Page 41 • Audiophiles unite • Non-Gaming • Music • Eurogamer.net

You-can-call-me-kal 26 Feb 2021 08:24:59 22,915 posts
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Yeah I’ve got loads of 45s.

I got the new Disclosure without ever hearing it before. There was nothing on the record to indicate it was 45 so listened to it at 33. Took me a good few tracks before I twigged that they hadn’t just changed to a more downtempo style.

Drakesmoke 26 Feb 2021 13:54:02 786 posts
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Two qs for anyone in the know...

1. Is there any way to upload pictures on here?
2. If I did, would anybody be knowledgeable enough to ID/value older gear?

Basically my other half's cousin's step father has passed away and the cousin is asking if we'd sell it for him if possible. He doesn't have room to keep it during the wait. If it's worth not a lot I'd rather just tell him and save the space by binning.

You-can-call-me-kal 26 Feb 2021 14:05:50 22,915 posts
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You could use Imgur for pics, but I’m not sure this place is what you need really.

breakablepants 26 Feb 2021 15:14:50 1,112 posts
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The easiest thing to do is look if the same gear is on eBay, and what it's going for. eBay prices seem to be slightly higher than you'd get on a lot of the specialist hifi forums.

Hifi gear doesn't hold much value unless it's high end or particularly sought-after, but impossible to comment more without knowing what it is@

Do you know what brand the gear is?

breakablepants 26 Feb 2021 15:21:20 1,112 posts
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Drakesmoke wrote:
Anyone got any 45 RPM LP's?

https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/why-45-rpm-great-45-rpm-12-lp-explanation-by-kevin-gray.132280/

I have one, Foo Fighters 'Wasting Light'. Confused the hell out of me on the first play! It does sound great but all their reissues do to be honest so difficult to see if there really is a difference.

I *think* I have one of the Blue Note 45rpm remasters - but I was given that. I simply couldn't be arsed flipping the record so often.

Plus, my gear is all 2nd-hand mid-range stuff, and my room is probably rubbish for acoustics. So I can't see any point in spending more money for a difference I am unlikely to ever hear.

breakablepants 26 Feb 2021 15:23:32 1,112 posts
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You-can-call-me-kal wrote:
I was mainly asking as I prefer single LPs because I just can’t be arsed with the ballache, but I’m aware it’s not a very audiophile attitude to have.

And then when you said you prefer double I wondered how far you take it.

I wonder what audophiles did before people started reissuing albums as double-LP 'audiophile' remasters ;-)

Drakesmoke 26 Feb 2021 16:03:48 786 posts
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If I had model numbers I'd obviously be able to do the research. What I've got is fairly clear phone pics of the stack of components, but not clear enough for zooming in on the model numbers.

Looks like the decision has been taken out of my hands anyway and it'll be living under the stairs from tomorrow.

It's an old Panasonic thing. Looks big and sturdy, and like the sort of thing my dad and grandad would have had back in the eighties. Double tape and radio, big amp (possibly tube?), turntable. No CD that I can see.

Drakesmoke 26 Feb 2021 16:31:01 786 posts
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Have managed to be able to find most of the components now after being sent serial numbers. Looks to be between £110 - 190 all in, estimating the cassette deck has a similar value to the tuner and obviously depending on market.

Awaiting partner asking me if I'm sure as that was absolutely top of the line in the local Rumbelows at the time!

breakablepants 26 Feb 2021 16:40:39 1,112 posts
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@Drakesmoke yeah, I'm afraid none of that sounds especially valuable. I'd fling it on Ebay and Gumtree and see if you get any interest. Nobody needs an FM tuner or tape deck these days!

Drakesmoke 26 Feb 2021 16:51:18 786 posts
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breakablepants wrote:
@Drakesmoke yeah, I'm afraid none of that sounds especially valuable. I'd fling it on Ebay and Gumtree and see if you get any interest. Nobody needs an FM tuner or tape deck these days!

Partner has got in touch with a local vintage emporium place. They've said they know a handful of collectors that would almost certainly be interested.

Her cousin has basically said keep any money but I think we'd not feel right keeping every bit of it should it sell. If we can get a ton, give him a few quid and get a few LPs out of it I'll consider it a job well done.

Part of me was hoping I'd find that the amp and turntable were some Uber quality thing that would trump what I already have but it doesn't look like it!

Dougs 27 Feb 2021 06:09:33 98,694 posts
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Quick question for you audiophiles. I was listening to the radio the other day, as I often do. The DJ was talking about listening to whole albums broadcast on the radio and what a unique experience that is - and for the social side, I agree. But he also said that the compression they use also makes it sounds better to him - I assumed he was probably just trying to drum up listeners but I wondered if there was anything in that, and if so, what?

Your-Mother 27 Feb 2021 06:22:55 7,276 posts
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Probably depends on a great deal to have a concise answer. Digital radio can presumably go very high quality, but FM radio depends on signal strength, encoding and signal processing, and even what the library of the station is. One of the local ones here used mp3s that could be noticeably low quality, even on a shitty car stereo. Dunno if they still do or not, or even if they’re still going. I can’t imagine that compression (or at least data compression, I know there’s other range compressions and mix types and so on) makes anything sound better, but maybe I’m naive and someone else has better thoughts on that.

Also I’m a pretentious shit who only listens to NPR (basically Radio 4) nowadays anyway.

Edited by Your-Mother at 06:26:03 27-02-2021

You-can-call-me-kal 27 Feb 2021 06:41:53 22,915 posts
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Yeah I don’t understand how compression could improve sound. I think the highest quality digital radio streams at 320k which technically isn’t even CD quality. I dunno what he means really.

Fake_Blood 27 Feb 2021 06:52:53 10,882 posts
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Nothing to do with digital compression, FM still has a high noise floor, so they use dynamic range compression, the quiet bits get turned up and the loud bits get turned down.

Drakesmoke 27 Feb 2021 08:46:20 786 posts
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I reckon it's bollocks but subjectively it could of course sound better to his ears.

I'm assuming he's talking about sonic compression which is different to the data compression you get with digital streaming.

The trend is somewhat on the wane now but there's a long history of overly loud productions and CDs being crushed by compression. The whole point was to make them stand out on the radio. If a record didn't do this, the theory went, it would not sound as powerful when played next to one that had been brickwalled, and so it became a 'keeping up with the Jones's' vicious cycle that harmed music production.

You'll also see this every day when you watch TV. Ever reached for the volume with a 'FFS' when the adverts come on and blow the windows out? That's because the sound is deliberately over-compressed to jump out so so you can't ignore the advert!

An example of two great modern albums this applied to are RHCP Californication and By The Way. I find a lot to love musically on them but it's just this brick of one volume (loud) noise and that's not how bands sound. At best, it is tiring to listen to for long periods. At worst, you actually get unwanted distortion baked into the music.

I don't think large amounts of compression make for a good music experience therefore. It may help with cheaper speakers or earphones that inherently need help to sound full I guess. Another thing is those compressed albums mentioned above do sound weighty at lower volumes because of the compression, which is I think an unintended positive side effect.

But in general if I want music louder I want to turn it up with the dial, not just have it set there.

There seems something inherent about vinyl where even a brickwalled album sounds less so on that format. Somebody more science based on the thread may be able to comment on that as to why. I own both the RHCP albums mentioned above on vinyl and they are no sonic gems but sound less fatiguing than my CD versions.

But yeah I don't agree with the DJ on that, as to whether he's being dishonest, don't think there's enough evidence to go to that conclusion.

Drakesmoke 27 Feb 2021 08:49:53 786 posts
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tadejpogacar wrote:
Where are people buying their vinyl from? I'd like to not spend over £15 on a (new) record, if possible.

You may struggle sorry. £15 to me is a flash sale price for new.

Stuff routinely jumps up by a tenner when vendors know that stock is scarce. Happened with the Beatles Blue album this week, I've had it in a wish list for ages and it's been around £30. All of a sudden Amazon say they only have three copies and now everyone is selling it for £40, plus not just Amazon.

It's an expensive hobby, which is why I limit it mostly to stuff I already know and love.

Drakesmoke 27 Feb 2021 08:52:00 786 posts
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Fake_Blood wrote:
Nothing to do with digital compression, FM still has a high noise floor, so they use dynamic range compression, the quiet bits get turned up and the loud bits get turned down.

That's an interesting take I hadn't considered, you are saying that compression is used in analog radio to essentially compensate for a weakness in the medium itself yes?

I hadn't considered that. I still hold firm on my belief that compression for radio ruined a lot of good albums sonically in the last twenty years though.

Dougs 27 Feb 2021 10:01:39 98,694 posts
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@Drakesmoke thanks, interesting.

You-can-call-me-kal 27 Feb 2021 11:30:39 22,915 posts
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tadejpogacar wrote:
Where are people buying their vinyl from? I'd like to not spend over £15 on a (new) record, if possible.

For new I like Juno, Rough Trade, Sound of Vinyl and yeah, Amazon.

But like Drake said if £15 is your ceiling then this probably isn’t the hobby for you. £20 is a bit more realistic, and even then be prepared to not buy much.

I tend to have quite a long wish list on Amazon that I periodically check. It has quite a nice feature that tells you what percent the price has changed since you added it. When stuff dips into the right price zone I snap it up. Although honestly I spend more time regretting not buying things for a higher price while they were still available at all.

Drakesmoke 27 Feb 2021 13:41:55 786 posts
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Just had the most embarrassing accident. That new £25 cleaning sponge I got recently? Well I was applying the cleaning fluid whilst speaking to my partner and realised the bottle I was applying was blackcurrant raspberry vape juice.

Absolute FFS moment.

Gas decided to cut out too as I'm trying to wash it.

Applied liberal amounts of hot water and washing up liquid before dousing it in the alcohol mixture. It doesn't seem to have picked up any vape scent and is now drying on the radiator. Fingers crossed, as the theme tune to Curb Your Enthusiasm plays in my head.

Again, FFS.

You-can-call-me-kal 27 Feb 2021 14:04:09 22,915 posts
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I don’t know what’s in vape juice but I would probably write it off personally.

fontgeeksogood 27 Feb 2021 14:13:27 12,913 posts
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Now your cleaning sponge has popcorn lung

Drakesmoke 27 Feb 2021 14:57:29 786 posts
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@You-can-call-me-kal vape juice is generally a mix of two types of common food oils with a bit of flavouring chucked in.

I'm therefore hopeful a combo of the detergent, thorough rinsing and the surfactant effects of the actual intended fluid will sort it.

I'll obviously do a test run on something non valuable.

Fontgeek, I know you like trolling we vape wankers but you'll have to do something higher effort than that lol.

nickthegun 27 Feb 2021 21:26:49 86,026 posts
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Bandcamp is an intermediary, it doesn't actually sell or ship anything. Bands send merch out themselves and bands aren't Amazon.

Armoured_Bear 12 Mar 2021 20:39:20 30,281 posts
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tadejpogacar wrote:
The record player I'd ordered (a Planar 3) took so long to turn up the shop offered me a significant reduction on an ex-display Planar 6 so I couldn't resist. Turned up today and christening it now with Gene Clark's "No Other". Bliss.

That's a nice result, how's it sounding?

Armoured_Bear 12 Mar 2021 22:26:10 30,281 posts
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tadejpogacar wrote:
The B&W 600s I have it paired with can be a little polite at lower volumes but I have it cranked now, listening to Mark Hollis' self-titled and the whole thing is 👌🏼

That's a record that I need to buy.

Audiophiles unite • Page 41