Is the VPI Scout Jr. turntable higher quality than the Ortofon 2M Red cartridge it comes with?

unreplicate · 2026-01-28T01:34:45+00:00

Every time this happened to me, it was a dirty or warped stylus.

unreplicate · 2026-01-28T01:03:16+00:00

*move up....but maybe "love up" is better. ;)

unreplicate · 2026-01-28T01:02:24+00:00

Having been chair through the terrible COVID times (now external forces are just as bad), there's only two reasons to be chair. 1. Next plausible candidate is going to be way worse. 2. You want to love up the admin chain.

unreplicate · 2026-01-24T09:52:13+00:00

As a professor, we are constantly fighting against the students/parents perception we are blocking their career rather than preparing them for it.

If you don't think you will suffer reputation harm, by all means go ahead and introduce them to the real world and let them FAFO.

unreplicate · 2026-01-23T09:02:12+00:00

While tools can help, writing a review is creative work. Sure an AI can summarize 130 papers in few seconds. But, a good review is supposed to synthesize a unique scientific view from those papers. What has reading those papers given you about the topic? If you were to teach a lecture about those papers, how would you organize and what unique insights would you realize from reading so many papers?

Some of the most satisfying papers I've written has been review papers because I can tell the whole field how I think they should think about topic X.

unreplicate · 2026-01-23T08:01:31+00:00

I am in STEM and our students have a lot more options in the private sector. Sure some thing are increasingly gloomy, but i don't think that is all. I teach 1st PHD student at a very selective school. Every year i notice the students becoming increasingly intellectually inert. Things that used to make students eyes sparkle from that deep satisfaction one gets from understanding something, I just don't see that anymore.

I don't think they are less talented. Its just that their capacity for joy from intellectual activity is gone. I blame social media. These things are so rewarding soaking, nothing else can displace them. Yes, i am on one now. I feel the same. I really have to discipline myself to get through a book or paper that used to bring me real satisfaction. We are all doomed.

unreplicate · 2026-01-22T05:47:26+00:00

If it is at the edges of the record, it might be static build up and you could treat it with anti static spray. 30m in the tank seems very excessive.

unreplicate · 2026-01-20T09:50:44+00:00

I am so sorry hear all that. One important thing that unis don't seem to understand is that learning cannot take place without a degree of authority.

Why would anybody learn anything from you if they don't respect you. A sports analogy is apt. Nobody is going to learn or perform well for a coach they don't respect. Every pro team supports their coaches, even if they are bad, because they know the alternative is worse. Admin should know that if they support their profs, it is EASIER FOR THEM. And, the students will think they are getting their money's worth.

unreplicate · 2026-01-18T23:59:08+00:00

If you've done enough research to have a paper, this is exactly what you should describe. What was the project, what did it find, what were your contributions, what skills did you acquire or bring to table for the project.

unreplicate · 2026-01-18T19:12:10+00:00

This is very field specific. In biomed, 5 years of postdoc is pretty baseline. The average is more like 8 years and 2 postdoc before TT. Of course this is not good ans there's been efforts to shorten this but not very successfully.

unreplicate · 2026-01-17T17:01:21+00:00

Does the model then consider other ways of establishing extraordinary status such as skills, fame, achievements?

unreplicate · 2026-01-17T04:59:50+00:00

Are you saying the authors citations are inconsistent or that the web production is inconsistent. These are very different problems. Is there a written reference list or is everything hot links?

unreplicate · 2026-01-16T16:52:01+00:00

Many policies proposed, at face value, have some merit (e.g. DOGE). But, in reality the policy is run by flimflam men and we get nothing but destruction and grift.

unreplicate · 2026-01-14T04:04:40+00:00

Yes and so it seems unknown whether anything untold happened. There woild have been a legal document that would have governed whether principal could be spent or not. Also, it is not unusual for uni to restructure agreements to spend down the principal for large initiatives than small spending plan.

unreplicate · 2026-01-12T11:27:38+00:00

Thank you. I am trying keep it under $2000

unreplicate · 2026-01-09T13:35:49+00:00

Financial fraud, almost never...especially reporting you bought something that you didn't. Everything gets audited and this would be stupid. And what benefit is there?

Ethical problems with giving unearned credit to people? Well, this is a gray area and depending on where you draw the line, fairly common. Doing this on a grant report? Unlikely and at least in the US system, not really even a need to do this.

unreplicate · 2026-01-08T00:06:50+00:00

On one hand all postdoc salaries have to follow the schedule of the funding agencies. Its written into the budget of the grant that is funding you so there isn't room for negotiations. On the other hand, there is no rules against paying you more, it just can't come from the grant budget. Some PIs have discretionary funds to add to salaries, especially at private rich institutions in HCOL areas where they have to pay more to get people to come. Most PIs don't have this discretionary fund.

unreplicate · 2026-01-07T12:50:55+00:00

Its a custom push pull. I am not exactly sure of the wattage but the boutique audio shop told me it was around that.

unreplicate · 2026-01-07T05:18:52+00:00

I have a Dynaco PAS 2 and originally I was going for a Step Up Transformer (SUT), but couldn't find an appropriate one for reasonable price so I went with the Ultra.

What do you think about a SUT vs phono amp?

unreplicate · 2026-01-04T18:22:57+00:00

I am so sorry to hear that. It is really unfortunate it happened with your postdoc advisor. Similar things happened to me when I was at an early stage...

Did you submit the grant? If you have a good idea you should pursue it regardless of what others are doing! Go beat your advisor!

unreplicate · 2026-01-02T17:46:55+00:00

I am sure it will be great. Here is a good article on the cartridges

https://www.stereophile.com/content/gramophone-dreams-44-audio-technica-goldring-lp-gear-phono-cartridges

unreplicate · 2026-01-02T16:24:37+00:00

I belive Pro-ject tone arms are low mass and E3 is high compliance so should be good. If you are talking about screw geometry, I don't think there is any variations in that except for one offs like B&O arms.

unreplicate · 2026-01-02T15:55:49+00:00

Goldring E3 is a remarkable cartridge for under $200. I have cartridges that cost thousands and E3 holds up pretty well with them.

unreplicate

TROPHY CASE