Voltron

I'd like to know what KG and ultimately Birgir think of the sound out of the T2 as compared to a BH/BHSE/ES-1/etc. so that I know what I am getting, but who wants to be paid to build me a T2|2010?

Thanks for asking after my knee health, Doc Spaniel, but Ken was either not paying attention or giving me too much credit. I was limping although way less than in the first couple days after the injury. I moved way too many boxes on Saturday and Sunday, however, and my knee is killing me again today. MRI results later today, I hope.... Sorry for copying from the other place, but here is the first I have had time to write up: I haven't had the time or the strength to do up my show impressions and I did not take any pictures at all, but Craig's table was very impressive indeed: *The new Laconic $500 (pretty sure that is the price he mentioned) is a great sounding tube amp at a fantastic price. It was completely quiet at zero volume with HD800s and with AD2000s. It has a nice sound signature and is VERY good for the money. I would think this amp will do very well at that price point, or even the $600 that JP mentioned before. *The Balancing Act and the TTVJ 307A are the top tube amps in production in my opinion. The BA has an effortless way of reproducing extraordinary music on every headphone I have tried it with. The BA has a wonderful body and richness to it without sounding syrupy or any of the other words that people use for tube amps that have a lot of body. The low end was incredible. It made the HD800s sound amazing, and I handed them over to ironbut and said he should give a listen to the cans that many people say have lacking low end. He agreed that such a statement is nuts. The AD2K always sound great from the BA, and still did, but comparing back and forth with the HD800 the A-Ts sounded thin and bright relative to the Senns. I also tried a test at Craig's suggestion with my balanced HD800s plugged in. I plugged in a 1/4 jack, which unbalances the balanced output, and and went back and forth a few times to see if balancing makes a big difference. It is there, but it is not as huge a difference on the BA as it is with HD650s. I will try comparing with my SDS-XLR (which I can do only because my hero ironbut resurrected it!), but it was interesting. *Eddie Current phono stage (name?). This was still a prototype model in an unfinished case, so Craig had it hiding under the tablecloth. Anyway, it should have been in a spotlight because this is a killer phono stage. It is clear and clean and has tons of body. When coupled with the BA it was practically visceral. As JP pointed out, it is pretty amazing how good the decent but humble TT/cartridge combo sounded. Craig is trying to decide some things about the final version's power supply but the price range is supposed to be something between $900-1200. *The ZDT got the least attention because JP is borrowing it and I plan to get more listening time later. It sounded good, but I mostly heard the Audeze orthos on it with music that was not well suited to the cans and was a bit boring. I wanted to try the Audeze again with some fast rocking stuff and that didn't happen. The ZDT seems like a winner for all types of cans as well, but the BA is a strong preference for me at least on the short listen. So, Justin said I was the biggest shill at the meet (other than himself and the other MOTs, I assume), because I had the Woo Audio WES prototype on loan from Jack, the TTVJ portable amp/dac on loan from Todd, the Berkeley Audio Alpha Dac on loan from dealer Tim Marutani, and my own Amarra software/Model 4 hardware combo with, again, dealer Tim Marutani present to discuss it. I see it as providing a valuable service to the community by getting some cool new products to the meet, but to each his own! :allteeth: I am also a terrible shill because I just went on so much about Eddie Current that I don't have time to do any more gear impressions at the moment. Suffice to say that the WES is a great new entrant in the stats world, the TTVJ portable is cutting edge and sounds great, the Alpha DAC is wonderful (even though I am happy to find I like the Amarra Model 4 at least as much), and that anyone who is serious about computer audio should invest in Amarra software. More later. Oh, yeah, and SR-0MEGAS ROCK!!! I really like these cans, although I hate to say that the perfect amp for them might be the ES-1. I liked them much more from the Woo WES than the BHSE, although I bet different tubes might make a difference. The BHSE sounded best with the O2 once again, but those were the only two cans I tried on Justin's table. Sadly, as I mentioned, the best the Omegas sounded all day was on Mikeymad's ES-1. Given that he loves my SRD-7 Pro so much in combination with his WA5, maybe I should buy his ES-1. Is that the craziest thing you have heard today?

I did not look at Beefy's link, but there are two D cells and 4 9v and the guy who makes them says you get about 1000 hours from a set.

Hai guyz! That was FallenAngel's Balanced Dynalo as it says on the front there. Good thing Stretch is paying attention. My spies have not gotten hold of all the T2 files from KG's house, but by the time it hits Iceland my Stealth T2 will be in production!

Sweet! Thanks for the info.

Thanks Birgir, I will take you up on that! And glad to hear that you are planning to attend in Chicago. That will be good fun. They just arrived and tomorrow they will be going to the Bay Area meet so I can sample them on the BHSE and the WES, among others. I think that they are in excellent shape and will give them a listen with Naaman's BH tonight. The box and the cans are so light, I was almost worried that they weren't in there while opening up the package. One question, the cans and the wood box have s/n 511 but the cardboard box has s/n 512. Seems odd, especially because it is just one number off, so I have asked insomniac if he knows why that is (acquired separately, some mixup when originally purchased, etc.). Anybody know why that might be? Also, how many total were made? Padam suggested that this was near the end of the run. Just curious.

Don't know. I wasn't very focused on it and did not ask for pics.

Stealth Cuban and a Hop Rod Rye on the smoking porch in Mayberry:

Yeah, you'll never be able to sell those with proof of smoke damage!

Feels better today, but the MRI is tomorrow so I won't know if there is damage in there until later. \

Well, the seller turned out to be a pain in the ass about this transaction so I bailed on him and bought a different pair of SR-Omegas, complete with cardboard and wooden boxes, a Stax extension cord, a Stax stand, and an SRM-T1W all for $100 more than the first guy's Omegas (with extra headband, pads, and spritzer provenance).

I'm glad you can crack yourself up too. How's your hot tub?

pwned I'm, like totally not 1337.

Speaking of which, are the bolded parts typos or things I just don't understand?

HBD Squared! Cheers!

Just generally said that out-patient arthroscopic surgery would be involved, but the ACL is more major and longer on the recovery side.

Congrats Todd. I think I already knew that, but now it is on the way! What is the insanity, exactly, Mr. Round-Hole-Cutter-Technician? X-rays were negative for breaks, but there is fluid on the knee and other indications would point to a torn lateral meniscus and possibly a torn ACL. MRI in the next couple days to confirm diagnosis, [wishful thinking]or maybe just show[/wishful thinking]. Fuck.

how do you convert them bper? Sitting in the orthopedist's office.

You guys are good guys, and thanks for the well wishes. After sleeping not much and getting up to take a precarious shower, I can safely say that Doc Torpedo has nailed the minimum prognosis. I cannot put weight on the leg or bend my knew much at all. Nurse Justin is thinking what I am thinking about an MRI but a colleague of mine just got tackled hard in a soccer game and said that they could not do an MRI on her ankle until the swelling went down. But don't worry Antonio, I won't act pushy or lawyery with the doctor. Now, my son, he is another story. He wants me to find the guy that slammed me and sue him and maybe PG&E where he works and whose team he is on! Still gonna have some work cut out to figure out how to get gear broken down and to the meet. A buddy is in town and I am sure there are some folks who would help, but how lame is that?

After playing softball without injury for more than 25 years, I was taken out while playing first base tonight in a lawyer league game. The pitcher had fielded the ball and threw a bit high and the home plate side of the bag. The big lummox on the losing team (they beat us just 6 weeks ago) who hit the ball slammed into my knee from the side just as my [considerable] full weight came down on the bag. I actually held the ball until my mitt hit the ground as I was knocked down from the force of the blow, but the cuntpire called the guy safe. Not sure how that matters but it made the pain worse. She did call every close play their way the entire game. Oh well, we won our 4th straight and I played the last inning before hobbling to my car. I can't bend my knee much and not at all without a lot of pain and discomfort and straining on the side of my knee. I will likely have to see a doctor tomorrow. And I don't really feel up to unloading the WES prototype in the trunk of my car that I was hoping to listen to tonight. Fuck.

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The Gunbunnies -- Great Big Diamond

Medeski, Martin & Wood -- Radiolarians III