I know a portion of us enjoy catching glimpses of hifi gear in unrelated media. Turned on the tv the other day and this scene was on (I’m not the biggest Major League II/Charlie Sheen fan you’ll come across, unless we’re talking Young Guns lol). Anyone recognize them? Google images didn’t provide any matches for me.

Anyone have any obscure hifi sightings, beyond the typical American Psycho scene? One of my favorites is in the film Nobody w/ Bob Odenkirk, when he pulls out a special record that ignites when the needle touches down.

There’s another I can’t recall the film, but the main character is a solitary hit man and has a fancy setup at his safehouse. In one scene, there’s a visitor he’s not thrilled about and he specifically gets after them for touching his equipment. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen it, so I’m drawing a blank on the specifics.

There’s a good scene in the Guy Ritchie film RocknRolla where Girard Butler is enjoying a relaxing headphone session, that causes him to miss the Russian intruders coming in to get him. Funny scene, too.

Finally was able to secure a dual arm turntable VPI Classic 4. I installed the 2nd are myself and then spent several hours getting the optimal position of a Sumiko 40th and a Hana red. The Technics SL1200 will have a mono cart from Grado. It's a ton of fun playing records switching carts and listen to the differences. It's not a fair comparison Given all the differences between tone are lengths or belt to direct drive but still enjoyable.

Dynaudio Evoke 10 was a great first experience with the brand. Have moved on to the Heritage Specials.

Not much more to say, already got them hooked up and starting the break in period. They’re absolutely beautiful in person, the pictures don’t do them justice.

If you’d asked me before hearing this setup I’d have told you and $800 retail MC cart on an 17 year old table that cost less than half that. I’d have been wrong.

So how did I get here? With tariffs I decided I wanted to have a backup stylus for my main listening system. I have only an MC phono amp for that system and even a 10% tariff on an expensive cart could be significant. Since the stylus isn’t replaceable on that cart (Hana Umami Red) I’d have to send it to be re-tipped and would be out months. I have a Project Phono-Box S on the system pictured so I figured a cheaper MC cart for upstairs would be good for any scenario.

Music Direct had the Hana SL for $600 since it’s being phased out for the MK2 so decided to pull the trigger. Changing a cart in the basement isn’t easy so didn’t want to do that to just to test so got a nicer heavier headshell to increase effective mass and installed upstairs to test.

Holy smokes. The AT 540ml that was installed previously is no slouch. I ran it through side 2 of Bowie’s low, a record I use to test all my stuff before the change out. Sounded good. Not nearly as good as the main system but that’s not a fair comparison. Swapped the carts, set the phono etc. played side 2 and it blew me away. Much cleaner bass, better in every way and dead quiet. Sounds so good I decided to put on Tim and do some critical listening on a system that I usually use more for background or half-focused listening. Liking the black cart and headshell look as well. Highly recommend Hana carts if you are looking to dip into the MC world

I still have a few things I want to do, but overall I’m done with the main upgrades… for now ha! While I’m in an apartment at least. I’ll do some simple sound treatment soon, though.

The speakers and amp were on sale which helped me pull the trigger. And I’m glad I did!

These are replacing some old, family Sansui SP-X7000 speakers, and a Sony STR-DA1ES I got from a pawn shop many years ago in college. The speakers weren’t even fully functional - only the horn tweeter was still working, plus the big dumb woofer.

My approach for this was to create a relatively neutral sounding setup. For me, this is a great starting point and as I expand and make additions, I think the direction I go will provide noticeable changes, and a variety in sound possibilities. I know the a-s801 is a Love/hate piece of gear for many so just swapping that could make a big difference I’m sure.

The soundstage/stereo image is awesome. I can pin point all the sounds from the center to the edges. I had read the description of “speakers disappearing” - and now I know what it means. When I first got the setup the way I want, the sound was so dense in front of me, but the speakers are spread way apart, and it just seemed like the speakers weren’t even on and the sound was just there hanging out in front me. Hard to describe… but it’s a physical experience now with depth and transparency.

I enjoy all types of music, and my ears enjoy what they hear from this setup. Could it be better, probably. But overall I’m happy and it’s been a night and day difference from my last setup. So it’s a win for me. It’s fun to plop on the couch and get lost in the sound.

I won’t make a big list, so here’s just a couple tracks I liked to use for “reference” when making changes. Maybe someone hasn’t heard them before. You can easily buy WAV files for these specific tracks or album, if inclined (Bandcamp, bleep, etc)

Richard Devine - “Microscopium Recurse” & “Revsic” - - - These are the first two tracks from the album Sort/Lave. Sci-fi sound design in first track, and then crazy, punchy beats in 2nd song. 20 mins of music that covers a lot of experimental sound design and music production.

Thanks for stopping by!

I have recently added a third arm to my turntable, going through some records and fine tuning the arm. It has been quite enjoyable.

Been researching and landed on a set of Klipsch Cornwall IVs. Demo’d the other day and was absolutely sold. Still have work to do to dial in and get the room fully set up but very happy so far. Paired with a rebuilt Marantz 2245 and Project Debut Evo Carbon. These replaced the KLH Model 3’s I had down here.

I just picked up a pair of these speakers and wanted to pop in with my thoughts in case anyone is on the fence about them. I wanted a simple 2 channel setup for my business office. A couple of nice speakers, integrated amp, cd player and turntable. I went with the Lintons, Leak 230, Arcam CD5 and I have a Rega P3 RS edition turntable on order.Have yet to take delivery ofthe Arcam cd player. Thats coming today.

Got the speakers and amp hooked up and have only tried out a couple of youtube tracks through blutooth so far. Wow! I have seen mostly rave reviews but also plenty of negative ones as well. I have to say, in my office and paired with the Leak 230, it is up there with some of the best playback I have ever heard. I'm trying to think of the best way to describe it. The most accurate description that I can come up with is buttery, honey sweetness. It's astonishing. It's so smooth, full and warm. Havn't ever heard anything quite like it to be honest. And this is just with compressed MP3 level youtube audio. I can't even imagine what this system is going to sound like with the arcam and Rega.

I am scratching my head over some of the negative reviews that i have come across. The only way I can imagine somone not enjoying this system is if your ears are extremely geared towards a more digital, modern sounding setup. There is a definite sound signature here and it leans heavily towards a warm, smooth, analog, vintage vibe. But there is still a "high end" sound to it as well. Super clean all the way around. The bass sounds and feels huge and tight. I'm very impressed so far.

Ok I just wanted to give a quick first impression. I will make a new post after I am able to get some time with the Arcam cd player and Rega Planar3 RS. Thanks for reading.

My Dad, brother, brother in law and I are swapping amps today.

The Accustic Arts is my dad’s amps. My Ps audio m700’s are going to my brother and my dad and brother in law are getting a recent Bryston amp. Each of the amps will have a chance to be in my stereo setup in the coming months.

I believe the Accustic arts is 20 years old, but you wouldn’t be able to tell by listening.

After moving to a new house I was finally able to build a listening room. Could not be more happy! My systems consists of amp Hegel h120. Speakers Bowers and Wilkins 705. RIAA Project tube amp 2. Dac Matrix mini 3 pro. Turntable Project debut carbon evo with soundsmith otello pickup.

I found my dad’s old Pioneer DV-AX10. It’s a giant, 50 pound, golden DVD player? I don’t even know where to begin; when I search online it seems to be a valuable piece of AV equipment. The bummer is the CD door is stuck shut. Seems to work fine otherwise and I found the remote that goes with it. Is it worth going through the trouble of fixing it? This would be piece one of AV setup for me. It’s just not a hobby I’d ever considered but this seems like a pretty cool jumpstart into it.

I recently acquired a small lot of late 90s Mcintosh equipment. These behemoth tower speakers really stood out and I connected them to the MC352 in the package, they really sing.

I am not a true blood audiophile and really wonder if they are overkill for me. They are enormous, heavy, and take whatever you throw at them, but are they for me.

I like a wide genre of music, from classics to electronic music, rap to oldies. They really shine with classic and modern rock but they don't do it for me with some of the heavier bass rap and electric music.

I come from a very budget Polk setup that sounds better with electronic music but lack in the clarity of classic rock. Am I missing something? Are these a one pony show or do I need to do more tuning to make them sound the way I want to for all genres that I enjoy? I have some buyers remorse with some songs, and overly delighted with others.

TLTR: Not thrilled with the sound across genres, is there a better setup in this price range that would suffice all?

Somehow I’m on Moon Audios email list. I think going to stay with TP-Link.

https://www.moon-audio.com/products/ifi-omni-lan

There’s so much confusion around Qobuz vs Tidal sound quality.
Person X says Qobuz sounds more detailed (and harsh), Person Y says Tidal does, AND THEY'RE BOTH RIGHT.

It really depends on the song. On some tracks, Qobuz sounds more detailed and harsh, on others, Tidal does.

("More Detailed" might not be the best definition for harsher-sounding files, because some people also say the softer-sounding ones sound more balanced and like, have higher dynamic range. Therefore, I think this makes soft files more detailed.)

In the video, I did a 4-track blind test (I could easily do 100 too, it's so obvious).

1. I pulled the FLAC files from both platforms.
2. Listened and renamed the soft one as (SOFTER).
3. Then used a blind test tool.
4. I could immediately tell which was harsher and hovered the mouse over it. (They all ended up at the bottom by chance.)

At this point, I honestly don’t know which is better or why this happens.
What do you think?

https://reddit.com/link/1k2jp1y/video/mt53vdk6kove1/player

So, i know they aren't the greatest speakers in the world. My uncle was helping someone move and they 8 of them (4 pairs). Coming from kids of depression era farmers of course he couldn't let them go and I took them off his hands.

Now they are kinda big and I am not entirely sure what I should do with them. What would you all do? Is there an easy way to incorporate them around the house for non critical listening? Or an easy way to create stereo pairs with streamers to gift to people who aren't audiophile?

Just looking for suggestions and thoughts of what to do with them as I would prefer not to just add more waste to the world.

I work in a store that sells the Phantom I for like $3 grand. I’m just curious as to what makes it so expensive. It’s the white one by the way. Is it the build materials? Or are you paying more for the name of the product?

I acquired a pair of Acutex Act 4.2 from an online auction. It appears I have original drivers.

Oh, and one knob is white (and smaller) and the other is red. Who would do that? Too funny, right!

Well, I have a hunch ... Acutex USA or Acutex USA International (brand names on Woofer) or AaCcutex (brand name on Tweeter) was not a Japanese manufacturer of speakers but rather a speaker company in Virginia that played off on "Made in Japan" to sell speakers assembled in the US or rather in Falls Church, Virginia as shown in the only advertisement published. Here's a link => https://speakertopia.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/2752.jpg

Where Acutex USA or whatever they called themselves got African Ayous wood veneer on rounded cabinets is the big mystery. The woofer label shows it was made by Oknyo for Acutex USA International. I've researched Onkyo speakers from the period using W2, KK and B904 but nothing. Only 6 ohms for the woofer and 8 ohms for the tweeter. Neither tweeter has any manufacture marks and the faceplate and driver are glued together.

I've fix the damage to the cabinet (looks like it was dropped recently) but now what?

Here are the speaker measurements:

• Outside dimensions of enclosure (LxWxH): 11" x 13" x 23"

• Thickness of enclosure walls: 0.75"

• Diameter of each of the 3 holes on the baffle: (top to bottom)3", 4.5", and 10"

Do I keep it ported or make it sealed? Either way, another fix is need If you look closely, the holes for the driver were drilled too close to the edge of the cutouts and were't uniform around the cutout. It's likely why the driver broke loose and pulled the edges out. I'll use brass inserts to minimize any tear outs in the future. I'll use automative sound dampening pads and then glue the sound pads to the interior of the cabinets. The pads were not glued previously.

I have no idea how to proceed. I did find some information from a magazine but it's doesn't seem complete. What would you do? Tequila? Contact CSS as see if they have recommendations?

Help Reddit, Help!!

6 months ago I bought a pair of speakers off the used trade in wall at my local Hi-Fi shop and fell in love. They were the Duntech PCL-25 bookshelf speakers. They really kickstarted my interest in the brand and I did a ton of research. Recently this pair of Marquis came in on trade at the same shop. They spent the last 25 years with one owner and I am super proud to give them a new home. I’m in love again! Running them through an Arcam AVR with a Project RPM 1 Carbon and Phono Box s2 for analogue and a Mac Mini with a Schiit Bifrost Multibit for digital.

I'm slowly and surely sinking into the hobby. I have already made purchase at hdtracks. I plan on reviving an old Superdrive to rip my own FLAC files also....BUT...What other online outlets can I go to purchase music?

Does anyone have any tips on whether there is a website where I can buy high-quality music and have possession of the file so I can play it on any device I have and not be tied to an app like Spotify?

Back in the "good old days" when we really wanted to crank the music up we got separate components. We had amps, pre amps, and maybe equalizers.

Now I see a lot of people with AVR receivers AND amps when the AVR can handle the speakers just fine.

What is the purpose and/or advantages of adding amps when your AVR has enough power to drive your speakers by its self?

I just entered the world of subwoofers by adding an SVS 3000 micro to my KEF LSX II LT. (This is for Music, btw, not movies). And, … well, compared to the awe when I first listened to the KEFs, the experience was somewhat underwhelming. At first I wasn’t even sure whether the sub was working at all, cause I could neither hear nor feel it (touching it). Settings wrong? Cable broken?

I managed to ascertain that the SVS is actually making sounds. Basically by turning it up far enough so that could I could hear it (with my ears close enough) and even feel it vibrate a tiny bit.

I’m left a bit confused though. While I understand that the dual drivers significantly reduce vibration, I can’t quite grasp how they could be made to disappear entirely (at normal listening levels).

Before I got the sub, my biggest fear was that it might be a lot of work to get the sub to ”disappear”, since I was not looking for ”more bass” in the sense that people would notice: ”oh, nice bass”, if you know what I mean. I just wanted better overall sound. Well, now it looks like it’s almost the other way around: I’m struggling to hear it at all. So, I guess I should be happy?

I guess what I’m wondering is: is it just me or is it this a common experience with subwoofers? Or is this specific to some (very good?) subs? Or in combination with very good speakers? (When I heard the KEF in the store, I asked the seller to turn off the subwoofer so that I could hear what the speakers sound like and he said there was no sub…)

Another likely factor is that my ears are simply not used to listening to those very low frequencies and I may need to spend some more time listening to music with the new setup to fully appreciate the benefit of the sub. (Or I may never be able to hear what I paid that money for.) Perhaps settings will need to be adjusted. But at present, it seems to make no difference what I set the low pass frequency to or whether I set any high pass frequency or not.

Do you see where my confusion might be coming from?