dsavitsk

I have a smallish 71K5 and a largish (Kiwame) 68K ...

I turned it on at 1'19" and almost turned it right off -- glad I didn't.

This is what I just finished reading. The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry by Jon Ronson Jon Ronson books are delightful, though, they are made much more so if you have heard him speak and can read them in his voice. I don't think this one is quite as good as the last two, but still a fun read. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness Dovetails with my own research, so nothing I didn't know, but still good that people are starting to talk about this topic. Half Empty by David Rakoff The thinking man's David Sedaris. Also probably not as good as his last two, but still good.

That looks like a good processor option -- I had been looking at the M versions, but I cannot find a MoBo to work with them, and they seem to cost a bunch more. But, after a weekend spend trying to make a FreeBSD guest on my laptop mount a Windows 7 directory on the laptop and then getting Apache to serve files from it, I am not sure that I have the stomach for such a complicated setup Instead, I picked up a cheap refurb blu-ray that plays Netflix way better than the Atom (and the dvd remote is a ton easier to use than the wireless keyboard on the computer that eats a new set a batteries every 4 weeks) and that should handle that end of things. So, now I just need hardware for a VortexBox. And, my gut says that 35W i3 is a good option, and to avoid the Atoms if I can. I do still want the video capabilities as I want the capability to install X.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday!

I figure you lose a few % on the cert, but if you buy used gear, in the end you'll do a lot better. Plus, it will hold the resale value.

Sell the gift card and buy something else ...

Revisiting an old thread -- after starting this, I ended up with an Atom/ION based PC and it has been overall underwhelming. I know people claim it can work, but I cannot get Netflix to play HD content, even on a 780P TV. Maybe my cable connection is the issue, but I don't think so. So, I am starting the process all over again. Goal is still a living room PC, though overall requirements have changed a bit. First, silent is probably not worth the effort -- very quiet is good enough. Second, this system will need a big internal drive (2T or so) as it will double as a file server. It will also need a DVD burner for ripping cd's. What I would like for this computer to be capable of doing is storing and ripping music files, playing them back via an optical output and being controlled by an Android phone and/or tablet, acting as a squeezebox server, being a file server, and playing Netflix, both on demand and on dvd. I would also, for unrelated reasons, like to run a local BIND server (catching and locally authoritative) and a DHCP server. I don't think there is really a simple solution for all of this. So, here's the plan as I see it -- I am thinking I'll run a VMWare Hypervisor (or a Linux KVM, though the VMWare option looks a lot easier to get running) with both Vortexbox and XP as guests. VB will run full time and basically do everything except play Netflix, and XP will be booted up when that is needed. I also may just put a small FreeBSD guest for DNS and DHCP as I find BSD easier to use, and I don't want to mess with a working VB install too much. So, for hardware, I am still thinking small -- just a case that fits a miniITX, a single drive, and a DVD. It looks like there are a few MOBOs that fit the form factor, have HDMI and optical out, and that use a processor that can act as the video processor. Anyhow, the lowest power processor for that board seems to be 73W. There might be others, perhaps newer generation stuff. Any other suggestions for the latest iteration of this? Something AMD? Different software solutions?

Could be a back-EMF issue? The amp I heard it on was a very high feedback amp.

Maybe it is specific to specific pairs? I listened to some of these very briefly at the NYC meet last spring (with a well regarded sand amp), and I thought they sounded like a PA system in a long cement block hallway. Just terrible. It was bad to the point that I couldn't imagine anyone liking it, which led me to assume that there was something wrong with the particular pair.

Marc -- if you just need something little from Digikey, they will ship first class and it only costs about $2.

Most of the pro audio suppliers will also make their own cables. I tend to use Performance Audio http://www.performanceaudio.com/cgi/browse_brand.cgi?brand=304

Just to keep people in the loop -- we have almost all of the parts in hand and the rest should be shipping to us this week. So, it is just a matter of dotting i's and crossing t's ... Some more up to date pics here: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/552473/dsavitsk-beezar-torpedo-amp-or

Happy Birthday, Scott!

Another interesting option? The word on various sites seems to be that the Wharfedale Pro 8.2 uses the same drivers and amps as the QUAD 12L, but it instead has a front facing port and costs just over $300 for a pair new. No nearly as pretty, but perhaps cheap and functional? Also, in the unpowered realm, Wharfedale EVO2-8's seem to be on a big sale everywhere -- looks like a new model is coming out -- which might make them a good choice.

I was always under the belief that spdif was just one of the things carried by the hdmi cable, and that you could just open up a cable and break it out. Maybe the issue is telling the source that there is something connected at all? This one is a little cheaper: http://www.amazon.com/SPDIF-Component-Ypbpr-Converter-v1-3b/dp/B002SFT3ZI

The sad thing is I own a pair of smaller B&W's that I loaned to my brother a few years ago, and that do not appear to be coming back. I've not heard the Wharfedales, but the 9.1's look pretty promising as they have front pointing ports which I gather will allow them to be closer to the wall. And, it looks like about $8 in parts to refurb the crossovers, and perhaps some goop for bracing could make it a nice project speaker. It does strike me that there are enough cheap and good bookshelves out there, and perhaps some super small digital amps or powered versions of speakers, that this can be experimented with for little enough cash outlay to just put the amps in storage for a bit until I decide what I want to do, or get a bigger apartment.

Definitely agree on the used thing. And, if a used pair can be had in the $500-600 range, then that's easy enough to just demo them before making any other changes.

I'm having trouble getting a sense on price for these. Amazon has them at $1199, but that looks to be one speaker. I contacted a local dealer who said they don't stock them, but that they can special order a pair and they will be $1350 for the pair (instead of the usual $1500).

If I find myself in a bind with no speakers at some point, I'll take you up on that. For now, I am in no huge hurry. I just needed to say it out loud, as it were, to start mulling the idea over in my head. I am concerned that I'll take a huge step backward doing this, which is definitely not what I want to do. Plus, I made some PCBs for making a modified F1, and I have parts around to build a tube Gm amp, neither of which would make any sense with traditional dynamic speakers. Both violate the urge to simplify, too.

Room is ~15x15, but it is largely open to the next room which is ~12x20. For space behind the speakers, the less the better. I would actually love to mount them right on the wall, or at the least on arms attached to the wall.

I hadn't, but I will. Interesting.

I am in the process of trying to simplify my life as much as possible. Additionally, I have found that, while I will spend many hours a week listening to headphones, it is not unusual to go weeks at a time without turning on the stereo. I live in a small apartment, with neighbors downstairs I don't want to disturb, and I also just don't like loud music anymore. And I am no fan of SE sound. All of these things have me thinking that getting rid of the 300B amps and the floor standing full range drivers might be a good thing. So, I am looking for advice on what to replace it with. I have a source/preamp I am happy with. So, this really comes down to power amp and speakers. I want it to all be as small as possible, ideally with the speakers mounted to the wall (on vesa arms or something) and with a power amp hidden out of view. That probably means no tubes, and no 25W class A amps. It seems like there are really two directions I could go. The first would be a very low power sand amp (perhaps a modified FirstWatt type design to output 2W or so) with some sort of high efficiency speaker -- though I am not sure what that would be. The second would be a chip amp (horror!) with a more conventional speaker. So, the advice I am seeking is really speakers. And, my starting point is to say that, historically, I always kind of liked B&W's sound, but that Paradigm might be more in my budget. Oh, and used is good. As for budget, I'll be selling off the 300Bs and the speakers I have (these but nowhere near as nice looking -- probably not worth more than a couple hundred dollars as mine are unfinished plywood). Putting a value on the amps is tough -- they started life as Welborne Labs DRD amps using Electra-Print iron, etc. But, I have since rebuilt them to use D3a drivers (instead of 6N1p), better heater supplies, better biasing, and reworked the power supply a bit. I also had some custom (curly maple) cases made that balance the size of the iron visually. I think they are about as good as a 300B SE amp can be made, but, they don't say Cary on the side so their value is inherently a bit lower. Anyhow, let's optimistically say that I can get $1500 out of the above, I can build whatever amp I decide on with mostly existing parts for ~$300, and that I don't want to spend everything left on the speakers (using some of the money for a VortexBox, or a tablet to control things with). Suggestions?

Yes, because in the days when copystands were in common use, film with an ISO in the single digits with reciprocity failure issues setting in after just a few seconds was common. That datasheet recommends 4x 200W bulbs, 1 sec exposure, and ~f/8.