ajzepp

I was just looking at the Little Dot line yesterday...I hate their website, but their products seem very highly regarded. I'm trying to put together a bedroom system, and I want to find something like the DacMini, except less expensive and (preferably) with tubes. The DacMini is one of the coolest products I've ever seen, and I haven't ruled it out, but goign to keep looking around a bit. I have a pair of monitors on order for the bedroom, but I'm also wanting to get more into headphones so I need a headphone amp section on whatever I buy. If you have any suggestions, please share! Right now I'm leaning toward picking up a Peachtree Nova or Decco2, but my speakers won't be ready until the end of January so I have some time yet to figure it out.

Interesting, I hadn't seen that. This is why forums are the best thing to ever happen to the audio hobby, IMO. Hopefully Schitt will step up to teh plate and make sure everything is kosher with their gear (looks like this was from earlier in the year, so will be interesting to see what the outcome was). I have had a few email discussions with one of the founders and they seem like pretty good guys. That's bogus that dude was banned, though. Head-fi loses a lot of credibility with me if all that he says is true. Dissenting opinions are more than fine as long as things are done rsepectfully, and I don't get the impression that guy was trying to hack on the company maliciously, he was just looking into an issue that was of concern. Good times!

The first time I saw this I honestly thought it was a joke, but it's fully legit. In fact, if you really think about it, it's genius For anyone who might be into either home audio or headphone audio, you may want to take a look at some of these offerings...but even if you aren't interested in audio, surely you can appreciate the marketing strategy Ain't this some Schitt?? PS. For anyone interested, there are several threads over at www.audiocircle.com and also www.head-fi.org that go into detail about these products and have feedback from new owners.

I think it's true what you say here...my favorite instrument (by far) is the human voice. I could know absolutely nothing about a given performer, but if I hear a track during a movie, on a commercial, on the radio, etc, where the vocal is unique and has some sort of impact on me as I listen, I will track down the name of the artist and pick up the CD on the spot. I was watching a chick flick back a few years ago with a lady friend (it had Mark Ruffalo and Reese Witherspoon in it), and about half way through the film I heard this song that really caught my attention. I thought the lyrics were very smart and creative, and the vocals were great. I waited to see the credits and found the song to be "Colors" by Amos Lee. I went out and picked up his CD from Borders, and over the last five or six years this guy has taken a spot up there with Radiohead, Queen, and a few others as one my favorite musicians/groups. I've seen him play live (great show!) and have picked up all of his CDs since. But yeah, that unique quality - both in terms of the vocals and the lyrics - is what I look for, too...so I can relate

I'm proud of ya for how involved you've been with Philly since you moved there...kudos, brother Pooj!

Thanks for all these responses, guys...I've been goign through everyone suggestions and it's been very interesting so far. I saw that Ronnie James Dio had passed not long ago, and I remembered the band "Dio" from when I was growing up, so I started following up on that guy first. I have to say, AMAZING rock vocals. And I love that he was known as a great writer, as well. I always respect musicians more when they write their own stuff. But then I started getting majorly creeped out by the dude and I started to realize why I never got into really heavy rock as a kid...lol So far, and oddly enough given the purpose of this thread, my favorite Dio cut is "As Long as it's not About Love". It has a very solemn, vulnerable feel to it in the beginning (conveyed beautifully by this guy's vocals...fantastic voice), and then it builds up more intensity as the guitar solo hits combined with a more amped up vocal. Great track! Seriously, though, I'm not some goody-goody religious nut, and I really have no patience for "Christian Rock", but the whole Satan/demon/evil aura that surrounds this sort of music does often times give me a complex. I used to really believe that KISS meant Knights In Satan's Service, lol. Today if you ask me, I'll tell you that Gene Simmons is seemingly one of the absolute best dudes on the planet, but back then it creeped me out. I will literally listen to every single suggestion you guys make - I always do! - so keep 'em coming, and thanks!

...yes, I should

Pretty sure that's the concert I just got on bluray...glad to hear it was good...can't wait!

I would never deter anyone from consulting with a chiro, but my suggestion would be to get an order from your MD to see a physical therapist first. If you do decide to see a chiro, if they don't take films on you before manipulation, run like hell. I have a good friend who is a chiro, and if anyone lives in the D.C area I'd be happy to refer you to her. There are chiros who are excellent in what they do, but IMO you have to be very careful in choosing which one you see. There are some areas of chiropractic that are, IMO, ridiculously ambitious. Many of them believe they can replace the need for a medical doctor. I find this thinking to be cavalier and dangerous. I support the chiropractic field in their efforts to further the knowledge base in terms of the human condition, but in no WAY would I ever suggest that anyone replace their MD with a chiro. But anyway, be careful and good luck with the pain.

Honesty and self-deprecation are my strong suits

So every once in a while I'll shop around on Amazon for some good deals on music. What I usually do is find a disc I want, and then instead of buying it from Amazon I'll look under the "used" list and buy it for like $2 from one of their associated sellers. All my music gets uploaded to my laptop and organized by iTunes anyway, so I don't care about the condition of the plastic case or the insert. Anyway, I'm embarrassed to admit this but the only way I even knew about the band Motorhead was because they wrote and performed two entrance themes for the WWE wrestler Triple H. I happened to see someone mention them, so I started checking out their discs. Typically if I'm not familiar with a band, I'll start with a well-received greatest hits album to get familiar with their most popular cuts, and then go from there. I found that many people on the forums were actually suggesting the Live Motorhead CD from their concert in Germany in '98 so I found a good deal on the used disc and placed the order. yesterday it showed up and I have to say, these fuggers rock HARD! Lemmy's voice is gravelly (is that a word? I mean to say, "like gravel" lol) and distinctive, and listening to his vocals really gets you fired up. I wish I would have known about this group back when I was playing HS football! We typically settled for Ozzy music, but this would have been even better, IMO. But anyway, I digress. I know a lot of us love an opportunity to talk music, so i was hoping to start a discussion about rock bands that go above and beyond in terms of intensity and just BRING IT. Even if it's just a single track, that's okay...I'm interested to hear about other examples aside from Motorhead where this is the case. What are some of your favorites?

I felt like Nicole was trying to turn my boy homo last night. I agree the song choice was stupid, and what was up with that "wind in the hair" crap?? That was gay as HELL! I really didn't care for that performance at all...I know MJ isnt' his style, but it's a big catalog. I would have picked something a bit more obscure instead of messing with Dirty Diana. Nicole is still smokin' hot though I didn't care melanie even though that's one of my favorite MJ songs. I liked Drew, and I agree with the Fig that Simon is handling her just fine. She's a nice change of pace to the over-production on most of the other performances. I prefer they don't use background singers and all the pyrotechnics. Drew is just a girl and a mic. It works. I liked Marcus (don't usually care for him, but I enjoyed this performance). I gave the FF treatment to Astro (and all his "astro-nuts"), Rachel and C.Rene. PS. Am I the only one creeped out by MJ's kids?

I'm pretty much of the belief that when people go on Survivor, all the bug bites, living off the land, exposure to the elements, etc, just robs you of all common sense and brain function. I like coach and hope he wins, but I totally agree. Why leave him there?? If I were playing this game, my strategy would be very simple: Keep the tribe as strong as possible during the first part of the season, winning as many challengs as possible. Then after the merge, target the strongest players first and work your way to the weakest. Also, as an aside, as weird as Mini-Hantz is at times, yesterday he said something that was brilliant, and it's something I live my life by: "Nothing worth anything in this life comes easy." I gained a lot of respect for him when he said this, because, IMO, it's one of life's truisms. The type of challenge they choose for the Ozzy v. Cochran showdown on Redemption Island will say a lot about who the producers hope will win. the more physical the challenge, the better Ozzy's chances of winning. My guess? Producers are hoping for the upset.

I was majorly bummed when Lane Kiffin bolted Tennessee and headed for the West coast. That guy was already stirring it up, particularly with Florida, and it had the potential to be great. I love SEC football, but with Urban Meyer and Kiffin both gone, a lot of the trash talk went with them. Chizik at Auburn shows some candor at times, but guys like Saban, Miles, and Spurrier seem to keep their comments under wraps for the most part. Kiffin was a lightening rod, and it would have made an already great conference even better, IMO.

Based on those possibilities that the Senator listed, I'd have rather seen him head down to Ole Miss so he could join the fray here in the SEC. On top of that, Ole Miss had a crap season and they could have used him!

Wow, these 40-somethings are dropping like flies...this is very sad. I saw a lot of this guy when he was playing, and he was a beast. RIP, Chester.

Bit of a tangent here (sort of), but I'm currently in the middle of watching "Judgement at Nuremberg", and it has a 30 y.o. pre-Captain Kirk William Shatner in it. So far the part hasn't really demanded much range from him at all, but it's interesting watching him act since this was about 5 years pre-Star Trek. He's just sort of chillin in Germany with his cute German babe. anyway, carrry on... PS. The Senator speaks the truth!!

I'm with you there...took me forever to get on facebook, and I rarely even use that. I have no desire to "twitt"

...bit of a tangent, but I just received his newest book from Amazon today...can't wait!!

This is something an insecure woman would say. Man up and grow some balls, Nancy! "Emotional safety" is for pansies!! (I'm sure that hurt me more than it hurt you...but you needed to hear it.)

Wow, that's really a shame. Like you guys, I just saw him on the Sheen roast, too. I thought he was pretty funny, especially the manner in w hich he responded to those who were taking shots at him. I hate to say it, but I had no idea who he was before that roast. But 41 is way too young, man...that's really sad.

A Ray LaMontagne track would be KILLER, you're right about that! If she had him sing, "A Falling Through", he would KILL with that song! Great call man...too bad we can't call up Nicole to suggest that lol I agree about the hotness and the mentor thing...she is super hot

Yep, Melanie and Josh are the only ones I don't give the FF treatment to. I really enjoy them, particularly Josh.