The All Purpose Advice Thread

Discussion in 'Advice Threads' started by purr1n, Sep 26, 2015.

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  1. neogeosnk

    neogeosnk Friend

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    i2s hdmi cables, does length matter or is it just audio nervousa? I got the Pi2aes yesterday and the i2s is not outputting anything. I'm using a 3 foot hdmi cable i had laying around. Does it have to be half a meter or less?
     
  2. lcmusiclover

    lcmusiclover Friend

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    This appears to be an unsettled question -- the standard was developed for internal connections (i.e., chip-to-chip on a PCB) inside devices. But there are those who claim they're getting good results from I2S runs of several feet. On the DIY Audio forum there's a discussion of this which mentions Kimber selling long HDMI cables for this purpose, and offering 'active' cables for runs over 30 feet.

    Apparently a definitive answer would depend on the electronic characteristics of the two devices you're connecting.

    Run length aside, pinouts for I2S over HDMI are not standardized.
     
  3. elmoe

    elmoe Friend

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    Not a whole lot of amps out there that will be a definitive step up from an upgraded Crack paired with HD650s, unless you're willing to spend several thousands. Building your own Crack is easier than some of the bigger Lego kits, so don't worry too much about feasibility, practice soldering a little and you're pretty much set. Bottlehead forums are an excellent resource for troubleshooting and modding if needed. I wouldn't bother buying a prebuilt one, it's cheaper and a lot more fun to DIY.
     
  4. ChaChaRealSmooth

    ChaChaRealSmooth SBAF's Mr. Bean

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    I've found out that in order to connect everything up for my home entertainment system, I'll need to get an AV receiver. Anyone have any recommendations that are under $1k? I honestly have NEVER used one before, so I'm not sure what I need.

    The devices that need to get plugged into it are a TV, a turntable (if this is even possible, otherwise I'd need to get a splitter), a cable box, and a karaoke machine. The speakers are just going to be some loudspeakers (not sure which ones yet), but I'll have a preamp and amp ready.

    I've debated on just going off of some quick Google recommendations and getting one that's fairly inexpensive, but I don't want that to come back and bite me in the ass.
     
  5. penguins

    penguins Friend, formerly known as fp627

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    If you haven't done it yet, I agree with AnotherRando and ratsalad.

    I didn't want to find bolt cutters so I used a dremel (rotary grinder) and smoothed it out with files, 500 and 1000 grit sand paper, then one of my polishing stones I use when I sharpen knives, and finally some Flitz (something similar will work too). Total labor was under 20 minutes for me. Flitz and polishing stones were probably 100% unnecessary but hey, why not. The shaft itself is a pretty mild steel. The pot wasn't particularly hot when I was done (used about 10-15k rpm on dremel), no warmer than it gets sometimes when using in amp.
     
  6. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    I am a fan of Denon receivers. An X3500H can be had refurbed from accessories4less.com for $500. I have gotten 3 receivers from them all without issue including my current X3400H. I recommend this one specifically because it is the cheapest one that has Audyssey XT32 which can handle dual subs and has multi channel pre outs so you can use better amps down the line if necessary. It has a phono input, but I don't know anything about it. Should have plenty of power for a normal living room. Sounds great for home theater and casual music listening.
     
  7. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    are you mostly listening or watching movies? And how many channels are you running?
     
  8. ChaChaRealSmooth

    ChaChaRealSmooth SBAF's Mr. Bean

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    Mix of both really. Not 100% sure what you mean by channels (I'm a noob), but I'm really only planning on connecting the receiver to an amp, then to my speakers.
     
  9. elmoe

    elmoe Friend

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    So 2 channels, I think is what he's asking (2 speakers). Any sub?
     
  10. gixxerwimp

    gixxerwimp Professional tricycle rider

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    I think he means 5.1 (center, front L/R, rear L/R, sub), 7.1, etc.
     
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2019
  11. gixxerwimp

    gixxerwimp Professional tricycle rider

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    So I picked up 2 ALPS pots last night (1 extra in case I f**k it up) and the shaft looked to be aluminum. I asked them how they would shorten it and the reply was with a hack saw. After some clarification because the word they used is not what Google Translate says a hack saw is in Chinese, they pulled one out from their tool box to show me and said I could just cut it there if I wasn't in a hurry. They lent me some pliers which I used to grip the nut threaded onto the "body" and I taped up the shaft before going at it. I don't think that any more torque was applied to the shaft doing it this way compared to grinding it as I would have had a hard time holding it by the shaft alone. After 10 minutes of gentle sawing I had a pretty rough cut that I was able to easily clean up at home with a file. Pretty sure I didn't get any filings into the gap. Photos will be posted in the MCTH thread later.

    Thanks for everyone's help.
     
  12. ChaChaRealSmooth

    ChaChaRealSmooth SBAF's Mr. Bean

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    Ah. No, just going to be a 2.0 system. I like the idea of the flexibility of perhaps adding a sub later, so I'd like to keep that open for now.

    I looked up the Denon recommended above and it seems fine for the price, but trying to look at all options.
     
  13. Mike_WI

    Mike_WI New

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    I'd sell you my unused Light Harmonic LightSpeed USB 2G Cable (split) if you are interested.
     
  14. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    Another to consider if you don't need all the latests codecs and gizmos: https://www.ebay.com/c/24011303779 I think this is the model prior to the one @zerodeefex is using. Might sound better.

    EDIT: Nevermind, just saw that it doesn't have a phono in. You could use a Mani, but that is an extra box.
     
    Last edited: Aug 14, 2019
  15. Bloom

    Bloom MOT: Bloom Audio

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    I'd second a recommendation for Denon AVRs. I've owned a few of theirs over the years (currently a 6400H) and have had nothing but great experiences. Sound is excellent, interface/controller is great, and they generally have all the latest features. Maybe look into the X3600H. You can def get it under $1000 by buying direct from a great dealer like a Safe and Sound.
     
  16. crazychile

    crazychile Eastern Iowa's Spiciest Pepper

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    I used a Denon AVR up until early this year and it worked great. Yamaha has normally done well with their surround processing sections, but the amp sections sound flat and anemic to me. Onkyo can be tempting with its price vs. features but has had a reputation for reliability issues for several years. Also note that most AVRs now are designed for 8 or 6 ohm speaker loads which limits your speaker choices. The last time I checked, Denon (and Marantz) were some of the few that would run 4 ohm speakers, without getting into some very pricey AVRs.
     
  17. TheDeaf

    TheDeaf New

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    Hy guys,
    I'm sorry for posting this one in the wrong forum the first time.
    I'm looking for an upgrade for my 1more triple driver over ear headphones, the golden version with titanium driver.
    What I really like with these headphones is their forward presentation. They don't sound distant, recessed, boxed or veiled in any way, at least with the majority of the recordings. Is just like listening from the front row. For me this is a very important parameter in a headphone, even more than soundstage width. I can tolerate an intimate soundstage, but I could never stand a distant sounding, recessed or veiled presentation. In this regard, I preferred them over the Elegia....
    Their bass might be sometimes exaggerated and/or loose, but it improves with time, I guess because of pads thinning. Oh, and my small ears fit exactly the pads, so for me they are really over ear. This might explain why I don't find them as mediocre as the measurements suggest.
    So I'm looking for a closed-back headphone that may represent a step forward wrt 1more triple driver, but in the same direction, i.e. with a similar presentation but an overall better quality and comfort. Max 600€.
     
  18. eyrepm

    eyrepm New

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    Hoping this is the best place for this:

    Are there "rules of thumb," or the like, to use when you're a bit dissatisfied with your setup in a certain way? What I mean is, I'm having gripe X, so is it best to look at: amp, dac, headphones/speakers, cables?

    My gripe now is:
    - kinda muddy sound?
    - not too pleasant / euphonic (is that the word) sound
    - but still good

    Gear:
    - Schiit Ragnarok 2
    - Schiit Gungnir Multibit
    - KEF LS50
    - Grado RS2i balanced

    Notes:
    - I have an old Schiit Bifrost that was very enjoyable and pleasant with the rest of the gear -> wanted more detail -> Gungnir Multibit.
    - Wondering if actually all parts of my setup might be wrong / could be tweaked.
    - ESPECIALLY wondering about both headphones and speakers.

    Thank you.
     
  19. lcmusiclover

    lcmusiclover Friend

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    The most relevant 'Rule of Thumb' is:

    'Transducers first, source second, electronics third, everything else (cables, power, etc) fourth'.

    While this can be adjusted to allow for the impact of improving any part of the system which is horribly out of balance with the rest of your system, it's generally true. Folks may argue for priority within categories (e.g., DAC vs amp upgrade) but the overall concept is accurate.

    tl;dr: Changing your transducers will make the biggest difference to your ears.

    All that said, I can't tell what you're trying to 'fix'. There's nothing obviously deficient about your system. Grados have a 'house sound' -- perhaps you want to move away from that? But which direction?
     
  20. StageOne

    StageOne Friend

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    I'm also a fan of the Denon X3500H as I have one for the family room 5.1 system. Works well, has lots of inputs but the amp is .. ok. I added a Vidar earlier this year and it's made a huge difference in SQ with my Elacs (Nothing special, UF5). Much better definition/separation and less congestion.

    What kind of TV do you have and can it support the inputs from the cable box and karaoke machine, assuming it needs video? And does it have any kind of audio output? Reading your post it seems like you want to use a separate amp so a AVR might be overkill. Maybe just a preamp/processor like an Emotiva PT-100 (https://emotiva.com/collections/pre-amps/products/pt-100) It will support a phono input and either RCA or a digital input from the TV with outputs to the amp and has a sub out should you add one later.

    Let us know some more specs on what you have.
     
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