What have you purchased recently?

[Zykon TheLich]

I bought a dehumidifier.

Living in an old granite miner's cottage in a notoriously damp part of the country means that especially during the winter my house turns into a dank (not the good kind) cave, somewhat reminiscent of the working environment of the workers it was built for. I leave the thing on 24/7 and it will fill it's 2.5L bucket in less than 24 hours. It is certainly helping, I don't get surface water running down the walls around the external window and door frames anymore and hopefully the mould won't come back with such abandon.

View attachment 10371​

Does a raspberry cookie count?

Yes, yes it does. Might I ask where one might go about purchasing such a cookie?

 

[bluegate]

Yes, yes it does. Might I ask where one might go about purchasing such a cookie?

This particular one was purchased in Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris, so not quite the most accessible cookie around.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

View attachment 10371​

Does a raspberry cookie count?

"I am cookie."

 

[davidmc1158]

I bought doggy treats, specifically rawhide chew toys.

My daily exercise generally consists of a brisk walk through my neighborhood. And pretty much every day, several of the local doggos are there to say hello whenever I pass by. So, on an impulse, I bought some of the chew treats and dispensed them as xmas gifts yesterday.

Happy little doggos!

 

[Elvis Starburst]

Bought some JBL Tour One M2 headphones as a little treat to myself while the sales are good. Got them for half off, which is stellar as they're a $400CDN set.
My Focal headphones sound kinda crap and my Sennheisers I got at a garage sale sound awesome but are uncomfortable as all hell, so I needed a new set I could actually enjoy. Decided to get something wireless with ANC so I don't have to manage more wires crossing over my desk and mouse/keyboard area, and the ANC does a great job of shutting out unwanted noise. Helps the things sound excellent with a little bit of EQ tuning

 

[gorfias]

Bought some JBL Tour One M2 headphones as a little treat to myself while the sales are good. Got them for half off, which is stellar as they're a $400CDN set.
My Focal headphones sound kinda crap and my Sennheisers I got at a garage sale sound awesome but are uncomfortable as all hell, so I needed a new set I could actually enjoy. Decided to get something wireless with ANC so I don't have to manage more wires crossing over my desk and mouse/keyboard area, and the ANC does a great job of shutting out unwanted noise. Helps the things sound excellent with a little bit of EQ tuning

OMG. I've come to believe that an audiophile is one that has perfectly good hardware but moons over even better stuff. I'm in that space myself!! Congrats!!! Those look fantastic!

I already have Star Wars Squadrons on Xbox and PS4 but want to use my Meta Quest 3 on it for VR. $2 on STEAM!!!!! Got it! Really fun and an amazing looking experience!

 

[Elvis Starburst]

Congrats!!! Those look fantastic!

Thanks! For $200 on sale they were a steal. JBL's managed to impress me 3 times now. I definitely wouldn't write them off like some audiophiles may have.
What really amazes me is just how capable these have been. My Focal Listen headphones were $300 at the time 5-ish years ago, and when I compare them to my Sennheiser Momentum (1st or 2nd gen, I forget) headphones they're amazingly crap in audio quality. I also bought some Sennheiser Momentum 4's with the Tour One M2's to see which I'd like more, and while the Sennheiser's were better in some ways, I don't think they were better where it mattered most. Plus their ANC wasn't very good and hurt my ears when maxed out due to the compression effect some ANC in headphones can give, and so the only option was to turn it off... which defeats the purpose. Not worth their original $500 at all, honestly.

OMG. I've come to believe that an audiophile is one that has perfectly good hardware but moons over even better stuff. I'm in that space myself!!

I admit I am having a slightly hard time parsing what you mean by this?

 

[gorfias]

I've come to believe that an audiophile is one that has perfectly good hardware but moons over even better stuff. I'm in that space myself!!

I admit I am having a slightly hard time parsing what you mean by this?

1/2 kidding but at my old age, I've finally put together the best 5.1 surround sound system I've ever had. I got some Jamo S809s up front and they sound fantastic.



I'm advised they are garbage but I don't care. They are awesome to me. And yet I can't help but think about replacing them with something even more expensive and powerful, hoping to get something that sounds even better. I.E. the Polk ES60.

I certainly don't need them. I don't even know if my old ears are discerning enough to really tell a difference. But in some of my audiophile circles, that seems to define us. Even if what we already have is great, we look forward to our next upgrade anyway.

 

[Elvis Starburst]

I certainly don't need them. I don't even know if my old ears are discerning enough to really tell a difference. But in some of my audiophile circles, that seems to define us. Even if what we already have is great, we look forward to our next upgrade anyway.

Hah, isn't that the truth. I've always called myself Audiophile Lite or Diet Audiophile. I'll pay a bit extra for excellent sound, but I'm not going to absolutely break my bank over it. I recognize there are diminishing returns at a certain price range and I'm at the point I just don't notice certain things past that point. I'd have to A B test like crazy to really tell, but even then I'll probably just forget what sounds better if I use the lesser stuff long enough.
Not to mention, for example, I have a hard time telling the difference between an MP3 file at 320kbps with wired headphones and the same one being fed through my headphones over bluetooth on the SBC codec. Hardcore audiophiles would... 1. Crucify me for not using FLAC, and 2. Question my ability to hear *anything* if I somehow can't notice the difference between the two.
I'm grateful I can still notice good sound though. While some of the finer points (like the quality difference FLAC and MP3) are mostly lost on me, I can tell when a speaker sounds like garbo and/or when it's missing or over-blowing part of the frequency range

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Bunch of games on sale:

• AeternoBlade
• AeternoBlade II: Director's Rewind
• Dishonored 2
• Firewatch
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Prey
• The Knight Witch

 

[Phoenixmgs]

I've come to believe that an audiophile is one that has perfectly good hardware but moons over even better stuff. I'm in that space myself!!

1/2 kidding but at my old age, I've finally put together the best 5.1 surround sound system I've ever had. I got some Jamo S809s up front and they sound fantastic.

View attachment 10389

I'm advised they are garbage but I don't care. They are awesome to me. And yet I can't help but think about replacing them with something even more expensive and powerful, hoping to get something that sounds even better. I.E. the Polk ES60.
View attachment 10388
I certainly don't need them. I don't even know if my old ears are discerning enough to really tell a difference. But in some of my audiophile circles, that seems to define us. Even if what we already have is great, we look forward to our next upgrade anyway.

Hah, isn't that the truth. I've always called myself Audiophile Lite or Diet Audiophile. I'll pay a bit extra for excellent sound, but I'm not going to absolutely break my bank over it. I recognize there are diminishing returns at a certain price range and I'm at the point I just don't notice certain things past that point. I'd have to A B test like crazy to really tell, but even then I'll probably just forget what sounds better if I use the lesser stuff long enough.
Not to mention, for example, I have a hard time telling the difference between an MP3 file at 320kbps with wired headphones and the same one being fed through my headphones over bluetooth on the SBC codec. Hardcore audiophiles would... 1. Crucify me for not using FLAC, and 2. Question my ability to hear *anything* if I somehow can't notice the difference between the two.
I'm grateful I can still notice good sound though. While some of the finer points (like the quality difference FLAC and MP3) are mostly lost on me, I can tell when a speaker sounds like garbo and/or when it's missing or over-blowing part of the frequency range

I'm also a bit of an audiophile but don't buy anything super expensive. I did just get Klipsch speakers (fronts, center, and sub) this Black Friday and the total value of my setup probably isn't even $1,500 (I forget what the receiver cost a few years back but it wasn't very expensive). I will tinker with a bunch of settings and sound enhancements. For just a bit of extra money, I suggest you guys try out JetAudio, the desktop program and Android app are both amazing. For some reason, they can't put the BBE sound enhancement on the Android version so the desktop program is a bit better, though the Android version does have other sound enhancements that are pretty good (like the Crystalizer and Bongiovi). I know you can try out all the effects on the Android version at something like 1 minute intervals without purchasing the Pro version (I'm not sure if that's the case for the desktop version as well). The program also has a 20-band EQ as well (to me, you definitely need to drop the lower frequencies a bit because the flat is overly bass-y). I also can't really tell much a difference between FLAC and MP3 but you put on those BBE effects and it's a night and day difference in sound quality. I found out about JetAudio/Cowon way back when I was taking the train to work and wanted a portable media player to watch stuff on the way to work (before smart phones were a thing), and I got the Cowon A2 player because it was like the only player that you could just throw on Xvid AVIs and it would play them without needing them to be reconverted to some exact resolution and shit (like say the PSP at the time).

 

[Elvis Starburst]

I suggest you guys try out JetAudio, the desktop program and Android app are both amazing.
I also can't really tell much a difference between FLAC and MP3 but you put on those BBE effects and it's a night and day difference in sound quality.

I appreciate the recommendation, but unfortunately there's no Mac compatibility it seems. Maybe Rosetta 2 would make the .exe work, but chances are it wouldn't work exactly right with an audio program and I'm not sure I want to test it at the moment.
Though, I'm typically of the mindset of "no enhancements, let the original source speak for itself." EQ tweaking is one thing, there's plenty of good reasons to do that. But I do have to wonder if the enhancements are actually making the differences between those files more known, or if the enhancements are "enhancing" things to the point it's screwing up the actual audio file's quality. It's like soundcards back in the day and their audio enhancement "features." Was their software really helping, or were they doing more harm than good?

The program also has a 20-band EQ as well (to me, you definitely need to drop the lower frequencies a bit because the flat is overly bass-y).

That's... not how a flat EQ works as far as I can tell. If a set of speakers or headphones are way too bass-y on a flat EQ setting it means they're bass boosted to hell on the outset. I had a similar issue with my new headphones. I'm sure people would like the extra bass, but I had to EQ that down a bit because out of the box they were a bit much for me with the EQ either on a flat setting or turned off.

I found out about JetAudio/Cowon way back when I was taking the train to work and wanted a portable media player to watch stuff on the way to work (before smart phones were a thing), and I got the Cowon A2 player because it was like the only player that you could just throw on Xvid AVIs and it would play them without needing them to be reconverted to some exact resolution and shit (like say the PSP at the time).

Ahah... I remember times like that. While I had an iPod back in my teens, there was a point in most of my adult life that I was firmly anti-Apple and didn't want to use my phone for audio, I wanted a dedicated media player for that purpose. While less convenient, I never liked using my phone for my music at the time. I have a weird purpose separation thing in my head... it's why I never got into PC gaming much. My PC was where I did all my other computing stuff, using it for games felt weird cause that's what my consoles and handhelds were for.
The last DAC I got for myself before I got my iPhone 13 Mini and just use that for music was the Shanling M1. Not the best DAC out there, but I liked it, and it did its job well enough

 

[hanselthecaretaker2]

It arrived late last night -

Spoiler

 

[Phoenixmgs]

I appreciate the recommendation, but unfortunately there's no Mac compatibility it seems. Maybe Rosetta 2 would make the .exe work, but chances are it wouldn't work exactly right with an audio program and I'm not sure I want to test it at the moment.
Though, I'm typically of the mindset of "no enhancements, let the original source speak for itself." EQ tweaking is one thing, there's plenty of good reasons to do that. But I do have to wonder if the enhancements are actually making the differences between those files more known, or if the enhancements are "enhancing" things to the point it's screwing up the actual audio file's quality. It's like soundcards back in the day and their audio enhancement "features." Was their software really helping, or were they doing more harm than good?



That's... not how a flat EQ works as far as I can tell. If a set of speakers or headphones are way too bass-y on a flat EQ setting it means they're bass boosted to hell on the outset. I had a similar issue with my new headphones. I'm sure people would like the extra bass, but I had to EQ that down a bit because out of the box they were a bit much for me with the EQ either on a flat setting or turned off.



Ahah... I remember times like that. While I had an iPod back in my teens, there was a point in most of my adult life that I was firmly anti-Apple and didn't want to use my phone for audio, I wanted a dedicated media player for that purpose. While less convenient, I never liked using my phone for my music at the time. I have a weird purpose separation thing in my head... it's why I never got into PC gaming much. My PC was where I did all my other computing stuff, using it for games felt weird cause that's what my consoles and handhelds were for.
The last DAC I got for myself before I got my iPhone 13 Mini and just use that for music was the Shanling M1. Not the best DAC out there, but I liked it, and it did its job well enough

I just installed JetAudio on the work laptop and the free version does let you use the effects for like 20 seconds at a time.

I'm also pretty weary of enhancements, I turn off all the enhancements TVs do for example, and the Enhancer on my receiver that auto-enables is annoying when I switch to 5-channel stereo (to have the center speaker do something when just playing music). The enhancements will up the hiss/static on songs with not-so-great production though. The BBE does make the sound so much, I guess, "fuller". It does overdo it on the treble (and I drop highest frequencies on the EQ), Zeppelin's Kashmir is the perfect test for that IMO because it sounds so off with the treble overdone.

Yeah, I think you're right on the EQ (which makes sense) as I tried the same song in my video player which does nothing to the sound and in JetAudio (with everything turned off) and both sound very similar. I think it's then just me that finds flat too bass-y. I actually up the lowest frequency +2 but then drop the next one to -4 (then go -2,-1, back to 0). Too much bass muddies up the sound for me quite a bit.

 

[gorfias]

I thought I had plenty of time to shop around, take my time and buy what will likely be my last gaming monitor. I asked the Internet when the best time to buy is and it responded: Now to early February. Yikes!
So I got this:

.1 ms response time? We'll see.

I do hear professional gamers play at 1080p on 24-27" screens. F'em. I'm old and need the real estate. And I like easy games. Not trying to beat other players.

 

[Gordon_4]

I thought I had plenty of time to shop around, take my time and buy what will likely be my last gaming monitor. I asked the Internet when the best time to buy is and it responded: Now to early February. Yikes!
So I got this:
View attachment 10459
.1 ms response time? We'll see.

I do hear professional gamers play at 1080p on 24-27" screens. F'em. I'm old and need the real estate. And I like easy games. Not trying to beat other players.

Pro gamers are mainly about the frames. 1080p running at 360hz is worth more to them than 4K at 144hz. Frames win games, or so the expression goes. Although this is more relevant to twitch shooters and (maybe?) DOTA and LoL.

 

[Phoenixmgs]

Finally bought some lamps for the living room after like a year and a half of depending on lights from the dining room.

 

[Piscian]

I was in my hometown for a cousins birthday and stopped by a few stores and picked up a few things. I'm not on any kind of game collecting spree, but I keep an eye out for things that are competitively priced with ebay. Like why not give a local store money if I can?

I've had Tales of Vesperia for Switch for a while. It's in my backlog. I've started collecting any Guides for RPGs I own and getting books locally is surprisingly less of a hassle than ebay or amazon. Over the years I've started to notice things just "disappearing" from the internet. I kinda like the idea of having paperback guides I can read at my leisure.

As for the games - There's a couple factors. The first is that we are finally getting to the era where Xbox360 is considered retro and collectable. Prices are just starting to grow above bargain bin. I have a habit of collecting any game that isn't a tentpole title, widely distributed. It's not so much that I'm trying to get in on anything niche collecting scheme, but it would be cool to just have these games for myself, not emulated/hacked or digital.

That kinda brings me to my second factor - at this point I just don't trust digital anymore. Ubisoft, Sony, and others have come out recently again to reinforce that you "do not own digital games" and that they can take them away anytime they want. Sony recently changed their policy on their free monthly titles. Either now or in the next year, you will no longer be able to access the titles Sony "gave you" if you don't keep up an online subscription. Both Microsoft and Sony are angling towards perpetual catalog only gaming where you only get to play games so long as you have access to the catalog online, and that game is in rotation. Even if I was ok with it, I'm a slow gamer. I might take a year to beat even the shorter titles. I've lately been been scooping up any reasonably priced game I might wnat to play later and is unlikely to be available online forever or in some cases, at all.

Saboteur I had just heard good things about and it was only $15, meh why not. As for the Silent Hill games, although these are the more maligned in the series they are on the rarer side. Downpour surprisingly as jumped up to $50+. I decided to just grab it while its affordable rather than find out a year or 2 from now it's a $100.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Boat tickets to Uruguay.

 

[Piscian]

Boat tickets to Uruguay.

There has to be a story behind this.