Next week is Northern Cal's big audio show at the Westin SFO. Once again they'll have a dedicated headphone area call Headmasters which will be shared this year with vinyl vendors.   I'll be rolling Tape Project tapes at the Headamp booth and hope to see as many of you as last year. Here's...

I just got an unsolicited email from Headfi(?) that started with a couple of ads for products. Toward the bottom, it listed some meet threads as a token. I just wanted to check and see if this is indeed an official Spam or if someone is using the members list and letterhead.   Anybody else...

Maybe the subject heading is a little confusing for folks that aren't used to Doc Bottlehead's tendency for naming his DIY kits a little differently than the run of the mill audio company. Doc's just announced a new OTL headphone kit called "Crack". If you've ever been interested in...

Got an email from Craig today with pic's of the phono stage. He didn't say that this is the final final but I don't think he would've sent these unless it's release is eminent. Here's some operational info; The TA settled into two 12AX7, and one 6SN7 for the buffers. It runs on 300V so...

On my MacBook (2G memory) and my Mac Pro (8G memory) I usually keep the Activity Monitor open in the Dock especially when I'm working on large files with music editors and restoration software. I've noticed that when I listen to 96/24 flac files for more than a couple of hours, the memory gets...

Ok-ok,.. so I'd read all the bad press that Peter McAllister had gotten a couple of years ago. Following one particular poor souls trials and tribulations had put me off of the idea of buying an EA-4 when I was trying to find an affordable avenue to get on the electrostatic bandwagon. A little...

I just got an email from a developer who knows me through the Metric Halo forum (pro audio firewire interface). He's got an all new crossfeed type program that he wanted me to try. I really like what it does spatially but I haven't had a chance to really listen to all the demo's and judge how...

Maybe I'm just a total klutz but no matter what I'm doing in my desk chair, when I look down my headphone cord is under the caster of my chair! Sometime it gets pulled into the caster housing and I have to carefully turn the wheel to get it out. Now I know that this is going to lead to the...

Today I was putting on my AD2000's (which I probably do about 100 time a freakin day!) and one of the mg headbands broke. Boy, was I bummed. I love these headphones and the thought of being without them was killing me. I searched AT's website and found the US parts email address. I shot off a...

In a thread over on Audio Asylum the news that the old Blackburn UK factory is planning on manufacturing vacuum tubes again (currently make only cathode ray tubes). Great news for sure! But while we're waiting, their site has a fantastic film of the steps involved in making a tube (in detail!)...

On Memorial Day weekend, the Vacuum State of the Art Conference will be held in Vancouver Wa ( just across the river from Portland). There's going to be all kinds of activities there but it's a tube, DIY playground. If your interested in attending the workshops (hands on stuff that requires...

I can't make it this year for $$$ reasons but If you happen to go, the Tape Project (which anyone familiar with me will know what a fan I am of) will be in 4 rooms this year. The Magico rm., TAD, First Impressions Music and the hospitality suite of On a Higher Note. At this very moment, Doc...

Vacuum State of the Art Conference is being held May 24-26 in Vancouver Wa ( just across the river). I know it's a long way off but, the organizer is interested in having a tube driven headphone presence there. There's a large room available for a (tube only) meet. It's very close to the date of...

VSAC '08 will be taking place May 24-26 in Vancouver Washington next year. The organizer is interested in having a headphone room. It is a tube amp Only event so No solid state amps can be exhibited. What the organizer has proposed is a 2000 or 1000 sq fr room that could have exhibitors and...

Just as I threatened a while back, this is the official Zana tube rolling kit thread. I know there's a new crop of ZD owners ( or soon to be ) out there, so this will allow you newcomers to behold the glory of tuning the one of the best tube headphone amps to your particular cans and ears. The...

For any of you guys that noticed the absence of Craig's web site, there is an interim site there under the coming soon Google listing. Well, it's been a long road, but the second batch of Zanas should be sent out the week of the National. I'm sure that all the future owners already know this. In...

Dan Schmalle (aka Doc. B) of Bottlehead fame, has built a no holds barred headphone amp for his bud and partner Paul Stubblebine of Stubblebine Mastering and DVD. Here's a link to the latest entry in top honors headphone amp. BTW there's only one so far and obviously if you want one, you can...

Well boys and girls,.. I just got an email from Craig and he's taking deposits on the second run. At least for now, there will be no changes from the first run. The new price is $1900 and the deposit is half. As far as I know, there is going to be 10+ ZD's built in this run. He didn't say...

After reading ASR's excellent review of the ad2000, I'm game to try a pair of Audio Technica's. I love their products. From the posts I've read, it sounds like they both have excellent bass and midrange and a very engaging and enjoyable presentation. I listen to classical and acoustic jazz...

I did a search a while back about this diy amp. It looks very interesting and the speaker amps designed on some of the same principles have quite a following over on Positive Feedback online. It uses some pretty exotic components (read $ and rare ) so I didn't want to just go for it without...

Hey, I know Craig had the parts to build 6 ZD's he introed at the So. Cal meet and he sold them all. And I DO know that he is still building some of them but, one of you guys must have one at home by now! So,.. fess up! Meet impressions are all well and good but, I'm saving all my penny's and...

I just started checking posts about the Corda Cross-1 and came across the thread about the X-Feed. I went to Pinkfloyds website and only saw the schematics for it. (even though it looks to be childs play to build, for the price, I can be lazy) I read some old posts about the Cross-1 and some of...

Every now and then, my big rig will fool me into thinking that there really is someone else in my home or that one of my pets has knocked something on the floor. I'm looking for a headphone system that can do the same thing. I'm thinking electrostatic, but, I have to get off my butt and go and...

Ok you guys, I've given you a couple of daze to recoupe. And I've checked out your great photos and read you comments,.. but what's your take on the best or seeing that the Single Power Es1 is going to be top dog for a while, second best electrostaic amp? There were a few hints at where the...

I was in the market to replace my ASL mg head otl with an amp with more inputs and pre outs to switch between my mac/m audio usb audiopile and reel to reel tapes on my desk system which also has powered monitors ( Swans M200). After reading Judes review of the Eddie Current hd25 I thought that...