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Now you see why I've been rabbiting on about this ever since I compared the two side by side, and why I feel like banging my head against the wall when people tell me the Mk2 doesn't have its problems. Now take the next step and get a better amp. It's as significant to the 007 as going from the Mk2 to the Mk1. More so, actually. The excessive politeness will go away. What will make me even more happy is if Stax pulls their heads out of their collective asses and fixes the problems in their lineup. Hopefully the money infusion from Edifier - if it even exists - will let them do just that.

When you're standing in Page, it is essentially on the other side of Lake Powell lengthways, so you probably won't be able to see it but it's there. The dirt road leading into the valley is about a 3 hour drive from Page, maybe a tad more. Speaking of which - bring a 4x4. You can probably do it on a regular sedan but the road is very rough, and breaking something and being stranded in the middle of the desert in mountain lion country is probably not a good thing. You need ground clearance. Monument Valley is a lot more accessible, and certainly going to have a whole lot more visitors, but descending into the valley also involves a dirt road, though an easier one. There's a lodge just outside Monument Valley called Goulding's which is pretty decent if a bit overpriced, but it's fairly conveniently situated for both, and of course you've got campgrounds everywhere.

If you're looking for isolation, Valley of the Gods in Utah is definitely the place to be. Not a structure in sight, and only a dirt road leading into it. Pretty spectacular. I'm not sure if you're allowed to camp or stay overnight - legally, that is - but I've been on a photo workshop where we did a sunset/moonrise shoot and it's still one of the best memories of my life. There's a spot in the valley where every sound you make reverberates exactly 7 times. A pretty mystical place all things considered, but a bit out of the way. If you make a trip to Monument Valley, it's only about an hour away. Capitol Reef national park is where all the hot landscape photo action is these days, it's not all that well known but pretty spectacular regardless. It's not that far away from Zion, but on the way you should also check out Bryce Canyon, probably one of the most spectacular vistas I've ever seen. Even more otherworldly and outlandish than the Grand Canyon. Utah in of itself is amazingly beautiful all around that area. Around California, Mono Lake is pretty interesting and certainly worth taking the time to do some sunset shoots in. On the way, there's the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains. Not only do you get one of the best driving roads in the world on your way there (you will really want a sports car here but the last bit of the road is a rough dirt track IIRC) but you will also have some pretty awesome vistas once you arrive. Time your arrival with some cloud cover, and being at 11,000+ feet you're almost guaranteed to have some spectacular fog shots. If you just want to get away from it all, Lake Powell in Arizona is pretty interesting, just leave your environmentalism at the door as it's a man-made lake and a real ecological disaster. Still, a very beautiful area. Rent a houseboat, moor anywhere you want along the lake, and do all the sunset shots you could ever wish for. Just watch out for storms on the lake, they can be pretty vicious. Not the cheapest getaway, but oh so very well worth it. Bring a toolkit; I've had both engines cut out in a houseboat in the middle of a storm, and was forced to fix both of them with a coathanger, a single bandaid, and two shoelaces, for lack of anything else. McGuyver was a wimp. Sorry too drunk/lazy to provide links. I do love Antelope Canyon, and I do have some shots from it that are actually not terrible. May post them later at some point. Also, Yosemite may have tourists all over it like flies on shit, but that's not to say that there aren't any really interesting, less well-known spots. A photo workshop in the park would be my recommendation.

Between those 2, W4. UM3x is more inoffensive still - too inoffensive as it's far too dark. W4 is a bit harder to get a good seal with, but Complys work just fine.

Thanks, but I have a 3 and 4 already. I'm more or less OK with what I've got now, and I'll pick up some sort of custom when time/money permit. Probably ES5, since I liked the fit/sound of the ES2.

*casts level 1 thread necromancy* Heard the 535 tonight and, well, it's not for me. Everything was right except for the highs - they were harsh. Metallic and peaky. It could be the fit, though I used complys as well as shure yellow and black foamies. It could be the music, which isn't ideally produced (at the time, a bunch of old-school Santana). Either way, I couldn't listen comfortably at anything more than moderate volume, otherwise there was too much sibilance. Which is too bad really because in other respects, they were pretty good. I think I'm very sensitive to harshness in the highs. As in, exceedingly more so than others that are already sensitive to harshness in the highs. Maybe that explains why I like the 007 and 001, and why the UM3x is one of the few canalphones I could live with, thus far. Now if the UM3x did bass like the 535 and had a bit more treble presence, it would be perfect.

Ok, maybe "affordable" was not the right word. How about "significantly less likely to make you homeless or divorced compared to the HE90?"

Stop making me want the HE60. Wanting the HE90 is bad enough. At least that one's not affordable.

They look swell. The measurements they posted, less so. I'm not sure what to make of "tuned for rock, country, and alternative" either.

That thread was so ridiculous I figured that had to be a troll, but maybe I'm giving him too much credit. Either way, not a great thing to post for someone that really wants to get into the high-end snakeoil audio business.

Are there any known production variances or quality control issues with these? That would be my biggest concern with getting/recommending them. That, and they're not ESP950.

I've had good luck with Westone customer support, though it's been a quite a few years since I used my ES2. I think the ES2 was still up to date when I used it so that puts it quite some time back. I lost mine to my left foot and a stairway - not pleasant. Considering ES5 now since I quite like the UM3x.

It's not about being negative. You look like you're advertising from our standpoint, intentional or not. Now, if you were upfront about it, came out as an MOT and put in a product announcement, you wouldn't get such a hostile reaction. Instead, you came on like a shill. Also, what Duggeh said. If you're selling electrostatics and you're not making them compatible with Stax-format amps, you're severely limiting your market.

I think this is more meant for musicians who want to fine-tune their sound even more more, rather than capturing the yuppie wanker market, but I could be wrong. I would think that if you are a musician, and if you have some degree of uneven hearing loss or some specific preference, a monitor tuned exactly the way you want it to be would be good. Though again how this is better than an equalizer, I don't know, and then there is the price tag. Still, intrinsically I don't think this is a bad idea. Still not going to get one though because not JH13?

As far as Game of Thrones goes, I really enjoyed the books, but the series, not so much. I'm not sure why, it's quite well made, but it just fails to captivate most of the time. I've been liking River Monsters and Dual Survival lately. The first shows some genuine exploration from time to time and has a terrific host, while the latter shows genuine survival technique from time to time and has two terrific hosts. Even standard over-Americanized presentation can't quite bring these shows down.

Thanks for the impressions. I had the e500 and never liked it much. The bass and mids were pretty good but the highs were metallic and lacked extension at the same time. Harsh. Hopefully the 535 is a big step up, I think it needs to be. I'm kinda tempted to get one but not $500 tempted. Of course bad seal and a decade of listening to Stax are possibilities for why I didn't like it.

This. Also, always-on DRM and a pay-to-win auction house does not a happy customer make. I'm voting with my dollar and not getting it, at least not until it's much cheaper. Plus, the class designs went from interesting to juvenile, and the atmosphere went from dark and gothic to bright and cartoony. Who's the target audience for this game again? Maybe I'm just getting older.

I certainly care enough to want to hear your thoughts about it and see your measurements, though not necessarily enough to actually buy one myself. But who knows.

Only if it had a Porsche 911 engine like Jamie Oliver's VW bus.

Speaking of the SR-001, word 'round the campfire is that Stax are developing a new amp for it. Would that they developed new eartips for it as well. If not for the comfort, I'd use it everywhere. Of course I've yet to experiment with using other tips on it but the shape is strange and I doubt there's much out there that would fit.

I second the Comply tip suggestion. I had just about given up on IEMs due to comfort (they literally made my ears swell up shut after a long listening session) but Comply tips work well, so I'd suggest grabbing something that they fit on and seeing how that works out first. IEMs are simply so much easier to carry around and more practical than any portable headphones that if you find one that works well for you, it's worth it for the practicality advantages alone. I wish I could be as enthusiastic about sound quality though. I prefer the UM3x over the W4 but neither is close to the level I'm looking for, though they certainly aren't bad. The only universal-fit portable headphone I like sonically is the Stax SR-001, but it's far from comfortable and offers no isolation. I think if you want quality sound AND quality comfort, it's customs or bust. Are headphones like the Amperior or DT1350 better than the current crop of top-level universal-fit IEMs sonically?

I've heard distant mids out of the O2 before as well, with some gear. I don't have too many inadequate amps to play around with but with some sources that's definitely been the case. With other sources though that's not the case at all. The O2 pairs particularly well with the Neko D100 IME precisely because the mids aren't distant or laid-back in the slightest. I'm guessing that has more to do with the source than the O2 though since looking at the FR the mids should be emphasized, if anything. Also, the SR-X Mk3 Pro is the solution to all of your lifeless midrange problems.

I can see them not giving Tyll a review pair, after the publicity about the Beats and general tar and feather treatment a lot of popular headphones get. In fact I'd take Bose not sending a review sample as proof that IF is on the right track.

Man, that blows goats. Yet another inexpensive high-end capable headphone disappearing, and such a legendary headphone at that. I don't want to see the headphone market following the speaker market but it seems to be heading in that direction.

For me it's less about the 650 scaling well and more about its ability to sound truly wretched on bad gear. You really can't plug it into anything and expect it to perform as it should, but I'm guessing a lot of people are doing just that, and that's where the bad rap comes from. The other issue is that the price of a new 650 gets you some very nice used 'stats that will generally blow it away. Regardless, it's a very good headphone when driven well. One of the few that doesn't hype up the highs to give a fake impression of detail.