everyone be happy.

Well, High Rollers. You can’t debate an angry person, waste of time.

I appreciate the lengthy reply, but it masterfully exposes your intent to evade the core issue. So I will ask again, because no one has dared to answer it: Can a design with objectively flawless data be dismissed as 'crap' based on an outdated topological label? You're trying to muddy the waters with a 'measurements vs. subjectivism' debate, but that's a red herring. No one is denying subjective experience, but we are discussing engineering merit. Your 'fine wine vs. cheap plonk' analogy is particularly revealing. A true connoisseur appreciates a wine for its quality, regardless of prejudices about its region or grape variety. You, however, are acting like a snob who only recognizes expensive labels. When a world-class wine made with modern techniques is placed before you, you dismiss it as 'plonk' simply because it doesn't come from a 'noble' origin you're familiar with. Your problem isn't your palate; it's your prejudice. You're not defending a type of sound; you're defending an obsolete and exclusionary hierarchy. This kind of judgment, based on origin rather than quality, proves that your entire framework of knowledge has failed to keep up with the times. 'I see no personal attacks here'? Your selective blindness is truly a sight to behold. Let me refresh your memory: Who started this by calling a product they hadn't measured 'crap'? Who, after failing to debate, issued a threat: 'This is your only warning'? Who just used the term 'cheap plonk' in a passive-aggressive insult against other people's choices? Are those not personal attacks and insults? My harsh words are a direct reaction to your group's sustained campaign of arrogance, threats, and condescension. And you're right, I love that saying: 'the first one to resort to insults in a debate admits they are wrong.' The problem is, the first one wasn't me. It was you lot, right from Gilmore's 'crap' comment. You already lost. Your attempt to play the innocent victim now is not 'debate'; it's gaslighting. I would suggest you take a long look in the mirror before you have the audacity to tell me to be 'self-reflective'. You say, "We're obviously happy as we are," and I believe you. Life must be blissfully simple when you don't have to think for yourself and can just live as a parasite, feeding on the opinions of a host. You ask, "What is the point you want to make?" The point was to see what a creature with no independent thoughts does when its dogma is challenged, other than screeching "gtfo". Apparently, the answer is nothing. You say, "We're obviously happy as we are," and I believe you. Life must be blissfully simple when you don't have to think for yourself and can just live as a parasite, feeding on the opinions of a host. You ask, "What is the point you want to make?" The point was to see what a creature with no independent thoughts does when its dogma is challenged, other than screeching "gtfo". Apparently, the answer is nothing.

Even you think you don't belong here. You, yourself, point out you don't like how things work here. Yet you're still here. Why? Another point: What makes you think you can come here and try to change the mindset of this community? We're obviously happy as we are. This forum and it's regulars are like this for a loooong time. Why are you here? Do you truly want to change the mindset or just want to attack with your "pointing the fallacies" approach? What is the point you want to make? Let me show you an easy solution of your appearent problem: gtfo.

I see no personal attacks here other than the one you just launched on us. My (guess) is that for you everything is black and white, for or against, with or enemy and that's simply not how things work (in my experience) and that's why debate is so interesting because it can some times bring out the grey and the in between. you talk about debate? I have tried to debate and you retort with insults. that's not a debate. There is an old saying along the lines of the first one to resort to violence in a disagreement admits they are wrong. My take on this is that the first one to resort to insults in a debate can't handle some self examination and I think it would do you a lot of good to spend some time being self reflective and consider the impression you have just made today.

My personal take is that it is measurement vs subjectivity is never as simple as belief in one other at the exclusion of the other. Both have their place. I play records and get immense enjoyment from them but would any record playing system measure on an Audio Precision APx555 better than a cheap cd player. No way. Does that mean I reject ALL measurements NO. Will an amp sound good that has 100% measured THD+N and a signal to noise ratio of 0db no way, although plenty of electric guitar amps aim for large amounts of distortion to sound "good". Can replay system with a +3% THD+N give me listening pleasure (which for me is what hifi is all about) - for me yes. Will an amp with 0.001% THD+N sound better than one with 0.01% THD+N? Not necessarily. You need to at the topology, the power supplies, the inter stage coupling, operating points, drive capability etc. This can give more clues. There are some "rules of thumb" that have been gathered over time and with experience and with some (general) consensus. For example unregulated high voltage power supplies on a Stax amp - is going to compromise sound. Use a load resistor (like most of Stax amps do) to the output valves plate instead of a constant current source is going compromise the sound. Drive Stax sr007 headphones with tiny small signal tubes as output drivers? going to sound bad. No output current limit resistors - NOT safe. -580V output bias going to attract dust into the headphones instead of repel the dust. As a rule of thumb class A better than AB better than B better than D (when efficiency is not required). So if you can drink fine wine class A and its achievable and affordable why drink plonk class B?

You are absolutely right. We DO need to wait. Because it's painfully obvious that you, on your own, are incapable of debating a single point. Your three-act tragedy of a debate strategy is pathetic: Appeal to Authority: When you had nothing to say, you recited a list of names you think are impressive. Call for Backup: When reciting names failed, you started crying to 'wait until the US wakes up'. Resort to Personal Attacks: When you realized backup was too far away, you attacked my anonymity. Did you, at any point in this exchange, present a single independent thought based on facts? No. You're nothing but a hollow echo chamber, incapable of doing anything but repeating other people's names and sending out distress signals. So yes, we are waiting. Waiting for the day you learn to use your own brain instead of constantly hiding behind the reputations of others and your location tag. Until then, every word you type is just another public display of your insecurity and incompetence.

Let's wait until the US wakes up, eh? You don't have any information where on the planet you are.

Thank you for attempting a technical discussion, but let's be precise about the issue here. You ask if I 'believe class B will sound better than class A'. That is a classic strawman argument. My core point was never about that. My point is this: For Mr. Gilmore to dismiss a design as 'crap' based solely on the fact it has a 'class B output stage'—without providing any data, circuit analysis, or measurements—is an unprofessional and irresponsible act. Is that how a true technical expert behaves? I respect Mr. Gilmore's past achievements and his open-source contributions, but that does not make his every utterance infallible. I am questioning this specific statement, not the man himself. So, let's get to the root of it. I'll turn the question back to you, and it's a very simple one: Do you, and does Mr. Gilmore, accept the validity of objective measurements from modern audio analyzers like the Audio Precision APx555? If your answer is YES, then you must explain how a design that achieves state-of-the-art (SOTA) performance across the board can be denigrated as 'crap' simply because of its topology. If your answer is NO, then this entire discussion about schematics and topologies is meaningless, as you would be admitting your foundation for judgment is purely subjective, not objective engineering. So, please, stop deflecting. Either provide the evidence showing this specific implementation is objectively flawed, or admit that judging it based on prejudice alone is wrong.

And the balanced switched attenuators, and many more. And Sprizer is the forum expert on headhones - particularly Stax electrostatics. Which is precisely why a newbie is encouraged to spend time reading around, finding out about who people are, and what they know and contribute before leaping in.

Do you truly believe, all other things being equal that class B will sound better than class A? In the world of amplification for speakers class AB, B or even class D is tolerated because its more efficient than class A and at high output powers pure class A is often impractical, and prohibitively expensive. For headphone amplification efficiency is not an issue given the tiny output power required - which makes pure class A very practical. Because of this there are few reasons to design anything other than class A headphones amps (portable headphones amps excluded because efficiency and power consumption matter here). Kevin Gilmore has designed and helped us build many fantastic Stax amps, for example the blue hawaii (which several companies sell), and of course the T2. He is incredibly experienced and is generous enough to open source his designs AND support those who build them. I would strongly think again about criticising his competence.

This is absolutely hilarious. Kevin Gilmore's point is indefensible, so you jump out to make personal threats? Is this how your little 'High Rollers' club discusses technology? When someone questions the guru, the enforcer comes out to shut them up? Stop waving that bullshit 'welcome message' around like it's a royal decree. If you had any confidence in his argument, you'd counter me with technical facts. Hiding behind the rules to make threats just proves that you and your guru are both cowards who are nothing without your echo chamber.

From your welcome message when you joined all of an hour ago "Don't mistake our familiarity with each other as familiarity with you" "Spend some time reading before you start to post. Get familiar with what is going on, and who the various people are. Don't just jump right into the fray." "This is your only warning"

Heh, I got you. https://www.discogs.com/release/7077621-Clipse-Lord-Willin See some for around 67, but have found used for around 50-55 without looking too hard. It's totally worth that, IMO.

Equating 'Class B' directly with 'garbage'? That just exposes the limits of your own technical skills. Don't assume that just because you can't get good measurements from a Class B design, nobody else can either. That's a classic projection of your own failures.

Marta's debut album is a collaboration with Tricky, so of course it's good. Moody as shit, too. I'm in.

Kinda interesting to compare size of the full frame Sony RX1R III f/2 and the $200 cheaper medium format Fuji GFX100 RF f/4.

Thanks. I guess nobody likes to receive fake parts. But if it’s a low-current, 1200V or better grade IGBT, its characteristics can come very close to the SiCFET we use in threshold voltage, transconductance and even input/output capacitance. It might actually work, at least in the GRHV. I’d be interested to try it out. Well, we should probably stop talking about SicFET or IGBTin this thread, as they are irrelevant to T2.

Warm Day - Hot Funk. (50yo) Mothership Connection by Parliament (1975) https://album.link/mvfsbw8h7rrmb Example: There is only one Example needed.