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Today I joined the Audio-Technica LP-120 Owners Club. Sweet deck, looking forward to listening to my albums again!
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Jun 25, 2016 02:00
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Turns out I'm a sucks for VU meters. Any suggestions on a good, cheap vintage amp? I'm looking at a Hitachi HA-330 currently for $100. Good value?
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Jun 26, 2016 17:55
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That's a bit high, I paid less for my Akai AM-2600, which looks like a better amp all-round. I highly recommend that amp, it's got 60WPC and plenty of features to play around with (-15dB/-30dB mute, selectable low/low+high loudness, mono and reverse stereo, inputs for two turntables, low/high filters and 3W/80W selectable VU meters), which is presumably what you're looking at older amps with VU meters for.
KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 19:35 on Jun 26, 2016 |
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Jun 26, 2016 18:36
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Sweet, thanks! I'm in Canada so the price is higher than usual. I'm coming from a Lepai which has performed well but I've got the nostalgia bug.
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Jun 26, 2016 19:13
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Every loving amp here in Calgary is 300-450 or even higher for just average stuff, lately. I dunno what's fueling these insane prices.
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Jun 26, 2016 19:21
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One part of two standing speakers I have (from the early 90s, Boston ) set up with a receiver and turn table has now stopped playing music and is only pushing out a flat noise when powered ( even when no audio is playing ). Is this a sign the speaker has died or could there be a different issue im not thinking of. Edit - hosed around with the receiver some, looks like the right input port for wires is what is hosed. Guess that makes sense as the HDMI ports on this thing already went to poo poo since I've had it. 703 fucked around with this message at 23:38 on Jun 26, 2016 |
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Jun 26, 2016 23:00
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I've been looking for a decent tape deck, anyone have thoughts on the Sharp RT-100 for $15?
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Jul 1, 2016 15:38
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CRAYON posted:I've been looking for a decent tape deck, anyone have thoughts on the Sharp RT-100 for $15? For $15 you can hardly go wrong. What I'd look for in a tape player is 3 head design, automatic tape type selection and fancy noise reduction. Pick up this one, and sell it again for $15 when you find something better. In other news, I regretted selling my black BeoSystem 7000 so much I bought a new one. It's white, so it matches my white B&O TV and speakers. Now I just have to wait for someone to drive it to me throught the sharing economy transport app I used. 
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Jul 1, 2016 16:07
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Oh man, it's so 80s 
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Jul 1, 2016 16:14
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I gave up on trying to find a decent-looking tape deck that matches my system and works properly. Now I just use a Sony TC-whatever from the 90s. It's an ugly black box but it doesn't have all the problems that older machines often have. I do still have the Sony TC-K96R I posted about a year ago in here. I finally fixed the hiss problem by replacing a transistor. Now I just have to figure out if the slow-to-start take up reels are because of bad belts or bad motors. I would love to get that up and running again because it's a very pretty machine.
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Jul 1, 2016 16:19
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Anyone know what a Sharp VZ-3000 might be worth (whacky vertical record player)? I haven't tested it very much but the knob cover is missing and it probably needs a new drive belt.
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Jul 1, 2016 19:29
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pzy posted:Anyone know what a Sharp VZ-3000 might be worth (whacky vertical record player)? I haven't tested it very much but the knob cover is missing and it probably needs a new drive belt. Depends on the condition. Electronics are a bit cheaper in the US, but maybe $50-60. They can go for a fair bit more properly restored and in good condition. You'll get more than the cost of refurbishing it back probably if you care to, which is pretty unusual for most electronics. People just can't be bothered with the hassle of replacing the belt, even though they are easily available on eBay. I don't know what it is with the vertical players from Sharp, but 90% of them are in need of replacement parts which is why good condition, working units have a bit of a premium. I always thought the VZ-2500 was a sweet looking Boombox myself.
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Jul 2, 2016 00:37
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evobatman posted:For $15 you can hardly go wrong. What I'd look for in a tape player is 3 head design, automatic tape type selection and fancy noise reduction. Pick up this one, and sell it again for $15 when you find something better. There's an exhibit in the moma that has a bunch of old tech that can be appreciated as 'art'. Naturally the SL-1200 and a bunch of B&O stuff is in there. B&O really did make the most beautiful stuff back in the day. I still have an old B&O table but it needs a new cart and I am currently broke so it's just sitting in my basement  Edit: Link to the moma website - http://www.moma.org/collection/works/185018
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Jul 3, 2016 19:27
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In other news I recently acquired a Denon 720R and I love it. I always thought the whole tape revival thing was stupid but this is the first deck that actually sounds good to me. I think there actually might be something to this tape-head forum stuff. Anyways it's not like I'm going to be buying any new tapes because I think it's gimmicky and dumb. That said the pitch control is great for sampling  My new money pit is rack mounted anything.
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Jul 3, 2016 19:32
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64bit_Dophins posted:My new money pit is rack mounted anything.   (Pioneer SPEC-series, for reference)
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Jul 3, 2016 23:22
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KozmoNaut posted:
gently caress.
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Jul 4, 2016 02:07
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KozmoNaut posted:
This guy fucks.
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Jul 4, 2016 03:05
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I'm looking to buy a CD player for nostalgia reasons, but everyone seems to think their particular player is made of solid gold. A late-90s CD player shouldn't cost more than $10, if anything at all, dammit.
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Jul 4, 2016 17:27
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Get a launch ps1
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Jul 4, 2016 17:37
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Haha yeah. I have a PS2 around here somewhere, actually 
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Jul 4, 2016 17:39
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KozmoNaut posted:I'm looking to buy a CD player for nostalgia reasons, but everyone seems to think their particular player is made of solid gold. Follow your own advice and buy a DVD player.
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Jul 5, 2016 07:11
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Used DVD players are around the same price level, at least ones with a display on the unit itself. It's just a lovely market.
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Jul 5, 2016 07:52
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Sounds like flea market time. I picked up two DVD players with HDMI and 1080p upscaling for 40 NOK each, and even that $2000 Sony player I only paid 200 NOK for. Too many people in the classifieds think what they have is gold, while flea markets just want any and all money they can get. I paid 3000 NOK for my white 7000 system from the classifieds (too much, I know), while my black one was only 450 at a flea market. I did sell that one for 9000, so I guess I'm one of the people who think what I have is gold.
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Jul 5, 2016 08:32
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Well, if you get the price you asked for, someone obviously thought it was fair. It's not like I'm in dire need of a CD player, eventually something will pop up. There's an early 90s Sony that I can get for $5, but I'm not sure about a 25 year old unit, especially since Sony has always had a reputation for lovely lasers that like to die. Ideally I want something like an early-2000s Technics, but not for the $50 people are asking.
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Jul 5, 2016 08:48
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KozmoNaut posted:Well, if you get the price you asked for, someone obviously thought it was fair. For $5 what have you got to lose? *apart from 5 bucks.
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Jul 5, 2016 10:10
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I dunno, a late night kebab meal or something E: Actually, I've been thinking that with my record player, I went for what is arguably the best one ever made (SL1200 MK2), so it would be fitting to follow that philosophy in a CD player as well, even though it makes no practical difference for CDs. Sony ES series maybe, or a Pioneer "stable platter" model, perhaps? Something built like a tank, like the 1200. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 12:39 on Jul 5, 2016 |
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Jul 5, 2016 10:56
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Dogen posted:Get a launch ps1 I actually have a SCPH-1001 (parents bought it for me when I was a kid). I still don't know if this is a joke or not. I still feel like my technics CD player sounds better. Still pretty cool for the aesthetic though imo. Also I'm sure most of yall already know this but you can listen to a good number of PS1 soundtracks just by putting the game disc in a regular CD player.
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Jul 5, 2016 17:38
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The PS1 isn't a particularly good CD player, the frequency response is a bit iffy and you really have to have a monitor hooked up to control it. But for some reason, a certain segment of audiophiles seem to think it's the greatest CD player ever made. I have a theory that it's all about finding that "hidden gem" and thinking something's better just because it's different or hard to use.
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Jul 5, 2016 17:45
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KozmoNaut posted:The PS1 isn't a particularly good CD player, the frequency response is a bit iffy and you really have to have a monitor hooked up to control it. Yeah I figured people like it for the same reason that they like the Tascam Portastudio, cassette tapes, and the Akai S950. I think the PS1 colors the sound in a certain way that people like because it's different and slightly 'low-fi'. I get it but I'm not about to put a PS1 and a sony trintron or whatever on top of my stereo for the 'texture'.
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Jul 5, 2016 17:48
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I think it's supposed to have very good "jitter" or some poo poo
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Jul 5, 2016 20:01
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Dogen posted:I think it's supposed to have very good "jitter" or some poo poo The great boogeyman. No audiophile can tell you what jitter actually is, and how it affects the signal. They all have these weird-rear end ideas of what timing accuracy means in digital systems, misconceptions that rooted in how old-fashioned analog tech works. As I've been looking at various models of CD players to find a nice one with similar quality and design philosophy as my SL1200, reading all kinds of reviews and forums is kinda mind-bending. People will wax lyrical about soundstage and bass "fullness" and how certain models make singers sound "younger" than they are, all kinds of ridiculous bullshit. Meanwhile, I'm probably just going to get a Yamaha, because I like the understated designs and I'm pretty sure they produce exactly the same sound quality as any other CD player v  v I love that it isn't plastered all over with random "Hi-Bit Wide Angle Alpha Processing Legato Link Conversion 16-Valve DOHC Digital Servo Control Stable Platter High Density Optical Output Dual Channel" marketing wank, like most 90s/2000s Japanese hifi gear is. E: It actually kinda looks like a prop from a Paul Verhoeven sci-fi movie. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 20:35 on Jul 5, 2016 |
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Jul 5, 2016 20:20
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I think as long as it has optical out and doesn't gently caress up your CDs that's about all you can ask for
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Jul 5, 2016 22:17
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CDs are digital, right? So the only thing that matters is whatever converts the digital signal to analog, right? That seems like something fairly easy to measure objectively. Oops I said the O word.
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Jul 5, 2016 22:40
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ColdPie posted:CDs are digital, right? So the only thing that matters is whatever converts the digital signal to analog, right? That seems like something fairly easy to measure objectively. But you are transmitting the digital signal over the optical fibers, and there is objectively jitter (!!!) in the timing of the signal representing the bitstream. It doesn't matter, the signal is still received perfectly by the other device.
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Jul 5, 2016 22:49
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Extreme jitter can introduce some noise into the analog signal, the effect is a sort of "graininess" or "brittleness" (vague audiophile terms, I know), especially in the higher frequencies. Solo piano recording show this really well. Here are some example files with various levels of jitter applied: https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php/topic,106076.msg867857.html But at that point, you're well into several hundred nanoseconds of jitter. Even Toslink, the most jitter-prone interface in common use peaks around 200 picoseconds. Dogen posted:I think as long as it has optical out and doesn't gently caress up your CDs that's about all you can ask for There hasn't been any real objective difference between DACs in CD players since the mid-to-late 80s. Unless someone's screwed up the basic design or deliberately introduced any audible defects, they should all produce the same analog output. Which is a good thing, because I only have analog inputs available on my preamp.
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Jul 6, 2016 06:36
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So I ended up buying a CD player again, I can't even remember how long it's been since I last had one. $30, probably could have gotten something cheaper, but I love how this particular model looks. I'm a complete sucker for the no-nonsense designs that companies like NAD and Yamaha adhere to. Straight to the point, very little bullshit. Probably a bit to much audiophile bullshit in their product descriptions, but they're marketing to a niche audiophile market these days, so eh.  Behold my extremely professional old-school DYMO labels on the preamp. Now I just need a matching casette deck, and I think I've got a lead on a 3-head/3-motor Yamaha that's a good match for the CD player. Perfect for my current collection of like five tapes 
KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 20:58 on Jul 9, 2016 |
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Jul 9, 2016 17:43
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KozmoNaut posted:So I ended up buying a CD player again, I can't even remember how long it's been since I last had one. $30, probably could have gotten something cheaper, but I love how this particular model looks. Very similar to the CDX-393 I owned for a little while. That orange display and the design language are awesome, it looks like it fits right in with 80s Giugiaro designs from the Aliens movie. I considered getting a matching amp for mine, but then I sold it. I picked up a couple of AKAI SW-7 II at the salvation army for cheap. They are small, heavy as poo poo and sound awesome, I actually wondered if I had remembered to unhook my bigger speakers when I was testing them. They are getting sold again, but it's fun to pick up just for testing. 
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Jul 10, 2016 12:51
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evobatman posted:Very similar to the CDX-393 I owned for a little while. That orange display and the design language are awesome, it looks like it fits right in with 80s Giugiaro designs from the Aliens movie. I considered getting a matching amp for mine, but then I sold it. I kinda think it looks a bit like a prop from the original Robocop, so definitely something from the 80s. It's actually from ~1999, though. The display is a little dim IMHO, but apparently they were like that from the factory. Perhaps they did it to make the VFD last longer before it burns out? Those Akais look like pretty good little speakers, there were some decent designs coming from the Japanese manufacturers in the 70s and early 80s. And like Yamaha, Akai is sort of a 'forgotten' brand, they made some really quality gear back in the day. I'm really happy with my AM-2600 amplifier, very nice piece of kit.
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Jul 10, 2016 17:33
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evobatman posted:Very similar to the CDX-393 I owned for a little while. That orange display and the design language are awesome, it looks like it fits right in with 80s Giugiaro designs from the Aliens movie. I considered getting a matching amp for mine, but then I sold it. I'm still bothered that Akai changed their font
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Jul 11, 2016 17:18
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I didn't know they went to a sans-serif font. That sucks, the old logo was classy. Pioneer did the same thing and dropped their iconic "omega fork" logo and changed the font to the current vaguely trendy/modern boring-rear end dreck. At least Yamaha are still using their tuning fork logo from 1927 
KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 18:45 on Jul 11, 2016 |
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Jul 11, 2016 18:36
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