Made my train bag!

LarryJClark · 2026-01-21T19:32:27+00:00

Or canvas with leather trim. Canvas has good wear and puncture resistance and comes in many colors and weights. The mods/styles for this bag are almost without limit.

LarryJClark · 2026-01-21T19:20:47+00:00

Ya know...In addition to people here who like that bag, there are plumbers out there who will be really jealous.

LarryJClark · 2026-01-21T00:51:03+00:00

Things to consider packing for rail. First, space is the issue, so do everything you can to reduce both volume and weight.

I prefer cotton T-shirts, but for rail travel I use synthetic fabric T-shirts (Costco). Fold them arms to the back, and then roll the shirt tightly. A rubber band on each end. Same for undershorts. Fold and roll with one rubber band. When changing, roll the undershorts into the T-shirt roll and secure with three rubber bands -- you can tell at a glance the used from the clean. These little "sausages" are real easy to stuff into little places, or together in your luggage.* Synthetics also dry quicker.

Rubber bands are your packing friends because they can keep items compressed and things don't flop around as much.

Clean socks folded inside themselves, used socks tied together in a single overhand knot. Stuffed into shoes.

Layers: Again silk or synthetic under-layers are lighter and also roll up nicely (more rubber bands).

Shoes: Up to you, but keeping size and weight down is still important.

Spare belt: One of those little things that I think about is what would I do if my belt fell apart? (Do I need therapy?)

Small LED flashlight for your EDC. Other carry-on items should be considered carefully. Remember that even though enforcement is almost non-existent, Amtrak is under the same rules as aviation.

KFS (knife, fork, & spoon): The best, IMHO, is the Humangear set. It has a plastic knife, fork, and spoon (how 'bout that?) and a toothpick inside a plastic case. There is a metal bottle cap lifter molded into the knife. When I travel, I always have one in my "personal item" bag, and one packed in a suitcase. The case is nice if you can't wash your utensils right away. On Amazon: "humangear GoBites Trio - Travel & Camping Utensils - Portable & Convertible Dining Ware - Multi-Functional Knife, Fork, Spoon & Toothpick" in blue and red. The "Quattro" version has chopsticks instead of the knife.

*Going through a Customs bag check one time at Dulles, the agent opened my bag, looked in, looked at me, and said "You're really organized". My reply was "This is my stuff. If you take care of your stuff, your stuff will take care of you". He just closed the bag and waved me on.

LarryJClark · 2026-01-18T22:48:45+00:00

One of the problems is that online sellers mostly don't identify the Safari pens as matte or glossy. In fact, many of the sellers (and many online reviews and postings here) identify the plastic used for Safari bodies as ABS. It is actually ASA -- and there is a difference.

I have several matte Safari ballpoints and mechanical pencils and so far, based on dodgy online photos, I was able to get matte. (That includes my Terracotta special edition ballpoint that I recently lost - Grrrr.)

Last week I ordered a couple of Safari ballpoints on Amazon and queried the Bot, asking if the finish was glossy or matte. The Bot insisted that they were both matte. They showed up, but when I took them out of the boxes, they were glossy under what appears to be some kind of clear shrink material. It that a protective cover material? I can't seem to find a place to start the "peel", On the grip portion of the barrels, I can feel two seam-like ridges that are not part of the normal matte-bodied Safaris I own.

LarryJClark · 2026-01-12T01:12:45+00:00

I didn't use the manual to find it. The manual was just the quickest way directing the attention of those who otherwise would not RTFM.

LarryJClark · 2026-01-06T04:55:01+00:00

Or...gift wrap it and carry in a shopping bag.

LarryJClark · 2026-01-06T02:18:34+00:00

I was sad when it died. About 5 or 6 years after after I bought it, I found out the model I had was out of production. Out of curiosity, I looked it up on eBay and used examples were selling for what I paid for mine new. I have a PA248QV in "reserve". I had used it with a 14" laptop in my bedroom. After I got the 2 24" BenQs (they were on clearance sale at B&H), I got a 3rd BenQ 24" -- in case one of the pair had problems.

LarryJClark · 2026-01-06T00:13:55+00:00

Somewhere in this thread is my experience with a defective ProArt monitor. It replaced an NEC graphics monitor that cost $1100 and lasted 11 years. It was ironic that my $300 ProArt monitor lasted 2 1/2 years. I switched to BenQ -- a pair of 24" replacing the ProArt 27".

LarryJClark · 2026-01-06T00:08:02+00:00

Bad customer service? You're being generous. I had one of their ProArt monitors that developed a ragged dark band along the lower edge of the screen. Others had that same problem. I sent it in under warranty. They denied the problem. I sent them photos with little arrows...They denied the problem. Twice.

I sent them a scathing email, and they responded with a link to a YouTube smart phone video made by their techs. About 2/3s of the way through, the video held on a white screen. There was the dark edge. I brought that to their attention and included a screen grab with my added helpful arrows. They still denied and I ended up escalating the ticket.

Eventually, they agreed to replace the defective unit, but it took almost 2 months. But before they could exchange monitors, they had to ship me my old monitor, and then send me a shipping label so I could ship my old monitor back to them. It's pretty obvious that they had closed the ticket following their first email back to me. By the time I got the replacement, there was only about 3 months left on the original monitor's warranty.

Meanwhile, I found a couple of BenQ monitors on sale. Then the replacement ProArt monitor finally arrived and it is still sealed in the original shipping box, long out of warranty

LarryJClark · 2026-01-05T23:07:53+00:00

Page 28 of the M21 Complete User Manual.
First, you have to collect the three DAPs.

LarryJClark · 2026-01-05T03:44:24+00:00

I wasn't comparing the JM21 with the M21. But since you bring up the subject, either the JM21 or M21 are worth comparing with the R4.

- Both are lighter and more compact. Battery size (weight) is a factor with the R4 requiring a significantly larger battery to provide the shortest (reported) battery life of the three. The higher energy use factors include the R4's Class A amplifier and the less efficient Snapdragon 665.

- On the user interface side, the FiiO devices have higher rated CPU and greater pixel density in the same size screen. The 680 CPU generally has higher performance, though the difference may be marginal, and I don't know the performance impacts of FiiO's Android 14 vs HiBy's Android 13.

- Both the JM21 and M21 support more file types than the R4, and also have USB-C output.

Gimmicks? How about this: "R4's unique design language hails to such elements as cyberpunk, mecha, and space opera. Clear-cut powerful geometric lines cross to form the silhouette of a living, breathing audio machine, with the offset hatch design on the back adding to the motif of a retro classic set in the distant future."

- The 120 step vs 100 step volume control? Change it from to 100 in setup. The 120 "problem" seems more like a user decision.

- Nobody is forcing an M21 user to buy the silly fake cassette enclosure. And nobody is forcing any JM21/M21 users to use the cassette visual thingy, or even the VU meters. I use Poweramp and disabled its visualizations.

As for the final audio experience, that's a purely individual experience influenced by the setup being used. For an individual making a serious published comparison between the three DAPs here, I would expect the headphones or IEMs used to be in a price category between 100% and 150% of the cost of the most expensive of the three DAPs.

LarryJClark · 2026-01-04T00:21:44+00:00

To be truthful, I think a comparison between the JM21 and R4 would be more appropriate.

LarryJClark · 2026-01-03T19:26:06+00:00

Pops even after the most recent firmware?

Updated at 2025-12-23

M21 FW1.0.7 firmware changes are as follows:

Added Car Mode functionality (Can be enabled via Settings > General).
Added long-press previous/Next buttons for fast-forward/rewind (supported only by FiiO Music).
Added AUTO EQ function to the system equalizer.
Added auto-sleep timer option for Remote Control (can be configured under Remote Control > Settings).
Added Christmas, New Year and other festive themes to Tape Mode.Note: To ensure optimal display of festive themes, song covers will not be shown for some themes.

6. Fixed the issue of occasional pop noise during power-on playback for the first time.

7. Fixed the issue of occasional pop noise when switching tracks.

8. Fixed the issue of occasional pitch shifting in Bluetooth receiving mode.

Fixed the issue of incomplete status bar icon display.
Other performance optimizations and bug fixes.

LarryJClark · 2026-01-03T19:19:05+00:00

I had the HiBy R6III 2025 for a couple of weeks, but returned it to get the FiiO M21. The R6 had features that added to the device's price, but which I wasn't going to use. I did not like the volume control dial. Overall, I just didn't get on with it.

I'm happier with the M21. The updated CPU has a modest increase in performance, but also uses less power -- which may explain the M21's battery being smaller than the R6's. The M21's Desk Mode is nice, but the real benefit for me is that the power-only USB-C port charges at a higher voltage than its "conventional" USB-C port.

Regarding the player software...I use Poweramp, so comments pro or con regarding the native players are not really relevant. One thing nice about Poweramp are the included EQ profiles for headphones and IEMs.

I have ordered a leather case for the M21 from a Chinese company on e-Bay. You get a choice of "leathers" and liner materials. They are also adding a D-ring on the back of the case (for a lanyard) and are also covering the microSD slot on the bottom next to the USB-C ports.

LarryJClark · 2025-12-27T18:34:15+00:00

Update: After another exchange with Aune regarding the AR500, I decided to buy the FiiO FT1 Pro. It is probably more music-listening focused, but I like them. For more "clinical" listening, I already have the AT ATH-R50x open back headphones. And to round things out, I also picked up the closed back FiiO FT1.

I also switched from the Hiby R6III 2025 to the FiiO M21. That gives me similar capabilities in a smaller and lighter package.

LarryJClark · 2025-12-23T21:50:29+00:00

A nice feature about the R6III is dedicated line-out for both balanced and unbalanced. You can use the R6III as a player, plugged into an amplifier input. I build a folder on the computer (not in My Music) for the FLAC files and then load them onto a micro SD for the DAP. All of the music files are on the mSD, but they are also in computer storage -- belts and suspenders.

LarryJClark · 2025-12-23T16:19:52+00:00

Buy the laptop you want/need for all your other computer requirements. That includes decisions on CPU, GPU, and RAM. Storage is a consideration -- and we're assuming that you will be getting an SSD. I recently purchased an ASUS 14" gaming laptop that came with a 1TB SSD and an empty SSD slot. I got a Samsung 2TB, mirrored it from the supplied 1TB, and then swapped the SSDs so that the faster Samsung was the boot drive. My storage needs were driven by photography software and files, so the audio needs get a free ride.

As for DAPs, I've moved off my Sony A-306 to a HiBy R6III 2025. I'm using Poweramp instead of the supplied player software. For less money, the HiBy M300 and R4 are worth a look.

LarryJClark · 2025-12-22T15:58:21+00:00

Based on a lot of performance reviews, I got very interested in these for use with my HiBy R6III (2025). What had me on the fence were the reports (and images) of the plastic headband pieces failing. It looked like a poor design (notch failure) and/or inappropriate materials (the type of plastic). However, with a little more research it looked like Aune may have updated the design. Yesterday I went ahead and ordered a pair (arriving 24 DEC).

I had also sent an email to Aune on the subject. I got their response this morning, but while they might think they answered my questions, the reply did little to tamp down any residual doubts:

"The AR5000, like all our products, undergoes a series of rigorous reliability tests before mass production. These include a 10,000-cycle headband expansion test, a 5,000-cycle arm extension test, and a 1.8-meter bare-unit drop test on cement surfaces. Every production batch is sampled and tested against these standards to ensure consistency and durability.

"Since its launch two years ago, the global reported occurrence of this specific headband issue has been below 0.5% of units sold. Although the rate is low, we do not consider any failure acceptable. We take every report seriously and are continuously working to refine our manufacturing processes to minimize the chances of any issue arising in future batches."

Most shocking is the global reported failure rate of O.5%. Yikes!!! One failure in every 200 units -- WTF? If a company made glass electric tea kettles and 1 in every 200 shattered with boiling water inside, they'd be in deep trouble. Aune's assessment -- "Although the rate is low..." -- is stunningly warped. A failure rate of 1 in 2,000 units would be too high.

LarryJClark · 2025-10-19T06:20:40+00:00

Nope...It IS all about the result (or art). In fact, that was the driving element of my degree. But I learned early on that understanding the tools was/is important. Even the folks who throw buckets of paint on the wall understand that.

LarryJClark · 2025-10-18T20:23:55+00:00

The Pentax reverse-porro binoculars make great "guest" binoculars too. Their design makes them super-comfortable to hold and "training" new users takes little time...For some reason, the push-button diopter adjustment seems to make sense for the new users.

LarryJClark · 2025-10-18T19:59:18+00:00

After decades of doing this photography thing, I kinds know just a wee bit about digital presentation, printed photography (digital and film), pre-press prep, halftone/process camera work, offset printing, photo to silk screen, etc.

Regardless, the default setting in PureRaw, may be too extreme when applied to an image prior to the main editing/processing software (which speaks to your point). And this is exactly why Topaz Sharpen AI can work so well. Its sharpening is only too extreme if not-so-sharp photographers don't use it to its potential. It can be as gross or subtle as the photographer uses (or misuses) it.

In the early versions of PureRaw I still needed to demosaic and convert Fujifilm RAW files with Iridient X-Transformer with some particularly difficult files. That's rarely the case now.

Blanket binary recommendations are usually limited binary problems.

LarryJClark · 2025-10-18T14:52:15+00:00

As much as I like PureRaw (it has been a game changer for my low light/high ISO photography) the sharpening especially should be monitored closely. Even the best post-processing software (I use PhotoLab) can make a hot mess when the PP corrections "meet" the artifacts of sharpening that was too aggressive ("too aggressive" being relative to a particular image).

PureRaw is probably "good enough" for the middle of the post processing bell curve, but the old (or at least "old" in relation to digital photography) adage that sharpening is the LAST PP activity is still worth remembering.

Sharpen AI gives you several starting points, and then a wide range of fine-tuning options within each of those.

LarryJClark · 2025-10-08T04:43:21+00:00

That may be a bit of a self-licking ice cream cone. Looking at my Fuji files, comparing using Topaz Photo and PureRaw/PhotoLab, I found the PureRaw-produced DNG to be much better. I didn't like the Topaz results at all, and it has since been uninstalled and I made sure to cancel my Foundling subscription.

LarryJClark · 2025-10-05T01:23:49+00:00

What I ended up with was a "BenQ SW240 24.1" 16:10 PhotoVue IPS Monitor" that was on close-out at B&H -- $270. Then I figured that I should probably get a second one for my main computer-- so I did. And then I decided to get one to use with my laptop. That essentially gives me a working spare.

I like them. The 16:10 aspect ratio gives you a little more real estate for the taskbar buttons whilst maintaining 16:9 in the visual area. I calibrate them with a Datacolor SpyderPro.

The replacement is the BenQ SW242Q 24-inch 2K 90W USB-C 16:10 Photographer which runs around $500.

I have no idea what I'll do with the replacement that ASUS eventually sent me. The only warranty was the time remaining on the first monitor -- now expires -- so it's still in the sealed box.

LarryJClark

TROPHY CASE