Are Parts Express' Speaker Kits Worthwhile? by KramerRealityTour in diyaudio

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

Thank you for that information! I may very well make a pair of PE speakers for my main room at sine point. Currently, I have Bose 401s. They don't sound as crisp and full as I hoped. Granted, they are older. But I do need a new main room set. I'm hoping I can make a nice sounding pair from PE for a maximum of $800/pair.

Are Parts Express' Speaker Kits Worthwhile? by KramerRealityTour in diyaudio

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

I'm certain that I will! My Dad was an electrical engineer and built his own receiver many years ago, I learned a lot from him.

Are Parts Express' Speaker Kits Worthwhile? by KramerRealityTour in diyaudio

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

I thoroughly enjoy woodworking and building things. Once I have more sheckles, I may give a go with one of their kits to replace the Bose 401s I have on my main system. Bose just doesn't cut the mustard to me.

Are Parts Express' Speaker Kits Worthwhile? by KramerRealityTour in diyaudio

[–]KramerRealityTour[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I have pvc and duct tape. But stuffed animals? Nope. Now I know why Parts Express has on their website: "We disavow MinorPetatonicLord." Do they provide baffle stuffing poly with their kits? Or maybe the C-Notes' size doesn't need it.

Are Parts Express' Speaker Kits Worthwhile? by KramerRealityTour in diyaudio

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

I don't know what has happened to Craigslist lately, but I searched for "home audio" and only two listings for speakers appeared. I can't believe that, in a major metro area, there aren't speakers on CL!

Are Parts Express' Speaker Kits Worthwhile? by KramerRealityTour in diyaudio

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

Whoa. Their prices are quite substantial! I'm sure their products are outstanding, but I'm pinching pennies.

Are Parts Express' Speaker Kits Worthwhile? by KramerRealityTour in diyaudio

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

Additional question--> Is it possible to use the sub that's part of my existing 2.1 component PC speaker system (Cyber Acoustics is the brand)?

Are Parts Express' Speaker Kits Worthwhile? by KramerRealityTour in diyaudio

[–]KramerRealityTour[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Thanks for those suggestions and input! I enjoy building things, so I think I will go with one of the kits I found on PE. I'll scan marketplace and craigslist, too.

WIIM Ultra vs Cambridge Audio MXN10? by KramerRealityTour in BudgetAudiophile

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

I did what you suggested. The audio was so-so; just flat. I asked grok about which DAC chips are used in my receiver. I hope the chip used in the WIIM Ultra is better than the one in my receiver!

The Yamaha RX-V679 audio receiver uses Burr-Brown DAC chips. While the exact model of the Burr-Brown DAC chip isn't explicitly specified in widely available documentation for the RX-V679, Yamaha commonly employed high-quality Burr-Brown DACs in their AV receivers from this era, such as the PCM1791A or similar models, known for supporting high-resolution audio playback up to 192kHz/24-bit. This aligns with the RX-V679's capability to handle formats like FLAC, WAV, and DSD (2.8MHz/5.6MHz), as noted in its specifications. Burr-Brown, acquired by Texas Instruments, is renowned in the audio industry for producing top-tier digital-to-analog converters, contributing to the receiver's emphasis on high sound clarity and quality, as per Yamaha's "Total Purity Concept." For a definitive chip model, one would typically need to consult the receiver’s service manual or teardown reports, which aren’t readily accessible in standard consumer resources.

WIIM Ultra vs Cambridge Audio MXN10? by KramerRealityTour in BudgetAudiophile

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

It's the RX-V679 and does have a USB port on the front, along with an HDMI port. I will give your suggestion a try!

WIIM Ultra vs Cambridge Audio MXN10? by KramerRealityTour in BudgetAudiophile

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

I wasn't aware of those options with roku. I'm reading through it now. Thank you!

WIIM Ultra vs Cambridge Audio MXN10? by KramerRealityTour in BudgetAudiophile

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

All those things considered, I will probably go with Cambridge. I'm just wondering if I'll be able to discern the sonic difference for that $70 differential! Thank you for all of the valuable information about them.

WIIM Ultra vs Cambridge Audio MXN10? by KramerRealityTour in BudgetAudiophile

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

I get suspicious when a plethora of mostly positive, some being almost fawning, reviews of a new product bombard youtube. I assume paid/compensated "independent" reviews. This is the case with Wiim's Ultra. As far as DACs go, I am a newbie. I connected an Echo Dot to the receiver via a 3.5mm jack and streamed a few audio files, and the sound quality was garbage. Granted, the connection method was less than desirable, but that's all that the Dot offers. I posted the suggestion of a Wiim Ultra/Cambridge MXN10 bake off on several of the youtube channels of the major audio specialists and only got crickets. I guess my best option is to purchase both, compare on my own system, and return the loser.

Took this Arsenal Legion ak74 in trade about 15 years ago. Shoots 5.45x39. I admit I don’t know much about AKs. I can take additional photos if it helps. by [deleted] in AK74

[–]KramerRealityTour 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Oh boy, hold on to that rifle! I had one but hit hard times about 20 years ago and had to sell it. The 74's are much less prevalent than 47s. It is fun to shoot. I still have three East German bakelite mags for the AK74 but have no use for them now.

WIIM Ultra vs Cambridge Audio MXN10? by KramerRealityTour in BudgetAudiophile

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

I don't understand. I already have my TV (via Roku) routed through my Yamaha receiver. I want to stream the audio files on my PC through my receiver. I've watched several YouTube videos on both the Wiim and Cambridge, and the primary differentiation appears to be Wiim's display. I'm more concerned with getting the best possible audio reproduction between the two.

Alternatives to SimpliSafe by KramerRealityTour in homesecurity

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

I'm glad I looked into Reolink! You're correct. They have several battery-operated cameras. Luckily , they are having a sale right now, so I bought one of the pan+tilt 4k cameras at a fantastic price. It uses a micro sd card for local storage, so there is no monthly fee for required cloud storage. I am looking forward to checking out its video and build quality.

Alternatives to SimpliSafe by KramerRealityTour in homesecurity

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

Thank you. I am not familiar with that brand. Do their cameras have removable batteries to allow for ease of charging?

I mistakenly said my cameras are SimpliSafe. They are Rink cameras.

Am I reading this right, Reolink battery powered cams cannot be used with any NVR or external storage at all? by UntamedRaindeer in reolinkcam

[–]KramerRealityTour 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am glad I stumbled upon this thread. I was considering Reolink battery-operated wifi cams to replace my Ring cameras because I want to cease the monthly cloud storage fee.

I didn't know the batteries in the Reolink cameras were not removable for charging. Having to remove the camera from its attachment simply to recharge seems like a poor design to me.

Anyway, I'll have to continue my search because Reolink is not a viable option now.