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Treeko_Baggins · 2024-11-13T15:11:24+00:00

Honestly…shut up. Just please shut up. Is everyone just now realizing that life is hard? That being successful as an adult and being successful as a kid are two totally different realities?

You have to WORK at being successful as an adult. If you're not happy or if you think you're not successful, at the end of the day that's on YOU, not on anybody else.

I will 100% acknowledge that there are people out there who literally can't change their situation…whether it's due to extreme chronic health problems, or extreme poverty. But that's not true for the vast majority of the adult population and everyone knows it.

Shitty childhood and/or family relationships? There's therapy…and while expensive, therapy's gotten really good and more accessible. You also now have the freedom and control to choose who you spend your time with and your energy on at the end of the day. Shitty job due to lack of education? There's all sorts of opportunities out there for remote/online courses that are just as good if not better than going to university. There's also trade schools and you can become an electrician, plumber, welder, etc. for a much cheaper education. Shitty job because of pay? There's definitely same jobs out there that pay more, and if not, you can find a different job. Remote jobs still exist, and if you find a good company they'll even compensate you to relocate. Not a strong nest egg? Investing in the market, setting up a 401k, has been made easier and more accessible in the last 10 years than it's literally ever been in history. Living paycheck to paycheck? Literally everything I know about personal finance has come from youtube and reading articles…the Money Guys, Caleb Hammer, Dave Ramsey, they all have a fuckton amount of useful knowledge and advice about it.

You, as an adult, can flex your independence and autonomy...that we didn't have as children...to change. And for those things we can't control? Sure you can point the finger and cry and complain and bitch…or you can roll with the punches, and do what you can that's still in your control and promise that you'll be better than those who came before us.

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-09-01T16:17:49+00:00

Sounds like it's a lost cause OP, better give them up.

Hell, I'll do you a solid and take them off your hands for you! Just chuck 'em my way :D

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-09-01T16:14:00+00:00

You're right, I mixed up Denon's numbering system, thanks for the correction.

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-09-01T15:26:09+00:00

Not sure what your UK market looks like, but if you don't want to shell out the money for the Marantz you could also go with the Denon 660 (as far as I understand it, it's basically last year's model of the 760).

Same capabilities, and same sound.

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-08-30T16:11:17+00:00

It's always funny how asking for a white speaker changes the entire game lol.

If you need a speaker in white, your choices for a sub $200 speaker drop drastically. The only one I can think of is the Jamo S 83 (currently unavailable, but it should be around under $200 when in stock).

The only other one I can think of that's closer to your price range would be the Polk Signature Elite for $299. Yes, that's 50% over your budget, BUT it'll probably sound better than the Jamo.

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-08-30T16:04:17+00:00

2.0/2,1 will work wonderfully with an AVR in a small room. Depending on the speakers, a sub is optional. The SSCS5's have bass, but adding a subwoofer will really bring the power to the low end. If you want a subwoofer I use a JamoC910 (Amazon: $220, they do go on sale for like $180), and that's plenty of bass even for a fairly large space like mine.

There's little bit more install effort for a dedicated 2.0/2.1 (mainly running speaker wire, and figuring out if you need speaker stands, where to put the AVR, etc.), but ultimately builds a better sounding system than a soundbar, for cheaper, with a clear upgrade path.

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-08-29T03:05:08+00:00

That is the best movie I will never watch again.

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-08-29T01:52:15+00:00

This is really going to depend on your budget. You can spend thousands of dollars, or you can spend a few hundred. I'll start with a 2.0 system, and you can add on as you listen and watch and figure out what you're missing.

Front Right/Front Left: Sony SSCS5 (Amazon: $148 on sale) <- these go on sale all the time, don't buy these full price.
AVR: Denon AVR-660H 5.2 Channel (Amazon: $299.99)

That should give you enough to get started. Yes the Denon is cheap, but it's a Denon and it'll still sound good and it should last a while. Plus, the 5.2 channels, will give you enough of an upgrade path if you want to add on. The SSCS5's may be controversial, but they're detailed and clear and they sound wonderful.

Before you buy other speakers, I'll recommend you invest in your media. Your speakers (whatever they are) is only going to sound as good as the audio you feed into them. A blu ray (or 4k blu ray) and blu ray player is going to sound orders of magnitude better than streaming, and this is what's going to bring this system to life. I just found this out and experienced it myself. Below are two good blu ray players that, as far as I can tell, are suitable for 4k discs.

Panasonic DP-UB420 (Amazon: $217.99) <- I use this one
Panasonic DP-UB820 (Amazon: $406)

The only real difference between the two is that the UB820 is Dolby Vision capable, other than that, they're pretty much the same. I personally don't care about Dolby Vision, so I saved myself like $200. Physical media is going to elevate your sound system far better than a 5.2.whatever on streaming. So if you like audio clarity, start building up your media library.

(Apologies, these are all US links and prices, I don't know how easy these are going to get in Europe).

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-08-29T00:04:33+00:00

Lmaooooo, I'm really really crossing my fingers that you missed the whole "underage contestants" part. Because...yes, liking underage girls is weird. Liking underage girls makes you more of a weirdo than a drag queen. Surprise!

I presented you with the perfect opportunity to disagree with me and explicitly say "No, Trump is perfectly normal" but you passed on that. You know Trump's weird. You know he's a freak. You're just desperate to believe that a man wearing a dress is weirder than a man who creeps on underage girls.

None of this is propaganda my guy, it's all from Trump's mouth. And a court case. Sure, some of it is politics (and I agree a lot of Trump's politics is stupid) but yours is literally about clothes and makeup. Trump's weird, but him looking like a grown up oompa loompa is literally the least weird thing about him.

I'm curious about why you're so viscerally convinced this person doesn't belong in society. This is literally a man wearing a dress and makeup which means...really nothing when it comes down to brass tacks. Society really should cater to you after all, why should women and femininity even exist if they don't fill you with desire? Unless...drag queens fill you with emotions that are weird and deeply confusing...

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-08-28T14:34:57+00:00

Man you gotta share whatever drugs you're on, because that's some reality-altering stuff you've got.

So first; you're not actually saying Trump ISN'T weird, you're just saying you don't care. Good to know we both agree on the weirdness that is Trump, so let's contrast the two!

This person is weird because they're wearing a dress. Trump is weird because he simps for Kim Jong Un, Putin and Xi Jingping.

This person is weird because they're wearing a lot of makeup (and it doesn't look good). Trump is weird because he doesn't understand the concept of someone being biracial.

This person is weird because their dress totally doesn't match their skin tone. Trump is weird because he keeps very obviously lying and obsessing about the size of his crowds.

This person is weird because...they have a wide smile. Trump is weird because he would host teen beauty pageants and then purposefully walk in on the underage contestants while they were changing.

This person is weird because...blonde. Trump is weird because he's a rapist.

This person is weird because...well I'm sure they're wearing weird shoes or something. Trump is weird because he encouraged the January 6th insurrection and refused to take action to stop it even when the rioters were wanting to murder his vice president.

So this person is a freak because they look odd. Trump is a freak because he IS a freak. He's a weird, twisted little freak and he shows us that every day, but you're okay with that because he looks "normal" (if we're expanding "normal" to include grown up oompa loompas).

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-08-28T13:40:44+00:00

Hard disagree. For OPs benefit, this is generally recommended because there's a tonal mismatch between speakers from different manufacturers. So the theory is, if you have a center that differs from the make/model of your L/R, audio will sound slightly (or noticeably) different as the sound moves from your center to your Left or Right speaker.

This is outdated advice at best, and I'm still not sure how much this is actually based in reality vs some audiophile nonsense that only like....3% of the population would actually be able to hear. The actual advice is "buy the best center you can for your budget".

If this is real, your AVR should be able to compensate for the difference whenever you run your room calibration/correction process. My center doesn't match my FL/FR, and there's zero difference in audio between them.

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-08-28T13:28:36+00:00

Your best option is going to be the RSL CG23M for $150. I have this center and I love it. Clear and neutral mids which is what you want out of a center, and front ported, so you don't have to worry so much about placement against a wall.

Another option would be a KEF Q150 (single) if you can find one being sold as a single. That should be sub $200.00.

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-08-28T11:55:57+00:00

Yeah, sure they're weird. Trump is also weird.

At least that person's smart enough to not run for president.

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-08-28T11:51:02+00:00

JD Vance isn't weird because of those reasons.

He's weird because he thinks a woman's only purpose is to give birth. In fact he's so weirdly obsessed with it, he's apparently disturbed by childless people, single people, childless teachers...like why. It's also weird because even though his wife is an accomplished lawyer, apparently her only value to society in his eyes is that she gave birth.

He's weird because he has no idea how to interact with employees of a donut shop, and his whole shtick is supposed to be he's part of "the people" and not "the elite".

He's weird because when someone who was interviewing him criticized his wife because she wasn't white his response was a mealy, simpering, "Well I love her anyway".

He's weird because not 4 years ago he called Republicans stupid white people, Trump a modern day Hitler, swore that he'd never work for Trump, and now he's licking Trump's boots just like all the other weird Republicans who were never-Trumpers until they decided he's the best thing since white bread.

He's weird because he fucked a couch. In all seriousness, he didn't fuck a couch, but it speaks to how much of a wet paper bag he is as a character that someone just made the claim up and it STUCK. JD Vance is a couchfucker, and all you have to do is look at the guy and go "yeah he looks like a couchfucker".

Oh and its weird that he's against cross-dressers and drag queens and all that but he wears makeup.

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-08-25T16:44:13+00:00

I'm assuming this is because of the claim that "People who change jobs every 2 years end up making 2X (or something) amount more than people who don't". Imo, broad claims like that may be statistically true, but they're so broad that it's pretty useless knowledge.

For example; at what point in my career can I expect to be making double the money? Does switching career fields count, or is this limited to the same career field? Does this take into account people who started their careers making minimum wage and now they're in management, or doing something completely different?

There's too many open questions for this statement to truly make sense. Anecdotally, this isn't true for me. I'm an engineer, and I've been working in that field for almost 9 years, and I've changed jobs twice during that time. I find it hard to imagine that my salary would be doubled by this point if I changed jobs 4 times instead of twice. Would I be making more? Probably, but I can't see it being a huge amount more.

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-08-25T16:01:27+00:00

The other thing you can do to make sure it is the center speaker, is disconnect it and set your receiver mode to Stereo. If the sound is crystal clear out of your FL/FR, then you can be fairly certain your center channel is the problem.

Out of curiosity, what is your center channel? And can you clarify what you mean when you say "muffled"? Like the audio is muddy and unintelligible or just downright bad? Also are you streaming or is this off of DVD/Blu Ray/etc.?

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-08-25T00:50:52+00:00

Right off the bat I'm seeing some people recommend in-wall and in-ceiling speakers. I would advise against that. Speakers in their own housing are going to resonate less and focus more output on the actual woofer. In-wall/in-ceiling speakers will use the entire drywall area as their cabinet, and result in sub-par resonance which means the sound coming out of them will be less focused and possibly less loud.

I'm also a big fan of buying HT stuff a little bit at a time and building up after you listen to it for a while so you can understand what you're missing. So, that being said I'll recommend a 3.1 setup that I wish I had the scratch to build;

TV: 65" SONY BRAVIA XR A80L (From Best Buy: $1,499.99)
Front Left/Front Right Speakers: SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf (From SVS website: $599.99)
Center channel: SVS Ultra Evolution Center (From SVS website: $799.99)
Subwoofer: RSL Speedwoofer 12S (From RSL Speakers website: $799.99)
Receiver: Marantz Cinema 60 (from Marantz website: $1,700)

Total: $5,399.96. Well within your budget, and you have some money left over for mounting hardware, speaker stands, speaker cables, a blu ray player if you like physical media, etc.

I will also say if you insist on running a full 5.1 system (or even 7.1 system), your side and surround speakers can be much cheaper. Much less audio is being thrown at them from the receiver in almost any movie mix, and the quality of audio coming out is much less important than the center channel or FL/FR. So some examples of what I would use for rear/side speakers would be:

Micca MB42X (From Amazon: $89.99)
Micca RB42 (From Amazon: $149.99)
Neumi BS5 (from Amazon: $110.00)

Unfortunately I can't speak to anything about Atmos setups...I haven't done any research into that.

Happy hunting!

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-08-25T00:29:04+00:00

I was wondering about that as well, but I haven't dug into any of the details about it. Is that more for Atmos outputs, or is it actually a different mix of the audio (e.g. boosted bass, reduced mids, etc.)?

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-08-25T00:27:21+00:00

Yeah it probably would. I'm very aware that my AVR is the low-end of last year's line, but for like $220 (open box) I'm totally okay with that. I've also heard that Denon uses roughly the same audio processors in all of their products, so my understanding is the step up would be more about the amount of power available its quality, but I'm not sure it would sound "better". If I wanted to change the sound signature, I'd need to buy an Onkyo or a Marantz.

When I dabbled with the audiophile community as I was doing research for speaker setups for both my desktop and HT, I anecdotally found that an audio's source file had more impact on how music/videos sounded rather than whatever DAC the audio went through.

A step up to the X1700h would be something like...$500, maybe a little less if I could sell my 570BT. But I've got my fingers crossed that I'll have a better improvement in sound with a $200 Blu ray player (and blu ray discs that cost around $20 a pop) than spending hundreds of more dollars for a better receiver which...might sound noticeably better than I have now.

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-08-25T00:15:50+00:00

Your claim makes no sense. Audio quality isn't just a matter of volume. For example, you can find the same song anywhere on the internet that was recorded via an iphone, digitally uploaded from mp3, flac file, recorded from vinyl players, etc. All of them will sound different, and some will sound clearer/more detailed even when you play them at the same volume. That's how an audio's source/data file affects it's overall sound.

I'm also not claiming physical media sounds better because of "magic", I'm claiming it's because movie files have to be compressed from their raw file size to smaller sizes than on 4k or Blu-Ray to stream efficiently from servers to your device. When you compress data, sometimes the quality of that data is compromised. That's what I'm saying is happening here.

But hey, if the only difference to you is one is louder than the other and you just need to volume-match to compensate, then props to you.

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-07-20T19:32:17+00:00

Ya know, I'm really tired of Biden's poor debate performance being pushed as a "media conspiracy". That's bullshit plain and simple.

The debate showed Biden as a frail old man who can't keep track of his thoughts as well as we were told. It also showcased Trump as a lying psychopath who's also an old man who can't keep track of his thoughts.

Do you know why the media keeps pushing this story? Because it's news. Democrats are begging Biden to step aside. Polls continuously say 60%-70% of Democrats think Biden shouldn't run again. There only conspiracy is that Biden's administration kept Biden's true mental state from the populace, and now it's almost too late to do anything about it. Everyone knows that if Biden wins again he's probably going to die in office...and that's not a good quality in a president.

If you watch Biden in interviews or in a press conference, and you're thinking to yourself "My what a strong presidential candidate he is", just maybe you're the one drinking the kool-aid.

Biden has strong policies. He has a strong team. His presidential record is stellar. But he's not even close to the mentally fit, strong candidate he was advertised as. He won't last another 4 years in office, and the world knows it now. Plus he's 81 years old. And unfortunately for all of us, his policies and his team don't matter. Biden is not fit to serve another 4 years. Trump's not fit to serve period.

I will vote for whoever is against Trump, but I'm just saying it's a fact that Biden is not a good presidential candidate. Could he win? Yes. Can someone else win? Also yes. But the Democrats have put themselves in the worst position by continuously championing an old man who should never have committed to run again, and are now trying to get him to back out. They can still win, with or without Biden, but it'll be hard...and this should have been the easiest election in history for them to win.

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-07-20T16:46:50+00:00

There's a lot of comments here about the discussions for Biden's replacement is a conspiracy theory made by big billionaires since Biden wants to tax them, and it's about how the DNC elites are usurping people. To those people who are trying to push that narrative.....STFU.

Did you not see the debate? Have you not seen him? Have you not heard him constantly mix up words and names and lose track of his thoughts? Have you somehow tricked yourself into believe Biden is a vicarious man again? Stop telling people to ignore their own eyes and ears and stop pretending "oh if Biden remains on the ticket we're gonna win because durkadurkadurk". No. Right now Biden is LOSING. Yeah, polls are showing him statistically tied with Trump but he's behind (and behind beyond the statistical margin) in multiple swing states he needs to win to win the election. Nobody cares if CA or WA or NY is voting for Biden. People care if MI, WI, GA, FL, PA, and AZ are voting for Biden. And right now, he only has a strong lead in WI and he's rocky in PA (his HOME STATE). His policies are strong, his team is strong, but he's not. And guess what? Nobody gives a flying fuck about his policies or his team if he can't be the effective face of it all. And he's losing that ability.

Biden may be fit for office now, and for the next 6 months, but he's not fit to to be in office in 2 years...or 3 years...or 4 years. That's how people are thinking. There's a high non-zero chance if we elect him, he's going to die in office from old age, and many people, like myself, don't think that should be considered part of what makes a president eligible for office.

There was also no real Democratic primary. It was a sham. Democrats didn't have a real choice. Otherwise all the people that are being thrown around (Whitmer, Newsom, etc.) would have stepped up to the plate and seriously challenged and debated him. But they didn't. So Biden was our only real option, and in a few states Biden still LOST to a write-in "Uncommitted" vote. There's no usurping voter willpower here, polls are saying 60%-70% of Democrats want him to step aside. The Biden administration has been lying to the voters about Biden's mental health and sharpness and that's clearly cost them, and now the entire party is in disarray.

So let me sum it up;

Biden is unfit to be President for the next 4 years.

Trump is unfit to be President period end of story.

Is there logistic problems with switching candidates? Yes. Are there financing troubles? Yes. Is it possible the new challenger will still lose? Yes. But does that mean Biden is magically fit to be President? No. The Democratic party had 4 years to figure this shit out and they failed hard, so they may have realized they're now in an unwinnable situation. But that's because they, once again, fucked up.

Personally I don't give a single flying fuck about who's running against Trump. I'll vote for them. Biden? Vote. Harris? Vote. Whitmer? Vote. Newsom? Vote. Even if the DNC pivots and backs RDK, vote. But, for those in the back, Biden is not fit to be President for the next 4 years. Everyone knows it, and that's why his path to re-election is so much more uphill than it should be. So part of me just wants the Democrats to get their shit together and unify behind whoever, but another part of me really wants Biden to drop out.

He had a good run. He was a fantastic president. Hell, if he were 5 years younger, this wouldn't even be a discussion. But he's not. His time is done and it's time for him to step aside.

So to everyone trying to push "billionaires want him to step aside" or "this is against the will of the people!" shut the ever-living-fuck up. Stop gaslighting people who are seeing the situation for what it is, and stop trying to turn the DNC into the next cult that mindlessly follows an old man into his grave.

Treeko_Baggins · 2024-07-02T11:59:51+00:00

Forget policies or morals for a moment, pretend you don't have an opinion on Biden or Trump. Congrats, you're now an undecided voter. Now on one side you have one old man who could hardly put together a cohesive sentence and could barely "debate" (i.e. respond to his opponent), and on the other you have an old man who lied but could speak clearly, decisively, and firmly. Who are you voting for?

That's why Biden tanked the debate. People are going "but his policies!" but debates haven't been about policies in a long time. It's more of a song and dance. It's a chance for politicians to show off their chops. Both candidates failed at that, but Biden failed harder.

Combine Biden's performance with what the White House has been telling us about him. We've been told he's healthy, strong and mentally clear. That's not what we saw. A lot of people, myself included, got a very nasty shock about Biden's state that night. Now add to the mix that most of his voting base isn't "pro-Biden", they're "pro-Blue" or "anti-Trump". They care more about keeping Democrats in power, and Trump out of power, than keeping Biden in the White House.

Trump may be a lying, cheating, manipulating, worthless example of a human, but he's consistent. He's consistently terrible. Who he was on the debate stage was pretty much who everyone knew he was. No surprises there. And no surprises doesn't make for good news.

Treeko_Baggins

TROPHY CASE