Miscellaneous

Same photo, five different interpretations. Some changes are obvious, others are more subtle. Which one do you like best, and which one do you think is the most accurate representation of the actual real life scene? Something to think about and keep in mind when we're out listening to gear, doing comparisons and so forth.

I'm getting some weird grounding issues with my system. Any static discharge on my headphones/DAC/amp/computer (which is connected to the DAC via a USB converter) often causes my music to skip momentarily. Even ESD through my desk does it sometimes (and my desk is not electrically connected to my audio setup). One time, a particularly strong discharge caused my USB converter device to be unusable until a reboot. Anyone have suggestions on what to do? My apartment's flooring is all wood.

Hey, I'm from Aus. As such, most of our gear operates at 220-240v, which limits my 2nd hand amp purchasing options. So the questions is, is it worthwhile using a step down transformer? What are some of the cons, that I could run into?

...with iTunes! Just realized it was just over a year ago that I, the Luddite IT Guy, finally caved and began the arduous task of importing my CDs into That Infernal Computer Thing. It started with the iPhone... when the 3G came out in Canuckistan in July '08, I knew I had to have one... I needed the e-mail functionality for work and it was just so much cooler than a Crackberry... oh and coverflow looked pretty darn neat as well. I did throw a few albums in to iTunes as soon as I got the iPhone just to have some material on there, but didn't get serious until the end of September. Rather than sleeping for two nights in a row, I schlopped in about 200 CDs. I was…

Hi All, I'm thinking of buying two measurement mikes and turning my new mannequin head Bob into a binaural head with ear canals etc. Once I do that I will also send it off to be calibrated and then the fun will really begin To do this though I need a dremel or something that will let my router out a couple access ports etc into the back of Bob. Anyone have something suitable I can borrow?

I'm thinking about getting into recording. Portable recorder, maybe make a dummy head. Regular visits to the Younger Hall, field recordings, whatever. Anyone here into recording? Is there a forum for this sort of thing? Where does one learn which bits of kit are best to buy?

Having problems with the search function so apologies if this has already been dealt with. I'm quite enarmored with PC as source due to its convenience but wondering about possible ways to get data from a PC to a DAC. For instance I have a Havana DAC that I've compared using direct USB input vs RCA from an EMU1212m soundcard and preferred the USB by quite a bit even though it's regarded as a lesser method. It just didn't sound as detailed or tonally correct via the RCA socket. So, for an older style DAC with BNC input (like an Assemblage 2.0 for instance) I was wondering whether anyone has any thoughts beyond just connecting up the EMU1212m via a BNC cable and RC…

How important is the correct polarity? Right now my source has XLR-outs with pin 2 hot, and my amp has XLR-ins with pin 3 hot. So I'm wondering whether I should order a pair of polarity switching XLR interconnects from BJC, or just use the ones I already have as I probably can't hear a difference. My system is used 100% for music listening, no recording purposes. Any expert opinions on the subject?

Audio theory question. If you have two components with separate volume controls in your signal chain (in my particular case a passive pre-amp and a headphone amp), what would be the preferred method of setting the playback level: Max out pre, use amp pot; max out amp, use pre pot; half and half (or whatever other proportion you fancy)? In practice, using an SPL meter to crudely level match, I can't discern any particular difference in sound quality. But I'd be interested to know if there's a rule of thumb.

So my old Sony 60" SXBR takes up to much space in my living room so it's time to upgrade. I plan on upgrading everything so any suggestions would help. I think I am going to pull the trigger on the Samsung PN58B860 plasma unless someone has a better suggestion. I plan on wall mounting it and getting wall mount speakers to keep everything from taking up a lot of room. Thoughts?

I now have two headphones whose foam is deteriorating. (0) What causes this? (1) Is there any way to prevent this? I suspect not, since I've had foam inside an anvil case (the kind that's valenced and is practically hermetically sealed) deteriorate purely out of age. (2) Does it "run"? I.E. once the foam starts deteriorating, should one just throw out the entire batch? Or is there a way to save the foam that hasn't deteriorated yet? (3) Is it "contagious"? I.E. Can it be transfered from one to another? (4) Is there a way to determine ahead of time how soon foam is going to deteriorate? (5) Best way to fix? Are there different kinds of foam? I know with Grado…

So I am thinking about replacing my roomate, but the main reason that I haven't is because the volume of my snoring is turned up to 11. I've been told not only can it be heard through the wall but through the floor as well to downstairs and that's a hard thing to see if a potential roomate can handle without doing a trial run which is really f'ing awkward to arrange. My snoring aside.. you can hear everything through the wall including talking normal volume on the phone. So I want to sound proof it up. What's the best way to do it? I'd prefer to only do it on my side if possible since I'm not sure I want to invest money into making it cosmetically appealing especia…

I am in need of recommendations for a P&S digital camera. It would be a bonus if it is a fast camera and on the smallish side. Budget under $350. Thanks!

Been "playing" my friend's guitar every day for the last two weeks, so I think it's fair to say that I'm pretty serious about learning acoustic, especially given that my enthusiasm for saxophone has gradually been dwindling the last half year or so. Anywho, I plan on buying my own guitar this summer, just wondering what brands I should be looking at. Keep in mind this is just a starting point for me, so I'm not looking to spend too much money, say a budget of like $300-400. My friend has a Yamaha; I really have no reference for what a decent guitar is but this one seems alright. Thanks for any/all help, much appreciated.

Can I do better than this for this price and height? Wood Technology 8 inch Furniture-Grade Hardwood Speaker Stands FGH-8

ADS floorstanding speakers (have an 8" mid range driver and a tweeter) paired with some sub (didnt get a chance to get the name) Bang and Olfusen Beogram 5500 CDP (couldnt find the remote) Bang and Olfusen Cassette Player (forget the model # but it seemed like it was mated with the 5500 CDP) ADA PF 200 Power Amp (US built) Perreaux PMF 1150B Power Amp(New Zealand built) some kenwood cdp...looked like something from bestbuy. might be wrong on this though. some surround sound processor. didnt catch my eye. might be able to get all of the above. only brand ive heard of is B & O and i know brand name usually doesnt mean much in terms of quality. if anyone has…

I'm in the market for a gps nav device, I'd like it to be voice activated and be simple to update w/ new maps as necessary. The only two brands I'm really familiar with are garmin and tom-tom, what else should I be looking at?

Seeking some advice here. I traded some of my stuff for Symphonic line RG2 Preamp. It's in OK condition and sounds good, but shiny steel front plate and body are covered in patina. What can I use to clean it to restore to it's shinny condition. It should look like this: It's also missing two screws from the back plate that hold two RCA jacks to the back panel. Do you guys now a good store to order various crews. These amps are made in Germany so all the screws are hex.

News Release VIA and ArcSoft Bring Full HD Audio to Home Theatre PCs - VIA Technologies, Inc.

My main PC and audio rig in the home is located in the masters which is above the kitchen. Whenever the garbage disposal is turned on, my Link DAC III goes mad and makes several clicking sounds in rapid succession (mechanical switch on/off, correct?). Other than relocating my equipment to a different room, is there a financially reasonable (under $500) solution? Would something like PS Audio Duet work for me or do I need a full blown active power conditioning?

such a wrong forum

Pretty cool. He says elsewhere they'll probably give it away for free in the end. I'll post a link if that happens. I can think of some places where it might be able to do quite a bit of good! Audio Musings by Sean Olive: Harman's "How to Listen" - A New Computer-based Listener Training Program

Folks, My cousin is looking for some advice to build a computer based system for around $2000. Thats going to be some sort of DAC/Preamp/Amp, cables/wires and speakers. I'm thinking of: 1) Peachtree Nova: Signal Path International - Era Speakers & Peachtree Audio - Introducing Nova 2) Used speakers with minimum 91db efficiency. 3) Bluejean cables or Signal cables. Any thoughts?

The obvious solution to using US voltage electronics in Japan is a step up transformer. Or a different AC adapter if that's possible. But say I wanted to use this in Japan. Is it doable without a step up transformer? The IEC inlet on top right says EMI Filter 115V/250V~ 50/60Hz

any pointers about where to look, while in shanghai, for what kind of audio gear? any ideas welcome... thanks in advance