What audio system do you have, or plan on getting?

[Mookalafalas]

OK. Here's a weird outside post. A pair of $35 Speakers. I have 3 sets of "serious Speakers" in various rooms, with regular amps and systems. I use these little guys with my laptop when I've been chased away from the living room, den etc, and into my little hidey-hole by my wife and kids. BUT, when positioned right, these tiny fellas are quite remarkable. Each is actually a 2-way speaker, with a small bass in the back, and create a crazy-full sound in proportion to their size and price. Hopefully, no one will need these as their main setup, but for an ultre-budget PC system, they are amazing.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Some bad news regarding my Pioneer Elite DVD, etc. player.  I received a phone call that apparently it's a case of problems with the motherboard and, in short, he can't fix it.  Haven't totally given up hope yet; I'm starting to make some calls around to see if I can find a new replacement one (slim chance there).  I'm also going to contact the place where I had originally purchased it (a high-end audio shop which also does repairs to see if they have any ideas/thoughts).

Wish me luck!

PD

[Pohjolas Daughter]

OK. Here's a weird outside post. A pair of $35 Speakers. I have 3 sets of "serious Speakers" in various rooms, with regular amps and systems. I use these little guys with my laptop when I've been chased away from the living room, den etc, and into my little hidey-hole by my wife and kids. BUT, when positioned right, these tiny fellas are quite remarkable. Each is actually a 2-way speaker, with a small bass in the back, and create a crazy-full sound in proportion to their size and price. Hopefully, no one will need these as their main setup, but for an ultre-budget PC system, they are amazing.

You get chased out of the den too!?    Glad that you have your hidey-hole.

PD

[DavidW]

Some bad news regarding my Pioneer Elite DVD, etc. player.  I received a phone call that apparently it's a case of problems with the motherboard and, in short, he can't fix it.  Haven't totally given up hope yet; I'm starting to make some calls around to see if I can find a new replacement one (slim chance there).  I'm also going to contact the place where I had originally purchased it (a high-end audio shop which also does repairs to see if they have any ideas/thoughts).

Wish me luck!

PD

Why don't you just buy another player?

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Why don't you just buy another player?

I may have to go that route.  I do really like this one though as it plays a variety of formats and the sound is quite good.  I also have a bunch of either SACD's or Hybrid-SACDs that I want to be able to play.  Plus, I can also watch DVDs using it.  I don't own any blu-Rays or a very modern t.v.

https://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/Blu-ray-Disc/Elite-DVD-Players/DV-79AVi

PD

p.s.  Don't ask me why this link mentions Blu-ray, as it doesn't play them!

[Mandryka]

Why don't you just buy another player?

It's a bad thing environmentally that modern electronics becomes obsolete, irreparable. This never used to be the case -- companies would use standard components and publish schematics to make sure that repair was always possible. All my hi-hi is old, maintained so that it sounds today like it sounded 50 years ago, and there's no reason why it shouldn't carry on giving pleasure for another 50 years.  That being said, this may have never have been the case for DVD players, SACD players.

Fight for the right to repair!

[DavidW]

I always thought of right to repair as fighting against companies closing the cases off completely and voiding warranties if you open it to repair it.  PD taking a player to a shop and they say they can't do it because the mobo has gone bad doesn't seem to fit in that umbrella.

I agree with you though, I should be able to repair my iphone! (I need to as well)

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I always thought of right to repair as fighting against companies closing the cases off completely and voiding warranties if you open it to repair it.  PD taking a player to a shop and they say they can't do it because the mobo has gone bad doesn't seem to fit in that umbrella.

I agree with you though, I should be able to repair my iphone! (I need to as well)

I was surprised when I asked the repair person if he had noted the part number and he told me that there wasn't one...just a plant or factory number.  Perhaps that was the norm re these players and the design?  I did find another repairer (a bit further away) who (I got the feeling in terms of equipment, etc.) that they might be able to do some further tests and maybe narrow things down further and perhaps be able to replace necessary parts?  I don't know.

But, yes, I do agree that people should be able to repair their equipment....whether it's tractors or whatever.  I just wish that I could get the information; I was told by the current technician that there are no schematics which would obviously make it harder to figure out what is wrong--plus he also said that the parts were probably no longer available.  I dunno know.  I'm just trying to use my brain and ask questions and learn and think.  I'm stubborn. 

PD

[DavidW]

You really just need to take a voltmeter around the different parts of the board and identify bad capacitors, broken connections etc.  Usually the capacitors go before anything else.  You can resurrect some vintage audio by replacing bad capacitors.

[Atriod]

Kii 7, they're so cute. My dream speakers for my office, but I couldn't deal with the risk of having $7k in speakers being stolen.

[Harry]

Kii 7, they're so cute. My dream speakers for my office, but I couldn't deal with the risk of having $7k in speakers being stolen.

That's a fine speaker.

[drogulus]

I may have to go that route.  I do really like this one though as it plays a variety of formats and the sound is quite good.  I also have a bunch of either SACD's or Hybrid-SACDs that I want to be able to play.  Plus, I can also watch DVDs using it.  I don't own any blu-Rays or a very modern t.v.

https://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/Blu-ray-Disc/Elite-DVD-Players/DV-79AVi

PD

p.s.  Don't ask me why this link mentions Blu-ray, as it doesn't play them!

    How do you connect the player to watch DVDs and listen to SACDs?

[Atriod]

It's a bad thing environmentally that modern electronics becomes obsolete, irreparable. This never used to be the case -- companies would use standard components and publish schematics to make sure that repair was always possible. All my hi-hi is old, maintained so that it sounds today like it sounded 50 years ago, and there's no reason why it shouldn't carry on giving pleasure for another 50 years.  That being said, this may have never have been the case for DVD players, SACD players.

Fight for the right to repair!

It's particularly bad with smart phones and the amount of waste they produce, there is no reason they can't continue to support phones with security updates other than the want for more profits. My four year old Samsung phone hardware wise is still much faster than a Thinkpad from 2010 that I use to rip CDs.

[steve ridgway]

I successfully replaced the battery in my wife's MacBook Air this year. The new one came with compatible screwdrivers to undo the special non-standard Apple screws and this model didn't require special solvent to dissolve the glue used in some to bond the battery in place. Apple still get you in the end though by ceasing software updates for older models.

I've also just completed upgrading the kitchen lights by replacing the LED compatible dimmer switches that I'd used to replace the original dimmer switches with straight on/off switches and replacing the useless dimmable LED bulbs that I'd used to replace the halogen bulbs with regular LED bulbs. So after doing the whole house will have thrown away 8 dimmer switches and a couple of dozen dimmable LED bulbs plus all those that failed, but will have plenty of spare halogen bulbs for the infrequently used dimmable lights in the lounge. Still, this is all progress and part of saving the planet.

[Mandryka]

You really just need to take a voltmeter around the different parts of the board and identify bad capacitors, broken connections etc.  Usually the capacitors go before anything else.  You can resurrect some vintage audio by replacing bad capacitors.

yes but not necessarily modern audio where they use non standard integrated circuits. In fact one of my pieces blew up the other day -- an external powered crossover which I use in my system with electrostatics and passive subs. I took it to my repair man (he thinks it's just a cap fortunately) and we got talking about this very problem. He said he hates it when people bring him recent equipment to repair as often, it's not really doable, either because the manufacturer won't help with schematic diagrams (and the cost/time to work it out without is prohibitive)  and/or the parts are just not available.

[Holden]

I can't seem to post an image - thought I knew how to do it.

[drogulus]

     For quality at a decent price you can't beat the Oppo BDP-83. You can get it for under $200 (though you might want to pay a bit more for a "Granny only drove it to church on Sunday" unit).

     This will give you all the analog connections for audio and video for CD/DVD/SACD and future proofing with Blu Ray and DVD-A functionality.

[steve ridgway]

I can't seem to post an image - thought I knew how to do it.

If uploading one of your own the attach option is in the full Reply but not the Quick Reply.

[Spotted Horses]

If uploading one of your own the attach option is in the full Reply but not the Quick Reply.

I find the current system baffling because after you upload it allows you to link it, then you get two copies of the image visible.

[Irons]

I find the current system baffling because after you upload it allows you to link it, then you get two copies of the image visible.

Don't link it and then one image posted.