Mitsubishi 2008 Lancer Evolution: HW SM

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X is quite a popular casting among Hot Wheels collectors. And it's a favourite among customizers as well, as you can see in one of my previous posts. Anyway, I've managed to get my hands on the Speed Machines Lancer Evolution a few days ago. I was hoping I could find the red one, but the white one is a beauty as well. Here it is:

Mitsubishi 2008 Lancer Evolution from Hot Wheels Speed Machines.

Looks pretty good I must say. I thought it would look pretty lame in white. Guess I was wrong. Anyway, here's the Need for Speed Shift version:

Click on the pictures for a bigger resolution (1364x768)

*For more wallpapers of various Hot Wheels die-cast, you can click on the "Wallpapers" label just below this post. Thanks for looking! :)

USB DAC PCM2704

Finally, I managed to save enough money to buy my first USB DAC. The one I bought is a mini USB DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) using a PCM2704 chip. It's not a high-end stuff, but people say that it's a good start for newbies (like me) in the audiophile world. Do note that this is just a DAC, without a built-in amplifier.

Here are some specs of the item taken from the seller's thread:

• Sampling rates up to 32, 44.1, 48kHz, 
• 16bit digital sigma DAC, 
• THD+N = 0.006%(RL>10k ohm), 
• SNR = 98dB, 
• Dynamic Range = 98dB
• Windows 7 64/32 supported
• Asio4all supported
• (I have no idea what most of them mean. That's how much of a newbie I am.)

Here's the audio setup:

foobar2000 v1.1 > Wasapi output > USB DAC > Audio-Technica AD500

Sample rate: 44100 Hz

Bit depth: 16 bit

Songs: Too many to mention here. Rest assured they're all FLACs.

And here's a picture of it:

I don't know much about audiophile terms and stuffs, so I won't comment much on the sound quality of the USB DAC. Let's just say that the bass is greatly improved, while the mids are somewhat suppressed. Would probably work much better with an amplifier. Hmm, guess I need to save up for one...

Ferrari 599XX: HW SM

This is the second version of Ferrari 599XX from the Speed Machines series. I love the dark red paint they used on the previous version. Paired with the beautiful shape of the cast itself, the red Ferrari 599XX looks absolutely stunning. For the second version though, they just decided to dip the whole thing into a jar of mustard. And here's the result:

Ferrari 599XX from Hot Wheels Speed Machines

Hmm... I don't know.. It just doesn't seem right in yellow.

There are things which look nice in yellow. The Ferrari F355 looks nice in yellow, the Ferrari Testarossa looks nice in yellow, Kristen Bell looks hot in a yellow bikini, bananas look yummy in yellow, but the 599XX? Don't get me wrong, the 599XX is a beautiful, beautiful car. It's like Megan Fox's lips. They look sexy in red, but in yellow? I do know someone who would absolutely love this car in yellow though...

Nissan Fairlady Z Roadster: Tomica

I've always been in love with the Fairlady, particularly the 350Z. It's quite possibly one of the prettiest cars that has ever been made. But it's a different case for the 370Z. I just don't quite fancy the way it looks. I'm not saying it's ugly or anything. It is quite a looker. But I was expecting that the successor to the 350Z should be a lot prettier than the car it's replacing, and not the other way around. Still, a Fairlady is a Fairlady, which means that it's another must have in my die-cast list. So here you go:

Nissan Fairlady Z Roadster from Tomica.

I personally think that the coupe version of the 370Z looks much better. This one looks somewhat out of proportion. But I guess girl's would prefer the convertible version.

The rear end looks swollen in the roadster version. Might not be such a bad thing though, since it reminds me of Kim Kardashian. Hmm...

'65 Mustang Fastback: HW

Got this loose piece from a good friend of mine a few days ago. Not exactly in a great condition, but it's worth the price. And since it's a Mustang, then it's a must have for me.

'65 Mustang Fastback from Hot Wheels 2008 New Models

40th Anniversary TOMICA Vol.1 Fairlady Z 432

It's been a while since I featured a die-cast model here. I was a little busy with my studies, and my cash was running low as well, therefore I had to stop collecting die-casts for a while. But today I finally got the chance to go out and have some fun, while looking out for any interesting die-casts at the same time. And I found this beauty from Tomica:

40th Anniversary TOMICA Vol.1 Fairlady Z 432

Just like the 40th Anniversary TOMICA Vol.1 Toyota 2000GT, it comes with a display base as well, with the option to stick either an English or a Japanese name plate.

Close-up shots of the car. Details are good, though it could use painted headlights. The doors can be opened, and the base is made of metal. I guess this is the standard for all 40th Anniversary Tomicas.

Here it is pictured with the base. Again, I've chosen to use the Japanese name plate as it properly reflects the origin of this beautiful car. Besides the Fairlady Z 432 and the Toyota 2000GT, there are 4 other cars in the 40th Anniversary Tomica Vol. 1 line-up which comprises of Crown Patrol Car, Corona Mark II Hardtop, Crown Super Deluxe, and Bluebird SSS Coupe. I'll try to get the complete set once I have some extra cash to burn. Oh, by the way, from now on, I'll be using my Samsung S5560 phone to take pictures of die-casts, 'cos my brother needs to use the Nikon L16. Therefore picture quality might differ compared to the previous posts. Till then.

118gallery.com

Most die-cast enthusiasts, such as myself, love taking close-up pictures of their die-cast models amidst a white background, in order to bring the viewer's focus to the details of the car. I would usually bring the camera as close as possible to the die-cast model so that the car would fill up most of the picture. And if there are certain details on the car that I would like to highlight, such as the tampos, wheels, etc, I would take a very close macro shot of the respective parts. This particular die-cast enthusiast from 118gallery.com however, tends to do things a bit differently.

Yes, all of the cars in the pictures above are die-cast scale models (mostly 1:18). But they look just like the real thing! And what's even more amazing, he's not using an expensive DSLR or some special photography equipments. He's just using this:

Can you believe it? A Vivitar 3.3 megapixel camera? I'm using a Nikon 7.1 megapixel camera, and my pictures look like shit. This guy is amazing!

So there you go, proof that you don't need an expensive DSLR or some fancy photography equipments to take good pictures. For more jaw-dropping pictures and some photography tips, go to his website at 118gallery.com