Audiophiles hifi appreciation thread old and new

Fair enough, it's important to know your own limits. At least you've found a local option. Hope it's something easily fixable.

I am going to attempt to build a valve pre amp. i have the circuit diagram and the parts list, i just need the skills. anyone attempted something like this?

Add fire extinguisher to the parts list ...

I've built a couple of synths from kits. Easy enough to do as long as you're prepared to do the fault finding at the end (i.e. why did I mix up those resistors). The thing that's put me off valve stuff is the higher voltages involved.

Make sure you have some desoldering tape, it's great for removing incorrectly placed parts.

So I've finally got some pennies put aside for a turntable. I've seen a second hand project debut carbon for £250 in an unused condition vs getting a project essential II from RS for about £190. Is the Debut Carbon worth the extra spends or should I be putting this into a higher quality phono pre amp?

I have a Debut Carbon and really like it.

Whether you think it's worth the extra over the Essential is up to you but I'd personally go for the DC. See if you can get them down a bit further too.

I've got a mix of really old Amp/CD/Cassette/Record deck cobbled together years ago with some floor standing speakers. All decent stuff in its day.

The whole set up takes up loads of space and has cables/phono ins/outs 'round the back' that spiders have visited more often than me.
I'm looking for a simple 'up to date' replacement solution

Sorry - my question was not very clear
I don't necessarily need the Cromecast thingies that allow you to wirelessly use your existing speakers for playing web based stuff.
I want to use my existing (old) HiFi separates and existing (old) speakers without all the cables.
So what I understand would be some form of 'converter' - analogue >gadget>speakers

Does such a thing exist ?

bear with me

are you saying that you want something to take an analogue signal out of your hifi and stream it wirelessly to your un-powered speakers?

There's an obvious problem if that's what you are looking for. The speaker wires carry signal and current.

You could buy active wireless speakers but then you may as well bin everything you have and start again.

Thanks

so if I had active wireless speakers it could be done ?

may as well bin everything you have and start again may not be necessary - I was just looking at some cableless possibilities.

I want to use my existing (old) HiFi separates and existing (old) speakers without all the >cables.

This isn't possible, desirable, or even a good idea. Maybe get shorter cables?

It will be all a learning curve, but I figure I I would rather try with come thing I might use. There's a dude on one of the hifi forums that has designed a basic single valve job that is supposed to sound pretty good.

Revox

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Instant erection.

Rasberry Pi does... you need to find it on the web... Turn old speakers into wifi speakers.

http://lifehacker.com/turn-a-raspberry-pi-into-a-multi-room-wireless-stereo-1480556758

I it is...

@Pistanator That yours?

or bluetooth

No, although my old man did used to have a Revox R2R. I remember as a kid I wasn't allowed to touch in case I cut myself on the razor blade

So long as you have an amplified speaker. Or two.

you can buy cheap amps now on Amazon if that's a concern.

But yeah, i get what you guys are saying

You can buy amp chips for rpi too - look at iqaudio.

I couldn't get on with it all. It might have been my wifi. I was all a massive pain in the ass

I was recently given a nice old Pickering cartridge.

It sounds like shit on my system. How do I find the problem? Sound is muddy/unclear.

Have you heard it sound good?

no :)

It could be just shot, but I'd like to know for sure before I chuck it.