[ardgedee]

Quote:

 
Now that's a gorgeous watch. The only thing I'd change is swap out the leather band for a stainless steel band. That watch would be mine if only it didn't cost freaking $5650.00 bones!!!!

 
It looks cartoonishly macho, to be honest. Arnold Schwartzenegger rather than Steve McQueen.
 
Quote:

If you'd like an affordable mechanical watch, I recommend Japanese. Orient makes great quality mechanical watches that are done in-house, and the trusty Seiko 5 is always a great choice. There are some dark horse candidates from New Zealand in the form of Magrette, which uses nice Miyota (Citizen) movements or an US company that makes their watches in Switzerland called Xetum.

 
Seconding the Seiko 5. Look for the SKX series if you want a watch that is seriously tough rather than only looking the part. The Seiko 5 are automatic watches -- no batteries, and the spring stays tensioned by reacting to your arm movements so you don't have to wind it yourself every morning. The watch will stop working if you put it on the shelf for a day, so it's not as convenient as a battery powered watch. Seiko also makes some solar-powered watches that don't look like they are. Allegedly the battery never needs replacing. I'm not as fond of their appearances, though -- a little too old-fashioned and boring.
 
Luminox also makes nice watches inspired by military designs without making you look like a survivalist, and lately I've been eyeing the watches Braun has designed. In both cases they probably use low-midrange Omega mechanisms, but the Brauns in particular look incredibly handsome.
 
Lately I've been thinking about getting a Bulova Accutron Spaceview. I have a weakness for skeleton watches, and the Spaceview is a design that managed to be both a classic and sui generis. They haven't been made in 40 years, though, so it'll be a little tricky to get one in both good condition and at sub-collector's prices.

 

[jgray91]

I am getting the FXZ100 for now, just the R07 as maybe the final big purchase for a while, maybe right after the FiiO X3, maybe before. Depends.

 

[kiteki]

I am getting the FXZ100 for now, just the R07 as maybe the final big purchase for a while, maybe right after the FiiO X3, maybe before. Depends.

 
Do you have a DAC?  Are you in on the H project one?  If not, perhaps the Hifimediyyyyyy.  Srsly you don't need the R07, just get the R04 updated or flagship version if money is tight, I've listened for 150 hours+ plus to both.
 
Edit:  Basically the R04 has more high-end extension than the R07 so I'm annoyed about that. ^^

 

[jgray91]

Have a FiiO E10, in the P-H. Hmm, I'll just wait for summer then and visit Jaben-M'sia again then.

 

[ardgedee]

I don't mind the T-50's appearance. It's meant to be an economical headphone, and at its price point I'd just as soon the manufacturer opt for minimally-functional on the outside and focus its limited budget on the working parts.
 
I kind of wish that the professional T-50 modders did a better job of making the outsides look better, because the headband and the way the cup joins to the headband always look cheap. Though I suspect this would elevate the prices on most of them to the point of not worth doing, so I can understand why they don't.

 

[tomscy2000]

Quote:

It looks cartoonishly macho, to be honest. Arnold Schwartzenegger rather than Steve McQueen.
 
Seconding the Seiko 5. Look for the SKX series if you want a watch that is seriously tough rather than only looking the part. The Seiko 5 are automatic watches -- no batteries, and the spring stays tensioned by reacting to your arm movements so you don't have to wind it yourself every morning. The watch will stop working if you put it on the shelf for a day, so it's not as convenient as a battery powered watch. Seiko also makes some solar-powered watches that don't look like they are. Allegedly the battery never needs replacing. I'm not as fond of their appearances, though -- a little too old-fashioned and boring.
 
Luminox also makes nice watches inspired by military designs without making you look like a survivalist, and lately I've been eyeing the watches Braun has designed. In both cases they probably use low-midrange Omega mechanisms, but the Brauns in particular look incredibly handsome.
 
Lately I've been thinking about getting a Bulova Accutron Spaceview. I have a weakness for skeleton watches, and the Spaceview is a design that managed to be both a classic and sui generis. They haven't been made in 40 years, though, so it'll be a little tricky to get one in both good condition and at sub-collector's prices.

 
Seiko is massively underrated. People think they're cheapies because of their lower-end stuff, but they can craft some great watches. The Seiko 5 series, although very affordable, is still a great bit of quality Japanese mass manufacturing. It's too bad they don't really sell it in the US. Orient has been doing some successful guerrilla marketing in the US, however; it's a company under the umbrella of Seiko, but mostly ticks to the beat of its own escapement.
 
Grand Seiko makes some of the best watches around, actually. The craftsmanship is as good as any Rolex or Omega around. I dare say it's up there in terms of quality with the Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin, and Patek Phillipe of the Genève variety. They also make some of the finest movements around; their Spring Drive movement is as innovative as any grand complication or floating Tourbillon; they just don't have the same level of prestige. Their Hi-Beat movements are also really cool --- 36000 bph, matching the Zenith El Primero.
 
I'm not undermining the tradition of the Swiss, though. I think VC and JLC make some of the most beautfiul watches around --- I'm especially a fan of the Quai d'Ille and Overseas, and the Duomètre.
 
Speaking of cartoonishly macho, I'm not a fan of the new age flashy watches from Hublot and Richard Mille (though the Richard Mille watches are insane on a technical level and just silly expensive).

 

[MuppetFace]

For some reason the intro post on the front page seems to have had its formatting borked: too much space between everything. I guess I'll try to fix it, and also add some links to some of my more detailed diary entries or something.
 
* * * * * * *
 
Listening to the K3003 this morning. I get that people think they're overpriced---sure, okay---but gosh I enjoy these things. They pretty much epitomize airy "hi fi" sound to me, and to my way of thinking their four digit designation is rather fitting: they sound like spiritual successors to the K1000. Perhaps the approach they take is what contributes to their sound's [at times] somewhat incoherent or unfocused quality, but the payoff is a fuller, less thin, and better balance relative to the K1000. Though they still have enough of that high-end AKG quality: like angels with scalpels.
 
Alternatively the Heaven VI is a fantastic earphone. I'm really pleased with it. The sound is much more focused in typical FAD fashion compared to the angelic incision-makers, more solid; this contributes to more of a sense of pin-point imaging versus the "sound cloud" of the AKGs. Despite having its golden feet firmly on the ground, it still retains an impressive sense of space openness.
 
The Flat-4 still tops both when it comes to rendering what (giving in to my inner audio-pretentiousness) I call the the "micro transactions" of a given track: all those complex relationships and dynamics going on in its depths. It's the IEM equivalent of a star chart.
 
* * * * * * *
 
So, the Monet is now a future goal for whenever I end up visiting Japan. Until then I'm planning on ordering some Rooth customs, albeit in universal form: either the LS-X5, LS8, LS8+ or some combination thereof. I'm also thinking of asking Master Xiao to make some sort of bespoke CIEM for me, like a C435 or Monet clone. Based on Kiteki's customs, I think a Master Xiao-designed clone of Mone-can would end up being her evil stepsister LOL. Or maybe I'll try to convince him to make this thing I dreamt about called The Leviathan which was translucent black with pink faceplates and had 10 drivers.
 
Now that I see it typed out like that... I so want this thing to be made more than ever.
 
I've also decided that I'm going to try to get a Spiral Ear SE 5-Way. I've got some friends in Europe who could accept delivery and forward it on to me, since SE doesn't ship outside the EU. Now I just hope my ears are large enough to accommodate all the stuff inside those silicon shells. Silicon seems like a better alternative from a fit / comfort standpoint, though in terms of design potential it's rather limiting.
 
 

 
 
* * * * * * *
 
Speaking of customs, I saw these in Rooth's photo gallery:
 
 

 
They caught my eye. Looks like a combination of orange and pink, giving them a ballin' dayglo vibe.

 

[mutabor]

Quote:

 
Seiko is massively underrated. People think they're cheapies because of their lower-end stuff, but they can craft some great watches. The Seiko 5 series, although very affordable, is still a great bit of quality Japanese mass manufacturing. It's too bad they don't really sell it in the US. Orient has been doing some successful guerrilla marketing in the US, however; it's a company under the umbrella of Seiko, but mostly ticks to the beat of its own escapement.

 
I just checked Seiko 5 on Amazon and there is a nice selection for the very affordable price. I also liked Citizen Eco-Drives with solar battery and they are also affordable. Another watches which I liked were Bulova 96B104 and super-slim Skagen 858 ( some said that they are on the bigger side - 39mm. Hm?).

 

[driver 8]

Quote:

Anthony Fantano needs to learn to edit his videos, and I don't mean the overplayed Tim & Eric glitch skit-punctuation. He prattles on waaaay too long. I guess he's giving his dedicated legion of fans enough time to rub one out. Somas and xanies make that a little difficult....
 
 
 

 
I'm a bit torn here... I was about to say something along the lines of "well at least he's not one of those obnoxious jump-cutters," who I've generally grown to despise, but then I remembered how often I skip parts of his videos, typically from the intro and Cal skit to the last minute or two. 
 

---

 
This watch talk seems uncanny to me as I just had a dream wherein I bought some expensive ass watch that I assumed would be better than the somewhat expensive one I already have, but it was actually worse.  And then Amazon erased all records of me ever buying it from them so I couldn't return it.

 

[jgray91]

For some reason the intro post on the front page seems to have had its formatting borked: too much space between everything. I guess I'll try to fix it, and also add some links to some of my more detailed diary entries or something.

* * * * * * *

Listening to the K3003 this morning. I get that people think they're overpriced---sure, okay---but gosh I enjoy these things. They pretty much epitomize airy "hi fi" sound to me, and to my way of thinking their four digit designation is rather fitting: they sound like spiritual successors to the K1000. Perhaps the approach they take is what contributes to their sound's [at times] somewhat incoherent or unfocused quality, but the payoff is a fuller, less thin, and better balance relative to the K1000. Though they still have enough of that high-end AKG quality: like angels with scalpels.

Alternatively the Heaven VI is a fantastic earphone. I'm really pleased with it. The sound is much more focused in typical FAD fashion compared to the [COLOR=A52A2A]angelic incision-makers[/COLOR], more solid; this contributes to more of a sense of pin-point imaging versus the "sound cloud" of the AKGs. Despite having its golden feet firmly on the ground, it still retains an impressive sense of space openness.

The Flat-4 still tops both when it comes to rendering what (giving in to my inner audio-pretentiousness) I call the the "micro transactions" of a given track: all those complex relationships and dynamics going on in its depths. It's the IEM equivalent of a [COLOR=008080]star chart[/COLOR].

I love your analogy of angels being somewhat like surgeons. Kind of... horrifying in its own way, I guess.

 

[ardgedee]

Quote:

Seiko is massively underrated[....] Grand Seiko makes some of the best watches around, actually[....] 
 
Speaking of cartoonishly macho, I'm not a fan of the new age flashy watches from Hublot and Richard Mille (though the Richard Mille watches are insane on a technical level and just silly expensive).

 
I don't find the high end of watchmaking (the part getting most of the public attention, anyway) interesting. The elaborations are fiddly and unappealing and pointless beyond the goal of impressing others; and the prices on many of them exceed their value, designed to be sold to a collector's market without consideration of any actual value they might have. A genuinely desirable watch, like a nice conservative Jaeger or Patek, is so far out of my range as to not be worth aspiring to.
 
If there's a problem I have with Seikos, both the main products and the premium lines, it's that their designs are so old-fashioned (in a 1950s/60s way, rather than a timeless sort). Aside from the divers' watches, everything seems destined to be engraved with "Congratulations for 25 years of service" on the backs. The Grand Seiko divers' watches look too much like the Seiko 5 divers' watches, aside from the imprint on the dial and back of the case, and the chunkiness of the knobs; I would hope that for the premium markup Seiko could have at least bothered to make them more distinctive or appealing.
 
On the upside, it's dead easy to get an excellent Seiko 5 for cheap on that popular auction site. There are a couple watchmakers in the Philippines and Malaysia who refurb Asian-market models and resell them. I've been wearing one for about half a year; I wasn't certain whether I'd like it because it's a watch far chunkier than I usually like to wear, but it has a just-right feel to the body and weight, and it's become my daily. (As a bonus, it came with a rubber bezel cover, the sort that seems to be an artifact of 1980s watchs. It's ugly but highly functional: not that I'm worried about damaging the the watch; I'm worried about the watch damaging other things. It's slowly tearing, though, and will eventually break; I need to have a replacement in reserve.)
 
And I can hold out hope to land a vintage Rolex Submariner for cheap, like Magic_Man has; I find the lower-end Rolexes more appealing than the pricier ones anyway; the main distinction is flash and garnishing, which does nothing for me.
 
As I've noted before, horology can put audiophilia to shame on the cost/benefit price curve, and getting into watchmaking/repair as a hobby is a dangerous rabbit hole. It presses all the right buttons for anybody with OCD tendencies.

 

[kiteki]

I really need to hear the Flat-4................

 

[MuppetFace]

Quote:

I love your analogy of angels being somewhat like surgeons. Kind of... horrifying in its own way, I guess.

 
 
Angels were pretty frightening in ancient times. They've been tamed quite a bit now that they primarily adorn greeting cards and the tabletops of the elderly.
 
Speaking of horrifying... I was listening to the K3003, and suddenly the sound got really quiet, and everything sounded like it was down a well. I know a few folks who had theirs give out on one side like that, those it was typically the remote version. I readjusted the jack by turning it while plugged into the outlet, and the sound crackled and finally came back to full tilt. It seems the jack is actually pretty loose and the connection can cut in and out easily. Sorta like my HiFiman HE-6's cable. Only the K3003's isn't replaceable...
 
So much for the rose gold doing magical things!
 
Edit #1:
 
The K3003 is easier to listen to for longer periods of time versus the Heaven VI, though the Heaven VI is easier to listen to for longer periods of time versus the FI-BA-SS and especially the Heaven S. Overall, I think I actually like the Heaven VI more than the K3003.
 
Edit #2:
 
 
Quote:

I really need to hear the Flat-4................

 
Fo' sho.
 
It's like my favorite IEM at the moment.

 

[Coq de Combat]

Speaking of time and amazon.
 
I guess this is the time when amazon finds it completely appropriate to spam my mailbox with several mails a day. Don't get me wrong, I tend to like the amazon mails since I like window shopping as much as the next person, and so on and yada yada. But come on, just because it's christmas soon doesn't make it okay to spam. I believe I got 3 or 4 mails a few days ago, and I've already received 2 today. I can understand one a day - I think it's fair and if I think it's too much I could just unsubscribe (I think?). But this is just ridiculous. Too bad I don't want to miss out on any deal, so I sit there and read through their mails like an idiot searching for a clue.
 
/rant

 

[jgray91]

Angels were pretty frightening in ancient times. They've been tamed quite a bit now that they primarily adorn greeting cards and the tabletops of the elderly.

Tru dat. I am imagining those kinds of angels. Kind of like this:


Only very very sterile looking while holding forth scalpels.

Horrifying angel portrayal courtesy of Warhammer 40000. Love that universe, so grim and hopeless and gothic it's fun to read about it, especially the normal, non-Mary Sue, non-super-powered or magic-imbued humans.