saint.panda

In case you're considering buying one, I had a second batch Meier group buy HE90 that was originally purchased by headfier carlosgp (not sure) and still had the channel drop out problem using Stax amps. Sennheiser subsequently fixed the problem for free.

He knows

My self-esteem just reached rock bottom because I've never been contacted by a manufacturer for a review.

The only problematic point I see is that if it's all benevolent and all that, why the promoted mod is supposed to be updated and improved compared to the publicly available version. Certainly, Jan Meier did the same by posting the schematics of the HA-1 online and then went on to sell iterations of it. But the difference is that he didn't start the whole thing by praising the HA-1 beyond good and evil. Why not divulge the improvements to the public. Yes, it's not necessary, it's not wrong, just feels a bit akward.

By the way, I don't think the Opera can really compete with the high end. I preferred the Headcode by a long shot.

I know what I would vote for if the poll was about the longest waiting time. Although I'm not sure if the SS1 might not even beat the Headcode in this category.

Woah, looks great.

The longest was probably around 40 when I had to finish my high school graduation paper. I don't think I could handle more than 2 days without falling asleep at some point against my will. During some exam weeks, daily sleep was reduced to 2-4 hours a day but I need at least some sleep to function properly.

Looking forward to the impressions.

Make that the wikipedia entry for "pwnage". Epic

This is tiring. If you're looking for respect or a few laughs, you're more likely to find them on headfi.

Done. Hopefully it won't look suspicious.

Oh man you should. Fantastic series.

I wouldn't have a problem if he were offering the mods based on what he posted in previous threads - in which case it would just be a somewhat expensive but totally legit service fee - but what stinks is that the current version is supposed to be incrementally better than previous ones, and, of course, with that info not being available to the public. That's like giving out shareware.

I've heard the Opera on many occassions: it's a nice amp, smooth. Not the best soundstage and PRaT. Frankly, I even found it a bit boring although the owner, JaZZ on headfi, really likes it. I preferred a pair of balanced HD 650 directly from the XLR out of an Apogee Dac over the Apogee connected to the Opera using the Apogee's line out. Since I haven't kept up with the latest amps, I wouldn't know what would be better.

Balanced HD 650/600s from a good amp are really, really nice and you wouldn't be making a big loss if you wanted to resell them should you decide not to keep them. They're more sedated than Grados, but maybe you'll like them anyway. At least give them a try since it'll also be a good reference point for further buying recommendations.

Awesome

My Stax experience is somewhat limited but so far but the Omega II is the only one that I really like (so much that I actually bought it). I had the SR-404 with the SRM-303 about a year ago (and also heard it with a T1) and preferred my HD 650 setup at that time, which was similarly priced as the 404/303 system. I also never grew fond of the two Lambda variations that headfier JaZZ has and which I've heard on numerous occasions. I think it mainly has to with how the Omega II is voiced.

There are too many ageing jazz greats to see them all, and a lot of the ones I saw somehow failed to meet expectations. The jazz line-up sounds great, but if I had to choose between Lloyd and my favourite c-pop star, I'd still go for the latter (backstage or not). Then again, if he pulls off a concert a la Lift Every Voice, I'd really kick myself for not going...

Shit, sorry to hear about the accident. Get better soon.

Some stuff I have in my links list which hasn't been updated in a while so some of the links might not work anymore. Some of them are more like articles and interviews but still quite interesting to read. The later links to pyschoacoustics related information are more technical Rane (lots of good stuff here): http://rane.com/library.html#rnotes http://rane.com/digi-dic.html Road to Audio Hell (The concept of

I'd also go with the SR-225.

I'm re-reading Patrick French's "Tibet, Tibet", a very balanced and personal account on the Tibet issue. I brought it to China in case I would get bugged from all sides about the current events, which is exactly what happened. It's funny how you get shown quite different footages on CNN and Chinese TV, which says something about both.

I rather liked the K181, much more balanced than the K81, which is already pretty nice except for the overwhelming bass. Do you mean the K81 or K181?