mkl

Depends what system I'm on (I'm a full fledged computer geek) Right now I have an HP cd writer, an Acer, a Plextor, and a Yamaha. On Windows I use Nero, DiscJuggler, EasyCdCreator, Fireburner or CDRWin. (I prefer nero and EasyCd in most cases) On Linux I usually use x-cdroast. Try using RAW write or DAO (Disc at Once) in your software to see if you feel it has a better sound. Personally I find no problem with EasyCdCreator. It has most of the advanced features as the others, you just have to look for some of them. -mkl

I burn copies of cds all the time. I CAN NOT tell the difference between a pressed cd and a cdr. I can tell the difference when a copy is converted to another format (ala mp3, ogg). This difference approaches 0 the higher the bitrate I encode. I find I lose the ability to regularly and correctly tell mp3s from cds at 256Kbps. -mkl

nope, mp3 is a lossy compression. It actually discards data when it is encoded, like jpeg image formats. You can never get this information back. -mkl

Exactly that. The bits on one disc will be exactly like the bits on the other. Its a digital copy, so even one bit being difference would foul up some data. Audible difference? I really have no idea, as the only difference is one is a pressed copy, and one is maded by heating up a dye-layer. Perhaps your cd player has problems reading cdrs for some reason? (Which is hard to imagine, as a pressed copy and a cdr have the same bits on them, but they are written differently, so maybe due to age/design whatever you hapeen to have some sort of player that cant properly read cdrs, and it introduces problems.) Can you distinguish the difference in blind testing of a non-trivial amount? Or do you just feel there is a difference? -mkl

Im sorry, but there is no way that the data on the cd you are writing is any different than the data you are reading. If you are doing a copy from one cd to another, with no change in format (to mp3..etc) they both have the same digital bits. -mkl

Looks like most people are of the "save for a rainy day" attitude. Not me, screw it, spend it while you can! (Disclaimer: I take this attitude as long as I never have to support you through any sort of government programs later in life.) As for tips for saving, it's not hard. Take X % of your income every pay period and put it in an account you will not touch. Don't mingle it with the account you use, it's too easy to take "just a little " out when you want something else. This way you know the least amount of pay periods it will take to get the amount you need. If some months you can put more in, you can accelerate it! My second piece of advice is, when you have the full amount don't spend it immediantly, look around and see what else you could get for 8,000$ , and make sure it's worth it, and that you don't think you shouldn't just keep saving so you can get the 20,000$ speakers in a few more years! -mkl

Right on Indy, Dougdrake. We're music enthusiasts, no point in putting companies that build/sell the products we love out of business. Besides, even 1200$ speaker cables would sound like crap if every time you listened to them you remembered you stole them! Nothing sounds better than honestly earned equipment:) -mkl

I said:"But possibly (read that: most likely) it uses a user entered CD database, and the person who first entered the cd specified it was jazz..." You Said:"nope, it searches an internet database, and uses that info. " Re-read my original post. It uses a user entered CD database (yes its on the internet). What I'm saying is, in most CDDB's users enter the cd information. So, for instance if I'm the first person to enter the information for the new cd "Muzzle Grumps and the Bumpy Stumps" and I set the genre to "Jazz"... The next person who checks the CDDB and pulls down the information for the ol' Muzzle Grumps, will show the genre as jazz. -mkl

I don't use Windows Media Player, so I can't say for sure... But possibly (read that: most likely) it uses a user entered CD database, and the person who first entered the cd specified it was jazz... -mkl

I've tried it several ways now, and I've settled for on its side for now. I have it on its side on top of my tv, angled down towards the viewer. The sound seems to be better tied to the TV like this. I'm sure I'll be tinkering with it on and off until im completely satisfied that it sounds better like this than upside down. -mike

Ok, I'm using a Heresy as a center channel. For some reason, I think I read on the forum that you shouldn't put the speaker on its side. It seems to me that because of the design putting it on its side would make the sound spread more up and down, but not side to side, which seems fine for a center channel. If I dont do it like that, maybe upside down? Any thoughts on that? What's everyone else doing with their heresy center channel? -mkl

Action...hmmm I never know what genres things go in, so I might step outside of the lines here...These are in no particular order. ~Gladiator -Awesome surround sound, great video ~Lord of the Rings -Another great one (I have the newer large box set, Im not sure what the differences are on the other edition) ~Terminator 2 -Ultimate edition - One of the best THX intros ever! (IMHO) ~The Rock -Criteron Collection ~Star Wars episode I/II -Ok these aren't really action...but kinda? Im not sure...But grrrreeeaaat sound ~Saving Private Ryan ~Seven - Smart and good sound:) ~Braveheart ~One of the following -We were Soldiers-Platoon-apocalypse now ~The Matrix -kind of a duh, but Action isnt my forte:) -mkl

I just got a "new" shipment of speakers... one more heresy and some kg2s Right now I have.. 3 Heresys 2 kg2s 2 sp-1s 2 ss-1s 1 sc-1 An SVS (currently in storage, since I recently moved) So many configurations to try, I don't know what to do! I'm naturally using the 3 Heresy across the front... So now, I just need to figure out what to do with the rest of this stuff! Right now I have the SP-1's as rears, and I'm using the SS-1S as back surrounds. I'm thinking about using the KG2s as my back surrounds and ditching the ss-1s for awhile. I have a Marantz 8200 which does 7 channel surround. Because it's such a pain to move around speakers, I just wanted to get some opinons about what everyone else would do with this random collection of Klipsch gear. Should I just use the SP-1s for another room, and use the kg2s as surrounds with the ss-1s as rear surrounds? Or maybe the sp-1s as rears, with the sc-1 as a rear center and do just 6 channel? AHHHH soooo many options. Since I'm always rearranging I'll probably get around to trying all of them...But what would you do? Just as an aside, I also have a 2 channel systems, currently Im using 2 Sansui speakers...Im sure I'll catch some flak for this comment, but man, do those Sansui sound great:) Toss some random opinons my way, I'd love to hear 'em! -mkl Oh yeah, and just to brag, I got a new replaytv, it's like a tivo...and its sooo sweet! any other klipschters using replays/tivos?

How a lot of the new copyprotection cds is this: A normal cd has a TOC or table of contents saying where on the discs various files or tracks are. On computer based cdroms, this can be updated. For example if you change the toc it would have the original toc, but now would point to a new spot (its kind of like a linked list for those familiar with programming) Now a audio cd player, not a computer based on, is not designed to look any further than the ORIGINAL TOC. So when you curropt the toc in a certain way, computer based CDROMs get very confused, and won't find any data. Audio cd players (like a standard stereo cdc player) Dont care, they just look at the original TOC. So, this is how a cdrom on your computer CANT see the information, but your standard home cd player can. I've dealt with this quite a bit (I'm a computer programmer) if you want a more technical description I can give it. I intentionally abstracted this a little bit just for the ease of the non-technical understanding the low level stuff. -mkl

hey bloom, I know no one will believe me, but I wrote my thing about prodigy before I saw yours. I swear. Kinda Creepy. You guys can all shorten my name to whatever you like..I'm not sure how much shorter it could get however... I guess you could call me MK or KL or M. -mkl

Man, I remember prod having this same type of conversation with Ears a while ago, didn't he decide then he was never coming back? Prodj, I doubt anyone here is trying to insult you, its just a shortening of the name, it doesn't mean anything. And as far as "I know more about audio than you do" just grow up, we're all hear to talk/learn about audio. On a side note, until you said something about djing, I thought your name had something to do with the band "prodigy" and was just spelled incorrectly. -mkl

"If you want a free country, you have to be willing to fight for it." I hate to get into political discussions on a audio bb (really I do) but since this thread was offtopic from day one, why not. While the draft is a means of protecting a free country, why *make* people defend their country? If a country can not find enough volunteers to fight a conflict, perhaps it's simply an issue that the people of the country do not agree with. Pulling in "recruits" who never voluntered for service brings several issues to my mind: 1. Do you really want the people fighting for you to be ones who didn't want to be there in the first place? 2. Is it a free country if they pressure you into fighting for conflicts that you disagree with? 3. Fair treatment. There always seem to be issues surrounding drafts into military service about unfair treatment. College deferments, Different treatment of the rich, or politically connected families, etc. Overall I'm not sure how I feel about the draft. I would hope that the people of a country, if they truly believe in the society they live in, would volunteer their time, skills, and if need be life to defend the values they hold dear. This seems to go against the idea of a draft, in effect allowing the government to become engaged in conflicts that the people of a society have no interest in. This is not a simple issue, and the best we can hope is that it will not arise in the future. (Don't take that last sentance to mean I'm a peace loving hippie) That is why I place high esteem and regard with all of those who have or currently are serving their country, it stops the draft from being an issue. -mkl

Try checking the parties offical websites. I know for a fact that the libertarian official site has information on all the issues they take a stance on. http://www.lp.org/ Who knows about those other crazy parties.

Remember, you can't just add up the price of parts and get the cost of an item. Neither can you figure in just labor of assembly. You have costs such as engineering and development costs. Sure maybe you can just make a sub to the dimensions someone else figured out before you, but someone had to original do all the math. Another is just the costs of doing business, their website, people to answer phones, take care of billing, developing new designs. I know that there are a lot of things I could make myself, and the parts would be cheaper, but I really like to support companies who I feel are valuable to the industry. This way they have the money to develop new products, and the cheapskates get more & better designs to copy -mkl

I have the chance to pick up some equipment really cheap. However, I am having a rough time finding any information on any of the items. Any help would be great! Amp - Cybernet CA-700 Turntable - Technics SLQ300 Equalizer - Sansui RG-7X Speakers - Sansui SP2000 also a CD Player - RCA RP805. I've found out basically nothing about the cybernet equipment. And very very little on that model turntable. From what I've hear sansui speakers are a toss up as far as quality. So, should I pick this stuff up? I don't really *need* it, but I hate to pass on a good deal. (If it is a good deal) Any help would be great!

I can pick up this turntable pretty cheap, anyone have any information on it? I can't seem to find anything on it. I listen to mostly cds, I have around >100 lps, but never get them out since my turntable is barely alive (and has never sounded very good). Will this turntable make me wanna break out my records? While I'm asking, any information about this other gear would be nice. If you happen to know anything that would be great. Sansui SP2000 speakers. Stuff made by Cybernet (CA-700 amp, Cybernet CT-700S tuner)- I have never heard of this company. I assume they are just low quality junk...but then again, just because I haven't heard of them, doesnt make it junk Right now just for reference of quality... I have... 3 heresys across the front with a marantz sr8200 receiver and a SVS 20-39. My surrounds change too frequently to mention. In the past few months I've used SP-1s, ss-1s, kg2's. And a SC-1 center for my rear surround.

I got one free years ago for selling a lot of brake pads. I think it was brake pads. I'm not even sure where it is now.

I have the Marantz sr8200, just a little over your budget, but its oh so sweet. Very musical, and as a side bonus it comes with a touchscreen remote that is basically a rebranded pronto.

I found a great deal on some used 10.5s. I've never heard them, and haven't really found any good information on them (yes, I have read the Klipsch specs). I don't need them, but have a hard time passing up good deals on speakers:( I'm thinking about maybe using them with a second system for a bedroom/guest room or something similar most likely. What did these sell for new? Any impressions about these speakers, both faults and positives? Oh, I have read the audioreview.com reviews for them, but I never trust that information. -mkl

One thing I have never understood is this "Anti-something" attitude people have. Just because you feel that the product(s) you use are superior to another, why is it necessary to dwell on it? I personally don't like the sound of Bose speakers, but does that make them inferior? The quality, and worth of a product are based on personal preference. I know people who have listened to "high-end" systems, and their Bose system extensively, and they are happy with their Bose systems. Is that a crime? Nope, they just prefer one type of sound over another. Why not keep the emphasis on the stuff you LIKE and not keep bringing up the topic of stuff you hate?