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Is there a good recommendation for a basic 2ch speaker amp for just normal living room/bookshelf speakers? I know the SMSL SA-50 and SA-98E used to be popular but anything better emerged since then? Looks like the 98E is running about $115 now, but that may just be the “outdated model tax” if something newer has replaced it. The Sunbuck AS-25BU/29BU also look ok, considering they’re around $50? It looks like in the past Best Buy has run some heavy clearance deals on last year’s model of receivers. Is there any rhyme or reason to when that changeover happens/when they get cleared out? Paul MaudDib fucked around with this message at 22:52 on Jan 31, 2022 |
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Jan 31, 2022 22:39
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I got a Fosi Audio BT30D. I'm happy with it's performance in a near field configuration.
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Jan 31, 2022 22:48
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Paul MaudDib posted:Is there a good recommendation for a basic 2ch speaker amp for just normal living room/bookshelf speakers? I know the SMSL SA-50 and SA-98E used to be popular but anything better emerged since then? Looks like the 98E is running about $115 now, but that may just be the “outdated model tax” if something newer has replaced it. not really, there isn’t a ton of year over year changeover on 2-channel amps/receivers. Some of the popular Yamaha ones have been on sale relatively unchanged for ~10 years. I imagine the clearout might have more to do with refreshing floor models than anything else for those kinds of receivers. There are a bunch of class-D mini amps from the likes of SMSL, etc in the <$100 range (edit- you mentioned SMSL, nvm I guess I missed that). In terms of receivers within that budget, there’s a Sony one, a Yamaha one (probably the best of the bunch), and an Insignia-branded (BB house brand) one new between $99-$160.
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Jan 31, 2022 23:05
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for a receiver I meant something in the 5.1 range or so. Two different requests, sorry. Demon has one around $350 that I’ve seen recommended before, just wondering if it would be better to wait for a clearance on those.
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Feb 1, 2022 00:22
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I'm looking to upgrade my tv speakers to something better (might also upgrade my tv soon but that's a separate story). I don't need anything amazing, honestly my tv speakers are awful and I have to turn it up superloud to hear dialogue and then everything else is too loud. I'm watching tv on a couch directly in front of the tv about 6 feet away. I've been going through the last few pages and I know if you have a reasonable budget a receiver with front speakers seems to be the way to go but unfortunately my budget is much lower (<$250CAD). What do you think the best option is? Options I see are: Soundbar (from what I can see a lot of the low dollar ones are very similar but Vizio seemed to get some recommendations). https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/polk-audio-signa-s2-2-1-sound-bar-with-wireless-subwoofer-open-box/13499291 https://www.amazon.ca/VIZIO-All-One...aps%2C68&sr=8-5 Going used on something like this (it's old but it's 50 bucks and seems OK?): https://montreal.craigslist.org/ele/d/pierrefonds-sony-fm-stereo-receiver/7429000058.html?lang=en&cc=us There's very little on the used craiglist market (above seemed to be the only one in the area under $250). Or is there a better way to approach this? I'm in Canada so everything seems a lot more expensive unfortunately.
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Feb 12, 2022 15:38
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Mursh posted:I'm looking to upgrade my tv speakers to something better (might also upgrade my tv soon but that's a separate story). I don't need anything amazing, honestly my tv speakers are awful and I have to turn it up superloud to hear dialogue and then everything else is too loud. I'm watching tv on a couch directly in front of the tv about 6 feet away. I've been going through the last few pages and I know if you have a reasonable budget a receiver with front speakers seems to be the way to go but unfortunately my budget is much lower (<$250CAD). What do you think the best option is? Do you need hdmi? I don’t think that Sony is going to have it. If you don’t need it, you could upgrade the speakers at some point. I don’t see anything else that jumps out at me and maybe it’s just the conversion that’s messing me up but the prices seem insane. If you did want to get a pair of speakers, those Brauns for $150 might be good. Braun made a lot of the components for ADS and you would see the badging go back and forth between ADS and Braun during some periods. That’s maybe more than I would spend on that pair, but the market there just seems to be pricy too. If you have thrift stores around you could probably find 2010s-or so AV receivers with at least some HDMI support for the same price as that Sony or less. Just have to be patient. https://montreal.craigslist.org/ele/d/roxboro-vintage-braun-l500-speakers/7444179145.html?lang=en&cc=us Yeah I’m pretty sure that those would be ADS L500s in the US. Beautiful speaker. BigFactory fucked around with this message at 16:58 on Feb 12, 2022 |
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Feb 12, 2022 16:56
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BigFactory posted:Do you need hdmi? I don’t think that Sony is going to have it. If you don’t need it, you could upgrade the speakers at some point. I don’t see anything else that jumps out at me and maybe it’s just the conversion that’s messing me up but the prices seem insane. I feel like at OP’s budget they’re better off looking for amp/speaker quality rather than age or connectivity. Especially if they aren’t chasing surround sound, a higher-end receiver with a TOSlink in, or even an older stereo receiver (A FiiO Taishan DAC is still only $25) is probably going to be a better investment of ~$100 than a bottom-of-the-barrel Best Buy Special surround receiver from 2012 that the original owner got new for $150 “but it has HDMI.” Edit: holy poo poo I want those Brauns. Those are some real-deal collector pieces. trilobite terror fucked around with this message at 17:09 on Feb 12, 2022 |
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Feb 12, 2022 17:07
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Figuring out bookshelf speakers and a receiver is probably better overall, but if dialogue is your big concern a sound bar with decent reviews will still be way better than the TV's built in speakers. I guess I'd check Rtings and the wirecutter for reviews. We got a 2.1 vizio setup ( SB3621n-G8) for my mother (who wanted one despite having a good 2.1 bookshelf system ???) and it's massively better than the TV on its own and I don't mind the sound coming from my fancier stereo.
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Feb 12, 2022 17:09
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Ok Comboomer posted:I feel like at OP’s budget they’re better off looking for amp/speaker quality rather than age or connectivity. I agree. I think the Sony he posted would work, but you’re basically throwing away those trash speakers and replacing them. The other modern-ish receivers on Craigslist there seem like they’re too expensive. I would check goodwill if it was me, and spend the money on speakers.
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Feb 12, 2022 17:15
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BigFactory posted:I agree. I think the Sony he posted would work, but you’re basically throwing away those trash speakers and replacing them. The other modern-ish receivers on Craigslist there seem like they’re too expensive. I would check goodwill if it was me, and spend the money on speakers. For ~$99-$150, OP could also get one of the entry level Sony or Yamaha 2.0/2.1 channel receivers currently on the market that have been kicking around for years at this point. Probably even get it for less if found used/refurbished/open box. IIRC, the Yamaha one even has Bluetooth. Personally, I might get one of those over a junk-tier 5 channel receiver from a decade ago.
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Feb 12, 2022 17:38
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Ok Comboomer posted:For ~$99-$150, OP could also get one of the entry level Sony or Yamaha 2.0/2.1 channel receivers currently on the market that have been kicking around for years at this point. Probably even get it for less if found used/refurbished/open box. Thanks for the replies everyone. To confirm, I don't believe I need HDMI. My current tv has arc/earc and some regular audio inputs. I have an xbox and switch connected directly to the tv, so those are fine. As long as the sound works, I don't care how it gets there unless there's something special I need to know I'd be happy plugging it in however. Honestly I'm not super sold on the soundbars, so I'm definitely moving in the direction of a receiver and speakers, but to your point's, I'm probably better off looking around further. I'm not in an immediate rush but am actively looking. Those braun speakers referred to above, if they work and sound good, seem reasonable (the $150 on craigslist?). Then I would simply need a receiver? https://montreal.craigslist.org/ele/d/roxboro-vintage-braun-l500-speakers/7444179145.html?lang=en&cc=us What exactly am I looking for in a receiver outside of 2.0 or 2.1? Is there an example you can give me from Sony or Yamaha so I can do some googling and see what they cost in Quebec for something along those lines?
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Feb 12, 2022 17:57
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Mursh posted:Thanks for the replies everyone. To confirm, I don't believe I need HDMI. My current tv has arc/earc and some regular audio inputs. I have an xbox and switch connected directly to the tv, so those are fine. As long as the sound works, I don't care how it gets there unless there's something special I need to know I'd be happy plugging it in however. If you are using your tv for switching inputs, the question would be how it outputs audio. Does it have optical out (you would need a reviver with optical in), rca out, does it just have 3.5mm out?
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Feb 12, 2022 18:06
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Here's what's on the tv. I took some pictures but can't figure out how to put them in the message. 2 regular HDMI Arc HDMI Digital output (optical) AV In (the yellow/white/red inputs) Ant/cable
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Feb 12, 2022 18:23
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Anyone know what'd be good for mid level permanent outdoor bluetooth patio speakers? Has easy access to a power outlet, is well sheltered so it won't really get any rain or sun but will get used when it's very cold out. Like I want something more than a $79 portable bluetooth speaker but something less than $999 separate amp and speakers. I'd love something like a B&W Zeppelin but I'm afraid cranking it when it's 30 degrees out will destroy the woofers, I had that problem with a pair of speakers before but maybe it was because they had aluminum cones.
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Feb 12, 2022 18:52
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Mursh posted:Here's what's on the tv. I took some pictures but can't figure out how to put them in the message. yeah, you wanna use optical out. Your options are either a receiver/amp with optical in, or you can get an inexpensive optical-to-RCA DAC (I like the FiiO T03 Taishan, it’s <$30 and sounds  for the money) and hook it up to literally any receiver or amp from the past 50 years with RCA jacks.
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Feb 12, 2022 18:52
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bird with big dick posted:Anyone know what'd be good for mid level permanent outdoor bluetooth patio speakers? Has easy access to a power outlet, is well sheltered so it won't really get any rain or sun but will get used when it's very cold out. Like I want something more than a $79 portable bluetooth speaker but something less than $999 separate amp and speakers. I'd love something like a B&W Zeppelin but I'm afraid cranking it when it's 30 degrees out will destroy the woofers, I had that problem with a pair of speakers before but maybe it was because they had aluminum cones. would you maybe be better off running outdoor speakers from your main receiver (assuming you have the channels)? Do you use Sonos?
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Feb 12, 2022 18:55
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I'm looking to hook up a couple of computers to a set of speakers and I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for. I need inputs for either 2 or 3 computers (all providing 1/8" stereo outs, either "for headphones" or line outs; obviously I'm open to adapters), the ability to plug headphones in (and then automatically mute the speakers), and physical volume control that affects both the speakers and any plugged in headphones. It would be nice if multiple inputs could be played simultaneously, but isn't required (if not, though, switching inputs needs to be very easy). Compactness is a plus, and funnily enough I'm open to mono because of my room's layout: this is for a desk island in a home office, where mine and my girlfriend's monitors are back to back. I currently don't have any surfaces in the rest of the room to place speakers on, so something that works by sitting on the same desk island would be a big plus, but if that's not going to happen I could look into mounting speakers on a wall potentially. What am I looking for? A nice set of powered PC speakers that take multiple ins (if so, recs appreciated)? Something else?
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Feb 12, 2022 19:12
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Scythe posted:I'm looking to hook up a couple of computers to a set of speakers and I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for. I can’t make heads or tails of this Edit: ok, I take it back. What you want is a mixer—like a real mixer, one for a home studio. Like the Soundcraft I used to have/am waiting to replace once the supply chain situation improves. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1118986-REG/soundcraft_spirit_5049555_signature_12_mixer_w_effects.html Then plug a pair of powered desktop monitors into that. They make a much smaller line called the Sketchpad, without the sliders, if you need it to be super compact. trilobite terror fucked around with this message at 19:38 on Feb 12, 2022 |
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Feb 12, 2022 19:31
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Ok Comboomer posted:would you maybe be better off running outdoor speakers from your main receiver (assuming you have the channels)? I'd definitely be better off but the wiring would be a pain in the rear end. No sonos yet but I started looking into it to see if it might make sense
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Feb 12, 2022 20:05
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I own these two items and am wondering if I need to add a preamp to really make the speakers shine? I mostly listen to vinyl and TIDAL HIFI. And if I were to buy a preamp I assume i set the switch to mono and let the preamp "fix" the signal? And what preamp should I buy? I assume a tube amp is a waste as the stereo's amp will convert to digital anyway? Edifier S2000MKIII https://www.edifier.com/product-s2000mkiii.html https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZVP9XBG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Audio-Technica AT-LP60BK https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008872SIO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 Thanks! edit: Just realized they cheaped out and my two input lines are different sensitivities :hey: Total power output L/R (treble): 15W+15W RMS L/R (mid-range bass): 50W + 50W RMS Signal-to-noise ratio≥90dB(A) Noise level≤25dB(A) Input sensitivity Line 1 input: 800±50mV Line 2 input: 600±50mV Bluetooth input: 450±50mFFs Optical/Coaxial input: 350±50mFFs Frequency response45Hz~40KHz djfooboo fucked around with this message at 20:17 on Feb 13, 2022 |
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Feb 13, 2022 20:13
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djfooboo posted:I own these two items and am wondering if I need to add a preamp to really make the speakers shine? I mostly listen to vinyl and TIDAL HIFI. And if I were to buy a preamp I assume i set the switch to mono and let the preamp "fix" the signal? And what preamp should I buy? I assume a tube amp is a waste as the stereo's amp will convert to digital anyway? I don’t think you would notice a difference if you added a preamp.
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Feb 13, 2022 22:05
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bird with big dick posted:Anyone know what'd be good for mid level permanent outdoor bluetooth patio speakers? Has easy access to a power outlet, is well sheltered so it won't really get any rain or sun but will get used when it's very cold out. Like I want something more than a $79 portable bluetooth speaker but something less than $999 separate amp and speakers. I'd love something like a B&W Zeppelin but I'm afraid cranking it when it's 30 degrees out will destroy the woofers, I had that problem with a pair of speakers before but maybe it was because they had aluminum cones. I got this thing and am happy with it so far, we'll see how it stands up to the cold. The battery should make it great for the road trips we take, can't wait for the sister in law to pull out her little bluetooth Bose and then I'll pull out this monster. 
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Feb 22, 2022 04:45
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And then I pull up with a yamaha genset and pair of QSC K10.2s and have the last laugh ahahahaha aughhahaha
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Feb 22, 2022 05:37
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I just want to listen to Selena Gomez while I’m sitting in the hot tub
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Feb 22, 2022 05:48
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Yeah but you could do it at a much higher volume if you brought a generator into the bathroom!
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Feb 22, 2022 13:16
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:glances at the Mackie SRM215-V in the corner: Do you want to listen to Selena Gomez or do you want your neighborhood to listen to Selena Gomez with you? Anyways, my Behringer Ultragraph started adding an insane noise floor to my setup so the caps must be dead or dying. That makes 3 out of 3 pieces of Behringer equipment failing on me. In the mean time, the Onkyo consumer amp I've been using with it is still totally fine except for the screen becoming dimmer and dimmer over time.
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Mar 6, 2022 23:49
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Ages ago I posted about trying to hook up an Onkyo A-9010 to a subwoofer. The trouble is it doesn't have a pre-out, it only has speaker level RCA outputs. My subwoofer has speaker level inputs for plain old speaker wire. Could I use an RCA to speaker wire cable? Is this a thing or have I smoked too much meth?
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Mar 13, 2022 23:34
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"speaker level" RCA? Looking at the back, they sure do seem like they'd be line level to me. Couldn't one run another pair of wires out of the ONKYO's speaker outputs into the sub?
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Mar 13, 2022 23:57
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This came up last time. They are speaker level RCA outputs -- a line out, the kind of outputs you'd use to record a tape or whatever.
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Mar 14, 2022 00:04
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KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD posted:This came up last time. They are speaker level RCA outputs -- a line out, the kind of outputs you'd use to record a tape or whatever. That's where the confusion comes from. Those are not "speaker level", speaker level is much more powerful signal. But I guess the problem is the volume control doesn't affect the level on the line out. What subwoofer do you have? I think at least on some models it's possible to route the speaker cables through them.
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Mar 14, 2022 00:12
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Hmm, alright, that is an important distinction then. It's a lovely little Martin Logan Dynamo, it doesn't have speaker level out unfortunately. I could just get a different subwoofer, I basically got this one for free.
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Mar 14, 2022 14:39
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It doesn't need an out run wires from the speaker outs to both your speakers and your subs. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I think this works fine.
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Mar 14, 2022 15:50
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Yeah, you can do that. The impedance on the sub's speaker level inputs is so high that it won't affect the main speakers, even if they're wired in parallel to the sub. The sub just needs the signal, it won't actually draw any appreciable power, the internal amp takes care of that.
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Mar 14, 2022 16:26
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Pre out: a volume attenuated pre-amp signal. Gets quieter when you turn down the volume. Line out: a fixed-volume (-0dB) pre-amp signal. Does not get quieter when you turn down the volume, but is otherwise the same as a pre out. Speaker level: post-amp signal for driving speakers directly. Subwoofers with pre-amp inputs will normally have RCA for the connection. Subwoofers with speaker level inputs will normally have a terminal block or binding posts for the connection. Passive subwoofers only have speaker level inputs and rely on the power of the amplifier to drive them. These inputs are low impedance and draw a lot of power. Powered subwoofers nearly always have pre-amp inputs and will often also have speaker level inputs. Unlike powered amps, these speaker level inputs are high impedance (have a big ole resistor across them) and are basically used to grab a pre-amp level signal from amps without a pre out. You do this by running the subwoofer in parallel with your speaker on the same output. Often but not always, subwoofers will have passthrough connections that go to your speakers to simplify this. TL;DR post pictures of the back of your subwoofer and amp and we will tell you how to hook it up
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Mar 14, 2022 16:34
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LRADIKAL posted:It doesn't need an out run wires from the speaker outs to both your speakers and your subs. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I think this works fine. It works but the problem with using a sub with a speaker level connection is you're not using a crossover so your speakers are still playing full range and one of the big benefits of a sub is taking that load off the speakers and amp. Plus getting "double bass" can make it harder to tune and position right. That said it looks like there's no other way with that amplifier so it's probably worth the effort.
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Mar 14, 2022 16:35
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My old (probably close to a decade at this point) Onkyo's HDMI ports seem to be dying, which is annoying since I wanted to at least wait until HDMI 2.1 was actually fixed in new receivers before buying a new one. The weird thing is only some seem to be dead, since the ARC port seems to be working fine? I might have to mess around with it a bit more to be sure, and ultimately it's not a huge deal since the only thing I have plugged into it is my Switch.
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Mar 14, 2022 16:46
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The HDMI cable connected to my Yamaha V4A appears to be putting out a charge. Like, if I touch the metal part, it zaps me a bit. Not a ton, but enough to feel it. Is this, uh, normal?
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Mar 23, 2022 18:58
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Is your equipment grounded?
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Mar 23, 2022 22:41
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I replaced my two old DALI SWA 12 subwoofers with an SVS SB-1000, and boy howdy that's a capable little cube for a small-ish living room (also continuous 2x120W vs 300W, peak 2x150W vs 700W is probably the real kicker). The previous owner even put some fancy sorbothane isolation feet on it, and those do make a nice difference in cutting the amount of vibration my turntable is exposed to. My dual sub setup was probably limited by a lack of placement options, there are only so many places where you can put two chonky 12" subs in a 17m² room, when you also need to have a couch and dining table and bookshelves and so on. I thought I had it dialed in reasonably well manually, and then with Audyssey on top, but the results with just the one SB-1000 are significantly better. I also tried measuring just three listening positions on my couch, instead of the maximum of six. That seemed to give a result with much less correction applied than before, so that's possibly a tip for everyone with a receiver with room correction, to simplify the work Audyssey etc. has to do, and to prevent it from overcorrecting things. It still insists that my bookshelf speakers should be set to "large" with a 40Hz crossover to the sub, which is just completely silly. I always set that back to "small" and an 80Hz crossover point as the very first manual adjustment. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 13:06 on Mar 24, 2022 |
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Mar 24, 2022 09:36
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Cross posting from the vinyl thread, since I got no answers there. Does anyone have a recommendation for an amplifier that would have a headphone jack, and also an USB out port? I plan on keeping it in my entertainment stand, but I have two or three records that I haven't seen pop up on my backup sites that I would like to have digitally. I currently just have a Audio Technica player hooked into a Pioneer receiver, but might as well have something that I can hook headphones into directly, along with the USB port.
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Mar 28, 2022 14:36
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