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  1. 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
    61 points
  2. What The Hell Happened to Head-Case?!?!? TLDR version: The datacenter that the head-case server is located in sustained a power outage on April 4. When the backup generator kicked on it caught fire and that lead to the fire suppression system (a fucking water based one!) kicking on and causing water damage to equipment. The head-case server was in the 'more affected' area of the datacenter and as such was offline until early in the morning on April 24. For further details on the incident you can see here: https://webnx.com/outage-updates/ You may be wondering why during such a long time the site wasn't simply migrated elsewhere, this is a fair question and the answer is simple. As this is a hobby site the backup process hadn't been properly verified as working in quite a while and the latest verified backup was nearly a year old. Migrating the site and loading it from that last verified backup would have meant losing a years worth of content. This was not a valid option and until I could confirm that the drives in the server were dead I wasn't willing to restore that old of a backup. From what I can tell there has been no data loss but I don't currently have a full report as to what if any hardware needed replacing to get the server back online. Due to that lack of info, I don't trust the server and I wouldn't be surprised if there's some additional downtime due to hardware issues. The Future A fresh backup at the time of this post has been taken and moved off-site. Over the next week or so a new backup process will be put in place and verified. After that is done it's very likely that the site will be moved to a new hosting provider. Further details about any move will be provided at the proper time.
    45 points
  3. Finished... Back plates before I mounted them...
    31 points
  4. It started with repairing a badly damaged shangri la jr driver 2 years ago, I almost rebuilt the set from the diaphragm to the stators,and of course the dust cover😦 The first thing I discovered is that the 'nano-technology' used by hifiman actually comes from the covering used by indoors aircraft model enthusiasts,the name is OS film and it is still available on ebay or https://www.indoorffsupply.com/shop/os-film-25ft-roll-1 the driver of the hifiman estats is completely glued which is similar to the early stax lambdas, but hifiman glue is significantly worse...after opening the driver i found that they only use OS film for their dust cover, the diaphragm is another PET film ~ a little bit thicker but with much better strength. In order to repair the diaphragm, I found a seller on Alibaba who can provide samples of Toray PET film with thickness below 2 microns at an acceptable price,and use the inner tire stretcher to stretch the film like any other diy estats ,Then test it with a 10" subwoofer and minidsp umik-1 to find proper F0. conductive coating is another serious problem,I've tried quite a few methods including antistatic agents like licron crystal, ANTISTATIK100,floor cleaner,carbon-based coatings such as graphene, and alcohol-soluble nylon, even tried nano-silver wire solution and metal evaporation...Some of them are sensitive to humidity, some arcs,some are ridiculously expensive, some have uneven surface resistance distribution, and some are sensitive to temperature changes. Yah~ finding the proper conductive coating is the most difficult part especially for a layman. unexpectedly, I tried to search for hifiman patents, hoping to find something useful... here's a patent showing that they used some kind of metal oxide nano particles as conductive coating for their estats. emmm,very interesting...🙄 By consulting with chemistry professionals, I decided to try a solution called ATO (antimony doped tin oxide), there are many antistatic agents I have used before have ATO ingredients though. I got some ATO alcohol solution at concentration around 10~15%, it works really well, and coating appearance is somewhat identical to hifiman diaphragm! The last thing is to repair stators. hifimans probably use #150~300 brass mesh and solder their edges to a 2mm thick aluminum base plate PCB board, then glue the rest of middle part. I've tried tensioning those brass mesh with embroidery frame and manual screen stretcher,but it is not tight enough to stretche brass mesh in this way, the mesh itself is too strong to tighten it up... then I found some brass sieves with different meshes on taobao and these machined copper screens are perfect for making DIY mesh stators... after everything's ready,i desoldered OG brass mesh, cleaned the copper foil, applied low temperature solder paste, and carefully soldered the new brass mesh with a heat gun. During the process of repairing shangri la jr, I started planning to make some bigger mesh stator estats... of course,the target is its big brother shangri la SR😈I received a set of the first batch of shangri la sr made in 2016,here is the headphone inside,yap~inherited the tradition of hifiman with such horrible workmanship...😱 however,SR sounds not as technical as the X9000 though,but with more pleasant and passion. SR uses 3mm thick aluminum base plate PCB instead of 2mm on JR version,2 black things in the middle are to prevent the diaphragm from attaching stators,The D-S gap is around 0.7~0.8mm(thickness of glue included) which is identical to JR version,active area is close to 6400mm² ,that is pretty large diaphragm size for a commercial product though,but less 5300mm² of area on stator allows air to pass through. I tried to use the 3mm FR4 board as mesh holder at first time,however,mesh stator disassembly is not an easy job...therefore,I changed to use 1.5mm brass plates as the mesh holder and glued the copper mesh to it , brass mesh is also replaced with higher # red copper mesh for more convenient adhension. I spent most of time adjusting the tension of the diaphragm and finally found the tension needed for F0 similar to OG SR ,the clone driver has a slightly enlarged diaphragm(6839mm²) ,0.73mm fr-4 pcb spacer, and everything is screwed to the housing cover. The frequency response of clone and SR are generally similar,but the sensitivity difference between the two is about 1.5dB actually,SR is more diffused...clone one sounds a bit more clearer. SR has obvious recession between 1-2kHz,it may be caused by a sealing problem in the space between the driver and the earcup.... It's unlikely to be solved without EQ, but it doesn't sound as bad as it looks from the graphics. one more thing... Every shangri la must have a throne , so I made one for my mutation🤣
    30 points
  5. I have been getting back at this..working up to a limited run of these as the STAX SR-X9000 and Audeze CRBN have made that need to happen. But the chassis is extraordinarily expensive and difficult to produce, so I am working at ways to fix that. Also need to put it on the scale, thought it was 45lb but feels more like 60lb haha. It's really not that big of a footprint (13.5x18), but it makes the BHSE look like a toy. Power consumption is 190-200W depending on tubes, with 90-100W of that being heaters. The bottom of the amp is ice cold and the top is pleasantly toasty. The first 3 stages have recessed slide switches on top to switch 6.3 to 12.6v heaters, so common tube types are: 1st: 6SN7/12SN7, 12AU7 and many others w/ 8 to 9 pin adapter 2nd: 6SL7/12SL7, 12AX7 and many others w/ 8 to 9 pin adapter 3rd: 6N6P, ECC99, 12BH7A, possibly others such as 5687 w/ pin-out adapter 4th: Emission Labs 20B-V4
    29 points
  6. Finally done! I regrettably sold my previous KGSSHV Carbon a while ago, this one’s not going anywhere soon. This is a 400V, 19mA version, using the ground plane amp board, Sumr transformer and Goldpoint V47 attenuator. I bought the heatsinks from China and had all the drilling and panels done at Front Panel Express. I pulled out the Canon 5D from the cupboard for some tasty shots.
    29 points
  7. Arrived yesterday and it really opens up every electrostatic headphone that I own. I was looking for an amp that can bring more bass out of my HE90 than HEV90 so I drained my pocket to bid on this and now I am very satisfied. The hev90 has a romantic sound but the t2 amplifies every piece of detail, expand the soundstage to what ever possible with extreme fineness and sweetness. Buying any head-fi gear at this price is ridiculous but considering the previous closing bid I think I got a fair deal. And it is so rare to have T2 being sold alone. I do not need another pair of omega so this deal saves me a lot of money. But this amp's functionality in long run is questionable. I hope my handful of obsolete FETs stock will save me some pain when I need to fix this in the future.
    28 points
  8. It's been a month but the CRBN is finally here, well this is actually the second set I've received. First set was one of two units to have an assembly issue which Audeze have now identified and fixed. I sent that one back and they sent a new one out. Now these are loaner sets but if I want to keep it, I will buy it. Just wanted to make that clear as I always own everything I tear down. The first set was setup to make it easier for me to take a peek inside so the pics I'll post later, will be of that unit. They are identical though and to say the CRBN looks gorgeous... well that would be an understatement. First thing that came to my mind when lifting out of the sturdy aluminum flight case, was a comparison to the Hifiman Shangri-la jr. Similar price range (I paid 4000$ for my set back in the day) and by comparison the Shangri-la looks like a 200$ Aliexpress special. The carbon fiber headband, the forged carbon earcups and nice thick leather earpads. Yeah, this is for sure no Hifiman product and it really puts Stax to shame with their shitty SR-009 headband design. Not that I was expecting anything less from Audeze but the attention to detail is nothing short of exemplary. Nice long strain relief on the cables as they enter the cups, the quality of the Stax plug, the sheer comfort of having these on the head (even with my melon of cranium) and the list goes on. The only issue I could find with them (and it was true of both sets) is a rather strong chemical smell as they are fresh out of the box. It doesn't bother me at all but it might bother some so best mention it. In terms of amp requirements, they are rather power hungry. It was a clear design choice to make them a bit less sensitive so the amps need to be pushed further in terms of volume level but it's nothing extreme. I had a KGSSHV in my system when the first unit arrived so I kept that to compare against the new one. It drives them just fine but the Carbon is a better choice with roughly 4 times the power. I would place the KGSSHV/KGST as the baseline for them to get excellent performance and it only gets better from there. Now it's been only been an hour or so with this second set (a few days with the first one) so it's early but first impressions are great. To keep it short, it's what the Sennheiser HE90 could have been but never managed to do. The CRBN has that same ethereal, diffused quality but with far more midbass and bass presence. They are not the bass monsters which the 007's can be but there is enough there and they are not bright or forward sounding at all. I'll post some more impressions later and the teardown pics as well.
    27 points
  9. 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.
    26 points
  10. Here's a new twist on my T2 build. I've added both the HE-90 jack as well as a custom built Teflon HE-60 jack with appropriate voltages/resistances. This one is in black chrome That's the back of the power supply...
    26 points
  11. It's been a long week so not a lot of time to sit down and listen to the CRBN but when I've done so, they always deliver. No issues at all like the first set had and they are very comfy for a couple of hours or so. I'll try to sit down for a few hours straight but they are so light and the earpads so supple that I don't foresee any issues. It did take me a while to get used to the more diffused sound stage as I thought they were off balance a few times. Just the different presentation playing with my head... I'll take some more time until my final impressions but how about some teardown pics instead. Now do remember that this set was headed my way and Audeze knew I would tear it apart... so they were nice enough to not fully adhere the earpads. That's why they have the paper backing on them. First shot showing the gorgeous carbon shells. Earpads off showing the baffle and the nylon screws which secure the baffle to the back. The 3M adhesive they are using for the earpads is very strong so these are no easy headphones to get into. The earpads are very thick and some of the nicest I've ever seen so I don't foresee having to replace them anytime soon. Another shot showing the (phenolic?) baffle. Now remove the screws and the set comes apart, the baffle screws through the earcups and into the back piece. There is quite a bit of foam behind the drivers but it is very open. Audeze were shooting for a fairly high damping design so this makes sense. Here is the frame with the foam in place. That small dot falls off easily which is good, that means no adhesive in place to make a reflective surface inside the foam. The back cover is a very nice piece and I like the use of fine mesh to keep most things out of the cups Now remove the foam from the picture above and we have the back of the driver. They have gone for connections through the structure to the different elements unlike say Stax who take it all to one point. Nothing wrong with either way of doing things. Here you can also see the construction of the cable which is woven and it feel like it's two triple strands from the Stax plug, up through the cable split and into each cup. I do wonder how much capacitance braiding the cables like this does add to the system (a flat cable always be superior in that regard) but its similar to what Sennheiser do on the HE-1 and Mr. Speakers on the Voce. Far cry better than the crap Hifiman call a cable... on a 18k$ set of headphones though. Another shot the driver free of the earcup. Same thick woven material used for the dust covers front and back. Side profile showing just how thin the driver sandwich is and also its MRI safe roots are evident. Not a whole lot of metal in that, similar to what Sennheiser did with the HE series back in the day. The HE60 was just two pieces of extruded plastic, painted gold and then the mylar stretched onto the frame. Kinda funny to see this approach compared to what Stax are doing with the SR-X, ever more complicated stator designs whose benefits are not quite clear. Last but not least, the very nice plug on these. That is aluminum and then molded plastic... very nice indeed.
    25 points
  12. We'll have a prototype of the new GS-X mini at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest next month!
    25 points
  13. So Tice removed a deck at his job site, which is Armistead Maupin's former home. In his genius he recognized it to be Brazilian Ipe that was only screwed down from one side. The new owner eventually agreed to give the boards to the contractor and Steve's bosses gave them to him. Claire has been asking for an outdoor chaise lounge so Steve donated the Ipe and his skills to the project. Here is what the boards look like without any work and then a progression from weathered (as received) to planed to sanded and then to oiled with Tried & True linseed oil with beeswax. We chose a design from Restoration Hardware as the basis for Claire's chaise and essentially winged it from there. Here is the original and the final product with a side table, finished just before our vacation but built to last for many years. There is no stain or pigment in the oil so the finished look truly blew us both away. Thanks Steve for supplying the wood *snicker* and the knowledge and know how to make this come together.
    25 points
  14. I helped this guy move into his new place in Mayberry.
    25 points
  15. Every now and then I receive emails where people want free review samples or some stupid shit like that. Now then this gem showed up today: I just like the blatant offer to offer promotion and clearly a glowing review for a measly 45% discount... My reply is below... Kevin told me not to be too harsh... I think it went ok.
    25 points
  16. My own Carbon, not going anywhere... IMG_6585 IMG_6590 IMG_6592 IMG_6593 IMG_6595 IMG_6596 IMG_6597
    25 points
  17. Finally, I’ve had some time to sit down and dot down my final thoughts on the CRBN. They’ve been here for a couple of months, but I really wanted to have a Carbon CC up and running to try them on before I wrote anything final. I rustled up some pretty ghetto front and back panels this week, so I finally have one for my own system. Feeding it is a Denafrips Terminator DAC but I’ve tried it with a number of other sources plus whatever amps I’ve up and running at any given point, KGSSHV, KGST, CCS modified Stax amps etc. Now I want to start with how it’s been living with them for the past two months, in a word flawless. No issues at all with this second set, no imbalance, noises from the drivers… nothing like that. They are also supremely comfortable, and I’ve worn them for hours on end with no discomfort. Now this is Iceland so not exactly warm and the all-leather earpads might be an issue in warmer climates. Audeze might make hybrid pads like the Sennheiser HE60/90 but here I just open a window to cool down... 😉 Also, a word on driving them. They are inefficient and do need a lot of power. Anybody claiming otherwise is just full of it and thinks gain and position of the volume knob has anything to do with power levels. They are not quite 007 bad in this regard but they do reward a more powerful amp when pushing them. Baseline for excellent performance would be the KGST/KGSSHV line but even with the CCS modified Stax amps they work well at moderate volume levels. Push them though and yeah… you need power behind them. So how do they sound… well TLDR, how I’ve always wished the Sennheiser HE90 should have sounded but never did. These were my first impressions, slightly oversized soundstage and not as precise as others but far from the mess that is the HE90. Plenty of deep, well controlled bass too but not quite up to the 007 level. They can get bright when the source calls for it, slightly excessively so at times, but far from the forward nature of the 009’s. The soundstage is a bit larger than life, but it makes for plenty of presence and separation so while not pinpoint accurate, they are very close to it. Overall, they are just so balanced and pleasant to listen to regardless of what you feed them. Now for the only real issue, the damping is something which has annoyed me more and more. Now as some might know… I’m a bit picky… just a tiny bit… 😛 and while it is not always apparent, some songs or parts of them just sound off to me. This generally true for every headphones I use so I remove all damping when I can. Also, a large part of why I like the 007’s so much due to their innovative air damping. Now on the CRBN the damping is damn good, but I can still tell it is there. This is not like the Sennheiser HE-1 for instance, where that bloody amp with its mosfet based output stage and joke of a front end just spreads its dirty fingerprints on everything. This is far more subtle and only affects some tracks so for instance, it is too closed in when it shouldn’t be, bass has a twang to it that shouldn’t be there… something like that. This is a very minor gripe, and this is me being super picky so take it as you wish. Still, I’d love to try these drivers with less damping… 🙂 So, this aside, there is so much to recommend here. They are certainly not cheap but just holding them you can see where the money has gone. Plug them into a good amp yeah, they will impress. The only issue for me it they have rekindled an old project, take some LCD-2’s and fit them with custom electrostatic drivers. Anybody know of a cheap set I can buy? 😉 Now I’ve not received my SR-X9000000000000 yet so I can’t compare them but on its own the CRBN is a great product. They are not perfect (what is?) but as a first stab at making electrostatics, they are damn impressive. I’m adding this set to my collection, and they are certainly in my top 5 all-time greats. I really must say they are a breath of fresh air as the releases over the last few years have been such a disappointment. It really has been a 10-year slump now so here’s hoping we get something excellent over the next 10 years.
    24 points
  18. This morning I put the final touch on the silverware chest that Steve and I have been building by installing the insert that holds our silverware set. I bought it from Rockler and designed the chest around it. I'm proud of the chest and think it is beautiful even though it is not completely perfect in every way, and I certainly never could have done it without Steve. We made the chest from a single large board of jatoba wood and it turned out to have some twists and warps that were a bear to manage. Also, it has high mitered corners and my design idea was to wrap the grain from the left side, across the front and continue onto the right side. The lid is also mostly a single piece with sides formed by the sides of the box and an ebony border around the insert. It was by far the most complicated thing I have ever attempted and Steve claims the same for himself. I am going to post a bunch of pictures of the finished product, but not the blow by blow building shots as I did with the dining table from last month. I don't want to bore everyone and I don't have many photos anyway. The only two parts that I am going to highlight are the lid and the horizontal routing we did to make an ebony inlay on the edge of the drawer opening (which covered a mistake we made earlier). The lid piece was too big for my router so I had to build a router sled and route it that way. The first pic shows the setup with a dummy board, the second the jatoba board while being routed, and the third pic down shows the board after routing and a first sanding. It was a cool exercise. The horizontal routing was done on the router table Steve and I built, which can be tipped 90 degrees so that the bit extends outward horizontally, duh, and allows for tenons to be cut precisely. It worked great to make a slot for the ebony insert that is exposed when the drawer is pulled out. Lastly, here is the box when we glued it up with the lid still part of the box. Steve's plan all along was to build it this way and then cut off the lid an inch down from the top so that it would fit together with the box perfectly. It worked to an extent, but the twists and warps in the wood made it much more difficult to accomplish and not quite "perfect." So, the rest of the pics are just the chest in some detail to show the continuous grain wrapping around the three sides, and the ebony accents and the handles that we made from ebony as well. It was anxiety inducing and I definitely lost sleep along the way (covid is to blame as well), but the results are pretty fabulous imho.
    24 points
  19. Today was a very special day. They say, never meet your heroes but today I met the man, the myth, the Legend of the Spritzer. I flew down to Reykjavík to deliver the first production RR1 to ever leave Indian shores. It was an honour to meet Birgir, I still remember reading his posts 7-8 years ago when I got into the hobby and owning an Electrostat seemed unfathomable. So, delivering my Headphone to the STAX Mafia is an occasion to celebrate. Had commissioned 2 custom KGSSHVs. Our primary Amp of choice for upcoming shows. Really fortunate to be lucky enough to visit Iceland. Even though it was a short business trip, will be back with the family someday.
    24 points
  20. Moving day! New furnitature looks amazing in the new place. Hat tip to @Hopstretch who sold me his family’s old dining room set. My old apartment was too small for a dining room table so I’ve been eating meals at home on the couch or at my desk for years. Now I get to eat at a table like an adult. Feels good, man!
    24 points
  21. It's been a busy week for sure. My second Cousin has a lawn care business in Rockport, TX. He has lots of equipment and He, his Dad and I have been clearing trees, brush and trash all through his neighborhood, as well as temporarily tarping roofs. There are many elderly residents that just can't do it themselves. So we're filling a need and helping them get some piece of mind. It feels great to see the relief on their faces and the shock when they try to pay you and you tell them it's part of the massive volunteer effort underway. It also keeps my mind off of things I have no control over. Being a carpenter and letting people know what is reasonable and what is an obvious scam is also very rewarding. This place is already seeing those that travel to prey on others in dark times, and I'm determined to thwart as many of those as is possible. I'm safe and sound, eating well and generally in good spirits. Not yet sure about my next home options, but I'll figure that out in the near future. I have offers from past customers to stay as long as needed, so no need for any kind of panic. I am considering this event as motivation to get my ass out of Texas, and back to California, where I belong, but that won't happen overnight. Just so glad that my Mother is in Alaska and not having to witness the devastation first hand. She went through it in hurricane Celia in 1970, and that's why we went back to Alaska. Not sure she'd handle it well today. I miss all of you and will be back on a regular schedule before too long.
    24 points
  22. I posted a Chinese version of this article several months ago and now I translated it and put it here. I guess some people here will be interested. I hope you like it. Actually I have some more articles like this pending but I just don't have the time to write it up. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It all started about a year ago that a second hand sr-omega popped up in the local community. From time to time omegas show up on markets around the world but this one is different: an omega with 007 drivers installed. When the drivers are replaced, such omega drops its value to a fraction of its original. The seller listed it for 48888 RMB initially and sold it for like 20000 + at the end. When I first saw the listing, the first thing that caught my attention are neither the price nor the 007 drivers but one accessory laying aside, which is a pair of dead drivers I have never seen before. At first sight I know that it’s a prototype, a true unicorn that probably only one pair exists in the world. I am so curious on how it sounds and how it compares to 007 or 009 or the original omega. I messaged the seller right away and after some persuasion and explanation that I can give this driver a next life, I got it at a reasonable price. And it has become one of my biggest regret that I didn’t also purchase the omega itself that time, otherwise I can put it back into the place where the drivers belong to. Here is the driver itself. From this driver you can see several innovations made by Stax that has never been seen in other Stax models before it. The diaphragm is identical to a normal omega but the electrode is totally a different creature: copper plate similar to lambda sig etc. but much more refined. Over different regions of the electrode the thickness is different. The thicker copper comprises of the # pattern skeleton to give the rigidity while the thinner copper is perforated. You can see the same topology on 009 and 009s where they claim to have the MLER welding technology employed on the electrode. But this omega prototype electrode is in one piece and just as thick as a credit card. Furthermore, they rounded the edge of the perforation like what Stax does on 009S. Stax even make a sectional view illustration graph on their 009S promotion leaflet. Such treatment helps sound to radiate. To me it’s really impressive to see some characteristics of a flagship model today on a 30-year-old design. I wonder what the R&D department has been doing in these years But afterall it’s a prototype. It does have some problems: this electrode is too thin to give enough rigidity and prevent bending. They are curved to 5 o at most. Moreover, the area of attachment between the frame and the electrode is too small. It just peels due to aging. I see such defects in some modern designs too. Although its reasonable to have these issues because its 20+ years old, it does reveal that the one who designed it is not thoughtful enough. Perhaps that’s why it was never released to the market except the one on my desk. Besides the defects the design has, the driver itself is at a very bad condition. The drivers have been exposed to the external environment, so dust gets onto everywhere. The one who does not properly seal the package probably has never imagined that this driver will be repaired. It’s a pain in the ass to make the driver dust free again, especially when they are on the very fragile diaphragm. Normally I don’t accept requests to repair an exposed driver and I will give a new quote to clients who send me an exposed e-stat without telling me in advance . But I own this driver and I can bear the risk so that’s OK. The four electrodes are bent in different direction and magnitude as well as having detachment and failure of epoxy. Taking it apart and bent it manually is the only way out. It takes a lot of skill to bend a bent copper plate. Like you have to apply a certain amount of force on the copper and then you check how you have bent it by eye balling or a ruler, and you repeat this process a dozen times on one plate. You make it worse if you don’t know how. The most challenging part of it is that how much you bend an electrode actually affects the sound pressure on one side of the driver so at this point you just have to guess. I have neither the tool nor the file of the design, its all hiding in somewhere inside Stax’s archive library. At most of the time repairing a e-stat is more challenging and troublesome than making a new one. Aging will just make everything a mess and sometime you have to wipe the ass of someone who does not make the design good enough to withstand usage. Solvent removes dust and grease on the driver. It gets much trickier when it comes to cleaning the diaphragm. Effectiveness of a method to clean the diaphragm is an issue when there is just too much dust, not to mention the risk that you will break a diaphragm by puncture or sketch. At the end I decided to clean the diaphragm with solution. Although it will damage the coating, it means nothing to me as I can recoat it anyway to replace the old one which is probably damaged anyway. Cleaning done. They took away the dust screens so I have to prepare these as well. Last Step: assembly, the most important part of all steps. This several hours of work determines how long a driver can last before imbalance or noise occurs. Its my duty to make sure every edge and surface inside the driver is dust free. If not, dust will eventually get onto the diaphragm at some point in its service life and short the electrode and the diaphragm. Practically if the pollutant is much smaller than DS gap 0.5mm then its fine. All these procedures are done in a dust free environment. Soldering work Omega adopted a spring mechanism to connect the bias supply to the diaphragm. It is shaped like a tuning fork and it is odd (photo credits to audiohobby .pl ). I tried to make one but it just can’t grip firmly. After some days of having this troubling me I figured out a way, using HD600’s spring and I glad that it worked, at least for now. I used 007 cable, lambda sig headband, cnc machined and anodized aluminum casing and tailor made earpad. I am a proud Omega owner and I shipped the earpad for a clone. The result is satisfactory. I took away the back grill for inspection but I am kind of regret because I cannot put it back. The general sound signature of this omega prototype is somewhat identical to the original: natural, airy, transparent and clean. Its free of unnaturalness which can be found on 009 (please forgive me if you find this statement irritating, afterall the perception of sound is subjective). It has a larger soundstage than 009 for sure but I think 009 has more details than this one slightly. To me this prototype takes a midway approach between early-SN omega and Late-SN omega. It has a bit of the sweet coloration of an early omega while having much of the naturalness of a late omega. I found that early omega has a huge, diffused soundstage while a late omega has some in head effect which is unpleasant to me. Luckily this prototype is more on the early side. But still this prototype is different from the two regrading the proportion of width and depth of soundstage. I can’t explain more because I haven’t AB compare yet. What amaze me the most is how the prototype omega differs from the typical omega in the dynamic and bass region. The normal omega gives me an image of mellow, soft and relaxing in the bass region. Although 009 and 007 has better bass and impact I like the stress-free presentation of the original omega. The only thing omega put stress on me while I am wearing it is its price. In the prototype omega, I feel an enhancement on the impact, the speed and the amount of bass. Perhaps it’s the reason why they create this prototype, to improve on what the original is lacking. The density of imaging of sound also improves by a bit. Be caution that I cannot remove the effect of the different earpad and casing on the overall sound comparing to the original so the effect I mentioned above might be due to them. Despite all these merits, there is something lacking in this prototype: The openness of soundstage and the super-revealing details on the original omega. If omega scores 100 and 009 scores 85 in the aspect, I will give a 95 to this prototype. The transition from mesh electrode to plate electrode seems to be a double-sided sword. I remember in one of the Stax staff interviews they explained on Pros and Cons between mesh and plate electrodes. You give up something to exchange for another. Nothing is perfect unless you pay a double.
    23 points
  23. Just put up some shelves and cabinets in the shop space preparing for making things again!
    23 points
  24. I'm alive! Don't worry about me, I'm safe and dry and my dog Suzy is by my side. The rest is all solvable. Made it down to check damage. My RV is in pieces, but that's just stuff. I think my scooter is OK, and my wormdrive saw is OK. I'll need both as the destruction was massive. Many people far worse off than I. And lots of work ahead. I've had several offers from the best people on Earth (Head-Casers), to put me up and I love you guys! I'll take some time to decide my next move, but have options. I should qualify for a FEMA trailer, and may do that. I might decide that Texas doesn't want me around anymore, and try a new start. Too soon to know yet. Either way, my spirit is intact. A true Alaskan can never be beaten by Texas! What is most important to me are my Mom and my Suzy, so things are good. Suzy is a bit freaked but otherwise fine. As long as I have them and my HC family, I can make it through anything. I'm learning to use my cell phone for Head-Case, so bare with me.
    23 points
  25. I finally got the last plate machined. I had to replace the spindle on my CNC and also made a mistake on the CAD so had to redo this plate, but it's looking great now.
    23 points
  26. Had a really good service for my Brother, with an amazing slideshow. Several people told some great stories about him. Just really nice.
    22 points
  27. 22 points
  28. The Cherry is lighter than the speakers, but will darken quickly next to the window. I have a vented front plate coming for the top space. The cooling fan sits in that space, and is really quiet.
    22 points
  29. This is going to be tl:dr for many, but Steve and I have delivered the first completed project from our Shelter Shop. By far the biggest woodworking project I have attempted, and both Steve and I are very proud of the results. Steve, Claire and I promised to build a dining room table and bench as a wedding present for Claire's sister and her new wife. Here are some pics during the process of building through yesterday's delivery. I forgot to take pictures of the 8/4 (aka 2") cherry wood boards before we started milling them down, but the lumber was excellent. We only ended up with one board that was twisted a bit, and we were still able to use it. Here is a board after some planing for thickness, and you can see the planer snipe several inches from the end, which we cut off anyway. After planing and then jointing an edge, we chop sawed the boards to rough length and then cut them to width on the table saw. The top is four boards and the bench is two. Next, we cut in mortises on the mating edges of the table and bench boards to receive floating tenons. I forgot to take pictures of that process using a Festool Domino machine, but you can see the mortises in the first picture below. That is the two halves of the table top being glued up before gluing them together later. After everything was glued up and cured, we used a track saw to cut them to final length and width. All edges have a 15 degree angle, which turned out great. Next up was sanding and finishing. We sanded from 80 or 120 through to 320 grit, and the cherry was smooth as a baby's butt. We then applied two coats of raw linseed oil followed by two coats of Tried and True original finish, which is linseed oil and beeswax. Ultimately, we also put on a coat of carnuba wax because Thos Moser does its oil finished furniture that way, which is good enough for me. Here is a piece of raw cherry next to the bench top with some linseed oil applied. This is the bench top after the first coat of Tried and True. This is great stuff that Doug introduced me to, and I love. You don't even need to wear gloves it is so natural and your hands feel better after applying some than before. We bought metal legs for the table and bench from a seller on Etsy, and they turned out to be even better than expected. We decided to rout out the underside to accept the base plates, and we also used threaded metal inserts so we could use machine screws rather than wood screws. It is very sleek and worked beautifully. We assembled everything at my house to make sure it was all good, then wrapped it up with moving blankets yesterday for delivery. We haven't been around my sisters in law for a couple of weeks so we took precautions and wore PPE. The table and bench look pretty stunning in place, and like I said, Steve and I are very pleased with the outcome. The happy couple are even more thrilled with the finished product and have been obsessively looking for the perfect chairs to complete the set. The cherry will darken over time and will only become more beautiful. Another great thing about the Tried and True finish is that it can be maintained with an occasional waxing, or it can be freshened up or repaired if necessary without the need for stripping the original finish first. From buying the lumber on March 20 to installation on April 5 is pretty quick work. Now, we have to finish another project already under way, and then move on to other projects. This Shelter Shop will stay busy for the duration, assuming we both stay healthy. Thanks for reading if you got this far. 😁
    22 points
  30. Not today, but yesterday. Completed the Kelly Brush Century for the second year running. Trained hard, cut about 30min off my previous time and had a ton of fun with the same group of guys that I've been doing these rides with for the last 7 years.
    22 points
  31. Hangin' out at Tyrion's place....for buds, brisket and brews. Got CarlSeibert back into action.....
    22 points
  32. In progress Amp design by me, power supply designs and circuit board layout by kerry, support by birgir +/-300 volt power supplies. complementary push pull all bipolar design with cmos style multiplying current mirror.
    21 points
  33. Built a Megatron. Seems to be the perfect amp to build during the seemingly unending shortage of 10m90s. I used up my final few pieces of 10m90s and C2M1000170D for this simple build, and it gave me some mild anxiety and regret for not hoarding up those sands. However, the build experience and result are worth it. Build process and after thoughts I started off with a pair of generic chassis from Taobao. 32cm wide, 8cm tall, 35cm deep. Silver and black anodised aluminium. They weren't available in other finishes but this looks clean enough to me. They do have some minor scratches and dents if you look hard enough though. The casework was done by a laser etching service provider I found on Taobao. The end result was a clean and modern appearance. Inside the PSU are a pair of +/-450V GRHV, +/- 15V GRLV, delay board and a 270VA toroidal transformer. The idea was to create a PSU that can be used by both the Megatron and the Grounded Grid amp units. These components fit the chassis nicely with little room for a third GRHV board for the 300v rail for Megatron. Outputs are split into AC and DC outputs. Transformer specs: The heatsinks for the amp unit were probably redundant since most of the heat comes off from the top. The amp board could probably fit into a smaller and lighter chassis, but I chose the same chassis as the PSU just so that they can stack. The amp build was straight forward and relatively easy compared to a Carbon build or any of the KG dynamic amp builds, due to the low component count. I did not use any boutique components in this build. The coupling caps are Wima, and the voltage rail decoupling caps are Siemens. Volume pot is an EIZZ-style stepped attenuator, internal signal wirings are pure copper. Special care was taken when routing the heater filament wires to avoid hum. Amp testing and adjustment was simple. Just ensure the all the rails are as spec'ed and that's about it. The voltage offset settles automatically after power on. No need to fiddle with any potentiometer when the amp is powered on, so it is much safer to test than the Carbon or the T2 family. Sound I used the Megatron with ES-1A, and here is my impression of the Megatron after comparing it with GG (on the same PSU), Carbon (450V GRHV 15V GRLV) and Mini T2 (triple GRHV). Currently I am using the Megatron with a quad of Mullard XF2 and PSVane EL34PH. The front end tubes are all Valvos. The sound of the Megatron is warm, slightly thick in the mids, and non fatiguing and airy in the treble. It sounds very natural and the imaging is holographic with good recordings. While it is very detailed, it does not ruin joy if the recordings are of poorer quality. Older or poorly mixed recordings have a smooth timbre and organic vibe when heard from the Megatron. While the Megatron's treble is not as extended as the Carbon's, it complements the overall signature to create a very complete soundstage and convincing sense of separation and space. What makes the Megatron standout from crowd lies in its low end - it is an amp for bassheads. It has by far the most THICC bass compared to my other amps, even more than the Carbon. The bass extends as deep as the Carbon, but the Megatron has a nice lift in the mid bass that makes my ES 1a slam extra hard. Listening to EDMs and fast pop tracks on E-Stats is finally satisfying, and I can finally stash away my planars. Carbon is like an antithesis to the Megatron. Carbon is like a clean cutting razor with little tolerance for inaccuracies where as Megatron adds a lot of joy and flavour into the listening experience. Carbon also sounds a little linear. Although the stage is wide, it is not as deep as the Megatron's. GG sounds more organic than Carbon in general. The GG's signature is quite dependent on the tubes. With the XF2s, GG is warm and clean, but doesn't deviate far from the Carbon sound. The bass isn't as tight and fast, and treble could sound stiff and slightly shrill with the wrong tubes - such as the re-issue Mullard EL34. Mini T2 sounds slightly leaner and cleaner than the Megatron, and has a much smaller bass. It is as enjoyable a listening experience for me, but the Mini T2 was much harder to build - by sheer component count. Tube placement and choices Placing the EL34s in this manner shown below allows one to use two matched quads of EL34 if matched octets are unavailable. Initially I used cheap Linlai tubes for the front end and had issues with sound imbalance and hum - turned out that the tubes were the culprits. Switched to some cheap NOS and the issues were gone. So my advice would be to use well built tubes from reputable makers. The 12AU7s affect the sound significantly. The option to roll tubes makes Megatron extra fun to use. More photos of the internals and the back of the amp coming up soon, when I am more free. I would say that the Megatron is my favourite amp - until I build the T2.
    21 points
  34. I've always admired this group. The hobby and community got me through some rough times, even when I didn't say I was going through them, but just coming here and laughing my ass off at the shenanigans was enough to brighten up my day. It's been a while since I've been around, and life definitely throws some unexpected curve balls. I got married a month ago. I'm moving out of my apartment to a new home, where my wife is going to help me NOT turn the place into a man cave, but make it cozy and welcoming. I'm in love. When you know, you know, as the saying goes. Things change, people, change... I think I evolved leaps and bounds the past year in so many aspects. I've been packing for my upcoming move, two weeks away. Been having fun going through a lot of my audiophile gear that at some point I stored away and forgot about because another flavor of the month came about. I was remembering the meets, the trips to Cigar City in Tampa, Hunahpuh days, etc. Good times. I guess I just wanted to drop by and give thanks to everyone. Nostalgia hit hard. Fun times! Good stuff.
    21 points
  35. Got the single stitch taken out of my eyeball today. Tested vision at 20/15. Everything is healing spectacularly.
    21 points
  36. Second coat of finish. I still have rack rails to install, to hold the gear. The holes are vents, which will get black mesh behind them.
    21 points
  37. Finally got around to finalize my Megatron, fitted into one chassis with GRHV.
    21 points
  38. 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.
    21 points
  39. Took Suzy for her two week follow up with the Vet. I really like this Dr.! She's so thorough and so caring. Suzy is looking fantastic. Everything is normal and she's lost two more pounds. Just 3 lbs. to go for a healthy weight. She also got Suzy caught up on her vaccines today, and that was very reasonable, and without any office charge. She will need her teeth cleaned, but she can wait until February, which is dental month and $100 off.
    21 points
  40. Had dinner and great conversation with Doug, Todd and Nate tonight! So thankful that they made the drive down. Humbled by that gesture! Such a fun evening, and it doesn't get much better than this. Great friends and great food have become so important in my life! In honor of Stretch, I had pork belly for the first time tonight. Thanks again guys!
    21 points
  41. With permission, then, here's the story. When my mom passed away in 2011, Steve made a beautiful box to hold her ashes and it was very special to me and my family. Claire's mom's memorial and internment is next month and I had been meaning to ask him for another favor but it slipped my mind until just days ago. Being such an amazing guy, Steve immediately said yes and started work the next day. He's already finished a turned lacewood urn and will ship it tomorrow. Claire and her sister are thrilled that their nature loving, conservationist mother will not be put in the ground in a plastic box, and of course I am eternally grateful to Steve for his beautiful work and friendship.
    21 points
  42. 20 points
  43. First 2 chassis just arrived. Getting it tested!
    20 points
  44. Been working on this for a looong time. CFA3 from scratch mixed smd/thru-hole design. Currently assembled with NOS Toshiba 2SC3381/2SA1349 inputs, NOS MPSW TO-92L thru-hole transistors and bcxxx for the smd. Power consumption 75W no fan. Linear PSU with 20,000uf/63V filter capacitance — custom golden reference regulators. Final dimensions are 12x9x4.5” / 22lb+ the motorized 48 step attenuator w/ remote and display was a last minute addition. definitely interested in finding out the feedback for that, but would want it built backwards for a final design, I think.
    20 points
  45. Further along in converting the garage to a proper shop, they poured the concrete for the foundation wall today. I had to leave a mark while it was still wet...
    20 points
  46. This has been a killer of a week for me so I'm late with the impressions. Then all of sudden we had a holiday today so I finally have some free time. I'm too lazy to find my camera so I'll take some pics later. First off, this is set nr.4 so I very much view it as a "work in progress" but...they are pretty awesome. From the first impressions and until now they keep reminding me of the SR-007. Clearly power hogs (I measured the system with stock cable at 160pf) too and a bit dark sounding. Now in my book this is a welcome reprise from all the bright models out there now. Doesn't mean the treble is subdued or anything like that, it is just not as apparent as with the L700 or 009's for instance. This also gives it a fuller sound and well...that bass. The cups are ported so the bass could have been compromised due to that but not so here, it's deep, tight and tuneful. It doesn't match a closed SR-007 but I frankly don't mind that...I can always grab my 007's if I want to listen to them. These are a bit more tuneful with more presence higher up. One of the first tracks I tried on them is the one which 009, 009S and 009BK all fail miserably at, but no issues here. They replicate the snare drum perfectly and same goes for everything else I've thrown at them. The midrange is perfectly fine and really showcases the difference in mastering on some tracks. The soundstage is just about perfect, follows what the tracks should sound like and doesn't pull a HE90 on us. Not quite up to the layering of the 007's but then again...that is the gold standard. Overall they are very neutral and do what any transducer should do, get out of the way. For me the biggest compliment to any headphones is me willing to listen to them as well, I have a lot of headphones at hand. I've used these almost exclusively since I got them, only swapping out to do comparisons. Now for fit and finish, I have no complaints. The headband is very sturdy with nice spring steel for the main span and they fit my head nicely. A bit snug but then again, I have a melon for a head. I did bend the arc a bit and now I can use them for hours at a time. The housing is attached to the earcups with a single M4 bolt and I did experience some rubbing there. This joint wasn't really supposed to move but for my use, they fit better that way so I place a nylon washer between the two parts and that has fixed this. I've already relayed this to Aumkar who should be arriving back home soon. The only major issue I've had is with the cable or rather one of the connectors. One channel started to drop out and after some troubleshooting this was traced to the mini XLR plug. I bought some new ones and made a quick replacement cable this morning and now it works perfectly. To keep the cost down the mini XLR does work for this but yeah... I'd like something better but given the cost constraints I get why they use it. Same for the cable, getting anything which works for this is difficult and costly. The cable is still better than what Hifiman are using so yeah... I'm not too worried about that. So over all, I'm very, very impressed and I will be working with Aumkar to see if we can't improve on these small issues.
    20 points
  47. Milo and I got the speaker boxes mostly complete today. Made some round holes and some rectangular panels. Tweeter holes are in the Cherry baffles only, as they're not deep enough to need holes in the MDF panel too. Woofer holes and port tube holes in back. Cherry baffles got milled and drilled as well. And the first coat of Arm-R-Seal. The fluting is strictly aesthetics.
    20 points
  48. Here's an update on the mini. I've got the external regs running now. This thing does throw off quite a bit of heat. I've some sinks on the output transformers now, but I'd like to make them a bit larger. The regulators heatsinks are going to about 140 deg F at their peak and I'm ok with that. I was testing at +/-14V before I put the heatsinks on. The bump up to +/-20V seemed to smooth things out a bit on the top and bottom ends. I'm very happy with this so far
    20 points
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