Official A/V Thread
- Thread starter Neo Ash
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Updated BD player... err "Ray Disc" player to replace the IG DVD-RW thing that always defaulted to use subtitles and had no remote. Connected to component to TV. Programmed DirecTV remote for this and has all functions I need except skip chapter. Also the new LD in this pic.
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I was at the pawn shop over the weekend, looking at their laserdiscs and a kid came in and said "those records are in pretty good shape." And I then opened the one (Silence of the Lambs) showing the disc inside and I think that kid's brain exploded. 
I had a close call a few days ago. My wife let me know that the power blipped and she heard a "pop" from the TV. I didn't think much of it as all that stuff is on conditioned power. Until...I was met with blocks of random colors and white lines on the display. I thought my beloved plasma of 9 years was done. After power cycling the surround pre/pro, that feeds the HDMI output, everything returned to normal. I'm glad it worked out as I'm pretty hardcore on plasma displays. It will only be replaced by an OLED when it finally fails.
Out of curiosity, I accessed the service menu to check the hour meter. I was sort of shocked to see it was just a few hours short of 7,500 hours. I guess I watch less TV/movies than I thought?
For those of you looking at a used TV off Craigslist, knowing how to get into the service menu and check the amount of usage is good to know. Just be careful, as you can seriously screw it up in those menus; they are not user friendly and not intended for the end-users to access.
Out of curiosity, I accessed the service menu to check the hour meter. I was sort of shocked to see it was just a few hours short of 7,500 hours. I guess I watch less TV/movies than I thought?
For those of you looking at a used TV off Craigslist, knowing how to get into the service menu and check the amount of usage is good to know. Just be careful, as you can seriously screw it up in those menus; they are not user friendly and not intended for the end-users to access.
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Popped an IC in my distribution amp on Saturday. Was trying to push an RF signal into it. Might as well be toast, will look at it later in the week.
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Well I replaced my old 80's Uher amp yesterday with a more current Pioneer one.
...I don't hear the difference
Not sure if I should just send it back to amazon or keep it. Maybe the current cartridge (OM-10) isn't just good enough.
Also I'm replacing the current Dual 621 with another one with a better cartridge and a new case if it ever gets back from the shop.
...I don't hear the difference
Not sure if I should just send it back to amazon or keep it. Maybe the current cartridge (OM-10) isn't just good enough.Also I'm replacing the current Dual 621 with another one with a better cartridge and a new case if it ever gets back from the shop.
Well I replaced my old 80's Uher amp yesterday with a more current Pioneer one.
...I don't hear the difference
Shroom, trust your ears and go with what you feel is best. There's nothing wrong with reverting back to your old gear.
Over the past 6 months I have gotten more into digital music. I have looked at a lot of digital playback solutions. Overall, the Bryston Pi is the best solution I have found, plus it hits a price point that even most non-audiophile people can justify. For me digital music is all about flexibility, so I have been using USB out of my laptop. I feel that this offers the greatest flexibility; there's a wealth of great content on archive.org. So all the recent focus on digital prompted me to pick up some gear. I obtained a McIntosh C47 preamp and MC152 amp. The DAC section of the C47 is pretty impressive and supports everything up to DSD256, as well as DXD 352.8kHz & DXD 384kHz, and everything else in between. Overall, it offers an excellent mix of analog and digital inputs and represents a great value at the price point. The capabilities of the DAC really are cutting edge. I haven't had a lot of time with the phono stage; however, early impressions place it as being very competitive with phono preamps in the $4K and up range. One of the best feature of the phono section is the ability to change the cartridge loading on the fly using the remote. Plus there are two inputs that cover both MM and MC cartridges. It was a toss up between this model and the C52. The only gain with the 52 is the meters, which I don't see the point of on a preamp, and the EQ controls on the front that I would just keep flat anyway. The 47 has bass and treble controls, but again, they will remain flat. The DAC section is identical. I really like the clean understated esthetics of this model.
The MC152 amp matches perfectly with the C47. Despite its compact size, it weighs in at 75 pounds. It features those famous McIntosh autoformer transformers, that ensure that it produces a minimum of 150 watts at any frequency with both channels driven even into a difficult 2 ohm load. Based on a recent review, the MC152 unit under review was bench tested at 253 watts per channel into an 8 ohm load and 225 watts into a 4 ohm load. Pretty impressive for an amp with a very conservative rating of 150 watts per channel. So far, I have been highly impressed. Great detail, dynamics and a very wide soundstage. Most importantly, it just sounds natural and right. This product also represents a great value at the given price point.
very nice
madman
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I think the main thing w/meters on the preamps is for when they're paired w/Mc tube amps that don't have meters like the 275. Or I suppose any other amp that doesn't have meters and people still want the classic Mc meter look.
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You could put a 4000€ amp here and I probably still wouldn't hear any difference
[tasuke] Guess I'll keep the Pioneer amp, fits better with my Pioneer LD player too [/tasuke]
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My projector made a popping & turned out lamp broke. Im going with an OEM but was wondering if the fake brands are any good for lamps on projectors.
You're absolutly correct. They are for people that own the 275 and other non-meter McIntosh amps.
I should have qualified that statement a little better. I don't like the meters and find them distracting. 9 times out of 10 I keep the meter lights off (or covered on amps that don't have that feature). I see the meter as simply a tool, to understand the power demands of different speakers.
I don't have a ton of experience with projectors. Last one I messed with was a fairly nice Hitachi about 2 years ago. It has some interesting feature to conserve the lamp life.
About 10 years ago a friend purchased a DLP projection TV. He bought cheap lamps and I felt like he was constantly replacing something in that thing. He also purchased the TV as a floor demo; another bad move I advised against. It was supposed to be a nice TV back in the day (Mitsubishi 72").
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madman
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I don't mind the meters on my pre, they're probably similarly sized to what's on your 152 from what I can gather. I keep those on, but unless I have people over I keep the meters on my amp off. They're just too large and distracting most of the time. But it can be fun to listen to music and watch them bounce around from time to time, though.
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The idea is to provide a light source behind the tv so you don't ruin your eyes in a pitch black room. With new hdr tvs going 1000 nits and up, I'd definitely recommend it if you watch tv in the dark. Easy way to experiment is just take a small lamp and stick behind your tv and see if you like it. Obviously only works if the tv isn't wall mounted.
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Well now I seem to have ended up with a pair of these: https://www.stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/1203reference3a/index.html
Now I need some stands.
Now I need some stands.
madman
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Thank you!
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Well, I know speaker cables are snake oil but just got these and holy shit.
https://www.widescreenreview.com/news_detail.php?id=7082
https://www.widescreenreview.com/news_detail.php?id=7082