Leaderboard

Finished up a Soekris dam1021 build. This is the new rev7 board with a lot of improvements trickling down from the flagship dac2541. HiFi2000 case, FPE panels, JLSounds I2SoverUSB v.III input, LT3045-based power supplies, direct R-2R output intended for my headphone amp, and buffered output for my powered desk speakers. My aesthetic stylings and DIY skills haven't advanced even the tiniest bit since 2010, but I like the brutal elegance and minimalist functionality. Most importantly, it sounds really nice.

It's been a while since I built something goofy just for the sake of building something goofy. This is a JFET buffer pushing a stepup transformer (LL1674) to a 71A parafeed output stage using some custom Lundahl parafeed outputs. Tubes are CCS loaded with CCS driven filament supplies and shunt regulated bias. HT PS is choke input with a small regulator before the CCSes. The driver PS is dual Jung regulators. Sounds lovely other than for the slight hum that eludes me. It's surely something stupid that I won't find without rewiring the whole thing.

Everything in F360. Since that part worked out I threw caution to the wind and did the top of the coffee table.

Rolling to the course.

First test part cut with Fusion 360.

SR-X9000 (flagship model with new fixed electrode MLER-3) officially announced in Japan - MSRP 693,000 yen - Official release date 8th of October, 2021 - Mesh stators (used in SR-X Mk1 and SR-Omega), diaphragm area 20% larger than SR-009S - Lighter aluminium housing with tilt guard mesh structure, 434g weight (excluding cable) - Stainless steel arc assembly - Detachable cable (2.5m and 1.5m length supplied) - Paulownia storage box https://www.phileweb.com/news/audio/202109/16/22761_2.html Looks like a modernised SR-Omega, cheapest domestic price 623,700 yen here: https://www.fujiya-avic.co.jp/shop/g/g200000060690/ US price 6200$ EU price 6850€

I've also been introduced to Avishai...

It was a great day. Winds for the second half of the ride were a bit painful but we all made it and thanks largely to you guys, fundraising was another huge success.

So Colin and I heard from someone (@grawk, perhaps) that Costco had some OK-ish steaks. Slim pickins, but we found some that didn't look too terribly bad. Wagyu cap, seasoned with salt overnight and left on a wire rack in fridge, then hit with ground peppercorn before hitting the Weber. It didn't suck.

I'm thinking a full-power iPad mini is going to be a great fit for a lot of people. Going to upgrade the kids from XRs to 13s at Christmas and just deciding on color for my 13 Pro Max -- the new blue is a little too powder puff and the gold is OTT, so I guess we're back to the good old black or white?

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.

and

Happy Birthday, Andrew! Time for a new business card to pair with with that birth year wine?

Hey Birgir, are you feeling ok?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/photography/interactive/2021/photos-nikon-small-world/

The reviewer mentioned bass strength/realism. Result of the 20% larger drivers? Will listen to these on 9/23. Can’t wait!

he was my favorite comedian for a very long time.

This is a shitty copy of what I consider to be one of the best jokes of all time, and what I think about when I think of Norm.

They are not as focused as the 007's so the sound stage is more diffused, the bass isn't as impressive and not quite as much detail either. More than anything, this is just a different approach and won't supersede the 007's for me. It's nice though to have something different at times and it's not annoying after a while (like the 009's for instance) or just crap like the Voce.

I'm sure we could do a comparison like that.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-29661446.amp Thank you, Scotland.

I think the best of the phones they just introduced is iPad mini.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1r3g2TAtBUaBdiMorTWX7yYgeJ7maQbYW?usp=sharing new link, files uploading includes all new zip files published since the first upload.

Sorry, CS. Was on my cell and hit the wrong button. So sorry for you loss. Doug is indeed correct. Lost my old girl about 5 years back so I know the feeling.

Yes, that's something that the SR-Omega has over the SR-009 as well, even shows up in measurements. A comparison against an SR-Omega is in order, probably in a few months' time when / if I'm given the chance 😉 Fujiya Avic video [Full English translation amongst the comments]

No damage thankfully. It was funny though, Mary was on the phone talking to a friend who lives 24 miles away and announces the earthquake. The friend says "I don't feel anything" and three seconds later she feels her house shake.

That really sucks. Almost ten years battling cancer without ever disclosing it. RIP Norm

Is it a new iPhone? I bet it's a new iPhone. Did I get it right? I literally LOL'd at this.

stax mafia electrostatic portable in the works. would need the bias adjusted for the shure headphones.

Gig Salads (Chinese Chicken / Rice)

While we're on the subject of chocolate, that is a native word in the Mexican Indian native language of Nahuatl. As is avocado and tomato. 🍅

Holy crap. I have waxed poetic about the golden era of Eat Static many times, especially on my radio show. The period from 1993-1995 when they had Steve Everitt working with them in the studio resulted in the best music they ever made. 'Static has been a Merv Pepler solo project for years now, and he occasionally strikes musical gold but it's never quite like the classic era. I have just about all of Eat Static's material on CD and/or vinyl. If I live long enough, I'll eventually get around to writing reviews of their better material. One thing I have never bothered to get is the PAL-only VHS tape they released in 1994. There was a time in the late 90s when I worked for an institution of higher learning where I had access to world format conversion decks (these things were insanely expensive, like $3500 in 1999 dollars) and could dupe tapes to my heart's content. Of course at that point, Discogs did not exist, eBay was in its infancy and I had no way to get the tape. It's now on YouTube in its entirety and ...it's okay. The video effects are amusing, but very dated. They're little more than fodder for a 1990s rave "acid wall" of TV sets. Weirdly, there are a handful of exclusive track on that video tape that have never been released elsewhere. This is odd as Eat Static have put out a number of anthologies over the years. I happened to look at Eat Static's social media for the first time in months, and discovered something amazing. They're re-releasing Abduction and Implant both as 3CD sets. They're ...expensive. 19GBP each + shipping form the UK (translates to "oww, my arse!") https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/eat-static-abduction-3cd/ https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/eat-static-implant-3cd/ Across the 4 bonus CDs on these pair of 3CD sets are just about all of the Everitt-era Eat Static, including the tracks from the Intrusion VHS (which, as I said, have never been released in another form.) I have everything except the Intrusion stuff, though I have never seen the remixes from the Gulf Breeze EP released in a digital form before. I have the original vinyl of course and FLACs of someone's needle drop that I got off slsk ages ago. The packaging on these sets is glorious. It reminds me of riding my bike in 1994 or so, to the local Media Play record store which had a weirdly good electronic music section. There I got Implant, Abduction and the US pressing of Epsylon with the bonus tracks from the Lost in Time EP. I'm not entirely sure HOW, but I am going to get both of these re-releases. Warning, copious porn below:

Sharing more bacon adjacent pizza.

Chet Baker Let's Get Lost

Trending #2 - right behind the Apple event. (edit - Trending #1 - over apple) And this was a clip that I was looking for.

a quick game than anyone other than birgir or orientexpedite can play. look at the amp board above. now look at some of the other pictures of the real amp board. anyone know the 4 required major components that are missing? First one gets 10 booby points. hint: https://www.head-case.org/forums/topic/10783-megatron-electrostatic-headphone-amplifier/?do=findComment&comment=551186

I’m not sure my favorite Norm moments, but there’s something to be said about relentlessly attacking your subject.

I cannot seem to stop watching clips. David loved him

Apple . Innovation. Eventually.

On a semi-serious note the inclusion of a 3x optical zoom lens on the Pro phones is actually interesting to be. I use the telephoto lens on my ancient XS Max all the dang time (just 2x) and more capability there coupled with the wide-angle side of things is great in my opinion. I'm edging closer to the idea that my phone really has replaced 99% of what I'd use a traditional SLR or mirrorless camera for but with kids and sports I keep creeping back towards the dark side...

ohhh.... portable carbon level for my Shure KSE 1500 me hoping.

Forgot to say - keep the chocolate McVities in the fridge. Double delicious.