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    How do you keep track of stylus replacement intervals? Should turntables have a built in feature?

    I've been thinking about how easily one can damage records with a worn stylus. Maximum play times for different styli seem well defined, but it doesn't seem like there's too much talk in how to measure total play time on a stylus. I admit that I don't have any kind of "system" to when I...
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    Kenwood KA-801

    You got a great deal on your KA-801, congratulations! The 801 was second only to the KA-907 in Kenwood's 1979-1980 integrated amplifier lineup. It was at the beginning of their transition away from the extremely beefy chassis designs of the 1970s, so disassembly and repair is a bit more...
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    The Official *Technics SL-1200* Owners Club

    I've owned the SL-1200 MK2 for about ten years now, and it's the only table I've owned that's never given me a real problem. Before this table, I'd always have some major hassle that made record listening unpleasant. The pitch wouldn't hold. The pitch would hold, but at an incorrect place. The...
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    The Official *Technics SL-1200* Owners Club

    I personally had trouble mating Grado prestige line carts (mine was a gold, but the blue is a very similar build) with the Tec 12. There was some IGD that would not go away no matter how many adjustments I did. That's not to say that they're bad carts or anything, but they might not be a good...
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    UPDATE! MoFi is using all digital processing with their vinyl pressings

    I agree with this take. The records sound amazing, and having a digital digital source is not an issue for me. Lying about your process is an issue. All over their in-product advertising, they're going on and on about how they only use the master tapes.
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    What's the next must have kitchen appliance?

    Sorry. Pollutants is more accurate: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/have-a-gas-stove-how-to-reduce-pollution-that-may-harm-health-202209072811#:~:text=Cooking%20with%20gas%20stoves%20creates,been%20linked%20with%20childhood%20asthma.
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    Things you don't see anymore.

    This may have changed, but if you can find a stream of Fox Oldies WGNY (or happen to live near Rosendale NY) they used to broadcast old Wolfman Jack shows on Saturdays from 7pm-midnight EST on Saturdays. I haven't been in the area for about five years. They might have changed it to something...
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    Show Us Your Dinner! (Home Cooking ONLY please!)

    This week I've been experimenting with soups. We had homemade seafood chowder and lobster bisque (and yes I know the table needs to be cleaned....) I never realized how easy it was to make these soups. Both of them take maybe an hour with substantially less time actually spent prepping...
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    What's the next must have kitchen appliance?

    The one that had the biggest impact on my kitchen use was one of these: These are big in Japan, but not so much in the US. It's a countertop water boiler which you can set to different temperatures for pour-over coffee, green, white or black tea. The one I got is vacuum insulated, so once...
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    What's the next must have kitchen appliance?

    I second this, except that the one I have is a joy to cook on. It's a mid-range Duxtop. When done right, induction is way better than a standard electric stove or even gas imo. You get the control of gas without the inefficiency, heat or fumes.
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    Roaring '70's--Golden Age of Audio

    My perspective on this as somebody born in 1990 is that the 70s specifically seemed to be the golden age of high end, solid state, analog audio. It was the short lived nexus of prices getting down just far enough to entice some of the mainstream market into hifi, but also not so low where the...
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    Stupid home stereo question

    Is it a true phono or auxiliary in? There's a big difference. If it's phono you need to potentially do a mod to bypass the phono preamplification or add a true line in. It sounds like you're just looking for a pre-amp. Just to take a random example, look up "Carver CT-3 Stereo Preamp" and see...
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    Is retro crowd growing?

    Agreed, which is why I won't critisize those Crosley "red ed" tables. If not for my parents getting me one for my first communion a few decades back, along with a stack of beaten old records to play with, I wouldn't have a crippling audio addiction. My first table is long gone, but only because...
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    Are lower EV prices tempting?

    I have to own up: I was trying to be funny with the whole cogging argument. I've been reading allot about direct drive turntables recently, and forgot that not everyone is aware of the whole cogging argument with direct drive vs belt drive tables, even on the ak forums. The cars have no real...
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    Are lower EV prices tempting?

    I can come up with a new narrative if it makes things more interesting. The REAL problem with EVs is how the motors directly drive the wheels. Direct drive in a car causes what's known as a "cogging" effect. When you drive down the road, EV cogging causes minute fluctuations as the car hunts...
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    IGD or Sibilance?

    I have a very particular case so take it with a grain of salt, but I've had more luck fixing IGD and sibilance by changing to a completely different cartridge than just changing the diamond type. I could've avoided the problem altogether if I'd done more research up front. My example (and I...
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    IGD or Sibilance?

    I'd add to this though, because it's not always alignment or wear. That's certainly the first place I'd check because it's a cheap fix. IGD can also be caused by bad record mastering or stylus type. If you have a conical stylus playing towards the center of a record with an extremely long run...
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    Are lower EV prices tempting?

    Agreed. I went and dialed it back, largely because I found out that I was misinformed. For the record, in case you don't feel like going back to see my correction, China is not the largest producer of lithium. It is fourth behind Chile, Argentina and Australia. North America is also expected to...
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    IGD or Sibilance?

    This is true. It can also be caused by poor mastering techniques in an otherwise good pressing. IGD can also be caused by these same things. Most commonly, if you see sibilance, you'll also see IGD. Sibilance is specifically distortion around sharp, 'S' type sounds. If a vocalist sings a...
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    Are lower EV prices tempting?

    My father talks allot about hydrogen fuel cells as an alternative to EVs. The main issue I see with it is that it doesn't solve the whole alleged grid infrastructure issue. It takes more electric power to create and distribute hydrogen than just pumping electricity directly into a battery...
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    Getting laid off again, lining up projects

    Looks like a great list! Between jobs is a great time to invest in yourself; everyone does that differently depending on their own needs.
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    Let's See Your Miscellaneous Car Photos

    This was at the C&C in Madison, Wisconsin. They get a surprising number of fantastic cars at that show for such a small venue, like the Lotus you see, but they welcome anybody. It's a great atmosphere. My Miata is nowhere near show condition. It's a cheap weekend toy with paint flaws, high...
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    Are lower EV prices tempting?

    My next car will either be a Ford Maverick or an EV. It all depends on how far the price has come down on EVs by the time I'm ready to buy. The idea of having a full "tank" every time I leave my garage and never having to set foot in a gas station again is extremely enticing. Definitely worth...
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    Let's See Your Miscellaneous Car Photos

    Here's one from Cars & Coffee a week or six back: I was running late so we were way out in back, but got to park my little blue guy next to the little green and yellow guys.
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    Be honest - how many enjoy the cheap toys just as much?

    It's time to fess up. The only "expensive" stuff I own is my stereo hifi setup, which all lives in the office/vintage game room / listening room / gym. That's where all critical listening happens, and the only space which qualifies to to be on these forums. In the living room I run a $150 pair...
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