Solved AUDIRVĀNA (and other audio related chitchat)

Dru2 · Mar 2, 2023

badrobot said:
Listening to my Pearl Jam CD, the soundstage is really different. Sometimes I turn my head into some details that I have not heard before as if I was in the middle of it. The bass is cleaner and "wider" and not annoyingly punchy. The vocals are more detailed. I am sure you know what I mean.
I really like the NAS integration and that I can save my favorite TuneIn internet radio stations. I don't need the FM/AM tuners. The internet radio function takes care of it.
Spotify integration is also seamless and work well with Google and Alexa voice command.

See, I told you I could make a case on getting that piece. In this case though your ears are telling you what I would have

Dru2 said:
I could make the argument for the Marantz but if you have this much reservation your mind is made up

Regarding my PC issue, it's confirmed my GPU won't play any games without hard locking the PC so I'll need a new GPU. What a bummer cause I'll have to wait a couple of weeks before I can order one. This one still works for now as long as it's not game stressed. Crap

badrobot · Mar 2, 2023

Dru2 said:
See, I told you I could make a case on getting that piece. In this case though your ears are telling you what I would have

I was actually decided to get the Tangent CD player. And then I realize that I also don't listen to CDs all the time. When my PC is off, I listen to Spotify on my YU6 via chromecast audio. I mean it is not really bad, but it can be a lot better. I will probably use the network feature of this receiver than the CD player itself.

Dru2 said:
Regarding my PC issue, it's confirmed my GPU won't play any games without hard locking the PC so I'll need a new GPU. What a bummer cause I'll have to wait a couple of weeks before I can order one. This one still works for now as long as it's not game stressed. Crap

I found this and it was exactly what happened to me the other day..

more

Dru2 · Mar 2, 2023

badrobot said:
I found this and it was exactly what happened to me the other day..

View attachment 54105
more

Thanks, but I've been doing this a while. In fact, you might remember I'm also a PC builder, so lots of experience with hardware and PC troubleshooting. With that I'd love to be wrong but too many things are pointing to the GPU.

And BTW, the only stuttering I get is when gaming just before a crash, then the system hard locks. RAM was checked when this first started happening. No issues. No drive issues. No malware. Looking at the motherboard as well.

Edwin · Mar 3, 2023

You can coax the needle across the vinyl, with your mouse, as a seek feature. (No, it does not make a scratching sound!!!)

badrobot · Mar 3, 2023

Are DACs created equal?
After listening for a while on my Marantz through HEOS network streaming, there's a noticeable difference in audio quality compared to streaming on Chromecast connected via Optical port to the speakers. So I made a little experiment and take another chromecast audio, hooked it up to a DAC and connected to the speakers via regular RCA cable. I am quite surprised that there is almost the same audio improvement as listening to the Marantz. The main difference I noticed is the washed out vocals and punchy (in a bad way) bass without the DAC. Well of course this is not really an expensive DAC but the improvement is really very noticeable.

Dru2 · Mar 3, 2023

badrobot said:
Are DACs created equal?
After listening for a while on my Marantz through HEOS network streaming, there's a noticeable difference in audio quality compared to streaming on Chromecast connected via Optical port to the speakers.

If you're going to compare DACs, you need to do so by ensuring the source material is constant throughout the listening process - same music and file type. Telling me you hear a difference when listening to a CD here, and a FLAC file there, just creates too many variables to be a reliable comparison. In short, apples to apples, please

"Are DACs created equal?" - No! And that Marantz will dance circles around a pin DAC, or that small portable device you show, and which I have in a similar design via the Audioengine D1 DAC, and which was immediately replace by my dedicated TEAC unit.

badrobot · Mar 4, 2023

Dru2 said:
If you're going to compare DACs, you need to do so by ensuring the source material is constant throughout the listening process - same music and file type. Telling me you hear a difference when listening to a CD here, and a FLAC file there, just creates too many variables to be a reliable comparison. In short, apples to apples, please

"Are DACs created equal?" - No! And that Marantz will dance circles around a pin DAC, or that small portable device you show, and which I have in a similar design via the Audioengine D1 DAC, and which was immediately replace by my dedicated TEAC unit.

Of course I am comparing audio from the same source. Like in this particular example I am comparing two chromecast audio devices. One is direct to the speaker with no DAC playing the same music from the same source (FLAC from NAS). I just toggle between 2 inputs on my speaker where the 2 chromecasts are connected to compare. My point is, streaming music with chromecast device hooked up to a DAC is comparable to Marantz' HEOS network streaming.

Dru2 · Mar 4, 2023

badrobot said:
My point is, streaming music with chromecast device hooked up to a DAC is comparable to Marantz' HEOS network streaming.

Ah, OK, I understand. And yeah, that makes sense

Edwin · Mar 4, 2023

Edwin · Mar 5, 2023

Transferring much of my stuff off of a dying drive.
Must be International Dying Drive month!

Dru2 · Mar 5, 2023

Edwin said:
Transferring much of my stuff off of a dying drive.
Must be International Dying Drive month!

Let me correct that for you - It must be international dying hardware month, as my GPU is also dying

badrobot · Mar 5, 2023

Let's call it an International Hardware Replacement Month.
My home mesh network is "choking up". My devices get disconnected here and there. I mean it is not the mesh's fault. I just have too many devices I think. But yeah, I will try a mesh upgrade and see...

Dru2 · Mar 5, 2023

@badrobot, Hopefully, you get your issue solved

Anyway, I just played Division 2 on my backup system housing my Sapphire (AMD) (4gig HBM) R9 Fury and though the game lagged a little, it never once crashed, so I'm about to can it from the backup to the main system until I get a new card.

Will also re-paste (again) the failing AMD Radeon VII card in hopes my first paste job was wrong and perhaps a re-paste will solve the issue. No faith though as the card was failing before any paste job, so.... Anyway, just waiting for my Noctua thermapaste to arrive.

Dru2 · Mar 5, 2023

Getting back to music, enjoying the morning with some Hiromi (Japanese pianist). In fact just posted a review here - Listenin' to Jazz and Conversation

System sounding really sounding great this morning.

badrobot · Mar 5, 2023

Dru2 said:
Getting back to music, enjoying the morning with some Hiromi (Japanese pianist). In fact just posted a review here - Listenin' to Jazz and Conversation

View attachment 54337

System sounding really sounding great this morning.

Mayday!
My wife is asking me to transfer the Marantz in the bedroom! :scream:

Dru2 · Mar 5, 2023

badrobot said:
Mayday!
My wife is asking me to transfer the Marantz in the bedroom!

This is why I'm glad my wife (and kids) sees me as a selfish @ss where my music and electronics are concerned

We've been married 38 years, and she's never once messed with my music or stereo. All she'll ever do is ask I play some music. And my kids have never asked to borrow music, because they already know the answer... I don't loan my music to anyone!

badrobot · Mar 5, 2023

I put it in the bedroom anyway (for now).
I have an alternative streaming method using the setup I shared here yesterday (NAS+an old phone+Chromecast+DAC+YU6 speakers).

As for CD player, also doable via streaming. I just need to walk to the bedroom. Haha...

badrobot · Mar 5, 2023

Dru2 said:
@badrobot, Hopefully, you get your issue solved

Yep! Problem solved! (here)

Dru2 · Mar 5, 2023

Dru2 said:
Regarding my PC issue, it's confirmed my GPU won't play any games without hard locking the PC so I'll need a new GPU. What a bummer cause I'll have to wait a couple of weeks before I can order one. This one still works for now as long as it's not game stressed. Crap

badrobot said:
I found this and it was exactly what happened to me the other day..

View attachment 54105
more

It was the card.

Just swapped the GPU from the backup system and was able to play Division 2 on my main rig in system specs for about 3 hours without a single crash. The only annoyance is the game micro-stutters during heavy loads where lots of AI and things are happening. Not a surprise though as the R9 Fury can't compete with its Radeon VII card game wise being older tech and with only 4gig of HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) RAM vs the 16gig on the Radeon VII. I did lower graphic settings but looks like I'll have to tweak lower.

For now, it's the R9 Fury to hold me over till a replacement

badrobot · Mar 5, 2023

This "dying hardware" virus spread too fast. Sorry guys, I think I was the original virus carrier.
Sanitize after reading my messages

Solved AUDIRVĀNA (and other audio related chitchat)

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