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music/movie living room system - Page 7

post #181 of 211
10/19/12 at 1:31pm
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Some pictures of the custom Paradigm S1s.







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post #182 of 211
10/22/12 at 10:34am
Ok, might be stupid question, but you have the external drive hooked up directly to your PS3 so you are streaming the music? Are you just taking the external off, adding the new music and what not do it, then adding it back to the PS3? Or is there a wireless solution on getting the new data onto it that I'm missing?

Thanks!
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post #183 of 211
10/22/12 at 11:15am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeanKosmann View Post

Ok, might be stupid question, but you have the external drive hooked up directly to your PS3 so you are streaming the music? Are you just taking the external off, adding the new music and what not do it, then adding it back to the PS3? Or is there a wireless solution on getting the new data onto it that I'm missing?
Thanks!

Hey, the Iomega is a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device. It is connected to the router and essentially any wired or wireless device on my network can access it and stream from it. The PC in the office is connected it to it as well and therefore I can transfer files from the PC to it very easily.

The nice thing is that the PC doesn't need to be on to stream from the NAS as the NAS is independent. I use it all the time to stream to my TV in the bedroom, the PS3, and even my phone.
Edited by drewTT - 10/22/12 at 11:24am
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post #184 of 211
10/22/12 at 11:26am
What are you using to stream to your phone and your computer? I just got a new heavy duty external hard drive and I'd love to set it up on the tv and be able to just add things do it wirelessly to keep it up to date, but I'm missing something in my brain that is picturing how it all works. I'm a iTune/Apple dork, but I'm getting back into torrents, so I have a wonderful process where I get the video, convert it to MP4 and drop it into itunes... then I can stream it to any of the apple devices including the apple tv.... but I'm assuming if I have the hard drive setup natively to the sound system the quality would be better... any thoughts?
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post #185 of 211
10/22/12 at 11:37am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeanKosmann View Post

What are you using to stream to your phone and your computer? I just got a new heavy duty external hard drive and I'd love to set it up on the tv and be able to just add things do it wirelessly to keep it up to date, but I'm missing something in my brain that is picturing how it all works. I'm a iTune/Apple dork, but I'm getting back into torrents, so I have a wonderful process where I get the video, convert it to MP4 and drop it into itunes... then I can stream it to any of the apple devices including the apple tv.... but I'm assuming if I have the hard drive setup natively to the sound system the quality would be better... any thoughts?

I don't need to stream to the PC as the PC already recognizes the NAS as just another storage drive. My PC is also hardwired into the router and therefore it all connects effortlessly.

To stream to the iPhone, the NAS has an app that allows that.

With your external drive, you would need to have it connected directly into your PC. You would then stream through iTunes as you already do. The real benefit to a NAS is that it is a networked device, basically it's own little computer, and it doesn't require the PC to be on to access it. The NAS can also be accessed remotely.

This may help you understand better or just confuse the hell out of you...lol...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network-attached_storage
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post #186 of 211
10/22/12 at 11:45am
Yeah, I'm planning on having it connected to my computer, just wasn't sure if having it connected directly to a device hooked up to the tv would give me better quality.
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post #187 of 211
10/22/12 at 12:03pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeanKosmann View Post

Yeah, I'm planning on having it connected to my computer, just wasn't sure if having it connected directly to a device hooked up to the tv would give me better quality.

I doubt you would notice a difference in sound quality but you can always experiment to see what works best.
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post #188 of 211
11/7/12 at 1:50pm
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Ordered the Audiolab M-DAC. Got the silver version. Really excited to play with this thing and see what all the fuss is about.

I ordered it through Planet of Sound Distribution in Canada, so it will probably take a bit to get to me. They seem to be the only authorized dealer in all of North America.

https://www.planetofsounddistribution.com/products/p/Audiolab-8200MDAC-DAC

http://www.avrevolution.com.au/SiteMedia/w3svc1114/Uploads/Documents/Audiolab_MDAC_HFC.pdf

I am excited about this unit because it has the ESS Reference Sabre32 9018 chip and a fully discrete J-FET CROSS Class A output stage that should match up with the Parasound A23's J-FET input stage very nicely. This DAC also has built-in volume control in the digital domain, OLED display, and customizable digital filters. Plus it can function as a very good headphone amp once I get a good set of cans.
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post #189 of 211
11/7/12 at 2:01pm
Great purchase!!!! You'll enjoy a certain level of "exclusivity" with that DAC being such a rarity on this side of the pond. I'm definitely looking forward to hearing your impressions. As a former SABRE DAC user myself, I can tell you're in for a treat! cool.gif
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post #190 of 211
11/7/12 at 2:44pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BrolicBeast View Post

Great purchase!!!! You'll enjoy a certain level of "exclusivity" with that DAC being such a rarity on this side of the pond. I'm definitely looking forward to hearing your impressions. As a former SABRE DAC user myself, I can tell you're in for a treat! cool.gif

Thanks dude.

I still want to get an Oppo BDP-95 for the HT but that might wait until I get better speakers there. I know you were really happy with your 95. Did you ever think about upgrading to the new 105? I am not sure myself if the extra cost is worth it...
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post #191 of 211
11/17/12 at 3:59pm
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M-DAC has arrived and it's pretty freaking impressive. It sounds absolutely pristine. There is even more detail now (I didn't think this was possible but it's there with some of my favorite FLAC tracks, i.e Clapton Unplugged) and everything sounds more musical. I don't think my little PC setup can sound any better at this point.biggrin.gif


Edited by drewTT - 11/18/12 at 12:57pm
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post #192 of 211
11/17/12 at 6:24pm
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Quick vid. iPhone microphone is pretty bad...
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post #193 of 211
11/18/12 at 8:46pm
Man, that sounds great! Looks like you're enjoying your rare gem! Putting those SABREs to work, eh? That desk is just amazing...the unique speaker stands too. There are a lot of nice touches in that setup.
Quote:
Originally Posted by drewTT View Post

Thanks dude.
I still want to get an Oppo BDP-95 for the HT but that might wait until I get better speakers there. I know you were really happy with your 95. Did you ever think about upgrading to the new 105? I am not sure myself if the extra cost is worth it...

I'm skipping the 105 primarily because I use Audyssey for all listening. Because of this, using the analog outputs on the 105 (or the 95 before I sold it) we're resulting in an overall digital-to-analog-to-digital conversion. Once I build an analog system (or a really fly computer listening system a la DrewTT), then I may look at the Oppo flagship once more! The o ly reason I use the Cambridge Audio DacMagic in my system is because it removes a delay in my Sonos system's output when synced with rooms in the rest of the house (long story with Integra processors and raw sonos signals replicated a number of times on the Integra dhc thread.
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post #194 of 211
11/19/12 at 12:43pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BrolicBeast View Post

Man, that sounds great! Looks like you're enjoying your rare gem! Putting those SABREs to work, eh? That desk is just amazing...the unique speaker stands too. There are a lot of nice touches in that setup.
I'm skipping the 105 primarily because I use Audyssey for all listening. Because of this, using the analog outputs on the 105 (or the 95 before I sold it) we're resulting in an overall digital-to-analog-to-digital conversion. Once I build an analog system (or a really fly computer listening system a la DrewTT), then I may look at the Oppo flagship once more! The o ly reason I use the Cambridge Audio DacMagic in my system is because it removes a delay in my Sonos system's output when synced with rooms in the rest of the house (long story with Integra processors and raw sonos signals replicated a number of times on the Integra dhc thread.

Thanks.

I will probably just pick up the 105 once it is available. Now that I know how good the SABRE DAC sounds with music, I want the same experience in my living room. Never was too happy with the PS3s performance with music CDs and streamed music. I like the fact that the OPPOs can play so many different kinds of discs in addition to all the different streaming capabilities. I've been dying to try out some SACDs...

My HK 7550HD seems to have a direct mode, per manual, where it doesn't engage any EQ, tone controls, or the subs. Strictly direct 2 channel analog in from the OPPO. Can't wait to hear what that sounds like.
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post #195 of 211
11/19/12 at 1:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by drewTT View Post

Thanks.
I will probably just pick up the 105 once it is available. Now that I know how good the SABRE DAC sounds with music, I want the same experience in my living room. Never was too happy with the PS3s performance with music CDs and streamed music. I like the fact that the OPPOs can play so many different kinds of discs in addition to all the different streaming capabilities. I've been dying to try out some SACDs...
My HK 7550HD seems to have a direct mode, per manual, where it doesn't engage any EQ, tone controls, or the subs. Strictly direct 2 channel analog in from the OPPO. Can't wait to hear what that sounds like.

Yeah, I used my old 95 with my processor in Direct Mode for a long time....but I found that, to my ears at least, music sounded better with Audyssey engaged.....the downside being that this increase in sound quality came at the price of the use of my SABRE DACs to avoid conversion redundancy. I look forward to hearing what your impressions of the 105 are in the HK's Direct Mode.

Perhaps you could temporarily add the M-Dac to your main system once you get the 105 and a/b each manufacturer's implementation of the SABRE DACs?
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post #196 of 211
11/19/12 at 4:07pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BrolicBeast View Post

Yeah, I used my old 95 with my processor in Direct Mode for a long time....but I found that, to my ears at least, music sounded better with Audyssey engaged.....the downside being that this increase in sound quality came at the price of the use of my SABRE DACs to avoid conversion redundancy. I look forward to hearing what your impressions of the 105 are in the HK's Direct Mode.
Perhaps you could temporarily add the M-Dac to your main system once you get the 105 and a/b each manufacturer's implementation of the SABRE DACs?

Definitely sounds like a fun little shoot out. I'll see what I can do...
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post #197 of 211
1/20/13 at 1:50pm
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What's up guys. I am getting ready to upgrade my PC and was hoping somonee here can give me some feedback or suggestions.

I am looking at going with the Falcon Northwest Talon. http://www.falcon-nw.com/desktops/talon Also considering Maingear.

Here is what my Falcon Talon config looks like. It comes to right around $2,400. I am not interested in building my own system but I do understand I would come out cheaper.

Chassis
Z77 Talon Standard
Black

Chassis Fan Kit
Performance Fan Pack Talon

Power Supply
SilverStone® 750 Watt Modular

Motherboard
Asus® P8Z77V
(Standard)

Processor
Intel® Core™ i7 3770K 3.5GHz

Processor Cooler
Asetek® Liquid Cooling Talon

Processor Overclock
No Processor Overclock

Memory
Crucial® Elite 1866MHz 2x8GB

Video Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 680 (2GB)

Sound Card
OnBoard
Audio

Networking
OnBoard
Ethernet

Hard Drive
Crucial® m4 SSD 256GB

Optical Drive
Asus® 24x DVD Writer

64Bit
Operating System
Microsoft® Windows 8 Standard

Warranty
1 Year Warranty Talon
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post #198 of 211
1/20/13 at 2:46pm
Are you really going to make use of all that ram?
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post #199 of 211
1/20/13 at 3:19pm
Those upgrades looks great! I would suggest going with a Blu Ray based optical disc drive--preferrably a Blu Ray writer. They can be had for as cheap as $120 these days, and give you complete protection against forward motion of the industry in the next few years. DVD will soon be going the way of VHS (by soon, I'm thinking [read: hoping] 2-3 years) an a Blu Ray writer will come in much handier. Good call on not selecting an overclock option. Can you believe these manufacturers charge for overclocking when the end-user can do it in the BIOS with simple math?
Edited by BrolicBeast - 1/20/13 at 4:02pm
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post #200 of 211
1/20/13 at 5:48pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pokekevin View Post

Are you really going to make use of all that ram?

Probably not at the moment but the RAM is pretty cheap considering the other options.
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post #201 of 211
1/20/13 at 5:50pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BrolicBeast View Post

Those upgrades looks great! I would suggest going with a Blu Ray based optical disc drive--preferrably a Blu Ray writer. They can be had for as cheap as $120 these days, and give you complete protection against forward motion of the industry in the next few years. DVD will soon be going the way of VHS (by soon, I'm thinking [read: hoping] 2-3 years) an a Blu Ray writer will come in much handier. Good call on not selecting an overclock option. Can you believe these manufacturers charge for overclocking when the end-user can do it in the BIOS with simple math?

Good call, definitely would like the Bluray drive. I probably won't need to overclock the CPU right away, but the 3770K is unlocked so the potential is definitely there.
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post #202 of 211
1/20/13 at 5:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pokekevin View Post

Are you really going to make use of all that ram?

If ram is cheap it doesn't hurt to have more than you need. He's not really limiting himself from overclocking so really it's not that big a deal. I'd probably go with 16GB anyway as I usually will play a game while watching a video and have multiple instances of Chrome open and it can get into the 4-6GB range for allocated RAM. Just better to have more than enough than not enough.
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post #203 of 211
2/9/13 at 5:15pm
Thread Starter 
Started working on setting up my budget analog audio system in another room. Always wanted to set one up with a turntable and a vacuum tube amp.

Bought the new Pioneer Andrew Jones towers to try out. Very cheap but sounded very good when I auditioned. I am not expecting miracles but for the price, I just had to check them out. Knowing me though, I will probably dump 'em for some Dyns in a few months. Lol.

Looking to order the Yaqin MS-20L integrated tube amp and the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Turntable.

Also, looks like I will need a phone preamp. Can anyone suggest a good budget one? I am looking at the Pro-Ject Phono Box S at the moment.

Here is how it is starting to come together.

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post #204 of 211
2/9/13 at 5:38pm
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I think I should dump the glass coffee table, right? Just have nothing between me and the speakers.

Also probably move everything to the left a foot or so, so the right speaker is not so close to the corner and side wall...
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post #205 of 211
2/9/13 at 8:51pm
What the. Where did this room come from!
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post #206 of 211
2/10/13 at 4:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by drewTT View Post

I think I should dump the glass coffee table, right? Just have nothing between me and the speakers.

Also probably move everything to the left a foot or so, so the right speaker is not so close to the corner and side wall...

Funny, I was just thinking how I like it with the table centered with the wall art. A large yellow vase or yellow cushions (yes, the yellow is to accentuate the cabs on the picture) on the couch and "voila", a nice WAF approved, bell balanced enjoyable room.smile.gif
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post #207 of 211
2/10/13 at 10:30am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pokekevin View Post

What the. Where did this room come from!

It used to be the fourth bedroom but the wall was torn down so now it's basically a second living room. I am finally making good use of that space.
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post #208 of 211
2/10/13 at 10:31am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jproy13 View Post

Funny, I was just thinking how I like it with the table centered with the wall art. A large yellow vase or yellow cushions (yes, the yellow is to accentuate the cabs on the picture) on the couch and "voila", a nice WAF approved, bell balanced enjoyable room.smile.gif

Yeah, the goal of that room is to keep it simple and just kick back and enjoy some tunes.
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post #209 of 211
2/10/13 at 10:38am
Thread Starter 
Here is a bigger shot of the room. Hopefully it sounds good. Never had a system in there before.

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post #210 of 211
3/22/13 at 7:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by drewTT View Post

Here is a bigger shot of the room. Hopefully it sounds good. Never had a system in there before.


Nicer area I think to set up...

We have that same print from Ikea in our office!
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