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What was the the last audio-related item you purchased?

A pile of assorted parts. Box of pilot lamp sockets that I just discovered have a 22K resistor built in, so need to figure out what lamp to use, or how to bypass that. Got a pair of cheap output transformers from some Knight 6BM8 amp. Nothing magical but probably better than whats on one of my console amps that can't take bigger iron. Also got a bunch of 6V6 metal tubes and a pair of 6L6 metals for cheap.
 
Just enough time to hit a few of Cambria’s antique and consignment shops before heading home Friday morning. 4 bins, not collated, but cleaned, inner and outer sleeves, play graded and reasonably priced. All vinyl NM, light water damage to the 10cc UK imports. None on the Humble Pie. $40 and fresh off the Suck-O-Matic RCM.

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Got the SMSL PL-200T transport after being disappointed in the FIIO DM15 R2R.

Very nice transport, plays perfectly into all my DACs so far (Modi 5, Marantz Cinema 70s). I just generally like that, on the surface its simple (play, pause, stop, fast-forward, rewind), but if I, say, pick up a Mimir I can use the AES output. I can also run it off an Anker battery pack or the any 5V/1A adapter, including: the USB port on the front of my Marantz or the USB ports that some of my APC UPSes have.

Also, I have a CD that plays perfectly through the internal DACs of my LD player, my Blu-ray player, and an old DVD player, but if I try to play it through the Modi 5 using coaxial digital, I get massive drop-outs, and if I try to rip it, EAC errors out!

The PL200T plays it perfectly through the Modi 5.

I also get a kick out of playing CDs in it without the lid or the pressure puck.

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My 30+ year old Gateway computer speakers developed a hum. They're completely sealed and getting at the PCB would destroy them anyway, so I got a pair of these cheap powered speakers. They work surprisingly well though I've yet to make any measurements on them. At my age they're probably better than my ears, save for the bottom end.
 

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justin_r_23 said:
Got the SMSL PL-200T transport after being disappointed in the FIIO DM15 R2R.

Very nice transport, plays perfectly into all my DACs so far (Modi 5, Marantz Cinema 70s). I just generally like that, on the surface its simple (play, pause, stop, fast-forward, rewind), but if I, say, pick up a Mimir I can use the AES output. I can also run it off an Anker battery pack or the any 5V/1A adapter, including: the USB port on the front of my Marantz or the USB ports that some of my APC UPSes have.

Also, I have a CD that plays perfectly through the internal DACs of my LD player, my Blu-ray player, and an old DVD player, but if I try to play it through the Modi 5 using coaxial digital, I get massive drop-outs, and if I try to rip it, EAC errors out!

The PL200T plays it perfectly through the Modi 5.

I also get a kick out of playing CDs in it without the lid or the pressure puck.

View attachment 3841439
Click to expand...
I've been looking at the PL-200T myself. At the moment I'm using a S.M.S.L.
PL-150 as a transport for a S.M.S.L. SU-2 DAC. I wanted a simple DAC only without any added features like Bluetooth, etc. I'm really liking the ESS
ES9039Q2M processor in the SU-2. The OPA1612A OP amps are decent as well.
*** I just noticed SMSL just came out with a SU-3 DAC. That was fast. The SU-2 was just out when I bought it a couple months back.
The SU-3 has the AK4496 processor, and the USB jack is back where it was abandoned in the SU-2. I wonder what there thinking was in omitting the USB feature in the SU-2? It wasn't an issue at all for me, but many folks do use it.
There was some grumbling about USB being ditched in the SU-2. At leased S.M.S.L. seems to listen to its customers.
 
Lavane said:
I've been looking at the PL-200T myself. At the moment I'm using a S.M.S.L.
PL-150 as a transport for a S.M.S.L. SU-2 DAC. I wanted a simple DAC only without any added features like Bluetooth, etc. I'm really liking the ESS
ES9039Q2M processor in the SU-2. The OPA1612A OP amps are decent as well.
*** I just noticed SMSL just came out with a SU-3 DAC. That was fast. The SU-2 was just out when I bought it a couple months back.
The SU-3 has the AK4496 processor, and the USB jack is back where it was abandoned in the SU-2. I wonder what there thinking was in omitting the USB feature in the SU-2? It wasn't an issue at all for me, but many folks do use it.
There was some grumbling about USB being ditched in the SU-2. At leased S.M.S.L. seems to listen to its customers.
Click to expand...

SMSL seem to be pretty "jittery" (for lack of a better word) with regard to new model introductions. Just for CD players (not transports), they had the PL-100, PL-100 Pro, the PL-150, the PL-200 (MK2 -- I assume there was also a MK!), and the PL-20 -- I think all in fairly short proximity to each other :wtf:

I love their productivity -- but the number of models in short succession seems over the top and haphazard (such as your example of dropping USB in the SU-2, which seems like ridiculous decision making it unusable for many). Not including a power supply on the PL100 also seems pretty bizarre (it doesn't save them that much money and leaves open the possibility of people making poor power supply choices).

It seems like SMSL should spend A LOT more time designing and getting feedback before they release something (for example, 100 out of 100 people hate the PL100 graphics on the faceplate (although it looks less worse in person because the player is so small)) -- I guess necessitating the PL-150, though offered shortly after with the graphics removed (not sure what else is different).

My PL100 feels like a brick -- in a good way -- and performs very, very well -- and I'd been looking for a small quality player to use a transport for along time -- so I'm a huge fan of what they are doing, but it seems like "short attention span theater" :) in the design department.
 
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peterp1 said:
SMSL seem to be pretty "jittery" (for lack of a better word) with regard to new model introductions. Just for CD players (not transports), they had the PL-100, PL-100 Pro, the PL-150, the PL-200 (MK2 -- I assume there was also a MK!), and the PL-20 -- I think all in fairly short proximity to each other :wtf:

I love their productivity -- but the number of models in short succession seems over the top and haphazard (such as your example of dropping USB in the SU-2, which seems like ridiculous decision making it unusable for many). Not including a power supply on the PL100 also seems pretty bizarre (it doesn't save them that much money and leaves open the possibility of people making poor power supply choices).

It seems like SMSL should spend A LOT more time designing and getting feedback before they release something (for example, 100 out of 100 people hate the PL100 graphics on the faceplate (although it looks less worse in person because the player is so small)) -- I guess necessitating the PL-150, though offered shortly after with the graphics removed (not sure what else is different).

My PL100 feels like a brick -- in a good way -- and performs very, very well -- and I'd been looking for a small quality player to use a transport for along time -- so I'm a huge fan of what they are doing, but it seems like "short attention span theater" :) in the design department.
Click to expand...
I totally agree with everything you just posted. They do seem to produce new models at a crazy fast pace. One of the reasons I bought the DAC I did was its compact size and overall good reviews. The PL-150 was inexpensive and is a temporary thing until I land on a transport I want. The PL-150 even though it has a grabber transport is no slouch when used as a CD player though. It soundes decent enough.
I just couldn't bring myself to buy the PL-100. I didnt mind the rectangular buttons, but that face plate. What were they thinking?
 
Lavane said:
I totally agree with everything you just posted. They do seem to produce new models at a crazy fast pace. One of the reasons I bought the DAC I did was its compact size and overall good reviews. The PL-150 was inexpensive and is a temporary thing until I land on a transport I want. The PL-150 even though it has a grabber transport is no slouch when used as a CD player though. It soundes decent enough.
I just couldn't bring myself to buy the PL-100. I didnt mind the rectangular buttons, but that face plate. What were they thinking?
Click to expand...

Just get your self a Sony D5. They last forever and have a dedicated line out in the back of them. SQ is fantastic as well.
 
I'm doing pretty good,
I haven't been able to reply to this thread for just over a year because I haven't gotten any new to me goodies.
A while back I told myself I had to stop,I could not go down the rabbit hole any further.
I've completed my end game system except for 1 piece that I may start looking for after the start of the new year.
Ran across this stuff in Bartertown, original owners manual,quick start guide,service info and schematics for my pre amp.

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triple20 said:
I'm doing pretty good,
I haven't been able to reply to this thread for just over a year because I haven't gotten any new to me goodies.
A while back I told myself I had to stop,I could not go down the rabbit hole any further.
I've completed my end game system except for 1 piece that I may start looking for after the start of the new year.
Ran across this stuff in Bartertown, original owners manual,quick start guide,service info and schematics for my pre amp.

View attachment 3842704
Click to expand...
The service info too. Nice.
 
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