Dusty Chalk

Yeah, I'm a big fan -- I own two (sort of -- one was home-modified by its previous owner, and currently is not working). I've only heard their entry level DAC (the Link DAC III), but I'm very fond of it. Combination of the Rega Planet or the X-RAYv3 as a transport was excellent, so it's not as good about jitter rejection as they claim (I.E. it prefers a low-jitter transport as a source). Justin also owns (or owned) an older Platinum. I'll let him give his opinions, though. My opinions of it at a few meets was that it was excellent, but that's all I remember -- I don't remember if it fell in the "smoov" camp or in the accurate camp. IIRC, it had just a nice straightforward no-muss-no-fuss type of delivery.

Why? I mean, the fan boys don't say, "well, I'm in love with XXX gear, so take what I say with a grain of salt"...

Audiokarma.org had some good suggestions, I'll go there later and find the specific thread that I'm thinking of, but if you want to go there and search under DIY, feel free. And they're constantly posting when the good ones go on sale.

And another thing -- excuse me if I take things you say, Tyll, with a certain grain of salt. I understand you have to play the diplomat, as you want to continue playing the game, but I don't. Sorry, that comes across more harshly than is intended, but I don't mince words. I do respect and admire you a great deal. Good luck in your unenviable position, I wish you success.

I disagree. The biggest problem I have with Jude is his complete reluctance to discuss things honestly and openly. He wants to keep the hobby associated with his domain, and he's welcome to keep his domain his domain, but I don't think the whole hobby should belong to him. At least over here, you're welcome to tell us we're tenacious and full of resentment, over there, a post like that would get deleted and possibly get the poster banned. Fuck that. I have no desire to engage the swarm. The biggest problem I have with Ray is that I haven't heard an amp from him that I like. (Yet, anyway.) And that he can't take even the smallest amount of criticism -- I.E. I can't state the fact that I don't like his amps without him taking it like a personal attack.

It's not that simple. IIRC, it takes a proprietary input, so one would also need the dough to modify a transport. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Just so you know, the HP-2 isn't necessarily a better can, it's got a completely different signature. The RS-1's are pretty much the TOTL in the John Grado camp of cans. (Well, maybe the GS-1000...but that's arguable.) The HP-1000 series are the TOTL in the Joe Grado camp of cans. Overgeneralization, but you get the idea. Try before you buy, this post is not to be misconstrued as anything more than free advice which is worth what you paid for it, yoda yoda yoda...

So you're fine with the AudioValve RKV, which utilizes the antiquitous (anti-ubiquitous) PCL805/PCL85/18GV8, which used to usually be used in televisions?

All of them. Especially all of the Heifetz. I'm skipping the operas, but other than that, I'm getting all of them. Was listening to the Bartok just last night, and the tonal colors on that one are right up there with Ravel, as far as I am concerned. This one: I think Heifetz has like 3 or 4 of them at this point: Argh, I don't have this one yet:

Anyone want to help this guy out? I'll send him here as well.

As opposed to what, letting the corpse rot?

It took you two weeks to come up with that quip? Do you know what? Still funny.

Battery-powered, presumably. (The laser, not the wenches.)

If you really had a time machine, you'd go back to 12/31/1999 and get laid as much as you could (because everyone is thinking that the world is going to end).

How do you know, unless you can grasp it yourself? Unless...you're not human ! ! !

Um...technically, it happened at least twice before, being that that "07" is short for "2007", and will probably happen again (admittedly, in about a thousand years).

You lost me.

Are you serious? (considers selling his HP-2's which he hardly ever listens to)

Yes, absolutely.

This probably most accurately reflects my impressions as well.

So is that the power supply? That is silly -- power supply 3x the size of the amp itself. But silly in a good way. I want one. 's'cute.

No, I never opened it up -- it got kind of shoved to the back-burner. Thanks for the "bump" -- I'll definitely get around to it shortly. And thanks again for the offer, thrice. And thanks for the pic. I'm kind of a newb, so started to ask what was wrong with it, until I looked at it compared to the ones next to it. OMG!

I highly recommend discussing it over here, especially since if you do, I won't have to scold you for POSTING SPOILERS, YOU FUCKS... Although I have to express my appreciation for the amount of effort you guys have been doing in the Battlestar Galactica thread -- I don't want to open the thread, but will instead say THANK YOU here. I have noticed, and y'all have been doing it such a way that I have been able to ignore the posts. So, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. I now return to your previously schedule curmudgeon.

Nice review, I agree with most of your points, especially about tonal balance. I think I disagree on comfort, but I've never had them on my head for 2 hours. My biggest disappointment actually has nothing to do with these phones -- it's the fact that since they discontinued the K1000, these are supposed to be their top-of-the-line headphones, and as such, are...disappointing. A company's top-of-the-line headphones should be pretty damn good..."statement"... Actually, I thought that was basically the difference between the pro and the home version, when those came out...? I'll have to find my email from Jan (Meier)...