Laser Disk perhaps? I had about 50 before DVD got rolling. I liked Beta Max and was disappointed when VHS won out.
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No, Laser Disk was far better. We have this monster in mind, “CED”:
6 Likes
I had a Pioneer laser disk player that also played music CD’s, I went to look for it the other day to see what kind of outputs it had and I must have given it away years ago. As I recall mine would play a double sided disk but I do not recall if you had to flip it over. I never bought one of the RCA units even though their main factory was in my town and I probably could have bought it for little money I knew better lol.
The RCA unit may have been conceived in 64 but I can recall technicians leaving my company to go work on them around 1979 or 1980 maybe.
Anybody remember (or more likely have parents that remember) wire recorders?
Long ago my father spoke of wire recorders as something from long ago.
Techmoan is great for this stuff:
6 Likes
I finally got around to looking up the pin-out for my broken Tung Sol 6SN7.
Here’s a photo of unbroken Tung Sol 6SN7 GTB bases:
Thanks to some packing tape and a socket saver, I’m now using this tube in my Lyr 3.
Findings:
- The Tung Sol is way more functionally intact than some of my vintage tubes that have much better reputations. It has good definition and range, and generates no piercing whines.
- The Lyr 3’s output more closely resembles the RebelAmp now, but the RebelAmp is on another level for punch and definition.
- I should do a systematic comparison between my 6SN7s. We will see.
8 Likes
EDITED TO EXPAND ON AMP PERFORMANCE:
I dug my 20 year old Technics SA-DA10 receiver out of storage. Its VGCA music-focused amp is quite clean, resolving, spacious, and punchy. I kept it around because of the amp, and it’s as good as I remember. I’ve run 3 external DACs through the amp, and it’s very transparent. My test DACs included Bifrost 2, AKM 4490, and a cheap Raspberry Pi DAC. Each one is different and readily identifiable, even to my wife. We both prefer the more expensive DACs over the cheaper ones. Simple rank order.
The receiver’s integral DAC is something else. It’s bad, seriously bad. Every note is converted into bloopy video-game-like sounds. On or off. No space, breath, or ambience at all, and generally no ability to handle complexity. The processor gets confused very easily and tends to lag. I gave up on the DAC after 15 minutes. Even the cheapest contemporary DAC or dongle is far superior.
7 Likes
I’d have given you a 
for that, but I have an 
's memory. Anyway, I’m just a 17 year old 
but play an old goofball 
on non-functional “black screen radio TVs.”
2 Likes
Truly LOL. Even ROTFL, or ROTFLOL.
2 Likes
I’ve been coasting along with the Air Pods Pro for most mobile and office listening, as their convenience is hard to beat. This week I set up some gear from 2018 to 2021 at the office to see how the APP compares.
Clockwise from top left:
- Apple Camera Adapter and cables
- iFi ZenDAC V1
- FiiO Q5 mobile DAC/Amp with the 3.5 mm and 2.5 mm balanced AM3A module
- Moondrop Kanas Pro IEM
- Apple Lightning 3.5 mm audio dongle
- Balanced 2.5 mm IEM cable rudely shoved into a 4.4 mm adapter (ZenDAC)
- Air Pods Pro in their case
Comments
Apple Camera Adapter
- Clunky and clumsy cables when anything needs to be moved (yes, @pennstac)
Apple Air Pods Pro
- Mediocre consumer grade sound quality; I am unable to distinguish between compressed and uncompressed sources
- Relatively low fatigue and I can listen for hours
Apple Lightning dongle
- Incredibly stupid, fragile design; Apple is managed by stubborn arrogant idiots
- To my ears, the sound quality is identical to Apple tablet/notebook output
Fiio Q5 Mobile DAC/Amp
- Wet blanket on the treble; smoothed out but I cannot hear the room or reverb/harmonics
- Bass boost option is way too strong and muddy with the Kanas Pro
- The tiny 2.5 mm interface is an abomination and too fragile for the real world
- The DAC continues to have piercing whines and artifacts; I gave up half way through my fatigue evaluation playlist
- Back to the box it went, and likely never used again/sold
ZenDAC V1
- Remarkably nice sound quality that delivers an experience closer to the Bifrost 2/64 than the FiiO Q5 (experience, not technicalities)
- Bass boost is suitable for the Kanas Pro and I often used it
- I was forced to use a 4.4 mm adapter for my 2.5 mm cable – it’s so awkward and touchy that I ordered a 4.4 mm cable for improved stability
- Volume channel imbalance below 8:30 position; known issue with the ZenDAC
- Was a solid value for $100 to $130 back then, but the V3 sells for $229 and seems to be a light cosmetic upgrade (plus USB-C)
Moondrop Kanas Pro
- Neutral single dynamic driver IEMs
- Easy on the ears and they still sound pretty good (e.g., HD 600 on a good setup)
- Bass and midrange bloom/fuzz on single-ended sources, but this is largely avoided on balanced amps
- Limited bass depth and definition
Conclusion:
I’ll keep the ZenDAC, as it’s fine for a casual listening environment or as a preamp. The Kanas Pro deserves a better mobile source (not the Q5) and I should use it more. I still plan to get the APP3 when they are released, perhaps in a few months.
1 Like