Merrick
Last Activity:
Mar 27, 2024 at 5:12 PM
Joined:
Jan 6, 2016
Messages:
3,612
Trophy Points:
113
Positive ratings received:
13,286
Neutral ratings received:
12
Negative ratings received:
15

Post Ratings

Received: Given:
Like 12,568 10,200
Dislike 13 23
Respectfully Disagree 12 8
heart 42 31
Miss Information 2 10
Epic 341 533
Agreed, ditto, +1 335 314
Gender:
Male
Location:
Portland, OR

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Merrick

A lidless ear, Male, from Portland, OR

Pyrate

The design of the Vali 3 is beautiful and I want one, but I’m not sure I have any use for it. Mar 17, 2024

Merrick was last seen:
Mar 27, 2024 at 5:12 PM
    1. Merrick
      Merrick
      Sorry I haven't been around lately. Too caught up with politics, need more music in my life.
      1. Riotvan, bazelio, Smitty and 7 others like this.
      2. Claritas
        Claritas
        "Don't let anyone steal that disgust from your heart. It is a precious thing." — Michael Brendan Dougherty
        May 28, 2017
        Merrick likes this.
      3. bazelio
        bazelio
        "f**k politics. Welcome back." -- Bazelio
        May 28, 2017
        Riotvan and Merrick like this.
      4. a44100Hz
        a44100Hz
        I feel you.
        May 30, 2017
        Merrick likes this.
    2. Merrick
      Merrick
      U2 in Seattle tonight! Full performance of The Joshua Tree, oh yeah.
      1. bazelio, brencho and zonto like this.
      2. zonto
        zonto
        Have fun and let us know how it goes!
        May 14, 2017
        Merrick likes this.
      3. Merrick
        Merrick
        Amazing show. Surprisingly emotional, and The Joshua Tree is such a monster album that it was really a treat to hear it performed in its entirety.
        May 15, 2017
        bazelio and zonto like this.
      4. bazelio
        bazelio
        Was at the Bay Area show. Agree, agree, agree.
        May 28, 2017
        Merrick likes this.
    3. Merrick
      1. elguapo, DigMe, Riotvan and 1 other person like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. DigMe
        DigMe
        Interested to hear it. Hopefully they got someone truly
        skilled in mastering. Maybe they'll improve on the DR a bit too.
        May 2, 2017
        Dino likes this.
      4. imackler
        imackler
        Curious to hear how the mastering is!
        May 2, 2017
        Dino and DigMe like this.
      5. Merrick
        Merrick
        Yep, I'm waiting to hear reports on the mastering before I buy anything. I currently use a needle drop of a U.K. first vinyl pressing as my go to digital version.
        May 2, 2017
        Dino likes this.
    4. Merrick
      Merrick
      Listening to '80s Bowie WG and Japanese CDs makes me happy. Hunky Dory never sounded so good!
      1. Dino likes this.
      2. Dino
        Dino
        You must be listening to the WG Hunky Dory.
        Apr 26, 2017
      3. Merrick
        Merrick
        I believe so, yes. I have a mix of WG and Japan for Japan/Japan for US masterings.
        Apr 26, 2017
      4. take
        take
        It really is insane how much of a difference there is for early Bowie albums on CD.
        Apr 26, 2017
        Dino and Pilsnerpunk like this.
    5. Merrick
      Merrick
      Threw my back out exercising...but at least I was able to reach my portable rig to keep me occupied while this ice pack does its work.
      1. TRex likes this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. jowls
        jowls
        The jury is out on that one. Whatever works I guess... Get well!
        Apr 18, 2017
      4. Merrick
        Merrick
        Thanks!
        Apr 18, 2017
      5. DigMe
        DigMe
        There is disagreement even among physicians about whether to do ice or heat. I prefer heat for pulled muscles (which is often the case when you have "thrown your back out" unless you have a herniated disc or something). Ultimately do what gives you the most relief.
        Apr 18, 2017
    6. Merrick
      Merrick
      At an AirBnb on the Oregon coast and they have a turntable and Supremes records! They're getting a top notch review.
      1. powermatic
        powermatic
        Where on the coast? I've been going to Neskowin for many, many years...
        Apr 13, 2017
        FlySweep and Merrick like this.
      2. Merrick
        Merrick
        Newport
        Apr 13, 2017
    7. Merrick
      Merrick
      Seeing Radiohead in about two hours!
      1. Case
        Case
        The reviews of this tour have been excellent, enjoy!
        Apr 9, 2017
        Merrick likes this.
    8. Merrick
      Merrick
      These days my Andro+ZX2 combo is getting more listening than even my speaker rig. A truly addicting one-two punch.
      1. FlySweep, LauSing2, Torq and 3 others like this.
      2. Merrick
        Merrick
        Listening to late '80s Japanese masterings of classic Clash albums and being blown away by the sound.
        Mar 28, 2017
        Dino likes this.
      3. landroni
        landroni
        Mar 28, 2017
      4. Poleepkwa
        Poleepkwa
        I have noticed too that I listen a lot more on the go than at home. Which means I should invest my more money to mobile.
        Mar 28, 2017
    9. Merrick
      Merrick
      Listening to some Grateful Dead albums that were put through the Plangent process. Really impressive sound.
      1. Dino, gaspasser and Case like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. Case
        Case
        It's good to talk and learn about the music. Sometimes the equipment eclipses that.
        Mar 22, 2017
        Merrick and DigMe like this.
      4. Thad E Ginathom
        Thad E Ginathom
        My understanding is that the Dead really cared about sound, both live and recorded.

        Sadly, they were not very keen on London, so I only saw them a couple of times...
        Mar 23, 2017
        Case likes this.
      5. Thad E Ginathom
        Thad E Ginathom
        ...The last time, I was already near 40, and even wondering why, as I don't like crowds or noise, I was going to a rock concert! It was actually amazing. The sound quality was wonderful, and the only time my ears hurt was when the crowd (10-15 thousand, a modest-size auditorium) joined in.
        Mar 23, 2017
        Merrick and Case like this.
    10. Merrick
      Merrick
      At this point my Orcas are definitely burned in, and the mids are so goddamn sweet that it makes me melt.
      1. View previous comments...
      2. Rockin_Zombie
        Rockin_Zombie
        single driver midrange is truly a work of wonder. Love My Omega midrange, nearfield sounds so sweet.
        Mar 21, 2017
      3. PoochZag
        PoochZag
        @Merrick Screw it, as they say YCOBOLO (You Can Only Buy Orcas Locally Once)
        Mar 21, 2017
        Merrick likes this.
      4. Merrick
        Merrick
        Yeah boyee!
        Mar 21, 2017
        PoochZag likes this.
    11. Merrick
      Merrick
      The vinyl mono reissues really opened my eyes to what makes Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band so special. Wasn't a huge fan before.
      1. powermatic and Torq like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. Merrick
        Merrick
        @Wilson I've only heard The Velvet Underground and Nico in mono on CD. I've yet to hear it in mono on vinyl. One of my favorite albums. I do have a US first White Light/White Heat, also stereo.
        Mar 7, 2017
      4. Case
        Case
        Ahhh, I was vague. I've only heard it on CD. What I meant was I was surprised, growing up believing stereo was always superior. I think that changed when reading about Brian Wilson talking about Pet Sounds and how he wanted to make hybrid instruments, like piano/kazoo or something like that.
        Mar 7, 2017
        Merrick likes this.
      5. Dino
        Dino
        John Lennon said something like "You haven't heard Sgt. Pepper's until you have heard it in Mono.".
        Mar 20, 2017
        Merrick likes this.
    12. Merrick
      Merrick
      I no longer own full sized headphones or headphone amps, now it's just the Andros, ZX2, and GOV2+ Inf. Funny where our audio journeys lead.
      1. Vansen, FlySweep, TRex and 7 others like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. TRex
        TRex
        @Merrick I heard Vali 2 + iFi IEM match sounds fun.
        Mar 1, 2017
        Merrick likes this.
      4. Merrick
        Merrick
        Does the Vali 2 really push the Andros to their full potential though?
        Mar 1, 2017
      5. Muse Wanderer
        Muse Wanderer
        You could try the Rag SE out. At 3ohm it is only a bit lean but great sounding with Andros, and it's excellent for most speakers and headphones too.
        Mar 1, 2017
        Merrick likes this.
    13. Merrick
      Merrick
      What's the minimum two-channel setup you would need to match the quality of the Andromedas with a good source like the ZX2?
      1. LauSing2, Changeling, Stride and 2 others like this.
      2. philipmorgan
        philipmorgan
        I am waiting with BATED breath for an answer to this! Come on, #Team2Channel! Represent!
        Feb 28, 2017
        Merrick likes this.
      3. Cellist88
        Cellist88
        Eve SC204's with TS107
        Feb 28, 2017
        philipmorgan likes this.
      4. Merrick
        Merrick
        Fair enough, I probably should have specified nothing self-powered and no class D amplification.
        Feb 28, 2017
    14. Merrick
      Merrick
      Insanity is listening to five different masterings of Dark Side of the Moon to figure out which one to keep.
      1. View previous comments...
      2. Merrick
        Merrick
        If you want to go the safe route you could always download the Doug Sax remasters from 1994, those all sound very good. I can point out individual releases that may sound better but as a general rule the Doug Sax remasters do all the albums justice.
        Feb 24, 2017
        Dino likes this.
      3. Thad E Ginathom
        Thad E Ginathom
        Careful with that axe, Merrick!
        Feb 24, 2017
        Dino and Merrick like this.
      4. k4rstar
        k4rstar
        Yep, couldn't sleep so I got up and downloaded the non-TO Sony master CD. I agree with your comments on the depth and smoothness, lovely issue. It's like all the benefits of a vinyl rip with none of the negatives.
        Feb 24, 2017
        Dino and Merrick like this.
    15. Merrick
      Merrick
      Sometimes all you can do is put on Odyssey and Oracle in mono and forget everything else.
      1. insidious meme and JoshMorr like this.
    16. Merrick
      Merrick
      Pulled the Joti out of my main rig as I never used it. Plugged it in to the GOV2+ and my computer to listen to some new tracks on Tidal.
      1. DigMe likes this.
      2. Merrick
        Merrick
        It's been a while since I've listened to the 650, almost forgot how much I love it.
        Feb 17, 2017
        brencho and LauSing2 like this.
    17. Merrick
      Merrick
      1. FlySweep, Cryptowolf, Smitty and 4 others like this.
      2. Merrick
        Merrick
        Feb 15, 2017
      3. Artasia
        Artasia
        That is an outstanding soundtrack.
        Feb 15, 2017
        Merrick and DigMe like this.
      4. DigMe
        DigMe
        Outstanding movie too.
        Feb 15, 2017
        Case, Cryptowolf, Smitty and 2 others like this.
    18. Merrick
      Merrick
      Idle musing: Digital presentations of movies aren't looked down on the same way digital reproduction of music is. Why is that?
      1. View previous comments...
      2. TRex
        TRex
        I think there are several differences (apples-vs-oranges) between music & movie industry. First, movies are getting better & better (color grading, cinematography, etc) while music industry is comfortable in their mud (loudness war/compressed DR). Vinyls vs CDs is a battle between quality, whereas film vs digital is a battle of "look".
        Feb 10, 2017
        Dino likes this.
      3. TRex
        TRex
        Second, digital cinema progression is generally faster than digital audio. We get MQA bs; they get HDR10, Dolby Vision, 10-bit, Dolby Cinema, and many more proprietary codecs/algorithms. Third, different market target/grow. More people are fine with streaming 256-320 lossy (much bigger number than niche group growth). OTOH, 4K, HDR, wide gamut is getting more common.
        Feb 10, 2017
        Psalmanazar, Merrick and Dino like this.
      4. TheIceman93
        TheIceman93
        TRex, the price hike on the Alexa is due to the production volume. Red makes way more cameras than Arri and most Alexa's are destined for the rental market, very few independent owners. Most cinematographers prefer the Alexa because of its pleasing highlight roll off. Red's dynamic range extends deeper into the shadows but clips earlier with highlights, giving it a more digital look.
        Feb 10, 2017
        TRex likes this.
    19. Merrick
      Merrick
      The Kevin Gray remastered Yes vinyl reissues...damn!
      1. bazelio, Dino and Smitty like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. Merrick
        Merrick
        It's a fascinating diversion and IMO better than everything they did after Yessongs (if Tales From Topographic Oceans had just been the first disc of the two I would rate that up there with their best records but the second disc isn't as inspired to my ears).
        Feb 9, 2017
      4. DigMe
        DigMe
        I was just commenting on Drama a few weeks ago:
        " I'm guessing Squire's bass tone sounds amazing on a good vinyl setup. Listening to Drama right now."
        Feb 9, 2017
        Merrick likes this.
      5. DigMe
        DigMe
        I also said "In comparison to Drama his Fragile tone sounds like farts."
        Feb 9, 2017
    20. InterDA
      InterDA
      Any interest in original DSD recordings? I have over 80 concerts recorded in the last two years here in London. Sergei
      1. zerodeefex
        zerodeefex
        That's awesome!
        Feb 5, 2017
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  • About

    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Gear List:
    Source: Pi2AES
    DAC: Yggdrasil GS2
    Headphone Amp: Schiit Ragnarok
    Headphones: ZMF Auteur, ETA O2, Sennheiser IE 600, Koss Porta-Pro
    Speakers: NHT SB-3
    Power amp: Schiit Ragnarok
    Portable: iBasso DC06 Pro, Schiit Fulla E
    Turntable: Yamaha PX-3 linear
    Cart: Technics ECP-205C-IIL
    Phono: Schiit Mani 2

    Signature

    HP/IEM: ZMF Auteur Blackwood | Senn IE 600 | PortaPro
    AMP: Schiit Ragnarok (1)
    DAC: Yggdrasil+ GS2
    Turntable: Yamaha PX-3 w/Technics ECP-205C-IIL cart
    Speakers: NHT SB-3