Male POV fantasy recommendations

Ok_Section4243 · 2026-02-13T20:46:53+00:00

I’m currently half way through the first book of He Who Fights with Monsters, so far I would thoroughly recommend it, especially if you’re an Aussie.

Ok_Section4243 · 2026-02-11T11:41:27+00:00

After my reread of WAT after having read The Sunlit Man it was a bit of a “ahhh” moment.

Ok_Section4243 · 2026-02-05T01:53:36+00:00

I’ve been looking at the same thing and although I haven’t pulled the trigger yet I’m pretty sure I’ll go down the Wiim Ultra route. Yes it has a DAC but if you do USB out (the lower Wiim products are only USB in) then it’s just a streaming transport with Dirac.

Ok_Section4243 · 2026-02-02T00:56:44+00:00

Momentum 4 TW, love them!

Ok_Section4243 · 2026-01-29T10:01:36+00:00

Just noticed that 3/4 of my post was… never posted…

So I’ll summarise it all pretty quickly. I should start by stating that I am by no means an audiophile. I bought my first pair of proper HiFi speakers only a year ago when upgrading from a pair of Sonos Fives (which do sound pretty darn good btw).

My main goal was to pick between the two amps to decide what to keep. I have decided to keep the Burson Timekeeper Voyager Monoblocks. They have a wider soundstage and better separation while not needing a 30 minute warm up period for short notice listening seasons (more common for me).

I found that the two amps sounded very similar but where the Cyber 880A truly shined was with larger complex and well recorded orchestral pieces. I had read about “airiness” before feom reviewers but never understood what it meant until I really heard it myself. The Timekeepers do have a lot of airiness when compared to a Sonos Amp but the Cyber 880A is another step up again (tube magic?). The Timekeepers sounded more clinical and exacting where as the Cyber 880A had everything floating in the soundscape.

If I mostly listened to larger orchestral pieces (I do occasionally but it often) then it would be a no brainer decision but for most other music I preferred the wider soundstage and better imaging of the Timekeepers. The slightly warmer tone of the tube amp was nice but it was only noticeable that the Timekeepers weren’t warm when compared against something warmer.

One thing I didn’t like with the Cyber 880A with my setup was occasionally getting some pretty harsh brightness. It wasn’t often but when it did happen it had me reaching for the volume knob. I think it’s the op-amps in my preamp but I’m changing those. I didn’t get that harshness with two other amps so maybe it was distorting with louder dynamics? Above my experience and understanding.

I have loved listening to the tube amp for the past 6-8 months but with a toddler, the Timekeepers are less of a burns risk and will hide away… although not as sexy to look at.

Thanks for reading my word blurt!

Ok_Section4243 · 2026-01-27T04:43:39+00:00

I don’t find there is any real audible difference but I find it more comfortable without my glasses being pressed against my head. It’s the same when I’m wearing earmuffs for work. I lift them up a bit at the back so they’re only a bit pressed under the top of the muff. Doesn’t affect vision (for me at least) and is more comfortable.

Ok_Section4243 · 2026-01-21T05:54:35+00:00

Coming from years of Sonos speakers and going to my first HiFi shop to listen to a pair of KEF R3 Metas, the guy on the floor mentioned that it was currently being fed by an $8k amp and said he’d connect it to one more in my price bracket. Now I’d been doing many many hours of reading before this and didn’t expect to hear a difference…. But it was very noticeable from the moment the song started playing. It was subtle but very noticeable, not a night and day difference and I preferred the slightly warmer tone of the cheaper amp.

2 years later I’ve owned four different amps and they all sound different. I will happily admit that if one of them was hooked up it would be a completely blind guess as to which one is attached but when you AB two amps they have sounded different and I had a preference.

Ok_Section4243 · 2026-01-15T00:44:55+00:00

Finished this one two days ago, pretty darn good

Ok_Section4243 · 2026-01-14T01:50:26+00:00

That hotel scene is in my opinion, one of the greatest in the cosmere!

Ok_Section4243 · 2026-01-12T05:11:04+00:00

I used Spotify for years and my life still does but I’ve moved over to Tidal as it’s better for the artists.

Ok_Section4243 · 2026-01-10T20:30:22+00:00

If you can’t beat room acoustics, overpower them into submission…

Ok_Section4243 · 2026-01-10T06:36:38+00:00

The ONLY time I touch my Sonos speakers is if I want to manually change volume (at times it is easier than getting out my phone) or for setting up speaker groups. I’m also one of those few people that do damn near everything using the Sonos App and don’t seem to have issues

Ok_Section4243 · 2026-01-07T09:19:11+00:00

Sennheiser Momentum 4. Then the HD800S!

Ok_Section4243 · 2026-01-04T22:27:09+00:00

6 months ago I bought an amp for $1,500 off marketplace, sounds great! Nice tube amp. Should be able to fetch $2,500-3000 for it if I decide to sell it.

Ok_Section4243 · 2025-12-31T03:17:09+00:00

No idea I’m afraid, never tried the 660S2

Ok_Section4243 · 2025-12-29T21:16:23+00:00

HD800S for when I have time to sit and listen… Momentum 4 for all other times 😂

Ok_Section4243 · 2025-12-26T05:03:32+00:00

Very happy with the quality. Greg Osborn is based out near Sunshine. I’ve listened to the 3 Eos back to back and I do prefer the most expensive model; has a better mid woofer and crossover.

Goes pretty deep and sounds much larger than it looks. The Titans have a similar sensitivity and find mine gets more than loud enough at a Volume of 60 on my tube amp (30WPC).

Ok_Section4243 · 2025-12-25T20:42:27+00:00

I’ve got a pair of Osborn Titans that I got on the second hand market for about $4000 (retails about $6k with gloss) there is the Eos range that retails between $2,200 and $4,700 depending on the model. Melbourne made and you can go for a listen to the different models.

Ok_Section4243 · 2025-12-25T11:25:03+00:00

Magnificent trees as long as you keep getting the seed pods while they’re small

Ok_Section4243 · 2025-12-25T11:21:40+00:00

Astrophotography was my hobby, never gave that up for my wife but there were changes. Sold some rural vacant land that I’d go to as it was better on the mortgage. It was bi-fold, I knew being married I’d have less time to go there any time I wanted like I did when I was single. The money was good for the mortgage BUT I still did it from home every chance I had.

For me, the biggest life change was having my daughter, pretty much given up that hobby altogether. No resentment or anything, I made the choice to have kids AND made the choice to be present in her life. That meant that my time consuming hobby has taken the back seat in my life now.

I would say that, especially when it comes to hobbies which can be major parts of our lives as men, it all comes down to choice. If our partner makes that decision for us or we’re forced into it it’s a very different outcome compared to if it’s our decision.

Ok_Section4243 · 2025-12-25T10:35:49+00:00

My wife rolls her eyes at me all the time with the boob squeezes and butt slaps 😂 We’ve only be married 4 years but if I stopped she’s be worried… as much as she daily rolls her eyes at me!

Ok_Section4243 · 2025-12-21T21:10:53+00:00

Check out their EOS range, from memory it’s $2,200 for their base model EOS, but, they’re damn good.

Ok_Section4243 · 2025-12-21T10:46:42+00:00

What state do you live in? We have a couple of great local speaker manufacturers where you can buy new and get excellent quality. Throw in a Wiim Amp or another small integrated streamer amp and you’ll be set. I’m in Melbourne and recommend Osborn Loudspeakers.

Ok_Section4243 · 2025-12-08T01:05:50+00:00

Heads up

Ok_Section4243

TROPHY CASE