catscratch

I do notice that every time I leave the NJ area - or US east coast in general, with the exception of NYC and Atlantic City, I am always amazed at how good the food is. I think that's more due to the food here being god-awful rather than the food everywhere else being amazing. There are a few decent to OK restaurants such as Jo-Sho (sushi) and Bluewater Seafood Company (continental US) but mostly it's mediocre japanese/thai/indian and horrible chinese places which I don't really care to mention. If I want good food I have to head up to NYC or Atlantic City. I do love good steak - Morton's in AC or Sparks/Peter Luger in NYC kick ass, but are very expensive. Nobu is an amazing restaurant as well, though I haven't been there in ages. Maybe it's changed. Very expensive as well. The best restaurant I've ever been to was a small Russian cafe in San Diego, owned by a Russian immigrant but with an Irish chef . This isn't "Russian Restaurant" in the east coast sense but a perfectly normal, moderately priced little bistro which served the best food I've ever had by miles. Every bite of just about every dish had an ever-changing bouquet of aftertastes like a fine wine. I don't fancy Russian food much, having grown up with it, but this was from another planet. I think the best solution around here, if you want good food on a regular basis, is to become a good chef yourself. Haven't gotten around to that though.

Chairman Lmao Zedong?

I would definitely be in the market for a $2000-$2500 tube stat amp that has the balls to drive the O2 well, even if it doesn't quite have the quality/refinement of the KGBH SE. So, if that's what the KGST is, I'd buy it. I'm guessing it's hopeless to look for a non-SE KGBH on the used market, but I may be doing that in a few months anyway. Just have to sell everything non-O2 off first.

I agree, I really like the signature of the Planet. Considering how cheap you can get one these days it's one hell of a bargain. It has that unique listenability - you can just put on some tunes and forget all about listening to the system, and get immersed in the music. Unfortunately the O2's resolution far exceeds that of the Planet. Also, the Planet doesn't quite have the right sound signature to be a perfect match. I think a brighter, more vibrant player with a lot more detail - but one that still has all of the prat and impact - would suit it better. Still, I'm keeping mine for a secondary rig. And man, the O2 just keeps growing and growing on me. I love it. I think I may be done, at least for a while, and as far as the headphones themselves are concerned. The plans I have for the rest of the rig though... my wallet is crying in a corner.

I've already asked about this on HF and was ignored. I'm guessing that CanJam was an excuse to up the advertising content. I can't want to see what they'll come up with for the next national meet

Rega Planet 2000. Definitely not good enough to settle on, but it's still quite passable in the meanwhile. Just listened to Shpongle's "Are You Shpongled" and it gave me the chills. Seriously good sound - robust, authoritative, warmish but not too warm, detailed, fast, impactful, vivid, and dynamic. It's new toy fever in catscratchland. Or would that be new toy catscratch fever?

Bah... fine, give me a day or so and I'll have some pics up.

I got a package in the mail. I could take pics but meh. You've all seen O2's before. I still don't have my upgraded source so initial impressions are off the Rega. And, I have to say, it's pretty damn obvious that it isn't up to the task. Still, with 2 hours out of the box I have observed the following: 1) Flattish frequency response. Flattish, but not flat. The highs are a little soft. So is the deep bass. I expected a lot of bass, actually, but if anything bass quantity is a bit on the quiet side. I think it's the Rega, which isn't known for its bass, and the fact that I have silver cables in the system. 2) Impeccable detail. The O2 really doesn't flaunt its detail, but if you listen closely, you'll hear just how astonishingly detailed it can be. 3) Fast! God, I missed planars. I wanted something faster than the HD650/Dared and that's exactly what I got. Much, much faster. 4) Good impact for a 'stat, I suppose, but still not as impactful as I'd like. Very good dynamic range though, doesn't feel compressed, which I expected with a transformer box. 5) Small soundstage. Imaging is very precise, though. Lots of air and good instrument separation. I can't be more specific than that. Yes, I hear a roll-off in the deep bass, slightly loose midbass, and a slight nasal quality to the lower midrange, but I can't stand behind any of that with so little time on the system. Besides, these are brand new, I'm sure burn-in will change things a lot. So, are they head and shoulders better than the Dared/HD650? Um... no. This really puts things into perspective, but I'd say that a balanced (or push-pull rather) HD650 is about on par. There are some things that the O2 does better, and some things that the HD650 does better. I'd say that the O2 wins on detail, speed, tone, and texture, while the HD650 wins on soundstage (equally precise imaging but much bigger headstage... sorry Spritzer ), bass, impact, and dynamic range. So far, I listened to an electronic ambient album ("Call of the Mystic" by Bahramji and Maneesh de Moor, an excellent disk BTW) and I thought the O2 did well. Nothing stuck out as being immediately wrong - except maybe for the smallish headstage - but it also didn't grab me the way the HD650 does. Still, I enjoyed it, and it didn't sound excessively thin or ethereal like it does on other 'stats. Then, I listened to an acoustic new age/ambient album ("Breathe" by Nicholas Gunn, one of the best disks in my collection IMO) and it was honestly the best I've ever heard it sound on any system I've had. I've never heard it sound so lush, full, detailed, and pure. It's a studio recording with an artificial soundstage so I couldn't really test the staging capabilities, but the tone and texture of each instrument was superb. Flutes were so pristinely perfect that I felt I was listening to a physical manifestation of the ideal concept of "flute" more than the real thing. I could easily hear that the flute was recorded in a medium-sized studio, several feet away from the mic, in the center of the studio where the sound was allowed to reverberate. Acoustic guitars were recorded pretty much right at the strings, while the violin was recorded further away from the mic but this time the reverberations were artificially dampened with acoustic treatments so as not to interfere with the tonal purity. The vocals were clearly digitally processed and in the processing some of the acoustic properties were lost, but then they were subtly layered over each other to create a pseudo-reverb effect. They sounded digital, for lack of a better term, but nice. These are the types of things you have to try to pick out on most systems, but the O2, even in my lowly rig (which admittedly is about to get a lot loftier), makes them obvious. I wasn't listening for any specifics but they were clear as day. So, on the whole, cat likes! A lot!! I think that a balanced HD650 would do better on my electronic ambient and psytrance music, but this is one heck of a lot better on acoustic classical, new age, and jazz. Of course, this is all completely out of the box. Let's see what burn in will do!

They're 18wpc, but it isn't the output stage that's clipping but the input/gain stage, or so I've been told. As I said, I don't believe that this is a problem with the concept of driving the HD650 with a speaker amp but a specific design problem with the VP-20. Currently it's driving an SR-003 through an SRD-7 Pro and there is no clipping (that I can hear, I haven't specifically tested for it though). I drove a speaker-reterminated Headphile K340 with the VP-20 and I don't remember any clipping there either. It sounded pretty good too, but I significantly prefer my stock K340 to that Headphiled pair, since the latter was seriously lacking in treble presense or extension - though of course my pair is 1/4" terminated and I couldn't drive it off the VP-20 for a direct comparison.

O2 MkII on the way, ETA: Thursday. SRD-7 Pro already here, and making the SR-003 sound better than it ever did on anything ever, together with a Dared VP-20 giving it some muscle. Updated source coming sometime next week. Man, sometimes this hobby can be very good!

Update: I don't think I'll be using this system much longer, or at least on a constant basis. Not because I'm not happy with it sonically, but because the VP-20 can't handle the load without clipping occasionally. Now, this clipping is very rare and happens only during very dynamic passages - and even then isn't major - but given how much of a perfectionist I am, even that isn't good. Besides, I'm sure I can't be doing the amp any good in the long term. So, I think I'm moving to an O2 MkII based system, with the Dared driving an SRD-7 Pro transformer. I've had some talks with some hf members and it seems that the problem stems from the design of the Dared, where the input/gain stage lacks the voltage and current to drive the 6L6 output stage properly specifically when tasked with driving a sensitive 300ohm load. At least, that's how I understood it. So, it's not a fault with the idea of driving a headphone with a speaker amp - but a fault with the VP-20 specifically used for the purpose. And even then, not a very major one. I'll still probably whip the rig out every once in a while, since other than the occasional clipping issue, it does sound very good. Just thought I'd post a heads up in case anyone was considering the VP-20 for the purpose.

Bah that ain't cool. I'm buying mine today or tomorrow, but at least I'll have a 30 day refund and warranty, so I'll have time to change my mind. How much of an effect does burn-in and charge-up have on them so far? I would imagine that you'll be bending them out of proportion as well to get them fitted right. The extra bass is worrying since the Dared/SRD-7 MkII combo I expect to be quite bassy. I don't know about the 840c, and I have silver cables in there, but it might still be a bit too much. I like a slightly bigger bass, but substantially bigger-than-life is a no-no. What about the headstage and treble presence differences Elephas noted on head-fi? Also, if looser pads are the culprit vis-a-vis the bass, a) can't you fit O2 Mk1 pads, and won't eventual pad compression with use reign the bass back in?

4 nights and 5 days with no sleep, probably 100-110 hours total. No drugs involved other than caffeine. It was during a laser tag tournament (yes I'm a dork) and the only people who could conceivably have set up the equipment and made sure it all works were me and my friend. He's a marine and I'm, well, a freak as far as not sleeping goes so we both were fine. But, I would never do it again unless I had to. Pulling all-nighters and working hard the next day is a pretty common thing for me, so I have a lot of experience in functioning while under a lot of sleep deprivation. At the same time, I seem to need more sleep than the norm - 9 to 10 hours a day is what I usually try to get when I have the luxury of keeping a stable sleeping schedule. I tend to stay away from stimulants (except caffeine) or sedatives of any kind, so I don't really force artificial changes in sleeping schedule.

I would like the sound of my amp a lot, except that it arrived damaged (I think) or is simply not properly designed. It clips during loud, dynamic passages like whoa, in both channels. It's immediate with the SR-404 and less immediate but still noticeable with the SR-003. I have been too lazy to negotiate with Peter for it to get fixed. Peter doesn't seem to know the meaning of punctuality, and while he seems like a nice guy, talking to him has been a hassle. On top of that, the original amp he sent me was lost by Canada Post, so he sent another. I can only imagine the financial loss he took. This one was based on a slightly different circuit, which is why I'm more prone to thinking that there is something wrong with the design itself - but if you saw the build quality, you would easily imagine that something, somewhere, could have fallen off. The amp really is built down to a price. Which is all a shame since it shows a lot of sonic potential. It's from a very different school sonically than the Stax amps; it doesn't try to be as neutral and transparent as possible, rather, it tries to be as vivid and engaging as possible. It's slightly bright, very dynamic, very focused, and has a massive, open soundstage. It gives up points in transparency to the SRM-007t but on the whole it would sound one heck of a lot better - if it worked. Fixing it is definitely a possibility as far as driving the SR-007 goes, and I'll probably take up this route if transformer boxes fail, at least initially, before moving onto something else. I'm beginning to think that building a KGBH might be the best option. I don't know my ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to DIY, but I could afford the components, and I certainly not that dumb that I can't learn this stuff in the process. Maybe there's a DIY'er that could build one at the original Headamp price? I value the midrange more than anything else in my systems, and anything with an offensively colored midrange is right out. Every headphone I've ever liked has shared one quality - a somewhat forward, lush, fluid, but very clear midrange (i.e. SR-003, K340, ES2, HD650 balanced, HE90). I like a warmish midrange coloration that comes from a slightly boosted lower midrange, but I can't stand a thin, brittle coloration that comes from a boosted upper midrange or a recessed lower midrange. That's why the SR-404 doesn't cut it for me. P.S. hope this is all coherent. I'm smashed off my face.

I have to side with Deepak on this. I think the SR-404 is crap in most systems. Heck, I've lived with one for over a year. I don't think that it's crap universally, and it did sound pretty good off the McAlister amp (much more punchy and focused), but that midrange coloration simply destroys their tone, and the somewhat diffuse and unfocused imaging doesn't help either. It has some very strong points (detail, nice deep bass and a very airy, articulate treble, wide-open soundstage with a great sense of air, and of course electrostatic speed), but they don't offset the whole sonic picture. Ultimately, the K340 off a cheap old tube amp sounded better, very similar in most respects but much more focused with a much better midrange, and that's a $400 in total system. Compared to an SR-404 off a SRM-007t or a McAlister... you draw your own conclusions. I miss the planar sound quite a bit, and I'm hoping the SR-007 will be one heck of a lot better (or whatever 'stat I decide to go with). I never had any comfort issues though. I think it's one of the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn. The only comfort issues are that it gets hot after a long listening session, and that the inner foam tends to make your ears itch. Still, it's better than the vice-like grip of the HD650, which somehow still doesn't prevent the headphones from sliding around and needing adjustment every few minutes. I'm tempted to get an SR-Lambda to play around with. I already have the Dareds to drive it.

Bad Brains - S/T Where the fuck has this band been my whole life. I always knew on hearsay that they were good, but I didn't expect THIS good. Punk has always seemed anti-intellectual and anti-technical but these guys blow the doors off everything that punk supposedly stands for, and are absolute virtuoso musicians in their own right. It's just flat-out awesome music, no matter what genre it belongs to. The production, of course, is some of the worst I've ever heard, but go figure. It kinda adds to the whole thing actually, instead of detracting from it.

Makes me glad I came to my senses just in time. I'm sure these are just growing pains, and it is more or less inevitable in a one-man-show company trying to create a SOTA product. You don't have time to debug every possible scenario, so your customers end up doing a lot of the debugging for you. But, it sure isn't fun to be one of the first few customers to have to shell out a serious batch for a beta-testing product (*cough*H2*cough*). I hope they stick with it though, and get all the issues worked out. We really do need more 'stats on the market, and we do need something to get Stax off their "if it sells don't fix it" perch and motivate them to do something about that outdated Lambda housing, or about their new line of overpriced shitty amps. I think I'll mess around with the O2 as soon as it's financially viable, but who knows... team 'stats in 08 here we come.

Seeing how you have a balanced HD650... I think the SR-404 would be a definite step down. Yes, it's better in some respects just by virtue of being an electrostat (faster impulse response, better resolution in the bass) but at least in my rig, the HD650 kills it. Fuller, richer, more natural tone, much more impact and dynamic range, very focused and holographic imaging (the SR-404 tends to be a bit diffuse), and a very nice midrange, which is IMO the SR-404's biggest fault. I'd be willing to forgive the SR-404 nearly all of its faults if it didn't have an enormous spike in the upper mids that completely ruins its tone (everything sounds brittle and electric), but in the end, the mids are what killed it for me. Every headphone I've ever really liked - balanced HD650, K340, ES2, and on audition HE90, has shared one trait - a somewhat forward and generally excellent midrange. I liked the SR-001/003 too specifically because of the mids, though lately I've cooled somewhat on them, so to speak. I really don't know what the sweet spot in Stax is since there are so many problems with the current generation of Stax products (O2 excluded, which I have yet to experiment with). The SR-001/003 are great for the money but not that great overall, with some serious comfort issues. The 303/404 have great drivers but the housing was obsolete 20 years ago, and they share a midrange coloration that is very much not enjoyable. I also really miss the planar sound, but I don't see any cheap way of getting seriously good planar sound at all when it comes to what's currently available. No comments on anything vintage since I've got no experience with it. Maybe the Koss? Maybe the SR-202? It's the only new Stax, other than the O2, that I've never heard.

Disgusting Wawa sandwich, with disgusting potato chips, disgusting donut-like thing, and some somewhat less disgusting green tea (it's quite alright, actually). Late nights at the office suck.

I was thinking along similar lines, not in that I have any kind of DIY skill whatsoever or know my ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to amps, but what if I could find some DIYer to simply build an upgraded transformer box for the SR-007 the sole purpose of which would be to give it the juice it needs, and then use a speaker amp? I doubt that would be any more expensive that any of the other less-than-ideal options in my price range. If this setup is a bit less transparent than a BH or any seriously solid 'stat amp, then so be it; I'm more worried about waking up the SR-007 than maximizing its resolving power.

"Relaxed sound" is exactly why I didn't pick up the SR-007 yet. I really do need to hear it on a variety of amps, but since a) I can't stand solid state, I like an aggressive but full sound, and c) I don't have bottomless pockets, I don't think I can drive the O2 properly. Just about the only thing I can do for it is get a transformer box and use my 18WPC Dareds, and hope it will be enough. It's a bloody shame, since I do miss the planar sound, but I just don't see any options that can outperform my current rig - save maybe for the EH-1.2B, but I think I'll wait until the FOTM dies down on these. My rig trashes the SR-404 on so many fronts that whatever I get will have to be in a different universe sonically, and it's one hell of a leap of faith to shell out on an unknown quantity which may not be better... or a known quantity which I probably can't drive to the proper level.

2 years later the ES2 is still going strong, though my weight hasn't really changed. The fit in my left ear is a bit harder to get, but it was never perfect to begin with. I expect in another 2 years I'd probably need another pair, but I doubt I'll keep them that long anyway. The headphones have been all around the world with me and were abused in pretty much any way I could think of (no, not like that you pervs), and are still fine.

An excessively mellow sound is not a characteristic of electrostatic headphones in general. The SR-404 is anything but mellow, and neither is the SR-001. There may be a lack of tactile slam and "bite," whatever that is, but the SR-404's main strength was to take extremely complex music and dissect it all into its constituent parts no matter how fast or hectic things got. I listen to a lot of death metal, some of it pretty insane (Nile, Cryptopsy, and the like) and the SR-404 was fantastic with it. Even with blast beats going at full speed you could still hear the texture of every drum thwack and every cymbal stroke on Nile's "Black Seeds of Vengeance" with the SR-404 and it was anything but mellow. In fact, this ability to resolve even very fast, dense, and complex music into its component sounds is the one 'stat quality that I miss the most.

My only experience so far was with the ubiquitous MF X10 V3 tube buffer, and for even the lower mid-fi sources I've got lying around it does nothing but degrade the signal. The midrange is brought out a bit, and there's more added tube bloom, but everything else suffers, especially the imaging. When I'm trying to run a semi-decent rig off an mp3 player shoving the X10 in there can act as a grain/noise/general nastiness filter but you have to be working with some really shitty sources in order for this to be an improvement. My advice is to stay away from this particular unit. I don't have any experience with other units though.

Just saw TMNT (the 2007 animated movie). I'm surprised. It didn't suck. I'm not a fan of the whole franchise but I did like it back in the day, and this one more than holds its own. The storyline is completely lame but it's really irrelevant to the movie; the drama between Leo and Raph takes center stage here, and "that scene on the rooftop," to not give away any spoilers here, was just epic. Overall, decent animation, great and very adult characterization, pretty good and memorable dialogue, lame and forgettable story, but one seriously awesome scene that I'll remember for a long time. **1/2 out of ****.