en480c4

That's exactly right... it won't start compiling the data until there are 15 members, and now that there are enough, then next Sunday the charts will be generated.

I'm just glad I managed to get my RockBoxed iPod to be able to upload stuff. My listening at work is often very different than what I'm listening to on the road or when I use the iPod at home, so I felt like there was a lot of stuff that wasn't making it into my profile. The older RockBox build I'm running has Audioscrobbler support, and I found LogScrobbler, which takes the log file and uploads it to Last.fm. I just plug the iPod in first thing in the morning and synch the log and then I'm all set for the rest of the day.

More info here. I also picked this large-format photo book up as well:

How's the isolation?

Are the drivers going to remain in the plastic driver enclosures, or has he managed to get the driver out of the plastic? I had wanted to do a one-piece enclosure when I woodied the 325 similar to the RS-1, but the plastic driver was super-glued to the plastic enclosure, so all I could replace was the metal outer cup. Just curious...

Well, admittedly my experience is limited, but I'm just not a fan of the RS-1. On my relatively modest system, I definitely prefered the RS-2 to the RS-1. And for me, pad choice made little difference... sure it changed the sound a lot, but either bowls (shrill & sibilant) or flats (muddled & dull) resulted in an overall sound that was unlistenable to my ears.

"My eyes! The goggles do nohing!"

I was lucky that the HK DVD-47 Universal DVD/DVD-A/SACD player I picked up had the Faroudja DCDi chipset. I was primarily looking for something to replace my Denon DVD-2910 that matched my HD AVR-635, and hadn't researched the whole HD upscaling and deinterlacing stuff. Since getting my 720p HDTV, I've been very happy with its upscaling capabilities. The upscaled DVD picture's a little soft in comparison to true 720p/1080i HD content, but it's not far behind with my 46" TV and a 9' viewing distance. Having said that, I haven't done any direct comparions to a non-DCDi player. Check out AVS Forums for more info if you haven't already. I haven't read up on the Oppos much because I'm happy with my player. But there seems to be a ton of info on all three models, and the Oppos seem to have a great reputation over there. I have no idea if the 1080p would be worth while on a 22" monitor, but I guess future-proofing yourself short of a HD-DVD/BluRay player wouldn't be the worst idea if you can afford it. Good luck!

I thought Sony had successfully sued to prevent universal Blu-Ray/HD-DVD players I guess a universal player is a nice solution until one or both formats win or die. As for HDTV, I've been pretty happy with it through Comcast. There's definitely some issues still to be worked out, and quality does vary, but any of the broadcast networks' primetime shows at their worst still bury SDTV. And when there are no issues with the feed it's stunning.

This was pretty much what I was going to post, and Nate saved me the trouble! The 600's definitely are "airier" and the lighter low end definitely provides more speed. They're worth trying, anyway.

The Moto remote BLOWS, and after juggling the 4 remotes on my coffee table, I decided it was finally time to step up. It's pretty well-regarded from everything that I've read, with a straight-forward, computer-based setup. It has fully-customizable activity macros and complete functionality for all the remotes it replaces, which is nice. And it's supposed to do very well with the DVRs, which is key. Amazon has a great deal on it right now, and with my Prime free 2-day shipping, I figure it's worth a shot. At the price they're selling it for, it definitely seems to be a great value and offers the best balance of features and price. I'll be sure to let you know how it works out, as it should be arriving Wednesday.

I'm pretty happy with my HT rig since adding the HDTV. The HK gear has been great. I'm pretty sure the 635 was mis-marked when I bought it, so I got a hell of a deal on that. The DVD-47 is a great universal player with excellent upconversion with the DCDi chip. I'm using Comcast's HD box/DVR in conjunction with my TiVo due to the combination of horrible interface and low capacity of the Moto box. Though I am looking forward to Comcast's agreement with TiVo to port their software into the Comcast STB w/ DVR which will also allow the TiVo Desktop capabilities of moving shows off the recorder onto NAS or a computer. And I have a new universal remote on the way to keep everything going. Summary: Sony KDF-46E2000 HDTV Motorola DCT3416i STB w/ 2-tuner DVR (HDTV) & 80 hour TiVo Series II DVR (SDTV) Harman Kardon AVR-635 receiver & DVD-47 DVD/DVD-A/SACD/CD player Boston Acoustics VR-30 front channels, VR-20 center w/ VR-10 center surround & CR-75 surrounds Adcom GFA-535 amp powering 12" sub in sealed enclosure Harmony 880 Universal Remote on the way.

Congrats on the new TV... I picked up a great deal on the Samsung HLS4266W 42" DLP ($899 @ CC) but a wide-spread issue with the screen (manufacturing issues) that created curved light lines (referred to as "Black Grass" on most forums and in reviews) at the top and bottom of the screen were too much. I had read about it, and it seemed to vary in intensity and how much people were bothered by it. At the price it was selling, I figured it was worth trying. I didn't notice it much watching standard-def stuff, but when watching DVDs, especially darker ones, it became the only thing I could see. So I returned it. I wanted to pick up the 42" Sony 3-LCD TV because the 42" was damn-near the perfect size for my living room and on my TV stand, but most places didn't sell it, and those that did were charging more than what I ended up paying for the Sony KDF46E2000 46" 3-LCD TV. So I ended up going wtih the 46" and couldn't be happier. It's probably a little too big for my place, but it looks great. And after using the Avia DVD to get it calibrated, the picture is stunning. It's even pretty good with standard-def through TiVo, though I think the video upconversion done by the my HK receiver is probably to thank for this. Anyway, here's a pic:

Camille - Le Fil is officially on my list. I can't count how many times I've listened to it over the last few weeks. It's intoxicating. I think it qualifies... It was released in France in '05, but it didn't make it into the US 'til '06.

I'm pretty sure the distance/2.5 rule would be good for viewing 480p sources, and considering I won't be updating my 350+ DVD's anytime soon, that's the route I'm going to take. HD-DVD & Blu-Ray are great, but there's so much ED material out there that going much bigger than that is asking for disappointment with a good portion of source material out there. Not to mention the standard def stuff that will be hanging around for years.

From a local hi-fi chain's site: So 8' = 96" 96" ? 2.5 = 38.4" So in theory, a 37" would be perfect, and a 40-42" would be on the upper end of things. And this is coming from people who are trying to make money off of you, and they don't recommend anything bigger. Just food for thought.

I'll be honest, I have no idea. I got the 125's months ago, gave them no critical listening time and expected to do the woody mods for aesthetics alone. After the mod they're still more forward than my woodied HF-1, and not as refined, though not rough or overly bright to my ears either. Bass response is pretty good, with solid impact and great speed, but definitely less extension than the HF-1. And the mids on the 125 are a little recessed in comparision to the HF-1. From memory the highs are a little tamer now, and there might be a little more bass impact. I'm guessing it's more a result of the increased chamber size than the wood, especially considering how hard the walnut is. Thanks!

I've been wanting to follow this post up for a while now... Well, I guess we will. Walnut Woodied (and re-screened) 125's: I really like having a lathe!

Well, I don't go out of my way to find off-the-beaten-path kinda stuff. I just love finding new music. If you actually like Neko Case & Cat Power, then I'd strongly suggest: It's tough to describe. It's probably falls under the alt-country umbrella, but her voice is rich and bluesy. The band is very tight live, and the vocals in particular benefit from the live setting.

So, which albums got it done for you this year? I know there's a month left, but I decided to go through my collection and pick out the albums released this year that I thought were really, really strong efforts. As it turns out, it ended up at a list of exactly 25. Instead of just listing them, I figured I'd throw a thought or two about each one, so people would know the why to go with the what. Anyway... In alphabetical order (because trying to place them would be impossible): Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain It's hard to believe they could improve on Pale Folklore & The Mantle, but they did. Their ability to create an atmosphere is unparallelled. Android Lust - Devour, Rise and Take Flight Cold and intricate industrial/electronic music with rare female vocals... Excellent all around. Artrosis - Con Trust A move away from the electronic influences of their last few albums with a more aggressive attack. I think I prefer Fetish, but this is a strong effort. Emilie Autumn - Opheliac The Victoriandustrial singer/songwriter/violinist's strongest effort yet. Clearly not for everyone, but there are some real gems here. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - The Letting Go An amazing collection of songs, and the addition of female backing vocals are welcome. Stark and haunting. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood I wish I could describe how this album makes me feel, but I can't. It floors me with every listen, and it just doesn't get old. Cat Power - The Greatest I'm not sure it tops Moon Pix, but if not it's right there. Crooked Still - Shaken By A Low Sound Neo-bluegrass with the welcome addition of my favorite instrument... Cello! And Aoife O'Donovan's voice... Wow. Diablo Swing Orchestra - Butcher's Ballroom Another album with cello, but this is some metal with very varied influences... Swing, flamenco, folk. Doom:VS - Aeternus Vale Slooooooooooooooow funeral/doom metal at its finest. A hell of a side project from one of the members of Draconian. Draconian - The Burning Halo Not as strong as Arcane Rain Fell, but the added emphasis on Lisa Johansson's vocals is a good sign for things to come. Emily Haines and the Soft Skeletons - Knives Don't Have Your Back Paino-based songs with vocals that get under your skin and won't go away, not that you'd want it to. A nice change of pace from the singer of Metric. The Dresden Dolls - Yes, Virginia I prefer their self-titled punk-cabaret debut, but there's no doubt that this is a strong follow up. The Great Invisibles - You Left Me Haunted Eerie and complex soundscapes with layers of sound you can get lost in. Isis - In The Absence Of Truth More experimental than previous efforts, and better for it. Post-sludge? Lacuna Coil - Karmacode Despite mediocre (at best) reviews, I really enjoy their foray into more accessible music. Nelly McKay - Pretty Little Head Well worth the wait. It's more mature than Get Away From Me, but still playful & fun. Shannon McNally - North American Ghost Music I don't know what to call her music, but with that voice, who cares. An amazing live set. Murder By Death - In Bocca al Lupo I prefer songs from their previous albums, but this is probably stronger as a whole. Nina Nastasia - On Leaving Stripped, almost barren soundscapes that let her voice shine. Joanna Newsom - Ys A huge step from The Milk-Eyed Mender (which I still can't stand), her voice, the harp & the orchestration create something magical. Peeping Tom - S/T Mike Patton's "pop" project. "We're Not Alone" kick's ass, and Norah Jones get naughty. Pretty Girls Make Graves - Elan Vital While lacking the urgent energy of The New Romance, they've gotten more adventurous and varied in their sound. Alice Smith - For Lovers, Dreamers & Me Neo-soul/blues/whatever... Her voice can do it all. Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope A big leap from Soviet Kitsch... Not as rough around the edges with much stronger songwriting and better production. So, what's your list?

Ethan, I'm sorry to hear about your experiece with Denon Service, but after the experience with my DVM-3700 I wish I could say I was surprised. I was without mine for over 8 months, and the icing on the cake was after sending it out for the 3rd time, it came back with "No Problem Found." The store manager felt bad and cut me a deal on a DVD-2910, but I sold it quickly. It's truely disappointing for me because their players truely hit a sweet spot to my ear. I love their ALPHA processor, but I will likely never buy another Denon piece. I hope things come back in good working order for you... Ian

I'll say that the uncut Mirrorball 2-disc set is well worth it. I don't care for much of the Afterglow album, so I never picked up Afterglow Live. But "Witness" is probably my favorite of all of her tracks, and it didn't appear on the 1-disc version of Mirrorball. So I was always tempted by Afterglow Live. With the release of the 2-disc Mirrorball, I don't have to expose myself to Afterglow tracks! I'm still intrigued by the big live box set of hers. I'm still not sold on the Piano set.

Well, I'm still loving mine. Since adding the AlienDAC, I have been thrilled with the performance.

You're not the only one. I honestly don't like them at all. To my ears they're unlistenable with bowls or flats. I preferred my woodied HF-1 (with bowls) and now-departed woodied silver 325 (with flats) to the RS-1, and not by a small margin. At meets I've tried them with everything from my maxed Millett to some of the Singlepower stuff and have yet to find any combo I would listen to at any price.