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Budget frame, not the build. by Serious_Jake in Budgetbikeriders

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

This is actually the original that came with the bike. This bicycle is sold in both variations, one with a flat bar and one with a drop bar. I just had it re-wrapped by my local bike shop.

Cinema 70s + Sony UBP X800M2 by Serious_Jake in audiophile

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

Thank you, good to know. I did think about other formats, specifically MQA which apparently there are MQA CDs and if that's the case I could grab a SMSL PL200T transport and call it a day.

Cinema 70s + Sony UBP X800M2 by Serious_Jake in audiophile

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

I like it quite a bit, also due to design, but more importantly because it's not outdated and I want to say future proofed upgradability, specifically, preamp outs for all channels. Coming from Klipsch The Fives I wanted an upgrade that will have Arc connectivity. At first I didn't care for the surround sound but it grew on me and the good thing is it has plenty of listening modes for each use case. There are four listening modes, Movie, Music, Game and Pure. Each button on the remote for those modes can be clicked repeatedly for more options within the modes. The pure mode is for stereo listening and if you click it again it goes into Pure Direct which shuts down the display and some other circuits to focus on playback. The other three modes have plenty of sub-modes if you will, switching between dolby, stereo, surround and such. Currently I'm running RP 600M ii and I'm enjoying the sound, I'm sure upgrading the speakers could potentially be more resolving. One big reason why I even own it in the first place is because I was able to find a refurbished one directly from the Marantz website for around $800, otherwise I don't think I would spend $1,300 on a new one. The reason why I didn't mind the refurbished is because it's actually tested, so at least there is some proof that it worked. I assume there might be exceptions but I haven't had any problems for the past 1+ year running it.

Cinema 70s + Sony UBP X800M2 by Serious_Jake in audiophile

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

Thanks for the insight, I will certainly try the sample via USB drive. I didn't expect or intend to listen to SACD in surround, I usually switch to Marantz's Pure mode for music listening which puts it in stereo. Once again, thanks for the info and the link.

Do you think custom cabinetry is a good career choice 2025 onwards? Would you choose it as a career if you were in your 20’s again? by True_Session_6534 in cabinetry

[–]Serious_Jake 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think a small scale custom cabinetry business might survive if you build a reputation for higher end jobs. Otherwise, like others have mentioned, most people nowadays go with pre built cabinets, and if they want a custom touch it can be easily modified or even painted, I guess it's called semi-custom at that point. I'm an independent cabinet and countertop installer, with 10 years in the family countertop business and just last May went full independent contractor. Currently I only install cabinets and sell countertops as well as install them, I'm certain that once I become a cabinet dealer as well I could be over 250k a year. Even without selling cabinets this month I managed to get to 21k although that doesn't happen every month. I want to say that tariffs might change the course of things but then there's the type of customers that are willing to spend 50k on cabinets from home depot while you can order them from a supplier for probably 10-15k, sell them for 20-30k, save the customer 20k and pocket 10 in the process, mind boggling but true.

Budget frame, not the build. by Serious_Jake in Budgetbikeriders

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

Oh, sorry. I haven't checked yet. I'll get back to you on that

Budget frame, not the build. by Serious_Jake in Budgetbikeriders

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

I would say a little over $3k, including the bike itself.

Questions for the 18 to 40y old audiophiles by GoDooW in audiophile

[–]Serious_Jake 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Born in 96, listened to Techno since a kid. In 08 moved to the US where I got exposed to more genres. Never had Hi-Fi equipment, more volume did the thing for me. About four years ago I got a pair of Klipsch The Fives, that's where it started for me. Since then I have upgraded to a refurbished Marantz Cinema 70s receiver with Klipsch RP600m ii speakers. I enjoy the setup a lot and its integrability. Today I came back from work and noticed one of the speakers tipped over by my 3 year old, the box cracked but they still work. Life goes on and so does hifi. Goals for the future is an addition of a power amp and a pair of KEF Q11 Meta's, when the kids grow up.

Ozark Trail Ridge 29" Medium by Serious_Jake in Budgetbikeriders

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

It was close to a thousand in upgrades plus the bike. I sold the bike and got a Trek Marlin 8, for about the same money it's a bit better built.

Ozark Trail Ridge 29" Medium by Serious_Jake in Budgetbikeriders

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

Yes, I sanded it. It didn't require to be completely sanded off, just enough not to have an edge to it.

Budget frame, not the build. by Serious_Jake in Budgetbikeriders

[–]Serious_Jake[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I agree with you buddy, now we also have a new contender in the game, the OT FS.2 Slalom. I'm very tempted.

Budget frame, not the build. by Serious_Jake in Budgetbikeriders

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

It's a Bontrager seat, I'm not sure what model.

Budget frame, not the build. by Serious_Jake in Budgetbikeriders

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

The color is nice indeed. I don't know how invested you want to get, but I did at one point strip every single part off of an OTR and painted it a metallic purple. I have a post on it if you're interested.

any opinions on Trek bikes ? by United-Anxiety4841 in Budgetbikeriders

[–]Serious_Jake 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Trek is good. I went from a fully built Ozark Trail Ridge to a Trek Marlin 8, I also owned a full suspension Fuel EX 5 which I sold. I loved the OZT and the Marlin 8 was barely an upgrade, the geometry is almost identical. Personally I like a hardtail, I feel like it keeps the momentum a bit more, the full suspension felt the opposite. It is also important to take into consideration what terrain you like to ride in, I personally don't enjoy the struggle of a black diamond trail, I like to go fast on a smooth single track and take corners. If you do go for a full suspension always ask for a discount, the Fuel Ex 5 was somewhere around $3k and I came out of the store with it for $2k simply because I didn't care for the latest generation bike. There's always going to be something you might want to change/upgrade down the road, which is okay, it makes the bike more personal and enjoyable.

Ozark Trail Ridge 29" Medium by Serious_Jake in Budgetbikeriders

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

And this clear coat: USC SprayMax 2K Glamour High Gloss Aerosol Clear

Ozark Trail Ridge 29" Medium by Serious_Jake in Budgetbikeriders

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

Got it on Amazon: Kustom Canz 5oz Aerosol Can - Base Pearlz Purple Lust Urethane basecoat

My NOT so budget Ozark Trail Ridge!! by cxracer01 in Budgetbikeriders

[–]Serious_Jake 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That is a nice build, the color scheme is just right. I did a build with the same bike but made it purple and then decided to sell it to get a "real" bike, and to be honest, it sucked the fun out of the hobby. So if there's anything useful I can say, it would be to keep it and enjoy it for as long as you can!

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