[bosiemoncrieff]

Even in Hayes Valley, it's rare for studios to be much over 3k.

 

[Ableza]

Even in Hayes Valley, it's rare for studios to be much over 3k.

I know. I was being facetious.

 

[artur9]

Even in Hayes Valley, it's rare for studios to be much over 3k.

So, is there something like StudioPhile or The Absolute Space that only discusses ridiculously overpriced living areas like that?

 

[Ableza]

All I can say about California real estate and rental prices is: after living there for 35 years, when I sold my San Jose house and moved out of state my retirement portfolio looks very nice indeed.

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

You might've kept it as a rental. In 2017, real estate in San Jose accrued something like $68/hour in equity continuously. And it didn't even need to show up for work.

EDIT: Also, re websites: https://sf.curbed.com. One of their greatest hits: https://sf.curbed.com/2015/6/8/9952178/aggressively-mauve-alamo-square-victorian-demands-1-695m

 

[Ableza]

Yep. My old 1928 bungalow in Willow Glen has nearly doubled in value since I sold it in 2009. But I have no regrets. I've been mortgage-free since then so I like where I sit.

 

[artur9]

Those of you pining for a CD player, what do you think of NAD's recent announcement?

 

[Ron Scarboro]

Those of you pining for a CD player, what do you think of NAD's recent announcement?

I'd pass.

I'm sure I'm in the vast minority, but...
Skip the DAC, I'd want a transport only (prefer the Schiit DAC I have)
Universal Transport, add DVD, Blu-Ray and SACD capabilities.
- There must be some technical impediment to this. I have a Yamaha Blu-Ray player for playing CD's, DVD-A and SACD, I just don't use the video out. Having a CD only player doesn't make sense for me since I have other formats and would have to have another source for those formats.

FWIW, CD-RW seems really dead to me, given solid state storage prices.

My 2 cents, priced for value.

 

[NoahFence]

artur9 said: ↑
Those of you pining for a CD player, what do you think of NAD's recent announcement?

I share some of the reactions of Ron Scarboro,
I really would like the CD player to be able to play DVDs as well as, as I like to watch as well as listen to ballet and especially opera. BUT...it a'int gonna happen in the anticipated Schiit player as indeed different technologies and royalties are involved. (Thanks to some other head-fiers for helping educate me about this.) Also these other technologies include a sacrifice in sound quality.
One of the fascinating aspects of the potential CD player is tht Mike would like to incorporate his BWD approach (BWD, I think that's right bit-word-...) for better sound quality.
So for the universal player I keep my old one and a technician that can keep it in good repair.
With that old and not very expensive player I don't hear a difference between player and computer playback, but I am curious about what Schiit maigh come up with.

My 2 cents, and I like how Ron said it, "priced for value" NF

 

[Ableza]

Those of you pining for a CD player, what do you think of NAD's recent announcement?

Cool. Not something I'd buy, but cool.

 

[FLTWS]

Cool. Not something I'd buy, but cool.

Agreed, I've always suggested NAD products to my friends who are not audiophiles by any stretch of the meaning of the word.
But I'd still like a Schitt Spinner for CD's. If a CD only transport allows for a quieter more reliable mechanism and better performance at a lower price that's what I want (along with AES out).
I expect my current Oppo to outlive me for other digital disc needs.

 

[fianbarr]

I actually recently bought a NAD C516BEE CD player, and have it connected to my DAC via RCA/Coax. It might not be the last word in hi-fi. But for the price it produces great sound to me (and no playback noise).

I also firmly believe that audio components should be matched in price/quality. So most (if not all) CD transports are way overkill for my system. As the single most expensive component in my audio chain is the Valhalla 2.

 

[ScubaMan2017]

I'd pass.

I'm sure I'm in the vast minority, but...
Skip the DAC, I'd want a transport only (prefer the Schiit DAC I have)
Universal Transport, add DVD, Blu-Ray and SACD capabilities.
- There must be some technical impediment to this. I have a Yamaha Blu-Ray player for playing CD's, DVD-A and SACD, I just don't use the video out. Having a CD only player doesn't make sense for me since I have other formats and would have to have another source for those formats.

FWIW, CD-RW seems really dead to me, given solid state storage prices.

My 2 cents, priced for value.

Huh. I just assumed a CD transport will have all the electronics like the CD players we had in the 1990s. And you're right, @Ron Scarboro , my Modi Multibit has all the DAC I want. Okay, NOW I understand what the next Schiit product could be:

• A modular disc spinner.
• A laser reader that can decode multiple AV formats.
• Outputs that allow me to pipe the raw digital signal into whatever I want (in my case either a PC-linked-Modi... or hell, it can plug directly into my Modi [that would add a lot of portability]).
• I could finally re-listen to the banker boxes full of CDs in my closet. Or hell, set up a listening nook away from my computer and home office.

That WOULD be disruptive to the market. Nice.

 

[mbritt]

Huh. I just assumed a CD transport will have all the electronics like the CD players we had in the 1990s. And you're right, @Ron Scarboro , my Modi Multibit has all the DAC I want. Okay, NOW I understand what the next Schiit product could be:

• A modular disc spinner.
• A laser reader that can decode multiple AV formats.
• Outputs that allow me to pipe the raw digital signal into whatever I want (in my case either a PC-linked-Modi... or hell, it can plug directly into my Modi [that would add a lot of portability]).
• I could finally re-listen to the banker boxes full of CDs in my closet. Or hell, set up a listening nook away from my computer and home office.

That WOULD be disruptive to the market. Nice.

For those of you who think Mike wouldn't make a universal or multiple format disc player check out this article from Sterophile in 1991:

Finding himself by "chance" without a CD transport at home one night, Theta Digital designer Mike Moffat (footnote 1) borrowed a videodisc player from his video system and hooked its digital audio output to a digital processor. His "observation" was that it sounded better than the high-end CD transport he had been using. Being a designer of D/A converters and having a "prepared mind," he began looking into the mechanics of videodisc players to find out why they might sound better than his high-end CD transport. The result of this fortuitous confluence—the "favor"—is the Theta Data transport reviewed here.

As I said before, I would love a small high quality CD player with a Schiit Multibit DAC in it. Something similar to the TEAC PD-501HR - only Schiitier

I also wouldn't mind being able to play SACDs and DVD A discs but I'd still go for a CD only transport that sounded amazing and that would work as a DAC for other sources like my ALLO DigiOne and Tivo box.

Speaking of Tivo boxes, I know that Schiit doesn't want to get into licensing a bunch of competing home theater sound formats but the world is moving to streaming and having a DAC capable of handling movie dialog would be very useful to a lot of people who's primary viewing is on computers or who want to upgrade audio in their older/limited home theater set ups. Either a simple Dolby Digital decoder (good for Tivo, Netflix, Amazon, Cable boxes) or a PCM stereo implementation that would favor dialog. It could either enhance dialog in 2 channel (like Zvox sound bars) or possibly send it as a third "stereo" channel to a center channel speaker like when using the multichannel stereo setting on HT receivers only designed for dialog. I can't believe that no one makes a 3.1 system capable of this. Like most of the general public, I don't care about Atmos nor do I have wires running to surround speakers in my current set up. I have a 7.1 Marantz that is fine for 3.1 but is both technological overkill and stereo under-kill. Good 2 channel systems can smoke home theater processors in the same price range and often of higher prices. Also, streaming movie soundtracks need help. They are compressed and not nearly as good as what you hear on a Blu-ray but I haven't bought or rented a physical movie disc in over 4 years and recently ditched my Blu-ray player instead of having it repaired when it stopped working.

This is definitely an area ripe for disruption when you factor in the growing number of people streaming movies (40% of households with internet) and the shrinking number of full blown home theater systems or Blu-ray movies being sold.

I don't know if a do-it-all CD player, multibit DAC, streaming dialog enhancer is the right product for Schiit but it would be a killer device. I'd put it between my sources and the home theater receiver and just use the receiver as an amp until it's time to replace it with a freestanding amp like the Ragnarok or even better 3 Vidars (L,R and Center).

 

[Rensek]

Wouldn't the digital out on your TV, DVD/Blu Ray/Xbox/PlayStation match up seamlessly with your Schiit DAC? I've been piping my media audio from optical out to the optical in on my 2 channel system for the past 20 years. I could be missing something, but my system sounds much better then the newer home theater systems my friend and family overpaid for.