Hi Fi and Home theater set ups

[dcbc 14644]

On 1/17/2023 at 5:55 PM, Not that Bob said:

I am moving in to a new, to me, house and the previous owner had a rather spectacular system set up. Wall/ceiling mounted speakers in at least 4 rooms. All controlled from one of two media closets. When he moved he took all the equipment, but obviously (I guess obvious) he left all the speakers and wires in the walls. I haven't been paying attention for several years and every thing seems to  have changed to wireless now, or at least most things. 

Is it worth it for me to have someone come trace and label all these wires? I don't have the time or patience to do it myself. If it's worth it who in Austin would do such a thing?

My first reaction is to just say fuck it and go with Sonos  or whatever is the flavor of the week. I no longer need T-Rex to shake the house, but don't want to just use the speakers in the TV. 

Have one person stand by a speaker and have another person touch the wires at the other end one-by-one to the terminals of a 9-volt battery and see which one makes the speaker move/pop.  9-volts are cheaper than contractors.  From there, get a speaker wall plate, label it, and attach the wires. 

Edited February 9, 2023 by dcbc

[jimmyjazz 47092]

5 hours ago, dcbc said:

Have one person stand by a speaker and have another person touch the wires at the other end one-by-one to the terminals of a 9-volt battery and see which one makes the speaker move/pop.  9-volts are cheaper than contractors.  From there, get a speaker wall plate, label it, and attach the wires. 

Pay attention to which way the speaker moves on a 9-volt battery.  Wire them up the same.  i.e., put a piece of tape at the end of the wire that causes the speaker to move "out" when hooked to the "positive" battery terminal.  Hook all the positives to your amp in the same way.  Otherwise, you'll have speakers fighting each other and diminishing bass response.

[dcbc 14644]

5 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Pay attention to which way the speaker moves on a 9-volt battery.  Wire them up the same.  i.e., put a piece of tape at the end of the wire that causes the speaker to move "out" when hooked to the "positive" battery terminal.  Hook all the positives to your amp in the same way.  Otherwise, you'll have speakers fighting each other and diminishing bass response.

I almost edited to add this.  Hopefully, whoever wired these up used some wires with obvious positive/negative terminals.

[GhostOfTomJoad 9508]

Maybe there's a thread about this in CYHMWT, but it's definitely home theater related and there are some nice systems on display in this thread. My question is: are there any Logitech remote control users here who have found a suitable alternative for a UC now that Logitech has exited the market?

I've got a Harmony Elite w/ hub that has worked extremely well for years. Before that we used a Harmony One. My marriage is dependent upon me providing a simple remote for my wife to use for a straightforward living room system (TV, sound bar, STB, Apple 4K TV and a PS4 that gets used about twice a year (it's really just an occasional BR player at this point).

It seems like Sofabaton has a couple options that are the closest match to Harmony remotes, but their build quality is suspect and software still buggy. My Harmony still works, but it's getting quirkier and quirkier, e.g. pressing the channel preset icon for say TCM is channel 64 will often add multiple digits so it will call up 644, or 6644. The macro commands also don't always fire properly (it's RF so no issues w/ IR signals being blocked).

Anybody got a better solution?

[Pescado_Rojo 19581]

6 minutes ago, GhostOfTomJoad said:

Maybe there's a thread about this in CYHMWT, but it's definitely home theater related and there are some nice systems on display in this thread. My question is: are there any Logitech remote control users here who have found a suitable alternative for a UC now that Logitech has exited the market?

I've got a Harmony Elite w/ hub that has worked extremely well for years. Before that we used a Harmony One. My marriage is dependent upon me providing a simple remote for my wife to use for a straightforward living room system (TV, sound bar, STB, Apple 4K TV and a PS4 that gets used about twice a year (it's really just an occasional BR player at this point).

It seems like Sofabaton has a couple options that are the closest match to Harmony remotes, but their build quality is suspect and software still buggy. My Harmony still works, but it's getting quirkier and quirkier, e.g. pressing the channel preset icon for say TCM is channel 64 will often add multiple digits so it will call up 644, or 6644. The macro commands also don't always fire properly (it's RF so no issues w/ IR signals being blocked).

Anybody got a better solution?

I don't have an answer for you, but my Harmony One did the same thing after a few years of daily use and I ended up going back to multiple manufacturer remotes. Interested to hear if there are better options as well. 

[hobbes2702 13417]

1 hour ago, GhostOfTomJoad said:

Maybe there's a thread about this in CYHMWT, but it's definitely home theater related and there are some nice systems on display in this thread. My question is: are there any Logitech remote control users here who have found a suitable alternative for a UC now that Logitech has exited the market?

I've got a Harmony Elite w/ hub that has worked extremely well for years. Before that we used a Harmony One. My marriage is dependent upon me providing a simple remote for my wife to use for a straightforward living room system (TV, sound bar, STB, Apple 4K TV and a PS4 that gets used about twice a year (it's really just an occasional BR player at this point).

It seems like Sofabaton has a couple options that are the closest match to Harmony remotes, but their build quality is suspect and software still buggy. My Harmony still works, but it's getting quirkier and quirkier, e.g. pressing the channel preset icon for say TCM is channel 64 will often add multiple digits so it will call up 644, or 6644. The macro commands also don't always fire properly (it's RF so no issues w/ IR signals being blocked).

Anybody got a better solution?

Your Apple TV should control the entire system for the basics.

I have Marantz receiver, ps5, Apple TV, hue bridge, switch. With HDMI CEC the Apple TV will power on and off, volume up and down, etc. It won’t change inputs on the receiver but HDMI does does that when you power on a device.

Most all the universal remotes suck unless you’re looking at a home automation solution from control4, Lutron, etc. and those are way way expensive for someone only looking at a single room control.

Also you should move away from a set top box and look at a streaming option. Can use your Apple TV to display YouTube tv, att, Hulu, or whatever service. Just don’t use that shit equipment that makes everything harder 

Edited February 9, 2023 by hobbes2702

[GhostOfTomJoad 9508]

 Yeah, the Apple TV will but that remote is classic Apple: looks cool, does a few things really great, but makes what should be simple tasks amazingly cumbersome. And oh yeah, everyone loves a jet black remote with minimal tacticle buttons to let you use it in the dark.

Mrs GOTJ inheritted her dad's "why won't everything work when I push one button" gene. I don't mind using multiple remotes and prior to the Harmony I had printed up laminated cards for the different button pushes required to make things work. It's amazing how difficult it is for many people to understand the concept of changing inputs.

This $450 beauty is supposed to come out this spring. Overkill and sexy, but looks like they're trying to bridge the Apple - Logitech gap.

And yeah, I can use my Apple TV to run Spectrum cable and ditch the STB, but again it comes back to the shitty Apple remote and how do I make things simple and similar enough so my wife doesn't get frustrated with a different setup between the living room, bedroom, etc. 

[hobbes2702 13417]

20 minutes ago, GhostOfTomJoad said:

 Yeah, the Apple TV will but that remote is classic Apple: looks cool, does a few things really great, but makes what should be simple tasks amazingly cumbersome. And oh yeah, everyone loves a jet black remote with minimal tacticle buttons to let you use it in the dark.

Mrs GOTJ inheritted her dad's "why won't everything work when I push one button" gene. I don't mind using multiple remotes and prior to the Harmony I had printed up laminated cards for the different button pushes required to make things work. It's amazing how difficult it is for many people to understand the concept of changing inputs.

This $450 beauty is supposed to come out this spring. Overkill and sexy, but looks like they're trying to bridge the Apple - Logitech gap.

And yeah, I can use my Apple TV to run Spectrum cable and ditch the STB, but again it comes back to the shitty Apple remote and how do I make things simple and similar enough so my wife doesn't get frustrated with a different setup between the living room, bedroom, etc. 

That’s entirely my point about HDMI control. Everything will work with the push of one button if you cut out the STB.

I used to have a harmony remote on every TV in my house. Once I switched to HDMI control it was over for any universal. What tasks do you find cumbersome with the Apple Remote? The new version might solve that as well.

[Rimbo 26983]

Wow, I haven't chimed in on this thread?

Well.

Main living room setup is a pair of Meridian DSP 6000s (in a Meridian D6000 case). We have an Epson projector and screen, but they're not getting hooked up until we finish remodeling.

Photo is not from our living room.

 

Now the real mess is my computer.

There, I have a PreSonus Audiobox 96 USB DAC

going into a Roland MX-5 preamp.

(My Synth also goes into the mixer.)

THAT gets plugged into a Samson Servo 120a power amp,

connected to a pair of Tannoy SBMs.

...as you can see, most of my shit is from the 20th century.

[Sam Lin 3597]

22 hours ago, Not that Bob said:

Just got KEF LS50 II 

Hello friend!

[Not that Bob 743]

Those Meredians....beautiful.

[jimmyjazz 47092]

Are those the "digital" Meridians?

[VABuckeye 2481]

They should be.  I wonder what Meridian gear is driving them.  I know they have internal amps.

[Doc Daneeka 6793]

Taking a break from audiophile stuff…

Yamaha RX-A3080

Polk RTiA7 fronts (bi-amped)

CSiA6 center

Polks on the wall in front and surrounds in back

Cerwin Vega sub because the Polk sub couldn’t hang and it’s all I had.

 

[gofuckyourself 9054]

I need some audio nerd assistance.

We're about to move and I think now would be a good time to set up a decent system that supports music streaming but also existing media. I have Amazon Prime Unlimited music but haven't been utilizing the HD and Ultra HD options and would like to tap into those. I also have a bazillion CDs packed away and some vinyl I'd like to incorporate and probably add to.

Can anyone suggest devices - including speakers - or just resources to figure this shit out that can support the various formats?

I have all types of music so the genre doesn't influence it. I hope to get something set up where my kids can begin a music appreciation journey. They're about my same age when I really discovered good bands from my parents' own LP collection and sound system.

Budget is flexible but I don't plan to spend multiple thousands - if that's even possible? Literally no clue or even where to start. So it's virtually a blank slate.

Again, if asked and answered, point the way.

Gracias in advance.

[hobbes2702 13417]

7 minutes ago, gofuckyourself said:

I need some audio nerd assistance.

We're about to move and I think now would be a good time to set up a decent system that supports music streaming but also existing media. I have Amazon Prime Unlimited music but haven't been utilizing the HD and Ultra HD options and would like to tap into those. I also have a bazillion CDs packed away and some vinyl I'd like to incorporate and probably add to.

Can anyone suggest devices - including speakers - or just resources to figure this shit out that can support the various formats?

I have all types of music so the genre doesn't influence it. I hope to get something set up where my kids can begin a music appreciation journey. They're about my same age when I really discovered good bands from my parents' own LP collection and sound system.

Budget is flexible but I don't plan to spend multiple thousands - if that's even possible? Literally no clue or even where to start. So it's virtually a blank slate.

Again, if asked and answered, point the way.

Gracias in advance.

Devices will be pretty simple, some kind of turntable, something to play the cds. Other here will have good advice on those.

Speakers and power are going to be completely up to you. I think the first question you’ll need to ask if how much space you plan to have for them. Then I would recommend going and listening. See what sounds good to you. Listen to music/movies you are very very familiar with and see what you like 

[Sam Lin 3597]

I know you say all genres, but still, what music hits your playlist the most frequently? And what volume do you generally listen at? Finally, what is the listening room? Size, wall finishings, shape and openings.

[Paul Wesley 3313]

Is there a dominant website for home audio gear… like what Reverb has become for musical instruments?   Or do y’all think Facebook marketplace or craigslist are better for hidden audio gems?

[dcbc 14644]

45 minutes ago, Paul Wesley said:

Is there a dominant website for home audio gear… like what Reverb has become for musical instruments?   Or do y’all think Facebook marketplace or craigslist are better for hidden audio gems?

You can get home audio gear on Reverb. 

[mdmost 43920]

59 minutes ago, Paul Wesley said:

Is there a dominant website for home audio gear… like what Reverb has become for musical instruments?   Or do y’all think Facebook marketplace or craigslist are better for hidden audio gems?

https://www.hifizero.com/eng/

This is where I found a good deal on a used PS Audio DAC pre-amp that's now the main way I listen to music. 

This is also a good resource for used hi-end equipment

https://tmraudio.com/

Edited May 3, 2023 by mdmost

[TwiceHorn 32049]

On 4/27/2023 at 11:35 AM, gofuckyourself said:

I need some audio nerd assistance.

We're about to move and I think now would be a good time to set up a decent system that supports music streaming but also existing media. I have Amazon Prime Unlimited music but haven't been utilizing the HD and Ultra HD options and would like to tap into those. I also have a bazillion CDs packed away and some vinyl I'd like to incorporate and probably add to.

Can anyone suggest devices - including speakers - or just resources to figure this shit out that can support the various formats?

I have all types of music so the genre doesn't influence it. I hope to get something set up where my kids can begin a music appreciation journey. They're about my same age when I really discovered good bands from my parents' own LP collection and sound system.

Budget is flexible but I don't plan to spend multiple thousands - if that's even possible? Literally no clue or even where to start. So it's virtually a blank slate.

Again, if asked and answered, point the way.

Gracias in advance.

If you intend to use your streaming sources heavily, i would advise a high quality DAC (can be in a receiver, an amp, a "streamer," etc.) somewhere in the system and not reliance on bluetooth, that is, something with an internet connection, be it wi-fi or ethernet.

[TwiceHorn 32049]

To that end, we've bought a new house with some sort of mancave/media room.  The family room and the mancave thing both have one pair of speakers in the ceiling that I guess I might make some use of somehow.

Pretty mid-fi.

I have a good NAD receiver that's oldtech jerry rigged through the TV and a Chromecast to permit streaming.  I actually still listen to terrestrial radio, but a tuner is not a thing necessarily anymore.  But I'll probably need another something for this media room, or for the family room and TV.  I have a bunch of CDs, but honestly streaming will probably be the order of the day, and internet radio, and the odd loud movie.

I'm probably not going down the vinyl rathole, but digital connectivity is pretty important and that can be accomplished either with a wifi/ethernet connection or an HDMI port, again using the TV as the streaming source, or maybe a dedicated streamer or even PC.

No interest in anything but two-channel.

Some potential units are Marantz NR-1200, Yamaha RN-303.  Something from Denon or Onkyo?  Something else entirely?  I don't think I want to futz with Sonos or anything similar.

[gofuckyourself 9054]

On 5/1/2023 at 8:41 PM, Sam Lin said:

I know you say all genres, but still, what music hits your playlist the most frequently? And what volume do you generally listen at? Finally, what is the listening room? Size, wall finishings, shape and openings.

Classic rock, modern-ish rock the most, movie soundtracks/orchestral and occasional "synth" and electronic style.

Room will be a carpeted open media/game room, 2nd floor. So it's probably terrible for sound. Size is 17 x 15.

I liked the idea of a couple Sonos era 100s and a Sonos sound bar for a cheap surround sound AV use that can be used for music too.

I like the simplicity that seems to offer.

Edited May 3, 2023 by gofuckyourself

[Sam Lin 3597]

2 hours ago, Paul Wesley said:

Is there a dominant website for home audio gear… like what Reverb has become for musical instruments?   Or do y’all think Facebook marketplace or craigslist are better for hidden audio gems?

Audiogon

[Sam Lin 3597]

Some thoughts:

On 4/27/2023 at 11:35 PM, gofuckyourself said:

I need some audio nerd assistance.

We're about to move and I think now would be a good time to set up a decent system that supports music streaming but also existing media. I have Amazon Prime Unlimited music but haven't been utilizing the HD and Ultra HD options and would like to tap into those. I also have a bazillion CDs packed away and some vinyl I'd like to incorporate and probably add to.

Can anyone suggest devices - including speakers - or just resources to figure this shit out that can support the various formats?

I have all types of music so the genre doesn't influence it. I hope to get something set up where my kids can begin a music appreciation journey. They're about my same age when I really discovered good bands from my parents' own LP collection and sound system.

Budget is flexible but I don't plan to spend multiple thousands - if that's even possible? Literally no clue or even where to start. So it's virtually a blank slate.

Again, if asked and answered, point the way.

Gracias in advance.

Sources - this is a whole area of its own, independent from the audio system.

Vinyl will be the biggest hurdle here. Vinyl just has space and equipment requirements that you can't get away from, and it does not rip well to digital, plus that sort of destroys the whole point of vinyl. You need a turntable, (tone arm and cartridge will be included for most entry turntables, otherwise you need to add those as well) and phono stage/phono preamp. There are entry level products that have that built in.

The CDs I'd advise ripping to FLAC (lossless) and storing on a NAS feeding a digital media server, that server will also be your connection to Amazon Prime and to Tidal or Roon in the future if you really get into high rez sources. The NAS you can also use on your home network to back up computer files, feed a Plex server so you can download TV shows/movies to watch on smart TV, etc. Some streamers have a drive built in, but your collection will likely be too large for the drive, but to keep it simple, you can just get an external USB HDD and most of the streamers can directly connect USB. Going to a NAS like a Qnap gets you more space but also RAID redundancy, so you don't lose everything if one drive fails.

Be aware ripping the CDs will be a long, time-consuming process, and it pays to research the CD database software so it does all the naming/tagging automatically. There used to be some companies that you could pay to rip it all for you, you send them your disks, they send you back the files. But that's the better future-proof solution, and frees up your future physical storage space as well as your need to keep a CD player. That said, if you really want a CD player, the obsolescence of CD has killed resale values of top-end CD equipment and you can build what used to be a 5-digit dream system for low thousands.

Outside thought, unless your CD collection is really esoteric, take a look at the Roon/Tidal catalogs. You might find they already have digital high-rez versions of all your CDs, in which case you might just pay for a subscription and stream it all vs the time/hassle of ripping your own stuff and needing a drive to store it.

 

41 minutes ago, gofuckyourself said:

Classic rock, modern-ish rock the most, movie soundtracks/orchestral and occasional "synth" and electronic style.

Room will be a carpeted open media/game room, 2nd floor. So it's probably terrible for sound. Size is 17 x 15.

I liked the idea of a couple Sonos era 100s and a Sonos sound bar for a cheap surround sound AV use that can be used for music too.

I like the simplicity that seems to offer.

You need to think about where you want to be on the convenience vs sound quality scale. You can have both, but not cheap. And you also need to consider what audiophiles refer to as WAF, Wife Approval Factor. Can the system be visible? Can it occupy a bunch of space? Does it have to look nice in addition to sounding nice?

Even a few Sonos speakers gets you into the thousands that you are trying to avoid. Sonos is nice for convenience, but once you start talking about multiple units/surround sound or multiple rooms/zones, the cost adds up.

Room actually seems pretty good, good size, open sides, carpet, those make it easier than a small reflective room. But the size and the openness would push me towards floorstanding speakers over bookshelves and over sound bar type products.

If you lean simplicity, consider active speakers, which means amplification is built in, so you don't need a preamp and amp to drive them. Some of these have Bluetooth capability built-in, in which case you could just run audio from your PC or phone. That's how a Sonos setup works. At minimum I'd consider an integrated amp with Bluetooth or streaming ability. That keeps you to one box + speakers.

 

System concepts, from less to more. Generally correlating to performance but not really. But correlating to simple/cheap/performance, pick any two. And definitely in order of WAF:

Source (phone/PC/streamer/turntable)-->active speaker with BT input (Sonos fits this, KEF has a few products at higher prices, this is a small niche product so your price is higher and your selection is lower)

Source-->integrated BT receiver-->speakers

Source-->BT streamer-->integrated amplfier-->speakers

Source-->BT streamer-->preamp-->amp-->speakers

 

[dcbc 14644]

11 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

To that end, we've bought a new house with some sort of mancave/media room.  The family room and the mancave thing both have one pair of speakers in the ceiling that I guess I might make some use of somehow.

Pretty mid-fi.

I have a good NAD receiver that's oldtech jerry rigged through the TV and a Chromecast to permit streaming.  I actually still listen to terrestrial radio, but a tuner is not a thing necessarily anymore.  But I'll probably need another something for this media room, or for the family room and TV.  I have a bunch of CDs, but honestly streaming will probably be the order of the day, and internet radio, and the odd loud movie.

I'm probably not going down the vinyl rathole, but digital connectivity is pretty important and that can be accomplished either with a wifi/ethernet connection or an HDMI port, again using the TV as the streaming source, or maybe a dedicated streamer or even PC.

No interest in anything but two-channel.

Some potential units are Marantz NR-1200, Yamaha RN-303.  Something from Denon or Onkyo?  Something else entirely?  I don't think I want to futz with Sonos or anything similar.

On the CD front, I've started ripping my CDs as lossless .flac files to a hard drive and streaming them via Plex to an aptx equipped bluetooth receiver hooked up to my old 70s McIntosh.  It sounds really good to these old ears and a lot easier than CDs, even though I've fallen behind on my plan to rip a certain number of them each week.

 

I came up with this plan after deciding not to spend the money on this seemingly perfect solution (yes, I know I can run a media server into the back of my preamp, but my setup (see way above) has a certain aesthetic and my cobbling together a media server to fit in the small space would spoil that and run afoul of the WAF).

 

 

https://thebrennan.com/pages/b3-overview

Edited May 3, 2023 by dcbc

[gofuckyourself 9054]

12 hours ago, Sam Lin said:

Some thoughts:

Sources - this is a whole area of its own, independent from the audio system.

Vinyl will be the biggest hurdle here. Vinyl just has space and equipment requirements that you can't get away from, and it does not rip well to digital, plus that sort of destroys the whole point of vinyl. You need a turntable, (tone arm and cartridge will be included for most entry turntables, otherwise you need to add those as well) and phono stage/phono preamp. There are entry level products that have that built in.

The CDs I'd advise ripping to FLAC (lossless) and storing on a NAS feeding a digital media server, that server will also be your connection to Amazon Prime and to Tidal or Roon in the future if you really get into high rez sources. The NAS you can also use on your home network to back up computer files, feed a Plex server so you can download TV shows/movies to watch on smart TV, etc. Some streamers have a drive built in, but your collection will likely be too large for the drive, but to keep it simple, you can just get an external USB HDD and most of the streamers can directly connect USB. Going to a NAS like a Qnap gets you more space but also RAID redundancy, so you don't lose everything if one drive fails.

Be aware ripping the CDs will be a long, time-consuming process, and it pays to research the CD database software so it does all the naming/tagging automatically. There used to be some companies that you could pay to rip it all for you, you send them your disks, they send you back the files. But that's the better future-proof solution, and frees up your future physical storage space as well as your need to keep a CD player. That said, if you really want a CD player, the obsolescence of CD has killed resale values of top-end CD equipment and you can build what used to be a 5-digit dream system for low thousands.

Outside thought, unless your CD collection is really esoteric, take a look at the Roon/Tidal catalogs. You might find they already have digital high-rez versions of all your CDs, in which case you might just pay for a subscription and stream it all vs the time/hassle of ripping your own stuff and needing a drive to store it.

 

You need to think about where you want to be on the convenience vs sound quality scale. You can have both, but not cheap. And you also need to consider what audiophiles refer to as WAF, Wife Approval Factor. Can the system be visible? Can it occupy a bunch of space? Does it have to look nice in addition to sounding nice?

Even a few Sonos speakers gets you into the thousands that you are trying to avoid. Sonos is nice for convenience, but once you start talking about multiple units/surround sound or multiple rooms/zones, the cost adds up.

Room actually seems pretty good, good size, open sides, carpet, those make it easier than a small reflective room. But the size and the openness would push me towards floorstanding speakers over bookshelves and over sound bar type products.

If you lean simplicity, consider active speakers, which means amplification is built in, so you don't need a preamp and amp to drive them. Some of these have Bluetooth capability built-in, in which case you could just run audio from your PC or phone. That's how a Sonos setup works. At minimum I'd consider an integrated amp with Bluetooth or streaming ability. That keeps you to one box + speakers.

 

System concepts, from less to more. Generally correlating to performance but not really. But correlating to simple/cheap/performance, pick any two. And definitely in order of WAF:

Source (phone/PC/streamer/turntable)-->active speaker with BT input (Sonos fits this, KEF has a few products at higher prices, this is a small niche product so your price is higher and your selection is lower)

Source-->integrated BT receiver-->speakers

Source-->BT streamer-->integrated amplfier-->speakers

Source-->BT streamer-->preamp-->amp-->speakers

 

Damn, I feel like my grandpa walking into a Fry's Electronics for the first time, but I'll dig through this and do some research on your suggestions.

I've done a little looking into NAS but I feel like it will overcomplicate things or put me into a tech-computer related coma.

But appreciate the details and ideas!

Edited May 3, 2023 by gofuckyourself

[jimmyjazz 47092]

13 hours ago, Sam Lin said:

Audiogon

This.  @Paul Wesley, I have a subscription if you need to sell something.  I think you can buy w/o a subscription, but I haven't done much trading on there in years, so I'm not exactly sure.

[Paul Wesley 3313]

Thanks, guys.

I think I bought a Bryston for the studio on audiogon a decade ago.  

But I don't really dabble in the home theater world.

[jimmyjazz 47092]

I have an unnatural affection for Bryston power amps.

PS:  there will come a day when I assemble a big two-channel rig with a huge Bryston power amp and an Audio Research preamp.  CD and vinyl rigs TBD.  Speakers?  Maybe some Magnepans.

 

Edited May 3, 2023 by jimmyjazz

[Paul Wesley 3313]

White guy stages of middle age:

1.  "Honey, this World War Two documentary is really interesting!"

2.  "I should get a tube power amp and some vintage floor speakers, and hook up that old turntable that belonged to my father."  <--- I am here

3.  "Get off my lawn!"

[jimmyjazz 47092]

I scored a couple of Dynaco mono tube power amps years ago.  I found a guy who takes them + cash and sends back fully refurbished versions.  (Not the ones you sent in, but the same model.)

Then I didn't do it.  I think I just sold the originals on eBay.

[dcbc 14644]

2 hours ago, Paul Wesley said:

2.  "I should get a tube power amp and some vintage floor speakers, and hook up that old turntable that belonged to my father."  <--- I am here

The restoration part of this equation can get expensive.  Ask me how I know.

[Paul Wesley 3313]

On 5/3/2023 at 11:27 AM, jimmyjazz said:

 

 

I gotta tell you:  When I saw this, I thought “14B3” was a joke - like someone doing a parody of how Bryson relentlessly adds “SST” or “pro” or cubed, or whatever, and just keeps marching onward with the model numbers.  Turns out it’s a real thing.  

[BoomMF 1402]

My setup is the banner pic of the official Emotiva Facebook group. I'm like, what? Loooo

Edited May 5, 2023 by BoomMF

[VABuckeye 2481]

On 5/2/2023 at 8:16 PM, Paul Wesley said:

Is there a dominant website for home audio gear… like what Reverb has become for musical instruments?   Or do y’all think Facebook marketplace or craigslist are better for hidden audio gems?

Audiogon.com

 

On 4/27/2023 at 12:35 PM, gofuckyourself said:

Budget is flexible but I don't plan to spend multiple thousands - if that's even possible?

Oh, it's easily possible.

[ChickenSandwich 9939]

On 4/27/2023 at 11:35 AM, gofuckyourself said:

I need some audio nerd assistance.

We're about to move and I think now would be a good time to set up a decent system that supports music streaming but also existing media. I have Amazon Prime Unlimited music but haven't been utilizing the HD and Ultra HD options and would like to tap into those. I also have a bazillion CDs packed away and some vinyl I'd like to incorporate and probably add to.

Can anyone suggest devices - including speakers - or just resources to figure this shit out that can support the various formats?

I have all types of music so the genre doesn't influence it. I hope to get something set up where my kids can begin a music appreciation journey. They're about my same age when I really discovered good bands from my parents' own LP collection and sound system.

Budget is flexible but I don't plan to spend multiple thousands - if that's even possible? Literally no clue or even where to start. So it's virtually a blank slate.

Again, if asked and answered, point the way.

Gracias in advance.

great resource

 

AVS Forum

[gofuckyourself 9054]

27 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

great resource

 

AVS Forum

Thanks! I already saw an interesting thread and speaker suggestions there.

[jimmyjazz 47092]

I have a slightly off-topic question.  A friend wants new earbuds.  Budget is $300, maybe $350.  Sound quality and comfort for a lot of business calls are priorities.  No headphones.  Any suggestions?

[Pescado_Rojo 19581]

18 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I have a slightly off-topic question.  A friend wants new earbuds.  Budget is $300, maybe $350.  Sound quality and comfort for a lot of business calls are priorities.  No headphones.  Any suggestions?

I have a pair of Beats Fit Pros that I like quite a bit. I think they were $200. Fit well enough I can mountain bike in them, sound way better than my old airpods and you can make calls with one in or both. 

[hobbes2702 13417]

Question for the smart peeps.

I have the DefTech ST-Ls for my fronts. Is there any benefit to me running LFE to them? They have 250w amp built in for the “subs” and I’m not sure if that amp even gets utilized unless it’s plugged with LFE.

Also, if I do run LFE I assume I set the speakers to Small instead of large on the AVR, what about the center?

Any advice? @jimmyjazz

Edited June 2, 2023 by hobbes2702

[hobbes2702 13417]

48 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I have a slightly off-topic question.  A friend wants new earbuds.  Budget is $300, maybe $350.  Sound quality and comfort for a lot of business calls are priorities.  No headphones.  Any suggestions?

I haven’t been impressed with the mic quality on my Powerbeats pro. I notice in calls people with AirPods sound really clear though.

[Anton Chigurh 3335]

I use my AirPods Pro 2 for work every day and they’re awesome.

[jimmyjazz 47092]

1 hour ago, jimmyjazz said:

I have a slightly off-topic question.  A friend wants new earbuds.  Budget is $300, maybe $350.  Sound quality and comfort for a lot of business calls are priorities.  No headphones.  Any suggestions?

Let me make sure I wasn't too vague here:  his priorities are sound quality (for music) and comfort (for phone calls).  Does that change any suggestions?

[hobbes2702 13417]

2 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Let me make sure I wasn't too vague here:  his priorities are sound quality (for music) and comfort (for phone calls).  Does that change any suggestions?

I’m that case I’m very happy with my PowerBeats Pro. Sound is great, they stay in my ears and don’t hurt. I wear them to run and never have any comfort problems 

[Sam Lin 3597]

For music, if he wants neutral performance, I haven't been able to beat the Etymotic ER-4 family for probably 15yrs, own 4 pairs. But they're pure headphones, no mic, though you can get an aftermarket mic cable. Ety does make other lower end earbuds that have mic, and I use a pair of them for travel phone calls.

Now if you want comfort, I've posted in a couple other threads about custom earmolds - if you are doing long wear, you really should get custom earmolds for whatever earbud you choose. Added bonus of greatly improving the sound, specifically the bass performance and noise isolation, of any earbud.

[troph 25161]

I’ll peruse the thread again but need a starter set preferably the bottom rung of audiophile - but like bottom rung yo - for my son. He’s a music junkie. Tastes are all over from jazz to Texas country, he like funk, modern day folk/indie, singer song writer, the boss, he’s got some teen crap he jams on too but mostly he’s a music explorer.  He’s a dedicated trumpet player so music really is his thing.

He’s started a vinyl collection too so I need -

solid speakers floor standing but bookshelf fine too. 

amp with built in DAC preferably and inputs for digital sound. 

I’d like a turntable with the preamp. 

I’d kill for under $1200 for the whole thing. 

Edited November 7, 2023 by troph

[dcbc 14644]

19 hours ago, troph said:

I’ll peruse the thread again but need a starter set preferably the bottom rung of audiophile - but like bottom rung yo - for my son. He’s a music junkie. Tastes are all over from jazz to Texas country, he like funk, modern day folk/indie, singer song writer, the boss, he’s got some teen crap he jams on too but mostly he’s a music explorer.  He’s a dedicated trumpet player so music really is his thing.

He’s started a vinyl collection too so I need -

solid speakers floor standing but bookshelf fine too. 

amp with built in DAC preferably and inputs for digital sound. 

I’d like a turntable with the preamp. 

I’d kill for under $1200 for the whole thing. 

We got our older son a Fluance RT-81 turntable and it has been good.  There are upgrade cartridges/styli if he gets into it, but it's a good, basic table for around $250.  I think it has a built in preamp, but we just gave him an old surround sound amp that had a phono pre in it and a pair of Sony bookshelf speakers we had lying around.  It's in his room.  So I'm not sure audiophile quality was necessary.  Our good setup (pictured upthread) is in the living room, and he's welcome to use it whenever.  So we didn't feel the need to do any monetary damage for his personal setup.

Edited November 7, 2023 by dcbc

[troph 25161]

That’s a good point - we have a living room set up too.

Edited November 7, 2023 by troph

[dcbc 14644]

3 minutes ago, troph said:

That’s a good point - we have a living room set up too.

For a little more money, the RT-82 supposedly is a good upgrade.  My memory is fading, but maybe that's the one on which you can upgrade the cartridge.