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Maximus89

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Posts posted by Maximus89

  1. I have a legacy AVR i don't want to upgrade because tech seems to advance too fast leaving your fairly new thousands of dollars investment-a dinosaur. 

    Likewise, Blu-Ray players seem to be on the way out in favor of streaming. So investing in a high end blu-ray player seems scary as well.

    First of all, i know i need multi-channel analog out to have my AVR play current surround processing such as True HD and Master and Atmos etc. 

    Here are my considerations:

     

    Oppo 203:
    PROS: 
    -Has been updated with Dolby Vision, so everything up to date.  
    -Audiophile quality/Gold 7.1 analog out/SACD/DVD-A playback
    -Top tier built DACs
    -HUGE PLUS? HDMI IN- If streaming is the future, you can always add your streaming box or game console-BUT does it add upconversion and the oppos built in processing to make the streaming higher quality than just directly into your TV HDMI?

    CONS:
    -Pricey.
    -How long will Oppo support last?

    Panasonic UB9000:
    PROS:
    -All the same pros as Oppo 203 except probably $400-600 cheaper-NEW. 
    CONS:
    -NO HDMI IN
    -NO SACD/DVD-A playback

    Essence HDACC II-4K:
    Essence-HDACC-II-4K-front-580x348.jpg
    Essence HDACC II 4K UHD rear
    At $600, As you can see, this HDMI DAC has lots of inputs sort of like an add on for your legacy non HDMI or older HDMI AVR's.
    Does this serve me at all though? If i plug in a blu-ray player via HDMI, and R/L analog out to DVD IN on the AVR-will i get current/up to date surround processing pass through the AVR?

    Evolve II-4K HDMI v2.0 / Multi-Channel DAC:
    Essence-Evolve-II-4K-Hi-Res-580x64.jpg
    OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
    At $300, this gives 1 HDMI IN and 1 HDMI OUT, but i get the multichannel analog outs. Same price point as the mid tier Panasonic Blu Ray player with analog outs. I'd continue using my Samsung 4k blu ray player.  No more HDMI IN's for streaming box to get highest qualtiy audio. 

    Help me choose!

  2. Well since no one replied and one day maybe someone inexperienced like myself with such a device comes along, I figured it out:

    So if you have a multizone system with it's own preamps(the McIntosh CR16 has 4 separate pre amps)- you just connect your speakers to your power amp and then power amp to UNBAL L/R OUT on preamp. (I haven't figure out what kind of old balanced cable input that is and why only 1, but my McIntosh power amp doesn't have balanced so I used RCA unbalanced).   Connect your devices to the AUDIO INPUTS ie: PC DAC to any of the AUDIO INPUTS you see EXCEPT AUX if you're going to combine 2ch with an AVR.   If you want to use the device as a 2ch preamp with "Home Theater Passthrough" or "Home Theater Bypass" like many stereo integrated devices are now coming with to combine best of both worlds-simply take your rca or coaxial cable from ZONE AUX IN L/R into your Audio Video Receivers PRE OUTS for L/R. Then, if your AVR has a data input like other McIntosh, connect 3.5mm from ZONE AUX IN data to AVR data, but if it doesn't have data input, simply stick one end of your 3.5mm jack only half way or to the "ring" part of the tip which creates a tip to ring short and now you can use the AUX input on the front panel with your AVR-which is why you needed the AUDIO AUX INPUT free to be used.  That's it.  Now you've got your 2ch separate from your surround sound.
    Photo example of tip to ring-stick the end into the DATA jack to the "ring" and leave the "Sleeve" sticking out.
    Image result for 3.5mm tip to ring


    Have yet to figure out if I can use my Center channel in ZONE 2 yet, but I don't see why not since you can play all 4 separate pre amps on same input. I'll need to buy an rca mono adapter first then out to center pre out.
     

  3. 13 minutes ago, jjptkd said:

    Crossover points for the Chorus II are 650hz and 7000hz iirc that is where I would look to see a difference in the change its surprising to me to see the A55-g actually a little louder with a couple peaks above stock output as that driver seems so much smoother than the stock driver. Also when I was taking measurements the A55-g seemed to drop like a rock at 6300hz and also on frequency sweeps it was 2-3db lower in output than the stock driver

    I thought the Chorus II was much lower than 650hz crossover which is used with the Forte III. I remember reading something about that when i tried titanium diaphragms in the Chorus II and people were in agreement that the titanium would sound better crossed higher than the 500something hz crossover on the Chorus II-now proven with the Forte III. The online specs were also incorrect IIRC.  I could be mistaken.

  4. I just bought a McIntosh CR16 not having any clue what it really is. I know that It can be used as a 2ch pre amp with 4 separate preamp built in, but I'm curious if theres a way to use it along with an extra channel on an AVR.
     
    My Marantz SR7007 center built in amp AND pre out have very faint/low volume output and or very scratchy. I got it to work for a bit after using deoxit but the issues are back and as we know- center speaker is most important for movies/tv.
     
    So I'm curious if I can use my 3ch power amp plugged into the CR16, 1 zone as my mains and another zone as a center only- the rear of the CR16 has zone aux in and balanced and unbalanced outputs.
     
    How would I accomplish what I'm looking to do? Left and right power amp rca to zone 1 unbalanced outputs and then left and right aux in CR16 into the Marantz pre out? or multi channel input?? Same process for the single center speaker?
     
    Another important question:
    I'm all PC based so if I'm HDMI via PC GPU to the Marantz, I wouldn't be getting the benefits of the CR16 pre amp? Or In that case, the marantz only becomes the DAC?? Or would I need to get a separate USB dac plugged into the CR16 aux in audio input to get the full benefit of the mcintosh pre amp for music and then switch back to the marantz hdmi for movies??
     
    Appreciate any incoming help!
     
    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
     
     

     

  5. I'm glad i came across this thread as i was looking at used Oppo's or the new Panasonic players. Don't mean to derail, but my question is regarding the use of an AVR/control center and if i have a purpose for it?
    All i use are: a samsung ubd-m8500 4k blu ray player and my PC in which i do all my lossless music listening to, multi-channel music ripped on it and played through foobar2000 with necessary codecs but downsampled to PCM as my AVR doesn't do DSD. That AVR is a Marantz SR7007.  No HDR and only 1 working HDMI input in the front plus the monitor 2 out to TV. 
    I use my PC on it via my GPU(NVIDIA GTX 970) hdmi out to the Marantz. So i do HDMI 2ch and multichannel music along with movies/games/browsing.  I'd just swap HDMI if i wanted to watch a blu ray disc.
    The Marantz amps went very faint/quiet/barely audible even at full volume and the pre outs sounded bad as well-cutting in and out and making scratchy noise,so i figured the Marantz was done for and packed it away and used a cheap yammie in it's place until i decided to one day use DEOXIT on pretty much the entire Marantz interior and the volume.  The Amps worked again, all the pre outs worked again with the exception of my center pre out. While it works, I find it still has a lot of noise even when not playing anything. Scratchy noise and hiss  and it seems to be lower output even with 320wpc fed into it. Oddly enough, the built in CENTER amp sounds just fine, but i want to be able to use the pre out to separate power amp. 

    @Born2RockU can confirm as i took the Marantz to his place to test and the center pre out was definitely much lower output than left and right or surrounds. 

    Kind of tired of the Marantz issues so my question is will one of the top of the line Panasonic or a used Oppo work as my pre amp using the speaker outs directly to a power amp, HDMI in from the TV, but how then would i used my PC with it(excluding optical-no dsd, etc or coaxil-only 2.0)? The cheaper Panasonic DP-UB820 or the top of the line UB9000 have HDMI VIDEO OUT and a dedicated HDMI AUDIO OUT, but would my PC work with the HDMI OUT? Wouldn't it need to be IN? I was thinking DisplayPort2.0 to HDMI fed to TV for video for which i would need to turn off the digital audio in NVIDIA Control Panel, then HDMI from HDMI AUDIO OUT on Panasonic to GTX970 HDMI.  

    Would this work and would i benefit from skipping the AVR altogether?

  6. Now that you mention it, maybe the C7 tweeter was a bolt on like the K-79-K's on the KLF- 20's & Chorus II's. It has been awhile since I swapped the diaphragm for the Crites Titanium. The KLF 20 midrange was indeed a screw on though. I think the confusion is the KLF 20 / 30 midrange horn is the same as the C7 and KV4 tweeter horn? (plastic horn piece only, different drivers)

     

    Correct. The mid horn on the 20/30 is same as the tweeter in the c7 and kv4 and i want to say cf1 and cf2 tweeter AND the little known KT LCR other than some being bolt on and some being screw on. Add the forte III mid horn to that list as well ezcpet it has the new mumps. I took one out of my forte III and put it into the kv4

     

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

     

     

     

    • Like 1
  7. 2 minutes ago, crunchman12001 said:

    Not sure, both my KLF-C7 and my spare K-64-KN are threaded onto the driver phase plug assembly. I have not owned a KV-4 yet but I am on the hunt. Doesn't really matter how the horn is attached to the driver as long as the horn piece is the same size, it would work.

    Your C7 is screw on horn?  The KLF-20 and 30 horn is screw on which is the same that the kv4 uses, but the KLF-10 and C7 should be bolt on, at least mine are.  

  8. 1 minute ago, crunchman12001 said:

    I have not seen the special edition matte Black in person so I cannot recommend how to finish them. You could however use something like Duratex with a smooth roller for a matte black, semi textured look.

     

    Ohhh. Why didn't i think of that?  Duratex can be pricey, but i just did a search and came across this http://coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2011/03/speaker-build-report.html

    • Like 1
  9. 1 minute ago, crunchman12001 said:

    They are close, are the K-64-KN and the K-90-KV horns the same size for the cutout? That would definitely open your possibilities to new veneers.

     

    Yes. Someone on the forum that i can't currently recall has done it. I just had them both in front me the other day and it's true. The only difference is the C7 is slightly taller because it has full wood trim at the bottom whereas the kv4, the horn sits flush with the bottom of the cabinet.  It's the same horn but one is 1 3/8 thread and the other is bolt on. 

  10. Yeah, i understand the serial matching and the front view not showing is also another reason i'm hesitant to do a different veneer.  Should i pay several hundreds for a nice walnut veneer when all i can see is the front black baffle?  

    As far as the KV-4 being black satin. If i were to do that, i'd just put my KV4 parts and crossover into my KLF-C7 black satin cabinet. Nearly identical size and volume. 

  11. Thanks they turn out nice.
     If the veneer is solid, strip the paint and use Watco Danish Oil "Dark Walnut" or "Black Walnut". Finish it off with 3 coats of Behlen Satin Lacquer. 
    Dont you have to wait a few weeks for the oil to cure before before applying top coat?

    If I did the Danish oil or any oil finish, it would be over new raw wood veneer. I have this opportunity to match the kv4 center speaker(they only came with black vinyl) to whatever veneer I choose for the cf3

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

  12. 12 minutes ago, crunchman12001 said:

    The paint is easily removed using Lacquer thinner applied with 00 steel wool. Lightly sand with 120 / 220 grit. Stain whatever color you want.

    Thanks for the tips.  Last time i tried to bring the black satin back to new was with Chorus II and i sanded and sanded and sanded and still had lots of black left. Eventually i just ate through the oak veneer grain and used citristrip to get the rest of the black off and used a danish walnut oil.
    Here's a photo:
    While it came out okay, it didn't do anything to hide damaged veneer in places and or the veneer i sanded too far on(mostly the risers). I later rattle canned it matte black with a satin laquer spray to hide defects for sale, but you could tell the grain was gone. 

    Now i've got some black satin CF-3's that i need to refresh, or decide if i want to veneer. Walnut or Cherry Klipsch are so rare to come by in my experience. Black looks awesome on the modern Klipsch because they're matched grains and large grain patterns that really pop in the light.  I think they use Ash now.  Older Klipsch i believe was red oak painted black and the grain patterns were all over the place, mine of course having small and thin grain patterns which aren't ideal aesthetically for me. 
     

    220.JPG

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