dsavitsk

Nice article on a Robert Frank image: http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/15/robert-frank-telling-it-like-it-was/

Happy Birthdays!

Agreed. I thought it had become a little intolerable, but the last episode made up for it.

In the end, that server basically is a NAS with a better processor and the ability to do some other stuff. They had one with damaged packaging for even cheaper, and I had CC points, so I picked it up. If anybody wants the old computer, once the new one is configured and running, it is yours for the shipping. The case is actually not that bad -- it is an old HTPC and is very quiet. I'll post some pics/specs at some point. Crappy -- didn't mean that to be so snarky. I use rpy's for things like squeezeplayers, or with a camera to watch the cats. But this needs to run as a squeeze server, samba server, plex server, backup server, etc. so it needs a bit more processing power than the rpy's.

Way way too slow. For all the talk about Raspberry Pi's, the part that people typically fail to mention is how utterly useless they are. And the distro I want to run won't run on an ARM. I already have them and don't want to spring for more drives. And I have not seen 4TB 2.5" drives yet.

I'm not answering Dusty's question, I just didn't want to start another thread with the same topic. I need to replace a computer running as a headless Linux server. The current computer is a kludge of various parts, some of which are up to 12 years old (this computer replaced a Packard Bell that, in 2003, seemed ancient at only 9). The processor is an AMD Athlon II X2 240 Processor. It is actually fast enough for what it does (serve files) and throttles back when not in use which saves some heat, but I am having some peripheral issues and it seems dumb to keep throwing money at it. Requirements are that it is fast enough, as cheap as possible, as quiet as possible (it can sit in a closet or basement if need be), and can hold a full size HDD. The best thing I have come across is a Lenovo TS140 server with an i3 processor for $220. The model is a little long in the tooth, though Lenovo still sells it for twice that. I've actually installed Windows 2012 on one of these and it has been running fine for a while. But is anyone aware of any better deals out there? Anything more NUC'ey?

If Sony were actually an electronics company, this might make some sense, buy they aren't. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/28/business/global/sonys-bread-and-butter-its-not-electronics.html

If she likes the Thinkpad for its Thinkpadiness, the new ones are pretty terrible. Lenovo has basically removed one thing that makes them Thinkpads with each new generation, and they have finally run out of features to remove. Apart from being Thinkpads and as far as just being laptops, they are just like everyone else in that they are kind of junky and slightly worse than an Apple. The X220 is still a really nice machine for peanuts, will likely fit her needs, and feels like a Thinkpad.

FTFY. Happy Birthday!

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/03/opinion/betting-on-default.html

I think I remember you from 1993 or so

I'm sorry for your taste. I once drove 18 hours, each way, with a bad back, to see a Cindy Sherman exhibit at the MoMA. Worth every ounce of pain.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday!

Some of the older big Thiels can be had for amazingly cheap. I really have never liked them, though. They just don't sound good to my ear. However, I did buy some Harbeth SHL5's. They were a bit out of my initial budget, especially considering the overpriced stands they needed, but I like them very much. Not only do they look the part, but they sound great from everywhere in the room. I am powering them with an Adcom power amp I picked up off of eBay for about $120, and the sound is pretty spectacular. I had been planning to build super fancy power amps for them, but I am not sure I can see the point now.

I believe it is a commentary on Ryan's experience of trying numerous tube amps, and eventually ending up with a particular solid state amp that has a tube-like presentation, but that bypasses the issues that seem to follow tubes.

Every 6080 or similar tube I have played with has been noisy in some way. But the number of tubes I tried is low, and it was quite a few years ago. Others have had better luck.

Good luck to both of you.

Probably rules out the 6080, etc. May rule out the 26, too, which is notoriously hummy and microphonic. Look at the 12B4A.

That's awful and terrifying Larry! I hope you and your daughter get better asap.

We have cable. The only real reason we have cable is that I like to watch tennis. ESPN now has most of it, and the rest is on Tennis Channel. In order to get TC, one has to have essentially all the channels, so we do. It costs too much. A back of the envelope calculation suggests that cutting cable will pay for several days of good seats at the US Open this summer, or possibly a (slim) majority of a trip to Wimbledon, either of which sounds way better than TV. And between the Roku and an antenna, cable seems otherwise a waste, although I do like Brad Gilbert. I guess we'll have to go to the neighbors to watch Game of Thrones. That seems OK -- we like the neighbors. I think we are under contract for another month or two, so I guess I watch the Australian Open. Then it's gone. I am excited at the prospect.

It is less the length, and more the function, though I suppose function is a function of the length. In an interconnect, silver has a slightly lower impedance than copper. But neither putting a (tiny) resistor in line with the silver to make it like the copper, nor doubling up the copper to make it like silver, seems to have a measurable or DBT perceivable effect on sound. In a transformer, the silver wire's better conductivity increases the flux which could possibly make the transformer work better. I have neither heard nor measured a silver wired transformer, so I can't say whether the difference is audible or worthwhile. And based on the price, I can't say I am in a hurry to do so. But you can certainly do the calculations for an electric motor wound with silver wire over copper to see the increase in efficiency.

I just wanted to clarify. While there is much science behind transformer design, there is of course plenty of nonsense too. The best manufacturers do a pretty good job of steering clear of too much nonsense.

In this particular case, I am using amorphous cobalt input transformers, mu metal gain transformers, and amorphous steel outputs.

I know the audio world is full of nonsense, but this is not one of those places. Above is a basic comparison of various cores. This is a comparison of the same Cinemag transformers, one with hi nickel core, the other with pinstriped nickel and M6 steel. What you should notice is that for both, at low signal levels, the nickel has considerably lower distortion. However, as the signal level increases and the core reaches saturation, the steel becomes better. This is why nickel generally makes less sense in a single ended transformer where the DC leads to early saturation -- basically, by the time the core is large enough to accommodate the DC, it is so big that its permeability is reduced to the level of steel. But in an application with little to no DC, the better core can be utilized. Much more is available in Chapter 11 of The Handbook for Sound Engineers, Third Edition by Bill Whitlock. Available from http://www.jensen-transformers.com/application-notes/