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Man, decisions decisions. I know I should go for the MC1200's and I probably will. Reading about those SDA's and the look of them, well poo poo. Maybe bring like $140 and see if the guy will go for it. Looks like they're both the same seller and if anything still get the $20 speakers which seem like they'll be fine too. If I do go for those SDA's, what did you mean by common ground? Would I need to connect a ground from each speaker to a peg on the back of the amp? Also any reason I should consider the other options over the $20 option? Long Valley is close to me and they look like they could be pretty cool. Thanks for the help though. I looked through CL a few times but I guess my search criteria wasn't that good or I didn't know what to look for in the results. Sorry if theres a lot of questions and if they seem repedative. I just want to make sure and I'm trying to learn a little along the way. edit- sent the dude with the SDA's and email. Lets hope he's flexible on price. God I'm an impulsive kid sometime. Inside Out Mom fucked around with this message at 00:40 on Aug 26, 2013 |
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Aug 26, 2013 00:30
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Argh, I had a big reply typed out and Firefox crashed. SDA stands for Stereo Dimensional Array, it was Matt Polk's name for a phase delay circuit he put in with the crossover on the SDA series, it delays some of the signal from each speaker about 20 milliseconds so it's out of phase from the other speaker and reduces crosstalk between speakers. Put another way, it cancels most of the sound from the left speakers before it hits your right ear and vice versa, so your right ear hears only the right speaker and the left ear only hears the left one. Carver had a similar thing called Sonic Holography. It tends to open up the soundstage, improves imaging and creates more depth to the sound on the right recordings, like say, Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon it sounds like you could reach out and touch the guy on the run. Almost like a binarual recording on headphones. Some people say it sounds artificial to them, I could see that, but I like it..Those SDA's aren't the most efficient things around and will take some power to get them going and SDA's have a tendency to drop well below 4 ohms which makes a lot of more modern receiver amps think there's a short circuit and kick in the protection relay. I don't know if the amp in that receiver could handle it. They need a common ground amp, a set of mono block amps(1 mono amp for each channel) will kill the SDA circuit. Common ground is just both channels grounds connected together inside the amp by design, a way to test to see if yours is to put an ohm meter across both rear channels grounds with a low ohm setting, like 0-20 ohm. If there current flow it's common ground, if not, it's not or there's a protection relay in the way. It would be hard to go wrong with those Realistic MC's for $20, they were Radio Shacks version of the KLH 31 or 32 with the 8" driver, they have the treated fabric surround so there's not going to be any foam rot and hey, it's $20. You could probably sell them for more if they're in good working condition. The speakers will run out of driver travel before your reciever starts clipping. Clipping transistors kill speakers. Retarted Pimple fucked around with this message at 03:31 on Aug 26, 2013 |
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Aug 26, 2013 01:43
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Thanks for the write up. After thinking about what you wrote here for a bit, I messaged the guy back and asked him to hold onto the 1200's until Thursday for me. He's cool with it so I'm going with those. While the SDA's sound great, I think it's a little too early to dive into that deep end I think. Thanks for the help with this. I'll post some updates in a week or two when I get all the parts figured out. Do you have a good resource for someone like me that has a limited understanding of audio and the rest to learn this stuff? Not just vinyl but audio basics and the like. Really interested in it, and the binarual stuff is really got me imagining some crazy stuff.
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Aug 26, 2013 18:19
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So I follow Vintage Audio Online a blog that showcases various pieces of vintage audio equipment. Today they posted an extremely pretty vintage Denon amp: I was surprised it's from the late 70s, it actually looks a lot more modern than that. Anyway it's a neat blog to follow for vintage eye candy
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Aug 26, 2013 22:48
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Znorps! posted:Thanks for the write up. After thinking about what you wrote here for a bit, I messaged the guy back and asked him to hold onto the 1200's until Thursday for me. He's cool with it so I'm going with those. While the SDA's sound great, I think it's a little too early to dive into that deep end I think. Thanks for the help with this. I'll post some updates in a week or two when I get all the parts figured out. Binaural is just a recording with a pair mics on a dummy head at the ears, you need headphones to get the effect, speakers won't do it(SDA's might, gotta try that). The effect can make it sound and feel like what you're listening to is right there with a presence you don't get with a regular recording. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUDTlvagjJA <good demonstration http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqXHuP_jGgE http://www.soundsnap.com/tags/binaural http://www.ambitunes.com/recordings/in-a-shopping-centre.html http://suzybogguss.com/binaural/recordings.html Here's Tom's Hardware Audio Basics, there's a lot there. http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/58350-6-guide-audio-basics
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Aug 26, 2013 23:52
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BANME.sh posted:So I follow Vintage Audio Online a blog that showcases various pieces of vintage audio equipment. Today they posted an extremely pretty vintage Denon amp: That Denon looks almost as clean inside as it does outside. Very nice. I love the look of a bunch of matching brushed aluminum panels with switches, knobs and sliders all stacked up.  Thanks for the link to that blog.
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Aug 27, 2013 11:00
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BANME.sh posted:drat, that's nice stuff. It probably set you back quite a bit even at a good price. Quoting myself from a couple pages back. Turns out the power switch on this unit was shot. I opened it up and could see and hear arcing within the switch itself, along with some disturbing smoke. Notice the burned spot around the top right pin.  I de-soldered the switch, pried it open so I could see its guts, and saw a ton of oxidation. After spending a while trying to clean it up, I carefully put it back together and soldered it back to the board. Still arcing  After scouring the internet for a suitable replacement without luck, I eventually asked my cousin if he could help. We couldn't even find a modern equivalent switch, so he ended up making his own little board to fit a completely different switch.  He also installed a triac to reduce the voltage on the switch, to completely guarantee there won't be any arcing there in the future. I don't know much about electronics myself, but now it works perfectly. I can barely get the output power dials to reach 20 watts before it's too ridiculously loud. I can't imaging what it would take to reach 120. 
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Aug 27, 2013 22:51
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Retarded Pimp posted:Binaural is just a recording with a pair mics on a dummy head at the ears, you need headphones to get the effect, speakers won't do it(SDA's might, gotta try that). The effect can make it sound and feel like what you're listening to is right there with a presence you don't get with a regular recording. Thanks man. That Tom's Hardware link was what I was looking for to get started. I'll post some pics and whatever once the room starts to come together.
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Aug 28, 2013 02:59
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I'm looking to buy my first turntable. Would I be able to get some opinions on a few available in my area (craigslist)? Pioneer PL-50 (needs belt) $75 Onkyo CP1020F $75 Rotel RP-2400 $149 Sanyo TP 825D $125 Hitachi HT-550 $199 How are these compared to the Audio-Technica AT-LP120-USB?
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Aug 29, 2013 03:48
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I expected a lot of those to be plastic junkers but they mostly look fairly capable. I would rule out the Onkyo because it looks a little cheaper to me, personally. And there isn't much info on the Rotel. Obviously condition comes into play with vintage equipment, but judging by the models alone I am leaning towards the Pioneer, Sanyo or Hitachi. The Hitachi has the better wow/flutter and rumble ratings, which is surprising considering it's a direct drive. Typically you get less rumble on belt drive models because the belt absorbs vibrations but that's not the case here. For $200 it better be in spectacular shape though. Between the Sanyo and Pioneer, there seems to be more info around for the Pioneer so it might be a better option. You can get a belt for $20-30 depending where you shop. There's significantly higher wow/flutter on the AT-LP120 (0.2% vs 0.025% on the Hitachi and 0.08% on the Pioneer) and there's going to be added noise in the signal produced by the USB interface. Noise introduced before the phono pre-amp stage eventually gets amplified a significant amount, and can actually be quite noticeable. The signal to noise ratio for the Hitachi is also the best of the bunch at 74 dB vs ">50 dB" for the AT-LP120. Since all of the turntables you listed are vintage, you'll need to buy an external phono pre-amp in order to use them. The AT-LP120 has one built in. However if your amp or receiver has a phono input, then you don't need to buy anything extra. BANME.sh fucked around with this message at 06:27 on Aug 29, 2013 |
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Aug 29, 2013 06:22
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My uncle has a PL-50 he bought in Nam and it's a well made and awesome looking turntable. If this one's in anywhere near as good a shape as his I don't think you'd be disappointed in it's performance.
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Aug 29, 2013 10:55
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Thanks guys. Here's the listing for the Pioneer. http://cleveland.craigslist.org/ele/3996922318.html Anything to be weary about considering I can't test this? It's definitely more in my price range though, since I need to buy a new cartridge/stylus and phono pre amp. Does it look like it's missing the mat? I'm calling my local record store today to see what models they have.
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Aug 29, 2013 12:25
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Any thoughts on a Kyocera PL-701 for $125? It is apparently in full working order and other than typical scratches on the cover, looks clean. The cartridge is some sort of Signet that apparently (again) works/sounds great.
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Aug 29, 2013 20:57
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Associate Christ
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Crosspost from the home audio thread: Just an FYI to anyone looking to buy new speakers. The Andrew Jones (from TAD) designed Pioneer bookshelf speakers are $50 off right now, only $79/pair. These things come highly reviewed.
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Aug 29, 2013 23:20
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I ended up getting the Sanyo TP-825D tonight. I read some positive things from other owners. They guy I bought it from demoed it for me, and it sounds really nice. The table is in really good shape, although the top right corner of the wooden plinth is separated a bit at the joint. I think it could be easily fixed. http://imgur.com/gallery/E9Zu5/new It came with a Shure R25XT cartridge. Should I replace it? Preamp is coming tomorrow..can't wait to get this set up.
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Aug 30, 2013 02:58
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outofnowhere05 posted:It came with a Shure R25XT cartridge. Should I replace it? Don't know much about that cartridge, it could be fine, but always replace the stylus. You have no idea what it's been through, and what it will do to you records.
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Aug 30, 2013 07:45
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How would I go about finding a dust cover replacement for my braun ps 550? I'm monitoring eBay Germany but are there collector forums I could hit?
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Aug 30, 2013 12:51
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I have a Superscope R330 receiver that I've been using for a while, but it seems as though the right channel is a bit fainter than the left, so I usually have to adjust the balance on the faceplate to compensate and make it sound normal. I'm pretty certain it's not a result of a problem with the turntable or cartridge. I'm looking into getting a preamp, which might provide better sound quality than the preamp in the Superscope anyway, but would I be able to run it through the receiver and basically just turn the receiver into an amplifier?
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Sep 3, 2013 03:21
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Yeah just run the external pre-amp into the aux inputs of the receiver instead of phono. Also, did you try other inputs to see if you could isolate the channel problem? Try hooking an ipod up to the aux inputs. Clean all the RCA jacks with a contact cleaner, open up the chassis and spray inside the pots as well (then move them back and forth a dozen times). It could just be a build up of oxidation.
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Sep 3, 2013 06:36
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BANME.sh posted:Yeah just run the external pre-amp into the aux inputs of the receiver instead of phono. I switched it to the FM tuner, and both channels seemed to sound normal. My uncle also ran some kind of test to determine whether it was an issue with the tonearm or cartridge and said those were both normal and that the issue was most likely with the preamp in the receiver. I haven't tried to hook up an iPod or anything though. I also haven't tried to spray DeOxit on the inside, so I guess I should try doing that too. Regardless of whether it fixes the issue, I was thinking of upgrading to a better preamp some time in the next few months anyway and was looking at either a Bellari VP130 or a Cambridge Audio 651P. Anyone have experience with either of these? My understanding from product reviews and message board conversations on the VP130 is that the power supply that's included with it needs to be replaced due to the hum it produces ($30 at Radio Shack) and that the stock tubes aren't very good and should be upgraded (~$20 for each tube depending on what kind you get). Both are on sale at Amazon for $194 and $229, respectively, but the power supply replacement on the VP130 alone basically negates the difference in price, and then there's the additional $30-40 for new tubes. Anyone have experience/recommendations with these? Or if I end up fixing the issue with my receiver, would either of them even be worth the money to upgrade considering what I have is basically a lower end Marantz?
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Sep 3, 2013 13:23
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Not an Anthem posted:How would I go about finding a dust cover replacement for my braun ps 550? I'm monitoring eBay Germany but are there collector forums I could hit? I think your best bet would be checking out local glass/acrylic cutters in your area. There is a guy who does custom glass cutting near my place and he also does acrylic as well. There might be a place that is similar near you. Check out places that make custom aquariums and ask if they work with acrylic, and then ask them if they could order some thin stuff as the stuff they would normally work with would be way too thick. Finding an intact dust cover (the most likely thing to break on a turntable) is like some sort of grail quest.
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Sep 3, 2013 13:48
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Blistex posted:Finding an intact dust cover (the most likely thing to break on a turntable) is like some sort of grail quest. I dunno why I didn't think of this before but I have pieces of a correct Braun PS 550 cover. I think I can just 3D print at work the mechanical part that connects to the springs and all, the part that always breaks, and just beef it up a bit, and in the print account for attaching a really simple acrylic box that fits the table.
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Sep 3, 2013 18:27
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Blistex posted:Finding an intact dust cover (the most likely thing to break on a turntable) is like some sort of grail quest. Just another good reason to get an SL1200, you can still get them new in box.
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Sep 3, 2013 19:32
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Whodat Smith-Jones posted:I switched it to the FM tuner, and both channels seemed to sound normal. My uncle also ran some kind of test to determine whether it was an issue with the tonearm or cartridge and said those were both normal and that the issue was most likely with the preamp in the receiver. I haven't tried to hook up an iPod or anything though. This might be a stupid question, but did you (or your uncle) check the antiskate force? If it's set too high or low, I guess you could get some channel imbalance, which would only appear when playing records. It should usually be set about equal to the tracking force. Hippie Hedgehog fucked around with this message at 20:21 on Sep 3, 2013 |
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Sep 3, 2013 20:13
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Hippie Hedgehog posted:This might be a stupid question, but did you (or your uncle) check the antiskate force? If it's set too high or low, I guess you could get some channel imbalance, which would only appear when playing records. It should usually be set about equal to the tracking force. Not a stupid question since sometimes people miss little things like that, but I noticed it on 2 different turntables, so I don't think it's a problem with the antiskate
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Sep 4, 2013 01:12
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I don't have any photos, but I completed my stereo project for now. It sounds great and everything works as it should.
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Sep 5, 2013 03:18
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TomR posted:I don't have any photos, but I completed my stereo project for now. It sounds great and everything works as it should. What speakers/input components are you using?
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Sep 5, 2013 04:41
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The speakers I'm not sure. They have a tweeter, 5 1/2" driver and two 8" drivers. I used to work at a place that made speaker boxes and this was a sample brought in. They don't have any labels or markings because they were never meant for sale. They sound pretty good, if a bit bass heavy. All the surrounds are rubber, but I've never taken the speakers out to have a look at them. I should do that now that I'm thinking about it. Here is a photo with one of the covers off:  All of the audio comes from a PC. The TV is connected by HDMI. The Onkyo is connected to the TV with an optical cable. It's not really hooked up right now as I just moved everything around. I'm not much for surround sound or movies. The Yamaha (If you can call it that anymore) has an ODAC ( http://nwavguy.blogspot.ca/2012/04/odac-released.html )inside of it. The ODAC is connected to the PC via a USB cable. It's basically a high end soundcard in this case. I have Foobar2000 with a collection of MP3s and FLAC files I ripped from my CD collection a few years ago. I also have some FLAC files that were recorded from vinyl, which sound great. I use my Android tablet as a remote for the PC for use with things like XBMC, Netflix and Foobar2000. I'm keeping my eye out for a good deal on a record player, but I have a two year old and a five year old that use this TV to watch cartoons and I don't think kids and records mix well.
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Sep 5, 2013 15:58
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Put some feet on those speakers and it'll probably clear up the bass for you.
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Sep 5, 2013 16:05
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It might help if you could move them out from the wall.
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Sep 6, 2013 01:30
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What the other two said. Bring the speakers out so they're at least even with the cabinet, and put some feet or isolation pads under them. If they're touching the cabinet, pull them out an inch if possible, you'll resonate everything otherwise. They're very pretty. Is that real wood or veneer?
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Sep 6, 2013 03:17
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So today was another good find for me... well, I didn't exactly find it. I have some pretty loyal customers who tend to scope out the other thrift stores for things I like when I'm not able to get anything. I was helping unload some stuff for this lady when one of the regulars comes up and goes "Do you love me?". Odd question, usually that means they're donating trash. I say "well of course, why?" and he goes "I have something to give to you. Got a ten on you?" Needless to say I go out to his car and he's picked up a Sansui 990DB. Thing weighs a friggin ton, but looks like it's in pristine condition other than a few scratches on the wood. Of course, now it's mine. I've yet to fire it up, but it probably just needs a good deoxit job to be good as gold. When I can I'll get a picture of my Kenwood Model Nine GX and the Sansui 990DB stacked together. Two monster receivers, I think so!
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Sep 6, 2013 06:33
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The Leon Hikari posted:So today was another good find for me...Sansui 990DB... You lucky dickhead.....
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Sep 6, 2013 07:17
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Electric Bugaloo posted:You lucky dickhead..... Yeah, I did some research after I got off of work to discover that it's one of those god-tier receivers. I was super shocked, especially when I compared the going rate vs what was actually paid for it. Regardless, I'm gonna have to at least clean it up some. Now, the question is: is my model nine gx better or is the 990db better?
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Sep 6, 2013 07:21
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Sep 6, 2013 07:23
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 Well, because I felt like it.
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Sep 6, 2013 07:29
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Well I adjusted the DC offset in my recently acquired Pioneer SA-8500 down from over 150 mV in the right channel down to less than 1 mV. Feel pretty good about that. I only got a voltmeter a little while ago, I wish I could have tested out many of the receivers that have passed through my hands over the years. I wonder how many of them were at risk of burning my house down.
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Sep 6, 2013 07:34
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The Leon Hikari posted:
That is gorgeous.
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Sep 6, 2013 18:24
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Here's another picture of my Luxman 5L15 integrated stereo amplifier, and my Aragon D2A DAC. I don't think I'll ever replace this combo, they match perfectly!
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Sep 6, 2013 20:37
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Ghostnuke posted:That is gorgeous.  And this is glorious.
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Sep 7, 2013 06:44
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