Miscellaneous

Summary: recommend me a wet vac I can use to suck all the nasty water out of my A/C pan. So last summer I had issues with my pan under my A/C in the attic overflowing and staining my ceiling. This probably happened for a variety of reasons: My pan for some reason leans to the opposite side of where it drains Also for some reason the "kill switch" that cuts off the A/C when the water reaches a certain level was on the wrong side. So water was draining out the other end of the pan, and the kill switch was never switched. The drain pipes are probably clogged up because as a first time homeowner I knew nothing of keeping A/C drainage pipes clean, so didn't do anything…

This thick cable has got all the strange looks, and is really very stiff, almost tipping my gear over. A bit of the (normal) lamp cable deep inside can be seen through the blue semi-transparent connector (Patrick does not apparently believe so much in effects of the actual conductor). It works, as the image shows.

Hi, After lurking here for a while and giving up on the advice at another forum, I thought I would try asking about a problem that has been bothering me for some time. I am having substantial problems with my cell phone pings being picked up by the headphone cable. I am running a nuforce HDP and HD650s in case someone else has experience with the same problem and setup. So I see a few options: 1) Shielded headphone cables. (Although the price scares me vs option 6) 2) Craft a EMI blocking filter (Perhaps with an inline Neutrix EMC series XLR pair or equivalent), or maybe a ferrite core? 3) A magical audiophile solution I am not aware of. Preferabl…

In the process of buying a property, my credit report was pulled with much lower score than previous. It was due to some %$#@ opening a credit card with my identity, defaulting on the bill, which went into collection. I never knew any of it because the address they sent their letters was different than mine. I asked the credit card CS on the phone how could someone so easily open a credit card under someone else's identity, and he said "It is easy." Damn, if it's so easy, why don't credit card companies do a better job of screening applicants for fraud Now all my real estate actions are on hold, and I am supposed to call their Identity Theft department when…

In the spirit of last year's thread I decided to see what everyone else is thinking for the year My major goals are the following two Gran Fondos: Diabolical Double (16k+ ft, 125 miles): http://www.winthefight.org/granfondo/diabolical_double.htm The Alpine Loop Gran Fondo (11.5k+ ft, 107 miles): http://alpineloopgranfondo.com/ Plus I think I will probably do the Tour de Cure in Northern VA (6/1/14) with Jeff. I'm also loooking at: MS Ride The Riverside (6/7/14-6/8/14) Airforce Classic (6/8/14): http://cyclingclassic.org/ Total 200 Double Century (6/14/14): http://www.total200.com/ Edit: It's not a "goal" really but I'll probably do a few 5k races w…

My mom is wanting to get a small laptop (bigger than a tablet) to use at home, primarily for Skype to be able to do video chats with her grandkids, downloading pics, Microsoft Office, and basic internet browsing. She wants a built-in camera, moderate budget maybe $500 to $600. She's computer literate, but not at all tech savvy (kind of runs in the family). She's thinking about a Macbook Air such that she can avoid the hassle of viruses and such but isn't cray about spending $1k when she can get the same for $500 or less for her basic needs. Any suggestions?

I know recently we have had discussions here regarding censorship on Head-FI particularly around criticism of sponsors products. Well it seems any mention of this forum now results in instant removal of any reference! I was involved in a conversation regarding the Metrum MK1 DAC and happened to mention the work Craig Sawyers had outlined on this forum to upgrade the output transformer. He also noted the need for correct cable matching etc.......... All very useful stuff. Well within a hour or so of posting I received the following PM below telling me that the link had been removed. They must be very touchy over there because people might find there are more i…

Let's see what shows up this year. First up the Auralic stand/DAC/amp. http://parttimeaudiophile.com/2013/10/11/rmaf-2013-auralic-and-the-abyss/

I was at the Verizon store, trying to undo a Verizon mess-up (what else is new?). It gave me a chance to scope out my next phone, upon which I will be placing a large emphasis on *good* camera performance, as I tire of carrying a real camera to various casual events. My prime candidate, the Samsung Galaxy Camera, was heavily disappointing. It was MUCH larger and heavier than any phone OR compact camera I've owned, not to mention the ugliest. It's like they literally took a phone and camera and fused them without weight or size savings. The 21x zoom lens was not bad even zoomed all the way out as far as IQ and focus speed, but it looked ludicrous when zoomed out. …

I am think of getting a small handheld camcorder but don't know what to look for. I assume a bigger sensor is better for low light and you want a decent mic, optical zoom, and decent battery life. That's about all I know. I have read that midrange ($300-$600) is the sweet spot for someone like me. I'm just going to use it for the usual recording friends, family, etc. I was thinking of something like http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00AW54Z4K/thewire06-20 or http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00AWZFJ22/thewire06-20 or http://www.amazon.com/Sony-HDR-CX380-Definition-Handycam-Camcorder/dp/B00AR95FRM/ref=dp_ob_title_ce or maybe something even cheaper http…

A friend who is into music but not up to speed on gear and not an audiophile wants a new system but doesn't know what to get. He is looking for a new stereo/home theater setup that can also feed a couple of other rooms. He installed speaker wire and CAT5 cable to various spots when he remodeled awhile back and now wants to take more advantage of the multi-room music idea. The primary location will be a living room 5.1 home theater setup that will double as his 2-channel stereo listening location. He also has speakers for the den/kitchen, a back deck, and an upstairs bedroom that he would like to be able to play as a separate zone or zones from the living room/HT. He w…

Do any of you have a shower filter? I have very sensitive skin and was thinking of trying one.

I'm starting a new thread so it doesn't get lost in the main one. If others think this should be more appropriately placed in the off-topic forum, I'll move it, but I was just thinking to keep the two threads somewhat together. Anyway, I like goals. Without them, I do nothing but talk about doing things. I'm going to keep mine simple and, barring more injuries, do-able. 1. 4000 miles. That's about 83 mile a week. Highly do-able. 2. I want to increase my speed to be able to hang with a paceline for more than 10 miles at 20+ mph. 3. I want to learn how to ride hills. I still can't stand and pedal, and descending, however much I like it, scares me. …

Every couple years or so I email Sound Organisation to see if there is a Rega dealer in my area, never having any hope that there will be. I've been buying all my gear via the internet since I got into this game in 2006, and as much as I love the many benefits internet shopping provides, I have always wanted to form a relationship with somebody local. I like doing business with people I know, which is probably why I've completely stopped using ebay, audiogon, or even head-fi, I'd much rather buy and sell my crap here rather than deal with the teeming mass of insanity that is the open interwebs market. Lo and behold they get back with me, and there is a new hi fi deal…

"Open Source AirPlay." Something to keep an eye on... http://www.magicplay.com/

This is either brilliant or the most tortured metaphor ever: http://www.slate.com/blogs/quora/2013/05/03/do_high_quality_headphones_really_make_music_sound_that_much_better.html

Could be interesting... http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/emotiva-audio-to-acquire-bob-carver-llc

http://news.softpedia.com/news/The-S2-Audio-Dockit-Affordable-Luxury-iPod-Docking-80422.shtml

Thought I'd start a thread for any interesting CES gear (audio or otherwise). First is a DAC. Anyone know BMC gear? http://parttimeaudiophile.com/2013/01/06/pre-ces-b-m-c-audio-announces-puredac/ Seems the XLR comment is off.

I'm looking to replace my wired iPhone headset with a Bluetooth headset......I work remotely so I'm on calls a couple hours a day on average so comfort and call quality (including sufficient volume) are my top priorities. Not really going to use this much outside so looks aren't too important but I don't want it to look ridiculously geeky either. Trying to keep it under $60 but willing to go over if need be. I've looked online at several models and it seems like there is always someone who has a complaint about comfort or audio quality and I'm not sure which ones are just comments from nagging, never-happy consumers

EOSD1426 by drjlo1, on Flickr The 13.3" Vaio Ultrabook certainly looks great and is very portable (compared to the 15.6" Asus), which is why I bought it. But after messing around with Windows 8, I just could NOT stand it. Bypassing Win 8 by installing "Skip Metro Suite" and "Classic Shell" is highly recommended.

Sorry if this is repetitive. I am looking for a new camera. I have pretty specific wants and I have thus far not been able to find what i am looking for. The background is that this will be replacing my trusty Contax G1, and I basically want that camera with a digital back. So, I would like digital, interchangeable lenses of good quality, compact (mirrorless most likely as SLRs are too bulky), a system that won't become obsolete, etc. More specifically, I want to control aperture and shutter speed "mechanically" meaning I don't want to toggle through an LCD screen to set them. Bonus points if the aperture control is a ring on the lens. I also am primarily intereste…

I just got the November Time Warner Cable bill, which had a brand new charge for "Modem Rental," which is new and apparently a backhanded price hike. Any other Time Warner customers around got their November bill? http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/time-warner-cable-modem-rental/

So, looks like I won't get to a nice 80/20 based rack, as my wife as vetoed the aesthetic. She wants something totally closed (of course) and there's no way I can let that happen to do heat considerations. What we've compromised on, is something like this, in fact exactly like this would be great, but it needs to be able to house a 17" depth component... Any recommendations of things with a similar look? Otherwise, making something like this is just about as hard as lighting up a LED in a switch, right? (hint, hint, nudge, nudge)