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Showing content with the highest reputation on 10/21/2017 in all areas

  1. Thank you everyone. It was a great day. My sister (the Alaskan one, not the Californian one) was coincidentally in from out of town, so I pretty much spent the day with her -- she took me to Perfect Pour where I got my (currently) favourite whisky -- the West Virginian Smooth Ambler Contradiction (although I was hoping for 3 bottles, they only had the one), so I got a few other things. Then I had a delicious samosa made with curried potatoes and a superb chicken vindaloo. Now I'm winding down with an episode of Knucks's radio show. AND NO SHITTING MYSELF! So all in all, a good day.
    5 points
  2. so I bought a bunch of different 10mhz master reference oscillators to see if there was any difference. and yes there is a big difference, this is my favorite. a rubidium disciplined ocxo
    4 points
  3. I can fit three GRHVs in the palm of my hand. about to find out if they actually work.
    4 points
  4. Time for some impressions of this rare beast. The Icelandic distributor has a set on loan and they carved an entire afternoon out of the schedule for me to try it and do some comparisons. I showed up with the HE90 I built from spare parts, Aristaeus, Carbon amp and a port modded SR-007Mk2. Since they were using the built in dac on the HE-1, I just plugged both amps into as well to equalize the comparison. Over all, I like the build quality of the headphones. Imagine a HD800 built properly and you are pretty much there. The leather earpads are super nice and the headband has nice extension to even fit my large melon. I don't think they are super comfy though as they are fucking heavy (550gr) and all of the pressure is on the top of the head. The Stax 4070 is just about as heavy but far more comfy due to the suspended headband design. The earcups get a bit warm due to the internal amps but only about 5-7°C above ambient. The cable is also pretty nice and not microphonic at all but more on the amps etc. later. Amp itself...well it is just fucked up. I get that they were trying to cater to some nouveau-riche people who just want something expensive but the wank factor is off the charts. I also have serious doubts about what's hiding in that nice marble shell... As for the headphones them selves... well the drivers look pretty much identical to the HE90 units and the few pictures of them that exist, point to that. I wanted to rip off the earpads to check further but people get antsy with something this expensive... One worrying thing I noticed though is that both sides of the drivers have porous dust covers. They look identical to the woven nylon found on the HE90 and well...I would expect solid covers. Now for some actual impressions. As I said above the HE-1 dac was the source for all the amps. To that you have to turn off the headphones so no direct comparisons were possible but I know how both systems should sound so not a big problem there. The source feeding the HE-1 was a Macbook Pro running itunes but I bypassed that with my own FLAC files and player. There are some major changes compared to the older system, this one can do bass and isn't as horribly colored either but over all...I was not impressed and the system never made me really interested in the music. It doesn't engage like a good 007 system can, where I sometimes just sit in awe even after owning a set for all these years. Here, it just doesn't pull me in. This is clearly a midrange issue as there just isn't enough presence there. First off the major issues are the bass, treble and the soundstage. Let's start with the bass, it has this annoying hump to it sort of like the old Lambdas. I'm not sure if this is the mosfet driver (could be, the Cavalli crap boxes have similar issues) or the headphones but it is a clear coloration and once you notice it, just annoys the fuck out of me. Now on some tracks it wasn't as noticeable but always lurking in the background none the less. Next up is the treble...which is both subdued and bright at the same time. I know plenty of people complain the 007's lack sparkle and with the Mk1 this was mostly true but they could be bright if the source called for it. The HE-1 manages something different, the treble is just flat and boring but then it suddenly bites hard. Now I was listening at higher levels but still nothing super loud, only about 12 o'clock on the dial. This also wasn't like the upper midrange bite of the 009's, more lower treble fizz but the source material didn't call for this. I'm so used to listening to SR-X Mk3 Pro drivers now (which are pretty much the gold standard for treble) as they are in my DIY headphones and nope, nothing like this. I suspect the amp is a huge influence here too but no way to verify that... Last major issue, the soundstage. Many will know my stance on the old HE90 where it sounds like you are listening to some people playing in dense fog and you can't quite make out where they are. This time around it is much improved but the lack of pin point accuracy is still apparent. The soundstage is also a bit too far away for my liking and it just doesn't throw the same huge headspace the 007's can. This also affects the midrange and the whole "disconnected" feeling I got from the whole system. I once reached for my phone as I was just a bit bored listening to it. Over all I like that Sennheiser built this but they really should have spent more time on the electronics. I don't think there are any improvements to moving the amps to the cups over something like the Carbon where I can burn 50+W as heat and overcome the small capacitance in the cable. Next post will discuss the tech specs of the system but I'll end with another picture of it all... It was really dark in there and I suck at taking pictures... Now for some technical discussion. I found the specs in the back of the manual and it turns out the bias is 650VDC and the amps run at +780VDC. This makes this more than compatible with Stax so I see no issue with removing the internal amps and rewiring one of these for Stax use. I have been asked to that before but I'm really hesitant to mess with something this expensive. That said, moving to proper amps which are not just the HEV70 rehashed can only be an improvement. I've never found any mosfet device with sufficiently low Cob to work in this role so I truly don't get what Senn were thinking. Some other info, the entire amp only consumes 40W per the user manual which doesn't leave a lot for the actual amps. So we have 8 tubes running with heaters plus all the motors in there. HV supply for the tubes, another for the output stage and well...not a whole lot of power to spare here. Compare that to the BHSE, Carbon or even the T2. All of them use far more power and it is just for one goal, to power the headphones. I also played around with the amp and I could swear that the volume control feels like a RK27. No way to know but how it felt when moving to the extremes...it was just like a RK27. Now as a proper volume control aficionado... ... they all feel a bit different. TKD feels nothing like a P+G or a RK50... Until somebody opens one of these up, take it how you will. It is also clearly a volume pot and not a chip or some other setup.
    3 points
  5. Visiting Brits this weekend, so playing tourist. Went to the top of Mt. Tam, Saw San Francisco / Bay Area views I can see Skylark / rancho borago / Fairfax from here
    3 points
  6. Office upgrades from earlier today Andrew Jones makes some good speakers.
    3 points
  7. Finally found (Friday) a connector that leads directly from my local trails to my backyard. I am happy. Not that riding the 3/4's of a mile to the trailhead on the road was an imposition compared to having to drive but it's nice to be able to jump on the bike and hit the woods instantly.
    2 points
  8. It's a gift from my wife. She bought it at David Gilmour's official store. Comes a pack of 4 vinyls and 2 CDs.
    2 points
  9. Thanks dusty! It's just the man flu, so nothing serious. @ironbut i've tried my best integrating the treatments as feature of the room, so while there is no escaping the fact that half the living room looks like a recording studio, i quite like the look myself. it helps that the diffusers are really well made, so they look more like a piece of art (if you like wood that is ) i was pretty anxious how much of an effect the diffusers would have on the overall sound, but in the end they thankfully worked just as i had hoped they would, by really opening up the "stage" increasing the depth and focus of the soundstage, and overall just smooth things out. if i increase the TTD cycles (how far ahead of the impulse you ty to correct) it truly turns into a window into the recording where the acoustics of the recording "replaces" the acoustics of the listening room. Right now i am trying out the middle ground, with just enough TTD cycles to increase the soundstage while retaining some of the liveliness and "punch" of the room. (too much TTD room correction can make things a bit too smooth sounding)
    2 points
  10. Being stuck at home while sick does have it's benefits since i recently acquired some RPG modffractal diffusers. I have dragged the tv into the living room and connected it to the media-pc for a day dedicated to trying out different room correction and target settings. Different cycle length on True time domain settings sure do change the sound a lot. just a single cycle in the midrange can change the sound from being forward and aggressive to smooth and laid back. serious room correction sure is fun here is target example:
    2 points
  11. Bummer. I guess my bikes have valves that are close enough that this is a non issue, give and take 1/4 of a turn here and there. Hey Brent, you may be getting a fancy pump soon!
    1 point
  12. That is actually what makes that chuck unique in that it can accommodate tight pressures for different valve diameters. It was originally designed for Keirin races where those guys put in serious PSI. Other chucks can;t handle the pressure and just pop out. Send it to Brent if you don't like it!! :-O
    1 point
  13. Sure looks a lot less smoky than it was a few days ago!
    1 point
  14. Thanks Michael... yes, I rather like that one. As for the Dynafet, yes it uses obsolete parts, some of which you could work around: 2SJ109/2SK389 dual (sub linear systems LSJ74/LSK170 x2) 2SA1349/2SC3381 dual (sub 2SA970/2SC2240 if you can find them; not sure what else would be a good sub) 2SA1145/2SC2705 (possible sub 2SA1370/2SC3467). Don't know if the SS thru-hole transistors would be a good replacement, and would have to check pinout And the FETs. These were designed to use the Renesas 2SJ76-79 and 2SK213-216 (mine uses 2SJ77/2SK214). You can still get the J79/K216 I think, but they need to be matched (closer the better). The FETs that Amb uses for the Sigma22 will work (pinout needs checking) and apparently are much less cranky than the Renesas parts. In the Dynafet thread, I had also posted some links to threads on diyaudio listing possible replacements as well. This might not be something you would want to play with, as you probably saw all the mods I had to do to get mine to work. This has been the only amp of mine that I have been listening to though. I might be interested in your pair of CFA (CFP?) boards anyway, so shoot me a pm if you want to part with them.
    1 point
  15. Happy very belated Birthday Peter! Sounds like you had an excellent day and I hope the year is just as good.
    1 point
  16. Pure class here from all concerned. The Bahamas "banker" really doesn't know what the deal is with the Russian "model"? They hand that shit out on the first day of Money Laundering 101 ... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10/15/bankers-dumped-girlfriend-drives-mercedes-swimming-pool-revenge/
    1 point
  17. Looks great! Your room treatments look pretty textbook. They also seem to blend in with your decor!
    1 point
  18. Cool, thanks for sharing! Hope you feel better.
    1 point
  19. Test Tone @ Home live right now: http://mixlr.com/illuminator/chat
    1 point
  20. 1 point
  21. Happy Birthday Peter, You purple ramen eating, cool cat! *birthday noise*
    1 point
  22. Happy Birthday, Dust-man! I hired keyboard cat to play you some birthday songs.
    1 point
  23. Happy birthday Dusty! Have a superb day! And just for you, some Dusty Chalk
    1 point
  24. I copied this to my brother in law. He said "I actually witnessed a guy try this on a Stag Day I was co-hosting a couple of years ago (yes, in Denmark they last all day and all night). We were on Islands Brygge esplanade in the middle of a wonderful, warm, sunny and surprisingly dry afternoon and it “seemed like a good idea at the time”. Two major flaws in his plan, though. 1. He used an espadrille instead of a shoe and 2. He tried to get the cork out in one huge hit. Result? Smashed bottle of wine + glass embedded in espadrille inner sole lining = dickhead goes barefoot all day + no wine until a visit to a local shop"
    1 point
  25. After many, many years with BAT/Avid/SME YG Acoustics systems this is what my wife and I have spent the last year building for listening to records through. VPI HR-X w/12.7 arm, and VPI ADS power supply. Air Tight PC-1 Supreme cartridge. AudioNet PAM G2 phonostage w/ AudioNet EPS G2 power supply. AudioNet PRE G2 preamp, AudioNet AMP Monoblocks and YG Acoustics Anat III signature speakers with a couple upgrades. Back up cartridge is Benz LPS. Mono is Ortofon Cadenza mono on seperate 12.7 armwand. Digital (Dac, Rdbook, SACD) all done with Marantz SA11s3. Cables are a blend or Kubala-Sosna and Audioquest. Power cords are Signal cable reference and DH Labs Red Wave. Room treatment from GIK. Audio Desk Systeme record cleaner. Adona rack
    1 point
  26. Kevin, I'm guessing that being a "thought leader" just took up too much of his time Maybe the Liquid Lunch will be his next venture.
    1 point
  27. That way everyone will breathe a sigh of relief when they come in at $2999...
    1 point
  28. WHOOOO! Squared! Second channel now operating. Adjusting those pots is pretty trivial having worked out what they actually do - and having halfway decent silicon in there. I'm going to award myself a run, some lunch, and then put the front panel on and have a listen
    1 point
  29. WHOOOOOO! First channel operating!!! RV1 and RV2 do exactly what the simulation and spreadsheet says, as is my suggested way of adjustment. Outputs sitting at -4.5V and batteries at 743V. I can probably get the output offset lower than that, but I'll now concentrate on the other channel for a while.
    1 point
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