[bcowen]

Horses for courses!

If you get the chance, try some of Herbies GrungeBuster material between your component and the pointy things. The GrungeBuster still allows the pointy thing to do its stuff, but attenuates tonal colorations that some cones can impart. It's a completely different animal than Sorbothane, I promise!

In my DIY footers, I would try different woods and metals to "tune" the footers sound for each component. After adding the GrungeBuster material to the mix, tuning was no longer needed, and I was able to simplify the construction. The GrungeBuster material also stops things from sliding around, even Black Diamond Racing Cones!

I'll have to share some images of my DIY footers when I'm feeling brave.

I've used the Tenderfeet with good success as well, but have never tried the Grungebusters. I'll give them a try.

Please do post some photos. I find this all quite interesting.

 

[bcowen]

Well yesterday was a happy day. FedEx dropped off my Gumby, Freya S & Vidar. Took me almost 20 minutes to get everything unboxed and set up.
I've only got about 3 hours of listening in but I'm very impressed! I know it won't surprise any of you but the jump in SQ going from a Sony AVR to the Schiit stack is anything but subtle. Even though the AVR has 50% more watts/channel, the Vidar sounds like a much more powerful amp. The control over the mid-low bass is fantastic and the etched and grainy treble is long gone. I installed everything without the Loki and I may leave it out as I don't feel like I need it any longer.

I'm very, very happy with the setup and wish I hadn't waited so long to pull the trigger. Now, back to listening!

Slacker. I would have had that done before the FedEx person got back to the truck.

 

[Roy G. Biv]

Slacker. I would have had that done before the FedEx person got back to the truck.

I'm guessing you won't be impressed by my 19 minute unboxing video that I would never consider making that I'll be posting to utoob later.

 

[valiant66]

I'm guessing you won't be impressed by my 19 minute unboxing video that I would never consider making that I'll be posting to utoob later.

Lol!
.

 

[Balthazar B]

This article describes what I think is happening. Because the original story is not interesting enough...

https://www.primetimer.com/item/Foundation-has-suddenly-turned-into-Star-Wars-BRSBJd

From the article:

[The Foundation trilogy books are] about math and science and a 1,000-year attempt to save and rebuild civilization after its collapse. That is why Foundation has so often been referred to as unfilmable...

Not sure what you meant by "the original story", but "not interesting enough" wouldn't be a phrase I'd use. Of course, it's a fascinating work for people who find math and science -- as well as history and culture -- and books like, say, Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid interesting. I can imagine Asimov looking at the Apple junk and channeling Nora Desmond saying (speaking for the trilogy), "I am big. It's the pictures that got small." I guess I can imagine a deft hand bringing the Foundation trilogy to the screen, but a couple of points:

• It would have to be a labor of love and require at least one film per book. If they took the approach the film makers of Apollo 13 did -- like Foundation in microcosm, a story heavily founded on principles of math and science, but ultimately about challenges and finding the one route to survival. Apollo 13 took what would have put most people to sleep, built characters an audience could care about, and make a successful movie. Now just expand that to the survival of the human race, with some key characters overcoming obstacles against terrific odds, and it just might work for an audience (though perhaps not the audience who regard Scooby-Doo as high art).
• But then one must ask why anyone should go to the trouble in the first place, when the books are there to be read. Frankly, I'd ask the same question about bringing Dune to the screen. Not sure there's any way to do it justice. But I wouldn't mind a film inspired thematically by Dune, that works within the constraints of a motion picture, and doesn't attempt to recreate the experience of reading the book. Especially that particular book (or set of books, I suppose).

 

[valiant66]

Well this morning BestBuy installed a 77" LG C1 and Denon Receiver. Then we hopped on a plane. Intial results are very impressive EXCEPT for the damn thing is so selective that the window is clearly visible.

I shall work on it when we return.

I've had an 80" screen and HD projector for ages now. (Just checked - 2196 hrs.) I recently upgraded to a "more channels" 9.2 Denon. It's 4k compliant but I don't have 4k sources (yet). My goal is a 5.2.4 setup - so far I'm at 5.1.2. My approach has always been sound first -- in my experience good sound with a mediocre picture trumps a great picture with crappy sound.

So next comes a 4k streamer, a 4k spinner, and a 4k projector - about CAD$2k. Plus a matching set of 4 ceiling speakers so I can put my LS3/5As back in the office and reunite them with my Schiit. I'll count myself lucky if I can add 4 appropriate speakers for less than $1k.

Living in a modest condo, I can't afford a dedicated HT room, but I have the ability to make my living room multi-functional.

Someone earlier kindly posted a link to this combination amp/speaker switcher (and -- ORT Alert! -- VU meters) with remote https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B096KLDMCV/ which I would also like to add so I can switch easily between an analogue rig and the digital Denon.

Timing vs income means I'll be keeping a close eye on Black Friday sales, and must exercise patience.
.

 

[bcowen]

I'm guessing you won't be impressed by my 19 minute unboxing video that I would never consider making that I'll be posting to utoob later.

I just finished watching a video of paint drying, so no. Enough excitement for one day.

 

[Plautus001]

This article describes what I think is happening. Because the original story is not interesting enough...

https://www.primetimer.com/item/Foundation-has-suddenly-turned-into-Star-Wars-BRSBJd

Wasn't Star Wars partly based on Foundation?

 

[tincanear]

Good eye! Big Baby Booties to be exact.

no tube dampers on the Lyr HP or main amp / speaker rig???

 

[Tarkus1984]

Hey guys, I have a small issue with my Freya S and I would appreciate your advice. I recently added it to my system, which consists of all-Schiit products - Bifrost 2, Mani, Vidar, Asgard 3, Loki mini.

Everything is working just great and I’m loving the sound, except for a small detail I noticed a few days ago. I’m getting a slight but noticeable hum coming from the left channel when no signal is coming in. I’ve done sufficient testing to isolate it to the Freya S. I’ve tried changing interconnects, power outlets, testing other speakers, speaker wire, etc, I finally swapped the Freya S for a SYS and an Asgard (using it as a preamp) and the hum goes away. I put it back in the chain and the hum comes back. When swapping the L and R interconnects between each other, the hum goes to the right channel meaning it’s definitely an issue with the L out. This happens when using the single ended outputs and the hum occurs only on the left channel in both single ended outs. I haven’t tried the balanced outs as I don’t have xlr cables at the moment.

FWIW, the hum is only noticeable when you put your ear a few inches away from the driver, but it’s there. When music is playing, the hum is not noticeable and doesn’t increase when I turn the volume knob up.

I’m considering my options which are basically contacting Schiit and sending it for repair or just living with it. As I live outside of the US, I’m not sure if sending it back would be more of a hassle than just accepting and dealing with the hum.

On the other hand, although it’s by no means a super expensive piece of gear, I would expect it not to show these types of issues, especially since none of my other Schiit components have given me any problems so far.

I would appreciate your inputs as for how common this type of issue is, whether it could cause any harm to either the vidar or to my speakers in the long run and if it would be worth considering sending it back to have it checked at Schiit.

Thanks for your time!

 

[Zojokkeli]

Well this morning BestBuy installed a 77" LG C1 and Denon Receiver. Then we hopped on a plane. Intial results are very impressive EXCEPT for the damn thing is so selective that the window is clearly visible.

I shall work on it when we return.

Nice. I’m planning to upgrade my 5,5 years old 55” OLED TV to a 77” B1/C1/G1 on black friday if there are any good deals.

Don’t have a dedicated home theater room and my living room isn’t very multichannel friendly, unless placing surround speakers to the ceiling is a viable solution.

 

[tincanear]

Hey guys, I have a small issue with my Freya S and I would appreciate your advice. I recently added it to my system, which consists of all-Schiit products - Bifrost 2, Mani, Vidar, Asgard 3, Loki mini.

...

I would appreciate your inputs as for how common this type of issue is, whether it could cause any harm to either the vidar or to my speakers in the long run and if it would be worth considering sending it back to have it checked at Schiit.

Thanks for your time!

hum that can only be heard with the ear a few inches from the speaker driver shouldn't damage anything.

try the following tests:
1. connect up everything normally (left channel inputs to left channel outs, etc.). power up everything, turn Freya S volume down, and change the gain mode between passive, 1x, and 4x. does hum level / sound characteristics change?

1a. change inputs to the Freya S (between bifrost 2 and mani) with volume still turned down. does hum level / sound characteristics change?

1b. if the hum is present only when bifrost 2 is selected from Freya S, then you might consider trying an XLR connection between Bifrost and Freya S (note that this will increase the volume sensitivity vs using the SE RCA connection)

2. Power down the Vidar and just swap the RCA plugs at the input of the vidar (Freya S left out to left interconnect to right rca jack of Vidar, Freya S right out to right interconnect to left rca jack of vidar) and power Vidar back up. is hum on right or left speaker?

3. if Vidar is located close to the Freya S, bifrost 2, mani, etc. try connecting all devices to a single multi-outlet strip so that only one wall outlet supplies power to all the devices.

4. where is the loki mini located (what is it stacked on top of) and how is it connected (e.g. between freya S out and Vidar or between Bifrost and Freya)?

 

[bcowen]

no tube dampers on the Lyr HP or main amp / speaker rig???

Nope. I've tried a few different types and none of them improved anything to my ears (and the silicone ring type actually made things sound worse).

 

[Paladin79]

Wasn't Star Wars partly based on Foundation?

Star Wars and many other works were influenced by Foundation but...


"It's a brilliantly unconventional angle for a galaxy-spanning sci-fi adventure, but George Lucas, the writer-director of Star Wars, didn't have to think too hard to come up with it. As he has often acknowledged, he simply borrowed the idea from Akira Kurosawa's 1958 samurai classic, The Hidden Fortress"


Here is a favorite video about stories. Vonnegut in a local lecture did not describe himself as a science fiction writer, some had elements of fantasy.



And a longer version when he was older..

 

[FLTWS]

I won't call the super hero films crap. I enjoyed the first Michael Keaton Batman, Christian Bale's Batman was too long, but a good movie. The first Ironman was fun, as was the first X-Men. I've seen a couple early Marvel universe films. By the time Captain America came out, I was done with super heroes. The problem for me is, after the creation story is over, super hero movies devolve into meet the bad guy, see the bad things he does, enter the super hero, watch them fight, see the super hero win. It can't be any other way, really, but it makes for boring story telling to me, since I've seen the story.

Yes, the first of these series are excellent, Bale's "Batman" origin story was perfect and had an excellent film score, and Keaton's Batman was the perfect foil to Adam West's characterization. The first "Iron Man", the first of the "Thor" series, the first "Captain America" and a few others, but the sequels just didn't stand up to my scrutiny and introduced too many characters (with the Marvel Universe releases) on each side of the good versus bad divide. But the money machine insures that box office successes will automatically get at least a series of three. I saw "Jungle Cruise" the 1st week it played, lots of fun and I do like the Rocks unpretentious approach to the roles he plays. A few days after Disney is announcing they will do a "Jungle Cruise II", probably no script but they want to keep the public engaged. The sad part is there are some great performances turned in by many actors/actresses in some weak or uninteresting, follow on story lines. Especially with the super hero/heroine mash ups with so many (too many in my opinion) super hero characters.

The "Star Wars" series. Luv'd the first 3 released, very disappointed in the second 3 released, and the final 3 were okay by me. I was in for a penny. in for a pound. 1977 to 2015, a 38 year investment in time waiting between releases. I don't care what they spin off now, I'm done with the "Star Wars" franchise.

No problem with LOTR or the Hobbit films. Thoroughly enjoyed reading the books in my youth and felt the films were a more than decent representation given the difficulties of translating books to movies.

But that's just me.