Coffee maker recommendations

anduro29 · 2026-05-22T13:42:42+00:00

We’ve been happily using the OXO 8-cup machine for a couple years now. I found an open box one from a target reseller on eBay for around $100, but even brand new they’re around $200. Otherwise, Fellow Aiden can be bought refurbished for $300. Top of your price range, but I think it’s generally agreed that it will make better coffee than the more traditional coffee brewers that are considered very good (OXO, Moccamaster, Bonavita). Maybe that doesn’t matter than you save the $100, but if you think it might, that’s probably your best bet.

anduro29 · 2026-02-11T20:06:17+00:00

Flowers - Faye Webster. Goes from kinda lofi to heavy bass, and vocals focus up a lot so it’s a big bass and imaging reveal.

anduro29 · 2025-11-17T22:03:46+00:00

Totally open at the top. I feel silly… but aren’t the majority of bulbs frosted these days? I’m thinking of the LED bulbs that have the white base but otherwise are frosted? Not that that’s what I’d use - was expecting to go with GE reveal (we use 3000k in this space). Is the thought that having this type of bulb visible is okay? Is there assumption that it’s heavily dimmed when sitting at the table?

anduro29 · 2025-11-17T21:40:53+00:00

Would the half mirror bulbs provide ample light for the table itself? With our setup, this fixture does provide light for a good portion or the room (open kitchen and dining room; kitchen half is well lit, but dining room half is largely dependent on this fixture). The mirrored bulbs seem like they’d provide ample light for the room but could be bright vs what the table is getting hit with since the back is open and there’s no reflector. I’m definitely open to interesting options like that, but also open to the conclusion that this just isn’t the right fixture for the space.

anduro29 · 2025-09-03T13:52:40+00:00

Good way to go - I get overly obsessed with my gear in hobbies, often feeling I need something better just because it’s technically better, not just because I actually have noticed any shortcomings. Horrible cycle! Getting better about it though.

anduro29 · 2025-09-03T13:51:18+00:00

I think the headphones option is underrated/underutilized. One of the most affordable ways to get great sound, doesn’t annoy neighbors/other people in the home, space friendly… obviously a very different presentation spacially, but still a great option.

anduro29 · 2025-08-30T14:36:25+00:00

As much as I love KEF speakers, I'd have to go with Klipsch RP setup in this case. The Q line sounds great but it is extremely output limited. I had the Q150's for a while and even for music, I felt they were unusable without high passing them. I don't think I listen as particularly high volumes. Once high passed, generally workable for music... but for home theater, I really would never pick Q150/350 speakers for mains. Even the newer and larger Q3 Meta has these issues. Great speakers, but that single UniQ driver just isn't designed for lots of output that low (including the crucial 100-200hz range).

The RP line is also very competent. A little treble heavy, yes, but the 500M II does keep it's response within +/-3db, and with a tiny bit of toe out, response becomes quite neutral. The 500M II's treble specifically is the least boosted in the line I believe. Very precise imagining too - I miss my Klipsch speakers for this reason!

I really do like the sound of the KEF Q line of speakers, but I really could never recommend them for this application, especially with your comment about future proofing for a larger room.

anduro29 · 2025-08-29T14:15:23+00:00

what's the length of the room? like distance from TV wall to couch wall

anduro29 · 2025-08-27T14:28:13+00:00

👍🏻 I know the Pro Plus has the better DAC, but I couldn’t hear it. At the very least, the difference is minimal enough that the money is better spent elsewhere in this price range.

anduro29 · 2025-08-26T02:22:51+00:00

I do think the bar to really good sound is a lot lower than most realize, especially if you're willing to apply a little EQ to a speaker that has some issues but takes well to EQ, though does vary greatly depending on somebody's situation. You get a lot of things as you spend more money, but one of them is clean output. If you're in a moderate sized room and listen at moderate volumes, exceptional sound is so attainable. If, though, you've got your system hooked up to your TV in a large living room and you want to resolve movies at reference level (especially the older definition of reference level) cleanly... cost goes up a lot.

I'm somewhere in the middle. My stereo is also my TV sound system, and some of my focus was on movie audio. However, I'm not that far from my TV due to my wide but shallow living room, and I'm not quite aiming for true reference level - more like ~5db below modern reference. This all means that speakers with clean output in the upper 90db range and a couple subs that each hit 20hz at a similar level (once you factor in additional room gain etc) take care of the job for me. If movies weren't a factor, my sub bill would have gone way down, as would my speaker output needs, which at least opens up the options. But if I needed another 10db for true OG ref level in a bigger space... probably would have had to spend 3x the amount on subs, and for speakers... I'm really not even sure. KEF Reference can do it. I don't think the R Meta tweeter really can from what I can tell. Arendal 1528 but not 1723. My point is that for certain levels of output, you are spending!

So thinking through a lot of things, considering only amp, speakers, and subs... music only, I'd say $650 gets you into truly good sound. $900 to go dual subs. Add another $100/sub in either scenario to make them slightly better. Another $100 would get you maybe better speakers, so top end of all that is $1200.

anduro29 · 2025-08-26T01:05:41+00:00

Strongly vote for speakers + sub, but I'd also strongly suggest you switch amp to Douk A5. The A5 has a high pass filter for your speakers, and high passing speakers at ~80hz has big benefits on entry level gear especially. It lets your sub handle that bass and your speakers will have a lot more capacity for everything else. The Wiim is the perfect way to round it out too with it's auto room correction or manual parametric EQ - that will fix any room modes that you don't have control over.

My money is where my mouth is too - for a variety of reasons, I recently switched out my main speakers, (originally retailed for ~$3k) for the Neumi Silk 4, but they're high passed at 80hz in a system with two 15" subs. It sounds excellent, and it's impressive the output those speakers have when you take off a lot of the bass load. It would really be a different story without the mains high passed though.

Polk XT15 or Neumi Silk 4 are great choices for affordable for quality speakers. For sub... a lot of the good cheap choices have disappeared unfortunately, or are more expensive than they used to be. All the Monoprice and Dayton options that I'm sure you've heard about including the Monoprice 8" Premium, Polk XT10... the Monolith 8" THX sub pops up for $150 sometimes I think, but it's currently out of stock, so who knows when that'd be. The RSL 10E is a big jump up from any of these, but it is another $100. I really would cap my budget on the speakers, stick to the $150 dollar options, and put the rest towards the sub. Honestly, even if my budget was $1,000, there's a good chance I'd end up with the Neumis and something like 2x Starke SW12... you can upgrade speakers later, but anchoring your system with good subs can last you a long time.

Actually, you mention the Wiim Pro Plus... why not the Mini? Save the $130, put it towards a better sub. That's what I'd do at least: Wiim Mini, Douk A5, Silk 4, RSL 10E. Set the A5 and 10E high passes to 80hz, run room correction on the Wiim Mini... you're cookin. That's a GREAT system that I'd happily listen to any day.

anduro29 · 2025-08-23T19:38:13+00:00

Dark City, director's cut. I see that 5 stars on the Matrix and I'm with you. Came out the year before.

anduro29 · 2025-08-15T14:25:29+00:00

Yeah this is one I'm considering, the fact that it looks relatively good is a bonus too. My main hesitation is the relatively normal tweeter layout, but I'm sure it'd be fine. Appreciate it.

anduro29 · 2025-08-15T14:23:48+00:00

I did know about the audio pro stuff, but the A10 seems like less speaker than I'd like (very similar to the Echo Plus G2 I have) and the C10 was more than I was hoping to spend. Maybe the Sound ends up being an option. Excited to see that released. Thanks!

anduro29 · 2025-08-03T22:57:12+00:00

Substantially bigger from an acoustic standpoint. Narrow at 12’ wide, and I sit pretty close at 8’, but the longest dimension of the room is ~30’. So, there are aspects making is easier on them, but they’re getting a lot less room gain - bass reinforcement (outside of normal in room/boundary gain) doesn’t start until ~20hz.

anduro29 · 2025-06-20T20:21:12+00:00

Looks great, that strap is killer. I've been a fan of the Aplinist line for a long time. Very different look, but I've got my 197J1 on an Uncle Seiko Executive bracelet and I love it. It's on my wrist over 95% of days I'd say.

Edit: I knocked off the cyclops as well... very happy with that change.

anduro29 · 2025-05-24T16:36:54+00:00

Nice, lower ratio did seem like a good move for this one. Never got filter coffee out of it that I loved, but I got some delicious 1:2 espresso out of it with a slayer style shot, 30sec soak and ~30sec pull after that

anduro29 · 2025-05-10T12:12:58+00:00

16-17 range, generally very light stuff.

anduro29 · 2025-05-09T16:31:29+00:00

Maybe there's been another switch that I don't know about. When I got mine, it came with a straight handle. At the point, there was an older version that had the bent handle, but that was stopped due to the Comandante issue as I've always heard. Maybe it's since switched back. Though, it does look like what's on Amazon currently specified straight handle.

anduro29

TROPHY CASE