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KozmoNaut posted:Also, if you don't already have one, get a Technics overhang gauge/tool. It makes it an absolute breeze to get cartridges aligned correctly. I’ll check it out thanks, I was just looking at various alignment tools and wondering if any were especially useful or just for overly anal audiophiles. Also I got a good price on a pair of Concorde MkIIs, I might end up getting some vm95e’s down the road. 🙂
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Aug 29, 2021 14:04
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Snowy posted:I’ll check it out thanks, I was just looking at various alignment tools and wondering if any were especially useful or just for overly anal audiophiles. The cartridge needs to be aligned, its not an audiophile thing. I just use a printable scale that goes on the turntable. Then a little digital scale to check the stylus force. Then occasional cleanings by cueing into a magic eraser
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Aug 29, 2021 15:28
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large hands posted:The cartridge needs to be aligned, its not an audiophile thing. Yeah I’m just trying to figure out which things I actually need. In the past I just went by alignment tips that didn’t require any special tools but that sort of thing seems much more common now. The printable scale seems great, and I already ordered the needle gauge adjustment.
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Aug 29, 2021 15:48
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Snowy posted:Yeah I’m just trying to figure out which things I actually need. In the past I just went by alignment tips that didn’t require any special tools but that sort of thing seems much more common now. The printable scale seems great, and I already ordered the needle gauge adjustment. which concords did you decide to get?
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Aug 29, 2021 15:49
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Ok Comboomer posted:which concords did you decide to get? I got the MKII Mix twin set with a case for $160, seemed pretty good. I probably would have gone with your MX3 suggestion but I’ve never tried the ortofon style cartridge and curiosity won out. I’ll get some VM95Es later for my old headshells.
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Aug 29, 2021 16:13
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Got new compression drivers for my main speakers, they're now "really ridiculous and a little more refined than they were." Delightful little guys if you want to go deaf on 5W of power. 15" horn loaded midbass woofer and a 3" compression driver with active crossover and DSP. She spicy. 
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Aug 30, 2021 22:39
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Beautiful
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Aug 30, 2021 23:30
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Has anyone in this thread messed around with the Willsenton R8 and/or R800i from China Hifi Audio? It's getting rave reviews from the usual suspects on YouTube for being an affordable yet solid quality tube amp, and I'm still on the fence about going tube vs getting a nice used and/or vintage solid state amp.
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Aug 31, 2021 06:38
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Bi-wire or nah? (cable supply not a factor)
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Aug 31, 2021 07:01
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Crime on a Dime posted:Bi-wire or nah? (cable supply not a factor) Nah, unless you’re running like 50+ foot runs and only have 18awg kicking around. Source: knowing how electricity works.
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Aug 31, 2021 12:50
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It looks like the OP is way out of date so I'll just make a post instead. I'm starting from 0 and want to put together a decent system for listening to vinyl - could y'all provide some suggestions? My budget is $1000 but I could go a little over if absolutely necessary. I don't want the absolute best, just a decent starter system. Assume for the purposes of answering this question that I am too lazy to go hunting through Craigslist for specific vintage parts.
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Sep 3, 2021 02:08
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Badger of Basra posted:It looks like the OP is way out of date so I'll just make a post instead. I'm starting from 0 and want to put together a decent system for listening to vinyl - could y'all provide some suggestions? My budget is $1000 but I could go a little over if absolutely necessary. I don't want the absolute best, just a decent starter system. Klipsch The Fives in the finish you like and a U-Turn Orbit with the thing that raises and lowers the tone arm (no phono preamp needed, the Fives have one) in a color you like. Acrylic platter preferred but if your decor prefers a metal platter and/or you want to style it up with some different slipmats skip it. Get the nicest cartridge you can afford on it unless you play a lot of dirty/worn vinyl. All new stuff, super easy and straightforward and the Fives are super flexible. RIP Paul Walker fucked around with this message at 03:29 on Sep 3, 2021 |
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Sep 3, 2021 03:13
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RIP Paul Walker posted:Klipsch The Fives in the finish you like and a U-Turn Orbit with the thing that raises and lowers the tone arm (no phono preamp needed, the Fives have one) in a color you like. Acrylic platter preferred but if your decor prefers a metal platter and/or you want to style it up with some different slipmats skip it. Get the nicest cartridge you can afford on it unless you play a lot of dirty/worn vinyl. Perfect, thank you!
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Sep 4, 2021 00:24
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I picked up a Acoustic Research XA earlier this summer at a neighbors yard sale for  . I got it back from the repair guy last night, put a acrylic mat on it, hooked it up to the La Scalas and drat does it sound smooth. I think I'm At a good stopping point for gear purchases until I decide to drink the audiophile Kool Aid and need to hear the Peoples Temple Choir in higher fidelity.  
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Sep 4, 2021 14:21
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the Mods, they knew!
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After cleaning the speed pots this thing runs stable as heck, thanks for the advice Anyone know if it's possible to polish up a scratched and worn to matte dust cover? I'd remove it and run bare but as you can see I need it badly and it's ugly.
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Sep 4, 2021 14:35
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F4rt5 posted:After cleaning the speed pots this thing runs stable as heck, thanks for the advice You could get a pack of the stuff for cleaning headlights. You might want to try it out on like the back of the cover first to make sure you like the results.
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Sep 4, 2021 15:41
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Novus plastic polish is made for buffing the scratches out of motorcycle helmet visors and is stocked at harley dealers. There are 3 grades depending on how bad the scratches are. I usually just use the middle grade which is Novus 2 for small scratches and general polishing.
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Sep 4, 2021 16:48
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A bit random, but does anyone know anything about universal remotes with audio equipment? I have a B&K Preamp that I got for cheap on eBay that has a broken screen. It works fine, but selecting a source isn’t easy since your current source is shown on the screen as you cycle through them. The official remote has buttons for each of the sources, but they’re old and out of stock, so I’m looking at universals, but I can’t tell if there’s some way to know if it’ll work with my unit. I’ve found hex codes (?) for the specific model (pt 3 series II) and generic 3/4/5 digit codes for B&K receivers. Will I just have to dive in and try one out? Does anyone have any ideas on what to look for? E: I see some custom programmed/labeled remotes from different sources, but they’re $30. Hoping for around $10 or less considering how much generic universal remotes go for, but I may have to spring for it. VladimirLeninpest fucked around with this message at 19:50 on Sep 9, 2021 |
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Sep 9, 2021 19:34
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F4rt5 posted:After cleaning the speed pots this thing runs stable as heck, thanks for the advice Try toothpaste on an inconspicuous section, it works amazing for some polycarbonates
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Sep 10, 2021 06:59
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VladimirLeninpest posted:A bit random, but does anyone know anything about universal remotes with audio equipment? If you can find an old used Harmony remote, you'll be in good shape.
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Sep 10, 2021 16:51
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RIP Paul Walker posted:If you can find an old used Harmony remote, you'll be in good shape. This might be the way to go, to really make sure it works. I didn’t realize they were so cheap, thanks!
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Sep 11, 2021 13:39
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The follow-up to this post is that I got a Harmony 700 for $15 shipped and it works perfectly, so thank you for the suggestion! We rearranged our furniture and finally have room for standing speakers, so I was able to get my DCM Time Windows set up. I bought them 10+ years ago for $50 from Craigslist and eventually gave them to my brother-in-law because we were moving cities and I didn't want to have to haul them alongside everything else. I got them back earlier this year and they've been in the basement, waiting until we had space. They're such cool speakers: 2 tweeters and 2 subwoofers per speaker, each pair facing different directions. Leads to very clear mids and highs, tight bass that fill the entire room, so you can stand almost anywhere and have it image like it should. 
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Sep 22, 2021 04:37
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Bought another huge lot of MDs from Japan, around 190 this time, below pic is just a small sample. It was really cool how the guy would take so much time to make custom covers and detailed song lists. Some great colors out of this lot as well. 
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Sep 23, 2021 02:17
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Brand new to vinyl and wound up getting an AT-LP120-USB from a local dude for $100. I already have a receiver that I'm assuming is fine to get started with (Pioneer VSX-305). Any recommendations on some passive speakers to get started? It'd be cool to keep it in the $100-$200 range, but if that's unrealistic I'm open to suggestions. I'm fine looking around locally for something used as well so if there's specific brands or models I should keep an eye out for let me know.
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Sep 23, 2021 12:24
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The Postman posted:Brand new to vinyl and wound up getting an AT-LP120-USB from a local dude for $100. I already have a receiver that I'm assuming is fine to get started with (Pioneer VSX-305). Any recommendations on some passive speakers to get started? It'd be cool to keep it in the $100-$200 range, but if that's unrealistic I'm open to suggestions. I'm fine looking around locally for something used as well so if there's specific brands or models I should keep an eye out for let me know. At that price range you're going to be much much better served going used. I would keep an eye out for PSB Alpha B1's, Elac Debut B5's or B6's, stuff like that. Also possible to get lucky on vintage stuff but that's more of a "google it when you find it" situation.
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Sep 23, 2021 12:55
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The Postman posted:Brand new to vinyl and wound up getting an AT-LP120-USB from a local dude for $100. I already have a receiver that I'm assuming is fine to get started with (Pioneer VSX-305). Any recommendations on some passive speakers to get started? It'd be cool to keep it in the $100-$200 range, but if that's unrealistic I'm open to suggestions. I'm fine looking around locally for something used as well so if there's specific brands or models I should keep an eye out for let me know. If you let us know what used stuff is in your area I’ll check it out. There are a lot of speakers.
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Sep 23, 2021 13:24
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Yeah, like I just picked up a set of Linn Tukan speakers that are about 15-20 years old that sound absolutely incredible for $200 recently, but that was after a lot of digging around at antique stores and thrift shops and the like. You probably have a few places in your city that sell vintage audio gear, and there are online hifi gear classified sites like Canuckaudiomart that people tend to list their older stuff up on. I'd recommend checking it out within your price range, and doing research on the nicest 5 speaker sets you see to find the ones that suit your audio tastes.
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Sep 23, 2021 13:25
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Thanks for the advice so far! I'll have to do some closer research and potentially visit some local shops one of these weekends. "Vintage speakers" seems to pull up a decent number of results on craigslist. Any other keywords I should include in my search?BigFactory posted:If you let us know what used stuff is in your area I’ll check it out. There are a lot of speakers. I'm just skimming craigslist during work, but here's a handful that were in my price range and some that didn't have pricing (but a quick Google tells me some of them are probably way out of my price range): Realistic Minimus 11 Polk Audio 4A 4619 White Enamel NHT Super One Speakers No pricing: Altec Lansing (Valencia 846a) Klipsch heresy (black,pro) JBL L55. (Glass tops) Pioneer HPM 100. (100w) Pioneer HPM 100. (200w)
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Sep 23, 2021 14:21
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The Postman posted:Thanks for the advice so far! I'll have to do some closer research and potentially visit some local shops one of these weekends. "Vintage speakers" seems to pull up a decent number of results on craigslist. Any other keywords I should include in my search? Right off the bat I think you can scratch the Minimi off your list (you can do better), along with the Heresys (either they’re busted or way out of your budget, or probably both), and the HPM 100 (if they’re in decent shape they’re almost certainly out of your budget, and I’d bet money without seeing them that they’re probably not in decent shape and they probably don’t have their original white woofers) What size/shape of a space are you hoping to fill with sound? As much as you’re constrained by budget you really should be picking your speakers based on your space, and what kind of sound you’re hoping to get out of them (ie “rich and room-filling bass” vs “light background and podcasts” etc) relative to the space they occupy, how much room they take up, how ugly your partner finds them, etc.
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Sep 23, 2021 14:37
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Ok Comboomer posted:What size/shape of a space are you hoping to fill with sound? As much as you’re constrained by budget you really should be picking your speakers based on your space, and what kind of sound you’re hoping to get out of them (ie “rich and room-filling bass” vs “light background and podcasts” etc) relative to the space they occupy, how much room they take up, how ugly your partner finds them, etc. It's an 11x14 spare bedroom/office. I've never really understood how to best describe sound, but "rich and room-filling bass" sounds up my alley. There's a reasonable amount of space in both potential areas I plan to set everything up, but I would say speakers that can sit on the stand with the turntable would be a better use of my space than floor standing ones.
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Sep 23, 2021 14:48
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The Postman posted:Thanks for the advice so far! I'll have to do some closer research and potentially visit some local shops one of these weekends. "Vintage speakers" seems to pull up a decent number of results on craigslist. Any other keywords I should include in my search? So the polks or NHTs matched with a subwoofer might be fine for your space if that’s in budget. I’ve never heard those JBLs but they’re supposed to be bass heavy. Might be in a good way. See what the price is
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Sep 23, 2021 15:08
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Oh yeah, I forgot to ask about a subwoofer as well. Should I approach hunting for one the same way?
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Sep 23, 2021 15:46
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The Postman posted:Oh yeah, I forgot to ask about a subwoofer as well. Should I approach hunting for one the same way? Either you need it, or it’s a “nice to have”, or you don’t. That will largely be decided by the size/cost of your speakers and what else you intend to do in the space Movies? TV? Hyperpop BASSdroppp dance parties? Is your “$100-200” stated budget all-inclusive or is this a “I was planning to spend no more than $200 on speakers but if I find a nice subwoofer then that could be tacked on...” situation?
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Sep 23, 2021 15:53
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Something like (and I know I've recommended these before) a pair of Polk monitor 7As would be perfect for that space and should go for 200 or less. Those are a sealed unit with a 6" mid bass and a 10" radiator that will produce more than enough bass for that room. Or any number of 3-way ported 1970s style speakers that you can find in any salvation Army.
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Sep 23, 2021 16:10
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Ok Comboomer posted:Either you need it, or it’s a “nice to have”, or you don’t. That will largely be decided by the size/cost of your speakers and what else you intend to do in the space I'd be willing to tack on a subwoofer. I don't know how much the space will necessitate one if I'm just listening to records by myself, but it sounds like the speakers in my price range might at least make one "nice to have".
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Sep 23, 2021 16:13
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The Postman posted:I'd be willing to tack on a subwoofer. I don't know how much the space will necessitate one if I'm just listening to records by myself, but it sounds like the speakers in my price range might at least make one "nice to have". A small subfrequency focused 6.5"-8" unit, probably sealed instead of ported would add a lot of body and bass extension for music with a smaller set of bookshelf speakers that have great mids and treble but weaker bass output, without being offensive to the neighbours/housemates. You can find active units that have a speaker-level input in the $100-$400 range that would sound great. Just be prepared to move the sub all over the place in the room to find the spot where it's the least boomy and blends into the speakers the best. You shouldn't be able to tell where a well-placed subwoofer is in the room. Try to avoid home theater ones if you can, as they're designed for a different set of auditory conditions
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Sep 23, 2021 17:36
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My brother wants to upgrade his vinyl setup but keeps running into audiophile woo when he researches how to upgrade. I can tell him to ignore the woo, but I don't know any good resources for how to actually get the most out of vinyl. Do y'all know anywhere I could link him to?
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Sep 26, 2021 23:33
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Fantastic Foreskin posted:My brother wants to upgrade his vinyl setup but keeps running into audiophile woo when he researches how to upgrade. I can tell him to ignore the woo, but I don't know any good resources for how to actually get the most out of vinyl. Do y'all know anywhere I could link him to? the pig balls website
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Sep 26, 2021 23:52
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Fantastic Foreskin posted:My brother wants to upgrade his vinyl setup but keeps running into audiophile woo when he researches how to upgrade. I can tell him to ignore the woo, but I don't know any good resources for how to actually get the most out of vinyl. Do y'all know anywhere I could link him to? What gear does he have, and what does he find is lacking that he wants to improve by upgrading? What kind of room is he playing in, small, medium, large, asymmetrical, etc. . Ask him those questions and we should be able to get him on a productive path minus all the woo woo
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Sep 27, 2021 00:11
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Clearly the answer to the all-important question of whether one can woo-woo-woo is in the negative in this situation.
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Sep 27, 2021 01:33
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