Personal computing discussed

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by sluggo
Sun Jun 16, 2019 4:32 pm
Forum: Storage
Topic: HDDs from MD Tech and DBSKY on Amazon?
Replies: 19
Views: 5069

Re: HDDs from MD Tech and DBSKY on Amazon?

One of the buyers checked the SMART data and found his "new" drive had over 25,000 hours on it, or roughly three years of run time.
by sluggo
Sat Apr 13, 2019 2:49 pm
Forum: Echo Vale
Topic: So what are you using for computer audio?
Replies: 156
Views: 42081

Re: So what are you using for computer audio?

If the Virtue product was running at 30V, then it was not using the TA1101. The 1101 had two die inside - the control/logic die, which ran at 5V, and the power die (sourced from ST), which was rated at no higher than 14.4V max operating, iirc. Go higher than about 19V under any conditions and smoke...
by sluggo
Sat Apr 13, 2019 1:41 am
Forum: Echo Vale
Topic: So what are you using for computer audio?
Replies: 156
Views: 42081

Re: So what are you using for computer audio?

BTW, the amplifier I was talking about was the Tripath TA1101, which operates in bridge mode in each channel (each channel has high- and low-side drivers). Tripath amplifiers are not SE. I meant the input/preamp portion of the unit was SE. But yes, the amplification chip (TA1101 chip) section itsel...
by sluggo
Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:59 pm
Forum: Echo Vale
Topic: So what are you using for computer audio?
Replies: 156
Views: 42081

Re: So what are you using for computer audio?

I thought Tripath was essentially Class D with some minor tweaks? True, depending on your definition of "minor". Class D amplifiers operate their output devices in saturation or shutoff, as do Tripath and other more recent switching amps. Tripath, largely to get out from under fifty years...
by sluggo
Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:31 pm
Forum: Echo Vale
Topic: So what are you using for computer audio?
Replies: 156
Views: 42081

Re: So what are you using for computer audio?

In a previous life I was working on interesting applications for my company's switching amplifier technology. Since the output stage operated in differential mode and we had a stereo pair on the chip, I modified a set of AKG 240 headphones for 4-wire drive to see how it sounded. It sounded great. T...
by sluggo
Thu Apr 11, 2019 5:14 pm
Forum: Echo Vale
Topic: So what are you using for computer audio?
Replies: 156
Views: 42081

Re: So what are you using for computer audio?

In a previous life I was working on interesting applications for my company's switching amplifier technology. Since the output stage operated in differential mode and we had a stereo pair on the chip, I modified a set of AKG 240 headphones for 4-wire drive to see how it sounded. It sounded great. Th...
by sluggo
Sun Feb 03, 2019 3:10 pm
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: [Fixed!] The Sad State of Appliances (in this case, Refrigerators)
Replies: 53
Views: 8431

Re: The Sad State of Appliances (in this case, Refrigerators)

Most of my issues with refrigerator doors turned out to be issues with the refrigerator frame. As the refrigerator sits in place over the course of a few years, the floor underneath it may sag, or the vinyl may get pressed down unevenly. Or the fridge may have been installed incorrectly to begin wit...
by sluggo
Thu Oct 18, 2018 12:08 am
Forum: General Software
Topic: looking for a Windows event monitor
Replies: 7
Views: 4725

Re: looking for a Windows event monitor

Sorry for the necro, but wanted to give credit to Demo and a recommendation for the tool he suggested. Worked like a charm. The culprit, the thing I'd been worried about? defrag.exe Not even kidding. Even though I'd disabled it long ago, it still pops up at 12:05 PM every day to tell me ... somethin...
by sluggo
Sat Sep 15, 2018 3:16 pm
Forum: General Software
Topic: looking for a Windows event monitor
Replies: 7
Views: 4725

Re: looking for a Windows event monitor

In the search on Windows type event viewer, that's what you are looking for. That only shows you things which are explicitly logged though. I think he's looking for something to let him monitor all window open/close activity. That is correct. Error logs are helpful, but a tool that simply shows wha...
by sluggo
Sat Sep 15, 2018 2:13 pm
Forum: General Software
Topic: looking for a Windows event monitor
Replies: 7
Views: 4725

looking for a Windows event monitor

Every so often (a couple of times a day, anyway) a small window will pop up and overlay a (320x240?) section of my browser, then disappear. This happens far to fast to capture, certainly less than a tenth of a second in duration. I don't know what it is and I'm concerned it's something not good. Per...
by sluggo
Mon Jul 23, 2018 12:10 am
Forum: Cases and Power Supplies
Topic: Where to buy centering/nub motherboard standoffs
Replies: 31
Views: 16052

Re: Where to buy centering/nub motherboard standoffs

I've done the trick of tightening down a too-long screw into the standoff and then taking a dremel to the head. You end up with a male/male standoff that permits a nut to tighten down when the board's in place. I also like to use steel standoffs instead of screws, as I find using a magnetized hex dr...
by sluggo
Thu May 24, 2018 1:41 pm
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: What are you listening to RIGHT NOW?
Replies: 4343
Views: 785412

Re: What are you listening to RIGHT NOW?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2InBua3CC18 2008 Shelby Lynne cover of a song written by Randy Newman very early in his career, originally recorded by Jerry Butler (1964), then several years later by Dusty Springfield (1969). Shelby is my go to when I want to hear a musical mind coupled with a fant...
by sluggo
Sun May 20, 2018 1:54 pm
Forum: Graphics
Topic: Video card prices
Replies: 342
Views: 59083

Re: Video card prices

Pure speculation alert! If/when ASIC miners pick up some of the load and/or "proof of work" is no longer the qualifying standard for cryptomining, will we see a lot of used high-end cards hit the market? Will the economic value of a high-end card drop due to electrical costs or will the re...
by sluggo
Thu Dec 14, 2017 2:39 pm
Forum: Echo Vale
Topic: Speakers hum when PC is off/standby
Replies: 27
Views: 5194

Re: Speakers hum when PC is off/standby

Induced voltages can be a bear. The good news is, as jbi suggests, they are easy to kill with brute force. Pull the inputs to ground with a moderate resistance and you should be good to go. Other tips: Old-school fluorescent lights throw off a big 60hz e-field. If you have any nearby, try turning th...
by sluggo
Wed Nov 22, 2017 2:02 pm
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: OK I finally had with binge drinking soda.
Replies: 196
Views: 29254

Re: OK I finally had with binge drinking soda.

Yah, I also missed that 5th post where whm said he was drinking sugar-free drinks. My apologies for the unnecessary anti-sugar rant. FWIW, my post-Crush experience has been a series of blood panels, diet change, exercise and Metformin regimes. My worst-case (peak Orange Crush) blood sugar number was...
by sluggo
Tue Nov 21, 2017 2:28 pm
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: OK I finally had with binge drinking soda.
Replies: 196
Views: 29254

Re: OK I finally had with binge drinking soda.

Don't want to sound preachy, but I can't read about soda without cringing. A few years back I bought a 6-pack of orange crush, had the first one and remembered how much I loved it as a kid. Within a month I got to where I was drinking about 4-5 cans (12oz) per day and then noticed that my vision was...
by sluggo
Fri Nov 17, 2017 3:42 pm
Forum: Echo Vale
Topic: Thoughts on FiDef?
Replies: 7
Views: 3062

Re: Thoughts on FiDef?

What JBI said about vinyl. Session musicians made a good living "way back" in the 70's, 80's and 90's just popping in at the studio for a half-day's work on their designated parts. Many of these tracks were recorded with the instrument plugged directly into the panel, bypassing any amp/spe...
by sluggo
Thu Nov 02, 2017 1:19 pm
Forum: General Hardware
Topic: What is your sound set up?
Replies: 106
Views: 24683

Re: What is your sound set up?

It's more or less like you mentioned, but has the added bonus that USB soundcards usually have a volume controls and headphone jacks, and usually they're better at staying working throughout OS updates. Also, the price/sound ratio is just so much better. AFAICT, the fact that they're not PCI/PCie a...
by sluggo
Thu Nov 02, 2017 12:47 pm
Forum: General Hardware
Topic: What is your sound set up?
Replies: 106
Views: 24683

Re: What is your sound set up?

Realtek optical out to a Yamaha RP-U100 , powering desktop speakers and a sub of my own design. The Yamaha gives me what I want, which is a big-ass volume control, easy switching between AM/FM/PC, narrow footprint and an auto-mute headphone jack. I don't do serious listening at the desktop, but it'...
by sluggo
Tue Oct 31, 2017 12:58 am
Forum: Echo Vale
Topic: Playing with a 41 year old subwoofer
Replies: 22
Views: 21926

Re: Playing with a 41 year old subwoofer

"although the subwoofer's response dropped off significantly below 30Hz" With respect to the gear, there simply wasn't very much content available in 1976 that went much below 40Hz. Yes, the Saint-Saens organ works, properly recorded, and played back on a well-set-up table, would go far lo...
by sluggo
Mon Oct 30, 2017 4:26 pm
Forum: General Hardware
Topic: What is your sound set up?
Replies: 106
Views: 24683

Re: What is your sound set up?

Realtek optical out to a Yamaha RP-U100 , powering desktop speakers and a sub of my own design. The Yamaha gives me what I want, which is a big-ass volume control, easy switching between AM/FM/PC, narrow footprint and an auto-mute headphone jack. I don't do serious listening at the desktop, but it's...
by sluggo
Thu Aug 31, 2017 2:15 am
Forum: Networking
Topic: fixed poor amazon video quality on xfinity
Replies: 9
Views: 12615

fixed poor amazon video quality on xfinity

Recently I've been seeing very poor video quality on my Comcast Xfinity setup through my Samsung plasma. I looked all over the web, with most of the folks who were having the same problem assigning it to a "throttling" process at Comcast. While I had no way to really test this, the symptom...
by sluggo
Sat May 06, 2017 11:27 am
Forum: Storage
Topic: Hard drive platter swap
Replies: 17
Views: 5645

Re: Hard drive platter swap

I have to wonder how much random luck is involved in a platter swap like that. If you've got a platter (or worse a stack of platters) that was not formatted on the drive controller in use, the ability to find track 0 would seem to involve a great deal of chance. It might work, it might not. Perhaps ...
by sluggo
Fri Dec 09, 2016 12:03 pm
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: 419 scams
Replies: 9
Views: 1501

Re: 419 scams

Actually got one via snail mail yesterday, a variation on the "a distant relative of yours just died and we are looking for next-of-kin to inherit his fortune" scam. It's fairly well-done for a scam; the boilerplate has been personalized with my name, and a plausible name for a distant re...
by sluggo
Wed Nov 30, 2016 6:44 pm
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: Give us 10 good reasons you should win a Corsair RM1000i Special Edition here
Replies: 125
Views: 33968

Re: Give us 10 good reasons you should win a Corsair RM1000i Special Edition here

1. My ten-year-old Corsair HX620 no longer attracts the ladies. 2. I had a white motorcycle with 1000 cc's. I don't know how many cc's this has, but it's white and has 1000 in the name. Close enough. 3. It's well-known that white cables have more watts than any other color. My current cables are bla...
by sluggo
Wed Aug 31, 2016 11:06 am
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: Tesla Model S Totaled Due To Battery Malfuntion
Replies: 109
Views: 9314

Re: Tesla Model S Totaled Due To Battery Explosion

Someone check me on this, but isn't coal just petroleum that needs more pressure and time? Or do they come from completely distinct precursors? Coal tends to be from large plants, while oil tends to be from single-celled stuff.  Oversimplified to be sure. That is, unless you're Thomas Gold . Ah, th...
by sluggo
Mon Aug 22, 2016 11:39 am
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: Tesla Model S Totaled Due To Battery Malfuntion
Replies: 109
Views: 9314

Re: Tesla Model S Totaled Due To Battery Explosion

Someone check me on this, but isn't coal just petroleum that needs more pressure and time? Or do they come from completely distinct precursors?
by sluggo
Thu Aug 18, 2016 12:39 pm
Forum: Mobile Tech
Topic: The impending death of the 3.5mm audio port gains a new ally
Replies: 126
Views: 12908

Re: The impending death of the 3.5mm audio port gains a new ally

From the link: " The revised spec also supports "granular" power management, letting the system shut off a microphone if you're just using your headphones for music, for instance. That should ensure that USB audio doesn't suck much more power than a headphone jack." Who i...
by sluggo
Wed Aug 03, 2016 7:38 pm
Forum: General Hardware
Topic: Void Warranty stickers illegal?
Replies: 22
Views: 7732

Re: Void Warranty stickers illegal?

PS: Dust bunnies in the high-voltage section of the PSU are a primary source of failure. They need to be chased out with extreme prejudice. This may very well be true, but I still claim you can do a decent job of cleaning them out without disassembling the PSU. No argument here. I don't take mine a...
by sluggo
Wed Aug 03, 2016 3:20 pm
Forum: General Hardware
Topic: Void Warranty stickers illegal?
Replies: 22
Views: 7732

Re: Void Warranty stickers illegal?

The PSU is working just fine and I'd like to keep it that way. There's just a lot of fuzz bunnies stuck in the cooling fins but the fan keeps getting in the way when I try to use canned air or try to vacuum. Since it is already out of warranty I thought it would be a prime candidate to be opened up...
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