wbass
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Mar 18, 2024 at 11:06 PM
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Birthday:
Sep 1, 1979 (Age: 44)
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wbass

Friend, Male, 44, from London, UK

Pyrate

Well, I think I found a suitable flat here in London. It has an attic (loft they call it here) that can be converted to a room, and I think Mar 10, 2024

wbass was last seen:
Viewing latest content, Mar 18, 2024 at 11:06 PM
    1. wbass
      wbass
      Well, I think I found a suitable flat here in London. It has an attic (loft they call it here) that can be converted to a room, and I think
      1. Cryptowolf, zottel, atomicbob and 8 others like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. Thad E Ginathom
        Thad E Ginathom
        Forest Gate has some lovely areas. Manor Park and Forest Gate overground are only about twenty minutes from Liverpool Street.

        The lizzie line is, I think, after my time.

        the North London Line, and it's eastern branch, used to be a little-used gem: it is now better known and offers all sorts of connectivity.
        Mar 12, 2024 at 12:16 PM
        wbass likes this.
      4. Thad E Ginathom
        Thad E Ginathom
        I haven't set foot on Britain since 2019. And it's some years since I had the London tube network embroidered in my head. Now I stand with the other tourists, looking, puzzled, at the map
        Mar 12, 2024 at 12:18 PM
        Cryptowolf and wbass like this.
      5. zottel
        zottel
        Slanted walls should actually be great as the waves are reflected into different directions and cannot as easily build up resonances. I think. :) Anyway, my attic is the best room I have, acoustically, by far. Rather too dry than prone to resonance.
        Mar 12, 2024 at 12:33 PM
        Thad E Ginathom and wbass like this.
    2. wbass
      wbass
      Finally pulled the trigger on an LP boxset of the Complete Paul Desmond/Jim Hall RCA albums. A bunch of those sides are weirdly hard to find
      1. Pocomo, Qildail, Cryptowolf and 3 others like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. wbass
        wbass
        Lately, it's been Glad to Be Unhappy. That and Bossa Antigua seem really hard to find on LP and are also $$. And the old RCA discs can be noisy. So, I picked up a Mosaic LP boxset as a compromise. I have a contemporary reissue of First Place Again and a couple copies of Desmond Blue (also great). It's too bad not to get the original covers with the Mosaic set, but they're usually good pressings.
        Mar 9, 2024
        lithium likes this.
      4. wbass
        wbass
        It's funny b/c, as a recovering drummer, I usually like to hear more active rhythm section interplay, and Connie Kay, especially, just holds it down and rarely anything more than that. But I like Desmond and his tone and his effortless lines so much, it scarcely seems to matter.
        Mar 9, 2024
        lithium likes this.
      5. Azimuth
        Azimuth
        Desmond is my absolute favorite. I used to think I love Brubeck, but I love Desmond.
        Mar 15, 2024 at 8:30 AM
        lithium and wbass like this.
    3. wbass
      wbass
      R26->Amp 23-R->Susvara sounding damn good the last few days. Few complaints. Particularly great on the last couple Alice Phoebe Lou records.
    4. wbass
      wbass
      Would it be interesting to have a thread like "Your dream components... within reason"? Aspirational but not ORFAS.... Some of mine wd be:
      1. gsanger likes this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. wbass
        wbass
        How about instead of “Amplifier Porn,” we do “ The Amplifier Next Door”?
        Mar 7, 2024
      4. yotacowboy
        yotacowboy
        "Look but don't touch. Touch, but don't taste. Taste, don't swallow."
        Mar 7, 2024
        joch likes this.
      5. ChaChaRealSmooth
        ChaChaRealSmooth
        @wbass what makes this difficult is that it's easy to go through someone's A-list and throw a system together. The question is if the system would have any synergy.
        Mar 7, 2024
        yotacowboy and joch like this.
    5. wbass
      wbass
      "God shits in my dinner once again." Castlevania anime is far better than it needed to be.
      1. Cryptowolf, fraggler, Ardacer and 5 others like this.
    6. wbass
      wbass
      What do folks think are the closest to TOTL HPs that can be driven well from an under $1k DAP? Utopia? Clear? Anything else to consider?
      1. Cryptowolf likes this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. Lyander
        Lyander
        Grados are efficient, but yeah idiosyncrasies may not suit you. I love Fostex, but the voicing on a lot of them can be weird (the TH-909 seems a step in the right direction).

        +1 what @Ksaurav402 said, IEMs make more sense, but I understand the form factor doesn't work for everyone.
        Feb 21, 2024
        wbass likes this.
      4. wbass
        wbass
        Oh, yeah, I've got a pair of Andromeda and JVC FDX-01 (or whatever they are) and a few other IEMs, but I don't use them, b/c I don't like the feeling of stuff in my ears. I've never gotten along with the Grados I've tried, comfort or sound-wise, but I haven't heard many models. Thanks for the suggestions tho.
        Feb 21, 2024
      5. Vansen
        Vansen
        If the ETA stuff is your thing, those pair well with DAPs. I had great luck with the HD660S from the 4.4mm out on the WM1A.
        Feb 21, 2024
        Merrick and wbass like this.
    7. wbass
      wbass
      Apropos of nothing, stuff I've been drooling over lately: Ikeda 407, ASR Emitter, Quad 57, Accuphase C-27, Lab12 Melto2, vintage MM carts.
      1. View previous comments...
      2. wbass
        wbass
        The Ikeda is one beautiful arm. Never read a bad word about them or Fidelity Research. But I'm more likely to get an SME Series 2 Improved or Series III for monkeying around with low-compliance vintage MM carts.
        Feb 18, 2024
      3. Tchoupitoulas
        Tchoupitoulas
        You've reminded me that I'll be heading back to the UK this year and have those two pairs of Quad 57 to sell
        Feb 19, 2024
        wbass likes this.
      4. wbass
        wbass
        Oh, right! I'll send you a PM on that.
        Feb 19, 2024
        Tchoupitoulas likes this.
    8. wbass
      wbass
      Reached out to seller on US Audio Mart today. Am I crazy to ask for a photo with the date written on a scrap of paper and to use PayPal G&S?
      1. View previous comments...
      2. wbass
        wbass
        One thing I dislike about the maleness of this hobby is the weirdly arrogant/dickish behavior out of nowhere. I get that tire kickers abound, and I've kicked my share no doubt. But I've equally had dealers, etc. say, "Make me an offer," and then when I do, they basically chew me out for even bothering. It's enough to make you fed up with the whole audio world.
        Feb 7, 2024
      3. internethandle
        internethandle
        I’m with you there, all the dick swinging can get pretty old.
        Feb 7, 2024
        Walderstorn, Case and wbass like this.
      4. Cspirou
        Cspirou
        I ask people for a photo with a handwritten note all the time. It's pretty standard procedure to confirm ownership over the internet

        That being said AI has gotten pretty good at faking these photos so it's not a guarantee
        Feb 7, 2024
    9. wbass
      wbass
      Looking forward to the upcoming kaiju wedding comedy: Godzilla Plus One.
      1. Boops and Merrick like this.
    10. wbass
      wbass
      I've been in recording studios and have a general sense of how good-sounding records sound good, but how about mostly electronic albums?
      1. yotacowboy likes this.
      2. wbass
        wbass
        Is it all down to quality of patches and sources? Recording interface? Scrupulous attention paid to mixing and mastering?

        I always find Junior Boys albums great sounding. And Daft Punk. But, presumably, almost anyone should be able to achieve great sound if it's all "in the box"?
        Nov 29, 2023
      3. wbass
        wbass
        Btw, Junior Boys, Begone Dull Care is a great album for layering.
        Nov 29, 2023
      4. yotacowboy
        yotacowboy
        I've wondered similarly; if most of the music I listen to is never actually live, i.e., an actual musical event, does that mean it's a better or worse "fabricated" event when I listen to it on my speakers or headphones? Does my favorite DJ mix on crappy headphones?
        Nov 29, 2023
        wbass likes this.
    11. wbass
      wbass
      ECM: greatest record label ever? Every time I think I'm bored of them, I discover something totally new and weird and immaculately recorded.
      1. View previous comments...
      2. wbass
        wbass
        ECM goes so deep, I'm not even sure what's deep or shallow!

        A few off the top of my head, but maybe these are known....

        Anouar Brahem: Le Pas du Chat Noir

        Bengt Berger Bitter Funeral Beer Band

        Eivind Aarset/Jan Bang: Dream Logic

        Jakob Bro: Returnings

        Jon Hassell: Last Night the Moon...
        Nov 25, 2023
        gaspasser likes this.
      3. wbass
        wbass
        Generally, if there's no soprano sax on an ECM record, I'll at the very least be curious about it. Jan Garabek ruins so many otherwise great records with his shitty, smoothed over tone.
        Nov 25, 2023
        gaspasser likes this.
      4. Boops
        Boops
        Love this label also. Check out the Prism series of albums by Danish String Quartet if you like that sort of thing. Hafla by Siwan is also great. Many others…
        Nov 25, 2023
        Cryptowolf and wbass like this.
    12. wbass
      wbass
      Finally getting a chance to AB Enleum Amp-23R and Ferrum stack with Susvara and LCD-4. Prelim conclusions are Sus is better match with 23R.
      1. View previous comments...
      2. wbass
        wbass
        Nov 7, 2023
      3. wbass
        wbass
        LCD-4/Ferrum and Susvara/Enleum a nice study in contrast. First is close/tightly staged, very immediate, with strong slam and heft. Second is slightly pushed back, a touch mellower, low fatigue, but very detailed and still with solid bass.
        Nov 7, 2023
        Cryptowolf and yotacowboy like this.
      4. Armaegis
        Armaegis
        I'm always intrigued by "unique tech" as it were. The Bakoon/Enleum stuff interests me, and I've read good things. I do also have an OG HE-6 (4 screw) and have always wondered if I could find something satisfying that wasn't a full blown speaker amp.
        Nov 7, 2023
        Cryptowolf and wbass like this.
    13. wbass
      wbass
      Kinda wild how a different transducer can transform an album. Tonight it's Eivind Aarset's Dream Logic.
      1. Deep Funk, Cryptowolf and Justin S like this.
      2. wbass
        wbass
        For the last few weeks, I've been listening via HD58X, but I just got my Susvara set back up, and it's a totally different listen. The Sus presents a lot more detail, but it's the wider stage and better layering that also helps all of the subtle atmospheric stuff come out and also the surprising melodic coherence of such an ambient album.
        Oct 21, 2023
        Justin S likes this.
      3. Justin S
        Justin S
        Totally. It is a reframing of the material. I feel like the whole chain can change how you meet the music.
        Oct 21, 2023
        RestoredSparda and wbass like this.
    14. wbass
      wbass
      London Jazz Festival is pretty stacked. And well programed. A lot of left-field stuff. I'm impressed.
      1. Cryptowolf, bobboxbody and Gazny like this.
    15. wbass
      wbass
      Since Pyrates are talking HD800 rigs, what were the choice set-ups back in the Changstar days?
      1. Cryptowolf and Justin S like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. Claritas
        Claritas
        There were three camps, and then there were people who went their own way (LFF, Hands), and some people (like me) who were still finding their way. The largest camp, by far, was Yggdrasil A1, EC/DNA, modded HD-800. There was speaker amp, HE-6. The smallest group was HeadAmp, Stax. People used to debate the sonic pros and cons of different headphone technologies. There was a thread about it.
        Oct 14, 2023
        Thad E Ginathom, JellyRhino and wbass like this.
      4. wbass
        wbass
        That's a good summary @Claritas thanks. Hmm, so it seems like the big changes in HP-land are 1) Raal (seems to have somewhat faded in popularity) 2) higher-end planars (not hugely popular on here) 3) Utopia (still pretty popular but with some dissenters).
        Oct 14, 2023
        Claritas likes this.
      5. Claritas
        Claritas
        I know only about SBAF. I agree with you about Utopia (and other Focals). SBAF has had a big emphasis on modded HD-6x0's. First, the KISS HD-650. Lately, the JAR HD-600. ZMF and, more recently, ETA have also been deservedly popular. But the other big change is a much greater interest in IEMs, which started with the OG Andro. Great UIEMs have been a blessing. CFA has done very impressive work.
        Oct 15, 2023
    16. wbass
      wbass
      HD58X Jubilee & Enleum 23R. Crazy mismatch in $ but sounding great. Enleum still strikes as very clear, slightly bright, but also laidback.
      1. View previous comments...
      2. wbass
        wbass
        HD58X happens to be the other HP I have on hand. Since I'm stuck in temporary lodging waiting for my flat purchase to complete, and there was a lovely mold mite outbreak the other day, my Sus, VC, and LCD-4 are safely (I hope) away in their cases.
        Sep 28, 2023
      3. wbass
        wbass
        I wasn't expecting magic from the HD58X/Enleum combo, but am finding it very listenable and perhaps even considerably more involving than what I recall from, say, Piety or maybe BHA-1. Just more micro-detail and a more composed stage. Unsurprising, given the cost difference, but just stream-of-conscious thoughts here really....
        Sep 28, 2023
        yotacowboy likes this.
      4. wbass
        wbass
        As for the Forte's: Still in storage. Hopefully coming to me in... a month or so?
        Sep 28, 2023
        Inoculator likes this.
    17. wbass
      wbass
      While I wait for this flat purchase to go through, I'm staying with my aunt. Woke up the last few days to what I thought was yellowish dust
      1. DigMe likes this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. wbass
        wbass
        The Day of the Aphids
        Sep 24, 2023
      4. Thad E Ginathom
        Thad E Ginathom
        "The Day of the Aphids"

        *R*O*F*L*

        (five-star rofl)

        "There's also the dog hair and the hoarding of every knick knack under the sun."

        I should meet your aunt. Sounds like we would get on. I could bring copious cat hair into her life :)
        Sep 24, 2023
        wbass likes this.
      5. wbass
        wbass
        Ha, cheers. If I can get one laugh out of this, it won't have been a total hygiene nightmare. For some reason, in addition to tulip bulbs, the aphids like my headphones (head) and glasses (also head). So excuse me while I go dip my dome in DEET.
        Sep 25, 2023
        Thad E Ginathom likes this.
    18. wbass
      1. CEE TEE, edd and Gazny like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. wbass
        wbass
        And/or search "Taylor Haskins--Alberto Balsam" on streaming service of your choice.
        Sep 13, 2023
      4. CEE TEE
        CEE TEE
        Hey- I like GoGoPenguin and this is is more downtempo but really nice. And yeah- a great track to test the Yggdrasil A2 boards that just came in. :)
        Sep 14, 2023
        wbass likes this.
      5. wbass
        wbass
        GoGoPenguin also great. Beat-driven UK jazz definitely still continuing its moment.

        On the Haskins track, the drummer is doing all sorts of fun subtle stuff. Really quiet chatter on the snare drum and so forth.

        For Aphex Twin jazz covers, I also love The Bad Plus' version of "Film."
        Sep 14, 2023
        CEE TEE likes this.
    19. wbass
      wbass
      Enleum Amp-23R in the house. Testing with Sus and LCD-4. Initial impressions are pretty good. It's less warm than expected, and quite clear.
      1. Cryptowolf, yotacowboy, jexby and 3 others like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. wbass
        wbass
        Listening with the Susvara now and enjoying it a lot. Not wanting for dynamism or liveliness at the moment. Based on audio memory, Sus does seem a touch brighter out of the Enleum than the Ferrum, but it's also a slightly easier and, again, cleaner sound.
        Sep 15, 2023
      4. wbass
        wbass
        I think I'm starting to hear that somewhat tube-like sound some folks have mentioned. It's a bit more liquid, less hashy than other solid-state I've heard. At the same time, I would't call it forward. It's not a "front row seat" kind of amp. Not thus far anyway.
        Sep 15, 2023
      5. wbass
        wbass
        "Vivid" and "more tonal colors" are also coming to mind. I hate audiophile-speak. Could also be new-toy syndrome. Who knows? Unscientific, stream-of-conscious impressions, for whatever they're worth.
        Sep 15, 2023
    20. wbass
      wbass
      6 solid to strong records in good shape for $30. Crate digging like it used to be.
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  • About

    Gender:
    Male
    Birthday:
    Sep 1, 1979 (Age: 44)
    Location:
    London, UK