OT: Puttin' a STEREO schystem together! And I feel like a teenager again.

rustypotts

Yes I have heard good things about Blue Jeans.  Like "Monster" the company that started it all, BJ are reported to be really good budget cables.   Some of these DYI cables can be far superior however.  The best cables are all hand made because of the difficulty in assembly.  This is one reason why superior cables start getting expensive.

Eggcelsior

I love me my Monster Cables. I miss me my Best Buy discount on them, though......

Browninggold

I have one Monster cable. 30' running from my projector to my A/V reciever. High quality for sure. Rest of my cables are from either Monoprice or Blue Jean. BTW I purchased the Monster @ a discount. I know someone no it isn't Mangrates 8-}

Eggcelsior

Costco has some long run Wirelogic Sapphires for a pretty good deal. My Dad got me some to run a line for my TV in the loft but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Apparently, they are made by Audioquest. I used to get 50 or 60% off Monster cable through a Pro deal program when I worked at Best Buy/Myer-Emco. Those were the days..... Sadly, my income didn't match my ideas.

Skiddymarker

@Nolaegghead - was involved in HAM, after high school went to St Lawrence College for a year, VE3SLC was the call sign. That's what got me interested in Heath Kits. I turned to signal processors trying to make my guitar sound better (different). Later, after University, I worked in a design lab for digital switching with GTE so we had the equipment and time to "knock off" Heath Kits for fellow employees. 

Let us know how the project goes - looks like fun. I always though acoustic feedback through the platter and tone arm/cartridge was a bigger issue than vibrations through the foot pads. You have the foot pad vibes covered. Good luck. 

Browninggold

Here's the turntable you should purchase http://www.wwstereo.com/Denon/DP-A100

JeffM

I took a different tack.  I got rid of my receiver, amp, cd player and converted to a SONOS system.  My daughter introduced me to this Santa Barbara company and it has changed my life..at least the way I listen to music.  You can hook it up to your current system and speakers or use it exclusively. It basically connects your computer and the internet to your music system.. I listen to Pandora and my itunes almost exclusively but it is so easy to place all your music on iTunes.  You can play different music in different zones, i.e. play one type of music outside, another i  the kitchen and another in the bedroom.

AleBrewer

My sister has that in their new house....seems to work really well.

nolaegghead

Hooking up the last few connections....about to fire it up for the first time.  Boy, dem neighbors gonna HATE dis.....

I'll give an update and post some pics.  Been really busy building stuff and cooking the last 4 days (took a mini vacation)...so haven't been on the forum.  I'll catch up tonight.

Skiddymarker

@nolaegghead - personal time is not allowed, you are needed here.....

Take care.

nolaegghead

Update:

Built the cart, finishing up the top.  Was raining this evening, so I'm going to have to finish polishing the cement tomorrow.

Skiddymarker

Wow - when you get a chance, pour me ten or twelve of those for my patio! Ha!

If you grind/polish in the rain, it ain't so dusty......

Looks good!

nolaegghead

@Skiddymarker  Thanks!  I'm wet polishing - hose is attached to the grinder.  Problem with the rain is it gets in the grinder and I get zapped, plus it's miserable enough trying to avoid the spray from the grinder - that piece of plexi is a shield I stay behind.

Despite two GFCIs, I got zapped a little bit.

Browninggold

Nice work. Klipsch speaker good choice. Are those the RB 81IIs? When I go heights, wides and rear surrounds I want 6 of those

Chubbs

@Nola, I want concrete counter tops in my kitchen. Pretty small kitchen. Two counters maybe 10 feet total with an L in it. Roughly how much am I looking at? I know you know. Want to fly to SC, stay at my house, egg all day everyday, and build it for me??!!

nolaegghead

@Browninggold Yep, Klipsch RB-81 IIs.  They sound great, and extremely efficient.

@Chubbs You don't want someone like me who's only made them one time doing it!  I'm still fighting the learning curve!

Ragtop99

That's a serious piece of concrete. 

I remember Kenwood made a turntable with a concrete base (or similar material) that was very heavy and designed to help absorb the shocks and vibration.  I had B&O turntables and nothing bugged them.  This was my second one, bought in Denmark:


I gave it away to my cousin a number of years back since we had switched over to CDs. 

nolaegghead

Update:

Finished the stereo stand last night.  Wet polishing cement is MISERABLE.  I got soaking wet from the spray off the grinding wheel, and I was getting zapped from electricity leaking off the wet switch (it did have a GFCI, but it wasn't leaking to ground).  Anyway, solved the electrocution problem with some saran wrap and nitrile gloves.    I'm very pleased with the results.  Need to get this in the house some how (weighs over 300 pounds).  I should have the the gear on it tonight, and I'll take some final pics.

The metal studs, motorcycle valve springs and recesses all lined up perfectly.  The top has a nice spring to it, and it's not going anywhere - I can even push it with the top.  That's a half inch thick plexi shelf insert on the bottom.

nolaegghead

bump megalopolis

jtcBoynton

nolaegghead said:

Browninggold said:

Nice setup...I really like Klipsch speakers. I've been into HT for a few years. Also have a Emotiva XPA-3. If your into Airplay enabled products I have a Klipsch G17 and plays tunes around the whole house and outside through my wireless network. I wish I would of known of the Egg a little sooner and I would of held back on something else ..the upgrade bug will hit you I have around 25K in my setup. Oppo bluray, Klipsch RF7IIs, Emotiva amp, Sony pj, SV sub etc....have fun. I changed my profile picture earlier that's part of my setup. If you want to get into HT big time check out this forum...http://www.avsforum.com/f/ I'm lifetime member same screen name

Sweet setup!   So, can you hear the difference between the Oppo and a regular CD player?

For an audio only system used for stereo there is no need to go beyond a regular CD player.  Put your money and time into speaker selection and room set up. Lots of fun shopping for components but the real differences are the speakers, their placement and how the room is setup.

i also think that anyone over the age of thirty needs to get a detailed hearing test before spending big bucks on components that make improvements you cannot hear.

Botch

nolaegghead said:

Anyway, solved the electrocution problem with some saran wrap and nitrile gloves. 

This lone statement will have me chuckling for at least a couple weeks!  

Botch

I had to re-read this whole thread.
The huge disappointment, for me:

Oppo is dead.  They quit building universal disk players.  I can't blame them, everyone streams now, but dammit!  I'd built up a yuge collection of 5.1 media:  DVD-A, SACD 5.1, Bluray 5.1, even Bluray Audio 5.1 (the last two Tom Petty releases).  My Oppo BDP-83 could play them, but I wore it out.  Got a BDP-103, but eventually wore it out too!  I found a used BDP-93 locally, and am using that now, but as a mechanical drive, it too will eventually die.  
No idea if anyone will again make a universal disk player... I know 5-channel Bluray is still popular, would love to see even a S/W converter + disk burner, or similar.  

nolaeggheads_squirel

That cement slab is just ugly, even by NO standards. Those in the know use optical turntables and play thru even during earthquakes.

May your lot improve and someday you can afford to get the good stuff.  Klipsch?  Really now, you know who owns them, eh?

nolaegghead

Snore.  Be smarter, try harder.

nolaegghead

That's all the feeding that squirrel will get.  

Wolfpack

Nola- got a shot of the finished table with the equipment loaded? Love the heavy table idea with valve springs- does it work as you expected?

nolaegghead

@Wolfpack. Yep.  Works well.  The only improvement I would make is some dampers on the springs to lower the resonance frequency 

nolaegghead

nolaeggheads_squirel

Wow, just saw you have Emotiva amps!  Start with updating those commodity speakers, then save up for some Crown Amps.  You will thank me.

Stached

I thought about upgrading / renewing my garage system but when I crank up the volume on my 70's MacIntosh Amp and my Klipsch LaScalas and can clearly hear the sound clearly at the end of my 100yd driveway while I check the mail...  I go back to old school is still the best!!