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More the weekend, but we got a fatty mass surgically removed from the doggo, but 2 nights in of course she rips out the stitches AND her drain tube (and most likely ate it lol) requiring her to go back in and get stapled but as you can see she is doing well 🤣

Well, they have arrived: First off, they smell terrible. I don't know what they are using in those new earpads but it smells awful, deep and nasty chemical smell. Might be the foam but yeah... this isn't great. Now for the new arc... ehhh it's alright. The fitment is similar to the old one and it does the job. I have the same problem as with all other 007's though, it's too wide for my rather gigantic head so I'll need to bend it bit to make it taller. Small thing and I'll get to check out how it is to manhandle it a bit. Now for the sound... I'm only a few tracks in but initial impressions were not great. Way too boomy but it settled down when I pressed the top of the drivers towards the head, hence the arc issue I always have. The port is gone though so get the fitment right and the bass should be just fine. In terms of tone they are not as bad as the X9000 or 009S, more forward than the 007A with a port mod though and the excellent depth perception of the older models might be lacking here. Not sure, need to do some listening but the sound is certainly more "in your face" than the older ones. They don't seem to have the resolution of the older one either, this is on my usual Denafrips Terminator and Carbon CC setup, and I have this distinct feeling that something is lacking. Now I know how all of the 007's sound like the back of my hand and detail that should be there... just isn't. It's subtle though. Sound stage is just fine but I have this nagging sensation that it isn't as precise as a nice 007Mk1 or Mk2/A. The sound is also not as smooth and balanced as the older ones. Push it with something demanding (now I'm playing Knopfler - Going Home) and this isn't brilliant. The whole fun bit about this song is to crank it a bit in volume once it gets going and it kinda falls apart, becomes harsh and grading while loosing cohesion. A good 007Mk1 can play this at stupid volume levels on this setup and no problems at all. Sorry for the stream of consciousness but I just wrote what came to mind. Overall... this is a much better effort than the X9000 though and time will tell how I get on with them. Not talking about burn in... that shit doesn't exist. Finally I grabbed the nearest 007 which just happened to be a Mk2.9 007A for comparison: The structure is clearly very different but I'll have to investigate further later on. Finally, that stench from the earpads is driving me fucking nuts!!

Spent the 4th up in Maine, our condo association had a mini-parade of kids and golf carts (~ a dozen carts, several made up quite well); also a pic of my next-door neighbor Michelle and her two - used to have 4 - Samoyeds, beautiful pups! Also visited one of Karen and my favorite places, Cape Porpoise....sat and contemplated life a bit there.

Update on the bathroom vanity cabinet, and some shots of two matching white oak linen closet doors with a slat design. Not fully assembled in these shots but you can get the gist.

Sending a hug your way @skullguise.

Had some free time so on went the 007Mk1 pads: These are the 71xxx type but fitted with new foam so not stock, not that a 20+ year old stock set would be fine now. First impressions are okey, the sound has a tad more space around it and the top end might be a bit better but a particular frequency range has that "sheen" to it that is not natural. I'll spend some more time with this setup Comparison of the stock pads on the right and 007Mk1's on the left (with new foam so a bit puffier than normal). Now the Kennerton pads vs. the stock ones. This is with 007 mesh installed but much smaller opening area. Thicker leather too. Finally I wanted to try and show just how shit the stock pads are: The red line on the right hand pad, that's the edge of the foam and where the leather should start. It's off by some 5mm or so in the middle and the same on the other side. I'm not sure if the foam is simply rotated out of alignment or if it is cut incorrectly but the pads are sealed so no way to simply peel them open like the older pads. Both pads are also crooked and just cheap crap. Stax you can do so much better...

My 007's might be here by Thursday but in the meantime I found these pics: Same cable as the SR-X1 and I really like the all black flight case...

In the sprit of getting dirty I decided to list the Tarmac for sale and jump on this deal: It's a 2022 Cervelo Aspero 5 and the top of the line model at that. MSRP $10,500, I paid about 40c on the $ for it and the owner admitted that he bought it and essentially never rode it - condition backs that up. It also came with a like new Garmin head unit and tail light/radar setup which is pretty sweet. When I recently learned that they completed a ~9mi section of rail trail that can become ~50% of my morning commute I decided it was time to dive into the deep end. The color is something like "purple sunset" (cheers to you, Dusty) and is straight up wild. We'll see how the new modified commute goes tomorrow.

My Sister in Law sent me a few pics. This one was from February 1981... My Mom looks so young! The only one's left are myself (blondy), and my oldest Brother, to the left of me. I miss that blonde guy. He could walk into gay bar and turn some heads.

Got the mole....🤣

Latest additions. GT4RS and BAC Mono I do fit the Mono, just can’t breath

We went to Musaafer in the Galleria (Indian). It had been a few years and I have to say they have upped their game which was not too shabby previously. We went the tasting menu route and had to take the main dishes to go we got so full....first world problems. Here are a few of the dishes. HS

Not yet open but I have one client, and he just happens to be a bit of a car guy. Every time I show up at his garage some new amazing car shows up. Came in today and these showed up. They also arrived with a new 911 Turbo S, but that was at his house.

Having friends over tomorrow, needed dessert.

A guy I've known on Discogs since like 2002 picked up some dream speakers. Kid for scale.

I mean seriously, what else could go wrong? Also, it's strawberry season so shortcake is on the menu for dessert.

Rode a horse for the first time (Tahoe). Esmé’s favorite photo is below.

More HDD cleanup

The hobby is fucked, but it also opens up the opportunity for others to come in and sell stuff that isn't bullshit. That's kinda where we see stuff like ES Labs come in (though here in the US the tariffs make it harder, but that's another brand of bullshit). Basically, the old guard can go ahead and price themselves into the stratosphere, but smart people will take advantage of it and outcompete them. Or so I hope. Maybe it's just the booze talking. I'm usually not optimistic.

Well, he is definitely an authority on people who don't know what the fuck they are doing.

Just purchased a MacBook Air M4 24GB 512GB to replace my 2020 MacBook Pro M1 8GB RAM 256GB. It'll be nice to have more RAM.

I've seen this a couple of times on a friend's FB page and I always giggle.

The slatted door style has a lot of intricacies and places for failure. It looks simpler than the actual design. Many dados and places where parts have to fit exactly. But they went together easier than either of us expected. Not an accident, but Al's planning and forthought. Absolutely worth the effort, as they'll be an eye catcher for sure. This has been a rewarding project in several ways. Now that I'm no longer working as a carpenter, it's my much needed release for creativity. And Al and I are really enjoying the woodworking and smashburgers.

Lucy Dacus - Limerence

Before: 2 After: Greek Sheet Pan Chicken Instant Pot Lemon Rice

Chicken Tikka Masala

I'm still in the honeymoon stage with my DAP to really know how I'm going to feel about it, but just in case anyone else is considering separating out portable audio old school/cassette/MiniDisc/iPod style from the phone and notifications and with headphone outs and decent power, the often recommended HiBy R4 is on sale for Prime Days for $199. Not the model I went with, but then again this wasn't on sale then or I may have. You just have to get around the "anime" design and a little weight.

Was going to put these in the Slow Forum thread but figured we could use some kitty posts

The pads are slighly angled, similar to the older 007 ones and they are perfectly circular on the inside. I'm not thrilled with the quality of them (aside from the smell) and that vinyl back lip does point to a specific OEM in China. The pads simply pull off like the older units but are a bit more of a pain to install even though there is no spring as the housing doesn't rotate. That makes the top next to the headband rather annoying to deal with. Still no 009/X9000 in terms annoyance though. I've taken to doing A-B comparisons against the 007A and yeah, the older unit is much smoother and more coherent. Still the bass on the 007S is tuneful and "fun" plus the bright nature isn't overly annoying.

No pics of the actual dinner (last night) and lunch (today), but had some very yummy sausage. Standalone last night, and in a wrap with apple BBQ sauce today for lunch.

Balanced meal??

My priorities and listening queue are out of whack... Finally Arcadia by Alison Krauss and Union Station (2025) https://album.link/mx9hftt6ktmgp Example: Full of audio treats. {and yes this was triggered by the Rick interview that just dropped}

Relevant to some in this forum... cool

The Beach Boys - Surfs Up ex. full

🐔 🌶️

Today is the 50th anniversary of Jaws. It's kind of a big deal around here.

Jack White never misses.

For Alfred - Alfred Brendel was a big part of my early classical journey. Readily available from Columbia House on sale, they had the Phillips and Decca recordings. And since I was in full exploration mode and he recorded things that many people didn't record, I ended up with a pile of his albums. Brahms: Piano Concerto No.1 by Alfred Brendel (1980) https://album.link/fxnrsg7pgznc8 Example: and Beethoven: Für Elise; Eroica Variations, Op.35; 6 Bagatelles Op.126; 6 Ecossaises by Alfred Brendel (1985) https://album.link/v4df2crd6cksf (boy this page pretty much didn't exist) Example: This is an example of recording something that most people don't. People play Für Elise, they use it as an encore, and the audience goes 'awe', but most performers don't recorded it. So like Murray Perahia, Yo-Yo Ma, Michael Tilson Thomas, Vladimir Horowitz, he was a big influence.

Tried some new techniques for the dough and for cooking the pizza and happily gobbled up the results. Red sauce, mozzarella and parmesan, guanciale, corn and leeks.

Proper cooking this time, fried chicken breasts to make sandwiches for dinner.

Yesterday's listen's - and this morning. Tiny Things by Tiny Habits (2023) https://album.link/zhq9tcbphnd6p Example: More of an EP at just under 19 minutes. A good listen, they play a strong harmony game, and they play it well. It was not quite what I expected from the album cover, but rewarding on multiple listenings. and More Alfred... Schubert: Piano Quintet - "Trout" by Cleveland Quartet (1978) There are a few more in my queue, but you get the idea...

More room porn than anything else. Via this real estate listing and /r/audiophile.

@Craig Sawyers posted the lyrics of this eerily prophetic 1982 track in another thread and that made me dig up the video.

Brendel was my favourite interpreter of Schubert's solo piano music. Check out his Wanderer Fantasy. This is more of a class on Schubert, taught/curated by Brendel: The sun seems so cold here The blossom is withered Life is old And what they say is empty words: I am a stranger everywhere. Totes relatable.

Just a simple board for supper, Friday night's bread bake {not posted}, tapenade and roasted garlic, Matiz wide sardines in oil. Watch out! I kind of forgot how good Matiz sardines are. {oh and a simple WA blend sipper}