Audio advice and discussions with audiophiles and professionals. Free discussion forums, open to all and frequented by industry experts. Ask questions and get advice on stereos, speakers, hi-end amplifiers, pre-amps, home theater, tube hi-fi, turntables, vinyl, tweaks, music, films, video, DVDs and more.
Prince wrote on Fri, 20 March 2026 05:25 I am not against hiring an expert that can help you setup your musical equipments, but it is always very important to seek for one who understands how room acoustics works and I've dealt with a couple of "experts" who didn't understand what room acoustics is all about. So, once you are able to get someone who understood the work, then it's all good. For the fear of wasting money on engaging the services of someone who can't handle the job, I've always looked at sorting most of my audio challenges alone at my shop. It is only when it is clear that I can't fix certain issues that I look at employing another to assist. I've seen a lot of wannabe professionals just taking money without doing the job for my neighbours and I can't afford to make a similar mistake.
Re: What's your preferred solid-state amp now?
The Katana 100 amp is not bad. Zero tube stress, like you mentioned. However, I've been on the Henrksen and the Quilter brand for years now and currently use the Bud Ten model that I got for $1,000 as my main amp right now. Kinda costly, but it has served me with no issues experienced for over 10 years that I've been making use of it. I've used solid-state amps from Roland JC, Fender Tonemaster, and Peavey in the past, but none has given me the confidence that I had with these two brands. They've been a reliable brand for years. If you've not gotten any of their amps in your collection, then I suggest you try them out, too.
Re: What is the name of the movie that changed how you view social issues?
Becky wrote on Thu, 02 October 2025 08:25 There was one movie that I have seen couple of times named Five Feet Apart. It made me to view society in another way of life with a different meaning. Being kind to people of any race dealing with sickness, respect infection rules more seriously and also show people with illness some love and equal respect. The movie that truly showed me what life is all about was 3 idiots. I watched that movie when I was dealing with a lot of issues in life and the movie truly helped me take life step by step.
Silver wrote on Tue, 16 May 2023 19:06 I used to spend a lot of time on the road, and Red Eye Radio kept me company for many, many miles. They discuss current issues, mainly political, but they get into other news sometimes. This remains my favourite podcast link because I am the type who likes to know about the current happenings in the country. They were there with updated information about major events in the country.
Ah-HA! Good eye! And - yes - I see it now. There are two crossovers in your uploaded image labeled IMG_1668.JPEG. The one in the foreground is correct, but the one in the background is wrong, just like you said. It's kind of blurry in the photo, cause the camera is focused on the crossover in the foreground. But you can see the bad connection. If you click on the image link below the photo in the post, and then click on the pic when it's displayed, it will zoom in and you can really see it.
Look at the upper XO in the pic above. C3 is shorted to ground instead of passing through L1. I found the mistake with a bit of sleuthing and the fix was easy. Luckily I used the silicone in moderation when I assembled the crossovers.
Welcome Walter. I recently completed a pair of 7pi corner horns and long ago completed my 2pi surrounds and 4pi center channel. I think you would be happy with corner horns as long as you move around the back of the room mostly. I lose all phantom center imaging if I get too close to them. My media room where they live is about 16' x 24' with the speakers on the short wall. Pics in my recent thread I have an old pair of Bose 901's (oh, the horror, audiophiles) in my shop which work nicely with their diffuse soundfield. They have little imaging to speak of but they sound very consistent no matter where I am in the shop. And they can crank if I want to jam. Food for thought...
That is one fantastic setup you have there! Looks great! I really don't see your crossover mistake. I can't see all the component connections, but it appears L1, C2 and C3 and the R1/R2 bank are all installed right. I see you've installed C1 instead of Rs, so that gives a little more sparkle up top. But nothing I can see would kill the tweeter. What was it? That board is tough to populate for the seven Pi's. Stuff is everywhere.
dustboy wrote on Fri, 10 April 2026 20:53 I modeled this port to be 3D printed in PLA. Wall thickness is only 1/8", I'm wondering if the flat walls will resonate? I'd make it thicker but I have limited space on the baffle after adding the flange at the face. I'd stick with plywood/MDF for the port. It's nice and solid and is easy to incorporate into a horizontal brace. Looking forward to the rest of your build. CNC would be so nice to have for speaker building. I keep threatening to buy a hobby machine.
Here's a shot of the room with the speakers installed. I had an error on one of the crossover boards that killed the output from the tweeter (see if you can spot it!). Once I got that sorted out I got to really hear these speakers for the first time. I rate them 11 out of 10. They exceed my expectations by a mile! I started out using the Dolby Surround Upmixer which engaged the 4pi center. I switched to stereo and killed off all the processing in the receiver for the rest of my listening to date. I've been spinning albums with Roon/Qobuz since I got them running. They sound excellent with everything that I have thrown at them - Rock, Country, Jazz, Classical. Everything sounds fantastic. They are very revealing and I'm hearing details in recordings that have not been there before, except with headphones. The bass extension digs deep and they play LOUD with Denon receiver power. I have a ton of interconnects and speaker cables from amplifiers to the structured wiring to complete. I'm currently working on finishing up framing on the screen wall which involves CAD work on the screen and masking structure. I'll staple spandex to the framing for a temporary acoustically transparent screen so I can confirm my plans for image size and location. I should have all channels and projection functional this week. I can't wait to get an image up on the wall! It's been way too long since my damn dishwasher flooded me out. The wait is worth it though. Thanks Wayne for your outstanding designs and support during this build.
Another shot of the completed XOs and the midhorn with crossovers and tweeter horn mount installed.
The Finish Line! I completed the speakers. Wow! They sound fantastic. Here are a couple of closeups of the crossovers and mounting brackets that I 3D printed. I split the bracket into two parts to fit the print bed on my Bambu printer. The brackets have keystone panels for the banana jack inserts. I downloaded a print for the keystone panel and modified for this use.
I think just the wiring is worth more than my car... Bravo! PS If I had that shop, I'd not stop building, either. Congrats.
Re: Should I blow the budget on getting expensive cables?
See, I've got to be honest with you and speaking from experience, using cheap, well-built cables sound just neat and dynamic. So, using an expensive cables rarely make any big upgrade in sound quality. The big differences are noticed with upgrades on amps, speakers and in some cases, room treatments. For that reason, I won't advise that you spend above your budget getting expensive cables when you can spend that on upgrading the speakers, for example.
Thank you Rusty for the book. I will have to find time to read it as soon as possible.
Hello, Bruce I am very happy to see you back. I noticed a decline in your activity, and that kinda got me worried. So, I am happy to see your post, and hopefully, you keep getting better with time. Wish you all the best, mate.
Holy smoke, Bruce! I had no idea! Thanks for letting us know! Glad you're on the mend. Hope to see you here more now.
Hi Bruce, Nice to see you back in the forum. I hope you continue to get better. Barry
Hi everyone. I have been "off line" for a while (like over 6 months). I had an old spinal fracture act up and cause severe nerve pain. Like going to the ER on Labor day (pain 10 on their 10 scale. I was completely wasted, they had to get a wheel chair out to get me into the ER) and spending 4 days in the hospital to get it manageable. It a long story. Finally had spinal surgery on Feb 17 to fix the spine. They fused 3 vertebra. Between the main hospital and rehab I was in the facility for 11 days. BTW I am really glad that I have excellent insurance as the costs were nearly $750,000. $250,000 just for the use of the OR for 8 hours. Now it is the long road back to something like normal. The pain is mostly manageable. The back is OK but the right foot is still a problem. Many nerves were damaged and they are numb most of the time. A really odd sensation that may or may not go away. But I an finally off all the pain killers and can think straight.
Hi, it is bogus. (I am finally back see Tower) I have had a total of three listeners sell off their expensive SS amps (two were Mark Ls that ran over $11,000) for a pair of Oddwatts. Tube amps are not better or worse that SS ones. If well designed both will do the job well. To be sure there some speaker that work better on one kind or the other. I would not use many tube amps on current hungry speakers and would probably not use SS ones on many of the vintage high sensitivity speakers. It is sort of like putting gas in a vehicle. All types will generally work but some may work better in certain vehicles.
Thanks for the good words. I have been off line for a while (see Tower for the reason) Those amps are some of the ones I like best. Great sound and really nice looking. They play louder than they would seem and work well with nearly any source. I occasionally swap them into my main system to feed the Martin Logan ESLs (spl about 90 db/w). As long as the source is modest in level they are really sweet. The design is quite similar to the Poddwatts, particularly the Dual Mono version so if you one of them you will know what I mean. Super on high sensitivity speakers (vintage Altec, Klipsch etc)
Re: What is the most heartbreaking scene that you've seen in a movie?
Becky wrote on Thu, 02 October 2025 08:15 I don't know if I can remember many movies by name but there are several scenes that I can't just forget easily. The Lion King - when young Simba finds his father lifeless with confusion written all over his face, made me to cry in that movie. Titanic - Jack freezing in the water is the most tragic farewell that I've seen between two lovers. Avengers: Endgame - Iron man's death hit me so hard that I felt moody for couple of days. I cried when I watched The Titanic. That movie was filled with lots of sad scenes that it is only one who's got a very strong heart that would be unable to cry if they see the movie.
I've played a couple of games, but the ones that I can confidently say had the best soundtracks were Gustavo Santaolalla guitar in The Last of Us and the soundtrack in Journey by Austin Wintory. Austin Wintory even had a Grammy nomination for that soundtrack in the game and anyone who has played the game will agree with me that it was well deserved.
I've heard some oldies while I am out shopping. Songs like Endless Love by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie, Girls Just Want to have fun by Cyndi Lauper and Even Footloose by Kenny Loggins. It always brought old memories of having those songs in the 80s each time I heard them being played in the shopping malls as I go about picking the items that I needed to buy. I support malls playing some of these classics often.
Bercle wrote on Thu, 09 April 2026 16:55 Wayne Parham wrote on Tue, 11 February 2025 13:29 I've heard that women tend to have better hearing than men, but that they aren't as picky and so can tolerate mid-fi gear. They can hear the differences though, so if you want a good critique of some change you've made, ask your wife. Seems like I remember an acoustics scientist saying he had done studies that indicated that. Since I'm not sure I remember if it came from that particular scientist, I won't mention his name, but I will say he was somewhat active in the DIY world about 20 years ago. I wonder if women's hearing is better than men's from birth or if it is a result of the loud stuff men tend to surround themselves with, like racing cars, gunshots and other high-SPL things. You are absolutely right. There have been times when my mom helped me make some picks for the songs that I will play when I am studying, but most times, she was not just interested in continuing the process. How I wish more women will develop real passion for audiophiles because their contributions will help greatly in some of the choices that the men make. Women are gifted in that aspect of figuring out difference in sounds on a song. Sadly, most of them don't want to explore that part of them or go beyond the stage of dancing to beats in a song.
Wireless earbuds are the best alternative that you've got to consider. Some brands like Apple Brands are good and have features like the noise cancellation system that makes you work out seamlessly and enjoyable. You can consider getting one from them, and you will be glad you did.
Since noise-cancelling headphones inherently modify the sound - by design - they interfere with the source material. Not saying that as an attack, merely a point of fact. So my thought is that noise-cancelling headphones are kind of like MP3 players. They provide an advantage that is not fully compatible with highest fidelity but that makes an attractive trade-off. Noise-cancelling headphones can sound nearly as good as purely analog passive headphones, and they also reduce ambient noise. Active noise cancellation (ANC) creates "anti-noise" waves to counteract external sounds, the process involves an additional layer of digital signal processing (DSP) that can sometimes interfere with the pure audio source. They do so by digitizing the music, applying a filter to add the anti-noise, and then converting it back to analog. This extra step can introduce minor distortions and artifacts. Some listeners notice a faint electronic "hiss" when ANC is engaged in quiet rooms, which is caused by the electronics themselves. And cancellation waves are most effective at low frequencies. This focus can inadvertently alter the bass response, sometimes making it feel thinner or artificially boosted by the manufacturer to compensate. ANC headphones also tend to create an artificial soundstage, reducing the perception of depth and space.
LoveJB wrote on Sun, 31 October 2021 15:55 Noise canceling is key! Does she want wireless or wired? We bought a pair of JBL headphones last year and I have to admit that they are great! I did not really even know the brand when we bought them. Any headphones made in this era that don't have the noise cancellation feature is as good as nothing. I mean that feature makes a whole lot of difference especially for those who makes use of the headphone in the studios. I've used some headphones from JBL in the past and must say that they are very good at what they do.
Should I blow the budget on getting expensive cables?
I've been wondering if those expensive cables affect sound production in a way that the normal cables can't? I've seen some ads concerning those expensive cables, and I am considering blowing my budget to get those. Do you think it is a wise idea to do so? What has been your experience with using expensive cables? Is there a big difference between them and the normal ones?
Man, you've been doing great with the build. I like the consistency and appreciate your efforts so far. Keep it up!
Dude! That is sweeeet! Love the looks of your speakers and of your equipment rack!
I picked up a Bambu Labs 3d printer. So I had to throw that at the project. Here's the bracket for the tweeter horns. These will screw down to the top of the midhorn box. And a mounting bracket for the crossover. I'll screw these to the front of the bass bins for easy access. They'll be hidden behind the acoustically transparent screen wall. Look at that dust. New Mexico. I designed these parts with Onshape. Highly recommended professional cad. It runs in a browser, and is free for personal use. onshape.com
I've got the rack all buttoned up. And here's the back side. I moved all the network gear out of the main rack. Structured wiring from the house and all speaker runs terminate in this wall mounted rack. Here's a closeup of the network gear and patch panels.
It's been almost six years since the last post. I am retired now. That makes time for gardening and woodwork! That means the theater project is back on. Front soundstage is progressing. 4pi center is done, bass bins for the 7pi's are done. Framing mostly in place for the screen wall. Mid horn woodwork is complete. I need to mount the drivers and those are finally done!
I'd have one printed and then test it for bell modes. If it rings or buzzes, maybe you can damp it with adhesive sheets or something. Or just make it from wood if the plastic duct becomes too much trouble.
I modeled this port to be 3D printed in PLA. Wall thickness is only 1/8", I'm wondering if the flat walls will resonate? I'd make it thicker but I have limited space on the baffle after adding the flange at the face.
Wayne Parham wrote on Tue, 11 February 2025 13:29 I've heard that women tend to have better hearing than men, but that they aren't as picky and so can tolerate mid-fi gear. They can hear the differences though, so if you want a good critique of some change you've made, ask your wife. Seems like I remember an acoustics scientist saying he had done studies that indicated that. Since I'm not sure I remember if it came from that particular scientist, I won't mention his name, but I will say he was somewhat active in the DIY world about 20 years ago. I wonder if women's hearing is better than men's from birth or if it is a result of the loud stuff men tend to surround themselves with, like racing cars, gunshots and other high-SPL things. You are absolutely right. There have been times when my mom helped me make some picks for the songs that I will play when I am studying, but most times, she was not just interested in continuing the process. How I wish more women will develop real passion for audiophiles because their contributions will help greatly in some of the choices that the men make.
These look absolutely gorgeous! I like using tube amps on my PC because of how it improves the sound quality when I play games on the PC, making it fun while giving that better sound. I would want to know if you've used any of the other ones since then?
I love that! Looks great!
I had some nice tweed grille cloth and these speakers being very, well, boxy, it seemed like a good reason to lean into the 'vintage monkey coffin' look. I mocked them up in sketchup, adding a 4" plinth that looked proportional. I have a teenage boy who likes to use my listening room, and while he is pretty careful, his friends are likely to put a hole in my very expensive JBL woofers. So, removable grilles are mandatory. I'd actually like to raise the speakers a bit higher to get them closer to ear level. The plinth might grow to 10-12", but it starts to look pretty chunky. In that case maybe a hardwood stand is more appropriate.
I am not against hiring an expert that can help you setup your musical equipments, but it is always very important to seek for one who understands how room acoustics works and I've dealt with a couple of "experts" who didn't understand what room acoustics is all about. So, once you are able to get someone who understood the work, then it's all good.
What's your preferred solid-state amp now?
What would you say is your preferred solid-state amp right now. I am talking about a brand that has served you for a while with minimal complaints. I just added the Boss Katana 100 to my collection of solid-state amps, and it just fits what I've been seeking. Great performance with zero tube drama. I am always relaxed as there has been no mid set concern since I started using it. Which one are you using or can say fits into what you've been seeking for a very long period?
Sounds like it's going to be a cool build! You can probably radius the edge of the ports without any ill-effects. There's a formula for calculating the Helmholtz frequency of ports with radiused ends that could be used to see. But then again, that port is huge - in a cabinet tuned and designed for full-range use rather than as a subwoofer. So you won't hear any chuffing no matter how hard you push 'em.
4pi parts are on order JBL 2226/DE250 (and backorder, in the case of the DE250-8's) and in the mean time I'm starting to work out the details. I own a custom cabinet shop with 5x10 CNC router and edgebander, so building boxes is kind of my thing. But doing the engineering of building a speaker is way beyond my mental capacity so I'm glad to have found this design. I've built several kits before including Zaph Audio 5.2 and Adire Audio MTM. I don't want to mess with success so I'll be sticking with the script for the most part. -Would it be a bad idea to fillet the mouth of the port with a 3D printed flare? Or 3DP the entire port with flares at both ends? Presumably sharp outside corners produce turbulence and most ports I've seen have this feature. Would I want to change the length of the port if I do this? -I have 2+ sheets of A1 MDF with a walnut veneer that are very nice and even better, free. I think most folks are using 18mm or thicker baltic birch these days, so I'll plan for more internal bracing. What is the intended enclosure volume? For whatever volume I displace internally I'll need to add to the total enclosure volume, yes? Which outer dimension is preferable to modify? -I'm considering an inset baffle to allow a removable cloth grille panel to set flush. -I will probably integrate a base, maybe some nice hardwood legs and try to make the speaker a bit less boxy looking.
You've got mail!
Well, I'm an entry level kinda guy, I guess, so how about the 8pi?
The eight Pi can be used in a corner. It's made to be able to work in a corner or along a wall, but it's best when used in a corner. It's a great speaker, but it is an entry-level model, whereas the six Pi and seven Pi are top-of-the-line. They aren't made to be placed anywhere but the corner, being more specialized and refined. Please let me know which model sounds like it will work best for you and I'll send plans right away.
Hello all- I'm building a new shop, which will have a finished workroom/office in it. Roughly 12x20, with maybe 9' ceiling. I expect to move around this room a bit, so am interested in having a large sweet spot. I am curious about using corner horns, but I'm not sure which size would work best in such a room. I am also curious about the design of the 8 pi, and if it could be used in the corner? Could I get a look at the plans for the 7pi and the 8pi? Curious to see if I could build them. Thanks!
Kurt wrote on Sun, 11 January 2026 03:03 I am someone who's invested a lot in keeping tube amps alive and it saddens me when I see some myths about thermionic emission around some communities. Which ones have you seen recently? Personally, I have one that I've seen and I would like to clear the air about them. I've seen this myth that tube amps are inferior to solid-state. I believe this is absolute nonsense. I mean we've got recent tubes from brands such as Tung-Sol performing absolutely better than vintage Nos, for example. I've got the boutique 50W head doing well since 2019 when I got it. I've only done some routine bias checks and occasional tube replacement. I believe that reliability comes from great power supply design and not basically from pushing tubes beyond specs. Which other ones do you have in mind that you think are wrong? Hi Kurt, I have also heard that myth about SS being better. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have a couple of posts in this string, below, mentioning just a few differences, and why SS will never be perfect to the source but Tube amplifier can be extremely close. One caveat to mention is that as one gets closer to perfect accuracy to the source, one must be more careful to the "little" things. As one example, I have been R&D analog since 1980, delving into audio perception and component design, and use multiple 6N pure copper speaker wires in parallel, for both minimal inductance at high frequencies, and total gauge for optimal woofer damping (at least the best one can obtain). Besides those two, one must consider a flat response over the entire audio band since the speaker impedance changes (usually cone types) from minimal to maximum. I have found that there is an optimal total gauge that will give flattest frequency response, and most natural sound. https://audioroundtable.com/forum/index.php?t=msg&th=21561&start=0& Thanks for starting this string Kurt. Cheers pos
I am someone who's invested a lot in keeping tube amps alive and it saddens me when I see some myths about thermionic emission around some communities. Which ones have you seen recently? Personally, I have one that I've seen and I would like to clear the air about them. I've seen this myth that tube amps are inferior to solid-state. I believe this is absolute nonsense. I mean we've got recent tubes from brands such as Tung-Sol performing absolutely better than vintage Nos, for example. I've got the boutique 50W head doing well since 2019 when I got it. I've only done some routine bias checks and occasional tube replacement. I believe that reliability comes from great power supply design and not basically from pushing tubes beyond specs. Which other ones do you have in mind that you think are wrong?
I know that this post have been a long time ago but from the reads, I understand that when I have a projector that stopped working, two things will be involved. Firstly, I will take it back to the store but if the problem encountered isn't much, I can call a professional to look into it.
There are many of the best soundtrack albums that's out every season and every time but I have to say that Halo soundtrack was good and also the best for me in every moment. I played a lot of games and this was one of the best in the games.
There was one movie that I have seen couple of times named Five Feet Apart. It made me to view society in another way of life with a different meaning. Being kind to people of any race dealing with sickness, respect infection rules more seriously and also show people with illness some love and equal respect.
I don't know if I can remember many movies by name but there are several scenes that I can't just forget easily. The Lion King - when young Simba finds his father lifeless with confusion written all over his face, made me to cry in that movie. Titanic - Jack freezing in the water is the most tragic farewell that I've seen between two lovers. Avengers: Endgame - Iron man's death hit me so hard that I felt moody for couple of days.
What is the most heartbreaking scene that you've seen in a movie?
Some movies have some heartbreaking scenes that even have the power to evoke certain emotions from viewers. Which scene of a movie was the most heartbreaking for you and why?
What is the name of the movie that changed how you view social issues?
Some movies has the power to change how we look at life in general. Which movie have you watched that changed your perspective about social issues and how one should approach them?
Men are from Mars, women are from Venus. They're wired differently. Which is a good thing, because if they had the same mental capacities as men, we'd be doomed as a species. :lol: I think some women see it as a dorky hobby they don't want to get into. Like video games or Chess.
I know we have a few active members on here who are women. It's hard to imagine that they're unique in caring about good gear.
And I can remember a female colleague telling me she lost brain cells from being pregnant. Maybe both are true. Gain a little in a few areas, lose a bit out of the whole.
From what I have learned from neurologists, when a lady becomes pregnant, their brain physically changes and their hearing becomes more acute. I cannot remember if this is temporary or permanent. Trying to remember, I believe their sense of smell also becomes more acute. Cheers pos
I've heard that women tend to have better hearing than men, but that they aren't as picky and so can tolerate mid-fi gear. They can hear the differences though, so if you want a good critique of some change you've made, ask your wife. Seems like I remember an acoustics scientist saying he had done studies that indicated that. Since I'm not sure I remember if it came from that particular scientist, I won't mention his name, but I will say he was somewhat active in the DIY world about 20 years ago. I wonder if women's hearing is better than men's from birth or if it is a result of the loud stuff men tend to surround themselves with, like racing cars, gunshots and other high-SPL things.
I wouldn't begin to try and figure that out. Women in general that is. They like music same as men. But they just don't give a rodents behind about all what goes into making it sound good. Or taking up an entire wall of living quarters on view to guests. Make it invisible. Not many men do quilting, or knitting. So, lets not worry too much about it. In the scheme of things.
I was looking at some stats on here about Audiophiles, and it seems like women just aren't, by and large, interested in this. Why do you think that is, and what could we do to draw more women into our niche hobby?
I'm a fan of Red Eye Radio as well, Silver. They've been going for ages and it shows. Check them out, OP, and you won't be disappointed. I see lots of interesting choices in this thread that I'll have to try out.
Huh, I hadn't keyed in on this before, but I believe that the stores in my area have all quit playing music. It's amazing what you stop noticing over time and only think of it when someone else brings it up. Ancient? No way! The Clash will never truly go out of style.
Hi, I heard a Jefferson Airplane one at the phone store about an hour ago. Mostly it seems like the musical renditions of songs are played in the stores here.
Yeah, it's fun sometimes to hear an old song while shopping, one perhaps forgotten but instantly recognized upon hearing. I love things like that.
Some years back, The Clash's song of this thread title came on while I was shopping for groceries. I was amused and felt ancient at the same time. Have you been surprised by songs you heard in the cereal aisle?
Wow! That's so cool! Nice lookin' and more power than I would expect from that size. Mighty Mouse!
Hi Everyone. Just on a lark I decided to try some tube amps on my PC. Quite a difference. Now to be sure the previous set up was really high quality. Marantz 2265 driving Martin Logan Motion 4s and ML D300 sub. Just kind of massive and not quite as nice as my all tube main system. I won't get into the argument as to which is best. I figure they are just different. I prefer the tube sound. Anyhow since I design and build a lot of stuff of both types I have lots of prototypes to choose from. I settled on a pair of mini-amps. Class A ultra linear EL84 push-pull amps. 5 watts each. The ones I used are upgraded with SMPS DC on the driver tubes, Audyn True copper caps, extra B+ filtering and carefully matched tubes (presently IH El84s and NOS JAN Phillips 5751 from 1944). The rest of the gear is my OMEN I7 PC, a SMSL DAC, and the same speakers. I built a stand alone "passive preamp" for it. Lovely sound. I use only uncompressed audio files (storage is cheap now). Most are .wav versions. The PC player is Groove Audio Media Player. I have about 5 others loaded but this one seems to do best what I want.
I used to spend a lot of time on the road, and Red Eye Radio kept me company for many, many miles. They discuss current issues, mainly political, but they get into other news sometimes.
Thanks for the ideas! I'll be checking those for sure. I'm glad that I can still learn about the stuff they don't disclose in school.
I listen to Atlanta Monster and Crime Junkie. The host of Atlanta Monster is amazing. The podcast centers around the Atlanta child murders in the 70s and 80s. It's pretty chilling at times. Crime Junkie is also good, although the host can go on at times. Still, there's always a compelling story to hear during the show.
"Stuff They Don't Want You To know" is a good one. From conspiracy's to the parts of history they didn't teach you in school. I'm on part 1 of 2 about Cryptocurrency Conspiracies right now. I have Spotify, and I think.......think it's on I-heart as well.
Hey! I've been listening to science-related podcasts and would like to explore other genres. Do you have any recommendations on crime-related ones?
The first thing that jogged my mind when clicking the link, was those pictures we used to see that were extreme close-ups of everyday objects, leaving us to guess what they were. That looks like a very cool book.
Hi Thanks for the kind words. All is about 99% good now. Back to smoking components in the search for audio nirvana. (actually I seldom smoke any....it does happen though)
Nice one. Rusty, you have a knack for finding cool stuff on the web. Gofar99, well, it's been about a month since your surgery, I hope you're well on the mend. It sounds like it was rough going for a while. You have a good attitude about it all. Sometimes that makes all the difference.
Hi, I'm doing better, but a one day overnight in hospital turned into 4. Complications first night home (temp of 100.5 and going up) plus two more urgent trips to doctor's office in the next week. Finally getting closer to normal, but restrictive action for at least two more weeks. Thanks for the concerns.
Yes! Hope your surgery went smoothly and you're back on the mend.
Woah! Hope they got you fixed up. Rest easy and heal.
Hi, I've been off line for two weeks (hospital-surgery). I'll have to check that one out as folks are always asking about stuff like that.
Finally! A coffee table book for the aesthetics of electronics. That is, the innards. All those components you've stuck in a circuit board and crimped onto a terminal lug to solder. Someone took the time to open em up, cut em in two and take nice pictures to show their construction. Will it advance any fundamental understanding. Naw, probably not. But like an anatomy book, shows you what's in there. https://opencircuitsbook.com/
Noise canceling is key! Does she want wireless or wired? We bought a pair of JBL headphones last year and I have to admit that they are great! I did not really even know the brand when we bought them.
Does your sister travel a lot? It's something to consider because there are headphones that are easier to carry around more than others. Aside from the brand, look into the specs such as battery life and noise-canceling ability.
​You can look into Sony for headphones, although most of their products also have a good reputation. The quality can change depending on the model since the specs will vary. It's better to know what features she's looking for in a good headphones.
This guy is a knowledgeable reviewer. Testing many of the products himself. There's a good number of headphones he's reviewed on this site. Some quite expensive, but there are reasonable priced ones also. This might give you some good knowledge on what to look for. https://kenrockwell.com/audio/index.htm
I'm looking to buy a pair of headphones for my sister as a birthday gift. She's had Skullcandy for a while, but she isn't impressed with that brand overall and she's looking to change it up. Does anyone have a recommendation?
Here is a shot of the Volt 10 Atmos speakers. My Pi 2 surrounds are in the shot too. And the rack. I modified Emotiva rack mount kits for the Denon receiver and my Rotel amps that drive the speakers in my shop and yard. That mess of network equipment is moving into the closet behind the rack and I will install a shelf for my vintage Nakamichi gear. I will also rack mount my unRaid server and the monitor.
I'm Back! Over four years since my last post. Oh how life gets in the way. I did manage to finish the Pi 4, which sounds absolutely great. I closed my business in early 2017 after nearly 35 years. It was a clean, planned shutdown. I went to work for a giant corporation designing wood trusses. So all is good with work life. But with a career change and other chaos, I never got anything more done on the speaker build. Forward to 2018, my dishwasher had a valve fail one night and flooded my media room with scalding hot water. Amazingly there was very little damage to equipment but the room got trashed. I only had a bit of water on a subwoofer and one of the surrounds, but the damage was only cosmetic. It took three weeks for the remediation company to get the house dried out. Since I was "dead in the water" on the theater build, I decided to make the jump to Atmos. So my B&W Nautilus speakers and Emotiva preamp moved upstairs to the living room. I stripped out the damaged finishes from the theater and started planning. I bought four DIYSG Volt 10 coax speakers with flatpacks for Atmos duty. As of right now those just need final assembly and installation. I had planned to use discrete amplification with an XMC-2 from Emotiva (later changed my plans to the Monolith HTM-1). But after reading the excellent reviews on the Denon AVR-X3600H I decided to go that route instead with the receiver driving the surround and Atmos speakers. I have an Emotiva XPR-2 stereo amp for the Pi 7 corner horns and will use two channels of my three channel Rotel RB-993 to run the Pi 4 (I split the crossover HF and LF sections during assembly). I have the AV side of my equipment rack just about completely built out with equipment mounted. Now I will finish and install the Atmos speakers, then get the Pi 7's completed. Once I get the sound system set up I will do acoustic tweaks as needed, then move on to video projection and finishes. I'll be posting details and more pictures as I go!
Kingfish wrote on Mon, 18 November 2019 20:41 Miami wrote on Sun, 17 November 2019 12:00 In a case like this, I suppose a professional sound mixer in a recording studio could moonlight his services by getting the sound right in a home theater set-up. Adjusting all the knobs to get the sound "just right" would be the extent of his work. Can I print out a fake degree from Full Sail and get in on this side hustle? I have an ear for music, I know what sounds good to me and I know how to adjust the bass and treble. If I need more experience, I'll consult professor You Tube. I kid, but that does sound like a good idea. If you have an ear for music and fix one or two set-ups, referrals will have you overwhelmed with no one wanting to see your qualifications. I think anyone can be good at this by checking out a few YouTube tutorials.
Miami wrote on Sun, 17 November 2019 12:00 In a case like this, I suppose a professional sound mixer in a recording studio could moonlight his services by getting the sound right in a home theater set-up. Adjusting all the knobs to get the sound "just right" would be the extent of his work. Can I print out a fake degree from Full Sail and get in on this side hustle? I have an ear for music, I know what sounds good to me and I know how to adjust the bass and treble. If I need more experience, I'll consult professor You Tube. I kid, but that does sound like a good idea.
In a case like this, I suppose a professional sound mixer in a recording studio could moonlight his services by getting the sound right in a home theater set-up. Adjusting all the knobs to get the sound "just right" would be the extent of his work.
I agree with you Wayne and most times hiring the services of a firm will cost an arm and a leg. In most instances, I prefer to just search for anything I want on YouTube. There are plenty of tutorials that anyone keen on learning will find useful.
The problem is that most home theater installers aren't experts. They're usually somewhat technical, but mostly just enough to know basically what to connect and where. Some can do basic calibrations, like setting channel levels. But they're not usually engineers and most aren't particularly knowledgeable in acoustics. So unless you're just having trouble doing a basic setup, you will want to do some research to find a firm that understands room acoustics.
You've spent a good sum of money on a system and followed all the necessary steps during installation but still feel like it doesn't sound good. Would you then call an expert? I would use the services of a professional if in the long run, I ended up getting value for money.
I have quite a lot of these, from games and movies, and I'm looking to get more. What are the best soundtrack albums out at the moment? I'm open to things a bit off the beaten track, because I've probably already got the best-known ones (everything from Chess & FF7 to Suicide Squad)!
I finally got things moving again. The bass bins are done, now on to the mid horns. I've posted details at avs. Sorry no time to post a thread here at the moment.