luckybaer

L/R line-level inputs. My sub is a Klipsch R-110SW. Showstopper, or just not optimal?

Likely the latter based off my understanding, but still worth pursuing.

Thanks for the heads up. Definitely got to keep it in mind.

Welcome to the SBAF Nak club! There should be a tag for those of us who actually like the "anti-audiophile" sound of cassettes. Are you hoping to record as well? If you find a good source for blanks LMK, maybe we'll exchange actual mixtapes sometime?

"the "anti-audiophile" sound of cassettes"

Back in the day, and obviously before the day of PCs, one of my best uses for cassette was playing scratched records. They still sounded bad, but the cassette could not reproduce the full dynamic range of the click --- and I did not have to worry about what the scratch was doing to my stylus.

Mind you, Real Audiophiles, back then, probably spliced tape. Or rearranged the magnetic dust with an eraser

What HP’s? How does Elex sound through it? I’ve owned Vali 2 twice, real good amp

Elex sounds great. K601 sounded a little thin on Vali 2 as opposed to Taurus MkII. Note: Elex has Black Dragon cable. Takes the edge off.

K601 sounds better on Vali 2 today. I was listening via USB PC to Gungnir Multibit last night. Maybe something was off. I've done CDP and TT today, and all is good with Vali 2 and K601.

When I was into vinyl I used the VPI cleaner before every play about 85% of the time if it had gone back into the sleeve. Otherwise maybe every other play. I dont think you have to worry about doing it too much once you know how much fluid to use.

Wow! That's quite a bit. How do you keep track?

I never kept track...It was just a routine of clean it every time. But sometimes I was lazy or didn't want to interrupt the flow of a spinning marathon and would skip the cleaning unless it was visibly dusty. I also rarely needed to clean my stylus. Of which I was a little paranoid anyway. Don't obsess about it, just know that you really can't clean the records too often.

It is a good workout, and I can use it to keep my heart rate up while circuit training. Also, having one at home saves me a trip to the gym. I can see why some dislike it. They can be punishingly monotonous!

Weirdest gift ever! Used one... they seem to be well regarded as rowing machines go, but damn are they boring to use. Also, they are great for leaving puddles of sweat all over the place.

Yes, they can be boring. Fortunately, I can change things up - intervals, distance, time, etc. - for variety’s sake. Today I went to the gym, because I didn’t want to work the flywheel. :-)

Get kimtech wipes on Amazon. Something I learned from my lab research days. I use them more for soldering electronics, but they are great for glasses and CDs.

Do you use any liquid cleaner in combination w/Kimtech Wipes, or do you use them dry for CDs?

I just use the wipes. Some liquids are okay but avoid acetone for sure.

Not a fair battle, but 2M Red is my least favorite. Others I have: Otello, VM750SH, V15 Type III

I did upgrade to 2M Blue, but 2M Red is far from sucktown. Put it on 2g VTF for the first 50 hours. It takes longer than most to open up.

I've got over 100 hrs on the 2M Red. It isn't bad, but isn't what I'd call "refined" or "resolving." Channel separation is so-so, too. Solid entry cart, though. The Grado SR-80e of the cart world.

How many hours on each cart?

LOL... Good point... probably about 100 on the AT, and 0.5 on the Soundsmith. Well... do one now, and do one 100 hrs later. :-)

Busily getting some hours on the Otello. Tbt, it sounds pretty good with 1 hour on it.

Had seen a Dragon series Nakamichi tape few months back. Mammoth build. Was in bad shape though
Also auditioned a Nakamichi CR5 and it played great through a Sansui AU5900 + Mission 777

Dragons are nice. There are some good ones on eBay, but more than I wanted to pay. CR5 3 or 2 heads?

Spending over a grand on a tape deck in 2018 just doesn't feel right. Unlike vinyl, cassettes have not aged well. A nice condition Nakamichi for under $300 is about all you need.

I love dragonfruit (the ones in Thailand are tasty, the ones here suck). But yeah, they do boost the... regularity... quite noticeably.

Have 2, they're small!

Dragonfruit is just not a fruit with big popping taste. I like the subtle hint of flavor it has and the texture but we’re not talking mangos here.

Get well soon!

Pneumonia sucks. Wishing you a speedy recovery and an illness-free 2019.

Thanks, folks! Everyone have a safe, but fun New Year’s!

I'll live with tons of Rum.

Rumnog. 50% rum, 50% nog.

Didn't have a chance to get to the shop, so I picked out a thrashed Joe Walsh LP I bought used as well as my used Herb Alpert collection that's pretty rough. This Okki Nokki is easy to use.

Also, the "bath water" is cloudy, but not anything that would make me go "WHOA!" Probably because my LPs are relatively clean. Be interesting to see what some thrift store stock would do to the water. :-)

Particulates from cigarette smoke and other things people smoke get everywhere. You might not notice grungy water until you clean a bunch in a row....mignt even be green, lol.