[gelocks]

  OH MY GOD PREMIUM MDR-1R?!!!!??!

 
huh?

 

[DigitalFreak]

   
huh?

Either he found a killer deal or Sony decided to try something different with the MDR-1R

 

[MuppetFace]

  All this long-haired talk about art is boring. Folks are never going to agree on it.

 
Sometimes I'll go through 30 or so pages I've missed and think gee, for a thread that's more or less associated with me, it sure doesn't feel like it at times. Like if I came across people talking about some of this stuff "IRL" I'd probably walk away. Other people may find the discussions about art, gender, sociology, and hobby meta analysis tedious, but personally I enjoy these subjects. They're the sort of things I'd talk about with people I liked. So you'll have to begrudge me every once in a while. It's indulgent, sure, but I like to use this thread for such purposes once in a while.
 
The funny thing is, it's actually been a while since we've had this type of discussion so far as I know. Just last week someone was complaining about a lack of thoughtful discussion here, saying he missed the time when the thread was younger and it happened more regularly. You can't please everyone. Some people are going to want such discussion, others not. Personally I find the multiple pages of food and operating system discussion boring. The topics of conversation seem to cycle over time either way. 
 
Regarding art, folks don't have to agree on it thankfully. It fuels discussion. I love posting about music, though I don't necessarily see it as incompatible with the current discussion. In fact it was music that started the discussion in the first place! We were talking about The Knife's albums, particularly the newest Shaking The Habitual, and why we felt the way we did about it. That lead quite naturally into discussion of art intersecting politics and whether it was an effective medium for soliciting change. This discussion actually made me really happy, because sometimes I'll post something music-related---or someone else will---and it never really leads to further discussion.
 
I also think the subject of the previous post was rather interesting as it relates to music: the idea of "contextual wholism" in listening, taking one's entire audio chain into consideration as well as one's environmental surroundings. Whenever we experience music, it's always in a specific context of time and place, with a specific mood, on a specific device. It influences or psychological state and the associations we have with what we hear. Certain music will evoke very positive or negative times in our lives quite vividly I find, and for this reason there's a body of music I refuse to listen to now because of the painful associations and connotations I have. Music is immensely powerful. It's a form of time travel, bridging points in one's life forming a vast network.
 
Going back to gear, I would always talk about "the horizontal" in my early head-fi days, the plethora of signatures one can appreciate on their own terms versus "the vertical" where one pursues the ideal of ultimate fidelity. Rather than going into the distinction (or lack thereof) between the two though, I think it's more interesting and relevant to the previous discussion to note that playback is its own artform. The idea that editing or taking an original stock and manipulating it can produce something new and meaningful. This is immensely powerful. It's been used in contemporary art and occult practices alike. It's the crux of DJ culture and sampling, this idea that art can be recycled. It's spawned entire genres and shaped the current musical landscape in many respects. All this is not possible unless one considers playback or how we listen. Lo fi culture embraces the idea that degradation and loss is inevitable. It goes against the classical notion of art as eternal and humanity's attempt to stand resolute against the steady march of time. We inevitably listen to music as recorded on a particular medium, as this intrudes into our experience of it.
 

  OH MY GOD PREMIUM MDR-1R?!!!!??!

 
Wait wut?
 
 

  If any of you smokers would like to taste some Swedish snus, hit me with a PM. Snus is actually a great alternative to cigarettes.

 
I'm definitely interested, though I haven't used snus before.
 

@muppetface

Do you have a personal favorite among the FAD models?

 
FI-BA-SS

 

[Mimouille]

I like the art discussion. The problem is that I often read on my phone so my contributions will be limited I am currently reading a book on Lacan, and in it the author says (not necessarily Lacan's opinion) that art is created in the space between the hand and the ass, or to put it otherwise, arises from frustrated desire, not only sexual, which needs to be expressed otherwise. If the hand manages to touch the ass, no art happens as the artist is void. A bit limited but I like the image.

Snus is really hard for beginners...so strong in taste and effect...and I was a heavy smoker.

One issue we sometimes have on this thread in my humble opinion is that SOMETIMES, since many thread members have strong personalities, it is a string of monologues and not dialogues.

 

[vwinter]

I like the art discussion. The problem is that I often read on my phone so my contributions will be limited

 

One issue we sometimes have on this thread in my humble opinion is that SOMETIMES, since many thread members have strong personalities, it is a string of monologues and not dialogues.

 
Same here. I don't even like reading very long sections on my phone, unfortunately. I'm sure I'm missing some very interesting and thought provoking stuff.
 
In that light, I vote for MF's more broken down, smaller and digestable diary posts (kind of late to that party). This might be difficult because a lot of the diary posts are written in holistic sort of way, maybe not so coincidentally, where points have a way of coming back around to reinforce themselves and other points throughout the post. The problem with breaking it up is that it might even take an entire shift in writing style or thought pattern. It would for me at least. Could be an interesting exercise, no?
 
 
About your second point, do you think it's because the structure of some of the posts give off the feeling of being more academic than practical?

 

[jgray91]

In the next few days I should be getting 3 different cases for my ipad, 2 sleeves/bags and 1 messenger bag.

Messenger bag? Which brand/model?

 

[vwinter]

Messenger bag? Which brand/model?

 
I know this isn't directed at me but I really like Jack Spade for these. Very well built, simple and classy, and has a lifetime warranty.

 

[Coq de Combat]

   
I'm definitely interested, though I haven't used snus before.
 

I'll send you a PM later on
 

Snus is really hard for beginners...so strong in taste and effect...and I was a heavy smoker.

One issue we sometimes have on this thread in my humble opinion is that SOMETIMES, since many thread members have strong personalities, it is a string of monologues and not dialogues.

Yeah, snus can be pretty strong the first few times, but you get used to it pretty quickly. What snus did you try?
 
 

Messenger bag? Which brand/model?

STM Scout 2
 

 

[jgray91]

@CdC, that's actually on my radar, although I don't know how to acquire it in Malaysia, should I deem it to be desirable enough... EDIT: I thought it is a bit small in that picture, and sure enough, I'm eyeing the medium size one.

@vwinter, Jack Spade looks too smooth to me (for a lack of better term). I might actually like it more if it has to more pouches on the flap.

Bag tangent, it's always been my dream to have a leather messenger bag like that. It was actually from a movie long ago that I watched as a teenage that I fell in love with a certain bag. I can't exactly remember what movie and what scene, nor the actual description of the bag, but to date the few description that stuck to me was it's leather, it looks kind of like those bags that young men on bicycle carry to send packages around NY, it has two metal-buckled pouches on the flap, it's snazzy looking with a classic look.

But then my practical side would kick in and say "NOT FUNCTIONAL ENOUGH" (read: not enough pockets for potential controlled mess).

 

[jgray91]

And now we go on a tangent on bags. Stay tuned for more art, music and tobacco, right here in the Diary Thread.

On a music semi-related note, I now have music CD budget every month. Woe betides my wallet and peace of mind, but serenity descends on my heart of an anime fan.

EDIT: talking about anime leads me to King Crimson, and somehow to me listening to this on a whim:


[VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgOg6aYqASY[/VIDEO]



I kind of like it... I think.

 

[Coq de Combat]

@CdC, that's actually on my radar, although I don't know how to acquire it in Malaysia, should I deem it to be desirable enough... EDIT: I thought it is a bit small in that picture, and sure enough, I'm eyeing the medium size one.

@vwinter, Jack Spade looks too smooth to me (for a lack of better term). I might actually like it more if it has to more pouches on the flap.

Bag tangent, it's always been my dream to have a leather messenger bag like that. It was actually from a movie long ago that I watched as a teenage that I fell in love with a certain bag. I can't exactly remember what movie and what scene, nor the actual description of the bag, but to date the few description that stuck to me was it's leather, it looks kind of like those bags that young men on bicycle carry to send packages around NY, it has two metal-buckled pouches on the flap, it's snazzy looking with a classic look.

But then my practical side would kick in and say "NOT FUNCTIONAL ENOUGH" (read: not enough pockets for potential controlled mess).

I got mine from Amazon UK. I suppose they don't send stuff to Malaysia, but does Amazon US do that?
 
I can snap some photos of it when I receive it if you want. 
 
Those Jack Spade ones are really good looking. A part of me wanted a Waterkant Deichkoenig messenger bag, but I ended up going with the STM instead. I thought that the Waterkant, although good looking, seems very one dimensional - you can't wear it to all clothes and so on.
 

 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Waterkant-Deichkoenig-Wool-Felt-Shoulder/dp/B0088MJ666/ref=sr_1_28?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1378322081&sr=1-28&keywords=waterkant+deichkoenig

 

[jgray91]

Amazon US doesn't. Checked a lot because... reasons. But as always there are those proxy/forwarding services.

 

[Coq de Combat]

I hope such services don't charge you a lot for their service my friend. Surely you must have similar bags available in Malaysia?

 

[Coq de Combat]

As for headphones I saw this in the IEM section:
 
http://presscentre.sony.eu/content/detail.aspx?ReleaseID=8813&NewsAreaId=2
 

 

XBA-H3	XBA-H1
High resolution capability	Yes	No
Type	Closed, hybrid	Closed, hybrid
Power handling capacity	100 mW	100 mW
Driver unit	HD Hybrid 3-way (16mm dynamic + 2×Balanced Armature)	Hybrid 2-way (9mm dynamic + Balanced Armature)
Frequency response	3-40,000 Hz	5-25,000 Hz
Sensitivity	107 dB/mW	105 dB/mW
Impedance	40 Ω (at 1kHz)	40 Ω (at 1kHz)
Cord type	Approx. 1.2m, OFC Litz cord (detachable ear hanger, Y-type)	Approx. 1.2m, OFC Litz cord (Y-type)
Plug	Gold-plated L-shaped stereo mini plug, Four-conductor gold-plated L-shaped stereo mini plug	Gold-plated L-shaped stereo mini plug
Weight	10g (without cord)	7g (without cord)
Supplied accessories	Hybrid silicone rubber earbuds (2×SS/ S/ M/ L), Foamed silicone earbud (2×S/M/L), Cord adjuster, Clip, Carrying case, Detachable ear hanger cord with remote control (approx. 1.2m OFC Litz cord)	Hybrid silicone rubber earbuds (2×SS/S/M/L), Foamed silicone earbuds (2×S/M/L), Cord adjuster, Clip, Carrying pouch

 

[vwinter]

XBA-H3 huh. Cautiously optimistic about sound. Soon to be saddened by price.

Some interesting tidbits regarding the H3:

• Full range 16mm dynamic.
  • Assuming it's one of the 600-1000 series drivers.
• Dual BA
  • Full Range, and
  • Super Tweeter
• Sound design input from random music guys

Oh, and wow, that came out of the Sony left field...