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Xavier and I are out on a road ride for the first time in a few weeks. Been concentrating on dirt. Having a blast! **BRENT**

Finally finished casing my Carbon. Apologize for the quality of the photos, the lighting condition isn't ideal. I went a different route - have the amp and PSU in separate chassis and set up the PSU as an "universal" PSU which I plan to use for the Carbon, the KGSSHV, the Blue Hawaii and, in the hopefully near future, the Grounded Grid. I used two off-the-shelf Antek transformers. The secondaries for the HV and filament are on the same 300VA transformer. The toggle switch acts as my manual HV delay and switches the HV secondaries which also have thermistors in series. The 7-pin connector houses the +/- 400VDC, +/- 18VDC and Bias supply. The 4-pin connector houses two sets of 6.3vac filament supply, each set has a 0.15R/5W resistor in series to lower the filament supply to around 6vac to help preserve the EL34 tube life. The amp chassis is a Mini Dissipante 3U and the PSU is a Galaxy 3U. Both with all aluminum panels.

looking at the picture blown up. 450V, 330uf and if you look, 10 transistors, all in series, banks of 5. and lots of resistors to balance them all. (sot223-4 transistors) sure looks to be a bipolar version of the koss esp950. so its a voltage stacker. transistors are likely matched pnp and npn, and are rated for 250 to 300v (5 transistors with 900v total power supply) there are no power output transistors attached to the heatsinks input transformers are used as the phase splitters IF (more like when) it blows up, its impossible to repair.

Buying audio gear seems like walking into a metaphorical minefield for the minimally informed, sometimes superimposed with the analogue of being a literal minefield. The pervasive gall of people who believe their large pocketbooks and listening impressions override fundamental engineering principles truly astounds. The fact that they don't even bother using spell check for a $37k amp is disconcerting, to say the least (not to mention the use of a "discrete passive equalization module", aka fixed tone control). Straight from their site: A discrete passive equalization module slot is included with the amp. This allows for slight analog adjustments of the amplifier to accommodate new headphone designs in the future. This can also be used to tune the system for a user prefernces. This can also be used to tune the system for a user prefernces. This can also be used to tune the system for a user prefernces. This can also be used to tune the system for a user prefernces.

Picked up a turkey this afternoon for my secretary whose husband had an aneurysm on Monday. First thing off of the Rec Tec. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think you all will really like this one, a current feedback fully dc coupled fully complementary electrostatic push pull amplifier. what the msb could have been if they had decent engineers. just need to find a match for the stn9360 http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/cfaelectrostat.pdf

Got out for a short ride through the local trails this morning. Decided to cut it short after I saw a six point buck, heard a shot about 10 minutes later, then 10 minutes after than came across blood splatter on the trail and saw a hunter tracking him through the woods. Stopped and talked with the guy for a bit, seemed like a nice guy. Then not 15 minutes later saw another two-man group of hunters and that seemed like a higher density than I wanted to be a part of.

anyone that has ever listened to the koss esp950 will agree its clinical and cold. it tests pretty well, thanks to gobs of feedback. but lets look at the msb specs a bit Dynamic Range >140 dB Frequency Response 0Hz-20Khz, ±0.8dB XLR Input 75 Ohm Balanced 4Vrms Maximum Common Mode Rejection Ratio > 120dB CMRR @ 60Hz > 90dB CMRR @ 1kHz > 70dB CMRR @ 20kHz Crosstalk > 90dB Crosstalk @ 1kH > 65dB Crosstalk @ 20kHz now its obviously transformer input based, so 0 hz implying dc coupled. flat out lie. and its already down by almost 1db at 20khz meaning that its slew rate limited and likely this is into no load, once you add 120pf, its going to be worse. 75 ohm input definitely implies that transformer. that dynamic range number is at least 30db off. and where is the distortion specs. Likely the distortion specs are much worse because I don't see any opamps with piles of feedback. stupid massively overpriced crap.

so sorenb really wanted this, so here it is http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/cfaelectrostat.pdf the outputs are 300v darlington transistors just need to find a suitable npn match for the stn9360, and this can be done all surface mount tiny, fully complementary, fully dc coupled, decent input impedance (none of this 75 ohm nonsense) push pull output... edit: PBHV2160ZX looks great for the npn. so you can add one more set of outputs and run up to 500v power supplies balanced input only, and you need 4 of them

Thanks Al. It was Gail's initiative and my work. Carved up and ready to go. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice looking bird and even nicer gesture Mike.

Clipless. I found some XTRs and XTs in my garage and my professional opinion is you would crash out fantastically in either one. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you sir. Actually I said "f.ck natural selection" and took the little ones in my home and started vaccines.

actually 3 hands. (updated schematic with great respect to you know who) 1 hand for turkey baster (actually making casserole at the moment) short hand for mouse 1 hand holding 50 year old single malt we will definitely be building this one

Well, no, if he has money, there's nothing wrong with basing it on others' opinions. Just follow the right people! I mean, that's basically the entire business model of Absolute Sound and Stereophile. I have often espoused the value of buying "above your station" so that you don't have to worry about whether it's better or not, just for the placebo peace of mind.

Did some knife sharpening after cutting the backbone out of the turkey. Almost sharp enough to make Reks proud: https://vimeo.com/192964138 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I just can't wait for the review to come on HF from a guy who was stupid enough to get those Woo monoblock piles of shit. Reminds me of when Ray got Skylab to review the A10 and we drove him into the ground for having zero electrostatic experience and thus...nothing useful to say.

First time making the family secret recipe cheesecake in FL. Turned out perfect but the best part is Peter is learning how to make it so the recipe will be carried on.

I think it might be possible to squeeze in a digital attenuator in Mini Dynalo. ATtiny85 is in the middle of the breadboard, lots of space for it in the box. Need some 5 volt supply as well.

check the link again, I added something

am i the only one imagining kevin drawing this up with one hand and basting a turkey with the other? this needs the plug in card form factor to get the full msb experience

Yes Dusty, I meant that. I guess with my limited English somethings lost in translation. I put "(!)" for sarcasm. Following right people is something, and following people who has expensive, totl gear; based on "much spent, much experience" is something else. I know dozens of people who does not have a clue yet writing on some serious(!) websites, magazines. Placebo effect on peace of mind is really another thing. I prefer neutrik or equivalent connectors for my cables, I've never tried cheap connectors so I don't know what differs actually, that can be placebo on peace of mind. Or on my recent purchase: Egmont sounds way better than 727 and 007 if i can compare them from memory (I've never got the time or chance to make an blind a/b test). This can be just because me knowing Birgir modded it and knowing it can form a placebo effect in my mind, I completely accept that. But I highly doubt if astro follows that principle. And yes, following right people (for me they must be sceptical) can guide you to best things. If you follow people like Mike Mercer, you can't get anything useful (maybe seldomly). And from other topics he started, I highly believe, astro is following wrong people. So I'm not against "if you have money, you can buy anything that makes you happy even with no basis/use". Hell I spent shitloads of money on books for collection. I recently paid shitload of money for a book published in 1939. I should have explained my opinions better. Thanks for giving me the chance to express myself better and correcting my misunderstandable expressions Dusty, sir. Astro, Did I say I put stock on his opinion? I quoted him. And what Birgir and Dr. Gilmore do, be sure of it, not guessing. File/directory not found it says Dr. Gilmore. Thanks link is working now.

that should get some severely extensive posts comming from the bikeshed, I'm sure

Too... many... spoilers... Must... not... read... And curse you @TMoney !!! Westworld is terrific. I've never spend 2 hours per day on a series. Till Westworld, I've been watching 2 episodes per day.

Clipless. I can't imagine riding, even MTB, without being clipped in. The times I've been able to save things because of the power able to be generated far outweighs the few crashes the pedals might have caused. Now if I finally get a fat bike this year that'd be something I'd ride on flats just because of wanting to have warm feet.

I’d expect fireworks at this cost.

Stream in Rannoch Moor, Scotland. Lindy Point, West Virginia. Kirkjufell under an aurora. Erta Ale shield volcano, Ethiopia. Paris from the Eiffel Tower. The Old Man of Storr at dawn. A Milky Way sunset reflecting in the El Taito Geyser Field, located 14,000 feet high in the Atacama Desert, Chile. The difference that two days can make in Minnesota. The trail up Flat Top Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. Tenaya Lake, Yosemite. Frozen lawn. The Wonderland Trail in Mount Rainier National Park. Just up the street from me. Sete Cidades, Azores, Portugal. Sete Cidades, Azores, Portugal. Shot from a train traveling through Norway. Pittsburgh skyline at night. Colliding waves, Hawaii. Fallbrook, CA. The Great Smoky Mountains,Tennessee.

Just finished watching the latest episode E8, picking up my jaw off the floor slowly... Now I'm almost afraid to see where this whole thing is going.

A couple of pics from this past weekend's tree lighting ceremony: No sooner did they post the pics, did the video follow: http://www.loopcayman.com/content/video-camana-bay-illuminates-thousands-gather-tree-lighting-ceremony

Orgeat http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/11/how-to-make-orgeat-recipe-almond-syrup-for-cocktails.html

Some yams and flank steak, Asian style . Not pictured: brussel sprouts and tofu plus rice. Tasty.