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Wrote another paragraph of the Audeze LCD-XC review I've been working on for over a year. I'm only 5 paragraphs in and I've already rewritten this cursed thing more times than I care to count. There's nothing wrong with the headphone, but in some ways it's so different from anything else I've owned that I've had to rethink a bunch of things I thought I knew about headphones and then try to put everything into context.

Watched the first episode of this last night (on HBO). Fan-tastic! If, like me, when you hear "Stax" you think of the record company first and electrostatic headphones second, watch this! The music that came out of Stax in the 60s was absolutely molten. Sam and Dave, Otis Redding, Issac Hayes. They are all among my favorites. There was a ton of musical talent in the south that they really were able to tap. I am looking forward to watching the rest of the four parts.

Here in Australia it was a very similar situation, lots of bashings and murders of gay men throughout the seventies and eighties, I can’t imagine how awful that would have been for a gay man growing up with all that going on. Steve I truly admire your bravery, you must have very big balls. Btw I’m the happy father of a gay son, I’m more proud than I could ever have imagined to be.

Wife and I attended the last concert of the season yesterday at the Auditorio. James Ehnes was the soloist performing with the Dallas Symphony the Mendelssohn violin concerto. He plays a Stradivarius, the "Marsick", which sounds absolutely amazing. Performance was short of stunning. He offered two additional pieces in response to the long standing ovation. One of them was one of the Ysaÿe violin sonatas in that album, a work that we didn't know and that requires the virtuoso skills of Sarasate, Paganini and the own Ysaÿe. In this streaming days it's available everywhere: https://album.link/i/1562851848 and in Qobuz too

Arooj Aftab's newest, Night Reign. Up there on the beauty scale. Ex.

Nutella cookies.

Sometimes in life, you're the pinkie.

Orzo Salad, with a pesto chicken topper.

Grace by Jeff Buckley (1994) https://album.link/i/1046187510 Example: A bit of 1994 tunes for a Tuesday afternoon. I knew the title track and of course his version of Hallelujah, but I didn't know this as a full album. Very good. Lots of different tones and styles and plays with dynamics nicely. And I have to say, just sounds like good music, it does not seem grounded or stuck in the 90s. At least to my ears.

June is gay pride month. I remember my first time marching in a gay pride parade. It was 1984 and I was 23 years old. It was in Anchorage, Alaska. I had just recently come out to my family, and I was finally ready to overcome my embarrassment and stand with my friends in a public setting. It was absolutely a milestone for me after years of shame. During our march a protest group from the Anchorage Babtist Temple decided that they could not let a group of LGBTQ people come across as normal, and allow us a peaceful march. I was personally spit on and damned to hell by a very Motherly looking woman in her 40s. A few people were actually slapped and punched. The police were called to the scene, but did nothing at all. Instead of having the effect they had hoped for, it just cemented our will. That event more than any other started my personal quest for equal rights. About that same time period, Ronald Reagan's stance on AIDS activated my interest in politics. While I don't really think of myself as an activist, I do believe in being out, open and taking a stand. I try to encourage others to do the same. I also remember a night at the gay dance club " The Village", when a group of gay bashers came in to wreak havoc. That didn't work out how they had planned, as they were vastly outnumbered. I'm sure they expected a group of "nelly" little queens to cower at their feet. But what actually happened was that they were outnumbered by about 5 to 1, beaten and ran out of the club. Cops were called, but again did nothing, even though a license plate was observed and given. Later I moved to Texas. In Texas I first lived in a town called Tyler. I moved there with two friends. In Tyler the rental properties are mostly managed by a few companies. We tried to find an apartment, and even though we all had good credit, could afford first and last months rent and so on, we kept being denied. I couldn't understand why. After about a week of trying multiple places with no luck, we happened to be at WalMart shopping. I noticed two obviously gay guys, went over and introduced myself, then told them about our plight. They told me about an untold rental policy against gay men, where 3 or more men would not be rented an apartment together. They told us that you have to act straight and apply with only one other male. I was a bit dumbfounded at that. After that we went another route and looked at renting houses from private owners. We found a place in one day. 3 years later I moved to Port Aransas, TX, to help my Mom with her storage business. In lovely Port Aransas I encountered sub contractors that would not work on site unless I left the jobsite. I actually put up with that for several years, then realizing that I was the main reason why the business was successful, I just declined to leave the jobsite. The subcontractor could either stop being a bigot and do his job with me there, or a new subcontractor could be hired. He chose to keep making money off of us, but still tried to be an intimidating prick. It didn't work. I guess I'm spouting all of this because a recent post about parents going to gay pride with their child really got me thinking. Thinking how things have changed so much over the years, at least in California. I doubt things will change in small town Texas anytime soon. I thought about how I had been embraced at my job for being a great carpenter, and treated as a valued co-worker by the crew and subs. I thought about how I hadn't heard the word "faggot" in 6 1/2 years. I thought about having a straight best friend that is completely unaffected by my homosexuality. I thought about the many LGBTQ people around me living their lives around other people that are almost oblivious to any difference. Not long after moving to Texas, I was doing some remodel work for an Aunt. One day off the top of her head she just said to me, "I don't mind gay people, I just don't like it when they flaunt it in my face". I had no idea what to say to that, so I said nothing. Maybe a day or two later she said, "at least you're not one of those militant gays". At that point I popped off with a sarcastic."yeah, I hate those, they're almost as bad as militant Black people". Expecting a shocked silence from her, I was instead bombarded with a tirade of agreement, only she didn't use the term Black people. She actually though I was being serious. I re-evaluated my need for money over my need for respect, and left that day, job unfinished. I haven't spoken a word to that Aunt since. Today I'm considering semi retirement, and evaluating where I can afford to live vs. where I want to live. I'm having a hard time imagining going back to that mindset. I would honestly rather struggle financially than mentally. Sometimes we forget how good things have gotten compared to how things had been previously. My mental health and sense of self worth, while not perfect, is better than it's ever been. I just want to recognize that. I want to thank all of you for being a part of that for me. And I want to hear what you think about gay pride and what, if any effect it's had on you or your loved ones?

Alan Parsons Project - Tales of Mystery and Imagination: Edgar Allan Poe

I watched the whole thing about a week ago. Really enjoyed it. Music documentaries are my favorite. The Wrecking Crew is also awesome. And the docs. on Laurel Canyon & docs. on the Haight/Ashbury late 60s music scene are good too.

But the best burger joint in the world isn't in California or Texas. It's in Anchorage, Alaska. I'm truly sad that you fine folks have never experienced magnificence in a burger. Especially with the best onion rings in the world. And on those walls is a pic of little, 10 y.o. Stevie and family from 1971. Oh how I'd like to be sitting in one of those Red booths, looking down on Camble Creek right now!

I didn't get a lot of abuse, physical or verbal. Just a few times when I was gathered in a gay event. I guess I'd use the term "passable". Most people don't catch on until they've known me a while, and then usually because I bring it up. I'm also not a small guy. And I have no fear of being hit (thanks Dad). It's been some time since I've been in a physical altercation, but I've gotten scrappy in the past. Usually defending a smaller, weaker gay friend. Nothing gets me more pissed off than a bully. Toss in a homophobic bully and we've got a fight. Luckily those are few and far between in the bay area. There is one bully that I truly want to punch in the face though...

Out of all of the offensive shit I've said in the past, this is what gets me the angry emoticon? 😂

Orzo Salad (Hold the olives)

Although they are shrouded, the mains transformers of that amp are very close to the deck and cartridge. Reminds me of a problem I had back quite a number of years with an Audio Research power amp I had. It was right in the bottom of the rack, as far away from the deck as possible. But when playing a record, an annoying background hum. Then without the deck revolving, I put the stylus down - hum. It was mechanical. The mains transformer was vibrating and shaking the whole rack. This was Audio Research's design booboo. Designed for US 60Hz, in the UK at 50Hz the transformer takes 60/50 times more current, and starts to saturate a bit. And it therefore mechanically vibrates at 50Hz. And vibrates the whole hundredweight of amp. Hauled it out of the rack - not easy given its weight - and put it on a separate platform - bliss - silence.

That's a beautiful piece! My parents were racist. They'd never admit to that, and probably actually believe that they were not racist. But I grew up in a house where the "N" word was used often. I remember my Mom telling me not to make friends with Black kids in school, because they couldn't be trusted. Even though I understood from an early age that way of thinking was wrong, some of that prejudice is bound to seep through. That's why racism is so prevalent. Because it's passed on through generations, because kids think their parents have the answers. My oldest Brother was my moral compass throughout my childhood and still today. He taught me to disregard that ideology, and that our parents were just wrong. I fought that ideology, sometimes to the backlash of my parents. Through the years my Father became less and less racist. I know that was a hard thing for him, as his parents were even more racist than he was. I'll never forget the day my Father happily helped my gay, Black friend fix the brakes on his car. That was a highpoint for me. It's amazing watching your parents grow up. My Mother is better, but still says absolutely stupid, racist shit from time to time. I don't let those moments pass, and that does piss her off. Too bad. I'll never stop. I recognize that some of that stupid shit seeped into me at an early age. I also recognize that I have the education to rationalize how ridiculous those ideas are. I've had 4 Black roommates, all at different times in my life. That drove my Mother crazy. She couldn't understand it. I sought out those roommates on purpose. They were friends first, but when the opportunity came to share an apartment, I chose to do so to help my own growth and understanding. I wanted to counter my upbringing. I definitely believe it helped me push back against not only my parents ideas, but all of my Texas relatives racist views that I was also subjected to in my childhood. Some of whom would flabbergast you with their pure hate towards other races. It's OK to grow up with those ideas. It's immoral not to fight back against those ideas.

My two favorite cameras. F/3.5 vs 1.7, at 28mm.

Are you sure that's what they were laughing at?

I did a couple of mountain bike rides north of Phoenix in July back in the day. It was so hot even the coyotes just watched and laughed at our hubris.

Oh, so they make the fridge in a side by side too?

But at least it's a dry heat, amiright? https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article277546363.html

I was born in '56, and when I was maybe 14 in '70 the school employed a black guy as a lab technician for the biology department. It is to my eternal shame I never spoke to the guy. You see, in the North East of England that was the first black person I had ever seen - and I simply did not know, in my ignorance how to talk to him. Now of course statistically, with 600 boys and girls, there simply had to be a fair number of gay people - or LGBTQ in a broader and more recent perspective. But if the topic was ever referred to it was in derogatory terms. It took me a long time after that to shake off the prejudices, and the ignorance. But all of them went. I really appreciated your initiating this thread Steve. And I like you thank heavens we are living, certainly in our parts of the world (USA and Europe) in much more enlightened times. But in whole swathes of the world being gay is still illegal and gays persecuted. Like it was in the UK - even in recent times, Thatcher introduced a law called Section 28, which made it illegal for local authorities to promote homosexuality: "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship". This was in the UK in 1988. When Thatcher was ousted in 1979 in a landslide by labour, they repealed it within a year of taking office, thank heavens. Wikipedia is your friend https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_28 . Now, thank heavens, gay marriage is enshrined in law, and the final barriers have tumbled Back in history, the Roman army were encouraged to take a gay lover, on the basis that a fighter would fight more diligently if he was defending his lover fighting at his side. Back to modern times, and just as a for instance, the one time CEO of the Brendoncare Foundation that my wife took over from, Paul (or Jules) subsequently became a Trustee. I got to know Paul and his partner Vital very well. Vital was a renowned stained glass artist and sculptor, and designed one of the windows in our house. He also designed windows for Oxford colleges and churches. After bravely battling bowel cancer for a number of years, he alas died at the all too young age of 63. This is the guy https://www.vitalpeeters.co.uk/ , and this is the window he designed and built for our house....

Sacramento is a nice place to live, but learning to deal with to the heat here vs. the coastal weather of the Bay Area is a big adjustment. I keep getting my butt absolutely kicked on hikes that I’d have no problem with if it were cooler. I’d estimate there is something like a 15-20% difference in effort required to do outdoor activity at 65F near the coast vs. doing at 90F inland. I think the body just has to spend a lot more energy keeping itself cool. Thankfully I am bringing plenty of water. A nice cold Gatorade at a gas station after hours hiking out in the sun also really hits the spot.

There's no shame in being ignorant. There's only shame in staying ignorant.

Firstly, thank you for sharing your story Steve. I am so, so sorry that you had to endure that pain throughout your life. I've never understood the violent expression of that kind of hatred toward another person. Personally, I have had many gay friends all my life, from high-school & long since into adulthood. I've always been a close friend & an ally. This month, I think of my mother's 85y/o cousin who passed-away just a few weeks ago. She had moved to Green Bay many years ago to live with her "friend" - a Catholic nun. Although most of us understood their relationship, her sexuality was never discussed openly amongst family (not that we necessarily should have). But I was always sad that she felt she had to move so far away from family to live her authentic self. Today, I have nieces & nephews in their twenties who are openly gay/trans, and am glad my family as a whole embrace them as they are. Maybe that's a sign that there has been progress & this is a better time. Let's hope.

Below is a personal history, but doesn’t really answer your question about what gay pride is, and afraid my answer there is pretty generic and from the outside - a time to celebrate, and show support, for a group of people, hidden and misunderstood too long. I've been very slow to a pickup on a lot of things (it took a biological daughter, not girlfriends or a sister or mother or grandmothers, let alone general history or lit, or eyes simply being open, to really kick off feminism in my life). Likewise, mostly my narrow worldview, but also growing up in a seemingly 183% straight, white, Christian Ohio farm town (our diversity was also having Amish straight, white, Christians), resulted in a radar that would best be described as "inactive." Of course, that wasn't how it really was and I hate in hindsight especially not being a better ally to a couple people. But once I went to college (keep in mind I'm old) for visual arts, it was a whole different picture. You know when some of your white friends really get into Blues, early Rock, R&B, and/or Jazz and it also transforms their view of race and they want to celebrate it? Well, probably not surprisingly substitute painting and sculpture and there are long periods of generally not the straight world where the rebellious magic is happening (even if different than a modern notion of orientation). The slightest tip of the iceberg hits [likely] da Vinci, Caravaggio and Michelangelo through Bacon, Warhol, Kahlo, and Hockney. It's practically an endless list and undeniable the contributions to larger America and the world. They brought a disproportionate shit ton of beauty into the world, we're all so much better for it, and we all should be proud (a little outsiders pride!). And any "issue" less significant than that, seemed pretty silly to continue to argue over to that art student. That was my dam breaking, and that change was certainly quickly reenforced as I got to know more and more people over the years, including you Steve. And next up my child wants to join the club. Also bad/good/great show tunes are bad/good/great!

Don't know if this should go into Speaker Porn, Amplifier Porn, or if we should create a new topic, Cable madness! Holy shitballs!

As promised, I divested myself of the Canon 28-90. I made some attempts to use the Canon 35-80mm F/4-5.6 III, which is slightly less bad but still awful. Color transmission and contrast are both lacking. Distortion is present, but far less so than the 28-90. The MV museum's parking lot. 35-80 @ 64mm, F/18, which is probably well into diffraction territory. I worked this image over pretty thoroughly in Luminar 4 and Photoshop. A few feet back, also 64mm and F/20 which is ...excessive. EDIT: Hours later. One goddamn wrong link fixed. Sweetened Water Farm, across from my house. Golden hour sun. Less editing than one might think (contrast enhancement mostly). 80mm, F/18. That famous little shack, which is one of my regular test subjects. 35mm, F/14. Much work done in Photoshop correcting distortion, boosting contrast and colors. That's probably it for me and the 28-80. It manages to suck less than the 28-90, which is damnation with the faintest of praise. Tune in next time when I take the Nifty Fifty to the famous Lucy Vincent Beach and the Gay Head Cliffs (yes, that's really their name.)

Well the SRS-X1000 just showed up unexpectedly and with all of my cameras out of juice the phone had to do. It really doesn't like the halogen lights in the kitchen... First off, this made me laugh out loud... here is how they came out of the box: Now for anybody familiar with the vintage SR-1/2/3/5 and SR-X series... this is usually how they arrived too with one or both earcups loose from the headband. Packaging is also very reminiscent of the SR-X boxes: I must say though that I fucking despise these new Stax boxes from a graphics design point of view. It looks like any cheap, tacky crap out of China... the older ones were unique and had their own thing going on but this just fucking blows. Now for the headphones it was a quick trip into the office for a listen so no more pics. Usual rig of Denarips Terminator and Carbon CC. They do feel nice in the hand though, very light and the cable actually has copper colored lines/dashes on it, not gold ones as they often looked from the pics. Gone is the blue cable... why they made that I have no idea. The headband has a lot of extension to it so even melon heads can use these. There is no padding on the headband at all but the material is firm here, not loose like on the original SR-X units. Earpads are nice and snug and seem to be nice quality, leagues ahead of the garbage on the L300/L500's. Now for sound... these sound pretty good which is a fun thing to say about a Stax set for a change. They are nice and neutral, not much forward slant here but they are quite extended on top. The bottom end is a bit lacking (smaller drivers and all that) but it is very mid-bass happy so quite fun to listen to. Midrange is a tiny bit closed in at times and the soundstage is quite closed in but it doesn't really bother me. Just that odd moment where something sounds a tad bit off but yeah... these are so much better than the L300... it's not even fucking funny. Might even be able to finally retire my aging fleet of SR-207 test headphones good... we'll see. I'll update more in the coming days but after an hour, yeah get a set. Now for the amp, first thing you notice is that it's a good inch deeper than the 252S and all of the other desktop Stax amps before it. I haven't done any circuit analysis yet but this is clearly just a version of the last 252S circuit and yup... it's still all through hole in 2024. Utterly bizarre... The extra length in the chassis is just there for the fuse and a breakout board for the RCA's. There are clearly spots on the PCB for - inputs so they might make a balanced version of it at some point? Been there, done that and while fun... it adds very little to the performance. Input Jfets are K81's so 2SK2881's and those riser boards seem to be PCB capacitors. I need to take a look at them in more detail but yeah, quite odd as they are numbered from 1 and up to 4.

Wait until it hits 110 degrees in the shade! Hottest summer I ever spent was when I worked at the capital during college. And I had to wear a suit to work. 🥵