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movax posted:Dumb audio question here as I've recently moved and am working on setting up home office very slowly. Biggest difference is now I live with my girlfriend, office is above the bedroom and headphone based listening is going to be way more used now vs. my Polks if I want to stay alive. I have a pile of source components I've acquired over the years, so that's my starting point here. Some were for my home setup, some for a work setup, but now that those are the same thing for now, this gear is all sitting behind me waiting to be hooked up. OK, so Schiit confirmed, can't just use the MJ2 as a "dumb" pre-amp. Any recommendations on simple XLR volume controls (balanced) or source selector switch? The Little Bears from NobAudio look alright, but a testimonial / personal experience here would be great to hear. Now to keep pacing / searching for an used Freya+...
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Jul 21, 2020 15:41
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Anyone got a link for some hardware to add for keyhole (or screw-in) speaker stand mounting? EDIT: After a bunch of digging I found some: https://www.amazon.com/Bluecell-Uni...tronics&sr=1-19 Probably need to change up the screws, but, this should work if you're in the market for something like this. 2reachmu fucked around with this message at 01:47 on Jul 27, 2020 |
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Jul 24, 2020 14:54
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movax posted:OK, so Schiit confirmed, can't just use the MJ2 as a "dumb" pre-amp. I made a good decision I think: 1. Got a Topping A90/D90 used, they sound great and are reasonably sized to sit on my desk. 2. Put a bunch of my old Schiit up for sale. Only keeping the MJ2 + Gumby because I do like the sound / already own them. 3. Actually started diving into the NFCA topology in the Topping / the recent rage on the THX AAA amps and spent savings on buying a bunch of Self's audio amp design textbooks.  Still need the XLR volume control, but feeling less and less like making that Schiit and more just something reasonably price.
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Aug 3, 2020 01:02
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I have a Fiio e09k I use as a dumb volume knob along with XLR-RCA cables. I just happened to have that lying around - I'm sure there are better options. Do you really need XLR all the way through?
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Aug 3, 2020 04:19
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I don’t know if this is what you’re looking for but I’ve installed several of these in tv control rooms over the years: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LevelPilotX--tc-electronic-level-pilot-by It’s passive and works great.
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Aug 3, 2020 13:43
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How much am I going to notice it if my centre speaker isn't from the same family as the main?
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Aug 11, 2020 11:43
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I recently moved out of a house where I had a 5.1 Onkyo system installed that was perfectly fine for my needs into a rented townhome that I'm obviously not installing anything into. As such, I thought it might be nice to invest in a sound bar to get a tad more volume (and quality) than the built in speakers on my (very) old 40" Panasonic plasma. There's a lot of brands out there and a wide price range, so I'm not sure what's good and what isn't. I don't want to spend a ton on something that I'm going to use for a year or less, and I don't need anything high end, but I'm a bit wary of Chinese knockoffs like this despite the good ratings. Anybody have recommendations?
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Aug 11, 2020 16:33
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arsegrit posted:How much am I going to notice it if my centre speaker isn't from the same family as the main? Mackieman posted:Anybody have recommendations?
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Aug 11, 2020 19:30
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qirex posted:Powered bookshelf speakers maybe? Also temper your expectations for how much better than tv speakers it's going to sound if $100 is your budget. Budget could be more, but I didn't want to pay more for a brand name that doesn't matter if it wasn't going to affect quality in a meaningful way. From your response, it sounds like this is more of a get what you pay for sort of situation.
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Aug 11, 2020 19:59
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Diminishing returns for a pair of stereo speakers tends to start in the low 4 figures and sets in hard around 10 grand. What I'm saying is you're not going to be anywhere close to that point as a causal consumer.
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Aug 11, 2020 21:35
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Mackieman posted:I recently moved out of a house where I had a 5.1 Onkyo system installed that was perfectly fine for my needs into a rented townhome that I'm obviously not installing anything into. As such, I thought it might be nice to invest in a sound bar to get a tad more volume (and quality) than the built in speakers on my (very) old 40" Panasonic plasma. https://www.edifier.com/us/en/speakers/studio-r1280t-2.0-powered-bookshelf-speakersj These sound a lot better than TV speakers and are pretty versatile. Later on, hook them up to a record player or mp3 player or whatever.
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Aug 11, 2020 21:41
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Yeah, in addition to Audioengine there's Edifier, Fluance, Kanto, Micca and even some of the "real" speaker brands like Klipsch, Canton, Aperion, Dali, KEF, etc. all make powered stereo speakers with remote controls. If you only have a few devices they're a great option. Of course you can easily spend as much as a proper system if you want but that's not necessary.
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Aug 11, 2020 22:22
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I have some lavalier microphones with XLR connectors that I'd like to use wirelessly. Is there a typical thing for this? I got something that would only transmit a high-pitched wail when I did a test with it. I also tried a completely different lavalier system that intended to mount to a 3.5mm jack but it came in way to faint on a PC. It was around $50 so I'm not too surprised. I don't know what's normal for using lapel microphones wirelessly and maybe XLR connectors are not the thing.
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Aug 11, 2020 22:53
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Rocko Bonaparte posted:I have some lavalier microphones with XLR connectors that I'd like to use wirelessly. Is there a typical thing for this? I got something that would only transmit a high-pitched wail when I did a test with it. I mean, sure, RF transmitters with XLR exist, but the answer is going to depend very heavily on your budget and goals. https://www.lectrosonics.com/Transmitters/product/582-hma-transmitter.html That, with a matching receiver is going to coast in around $3k, and you’ve got a bunch of junk in your pockets. Any RF lav system under $1000 is probably going to use 1/8” trs, and you’re going to want to buy matching mics so the elements get powered correctly. Nicer stuff uses mini-xlr or lemo in a couple of different pin configs. eddiewalker fucked around with this message at 23:26 on Aug 11, 2020 |
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Aug 11, 2020 23:23
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drat. I was gunning for more like $300. I'm trying to have some audio for doing stuff over Zoom for the next year or so that requires I move around a little bit. I figured I already had some corded lavaliers so I might as well try to use them.
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Aug 11, 2020 23:54
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Rocko Bonaparte posted:drat. I was gunning for more like $300. I'm trying to have some audio for doing stuff over Zoom for the next year or so that requires I move around a little bit. I figured I already had some corded lavaliers so I might as well try to use them. I only posted that to say buying a new mic element is going to be a small thing relative to any RF system. I’ve never used it, but the little Rode Go 2.4ghz setup looks pretty sweet for $200ish. Seems to have a mic built into the bodypack, but also supports an external element. Samson has something for $120 that outputs directly to USB. Probably good enough for Zoom.
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Aug 12, 2020 00:05
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Rocko Bonaparte posted:drat. I was gunning for more like $300. I'm trying to have some audio for doing stuff over Zoom for the next year or so that requires I move around a little bit. I figured I already had some corded lavaliers so I might as well try to use them. eddiewalker posted:I only posted that to say buying a new mic element is going to be a small thing relative to any RF system. This.
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Aug 12, 2020 02:22
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This worked fine when I needed one last minute for a trade show and is right on budget. https://www.guitarcenter.com/Shure/BLX14-Lavalier-System-with-CVL-Lavalier-Microphone.gc
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Aug 12, 2020 03:09
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Just about everything's backordered, but I got my hands on a Samson wireless lavalier using a USB Type-C connector. My laptop should be able to put up with it. If that turns out to be a mess then I guess I go for the half-rack stuff like KillHour showed. I think everybody else had the same idea when Covid hit and ate all the microphones.
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Aug 12, 2020 03:58
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Rocko Bonaparte posted:Just about everything's backordered, but I got my hands on a Samson wireless lavalier using a USB Type-C connector. My laptop should be able to put up with it. If that turns out to be a mess then I guess I go for the half-rack stuff like KillHour showed. pretty much. I had to bring my webcam to work and use my DSLR as my home webcam. Luckily I already had a bunch of studio gear lying around so audio wasn't an issue. Protip: apparently you can use a wyze cam (and probably other security cameras) as a webcam too.
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Aug 12, 2020 04:04
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Pretty much any ONVIF compatible camera can be used as a webcam in a pinch if you're willing to futz around with VLC. I should set up the Axis Q6045 on my shelf as a ridiculous overkill webcam.
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Aug 12, 2020 05:01
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qirex posted:Huge "it depends" here. When you use one like 80% of the audio comes through the center channel so it should be at least as good as your L/R speakers if not better. Fair enough. I wasn't planning on cheaping out, it's just I bought the mains a while back and their line is no longer produced. I was looking at something of the same level from the same manufacturer. My receiver doesn't seem to convert surround into stereo at all, and the stereo tracks on TV/movies don't seem to be quite right sometimes. Adding a centre to the setup seems like it'd solve my complaints as long as it wouldn't sound weird for being different. arsegrit fucked around with this message at 14:06 on Aug 12, 2020 |
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Aug 12, 2020 13:51
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KillHour posted:Diminishing returns for a pair of stereo speakers tends to start in the low 4 figures and sets in hard around 10 grand. LRADIKAL posted:https://www.edifier.com/us/en/speakers/studio-r1280t-2.0-powered-bookshelf-speakersj qirex posted:Yeah, in addition to Audioengine there's Edifier, Fluance, Kanto, Micca and even some of the "real" speaker brands like Klipsch, Canton, Aperion, Dali, KEF, etc. all make powered stereo speakers with remote controls. If you only have a few devices they're a great option. Of course you can easily spend as much as a proper system if you want but that's not necessary. Thanks, I'll take a look with those ideas in mind. 
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Aug 12, 2020 13:53
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arsegrit posted:My receiver doesn't seem to convert surround into stereo at all, and the stereo tracks on TV/movies don't seem to be quite right sometimes. Adding a centre to the setup seems like it'd solve my complaints as long as it wouldn't sound weird for being different.
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Aug 12, 2020 19:06
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qirex posted:Every receiver should downmix properly, they are supposed to to get Dolby certification in the first place. Try telling it you have a center in the menu and see if it sounds different. A lot of the complaints people have about movie/tv sound are down to how it's mixed. I tested this and forgot to come back and say you're entirely correct. If I have 5.1 being streamed to the receiver and enable the centre speaker, and suddenly all the voice disappears. Centre disabled, voices return. So it is downmixing the input to stereo. I have a surround setup elsewhere which can be used at Good Volume, so I expect I've simply forgotten how it is to watch things more quietly.
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Aug 26, 2020 16:05
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My Sonos Arc arrived today, just wondering how best to set it up with my ps4 - The last of Us 2 auto detects 5.1ch audio, should I manually set this back to 2.0 as I don't currently have rear speakers? I'll be getting 2 smaller speakers soon, just wondering how best to use it until then. I had some weird issues with running the bar to begin with. Ps4 Pro connected to an LG B8, soundbar connected to the HDMI ARC on the TV. In the ps4 settings, if I tried using audio out on HDMI and then Dolby digital or DTS, there would be a very noticeable delay. Linear PCM worked fine however, but that can only send 2 channel audio. I then tried connecting the ps4 directly to the soundbar via optical, with the optical adapter. This got rid of the delay, but I didnt want this to be the solution as I want the bar to work for both the ps4 and the tv. So I switched back to using the ARC on the TV, nothing going into the optical port on the ps4, and weirdly the ps4 audio setting is saying optical out, Dolby Digitial is enabled, and Last of us is detecting 5.1ch audio. With no delay. So... what the hell is happening there? I've read a little about the audio delay issue and that appears to be coming from the TV decoding the audio, im just confused as to how the PlayStation is now apparently sending a 5.1ch signal with no delay through HDMI even though it says optical. Apologies for the wall of text, I'm just a bit new to all this stuff. HampHamp fucked around with this message at 15:57 on Sep 2, 2020 |
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Sep 2, 2020 15:47
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Bought a pair of Monoprice Monolith metal speaker stands on sale. However they only come with carpet-spikes and I live in an old building with wooden floors, so I want to be easy on floors and reduce noise leaving the apartment. They're going to be used for a pair of Yamaha bookshelf speakers driven by a 100W amp: can I just put cardboard or carpet tiles underneath the stands on the wooden floor? They're also hollow and can be filled with extra weight like gravel or sand, is it worth doing that?
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Sep 5, 2020 22:05
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Mecha posted:Bought a pair of Monoprice Monolith metal speaker stands on sale. However they only come with carpet-spikes and I live in an old building with wooden floors, so I want to be easy on floors and reduce noise leaving the apartment. I bought a pair of these https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=39494 and they came with little rubber bowl things to place the spikes in? Have you got them yet?
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Sep 5, 2020 22:18
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Mecha posted:Bought a pair of Monoprice Monolith metal speaker stands on sale. However they only come with carpet-spikes and I live in an old building with wooden floors, so I want to be easy on floors and reduce noise leaving the apartment. https://www.amazon.com/Bluecell-Nickel-Plated-Speaker-Isolation/dp/B07KVWPWX5/ and yeah fill them with something. Sand, lead, kitty litter, whatever.
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Sep 6, 2020 01:03
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Bum the Sad posted:I bought a pair of these https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=39494 and they came with little rubber bowl things to place the spikes in? Have you got them yet? GnarlyCharlie4u posted:https://www.amazon.com/Bluecell-Nickel-Plated-Speaker-Isolation/dp/B07KVWPWX5/
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Sep 6, 2020 06:01
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Any recommendations for a basic RCA line selector? I have two sets of active speakers - 2 vintage B&O Beolab 8000s and 2 Argon 7450s. Since we're living in an apartment, it would be nice to be able to switch between the less ....boomy B&O set for regular/evening use and the Argon set (or all four!) for parties or if we want to blast some dumb music in the middle of the day. Sources are a Chromecast Audio and an Audioengine B1 so possible inputs are 3.5mm, optical and RCA. Fruits of the sea fucked around with this message at 18:06 on Sep 6, 2020 |
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Sep 6, 2020 18:01
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I have a Chromecast Audio connected to my amp (Heaven 11Billie) through optical. My issue is that the CC just doesn't sound good with Spotify, it just sounds super tinny. Spotify sounds fine with my amp's AptX but it randomly gets choppy like bluetooth always does. I recently had a trial sub to Tidal and that sounds good but I've spent years with Spotify so I'm just used to the environment. Anyway, are there any cheap streamers that support Spotify or Spotify Connect?
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Sep 8, 2020 03:06
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Looking for a reasonably priced bluetooth adapter for my stereo that isnt megabux or full of features. Basically something along these lines : https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MHTGZR4/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=A1MDP7AFOR891V&psc=1 that isn't also $200. RCA out, a connect button, and a decent brand is all I need. It seems like the market is flooded with hundreds of cheap no name samey products all selling the same (probably) boards in different plastic shells. For example, this one is highly reviewed for audio quality but ghat drat why so many ~features~ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BQYYDNJ/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_3?smid=A1C41W6V7R1EVA&psc=1 Do I need to just get over it and accept that this is digital audio and as long as it connects properly I'm fine?
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Sep 9, 2020 16:59
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intheflesh posted:Looking for a reasonably priced bluetooth adapter for my stereo that isnt megabux or full of features. Basically something along these lines : https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MHTGZR4/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=A1MDP7AFOR891V&psc=1 that isn't also $200. RCA out, a connect button, and a decent brand is all I need. It seems like the market is flooded with hundreds of cheap no name samey products all selling the same (probably) boards in different plastic shells. https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Blu...ctronics&sr=1-2 I think this is what you want.
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Sep 10, 2020 04:08
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What do I need to match, specifications-wise, in order to replace a driver? The centre speaker on my 5.1 died and I was thinking of getting a driver of the same size and specs and just swapping it out. I could also just get a whole speaker to replace it which may be easier than finding the driver, but still, what should I need to match?
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Sep 14, 2020 00:18
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Unless you can buy a driver direct from the manufacturer, bail and buy a new speaker, driver specs differ wildly and while anything that matches the resistance rating will work perfectly, it's the billion driver specs which affect how it actually sounds in the end. You could end up with a better sounding speaker but one that's half as loud and doesn't hit the same frequency range as what you had. By all means buy a cheap driver of the same size and resistance just to see if you want to experiment though, it's not like they're expensive! I guess it all depends on how sensitive your hearing is as to whether you even notice. I know a lot of companies offer replacement drivers for their speakers, some even batch them in matching sets to replace together to ensure each speaker sounds as close to the others as possible. Pull the driver and see what's on it, you may be able to find specs for it to match with a replacement.
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Sep 14, 2020 19:16
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Sometimes you can get lucky and look up the part number on Ebay for a direct replacement.
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Sep 14, 2020 20:56
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What would be a good room microphone to pick up my wife and on when we play board games online with friends? We figure it would just go into one of our computers. I'm assuming some kind of USB microphone, but I realize I've been gobbling up microphones and wonder if I should do something more serious for audio input.
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Sep 15, 2020 07:13
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Blue Yeti is the popular one basically every youtuber and podcast person uses. I have one and it's pretty good.
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Sep 15, 2020 14:20
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Olympic Mathlete posted:Unless you can buy a driver direct from the manufacturer, bail and buy a new speaker KozmoNaut posted:Sometimes you can get lucky and look up the part number on Ebay for a direct replacement.  I was chatting with a friend of mine who is getting rid of an old (still way newer than mine) 5.1 so I'll just be using that for now. Thanks a bunch!
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Sep 15, 2020 14:30
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