Carl

The 6BZ7 is an unusual heater version of the 12BZ7, which is somewhat similar to the 12AX7. It's a high gain tube (amplification factor around 100), but with about twice the anode current. It's a very non-linear tube and doesn't sound especially good. Why replace a nice sounding tube like the 6N30 with one? If he needed more gain there are other options, 6C45s are nice, alternatively he could have used a nice pentode or even (gasp) solid state. Makes no sense to me, I'm afraid.

Let's break this down somewhat; 1. FOTM and overenthusiasm aside, Ultrasones aren't bad headphones 2. Their build quality is technically alright (as in, they don't break easily, at least not anymore), but is way too cheap for the price of their headphones 3. Ultrasone do have competant designers, even if they aren't always focused on improving sound quality I have yet to hear the E9s (and being stuck down here and not wanting to buy them blind I see no way to rectify thatt), but I don't see any reason they couldn't sound as good as the more level-headed of the other sites posters have claimed. I guess there will be a beeline towards the E9s during the international meet.

Wouldn't the "Orpheus Lite" be the HE60?

The price of HE90s is too inflated for its own good.

Ooopsy, I seem to have missed this first time 'round. They're very smooth and subtle. Lots of attention gets given to the little nuances in the music, but they're beaten by the other good 'stats when it comes to dynamic contrasts and crescendos. The lower-key the music is, the better they sound. Jazz is awesome. Romantic-era classical would be their greatest weakness (not to say they sound worse than a Triport with such music, as they of course don't). They share family resemblances with the Lambdas and Sigmas, naturally so as they all share the same drivers. In terms of tonal body, they're about halfway between Lambda and Sigma. Try to track down an original 230v bias lambda to try out with it.

Yes, they're good. They have their own sound, so aren't necessarily a better option than any other particular given electrostatic, but if they grok with you then they're one of the best in the world.

A while ago. Just 4070s? Damn, I mustn't be trying hard enough... No idea. A bit too much juice went to one side and the driver got a little sizzled, so I sent them off to have the drivers replaced. They've since returned to me, though.

Well by "not that much more", I meant by headphone freak standards, ie. around $500, although I have seen SR-Ωs go for less than $1500 before, regretably not to yours truely. I also think they're worth as a matter of value around $2k, so if the reserve wasn't at a ridiculous level we might have ended up in a bidding war Too bad.

$4k? That's insane! I know that Javier paid around $4k for his NOS pair, but second hand ones aren't usually much more than a HE60, assuming you can find one. John seems intent on driving the price up, and then selling it outside of ebay once he gets an offer he considers is high enough.

It must be said the guy's approach to selling them is rather slimey. Not to say I'd have any issue taking them if the price was right, of course...