stoopid

For the keyboard warriors on tRF, you'll be disappointed to know I won't be engaging in the trolling.  You can have your sick and twisted little playground back, I won't be wasting my time on you.

21 minutes ago, goose said:

 I applaud your stance.  I am curious where you are in regards to the normalization of mental illness, theft, homelessness, drug abuse, illegal immigration, insider trading, and censorship of free speech?  

Some of these are issues that need to be tackled.  As long as there's a democracy there's a chance to do it.  Some of these are issues that have existed for decades, and while they could/should get tackled it's not one political affiliation to blame for their perpetuation.

Can I just say that contrarianism isn't a platform for a political party?  Or is that too specific to trigger the righties?

1 hour ago, bluefox4000 said:

 

hey i'm just saying what i see.  I think both sides in the US are ridiculous so.....lol.

 

it's all a circus to me.

 

Mick

 

 

To be clear, the degree and depth of ridiculous is clear though.  This is not a "good people on both sides" situation at this moment in time in the USA.  I will always refuse normalization of conspiracy theorist agenda and the people complicit in encouraging/supporting/allowing it.

19 hours ago, New_World_Man said:

 

I don't really know what you mean by that. Are you saying you like stuff that is a decade newer than what he likes? It is true he doesn't really seem to go past the 90s except with prog rock and metal. Or maybe you mean he's a lot older than you. Not sure.

 

I don't really watch him much anymore despite being sort of friends with him at one point. I mostly watch the Prog Corner with Scot Lade instead. If you are a prog fan he's worth checking out as well.

I think passion for 'metal' as he seems to appreciate it requires having been at least a teenager (or older) during the mid/late 1980s, when the pioneer metal artists were at their peak impact.  1970s rock is another area it was better appreciated by those alive at the time, not as much in hindsight.  Deep Purple, Boston, Meat Loaf, John McLaughlin... these are less relevant now to younger rock listeners.  Right or wrong, time impacts the relevancy of music on the next generations.  More younger people listen to Taylor Swift than the Beatles.  And not by a little, like twenty fold. 

My overlap with him is in prog metal, Dream Theater and Opeth.  I also know he's into SW and Porcupine Tree, as those are the artist videos I've seen of him in the past.  This gentleman was speaking of his influences, and mine would be different because I'm younger.  By no coincidence, Rick Beato is around his age and I also deviate with him on artists from the same eras (in particular, the 60s and 70s).  By deviate, I mean there's been a lot of music since the 1960s and 70s, and I'll also argue that several artists since have improved on the foundation the 60s and 70s rock artists created.  I'm into what's good to my ears, not nostalgia, which is the point of this video.  Beato at least seems to share my strong appreciation for much of the 90s rock scene.  My top 20 would include several grunge albums, not that anyone cares/is asking.  To that point, no one cares or was asking him either.  lol  It's that terminal uniqueness self importance social media perpetuates on full display here.  "I have a moderately small Youtube channel about music, I must tell the world my story".

I've seen a couple of his YT videos.  He's fine, but predates my musical journey by a decade and while there's tons of overlap, we're not in step on half the picks.

WTF TreeDuck

Beltre is one of the best all around third basemen to ever play.  Full stop. He could have 3-5 more gold gloves based on actual on the field play as well as metrics.  Oh, and bonus -- he could hit.

You're a miserable sod.

I'll admit that my overall ingest of published articles and such has gone down drastically as more 'free' options on the internet have become ubiquitous.  My last subscription was to Wired magazine that I recently allowed to expire due to very rarely cracking it open or even reading many of the articles online.  They sit in a pile at my desk at work unread.

For me the trend has been getting information in bits and bites, on demand via searches most of the time, and when wanting more in depth analysis for general topics I'll watch a youtube video.  For things that interest me most, it's forums and Youtube channel subscriptions (I'm a Youtube subcscriber, maybe this counts as 'media' consumption now?).

While its sad to see many written behemoths fade into the sunset over time, and there's certainly dangers should all "true" journalism vanish, I'm weirdly optimistic that the things replacing them can be as good or even better due to the lowish bar of entry and less frat house/boys club establishment gate keeping.

On 11/22/2023 at 7:31 PM, Bahamas said:

I guess I heard a "Prog Rock" sound, lose interpretations of rock music and scales?

Still, it sounded great, if not so much a video capture.

They're both Prog bands.  Both are rooted in heavy guitars and slamming drums.  There's certainly similarities.  The important stuff in Prog is in the details though, and digging below the surface how each band goes about their business is entirely different and the results reflect that.  Tool's popularity (and arguably their genius) is taking complex rhythmic patterns and making them consumable by the masses.  They've released a fraction of albums that Dream Theater has but have sold more copies (I think by a wide margin, too).  They've made Prog that the masses can consume.  If for that alone, as a Prog fan, I would be grateful for their contributions. But I also happen to like Tool (since Undertow) and appreciate the development in their sound since their earliest records.

On 11/21/2023 at 11:50 AM, The Analog Cub said:

Assuming they didn't turn his guitar off, he actually learned the whole song, too. Jambi is a f***ing killer track

Going quite a ways back (like 20 years) Alex has praised Adam for his creative guitar tones/effects use and layering, I think even crediting Adam for some of his layering technique on Vapor Trails.  Alex has been a fan for probably since Aenima.  It's likely Alex knows more Tool licks than just Jiambi.  I even learned a couple drop D Tool riffs and I rarely jammed along to other bands.

On 1/10/2024 at 8:19 PM, BastillePark said:

It's just an opinion of a 100% subjective stance. 

I'll settle this once and for all for both of you -- you're both wrong.

Ramble on.

Hippy Burfdey JP!

The first single is a good jam.  They're offering a high res bandcamp DL for $10, so I bit.

On 12/23/2023 at 12:42 PM, stoopid said:

I'm pretty sure I can get by without having to EQ anything, while I have my 'needs' I'm fairly flexible with the end results and haven't needed to EQ any music playback (on the computer, phone/portable, or home theater) in probably 20 years.  Picking the right speakers or headphones takes time, but that's how I end up accomplishing this.

 

I put in an offer (and have a second seller lined up if the first falls through) for a pair of B-stock Audeze LCD-2 closed back. Everything online leans heavily toward these being the perfect fit for me.  If I can get them for $600-ish I'll bite, can always be resold since there's a market for them.  Wish me luck, and a huge thanks for pointing me in this direction.  If anything, it's made me realize anything under $1000 list is generally going to have compromises and not improve my situation enough to justify the expense.  Now to see what deals are out there lightly used/refurb.

While searching for the LCD-2s on eBay, a clone by Monoprice came up.  Reviews were positive so without traction on an affordable pair of LCD-2s I decided to bite.

We have a winner!!

Monoprice's Monolith M1070C are excellent headphones.  

Solid (but not boomy) bass response, good detail without sounding thin, papery, or harsh.  Accurate mid range response.  These might be the perfect fit for exactly what I was looking.  Headphones feel durable, even premium, and came with a nice hardshell case and quality cable.  They are not feeling in anyway cumbersome after 20+ minutes.  But they are big and 'bulky'.  The leatherette ear cushions are surprisingly comfy.  I was using aftermarket Velour cushions with my ATH-M50s, and found them superior to the stock leather-like cushions.  I'll try the velour cushions with these new headphones but they look thinner and I read in a couple reviews that they change the sound profile due to decreasing the distance from driver to ear.

Insight into testing with my "first songs on the cans" playlist, just in case anyone's curious how an oldish rocker like me sorts this out in (only?) three tracks...

1) Gojira "New Found" Been playing a ton of this album, and more metal than usual lately.  The headphones sounded good but the mix is 'modern' and other than a wider soundstage, I didn't think the improvement was night/day.  Very solid but no 'wow'.

2) Rush "Freewill" [HD Tracks 24/96 mix] Immediately recognized the headphones were superior.  Guitars, vocals, drums all spread out across the stereo field with a level of precision I have not heard in quite some time.  One of the things I was looking for in the new headphones were "revelatory" moments where they invigorate and elevate the enjoyment of the music.  The bass tone during the guitar solo is out of this world on these headphones.

3) Steely Dan "Hey Nineteen" [from the Citizen Dan boxed set] Gaucho isn't my favorite album but this might be my favorite SD track.  Exceptional detail, I have a copy of the 5.1 DVD Audio of this album and have heard this one some good systems including my studio monitors, and these headphones are a comparable experience.  Crisp crisp crisp without being at all fatiguing.

Unbelievable really for $227 shipped.

Thanks to everyone [especially Bastille Day!!] who replied and made suggestions.  Every recommendation was looked into, some sent me down long rabbit holes, some helped nudge me on the path that landed me stumbling onto these headphones.  I was ready to spend $600+ for a used pair of LCD-2 closed backs, and that would seemingly be silly at this point with the 'knocks off' knocking it out of the park.

The ATH-M50s are really solid everyday and tracking headphones, but I see them in the dust bin from lack of use.

On 12/20/2023 at 11:00 AM, BastillePark said:

Looking forward to listening when I get home. Is there such a thing as a good rash?

On a whole, all rashes are suspect.  This one's a bit pussy but heals after a couple years.  Scar is barely noticeable.

4 hours ago, BastillePark said:

I have a pair of Sony WF-1000XM5 ear buds and they do good at noise cancelling but sound great when playing music. Lots of options for different tips too.

 

Most earbuds nowadays seem to be outperforming over the ear headphones for portable use.  But none(?) have mastered the wide soundstage of open back headphones, at least not dollar for dollar.  Yet.

I'm personally not a fan of how earbuds feel after a bit of time, I'll take the trade off for the heavier/bulkier headphones.

The bright spot to all of this discussion is that there's the best portable and at home/studio options available in the history of audio, and the cheaper stuff is really really good too.

3 hours ago, grep said:

Back when I was commuting to work on mass transit I had a set of Sennehiser noise cancelling headphones for the iPod.  Best portable set I've ever owned.

Sony makes a nice closed back BT headphone, but they're only average in sound quality.  Honestly, there's a lot of earbuds (including the cheapish Earfun buds I bought on Amazon) with noise cancelling and a charging case that I would go with that and skip over the ear headphones for commuting purposes altogether.

The ATH-M50s are excellent headphones for $150, there's a lot of good options in that price range.  And depending on needs and preferences, there's arguably nice stuff in the $100 range too like the Sennheiser HD280 which were my prior headphones of choice for doing rough mixing.  But yeah, something nice is ... nice to have and I can definitely see appreciating a boutique pair more now than at any other point in my life.  I've also learned that I only live once, so for the things that matter to me there's no half assing it anymore.

48 minutes ago, BastillePark said:

Since we all have differently shaped ears and hear things differently I've found that I don't rely too much on reviews unless there is some consistency about them which seems to be the case with the Elegias. That being said any headphone can be made to sound better or worse with an equalizer. Of course that's more cost but there are plenty on the used market and a company named Schiit sells a couple that are reported to be good but don't break the bank since they sell direct to the consumer. 

I'm pretty sure I can get by without having to EQ anything, while I have my 'needs' I'm fairly flexible with the end results and haven't needed to EQ any music playback (on the computer, phone/portable, or home theater) in probably 20 years.  Picking the right speakers or headphones takes time, but that's how I end up accomplishing this.

I put in an offer (and have a second seller lined up if the first falls through) for a pair of B-stock Audeze LCD-2 closed back. Everything online leans heavily toward these being the perfect fit for me.  If I can get them for $600-ish I'll bite, can always be resold since there's a market for them.  Wish me luck, and a huge thanks for pointing me in this direction.  If anything, it's made me realize anything under $1000 list is generally going to have compromises and not improve my situation enough to justify the expense.  Now to see what deals are out there lightly used/refurb.

34 minutes ago, stoopid said:

I came across the Focal Elegia last night in separate searches, that exact model has been discontinued.  There's still new pairs that popup occasionally for $350-ish.  I'm almost tempted at that price to give them a shot, but without any return options I may end up 'stuck' trying to resell them if not the right fit.  The Celeste might work but now we're at the $1000 mark, even on eBay they're $650+.

Digging deeper, there's consistent pushback by listeners regarding the upper-mid response with the Elegia.  Not worth the gamble.  This reviews summarizes the issues, but these were expressed on multiple sites:  https://homestudiobasics.com/focal-elegia-review/

1 minute ago, BastillePark said:

You can check the classifieds at Head-fi.org to get a feel for prices but you have to have a posting history there to buy or sell. 

Ooh, I forgot about Reverb as well which I started using to sell stuff recently. 

16 hours ago, BastillePark said:

Of the ones you have listed I've had 3 of them. The HD 600, the DT 770, and the M50 and with what your parameters are I'd probably go with the DT 770s. I know the AKG K371 gets good reviews as do the Focal Elegia but they're closer to your price ceiling. Depending on much you're willing to stretch the budget, I really liked the Audeze

LCD-2s but they're getting closer to double your listed price goal but were sublime to my ears.

 

Whatever you get, try to buy from somewhere that has a good return/refund policy. and keep us abreast of what you get. Happy shopping.

The LCD-2s I'm familiar with, at least I recall seeing a youtube review a while back and of course they're likely exactly what I'm looking for but $1000 is a lot of money to me right now, so not gonna happen.  :-/

I came across the Focal Elegia last night in separate searches, that exact model has been discontinued.  There's still new pairs that popup occasionally for $350-ish.  I'm almost tempted at that price to give them a shot, but without any return options I may end up 'stuck' trying to resell them if not the right fit.  The Celeste might work but now we're at the $1000 mark, even on eBay they're $650+.

11 hours ago, BastillePark said:

Planar magnetic drivers are the current state of the art but most of them are quite expensive up to ridiculously so, depending on one's budget, but the one's I've heard are very good.

Not being familiar with them tells me they're out of budget, out of mind.  lol

I rather liked the DT 770 Pros and they're priced right.  That's the kind of confirmation I wasn't necessarily expecting, but welcoming if this ends up saving me a bunch of time searching.

The DT 770 Pros were part of my initial hunt and previews 8 years ago.  IMO it's a bit sad things haven't changed much in that time, on the other hand we might have reached peak-headphones and the reinventing of the wheel might be limited to in ear/earbud solutions, and noise cancelling tech.

I'm playing digital from my computer (3.5mm line out, Realtek chip/cheap) through a Presonus headphone amp.  Nothing elaborate, anymore. It's fine for my new needs.

My needs have changed as I exit recording and enter the 'listening' leg of my musical journey. 8 years ago I tried a bunch of headphones, some still available, with the intent of finding a compromise between something I could daily drive for casual music listening and tracking, and something more detailed for getting mixes most of the way there/fine tuning (before moving to the studio monitors for the final tweaks). I'm parting ways with my Sennheiser HD600 open back headphones, used only for that detailed mixing stage. I still have the same Audio-Technica ATH-M50 from many years ago, and these have been very good overall headphones. I like the solid bass delivery and of course the relatively bargain-level price. But they're weaker in the mid and high frequency response, which I'm looking to improve with the purchase of a new set of primary headphones for 99% personal use.

I realize selecting headphones is a very personal process, but finding someplace local with a good selection even in Las Vegas isn't going to suffice. So I'm going to turn to TRF and other online sources for suggestions and reviews, then make a pick from there. Worse case I'll possibly have to return something as I plow through a short list of contenders. But hoping my due diligence can help me avoid that.

Today being the start of the process I have a blank slate of contenders. I'd prefer closed back, there's times later at night I like to jam out a bit and play things loud, and open back might allow for too much bleed. I'm not opposed to in ear solutions (IEM, earbuds). I have a mid tier pair of BT earbuds that are fairly good, impressive really for what they pack into such a small design, and that's certainly a possibility. But I don't find earbuds as comfortable and certainly not over an hour or two straight wearing them. I'm not opposed to a wired set of earbuds, and they might be the better long term solution because they don't have batteries that will eventually die (planned obsolescence anyone?).

My primary requirements "put into words"...

• Under $500, preferably $300-ish but willing to splurge for something I may use for the rest of my days
• Good bass response is a must, improved mid-upper end response over the ATH-M50s is where I'm focusing the most
• Closed back (for when I like to crank 'em), and these usually provide tighter bass response
• Comfort - some smaller ear cup designs are not comfortable. I'm also not a fan of leather/plether for long listening sessions. Earbuds tend to fatigue after an hour.

I have a headphone amp, so just about anything on the market I could sufficiently power.