In other news (apolitical thread)...

[MikeDeTiger]

Yep. My previous Samsung dryer I was into WAY too often. Replaced the electric heating element at least twice, belt and one of the drum wheels (which seized, which broke the belt) once. I finally got rid of it when it was tripping a breaker which I think was due to the motor, but a replacement motor didn't fix it.

And yeah, some of the stuff in there is NOT very finger-friendly to work with lol...

I hear you.  My Samsung dryer has had to be repaired so many times over the last several years.  atm, it's still worth my $ to replace the element and/or the fuse that goes out like every 18 months, but eventually when I replace the whole thing, I'm not doing Samsung again.  

Been happy with my LG refrigerator so far though.  The ice-maker isn't the best system, but that's a design flaw that I knew was coming when I looked at it at the store, and not something that bad craftsman ship is failing on.  I wanted another refrigerator, wife wanted this one.  Guess who won.  

[jgvol]

I hear you.  My Samsung dryer has had to be repaired so many times over the last several years.  atm, it's still worth my $ to replace the element and/or the fuse that goes out like every 18 months, but eventually when I replace the whole thing, I'm not doing Samsung again. 

Been happy with my LG refrigerator so far though.  The ice-maker isn't the best system, but that's a design flaw that I knew was coming when I looked at it at the store, and not something that bad craftsman ship is failing on.  I wanted another refrigerator, wife wanted this one.  Guess who won. 

My last fridge was an LG.  I liked it well enough, other than the freezer drawer at the bottom.  I'm back to a traditional side by side, and not if I like it either now. 

I have an LG OLED TV.  Paid a pretty penny for it, and luckily, there isn't a thing I don't like about it -- other the the price.

Samsung washer and dryer that I inherited -- ugh.  Not a fan like everyone else.

[MikeDeTiger]

Yeah I have a Roku attached to the Samsung TV, but I prefer not having external devices.  There is invariably at least a little bit of latency when moving from the originating device, through the TV, and then into the surround sound system.  It's usually slight but still noticeable to me.

Hmm...is that what causes live TV to be out-of-sync with our Firestick?  We've had both YTTV and Hulu Live TV in the last few years and it's the same with both of them.  I forget about it because we hardly ever watch anything but football, and the camera is almost never on the guys in the booth, so we can't see them out of sync.  I don't have surround-sound, but I do have external speakers hooked up.  

If that's the problem, it's odd that YouTube, Hulu (library, not live tv), HBO Max, Netflix, Prime, etc. don't have any lag.  It's only the streaming TV services.  

Re: the external speaker thing, I unconventionally hooked up nice studio reference monitors to our living room TV.  People used to their native TV speakers think our living room TV sound is awesome, but I know that it doesn't compare to good surround-sound or some high-end sound bar stacks when it comes to TV and movies.  However:  it sounds frickin' amazing playing music, which ultimately is my highest priority, and I use the TV to play music a fair bit, and I'm an audio-dick when it comes to music.  Unlike TV/movies, audio recordings are not mastered with surround-sound in mind, and while it's all the same to 85% of the population, I can't not be bugged when listening to music through those systems.  The stereo isn't right, the EQ isn't right, the whole thing is off for me.  On some nice audio systems you have more control over the sound settings, and oddly, I have none of that with the reference monitors, but yet they sound superb for music, because that's what they're made for....to let the original recording and mixing efforts of the studio engineer come through.  YMMV.  If I could, I'd install a good surround-sound system in tandem and toggle back and forth depending on whether I'm watching TV or listening to music.  

[FearlessF]

I run my firestick into the sound bar and the sound bar is attached to the TV

[Cincydawg]

[utee94]

Hmm...is that what causes live TV to be out-of-sync with our Firestick?  We've had both YTTV and Hulu Live TV in the last few years and it's the same with both of them.  I forget about it because we hardly ever watch anything but football, and the camera is almost never on the guys in the booth, so we can't see them out of sync.  I don't have surround-sound, but I do have external speakers hooked up. 

If that's the problem, it's odd that YouTube, Hulu (library, not live tv), HBO Max, Netflix, Prime, etc. don't have any lag.  It's only the streaming TV services. 

Re: the external speaker thing, I unconventionally hooked up nice studio reference monitors to our living room TV.  People used to their native TV speakers think our living room TV sound is awesome, but I know that it doesn't compare to good surround-sound or some high-end sound bar stacks when it comes to TV and movies.  However:  it sounds frickin' amazing playing music, which ultimately is my highest priority, and I use the TV to play music a fair bit, and I'm an audio-dick when it comes to music.  Unlike TV/movies, audio recordings are not mastered with surround-sound in mind, and while it's all the same to 85% of the population, I can't not be bugged when listening to music through those systems.  The stereo isn't right, the EQ isn't right, the whole thing is off for me.  On some nice audio systems you have more control over the sound settings, and oddly, I have none of that with the reference monitors, but yet they sound superb for music, because that's what they're made for....to let the original recording and mixing efforts of the studio engineer come through.  YMMV.  If I could, I'd install a good surround-sound system in tandem and toggle back and forth depending on whether I'm watching TV or listening to music. 

Yes, for sure.  And this is why I went one step further and set up an entirely separate music system in the Vinyl Lounge.  Direct uncompressed lossless CD and pure analog vinyl sound so much better than streaming music, when played through a proper amplifier and speakers.  I even had to move all the way back to my vintage floor speakers (not reference but still good), because the set of pretty decent bookshelf speakers I started with just weren't cutting it.  

And as far as the nicer systems that allow you more control, I view them mostly as a gimmick.  As you state, your reference monitors are designed specifically to reproduce faithfully the frequency response of the original recording--- why would you want to change that?  As far as I'm concerned most DSP and nearly all analog adjustments to the original signal, harm it rather than enhance it.

[Cincydawg]

I will fairly often pull up a youtube video of some concert and send the audio through my stereo system and it sounds, to me, great.  The older youtubes don't, the newer ones seem pretty awesome to me, but I don't have the best ears in the world on such things.

[FearlessF]

youtube is my source for audio
I know it's not great but the speakers on my computer aren't great either

way better than my cheap soundbar on my TV

the 10-speaker Bose system in the Vette is better than the computer - but not outstanding
I'm told the 14-speaker system in the LT2 and LT3 trim on the Vettes is considerably better
doubt it's worth the additional $7500

[Cincydawg]

My stereo is "decent", probably around the expense where more money barely makes any difference, maybe past that point.  The receiver cost $1200, it was a "refurb", which looked brand new when it arrived.  I have Monitor Audio Silver speakers and a small subwoofer and central speaker.  Maybe at higher volumes than my wife will tolerate they'd show deficiencies, I don't know.

My small computer speakers are surprisingly good, to me.

About the only music we listen to is classical that my wife streams from Radio Classique, which really is a great source IMHO.

Radio Classique - Écoutez le direct, retrouvez un morceau, suivez toute l'actualité du classique
Radio Classique - Écoutez le direct, retrouvez un morceau, suivez toute l'actualité du classique

[FearlessF]

yes, I'm happily surprised and impressed with the sound quality of the inexpensive Dell speakers attached to my laptop
I saved them from the garbage at my previous job, small nick in one cable, I spliced it properly.
There is a subwoofer.  They get loud enuff I worry for the dog's ears.

[FearlessF]

speakin of such, I'm gonna turn up Steely Dan in the front room so I can jam while preparing a pot of chili in the kitchen.

the dog can go outside, it's gonna be too warm for chili this afternoon, high in the low 50's

[betarhoalphadelta]

youtube is my source for audio
I know it's not great but the speakers on my computer aren't great either

way better than my cheap soundbar on my TV

the 10-speaker Bose system in the Vette is better than the computer - but not outstanding
I'm told the 14-speaker system in the LT2 and LT3 trim on the Vettes is considerably better
doubt it's worth the additional $7500

One of the things I wanted when I bought the Flex was the upgraded stereo. Largely because I wasn't planning on doing any stereo modification to it, so the stock "premium" system would be plenty for me. 

But I bought it used, so I doubt the original owner really recouped whatever it cost as an option when it was traded in. 

[Cincydawg]

In other news, I did my taxes this morning and filed.  Turbotax has really upped the charge they charge.

[MrNubbz]

Well it's 33° right now,might reach a balmy 37° so the 1st time above freezing for quite a spell. Might wash the car later maybe wait until Monday when it gets over 40°