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Post by Boomzilla on Mar 9, 2020 4:14:02 GMT -5
Would Guitar Center stock a quieter fan for my Ashly pro power amplifier, or need I go Amazon?
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Post by audiobill on Mar 9, 2020 6:31:01 GMT -5
Mouser or digi-key.
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KeithL
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Post by KeithL on Mar 9, 2020 8:54:29 GMT -5
Excellent point about what RAID arrays do and do not give you.
RAID arrays provide excellent security against a single drive failing... or even multiple drives.
(Drives failing used to be very common in the old days - and still happens - although far less often.) However, if the entire array fails, or the array controller fails, you can still lose everything.
This is a big deal for what I would call long term or lifetime storage.
In most RAID arrays the format used for the individual drives is somewhat proprietary.
So, if the RAID controller itself fails today, you can simply replace it with a new one, from the same manufacturer. But, if it fails twenty years down the road, you may not be able to do so, and you may not be able to read your drives without it. So, as Boom says, you should keep at least one more non-RAID backup of everything (preferably two copies - big drives are cheap nowadays).
(Drive standards like SATA and even USB are almost certain to remain readable for a lot longer than a specific brand and flavor of RAID array.)
Incidentally, for manually entering or fixing tags, I highly recommend a program called Tag & Rename. (It's made by a company named Softonic... and it's somewhat old... but it's very powerful... For example, you can sort your files into folders by group and album, and then have it create tags from the folder structure.)
...Get yourself a pair of big external USB drives... May I suggest an alternate? If one buys a RAID box (I use a MediaSonic with 4 drives in it), I can use RAID-10 to allow any single drive to fail (or any two simultaneously, if I'm lucky) without data loss and without interruption of service. I can hot-swap a blank drive into the RAID, and the box will automatically format it and repopulate it with the data that was on the failed drive. The downside of RAID-10 is that you get only half the physical drive capacity in the RAID. I use four 2TB drives to get 4TB of usable space. Now the RAID does NOT provide redundancy against physical damage. If lightning strikes, the RAID is toast. So yes, even with a RAID, another backup drive is prudent. It's also prudent to keep that backup in a different physical location from the RAID. I've a buddy who keeps his backup drive in his safety-deposit box at his bank. For really valuable data, like my business files, I keep an online backup (I use Backblaze) and have restored whole drives from them before. And yes, KeithL , I profoundly agree that one should NEVER let playback software manipulate source files. Thanks - Boomzilla
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Post by Boomzilla on Mar 9, 2020 10:35:31 GMT -5
...In most RAID arrays the format used for the individual drives is somewhat proprietary... If you're talking Synology, then yes, the format is ABSOLUTELY proprietary and you'll never be able to read any drive in the RAID without another Synology box. That's why I chose MediaSonic - Standard EXFAT or FAT32 drives work just fine, and if the RAID dies, then files can be recovered from the individual drives with an inexpensive USB cradle. But the gold standard for backup is online.
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KeithL
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Post by KeithL on Mar 9, 2020 11:54:54 GMT -5
That's good to know... about MediaSonic.
I'm not sure how much I trust online backups... only because of the possibility that a given company may eventually go out of business. I would trust them in the short term - but I would want to confirm that they remain intact every now and then.
(I think I prefer the "USB drive in a safety deposit box" option... or both.)
For those who are using a regular computer there are also options that do "software RAID" - using multiple standard external drives. (I haven't used any of them so I have no specific recommendations... but there are a few free ones that seem to be well regarded.)
...In most RAID arrays the format used for the individual drives is somewhat proprietary... If you're talking Synology, then yes, the format is ABSOLUTELY proprietary and you'll never be able to read any drive in the RAID without another Synology box. That's why I chose MediaSonic - Standard EXFAT or FAT32 drives work just fine, and if the RAID dies, then files can be recovered from the individual drives with an inexpensive USB cradle. But the gold standard for backup is online.
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Post by Boomzilla on Mar 11, 2020 21:07:24 GMT -5
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2020 20:22:55 GMT -5
Boom, I'm one of the idiots who sold their JBL L100s. I cry every time I see them for sale at 3-4x the price I paid. New ones are $4k. They were truly sweet speakers. AR3a were sweet also...and heavy.
"he's a college professor with very limited funds." I've never met one of those before. lol. I have 2 family member college professors and they're not in any hurt for bucks. Tell your friend they need to get a job like Elizabeth Warren who makes $425,000 to teach one class.
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Post by audiobill on Mar 13, 2020 9:23:06 GMT -5
Glenn, great job on the McIntosh C53 review. I'm more than pleased with my new C2600, with its six tubes, built-in dac, headphone amp, two phono circuits (MM and MC) and much more.
Beyond superb performance, the total value equation in McIntosh lies in their unique combination of reliability, build quality, engineering excellence, resale value, pride of ownership, aesthetics and tradition.
Who else has made US components since 1949, and who else is even conceivable to be here in 70 years?
Viewed this way, truly a screaming bargain!
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Post by garbulky on Mar 13, 2020 12:54:44 GMT -5
Glenn, great job on the McIntosh C53 review. I'm more than pleased with my new C2600, with its six tubes, built-in dac, headphone amp, two phono circuits (MM and MC) and much more. Beyond superb performance, the total value equation in McIntosh lies in their unique combination of reliability, build quality, engineering excellence, resale value, pride of ownership, aesthetics and tradition. Who else has made US components since 1949, and who else is even conceivable to be here in 70 years? Viewed this way, truly a screaming bargain! The c2600 is near 7 grand though! Screaming bargain? Hmmm... I think they need to realize that at some point they have to come down on those insane prices! It looks fantastic, no argument, but I haven't heard anything with them that I haven't heard done better on cheaper gear.
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Post by audiobill on Mar 13, 2020 13:02:17 GMT -5
Maybe, but the “cheaper “ gear doesn’t offer the full package. And it’s $7,400.
Btw, Mc is selling like hotcakes lately.
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Post by garbulky on Mar 13, 2020 14:55:28 GMT -5
Maybe, but the “cheaper “ gear doesn’t offer the full package. And it’s $7,400. Btw, Mc is selling like hotcakes lately. I will agree, especially for long term reliability. The assurance that no matter how long one holds on to the gear, that Macintosh will maintain it to factory specs is kind of amazing.... There's very few organizations that have that market penetration and spare parts on hand.
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Post by Boomzilla on Mar 13, 2020 16:31:54 GMT -5
People who buy Mac are generally less concerned about the price. They know that their gear will virtually never break, and that (unless it's an AV processor) the resale value will always remain high, even compared to the original purchase price.
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KeithL
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Post by KeithL on Mar 13, 2020 16:33:06 GMT -5
I was waiting for someone else to say that....
McIntosh gear is made great, and will probably survive well past the next apocalypse, but some of the older McIntosh gear I've heard didn't actually sound all that impressive... I'm not saying that it sounded bad... or even that it didn't sound good... but it didn't sound quite as good as some other gear that costs a lot less...
And, personally, I'm more interested in getting the best possible sound now, than I am in having gear that will still be working after I've become food for the worms...
I don't buy audio gear as an investment, or as fitment for my air-raid shelter... I buy it to listen to now.
(And being able to afford to eat dinner in the mean time is kind of nice too.)
And, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one, but I see using tubes these days as a bow to nostalgia (or marketing), rather than "engineering excellence"... (While I agree that it's certainly possible to design tube gear that sounds good... it's still far and away the long way around.)
Glenn, great job on the McIntosh C53 review. I'm more than pleased with my new C2600, with its six tubes, built-in dac, headphone amp, two phono circuits (MM and MC) and much more. Beyond superb performance, the total value equation in McIntosh lies in their unique combination of reliability, build quality, engineering excellence, resale value, pride of ownership, aesthetics and tradition. Who else has made US components since 1949, and who else is even conceivable to be here in 70 years? Viewed this way, truly a screaming bargain! The c2600 is near 7 grand though! Screaming bargain? Hmmm... I think they need to realize that at some point they have to come down on those insane prices! It looks fantastic, no argument, but I haven't heard anything with them that I haven't heard done better on cheaper gear.
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Post by audiobill on Mar 13, 2020 16:58:23 GMT -5
Sorry, KeithL, read and weep - from a recent McIntosh review in Stereophile:
“Summing up the McIntosh MC462's measured performance is easy: It is an extraordinarily well-engineered, exceptionally powerful amplifier.—John Atkinson”
As all their products are.....tube as well as ss. To many, pride of ownership counts. Depends on whether you think of your system as appliances or instruments.
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Post by garbulky on Mar 13, 2020 17:28:52 GMT -5
Sorry, KeithL, read and weep - from a recent McIntosh review in Stereophile: “Summing up the McIntosh MC462's measured performance is easy: It is an extraordinarily well-engineered, exceptionally powerful amplifier.—John Atkinson” As all their products are.....tube as well as ss. To many, pride of ownership counts. That’s their solid state amp. Also it seemed to have inadequate heat sinking and they had to precondition it only half as long as other amps in their testing for fear of overheating damaging the Amp. Having said that the measurements seem fine. But they don’t hold a candle to the ncore class d distortion measurements (neither does my xpa1).
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Post by Boomzilla on Mar 15, 2020 21:19:10 GMT -5
So, after about two weeks of work, I finally finished sorting & pruning my music library HDD. I then added the backlog of new discs that I've been waiting to rip. After making a couple of backups, I still have a few lingering chores to do (deal with the orphans, put the multi-disc collections back together, etc.). So I'm maybe ready for prime time now. In any case, I plan to take a break from disc maintenance and just kick back to enjoy the system! And another question for the Loungers, if I may? The tweeters on the Maggie MG-IIs are apparently so far down in amplitude from where they should be, that the speakers sound as if they have no treble at all. The tweeters DO have continuity, because if I put my ear close to the grill, I can hear some treble - it's just way down in amplitude. So my question is: Assuming that these speakers are effectively defunct without a tweeter replacement anyway, is there any further potential harm in boosting the treble through equalization to compensate? Thanks - Boom
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Post by garbulky on Mar 15, 2020 22:08:49 GMT -5
So, after about two weeks of work, I finally finished sorting & pruning my music library HDD. I then added the backlog of new discs that I've been waiting to rip. After making a couple of backups, I still have a few lingering chores to do (deal with the orphans, put the multi-disc collections back together, etc.). So I'm maybe ready for prime time now. In any case, I plan to take a break from disc maintenance and just kick back to enjoy the system! And another question for the Loungers, if I may? The tweeters on the Maggie MG-IIs are apparently so far down in amplitude from where they should be, that the speakers sound as if they have no treble at all. The tweeters DO have continuity, because if I put my ear close to the grill, I can hear some treble - it's just way down in amplitude. So my question is: Assuming that these speakers are effectively defunct without a tweeter replacement anyway, is there any further potential harm in boosting the treble through equalization to compensate? Thanks - Boom Depends on how much you boost it, I imagine. The treble goes through a crossover. Tremendously increasing the treble power going through the crossover may be bad for the crossover - and perhaps the amp. In my mind it's like taking a broken engine racing: probably not a good idea.
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Post by Boomzilla on Mar 16, 2020 4:05:41 GMT -5
Depends on how much you boost it, I imagine. The treble goes through a crossover. Tremendously increasing the treble power going through the crossover may be bad for the crossover - and perhaps the amp. In my mind it's like taking a broken engine racing: probably not a good idea. Well, equalization definitely won't be a long-term solution, but a one-song trial at low volume would let me assess the relative condition of the left vs. right tweeter...
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Post by garbulky on Mar 16, 2020 6:11:28 GMT -5
Depends on how much you boost it, I imagine. The treble goes through a crossover. Tremendously increasing the treble power going through the crossover may be bad for the crossover - and perhaps the amp. In my mind it's like taking a broken engine racing: probably not a good idea. Well, equalization definitely won't be a long-term solution, but a one-song trial at low volume would let me assess the relative condition of the left vs. right tweeter... Silly question: do the maggies have bi amped terminals? It could be that the bridge between the tweeter and woofer is not connected.
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Post by Boomzilla on Mar 16, 2020 6:13:10 GMT -5
Silly question: do the maggies have bi amped terminals? It could be that the bridge between the tweeter and woofer is not connected. Newer ones do, but the MG-II models that I currently have are not equipped for bi-wire or bi-amp. So the equalization does help but they still aren't ready for prime time. The Ashly amp runs cool with no fan at all.
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