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Showing content with the highest reputation on 01/02/2016 in all areas

  1. 2 points
  2. I keep my Mondos in my office
    2 points
  3. Beginner’s Guide to Hi–Fi Created to hopefully aid anyone venturing into this stressful, beautiful hobby. I will update this with more information whenever I have time to waste. Anyone is welcome to chime in. Basic Hi-Fi Chain: SOURCE -> AMPLIFICATION -> SPEAKERS (click to jump to section) The source component reads the recorded information and translates it into the signal that will be later perceived as sound. Amplification takes that signal and amplifies it (no, really?) in order to make it strong enough to move the drivers of the speaker. A speaker is a collective of drivers that are moved by the signal, producing air pressure in front of them which to us, mortal beings, means hearing sound. When putting together a hi-fi setup, always keep in mind: The end result will only be as good as the weakest link. Buying an expensive turntable and a good phono preamp is useless if you're using cheap computer speakers. By no means should you decide to just get a shitty turntable then. Instead, think carefully how to ration your budget across all important components. Jump to setting up & use: SOURCE, AMPLIFICATION, SPEAKERS LIST OF RECCOMENDED EQUIPMENT FOR DIFFERENT BUDGETS
    1 point
  4. coryemis

    Alkaline Trio shirts

    Not sure why I got the urge to post this, but here it is. I collected Alkaline Trio shirt from 98 - until about a year ago. I never paid over $20 for a shirt. Most of them were purchased at shows, but a lot were bought online (cinderblock/ebay/any other merch site.) I lost a lot of interested when Heather Hannoura Gable wasn't the main artist for these shirts. Although I never was really sure who the artist was, just assuming. With that being said here is my Alkaline Trio shirt collection. I know there are Alkaline Trio fans on VC. So, I hope someone might appreciate these as much as I do. Updated 9/10/11
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  5. Hey folks, we extended our holiday sale through the end of the day Sunday. Stop by, take a peek, and pick up something for cheap. Link is in our post above.. Thanks endlessly to everyone that's grabbed something so far.
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  6. Where are my testicles, Summer? You've had them removed. Where are they?
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  7. That's exactly what I have. I grabbed it all at the same time. It was insane how cheap it was.
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  8. Yeah, it's a bummer that this is the price that's set, but for a "boutique label" (which is honestly what STB is) it's a pretty average pricepoint unfortunately.
    1 point
  9. Yeah, that something is: "records are way too fucking expensive".
    1 point
  10. Nice discount, thanks! :-) Grabbed a few albums for my collection, and have bookmarked you for the future. You have some nice items. Happy New Year!
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  11. Well, let the ones who haven't participated in these threads participate in them. I didn't realize threads forced people to comment on them.
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  12. Been collecting longer than the "revival" and I have no problem participating in threads like this. If you don't want to participate no one is forcing you to, just no need to rain on some one else's parade.
    1 point
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  14. It's not particularly rare, the jacket is falling apart, and it's not anything that has a high monetary value, but my favorite record in my collection is one of the USSR Symphony Orchestra recording I have of them playing Dmitri Shostakovich's 5th symphony, in Leningrad, under the direction of Maksim Shostakovich, the composer's son. Shostakovich's 5th is my actual favorite piece of music ever, across all genres, and it's really cool to own a copy of its recording that is so closely connected to Shostakovich himself.
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  15. eBay really really really sucks. I still use it because of how many people it reaches but if you sense a headache then the best thing to do is cancel the transaction because odds are good it will in fact be a headache.
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  16. Hi guys and gals, There are a lot of great people who contribute to this board and I'm very thankful to be a part of it. I realized I was being a negative asshole here for a long time, acting like an internet keyboard warrior, and surely pissed a lot of people off while acting a fool. This is an open apology for acting like an asshole. This board has helped me snag some really good deals / grab PO's that I would not have known about otherwise, and I'm forever grateful for it. Moving forward, my goal has been to be a solid contributing and positive member while staying away / out of the drama. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, New Years, Hanukkah, Festivus, or whatever you may celebrate, and a happy New Year. I look forward to 2016 full of awesome releases and opportunities to discover new music. -Mark
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  17. My girlfriend had a record made with songs by artists we've seen live together..
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  18. she definitely cared.
    1 point
  19. III. SPEAKERS Speakers are what many consider the most important part of the hi-fi chain and the one component the rest of the system is built upon. Buying the right speakers Bookshelf vs floorstanding This depends primarily on your room size, but also on your listening preferences and budget. For the same price, a smaller speaker will generally perform better than a larger speaker, but won't be able to extend as low or fill a larger room. Room sizes: There's no one recipe, because it varies from one model to another. It also depends on how filled your room is, from furniture to stuff hanging on walls. But take it just as a quick guide to know which direction to look in. Smaller bookshelf speakers: <12 sq. meters / <130 sq. feet Bigger bookshelf speakers: 10-18 sq. meters / 110-190 sq. feet Smaller floorstanding speakers: 14-25 sq. meters / 150-270 sq. feet Bigger floorstanding speakers: >25 sq. meters >270 sq. feet Then, taking room size into account, you also have to balance between sacrificing low end (smaller speaker of higher quality), sacrificing sound quality (bigger speaker of lower quality), or sacrificing more hard earned cash (bigger speaker of higher quality). Power handling Don't be fooled by the "power handling" rating for the speakers you're looking at. It's either a marketing trick (cheaper speakers) or just a (very lenient) manufacturer's recommendation. It rarely gives any real information and shouldn't be the deciding factor when buying speakers. Generally, it's always better to have more power than not enough, so don't be worried if your amplifier's output power rating is higher than the speaker's rating. As long as you know your limits and know how to properly handle your hifi equipment, a more powerful amplifier will not harm your speakers. An underpowered amp is much more likely to do so, because when it starts running out of juice, the sound gets distorted and this is when you get voice coil movement that can permanently damage your speakers' drivers. Efficiency A much more revealing pice of information is speaker's efficiency or sensitivity rating. This basically tells you how much of the elecrtical energy (amplifier output) will be converted into acoustic energy (sound). Speakers in general are very inefficient, only about 1-2% of the electrical energy is actually converted to what we perceive as sound, the rest is converted to heat. But there are differences between different speakers, and they greatly affect how powerful an amplifier has to be to achieve the desired sound volume. Sensitivity is expressed in decibels (dB), and the value means how loud the speaker plays with one watt of power, measured one meter from the driver. Here is a chart showing how much power is needed to achieve a certain level of sound pressure with a range of speaker sensitivity ratings: Impedance Impedance is a measurment of the speaker's resistance and tells you how much of of the current the speakers will draw from your amplifier. A lower impedance rating means that the speaker will draw more current from your amplifier, so you'll get higher sound pressure level, but at the same time the amplifier will be working much harder. As long as the speaker's impedance isn't lower than the minimum your amp can handle, there's no risk of damaging either.
    1 point
  20. Turntable - Setting up & Use Part 1 will be for those buying a new table, pretty much set up out of the box. Part 2 will be setting up from scratch/replacing factory mounted bits and pieces. PART 1 You just got your turntable. Congrats! Fortunately, you bought it new, so there will be very little hassle setting it up. If you read your manual, you already know this. If you didn’t, or did but still aren’t sure what to do, I will not spend time writing about it, but will rather let you see it in action. Moving pictures hell yeah! The above video is for the Pro-Ject Debut model, but the set up process is pretty universal for all the recommended tables in the previous section. Make every effort possible to set the table on a sturdy piece of furniture/rack, and minimize any transfer of vibration to the table. NEVER place it on the same shelf with the speakers (what are your speakers even doing on a shelf). Also, do NOT place it on top of any other audio equipment, no matter how cool you might think it looks. There’s always space to be made, and if all else fails, there are wall-mounting possibilities for your table, which is also one of THE best solutions for turntable placement. Of course, it’s not cheap. After you set it up, you need to connect it to the rest of your hi-fi. If you use a separate phono preamp: Connect the RCA cables from the table to the INPUT RCA connectors on your phono preamp. Also attach the grounding wire from your turntable to the GND (might be spelled differently) screw on your phono preamp. Run a pair of RCA to RCA cables from your phono preamp to your amplification (integrated amp/receiver). Connect one side of the cables to OUTPUT on your phono preamp, and the other side to any of the inputs on your integrated amp/receiver. NOTE: Do not connect your phono preamp to a “phono” input (if there is one) on your amplification. Unless you want to know what breaks first, your speakers or your ears. If your integrated amp/receiver has a “phono” input: Connect the RCA cable from your turntable to the “phono” RCA connectors on your integrated amp/receiver. Do not forget the grounding wire; connect it to the GND screw. In the unlikely event that your integrated amp/receiver doesn’t have one, you can slightly unscrew any of the screws that hold the chassis (screws that touch the metal parts of the chassis, not the plastic ones) together and attach the grounding wire to it. Don’t forget to tighten, of course. If you’re using computer speakers: Connect them to the OUTPUT connectors on your phono preamp. If you don’t have one, buy one. If you’re running your table through your computer: Don’t do that, ever. If you don’t know how to hook up your table differently, ask here. PART 2 Coming soon-ish. I need to really hate my free time to go into this. Use There are many cautionary steps to minimize the possibility of damaging any part of your audio equipment. Here are the basic ones: -First off, handling the records. I know this sounds really obvious, but I see way too many ebay listings with people ignoring this rule completely, so I have to mention it. NEVER touch the grooves of the record. Always take the record out of the dust sleeve by placing the edge of the record in the palm of your hand, then after sliding it hallway out use how many fingers you have to in order to safely support the record by placing your fingers on the center label. - The tonearm should always be resting in the armrest, secured with the safety clip (if possible). - Always place the record on the platter before turning on the table and always remove the record only after turning the table off (and the platter stops spinning) -Always use the armlift to lift the tonearm, place it above the part of the record you want to listen to, then use the armlift to lower the tonearm. If you're confident enough you can always do this manually, but shaky hands mean damaged records and broken needles. -It is advised to always clean the record with a brush before playing. -If you have pets or clumsy family members, listen to your records with the dust cover lowered.
    1 point
  21. I. SOURCE Turntable Basic parts of the turntable Cartridge This is where the magic happens. To the naked eye, there are two basic parts of a cartridge: the body and the needle. The needle is the part that reads the groove. It is attached to the body, in which the mechanical vibrations are converted into an electrical signal. When something goes wrong, it is usually the needle that suffered. It breaks easily, and though it is also easily replaced, it costs over 85% of the total cost of the cartridge, so it’s best to be careful. How to spot a damaged needle? Well, if you know how it should sound, and it suddenly doesn’t sound like it should, that’s a big tell. It’s not always this easy, though. Inspect it visually – this is what it should look like: *PIC* If the needle is broken, it is pretty easy to spot. If the needle is not broken, but the cartridge body is touching the record while playing (and the weight is set up properly), there’s likely no other solution than replacing the needle. If the needle is worn out it also needs replacing, Damaged body? Unless you stepped… actually, jumped – repeatedly - on it, it’s fine and doesn’t need replacing. I’ve never even heard of damaging the cartridge body, so if you managed to do so, post here and you get an award. MM vs. MC I will go into detail about the differences, pros and cons at a later time. For now let's just say that buying an MC cart requires much more care in proper equipment pairing. MC carts are way "pickier" in regards to the phono preamp, and even the inexpensive models such as the Denon DL-103 will perform nowhere near their potential when mounted on an average entry-level tonearm on an average entry level turntable. Tonearm It is what holds the cartridge in place, making sure it reads the recording at the right angle and also providing enough mobility and stability. The cartridge needs to move freely, but also track with a constant pressure. Platter Records sit on top of it. It can be made from different materials, each with its specific characteristics. Belt (belt drive turntables) Used simply to provide as much decoupling between the motor and the rest of the turntable as possible, while maintaining an accurate turning speed. Motor I have no idea what that thing does. Plinth It serves an isolation function, and is what (usually) holds everything in place. Also known as the base. It supports the platter and the tonearm, and depending on the turntable design, the motor as well. Buying a turntable First rule: Don’t be cheap. If you’re just getting into the hobby and would like to experience at least the minimum it has to offer, do yourself a favor and invest enough to get going without the constant presence of a headache. Sure, any supermarket pile of plastic abomination will “technically” do the job (the record will spin and some sound will come out of it), but if you don’t like music enough to want to hear at least a rough approximation of what the artist intended, then why even bother? Stay away from Crosley Stay away from Ion Stay away from Stanton Stay away from Audio Technica (at least the LP60 model) Stay away from anything that looks like a Crosley, Ion, Stanton, Numark, AT LP60 or a combination of any of the above. A “USB” in the name is usually also a big giveaway, though Pro-Ject does make such a model, for some reason. The entry level turntables worth considering are mentioned in this thread, but I’ll repeat them. Pro-Ject Essential ($300) Pro-Ject Debut Carbon ($400) Rega RP1 ($450) Music Hall MMF-2.2 ($450) U-Turn Orbit (if it proves to be a worthwhile contender) Many might not consider them “budget” options, but it is a worthwhile investment even for those that might end up deciding it’s not for them and will abandon the hobby altogether. The resale value is high enough to make these THE cost-efficient choice. If you really, really cannot afford any of the above, the following aren't the worst choices you can make: Audio Technica AT LP120 ($200) Music Hall USB-1 ($250) Numark TTUSB ($100) Vintage vs. New While it’s true that one can get far better sound for far less pennies spent with the right vintage choice, it is an educated man’s market. You might get lucky. The table in question might have been cared for properly, it might be one of those models that can stand the test of time, and the seller might have zero idea what it’s actually worth. A lot of might’s though. If you don’t mind a $20 gamble, by all means, go for it. But to really make the best of such a purchase, the buyer has to posses enough knowledge to determine value, quality and condition of the equipment. It can be fun, it can be tiresome, and it can be rewarding. Not my first suggestion for a newcomer though. Buying a used newer model can be a two-sided blade as well. The turntable is a “delicate instrument”. If not used properly and with care, a lot of things can go wrong in a short period of time. An in depth conversation with the seller is crucial to determine, or rather, guess the table’s history. Buying a new table is always the safest bet, but it comes with a heftier price tag. For buying something under $100 however, at least in my opinion it's better to lose $20 with a vintage table that doesn't work than losing $100 for a cheap new table that, in all honesty, doesn't really work. Required additional equipment/accessories: Phono pre-amp Some tables come with a built in preamp, so this does not apply to them. The output signal, generated by the cartridge, is much weaker than the analog signal coming out of digital sources. Approximately 400 – 10,000 times weaker, depending on the type of cartridge. This is why an additional stage of amplification is needed in order to integrate the turntable into your Hi-Fi chain. This stage is called a phono preamp. It is a vital part of the setup, and should not be ignored when determining the budget. When is there no need for a phono preamp? If there is one built into the turntable. If your amplifier/receiver has a phono input. Recommended additional equipment/accessories: Cleaning supplies Covered in detail HERE, so no need for me to repeat everything.
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  22. Too bad you arent looking for glassJAw's coloring book... No two copies are the same color scheme wise limited to 120
    -1 points
  23. Gotcha, well if you reconsider let me know
    -1 points
  24. It is, YouTube glassJAw and coloring book you might dig it. Its different than they're other stuff.
    -1 points
  25. I can be, I like spreading the word about the band whenever I can. Even if he digs the music but doesn't wanna trade I consider it a win.
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  26. Everyone should like glassJAw
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  27. Yea sorry for kinda hijacking this post. I'll stop.
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  28. Friendly reminder to send my winnings over, please and thank you!
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  29. -1 points
  30. They asked a month ago....but thanks for the timely reply that once again veered the thread off course. Feel free to answer the question that the thread is about though....
    -1 points
  31. -1 points
  32. I never have to worry about seam splits because I never open my records. I just tape them to the wall above my Crosley for when the ladies come over.
    -1 points
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