Bubo

IF I WERE BUILDING A HOME FOR ME........ Anything that is easy to change later, who cares - Kitchen appliances, carpet, counter tops, any of the finishing materials. - I would rather have a temp kitchen for a year aka stove, fridge metal shelves and a table, and come back later with the easy to install high dollar kitchen Anything that is costly or near impossible to change later, over do it. - The Foundations and footings are impossible to change later. 8ft vs 9ft, extra wide and thick footer with extra gravel. Lots of re-bar in footers and foundation walls, and lots of gravel. More gravel. - Floor Joists are impossible to change later 2x10 vs 2x12 & or laminated - Steel beams in the basement so the ground floor is rock solid, as many as possible while preserving head room. - Wall Studs are impossible to change later 2x4 vs 2x6. 2x6 min, I would look at 2x8x10 ground floor insulated, with 2x6x9 or 2x8x9-10 second floor. -Attic floor that is load bearing with 3/4 plywood floor with gaps for air movement cut into 2ft wide 8ft long strips, gaps between them for air movement 1/4 in. Staircase to attic, door at the bottom, trap door on counter weight at the top. Gable vents with windows on one end, windows and a low rpm exhaust far with louvered doors on the other end flanked by 2 windows, fan might be 3-4ft square with cage and 1/2 horse low rpm motor and pullies. sp. Thermostat for fan plus bypass switch. - Roof overhang of 1-2 ft all the way around, oversized, steep pitch gutters and downspouts all the way around to shed the rain as fast as possible. If possible run the gutters underground in PVC to a lower area in the yard preferably a hill or swail leading to a drain, sump should never run. Builders and gutter installer will install level if you don't watch them like a Hawk, install the plastic leaf guards with the little round holes when you build. Alternative, large underground cistern that can be used for gardening, watering the lawn, filling a pool and drinking if needed, and a plan for maintenance and use. If cistern, this gets into roof materials and other materials to ensure potable water. - Extra gravel in the trenches for the water pipes and sewage lines to the street, dirt cheap up front, $10K later if you are lucky. - Conduit for the electrical so wires can be pulled or added later - One Over Code on everything down to the nails, the Code is the minimum acceptable usually written by large builders shaving pennies. + $2-3K per house. Better door knobs etc everything. Fewer doors allows for much higher quality doors and hardware, perhaps wide commercial grade. - High Quality low maintenance windows, laminated triple pane with gas, dead silent. - Basement, open plan, sealed and painted 100%, plenty of lighting and electric with 3 way switches. 9-10ft ceilings, 2-4ft above grade. Walk out basement door, staircase covered with a steel trap door works great, wide enough to easily bring appliances, materials and a furnace in and out. Covered staircase with a regular extra wide door is the ultimate. Full size treads not too steep. Cement foundation wall for stairs 1-2 ft above grade so it doesn't become a drain. New forms so basement walls are perfectly smooth on the inside, have the builder smooth the wall with thin set where needed, which should be minimal with new forms installed properly, 2 coats of penetrating water proof and a coat of high gloss bright white cement paint all the way around -Floors painted with porch paint, battleship grey is my fav.. Outside of foundation, double drain tiles, double gravel, 2 coats of tar sealer on walls, lots of gravel. More gravel. Top of foundation must be perfect, smooth and level and 2 layers of top insulation inspected, I have seen plenty of million dollar houses on my street where the wind blows through the gap and you can see light. South side of basement with walk out escape windows metal grates on top, vent windows on one other side Load bearing second floor walls must have iron directly under them in the basement. Hook-ups for washer and dryer, and if drainage allows, a full large bathroom with exhaust vent and window. High quality chimney for wood or coal burning stove. Plan and hook-ups for a full kitchen inc vent and exhaust fan. If in a cold area, have the Chimney installed for a wood burning stove with better quality vent pipes with built in clean outs. Something a lot of people wish they had right now. Same on the ground floor. - Attached or unattached garage, this space is low cost by comparison. This space is dirt cheap and very useful. Preferably attached, direct or 2 floor breezeway-mud room, independent heat and AC so it could be finished for a very large family room-home theater, that could be left on 50 degrees when not in use winter etc. 2nd floor independent heat and AC. No water allowed in this space. 2nd floor and ground floor chimneys for wood burning stoves built in. The garage would be 5 cars wide, 5-10ft extra deep, 30ft. 2x6-8 construction, with 2 iron beams running entire length to stiffen second floor. Insulated and finished with drywall, doors with weather seals independent heater, exhaust fan, for ground floor elec, outlets all the way around 36-40 in above the floor, preferably conduit run outside of the drywall for access, low cost easy maintenance etc. have a staircase up to an unfinished second floor with windows and electric that can have a door and be finished later if desired.. Wall to ceiling 2x6 shelves built in across the entire back long wall with electrical outlets and a 3ft deep work bench made from 2x6 the entire length of a second wall a short wall. A rear exit from the garage to the back, maybe double door or a small garage door or french doors with easy access for a riding mower. A break in the shelves where the door is located. the shelves will use all of the wood used for braces, etc plus some new ones to minimize scrap. Top of shelves attached to second floor to stiffen the structures and support weight above. Iron down the center the entire length to stiffen the second floor and make it load bearing. Make a space for an extra large fridge and large upright freezer in the plans and wire it 10ft wide. - House should be 2x6x9 or 10ft tall studs, both floors. - Ground floor Open Space Plan large entryway walk in closet and large full bathroom with hook-ups for washer and dryer. entering into open space kitchen-LR designed for Stereo and theater with wood stove on a side wall with a cook top, doors offset so all speakers have good corners. Builders and architects love lots of small rooms to drive up the cost of design and construction. Open floor plans are low cost regardless of materials. For damping, wood plank floors entire open space, hard pine or oak planed on site and screwed in with plugs for holes over 3/4 plywood. If builder agrees, oil the planks before installation no urethane I hate it. I would do large crown molding all the way around every room. Open floor may require some 8x8 beams on the first floor, I would oil them. Would have to tie into basement with pillars of some kind inc 10x10 cement pillars in basement with wood pillars bolted on, that run up to beams supporting second floor. Like a post and beam construction. Could also be iron with wood boxes for the ground floor pillars aka vertical I-beams. Extra wide staircases double center bracing, mid point landing, wide senior treads and design, rails on both sides. The life you save may be your own. - I would take half of the second floor for the Master bedroom, and design it for a great stereo and an office corner with a window and desk and walk in lockable closet for the files etc. Reinforced walls and door. 2nd floor should have dedicated heat and AC system, possibly the independent AC systems per bedroom. Leave the house on 72-78 when you go to bed and chill the MBR to 68-70 at night. - Wire the house every room with Ethernet Cat 6 and cable RG6 high quality Belden pure copper. - Electrical connections and pre wiring for a whole house 100% generator and pad far from street, add the generator later if budget with NG, LPG back up, Cummings seems to be the best. If you want some solar, I would put it on the ground in the rear of the house off street out of sight. -Plumbing Single water pipe vertical feeding 3 bathrooms stacked like pancakes, single sewage pipe back down Kitchen hookups as close as possible to bathroom all pipes use inside walls, no outside walls to prevent freezing If kitchen has to have window sink, run the pipes inside of the cabinet, so they don't freeze. vent the cabinet so it gets heat. Architects and builders love 50ft plumbing runs across the house, it's expensive. 4 Chicago area houses, I had to tear out the plumbing and re-route to inside walls because of freezing due to bad original but typical lazy design work. If tile, use durarock and thin-set all the way around. Builders love green drywall, it doesn't fail until after the warranty has expired. - Chimneys, like the bathrooms, I would stack the wood stoves, and furnaces, and run an outside box on the back to accommodate 4-5 chimneys. If masonry, then have a crane install single stainless exhaust pipes up to 40ft long, and fill the gaps with the chimney mix of cement. - Basement option to get to 9-10 feet tall 6-7 ft of basement below grade and 3-4ft above grade above grade can be a knee wall made of 2x12x3-4, which the ground floor rests on top of. This wall can easily be insulated and finished on the outside. For all of the wood contacting cement and the casing must be treated green wood. On million dollar houses, I saw builders use the lowest quality 2x4s for load bearing, if they can shave a penny you can't see, they will. The driver from the lumber yard was stunned at the garbage wood they used to frame the houses, his much less expensive township in a different county was much stricter on quality. - Driveway, If Budget, I would go stone with calcite sp or quartz until I had cash to pave which may be never if I like the stone.

My two cents Clean the barrier strips off inside and out, brass brush etc Chrome polish is fine too but sprays all over with a toothbrush so take the terminal strips off and do it in the sink both sides Check the inside speaker wires for dry rot replace as necessary Amp to speaker cables, 16GA Lamp Cord is fine. Get some inexpensive crimp connector spades that fit into the terminal strip Hardware store $5 gets a large pack, get the multi pack if your not sure of size Crimp the wire and solder it on the spades I started pulling off the plastic connectors with needle nose plyers and using shrink wrap instead, one black one red I just got some solder banana plugs from Parts Express I am going to try out Why solder, so I don't blow up my speakers with a lose wire that was avoidable, better connection etc. I got stuck in the boonies on my motorcycle years ago the next Saturday I spent hours soldering every crimp connector I could get to If you don't know how to solder, this is your opportunity to learn or get a friend to help or ask the repair shop you use if they will do it for you if your drop the wire and parts off, it will take them only a few minutes since that is all they do all day, solder and de solder. May do it while you wait, don't ask.

Are you planning 5.0, 3.0 ? Looking at the specs, 100W per ch RMS seems like a mandatory Do you care if it's class D, or AB etc ? What is special about this, and how long has it been around ?

AD ASTRA Watched it last night Would have been great visuals on the big screen Sound was good quality Agree story line could have been better, esp minus the tropes Maybe they will re release with ET picking Dad up just as he floats off.......

In reading the supplier comments It reminded me that my grandfather made his own knives from spring steel and industrial saw blades that were being replaced All with wood riveted handles, great knives I often what happened to them. My friend who's father was a machinist, had done the same thing. DIY KNIFE MAKING SUPPLIES INC STEEL https://www.alphaknifesupply.com/shop/1095-carbon-steel 1095 Steel product info One of the best ways to make excellent knives is to use repeatable and reliable processes and materials. 1095 does not meet this criteria. The problem is the specifications are too loose. The composition shown above is for this specific batch of steel. Here is the standard specification for 1095: We do not disclose the mill where this alloy is made. The mill is located in Europe and has very tight tolerances for alloys they produce. Carbon: 0.950 - 1.050 Chromium: 0.000 - 0.400 Manganese: 0.300 - 0.600 Molybdenum: 0.000 - 0.100 Nickel: 0.000 - 0.400 Phosphorus: 0.000 - 0.025 Silicon: 0.150 - 0.350 Sulfur: 0.000 - 0.025 There are five elements where the acceptable percentage ranges from 0.000% to a maximum of .400%. This is a ridiculous amount of variation. Loose tolerances is the primary reason why we previously chose not to stock 1095 for years. To get around the problem of loose tolerances we purchased several thousand pounds of 1095 from the same melt. This means you can buy 1095 from us and it will be repeatable and reliable when heat treating. New Knifemakers I’ve heard many beginning knifemakers say 1095 and O1 are the best steel for beginning knifemakers. When I ask where they learned this information, they almost always say YouTube. Do not believe anyone on YouTube who says 1095 and/or O1 are the best beginner steels. They are wrong. If they are wrong about steel, what other erroneous information are they sharing? In my opinion, the best steel alloys for beginners are 1084, 15N20, 5160, 80CrV2 or 8670. All these steels are much easier to heat treat than 1095 and O1. I do not recommend 1095 for beginning knifemakers. If you are a new knifemaker and you make a knife with our 1095 that does not get hard, do not complain. You have been warned to use a different steel.

Thanks for reminding me, Ontario Knife Co. Made in the US This one is the best deal available on grey metal Chef's Knife $18 Maybe the best deal on a high quality Chef Knife, no qualifications Old Hickory. I have to remember to buy one to play with Product Description A good, basic chef's knife in 1095 high carbon steel. A revival of a classic from the Old Hickory line, by popular demand! If selecting the Special Grade option we will thin and refine the factory edge. Overall Length: 13" Blade Length: 8 & 1/8" Thickness: 2mm Steel: 1095 High Carbon Weight: 4oz https://www.baryonyxknife.com/oldhichkn.html

Cool web site If I could only buy one knife on this site it would be the Wusthof 4582-7/18 Classic 7" Forged Cook's Knife with POM Handle, $150 You would have to research which steel, likely the highest grade There is probably a small premium for the Wusthof name, but it is a very competitive market so it shouldn't be too much. I prefer the 7 in over the 8in and don't see it on the Sabatier Site which is a mistake on their part Maybe Sabatier can special order it, if you don't mind waiting a few weeks or drop ship it from France to your home. 7 in is easy to articulate for an average height 5'9" person and easy to maneuver around the work The Ideal tool size IMHO https://www.webstaurantstore.com/wusthof-4582-7-18-classic-7-forged-cooks-knife-with-pom-handle/9264582718.html Swiss Name not sure of the difference between these two, not more than 2in wide easy to maneuver. Victorinox 47520 8" Chef Knife with Fibrox Handle $48 https://www.webstaurantstore.com/victorinox-47520-8-chef-knife-with-fibrox-handle/35347520.html Victorinox 5.2063.20 8" Chef Knife with Fibrox Handle https://www.webstaurantstore.com/victorinox-5-2063-20-8-chef-knife-with-fibrox-handle/35340520.html MERCER Unless the Wife has giant hands, she would love this one, excellent knife. Genesis 6" Mercer My daughter is approx 5'6" and in her 20s, I gave her approx 20 knives to choose from, she tried a few out to make dinner while visiting she went for the 5.5-6in chef blade approx 2' wide max, 3 rivet wood handle and took 8 others I gave her to her appt 4 months later, she told me it is the only one she uses, and every meal. If someone is over 6'2" they might find the angles more natural with a 10" inch knife Hers' Mercer Culinary M20606 Genesis® 6" Forged Chef Knife with Full Tang Blade $27 https://www.webstaurantstore.com/mercer-culinary-m20606-genesis-6-forged-chef-knife-with-full-tang-blade/470M20606.html His I would be very happy to own this knife, and may buy one to play with at a later date Mercer Culinary M20608 Genesis® 8" Forged Chef Knife with Full Tang Blade $29 https://www.webstaurantstore.com/mercer-culinary-m20608-genesis-8-forged-chef-knife-with-full-tang-blade/470M20608.html If you want to go all in with a Mercer set, get the paring knife and Santoku vegetable knife, maybe a bread knife too. https://www.webstaurantstore.com/mercer-culinary-m20003-genesis-3-1-2-forged-paring-knife-with-full-tang-blade/470M20003.html https://www.webstaurantstore.com/mercer-culinary-m20707-genesis-7-forged-santoku-knife-with-granton-edge-and-full-tang-blade/470M20707.html https://www.webstaurantstore.com/mercer-culinary-m20508-genesis-8-forged-bread-knife-with-full-tang-blade/470M20508.html

Remember that all of the big Names have low end garbage lines of products that are near worthless, better to have one good knife than 20 worthless ones. Also see where they are made, the Germans actually opened or purchased companies in Japan for making Santuko knives etc. Victronix has a good budget line a lot of people like, the Swiss army knife guys MAC are good, Japan but not cheap 50-100 several others The "German Design" Meat Knives aka Chef's Knives are excellent for meat and lots of other stuff The Grey Metal is superior where it counts, cutting, sharp edge and holding the edge, but it rusts if you leave it wet Never leave in the sink or put in the dishwasher, never use an electric sharpener, it will ruin the knives. The French make some excellent Grey Metal German Knives, Sabatier from France not Chinese Knocks offs sold on Amazon S Carolina company is the reseller for both K and 5 Star, you can find them easily I have a lot of knives, this 8 inch one is my go to knife for every meal I also have it in 2 larger sizes when needed. I also use other ones as needed, like fav bread, santuko vegetable, or other special purpose K 3in paring knife is also a go to knife, worth every penny https://sabatieroutlet.com/products/cooks-knife-8in-authentic-carbon You will see the steel grades listed for many knives and or the alloy used, different recipes with different results You will want to familiarize yourself with the various types of steel, you will need it https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAE_steel_grades https://sabatieroutlet.com/ - K Sabatier - 5 Star Elephant Sabatier are the top two in that order H. & F. LAUTERJUNG GmbH & Co. - Lauterjung Solingen German Soligen H&F Lauterjung, trademark is a Pine Tree My knife is no longer available, they went stainless, what the market wants https://www.lauterjung.de/ Why Steel Grade Matters The grade of steel, as well as how it's made, determines everything from the blade's hardness and durability to its ability to take and hold a sharp edge and its corrosion resistance. If you spend any time in the kitchen or outdoors, you'll understand the value of having a strong knife blade that retains a sharp edge. The following summary explains some of the most commonly used steel grades grouped as non-stainless and stainless steels. https://www.thoughtco.com/knife-steel-grades-2340185 Midway summery of knife steel, outdoor gear perspective Also covers types of handle materials https://www.midwayusa.com/how-to-guides/knife-steel-and-handle-material-selection Excellent write up demonstrating trade offs with steel types https://www.marineapproved.com/best-knife-steels-guide-with-charts/ Good write up on steel types, for outdoor and mil worth a read also sells all the sharpening and maintenance etc https://www.bladehq.com/cat--Steel-Types--332 4116 Krupp – one of the finest stainless steels produced in Europe. It is made by Thysen Krupp in Germany, and is created to very precise standards. The exact make-up of the steel is a trade-secret, but knives made with Krupp steel have created legends. 4116 Krupp is mostly used in very high-end knives, medical equipment (scalpels, etc…), and top-of-the-line European kitchen knives. It has a perfect balance between toughness, rust-resistance, and edge retention. It has a Rockwell Hardness of around 57 HRC. Great companies like J. A. Henckels, Sabatier, and Wustoff, have all made some very famous chefs knives from 4116 Krupp. A kitchen knife made from 4116 Krupp is an heirloom-quality tool, and a prized pos-session. But be prepared to spend $100.00 (US) or more on one. You get what you pay for. http://4116 Krupp – one of the finest stainless steels produced in Europe. It is made by Thysen Krupp in Germany, and is created to very precise standards. The exact make-up of the steel is a trade-secret, but knives made with Krupp steel have created legends. 4116 Krupp is mostly used in very high-end knives, medical equipment (scalpels, etc…), and top-of-the-line European kitchen knives. It has a perfect balance between toughness, rust-resistance, and edge retention. It has a Rockwell Hardness of around 57 HRC. Great companies like J. A. Henckels, Sabatier, and Wustoff, have all made some very famous chefs knives from 4116 Krupp. A kitchen knife made from 4116 Krupp is an heirloom-quality tool, and a prized pos-session. But be prepared to spend $100.00 (US) or more on one. You get what you pay for.

Open the box see if anything is lose or torn you can try playing with the backs off and see if you can isolate it I would also try a different amp and see if the problem persists, same for other components Bass is power hungry and the amp may not like it or it's surfacing an amp problem This would be my first step VV If you have an second set of speakers, try hooking them up and see if the problem persists.

How large is the room ? How much room do you have for the amp are you space limited What is your budget Which amp do you already own, other gear, laptop PC that is laying around ? Do you stream today, with what ?

If I read this correctly Limiting and calibration occur at the point of A to D conversion aka the recording and mastering. this is where this issue appears at encoding, not decoding, it is addressed to avoid clipping the AD converter into an undefinable range aka greater than 1 at the time of encoding. Once it's clipped at AD it's clipped all the way through playback, you can't unclip something that isn't there Interesting possible discussion analog tape being more dynamic than digital recording, but you still have to put it on something to play it like vinyl etc.... Thanks to Lavry for their nice write ups http://www.lavryengineering.com/?cat=10 0dBFS Overview The term "0dBFS" is used to describe the absolute peak level of a digital audio signal and is an abbreviation for "zero decibels full scale." Basics In digital audio; the possible range of recorded audio extends from digital silence where all bits representing audio signal voltage levels equal zero, to full scale where all bits representing audio signal voltage levels equal one. Digital silence, as the name implies, is the total absence of any audio signal. Full scale is the loudest level an audio signal can reach before some of the original information is lost due to clipping. The effect is very similar to the effect of bipolar analog circuitry clipping the top and bottom off of the audio waveform. Because PCM digital audio encoding is linear, the most important reference level when recording is the loudest level. In the vast majority of cases, the digital level is displayed with "0db" representing full scale and all other levels represented as a "minus" value in decibels below that level. For more information on digital audio reference levels, please see dB. PCM digital audio is typically encoded using the Two's Complement system. There are a number of advantages to this approach, which is beyond the scope of this discussion. This system uses all but one of the bits in a digital audio word to represent the voltage level of the encoded audio of either the positive or negative portion of the signal waveform. The other bit represents the “sign” which determines if the voltage was positive or negative at the point in time the audio was sampled. Overview The term "dB" is used to describe a ratio between two audio levels. As such; it has no absolute value. Due to the non-linear nature of human hearing, the logarithmic dB scale approximates the relationship of the measured value to the perceived change in acoustic level. Basics Please note: due to limitations in supported text characters; in the following discussion a value such as "two squared" is described as "2 raised to the power of 2" for clarity. The decibel may be defined in this manner: two amounts of power differ by 1 decibel when they are in the ratio of 100 raised to the power of one-tenth. The term was used originally in early telephony to measure loss in a standard mile of telephone wire. In honor of Alexander Graham Bell, and to indicate the "decimal" power relationship; the unit was named the "decibel." The ratio can be expressed as 10 raised to the power of (dB x 0.1); so a 6dB difference between two signals means the larger signal equals the value of the smaller signal multiplied times (10 raised to the power of 0.6) or "ten to the six-tenths power." In order to give a dB measurement an absolute value; it must have a “zero reference.” One analogy is temperature in “degrees.” Without knowing what “zero degrees” is; we can only talk about the difference between two temperatures (a form of ratio). Unfortunately; the analogy fails when you bring in the differences between Fahrenheit and Centigrade because (unlike the decibel) the “one degree” has different definitions in each system! Click here for more detailed information SPL One of the more common forms of “absolute” dB scales is Sound Pressure Level or “SPL.” In this case, the “zero reference” is a very small value and the scale only extends in the positive value direction. The zero reference acoustic level is considered to be the “threshold of human perception” and SPL is thus a scale that tells us how much louder a sound level is than the quietest sound one can perceive. dBu (dBm) In audio electronics, the “0dBm” standard for power was 1 milliwatt; because most early audio transmission utilized 600 Ohm impedance-matched systems. This power level was achieved when an RMS voltage of 0.775 volts was applied to a 600 Ohm load. In most contemporary audio systems, the signal appears as a voltage waveform; thus the dBu voltage scale is used instead of the dBm power scale. To make this system applicable to pure voltage level measurements; the “dBu” scale is used with the same zero reference of 0.775 Volts. VU When the use of VU meters became prevalent in the USA; the VU meter’s “0” was defined as “+4dBm,” and in contemporary systems is defined as “+4dBu.” The designation “VU” is an abbreviation for “Volume Unit” because the VU meter was intended to provide a useful means of relating the metered level of complex audio program to the perceived volume. "0dBVU" = +4dBu = 1.228 Volts rms dBV The dBV scale is typically used in consumer audio measurements and ratings. The zero reference for dBV is 1 Volt rms. “+4” versus “-10” Professional line level is often referred to as “+4” as versus the consumer line level of “-10”; which is source of confusion. This is because “+4” is “+4dBu” and “-10” is “-10dBV;” and the dBu and dBV scales uses different “zero dB” reference voltages! The result is that, rather than the “apparent” difference of 14dB between “+4” and “-10”; the actual difference is closer to 12 dB (11.8dB). dBFS Definition The term dBFS or “dB Full Scale” is used to describe the level of a linear PCM digital audio signal relative to the highest (peak) level that can be encoded, and has no fixed relationship to dBu or "analog level." 0dBFS 0dBFS is sometimes referred to as “digital clipping” level. Because this is the only “fixed” level in digital audio, the dB level scale typically starts at 0dBFS and all other levels below 0dBFS are in “negative dB” (for example -14dBFS). Calibration levels Depending on the calibration of the AD converter used to encode the audio signal; a wide range of analog input levels can result in the same digital level. Because no signal information is retained once the signal level exceeds 0dBFS; the most important level for calibration purposes is peak level. In a similar manner, there is no fixed relationship between digital level (relative to 0dBFS) and the analog output level of a DA converter. Professional level analog audio equipment typically has a peak output level of between +18 and +24dBu. Because the standard for VU meters is “0dBVU = +4dBu,” this results in “0dBVU = -14dBFS” for a peak level of +18dBu and “0dBVU = -20dBFS” for +24dBu. The use of “-14” as a calibration standard for digital audio gear thus means the analog input is calibrated to accept a peak analog level of +18dBu. Lavry converters are set at the factory for a reference level of “-20” where “0dBFS = +24dBu.” Which reference calibration level works best depends on the application. For example; the “-14” level works well for Mastered audio program where the difference between “VU” (or “average”) level and peak level has been controlled with compressors and/or limiters. For recording “live” tracks that are not compressed or limited; the “-20” reference level may be a better choice. There is no standard in the professional audio industry for this calibration; only a range of calibrations that are typically used in recording, mixing, and mastering. The important point is to match the peak analog output level of the source device to “0dBFS” digital level. Ideally; the analog source should have 1-3 dB of “headroom” (peak output level capability) above the analog input level that results in 0dBFS, so that the analog output does not “clip” or significantly increase in distortion before reaching 0dBFS in the AD converter. For example; if the analog source has a peak output level capability of exactly +24dBu, using “-19” or “-18” as the reference level would achieve this goal. In some cases there are other consideration; such as preservation of dynamic range. For example; the analog source device has an output level control, and turning it to the “full up” position results in a more noise that setting it to a somewhat lower level. The input of the AD converter should be calibrated so the peak output level with the source output level control at the optimum position results is 0dBFS when the audio reaches peak level. It may take some experimentation to determine this level; and changing the source device may require a change to the calibration to optimize the system with the new device. In a similar manner, the output level of a DA converter can be adjusted so that the same digital level can result in a wide range of analog levels. The DA converter is typically calibrated to the same peak analog level as the AD converter, so that the digital audio recording system is calibrated for “unity gain.” This results in the playback of the digital audio recording system to be the same level as the analog signal feeding it. There may also be an advantage to setting the output level of the DA to a lower level for some applications. One example is when feeding a monitor system with high gain. By reducing the level at the output of the DA converter, the monitor Volume control can be operated at a higher, more ideal setting. Lower gain settings can also allow matching of the apparent level when switching between sources. http://www.lavryengineering.com/wiki/index.php/DB

My McIntosh MC-2205 Yamaha MX-600, MX-800, M-80, M-85 etc

Somewhere in the recording process, limiters were already used Wouldn't 100% be native lossless mode ? Is there such a thing as digital clipping ? USB supports CRC ARQ and must buffer Internal architecture on the bus unknown as is outbound buffer for toslink If the outbound clock is unstable the whole thing turns to s$$t Try lossless and run out of the Yamaha at 90-100%, and see how it sounds ?

Digital Source >> Topping USB-Toslonk >> Yamaha Processor DAC >> Amps >> bi-ampd speakers Topping = USB to Toslink optical isolation should be a buffer for managing the USB incoming data steam for the CRC ARQ Then a second buffer between the bus and the toslink for outbound packets or framed bits. I would run all data streams in native mode with no up-sampling. 24bit 96Khz is supposed to be the Holy Grail.....Use a glass cable for the tosslink to minimize bit errors since there is no recovery. If the clocks are stable on Topping and Yamaha, phase jitter should not be an issue. The Yamaha incoming Optical interface will derive the clock from the inbound signal or framing bits and stream the bits onto the bus, No CRC ARQ on Toslink. Part of the bit stream defines amplitude by changing coordinates per sample or other. I haven't studied all of the various encoding protocols, so I'm not sure how they handle volume and error correction if any. USB is a real data protocol. Yamaha to amp is an analog recreation of the bit stream to the amps. It's functioning as the DAC. It would be interesting to run frequency sweeps through it. The DAC is probably the most significant part of your audio quality in your set up. I would leave the entire digital stream set at 100% lossless and the analog gain attenuater on the amps set at 50%. This should preserve dynamics and allow some use of your volume control while providing the strongest signal to the amp. I keep the gain controls on all of my amps at 12 o'clock aka 50%, so I can have some granularity on the volume control. YMMV

A friend, mostly deaf professional musician and music instructor, was ripping some 78s he was given and asked me to EQ the signal before it was digitized using an 8 band EQ with sliders. he was using spin it again sw Raw signal was horrible Few adjustments yielded a natural sounding female voice Ran it through software to minimize noise and pops Final work product sounded pretty good

Better than expected Cliche beginning, but it picks up and turns into a good movie Sound quality and photography are excellent Would have been good on the Big Screen

Can't be too much, they didn't shut down production at any point Resistors and possibly some caps ?

I stand corrected !

YMMV = your money, my vote.......

Another Day.....Another Project The unit is old enough, just recap it YMMV Carpet....yes everything matters A thick one in the middle of the room works.... You want a dead room, not live walls and floors There is a reason the walls in theaters are carpeted..... I don't know the ranges for the resistance on the various drivers Check the wires for dry rot, I had to replace them The woofers can be turned upside down, gravity.... The gaskets on the mid range drivers are almost certainly dry rotted and need replacing I prefer the screw terminals, just soldered some thin spade connectors on my wires to my Heresys instead of bare wire, which worked fine.

Pick up the phone be nice but firm Lots of places have been crippled by the plague......or cold

McIntosh has been on top for a long time because they perform over and over again with solid engineering and build quality. If I had to choose between my yamahas and McIntosh it would be Yamaha for sound and McIntosh for build quality That being said, my main system has been McIntosh for 40 years my daughter and boyfriend both play instruments described the sound as "being there" "they are playing right in front of us".... so I can't say Mc sounds bad, it great......

Heresys are good speakers, no qualifications I have had mine for 40 years and would never sell them I sampled all of the Klipsch products at the time in a fully equipped show room In the showroom, you had to turn up the bass on the Heresy to match the LaScala's normal bass, that is all. You can always add powered subs if you fav music requires a lot of bumping.... YMMV

Not sure of the benefits of an impedance mismatch I have good luck with equalizers for changing the sound. The c-32 is a studio in reverse, expander, loudness, high and low pass filters parametric equalizer. I still prefer a standalone equalizer YMMV

I have 5 of them I play with and like all of them. Get the manuals off of Hifiengine Check the reviews on Audio Review and search the unit and review. on some of the units you can set it for 2.0 or 2.1 and get direct access to the built in equalizer The big vs little speaker setting may work but be sure to read the manual on the frequencies With some, if you have a good built in DAC and use the direct feature, the SN goes to 120db The pre HDMI units are very inexpensive and many are great AB amps with lots of features like the Sony ES line read the reviews some are lemons, Harmon Kardon, Marantz, Yamaha and Pioneer and others I haven't researched. The best of them on Craigslist have an ask of $200 with few if any takers More realistic sellers may take $50 for a $1500 unit that it 10-15 years old. YMMV