The Monkey

Here's my situation. I am using my iMac as my transport, feeding either my DAC1 or (more frequently) my HR Balanced Desktop w/DAC. I use iTunes to manage my collection. Most of my collection is 256 AAC due to the fact that I used to do a lot of portable listening and I like to have my whole collection on my iPod. But recent meets have finally hammered into my head that it all starts with the source. So, I think I need to start reripping lossless. But here's the rub, I also want to keep the lossy rips for my iPod. So here are my questions: 1) Is there a way to split up the iTunes db such that I could easily flip between my lossy and lossless collections, or do I need to keep them both together? 2) My internal HD is 250 GB. How are the rest of you computer as source people storing your tunes? External HD's? 3) I know that there isn't a whole lot of love here for the DAC1, but I happen to like it. That said, I'm interested in opinions about clearly superior products in the same price range. 4) Any other suggestions about how to approach this project? Thanks all.

The Senn HD 25-1 is a pretty solid portable closed can.

I will stuff my face. Happy all.

What are the specifics of the changes to the RS-1?

The latest beta of audioscrobbler now seems to work. Is iScrobbler better?

Last.fm does not yet play nicely with Leopard.

Have a good one Numbers!

I'm looking for an external HD for my iMac. Will be used for backup and storage. Looking for 500GB. Recommendations appreciated.

It appears that my initial offer was deemed a bit low.

I will buy them for $2700.00. Thank you.

Happy b'day, Billie.

They hit those developmental stages just in time on purpose: self-preservation.

I had my tonsils out when I was 20. Based on my experience, the pain should be worrying you the most. You won't even want to touch solid food. Make sure you are given an adequate supply (read boatload) of painkillers.

I really do love it. I'm tempted to send it to HR for the stepper, but I am concerned about not being able to find the sweet spot even when playing with the gain switch. The knob on my HR keeps falling off. Maybe I'll replace it with a big phat gold one.

I heard the Apache with Senns at the NYC Meet last weekend. I was disappointed. I don't think it sounded horrible, but it was lifeless and dull to my ears. I like the build quality, but I don't like the whole black and gold thing. Also, I really disliked the stepper. I felt that each step was too far apart (though I didn't play with the gain setting) and I heard a distinctive click on each step when music was at low volumes. I prefer, by a lot, my HR Balanced Desktop, but I suppose that's a biased opinion.

Jude's Facebook status indicator:

I drank black & tans with my brother most of the evening. There will be pain...

I'm taking tomorrow off and heading out for beers with my (younger by 12 years) brother tonight. If I make it past 11pm, it will be a miracle...

Thanks everyone!

You'd think I would have been able to remember it was a CD3k. Anyway, I thought the CD3k/Woo5 combo sounded pretty good. I had not spent much time with either before, but I thought the Woo5 did a nice job of taming some of the CD3k's highs. The Woo had a satisfying, liquid-y sound; very tubey I guess. That tube lushness was nice to hear, especially as my gear is almost all ss. At the same time, I thought the Woo sounded a little sluggish on the bottom end. Overall though my impressions were very favorable. The build quality is very good, and I like that the amps are made in NYC. But I did not like the volume knob and pot. They felt cheap to me. I guess it's "competitively" priced, but it's still pretty damn expensive to me, especially when you factor in the 300b costs.

yup, thanks USG.

Has anyone used Herbie's Big Fat Dots with their loudspeakers? Any impressions?

Nick, here's what Jude posted on the Head-Fi Facebook Group page:

lol, the first rule of head-case.... And I've only had 2 beers. Sorry, Nick, what Nate said.