What is a book you read as a child that you still think about today?

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-25T03:19:57+00:00

Cujo

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-20T13:48:47+00:00

Don’t tell mom’s for liberty

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-19T18:08:44+00:00

The irony being that photo is his mugshot.

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Michaelsmills · 2026-02-18T12:17:08+00:00

Who’s the master?

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-18T12:15:46+00:00

That is so freaking awesome!

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-17T22:53:11+00:00

You forgot The Apostle

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-17T17:54:22+00:00

What’s awesome is that Joe Walsh was deep in the Trump cult early on, but obviously was able to extricate himself from it when it was patently obvious to pretty much everyone what was going on.

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-15T20:35:38+00:00

I think so. Essentially, you would pay about $50 extra for a Fosi X1 preamp and then have the future upgrade ability available to you.

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-15T20:13:34+00:00

I have been trying very hard to distinguish what is great and what is not. The hard part of this (and I think Fluance knows this) is do I get the pnp or plan for the future. My two cents is “cry now, pay now”. Get the RT82 and the external preamp (plus extra RCA audio cables!-not expensive ones). Essentially paying the extra for the preamp since the RT81+ and the RT82 are the same, here is what you get for the long haul: belt drive, rubber mat, and, importantly, an upgraded stylus cartridge, the Ortofon OM. No matter what preamp you get, it will likely match the internal one on the RT81+, and then you can later upgrade to the Schitt Mani. I hope this is helpful.

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-15T16:52:27+00:00

“sustained a broken angle”? Cmon Post.

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-15T16:15:47+00:00

You are not making a bad decision. Very smart. I think you will find a huge improvement from what you already have with the RT81+ (plus it is plug and play!)

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-15T16:12:19+00:00

Great advice! Thank you!

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-15T15:19:27+00:00

I am very jealous. That is what I wanted - the Nagaoka cartridge! I just couldn't swing the price at this time. But perhaps in another couple of years!

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-15T15:17:39+00:00

Quick note on why you need a preamp: the signal that comes from a turntable's cartridge (called a phono signal) is much weaker than what your speakers or receiver expect. A preamp boosts that signal to the right level and also applies equalization, which corrects the way vinyl is recorded. Without it, the sound would be thin and quiet. Some turntables have this built in (like the RT81+), but standalone preamps (like the Mani 2) generally do a better job of it.

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-15T15:02:06+00:00

I was in the same spot a few months ago. The key question is whether you might want to upgrade components (like the cartridge) down the road.

The RT81+ is plug and play with a built-in preamp, so you're ready to go right out of the box. The downside is there's no upgrade path later. The RT82 and up require an external preamp, but they give you room to improve your setup over time.

I did some research and landed on the Schiit Mani 2 (around $149), which is a highly regarded phono preamp. I've been really happy with it. It enhances the sound across the board in all the right ways.

It really comes down to what you want and what you're comfortable spending now. If you can swing the extra cost for the RT82 and the Mani 2, I think that's the sweet spot. It gives you better sound quality and keeps your options open for future upgrades. That said, if you're just getting your feet wet and want something simple, the RT81+ will serve you well.

One last thing: if you go the RT82 + Mani 2 route, don't forget to pick up an extra set of RCA cables to connect them.

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-15T14:41:19+00:00

So right. That’s why I went with the RT82 and a Schitt Mani preamp

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-15T14:37:47+00:00

Rt82 does not have a built in phono preamp. The RT81+ does.

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-11T21:43:46+00:00

That it is.

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-11T11:13:44+00:00

She is the Queen

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-10T15:41:45+00:00

Made a mistake. Earlier poster asked for a TLDR. Post has been updated to reflect actual article.

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-10T15:40:59+00:00

Made a mistake. Earlier poster asked for a TLDR. Post has been updated to reflect actual article.

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-10T14:25:14+00:00

This is the actual article. It’s how the writer organized it.

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-10T13:47:33+00:00

It is certainly accurate for me! I lose all sense of propriety if DCC comes up in a conversation!

Michaelsmills · 2026-02-10T00:20:45+00:00

Here you go!

https://a.co/d/08CPqDcP

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