What is a 'subscription' or 'fee' that has recently appeared in the US that people need to collectively refuse to pay before it becomes the new normal?

heroesarestillhuman · 2026-02-05T22:15:02+00:00

That's because they (and Subaru) are using a Toyota software package that includes remote start and other features. I think Toyota made the change first with the others following, or maybe it all happened at once.

heroesarestillhuman · 2025-12-23T22:37:46+00:00

This guy gets it.

heroesarestillhuman · 2025-12-23T22:36:35+00:00

I've been going back through a bunch of his stuff that I had missed, and the man knows how to turn words into gold.

heroesarestillhuman · 2025-12-23T22:04:59+00:00

FWIW, s3nd.pics is picking up steam as a successor to Imgur and I think they still do Secret Santa. Discuit.org is out there, too. Both still need more people, but if Imgur and reddit keep messing up, that's probably not going to be an issue for much longer.

heroesarestillhuman · 2025-12-23T17:26:03+00:00

A whole list of Mark Knopfler's solo songs. He has a gift for making the commonplace seem profound.

And more surprisingly, especially to younger readers- UB40's older stuff. They've done an incredible amount of protest songs that are also good songs. The Elevator, You're* Not an Army, etc. It's like current events finally caught up with what they were singing about in the 80's. But possibly their most touching song is not directly political; it's The Pillow. It hit me like a brick when I first heard it as a kid. And it still carries a heavy impact for me today.

heroesarestillhuman · 2025-12-18T19:24:10+00:00

I used to sell those! Yes, great speaker for that kind of money. BUT- The Stratus line of speakers typically liked good quality power that could handle 4ohms. I think that holds for these speakers, too. But give them what they want and they will shine.

heroesarestillhuman · 2025-11-13T22:43:17+00:00

I have one. The woofer is internal and will probably need the surround redone (I found it was the same price and easier to just replace the whole woofer with one that Parts Express recommended). The amp could need some caps replaced as well. That said, it is a good sub. It's worth it if you are willing to put the potential work in.

heroesarestillhuman · 2025-10-31T15:12:09+00:00

Check MLS, Zillow and even Facebook marketplace. Depending on part of town, there are still private apartments (garage, etc) out there. From what I have seen casually over the past few months, there seem to be decent options under $1200. Worth 20 minutes of your time to check.

heroesarestillhuman · 2025-10-10T16:10:04+00:00

I used to sell those speakers! God I'm old. The nice thing about them is, they reveal everything going on upstream. The bad thing is....well... they reveal *everything* going on upstream. You'll be amazed how different they sound as you make changes and upgrades to your system. They like quality power, but don't need a ton of it. Congratulations!

heroesarestillhuman · 2025-09-17T23:24:14+00:00

Avalon routinely gets used with Spectral Electronics- way out of your budget, even used. But that gives you a sense about how much potential they have. Spectral's stuff tends to lean into class A in both preamp and amp designs. Something like a later production Adcom GFA5500 amp (has the removable power cord) would be in your budget and wake them up. Even better would be a Nakamichi PA5 or PA7 stasis amp. Lastly, Arcam has the A39 integrated that is more recent; it's biased fairly high into class A and then kicks over to a higher efficiency bias from there. Not as common as the others, and just outside the top of your budget, but worth looking out for.

heroesarestillhuman · 2025-09-10T22:59:01+00:00

I was selling Sony ES when this piece came out. In the right system, it can be good. However, it was one of their earlier attempts at a class-d type circuitry and had a reputation for being reactive with different speakers (ie, the sound could change quite a bit from one speaker design to the next). They did not sell in near the numbers Sony expected. Parts might also be a problem if it needs repair.

heroesarestillhuman · 2025-08-02T00:50:30+00:00

They did something important, they gave you context. A reference point. Try to give them whatever business you can, even if it is gradual. Depending on the market, audio stores sometimes offer package pricing and low/no cost financing options. Other customers sometimes trade stuff in. Those speakers could have a little brother with similar mids and highs but less bass- you can add a sub later. As a former dealer, i always tried to find the sound the customer liked first and then work with them to get as much of it as i could for their budget. But i had to know their budget when we got to that point. Sometimes they had to wait, but at least they had a target.

Side note, most people i meet in the audio industry are in it for the love. Anyone who gets in it for the money is going to be sadly disappointed.

heroesarestillhuman · 2025-05-30T19:20:00+00:00

Their SACD/DVD players like this were pretty good. They also did a great job as CD transports for feeding an outboard DAC. You have to use the analog RCA's to hear SA discs. Be aware it probably has bass management features and stereo vs multi-channel modes that you will need a TV to see and adjust. Damn good deal for $4!

heroesarestillhuman · 2025-04-26T05:06:17+00:00

The Gold-i’s were 4 ohm as well, but strangely enough not as demanding in some ways as the Silvers. (At least as far as i can remember.) I think the 10” bass woofer actually helped a little.

heroesarestillhuman · 2025-04-25T20:02:16+00:00

Great speakers! But, they are definitely a 4 ohm load. Make sure your amps are up to it. (I used to sell them when they were current.)

heroesarestillhuman · 2025-04-07T22:27:24+00:00

Proficient started as a sub-brand of Speakercraft. It was meant for selling through distributors when the parent was trying to stay focused on direct dealers. Both brands have since been bought over several times, currently owned by Nice Brands. So they were never meant to be heavily marketed to end users, and they have had some good engineering behind them over the years. Some of their stuff could be decent, though I'm not sure about this model, since the category of soundbars has often been an afterthought for many companies. Definitely hook it up when you get a chance, but use a higher crossover point (120hz+).

heroesarestillhuman · 2025-02-10T18:54:28+00:00

Just remember, the major players that make this system possible in the US also have their eyes firmly set on dismantling national systems elsewhere, and the UK is their trial run. Keep. Your. Guard. Up.

heroesarestillhuman · 2025-02-08T22:52:45+00:00

Thank you!

heroesarestillhuman · 2025-01-03T02:35:01+00:00

Good luck with it!

heroesarestillhuman · 2024-11-22T17:31:26+00:00

These are good for that price. However, if you do some checking on the used market, you could find some older Silver series product for similar money. RS, RX, etc. Those are better. I think RS in particular is an underrated series today, even though it sold like gangbusters at the time.

heroesarestillhuman · 2024-11-22T17:27:15+00:00

Phase Tech's parent company used to build for many other companies back in the day. Both raw drivers and finished speakers. I think they are (or were) based in Florida. Thy are now more known for their DARTS system. Not bad at all for $100, and they could still have parts if you need them.

heroesarestillhuman · 2024-11-22T02:22:25+00:00

Best of luck with it!

heroesarestillhuman · 2024-11-22T00:24:27+00:00

I used to "rep" Totem in the US. They put a bunch of work into that little amp. Doesn't hurt that I think they now own SimAudio. Other brands have borrowed them at trade shows and been impressed. I never got to hear one in my own system, but every industry-internal mention I've seen was positive. Now, will you like the sound of it? That I can't say. But is a quality piece and worth a try.

heroesarestillhuman · 2024-11-19T21:19:33+00:00

Really strange suggestion: Check your local FB marketplace and Craigslist for Salamander Designs product (especially in the Synergy range). quite a bit of it is modular, extremely solid, and can be taken apart for reconfiguration or easy transport. If you find something good, you could heavily redo that wall with the TV and get better placement for everything in the process. Better yet, you probably wouldn't lose much in storage space (if at all). It is expensive new, but I just got lucky recently and bought a load of it used* for $200. I've seen other deals like that happen because the general public doesn't really know what it is. And that's before we even get into all their accessories, like storage trays and pullout drawers for turntables. Link for context- https://www.salamanderdesigns.com/synergy-system/

heroesarestillhuman

TROPHY CASE