saturday factoring primes in polynomial time

sungod

'ning

looks sub-nippy out there, wary of ice when it gets this cold

looking forward to a mince pie, and many espressos

tlw1

No cycling as eldest rugrats birthday party - as he turns into Kevin (officially on Wednesday)

12 brats plus my own to entertain, so into the woods to use the zip wire, rope swings and paintball guns - no electronic devices at all

Later is a chilled pub tea followed by a couple of his pals sleeping over

lincolndave

Morning, freezing here so some shopping then a bike ride hopefully it will have warmed up a bit, I’ve been told we are going out tonight for a meal and a few drinks , that’s fine by me

Have a good weekend

Stevo_666

TLW1 wrote:

No cycling as eldest rugrats birthday party - as he turns into Kevin (officially on Wednesday)

Good luck with that - it's just a phase, lasts about 5 years

Up North with the heating blasting out as it hasn't been on for weeks and the house was ferkin freezing when I got in. Bit more turfing out to do, got a bloke coming round to quote for clearing the garden, see.my old dear then round to visit rellies this evening.

pinno

Snow, sleet, hail here. Meh.

Toots are hyper. Meh.

Laters.

sungod

cold but sunny, didn't quite wear enough warm things, tomorrow will add balaclava and big gloves to the ensemble

mince pie was nice, followed up with toasted emmental croissant

Wheelspinner

Bwahahahaha...

Sunshine, sunshine, sunshine. Pool. Laziness. Coffees, cool drinks. Picked up some new audio toys which were utter bargain-tastic fabulous, then drinks and dinner.

pinno

Wheelspinner wrote:

Bwahahahaha...

Sunshine, sunshine, sunshine. Pool. Laziness. Coffees, cool drinks. Picked up some new audio toys which were utter bargain-tastic fabulous, then drinks and dinner.

W@nker.

pinno

What 'audio toys'? Come on, we'll exchange notes.

veronese68

Morning folks, traditional slow start has been had. Really should get on and do something. Might strip the bike for a proper service and check the corrosion at the bottom of the down tube. That should avoid the risk of being dragged into the ships with the Mrs.
Coffee first though.

pinno

The more it snows tiddley pom, the colder my toes, tiddley pom...

Wheelspinner

Pinno wrote:

What 'audio toys'? Come on, we'll exchange notes.

I have currently two "systems" in the house - a home theatre type setup with multi-channel receiver, streaming service, and some Sonus Faber speakers I love, and a second stereo which has just a turntable and a CD as sources which is superb but not used enough. Krell amp and CD, and a Rega Planar 3 turntable, with external phono pre-amp and a medium fortune's worth of cables, but speakers that aren't as good.

When we move, it will get re-configured so I can take advantage of the better speakers for music. I picked up a (used) Marantz surround Pre Amp/Processor to take over the home theatre duty, and will use the existing Krell amplifier in "pass through" mode to drive the front channels from that for movies. That pre/pro was cheap as chips - RRP is $2500, but a couple years old and missing 4K capability means nobody wants it, except me for $300. Mint, and awesome sound. It has balanced line out too, so I picked up a few more XLR cables also on crazy cheap special because they were oddments. Last, I saw a little pair of speakers which are astonishingly good for the size - ERA 3 for 100 bucks. They'll either get used as additional channel in the theatre, so I can do 7.1 instead of 5.1, or will run them with a small sub in a separate system in the yet to be built studio for Significant Other.

Means I now am keeping my eyes open for an additional power amp, preferably 5 channel. I borrowed one a while ago and stupidly didn't buy it, because it was spectacularly good, a Meridian G55. That would be first choice, or a Krell Showcase 5 (or 7) is the other option. Both rare as rocking horse sh!t on the used market though.

hopkinb

Been entertaining all day. Everyone seemed happy, so that's good. Going to have cheese for my dinner.

Have lost 3 kg in 2 weeks through not drinking.

Doing a crossword now. Rock and roll.

pinno

Wheelspinner wrote:

Pinno wrote:

What 'audio toys'? Come on, we'll exchange notes.

I have currently two "systems" in the house - a home theatre type setup with multi-channel receiver, streaming service, and some Sonus Faber speakers I love, and a second stereo which has just a turntable and a CD as sources which is superb but not used enough. Krell amp and CD, and a Rega Planar 3 turntable, with external phono pre-amp and a medium fortune's worth of cables, but speakers that aren't as good.

When we move, it will get re-configured so I can take advantage of the better speakers for music. I picked up a (used) Marantz surround Pre Amp/Processor to take over the home theatre duty, and will use the existing Krell amplifier in "pass through" mode to drive the front channels from that for movies. That pre/pro was cheap as chips - RRP is $2500, but a couple years old and missing 4K capability means nobody wants it, except me for $300. Mint, and awesome sound. It has balanced line out too, so I picked up a few more XLR cables also on crazy cheap special because they were oddments. Last, I saw a little pair of speakers which are astonishingly good for the size - ERA 3 for 100 bucks. They'll either get used as additional channel in the theatre, so I can do 7.1 instead of 5.1, or will run them with a small sub in a separate system in the yet to be built studio for Significant Other.

Means I now am keeping my eyes open for an additional power amp, preferably 5 channel. I borrowed one a while ago and stupidly didn't buy it, because it was spectacularly good, a Meridian G55. That would be first choice, or a Krell Showcase 5 (or 7) is the other option. Both rare as rocking horse sh!t on the used market though.

I didn't understand most of that bar the Marantz bit and the Rega planer.
I have a TV

What is the Rega Planer 3 like? There's one on fleabay for £279.

I have a Pioneer PL930 turntable, a Marantz CD player, a Pioneer PDR-609 CD player/recorder, 2 Wharfedale speakers; big old things that I replaced both the treble and bass speakers and a solver fronted Sony tuner (old school) plus a Pioneer tuner and a pair of Wharfedale diamond speakers that just ain't worth what was paid for them.

Wheelspinner

Pinno wrote:

I didn't understand most of that bar the Marantz bit and the Rega planer.
I have a TV

What is the Rega Planer 3 like? There's one on fleabay for £279.

I have a Pioneer PL930 turntable, a Marantz CD player, a Pioneer PDR-609 CD player/recorder, 2 Wharfedale speakers; big old things that I replaced both the treble and bass speakers and a solver fronted Sony tuner (old school) plus a Pioneer tuner and a pair of Wharfedale diamond speakers that just ain't worth what was paid for them.

Which bit of your above list is the amplifier?

The Rega is a very good (simple) turntable. It's belt drive though, so you gotta change the pulley if you want to swap speed from 33 to 45. The main question though is what tonearm does the fleabay one have? Rega did a really nice RB300 arm that worked a treat, except IIRC its not an interchangeable headshell one, and there's a few other good (and affordable) ones commonly used with the 'table. Biggest issue with used ones is what's the main bearing like.

With careful set up and component selection, the Rega can produce *very* high quality sound. That means proper platform isolation, proper tonearm setup, cartridge matching to the arm / amp.... you'd be surprised maybe at the difference all that makes.

pinno

^ Oh, my amp: Rotel RA 931. Beautiful. Simple.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rega-Planar- ... SwYc5aDFWo

Wheelspinner

Pinno wrote:

^ Oh, my amp: Rotel RA 931. Beautiful. Simple.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rega-Planar- ... SwYc5aDFWo

That one looks identical to mine, and it's a good all round table. Seller is very short on any details, so worth asking a question or two like condition of belt, lid marks (if any) and general cosmetics. Also ask about packing - these are somewhat susceptible to being banged around in transit and need to be packed properly!

Same guy also has one with the better arm, the RB300. Bit like the difference between Centaur and Record. If I was buying one again for myself I'd pick this of the two, but it is a fair chunk more cash.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rega-P3-2000-Turntable/192324842454?hash=item2cc77433d6:g:7gQAAOSwrFtZ71C2

I'll be honest and say I've no idea whatsoever about the Pioneer one you have for comparison.

pinno

The Pioneer is not top end but packs a hell of a punch for what it is - graphite tone arm, direct drive.

My feeling is to go down the route of a slightly more affordable Technics 1300 MK1 or 2 (1200's are DJ decks and don't have auto functions - you know that) or an audio technica of similar ilk.

If I was to go high end, it would have to be disproportionately better for me to want it. Given my current turntable, my current amp and speakers, it produces a great sound. I just wonder how much of an audible difference could one get out of a high end deck.Now, my Pioneer needs to 'warm up' before it starts to work so it is on the way out. I switch it on with the arm raised over the point of a 45 for 5 mins and let it run before putting a record on.
Going by the vinyl engine website (very good, extensive user reviews), the £300 to £400 pounds mark for a good, used turntable will get you a hell of a lot.
The peak of audio reproduction came in 1982! A helluva statement. Any other improvement is not audible to the human ear or came at a lower price. That statement from a studio sound engineer in Milton Keynes. All we can do is tinker with the peripheries and purchase stuff that is as close to that peak as possible but how much of that is actually audible?
The case in point - 2 violinists were placed behind a curtain. One had a Strad and the other a decent German violin from the late 1800's. None of the panel of experts could distinguish which one was the Strad.
Knowing, how much of the set up of a violin is critical to how it 'works'; fingerboard tuning, tail piece, the feet of the bridge and bridge angle, sound post location etc etc, it puts a different perspective on things.
I have a friend who used to build bespoke amps. He built and installed one in a dedicated L shaped sound room for a Japanese bloke. This was in the early 90's. 75 strand fully shielded speaker wire, no less than 2 feet apart (except for entry into and out of the amp/separates. Amp was around the corner and away from the top end turntable to eliminate any Stylus movement/distortion for example and with certain recordings, you could hear coughing, talking and people stirring cups of tea emanating from the studio!
Just as well he didn't like the Scott, Aitken and Waterman crap - that was just used to test the equipment and set up. He liked his classical which tended to be recorded in a much less 'polished' fashion in larger recording rooms and of course, you know the price difference in the Deutsche Grammophon vinyl and other stuff.

Wheelspinner

Pinno wrote:

The Pioneer is not top end but packs a hell of a punch for what it is - graphite tone arm, direct drive.

My feeling is to go down the route of a slightly more affordable Technics 1300 MK1 or 2 (1200's are DJ decks and don't have auto functions - you know that) or an audio technica of similar ilk.

If I was to go high end, it would have to be disproportionately better for me to want it. .....and other stuff.

Turntables are probably the most tweaky and flakey of all the audio stuff. The high end ones in particular are silly in complexity.

Having said that, I walked into a local showroom one day, which has several demo listening rooms. Was down the front corner of the store, and suddenly heard music from the back "exotic" room. From 70 feet away, across a huge expanse of people and furniture and stuff, it was still astonishing.

Something approaching a cool three quarters of a million bucks worth of turntable, amplifier and speakers and wires. Stupid money and ridiculous engineering in the gear, but man oh man... mesmerising musical performance.

It was one of these amplifiers:


with similar speakers in that pic, from Focal, and one of these turntables:



I don't think 1982 could have managed that somehow.. lol

pinno

You are probably right but the studio guy wasn't talking about stuff you can buy in the hight street - he was talking about the peak of perceptible audio improvement; mainly what could be re-produced (played back) in the studio.
Anyway, given a top of the range sound system from then and a top of the range sound system played at a 'normal' levels, I wonder what difference you could hear - hence the Stradivarius example I gave,

I would like to have heard that sound system. What.s the name of the makers of that?

Wheelspinner

Pinno wrote:

You are probably right but the studio guy wasn't talking about stuff you can buy in the hight street - he was talking about the peak of perceptible audio improvement; mainly what could be re-produced (played back) in the studio.
Anyway, given a top of the range sound system from then and a top of the range sound system played at a 'normal' levels, I wonder what difference you could hear - hence the Stradivarius example I gave,

I would like to have heard that sound system. What.s the name of the makers of that?

Amp is British, a Naim Statement. Speakers are French, Focal Utopia and the turntable is a Continuum Caliburn plus bits. Think I read somewhere the company started here in Oz, but not sure.

pinno

Wheelspinner wrote:

Pinno wrote:

You are probably right but the studio guy wasn't talking about stuff you can buy in the hight street - he was talking about the peak of perceptible audio improvement; mainly what could be re-produced (played back) in the studio.
Anyway, given a top of the range sound system from then and a top of the range sound system played at a 'normal' levels, I wonder what difference you could hear - hence the Stradivarius example I gave,

I would like to have heard that sound system. What.s the name of the makers of that?

Amp is British, a Naim Statement. Speakers are French, Focal Utopia and the turntable is a Continuum Caliburn plus bits. Think I read somewhere the company started here in Oz, but not sure.

Not exactly accessible though.

Nice to know it was vinyl that was being played (even though it was a £115k turntable).