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The Aeras was a delightful listen, and it was both both bold and appropriate to have it available for a side-by-side audition with the T2 (and the DIY Soekris DAC and SR-007Mk1 were just the right showmates). The Aeras seemed to lose very little in sound (a little bit of top-end extension/air and perhaps some bass solidity) while shedding 80% of the size and dozens of pounds in comparison. The build and aesthetics were absolutely top-notch for the production unit. This is an extremely attractive proposition for city and apartment dwellers, or those with generally limited space for a dedicated headphone system -- literally a smaller desk footprint than some Stax amps or SRX-Plus builds while having near-T2 performance levels.

Some people have been asking for specs on the Aeras, so here they are... Input: XLR – Accepts balanced or single-ended (with grounded RCA to XLR cable) Input Impedance: 50K x2 Gain: 1000x Frequency Response: 1Hz – 60KHz Max P-P Voltage: 1500VAC Max RMS Voltage: 1000VAC Output: Stax Pro-Bias x1 Vacuum Tubes: 6S4A x4 Power Consumption: 100W External Dimensions: 19 cm x 34.3 cm x 14.2 cm (7.5” x 13.5” x 5.6”) – W x D x H Weight: 5.5 Kg (12 lbs) Mains AC: 115/230VAC Switchable

Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier I saw Rebecca listed as one of the top 10 crime books on a list somewhere so I was intrigued. I’ve also seen it on lots of people’s bookshelves over the years. About halfway through I was not convinced. It felt like a gothic romance novel and I wasn’t sure where things were going. What an ending though! I loved it. It’s place among the great crime novels is well deserved.

Figured out I am just as bad at bandsawing as I am at the other sawings. Tried to build this but found even with the 1/4” blade I could not cut smooth curves like the YouTube guys. Also managed to combine CA glue and wood glue when mounting the handle, then walked away without cleaning up squeeze out and left myself with a glue line I cannot manage to sand or chisel.

Photos from Inside the Russian Invasion of Ukraine https://petapixel.com/2022/03/01/photos-from-inside-the-russian-invasion-of-ukraine/

Now watch Hitchcock's film version. Claire needs to watch it a couple of times every year, and I can join for at least one per year. 😁

Size queen!!!

Had the first parent visit on school campus since things got bad with the pandemic today. Saw the classrooms, met some teachers in-person, etc. Good to see Esmé is paying attention in music class.* * BTW, Adopt Me is a favorite game, though I guess it could be a cry for help.

I’m going to post this in its own thread as so many people are asking me for X9000 impressions, and it makes sense to have them somewhere where they are easy to find. I was also going to take some pictures to add to this review but I’m just wiped. Might add some later if these ever present storms let up for some good light. I’ve now had the SR-X9000 here for over a week so time for a writeup... as my email inbox is full of people asking for just that. 🙂 First impressions were very promising, the build quality is superb, and those drivers are just a marvel to behold. I do like the new replaceable cables even, though it is a bit of a copy of the King Sound setup, and they really should include a 2.5m cable and a 5m one, the 1.5m makes no sense to me. The earpads might be a tad too big in terms of open area for their own good but they are well made and comfy. That new arc design is also excellent, far better than the 009 mess. The inspiration from the SR-Omega is clear but the build quality here is far, far better. Same loose feeling fit too; they mostly just hang off the head with minimal clamping. I really like how they drew inspiration from them, but I also have some issues with how that was executed… more about that later. The system I’ve been using them in is my main rig, Denafrips Terminator DAC feeding a Carbon CC all being fed from my main PC. Now for the sound, these are clearly voiced in the same direction as the 009/009S but not as horribly colored as those two. They sound open and lively with decent bass and the forward slant is there but far better than the predecessors. I remember thinking… “these are what the 009’s should have been 11 years ago” so yeah, not bad at all. For some recordings they really work but yeah… a few tracks in and the cracks began to show. A bit of a backstory, I’ve likened buying Stax to being in an “abusive relationship” for the last 15 years. Back in 2007 they brought us the 007Mk2’s with all of their issues. Sure, they could be fixed easily enough with some blutac but yeah it was a sign of things to come. At CanJam it was confirmed there was a new version of the 007Mk2’s out and they were even worse (the Mk2.5 as we called them), the blutac helped but could not fix the terrible voicing. Then it was announced a new flagship was incoming and the SR-009 landed in 2011. Now we all remember the clusterfuck that was, drivers failing left and right and forward sound with pitiful bass response… yeah, I’m not a fan. One bright spark was in 2014 when I got a new set of 007Mk2’s and they had clearly been changed for the better. The port finally kind of worked and the voicing was more like the Mk1’s. Then we got the limited edition 009BK (2016?) which I found to be a small improvement over the 009 but still that same sound and finally the 009S is 2018. Less said about them the better, quickest I’ve ever sold one of my flagship phones there… That brings us to the present and since the wait for the SR-X9000 was so long, I had time to bolster my collection to compare against them. I got a used set of 009S just to make sure I didn’t like them (that was still the case), a Voce (not arrived yet due to some shipping snafu’s) and finally the one I really wanted, a SR-Omega with early 007 Mk1 drivers. I had a set a decade or so ago and it’s really the only set of headphones I truly regret selling. I also got my final set of Audeze CRBN’s to compare against the new kid on the block. I had a lot of fun doing so and after a few hours I gravitated to a direct A-B test of the SR-Omega/007 against the X9000. Makes sense as they are a similar idea, put a more modern driver into that same basic housing design. That did reveal the two main issues with the X9000’s, the bright edge to everything which is just borderline annoying and more distracting than anything. Second are the imaging issues… First off, the brightness, with the 009’s they were really intolerable, and I’ve never been able to just sit down and enjoy a listening session with 009’s. It’s not that bad here but it’s always present. Some tracks it just blends in and becomes part of the sound while on others it stands out and takes away from the immersion. What makes it worse is that there is no logic to which tracks have that edge to them, bright ones which I would expect to have it… well it just blends in while darker ones have it. Must be a resonance issue as there is so little damping here. Now with the imaging, I think Stax made a mistake having the outside screen angled like that. On the SR-Omega it is perfectly parallel with the drivers but on the X9K, it is maybe 3mm further out towards the front. This or some part of the driver structure might be the culprit for the odd imaging. Let me clarify, they throw a large soundstage but it’s very much a “three blob affair”. Nothing wrong with that really but it’s the front imaging which sounds off for me. It’s all a bit to distant and boxed in while not being as focused as the 007 soundstage. When you pick up on it, it becomes very apparent and distracting. As comparison, let’s take the SR-Omega and SR-007Mk2. The SR-Omega throws a wide soundstage but it’s all a bit loose and diffused. Now the 007’s (all of them really) have a much tighter, more focused soundstage which also does something unique, there are layers to it. With the SR-X9000 it’s more like the SR-Omega (which makes sense) but more localized to the three blobs and the middle one has that odd boxed in effect while being a bit distant. Now other than these two things, these are well made and high performing sets, but these two things annoy me enough for them to not make my top/best ever list. The SR-007’s are more laid back and “darker” but also more neutral and truer to the original sound. The SR-Omega/007 is a more fun and looser version of that sound but those slight deficiencies just make them a welcome change, doesn’t make them any less neutral. They simply act as a bridge bringing those two sounds together, absolute purity of the 007 with the more warm and loose nature of the SR-Omega. I feel I should also talk a bit about the new kid on the block, the Audeze CRBN. Now I’ve had a few of them here, prototype units to the final production version and it really is the antithesis of the SR-X9000 is terms of fit and sound. The CRBN is snug as it hugs your head with thick and supple earpads. The sound is far more damped so it is darker but still very open and expansive. Now they aren’t perfect, they have that slight issue with the midrange presence due to the heavy damping, but it is minor overall. They are really what the HE90 could have been back in the day, more diffused than the 007’s but with proper bass. Nice way to tie back the 007's were always being compared to the HE90 back in the day. Lastly, how are they to drive. Well… as one would expect with a driver this size, they need a lot of power to behave. That brightness will quickly get out of control, especially at higher volume levels when the headphones don’t have enough power behind them. I’ve only tried them on a couple of amps so far so I’ll need more time with that, but I’d say powerful and neutral amps will suit these just fine. Conclusion/TL; DR These are good but not as good as they could have been. They are too forward sounding though not as bad as the SR-009, 009BK or 009S. I crave neutrality over everything else, the headphones should just present the sound with as little an impact on it as is possible. If they fail to represent a part of the spectrum, that’s fine but if they add something… then I have a problem with it. The brightness and imaging issue does disqualify them due to that, but I will keep them around, nonetheless. With some material they work well and plus I’m in a collecting mood… 😉 I'll probably add to review later on as I spend some more time with them. Finally, I’m going to be a bit cynical and think Stax are doing this sound signature on purpose and not for the obvious reasons. This is exactly the type of sound which grabs you on a quick audition or impresses the useless audio reviewers out there who don’t know any better. Back in 2002 the 007’s got no love at all as they are the definition of “unimpressive at first audition”, let along not many amps around at that time which could drive them. Stax are clearly now trying to make money and not audio purist just trying to make the best product possible, nothing wrong with that, so I’m glad this wasn’t a complete hack job like the 009S.

Have an amazing day!

We’re launching a new company – Eksonic – along with our new amplifier called Aeras. Launching an audio company is something I’ve had in the back of my head for many years and I’m proud to be able to bring a passion to market. I've been building my own version of the DIY T2 for quite some time now and have long hoped to capture the spirit of the beast in a smaller single chassis design that's more accessible to many. We think we've accomplished that with the Aeras. Aeras is the result of endless hours of circuit design and analysis, brainstorming and many iterations of prototyping and testing. Our initial users have had great things to say about this new amp. We’re going to be launching the company formally at the NYC CanJam later this month. We’ll bring our DIY T2 along with the Aeras so people can hear them side by side. I hope to see some of you at the launch

What is that, the TiVO logo?

Mini-review of Colombia Decaf Rainbow by Metric Coffee. On the bag they put notes of apple cider, caramel, and citrus. At first blush it seems like "just another Colombian EA decaf" but I think it's in the leading 30% or so. As a pour-over you can expect a fairly interesting decaf, with all of those aforementioned flavors. It's not particularly complex but is a very approachable coffee, great for sipping. As an espresso, the most accurate form of apple cider I can think of is those Martinelli's apple ciders -- very apple juice-like, with some spices but definitely mostly the former. If you want shots redolent of apple juice and don't want extra caffeine, this coffee is hard to beat.

I can remember at around age 14, our heating oil tank running dry in February. Not only was it dick shriveling cold, but our water well pump was also heated via heating oil. So of course the pump froze. This required bringing up buckets of water from the creek in the backyard, which was only partially thawed due to the speed of the running water. Not having enough time to heat the water, we'd dip our heads in the bucket, lather up with shampoo then my Mom would pour this freezing water over our scalps to rinse. It felt like a million tiny, frozen needles. Good times!

Yaya Kim, a.k.a Yaya Epic 3 volume, 140+ minute album Korean vocalist, variety of styles, mostly jazz/nuevo tango/alternative/crooner/??? RIYL: Sade, Joss Stone, Rhiannon Giddens, Sheena Ringo, et al I think the 2nd volume is my favourite, but I've been listening to it piecemeal, so haven't fully digested the 3rd yet.

Doesn't matter how big the tank is if you let it get very low and cannot schedule a delivery for several days. When I was in Watertown MA our apartment oil tank ran out a couple of times and it sucked. Glad you survived, Knucks.

Issues: 1) The headband can twist out of straight-line, minor design flaw. 2) The CRBN has a serious "e-fart" issue. I first tried listening to them right when they arrived, and the temp/humidity of my room must have been too hot because just having the two pads lightly touch each other created serious distortion noises. On-head, even a minor touching shift caused a thunderous cracking noise. I'm giving them another go now since the temperature dropped ten degrees, and the effect is minimized but still apparent. You need to put these on or off your head very carefully - the sound it creates is 85+DB right next to your ears. Other people who were asking about this: this is not normal for any of the Stax models (6?) I've owned. I contacted Audeze to make sure this isn't a defective unit because it seems insane to think they thought this was acceptable for a commercial product. First impressions sonically: The CRBN is sonically a step down in terms of clarity/soundstage and an even more significant step down in detail/separation from the Stax 009S. The CRBN has less bass than I expected too; the Sr009S is not that far off when I use the Carbon amp. However, that's the "on paper" look at things. CRBN has a totally different game they're playing. The presentation is so diffused compared to 009 that it has an extraordinary "filled-in" effect. As mentioned before, the bubble of the soundstage is perhaps half(?) the size of the Sr009s, but it has the illusion of seeming like it can create sound in all directions within it (up/down, diagonal), where the Stax sr-009s is more like a straight string from ear-to-ear, and images appear highly separate on that string. I heard a song on the CRBN where an instrument moved from the back of my head to the front ... don't think I've ever listened to any headphone capable of such an effect. Instruments blend together, but in a musical way that enhances the harmony. Voices, for whatever reason, cut through the separation better and sound tonally correct. I find myself less fatigued, tapping my foot more, enjoying music. This headphone has a lot of soul.

Ended my 5 day "IRL surivial horror" run on less than 1/4 of a tank of heating oil. I successfully got my driveway plowered and a full tank of oil delivered this morning. I had my thermostats set to 53 degrees since Friday and was running a pair of 1500W electric heaters just to keep the space manageable. Would not wish it on my worst enemy.

Home made, Thai Yellow Curry with Salmon.

I'll be there showing off our new amp Stop by. We're in the Majestic room.

Thanks. The Aeras will sell for 5,995 Euro and $6,695 USD. The euro fluctuates against the dollar, but we'll keep the pricing as is, unless there are some larger swings. We're going to offer a show special of 10% off which I can extend here as well through mid-March

Thanks guys! The "we" is my cousin in Greece. He's got a great manufacturing background, which is important since we're looking to do the primary manufacturing in Greece.

V for Vendetta Why so serious?

I just learned I only have months to live. This is what I want to say I’ve been a journalist for more than 60 years. So after doctors delivered the news, I sat down to do what came naturally, if painfully: Write this story. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/07/21/magazine/i-just-learned-i-only-have-months-live-this-is-what-i-want-say/

As the title says. For those of you living under a rock, Bandcamp has been the single best site for artists to sell their music to discering fans for many years now. The artists get their payment immediately and the fans get their choice of DRM-free downloads formats (which is to say, FLACs). Epic Games is an at-best questionable entity that owns the money printing machine known as Fortnite and the Unreal game engine (which can be used for good or evil, but usually the latter). Epic is partially owned by Tencent, who are an arm of the Chinese government. This is a bit like ...ca 2001 Microsoft buying mp3.com, but worse. It's like Yum! Brands buying Five Guys Burgers and Fries. I do not understand it, but I really don't like the sound of it.

Knew someone years ago who had an oil company show up and deliver to a hookup for a long removed basement tank. Flooded the basement. House was a total loss.

Voltskool gets it. My tank is 275 gallons, but "out is out." I discovered I was quite low when I got back from Gloucester two weeks ago. Many phonecalls and much runaround from my oil company and they said "we can't add you to the schedule this week" which turned into "over two weeks" when all was said and done. That had the negative side effect of pushing any potential deliverly to the far side of this little blizzard we had here. I don't have a regular plow guy. I haven't in years. Trying to find one mid-season is the stuff of nightmares, especially as I live in the northern tip of a large (by MA) standards town and many outfits that claim to service my area see my address and say "lol too far away." I'm lucky to find the guy I did. I've used the same company for over 20 years. In the first half of the 00s, I had them install a new boiler (this house still had its original 1967 unit at that point) to the tune of 8000 Dubya-era bucks. They have taken a huge hit in terms of competence in the last few years. They delivered the previous tank of oil I ordered to the wrong house. My next door neighbor got himself an unexpected fill up (how that got paid for is still a mystery to me.) That little kerfuffle lead to a day and a half of back and forth phone calls where I slowly got moved up the chain of staff at the oil company until I reached someone who had a clue what was going on. "It was a new driver. He said he had the right house because he heard the dogs barking and was on the brick paito. Are you sure you tank meter works?" I have a concrete patio and ...zero dogs. Also, the house has been here for over five decades and hasn't, you know, moved from that spot. This is to say nothing of me being a customer for over two decades. Last time I was in the oil company office to pay a bill I noticed they had wooden American flags for sale, made by some local craftsman. These flags were quite huge and quite expensive. One of them was the "thin blue line" bootlicker flag. TBH I should have taken that as a warning sign and jumped ship right after. It's a good thing I'm moving out of this house.