The Really Vile Gear Thread

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From their website...(edited by moi)

...Polaris was conceived to serve more than a single function. It is designed to solve architectural challenges such as where a tall loudspeaker would obstruct a window view or intersect a wall-to-wall theater screen....

Dick Van Dyke would have loved (tripping over) them :)
 
Actually, I think ALL Wilsons belong here. They look like some oversized rubbish bin with ugly bits attached.

I could never own a pair because of this - I have heard a few and never been fully impressed, but even if I was, there are plenty of other speakers at that level I'm sure I could find acceptable!
 

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Actually, I think ALL Wilsons belong here. They look like some oversized rubbish bin with ugly bits attached.

I could never own a pair because of this - I have heard a few and never been fully impressed, but even if I was, there are plenty of other speakers at that level I'm sure I could find acceptable!

Ha ha, one man's trash is another's treasure. I think Wilson's are absolutely beautiful.
 
I like the Wilson Polaris. Huey, Louie and... where's Dewy?
 

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Silent Running. Bruce Dern. 1972

Awesome!

Yeah... until google has an image recognition feature to match pics for searching, it's just easier to ask :)

Though I did surf Logan's Run & Buck Rogers and quickly determined I was in the wrong sector of the galaxy.
 
as an experiment prompted by Bernard, I submit this Olive 06HD music server which, IMO, should win no awards for cosmetic design (regardless of how awesome it may sound)...
 

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as an experiment prompted by Bernard, I submit this Olive 06HD music server which, IMO, should win no awards for cosmetic design (regardless of how awesome it may sound)...

Time for another thread.....the "Absolutely pointless" thread.

Sorry, but I just can't get my head around why anyone would want a spinning hard disk in their listening room, nor can I understand an all-in-one and proprietary music server sort of device. Part of the allure of a music server is the malleability of the ecosystem. Have devices connect to your server, copy music to it, pull music from it, etc.

I'm sure Olive have addressed some of these issues, but still - talk about stuck! What happens if you want a Squeezebox in the second room? A Sonos in the third room? You want to access the music from a Playstation3 as well? You then want to connect to it with an iPhone. You then want to pull music to your iPod. You then decide you want everything backed up to a Ultrium tape?

Or just [heaven forbid] - you want to upgrade the device (like every audiophile eventually does] to something else - perhaps from another brand - but here you are stuck with this stupid little proprietary device with all your music spinning on its stupid little internal hard disk......no thanks!
 
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Time for another thread.....the "Absolutely pointless" thread.

Sorry, but I just can't get my head around why anyone would want a spinning hard disk in their listening room, nor can I understand an all-in-one and proprietary music server sort of device. Part of the allure of a music server is the malleability of the ecosystem. Have devices connect to your server, copy music to it, pull music from it, etc.

I'm sure Olive have addressed some of these issues, but still - talk about stuck! What happens if you want a Squeezebox in the second room? A Sonos in the third room? You want to access the music from a Playstation3 as well? You then want to connect to it with an iPhone. You then want to pull music to your iPod. You then decide you want everything backed up to a Ultrium tape?

Or just [heaven forbid] - you want to upgrade the device (like every audiophile eventually does] to something else - perhaps from another brand - but here you are stuck with this stupid little proprietary device with all your music spinning on its stupid little internal hard disk......no thanks!

Yes, but how do you really feel? ;)

I'm not sure the best way to make your case is by essentially calling everyone who owns an Olive "stupid" (by association).

Seriously, I understand your position, but not everyone needs/wants the level of all-out universal access you're describing. Some people have a dedicated 2-channel setup where an apps-specific stand-alone server (designed specifically with an ultra-quiet hard-drive and easy access iPhone control) makes perfect sense. Me for example.

I didn't want to deal with software (hell, I'm already the acting full-time IT department for the 6 computers in this house as it is)- I didn't want to run any long USB cables (or otherwise reposition equipment in my room) - I didn't want to have to put a system together when one was already available that could literally do everything I wanted. I friggin love the 04HD... it has allowed me to FLAC encode my entire CD library plus a slew of hi-res downloads (simple drag/drop via wifi) with almost instant access to any song, with easy backup, wireless connectivity, built-in rip/burn and internet radio... oh, and it sounds great too!

Additionally, when will I need to upgrade a digital transport that already supports everything up to and including 24/192? When that day comes, we'll all be looking to upgrade anyway and I will have happily enjoyed my investment in the meantime.

As for pulling music to your iPod? AFAIK, everyone and their brother already has to maintain two entirely separate databases of songs if they want to have redbook or better for serious listening and apple compression for ipod or similar use... so what difference does it make if I have the high-quality files either on my desktop or on my Olive... or both? I can already stream compressed mpeg anywhere I want in the house. I only need/want the hi-res stuff for the 2-chan room.

Bottom line: different strokes for different blokes. (do you guys say "bloke" in Aus?... not sure, but figured I'd try to personalize it for ya)

wait... I think "mate" would have been better... "different fates for different mates"... there, now it's time for a Fosters. (seriously, when is it NOT time for a Foster's?)

Cheers
 
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Martini's for lunch. Fosters after midnight. I'm guessing Alka-Seltzer for breakfast.

At least I know what happened to the rest of Dewy.
 
as an experiment prompted by Bernard, I submit this Olive 06HD music server which, IMO, should win no awards for cosmetic design (regardless of how awesome it may sound)...

I really liked it, TBH, in the flesh. I also liked the 04HD with it's laser etched case describing various musical genres. But the 06HD - in the flesh? Awesome.

BTW I do ultimately agree with Adam, though. A £500-700 laptop with a big hard drive is a pretty amazing, versatile piece of kit as a music server these days. As long as you output digitally to a great DAC, it is max. bang per buck.

However, a part of me still admires those Olive thingies.
 
Yes, but how do you really feel? ;)

Shall I start? :D Sometimes I find jumping down from my high-horse a little daunting!

I'm not sure the best way to make your case is by essentially calling everyone who owns an Olive "stupid" (by association).

Woops - bit of a faux pas there. Sorry - I didn't mean offence. But to be fair - I didn't mean "stupid" (by association or otherwise) - I really just used it to make my point that users are locked in to the physical hardware.



I didn't want to deal with software ........ oh, and it sounds great too!

Damn good point there. My bad - 'cos I didn't present both sides of the argument. I've sure had to deal with my share of crap trying to peice together music servers, OSes, file systems, networks, etc. And if I wasn't in IT myself then I'd probably have no hope!

And you know what? I'll let you in on a little secret. I've often wondered if it's worth it. Audio is supposed to be relaxing, and I can tell you it is anything but when you've got a corrupt ZFS RAID set when all you want to do is settle down for a listen........

As for pulling music to your iPod? AFAIK, everyone and their brother already has to maintain two entirely separate databases of songs if they want to have redbook or better for serious listening and apple compression for ipod or similar use.

Oh yes, but I only have to rip once. I maintain a FLAC library and then batch-convert it at whim to MP3 for portable devices.

Bottom line: different strokes for different blokes. (do you guys say "bloke" in Aus?... not sure, but figured I'd try to personalize it for ya)

wait... I think "mate" would have been better... "different fates for different mates"... there, now it's time for a Fosters. (seriously, when is it NOT time for a Foster's?)

Cheers

"Different fates for different mates" - I like it. And yes - very true, as we've both pointed out.

Now as for our language - I must say (personally), I don't use "mate", "bloke" or even "g'day"........most Aussies really do just speak normal, plain English......but we do spell "colour" with a "U" and "analogue" alternately! :D

.......and I do crack a Foster's occasionally. I prefer wine though (see Cheese and Wine thread).........
 
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