ruecatinat

Most recent ride...

+1 The shipping to Canada and general parts selection really has gotten better since I started ordering from them 5 years ago. Warranty and return policy is good too.

Have you checked the little plastic nipple on the overflow tank? It's mostly covered by a hose that comes off the top of the tank to the radiator (I think) My 850 was losing coolant and everything else checked out but coolant was slowly leaking/spraying from a hairline crack in on this section of the overflow tank...

I've never tried Speedplays on a road bike but use the Frogs for MTB/CX - if you're looking for an in-between they're a good option because they still have the float that makes them easy on the knees Used SPDs once, they're good but pressing down as opposed to sliding your foot into the pedal was hard for me to get used to

Cannondale SuperX or CAADX - best bike I've ever owned The CAAD might be cantilever only, suits me fine but if discs is what you're looking for as per Travis I'd say SuperX If you're looking for something funky Felt, Ibis, BH and BMC all make compelling options

Used...more pics comparing to my current DM100i

Picture stolen from the internet, but had these arrive today... B&W DM601 S2 in cherry wood finish Also picked up this AudioQuest cable for too cheap to pass up

All those dealer-only Swedespeed owners bumping the data there

BMWs aren't that expensive and when you have access to the dealer pricing on parts and service... I think you just like Volvos better

I don't think anyone reads the manual for anything - I like to, but I'm probably in the small group. That being said I'm sure that there are some people, that even if they read the manual, couldn't understand / make anything of it and those are the people the Genius crowd help. Some people also prefer customer service / human support as well. I think it's ironic that BMW, a brand supposedly all about the driving experience and performance, needs a Genius in the dealership. The whole brand is kind of built on 'those that know' or the enthusiasts like you and I who read manuals and yet I'm willing to bet Kevin has a job because the brand is so damn diluted and distracted that 80% of customers are of the clueless, confused, badge-and-status-obsessed crowd

Doesn't seem like he likes them either at the rate he accumulates Volvos

Apple has a whole bar dedicated to the 'Genius' concept I really have no idea why it's cool to bag on this kid for working at BMW, Volvo people are supposed to be nice compared to BMW owners aren't they?

He can't argue with me on this one, I've actually owned one

Would love a Techno Violet sedan...have only ever seen one in person and it was beat Wouldn't buy any BMW newer than 2005..

Hopefully this doesn't drive up the prices in the used market

See that's no fun, I love mixing and matching and testing stuff out... My girlfriend has a Bose 2.1 set I can use if I need plug and play (http://www.amazon.com/Bose-Companion-multimedia-speaker-Graphite/dp/B000HZBR64)

For low volume listening. My current B&Ws are good on the upper scale of the volume but I want something that doesn't need to be pushed loud They would either go through my low power Pioneer/Sound Project (not the QX-747) or my Rotel Those look like a lot of damn fun - the kind of speaker I'd want in my future basement to shake the walls when nobody is home

I've been keeping my eyes peeled for a decently priced PSB or Tannoy actually...I have a relative with System 600s and it's quite an interesting design, with the concentric driver and everything. Building a tube amp is probably a future thing but right now I have no workshop / space. Looking to either throw a more sensitive pair of speakers on the Rotel or my vintage Pioneer - I hate letting that amp sit as it was the first one my grandfather bought for our cottage and I love the light up dial and old school feel

I would like to try a single driver or smaller, efficient 2-way with my old 20wpc Pioneer "Sound Project" I have a massive Pioneer quad amp with 1980's Cerwin Vegas for metal / loud noise I have to read / look more into tube amps for sure... I love my bookshelfs but I find they're best at moderate volume and I'd like something for lower volume listening

Those both are described as home theater and require assembly...any existing brand, a model range I could casually browse for on the used ads? I'm not at a place with a workshop right now and my woodworking skills are haphazard at best Just want something to enjoy with any one of my amps (the Rotel, my vintage Pioneers) at conversation volume

I would like to look into some high sensitivity stuff for predominantly lower volume listening - what has worked for you / what have you enjoyed in the past? Previously my goal was to have clean sound at loud volume but now I want something I can appreciate without pissing anyone off..

Thanks for the detailed response - seems to me you can calculate things up to a certain extent and then it slides into what you like to hear insofar as designing a crossover and there is, like everything else, a point of diminishing returns. If there wasn't science to what is 'good' and isn't Bose wouldn't be making more money than most boutique hifi manufacturers - they, through science, have developed a signature 'sound' that is designed to please people even though this 'sound' they have produced looks whack when measured against stuff you and I enjoy. Accuracy is for those obsessive reference guys we seem to universally despise - the ones that weep when they hear classical music recordings and can swear they can tell the difference between the brand and vintage of violins used... There certainly is no dollar mark for good sound - my bookshelf speakers cost me $90. The point is value - and value is entirely subjective, can't argue about what one person finds valuable and the other doesn't.

I'm probably not going to pull the trigger on a new set any time soon as I'm still rather enjoying my little mid-80's B&Ws. Have to audition the Elacs / find a dealer as well as see how they compare to the Dali. If I could find deals like Mike I'd be pretty happy - I like those Vandersteens he posted a while back and my current integrated is probably rated around the same output. What I suppose I'm most curious about is the quality of the components and subjectively 'good' sound. In your build, for example, if you used a very high quality set of components (not to say you're cheaping out, but hypothetically) with the same woofer and tweeter, would they fatten out your bass and smooth the midrange without changing inductors or resistors or ports? Or is the 'perfect' design the software gave you always open to interpretation and I, for example, might like the levels of bass and the midrange output in your first mockup?

How so? Is the 'good' and 'bad' subjective and thus prey to choice in, say, heavy bass output or precise treble? Putting aside room acoustics, equipment, etc... Also - those Elacs look like they could be very well my next set of speakers if offered in anything but black. I don't know why I'm not fond of black finish speakers as I generally prefer black components, but yeah...the Elac looks like a better buy than the Dali Zensor3s I've been eyeing for a while.

Whoa this exploded pretty quickly. When it comes down to it there are scientific methods to measure sound quality and the measures/numbers don't really discriminate as far as prices / looks go but it is an uneven split between subjective and objective, favoring the subjective. But humans are illogical beings. Scientifically speaking you don't need expensive stuff to enjoy music or produce good sound but if your ego needs to have expensive stuff to enjoy music I guess it's worth it to you in the end. Hell, it's not my money. Look at wine. There is unbelievable value below $20 and some $40 bottles I'd never drink again because it was not worth the money and then some $60 bottles that are so incredible you might pay $80 to repeat the experience. There is a terribly subjective side that is seriously tainted with ego - people out there want to be seen popping Cristal or setting up expensive equipment even though they have barely any taste to appreciate it yet defend their choices because they spent the money and then there are people who buy the exact same stuff but have either been unsatisfied with what's less expensive or have the money to blow. No matter what the budget or brain you have underappreciated stuff, overappreciated stuff, and stuff that really shouldn't even be bought and sold. I once met this absolute moron who used Johnny Walker Blue, at nearly $300 a bottle in Canada, to marinate a cheap steak. On the other hand, a family member of mine has all the money in the world for ridiculously exorbitant hifi gear but still uses the Rega Planar 1 he bought in college. All different walks - and thus all different levels in the market...hifi really isn't much different than any other market and shouldn't be singled out insofar as the propagation of snake oil. People are stupid with money everywhere - cut through it and mess around until you find what you like and want. That being said - in any group of enthusiasts I truly despise those who believe the answer is more money and expensive gear, blindly spending and recommending...whether it be cars, audio, wine, clothes, shoes, furniture, bicycles...