Tardcore

Good to know. Does the risk occur when the amp is powered on/off? Is it best to plug in after turning the amp on and unplug before turning it off? Does it make a difference if I leave the amp in stand-by when not in use?

I like it quite a bit. At the time I made the purchase, I was considering several options including the Yamaha A-S500 and Harman Kardon 3490. I suspect that those models may be on your radar as well. Honestly, I think I would have been satisfied with any of the three but I am pleased with the PM5004. It has all of the features that I need and no dead-weight. I really like that I can keep my headphones plugged in and simply turn off the speakers if I want to give the neighbors a break. (not sure if leaving my headphones plugged in 24-7 is the best practice--we'll call it burn-in.) The only caveat I can offer is that at only 35 wpc, you will need to pair it with some fairly efficient speakers and (probably?) a modest sized room. I think my Polks have a 90 db sensitivity rating.

another RiotFest tidbit: Rocket from the Crypt mentioned on their Facebook page that they may do a club show along with their Chicago appearance but said they didn't have any details.

That would be huge. However, I won't get my hopes up. I did notice that RiotFest tagged Johnny Marr in their Twitter announcement with their initial release but he is nowhere to be seen in the current line-up. I doubt he's big enough on his own to warrant a headlining spot but some of his other projects may be.

Already done. I ordered a 2" thick maple butcher block type cutting board--pending delivery. I intend to anchor it to the top of the rack with some rubber washers or something inbetween.

The new Auto-Rip feature on Amazon is pretty sweet. I'm an impulsive music buyer. it's nice to get the instant gratifation of the online version and then get a vinyl copy in the mail shortly afterward.

Just keep an eye on Amazon for that price on the PM5004. I knew others had gotten one for $185. I just watched for a few weeks before it came up. Not sure why the Warehouse price is so heavily discounted but it seems like whenever they come up as "used-Like New" or "used-Very Good" the price falls in that neighborhood. The thing with Musician's Friend is that they perputually have coupon codes available ranging from 10%-20% off. I have a 15% off $99+ code that you can have if you need it. Even if they don't have a code available, you can always call and just ask for 15% off or whatever and they will likely give it to you.

Appreciate it. Built based on feedback found here and elsewhere on the internet. After a bit of bargain shopping and it wasn't even really very expensive. Marantz PM5004 integrated amplifier ($185 Amazon Warehouse) Polk Monitor 70 speakers ($300 for the pair...purchased years ago) Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (stock) turntable ($340 on Musician's Friend) Not completely happy with the speakers but they get the job done. I would like to replace them with a book shelf setup at some point.

Got my Carbon today. It sounds fantastic. The felt mat is pretty offensive--upgrading to the Acrylic platter. all in all, I am pretty excited. Thanks to the board for all the tips/good information. Added some pictures to the "Post my Setup" thread. http://boards.vinylcollective.com/topic/17682-post-your-set-up-thread/?p=1546586

my beginner setup: Marantz PM5004 integrated amplifier Polk Monitor 70 speakers Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (stock) turntable The other component you see is my HTPC (i3-2100T, 120gb solid state OS drive, 2TBx2 mirrored media drives) connected with a Nuforce Udac.

No joke. I am still trying to get back on a normal sleep cycle.

The Dickies were great Thursday night. Looking forward to the festival starting tonight.

The deal-breaker is probably warranty. I wouldn't buy online if the warranty wouldn't be honored unless I was getting a very steep (50%+)discount. Otherwise, why not buy online? I do not think that you automatically get better service by dealing locally/in-person and unless your local shop is manufacturing turntables on-site, it was shipped at some point.

just a heads up...The Dickies are playing LVCS (Country Saloon) on Thursday if anybody is arriving a bit early and looking for something to do. Edit: link http://www.ticketfly.com/event/251985-dickies-las-vegas/

I am sure results vary depending on your carrier. I have AT&T and had trouble texting a friend who was also at the festival. I think she uses some pre-paid plan. Not sure if the issue was on my end or hers. One thing worth noting is that were power outlets every 12 feet or so along the fences that you could tap into to charge your phone if you happened to have a cable/adapter with you.

I had VIP last year and there was no wi-fi that I was aware of. My phone was pretty much crippled for the duration of the festival.

Pretty excited about this. PRB, Ink-N-Iron, and Riotfest. It's going to be a good summer.

There wasn't last year.

I cannot recommend the VIP passes highly enough. The 15 free drinks alone make it a good deal. The VIP stage access, separate VIP bathrooms, and shady lounge area put it way over the top.

They probably won't release single day tickets for a while....doesn't make sense without a schedule. However, when they do finally offer single day tickets, it would not make sense to me if was cheaper to buy 3 single day tickets than to buy a 3-day pass.

There were outs last year if you had a 3-day pass (it was a cloth bracelet you had to wear the whole weekend). The food wasn't really overpriced in the festival. I think I paid like $8 for some really good fried Catfish.

I don't think that is really what happened. Yes, they did sell a small number of tickets to those shows--that was not the problem. Even if they didn't sell any tickets, the result would have been the same. The festival is simply too big for every 3-day pass holder to cram into the Empty Bottle. They should go 100% ticket access only this year. Problem solved.

VIP was a great deal last year. 15 drinks per day (for the 2 in the park festival days). Beers were $7 each. This year, there are 3 full days in the park and I think VIP gets you 15 drinks total--not per day. Still a good deal. The VIP viewing area was pretty fair as well. They basically partitioned off 20% of the stage on the right hand side. You could get much closer, much easier, but did not have exclusive access to the front row or anything. I expect the after shows to be ticket access only this year...no freebies for 3 day pass holders. The reality is that there are simply way too many 3 day pass holders. People will complain, but they'll be the same people who threw a tantrum last year because they couldn't get into the Alkaline Trio after show.

I'm sort of confused as to whether you are looking for a stereo amp or a 5.1 receiver at this point. However, I would like to point out that the Marantz PM5004 mentioned above can be had on Amazon (warehouse) for $185 shipped (prime). Might be worth a gamble IF you are looking for a stereo setup.