Leonardo Drummond
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Posts posted by Leonardo Drummond
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Hey everyone,
As the title implies, we just had a small meet here in Rio lastSaturday, and although I didn’t think it would be very successful at first, wemanaged to gather some great people (only two are members here, though, HugoFreire and mario_fpolis) and fantastic setups.
We had a few problems with the setups – the outlets werechurning out 130V and, understandably, Hugo’s Power Plant Premier didn’t seemto like it, and ended up blowing his Aristaeus’s fuzes. So we used the eXStatAto power the HE90 (heresy!) but, to my surprise – and to Hugo’s –, it did a very respectable job. Also, my ECD-1decided not to be a DAC anymore (got it fixed already though), and we had touse Hugo’s EMM Labs CD player and Benchmark DAC1 Pre as sources for mostheadphones. Anyways, I won’t talk much about the whole systems so that I can bebrief(er), but if anyone is interested, just ask and I’ll be happy to explainhow the setups were and also to give my impressions about what I’ve heard
Here’s a list of what was there, since there are many thingswhich don’t appear in the photos. By the way, I didn't take any of them. So all credits to Rodrigo Pita, Mario Lemos, Hugo Freire, Rafael Paulucci and Luiz Octavio Chaves!
Headphones: Orpheus, OII, K1000, HD800, D5000, SR225i, DT770Pro, SR-303, SR-202, Shure SRH840, HD650.
IEMs: JH13Pro, JH5Pro Demo, Triple.fi, Audio Technica CKS50.
Amplifiers: Aristaeus, eXStatA SS, Little Dot MKVI, MKIIIand I+, Alo RX.
Sources: Meitner EMM Labs CD player, Electrocompaniet ECD-1,Benchmark DAC1 USB, Marantz BD7004, Hifiman HM601, Sansa Clip+, iPod Classic.
To the pictures!
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Well, I'll get to listen to it in August anyways, so if anyone is interested, I'll let you know what happens!
Still, thank you all once again
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Guys... any thoughts on the Meier Audio Eartube?
There's a very good deal on one here in Brazil now, and I'll have the opportunity to listen to it in August, but I just wanted to see if I could find anything about it with the K1K – and I can't. Does anyone here have any experience with this combo?
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Guys, I'll be honest. I have to say that I'm sort of afraid of the responses I might get, but given you've all been so kind helping me, I feel I should tell you what I've done regarding this situation.
Well, I looked a lot at many alternatives for amplification and although I came across some very good options, such as a few Alephs on Audiogon and even a DIY Firstwatt F1, they were all CONUS and I hadn't sold my integrated amp anyways. I found two pretty good deals on two sets of tubes and dediced to try them, both to check whether it would help (despite the LD hate that seems to exist around here) and also because, worst case scenario, it would allow me to sell the LD at a larger profit here in Brazil. So I took the plunge. If I didn't like it, I'd at least get some more money from selling it.
I'll just say that for now the K1000 isn't going anywhere. It's not that the problems were solved – the midrange is still considerably proeminent for rock (less so than before, though), but now the bass has definitely appeared and the highs seem to have found a home. And mostly, the hardness I was hearing is seriously attenuated, if not gone. Before this, taking the Stax off and going straight to the AKG was a shock, they were too opposites, one extremely musical and mellow and the other agressive and harsh. Now, it's a really smooth transaction!
I can't comment on how it compares to running the K1Ks off my Marantz since I'm too lazy to go upstairs and plug it there, but I'll do that soon. However, it's miles better than with the previous tubes and with my bedroom's integrated.
Just to let you guys know, after all your help, I think it's nice to update the situation. But please, be nice!
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"Way not recommended. I just feel sorry for those poor dead Ethiopian goats.
"Hahahahahahahahahaha
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jvlgato and Horio, that's mean! Hahahahaha but unfortunately I really cannot afford to swing 5K right now
... too much money!Synchro Belt Drive, BIG setup! But it looks fantastic!
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Rob, don't tell me, there's a good condition R10 for sale on head-fi... oh dear! But well, I got really encouraged to keep the K1000s, guess I'll give them a second chance
But man, that R10 there... nasty nasty temptation. It comforts me to know that I can't buy it right now though, since I'd have to sell both the LD and the K1K, and that will take time – unlike selling a pair of R10s.
Synchro Belt Drive, is it that SAC1000 amp or something like that? It's quite rare I think, I've never seen one for sale or anything!
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Hahahaha luvdunhill, it was just the first one that came to my mind!
Asr, great impressions, thank you for sharing them!! About the treble, well, it's not that I don't like it, but I'm rather sensitive to it and usually tend to prefer headphones that lean towards a darker sound signature, such as the O2 and, to these ears and to a certain extent, the JH13Pros. It's weird though, cause I think they both sound a lot clearer than both the SE530 and IE8 and yet they still relatively dark. I mean, compared to the Beyer T1, which was the brightest thing I've ever heard. However, I had a K701 and loved it, thought the extra brightness did wonders to some recordings but utterly ruined others.
You're right about the O2s though, it seems to be what I've always wanted and it's definitely the one that gets more head time. But you know, at the same time it does sound closed in and it's nice, on some recordings, to reach for the AKG and get that refreshing open and airy feel. It's not currently being that good because of the relationship crisis I've been having with it. And well, I just feel like it will be nice to have it sounding good for those moments!
spritzer, you don't like Cary amps? I once heard a CAI-1 and liked it, but it's clearly very punchy and agressive sounding. But I always thought their other products were good! I'm very inclined to try another amp as well, and especially interested in the KGSSHV... but I'd need someone to build one for me!
mikeymad, I thought about them, but then it's way too expensive for a secondary system... but GOD, doesn't it look fantastic!!!
Milos, are their soundstage on par with the K1000s? I've always wondered that!
Horio... meets... wish I could go to one
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HeadphoneAddict and Spritzer, there isn't? Well, I didn't mean small as in with a small footprint, but just an integrated without a lot of power, such as a Cary 300 SEI (which looks seriously interesting)!
Voltron, in fact, before realizing that if I sold everything I wasn't using I could afford the O2s, I had decided to get the ZDT! But you know, I now think that even though I want to invest on the K1Ks to make them sound at least very good, my primary cans are the O2s, so I don't think it's worth it to spend more than around 800 dollars on an amp for the AKGs. I did try it with three speaker amps so far, the Cambridge 340A SE (did a very respectable job), the JVC A-S5 (didn't) and the Marantz PM-11S2, obviously the best one, but then it costs a lot... and it didn't completely solve the problem! I'm sure there's nothing wrong with my pair (even if it happens to be one of the not good sounding ones) since I had the opportunity to compare it to another one – I think it's just that I don't like its particular sound signature that much with what I'm hearing. This was actually the point of this thread, to find out whether those issues could be addressed with some better amping, and thankfully it appears they can! And well... I must confess I was also looking for some encouragement to either keep it or sell it – one way or another hahaha!
blessingx, in what sense is the GS1000 a specialty can? I had the chance to listen to one and I thought it was quite good, despite the frequent criticisms I read about it! But on the AKG, as I told Voltron, I'm sure there's nothing wrong with them, this is just my perception of it's sound. The O2 and JH13Pros, in contrast, have a midrange that's just as transparent (ok, maybe a bit less on the JHs) and well defined, but considerably more polite and not as brash. They seem to lose on ultimate texture, but I guess this is in fact because the AKG goes too far and becomes edgy and artificial in that sense. Does sound wonderful with double bass, though! Gives it a particularly woody and agressive sound.
And I absolutely agree with what you said about the long journey! I'm sure they can sound fantastic, but it's a rather long and winding road...
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Lol, what on earth is going on in that video, grawk? It's really funny though! I thought you watched Top Gear cause there's an episode they talk about the honey badger, and well, it was the first time I heard of it, so I though this could've been the case to you as well! I mean, not that it could have been the first time you heard of it since you're a native speaker, but the reason you mentioned it.
HeadphoneAddict, very interesting story with the AKGs! I don't think treble and bass are the main problems with my particular pair, but precisely the mids. The highs are weird somehow in that they don't, as most other headphones I've heard, sound like they have their own special place in the spectrum. It's as if they're blended in the mids. I believe this happens because of the harshness I hear in the midrange, which does not allow the contrast between midrange "naturalness" and treble crispness to be apparent, and this contrast might be what makes the highs sound like they're where they belong. This is sounding very confusing, but it's how I feel about this problem. In any case, that's precisely my fear! I know that it would be possible for me to get a new pair since I'll probably be able to sell them at a profit here in Brazil, but then I'm 100% sure I won't find another pair in this condition. And as I'm afraid to let it go because of that even not enjoying it, I know it would be ten times as worse if I realized that I in fact love it.
complin, it's not that I don't think it's a good headphone, it's just that most of what I read indicate that what the LCD2s do well is done better by the O2s. That's the main reason why there are not that many headphones nowadays that I want to try. I think that in the end it all comes down to preference, and this is precisely why I feel this way – to me, the O2s are exactly what I was looking for, so the only reason I'd want to try another headphone is to try something really different. I mean, I found my do-it-all headphone, but it's still nice to have different flavours. So now I'm mostly curious about very different cans, which the Audez'e don't seem to be! About the HD800, it's mostly about finding out what the fuss is all about hahahaha! And Grados, I had the chance to hear the GS1000i once, and it was nice but nothing too special, and the reason I want to try the PS1000 is because I think it's so just damn good looking lol!!
swt61, for a while I did think the K1000s are good all-rounders, but today I don't anymore. There are some things it does spectacurlaly well – like rendering double bass and orchestral works –, but mostly I find it too midcentric and hard sounding to be a good choice for many genres. The b22 is a name I keep bumping into, but apparently it's slightly on the expensive side! And about the 300B tubes... would a small integrated 300B amp be a good choice then?
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I cant really say personally what the Qualia is like as its one of the few top headphones i've never owned or heard. I think someone else on this forum might have owned a set. I would be surprised if it has the same sort of tonality as the O2. In my experience I have not heard anything much that can rival the overall attributes of the 02 (except another Stax or electrostatic). However; some dynamics can do things in different ways to the 02 that IMHO still make them worth listening to, even though they may be flawed in different ways.
Many people go for dynamics over electrostatics for the supposed superior bass and on first hearing yes it has impact, sounds full, and prominent, but on closer and extened listening its really an illusion. Spritzer sums it up well as "one note bass", and the more you listen you realiase that the bass on many dynamics is not that articulate, and you really cant differentiate the bass line and textures that well, unlike the 02. The headphone that has impressed me recently in this respect is the Audeze LCD-2, really articulate tuneful bass, and to my ears similar tonality to the O2. However; I still feel the 02 is superior overall.
Here is the link to the RKV My link. Produced in Germany they dont appear on the market that often so you might have to wait a while before one turns up. They appear to be more plentiful in Europe than the US and as far as I can remember I paid about €600 used. The one I had was best I feel with the telefunken tubes, but as the K1K needs a lot of current sometimes on big transients I felt it was underpowered. The K1K is better with something about 10 to 15 watts into 8 Ohms, more like a good speaker amp. I have a friend who uses an ASR Emitter 280 watts into 8 ohms for his K1K's.
I would love to build some of Kevin's designs but just don't have the time as I dont know where i'll be working from one month to the next. Perhaps a hobby for when I retire (if ever I can afford to)
complin, some time ago I had the LCD2s as my top choice, but for some reason I wrote it off... and now, after the Stax, I'm not really attracted to it anymore. If I'm honest nowadays there are not that many headphones that catch my fancy! I'd love to try the R10, the Qualia (just for finding out what it's about), SR-009, 507, HD800, PS1000 and W5000 or W11R. And that's it! Oh, and for some weird reason, the Sony EX1000, there's something about it that makes me curious!
Thank you for the information about the Audiovalve, it does look seriously interesting, and sort of around the same pricepoint of an Aleph it seems, with the advantage of not needing a preamp! But an ASR Emitter for a K1K??? Now that's overkill hahahaha!
Leonardo, you are a lucky man if you have access to some nice equipment for chassis work. I only wish I had that sort of access for my DIY T2 panels.
If you want a good learning project to help build your confidence, take a look at the Cmoy or Mini^3 portable headphone amps. Both are inexpensive to build and will teach you many valuable things for a Firstwatt build (like creating parts lists, selection parts, populating a PCB, etc). These projects are the starting point for many DIY'ers.
That's a fantastic idea Horio, I didn't consider that!! And as they're simple designs, a friend of mine who's studying electronic engineering might be able to help! I guess there's my ticket to DIY heaven!
honey badgers
Hahahahahahahahaha do you watch Top Gear?
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grawk, well, many members said that they did like what was written, but what I meant by saying it wasn't particularly well received is that people complained about it being way too long! Which is a very real problem with me actually, I speak and write too much hahahaha! But that's definitely true, I had some fantastic feedback about how it could improve and it made it clearer to me what head-case is!
padam, so you think it's worth trying the 717? I can also go for a moded 727A, I think! But is it possible to have someone to build a KGSSHV for me? I didn't know about that with the AKG! I had a chance to compare it to another bass heavy pair of a lower serial number and I couldn't see any differences. But now I'm curious, they're both either good or bad, but they're definitely on the same side!
jvlgato, I also got confused about that over/underestimation confusion, lol!
Horio, thanks a lot not only for the help and encouragement!! I think this might be a great opportunity for me to try and so something I've always wanted to! And a good thing is that I'm studying industrial design, and at university there's a reasonably well equiped laboratory with many of the things I would need, especially for building the chassis!
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Hahahahaha Fitz, best way to breake the ice, isn't it?
Thanks, boomana! Indeed it seems Pass' amps are a constant recommendation! How do you think the F1 compares to Aleph amps? I'm interested in the latter based on the recommendations I'm getting here, and they seem to be quite affordable.
grawk, can I take that as a compliment?
To be fair though, my first topic was actually a WTB, which I later found is inappropriate even if I'm willing to be a participating member and it just happened to be my first topic. I also posted a review on the JH13 which wasn't particularly well received, but then I got some absolutely fantastic feedback from it. The best feedback I've ever had from any review I've written, in fact. But then I guess those two episodes were necessary for me to finally understand what you guys and this forum stand for!
rogue, I considered this idea, but I'm sort of scared by the brightness that people are talking so much about. I'm just loving the laid back presentation of the 007s, and as I'm kind of sensitive to treble, I'm afraid the 009s might be too bright for me! And well, at the present price I think it's too much, maybe when it starts to apperar in the used market hahaha!
Padam, you know, that's something I've been considering. But I'm just as worried with a new amp as I would be with the 009. The fact is that I'm getting a fantastically seductive and sweet sound out of the 007 and I've read many reports about the O2s being somewhat cold with the 727 and KGSS, and while I love the O2s, I don't think I'd like to have it as my only headphone – and getting something like a BHSE would require me selling the AKG. I don't like cold sounding gear at all, and even if, say, a KGSS gave me better bass control and extension, more transparent mids and clearer highs, I don't think I'd be prepared to live with it if it's less musical than the eXStatA to my ears. A KGSSHV would be good to try since judging by what I've read it's not much more expensive than the eXStatA. But then I'd need to have someone build one for me, is that possible? As it's not that expensive, I'd be happy to buy one and then I can sell the one I like the least!
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complin, that's actually one of the main reasons why I've considered the Qualia more than the R10. Judging by what I've been reading, it apparently tries to achieve the same sort of tonality as the O2, is that right? It's one of the headphones I really really want to try someday! So expensive though... about the Audio Valve though, I can't find much about it, it seems to be pretty rare! How much does a used one tend to cost? And regarding DIY, as much as I'd LOVE to learn, I don't think I have the skills! If it was just soldering following pictures it would be fine, but I suppose some knowledge about circuitry and basic electronics are needed, and unfortunately I don't have any of those!
And you know, not long ago I started to understand what the other forum and most of its members really are. Not that it doesn't have its merits – it does, a lot of it in fact, and there are so many really amazing people there! But at the same time, I started to understand what head-case stands for and what you guys are trying to accomplish here. I really admire this!
Horio and Clarkmc2, do you guys think it's possible for someone without any DIY knowledge of any sorts to build one of those? As I said to complin I'd love to learn, but I don't think I've got what it takes...
jvlgato, I can't stress enough how lucky you are for having the opportunity of going to these meets! Even though, as you said, things can get quite crowded and noisy, it's enough to just have some first impressions about what you might or might not like. I've actually just organized a little meet with some people from a Brazilian forum, but it's only like 20 people and there are not many good setups, mostly just IEMs. It will be more about getting everyone together and for them to listen to the AKG and the O2! I did try to find meetings when I travel, which is sort of like twice or three times a year, mostly to Europe, but I haven't had any luck yet... maybe one day I can go when I know there will be a CanJam! I just can't imagine what it must be like to have all the greatest headphone gear there for you to audition all in one place...
mrarroyo, I've considered this and I got an old JVC integrated, but unfortunately it doesn't do the job very well as it's got quite a proeminent midrange which only makes the AKG sound worse! I can imagine Marantz's receivers are very different though... but do you think they would be close enough to an Aleph?
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jvlgato and Wmcmanus, unfortunately that's nearly impossible for me... I live in Brazil, the land of no-audio! Prices are astronomical (stuff like US$2400 for a HD650) and most people don't even know you can spend over $100 on a pair of headphones! I travel quite often, but so far I haven't had the luck of going to a place where a meet is happening... but that's something I've always wanted to do, since everything I buy is based on reviews and suggestions, rarely have I got the chance of listening to something prior to buying. And I believe a meet like this would in fact solve so many problems to me!
Tyll, as I'm new here I'm surprised by this, I mean, you're the guy from Inner Fidelity, pretty much a celebrity in the headphone world!!
It's funny (in an extremely good way) to see you and Kevin Gilmore just being regular guys here! Makes head-case even more intimidating, though... hahahaha!
It's good to know I'm not alone with this, cause at many points I figured the K1000 just wasn't for me, which would be a real shame. I'm happy to know that there seems to be a way around it! I'm not too bothered about the bass though, to me it's ok! The steep roll-off only affects a fraction of the music I listen to, and above it, the K1Ks bass is fine for me! It's not the O2s bass, but it's enough for my tastes!
jpelg, I'm using a DacMagic in my bedroom's setup, but there's an Electrocompaniet ECD-1 in the living room as well. I know that theoretically the Cambridge is not on par with the headphones, but to these ears it has quite an even tonal balance and does a respectable job! My plan is to get some proper amping for the K1000, and my budget will be around 3K. If I get like an Aleph for 1K, then I'll have 2K left and I could get a better source – Milos already suggested some good vintage DACs – and/or, who knows, have someone build a KGSSHV for me. If that's at all possible, I mean, I'm a complete moron when it comes to DIY. Should I even contemplate that as an option?
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Oh dear Voltron, is it really that bad? Lol!
Hey Milos!! You're here as well! See what the O2 did to me? Hahahahaha! I've never heard anything quite as delicate and seductive as them. It's just unbelievable!
blessingx, thanks for the clarification! Less than I expected, and definitely worth looking into. Do you hear any of this hardness with the midrange I'm talking about at all?
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nikongod, you're definitely right! I did experiment with it though, especially with the swivelling ears. It still didn't solve that midrange problem... this is my main issue with it, it just sounds hard! I thought tubes would soften it, but that's not what I'm hearing right now!
Speaking about positioning speakers, I had a hard time with my Jamos here in the living room! I know how it feels hahaha!
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Guys, a big thank you for all the input! It seems I won't give up on it just yet!
blessingx, I had highish hopes for it, some people had good results. I think Little Dot even used a K1000 to voice it, but it's hard to see how with those tubes. It sounds too bright, something it doesn't do usually with the other gear I've tested it with.
jvlgato, that's the thing, I thought plugging it on a Marantz PM-11S2 would give me a huge difference considering it's a high-endish integrated amplifier, but while it did give me a good result, it wasn't enough to soften the mids... so I wonder if anything would!
Tyll, there was an Aleph for sale on Audiogon a while ago, but I can't remember how much it was! How much do these cost nowadays? By the way, I am a follower of your new website, it really is fantastic! I was quite surprised to see you here now!!
mulvelling, this is my biggest worry, it would be horrible to get rid of it and regret it since it's such a special pair, I'd be surprised to know that there;s another bass heavy pair in this condition... also, great tip about the Audio Valves, I had forgotten they existed! They seem to be fantastic. And thank you (and Tyll) for talking me out of the Qualia... I got to say, I was tempted!
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Cutting to the chase: it seems I’m in a headphone identity crisis of sorts. I’ll try to be as brief as possible, and I would dearly appreciate some help. I hope this is the place for it, and I apologize in advance if it isn't!
I’ve recently found audio bliss with an O2 MKI, and right now my K1000s don’t get much head time. I got a Little Dot MKVI to use with it, and to be honest I’m not quite enjoying the result as much as I wanted, but I think to some short extent it could be solved with better tubes.
The issue is that, with everything I’ve heard with it so far (nothing high end except for a Marantz PM-11S2), the AKG's midrange is harsh and dry sounding and the highs are weird somehow, they go into the mids and it never seems to strike a good tonal balance to me, especially compared to the O2. However, I absolutely love its huge soundstage and open feel.
So here’s my dilemma: if I sell both my K1000 and the Little Dot I’ll have enough to afford one of the all-time great headphones, such as the R10 and Qualia. However, I’m worried about losing the openess and sense of special occasion I get with the AKG, even though so far I’m not being able to get past the tonal balance I’m hearing. Also, I got a pretty much NOS bass-heavy K1000, with original box and case and all the paperwork... it even smells like new, really. I see it as something special to have, even if I’m not enjoying it that much.
Do you guys think it’s possible to “fix” the problems I’m hearing with it with a better amp and source, or is it never going to change enough? I could either try to fix them with a better amp or give up on them and go for one of the other great options out there, but then I guess I won’t have the openess I love, am I wrong? Another option would be to maximize my O2s performance with a top notch DAC and a KGSS, but then I’d love to have something different to the Stax for certain occasions.
What would you guys do?
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I've heard a Yuin PK1 once and it was extremely impressive for an earbud! I presume the PK3, which is under your budget, has a similar sound signature. Still won't give you any thumping bass, though... What about clip-ons, do you like them?
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jvlgato, this one looks fantastic!! Apparently they started off in Brazil and then expanded overseas, so I imagine it's very authentic.
And your experience is precisely how a proper Churrascaria should be, reading it made me hungry hahaha!
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Ah, thanks for the explanation, guzziguy! I absolutely love vongole, such a shame it's not a particularly popular dish here so there are not that many restaurants that serve it.
And well, I'm surprised you guys have tried Brazilian food! I'm from Brazil and I know of a few Brazilian restaurants in England but they're not that good, and I've always wondered how well regarded our food is in other places.
Ausburger, that's such a shame! Our beer is not nearly as good as proper German or English bear, but some say it's quite nice! A famous brand is called Devassa, maybe they have it there?
Guzziguy, you should go to one if you have a chance someday, it's a different way of eating meat and, to me, it's the best one! If you ever have a chance of going to one, don't hesitate! And yes, it's called churrascaria!
EdipisReks, so you know how it is, lol! I suppose most of you guys are from the U.S.? That's good, since meat there is very very good as well. I guess that's the problem in the restaurants in the UK, not very good meat usually!
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Rio de Janeiro mini meet 09/06
in Meet Impressions
Posted
Thanks guys!! I'm really glad you liked it! We sure had a good time, it was fantastic to gather all those amazing equipments in one place and, most of all, to listen to the Orpheus.
And Mario, you have a fantastic new avatar hahahaha! I think it's only logical to have it after hearing such a thing!