Beefy

FWIW I use the ESW9 at work, powered by an M3 and y2 DAC, and I was quite happy with the whole shebang for a long time. But compared to the new dynamic rig I am using at home (Buffalo/Crack/HD650) the work rig now just sounds flat and lifeless. I am definitely looking to upgrade to some better phones for work, but have no idea what yet. I was thinking Thunderpants, but it would be a big cash outlay......

...... and here is the last pic I will post this week, I promise! My Crack with Speedball and Axon film output caps installed:

If everybody played 'properly' by the rules, then how would anybody win?

Thanks, CJ. It took an embarrassingly long amount of time to keep it clean, but definitely worth the effort

Finally got around to taking proper photos of my Crack...... Highlights: TKD 2CP2511 50kohm pot 50kohm 1W PRP resistors in series with the pot for approx -6dB pre-attenuation Cardas RCA jacks (rhodium plating is a BITCH to solder) Teflon tube sockets plus PCBs (Woo Audio branded) 2.2

Merry Christmas, everyone! And when the presents have all run out, here's hoping you have a loved one to unwrap......

Everyone in Canada loves them, but I too find them far too sweet. Much prefer a port or medium sweet/dry sherry.

Like taking a wet blanket off the speaker!

First day of holidays! Made French toast encrusted with almonds, and topped with raspberries and maple syrup. Planning some last minute Xmas shopping, listen to some music, do some DIY........ ah, life ain't so bad after all

Yep, if you have plenty of RAM setting this to ~50Mb will buffer a whole 5min uncompressed redbook audio file, or ~170Mb for 24bit/96kHz. Takes the hard drive completely out of the picture during playback, if people think that will help.

Even when you have a couple of seconds of buffering to RAM? Hell, even 50ms of buffering would would cover all hard drive seek times.

Beautiful! I was desperately hoping to get out last night with my new tripod, but it was pissing down with rain

Whoa, first a Cmoy, now an M3. Moving up in the world, spritzer!

Light but constant snow here in Halifax, and it will be dark in about half an hour. The snow I can handle, but the early sunsets are bollocks. Would kill for some sunshine.

I initially had a pot in there as the optional variable gain control. I never used it, so shunted it out of the circuit.

I thought that 421A were just rebadged 5998's

CJ's shot of the Crack/5998 above inspired me to pull out the camera. Couldn't get much with the DSLR without a tripod (got one arriving next week!), so I whipped out the six year old Canon Ixus 50 and a tiny little travel tripod. Now this thing has no manual exposure controls at all so it took some experimenting with room lighting to get anything good, but I'm pretty happy with the results. I particularly like the reflections in the getter flash

Anybody with good news? Stay positive Steve and best of luck Reks!

Manfrotto 7301 tripod. I picked it up from B&H in the US with shipping, customs paid, and taxes in for cheaper than the best before-tax price in Canada

15 seconds must be the maximum exposure time? If you could take the exposure out longer manually, a lower ISO and higher f-value may give better results...... but it is pretty damn good as it is! Also reminds me that I really need a tripod......

Good article here on Kinect: Microsoft Kinect: The AnandTech Review - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News I really think that this will trump both the Wii and PS3's jump-like-an-idiot-in-front-of-the-TV aspect in the long term.

Not just for the ESS9018, but for any Audio-GD product. The analogue stage will make or break it, and going for a no feedback design might either be a great thing or terrible. It might be similar, but I am not even remotely interested in Legato. Why buy a supposedly high end DAC and discrete linestage, then feed it through coupling caps?

In the context of the Buffalo, the output stage makes a hell of a difference. The newer IVYIII offers a lot more over the one that originally came with the Buffalo. I suspect the same is true of the AudioGD products with either DAC chip.... and considering the hard-on that they have for not employing global negative feedback, this is what will make or break the product.

I am currently in terminal F, and there is no duty free liquor outlet. This. Is. An. OUTRAGE.

Only just now?