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I hope to get a set of the SR-X's soon as I've lined up pretty much everything that competes with it, including some oddballs like a SR-Omega with 007 drivers (probably my favorite headphones for just sitting down and listening) so it will be fun to compare. I even bought a second hand 009S, now that they are really coming down in price, and this thing is such a disappointment. How could Stax fuck this up so badly, I mean the drivers are a bloody work of art but the sound... ohhh the sound. Oddly thin and bright sounding with so little body to it as this was supposed to be the one that fixes the 009's issues. It's a combination which works for the Sennheiser HE60 but here it just falls flat, robbing music of vitality and life so you end up with a likeness which is not real at all. With the HE60's one adjusts to their sound signature quickly but this just makes me furious... Seriously, somebody at Stax should sit down with these and a 007Mk2 on any random track and honestly say which is better. Randomly Elvis Costello - Veronica came up while I'm typing this and it is just bright, lifeless and boring. I replayed with the CRBN's off the same amp and this is far, far better.

I scored some Oatly barrista oatmeal milk today. Am very curious to see how I like it. I feel like I'm fixing something that's not broken, but then again if I don't explore new things I'll never know... HS

How lucky am I? I may actually cup this in a couple days. How often do you have three Geshas, let alone from three different countries?

I’m not surprised, but only because I bought my partner similar machines, and I was also shocked at how good they were at mimicking pour over. Speaking of pour over: beyond how convenient it is to have my coffee stay warm, the ability to know exactly the temperature of the liquid, in real time, is the game changer here. In this case I brewed directly into the mug using the Brewista Tornado, from a PID kettle set at 210. Four pours, but the kettle was set to maintain that temperature. Brewing into a warm mug (set to the default of 135) the coffee was 177 degrees upon uncovering, and had gone down to 168 within 20 seconds. Keep in mind that this was a best-case pour over scenario, as the Tornado is dual wall. Recommended. Plus you can make the LED glow any color you want. 135-140 is pretty ideal, and this bean has tons of chocolate there.

Thanks. Yes, I use it with paper filter. My Kalita Wave manual pour over tastes better, but I am surprised at how good this is for an automatic.

Okay, consider this a recommendation coming from very low expectations, and I know they've been around awhile, but picked up one of those GE LED+ BR30 bulbs (battery backup, multi-color, or Bluetooth speaker extra "addition") with the speaker option and it isn't half bad. The surrounding can rattles a little with bass, and should be considered, but not the bulb's fault. I mean again have proper expectations (think of the same mono driver in a similar sized, cheap desktop speaker), but it's kinda cool if you have a use case. Anyone else using?

I know the Ember was a game changer for my wife. With the kids running around, she was dealing with cold coffee multiple times a day, every day. I bought her the original 10 oz for her birthday a few years back, and when the 14 oz was released, I upgraded her that Christmas. 136 degree Americanos make Lauren a happy woman.

Had only seen clips. Plays a little differently in whole.

The drawer box is built to be made into one piece with a dado on all for sides for the bottom to fit into. Then the drawer front is secured from the rear with wood screws.

Yes, after finding out the traits of these new drivers, I think about using them in a Sigma shell, if it is better than my best Sigma Pro, then it must be something special (the Sigma Pro already is, but the KGSSHV is still unable to control it, the sort of thing that measures poorly, sounds a bit unclear at first with wooly bass, then you recalibrate and works (again, the system made any Sigma more interesting) Thoroughly agree, but I have spent (wasted) time with EQ many times. I personally find it detrimental, so I wouldn't want to use it on anything. I probably have no idea how to do it well. I observed oddities, like if I slightly "miss" the target I would want to change, it sounds a bit more natural. And I would probably have to constantly switch it back and forth depending on the material. The only one where I might use EQ is the Lambda Pro. Quite like this one (for the price as mentioned and I think it is also holding its hands for a Carbon - at least...) sounds good with things like Dave Brubeck Quartet (excellent impact, no mid emphasis). Damped like the NB (maybe even better without it), good weight, over the top deep bass and stage- But the upper treble peak is ear-piercing for most of the time. I only take it down very slightly, any more and it looses character. The other EQ I tried is the normal bias SR-X Mk3, seems quite flat with not quite enough bass (rolled-off treble, can't be cured) but in the end, I switched back. So, the solution seems to be: KGSSHV Carbon + SR-X Mk3 Pro (possibly custom pads as well). The X9000 needs no EQ (unless you are a basshead), sounds drier than others, but it just picks up whatever is in the system. I am unfamiliar about tuning speed, I don't hear a major shift with that characteristic with Stax amps vs KGSSHV. I am also not saying that the Omega is realistic (it can also sound too fast). I am just saying, at some point this becomes bothersome to me, with a consequence: the shorter duration of the notes hit with more of a 'hard' quality, with the slightly longer duration on the Omega it becomes easier on the ears and I think less unrealistic and not in bothersome territory. There is a sweet spot, where the whole "show" becomes an otherworldly experience, that's what I expect at this level, and with many types of different materials. The Omega is always dialled back to 9.5 instead of 11 on the X9000, and it is fine like that to me, it has several issues (chief among is the amp requirements - the X9000 seems somewhat easier to drive but still benefits from it - since that is even more $$$ and living on water + rice for another year) and just like the HE90, it sounds pleasing with all of those faults (as a biased owner, I might even say character traits, if the bass is "too perfect" on an estat, it can rock less).

That reminds me of a joke. One that goes back to the dimly recalled telegraph office. German shepherd walks into the telegraph office, puts its paws on the counter and says "woof, woof, woof, woof, woof, woof, woof, woof, woof". The teller says "That is only nine woofs. You realize you can have a tenth woof for the same price" The dog replies "But then it wouldn't make sense"

Now this X9000 thingy... I am waiting in anxiety for Birgir's impression on it, as it might sound good with the types of music he is listening to. I have borrowed one (with a DAC, amp, cables, the whole shebang) from a lovely owner due to his lack of time to listen for a whole week now, and I have changed my mind like 5 times. I think it is probably the fastest headphone I've heard with the best, ultra-precise spatial detail, very foot-tapping, this is the type of music where it is very impressive. but also the one of the most unrealistic (in the second one, it just goes to the next slow-paced track and it starts to sound weird). Yes, it reproduces even more of what's in symphonic music, if there is more textural information that makes the sound become more natural, they are kind of "overwritten" by its new technical level that it is playing at. Maybe I am clueless, but I think they have taken it too far regarding diaphragm thickness. They have managed to take the speed over 9000 (That's impossible!) I think it can be tuned to be better (waiting for the 'S' version...) I don't know what's the slowest, lushest amp possible to make it somewhat more enjoyable for me. (Or use several amps and change the sound depending on the music) But I don't see the point of buying the fastest out there to make it slow. Yes, it has mesh transducers like the SR-Omega with impeccable build, and you can actually buy one (with warranty), there are similarities, like big but lightweight, big stage, etc. but they sound nothing alike. I can see 009 owners seeing this as a big upgrade, that was the previous one I tested (not like this, unfortunately, only with the amp...) and I think it sounded "very intense" (restraining myself here), but the speed wasn't taken to this extreme level. I have also tested the L300 Limited and my impression of it is very much a love or hate thing. Basically, an interesting new transducer technology, struggling to get out. Compared to older Lambdas it is badly built, uncomfortable, unsealed pads means bye bye deep bass, trades airiness for precision, uneven frequency response. Maybe deliberate product segmentation? They have resources to do a Lambda that is miles better than these ones. Good thing they still have the 007 Mk2 at least...and they realised the screw-up with the supposedly 009-style diaphragm - they just won't tell us the units affected... For example, based on all the positive-negative thoughts about the Audeze CRBN, it seems that they have aimed to make it sound less ethereal (damped, weighty, not as ultra-fast) which I think is a good thing, but they have also lost some of the wow-factor. This is completely the other direction, and if it really has any resemblance to the HE90 I am all-in for it. In my very distant memory, that headphone still has the best reproduction of timbre and musical notes. They appear and disappear 'normally' with weight behind them. I couldn't care about blurry imaging, murky bass, upper register anomalies etc. However, looking at the whole picture, the Omega is starting to be more and more competitive now, an emerging superpower, like China. Kind of interesting to read the contemporary comparisons by darth nut, I think these newer, more advanced sources and amps can change the sound perception compared to way back then. Also, just a side note: some people not hearing certain things about KGSSHV etc. aftermarket amps not being that much better to a standard Stax amps may need to change sources(I wish some things would not take a step backwards in this earlier iteration, but overall more impressive and transforms some headphones and does not cost that much more than my modded 727), the two work together effectively as a combination. When I heard an expensive DAC last time, the amp and circumstances weren't that good. You can't just save on one and ignore the other because this review says it is the greatest value jada, jada... And you don't even need the SR007 etc. to be in need of this change. But some headphones definitely do a damn good job in a cheap system, it is just hard to back when they can sound similar, yet 100% better. Giving these back won't be comfortable one bit. I mean the amp & DAC (maybe cables), not the headphones. So, basically, he has one side covered and I have the other side covered... :) And of course, another new problem I have now, is that I have accumulated so many of these, and when the system is good, they just all become better at what they do best, a lot of them being too cheap to just ignore compared to the price of certain elements in the chain. I expected to play the elimination game a whole lot easier, it doesn't really work, but I need to change things at some point... But then again, there will be a time where we might be back to the normal universe from this alternative one, and there will only be precious little time left to actually sit down & listen to music (in a completely dark and silent environment, some headphones really need this, even the X9K becomes more impressive/less annoying with this mismatched system). Happy listening!

Here even the most complete case with an external power supply. GND and PE should make contact first and break last (in connectors between PSU and Amp case). Edit: The image below shows single ended amp though, Carbon being balanced one would connect the - to the 2nd amp half and not to ground, but that was not the original question.

So, finally time to replace the cable of my 007. Birgir and others have probably demonstrated this before, but I thought I'd show some pics for those who, like me, haven't done it before (and, sooner or later it will be necessary). Off with pads and front plate, and the nylon piece covering solder terminals. Solderer's best friend: electrical tape. Some sacrifices necessary too - had to buy and eat a bar of chocolate for the cardboard to protect driver from hot solder. New cable in place. Also adjusted the headband elastic and put on the pads correctly, wasn't done before. Now the 007 sits tight on my head, sounds better and is more comfortable. Promised myself to fix the 007 when I finished my Carbon, so here goes. Build without major problems. MLA brought his variac for startup, and there were high voltages on the outputs. My mistake, had missed to solder one leg of a PZTA56, hanging in air. Fixed that and it works fine. Wanted to keep it simple and clean. Might add a LED when I can afford it.

The SawStop decided to die on me today. I think it might have had too many false starts with circuit breakers but now it will just make a weird rumbling noise and give the warning lights for no blade rotation. Blade rotates as normal by hand. No reason for it to be thermal protection as I have not cut anything in over a week and the garage is, at most 40 degrees right now. Maybe belts are too cold?