LostHisMarbles

I was young once. So like you, i was impatient, unwilling to commit (in your shoes that would mean a simple Googleing) and strongly believing the world owed me some. So in the off chance that's you thereabouts, with significant undeserved excuses on top, because recced and reched and near rectum isn't exactly one's go to name for respect and consideration? (a few lessons for you right there, them mere three sentences) Anything is the short answer. Anything at all. Even an SRM-1 or an SRM-Xh would be a considerable upgrade. And before they ban you -a strong probability given your wonderful first post-, have a good deep look in Head-Fi's STAX thread. You don't need to be here for this kind of question. And happy listening! No irony, sincerely.

Figured i'd finally go through my tubes, sort them out a bit. Too many to catalogue properly in one go (which is why i never bothered) Was never quite meant to become the hoard it is, but.. left Luxman with crates worth of stuff, left ML with yet more crates, then isn't life funny when none are what you "wanted" for your then current system a few years later, so there you go buying more when they were still crazy cheap. Then you buy yet some more, because what if, right? You haven't got everything. And, yeah Sorted four 24"x16"x16" crates full of NOS tubes. I'd say 6-7 more to go; some other time. It's 23:28 and i'm spent. (actually 60x40x40 in cents, but i figure that's close enough?) So far am going with input/output/rec, US-EU/RU. It's gonna take some time. One of many things i miss dearly? Proper packing cartons. Yes, really. Nothing decent in EU. ECT/load-rated? Don't even ask, they'll think you're so funny. Not sure they know what this is down here:

I have the audiovisual for that above pic, yessir i do. Starts with pops hauling crates, making noises down in the garage, real early like. Pregnant pause before he walks in from the kitchen door and i look up real doe-like. Queueing the audio in in my imaginary mixer: Son? Yes sir? We've got work to do today, eat that breakfast. Yessir! And don't discuss any of this with your mother, you hear me?

No sir/madam, have not. In-ears just aren't for me, though i have of course read impressions/seen relevant DIY threads here for amplification. * you could call me old school on that one, but.. dispersion and propagation have their very distinct set of rules. You do not bend time within the human experience field, you do not bend space; and they do require both! ** but i'm an old fart, so yes, there is the possibility i'm missing out! As to EQing, again, call me a dinosaur, but how do we EQ? By compressing first. Physics. Would i want to do that to my sound signal (degrading) so i can then play with said degraded signal some more? Personally no, though i do understand its allure. I try to stick to hardware EQing, costs more, but i dare say it's worth the time and effort. Even sticking to the digital domain as one primarily does, when talking about electrostats. We agree on tuning, i hear you.. I fear it's a correlation of factors beyond our control.. 1) see recent recording "trends" (vastly cheaper, switching power supply based crappola recordings, "heard" on vastly cheaper pseudo-'monitor' headphones). 2) see recent listening trends; digi-can samples cooked on a Mac, expected to be heard from an iPhone. 15K total recording costs? Yes, why spend more. 3) see recent types of music; minimal number of instruments (if any real ones at all), specific frequency fields -mids- they operate at. Does a "high end" audio company follow suit? Can it? Not sure if that's a solveable one! And my humble apologies for perhaps typing too much, by all means send an expletive or two my way, shall rectify accordingly in the future, lol

Re: The 'old guard', that's the theory.. in practice, well, it's never quite been implemented (lest we factor in certain companies that literally took what came before them but wasn't patented and re-made it with cheaper mats [and a worse audible outcome!]). I can only give younger generations kudos and salutations in 3 sectors and 3 sectors alone: - Speaker/headphone drivers, cartridges and tonearms. And all 3 came with direct consequences. Not the thread to expand on that though. As to ES labs specifically? - I'm still waiting for the "new" electrostatic that has the magic the old STAXes did; think Hayashi's time. Thinner diaphragms and unicorn dust fused diaphragms aside, the magic was lost after 1995. Slight, occasional, strictly technical improvements aside, they were also noticeably dryer, up to a lot, downright clinical in recent all out efforts; and noticeably forward/direct, all of them. Compare the original Lambda nrm/pro to anything releasing after '95. Folks don't seem to get it the way i do maybe, but part of what made STAX what it was? Was that magical character. Never since, other makers like ES labs included. If you've heard a decent pair of OG Lambdas or Sigmas (non-arced, non-imbalanced, driven well but not obscenely well), you know what i'm talking about. It was never about the outmost fidelity; never. It was about the character. Which's been lacking ever since. ES didn't tick that mark either. Was lucky to "get" one from the usual channels, would have regretted paying for it personally. - And at 2K a pop? With Chinese manufacturing costs? You're kidding me? Do forgive me for not crowning the man as a "savior", of anyone's. Yes? *2K for the cans+shipping mind. Customs fees on top, lest we neglect. Say 2.5K a pop? So no, i don't do see where ES Labs "comes in" to save the day. Unless of course we yet again go back to "i -personally- can". An ever-decreasing niche of individuals. And again, it lacks the magic the old STAXes did. Not even close, sorry.

Only this hobby? I'm at about 32% of my buying power, even though my income has actually increased; on top of a steady pension, i do work for select customers again, complimenting it. And i'm still at 32% of where i was 15 years ago (this in EU). Inflation may be steady in Japan, but prices have skyrocketed everywhere, in everything and impact them too. Was seriously doubting high quality given the MRSP, so this is the one thing i personally won't judge them on. Don't forget it's 2-3 grand in our local currencies, VAT in. In their local currency it's 275 grand. You think folks rush to buy it over there? Brands like Zanden, Kondo, Airtight, Ikeda, they're only for rich Westerners by now.. i'd rather STAX did not follow (no offense to anyone here, most really are high rollers, but the 9000's pricing was an insult to me; nice big middle finger for me to sit on).

We had that problem in Mark Levinson occasionally*; given STAX's attention to detail (even if it's directed to areas you disapprove of or resulting in outcomes not to your liking), i'd call it heat related. Maybe not where you're located, but shipping transit's a big factor, we do have a heat wave all over right now. * Polymers we were using for multiple years, no issue, would give off odors during heat waves, or when shipping companies fucked up and entire crates were left sitting in harbor a day or two, smack in direct sunlight. You may have a slight depolymerization ongoing. Once initiated.. too many factors to list here, plus folks like Kevin know their chemistry better than i do. Things to do: 1) Never unseal immediately, ideally give it 24hrs in your home's natural environment, so things can settle (too late for that now [oxygen can be a wonderful catalyst!]) 2) Headphone stand, 007s with the CPC-1 on, leave them somewhere airy for a day or two? Small fan would do. Regarding the burn-in, have some news for you, but statistically speaking, those that think it's placebo never get to change their minds, so shall refrain Would welcome further thoughts on the sound. Pension+wive overseeing the finances is a bit disallowing for some folks. Not me of course; nope. And some pad attaching pics please! May one tinker safely or not!

The audience wonders now if you're perhaps feeling not yourself? A cunning plot in the script alternatively? The hoarder of all things e-stat, does not have everything? Goddamn, lol (are jokes allowed here, or do we throw stones at newbies out of sheer principle?) Regardless and as privately mentioned yesterday, looking forward to your impressions. Am getting.. way too old; not many more releases for me. Would like this to end with one i enjoy. Fingers crossed

Birgir when you get them -on top of the usual- could you also share: - if the 700mk2/9000 silver-plated cable makes an audible difference (of all the products they make, this is the only one where it'd make sense, so naturally they opted not to, genuine STAX through and through) - if the pad attaches in ways not reminiscent of the original version. So old fart doesn't start emailing you again, you know..