Dusty Chalk

Well, I originally suggested it based on the incorrect presumption that he'd have a solid-state source (CD player) and a solid-state amp (Headroom Balanced). So yeah, I concur, buy a tube amp, then you won't need the tube buffer.

I realized after I posted that I answered a different question than was originally asked. You are happy with your Balanced/HD650 setup, and you want to get another setup for a different location, namely your bedroom. Correct? I agree with the advice of doing it in stages, because you actually increase your possibilities of getting the synergy exactly right in both systems if you have the ability to move stuff around. Oh, and definitely get a Singlepower SDS XLR if you're going to stick with dynamic headphones, that's just a killer amp. It adds tube magic. No, seriously, its intent is to do impedance matching. You can actually have a solid-state buffer as well. I won't make up numbers, since I'm not qualified to, but let's say that your source has too low an output impedance, and your amp is too sensitive to variations on its input impedance. That's when you'd want a buffer.

Sounds like fun: first of all, be prepared to stick with what you got. I've heard the Balanced/HD650 combo, and it's in my top 10 list of best headphone setups ever, anywhere. The only thing it's missing is that tube magic, but if you have the diamond buffers, you'll be compromising in other areas to get that tube magic. You might want to try other of the balanced headphones -- I am partial to the Beyer DT880 on that setup, others are partial to Grados. So I'd concentrate on the source. Get the best source you can afford. dCS recently came out with a single-box player, as did EMM Labs, at that price point, I would check out both of those. And then get some pretty damn decent cables -- I recommend silver, but let them burn in for a couple weeks. If you want to really slay, put a tube buffer between your source and your amp. I'm not really fond of the MF X10, but something like that. You may also want to go electrostatic. The Orpheus headphones with something like a KGSS or a Blue Hawaii (as built by Justin) should be pretty good.

What do you mean, "true"? Teletubbies is obviously a brilliant portrayal of the dying hallucinations of someone in an LSD induced coma. So inasmuch as there is any homophobic/pro-homoerotic content, it's just the insane ramblings of a destroyed mind.

According to this page, they're shooting for a June timeframe.

Yeah, I should really revisit that forum, that is the sort of thing they're good for. I've got another one for you: "Cornpone Brunch Watt Remix" by Tortoise, off of A Lazarus Taxon (and I don't know what else). Three basses -- it takes the most discerning systems to make sense of this track. It basically does for the bass/woofer region what I was saying above about Garden of Shadows, what their recordings do for the midrange. It's not so much a lot of bass as complicated bass, with multiple basslines weaving in and out of each other. The L3000 does it.

You know, I never really got that before.

Everything either sounds like shit to you, or is good. Can't you just describe a pair of headphones' weaknesses and strengths? It's like everything's either a 10 or a 1.

This is probably closest to my memory of them. Although I didn't find the funk unpleasant at all. Stupid question -- when the fuck did they get discontinued? I was going to get a pair...

Probably because it's a bootleg. "Sugar" is a B-side from one of her a single from her first album, "Flying Dutchman" came later. And yeah, it's easily one of her best songs. I want to do a remix of it (I can hear it in my head).

Aerius -- great thread. I completely agree with your premise, and I've heard it said before: the trick behind "audiophile music" is that it makes every system sound good. Allow me to add a few suggestions, and query for a few: Stabbing Westward, Darkest Days -- not only are their crazy dynamic changes, from busy to spare and vice versa, but the whole thing is HDCD-encoded, so it's a good test for a system which decodes HDCD as well. Also, I should mention, that this disk is compressed. It's not crazy compressed like most contemporary hard-rock recordings, but just enough that the delicate Pink Floyd -like sections, like "Drowning", aren't quite as subdued as they should be. This is by no means a perfect recording, but it's so reflective of most of the music I listen to, that it's an excellent test. Some systems will display the fallacies of this recording in the harsh light of day, reminding me of coming out of a matinee movie in the middle of summer, and wishing for a pair of sunglasses and a Slurpee, and some will euphonize it just right, making me still hear what little dynamics are left on the recording and be glad that I don't have to turn the volume up to hear it. Garbage's first two records -- especially the Japanese import of the first one -- will also test whether or not your system will "get" the contemporary mastering. And I don't mean "particularly good" or "particularly bad", I mean exactly "compressed without being too compressed". That's hard for systems to "get", although it's more subtle than I would call a "torture" disk. The new Rush (Snakes and Ladders) also does this. Costanza Festa, La Spagna -- SACD. Lots of very pure tones from brass and woodwinds, sometimes hitting very proximal notes. Will test the Inter-harmonic distortion of just about any system. Unfortunately, the music is very monotonous -- it's 32 variations on a theme, after all, and you won't be able to tell some variations from others. But I love the essence-tial theme, so that makes it a lot more easy to tolerate. I recommend finding something similar -- either with similar qualities (there's a lot going on on Philip Glass' Glassworks that's similar), or with lots of very clearly recorded bells. I think what with it being SACD and all that ultrasonic hash, it's very hard on most tweeters. Garden of Shadows, either Oracle Moon or Heart of the Corona are some of the most meticulously recorded extreme metal. I've seen these guys live, and they have like 3 guitarists in addition to the bassist and synthesizers. You can hear every single layer, even on CD, and only the most discerning of systems will convince you that it wasn't recorded with George Martin's "Wall of Noise" style of production (where every channel is deliberately allowed to bleed into every other channel). And unlike most busy music, it's all in that same midrange. Bass, crazy bass -- you should have at least one, really good bass recording. Stereonerds, "F.U.N.K. (Is What You Don't Play)" is mine. I have a friend who really likes Chemical Brothers' I think it's the instrumental remix of Spiritualized, "I Think I'm In Love". There are others who swear by Victor Wooten. And yet others who swear by organ music. I'd really like some recommendations on some exemplary recordings of: - no-noised? I've heard this sounds bad, but what's a really good audible example of this? - PCM master on SACD? Most of my SACD's sound great, but I think I'm listening for something else than what people are saying is bad about this particular combination. Perhaps a nice contrast would be a DSD-mastered SACD that sounds comparatively great. - watermarked DVD-A -- I still don't know what this is -- back when DVD-A first came out, I was told it was audible, but since then they stopped complaining. I want to know what to listen for. I have several of those recordings that you mentioned aerius, so as I go through my CD collection, I'll have to remember to pull them out and listen to them again.

Unholy carp! I can't wait for this. I sure wish myspace worked for me. (Just Dean, no Toni, but I'm still excited.)

I'll second the HD580 -- just a good all-rounder. I'd also second the Grados, except that I find them uncomfortable. Etymotic ER-6i -- sounds pretty darn good without an external amp. Sony MDR-7506/-V6 -- ditto, and they're well nigh indestructible, plus they fold (you can even do the DJ thing and only fold one side), which makes them ideal for travel for people who don't like to put things in their ears.

Oh, well, I went with Crucial. (And funnily enough, those 4Gb of memory were more expensive than the computer itself.) Anyone know how to tell my Dell (Optiplex GX270) that I bought PC3200, not PC2700? They seem to be clocking in at 333MHz. Thanks for the input, I'm just impatient.

Play by the rules -- report his posts when he gets out of line, and don't get out of line yourself. That's your best bet. I'm not saying don't be assertive in defending yourself, do. Just don't cross the line.

I'm a Dream Theater fan, and I found Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence a little hard to listen to, fidelity-wise. Any opinions on Train of Thought? I never picked that one up. Ditto the new one.

It looks like you blew a seal.

Well, I don't have that, so I have no idea what it sounds like, but the second movement of Schubert's 2nd Piano Trio in E flat is pretty melancholy, albeit a bit overplayed (since The Hunger). Also, the "The Old Castle" movement from Mussorgsky's Pictures... I have to pick that up -- I love sad music and minor chords, it's in my (Russian) blood.

Oh, yeah, Bolzano Villetri. They're gorgeous.

I miss my Spendor S3/5's (LS3/5a derivative). And these are a lot cheaper than the Stirlings. I just contacted the dealer about a special order (preliminarily). I agree with everything you said, too. Those criticisms that you cited are criticisms of the LS3/5a, as well. They also don't go loud very well, either -- LS3/5a's were always designed for nearfield monitoring. Which NY show, CES? Back on topic -- if you want to start out slowly, try some new production tubes. I started a thread over at sh.tv about new production tubes, and got a lot of recommendations, here. Admittedly, the common wisdom is that NOS are better, but quite frankly, I wouldn't want to have to depend on that.

Or perhaps they could just call it 28 Days After That.

Yeah, that's what I was saying. I'm not sure I was saying this, perhaps you were responding to someone else? DAC's don't have jitter, per se, they can be more or less sensitive to jitter in their input stream, but they don't have jitter, themselves. It's one thing to compare two DACs and their sound on a perfect digital stream, but unrealistic. All real-world streams have jitter. It's more realistic to compare DAC's with the transports that you have, but it's not unrealistic to try to improve the sound with the transport if you are otherwise happy with your DAC. Assuming you believe in jitter. Which I do. Was I defending its existence? I guess so. But the question arose because I asked about the jitter specs of the transport. At which point, I wasn't arguing with anyone about anything, I was just asking a question. I think. I could be confused. What were you saying again?

No. Not ever.

-10 Reading Comprehension Points. Except for aerius, he's angry about something, and he takes it out on everyone.

What argument? Who's arguing? I could care less what the naysayers think.