Voltron

Does the new 007tII require re-biasing?

Is this 007t self-biasing or do I have to mess with that?

Thanks for the responses, guys. It seems like decent deal, but not the best. Others have sold relatively recently on HF for less, but without all the extras.

That would really make the deal, now wouldn't it! Anyway, I don't like the way he has the O2 cord wrapped around and under the stand, but what the hell...

OK Staxen, I have a question: A local guy has the following for $2300, firm: STAX Omega II's Earspeaker plus 007t Tube Amplifier. Please note that photos shows that this comes complete with 20 ft extension cord, earspeaker stand with clear plastic cover which were all extra cost items you would want. What say you on the deal-meter? I am buying a 4070 also, and was considering the 007tII new, although I have not checked out prices yet. I am also thinking of giving the O2s a real shot since so many people say that they are all that when given time.

Welcome. I didn't realize you were not here already.

For you kids at home, here is an action shot of Gene's patented "double-blinding" method, as the Agile_One himself prepares to burn some shit in.

Agreed! But why ain't it up in the emoticon ghetto? ^^^^^^^^^^

No shit. All I can do is roll around on the floor laughing like a Nenso-copter. It clearly is the greatest of all pictures, and the fact that Tyll posted it in my 10-year-old son's BD thread on Head-Fi makes it all the better. Tyll is the shit. Oh, and Jay is right. If we can have the kitty and puppy, why can't we have a Tyll emoticon?

Incredible! I cannot decide which one looks more like thrice!

Happy birthday Stephen my friend! I hope you rape and pillage well in your dreams tonight and wake up refreshed for your big day. I think we discussed at MOA last week -- or whenever the hell that was -- that the 13th is also my son's birthday. We'll be back in Mayberry for a little party, but I don't think there will be nearly as many kegs... I hope yours is fab and that you need to be hooked up to the M*A*S*H IV all over again. Cheers!

Absolutely not. It is confusing that amps and cans are practically named the same thing and there are numerous lines over time. I have to look up most everything. Plus, the SR-Lambda vs. Lambda Pro vs. Lambda Signature thing has me currently bolloxed up and I even have two different pairs of them in my possession. Speaking of things in my possession, I have been listening to the Hertsens Signature a lot and it is a great DAC. That said, I keep "forgetting" to pack it up and bring it to the office to ship to you. Tomorrow [hopefully]. Sorry. \

Maybe she'll be ok with it if I also promote one of her books. OK people, go out and buy this thing [if you know what's good for you].

AN Dac-1 is an Audio Note DAC-1 and FrankCooter was using one on his Audio Alchemy transport. As for the nomenclature question, I would say that the there is no set definition for hi/mid/lo-fi. What I think the people you quoted were saying was that the Lavry or Transporter are in the middle tier of audiophile/hi-fi gear. More entry-level items and seriously higher end items exist within the overall realm of audiophile/hi-fi gear. I don't think any of them was placing those sources on the same level as a basic or mid-level Pioneer universal player or something. Just my take, but that is how I understand it. We missed you at the meet, btw. You would have had a blast, but I am still happy to know that you will be around for CanJam.

I meant to mention it in terms of his gear being split but still being first class because the Marantz stayed with the WA5 while the ES-1 got bumped up to the EMM in the K1K room. Not too much, just too much to remember!

Your rig has great synergy and although not cheap it has great bang for the buck going for it. The K340s sound amazing in your rig and I agree that when I put on the K340s when the NWO was in my rig it sounded like drek. If you listened at other times and it sounded bad, please tell me. I just got those back with balanced connectors and haven't had a chance to listen on the SDS with the EMM more than a couple minutes. My memory is that it was better with the EMM than with the NWO but I am not exactly sure why that would be. I don't know about that wait list idea, Ken, it makes my palms sweat just to think about buying a $30K CDP. \ Sure does sound purty though...

MOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOTMOT > > >

That is a tough one Purk because there were so many great rigs. Going from a strictly personal preference standpoint, I guess I would rank something like this: 1. My SDS-XLR with Neil's NWO 3.0G. I'm still a dynamic guy at heart, and hearing what that rig did with the HD650/Equinox, HD600/Wyvern, K701/Black Dragon, and Ed.9 (all balanced of course), really melted my heart. I don't think I will replace my EMM SE stack soon with the NWO, but man is it godly. 2. Ironbutt's Technics R2R with Bottlehead tape stage into the ES-2 with HE90s was the most amazing experience even though I didn't have a chance to sink into it for long. Replacing the R2R with the NWO doesn't drop down the analog-ness nearly as much as with probably any other digital source, but there is such a body and realness to the R2R sound that it is incredible. So I guess I would say the NW0 into ES-2 was probably at 2.5 on this top 3. The moral of this story is that the NWO and R2R should be heard with all of the top rigs to really see where the greatest synergy is. Ironbutt's own ZanaDeux/AD2000 rig has amazing synergy at that price level and clearly indicated where that R2R could scale to. Slapping it into the ES-2/HE90, etc. rig simply proved it. 3. Frank Cooter's Audio Alchemy/Audio Note source into his DIY masterpiece with the HP-1s, and to a lesser extent with the K1000, was a revelation. I just cannot get over the fact that he sets about to build a system around a headphone (RS-1 previously) and produces these strokes of genius. Very impressed, which I and others told him repeatedly on Saturday. The K1000s with stock cable into a 1/4 jack really had a handicap in my book. We discussed putting speaker taps and a 4-pin XLR in place of the 1/4 so maybe the next time we see/hear this rig it will truly knock the snot out of the other K1000 options. Now this top 3 leaves out some spectacular rigs. Min's EMM SE/Zanden/K1K rig still amazes. JP's Walker TT (his 3d class vinyl rig) into the EC HD2 was awesome with RS-1s and especially HP-2s. Mikeymad's ES-1 and WA5 setups had to be separate for power reasons (although my old house held up damn well without so much as a flicker) but both were great. blessingx's balanced B22 with Transporter and his usual Lavry were great. My own SDS-XLR/EMM SE setup ranks very highly for me, of course, but the NWO outshined it as I knew it would. bobcn's new RWA 30.2 upgrade was an outstanding improvement on the K1Ks, and whereas I used to think it sounded good but underpowered it now has much more body and pure balls to drive the cans. Great upgrade -- Vinnie should be applauded on that one. Many other great setups were everywhere, and I cannot even think of them all as I sit here. CanJam had better be on peoples' to-do lists because it will be epic beyond all proportions.

Thanks.

Next stop on the Magical Mystery Tour was Marin Brewing Company where thrice had been dumped by the Marin Airporter after his flight was "cancelled" according to him. Although some might speculate he was after the Blondes (why is that one woman handing him money and looking so angry at the same time?), mostly I think that he was dead set on making it to the last stop of the day, pictured below. OK, thrice's real reason for returning was found here: Double-Double Animal Style with a side of Animal Fries and a shake. He believed that Jesus himself whipped up his heavenly dream-come-true treat.

Speaking of the next day, we made our way to a couple more brew-pubs and had some beers and fine food before the Super Bowl took over the afternoon. First stop was Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa. We had Pliny the Elder: and Pliny the Younger: And eventually, Pliny the Empty: There was plenty of jocularity, as always with this crowd. Lots of stories of pit stops and park stops and the like. As xand1x points out, there were a lot of geezers on this trip, and their bladders are showing signs of wear. They could easily drink your ass under the table any day, though, and they do have better gear than you. We also kept up with our posting. Vicki did it on her hand-held, and I called in my posts to my Net-Butler who put them up for me. Although seemingly innocent, Iron-Dreamer turned evil and delivered a crushing karate-metal-chop to immtbiker's left arm for no fucking reason! It was ugly and Aaron is going to have to switch hands for awhile, if you know what I mean. . .

Some more pics from the Mayberry Meet. First up, the lovely Stax 4070, which really caught my ear. I think this might be the one to get. If spritzer or anybody else has heard them through the SRM-1 MkII amp I would love to hear how it sounds. I am sure I will scale up eventually but if that amp can power ok for now I might just get a pair. Stax 4070 Frank Cooter's amazing amp. Already well-documented but what the heck. Frank is just setting up in the first couple and then there are some beauty shots. People have pointed out that he sourced it with an Audio Alchemy transport and Audio Note DAC. Of course the giant GM70 tubes and mercury vapor rectifiers with their blue fog have caught people's attention, but the woodwork, brass, and those awesome radiation symbol lights on the PS units all really contribute to the aesthetic of this beautiful setup. I wish I had a pic of the funky power supply under the table that I was sure was burning a hole in the carpet. It was cool, and there was no hole in the carpet which my wife thinks is cool The "Nate Maher Stack" was part of the K1000 room setup as well. Nate's PS for my SB3 and Hertsens Signature DAC were feeding my Moth and Equinoxed K1000s. It was a great sound and we pumped in a little Goldfrapp in Nate's honor to kick off the listening. Iron_Dreamer thought that Goldfrapp did not show off the K1000's best attributes, but I enjoyed the moment immensely. We also used that crappy DVD player as a transport into the Hertsens, which sounded good but did not have the Nate flair. Here was Johnny Blossoms' rig for the day. It comprised a Walker TT into the very nice sounding Eddie Current prototype phono stage in a RedTop case, then into the amazing Eddie Current HD2 and finally into a collection of balanced cans such as the RS-1 and HP-2 that spent the day hanging on the coat rack when not on somebody's cranium. JP's hard drive was groaning like an old man with gall stones so we didn't have the Duet in action. Much smaller than expected but that ridiculous breakout cable has got to go. Nice of Nate to whip one up for Mike the Ingrate. He'll sell the whole thing in a week or two, you know that, right Nate? At the Florida meet I gave him a nice pair of Ken-Rad black glass 6SN7s and he SOLD them to mikeymad with his WA5. What a bitch! And then there was the coronation... Not every meet can boast the crowning of a queen, but we were honored to honor Vicki, aka boomana, aka Queen Victoria, with a ceremony inducting her as Head-Fier of the Year for 2007. We were all eating pizza and other treats picked up from Mauro's Pasta in Fairfax while her unsuspecting highness was listening to every portable setup in the place. You can see her momentary shyness followed by regal proclamations about misuse of portable amplifiers and Head-Fi etiquette points in this little photo essay. My apologies for the odd colors and poor focus but I had set the camera to no flash and forgot about it until the next day...

This pic needs to be on the 'Case. Maybe I will make it my avvy for all to enjoy.

Nice, Albert, now what do you think? You should have had time for a nap and some listening by now...