Beefy

I'd forgotten this thread was here..... My dad died over the weekend. Sudden exacerbation of a progressive lung disease. I wasn't able to get there because of travel restrictions (fuck you, COVID), but thankfully he was able to be off the ventilator for about a minute to talk to me. The saddest part is.... I went through all my photos to provide them for his memorial that I won't be able to go to (fuck you COVID), and there are only about 5 photos of him with my daughter. We only visited home once when she was 7 months old. My parents were supposed to visit me over here to see her again in mid-2020, but had to cancel when COVID hit (fuck you, COVID). In the context of this forum, my DIY equipment holds a little more meaning now. He didn't teach me much about being a man, but he did teach me how to solder.

Thanks! One thing I forgot to mention... what I think is so good about this signal chain - on a philosophical level at least, with no technical data to back it up - is the incredible simplicity of it. Vref -> R-2R ladder -> connectors/cables -> volume pot -> OPAMP -> MOSFET -> headphones The nature of the discrete R-2R DAC, being able to tap the R-2R ladder directly, combined with the minimalistic design of the M3, means there is just so little in the signal path. Fully DC-coupled start to finish, with a single active device providing gain, directly pushing a single output device.

I have finally completed my "return to the hobby" stack, by finishing up a recasing and upgrade of my 13-year-old M3. The design itself is 16 years old now, and it still has the same compromises from way back then..... but with a modern OPAMP, easy to drive phones and reasonable execution, I still think it sounds bloody marvellous. Highlights are a HiFi2000 galaxy case, FPE panels, ADA4627-1B OPAMPs, TKD 2CP2511 pot, 2" sinks and 110 mA output stage bias, complete electrolytic re-cap with Panasonic FR and Nichicon UHE, S11 at 27V, magnetically shielded SumR transformer (30VA, 12+12V), Cree zero-rec Schottky diodes, and a deliciously gaudy volume knob (so shiny, I had to edit out and hide my own reflection!). Sitting between the R-2R DAC and Focal Clear as my office rig, I'm a very happy camper.

Epic work, man!

Finished up a Soekris dam1021 build. This is the new rev7 board with a lot of improvements trickling down from the flagship dac2541. HiFi2000 case, FPE panels, JLSounds I2SoverUSB v.III input, LT3045-based power supplies, direct R-2R output intended for my headphone amp, and buffered output for my powered desk speakers. My aesthetic stylings and DIY skills haven't advanced even the tiniest bit since 2010, but I like the brutal elegance and minimalist functionality. Most importantly, it sounds really nice.

Not very likely, they were literally released today

If you haven't seen, as of this morning the Schiit Yggdrasil now comes in three different flavors. The FAQ has links to three different sets of listening impressions.

Hold it at a restaurant with lots of goofy shit on the walls and mozzarella sticks. Hopefully nobody gets pistol whipped. * This really sucks, if it is indeed permanent; I always wanted to make it to a RMAF. But given where COVID is trending, I'm not sure they had a choice.

So glad you enjoyed it! Something about pork that works so well with just the sauces...

I've heard good things. But a lot of colleagues have watched it and say it paints a hauntingly accurate picture of academia. I get enough of that shit on a day-to-day basis for it to bleed into my entertainment as well!

That's a great article, and great snippet, except one thing that I simply cannot abide: and the “Tesla in space” thing was cringey. Nope. Nuh-uh. Not even a little. The Tesla in space was the best thing I ever saw. The whole Falcon Heavy launch that day, with the synchronised side-booster touchdown, the red sports car floating above the earth...... easily the most giddy-excited I've ever been about anything STEM, ever.

Fair call. Squid kept or soaked in sea water is much tastier and more tender.

That's epic, dude! VERY nicely done!

Sounds great! Not sure about the fish though, I've had baaaaaaad experiences with people trying to marinate fish 🤢

Yep, looks about right. I bet they use the same casing across all the styles, and just use two of the same LED for the single color version, meaning polarity doesn't matter. And for the 19+ mm sizing, contacts rated at 250V 3A just like the eSwitch I've used recently. To @penmarker, again, maybe I'm overly cuatious, but I think you are much better served using a quality switch of known providence.

The polarity is usually there for the dual color LEDs. I bet the single LED and dual LED units are identical to streamline manufacturing and save costs, except the 'single' units have two LEDs of the same color. Maybe I'm overly cautious, but I wouldn't use a part if I didn't have a spec sheet.

Yeah, I think Roon definitely looks like the best option. I'd probably go that way if I didn't do so much of my listening at work, and network access at work wasn't such a chore.

Well, go with the switch rating then, relative to your intended usage. What exactly does the data sheet say, and what are you planning to install the switch in? I use a locking anti-vandal switch rated for 250V @ 3A for mains power switching duties in a couple of pieces of gear. They are running on 120V, draw about 0.25A steady-state, and are behind 1A fuses. Rating exceeds operating conditions, part is good to use.

Yeah, I think my local Costco carries it!

It was one of those hot summer days, when too much grilled chicken is never enough. Bird on the left is just a dry rub for the little one who won't eat spicy food. Bird on the right was marinated in medium Nando's sauce overnight. All cooked at 390F for about an hour in the pellet grill, with lots of basting in more Nando's sauce during cooking. It was damn delicious. But it was still not quite Nando's.

Yeah, we're spoiled for choice. You almost have to consider your entire music library, playback software scheme and transport mechanism before you even start thinking about which DACs sound good. Digital music these days can easily be more work than cultivating a record collection. I got overwhelmed by all these new possibilities and didn't want to pay ongoing fees for something like Roon, so I said "fuck it", and am pretty much just going with USB transport from a PC. If I can fire up foobar, Spotify or Amazon Music directly from a computer, I'm a happy camper.

Good call, the stronger flavor of the thigh gets closer to the real thing. I have a whole chicken in the fridge, and tomorrow looks ripe to fire up the pellet grill. I think an overnight marinade is in order.....

*sigh* Back in Aus, I used to live a 5 minute walk away from a Nando's. (and you should definitely try it as a marinade for pork!)

Oh, you bastard 😄

I've tried every permutation for trying to make Nando's at home, and it's never quite the same. I'm certain the marinade they use before cooking has something in it that isn't in the basting sauce. And it definitely needs some char to it on the grill. If you are just doing Nando's sauce at home, it works amazingly well with pork chops. Rib chops in particular. Marinade in the sauce for an hour to a day, then onto the grill, basting with more sauce as it cooks. Outside, so you don't burn your face off and stink out your house with the chilli fumes. Shit, I just ate dinner, but now I'm hungry again. And no Nando's for 500 miles.