Torpedo

Aimee Mann - Bachelor no 2 (MFSL) Which ended, now starting with Earth Wind and Fire - That's the way of the World (MFSL)

A few ago: Bob Marley and the Wailers - Exodus (MFSL) Right now: Traffic - Mr Fantasy (MFSL)

Verrrrry happppy Birrrrthhhhhday mate!

^ Probably not, but you can drink it, it might have some flavor

So they're the same but for the F1 thing The HF2 have two things that annoy me. One the plastic yoke with that button which contacts the aluminum external ring so the cups won't swing as much as needed when using the bowls, and the too thick wire. It weighs a lot. I don't know if it has any positive audible effect, but I think I'd trade it for a less weighty feel.

Are on those the grills black or is it a light effect in the pic?

Thanks mates Happy Birthday Laxx, have a great one you too

Great thread, thanks for sharing the pics and your impressions. Keep them coming

Eric Turnbull online at his Myspace Impressive guitar playing.

If the pre-echo is for the groove, you will here it right one LP turn before the "real" sound is played. If it's for the tape, as derek said, the relation isn't that linear since the tape turns don't match the LP groove turns. On a ECM recording I wouldn't expect it to be from tape print-through, I don't think they had the master tapes stored long enough to have that effect -if that exists which I really doubt- but for groove rims being too thin. The effect is more noticeable when a recording hasn't much dynamic compression and a high SPL turn is right following one with quiet levels.

It's not a cart problem, it's a pressing problem. When the vinyl groove walls are too thin, the indentations of the part to come also shape the groove being traced, which the cart picks up. That's why you hear the pre-echo just a groove away from the one to be played immediately after. Maybe a cart not so sensitive to the groove tinny shaping would help on that, but then you'd be losing the information you want to hear. Tough call.

Bruckner 4th Symphony - Jochum BPO

Well, at some point you must have heard something that isn't colored, otherwise you wouldn't be so sure there's a coloration there It's true the O2 are very revealing and transparent, but they aren't cured from having their own character. Wait, or is it the amp? or the source?

Yeah, that's the point, the warmth and roll off are so subtle that don't make it a flaw nor convert it into a warm amp generally speaking IMHO, which was the impression I got from your comment It's with difference the most neutral Stax amp I've listened to, and also in the same range of low coloration as the own B22, provided the SRD7 isn't considered a colored adapter hehehe. Using dynamic cans I wouldn't say the B22 is colored either.

Compared to what? I mean, it's very difficult to be sure that those things you're taking as colorations aren't somewhere in the upfront components or the own headphones character. I don't mean the 717 is perfect, but I wouldn't say it's a warm amp on itself compared to the performance of the B22/SRD-7 combo, nor have I noticed roll offs to speak of.

Happy Bday Dan, I wish you're having a great one

The bassoon in Spanish is "fagot" so I might have expected that

Up, Bustle and Out - One colour just reflects another

It's a different nasal tonality than the DX1000 have, or the Grados have. In fact I would call it more "shouty" than "nasal" coloration. The best way I can find to describe it is as the singer giving the impression that is having difficulties to deliver the voice. My theory is that it's produced for the 5.5-6KHz peak. This enhances the 3rd formant area which changes a bit the pattern of the vowels. This can be also perceived as an "airy" feeling in the voices. It's also noticeable on wind instruments and violins playing high notes, they have a more piercing and airier character than they have on other phones. On violins it's kind of a metallic rasping tone and on trumpets with mute the timbre gets a bit harsher. I don't find it annoying unless the own recording is "hot" already. I must say this has slightly improved by using the Gilmore Reference instead of the B22, and maybe for some additional playing time on the phones. Mine are about 80 hours so far. IMHO the O2 are more effortless, relaxed, musical and engaging than the HD800. Their stage, while lacking the depth of the HD800's, is more precise, it changes following recorded differences in size and separation. The HD800 are more "generic", maybe not as much as K701, which seem to have a wide stage on whatever you play, but still always wide and open, showing less spatial differences among recordings than the O2 or even the R10. The O2 may sound as narrow as a pair of Grados or almost as wide as the R10 depending on the discs you play. No other phones I know of can do that with the sheer resolution of the O2.

No loaner for EU residents? I know of some people over here that would enjoy listening to it

Great idea!!!

Great! I'll try to remember

Best of lucks Luis, keep us posted

That's it, they're just having fun

Congratulations Al, I was concerned you weren't going to enjoy that amp anymore Enjoy it while it lasts No, seriously, enjoy it, hopefully it lasts working eons