Justin S
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Mar 26, 2024 at 8:24 PM
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Gender:
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Location:
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Occupation:
Filmmaker

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Justin S

Friend, Male, from Toronto

Pyrate Contributor

ZMF Classics are bananas. w Lry+ and a Ken Rad, cable and mesh tweaks, early Massive Attack is glorious... It's all there. Mar 22, 2024 at 10:35 PM

Justin S was last seen:
Mar 26, 2024 at 8:24 PM
    1. Justin S
      Justin S
      For $23 I ordered a "generic NOS" 6SN7 from tubesandmore. They sent an RCA 6SN7GTB black plate!! The $24 PSVANE 6SN7-GT is also quite good.
      1. Justin S
        Justin S
        The RCA is very good - I have one of these I bought a while ago for $100 CAD (grrr). The PSVANE is surprisingly good. It's their "Classic Series" 6SN7. It's resolving, deep and delicate sounding which is working really nicely with solo piano right now.
        Apr 11, 2023
        Cryptowolf likes this.
    2. Justin S
      Justin S
      Lry+ changes presentation with different tubes. Rocking a Ken Rad VT231 right now. It is not as dynamic as others but very detailed and 3D.
      1. Qildail, Gazny, Claritas and 2 others like this.
      2. RestoredSparda
        RestoredSparda
        KenRad was my preferred tube the 2 years I had a Lyr 3. Couldn't get enough of them.
        Apr 7, 2023
        Justin S, Cryptowolf and Claritas like this.
    3. Justin S
      Justin S
      Gah. First time around the Covid merry go round. It sucks.
      1. Thad E Ginathom likes this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. DigMe
        DigMe
        Also what @Armaegis said. Apparently it can make you more prone to long-covid if you try and come back too early which has apparently hurt a lot of high-level athletes.
        Mar 26, 2023
      4. Justin S
        Justin S
        Totally, point taken. Right now, my principal symptoms are severe fatigue and very very runny sinuses. Pretty light in comparison to many of my friends, a couple of whom were pretty fucked up by it. Rest, fluids, no Rye. Count myself lucky so far.
        Mar 26, 2023
      5. Justin S
        Justin S
        I'm a week in now and finally feel like myself again. It was seemingly not worse than memories of bad flus, but weirder - high heart rate, very disrupted sleep, weird fatigue. Glad to be on the other side of it. Thanks for the advice and well wishes, gents.
        Mar 31, 2023
        DigMe and Biodegraded like this.
    4. Justin S
      Justin S
      Looking for tube boxes, I came across tubesandmore.com. They have new issue tubes and some NOS stuff for cheap - like it's 2019.
      1. Cryptowolf, Qildail and Entropy like this.
    5. Justin S
      Justin S
      Two new responsibly nice tubes from Brent Jesse for the Lyr+. The Sylvania JAN WGTA is full level+ up. Next KenRad. Will do some comparos.
      1. Merrick, jexby, Qildail and 1 other person like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. Justin S
        Justin S
        Totally. He's really knowledgeable - I told him what I have been digging (NOS Syl and Tung Sol GTBs) and what I thought would be a good next step (the Syl WGTA). He agreed and also suggested the Ken Rad. Early days with them, but so far they're really good choices for my chain and tastes.
        Mar 21, 2023
      4. Pocomo
        Pocomo
        Have any of you guys tried Andy @ Vintage Tube Services? He seemed very knowledgeable to me, but I'm gullible :)
        Mar 22, 2023
      5. Justin S
        Justin S
        His site is interesting and I dig the "bespoke" approach. It looks like he is months behind in his ordering, which would be a problem for me and my short attention span. How are the tubes you got from him? What kind of amp are you running?
        Mar 22, 2023
    6. Justin S
      Justin S
      Why is with the "Thomas[...]musings" youtube video stepping out of its container and over the "new posts" and "profile posts" column?
      1. Senorx12562 likes this.
    7. Justin S
      Justin S
      How is it that tube mode on the Lyr+ has sparkly treble extension AND presents the treble in a way that doesn't hurt with the HD800Ss?
      1. Ash1412 and Merrick like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. Justin S
        Justin S
        Totally @rlow . I had a MapleTree Audio Design amp with ton of tubes a while ago and loved it. I regret selling it (though I sold it for a Yggdrasil LIM). This Lry+ is really something else. Yes @Ash1412, it is resolution without the shitty sharp lines of peakyness. The finer points change with the tube, which really suits me well as the difference is enough that it is like a different capable amp with each tube.
        Mar 9, 2023
        rlow likes this.
      4. Ash1412
        Ash1412
        @Justin S The weird thing to me is despite the HD800's persistent peak and more closed in damped design vs Utopia, when comparing them (HD800SDR) on EC Af at a meet, I still found its resolve and timbre better in the treble, while Utopia of course wins in contrast and sharpness. That driver is quite special.
        Mar 9, 2023
        Justin S likes this.
      5. Justin S
        Justin S
        I love them. I have limited exposure to Focal headphones - after an RMA on the Clear OGs, I grew concerned that they were too nice and delicate for my use-case. I moved to the HD800Ss and disliked them initially. I have come to really love them - over the Clears and over the LCD-Xs. There is something really fetching about them - but it takes a while to habituate. The Lyr+ with tubes seals the deal for me.
        Mar 9, 2023
    8. Justin S
      Justin S
      Just received a 1950s Tung Sol GTB and put it into my Lyr+. It is very moar better than new production tubes. Better tone, tighter + detail.
      1. Cryptowolf, Azimuth, bixby and 5 others like this.
      2. bixby
        bixby
        Tung Sols are a really balanced tube with a bit more life up top than the equally great but a bit more smoove Sylvanias.
        Mar 7, 2023
        Justin S likes this.
    9. Justin S
      Justin S
      I put my listening notes about the Lyr+ and BHA-1 into chat GPT and asked it to synthesize a conclusion. Conclusion in the comments.
      1. View previous comments...
      2. Justin S
        Justin S
        As an indie pro artist, I feel optimistic about it. I have been incorporating it in my workflow for years as an effective but imperfect assistant (aren't they all). For the discerning reader, viewer, it will never replace the blood and guts of people making good things. But yah...there is a shit storm of lazy noise building.
        Mar 7, 2023
        mediumroast, Case and rlow like this.
      3. mediumroast
        mediumroast
        Its fine, you just keep awareness. It can help get to some relevant conclusions faster. I am not benefiting more from a tech blog ran on ads and getting lost there insted of following the thought process. I can then fact check it with real articles and facts. It makes mistakes.. But I'd say most of the internet is realtively usless information. Its not like a well written book or an article
        Mar 7, 2023
      4. mediumroast
        mediumroast
        If AI can filter out relatively uselss information, then it would be great.
        Mar 7, 2023
        rlow and Justin S like this.
    10. Justin S
      Justin S
      Put the Custom Cans mass loading kit into my "office" DT770s. With this and the ZMF Ori pads they're V shaped for sure, but really pleasant.
      1. Justin S
        Justin S
        The stock pads are more balanced sounding with the kit.
        Mar 6, 2023
      2. Justin S
        Justin S
        Going back and forth between the HD800Ss and the modded DT770s, the limitations of the 770s are really in tone. This is not a fair fight really, but I like the 770s a bunch for what they are. The 800Ss are more mid forward, as well as having more spit, breath and spank (technically :-). The DT770s sound harmonically thinner to me. Everything is there with them - just less yummy.
        Mar 6, 2023
    11. Justin S
      Justin S
      HD600s are great, but he 800Ss are a bit of holy ***k
      1. caute, Lyander and Tchoupitoulas like this.
      2. Woland
        Woland
        I found the fake staging got old pretty quickly, and got in the way of binaural recordings. Now I do acoustics properly with DSP, not in a headphone.
        Mar 5, 2023
      3. wbass
        wbass
        I really like the HD800(S). I guess I understand that some people find them unnaturally wide, but, then, I find staging in all HPs a little artificial. I appreciate the wideness, b/c it lessens the kind of relentless, music beamed into my brain feeling that I find fatiguing with all HPs and IEMs. More speaker-like the better, IMO.
        Mar 5, 2023
        Justin S, lerrens, obsiCO and 5 others like this.
      4. Justin S
        Justin S
        I have the ZMF lambskin pads on them which tighten the bass up and bring the stage in a bit. They sound very natural in this configuration. I went back and forth with the 600s last night and was really stuck by how much I like the 800Ss with the Lyr+ and new the ZMF pads.
        Mar 5, 2023
        yotacowboy and Gazny like this.
    12. Justin S
      Justin S
      The Lyr+ solid state mode is beauty. It's the main ingredient for the tube stage. Tubes modulate it, but as a SS amp it is very lovable.
      1. Gazny
        Gazny
        is solid state mode tubier than tube?
        Mar 5, 2023
      2. Justin S
        Justin S
        Tube mode is not really "tube-y", per se. It brings out more staging effects, a focused sense of bloom and changes to dynamics. SS mode is actually a bit more phat, slamming and bloomy than many of the tubes I have - not sure I would associate this with "tubey", but it's a difference.
        Mar 5, 2023
    13. Justin S
      Justin S
      What is happening in the hobby when a hairy youtuber called "The Shirtless Audiophile" appears doing a review of the new Schiit Gjarrarhorn?
      1. HotRatSalad likes this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. HotRatSalad
        HotRatSalad
        Hairy non deathstroking anime men haha
        Mar 2, 2023
      4. rlow
        rlow
        That guy used to be the “Budget Audiophile”. 2 words: Wing nut
        Mar 2, 2023
        Justin S likes this.
      5. Thad E Ginathom
        Thad E Ginathom
        Maybe he increased the budget and lost his shirt.
        Mar 4, 2023
        Justin S likes this.
    14. Justin S
      Justin S
      Lyr+ in the house. Early days but, with a Sylvania GTB / HD800S, it seems to give the BHA-1 a run for its money. Memories of the Freya.
      1. Justin S
        Justin S
        I'll leave it on until the weekend and then dig into a little comparison.
        Feb 22, 2023
      2. Justin S
        Justin S
        This chain is sick good...though currently the modest Tung Sol GTB is my favourite.
        Mar 4, 2023
    15. Justin S
      Justin S
      Small A/B of ZMF Lambskin and stock pads on HD800Ss. Stock = smoother, richer, more "headphone". ZMF = tighter, clearer, more speaker-y.
      1. gixxerwimp and Qildail like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. gixxerwimp
        gixxerwimp
        How is the fitment of the ZMF pads? Do they go on/off easily, securely?
        Feb 4, 2023
        Justin S likes this.
      4. Justin S
        Justin S
        They are a touch fussy to put on, but nothing too difficult. It took me a few minutes each to get them on. They fit the 800s like a glove and feel perfectly secure. A dumb and not sound related observation: they look nice and I like how beefy they make the HD800Ss feel.
        Feb 5, 2023
      5. Justin S
        Justin S
        Listening to The Books, Lemon of Pink 1. It feels like even more of a feast with the Lambskin ZMF pads. It's not subtle. Trying to figure out if I like the reduced, but tighter bass of if I want MOAR.
        Feb 5, 2023
    16. Justin S
      Justin S
      ZMF Lambskin HD800 Pads installed. They're different for sure. A little less bass, but much tighter on the HD800S. A more convincing sound.
      1. Qildail, Emojiless and Tchoupitoulas like this.
      2. Emojiless
        Emojiless
        How do they affect the stage?
        Feb 3, 2023
      3. Justin S
        Justin S
        It makes it all feel a bit more open and convincing. It's a bit brighter, though. I like the different sound.
        Feb 3, 2023
        Emojiless likes this.
      4. Justin S
        Justin S
        I wonder if these pads bring the 800S more in line with the HD800. Is anyone else running these pads?
        Feb 3, 2023
    17. Justin S
      Justin S
      Unpopular opinion: The HD800Ss are lovely, tilt slightly warm and have just the right amount of bass.
      1. View previous comments...
      2. roshambo123
        roshambo123
        @Justin S yes, did the SDR mod a number of years ago and never looked back. It preserves the HD800 character and kills the 6khz peak. The HD800S is overtweaked for me. The 8XX can also be fun on tubes if you let it, but it will make some things (like percussion) sound very wrong.
        Jan 29, 2023
        Justin S likes this.
      3. internethandle
        internethandle
        I run my 800 mod-less.

        I guess SDR and 800S both sat poorly with me re: adding "stuff" above or around the driver to "fix" it, but I also am an air/treble/HF whore so I'm mostly unbothered by the naked 800. Also not very consistent logic on my part as I continue to consider a JAR800, though.
        Jan 29, 2023
        Justin S and Thad E Ginathom like this.
      4. Huhnkopf
        Huhnkopf
        You will definitely not regret getting a JAR800 - quite the contrary
        Feb 2, 2023
    18. Justin S
      Justin S
      Another new avatar. Instead of hilariously grumpy Schwitters, this one is ecstatic, Ursonate Schwitters. Still just crabby-looking enough.
      1. RestoredSparda and Gazny like this.
    19. Justin S
      Justin S
      Counterintuitively, having a decent rig now makes me really appreciate the Portapros and DT770s as I start working offsite more often.
      1. Cryptowolf, sheldaze, Case and 2 others like this.
    20. Justin S
      Justin S
      After 4 years of 9900K, I did up a 13700k build. It was not an easy one, but it's up and running now and super slick. It's a bit of wow.
      1. M3NTAL
        M3NTAL
        What was difficult? These new boards and cases seem to keep making things easier and easier.
        Jan 15, 2023
        Justin S likes this.
      2. Justin S
        Justin S
        Totally - It's a beauty board - I did this with the ASUS ProArt Creator. After building, the system was unresponsive. With the LED indicator report and some research I tracked if down to the RAM. I always use Crucial RAM and it turns out that the board needed a BIOS flash to add compatibility for the Crucial sticks. In the end: 128BG of ram, onboard 10GigE for my SAN, and a 3090. This thing is a dream.
        Jan 15, 2023
        Cryptowolf and Thad E Ginathom like this.
      3. M3NTAL
        M3NTAL
        Ahh - good 'ole BIOS needing flashed out the box. My system is over a decade and I haven't flashed probably 5 at least.
        Jan 15, 2023
        Thad E Ginathom and Justin S like this.
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  • About

    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Toronto
    Occupation:
    Filmmaker
    Gear List:
    Home system: PI2AES with SBAF ABNN>AES> Yggdrasil LIM>SE>Heed Obelisk SI III>Harbeth P3ESR XDs + REL t7i.

    Work: USB | S/PDIF (PI2AES Lite) ->MOTU Ultralite MK5/Geshelli J2S -> Monitors: Genelec 8020s + 7040a

    Headphones: USB | S/PDIF (PI2AES Lite) -> MOTU/J2 (SBAF ABNN after SMPS)- > Lyr+. ZMF AUTEUR CLASSIC, HD 6xxM (sbaf kissmod), HD600, Modded DT770s.

    Previous equipment. Harbeth P3ESR Standards, Harbeth C7ES3s, Neumann KH120As, Dynaudio M20s. Project Debut III/Graham Slee pre, Soekris 2541 (2x), RME ADI-2 DACfs, Bifrost 2, Holo Spring1 LV2, Schiit Fulla, BF2 (2x), BF 2/64, Gungnir Multibit Multibit A2, Heed Dactillus, Denafrips Ares, Auralic Aries, AudioLab M-DAC, Rega R-DAC, OG Schiit Freya, Schiit Magni 3, OG Burson Soloist, MassDrop LCX, Burson Fun, ZDT Jr., BHA-1, Lynx Hilo

    Previous Headphones: ZMF Aeolus, HD800S, LCD-X 2021, Focal Clear, Focal Elex, OG Sennheiser 650, Sennheiser 58x Jubilee, OG AKG Sextetts, Nhoord Red custom build, Symphones Magnum V8 custom build, Elleven Acoustica G1 custom build, Elleven Acoustica R1 custom build, Hifiman He400i, AKG K702.
    I am a filmmaker. I have also owned and operated a couple different animation/video-post studios and have been buying and trading gear since the 90s. I am relatively new to hifi.

    Signature

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