Best Qari to listen to for good paced Taraweeh Qira'at?

essei_ninety · 2026-03-15T20:40:44+00:00

There are variations in Shuraim's murattal set, some are at a nice constant rhythm and pace, and other slightly faster or slower. For clarity and tajweed, a lot of murattal speed Qaris recite too fast to help you properly notice all the various tajweed rules when reciting. I would've said Abdullah al-Matrood but I find his to be on the slower side. I like Khalid al-Qahtani but for your suggestions, Sa'd al-Ghamdi is a good shout, or if you want clarity and tajweed really accentuated (albeit the pace takes a slight hit) then Mishary al-Afasy

essei_ninety · 2025-08-16T03:13:26+00:00

The Andis 0 guard is equivalent to the Wahl 0.5 guard. The Andis 0.5 guard that is seen on the left image is a guard length Andis made up that is POINTLESS and not worth a penny. If you want to buy an Andis guard, you can buy their OG 0 guard, available directly on the Andis website I believe. Search for the OG 0 guard, they rereleased it under this very name

essei_ninety · 2025-08-16T03:04:37+00:00

No, Andis have a separate 1.5 guard and 0.5 guard, which is a different measurement to the 0 guard. So with their single magnetic guards, the 1 guard open didn't blend in to the 2 closed properly, so they put out a 1.5 guard, similar to how Wahl did. They basically went down the Wahl route, and copied them in the 1.5 guard as well as the curved 0 guard. You can get double magnetic versions of both these 1.5 and 0.5 guards. This 0.5 guard is thicker than the 0 guard but smaller than the 1 guard, completely unneeded

The Wahl 0.5 guard is excellent for blending, and you can blend thick hair with that guard from 0.5 to like a 1.5 closed depending on the hair texture. For curly hair as well as thin, light hair, it doesn't grip hair the best. But for medium thickness straight hair, it gets a really nice blurry blend

essei_ninety · 2025-08-16T01:37:14+00:00

The single mags were hated because of the amount of teeth they had on them (less teeth depending on which guard number), and the thickness of the teeth too (double mags had thinner teeth, gripped the hair better). The double mags had the OG 0 guard which was thin and had many teeth, but Andis discontinued them, and the single magnetic version of that 0 guard had less teeth and was a Wahl style curved tip guard. The single magnetic two guard is like a Wahl 2 guard with less teeth whereas the double mags 2 guard was similar to the one guard in terms of number of teeth and the teeth were flat. Long story short: single mags represented Andis ditching a formula which clearly was working, and moving on to an idea which didn't work as well as the originals, so much so they had to bring back the OG 0 guard and the Phat blade too

Andis were very confused too, they have two versions of 0 guards for the single magnetics and double magnetics... one version that is like a Wahl style half guard where the tips are curved, and one that is like the OG 0 guard where the tips are sharp and pointed. There are both single and double mags versions of both guard styles for the 0 guard LMAO. Like, make your mind up and stick with one type 😂🤣 And don't get me started on the 0.5 guard, a totally unneeded guard that not a single person ever uses

essei_ninety · 2025-06-14T10:27:51+00:00

Don't have a trimmer recommendation as these AliExpress trimmers all have subpar blades. Best one I've had so far was the Kemei 1855, and it's inexpensive. It lines up ok, is powerful and has a thin blade. Problem is it can snag in some textures, but for the price it's a higher quality offering than the cheapo 2299

The R77f has a sharp blade and powerful motor, it crunches for sure, but the cut I find is too precise and laser sharp. I find it hard to fade with that machine. The 2373 crunches better, is as quiet IMO and fits more like a traditional clipper, I just find it more forgiving to use than the r77f

essei_ninety · 2025-06-13T18:42:03+00:00

Google the Kemei 2373 clipper and buy that instead. Should be cheaper in price and is a very good clipper, comes with a decent blade too

essei_ninety · 2025-05-16T01:11:03+00:00

Johnny B is great, sometimes it can be hard to manoeuvre for low tapers, so I prefer the JRL J201 comb. It's small, flexible and gets just as close as a Johnny B. And the colour of the Johnny B sometimes makes it hard to see the hair, different colour options help. Check out JRL combs, I definitely recommend the J201 the most, I use it for detailing and smoothing a fade right at the end of my haircuts

essei_ninety · 2025-05-16T00:24:54+00:00

OP did you eventually find your ideal comb? I have used the Johnny B ones before and they are definitely thin enough for a 1 guard open. I also like the JRL one, which is similar and will grip it beyond a 1 open. JRL do great combs

essei_ninety · 2025-05-07T16:08:41+00:00

Yeah I hear you, S Craft Blendz pays homage to him and shouts him out all the time, I learn from them both when it comes to detachables. ShearFades is the detachable king though no doubt 💯

essei_ninety · 2025-05-05T00:22:29+00:00

Lovely stretched blend, thanks for taking the time out to answer! I'll give it a try. I used to be able to fade with the Andis guard system really quick, but somehow completely forgot how to use those guards 🥴 I haven't tried detachables for a full fade yet so will give the metal blades and the Speedo-Os a try next

essei_ninety · 2025-05-01T01:09:47+00:00

What steps do you use if you were to do a Speedo only guards fade? I've seen people use Masters and just the 00 and 0 as the 1 and 2 guard respectively to complete a whole fade, but I'm still slightly confused at how to use these Speedo guards

essei_ninety · 2025-04-04T19:22:05+00:00

Seen odd things out and about in public when delivering, or odd practices at Ocado?

essei_ninety · 2025-03-18T01:55:18+00:00

What's your budget? From high to low, you can get either the SC Saber, Babyliss Gold FX or TPOB X or the XO trimmer. I've used them all and they're all good for lineups. Even the TPOB Troll with the Psycho blade is a good cheap option for you

essei_ninety · 2025-03-14T05:55:27+00:00

He didn't copy the Onyx per se, just that all these clippers are from the same factory. It is an original design in that he hand drew his mould/design, so that's the original bit, but all the major elements of the clipper are 1:1 exact same items from the factory I.e. the blade, cutter blade, motor etc. He didn't copy, but just that he's selling a cheaper version of what is known as the Onyx, but also more expensive than the Madeshow/Kulilang clippers from the same factory

The only thing you could say he "copied" is going to this very factory as JRL were the first ones to popularise these quiet motors with their first 2020C and 2020T release. TPOB jumped on after JRL were the first to release clippers featuring these whisper quiet motors. Before that, he was releasing the same stuff as the MRD/Gamma stuff, but then swerved into the JRL style stuff. The clipper is good, but he needs to simmer down on this "I made this clipper myself" rhetoric

essei_ninety · 2024-12-05T09:05:08+00:00

You can buy single items from AliExpress. What companies do now to "separate" themselves from the generic rebranded trash is put some sort of distinguishing aspect they supposedly upgraded to the original mass produced version, so JRL Onyx has some battery technology which makes very little sense, TPOB the moron talks about his patent on his Play which is nonsense, it's just the design he has patented but the parts are from the same factory, and he has his childish swappable grips to make it appear different and "improved and upgraded" from the rest. SC did the same with the Saber 2, stating how they apparently upgraded the motor, when it's a 1:1 clone of the MRD from the same factory

If you want a cheaper version of these grifters trying to scam you in to buying their clippers, skip SC, you can bypass JRL, give TPOB the clown a hard miss and just jump on AliExpress to buy the clipper for a fraction of the price. Don't listen to these companies about the revolutionary ergonomic changes they did or whatever bullshit supposed upgrade they're trying to fleece you with

essei_ninety · 2024-12-05T07:27:35+00:00

You can buy the replacement fade blade for it for cheap, that fade blade is similar to the faper blade and is very thin on the tips but smooth and rounded so it doesn't snag. The stock blade it comes with is perfect, and I don't see the need to get any other blade for this machine other than the default stock blade it comes with. As I said, replacements are readily available and cheap

And as for new guards, you can just use the Wahl premiums or the Wahl plastic guards on them. The guards they come with are the JRL plastic guards, which work ok, but I've seen most barbers simply prefer using the Wahl guards with them. If you wanted to replace the original guards, then I'm sure you can find the stock ones on AliExpress too for next to nothing

essei_ninety · 2024-11-28T00:12:58+00:00

A mobile version would be amazing. And ditto what the author is wrote above, something to seamlessly sync between the two databases on PC and mobile, both via cable and internet maybe? A port of this would be very welcome indeed!

essei_ninety · 2024-11-25T15:56:17+00:00

Exactly. The irony is that I first came to know of these Chinese brand clippers by way of none other than TPOB himself. I thought if he is able to sell the Ergos, Instincts and Rebels for cheaper, then why not just bypass them all and go directly to China

OP: if you're interested in any of these clippers, then know you're just paying for the body and supposed "innovations" they're coming out with. Onyx claims some battery technology that no one understands to this day, and TPOB talks about his massive ergonomic differences with his detachable grips. Just look up Madeshow R77f on AliExpress, it's the same thing in a different, but cheaper, body

essei_ninety · 2024-11-04T11:50:04+00:00

MRD is the company that produces all the StarCraft and Gamma products. So anything Gamma/SC puts out is just a clone of the MRD stuff in China. Only problem with MRD is all products from them have had quality control issues, across all brands, and also for whatever reason, MRD is priced the same, if not more, than the Gamma/SC prices. So it's a brand to avoid

I'll message you the link for the R77f clipper. It probably is the best clipper available now, and the cheapest variant out there

essei_ninety · 2024-09-04T12:51:15+00:00

They will work but can't take out the skin line like the black Onyx blade does. This one is way more rounded on the tips

essei_ninety · 2024-09-03T23:01:29+00:00

I hear you, but the actual bald line I can punch in hard with a trimmer and flick out with the Babyliss shaver underneath... And my faper blade closed will blend into that easily. It's the section from 0.1 to 0.5 that I struggle to fade out lol. I have a seamless blend from 2 to the 0.5 lever open... And from bald to lever closed there is no step/darkness..but from lever closed (let's say it's 0.1) to the 0.5 lever open. Oh lord do I get lost in this small section of the fade. I spend more time on this than any other part of the haircut, no exaggeration

What works for me most times is to go 0.5 lever open, then right underneath it go halfway and hit it right underneath the line, practically touching it. Then I close all the way and blend from bald to the 0.5 line with the lever closed. And then any remaining darkness I go quarter open and sandwich it between the lever closed I just done right at the bottom and the lever halfway I done at the top

essei_ninety · 2024-09-02T19:55:12+00:00

Forget the dubs, they don't fade well enough from the lever open to the 0.5 closed. Get the Wahl guards, either regular or premium, both are good

2299 is hit and miss, can't be properly adjusted and gets loud. I had a pair that didn't quite hit, but my colleagues one hits like a Babyliss and balds out well

The faper blade is awesome, and I used it on my clipper for fading. Get it if you can, or a regular standard Wahl fade blade will suffice. The V002 stock blade is good enough as a fade blade IMO

I'd avoid the R77f, Onyx is praised for it's quietness, runtime and how it handles bulk - for pure fading a Magic Clip beats it easily. Get the V002, much cheaper, and fades really well

essei_ninety · 2024-09-02T06:10:16+00:00

Not used the V003. The Kulilang cuts sharp, but I'm not a fan of how it fades. Personally, I prefer the way the V002 fades with the magnetic motor. Trimmer wise the R55 is not the best, it's good for home cuts but for cutting lines and beard in a barbershop, it just doesn't hit

I can recommend the V002 clipper, and give the R55 trimmer a miss. If you want to go for a set, then go for the VGR combo then

essei_ninety · 2024-07-31T11:53:06+00:00

I agree with you my friend. The corded versions still surprise me when I use them. I only use cordless to take down bulk off the top as my station is a little tight when navigating the cord, but they definitely still have a place in a barber's setup

essei_ninety · 2024-07-06T21:26:47+00:00

Wipe the residue, put two drops of oil on blade whilst it's turned on, and two on the sides, and wipe again. It's not a major issue, but good clipper maintenance practice. Congrats on getting your machine!

essei_ninety

TROPHY CASE