Dave R

We have a choice on whether to go on HC or not, I choose to because there are genuine answers to queries, ( as long as those queries aren't ridiculous ) with NO shilling, I'm also not worried about have posts removed unlike what happened to me on that shit site I don't need to mention. Yes when I first visited HC I did get some unusual posts written about me after I was repeating myself about a certain amp, but that was before I learnt how HC works. To those that don't like how HC is, my advice is stay on that shit site.

With me once owning an SACD/DAC that for my income was very expensive, and now owning a DAC that I feel was/is a bargain, I've learnt spending more doesn't guarantee better SQ than something that costs a lot less. With that said, some that go on HF and listen to expensive gear, will say it sounds amazing to try and promote sales even if it sounds nothing special, although us on HC will already know that.

The last post I wrote on HF several months ago was a genuine question, which was, " If sorbothane improves the SQ of Stax Earspeakers so much, then why hasn't Stax implemented the use of it ", to which that post was removed. After that happened I'd had enough of HF, and only go on now for to have a laugh at some of the crap that's posted there, also to reply to PM's I occasionally get.

Apparently there's no cure for tinnitus, so me mentioning as to whether sorbothane would stop tinnitus was me trying to be sarcastic seeing how edstrelow has been posting more than enough about how amazing it is on HF. Never thought he'd start posting about it here on HC though.

I wonder if ear plugs made out of this "sorbothane" stuff, then put in my friends ears, would stop his tinnitus. ?

I've seen the Utopia in the UK priced at £3250, so with me already having 009's, auditioning those Focals is all I would do.

I have a pair of HD-600's which are driven by a Mjolnir Dynalo mk1 I got from Birgir, and although I find not to the same SQ level as my 009/BHSE, that 600 combo still sounds extremely good, and a bargain for what they cost me, having said that I do use a silver custom cable with those 600's which I find has improved the SQ to that from the Senn stock cable. As for the Shangri-La, not interested one bit, although I might audition the Utopia at sometime.

All I can say is that I've not heard any difference in SQ from using a tube after so many hours, or at least I've not noticed. However I heard quite an improvement from using the NOS Mullard xf4's to the stock Mullard's and SED's, but this was straight away.

It has been mentioned on that other site ( somewhere) about tube burn in, but to me that's just a load of BS.

Very nice John ?

Mark obviously must be a very trustworthy Guy, because I know of no other place that repairs something, returns it, then asks for the payment after the persons happy with the result, which I am.

I agree it's better to know what the cost is before the repair's been done, but even if Mark had and I wasn't happy with it, I'd have still needed him to do it because he's the only one I know of that does Stax repairs in the UK. I also received a PM from someone in Canada that had more or less the same problem with his 009's, in which he's repair cost worked out very similar to mine. I might as well say what the repair cost was in case someone else has to have a new cable fitted. £394.99 is what I had to pay, however £65 of that was VAT. ?

Received my 009's yesterday in which I listened to them for several hours, and I'm pleased to say there's no problem with the sound, in fact I don't know if it's my imagination but they're sounding as good as they've ever done, they have been sounding pretty good though since I started using the Yggy and having NOS Mullard xf4's in the BHSE. ? Mark didn't want the repair cost until after a week because he said to give them that time to make sure they're still working good, but I decided to pay him straight away. Now if anyone would like to know how much the repair cost was, and the place Mark has, then I can do so via PM, but it was a lot more than the £115 it cost me to have the 007mk1's done in 2007, which was also for a new cable.

Received a phone call from Mark ( the Guy that did the repair ) saying my 009's have been fitted with a new cable and should be with me tomorrow. Now I don't know what the cost is because when I asked to pay he said an invoice will be in with the 009's. When I asked why he didn't want payment straight away, he said before making it he'd prefer I try my 009's out for a week to make sure I'm happy, then if happy make the repair cost. Very trustworthy policy, IMO.

I agree John I should carry on getting the cheaper whisky to save for your Carbon build, but that Blair Athol tastes so much better than the less expensive stuff i've had. So regarding your Carbon build, as you know I was going to get the new building completed which included a new kitchen fitted in it, as well as other home improvements before the Carbon, but because that new kitchen can wait I'll just have the roof + windows and door fitted to that new building, which means I'll probably ask you to build me that Carbon sometime next year.

The Whisky Exchange is where I got that Blair Athol from, and after reading reviews on different whiskies I put some on my wish list on that site. Now I'm more of a beer, lager drinker, and it's only recently I've started drinking whisky more often, whereas before I drank it occasionally.

Like I mentioned, it was a good friend that suggested a more expensive whisky, so I didn't figure it out. Also, in me spending more for a bottle, it'll mean I'll only be getting 2 or 3 bottles a year.

Although I like a dram of single malt whisky couple times a week, I've only paid between £30 to £40 a bottle, however after a good friend told me a more expensive whisky can taste smoother and less harsh, I thought I'd get one around £120. The one I got seen in the two photos is a 27 year old Blair Athol, and it does seem to taste smoother less harsh, but has a nice warm after feeling. Therefore, from now on rather than get whisky between £30 to £40, I'm going to start spending £100 to £200 on a bottle with my next one probably being either Ardbeg 1990, or Glenmorangie Astar. Another one that reads it's very smooth with no harshness is Balvenie 21 year old single malt. Glenmorangie is from the Highland region, Ardbeg's from Islay, and Balvenie's from Speyside. ?

Thanks Chinsetta, but the problem with my 009's is the cable.

As I mentioned in my previous post Soren, I need/want to focus on getting my home improvements done. I only asked Mark ( him sorting out my 009's ) about 007 drivers in a 009 because I was on the phone talking to him about my 009's problem.

I'd send you my 009's Birgir if I didn't want to get my home improvements done, but they're being sorted out before anything else, after that I'm having a Carbon built by John. So with what I'm having done to my home, and having the carbon built, then on my income this could take 3 or 4 years maybe longer, however after that time and if you'd still be willing to check this out with 007 drivers, then I'd be more than happy to send you my 009's ?

Because with some songs in my collection they sound much better with the 007 ( the most recent 007 that is ) than the 009. ( both Stax driven by the BHSE ) Also with the headband I did for my 009's, to me it not only makes the 009's very nice looking Earspeakers, but I find it makes them a lot more comfortable than the 007's.

I've had my 009's sent off to have what might be a new cable fitted by a Stax specialist in the UK, and while on the phone I asked him whether it would be possible to have 007 drivers fitted in 009's, to which he couldn't say, however he did say if it was possible it would probably be very expensive to do so, so I'll give up on that idea and start thinking about more sensible things, that's if I can do that. ??

I got those 007mk1's in 2000 and don't know what cable it was, but I've been told that a new cable can be fitted to my 009's without a problem, I just have to wait until after the 20th this month because the guy ( Mark ) doing the repair is on holiday until then. Now I'm not using my 009's til the new cable is on, so I'll be listening to my 003mk2's while waiting, which I don't mind because those 003's driven by the BHSE do sound ( IMO ) extremely good. ?

Thanks HemiSam. I'm sure the problem will be fixed because like I said I had the same problem with the 007mk1, but to what I recall the cost of having a new cable put on those 007's was I believe £115, and that was in 2007, so I expect a new cable plus it fitted is going to cost a lot more, however I get a lot of pleasure listening to those 009's so the cost will be worth it.