[Head_case]

Hi,  
 
Long time no post  
 
I hope everyone's doing well and listening to great stuff.   I'm still on my mini-disc player with my TTVJ Milletts Hybrid portable amp and HD25ii. 
 
Thing is, I stopped listening to music for some time due to the wobbles.  
 
I mean... my mini-disc earphone socket wobbles, so the channels wobble with one disappearing, and making it very unpleasant.  Then, the interconnects have broken (I have 4 broken ones!) and now my TVJ portable amp, also has a wobbly connection.    I found out after buying a cheap 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable from amazon and it still wobbles.
 
So that's about 5 wobbly  3.5mm jacks!
 
I know the Astell & Kern hi-res players are nice, but I can listen to 192kHz on Hi-Md minidisc and I quite like choosing a few discs, rather than having a mindless encyclopaedia on hard drive player to carry.
 
Is there any way to get these all fixed?   I mean, is it even economical to do so, since the 3.5mm contacts are all loose...
 
I'd hate to upgrade to something more modern than my minidisc player and portable tube amp.  But if it's not feasible, I see Ray Samuels is offering a good deal on his tube amp. 
 
Kind regards
 
Head_case

 

[ProtegeManiac]

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Originally Posted by Head_case /img/forum/go_quote.gif

 

I know the Astell & Kern hi-res players are nice, but I can listen to 192kHz on Hi-Md minidisc and I quite like choosing a few discs, rather than having a mindless encyclopaedia on hard drive player to carry.

 

What hard drive and what mindless encyclopedia? The AK players use microSD cards, so no hard drive; the directory is based on folder structure (something that is basically just the digital equivalent of filing discs on the shelf) or track tags (which is like putting up library codes to know what shelf a book is on), so it's not exactly mindless; and if you prefer swapping out discs then you can just use several 16gb microSD cards with one artist or one CD series in each.

 

[Head_case]

I don't know...when I was listening to my minidisc, everyone else I knew had been moving on to hard drives like iPods.   I never kept up with technology. 
 
The problem, after 9 years, is the earphone connection with my minidisc player is now loose.  I guess this can happen with any source player, inscluding the Astell Kern?   I didn't know about the sound cards - that sounds like a great idea, and makes much more sense to having something physical.   I listen to music by odd categorisation, including music which I can play; music that tI will never be able to play, as well as by record label or according to which country I bought the LP from.  This kind of categorisation isn't easy to do on an iPod which gives Artist Name, Album, Title, Year or rating. 
 
It sounds nice, and with a CD ripper, I can see how it works without having to be trapped onto any specific computer platform or operating system. 

What then happens to other people when their headphone jack goes loose?  
 
Do they just bin the product, or pay for it to be disassembled, just to access the 3.5mm jack socket to replace or tighten?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

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Originally Posted by Head_case /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I don't know...when I was listening to my minidisc, everyone else I knew had been moving on to hard drives like iPods.   I never kept up with technology. 

 

I didn't until I got tired of getting my MD fixed, tried an iPod, and while the concept of iTunes wasn't confusing on its own given Sony's own software, it became confusing once I realized there was no "delete disc." Until now I can't even remember how to change the content on an iPod through iTunes, which is why I use Androids with microSD cards and drag+drop.

 

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Originally Posted by Head_case /img/forum/go_quote.gif

The problem, after 9 years, is the earphone connection with my minidisc player is now loose.  I guess this can happen with any source player, inscluding the Astell Kern? 

 

Pretty much, over time.

 

 

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Originally Posted by Head_case /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I didn't know about the sound cards - that sounds like a great idea, and makes much more sense to having something physical. 

 

"SD" means "secure digital," not sound. A sound card is a totally different thing entirely, which is something you slot into an expansion slot on a motherboard.

 

That said, I have to warn you that the ergos aren't the same considering there are people who still whine about microSD cards vs HDDs on iPods, that being how different it is fumbling around in a train with something the size of a fingernail but holding the same capacity as several hundred MDs, and in lossless format to boot.

 

 

 

 

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Originally Posted by Head_case /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I listen to music by odd categorisation, including music which I can play; music that tI will never be able to play, as well as by record label or according to which country I bought the LP from.  This kind of categorisation isn't easy to do on an iPod which gives Artist Name, Album, Title, Year or rating. 

 

One other thing that will be different - due to the size, you won't have space for writing down anything on the microSD card holder.

 

Alternately, why not just use larger capacity cards, and then browse by folder? You organize everything as you wish and then just go through them like you're going through your file system on Windows Explorer.

 

 

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Originally Posted by Head_case /img/forum/go_quote.gif

 

What then happens to other people when their headphone jack goes loose?  

 

Do they just bin the product, or pay for it to be disassembled, just to access the 3.5mm jack socket to replace or tighten?

 

They give them up for recycling. Depends really on how much it will cost to have it repaired vs getting a new one, considering you can get a Fiio X3 for $200 nowadays it won't make sense to ship an X3 v1 to somebody, buy parts, fix it, ship it back, etc when you can by that point just get an X3 v5. 

 

Now before you think that's a problem, note how there aren't any moving parts aside from the earphones and microSD cards going in, and the buttons. That means that unlike CDs and MDs there won't be any mechanical transport bits that are constantly moving and getting worn out. In most cases it really will just be the battery that needs replacement, and Ibasso dealt with that on the DX50 and DX90 by using Samsung S3 batteries. Fiio's internal batteries last longer but unlike iPods you cant just order a new battery with the plastic spatula. In your case though the constant removal and reinsertion of a microSD card might become a problem, but no way to tell since other people don't really switch them out often.

 

[Head_case]

Wow - your experience of the iPod is exactly the same as mine.  I still have mine, but it stutters and doesn't make it easy if i switch computers.   
 
I never learnt how to use digital ipods and phone things for music.  I had a few albums on my Samsung Galaxy S3 but it keeps slowing the phone down so I deleted all the music programs.  The market must've moved on by now.  
 
I guess I should resign myself to using elastic bands around the headjack until it's completely gone and then think about one of these modern obsolescent type digital players.   Admitted my tape player gets use only in the car, since the walkman requires 6xAA batteries which are quite hefty to travel around with, even if the music is beautifully analogue, and sometimes playing at warp speed accidentally.  
 
Thanks for your advice - I think most head-fi buffs must be used to upgrading and upgrading.  I still have the same Technics XLPS 900 CD player from 1992!    
 
Think the old-fashioned Ray Samuels Blackbird would probably suit me better than something with a micro-USB cable, unless sound can be piped out of a micro USB cable so the 3.5mm jack doesn't get worn? 
 
Cheers!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

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Originally Posted by Head_case /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I had a few albums on my Samsung Galaxy S3 but it keeps slowing the phone down so I deleted all the music programs.  The market must've moved on by now.

 

My SGS3 never slowed down due to the music or the player apps - just how many did you have installed anyway? I barely filled the built-in memory with apps, and then the microSD card is only for music and photos, no apps. Filled up a 64gb card with 59gb of music and just left a bit of space for photos and it never slowed down, and then I have two player apps in the internal memory.

 

If the market has moved on, it's going towards streaming due to cheap data, as Samsung has removed microSD slots on the latest phones. 

 

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Originally Posted by Head_case /img/forum/go_quote.gif

 

Admitted my tape player gets use only in the car, since the walkman requires 6xAA batteries which are quite hefty to travel around with, even if the music is beautifully analogue, and sometimes playing at warp speed accidentally.  

 
I never really understood what's "beautiful" about analogue though, unless instead of upgrading my money keeps going into buying new copies. Vinyl starts to sound like my breakfast cereal (I thought I should be listening to music, not Snap, Crackle, and Pop jumping from my bowl to my music room) at some point, not to mention heat and humidity are problems here even with the ziploc bags, and tapes get tangled up and then I have to get a pencil to fix it.
 

 
 

 
Thanks for your advice - I think most head-fi buffs must be used to upgrading and upgrading.  I still have the same Technics XLPS 900 CD player from 1992!    

 
I would have kept using my Marantz CD60 or Sony SCD-595 if the Marantz could read CDs with PC content or if the Sony didn't stop reading SACDs. I hate CD transports with a passion, especially with all the gear parts I had to order for the CDM-4 in my Marantz. Oh and there was that debacle with NAD's Sanyo transports a few years ago made worse by the local distributor blaming pirated CDs (when barely any of us used them) and home made CDs and refusing the acknowledge the memo from NAD HQ regarding the crap Sanyo transports.
 
 
 

 
Think the old-fashioned Ray Samuels Blackbird would probably suit me better than something with a micro-USB cable, unless sound can be piped out of a micro USB cable so the 3.5mm jack doesn't get worn? 

 
USB digital audio only works with Androids (and iOS, technically), but you need bulky adapters unless you can order expensive short OTG audio cables or you can make it yourself.

 

[Head_case]

Hmm...I only had about 10 full albums on my Galaxy S3.   It freezes intermittently ...whatsapp screen gets locked or letters don't appear; screen takes about 10 seconds to switch over and I have to clear the programs.    The Samsung 10.1 tablet is doing that now - maybe inefficient?  But I notice that when I clear all the data (mostly photos and videos), it switches apps quicker.  I try and keep all the RAM free and just use the phone for practical stuff. 
 
Beautiful analogue - it works really well for me.   My Mitchell Gyrodec is just dreamlike.   I was in an antique shop and found a copy of Jacqueline du Pre's Elgar Cello Concerto for £1 (about US$1.44).  I wasn't expecting much, but I was stunned at how flawless it was - looks like it was never played! No snap crackles or pop.  I don't even use an Okki Nokki or anything.  Although I'm listening to CD now...audio tapes like your demo is just because the car has one still.  No burglars seem to want to break in
 
I'm sure Sony or Marantz could fix your CD player or exchange the laser.  My CD player is a Musical Fidelity one.  I've had it ever since I earned my first pay pack and bought it.  When the laser started skipping, I sent it back for repair....I was shocked that they installed a Sony laser inside it for replacement.....!'   It works....and I still have my same player.   Admittedly,r I'd like to get vinyl LP streamed by bluetooth into the bathroom just to hear snap crackle and pop music ...
 
Right....ever since I started asking, I think I've found a great technician in Michigan who might be able to fix my input connectors for everything!  The thought of having my nostalgic battered minidisc working properly on the other side of Christmas is music to my ears!    

 

[ProtegeManiac]

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Originally Posted by Head_case /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Hmm...I only had about 10 full albums on my Galaxy S3.   It freezes intermittently ...whatsapp screen gets locked or letters don't appear; screen takes about 10 seconds to switch over and I have to clear the programs.    The Samsung 10.1 tablet is doing that now - maybe inefficient?  But I notice that when I clear all the data (mostly photos and videos), it switches apps quicker.  I try and keep all the RAM free and just use the phone for practical stuff. 

 

You're doing something else wrong somewhere, but that's somewhat of a reason why some prefer having dedicated audio sources. Still, that's not supposed to be doing that at all, much less due to filling it with audio files. Get a larger SDcard, make sure all apps are on the phone memory, and then kill off other apps that are running before turning them on one at a time while monitoring power/battery consumption. These will tell you which ones are resource intensive. Also, if you got your phone from a telco/carrier at a discount, it comes with a lot of bloatware - kill off those apps.

 

 

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Originally Posted by Head_case /img/forum/go_quote.gif

...audio tapes like your demo is just because the car has one still.  No burglars seem to want to break in

 

I've had to pull a pencil out of my bag to fix tapes while in traffic. After that it was those bulky folders filled with CDs. Now, it's a USB drive that you plug into a built-in system that will take too long to dismantle and a thief can only sell to people who own the same car. It used to be impossible to make such systems sound good, but now there are integration processors that can take the high level signal out of the stock system's amplifier, convert it to a low level signal and then through an ADC, apply DSP tweaks like crossovers to each tweeter, midwoofer, and subwoofer and then customized time alignment settings for each (so every one of them is synchronized to reach the driver's head at the same time, simulating sitting in the middle of two tower speakers), and then independent Left + Right auto-EQ tuning using an Audyssey microphone.

 

 

 

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Originally Posted by Head_case /img/forum/go_quote.gif

 

I'm sure Sony or Marantz could fix your CD player or exchange the laser.  My CD player is a Musical Fidelity one.  I've had it ever since I earned my first pay pack and bought it.  When the laser started skipping, I sent it back for repair....I was shocked that they installed a Sony laser inside it for replacement.....!'   It works....and I still have my same player.   Admittedly,r I'd like to get vinyl LP streamed by bluetooth into the bathroom just to hear snap crackle and pop music

 

Marantz' dealers said they no longer stocked parts for such an old CDP and I should buy the CD5001 on the shelf, so for years I bought the gear mechanism from eBay, but the problem with the Marantz is not  the laser itself. It reads normal, older CDs just fine, the problem is that newer CDs have some kind of PC-readable content that likely are in the first section of the disc, and the logic of some older CDPs is to not check past that.

 

Sony on the other hand told me that since I bought my SACDP from the US, I should get the laser from Sony USA because they didn't have it.

 

So far, I haven't had to complain to Samsung about anything other than "why the hell are you removing microSD slots." Best of all I got it cheap, and even after I upgrade the phone, I'll still be able to use it as a music server.

 

[Head_case]

Happy New Year!
 
Apologies for the delay ... away for Christmas listening to lots of music on the hi-fi instead of headphones
 
I think my tablet, Samsung S2/3 are well used/old and wearing out, or the bloatware problem as you suggest, has got the better of it.  I tried deleting bits and may have deleted the operated system essentials.   At least with a tape recorder, it's not possible to incapacitate the tape recorder by pushing buttons like it is with a smartphone and its million of self-destruct options!  I believe my phone has a microcard slot somewhere....and trying to access files from it is no easy feat with huge time lags just retrieving an image stored there.  So yes, something's slowing it down and I probably need to wipe the whole thing and try and block those automatic updates.
 
Well I still have a first class 13 year old car cassette and CD multi-changer (!wow! technology!) system.  The CD interchanger is too complicated and I can't tell what is going to play, months after I've worked out how to fill the changer without putting the CDs the wrong way round.  Tapes...could only feed in to the stereo in one direction and played the A or B side.  CDs...just played one side. Bah ...
 
I see you've been forced to upgrade then due to Marantz's non-backward compatibility ethos.   I think I have a total of two CDs with PC-Rom capability - a Sarah McLachlan Freedom Sessions in the year it was released, and I didn't know what to do with it, and promptly regretted wasting the $15Can on the audible album anyhow, and a Dwight Yoakam acoustic.net album which sounded rather thin and tinny, recorded on a thin and tinny digirecorder, and not even a decent 8 track.    My only digital purchase last year is 
 
https://theinnocencemission.bandcamp.com/album/hello-i-feel-the-same
 
actually in LP form, and the digital file is thrown in, but I've no idea where they threw it and I've yet to get the LP in the post or even work out where the digital file ended up being trashed on my hard drive!
 
That's a great looking headphone amp/dac btw.  Is it mains desktop based, or battery run?  

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  I think my tablet, Samsung S2/3 are well used/old and wearing out, or the bloatware problem as you suggest, has got the better of it.  I tried deleting bits and may have deleted the operated system essentials.   At least with a tape recorder, it's not possible to incapacitate the tape recorder by pushing buttons like it is with a smartphone and its million of self-destruct options!  I believe my phone has a microcard slot somewhere....and trying to access files from it is no easy feat with huge time lags just retrieving an image stored there.  So yes, something's slowing it down and I probably need to wipe the whole thing and try and block those automatic updates.

 
Are you sure that's the correct model number? Because the Galaxy S2 and S3 are smartphones, not tablets (not even tablets with simcard slots). If you are referring to the phones, the S2 can't do USB audio.
 
 
 
 

  I see you've been forced to upgrade then due to Marantz's non-backward compatibility ethos.   I think I have a total of two CDs with PC-Rom capability - a Sarah McLachlan Freedom Sessions in the year it was released, and I didn't know what to do with it, and promptly regretted wasting the $15Can on the audible album anyhow, and a Dwight Yoakam acoustic.net album which sounded rather thin and tinny, recorded on a thin and tinny digirecorder, and not even a decent 8 track.    My only digital purchase last year is 

 
It's more of Marantz non-forward compatibility, and not an "ethos" either since they couldn't have foreseen this  Backward compatibility means new hardware for playback can play old media, like how some consoles can play discs meant for older consoles 

 
 
 

  actually in LP form, and the digital file is thrown in, but I've no idea where they threw it and I've yet to get the LP in the post or even work out where the digital file ended up being trashed on my hard drive!

 
You mean they gave you a download key with the LP? That's great value...but you really should store music in more than one HDD. I have a large portable HDD for instant back-ups of work and music, and then another one with the same content, and then a couple of desktop back up drives (one is a reused HDD from an old gaming PC that's still working) that has the master copies of those files and my games. No more discs to keep in the shelf unless I order special versions with toys or something.
 
 
Quote:

  That's a great looking headphone amp/dac btw.  Is it mains desktop based, or battery run?  

 
Meier Cantate.2 - mains powered and it has a switch to go from 240v to 120v. Very convenient.

 

[Head_case]

I have a Samsung S2, S3 smartphone and 10.1tab.  The 10.1tab is the slowest of the bunch.  S3 is the fastest.  I got the S3 free apparently, from loyalty for being scwd by my phone contract for years.   I hate buying technology like this which takes about a year for me to master, and then is already near goners after a year on the market. 
 
Non-forward and non-backward compatibility ...reminds me of Leica camera mounts from the pre-war period - lenses of 39mm screw thread are still made 80 years later, and still fit and work on the same cameras.  Same standard with 35mm film, which is still sold.  
Backward and forward compatible....!  Why can't audio makers hold us dinosaurs in mind!
 
 
"You mean they gave you a download key with the LP? That's great value...but you really should store music in more than one HDD. I have a large portable HDD for instant back-ups of work and music, and then another one with the same content, and then a couple of desktop back up drives (one is a reused HDD from an old gaming PC that's still working) that has the master copies of those files and my games. No more discs to keep in the shelf unless I order special versions with toys or something."  My work ethic code prevents us from using our own hard-drives or linking into the computer, so I would have to have a main frame personal PC at work to run a hard-drive too.  Editing is particularly painful, whereas the tape cassette and pencil means I can usually find a tape after rummaging in a box!   
 
Yes ..in fact, I found another one with Grant Lee Phillips 'Little Moon' album - but the download key expired in 2014 lol.  It slipped out when I was playing it and I realised it was there about 2 years too late lol.    
 
My hard drives are a head_ache.  I alternate between Windows XP, Windows 7, Ubuntu and Mac and travel between 3 bases.   Ideally, digital should make my life easier.   I love LPs ...the artistry on the large 30cm covers, and the artists' details, hand-written lyrics (sometimes) and art work.  The Quarterstick Label Group 'Rachel's' who recorded some epic indie albums, produced their hand-written album covers on acid-free card with high attention to detailing such that their album covers were an engineered piece of craft by the time they got to release 'The Sea and the Bells'.  This kind of visual opulence matches their sumptuous chamber music style - it's not that we listen to music in a vacuum...we can listen to music, with our eyes open too.  And it's a richer experience, like watching a cellist play live.    
 
Back to the thread post - I bought the Ray Samuels amp!  Ordered some new interconnects.  
 
 That Meier Cantate is incredible value. Maybe when I settle down to just one home and one work place, it would be perfect.