Audio Hardware Deals: Speakers, Headphones, Turntables, Etc.

HayesWeighsIn said:
@ngower I've got hours on both the low and hi Opus3. I actually recall running both at 46dB and just gave more signal to my tube amp with a Schiit Magni I use as a line driver. As others have stated in years past, 50dB seems to be the sweet spot for Grado low output carts. If I do another Timbre series cart (which I'm planning to!) I will most likely go with a high output for the flexibility with phono stages. Is there a sonic difference between the two? If you asked me during my honeymoon period with the low output, I would say yes! If you ask me now, I'd say it's small enough where I'd rather not need the extra gain.
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Yeah having a switch between 42 and 48dB (I do run the phono to preamp and preamp to power amp balanced so I think that’s an extra 6dB too) put the low into its sweet spot and at the time the two were equally priced so I just went for it.
 
Joe Mac said:
Yeah having a switch between 42 and 48dB put the low into its sweet spot and at the time the two were equally priced so I just went for it.
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Good feedback! 46dB just felt a touch timid to me.

I will say, the new Schiit Skoll has a 50dB option, and if it hasn't crossed my mind to get one of those with another low output Grado... 😂
 
Joe Mac said:
I think the fact I run my system balanced and the extra gain probably made that extra bit of a difference too!
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That's even more interesting! Balanced phono is not something I have any experience with. As a studio and live sound guy, it obviously makes me very happy that it's becoming more of an attainable option.
 
HayesWeighsIn said:
That's even more interesting! Balanced phono is not something I have any experience with. As a studio and live sound guy, it obviously makes me very happy that it's becoming more of an attainable option.
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From the table to the phono isn’t balanced and anyway MM cartridges generally aren’t, it’s MC’s that are. So table to phono is the only RCA run I do. But from what I gather all pro-jects are balanced in the RCA connection box so with an MC you could run an RCA to XLR and the table would be running balanced. They’ve gone full on with balanced on their newer tables and Phono, even recently releasing the first balanced MM that I had ever seen. Plus any table using a din connector directly under the arm can be run balanced with an MC. Everything from phono stage onwards in my system is balanced though!

It honestly was more a curiosity thing with all my gear being fully balanced designs. The noise cancellation and extra gain are definitely pluses and there is something inherently satisfying about the way xlr cables connect!
 
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ngower said:
My phono does 40/50 and 50/60 for MM and MC respectively. I think that's fine for the high output version.

Now we get the the essential question: do I *need* it?
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Hahaha! If you asked that in this hobby would you have anything? It’s all about the want 😂

Also yeah 50dB is right in the sweet spot for the low.
 
ngower said:
My phono does 40/50 and 50/60 for MM and MC respectively. I think that's fine for the high output version.

Now we get the the essential question: do I *need* it?
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Joe Mac said:
Hahaha! If you asked that in this hobby would you have anything? It’s all about the want 😂

Also yeah 50dB is right in the sweet spot for the low.
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Agreed, 50db makes the low output Opus3 sing.

The UD may be gone, but the Opus remains :)
Grado-Opus3.jpg
 
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I was wondering if anyone could offer up some advice. Forgive my lack of speaker knowledge in advance.

I have a pair of Kanto YU6 powered bookshelf speakers that have served me well for a few years. Space is a premium so I use them for my turntable but also use an optical cable for my TV as well.

When using them for the turntable they both work perfectly and sound comes from both at a balanced level. Recently I noticed that when using them with the TV the sound is primarily coming from the right speaker only (the main one). When I change the balance all the way to the right and bump the volume to the max, sound comes out at a very low level.

I've changed the optical cable for a new one, tried the other port, all to no avail.

The confusing bit is that sound comes through perfectly when using the turntable, its just the TV bit thats off.

Any suggestions?
 
Selaws said:
I was wondering if anyone could offer up some advice. Forgive my lack of speaker knowledge in advance.

I have a pair of Kanto YU6 powered bookshelf speakers that have served me well for a few years. Space is a premium so I use them for my turntable but also use an optical cable for my TV as well.

When using them for the turntable they both work perfectly and sound comes from both at a balanced level. Recently I noticed that when using them with the TV the sound is primarily coming from the right speaker only (the main one). When I change the balance all the way to the right and bump the volume to the max, sound comes out at a very low level.

I've changed the optical cable for a new one, tried the other port, all to no avail.

The confusing bit is that sound comes through perfectly when using the turntable, its just the TV bit thats off.

Any suggestions?
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Optical is a digital cable, so the signal is either there, or it isn't. And you've done your due diligence in troubleshooting with the analog source, so it's nothing with the speaker or built-in amp. I suspect there may be something up internally with the optical input, sorry to say.
 
HayesWeighsIn said:
Optical is a digital cable, so the signal is either there, or it isn't. And you've done your due diligence in troubleshooting with the analog source, so it's nothing with the speaker or built-in amp. I suspect there may be something up internally with the optical input, sorry to say.
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Yeah it’s either that or the DAC. My guess would be that one channel of the DAC is playing up if there is sound but only through one channel properly and very weak through the other.
 
Cheers everyone.

I cycled through the PMC/Auto option on the TV and the PMC was the one that was set up and worked up to this point, the auto just produced static from 1 speaker (right).

Unfortunately, I think something must have given out in the speaker. One day it was fine, the next it wasn't and I hadn't moved anything or changed settings in the meantime.
 
Selaws said:
Cheers everyone.

I cycled through the PMC/Auto option on the TV and the PMC was the one that was set up and worked up to this point, the auto just produced static from 1 speaker (right).

Unfortunately, I think something must have given out in the speaker. One day it was fine, the next it wasn't and I hadn't moved anything or changed settings in the meantime.
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If it’s still working fine with the analogue in from your table I’m guessing the DAC has gone then. Pain in the arse for sure!
 
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