[Letmebefrank]

I all so have a migraine of sorts coming on. Dammit. LOL!

ORT

A few monsters should have that withdrawal headache taken care of.

 

[RCBinTN]

I just noticed that this is going to be my 1500th post. I think that's a good time to look back on what I have learned here.

--Drink good whiskey
--Drink good coffee
--Respect cats
--Lust for VU meters
--Put the switch on the front
--Buy good Schiit
--there are a great bunch of enthusiasts on this forum whose company I enjoy

Thanks for making it that way.

Well done. Welcome to Supremus status.
That and $5 will get you a decent coffee.

 

[AudioBear]

Well done. Welcome to Supremus status.
That and $5 will get you a decent coffee.

I don't buy coffee anymore. I learned here how to make a perfect cup while we wait for new product announcements. I suspect there isn't much guessing this time around because Jason and Mike have proven to be reeky good at surprising us. Most of us, me included, have never been even close to figuring out what's next from Schiit.

 

[Ableza]

And skip the VU meters unless you do a lot of analog recording.

 

[Ripper2860]

According to Wikileaks e-mails...

Jason will announce a multi-bit phono cartridge to go with the SOL turntable once released. This unexpected phono cartridge will actually be named the "<redacted> model 1" and will be the 1st Schiit product to sport a power switch on the front. It will be available only in black and will introduce the Moffatt designed 'Extra Cheesy Crunch Wrap Quesadilla' filter.

Simultaneously, Jason will announce a new Loki Max w/ 18 adjustable frequency levels, and a balance control system consisting of discrete pots for left and right volume.** The knobs will be located at the back of the unit to minimize signal path and the inputs and output RCA connectors will be located at the front so folks can show-off their 'blingy yak hair' cables (which will soon be announced by Schiit). It is also reported that Schiit will eliminate the power switch in order to put the cabash on the front vs. back debate often seen in forums.

Wikileaks has also uncovered e-mails discussing an RF remote control based LED adjustment platform that includes of a pair of wireless glasses which can vary the level of color and/or of tint providing much-desired attenuation of brightness along with the ability to facilitate virtual LED color changes. This is at an early stage of development and is unlikely to be part of this announcement.

An A**x provided roadmap also shows a Modi-sized aluminum enclosure PC with a Jason Stoddard designed Schitty OS (Windows compatible) for use with JRiver Media Center. There is also mention of a tube-powered VU meter in a Fulla sized enclosure with separate L and R units required for stereo. According to the Wikileaks' deep-state mole, these are way down the line with no expected dates as of yet.

Of course, things are subject to change.

** That is a total of 20 pots and control knobs per system for the Loki Max, which explains why the lowly Loki Mini remains on backorder given the worldwide shortage of pots and knobs as required for mfg.

 

[Left Channel]

Question for you experienced audio folks. The speaker wire I am using has no connectors, just bare cable. Is there any advantage to banana plugs, spade connectors or pin connectors? Do they just make equipment easier to hookup? Also the speaker wire I have (14 gauge bought from Best buy 17 ish yrs ago) has a clear plastic core with which the wire is wrapped around. Is that snake oil, or does it have a legitimate use?

The plastic core in your speaker cable is for strength. It prevents tight bending and creasing that will eventually break the wires inside. End connectors are mostly for convenience. More and more speakers have banana plugs on them; those are the easiest, and best when frequently reaching around back to plug and unplug while testing various setups, but so far they've also stayed firmly in place long-term here. End connectors also prevent those stray strands of wire that are always trying to escape from shorting your terminals. Also they're often gold coated which prevents corrosion, and — most important for this crowd, apparently — offers the benefits of bling.

 

[JohnnyCanuck]

Hmmm. Bling.

JC

 

[OldRoadToad]

Well done. Welcome to Supremus status.
That and $5 will get you a decent coffee.

Or 3 Monsters at the local Circle K. Well...Plus tax and CRV.

ORT

 

[Ableza]

My opinion on speaker wire: use bare wire unless you are in the habit of making frequent speaker or amplifier swaps. Then banana plugs are convenient. Any wire 16 gauge or larger is fine.

 

[nerone]

My opinion on speaker wire: use bare wire unless you are in the habit of making frequent speaker or amplifier swaps. Then banana plugs are convenient. Any wire 16 gauge or larger is fine.

Aren’t some of them also useful to prevent oxidation?

 

[Ableza]

Aren’t some of them also useful to prevent oxidation?

Not by any practical measure, no. Plus they introduce an unnecessary transition that can actually introduce oxidation that otherwise would not be present.

 

[OldRoadToad]

The VN² is up and running with my Pioneer Elite CD/DVD single box player. The glow is heavenly and so the first CD I am playing is Johnny Mathis' "Heavenly". I am listening via the Monoprice M560s which are a relatively inexpensive pair of planar type 'phones. Later on I will (finally) try them with out the wood (!) cups and see how they do as open headphones.

Familiarity is a comfort to me and Mathis' voice is among my all time favorites. The VN² coupled with the M560s doth still my soul. Well, if I had a soul they would. As it is, I am nigh on weeping with the joy of Mathis' voice. Some people say that they want a "no strings attached" relation ship. For such as I, the only strings that matter seem to be the ones they avoid. Heart strings. Damn...His voice is so soothing to me.

Enough of me. It is dark and I am alone in my memories. Schiit indeed.


ORT​

 

[shultzee]

Question for you experienced audio folks. The speaker wire I am using has no connectors, just bare cable. Is there any advantage to banana plugs, spade connectors or pin connectors? Do they just make equipment easier to hookup? Also the speaker wire I have (14 gauge bought from Best buy 17 ish yrs ago) has a clear plastic core with which the wire is wrapped around. Is that snake oil, or does it have a legitimate use?

I read a speaker wire comparison awhile back. One of the cheaper bare wire won in blind testing lol. I use monoprice and its great for the price. https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=2747

 

[aamefford]

I like banana plugs if the binding posts accept them. I (sort of) like the pins for the cheap spring loaded connectors like on the old Polk and Pioneer low end speakers. Except when the pins are too large. Spade connectors always manage to annoy me. Maybe bare wire is best. I think I agree with @Ableza on this one. Looks like he and I are at 50% now. For whatever that might be worth to either of us........

 

[Rensek]

Thanks all, I'll just stick with bare wire, I only move the amp & speakers once every few years.