Hmmmm... since this thread discusses music which plunges the listener into the moody black antithesis of existence, has anyone heard the works of Steve Roach? Although he has yet to pick up a guitar, what he evokes from "The Timeroom" never fails to stunningly portray the absence of self in...

Essentially, what matters most is which color you prefer. I'm sure they sound identical. You will not need an extra layer of shielding unless you work near a nuclear reactor.

Visited Wal-Mart to pick up a few essentials around 1am this morning... and all 30 XBOX systems were sold. I'd like to get my hands on one and try it as a source... seeing as how Microsoft keeps bragging about its advanced audio capabilities.

JJ's worked much better in my X-CANS than any other 6922 I tried (Sovtek, JAN, Russian NOS 6H23-EB).

...I'll just post a link to the source of my longest-lasting audio fetish. Great mp3's... TONS of them. No registering, no client programs, just grab 'em directly off the page: http://www.starstreams.com/playlists/archive.html

My girlfriend recently mentioned that she would rather choose to be blind than deaf since she loves music so much. I hope nobody ever has to make this decision... but if you did, which would you pick? I'm still deciding...

Versatility is key? The Creek is the amp for you... no doubt about it.

As good as the Earmax Pro, eh? $242 plus shipping with Mullard valves included is a pretty amazing deal.

HD 83? Where can one find this beast?

Just for fun, I took my old Philips CD player (circa 1993) out of storage, dusted it off, and set it up for some hardcore A/B testing against "the rig": The Rig: $800 ART DI/O Boldercables SP-DIF and DI/O interconnects type II ART tweaks (Stancor PS & tube removed) JJ'ed X-Cans...

Yup... it will be here in a couple of days. Expect more updates to this already-too-stretched-out thread.

(recovers from an exploding bottle of Welch's grape soda) Well said. I agree that NOS tubes are worth seeking out under certain circumstances. In the case of a budget $150 second-hand headphone amplifier... I question whether this would be one of those times. There is a point where...

I don't have any NOS tubes... and am not seeking them out for a few reasons: * Prices are sky high. * Somewhat overrated performance. * Quantity is very, very limited. * Consistency is spotty. * Fakes are common. * Once the remaining few are used up, that will be the final...

(updated)

Oh yes... sorry I haven't updated my X-CANS page yet. Last night, I did a VERY comprehensive "live rolling" session (left the unit open for quick access) with the X-Cans and four different pairs of tubes. I used jazz, electronica, and classical music as the primary test elements: First...

I just received two packages via Fedex Ground. The first was OK... maybe... I hope... the styrofoam was bashed into confetti. The second one was damaged. Box was nearly disentegrated. Speaker cone bent. Box lopsided. Was it kicked? I dunno... ....but I won't be a Fedex Ground customer!

Why not use the OPA2134?

voted

(Sorry if this is a repost... but I think it belongs in the DIY section) http://www.nikolai.org/misc/xcans/index.htm Includes reviews of "Uncle Ned's" Sovtek 6922's and Kevin's 6H23's.

I own the X-CANS. Rolling the tubes is mandatory. I'll be replacing the op-amps in the future which should also improve things a bit.

Try this test: Grab the latest version of CDex (v1.40 beta 9) at http://cdexos.sourceforge.net/download.html and encode using the LAME engine with these settings: MPEG-1 256kbit/sec STEREO No VBR Telling the encoded MP3 apart from the CD original will be very, very difficult without...

Check that link again... I rolled Uncle Ned's Sovtek 6922's and have posted my impressions in detail.

Don't sweat the power supply thing... a quality replacement is only $27 from Radio Shack. The main issue with the DI/O is using a SP-DIF cable that is of high enough quality. Cheapies will lose the digital lock. Wayne at boldercables.com has good SP-DIF cables. A one meter cable should be...

I have updated the X-CANS page at www.nikolai.org/misc/xcans/index.htm with lots of detailed shots of the interior circuit boards. The link is at the bottom of the page.

Damn! I feel so... so... materialistic all of a sudden.