|
ferroque posted:Orbit 2 is out. Starts at $250. Enjoy this is really nice, I'm very impressed. You were right about bringing the features from the Orbit Theory down to a more affordable level. (are y'all hiring? I wanna work at a hifi company)
|
#
¿
Aug 23, 2023 14:21
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 9, 2024 19:22 |
|
|
 $30 at goodwill Nalgene + Minimi for scale it sounds really excellent (the pack in speakers look like they were poo poo even back in the day, but it doesn’t matter as it’s got A+B sets of real speaker outs), although I can’t find anything about it beyond some listings and some NOS remotes, of which I’ve place an order. Also this: https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Audio/Archive-Stereo-Review-IDX/IDX/90s/Stereo-Review-1994-11-OCR-Page-0057.pdf With digging, it appears to possibly have also been sold as an AKAI MX-950/PA-950 in other parts of the world, which would peg it at 85 WPC into 6ohm and I suppose 65 into 8. https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/akai/mx-950.shtml that would line up with the D-500 being 45WPC, but IDK. There’s also an MX-750 (https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/akai/mx-750.shtml) listed at 70WPC into 6ohm (I can’t login to hifiengine and download the loving manuals) Maybe the AKAI and Denon are wholly different beasts that share a majority of components Regardless, this power amp unit is BIG and heavy and there’s a chonker transformer inside. trilobite terror fucked around with this message at 02:55 on Sep 3, 2023 |
|
#
¿
Sep 3, 2023 02:52
|
|
|
TheGoonspiracist posted:I finally found a used parasound preAmp and a tuner locally for a decent price that matches the Amp I have. siiiiiick
|
|
#
¿
Sep 27, 2023 05:00
|
|
|
wa27 posted:I picked up the fanciest BSR turntable you'll ever see today for $40. man I love those crop circle-style TT mats
|
|
#
¿
Oct 5, 2023 16:26
|
|
|
Rescue Toaster posted:I appreciate what everyone's saying about not being an either-or. I think qirex hits at what I was expressing very poorly. If you were to get your TT working, how would you plan to play it? Do you have a receiver? Self powered speakers? Would you need an external phono pre or would you get a receiver/amp that has one? There are lots of options either way. Vinyl is great fun, and I like it a lot, but it’s also not essential (no format is). Ideally you gently caress with multiple formats because it makes the act of going to a thrift store or yard sale and finding some cool poo poo for cheap much easier these days, but also I totally get not wanting to start accumulating CDs or cassettes in 2023. Ideally you have access to a bunch of inexpensive or free old LPs, because getting into only new pressings is a bit silly IMO and, like you’ve seen/said, pricey. Ultimately, vinyl (or CD, or cassette) is not going to replace streaming for you (dropping in a requisite “gently caress Spotify” for the way they continue to gently caress over artists and make the landscape worse), and if you’re into hi-res stuff then it’s probably worth dropping the coin for Tidal or whatever (Qobuz is for dorks), or just sticking with the “highest quality” version of whatever you’re already using every day. Just for curiosity’s sake: what genres do you like listening to? What kinds of records (or CDs, etc) would you be looking to grab? Are you a generalist? An amateur music historian? Are you only looking for post punk or industrial? I like classical, and vinyl is still a great medium for collecting classical. You’re much likelier to find a spotless Deutsche Grammophon LP from the 60s that sounds like a dream recorded on air at a Goodwill store for $1 than you are a popular rock or pop LP worth holding onto in salvageable shape these days. You’ll have to go to dedicated record stores for those (DG is still pressing LPs, btw. I think my newest of theirs is the There Will Be Blood suite, but there’s a bunch of Vikingur Olafsson stuff that I’ve got on my wishlist). Likewise, I’m into weird poo poo: foley and sound libraries and copyright-free stuff meant for broadcast; Christmas and holiday records from various time periods; novelty LPs; speeches and political releases; reference materials; etc. I’ve found that the broader your interests with this hobby, the cheaper (or, rather, the lower your barrier for enjoyment) is. If, for example, you’re only into the Smiths and bands like the Smiths, then you’re pretty much gonna be limited to new pressings which sound great and cost new pressing money, or “collector pieces” on the used market which are going to cost a varying amount depending on lots of factors. It doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to build a sweet collection, but if you’re used to exclusively paying streaming prices or pirating everything, then it is gonna cost a bit more than that. For popular used stuff, find a good and trustworthy record store in your area and stock up on some stuff from your favorite artists, or stuff you’d just really love to have, but don’t overpay for anything and don’t be afraid of grabbing a new pressing of something that you really want but is way expensive as an old or original pressing. Also do be aware of value, though. That original NIN pressing is probably worth a fair bit and is definitely a cool thing to have. Records seem to be retaining and appreciating in value these days so don’t be afraid to have or buy a reasonable amount of collector pieces. But there’s also no good reason to drop three figures on a lovely copy of a Beatles or Bowie album that you really want in your collection when you can snag a clean new pressing for $15-20. Granted, I’m also speaking as a 13 year “veteran” of the hobby’s current incarnation so it’s easy for me to be like “I grabbed a bunch of post punk and Kate Bush originals for like $15-30 a pop in 2011-2013 that are worth 5-10x that now! This hobby rules!” There are people who built priceless collections for nothing in the 2000s or kept up collections during the vinyl drought that I truly envy. For new pressings, a quick discogs/Google/forums/etc search is your friend (the smartphone is far more essential to the resurgence of vinyl in the internet age than the manufacture of new turntables is). Some are great, some are not so great, some are arguably better than the original release. You have way more options nowadays for new vinyl than in the past, and with that comes the ability to save money if you shop smart. Black Friday is great for buying popular and new records from places like Target/Best Buy and especially Barnes and Noble. I’ve bought a ton of new records for anywhere from $4-15 from B&N sales. If you live in Newbury Comics land, then people rag on that store for being a funko pop Rick & Morty wasteland, but they sell lots of nifty records there and they do their own colored pressings. Also urban outfitters. I got a bunch of UU editions of various poo poo in the early 2010s and don’t regret any of them (except for maybe a Sky Ferreira album some goons told me to get), UU also does big sales and it’s not uncommon to find something you like enough to grab cheap. If you’re into indie poo poo, a lot of labels will do periodic blowouts and deals. Buying direct from an artist or their small label at any time is good if you want to help stave off the destructive effects of the modern music industry. If you go to shows buying physical media is a good way to support artists and building a collection will prolly encourage you to attend more shows.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 13, 2023 21:50
|
|
|
Rescue Toaster posted:My main listening right now is on headphones, with a so-so DAC that I'm planning on upgrading, a DIY headphone amp based on the SS Tabor and some Sennheiser HD600's. So I'd need a phono stage before my headphone amp to use with that, one with balanced output unfortunately. The good news about this hobby is that the buy-in for a solid system doesn’t have to be massively high (at least not compared to the cost of, like, building a truly enviable vinyl collection) and once you have good-enough parts you can pretty much sit back and collect/not collect whatever you want and it’ll still be worthwhile as long as you’re using it. Hell even if it’s connected to your TV/gaming setup and you only use it for that it’ll be worth it. You already have a turntable that you say is good. Getting it in playing shape with a belt and maybe a new cartridge (AT VM95e) is gonna run you less than $100. Adding a preamp that you may/may not need depending on what your amp/receiver situation ends up being is another ~$120. You could also look at stuff like Schiit amps/preamps with onboard Phono for desktop headphone stuff. Maybe you end up getting a new turntable from a company like Audio Technica or UTurn. Still out $200-$400 for a device you’ll probably buy one time in your life, and most of those have onboard preamps that are good enough. A new receiver/integrated amp will probably run you a bit more (or $200-400 depending on what you want- but you can get an AS501 or AS701 for $400-600 on Accessories4Less if you wait and I think those are “endgame” quality for most people), and a used one worth hanging onto could be obtained from Craigslist/etc for less than that. Some of those (mostly 2 channel) have onboard phono, most AV surround receivers do not, unless they’re made for nerds (more expensive). There are good speaker deals ongoing and incoming for Black Friday. I recently picked up two pairs of JBL A180 floorstanders for $120 apiece. One pair is a chrimbus/belated wedding gift for my sister and her husband, and one pair is for me to gently caress around with. Even if I end up hating the speakers (I probably won’t, I really dig their smaller A130 siblings) the cabinets are worth more than that. As far as full-range Fostex is concerned, Madisound has their 4” and 6” folded horn kits back in stock after like 3 years. I assume the 8” models are incoming, but those always were pricey. For streaming/network storage poo poo, get yourself a Wiim of some flavor and you’re golden. trilobite terror fucked around with this message at 00:26 on Nov 14, 2023 |
|
#
¿
Nov 14, 2023 00:24
|
|
|
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgengmlAsqM pro click
|
|
#
¿
Nov 19, 2023 22:30
|
|
|
sporklift posted:I found one of these on the side of the road once. Took it home and all it needed was a new stylus. Weird thing was that I had purchased the same model a few months earlier so now I have two. get a dj mixer and run them both
|
|
#
¿
Feb 5, 2024 04:49
|
|
|
CornHolio posted:Crossposting from the music forum: The SX680 is an integrated amp/receiver, so it has its own preamp built in. You’ll want to connect that thing either to a preamp-free power amp of some sort or to something that has a power amp but no preamp, such as most off-the-shelf self powered monitor speakers. That’s a really nice find. What does it look like from the back?
|
|
#
¿
Mar 11, 2024 23:39
|
|
|
I mean, those are cool as historical/collector/prop pieces but yeah I wouldn’t spend a bunch of money on them unless I knew I had a good reason to and I certainly wouldn’t use them as hifi speakers. They are umm, Not Good by modern standards. There are def speakers of that era that are, but those Sansuis aren’t it AFAIK. What’s your max budget for speakers? What kind of decor aesthetic are you after? Do you want a fully period-correct setup?
|
|
#
¿
Mar 12, 2024 23:38
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 9, 2024 19:22 |
|
|
Megabound posted:I'm always down to recommend the Pro-ject Phono Box S2. It's small, neutral and supports both MM and MC cartridges so if you change in the future you won't need to also change your pre-amp. Yeah this or the $130 Schiit one
|
|
#
¿
Mar 17, 2024 22:40
|
|