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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.

So this dropped yesterday, I am not sure there is a new album in the works or just this track. I am not sold on it, not bad, but it also does not do much for me at all. But I thought I would share regardless.

The place looks strangely familiar. (Leica SL2 + Canon 135/3.5 LTM) There seem to be quite a bit of hate on this camera, which seems to be the same whenever Leica comes out with Anything - so well done to Sony to go full premium. Some are annoyed that it is still the "same old" lens - that's exactly what makes it appealing in my book, albeit also appalling at manual focus and it might break down one day. New lenses are coming by the bucketloads, but a lot seem to go overboard and look boring, sterile - coincidentally exactly the same phenomenon as some modern headphones. But yeah, paying full MSRP on any high-end compact (or any camera) is the definition of luxury. Apart from Fuji they loose so much value. I've once again bought an RX1RII for 1/3rd of the price (AF not great, otherwise similar rendering), fingers crossed it's a good one. But I still question the legitimacy of these things. Some of the interchangeable lens cameras are getting so good now, is it really worth saving that much with size and weight - if it is a case of whether they let it in to a big concert or other event, it might worth it. Will make photos every bit as good or better as the Pro photographer with his or her pro camera + 24-70/2.8 lens (around 35). But my fav lens system is still the Leica M-mount and I need to mount them on a big. heavy SL2 - I won't even start

RIP to poet (and more) Andrea Gibson. I hadn't really listened to her, only HEARD OF her. But with her death, I watched and listened. And....she was STUNNING! I watch several of her talks/poems and often times I cry, for her pain & beauty. Examples:

I'm not in the mass production business, so I'm not going to BUY expensive devices, meters, analyzers, for basic hFE determination. Over the last ten years, I've built many different versions of electrostat amplifiers. Yes, not all of them worked. Yes, I didn't like all of them. For example, the mini T2 really disappointed me. assembled version called carbon, I am happy for two years. But many music lovers always want something better. I hope that T2 will outplay Carbon.

Today I received the main part for T2, the boards. I drew the boards taking into account that changes have occurred in radio components over the past ten years. I fit into the dimensions of 300x150mm with power supply units.

I tested the first series of SR-4070 headphones and couldn't quite understand Stax's testing approach. The fit was extremely challenging, which made them seem not ready for commercial release. In contrast, the SR-4070 Mk2 models were a noticeable improvement.

Finally! That's what I thought when reading Grahame's post announcing it

Just look at the original 4070... they never estimated a person with a certain shape of the head so fit for those is not great.

They thought of the human head as a flat test fixture...ignoring the fact that the head is an ellipsoid with a small curvature at the front and a larger curvature at the back. I can only say that I just overestimated Stax's design capabilities in the past.

Damn, and here I was thinking it was just another singer/songwriter with a uke. Wowzers, so glad I finally got around to listening to (and watching a little) this VIRTUOSO! Thank you! Virtuosity without abandoning musicality, my beloved. I was in Guitar Center today (selling guitars, didn't buy anything), and I was severely tempted by a Fender Fullerton Jazzmaster Ukelele. Oh well, maybe I'll get an Enya Moon 5-string Taimane Signature Ukelele after I make big Epstein Didn't Kill Himself Files Do Exist Bucks.

priority SINAD, nothing else matters