Phantaminum

Does it hold up when compared to a classic like Chrono Trigger?

Chrono Trigger is just one of those perfect games that any other game would have a tough time being compared to it. I’m 15 hours in and I feel the story is more gripping in the first hours of CT than Octopath. Octopath looks to be a slow burn at first (hoping) and then it takes off after. The fighting system in this is real deep.

We've been on a wild ride since we started doing development work, data imports, and moving invoices from SQL to FO and have it communicate back to CE. Job security I guess? lol

Don't let it get the better of you, it can be exceedingly demanding but pays of. Going independent with this ERP was the best decision of my carer.

There is never the semblance of normalcy in IT…only the next sprint!

Congrats, I hope it serves you well, and you get a well-deserved lull after a lot of work.

Haha I kinda predicted it. My suggestion is to throw in tracks you thought painful with elex. But maybe you'd end up returning it.

@nishan99 They're very similar. The Clear Mgs have tighter and better textured. It's not by a lot but it may matter to some. @Vtory These are great for sitting back and relaxing. Almost HD650 like quality to them. On some tracks it's amazing on other I just want that last bit of treble sparkle.

Yup, agreed. And I believe that's (fr-wise) the most important tradeoff potential buyers should consider.

A petit blast from the past! You reminded me of good old days with Atticus (I liked them a bit better over Eikon) half a decade ago. I remember I used to desire a souped-up Elear with Atticus.

Btw did SW work well? I didn't quite like any low Z with that amp. And lower registers (<40hz) were never solid regardless of Z. Additionally, CMG has an impedance peak around 40-60hz, which makes the problem a little trickier.

I really enjoy the Elex from the SW51+. The low-z out from that amp helps with the brighter nature of that headphone. It think it’s too much with the Clear Mg. Sounds better out of the Jotunheim 2 and Bifrost 2.

Not Phantaminum, but Matrix DAC does sharpen the transients for Starlett. I think they balance each other very well

I preferred the MSP much more when paired with the EC Studio Jr because of the rounded off nature of the sound than the BF2. MSP adds more snap and crunch and I agree with @tommytakis that they synergize better. BF2 was a bit too much.

It would. I ran this pairing (XSP + Starlett) for a while.

Yep. That’s why I keep losing money on new gear, lol. Who knows, if Jason has replaced the Lyr 3 with the Jot 2 the I’m looking forward to it.

I’m hoping Jot 2 will be a cleaner betterer Asgard 3

Mine should be here today. Looking for super Asgard 3 experience. That amp is killer for $199.

Oops meant to put that last comment here:
Same group project that Famish and Yota worked on. :)

Which is ...

Edit: so you guys are all making this?
https://www.elekit.co.jp/en/product/TU-8600

I just priced it out here:
- basic kit TU-8600R, no tubes: $1,088
- with Lundahl upgrade: $1,693
- EH Gold tube set: $273
What's this thing supposed to sound like? Just found the thread ... will read.

It is. I think one of the main reasons I found the Utopia uncomfortable was the clamping pressure on my ears. The rest of my stable don't clamp as hard. I didn't want to try to bend the headband since I've horror stories about them breaking. The headband didn't help either but that puppy is heavy as well.

Agreed. Among the same weight class, focals feel much heavier than the rest. And that's also my reason why I let elex go in the end.

Strangely enough, I didn't find the Elex uncomfortable. I did find them on the heavy side but it was bearable. Too bad because I really enjoyed them.

@crenca I’m shaking my head since I live in Texas, it was at the right sorting facility by me, and now it’s in Louisiana. I have a feeling @Vtory diverted the package to his address. >_>

By the way, I have been sporting the Utopia's now for a week and sometimes, like right now listening to the first Rage Against the Machine album (not my usual genre) they just F#$%ing rock. They are always special, but even beyond this sometimes RROOCCKKK! ;)

And just now the RAtM album ended and Elgar's Violin concerto B minor (Hilary Hahn featured) was cued and I can still say RRROOCCCKKK!! Believe it or not, I have not been drinking ;)

The Show Must Go On. Looking forward to your impressions!

getting ready to write a paragraph or so on my impressions as my came in 48 hours ago. I expected it to be more hd800 than hd650 tonally, I was wrong...

I am supposed to present my research accomplishments to med school students and faculty members. Feel both excited and nervous. lol

Three things got better in Philly: (1) cooler summer, (2) now I have more noise-tolerant neighbors, and (3) cheesesteaks taste really good here!

You're going to do great man!

So what you're trying to say is....next SBAF meeting at your place? :D

Unless... I am living in 440 sq ft studio. lol. A lot smaller than my previous place@Fort Worth. Same rent but half area. That's one thing I have to deal with in Philly. Funny thing is to add any change to my current living condition (house, car, etc), pandemic should be over anyway.

Bro, my work schedule is bananas. 76 hour weeks have eaten up all of my time that writing a review is the last thought in my mind. Once the dust settles (hopefully in two weeks) i’ll probably pump out the EC Jr, Pendant, and Borealis review over a weekend.

Nope

Unfortunately they lost my romanticism when I scrolled down to this point: https://imgur.com/bfzYtL2

@Vtory Maybe Amir was moved with how the "spiritis elevate, the heart is warmed, and your body is
brought back into balance." Or he just got his jollies off reading the graphs.

@Phantaminum I've been curious about this amp for a while since Zach had a major part in tuning it, but barely any impressions on here :( How is the front/back layering compared to big boi Eddie Current/DNA stuff?

The comparison depends on the type of power tube being used in the Studio Jr. I say Studio Jr.because out of the box the ZMF Pendant does this really well with the default tubes. The EML 300B staging is flatter than the Pendant and I've rolled several sets of 396A/2C51 driver tubes. I came to the conclusion that's the characteristic of those power tubes. I'd rather listen to the Pendant than the Sjr with the EMLs in.

Now the Psvanes 300bs are a different story. It has a deeper and wider sound stage than the Pendant but the Pendant gets very close to it's front to back layering. The thing that surprised me most was the clarity of the Pendant. Very vivid images. Personally this amp really hits it out the park with its price to performance ratio.