[yonson]

For me, Syn is awesome. For background it replaced an XMC-1 (after it replaced a number of AVRs over the years).
I wanted a a few outcomes:
- Centered dialogue
- "Ambient" surround, bring the soundstage forward and past the seating position
- Subwoofer output
- significant size savings as trying to build a system that takes a LOT less space, and had the XMC-1 and Freya+ running the stereo side of things, cables, space etc

The ability to run Syn in "stereo + extra" for music is a bonus. And I usually have it it in full process mode, providing a center and ambience for even 2 channel.
The sub channel is well judged, and rolls off sharply. I can easily integrate by ear.
The width control is great to focus center for movies, and for headphones provides that "crossfeed" effect without it being a crossfeed. Depending the material it's also a great tweak.

AFAICT it's transparent.

Everything Jason said in the chapter holds true for me

Chain for me is usually Node 2i > Bifrost 2 > Freya+ > Syn > Lokius > AMPS or Asgard 3
My Bluray/Apple TV feed audio into the Bluesound Optical inputs.

Wow, I don't know if I could get rid of my XMC-1 like that! Maybe once there is an Ultimate Syn (with XLR) for us that run 3 mono Vidar on their LCR...

 

[Ripper2860]

But, but, @bcowen would be so sad...

It was @bcowen that was trying to sell the lot of GE tubes.

 

[yonson]

Texas is the only state I’ve ever been to where I’ve heard people say, “it’s too hot out to use the swimming pool.”

Still, sounds like what I’d call a “high quality problem” when you’re coming from New York in February!

Having lived the majority of my life in TN, AL, MS, as well as NC,TX, and FL (but I had no pool there). In the middle of summer the water in the pools would be 90+ degrees and felt like bath water, it was not enjoyable.

 

[Paladin79]

Having lived the majority of my life in TN, AL, MS, as well as NC,TX, and FL (but I had no pool there). In the middle of summer the water in the pools would be 90+ degrees and felt like bath water, it was not enjoyable.

I love the weather where I am located, it will get hot in July and August but right now it is 50’s and low 60’s at night with the highest temp going to 81. (All in Fahrenheit). Gentle rains for the most part and my lawn and garden is doing great.

 

[RCBinTN]

Oh crap. I didn't know there were others with the 'impatient driving disorder' like me. I am willing to do just about anything for an extra 3 seconds on the road!

We see that sort of driving behavior every day around here. That's why driving has become a chore instead of a fun excursion. It's best to avoid the interstate highways at all cost.
OK back to the tube discussion.

 

[Paladin79]

We see that sort of driving behavior every day around here. That's why driving has become a chore instead of a fun excursion. It's best to avoid the interstate highways at all cost.
OK back to the tube discussion.

There was also discussion of the Syn, various turntables, motorcycles, etc. as well as Vali 3 related posts.
I do need to get busy mailing items to friends on here, all audio related.

 

[Moondog55]

Crank it up, Play it loud !

She's so unusual

 

[TheoFire]

As luck would have it my 2020 Rag 2 went poof, and while it makes the trip to California for repair I took advantage of the Rag 2 sale to get a “backup” amp. Knowing that the new transformer makes it better, I’m guessing the repaired Rag might be backup.

Glorious amp.

The biggest user facing difference I’ve seen… well… felt… is the volume knob. The original Rag 2 volume knob was some sort of milled aluminum, but the new knob seems like it might be powder coated, feels like the Magni 3+ knob. My hand misses the old knob.

Any chance it would be possible to get another of the original milled knob, maybe off a dead Rag, and replace the knob on the new Rag?

Maybe my hand will come to love the new knob as much as it loved the old knob? Who knows. Still sounds amazing.

If the feel of the knob is your complaint then you have a winner for sure.

 

[Jason Stoddard]

Texas is the only state I’ve ever been to where I’ve heard people say, “it’s too hot out to use the swimming pool.”

Still, sounds like what I’d call a “high quality problem” when you’re coming from New York in February!

Everything is relative. I'm originally from a comparatively hot part of California, where heat ranges from "hot as balls" to "hot as Satan's left testicle" for 4 months out of the year, not the perfect LA weather as portrayed in a lot of screen fantasies.

In Texas, it's more like "hot, HaB, or HaSLT" for 6 months out of the year, but it also needs to be qualified as, "well, I've never really seen it more than about 90 degrees at the house in CC, but that's a 5 minute walk from the gulf, and the ocean water is above 75 degrees for like 8 months out of the year, so hey, not so terrible, though inland it's going to be a lot worse, and Hill Country is different, as in it cools down a bit at night, but really not like in a dry desert area."

Bottom line if you're used to hot weather, you'll be fine. If you like snow and stuff, you won't be fine. I hate snow and despise cold, so I'm fine.

If you want a climate that's comfortable 12 months out of the year in the states discussed, in my experience that's going to be limited to a handful of California coastal cities (Carmel, Santa Barbara, etc), none of which non-trust-fund, non-tech-mogul humans can afford to live in.

Nothing is perfect. As long as you're happy where you are, all is good.

 

[Tbone289]

For those who are concerned with the lack of a sub level control on the Syn, I use one of these in the line from the Syn to the sub. Works beautifully. I run the sub a bit hot, and this usually at 12 o'clock. Very easy to tweak up or down.

https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-MONITOR1-BEHRINGER/dp/B0752XXRQH

I'm fine with no sub level, but my sub's gain is easy to access. I run it hot for TV & Movies, and reduce it to a flatter response for music.

The two things I mentioned in the Syn thread that I would request on an updated Syn 2:

• a switchable mode for two-channel with subwoofer only. I can achieve this by minimizing center and surround gains, but then have to reset the gain levels. I'm pretty much set-it-and-forget-it with gains on Syn otherwise.
• better positioning of the remote sensor so it's not blocked by the headphone plug when seated slightly off-center (minor quibble)

My Syn setup is TV or WiiM Pro>Bifrost 2>Syn>Denon AVR-1910>Polk Audio speakers (details in sig). The Denon is acting only as a 5.1 analog integrated amplifier and sounds much better than it ought to with the fairly efficient ~90dB Polks. I can turn center and surround channels off on the Denon to take care of quibble #1 above, but it's a convoluted trip through the onscreen menus.

 

[Ableza]

Everything is relative. I'm originally from a comparatively hot part of California, where heat ranges from "hot as balls" to "hot as Satan's left testicle" for 4 months out of the year, not the perfect LA weather as portrayed in a lot of screen fantasies.

In Texas, it's more like "hot, HaB, or HaSLT" for 6 months out of the year, but it also needs to be qualified as, "well, I've never really seen it more than about 90 degrees at the house in CC, but that's a 5 minute walk from the gulf, and the ocean water is above 75 degrees for like 8 months out of the year, so hey, not so terrible, though inland it's going to be a lot worse, and Hill Country is different, as in it cools down a bit at night, but really not like in a dry desert area."

Bottom line if you're used to hot weather, you'll be fine. If you like snow and stuff, you won't be fine. I hate snow and despise cold, so I'm fine.

If you want a climate that's comfortable 12 months out of the year in the states discussed, in my experience that's going to be limited to a handful of California coastal cities (Carmel, Santa Barbara, etc), none of which non-trust-fund, non-tech-mogul humans can afford to live in.

Nothing is perfect. As long as you're happy where you are, all is good.

I moved from the San Francisco Bay Area (where Twain's famous quote about the coldest winter he'd ever experienced being a summer in San Francisco is apt) to the Sonoran Desert Phoenix area precisely because I prefer "Hot as Satan's Left Testicle" (tm) most of the time. #itsadryheat Plus, selling the trust-fund-level CA property that was paid off after 30 years allowed me to buy in AZ with no mortgage, which is perfect for my impending serious retirement years.

 

[Les Strat]

Everything is relative. I'm originally from a comparatively hot part of California, where heat ranges from "hot as balls" to "hot as Satan's left testicle" for 4 months out of the year, not the perfect LA weather as portrayed in a lot of screen fantasies.

In Texas, it's more like "hot, HaB, or HaSLT" for 6 months out of the year, but it also needs to be qualified as, "well, I've never really seen it more than about 90 degrees at the house in CC, but that's a 5 minute walk from the gulf, and the ocean water is above 75 degrees for like 8 months out of the year, so hey, not so terrible, though inland it's going to be a lot worse, and Hill Country is different, as in it cools down a bit at night, but really not like in a dry desert area."

Bottom line if you're used to hot weather, you'll be fine. If you like snow and stuff, you won't be fine. I hate snow and despise cold, so I'm fine.

If you want a climate that's comfortable 12 months out of the year in the states discussed, in my experience that's going to be limited to a handful of California coastal cities (Carmel, Santa Barbara, etc), none of which non-trust-fund, non-tech-mogul humans can afford to live in.

Nothing is perfect. As long as you're happy where you are, all is good.

Nicely put Jason.

Personally, I hate the heat, so even a 'hot' summer in the UK is uncomfortable for me.

I visited a friend in Dallas, Texas last November and loved it; the locals were all complaining about the cold!

The only other US State I have visited was Florida, and each time that was in February

In the UK, the one constant for our weather at the moment is rain!!
Rainfall records are being broken almost on a monthly basis.

As you say Jason, nowhere is perfect, but I feel fortunate to live in a place where we are happy.

Not everyone is so fortunate.

 

[sam6550a]

And Texans.

And tourists.

 

[Senex49]

She's so unusual

Wow. No can find on Qobuz or even searching Apple Music. Weird.

 

[bcowen]

Having lived the majority of my life in TN, AL, MS, as well as NC,TX, and FL (but I had no pool there). In the middle of summer the water in the pools would be 90+ degrees and felt like bath water, it was not enjoyable.

I've spent most of my life in southern climates too, but spent a summer in central Wisconsin. My son was 4 at the time, and they actually had to heat the water at an outdoor water park in the middle of August or it was too cold for the kids to swim in. And not knocking WI....summers are awesome there, they just don't last very long.