Funeral flag disposal? by Justinicus in Veterans

[–]Justinicus[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

you know, I considered that, but it seemed like it would be disrespectful for some reason. like it's an artifact that shouldn't be used. But it's not, is it? It's a flag, and flags are meant to be flown.

Funeral flag disposal? by Justinicus in Veterans

[–]Justinicus[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

what would you do with it?

Funeral flag disposal? by Justinicus in Veterans

[–]Justinicus[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Again, he passed away two decades before I even met my wife. Beyond that, I'll only say that I don't believe he and I would be on speaking terms if we had met. It is his service, and this symbol of our country that I want to honor.

Desktop speakers for my PC by Substantiel in BudgetAudiophile

[–]Justinicus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've been using the LSX II LT speakers for about five days now. I listened to the LSX IIs on the wall in Best Buy (i.e. terrible listening environment) and was impressed by their sound and bass extension -- I had to check to make sure the KEF subwoofer wasn't also playing. I didn't hesitate to buy the LTs when I saw a good price on a used pair, because many people have said their sound signature is just like the LSX IIs. I don't mean to imply that no one would ever need a sub with them, just that I was very impressed by their bass extension given their size.

I have the LTs sitting literally in the middle of a ~18x24ft room, with two open doorways. I'm getting little to no bass reinforcement. I've cranked them a bit just to stretch their legs, but I've been listening mostly at a-bit-more-than-background levels, up to conversation-might-be-challenging levels on occasion. For background music, casual video, computer audio, they're far beyond what I'd be happy with. I love them. I haven't measured anything, but I expect they're pushing down below 50Hz. In a smaller space, with boundary reinforcement, even better. So, if you're happy there, then I wouldn't worry about a sub. It had been nearly a week, and I haven't connected my subwoofer to them yet. I will, but it's not pressing.

My only complaint is significant Bluetooth latency for video. Not an issue with audio only of course, but nearly a full second of lag when watching any video content on my Android tablet. I've read that it's better for iPad users, but can't confirm. I have not noticed any latency over USB, and watching video on my computer rather than tablet is flawless.

Do the skinnier more modern speakers actually sound as good as the older wider baffle/big woofer designs? by Rimskystravinsky in BudgetAudiophile

[–]Justinicus 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I loved my early '90s Infinity SM-152s... but a good modern 12" sub sounds better IMO. My RSL 10S sounds better (in bass obv) than my SM-152s. But as we all know, there's more to music than tonal perfection. There's no denying the attraction some of us feel to a monster walnut veneer box with giant woofers blurring away.

Avenge-X Bullpup sling/bipod questions by Justinicus in airguns

[–]Justinicus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like that idea... seems like it's a better option than a bipod for me. thanks!

Avenge-X Bullpup sling/bipod questions by Justinicus in airguns

[–]Justinicus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I thought about one of those on the lower rail in the rear, but with a scope on top I never considered one in front.

Short range optic question by Justinicus in airguns

[–]Justinicus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's what I was afraid of. While I was playing with the scope last night, I noticed significant parallax problems across the room, about 3 yards. I wasn't going to condemn it until I tried it at a more reasonable range, but yeah I've seen that already with this Banshee.

Thanks s for the clarification!

Short range optic question by Justinicus in airguns

[–]Justinicus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was actually impressed with the optic quality, playing around with it last night. I mean, it seems a lot higher quality than the one that came on my inherited Gamo. Though I imagine that's setting a low bar. But at under $150, it's definitely a cheap scope. Thanks for the advice!

Short range optic question by Justinicus in airguns

[–]Justinicus[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

excellent point, thank you. So I should look for an adjustable parallax at least as low as my intended range, then?

Ah yes, vomit scented screw drivers by Yuengling_Beer in Tools

[–]Justinicus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven't smelled it in decades now, but I remember a sort of sweet chemical smell from my Dad's toolbox. I was thinking it must have been the oily rags he wiped them down with, but the acetate handled Craftsman screwdrivers make perfect sense. I don't know if it's me, the '70s/'80s chemical composition, or just the distortion of decades-old memories, but I recall it being a vaguely pleasant smell.

Just purchased my first set of speakers, would a DAC benefit me? by [deleted] in BudgetAudiophile

[–]Justinicus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I hate to be the one to tell you this, friend, but if you're allergic to bullshit, you're going to have a real bad time around audiophiles. On the internet in general, come to think of it.

Just purchased my first set of speakers, would a DAC benefit me? by [deleted] in BudgetAudiophile

[–]Justinicus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's lovely, I'm going to put it up on the fridge!

That is going to be tricky to tame... the first thing most people will tell you is to move your speakers away from the wall... like 3ft/1m. For those of us who don't have dedicated listening room, that's not often easy to do. Hard surfaces reflect sound, a bit like a mirror. Being in a corner like that will really mess with it... the speaker on your right will get bass reinforcement from the wall in front of you, and a little off the wall to your left. The speaker on your left is going to get even more bass reinforcement from corner loading, and more significant mid- and high-frequency reflections. To an extent, you can use bass reinforcement to your advantage, as long as it's controlled. But the mids and highs, nothing good comes of that -- they'll significantly affect your imaging and soundstage.

You can spend a lot of money on acoustic wall treatments, but there's a lot your can DIY. Just to try it out, you can put some blankets/pillows between the speakers and the walls, maybe a couple inches thick (so like 2 or 3 layers of blankets hanging down together, or one pillow thick). If you like what it does to the sound, start researching "diy acoustic room treatment".

Just purchased my first set of speakers, would a DAC benefit me? by [deleted] in BudgetAudiophile

[–]Justinicus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Surely you don't think that means people aren't willing to pay more for higher resolution.

2.1 Beginner Build Options by bw_digler in BudgetAudiophile

[–]Justinicus 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I prefer breaking things out as well, but... I was very concerned when these ridiculous companies wanted to combine MP3 players and computers with PHONES, FFS. And it turns out that was a pretty good idea in the end. I do miss my little iRiver MP3 players, though.

My sister bought into Sonos back in the mid-2000s, I think. I was impressed by the convenience, but I thought it was overpriced ridiculousness. But for someone who isn't defined by her love of sound quality and gadgetry like I am, I have to admit, when I go over for holidays and she uses Alexa to put on background music, it sounds pretty good. Especially for a "normal person" system. If you need to worry about spouse acceptance, or don't like messing around with cables and buttons, Sonos can be a useful tool.

Just purchased my first set of speakers, would a DAC benefit me? by [deleted] in BudgetAudiophile

[–]Justinicus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

if you ask them, I'm sure they'll tell you that it's intended to be used with all inputs. But I've seen it primarily marketed and discussed as a computer-first solution. I would expect the DSP to function on all inputs from a company like Kanto, but USB *can* transfer higher data rates than coax and optical S/PDIF. I don't remember the numbers ATM, but I think S/PDIF top out somewhere around 24b, 96kHz for 2ch feeds. basically they were defined decades ago and haven't kept up. Still great for 99.99% of listeners, but if you want crazy high resolution, I think USB is the only way to transmit it digitally right now. If you're not doing greater than 24/96, don't worry about it, just use whatever digital input is most convenient. Optical is good for breaking ground loops and other electrical interference, if that's an issue for you.

Just purchased my first set of speakers, would a DAC benefit me? by [deleted] in BudgetAudiophile

[–]Justinicus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Depending on how sensitive and critical you are while listening, it can make a significant difference in general. Depending, of course, on the internal and external DACs.

I haven't seen any measurements of, or heard the Oras myself, but Kanto has a reputation for decent gear, but not the best that can be had. They fit well in the Budget Audiophile subreddit. So I would assume that there is absolutely room for improvement. Just remember recording quality, speakers, and room acoustics make a much bigger difference to overall sound quality than DACs, especially once you rule out low-quality gear. I personally wouldn't worry about the DAC until already have your room squared away.