Dusty Chalk

I would prefer to think of it as the language...uh...whatever the opposite of barrier is.

Oh, come ON!

Are there any ribbon based headphones? I found this -- anyone know if anything came of this (yes, I have already emailed them, they haven't had a chance to respond yet)? I also found this thread on DIY Audio, but...well, you read it...

I know. But that's not what you said, you said it doesn't add anything, my point was that of course it does add something, and I think you knew that already when you said it, I was just getting pedantic about your phrasing. I think your point was that it can't replace what was lost at the point of digitization, with which I agree, but I think you missed my point. ...amongst other things, one of which I consider more important when discussing DACs, and that is the quality of the interpolation/upsampling algorithm. (The DACs don't affect the sampling precision if you're stuck with CD's.) Stressed for accuracy -- that is, like, your opinion, man. As has already been pointed out, we aren't as concerned with '...pretty numbers for the spec sheet...', either, but the pleasure derived from the resultant listening experience. I, personally, believe that electronics design is a game of trading compromises in one area for compromises in another -- frequency response for phase accuracy, for example -- and that no area should be ignored in terms of possible improvements. What's wrong with playing with the signal in the digital realm if you can? Sure if it's at the expense of the analogue stage, then...bad, but it doesn't necessarily have to be, so why not? I mean, you have to be careful that you don't fuck it up worse, but you always have to do that at every stage anyways, it's not a guarantee that you're going to fuck things up just because you do something to the signal. It's called experimentation, the very essence of engineering.

Actually, that's not true -- that's exactly what it does -- it adds information. Now, this isn't necessarily the same information that was there before it was digitized, but all the same, that's what it's doing. So it's like adding made-up details to stories when retelling them. Here's the thing -- sometimes it's bad, sometimes it's good. The trick is to pick the good ones most of the time. It's not entirely fictional bits that it's adding -- they're interpolating, not extrapolating -- so my hyperbole is a bit overstated...but you get the idea. As to making a good 16/44.1 DAC -- I agree, that is more important. But that's a different kind of engineering. Someone like me with a background in DSP would feel more at home trying to do a good job of upsampling in the digital realm, and then making it easier on the analog realm, whereas a good I/V -oriented engineer is going to concentrate on the analog stage. The best DACs are going to have a bit of both.

Re: XLR connections -- they're facing the right way if you're bending over the thing trying to plug them in.

I get my mattresses as Ikea, believe it or not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8aeMd3Nauw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os7CwR44_yg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgQjdTjj3-w http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA74kSw1BRA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbaA68jYYek http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA74kSw1BRA

It's too bad that irony doesn't conduct electricity, despite sounding ferrous.

Nice write-ups as always, Ian. Thanks.

This thread is useless without more listening impressions! Uh...after you've had a chance to listen to it more, of course. Please, and thank you.

Gorgeous finish.

AKG K271? Koss Pro 4AAAAAAAAAAAAA...?

Yesterday: watched a bunch o' movies.

KG would know for sure, but I thought it was because of leftover air inside the tubes, no? Arcs are either because components are too close for the voltage they are trying to displace, or because there's still a conductor (I.E. air). I vote for the latter, since the tube tests normal. It will affect the life of the tube (I.E. shorter), but should work fine for now. Someone confirm or deny, this is "thinking out loud" stuff -- which I liken to chewing with one's mouth open.

Now that's a platter.

Jesus, that sounds awful.

OMG, that bluff was so worth it, those pics are gorgeous! I hope it sounds as good as it looks like it does. And the rest of your gear ain't too shabby, neither! Yeah, I need a new pair of pants...

Those are some serious feet.

So I just called the guys at Buy.com goobers because they cancelled my order when they couldn't verify my PayPal address, even though I've had a verified address since like infinity B.C. I've bought from them before, I just don't think I've used PayPal before. I'll see if I can't buy it again just using a regular credit card, which is how I think I've done it before.

Okay, Mr. Ape-apologist.

So what's the cleanest version you've heard (of Animals)?

So that's a jackfruit ghost, right? No, that's a transvestite.