The All Purpose Advice Thread

Haha, true, but a guy can try and spare himself some headache maybe

I'll be honest, I fully expect to blow past that upper limit like nobody's business in due time, knowing myself. Just hoping to find something that might sate the *need MOAR resolution* itch without overextending. Forgot about the Torpedoes! Reading up on em I might actually really enjoy the T3... thanks!

 

An update, if anyone gives a shit.

The blower works wonderfully and keeps my Ragnarok cooler in the rack than it was on my desk on it's slowest setting. However, 17db still seems a bit loud. I have a infinitely variable speed control coming. I'll see how slow I can go while watching case temps. As best I can tell, Ragnarok needs very little airflow to keep cool. It just needs some.

 

I came across a useful site named Daily.Audio that collects the latest posts from all the major audio forums, thought I would pass it along. SBAF happens to be the first site mentioned.

 

Anyone here have much experience with bluetooth headsets? I'm spending more and more time on the phone for work these days. I'm kinda looking at the usual culprits like Jabra, Plantronics, Sennheiser, etc. Looking for something that:
- fits over a single ear w/hook (I'm not opposed to earpieces per se, but I have small ear canals and have issues with most iems, so am doubtful that I would be able to secure one in my ear without a hook)
- would be nice if I could swap sides
- no specific budget in mind
- prefer it not to be tiny; being visible is actually a plus because then someone walking into the office will see me on the phone and leave me alone (door is to my left, so being able to wear on my left side is a bonus)

 

I have not. I actually ordered another one of Matt's amps which I will have next week. This amp uses single-secondary OPTs optimized for a 300 ohm load like the Sennheiser's and not the HP-3, so the Klipsch is off my radar now.

 

We mostly use Plantronics at my office and we spend a ton of time on the phone... They have a few models that have one earpiece connected to a metal headband. It's pretty low profile but definitely visible when on your head, reversible, and has great sound quality. Would you prefer to avoid the headband?

I'd copy a link right now but their page isn't loading on my phone... I'd be happy to follow up with the link.

 

I'd prefer just the earhook, but I'm open to all possibilities.

 

This is the one I was talking about... I think one guy has a model with the earhook so I'll ask him tomorrow.

Plantronics CS510

 

Awesome! If it's not too much trouble, would love to get impressions of the new amp after you've had enough time with it— don't think anyone local owns one of his amps and it seems some genuine thought was put into them. Thanks!

 

I’ve been on the hunt for a new amp for my dynamic headphones. I was looking at Matt’s beautiful darling amp builds last week. There’s only one review out there so I decided to hold off. Looking forward to your thoughts on the amp.

 

I recently stumbled across my old senn px100 but the cable is getting loose. Id like a recabling but I dont know where to go, anybody? The px100 was my first hifi audio buy and listening right now its still really nice.

 

I take that back about the very nice for the price regarding px100 - its just nice - too bad theyre oop. I havent been using my headphones at all lately since ive recently made some cheap ob speakers and now that im listening to the px100 I really cant remember why I would prefer my he4xx or hd58x. The bass is clean and textured and these are small and comfortable headphones with straight foam earpads, mids are great, treble less clear but ya know for $30 or whatever cant have it all. I need to revisit my other headphones... also it may be because my open baffle speakers are using just a single 15” each for bass/midbass on small baffles/wings (desktops) so ive been missing some bass for about a month.

 

Blowers are inherently quite noisy, and if that speed control thing works via adjusting voltage, there's a lower limit at which the fan just won't start up at all. If it doesn't work out, you could probably just get a slow speed 50mm axial fan ($14, Amazon, much quieter) and have it vertically oriented sitting on top of the Yggdrasil so that it blows across the top of the casing and out of the rack.

 

Is anyone aware of a reasonably priced (less than $100, ideally around $50), audio-grade USB cable that has a micro B termination and also splits the power and signal? I am using an SDAC/CTH at work, I use my phone as the source with an OTG adapter, but I'd like to use my Wyrd as the power supply so it's not draining my phone's battery. Most dual-headed cables (separate power/signal) find have the standard USB B termination, I'm having a hard time finding one that has a micro termination.

 

Any suggestions for a highly colored stereotypical toobey tube amp? Looking for something to compliment a SS amp, the Valhalla is too similar.

 

I found a replacement ALPS pot for the scratchy MCTH SANNI unit, but the shaft is 20mm long instead of 15mm. The flat part of the shaft that fits into the volume knob is also 5mm too long, so it only has to be shortened by 5mm. I asked a mech eng at work how he would do it and he said he'd just use a grinder to take it off. Can anyone think of an easier way? I guess the shaft would be some kind of steel. Would it make sense to take 4mm off with a hack saw and then grind or file off the remainder?

Pics of the stock unit here:
https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...alli-tube-hybrid-amp.4866/page-49#post-267642

 

A grinder (and holding the shaft with pliers) should make fast and easy work of it. If you try to saw it off, you've got to clamp it down somehow and saw at the same time, and that's going to apply pressure to the shaft where it connects to the body. A big-assed pair of bolt cutters could be used for extra speed, then a file.

You'd probably want to wrap the body in some protective plastic to avoid getting metal shavings into it too.

@gixxerwimp Edit: The bolt cutters comment. I've tried using 24" or 30" bolt cutters to shorten steel bolts. It's surprisingly effective- the bolt retains cross sectional shape, and the threads remain clean enough to screw right into nuts. Not sure what the pot shaft is made of, bolt cutters might be sufficient just by themselves.

 

I'd just tape it off so shavings don't get in it and grind it slowly so it doesn't heat up to much. It's only .200 of an inch.

 

Thanks, good to have confirmation that what my mech eng colleague suggested wasn't too far off the best solution. I just had a look at the Makita hand grinder we have at work and it should do the job. I should be able to hold it securely with some vice grips and a bit of cloth wrapped around the threads. Doubt I could easily find a pair of big-assed bolt cutters to borrow here in Taipei. But it might be worth checking out a B&Q to see if they have one I can test drive

 

So I've got a Black Widow 1, the version with the external power supply (I really like this form factor). Power supply takes 110V in though, and I'm in a 220V country. I've been using a step down transformer, but it's an extra box and cabling that would ideally just not be there.

Can I just convert the power supply by replacing the toroidal transformer with a part that outputs the same voltage/current figures when given a 220V input? Oh, and the fuse I guess.

The existing transformer is this.

A replacement looks like it would be this.

Even though it's only a small amount of soldering and a handful of wires, I'd probably find someone more qualified than myself to do this anyway- closest I've come is building a power amp from a kit, and I am not comfortable messing around with a couple of fat capacitors. But at least I'd like to know what the right parts are.






Edit: Hmm... looking at the toroid datasheet suggests that a part replacement might not even be necessary.