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This memorial day weekend, I am going to skip on my teetotal lifestyle and raise a glass to the fallen, and wax philosophical about my retired-from-army-with-honors cousin Greg who passed away many years ago. I've been thinking about him a lot lately, for two reasons. A lot of guns come in FDE (flat dark earth), and he was in both Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield, so I associate him with that colour. I initially hated that colour because it reminded me of his death, but it's been long enough, that now, I only have the fond memories. I've also been addressing a lot of issues that revolve around emotional maturity (I'm not), and -- in a lot of cases -- the more emotionally mature way to handle things could be thought of as, "WWGD" (What Would Greg Do?). I'm not saying he did everything right, but his heart was always in the right place. He prided himself on retiring as (sorry, don't remember the exact rank) the highest ranking, non-enlisted rank, because he never wanted his Care for his immediate people surgically removed. He remained in touch -- not only with those he still worked with, but everyone who had ever worked for him. And they all loved him, and he loved them all back. His retirement party was insane. He was always there for people. When I needed to recover some stuff from storage, I found out the people who I hired were basically going to hold my stuff hostage/blackmail/whateveryouwanttocallit. He took care of it. I don't know what he said or did, but all of a sudden they just gave me my stuff which we had to transfer from their pods to a rental truck and they told me to take as much time as we needed. And other things, when I was looking for a new place to stay many years ago, he offered to let me live with him. Just ALWAYS. THERE. FOR. ME. So as I continue to learn how to be a normal adult with my own motivations, I continue to think about him, and what would he do in situations. I don't really have any close family or friends that I can protect, and I'm in no position to provide for anyone other than myself and my cats, so I need to find my own motivations in life, but it helps to have a high bar that I can look to. I will always support service members and veterans, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, as I'm sure that's what Greg Would Have Done. Please toast with me, and remember them fondly.

It had been too long. Detroit style dough made earlier. Now becoming... The tradition rectangular cheese and pepperoni version is already in the oven.

“We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke,” he said. “But we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.” James A. Garfield 1868

An old JVC XRCD, Count Basie meets Oscar Peterson: The Timekeepers

The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel

Al has a special place in my heart for introducing me to Detroit-style pizza.

Based on this fun performance I went back to an old classic for me - and also still remembering David - 😔 Double Vision by Bob James & David Sanborn (1986) https://album.link/i/1472334799 Example: And produced this classic example with brother Al Jarreau. I actually forgot this was on this album. I shall not forget..

Have you listened to the Steve Wilson remixes? They made CD and vinyl releases in 2018. Now listening to this Andy Bey - Ballads Blues & Bey Looks like it's only available at iTunes/Apple https://album.link/i/215944320 I got it elsewhere. Sweet beautiful music for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Hah! Finally getting through the thread. Thanks everyone (except 1)! Nate, I'll take you up on that in 3 weeks? Grahame, that was fantastic. I really thought the wheels were going to be a proper star; now I'm wondering if I can get some built up that way. Knucks, who only has 500 tabs? Rookie. Mikey, thanks! But that living long thing, that's gotta be relative, right? I wound up working, had a video call with mom and brother, then a mensa game night, then the fam got me a chocolate cake that they didn't know I'd been craving, but I'd been CRAVING chocolate cake. Rich enough that I couldn't finish a piece, so we've all been doing small slices here and there. Got lots of snuggles from the dogs, and went to bed sober and early. Tonight having Mexican at this place we like in Kirkland (no, not at a Costco, nor a Taco Bell), and then brunch at STK tomorrow. Oh, heh, and Xavier got me a new grill brush (wrapped in christmas paper and black duct tape). All in all a pretty good birthday, even if the answer year didn't turn out the way I'd hoped.

First of all I would like to apologize, as everyone knows, English is not my native language and I´m quite basic when describing sounds. Don't take my mistakes into account or be too hard on me guys. “Fragile” is considered the first Yes album that launched them to stardom and put them in the orbit of progressive Rock, a course they would follow throughout the 70s. Several issues must be considered that influenced the recording of this album. Firstly, a group of technically very brilliant instrumentalists is formed with the arrival of Rick Wakeman (Bill Bruford, Chris Squire and Steve Howe already formed a solid relationship). Secondly, the album is built with common works to which small pieces by each of the members are added where the level of virtuosity of that member is demonstrated, including a recording by Jon Anderson that was supposed to be recordings while he did warm-up exercises that overlap in a loop ("We Have Heaven"). The album was produced by Eddy Offord at a time when relations between the band and him were still bearable. Offord always complained that working with Yes meant dealing with 5 producers at the same time and that was a considerable strain on him. The members of the group wanted to control absolutely everything related to their jobs and did not stop interfering in all the work of others. The versions I have of this recording are the following: Vinyl original 1973 print. CD original release from 80s (maybe 1988) CD remastered from 94 CD version HDCD Japanese edition (90´s/00´s) CD MoFi 2004 I really want to be able to buy that new Super Deluxe Edition. I never tire of collecting these things even though some of them are just simple complaints. Next buy sure!!!!!! . Vinyl original 1973 print. My favorite edition. Listening this album with the DL103R (or DL301) is a pleasure. With newer cartridges (and more expensive like the ortofon 2m black or the BM Silver) it has never seemed so pleasant to me . The Steve Howe guitars ( I love the Gibson ES-5 Switchmaster) have a very good warmth, neither too low nor too high (just right). The guitar harmonics are a delight. I miss a little more presence from Wakeman 's keyboards. It seems that the stereo effect is very closed... it doesn't give me the breadth of a Hammond. As for the Voices, they seem correct to me but with little bass. I know Anderosn's voice is high but I miss a warmer touch. As for Squire's bass the sound is correct maybe I feel like it needs a little more warm but nothing bad. The drums, I think the treble of the cymbals and the gong are very well done (listen to the interlude between "Long Distance Race" and "the Fish")... simply unique. Now as for the battery itself, although its sound seems correct to me and the stereo effect is good, so good I think it lacks a little power. In general I don't see anything wrong with this recording. As I said, I can spend hours listening to it without getting tired. Note: I have seen vinyl pressings of 80 that are as thin as a sheet of paper . CD original release from 80s Just terrible EMHO. Very sharp and noise without the warmth of vinyl, the rest of the sound spectrum is as if flattened. Sharp guitars, Anderson's voice very high, the bass and drums in the background. I have many CDs from the 80s of recordings from the 60s and 70s that sound as this. I don't know if it was due to the processors of the time, the ADC or what, but the result is not very good today. . CD remastered from 94 Digitally remastered by Joe Gastwirt at Ocean View Digital Better than the previous. They have tried to restore the quality of the original mastering and it shows (although from my point of view it has not yet reached vinyl). The noise level has dropped considerably in this remaster. This remastering makes the recording easier to listen, the treble is less aggressive and the midrange has recovered a little. The presence of some instruments in certain parts has been achieved a lot, for example the bass . The harmonics of the guitar have improved too they still seem somewhat aggressive to me if we compare them with the vinyl edition but it is clear that they have worked a lot to restore the original sound. The stereo effect is much better although it seems that the musicians are located very far in front. For a few bucks it is the best recording you can get. . CD version HDCD Japanese edition First of all, does anyone remember the HDCD? It seems that everything Microsoft touches is screwed.... Remastered HDCD by Isao Kikuchi in East West Japan It is an interesting cd. Isao Kikuchi is a Japanese sound engineer who in the late 90s and 00s worked on several recordings and remasterings for the Japanese market on HDCD and SACD. The HDCD version is far from the two versions mentioned above. My cd is a Rotel RCD1072, he can naturally read this format and decode those 4 "extra" bits of information. By the way, I would like to see a comparison between Redbook vs. HDCD decoded audio spectrums of this record. Here there is more presence of the mid-range, something that is noticeable in Howe's guitars or Anderson's voice. I feel his voice more natural, not as high. The same thing happens with the bass and the keyboard; you can enjoy more hard bass lines and a drum sound with more punch but unfortunately the cymbals sound a bit noisy/distorted and having increased the midrange means that sometimes with all the musicians playing, each instrument cannot be heard clearly. This is a shame because the stereo effect of each instrument separately is good. I´m very curious to know if the filters applied to the HDCD codification process have something to do with the roughness of the trebles.... although I have hundreds of HDCDs and very few have this singularity. As a rarity, I would say that it is fine and the recording is enjoyable if one omits the problems that I have talked about previously. . CD MoFi 2006: There are Mofi remasters that seem good to me and others not so much... and they tend to be very questionable purchases, especially considering the price at which these recordings are quoted. In this case I must say that it is worth every buck. In this case I must say that it is worth every dollar. It has the best of the previous recordings and only one bad thing; its price (I paid about 60€ for it when it was just released). If I said that the best thing about the HDCD was the restoration of the mid-range, the Mofi does everything much better: Perfect treble (the cymbals sound crystal and clear) Bruford 's drum snare now sounds and they have the bass drum attached, it can be seen present... The bass finally sounds with nuances (it sounds like a bass and not something with strings) it does not mix with other instruments and marks its lines in a very pleasant. Howe's guitar also benefits from this improvement, it is much more enjoyable and can be heard much more clearly (even when using effects pedals) and the delicacy and attack of the nylon strings on "Mood for a Day" finally appears. Wakeman 's keyboard and piano appear very convincingly as well, with more of a stereo effect, without being locked in the center. It is especially noticeable in pieces like "Heart of the Sunrise" A piece that I have used a lot for comparisons is "The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)" That intro with guitar harmonics, the wah pedal, the bass with that hammering chorus, the drum box marking the bars... "We Have Heaven" has been another piece that I have used a lot, since the loop effects with XXX's voice, the guitar, the maracas, the bells, etc... (damn, each song is full of countless little details) help I have a hard time grasping the differences. "South Side of the Sky" with that strong bass line, XXXX's keyboard adding details and forming the melody, XX's drums as support and Howe's guitar with that distortion while he doesn't stop playing scales and riffs from above to low... In short, an album that I really enjoy every time.

Bill Walton, basketball player and famous deadhead

Toast them I will...

Hmmm - That has been in my recommended section all week. I wasn't thinking of checking it out. I guess I might now. Edit: Okay, I didn't see Grahame's post. And I was an hour and 31 minutes into this thing, before I realized that it was Four Hours and Five Minutes long... Oh well... in for a penny..

Beth and I went to see the Chicago Symphony last night conducted by Neeme Järvi, doing the Mahler 2nd. Excellent performance, much better than when we saw this with MTT conducting back in the mid 2000's, although the mezzo-soprano back then (Lorraine Hunt Lieberman) was stunning doing the 4th movement ("Urlicht"). One of the longest standing ovations I've witnessed (> 5 mins). 90 minutes is a long time to sit (1st world problems).

Ok yeah the X1 doesn't suck. Some very early impressions: Small, lightweight, comfy. The fit is somewhere between supra-aural and circum-aural. The build is minimalistic but seems fine. The only thing I'm concerned with is dust and stuff accumulating on the back of the driver. When you live with a german shepherd dog hair gets in absolutely everywhere. I was wondering why my 650s crackled until I pulled a wad of dog hair out of the driver. How it got in there past all the foam, who even knows. I'm using them with a stock 007t atm. It's a bit light on power but not too bad. Still you can hear that it could use some more. The sound is pretty monitor-like. A bit light on the bottom end but not too thin. The mids are surprisingly realistic. The treble is also pretty smooth. I think the 1-2khz region is a bit pushed and 3-5 is a bit recessed, but not so badly that stuff sounds weird. You get used to the sound signature quickly and then it just sounds normal. Resolution is fine for what it is, but staging is a bit small. These are a far cry from the alien weirdness that is the L700 pre-EQ and even with my treble allergic ears I can listen to these with no EQ just fine. But they could use a bit of tuning up. I'd want them a bit fuller and 1-2khz slightly toned down. Seems pretty solid so far, NGL. I was beginning to think Stax forgot how to make something that sounds relatively normal, but here we are.

Well these have landed about 10 minutes ago: They came in a huge cardboard box with a custom cut insert and two cables were included. This is SR-003 level of thin and very much made in the Hifiman way with mini XLR's on the headphones. There is no L or R indication anywhere so I just picked where the cable wouldn't rub on my shoulders (as the phones are not fully symmetrical in the cable entry) and did a quick continuity check to see which side was which. A small red band on the cable or just a dot somewhere wouldn't go amiss here. They They are a bit bulky but nicely made, that is real wood and leather in the headband and everything feels solid. The 3D printed parts are very nice with that textured finish. I really like the "Audeze" style metal grills but I do wonder if they provide a bit too much damping. One thing I really don't like though are the earpads... super cheap fake leather with no contouring at all. They make the fit rather odd as they don't clamp all that much, so in 10 minutes they have almost fallen off my head twice. They are also stiff so the headphones just sit there, not uncomfortable but this is where some money should have been spent. As for sound, there is some damping going on here so they are rather mellow and laid back. Inoffensive springs to mind with ok bass, extended but not in your face highs and a nice midrange. I have a feeling they might improve quite a bit with better earpads and a nicer, low C cable so that's something I'll look into.

I've been spending some time with them and yeah, that overblown mid-bass is starting to annoy me a little bit. It works with some material but can be too much of a good thing on others. It comes at the expense of actual bass depth so... not really a trade I'm interested in. Still as offensive traits go for recent Stax sets... this is pretty fucking mild and I do enjoy them quite a bit. Not replacing my 207's though... So I had make a comparison for fun. I had probably the last ever B-stock Koss ESP/9X5's sitting in a box here so why not compare them against the Stax. Similar price category but the Koss build quality is nowhere near what Stax are doing. So the Koss needed some mods, gone is the cable and they now sport the setup from a King Sound KS-H4 (so removable cable as well) and those leather earpads you can get on Aliexpress. All of the stock damping material, which was minimized on these anyway, as well. Fits like a glove and it's fun to compare these two, as aside from the HE60, these are some of the lightest and easiest headphones to plop on the head and enjoy. I've always liked the Koss as it always stood toe to toe against the Lambdas and this time it is no exception. It is more neutral and laid back, a bit more relaxed than the X1 but with better bass response. Larger drivers so it has more presence to it, more space around voices etc. Speaking of the Koss though, I wanted to sit down a try the Massdrop setup directly out of the box and holy hell... what were they thinking with those earpads. I plugged them into my test setup and on the first song, "ehh where is the all the sub-bass?" Yeah, this didn't help with the BS that electrostatics lack bass...

We chose the correct joint....yummy chow EDIT: as long as someone takes their mushy peas seriously...LOL HS

I published a modification for the Stax SRM-T1/T1S/006 in AudioXpress July 2017, which is just out. The modification adds 5.1 kilohm output safety resistors and cascoded constant current output loads, which with their heatsink fits the space vacated by the plate resistors - see photo. Spritzer did something similar a few years ago with an SRM-007, adding constant current loads, but he also changed to 6S4A outputs. Unlike plate resistors, constant current loads burn up practically no signal current, so while the stock amp burns up 9.2 mA signal current in the plate and feedback resistors at its specified 300 VRMS maximum output, the modified amplifier only uses 2.8 mA driving the feedback resistors, leaving much more current available to drive the headphones. Since the output tubes are much less stressed, distortion is decreased and 2 dB of extra headroom gained. The modified amp circuit is very similar to a KGST or KGDT. This is no accident, as the KGST was designed to be “a Stax SRM-007t with no cost or retail considerations,” and the 007t is a higher power T1. The modification lacks the KGST’s regulated power supply, but larger power supply caps have been fitted. Since the amplifier is fully differential pure class A with current sources or loads at every stage, the current draw is pretty constant, minimizing power supply effects. The modified T1 can drive demanding headphones like the SR-007 Mk I, something that the stock design strains to do. The relatively flabby bass, somewhat dark tonality and soft treble are largely eliminated. Replacing all the old electrolytic power supply caps should also be done as routine maintenance. Parts cost for the modification is about $35, so total parts cost is around $100. With T1 amplifiers going for $400-$700, this is the best bang for the buck, a good starter project for someone wanting to get into electrostatic amp DIY without going to a full build.