View Full Version : Show us your hi-fi
With Caity and her kitten gone, I've gotten a chance to re-connect with my stereo. Spencer used his claws to put holes in the foam surrounds on the woofers on ym front speakers... which really didn't make me that mad because they were $20 for the pair brand new. I took that opportunity to upgrade (I can afford to do that because I'm only filling the gas tank once a week now instead of every other day). I also bought a can of Deoxit and cleaned out the switches and pots in the receiver... it's no longer all scratchy, I no longer randomly lose the left or right speaker and have to tweak the controls to get it back, etc.
My setup:
Concept 3.5 receiver
Sony CDP-CE345 5-disc changer
BSR CD-316X single-disc player (from 1986... got it for $4 at a thrift shop)
Sherwood DD-4050C dual cassette deck
TransAudio 1600 turntable wuth Numark DJ cartridge/stylus
Xact Stream Jockey Sirius Satellite Radio receiver
el cheapo RadioShack 3-way switch (both CD players and the Sirius receiver share the Tape 2 input)
Speakers A: Polk M20
Speakers B: Optimus STS-100 with woofers replaced/upgraded, Sony 100W powered 8" sub (I don't remember the model number)
Standard RadioShack 16-gauge white speaker wire
Here's a pic... the speaker on the very top is the left rear surround speaker for my computer's Klipsch 5.1 system.
A.B.Normal
2/16/07, 06:28am
Closest I have to a sound system
http://www.dealtime.com/xPF-Sony-Sony-DAVSB100-DVD-home-Cinema-System-5-x-50-Watts-Dolby-Digital~r-1~CLT-INTR~RFR-
SouthernN'Proud
2/16/07, 09:32am
Inky, for the love of all things holy, get thee to thine nearest mass merchandiser post haste and drop fifty of your American dollars on a cabinet! Concrete blocks are not an option.
Inky, for the love of all things holy, get thee to thine nearest mass merchandiser post haste and drop fifty of your American dollars on a cabinet! Concrete blocks are not an option.
Were they when you were 25? ;)
http://www.computerplug.com/img/thumbs/accessories/SP-MMS221B_TN.jpg
SouthernN'Proud
2/16/07, 01:15pm
Were they when you were 25? ;)
Nope. Always had a proper cabinet. Must take care of my preciousssssss...
Nope. Always had a proper cabinet. Must take care of my preciousssssss...
:grinyes:
Humans can sit on milk crates & use a spool for a table, the tunes get special care.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/taylorcans/IMG_0489.jpg
This is my fancy setup. Speakers are Infinity Beta 40. Receiver is an Onkyo TX-SR304. I listen to either the Sirius or to my PC, which has a Chaintech AV-710 sound card and various software tweaks to give it a really good digital output.
Alternatively, I have my classic vintage system . It's gone in and out of assembly, but it's this huge vintage receiver known as the "Darth Opto" Optonica SA-5205, and BIC Venturi Formula II bookshelves. I'm probably going to set it up near the pool table and use the Sirius as a source.
I actually like my concrete blocks for a stereo table. That table's a lot sturdier than any cabinet I could find around here, and it's cheaper. Plus, it's not the same thing everyone else has.
I would like to get myself to the Home Depot at some point and get some wood to build a couple of record crates. My vinyl collection has outgrown the shelf space below the stereo... there are more records on the floor under it, and still more on the office coffee table.
I like in a military barracks when not at sea, no hi-fi for me.
I do have 2x 10" kickers + a set of kicker components in my car.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/images/items/422789.jpg
SONY STR-DG600
A couple of 15" Sansui speakers (older'n gawd) & 5 additional surrounds.
http://akimages.crossmediaservices.com/dyn_li/200.0.88.0/TWTR_imageg_net/graphics/product_images/p2356154reg.jpg
Toshiba HDMI upconvert DVD player.
All the analog equipment is stored or dead.
SouthernN'Proud
2/17/07, 09:59pm
Not gonna bother trying to find pics of it all, but...
2 Sony SS-MF550H speakers
Radio Shack 15 band graphic EQ
Sony SCD-CE595 five disc changer
Kenwood VR-60RS tuner
Pioneer RT-1011L reel to reel recorder/player
Acoustic Research wireless headphones
All tied together with Monster triple strength speaker wire and heavy duty patch cables.
It rocks.
Kenwood VR-60RS receiver auction (http://cgi.ebay.com/LOT-2-KENWOOD-VR-60RS-6-1-HOME-THEATER-RECEIVERS-N-P-NR_W0QQitemZ320083283697QQihZ011QQcategoryZ39796QQ cmdZViewItem)
150 watts per channel from only 17 pounds? I'm surprised they can do that... my 35-watt Concept weighs 27.25... the 165-watt model from the same manufacturer weighs 60+.
I found the open-reel tape recorder (http://www.grandcanyontuberadio.com/Pioneer/pioneer_rt1011l_101.htm) too... the guy wanted $442 plus shipping and it sold. Was yours anywhere near that expensive?
Kenwood VR-60RS receiver auction (http://cgi.ebay.com/LOT-2-KENWOOD-VR-60RS-6-1-HOME-THEATER-RECEIVERS-N-P-NR_W0QQitemZ320083283697QQihZ011QQcategoryZ39796QQ cmdZViewItem)
These units are being sold AS-IS because they do not power on
Throw 'em in the trash
Sony Digital A/V Control Center
Sony 5-Disc DVD/CD player
Onkyo dubbing cassette deck (haven't used in years)
Onkyo turntable (still use a lot)
XM satellite radio
JBL studio monitors
JBL surround speakers
Sony 250 watt subwoofer
:nerd:
SouthernN'Proud
2/18/07, 12:05pm
:worship: Nice rig sharky :fap:
Inky, I bought the reel off ebay. I decided I didn't want another cassette deck (insurance reimbursement on mine was $220 or so) and that I won't live long enough to replace the vinyl so no need for another turntable (insurance replacement around $275), plus I had a reel to reel that needed refurbishing (they didn't know that, replacement value around $500). So being the prudent redneck that I am I combined the two units and paid about $450 total for the reel and put the rest into the CD replacement fund. I need a take up reel for it, and I have no blank tape yet, but those are minor things. Besides, I ain't got a complete music library yet so I don't need to tape anything yet. Set up properly I think it will tape 8 hours per reel (it has auto reverse...) on the 10 1/2 inch reels which it can more than handle. Once I get another 300-400 more of the CDs back, I'll start taping. Awful nice to put one on and not have to fool with it for 8 hours, no repeats either. And I firmly believe that reels tape better than anything ever made.
man i feel way to technologically advanced. I use my comp and klipsch surround 6:1 speakers. With the HI card fron creative labs.
Forportablei use my zune with the better earphones.
Nice rig sharkyThanks, man! It ain't fancy, but the amp goes up to 11. :D
And I firmly believe that reels tape better than anything ever made.And I firmly agree with you. My brother still has a Teac reel-to-reel that sounds as good as the source material - no distortion or artifacts. :cool:
SouthernN'Proud
2/18/07, 03:31pm
Thanks, man! It ain't fancy, but the amp goes up to 11. :D
http://blog.electronicpropaganda.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/spinal_tap.jpg
But is it in Dobly? :laugh2:
I've been spending a fair amount of time at www.audiokarma.org lately... it's a message board geared to vintage gear fans, although it runs pretty much the whole spectrum. It was there I found out about deoxit... it's this spray cleaner that I speayed into my switches and the volume pot and it solved my problems with scratchiness, randomly losing a channel and having to jiggle buttons to get it back, etc. There's a lot of good info there.
SouthernN'Proud
2/18/07, 10:14pm
Hell, I took it for granted that you'd tried a contact cleaner...
I have an Aiwa high-end 3-head Dolby C cassette deck buried in the basement somewhere. It needs a whole bottle of contact cleaner (it sat, unused, in my system for almost a decade)
So I found an Optonica SA-5605 on eBay for $80 shipped... it's 85 watts per channel, os under $1 a wat isn't bad at all. I got it here and checked it out... it did fine in the DC offset test... the controls need some deoxit but they're not terrible yet.
First impression: HOLY SHIT this thing is HUGE! I'll probably take it apart and clean the pots and stuff tomorrow... but I put it in my system tonight so I could put it through its paces. My ears hurt now. :D In reality, while the 270 watts from the Pioneer SX-1980 sounds impressive, the 85 this thing puts out is all the vintage power nearly anyone will need.
The tape deck on top is the standard stereo component width, to give you an idea of how wide this receiver is.
looks like the bigger brother of my SA-5205.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/taylorcans/HPIM0886.jpg
It is the bigger brother... it's two models up the line. that's why I tried to tell you about it in the shoutbox, but I think you might have missed it.
The 5905 is the top of the line model with 120-125 watts per channel... mine's second from top with 85 watts... then there's the 5405 with 65 watts and the the 5205 has 45 watts... I think the 25-watt model is the 5105. Someone sent me a bunch of scans from the Optonica brochure.
Optonica was an attempt by Sharp to get into the hi-fi game. The problem is Sharp didn't really establish the brand identity to compete with Pioneer, Marantz, Sansui, etc. They called it "the rare receiver" and it turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. I got it for $80 shipped... the equivalent Marantz, the 2285, would go for $500 or more. Optonica is probably the best bang for the buck on eBay right now... when stuff shows up. So it's rare and a good deal.
How are you able to find digital radio frequencies using an analog tuner?
I dunno about digital, but they pick up regular FM signals beautifully.
45 watts, eh. IIRC my speakers are 93 dB efficient. Volume goes up to 40. Rarely take it past 8. Back when I had my ridiculously efficient BIC speakers, I usually kept it on 5 or 6.
98.9, 105.5, 89.7, etc...
could you re-state the question as to be clear? I don't know if you're talking about some sort of digital radio stuff... ir if you don't know how to tune 98.9 on a tuner like mine or like Altron's. At your age, you can't expect me to believe you've never used an analog tuner with signal and strength meters.
A close-up of my receiver:
Truthfully, I've never owned an analog tuner receiver...except on a boom box. However, I was being facetious in my original question.
Ah... well, yeah, there are meters to help you find where the center of the channel and the highest signal strength are.
Gato_Solo
3/08/07, 02:38am
I've got an older Panasonic 5.1 system. Can't find pics of it anywhere on-line. Guess I'll have to break out me camera...
Gato_Solo
3/08/07, 02:59am
Nevermind. I found it (http://www.geocities.com/mjwiseerinetcom/scak57.html).
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000JYKY.01._AA280_SCLZZZZZZZ_.gif
SouthernN'Proud
3/08/07, 08:53am
Ah... well, yeah, there are meters to help you find where the center of the channel and the highest signal strength are.
Or you can pull your head out of your ass and realize that when it's static free you got your channel.
Yeah, I've never needed the meter. It's a big and heavy knob, but it glides really nice, so you can get very precise. I look at the needle until I'm about where my station should be, then play with the knob until I find the best sounding position.
Hell, with the satellite radio handy, I haven't even bothered to hook up the FM antenna. Of course, there's a guy a block away with either a giant antenna or a pirate radio station... in any case, almost the entire FM spectrum at my house is interfered with by some sort of church radio. Hymns, sermons, etc. For some reason, it affects good tuners in component stereos the most, but it doesn't seem to affect cheap radios.
I don't even turn on the tuner (my Optonica has a separate power switch for the tuner section).
SouthernN'Proud
3/08/07, 02:27pm
When I had/replace my collection, I have no need for radio unless it's talk radio. I could/can flip to any classic rock station available and there might be one song an hour I don't own on CD. I once counted 21 songs in a row on one station during a long drive that I had on CD. IIRC, the streak was broken by Eddie Money.
That's why I enjoy having the satellite radio so much... especially the Vault. I've heard a lot of songs on there I didn't know from artists I did know.
Inky, for the love of all things holy, get thee to thine nearest mass merchandiser post haste and drop fifty of your American dollars on a cabinet! Concrete blocks are not an option.
Happy now?
My record collection outgrew the space I had, so I needed to create more space. Lori telling me the table was ghetto and needed to go had nothing to do with it.
A cabinet like Sharky's was out of the question. The receiver is 21 5/8 inches wide.
SouthernN'Proud
8/01/07, 07:15am
Happier. Now drop that dust cover when you play an LP. It protects the vinyl and affects the sound. You know better anyway.
Dang Gonz thats a Schweet piece of equipment (http://b2b.sony.com/Solutions/product/STR-DG600)!
I'd want one if I didn't already do most all my listening
wearing head phones attached to my PC.
Happier. Now drop that dust cover when you play an LP. It protects the vinyl and affects the sound. You know better anyway.
It was the first record of Saturday Night Fever. Still want me to lower the dust cover?
SouthernN'Proud
8/01/07, 04:24pm
If you like it.
And it's an album, LP, or disc. Records are stored at the court house.
LP is fine... an album can also be on a cassette, CD or 8-track. If you have "We Sold Our Soul for Rock and Roll" on CD, since I have it on vinyl, we both have that album, despite the difference in media.
Gato_Solo
8/02/07, 02:56pm
My first receiver was a Kenwood KR-V-85R...It was mated with an Onkyo RX1500 CD player, and a pair of Bose 310 Series II speakers...
SouthernN'Proud
8/02/07, 05:05pm
Bose : Bought Overpriced Stereo Equipment
Their speakers, while compact, have the flattest sound I know of among the high-end manufacturers, and even most of the mid-priced stuff can be tuned to sound fuller. At least to my ear. I'm uberpicky. I know what I want it to sound like and won't accept less. I got what I wanted for around 15-20% of what a Bose system would have run me.
Now, Boston Acoustic...:beardbng: :fap: Best sounding speakers I've ever had the priviledge of listening to. And IIRC, Bose bought 'em out a few years back. Bastards.
Gato_Solo
8/02/07, 05:21pm
Bose : Bought Overpriced Stereo Equipment
Their speakers, while compact, have the flattest sound I know of among the high-end manufacturers, and even most of the mid-priced stuff can be tuned to sound fuller. At least to my ear. I'm uberpicky. I know what I want it to sound like and won't accept less. I got what I wanted for around 15-20% of what a Bose system would have run me.
Now, Boston Acoustic...:beardbng: :fap: Best sounding speakers I've ever had the priviledge of listening to. And IIRC, Bose bought 'em out a few years back. Bastards.
Depends upon the series and/or model. If you bought acoustamass, you bought crap, regardless of series. The 301's I had were bookshelf...because I lived in the barracks and had no room for anything larger. I bought the 301's because I liked the sound. At the time, there was nothing better out there that compared...and I'm including Klipsch in that. Mine had 8" woofers, and two 3"tweeters in 'phased array'. They sounded great in my small space. The year I bought them was 1990. Their stuff now I wouldn't buy to make birdhouses with, but thats just me...
One thing that people seem to notice is that Bose will make an actual decent quality speaker system and introduce it as series I... then Series II is a little more cheaply made... Series III a bit more so, and so on. The 301 is still in production, I believe, but would be cheap pieces of shit (quality-wise) compared to the Series II speakers Gato has, while costing no less to buy.
As the saying goes... no highs, no lows, must be Bose.
Bose : Bought Overpriced Stereo Equipment
Their speakers, while compact, have the flattest sound I know of among the high-end manufacturers, and even most of the mid-priced stuff can be tuned to sound fuller. At least to my ear. I'm uberpicky. I know what I want it to sound like and won't accept less. I got what I wanted for around 15-20% of what a Bose system would have run me.
Now, Boston Acoustic...:beardbng: :fap: Best sounding speakers I've ever had the priviledge of listening to. And IIRC, Bose bought 'em out a few years back. Bastards.
Hmm... I never thought I'd hear you approve of anything even distantly related to Boston
Well, he had more than a feeling about it... so he told himself, "don't hold back"... those speakers are smokin'.
SouthernN'Proud
8/03/07, 08:56am
Hmm... I never thought I'd hear you approve of anything even distantly related to Boston
It does pain me considerable, but I didn't tell 'em where to set up shop.
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