kirkwall

Great shots! I wish I had a squid to hold my tubes. The Tung-Sol AU7 can sound very good, and the RCA EL34s too. Is "FW" a Phillips factory code? I've seen it on Amperexes and Valvos, and on some other RCA tube types, though I don't have many EL34s. Thanks and congrats again on the find. k

My MB Pro is also a first-gen model and with earlier firmware tended to heat up very fast and very noisily. This was partly traced to a battery problem, and with its (crap) new battery and with a notebook stand/tablet it's been whole lot quieter. I have a Duet and it works fine with the MBP, though I tend to run it in powersaving mode when listening. If you haven't tried this already, you might plug the MB to A/C and then remove the battery and see how it goes. One of those notebook pads might help -- though my MacBook melted the first one I had. Liquified it, like so much mayo in the sun. The metal-plate option looks good to me. It sucks being an Apple beta-tester. good luck, k

I'm going to try to source some for a pair of HD600s. I've been unable to find a readymade Cardas HD6xxx cable for under 140.00 or so, which is already getting pricey. I have some Mogami on my HD650s and it sounds good to me. k

Very interested to hear your thoughts on this. I was in a studio in September where one of these was in use and it has some pretty unique features, for mixing at any rate. I didn't get to listen through it but the engineers seemed impressed. Is that a balanced TRS jack? k

The Cary SLI-80 variants use 5U4GBs as rectifiers (mine had the RCA as stock) and both the RCA and Tung-Sol have good reps in that application. Great find anyway -- and good luck with those pesky flying squirrels. I had reds in my attic last summer and their warfarin-preserved bodies persist in the insulation and heating ducts. And forget about using them as EL84 subs. Those fluffy tails heat up but fast. best, o

These look fabulous. If I lived in a country where the currency was not in a death spiral I'd be queueing up for a pair. For those of you using them with tubes, would something like an Earmax Pro drive them reasonably well? These sound like wonderfully emotive phones, perfect for an office system. Thanks for the impressions, Boomana, beautifully observed and written. best, k

I have baby Quads (10Ls) and owed 21Ls for a few years during which I used a small REL subwoofer (Q series?) that had very good integration with both sets of Quads. That REL and the PSB that replaced it were both about a square foot, and IIRC the REL had pretty robust output below around 35 Hz. REL's product line seems to change regularly but they seem to have an ultracompact still in their stable. I'd guess 800.00 or so for the PSB and much less for a used REL. best, k

Hi, Once a year or so I think about getting back into ESLs and even though the prices on vintage Quads seem to be on the increase I'd be interested in the thoughts of members here who have experience with or are interested in classic ESLs from Quad, ML (CLS, CLS II.), SoundLab, etc. I guess my preference would be for a rebuilt ESL-57 or 63 based on the ones I've heard, but I've always wanted to listen to some of its competitors. Any fans here? k

Congrats on your 840c! I've had one for a few months now and like it a lot, though initially I found it to have a bit of upper-mid glare with some discs (mostly original instrument stuff) and re-tubed my amp accordingly. It's an excellent all-rounder and a real bargain, if not the prettiest player around. best, k

Thanks very much for the tip. I use a MacBook w/ iTunes but will set it to 24/96 and see how that works. Even through the iPod these are incredibly musical. I have found over the past day or so that I'm spending less time thinking about the presentational oddities, the various roll-offs and what seems to be a bit of extra decay round the notes, and more time just listening. I have a pair of the first Quad dynamics, the 10Ls, and these W10s remind me of those. You don't get every last nuance of the recording but you get all of the music. They're great fun. best, k

I owned a Pico and a Duet before my current amp. I'm a novice, so this may be of little help, but I found the Pico to work better with more of my headphones than the Duet, though the Duet struck me as an improbably good DAC for the money. It had a very clear, very lucid presentation, especially with voices, which sometimes sounded like they were being formed out of glass, that worked well with my Sennheisers & less so with my RS1s, which for whatever reason could seem a bit ragged through the Duet's HP out, and were noticeably improved via the Duet's DAC into another (Cary) amp. It was a dream to use with a MacBook. The Pico seemed more organic-sounding to me, and maybe a better all-rounder, but it's been a few months. I'm not sure I'd consider the Duet as a step up. It's a great product, though, and versatile, with great ergonomics. best, k

Stoner jackets, carefully-ripped 501s, hippie skirts, goth leather n' lace, safety-pinned straight-leg trousers bought from military surplus, Topshop anything sent by UK cousins I have dim recollections of jeans called Jordache, Roadrunner and Fancy-Ass but those may be Vachon cake-inspired flashbacks. Sneakers were high, very high. k

That's pretty much what I'm hearing. Got it -- thanks. They're great cans for more intimate music, and they do sound excellent out of the iPod. I'm going to spend some more time with them as iPod supercans. I had JPNs way back when and from memory they went a little deeper and were a little quicker but there's probably not much in it. Anyway it's been a real pleasure to have a pair of these VTGS to play with. Their comfort, build quality and attention to detail puts my other phones to shame. best, k

Primarily the HR Desktop Balanced. I also have a Cary SLI-80 Sig but it doesn't seem to be a great match for these phones, deep bass sounds like a belch through a pillow. They actually sound pretty good straight from an iPod out. Thanks for the MF v8 suggestion, Kees. That might do the trick. They do have some handsome mids, though. I'll keep at it. I've heard that ATs are tricky to rewire and I kind like the cable that came with it, reminds of the cords on Grandma's lamps. thanks and best, k

Right. Well, this thread has decided me. First shiny metal object that hits my mailbox gets 'em and I'll throw in the fridge mold for free. k

I just picked up a pair of these and would be interested in hearing from fans/owners here. They have a very lush sound but I'm finding them a bit muffled at the frequency extremes compared to RS1s and balanced HD650s. I'd be grateful for any suggestions on amping these (I have a Headroom balanced desktop amp) that might clear up the congestion, since I'd really like to like these phones even more. But maybe that's just how these vintage phones sound? Source is the HR's built-in DAC and a Primare CDP. thanks and best, k

I've owned at one time or another five different pairs of RS1, from the vintage to the last run of the buttoned-up ones, and there seems to be quite a bit of sample variation even within batches. My vintage pair was pretty beaten-up but it was smoother and more open than the semi-vintage pairs I tried -- and these two sounded quite different from one another, despite being separated by only a few hundred serial numbers. The worst-sounding pair was more recent. One driver was about 1/4 covered with hot glue and the right earcup had what looked like the toothmarks of a hamster undergoing a psychotic episode. For me the RS1 is like a high-school crush: I sometimes wish I had a pair for that quick nostalgic fling but I find that I rarely listen to them when I do have them around. I'd love to try a balanced pair again though. best, k

I haven't heard any of the really top-tier phones, unfortunately, but the ones I've owned I'd rank them something like this: Balanced HD650 >>> W11JPN >>> Balanced RS1 >>> W10VTG and DX1000 HD650 SE >>> D5000 >>> HD6580 >>> K701 Edition 9 (never got these to fit, found them to be boomy/tizzy and exerted a massive and relentless pressure on my ears) best, k