LATEST Piece of Gear in Your Stack - What is it?

[Bruce00]

The nerd in me wants to know what it is...but the serial number on the magnet is so worn, I can't read it.

Looks similar to the many drive in movie speakers, that I "accidentally" drove home with

 

[GOS]

Looks similar to the many drive in movie speakers, that I "accidentally" drove home with

Oh yeah! You are right...I hadn't thought about that. I bet that's exactly what it is....

 

[mandrix]

Not traditional gear I guess, but my latest editions were a UMIK-1 mic (for calibrations) and a cheap but fairly decent HDMI switch with a remote. I have two pc's in the audio room and need to switch between them at times to the input on the AVR.

I also built a box-like enclosure to hold the smaller AVR/top speaker amp inside and the larger Onkyo on top.

I need to setup the Oppo's on different RF freq's via the remotes, etc so I don't have 3 disc drawers opening at once. lol. Just never seem to get to it.
Jeez I just realized I have 8 remotes. I used to use a Harmony remote but for some reason stopped using it a few years ago.

 

[barfle]

LOL, might as well say it in Greek. That's waaaaaay over my head
I just figured out how to Blu tooth from my phones Apple Music to the Sansui......

Well, the 105 is incridibly versatile. If you have it connected to your network, it can play files, almost all of the audio and video formats, you might have on a shared directory. That would be through the network icon on the Oppo’s home screen. The audio and video icons can access files on USB drives that are plugged into the unit.

Play around with it. It might take several months before you run out of things you can do with it. The settings menu has a lot of apparently subtle but eventually important settings like SACD priority.

PS, the netflix and youtube interfaces aren’t very good, and the Best Buy Cinema Now has been missing from the Internet since I got mine from the factory over ten years ago.

 

[barfle]

Not traditional gear I guess, but my latest editions were a UMIK-1 mic (for calibrations) and a cheap but fairly decent HDMI switch with a remote. I have two pc's in the audio room and need to switch between them at times to the input on the AVR.

I also built a box-like enclosure to hold the smaller AVR/top speaker amp inside and the larger Onkyo on top.

I need to setup the Oppo's on different RF freq's via the remotes, etc so I don't have 3 disc drawers opening at once. lol. Just never seem to get to it.
Jeez I just realized I have 8 remotes. I used to use a Harmony remote but for some reason stopped using it a few years ago.

Cool. I had a KVMA (keyboard, video, mouse, audio) switch in my computer setup and it died about a month ago. Got a new one and it’s doing well. Interestingly, I only had one working computer attached to it, so it wasn’t exactly a big deal at the time.

About two weeks ago, I added a Mac mini to the system. Some interesting stuff there, but going from an ipad (my previously most powerful apple product) to a mac is going to take some time.

I had a Linux box in the system, but it died and the motherboard I got to replace it was a brick, and with all my attempts to get it working, the return window closed. A new motherboard arrived yesterday, so I’ll be seeing if I can make that work today.

Still no word on my turntable, and most of the “home theater” dealers around here seem to be more involved in motorized shades than they are in hi-fi.

 

[mandrix]

I too recently added a KVM switch. Pretty handy sometimes with two pc's, and I just switch the KB and Mouse.

 

[Blackwood]

Wasn’t originally going to post this since it seems kind of a boring purchase in terms of the gear, but since @barfle suggested it...

I’m going to put the background story under a Spoiler not because it’s anything special, but there’s no point in making people scroll more to pass by it if not interested. Here’s the bottom line:

After almost 40 years, I decided to buy a turntable again. While I considered more expensive options, I went with a simple Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT. It’s an early Christmas gift and I haven’t fully set it up yet.

Spoiler: Background of questionable interest

In 1987, I had multiple copies of Great White’s Once Bitten. Loved that album, but I was having rotten luck with vinyl. I was getting pissed off and it prompted me to move to CDs.

I couldn’t immediately afford a CD player, but I could afford one CD and I bought that Great White album. I figured having the CD would motivate me to get a player faster and it did. I left vinyl behind and couldn’t be happier. No warping, fewer storage issues, etc.

About 7 years ago, a friend got me interested in buying vinyl simply for wall art. It started with just a few, but then I ended up with about 70 albums hanging in my home office, but still no interest in buying a turntable.

But this past summer, that same friend showed me his listening room full of vinyl and I got really nostalgic for the days when I would lay on a beanbag with no distractions and listen to a new record while pouring over the cover and sleeve notes.

Told my wife that for Christmas this year I wanted to get a turntable, but in the meantime I was going to build my vinyl library. Mostly stuff I liked from my youth, but some new things, too.

The library is now up to about 300 records. (Ordered a batch of Slade LPs this morning.) Also have about fifty 45s.

As I was building the library, I knew it had to include that Great White album. It felt like a closing of the circle to start my new vinyl listening journey with the album that made me walk away from vinyl.

The trouble was, when I started going down this road, it was out of print and new copies (I’m focusing on new as much as possible, even if it’s pricey sealed copies from decades ago) were expensive.

And then some weeks back I saw that it’s being re-released. It’s coming out next Friday. So I’ll buy that and it will be the first album I play.

I’ve got a nice listening area in a spare room. No desire to lay on the floor or beanbag, though, so I’m going with a comfortable chair this time.

 

[Bruce00]

Well, the 105 is incridibly versatile. If you have it connected to your network, it can play files, almost all of the audio and video formats, you might have on a shared directory. That would be through the network icon on the Oppo’s home screen. The audio and video icons can access files on USB drives that are plugged into the unit.

Play around with it. It might take several months before you run out of things you can do with it. The settings menu has a lot of apparently subtle but eventually important settings like SACD priority.

PS, the netflix and youtube interfaces aren’t very good, and the Best Buy Cinema Now has been missing from the Internet since I got mine from the factory over ten years ago.

Thank you

 

[Bruce00]

Oh yeah! You are right...I hadn't thought about that. I bet that's exactly what it is....

I would post pics of my collection, but I believe I finally threw them in the trash 4 or 5 moves ago. Even had an unopened parking meter that a g/f mention to her dad. He wanted it and I figured what I was doing to his daughter, I owed him that meter

 

[DaveLaPorte53]

welcome to days of future past, just picked up this near mint holographic disc player.

 

[Rich Graf]

Smyth Realiser A16, but haven't had the chance to start playing with it due to some intense family matters! Family always comes first!

 

[Mackspower]

welcome to days of future past, just picked up this near mint holographic disc player.View attachment 110036

Blade Runner!

 

[jimfisheye]

Nah, this is the most boring purchase:
Owens Corning 702 and some burlap for a new pair of bass traps for a recording room.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Well, the 105 is incridibly versatile. If you have it connected to your network, it can play files, almost all of the audio and video formats, you might have on a shared directory. That would be through the network icon on the Oppo’s home screen. The audio and video icons can access files on USB drives that are plugged into the unit.

Also, you can rip SACDs quite easily.

 

[Quad Linda]

Sony 4K 65" OLED TV. Panasonic 60" 1080P plasma crapped out after 17 years.

Next project: 4K Blu-Ray player w/SACD.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Sony 4K 65" OLED TV. Panasonic 60" 1080P plasma crapped out after 17 years.

Next project: 4K Blu-Ray player w/SACD.

Now that you have an OLED TV, QL, hopefully you'll be watching more cinema and can contribute to our Movies in Surround thread! LOL! The uptick in quality over Plasma is NOT subtle.

As far as Universal Players ..... only wish OPPO would do one more run of their 203/205 series. IMO, the 205 IS STILL TOP NOTCH!

 

[Quad Linda]

Hubby has a huge movie collection.

Bough a Panasonic plasma 12 years ago. Returned the "new" TV. My old Panasonic plasma looked far better!!

 

[4-earredwonder]

Hubby has a huge movie collection.

Bough a Panasonic plasma 12 tears ago. Returned it. My old Panasonic plasma looked far better!! Returned the "new" TV.

I've had my 55" LG 3D TV in my bedroom since 2016 and prior to that a Panasonic Plasma 3D TV and there was NO contest. Right out of the box, I never had to touch the LG's pre set controls and the 3D pic is nothing short of ASTOUNDING ...... I installed a new megabuck SONY 3D Laser Projector in my man cave [even UPGRADED to a GLASS LENS] and even the expert who just calibrated it said NOTHING BEATS OLED in terms of overall picture quality and I AGREE 100%! BTW, LG manufactures all the OLED panels for other brands as well, I believe, SONY included!

 

[Quad Linda]

Panasonic 3D plasma was what I bought that I returned. It was the best looking set in the store at that time. My old one was way better.

my local store:

https://www.abt.com/Televisions-TV/c/90.html

 

[4-earredwonder]

Panasonic 3D plasma was what I bought that I returned. It was the best looking set in the store at that time. My old one was way better.

my local store:

https://www.abt.com/Televisions-TV/c/90.html

My old Panny 3D Plasma TV, most especially in 3D was DISMAL ... Waayyyy too dark! Whereas the LG TV was/is a REVELATION in both 2D and 3D! Too bad they discontinued 3D because while most consider it a gimmick, IMO, it enhances the enjoyment of almost all movies I watch on it ... including less than well reviewed subject matter.

I also highly recommend Audioquest's Cinnamon HDMI cables which deliver the goods in spades. Elusive Disc recently blew them out for $40 each [list $180] and I bought a few! Don't believe the hype that any generic HDMI cable will do the trick. Makes a HUGE difference in both audio and video!

Unfortunately, Elusive Disc's current price is back to $180

https://elusivedisc.com/audioquest-cinnamon-48-hdmi-digital-audio-video-cable-1-5m