catscratch

What Duggeh said. You will love the O2 (Mk1). It has a similar tonality to the S-P, but instead of just a punchy bass there is real weight and heft behind every note, be it bass, mids, or treble. It's more detailed, more refined, and much more three-dimensional. However, it's also somewhat more laid-back, and I do think the S-P is a more engaging rock headphone. However the O2's accuracy is in another universe altogether from just about anything out there, and given how the S-P is voiced, I think you'll really like it. You will need at least a 717 to tighten up the bass though, a Stax transformer box isn't quite enough. It certainly can sound good with a transformer, all depending on the amp behind it, but you will have slightly loose bass and slightly recessed highs. The rest of the voicing is up to the speaker amp. Bah I'm being evil again... The S-P does whip up on most things not called O2, and given how 'stats are touted as being tonally pure, I'm really surprised at how tonally off most modern Stax stuff is in one way or another. The S-P is just more tonally accurate plain and simple even though its primary characteristic is a punchy and fun sound.

Yah, that's possible. I can't get equal amounts of bass in both ears with anything but triflanges, so it could very well be that my ears just aren't cut out for universal-fit IEMs

Some late thoughts... I actually liked the SE420 more than the SE530/E500, and I think the SE420 is mechanically identical to the old E5? Not sure. The E500/SE530 has very plasticky mids to my ears, the bass is a bit loose, and the treble is somewhat steely and rolled-off at the same time. The plus side is very good detail and a very wide soundstage for an IEM, but tonality is more important to me and in terms of tonality the E500 blows it. I'm not sure what I'd recommend since there isn't a single universal-fit IEM that I like and think is worth the money sonically. However I've been out of the IEM game for the last 2 years and haven't heard any of the newer stuff aside from the W3. That one sounds pretty good if you can get a right fit, but personally getting the fit right is a nightmare and involves using oversides tips that cause pain after 15 minutes. Any other tips, and the mids go AWOL while the highs become very sibilant and harsh. Of course, all IMO, and YMMV, and all that stuff...

I have 3 pages of notes of an O2/Smegma Pro comparison, which I was meaning to post in a full review. Then, real life got in the way and it had to be put on hold for stuff that had a higher priority. I really should dig out the notes and arrange them into something presentable, though it's been some time since I heard the cans. Suffice to say that I thought that they were lovely cans with a good tonality and a very punchy but accurate bass. They were pretty forward and very engaging, solid rock headphones but also accurate enough for classical and jazz. Not O2-beaters but then again nothing is, and they were surprisingly similar in tonality though a lot rougher around the edges. Those old Stax drivers are good. This was with the 840c and 717, not the best signal path but certainly good enough to give a very clear idea as to a headphone's performance.

I had the Franziskaner Weisse on tap at Stuff Yer Face, and it was great. Haven't had anything else there, but this is why. NJ is great if you like your cities to be crime-ridden dumps, and your suburbs to be faceless soulless wastes where fat housewives in minivans spend all their time crashing into stuff. NOT if you're looking for any kind of interesting community, history, or nature. And certainly not if you're looking for lots of rare, quality beer. But I'm not too sure about that last part since I've only been looking for less than a week. So I reserve the right to change my mind, but on that part only.

Found a store that stocks Arrogant Bastard nearby and it's excellent. I found it to be quite mild actually, not sure what the deal with all of this "aggressive beer" nonsense is all about... but maybe because I've been drinking Brooklyn Brewery's Black Chocolate Stout all day long? Compared to that, anything is mild... (and another very good brew BTW but very, um, upfront about its alcohol content). Lots of flavors going on in AB, a very subtle and complex brew that I'm sure I'll be having again and again, especially since the store is less than 5 minutes away.

6-8 inches over here (central NJ). I don't actually hate it that much since this is just about the only time of the year that I don't hate my car for being front wheel drive. At all other times I agree with BMW's matra that front wheel drive is the Devil. Watching people trying to drive in snow is amusing - up to a point. It's live action Failblog on wheels...

What about HD600? Very different tonally from the HD650, and on most rigs, better. The HD650 scales better IMO and off a really stellar rig will leave the HD600 behind, but on most rigs the HD600 is much more neutral, more forward, more dynamic, and more engaging. Definitely closer to Grados than any other Senn, IMO. You can try a bass-light K340 as well. I really don't like most modded or bass-heavy pairs, but I did have a bass-light stock pair that blew everything away in the sub-$500 category. The fit was rotten since the chassis was so old, but the sonics were stellar. Electrostatic-like speed and detail, warm mids, crisp sparkly high that weren't overbearing, and very good tight punchy bass though not that deep. Also a bit of an echoey reverb coloration, but that's a common issue with most K340s.

Happy B-day and all that. Sounds like someone needs a custom title for a present. Maybe something like "Putting the 'high' in 'high roller'..."

Recently tried Don Agustin Reposado, and it was rather good actually. Very smooth and nice flavor. Seems to sell online for $25-30 when you can find it.

Head-case is different because we don't tolerate bullshit. Don't spout off nonsense about things you know nothing about. It's perfectly OK to not know. It's not OK to stroke your ego and pretend that you're the shit, because most people on these forums really do know their stuff and will call you on bullshit when they see it. And, it's most definitely not OK to be lazy, and ask for information to be doled out on a silver platter when you could just as easily do the research yourself. We're not here just for your convenience. Be honest and think before you post. Don't be a jerk. That's all you need to do to survive here.

I think that at some point SP ran into serious financial trouble and had to start taking orders that it couldn't possibly fill on a timely basis simply to raise funds to clear the existing backlog of orders - and then hope against hope that business will pick up and these new orders will somehow be taken care of. That, I think, has been going on for quite some time, and all the lying, fake shipments, delays, botched repair jobs, and all that nonsense are simply symptoms of Mikhail desperately trying - and failing - to keep his business afloat. His whole business model was fucked. He should have had standardized amps, standard builds, and maybe a few select upgrade levels, where everything doesn't have to be manufactured as a one-off, and he should have had a solid base of simple, relatively inexpensive builds to provide a solid financial foundation. Then, he could have used that foundation to make a few high-end custom builds at exorbitant prices. Relying exclusively on custom high-end builds and making everything a one-off model is asking for it. I really don't see how any business like that can possibly be profitable, or fill orders on a consistent, timely basis. I think it's in his best interest to call it quits, now. Own up to the community as to what he has done. Then, resurface under a new name and a new business model, and more importantly, hire someone else to run it like a proper business, leaving Mikhail to take care of the design component without any additional stress. As it stands, it's clear that the SP name has been damaged beyond repair, and unless he has some massive financial investment coming in to put the business on track, he's only digging himself deeper and deeper into the hole. But meh, all of that is just guesswork and me talking out of my ass. What else is new?

Depends on what you mean by "high end..." In the universal-fit realm I don't think anything is high-end. The W3 is not bad when properly fitted but that's about it... not bad. Custom is the way to go, but you're not going to find too many people who have experience with many different models. Shoot a PM to Digihead on that other forum since he's heard just about everything there is to hear in the custom IEM world. Otherwise, you're going to have to piece things together and gamble. Personally I only have the ES2, and I like it quite a bit. It does have a very liquid midrange, lots of dynamic range, and pretty good detail, but it definitely could use more treble extension and better instrument separation. Read up on the UE11, UE10, ES2, the new ES3X that Westone announced not too long ago, the ACS T2, and maybe Sensaphonics, though I have heard very mixed opinions on newer Sensaphonics since they changed their drivers. And by "mixed" I mean mostly negative...

AFAIK, the O2 charges up just about instantly. The sonic difference that is usually attributed to charge-up is mostly from components in the signal path warming up. The O2 is revealing enough that you'll hear warm-up clear as day. I keep the 717 on almost all the time, but if you do that be careful with dust, and keep the phones well away from any possible dust contamination. The 717 needs to be well ventilated as it tends to get rather hot, but I have no idea how hot the KGSS runs.

FWIW, I've dealt with Craig at KuboTen before, and I would definitely trust him over Mikhail. I got my O2 from KuboTen and I have no complaints. Get those R10s singing!

Damn edit timer... Anyway, it's time to revisit some old-school Goa trance. This time, it's "To Sirius" by Ra. This disk can be bloody hard to find and is expensive, being long since out of print. But, the music contained therein is remarkable, if you're a fan of Goa. In a nutshell, this is a dark psy version of old-school Astral Projection. The vibe is very, very dark, the beats are fast and intense, the melodies and middle-eastern, very complex, and polyphonic, and much like Astral Projection, there is a very intense, spiritual vibe that infuses every single track. This is definitely a dancefloor monster, but as with a lot of old-school Goa, it is also something more. It's hard to put a finger on it, but the same exact mystical X-factor that separated albums like AP's "Trust in Trance," Jaia's "Blue Energy," Infected Mushroom's "Classical Mushroom," or Juno Reactor's "Beyond the Infinite" from the rest of the flock is very much present here. It's a deep, powerful, almost spiritual intensity that, without specifically trying to sound uplifting, nevertheless manages to be very uplifting and touching at the same time. Oh, and it's also hard and heavy as hell, at least as far as Goa goes. I definitely give this a full 5/5. This is "Trust in Trance's" evil twin, once removed. Favorite track is #5 - "Initiated" - but everything on the second half of the disk is seriously awesome. I also have "IFO" by Pleiadians lying here, but that will have to wait... P.S. Note that there is a rock band named Ra out there, but I'm not talking about them here...

"Diffuse" by Spectral. Damn, this is Progress Trance before there ever was such a thing as Progress Trance. It's way ahead of its time, as is expected for something that came out on the Blue Room Released record label. It very much reminds me of the early Jaia disks (i.e. Blue Energy) in feel if not in style (Jaia is distinctly more Goa). There is a very organic vibe running throughout the whole disk - very French. The melodies, however, are very reminiscent of Eat Static at times. I should note that the production on hand is some of the best I've ever heard in electronic music. The disk is recorded very quietly so you need to crank it, but the sheer dynamic range, resolution, seemingly analog sense of fluidity and coherence, and massively wide-open if artificial soundstage is remarkable. Definitely recommended if you're a fan of Goa, Psy, Progress Trance, or just want dance music that has the complexity of Goa but a much proggier beat. I should say that the music is upbeat and playful rather than intense and/or spiritual, as Goa often is. Oh yeah, the last, chillout track is mind-blowing. I first heard it in Stef's Real Dream mix (it kicks in at about 15:00), and it led me to tracking down the album. Well, as it turns out, the rest of the disk is very different in style and feel, but I don't regret getting it one bit. 4/5 for music, 5/5 for production.

I'll wait until there is a solid amount of feedback until I do anything.

I've been away on vacation and didn't have internet. But even so, I'm tired of making the same arguments over and over again. I'm not here to try and convert anyone to my views, so there's no need to pointlessly repeat the same banter. There's another forum for that... BHSE looks smoking hot. Though hopefully not literally.

Gents, Here's a toast to the mistakes made last year, and to not repeating them this year. So, a glass to learning, as it were. Happy New Year. Cheers!

I don't think the SR-007 is "darker sounding than every other headphone besides the HD650." The SR-007 has a very HD600-like tonality, at least with the SRM-717. Not dark, not bright, but just about perfect. Though to be fair, it's still very dependent on the source. With the 840c it was rather bright, actually, and with the Opus 21 it was the other way around. Cables were able to adjust tonality either way in both cases. I think the problem is that you're using the same exact rig to drive many different headphones which have all been voiced in a different way. The O2 requires the rig to be tuned around it since it's so damn revealing (which usually means making the whole rig as neutral as possible), and if you have a rig that's tuned for something else, like the HE90, the O2 probably won't work in it all that well. But, not having heard the rig in question, I could be wrong.

Definitely go for shock therapy. The way I see it: how many of us actually regret spending this much on audio and would want to undo that first fateful moment when we heard really good sound? Sure, it's an expensive road, but very worth it in my opinion.

"Soundscapes and Modern Tales" by Shulman. Wow, this is some serious electronica. Very much in the vein of Shpongle's "Are You Shpongled?" though perhaps with somewhat more melody. Still, there's the same sense of utter psychedelic chaos that assembles itself into catchy infections rhythms and grooves, melodies that sporadically apear out of the madness and swirl effortlessly into the mix, and layers upon layers of hidden inner meaning. It will take me weeks of listening to disect all of this stuff. Needless to say, I like it a lot. Time to check out the rest of the discography.

I remember that fight. Really impressive stuff by Manny. This is not the weight class for him but it was completely one-sided nevertheless. Still, who knows how much of that was Manny being brilliant, even at that weight, and Oscar being slow? I wonder what's next for both fighters. Is Oscar finished? Is Manny going to fight Mayweather Jr. after the Hatton fight? It's definitely going to be an interesting 2009, I think. Though on the whole I have to say that Hopkins' fight against Pavlik was even more impressive. Beating someone like Pavlik through handspeed and lateral movement when you're 43 is inspiring, no other word for it.