The ortho question I had was what effect the polarizing effect of the front slots was - I think this is a factor in all orthos and is a tough one to escape. ..dB
(Zazzy is a cutting edge technical term that it's not in the Audio Engineers Handbook yet.)
There are some theoretical issues with this: magnet strength will diminish exponentially as the diaphragm gets farther away from that one magnet. This could be a cause of distortion, but who knows?
Yes, one single magnet - thought I had mentioned this before. They have them custom made so that they are a perfect fit for their grill. The polarity is front back and, from what they said, forms a strong uniform field. I have no idea how long it has been in the works but speaking to Joe's son , he verified that they went through a boatload of prototypes before finding one that gave optimal results. Driver alignment is critical and they use a jig to make sure they are consistent. He also said that it sounded best with no back at all but that leaves the driver exposed. One of the "tuning backs" they were toying with was some type of fine mesh. The ortho question I had was what effect the polarizing effect of the front slots was - I think this is a factor in all orthos and is a tough one to escape. ..dB
Don't get me wrong: I'm FULLY open to the idea that small companies assemble stuff that isn't as "finished" as larger ones often times, and that prototypes especially are rough. Forget the LCD-2. I've got the LCD-1 which came in a ziplock bag. LOL. Then there's the TakeT H2+ which is one of the most awkward headphones ergonomically ever devised. These things can actually make a product endearing to me.BUT. And this is a huge but: this is a product that costs $5,000.It's going right up against the SR-009. Now, I realize more than anyone that different products serve different needs, and that our priorities themselves differ. I was just defending the Muramasa VIII, which cost upwards of $7,000, when it was first announced on head-fi. People were claiming it was ridiculous. And they were right. But I asserted that it was also something of a sculpture, an art piece that had a functional dimension.And you know what? I feel burnt out these days. Having paid upwards of $7,000 for the Muramasa VIII, I can't help but feel a little taken advantage of, a little worn out and jaded. And we're talking about a product that, despite its many flaws, still had a lot of care and attention to detail.These are prototypes, sure, but what I'm seeing (and hearing from people) is not boding well. Again: this is only really an issue BECAUSE they're asking so much for them. These are going to be the most expensive orthodynamic headphones ever made up until this point. You're going to have to bring something really, really big to the table, or you're going to have to expect to get reamed. I mean, I'm hearing from people they sound no better than vintage orthos, and I'm seeing that these guys can't even put in screws without getting the wood to crack around it.I just can't help but think of my Muramasa VIII with its headphone stand bent at a 45 degree angle and its cracked display box.This shit just doesn't fly when you get to this price point. Frankly, I'm sick of it. Now I'm fully willing to give JPS a chance! However they're going to have to do a hell of a lot, and *so far* I'm not seeing it.
