"I Saw the Devil" --> Mini Review

I will just flat out say it... THIS IS THE BEST REVENGE MOVIE I'VE EVER SEEN!!!!

Simple!



Notes about myself:

1) Love horror and black comedy movies
2) Like gory/bloody movies
3) Lately loving Korean cinema

Plot

So there's a psychopath on the loose (played BRILLIANTLY by Min-sik Choi -- Oldboy) taking women, raping and killing them. The police don't have a fucking clue until one day this serial killing machine spots a woman stranded on a snowy road. This woman is the wife of our main star, a police detective. The killer takes the girl, kills her for his own pleasure and throws the body in a creek. The body is found, police are called in and you learn that not only was this the wife of the detective but that her father was chief of police.

Now, this first death is graphic as heck but expertly executed. Is not gore or blood for gore or blood's sake! Director Ji-woon Kim is really a master when dealing with these scenes!



Back to the plot, the husband in his grief vows (to himself and his father in law) to look for the killer and this is where it gets interesting! He doesn't want to bring in the killer, HE WANTS TO PUNISH HIM! So the hunter becomes the hunted!!!

Without getting into any spoilers, this movie is full of fun. You get to see how the "good guy" catches up to the "bad guy", inflicts some pain and lets him go only to catch onto him again, inflict more pain, etc. Why did I use quotes? Because you really can't believe that this detective is doing what he is doing! It really blurs the line between good and evil!

The second act of the movie is EVEN WEIRDER!
Serial killer goes up the mountains to a cabin to seek shelter with ANOTHER serial killing friend which, on top of being a serial killer, HE'S A FUCKING CANNIBAL! (and no, it's not really a spoiler... or maybe it is... OOOPPSS).

Intense scene after intense scene, this is what the movie is about!

Will you like it?

Ask the following questions:

1) Do you like blood?
2) Do you like derange psychopaths?
3) Do you like suspense?
4) Do you like being on the edge of your seat for 2+ hours?

If you answered yes to all of these, then yes, this is definitely a movie to watch! I actually did find it kind of excruciating due to not only the violence but the way the director shot it. Sometimes it feels so intimate that you feel "trapped" with the victim and want to get out!




DVD Contents

It's alright. Nothing too fancy.
Some interviews and a Making Of.

Conclusion

This is already an INSTANT CLASSIC for me! I didn't think I would be able to watch such a great thriller, a great ride coming from Korea, but those guys keep impressing me with every movie they make. Hollywood should take notice and start doing some creative thinking! I heard they are "remaking" Oldboy!! COME ON U.S.A!!!! START BEING CREATIVE!!!

Anyway, 5 stars out of 5!
Highly recommended!

Yep... I have more headphones! :-p

Hello...

So like I mentioned on the previous article (Shure SRH940 Review), I have gotten a few headphones or cans these past few years. I haven't written anything on those (not sure if I will), but I'm going to post a couple of pics of the equipment I have here right now.

Audio Technica ATH-AD700



Mini Overview: Open Headphones, big soundstage, extremely comfortable. Sound is kind of lacking for music as it really lacks in the low-end spectrum. At least treble is not harsh and mids are Ok. A bit "airy". For the price is not bad but you can get the Shures 440s at a similar price! (I have a review of these here as well... Shure 440 review

Sennheiser HD600







Mini Overview: Open cans, soundstage is good (AD700s I find it to be bigger), but sound makes a difference. They excel mostly on everything. Goes low enough, treble is smooth but I find that mids are a BIT recessed... not sure if they will sound better with "burn-in" (or if my ears will get used to them) or if it's my headphone amp! (Icon HDP at the moment). We'll see. These are barely new.

JDSLabs CmoyBB amp









Mini Overview: THESE ARE AWESOME! I haven't really used them a lot (less than 20 hours) but they actually made a WHOLE lot of difference alongside my Shure's 940! The 940s are known to be bright (I mentioned this on my review below!) but the Cmoy actually adds warmth and the bass is more present now! Haven't tested it with other cans but this will definitely be my 940s amp! Got this with the "charging module" so I'm actually waiting for the wall plug to arrive and keep on using it! Love the synergy of this with my 940s (not so much with my Icon HDP which is way expensive... go figure!)

And I still have another set of cans arriving plus a couple of other things. Maybe I'll post these later.

Also, I plan to post a couple of movie reviews soon to see if I can keep this page active!

Anyway, see you soon!

Shure SRH940 – My Headphone Kings

Pros: Great mostly balanced sound for recording, great package that includes all you need, removable cables, best “mids” I have heard out of any headphones
Cons: Not very portable, not the best isolation, no handle on box that encloses the cans and accessories, still bass-light (or too treble friendly ;-))

Introduction:

After a whole lot of browsing, reading, testing, etc., a couple of years ago I decided on getting new cans. This resulted in me acquiring the Shure SRH440s. At the time I had not listened to such type of headphones, meaning quite balanced with great mids providing a complete package that actually made you want to keep listening and enjoying music. (I.e. most headphones I had were cheap Koss or Sony’s, etc.) These cans opened up a new world for me. Yes I had good audio equipment, cheap but good sounding, for my home theater, “recording” room (I’m not a musician, it’s just a hobby to create some song snippets.), etc. but never thought much about headphones. It all went “downhill” after that… Started buying headphones just to compare but still I was attracted to my 440s. When I read that Shure was planning on releasing an updated pair, I quickly jumped on them.



My main concern with the 440s in the start was what I praised them for now. Mids were kind of anemic… I don’t know if it was “burn-in” or my ears getting used to the sound but after a while I couldn’t get them away from my ears, I loved the mids! Bass was something that quite never settled with me. They were kind of lacking (when compared to a couple of other closed cans) but the upgrade to 840 pads made some sonic changes for the better (especially bass region!). So for the 940s I was expecting more great things (including better bass…). I was wrong… (more in a bit :-p)

SRH-940

First let’s talk about the headphones.

When I saw them I was surprised. The industrial-like silver/gray color was great looking and a departure for the whole black-motif of the earlier series (except the “DJ” one). The velour pads were another departure (I live in hot-ass Puerto Rico and I was just thinking of sweaty ears/head lol!!) which I wasn’t sure about (after getting used to the 840 pads). The complete package was complete enough that gave me the security I made a good purchase. But it all hinged on the sound…



Stats:

* Transducer type: Dynamic neodymium magnet
* Driver size: 40 mm
* Sensitivity (1kHz): 100 dB/mW
* Impedance (1kHz): 42 Ω
* Max. input power (1kHz): 1000 mW
* Frequency range” 5 Hz - 30 kHz
* Net weight (without cable): 11 oz (320 g)
* Length of cable: Coiled: 9.84 ft (3 meters), detachable, Straight: 8.2 ft (2.5 meters)
* Type of cable: Detachable oxygen-free copper
* Plug: Gold-plated 1/8" (3.5 mm) stereo mini jack

Package Contents:

* Replaceable velour ear pads
* Two included detachable cables (coiled & straight)
* Zippered hard travel case
* 1/4th adapter



Sound:

And we got here… even though I was expecting more low-end presence on these headphones, it was actually the opposite. I have to say that high-end band and mids were more forward than the 440s (or any other I have ever heard) and still bass light (even more so than the 440s with 840 pads!). Was I disappointed? Shure! ( ;-)) But I also had to keep in mind that these were “recording” headphones. Started breaking them in and using them everyday and then I started noticing.

* Crisp sound! Crystalline in fact!
* Mids were even tastier. Vocals on this thing were surprising (women performers in particular!)
* Even though it is a bit bass-light can (compared to AT-M50s, 840s, some Senns) the low-end extended well and was pretty clear!

Began modifying my playlists, added a couple of Jazz, techno, electro-pop, etc. and felt in love back again! Highs were not fatiguing, mids were the best I have heard (still is! Love vocals and acoustic guitars on this thing!), and the bass… it does goes low but it depends… and that’s my other point. These headphones LIVE OR DIE BY THE SOURCE!!! If a recording is poor, these will be a pain to use and listen to all day. Due to the high-end being so forward, you will not be happy when you start listening to hiss, distortion, etc. Again NOT the headphones fault, but take note! Finally, soundstage, it’s great for a closed headphone. It will definitely not beat HD600s nor cheaper AD700s soundstage but it’s good. Tested with indie and jazz you can actually pay attention to the music and instruments without being disappointed in them being panned way to your left or right, etc. (unless the recording is actually like that! Lol).

Overall, I grew to like them and it’s now my preferred “portable” cans!



Conclusion:


I really think that for music recording these are a great addition to your arsenal since you will be able to clearly listen to any defects you might have (being brought due to those forward highs!). If you play your cards right, you can even mix a bit with these just have in mind that these are not bassy so don’t overdue the bass quantity! Isolation is not the best ever so I wouldn’t record vocals with these on just in case any sound leaks. But I was really surprised with how “listenable” they are. Yes they are a bit heavier than the 440s but sound is so tasty that you’ll forget about them being in your head and start rocking out.

I trusted Shure and I was not disappointed!


If they break apart, would I buy them again?

HELL YES!! (along with Hifiman HE500s… yes… these hobby is like a drug! Lol ;-)).


Hope you liked this mini-review.

Some bonus pics…








Thanks.


Update: Just testing out with JDSLabs CmoyBB amp and… WHAT A GREAT COMBINATION! Soundstage a bit expanded, and I HEAR MORE BASS!! Is it my mind?!? Naaah, made some notes, time coded, on a couple of songs. Bass presence is definitely there!

Update 2: If you are wondering what I used to drive the headphones: Archos 7, Archos 605, my main PC through Icon HDP and Lexicon Omega Recording interface.

Update 3: Have I adequately burned these in? Although I don’t believe in burn-in (to me is just your ears/mind getting used to the sound signature) yes, I have had a couple of months using these for 6 or more hours 5 days a week so… hundreds and hundreds of hours! ;-)

Selling some of my stuff...

Yeap!

I've been organizing one of my rooms and emptying closets and I figured: "Why be such a freaking hoarder?!?". I'm one of those guys that keep on with their stuff EVEN if they're not using it but NOT ANYMORE!!!!

Today I posted a listing on eBay with a bundle of Game Boy Advanced games (most of them RPGs! ;-)). It included:

Final Fantasy I & II Dawn of Souls
Final Fantasy IV Advance
Final Fantasy Tactics
Golden Sun 1 & 2
Castlevania Double Pack (Harmony of Dissonance/Aria of Sorrow)

And I let all of that go for $55 plus $10 on S/H charges.
Pretty good I'd say since most of those sell for MORE than $10 each! Not even 5 minutes passed and I already had someone buy it!

NNIIIIICCCEEEEEEEE!!!!

I'm pretty sure that the one who bought it WILL resell all of those games and make a bit more money than me, but still, they're games I was NOT using and I made a little cash on the side...

I'm also going to sell my Kodak Zi8 HD Pocket Camera because frankly, I DON'T USE IT! Heck, I didn't even do a mini review here! (took the pictures, did the unboxing but did not post it.) Now, don't get me wrong, it's a GREAT little camera and produced great results (and it has "line/mic in"!!!) but it was just collecting dust and the batteries would have died because of that.) So I made the choice of listing it.

eBay Kodak Zi8 Listing

I'm pretty sure that I will be selling:

1) Sony TRV460 bundle with Camera bag and a bunch of stuff
2) PanDigital Photo Scanner
3) A couple of extra PS1/PS2 games
4) etc. etc.

Whatever I'm not using, is going going gone!

See ya!

My First Amp...

Yeah, in College I started playing guitar... self learner (which is why I still don't know how to properly play the fucking guitar!), grabbed my Dad's old acoustic guitar, took it the apartment I was sharing with my buddies and just started strumming the heck out of that 80s Spanish guitar.

A few years later I figured I'd get an electric.
I bought a new Ibanez GAX75 (look it up... it had the "Drop-D" mechanism! hehehe) and of course I needed an amp. Enter Behringer GAX210:



To me this was a HUGE buy at the time!
I was at College, didn't had too much money and had to work a bit to buy the things I wanted but I did and was satisfied with the amp. I know Behringer gets/got a lot of shit due to their quality and technical support but I had this amp since 2001 I believe and IT NEVER FAILED ON ME!

It had 2 Jensen 10 inchers which got extremely loud fast! I mean, for a "practice" amp, you could really take this to a gig and it wouldn't have been overpowered by the drums!

What I loved about it though? Integrated effects!!! LOL I was so cheap that I didn't wanted to buy extra pedals for Chorus, Flanger, Wah, etc. effects so I got an amp that did that too (at the time there was also Line 6 making GREAT amps but they were out of my reach!).



I had good times with it but I wasn't using it that much, so I decided to sell it. In fact, it is getting a LOT of use by the guy I sold it too. He plays with his brothers and actually is just promoting his record... let me plug him:



I just have to say, Don't OVERLOOK Behringer! Give some of their products a try and if you like it, keep it! If not, most music stores have trial dates and you can return the merchandise! I would definitely buy more stuff from them if I think they're doing what I want them to!

Check it!

Nokia E71 -- Best Phone I've ever had...

Hello.

As I mentioned on my previous post, I'm going to start posting some short reviews/views on things I have bought these past few years. I will start with my current cell-phone: Nokia E71



This phone specifications (for being a 2008 phone) are up to the roof full of them. It's 3G, has Wifi, GPS, Bluetooth, Infrared support, USB, an extra microSD slot, Cameras in the front and back (yes, you could video call with this BEFORE there was "FaceTime"...), FM Radio, Java, Flash, etc. I tell you, Nokia does know how to build a phone!



Even though they have fallen with time (and that new partnership with Microsoft... yuck...) NO ONE can deny the build of these guys! Look at these!






Now, I bought this phone on 2009 (December I believe) and you might be asking yourselves: "Why the hell did he bought that ass-backward phone when there's the iPhone, a million other touch-screen devices, etc.?!?).

My answer will honestly be... I F*CKING HATE APPLE!! LOL!!
But seriously I've always loved Nokia (and I HATE Apple! :-p) Before college, all of my dad's phones were Nokia (I think he had a Motorola once, and returned it!), my phones most of them have been Nokias. I was using a simple Sony Ericson Walkman phone before this one (the company I work for did not allow smartphones!) so for me this was a HUGE upgrade and a return to my dear Finnish company.
One of the things that called my attention though, the QWERTY Keyboard. Yes there were Blackberries, but DAMMIT I wanted a Nokia! This fit the bill quite nice since I'm a text-whore! Lovely thing though, I started installing more apps. Got the Garmin GPS in there with the 2010 maps, got some Facebook and Twitter apps, got me the most important one, Joikuspot, which allows me to tether, etc. and I have to say that the phone just do what it's supposed to and more.

People still ask me: "Why don't you get an Android phone or an iPhone and join the masses?" Frankly, I don't need to join the masses! My phone works for me and next time I'll probably buy another QWERTY Nokia either with Meego or WinMobile (YIKES!). Thing is, I just call, text, do some social networking and a couple of pictures and that's it. For music listening I have like 3 Archos PMPs. For video recording I have a Kodak Zi Camera (which I rarely use and will probably sell!!!), etc. I don't need Fart Apps! I don't need apps that tell me where I can eat! I just want a solid good-looking phone that will last! And this one, almost 2 years and still going strong!

In closing, love the qwerty on the phone, love the looks, love what it can do and I really rate it an 8/10 !!!

I'm not getting into technical aspects or a full overview, but just know, this was probably the best "business-like" phone of its time and still is a solid dialer!

For a full review you can visit dozen of sites or just go to this one which is pretty complete:

GSM Arena's Review

Thanks for reading and keep on trucking!

Short update after a freaking year...

Hello.

Still alive but haven't had time to write my thoughts on ALL THE SHIT I have bought in the past year (and trust me, when you are a shopaholic, there's A LOT of stuff you buy and then try to get rid of!!! LOL).

Since I know NO ONE will mind (no one reads this! HEHEHE) I will just post a couple of grainy-ass pictures and thoughts on the things I have, have bought, sold, etc.

Let's see... what do I start up with?!?


Bye!