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Here I was thinking I was going to have a productive day... I didn't take any pics of the wooden boxes but they are very nice though my EX-1a box was branded as ES-2a... no matter. First off is the ES-2a and I went for the "Omega look" in terms of color. My ES-1a is all black so made sense to separate them in the collection. I like the color a lot, the finish isn't quite perfect but having been through the hell of trying to get perfect anodizing... yeah I understand that. I'm happy the outer screen has mesh in it now as that's a large part of why the Omegas sound the way they do, not that this is a copy of the Omega. I mean not really... The earpads are very nice and supple, concave similar to the newer Audeze LCD pads. A closer look at the driver face and those lover copper stators. The dust covers come with the set and I did install them as I like to keep dust out of all of my headphones. Might have some slight impact on the sound but who cares. I ordered the set with the regular cable but Benson upgraded me to the Stax Wide PC-OCC cable free of charge so thanks for that. The fit and finish of these is excellent, better than the ES-1a and that was no slouch. My main issue with them was the lack of strain relief on the headphones for the cable but that has been fixed here. EX-1a: I was pleasantly surprised when Benson told me that there would also be a cheaper version coming in the form of the EX-1a as ~1k$ headphones are sorely needed. Clearly been in the works long before Stax introduced the X1 but a take on the same Stax SR-1/2/3/3N/5/5N and X design but with much better build quality than the X1. The earcups are actually fixed to the headband and made of aluminum, not needing the new Stax mod of placing some tape over the X1 forks on new units as they won't stay in place. Very nice, all leather, earpads and it looks like leather on the headband as well. Very nice cable entry, made of soft "rubber like" material. Same plug on both sets (this has the basic 6core cable which seems to be perfectly serviceable but more on that when I get some time with them) and it is a mixture of the same rubber-like material and 3D printed end piece. Works perfectly. Now for some impressions. I've just about had an hour since I got them and spent it on the ES-2a and all I can say is... I've very, very impressed. Very neutral sound signature, a bit laid back (as if you are a couple of rows back from the performance) with a large and expansive soundstage. No lack of focus here though, they conjure a very solid stage but it's just a step back from say a 007. Very Omega like really... Treble is nice and extended, not the mess of the Stax 009 and X9000, just as detailed though . Midrange is excellent, voices have the right presence without being too forward. The bass is tight and deep, only small issue I've found would be a bit of a lack of extreme deep bass and some slight resonance in the bass on certain tracks. Nothing I worry about and I'd take these over the Stax 009's or X9000 any day of the week. I'll try the EX-1a when I can take these off my head dig my only working X1 out of storage to compare against it.

first brisket smoke. 14 hours @ 225°, Got up to temp faster than I though. The end bit is a little dry. But a center cut is really tasty. Room for improvement.. She'll eat ..

I like that AI AL is a two-fisted drinker in each version! Thanks for the good wishes everyone. I have had a good day and went out to dinner with friends and had cake back at home. Only one drink at a time, though.

Dinner: Chicken Shawarma on homemade garlic naan with garlic white sauce. Dessert: Atlantic Beach Pie (also homemade)

I can see this happening all over again. LGBTQ are not the top priority of this administration at the moment. But Musk will lead the charge. They're going to come for us. Who's going to really stand with us is my only question. I know most of you will. ❤️

Went to see this yesterday https://trh.co.uk/whatson/the-score/ . Amazing production.

Talk Talk - It's My Life

Al was in the city today and texted me about my favorite breakfast place, not too far from his city house. I hadn't realized that it managed to stay open through the pandemic. He later texted pictures of their famous hashbrown sandwich. That was all the motivation I needed to head into the city. Even better than I remembered! After consuming that, I decided to visit my favorite SF bakery for their famous croissant pudding. Bread pudding made from their day old croissants. I'll save that for desert tonight.

PSA for Protesters.

My set of ES-2a and EX-1a arrived last Thursday. Have had some time with them. I am enjoying them. Agree with @spritzer on the ES-2a. Excellent reiteration of the original ES-1a. As for the EX-1a, I think it is very enjoyable too. Not quite as a big soundstage as the ES-2a, but excellent transparency and easy to drive. I had tried it off the Mjolnir Carbon and currently on the 007t (with CCS mod). And for the prices that Benson is charging for them, they are great value!

smoked salmon is back on the menu boys... This time I went with chunks rather than one full slab. I like it so much better. it makes life so much easier and now they're bite size.

Chicken Shawarma.

Vintage Krell gear is highly regarded. Analogue equipment ages like a fine wine. A nice set of meters really accentuates a properly built stereo. In the words of the late, great Bill Hicks, does anyone not know where this is going? A panel of 4 will will run you about $2600.

Drivin n cryin

Saw the new Matthew Gasda play Doomers (jointly playing in NYC & SF). It's a split play, the first half in a conference room right after Sam Altman being fired, the second half, simultaneously happening, in the OpenAI boardroom. Loud raging debates on the benefits and dangers of artificial general intelligence and man’s role in the future in both. Loved it. “A play that captures the absurdity of tech’s existential hand-wringing while the world burns” — The Guardian, Feb. 4, 2025

mini T2 board prepared for octal or UX4 sockets. Octal socket overlapped with UX4 (red arrows). If EML 20B-V4 or 300b/2A3 remove components at red arrows. If 300B/2A3 tie pads in green boxes together.

https://archive.org/details/dnc2025-03-22.4015gs

The Onion has been going off these days...

Tchaikovsky: Serenade for String Orchestra, Op. 48, TH 48 - Barber: Adagio for Strings, Op. 11 - Elgar: Introduction and Allegro, Op. 47 by Charles Munch (1957) https://album.link/rkzptq2wkrt63 Example: Lovely LS recording of the Boston with Munch. Including the iconic Adagio.

Classic special effects movie, with an impossibly young looking Leslie Nielsen. Loosely based on Shakespeare's play The Tempest.

RIP, George Foreman. You have my deepest sympathies, George, George, George, George, and George, and your sisters too.

I'm rewatching, Northern Exposure. What a great show. So unique. Anyway, I forgot that they would always finish each episodes with a legitimately good song. The last episode I watched played this song that I had completely forgotten about. It's an absolute masterpiece. warning: it may bring out emotions.

Locavore Chocolate Stout Cake, And Nice Cup of Tea.

Pre St. Patricks Day Brit / Irish Nibbles, in The City

I think this is one of the better songs ever written about dealing with the reality of death and losing your loved ones. It's kind of funny that its delivered here while yukking it up on the Tonight Show. Makes me cry every single fucking time.

Was a simpler time. Maybe.

Emily Remler - Cookin' at the Queens Live in Las Vegas 1984 and 1988 Sound quality is just meh, probably that's why they took so long to publish this (2024), but her performance and the band's is stellar if you like straight ahead jazz based on the legacy of bebop. In this one she doesn't sound as much as Wes Montgomery as on other earlier albums.

Lunch yesterday, slow smoked brisket point, candied and smoked again.

Sophis' City Fare

I think season 2 is better than 1...It could be the addition of a new writer...MY SISTER!...

Edited and fixed.🤞 I will work on the CNC enclosures next week. The drilling hole patterns will match any layout versions from .2~0.23. Just send the Gerber to the factory, Can`t wait to listen to it.

Happy Birthday Al. Do we think AI has improved over the last year, just like you?

Happy Birthday, Al!

Happy birthday, DOTU!

I believe you should move 22K resistor right tube to between G1 and 20BV4 pad. Then wire the 20BV4 pads together for bort EL34 and 20B-V4.

Bon Anniversaire, Al!

Happy Birthday, Al!

Happy Birthday!

^^ Every time I meet someone named Sharon I think in my head about "...sharing Sharon's outlook on the topic of disease...." 🤣

mini T2 DHT – for Emission Labs 20B-V4 tubes. Here with 2A3 and adapter from octal to 4-pin. The tube filament is injected to the adapter from 9VAC via rectifier and step-down DC-DC converter. Trimmers for voltage and current limit. I use it for 2.5V to 6.3V heaters.

I moved into the new place this weekend. Moving sucks, but hopefully that was the last move I need to make in a good while.

Pre-gaming for an SFJAZZ show Sunday.

Thanks for the post and lots to unpack here. The issue with using lower bias is less potential on the diaphragm and it has to be compensated to a degree with the drive voltages. That really doesn't work so it opens up a can of worms with regards to peaks and spikes making it onto the drivers, causing damage. It's all about balance. For me, 1uf caps are also way too big for what is supposed to be a high impedance circuit. I'd then put a large value resistor between them and a much smaller cap before the ballast to limit energy transfer. The choice of a Villard voltage doubler puzzles me as it is a terrible circuit with no real redeeming factors while it would cost next to nothing (even less) to use a far better circuit. I'd be less worried about switching noise in the diodes etc. over what it is a bad circuit. Smaller caps with cheaper diodes would work much better. The bias is also summed so any benefits from channel seperation are along gone. One the Stax SB units they took took one AC line from each of the channels to grab the highest potential as the impedance of the transformer would minimize any channel cross talk. Thanks for the offer but I don't need anymore stuff. I like the price and some of the ideas here but I'd switch to a better bias supply, maybe even a voltage tripler, with smaller caps and say a 200V limit on the input.

Given the recent news.

Happy new year smoked pork belly x3 y'all..