Dear Diary,
Thales, one of the earliest known Pre-Socratic philosophers, is said to have been so
entrenched in his thoughts that one day he stumbled
into a literal trench because he wasn't looking where he was going. This singular act of klutziness makes for a prized story in the philosophic tradition. In one sense it can be seen as a warning: Thales was chastised by a passerby who asked how he could ever expect to understand such lofty matters if he didn't even notice what was in front of him. From another point of view however, it represents a turn from physicality toward an emphasis on contemplation. So great was his dedication to the life of the mind that Thales---for an instant---completely neglected the physical world around him. This moment is said to have ended with the careless thinker lying on his back in the dirt looking up at the stars.
Philosophy can only exist when there is leisure, or so it has been said. Yet we are also to understand that philosophy is necessary for our betterment, as a guide for living what the ancients called "the good life." The philosophy of the ancients aims to discern the truth, certainly, but it also seeks as its goal the achievement of happiness. For all of its metaphysical wanderings, ancient philosophy is at its heart a practical endeavor. Perhaps then ending up in a ditch beneath a Grecian night's sky is in one's best interest.
Myself, I've bumbled into door frames and failed to avoid the edges of tables on numerous occasions, but those are really only minor victories I suppose.
In some ways I'm like a stereotypical bachelor when my partner is away on business. Instead of cooking something, I'm more likely to just eat slices of deli meat and cheese. Perhaps I'll indulge in something microwaveable from time to time. It's not so much a matter of my lacking cooking skills as it is a lack of motivation when I'm by myself. On the whole most philosophy professors I know are incapable of taking care of themselves for extended periods of time. I at least have an edge over them in that I can dress myself reasonably well. I'm also blessed with a certain obsessive compulsive disposition, and this has served over the years as a safeguard against a messy living space.
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The whole concept of blocking people on forums is an understandable measure to implement, in theory, but in practice I generally find its use to be a bit crude and unnecessary. As someone who genuinely dislikes drama, I don't like arguing for its own sake. Most of the time it's not worth the expended energy. I think reaching a diplomatic solution is preferable and genuinely possible often times. Blocking someone seems like the Internet equivalent of plugging one's ears and singing loudly. It's ignoring a problem rather than confronting it. On top of that, it's often a means for some people to "get the lost word" in an argument (or at least perceive this is the case, since they can no longer see the other party). This happens all the time even without invocation of the ignore function when someone makes the classic "I'll be the bigger man and no matter what you say I wont respond" speech. I think it ultimately boils down to an intense aversion to being in the wrong. We like feeling justified. I certainly like feeling justified.
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The
Fostex TH900 discussion thread has unfortunately derailed into all sorts of off-topic discourse: Recommendations for closed headphones, D7000 versus DX1000 impressions, electrostatics, orthodynamic mods, and so on and so forth. At least it's not the usual price justification and value-for-money debates. Hopefully the
TH900 will start shipping soon, and mine will arrive from PriceJapan; I've been wanting to spend time with this headphone since it was first announced, back when it was just "the new Fostex flagship" and head-fi didn't even know if it was orthodynamic or dynamic. In a way I'm glad Fostex didn't go with an ortho for their flagship as much as I'd like to see a high-end closed product of that sort. It would have been hyped to the ends of the earth and back in that case, but as a dynamic it's mostly ignored.
It's rather unfortunate that the SRH1840 isn't getting more attention, though.
A bit surprising just how much sway certain voices have here in this community, certainly, but I can't attribute the lack of attraction to that entirely. These headphones do measure quite perplexingly. From a purely objectivist standpoint they
should be awful. That, or some mis-measurement is to blame. Whatever the surrounding circumstances however, the time I've spend with them thus far has been time well spent in my view. They belong to a certain category of highly detailed headphones I find to be thoroughly easy (and pleasurable) listens; this classification positions them alongside the SA5000 and ESP 950 in my current roster. I'd say they share certain similarities.
I'm curious about the SRH1440, but that audition will have to wait.
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The latest InnerFidelity update has me scratching my head a bit. I guess my tastes are
completely at odds with Tyll's often times. The D2000 the strongest of the Denon lineup? The K550 "spectacular" and bound for the "wall of fame?" Uhhh... okay.
Diff'ren' strokes!
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The two IEMs I've been listening to the most lately are the EX700SL and
Heaven S. Despite my fondness for both, I find myself at a loss for meaningful things to say about them. They sort of just... are.
Both seem to be somewhat controversial in their respective lineups. The EX700SL in particular gets labelled harsh and unnatural; I find there's something to these criticisms, but at the same time the EX700SL seems to do certain things
very right to my ears. In particular it has a certain presence, a certain something I like to call "thereness" and often harp about. It's a phenomena I'm always on the lookout for, and it's not so much an "out of head" experience as it is one's brain being lulled into perceiving sounds as physical manifestations of what they represent. Soundstage and weight both play a supporting role, however I've encountered certain headphones and IEMs with this sense of presence that are lacking in these other qualities. The results in these cases are generally interesting: a sense of physical presence within the confines of one's head or the sense of very real instruments floating around as if in zero gravity, respectively. The EX700SL is more inline with the former rather than latter. It's a cerebral experience, but it gives those phantasms a more definite substance. Its tone is artificial enough however to add further interest by giving what seems very present an unnatural quality. Much like a dream (or nightmare) that seems very real at the time.
As for the
Heaven S, well, it's such a brilliant little object of desire with its shaved brass and gold-plated shell. I just can't say much at this point. There's an interesting set of contrasts at work, and FAD extends its art form to include both the sound and the
packaging of that sound. The shell itself is Apollonian, bright and gleaming with a certain intensity in its appearance. The brown cable and ear tip add to the sense of masculine energy. Yet when you first wear them, you feel the distinct cold of the metal. I can't help but fall back on trite visualizations like frozen flames. The sound signature itself seems to mirror this: there's a definitely warmth and sizzle, yet plenty of analytic detail despite the energy being exuded.
Next week I should be getting the
Piano Forte IX in, as well as the review units for
RedGiant.
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Since everyone seems to be posting music, I'll take it upon myself to contribute. The following track is from Pere Ubu's 1978 debut full-length
The Modern Dance. For those unfamiliar with Pere Ubu, here is a brief plot synopsis: the band formed from the remains of Rocket from the Tombs, a neat band few people care about, in 1975's alternate universe Cleveland (kind of like Bizarro World, but less square). Their frontman was a chap by the name of David Thomas who was ---and still is--- rather enormous and probably mentally unstable. Their name comes from a French play, and they coined the term "avant garage" to have an answer when asked what genre they represent. They've broken up and reunited a bunch of times, though their more recent stuff is generally regarded as less interesting by interstellar authorities.
That's all for now I suppose.
XoXo
