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  1. John Walker

    DIY center speaker cabinet question

    Hi I am considering building my own center channel speaker to match the existing mains. I currently have a normal 27" TV but may someday upgrade to front projection so I am worried about tweeter aim. Rather than rubber door wedges has anyone built a cabinet with a slightly tilted front...
  2. John Walker

    Rehash? WHY do manufacturers bundle thin interconnects?

    My 2 cents I agree components should come with basic cables. How frustrating is it to by a printer for you computer, open it at home and realize they were too cheap to include the USB cable! It creates a real negative experience with the whole purchase. Most non-critical users are...
  3. John Walker

    What does "bright" mean?

    I am a newbie to HT but here are some ideas: 1) Use the “night” setting which should cut most frequencies except the dialogue (that’s what its design to do so you can watch a night and not wake the house). 2) Crank the treble to maximum. This has a definite but limited effect on my Yamaha...
  4. John Walker

    Squaring edges from a circular saw cut

    The straight edge and router is the only way to go if you don't have a quality table saw (and panel cutting jig). I have Home Depot "rough cut" all my sheet goods to 1/4" oversize and then trim and square at home. Works fantastic - better than a table saw if you're careful. *Use a 1/2"...
  5. John Walker

    Streaming Radio Station to HT Receiver

    further to that I forgot to mention I did make my own 30' 1/8" stereo to two RCA cable once. It worked/works fine but what a pain working on twin coax that's only about 2mm in diameter. You have to be a micro surgeon because the copper strands are exceedingly small and brittle. Also, sourcing...
  6. John Walker

    Where would I get perforated steel for a DIY Salamander Synergy rack?

    Sheet metal speaker grills? Resonance? Diffraction? I wouldn't John
  7. John Walker

    Streaming Radio Station to HT Receiver

    I currently have the computer audio going to an older receiver and speaker set, although the cable is very short*. I've done the reverse in the past - receiver (FM broadcast) RCA outs to computer sound card line-in 1/8" stereo plug. This allowed me to record directly to the hard drive. The...
  8. John Walker

    Problems with 12G HD speaker wire

    Scott Good point on the ease of connecting and disconnecting. I took that one for granted. This is very useful for me now that I am trying different speaker setups. I can easily move the REARS to SPEAKER B on the receiver and A/B them against the MAINS. PS I am using 14 gauge for the...
  9. John Walker

    Problems with 12G HD speaker wire

    I've got a pair of quality mains that just don't seem to hold a wire tight. Sure its tight when you crank the nut but if you pull on the wire even a little it is loose again. I am going to move to banana plugs on these speaker wires (at the speaker end). Although connecting wires to set...
  10. John Walker

    Problems with 12G HD speaker wire

    If you screwed down the binding posts and the wire fell out it sounds like you tried putting it in the banana plug hole in the end of the post. Don't laugh my wife did this several times before I figured out what she was doing wrong (over the phone). Unscrew the post and place the wire UNDER the...
  11. John Walker

    DIY fixed screen - My quest has ended

    I don't know anything about projector screens but have some experience with a few of the products mentioned. If you are using hardboard, masonite or very thin MDF (1/4"?) you should paint both sides so it doesn't curl up. Gaterboard if I've got this correct is a thicker version of foamcore...
  12. John Walker

    Tornado nut mounting procedure

    Not sure I understand exactly why the screws don't line up but you could try putting them in from the back to fix the threads. Then remove them and install as normal from the front. If your wood is extremely hard or the rabbet delicate you might try drilling tiny (1/16") pilot holes for the...
  13. John Walker

    Looking for Surge Protectors w/ RFI EMI Filtering

    As always this is more complicated than I first thought. I am in a new house and have no idea what outlets, lights, rooms, floors etc are on the branch for the HT. If you have any experience with this you will know electricians often wire things bizarrely (perhaps he was working towards his...
  14. John Walker

    Looking for Surge Protectors w/ RFI EMI Filtering

    Bill Do you have a Tripp-Lite ISOBAR 6 DBS? If so can you comment on it? I have some "snow" issues with other small motor loads (fans) on the same branch and I am trying to avoid ripping into the walls for a dedicated circuit. Tripp-Lite have been in the business forever. They don't get...
  15. John Walker

    grounding advice sought

    None of my equipment is grounded; they all have just the two prong plugs. I've often thought (both this equipment and previous stuff) that it should be grounded. (I notice pretty decent static discharges when I touch the body of the receiver etc.) I've read about "floating" grounds on IC's...
  16. John Walker

    Do I need to hook up DVD digital AND analog audio?

    That's exactly what I was referring to. I haven't got all the cables yet so it isn't set up. Am I going to find I need the analog connection for CD or MP3? Thanks John
  17. John Walker

    Do I need to hook up DVD digital AND analog audio?

    Can anyone tell me where I can get a tie-rod end for a 32 ford?
  18. John Walker

    Ultralink "flow arrows" on sub cable mean what?

    Yes I understand ground loop issues. I thought if there was something to the arrows it would have been documented in the packaging - oh well. The thing I don't understand is how many conductors are in the coax? I thought coax was one center conductor and one or more layers of shielding. If...
  19. John Walker

    Do I need to hook up DVD digital AND analog audio?

    The subject says it all. Do I need to hook up the analog also in order to play plain CD's or will they work as "2.0" via the digital coax? Thanks John
  20. John Walker

    Ultralink "flow arrows" on sub cable mean what?

    My sub came with this cable and the dealer pointed out the arrows on the cable suggesting it was directional. So what? Are these arrows supposed to "point" toward the sub, the receiver, or north? There isn't anything in the package literature to suggest they mean anything. Baffled (not...
  21. John Walker

    What is the Danger?

    I am in the same boat. Although I am installing in common walls in my townhouse. Based on what I've read and the electrical engineers at work (who deal with everything from fiberoptic cable, video, communication, audio, to 600VDC 5000amp circuits (I have a sample of 1000MCM wire which is...
  22. John Walker

    More basic questions

    I have been reading "Home Theater for Everyone" by Robert Harley (second edition, 2002) and find it to be an excellent book. It has however raised some questions for me and my particular setup. My equipment for reference: Yamaha RX-V1300 (on order, arrives next week) Yamaha DVD-S530...
  23. John Walker

    Need recommendation for speaker wire

    My understanding is wire installed in a wall must be FT4 (fire rating) to meet code. Whether or not your local code requires this or you just want to run "speaker wire" is up to you. If your in a multi-dwelling unit (townhouse etc) you could be liable. Its pretty cheap to use the right...
  24. John Walker

    Which test disc for best 5.1 set up?

    I read the pre-review on http://www.widescreenreview.com/wsrmmbr/dve/status.html and it seemed to be mainly (only?) video. The S&V DVD seems best for my purposes. Thanks John
  25. John Walker

    Which test disc for best 5.1 set up?

    Hi I am just getting started and would like to calibrate(?) my speaker settings. I am primarily interested in modern 5.1 (DTS?) set up using a sound pressure meter, test tones, sweeps, sub woofer phase/crossover/placement, phantom center speaker, timbre balance, distance/delay(?), "2.0"...
  26. John Walker

    Do tweeters age?

    They are +/- 10 year old Vifa D25AG-35 6 if that helps any. They have not been abused with excessive wattage or distortion. Thanks. John
  27. John Walker

    Do tweeters age?

    Assuming I haven't burned them out with excessive wattage etc, do alumnium dome tweeters age and need replacement? Thanks PS looking for decent DIY speaker forum. John
  28. John Walker

    Paradigms for small space

    I understand the point about ensuring there is no frequency "gap" between the sub and mains etc. However the Micros and Atom are 80 and 70 Hz respectively. (Doesn't seem that great a difference). Other than build quality (metal tweeter and better mid range cone and basket) what else could...
  29. John Walker

    Paradigms for small space

    Hi I am setting up a HT for the first time. My space is 12x17. I already have very respectable floor standers for CD listening. I plan on using an additional set of speakers (including a decent sub) just for HT. The rears are micros. Also, I plan on using three identical speakers for the...
  30. John Walker

    Which Yamaha receiver?

    Help me choose my HT receiver. This is my first HT, we have a 12x17 room and are not power hungry. I read the x40 series have a 5 band eq for the centre channel. Does this mean I can use a third party centre speaker that roughly timbre-matches my floor standers? Otherwise the concept is to...
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