Schiit Happened: The Story of the World's Most Improbable Start-Up

[Varejao17]

@Jason Stoddard - a Freya+ feature request: I’ve been using it for several months now and love it - sounds great.

What I suggest is to allow the 5 second delay that currently exists when switching the output option to also apply at startup - that is, when first powering the unit on, allow the user to switch the output option prior to starting the tube warmup sequence.

I use the tube mode for music listening, but often switch to solid state for movies. It would be nice when turning the unit on for movie watching to not have to wait for the tube warmup sequence to finish before simply changing to the solid state buffer (and thus also saving a warmup cycle on the tubes).

If there’s a technical reason why this wouldn’t work (like the unit needs time to boot before the switch could even become active) then never mind.

ed

 

[FLTWS]

I'm not sure if I should look forward to this or have all my mail held at the Post Office. LOL!!

I can tell you, leather, nylon, and wool will spark.

 

[FLTWS]

Although I am partial to magic crystals (and purple), there is -- IMO -- validity to potential interference from static electricity (which I assume the cotton minimizes). I'll admit this here and then run and hide for a while, but I *did* use some cable lifters under the speaker cables in my previous house. No, not the portable negative ion eaters from Furutech, just some lifters made of ceramic that looked better than the empty tube boxes I first experimented with, had a little cradle to keep the cable in place, and IIRC were like $79 for a dozen of them. Getting the cables off the floor made a difference at that house which had wall-to-wall carpeting on a concrete pad subfloor. Not night and day, not huge, but noticeable. I didn't attempt to understand or explain it, I just heard it. My current house has suspended hardwood floors. Tried those same lifters here in the big rig, and I couldn't hear one bit of difference, even though I was expecting to. Nothing. So although my 2 data points are hardly worthy from any scientific standpoint, the static thing does make sense to me as it very likely existed at some level on the carpet, but obviously doesn't stand much of a chance on hardwood.

I'm still going to get 4 or 5 of those Furutech thingies to put under my headphone cable though. I figure if I lay my head on the table while listening, not only can I keep the cable level but I can watch the negative ions being eaten. May need to add a pillow for comfort. Just need to find out what the refueling interval and cost is first.

I use 4 of those ceramic stands behind my home theater install. With AC cables for my TV, 5.1 surround receiver, fios box, Oppo 105D, voltage regulator, and powered FM antenna spread all over the floor I felt it would make sense to raise the very large diameter and heavy weight bi-wire speaker cables for my Sonus fabers and Speak-on connector wiring for the REL subs up a bit so they aren't laying directly on top of all that AC that is all most likely un-shielded. They are nice and heavy (and relatively small) so they don't tip but the top groove is just too shallow, used a little masking tape to secure the cables to the risers. PITA if I got to make any adjustments but nobody ever said being and audio/videophile would be easy. (Edit: and I forgot, I've got a 3rd layer of 6 HDMI cables above the speaker cabling but they sort of suspend themselves so it was just a matter of tying them together with velcro strips to keep them suspended and away from the speaker cabling - not that I'm sure there would be any interference.) I looked at a lot of options instead but these were only $20.00 each and every thing optional I saw would be flopping over every time I play with speaker placement. And those Furutech's look like they won't fit the bill for me at any price.

The ones I use remind me a bit of some styles of glass insulators used with wiring on telephone poles back in the 50's and 60's.

Do things sound and look better on my plasma monitor? Don't know, but no noise in my sound or visual issues on my TV screen.

 

[Ableza]

From Furutech website
"... NCF features a special crystalline material that has two ‘active’ properties. First, it generates negative ions that eliminate static. Second, it converts thermal energy into far infrared ..."

In other words, "Blah, blah, blah, magical properties from vaguely science-sounding words, blah, blah, snake oil."

 

[bcowen]

I use 4 of those ceramic stands behind my home theater install. With AC cables for my TV, 5.1 surround receiver, fios box, Oppo 105D, voltage regulator, and powered FM antenna spread all over the floor I felt it would make sense to raise the very large diameter and heavy weight bi-wire speaker cables for my Sonus fabers and Speak-on connector wiring for the REL subs up a bit so they aren't laying directly on top of all that AC that is all most likely un-shielded. They are nice and heavy (and relatively small) so they don't tip but the top groove is just too shallow, used a little masking tape to secure the cables to the risers. PITA if I got to make any adjustments but nobody ever said being and audio/videophile would be easy. I looked at a lot of options instead but these were only $20.00 each and every thing optional I saw would be flopping over every time I play with speaker placement. And those Furutech's look like they won't fit the bill for me at any price.

The ones I use remind me a bit of some styles of glass insulators used with wiring on telephone poles back in the 50's and 60's.

Do things sound and look better on my plasma monitor? Don't know, but no noise in my sound or visual issues on my TV screen.

Like these? These are very similar to what I have (minus the logo sticker), although I got mine probably 20 years ago and the price was quite a bit less.

As long as you had that masking tape cryo treated you should be fine. Seriously, it makes total sense to me to get some separation between signal and power cables with whatever method fits the situation best.

 

[FLTWS]

Like these? These are very similar to what I have (minus the logo sticker), although I got mine probably 20 years ago and the price was quite a bit less.

As long as you had that masking tape cryo treated you should be fine. Seriously, it makes total sense to me to get some separation between signal and power cables with whatever method fits the situation best.

Exactly the same, got a box of 4 for $70.00 from Music Direct. Late last year or early this year in anticipation of putting together a 2 channel system to shoe horn into my living room.

 

[yonson]

I do not recall the gentleman who told me about it but I did try to give credit where due, it was not something I came up with myself. It was a good temporary way to join the cables till I figure out my final layout. Originally I was going to have my AC outlets under the bottom of my large rack but it is so much more handy at the top since some equipment will be static and the dynamic parts will be on the top shelf anyway.

From @bcowen I learned a nice way to label cables and about a 3M adhesive product I had not used before. It is not often but once in a great while Bill can actually be helpful.

Yeah, I'm not claiming ownership either, I learned it working on race cars, where they had been doing it for ages. I like how quick, easy and inexpensive it is to bundle cables like that, plus you can even get creative by using different color ties...

 

[yonson]

Like these? These are very similar to what I have (minus the logo sticker), although I got mine probably 20 years ago and the price was quite a bit less.

As long as you had that masking tape cryo treated you should be fine. Seriously, it makes total sense to me to get some separation between signal and power cables with whatever method fits the situation best.

I've never tried risers, and do admit that they could help clean up an install, however I've had decent results with only letting power and interconnects/speaker cables cross at 90 degree angles, and not run them too closely together if they do need to run parallel to each other.

 

[bcowen]

...plus you can even get creative by using different color ties...

Purple, even?

 

[Paladin79]

Purple, even?

I believe Darthpool has the color purple copyrited, I only use it with special permission.

 

[Bazile]

Mike and Jason were years ahead of this discussion. When you turn your gear around to look at all these pretty cables, Voila, the power switch is in the front!

 

[bcowen]

Mike and Jason were years ahead of this discussion. When you turn your gear around to look at all these pretty cables, Voila, the power switch is in the front!

ROFL!!

 

[bcowen]

I believe Darthpool has the color purple copyrited, I only use it with special permission.

So we're talking royalties then? Crap. I guess I like green better now.

 

[Paladin79]

So we're talking royalties then? Crap. I guess I like green better now.

good plan

So anyway on carpeted floors the cable risers might help. Personally I use star quad that is well shielded and 11 AWG so in conducted tests we could not tell a lot of difference.

 

[Ripper2860]

Given the price of some of the cables and associated cable do-dads, it's sometimes cheaper just to rip up the carpet and put in hardwood floors.