Conference rdvax::grateful

	One channel in my car stereo dies and comes back to life intermittently.
It is a Sony 22W+22W stereo cassette deck.  Sometimes, when the channel is out,
I can turn the balance all the way to the dead channel, then crank the volume
to the max. and the sound will come back.  SOmetimes this works, sometimes is
doesn't.  Also, sometimes the channel just comes back to life for a few minutes
involuntarily.

	Is the stereo dying?  Loose wire?  Should I open it up and start pushing
on solder joints looking for a loose one?


	****

	Ok, if I can't fix my Sony, what do you recommend?  I could buy another
hi-power unit, hook it up, and be happy.  Or, should I get a low-wattage head
unit (stereo cassette deck) and a separate 20W per channel amp to drive the
rear speakers?  The tuner/amp set up is appealing because if something dies,
I don't have to spend a lot of $$ to fix it again (low watt head units are
$100 cheaper than hi-power head units).  Also, I'd probably get more power
with a tuner/amp setup vs. a hi-power head unit.  But, the initial investment
is high than w/ a hi-power unit.  Not sure how much longer i'm going to keep
my car either ... but, I want TUNEZ !!!

	Opinions???

Feel free to post queries in here.

However, I've found the VAXWRK::AUDO conference to be a very helpful place.

Beware of serious hi-fi folks who have no idea what a low-gen soundboard is,
though.

	~dave

    
    	I guess this is as good a place as any........
    
    	A bit ago, a co-worker noticed me listening to my portable CD
    in my office with the stock headphones, and made the comment that I
    could drastically improve the sound by spending a bit of $$$ on new
    headphones, that even a 1X CD player would be improved.
    
    	Did a bit of research, and ended up with a pair of GRADO  SR60's.
    Can you say outrageous!?!?!?!?!?!?  What a difference!  I'm hearing
    things I've never heard.  The bass response is the most dramatic thing,
    I have a new appreciation for Phil!!!!!
    
    	They are not cheap (by my standards), $70 US, but they are amongst
    the cheapest available in their class.  Also, I chose them over a pair
    of Sennheiser's that they had.....
    
    	highly recommended	glen(n)
    

    Thanks for the recommendation, I am in the market and will
    definitely check these out for use at work.  Not sure where
    you are, but where did you get them?  I don't recognize the
    brand name (which doesn't mean much!)

    Thanks,
    Tom

    
    	I'm in ZKO2-1.  If you're here, you can check them out. Call first,
    my hours vary.  264-5815.  Or send mail, (I don't always hear the phone
    clack due to listening to music).  
    
    	I got them at Cookin' at the Mall of NH in Manchester, NH.  Grado
    is a small and up and coming company in the high end audio arena.  I
    started looking in the audio notes file.  Someone sent me to:
    http://www.headphone.com/headphones/headphonesmain.htm
    
    	When I got there, I was convinced I would go to the Koss Porta Pro
    Jr. ($40)  I heard some sony's at circuit city, very clean, then was at
    leach-mere, they had the koss, and I wasn't impressed with the
    construction.  I next went to cookin (although I didn't want to 'cuz
    at the beginning of this search, I asked about demoing a cheap pair of
    sennheisers, said I couldn't, then said I was just looking at that
    point - sales creap snuffed me - at which point my attitude was f u,
    I'll spend elsewhere).  This time at cookin' sales dood was very nice,
    spent time with me, hassled with players not working right, set me up
    to A/B grado/sennheiser.  All in all a very pleasant experience.
    
    	Also, these are heavy duty construction, gold plate contacts, 1/8"
    to 1/4" adapter for use with home stereo.  VERY comfortable.  Almost
    want to figure out a way to use them in the car, but, illegal in NH,
    and not good the way I drive.
    
    	You'll get a kick out of the web page, there's a pair o' 'phones
    for $2150.00!!!!!!!!!  I won't even pay that for a car, never mind
    headphones for pete's sake!!!!!!!!!  (sorry pete)
    
    	All in all, I'm still impressed.  (and when I'm not impressed, I'm
    glen(n)   8*)     )

Well, Pete has a pair of Koss that he uses all the time.  I'm sure that
there are quite a few makes that sound better, but they are indeed
a big improvement over the crap they hand out when you get a new 
workstation.  I think these are in the $40 range, but I've had them
for a few years now and can't quite remember.  From the looks of it
they are a step above the Porta Pro.  But the Grado's do look interesting
(as I look at the Web page...)

PeterT

    I've also been doing headphone shopping recently and ended up at the
    Headroom web page.  I was looking for something a little more high end
    and pretty much tried everything out there in the $300-and-under range.
    Headroom's recommendation of the Sennheiser 545s turned out to be right
    on!  These were my favorites out of everything I tried.
    
    The folks at Headroom are very big on dedicated headphone amplifiers
    (which they also make and sell) but I'm not quite ready to go that
    route yet.  The 545s were described as the best choice if you weren't
    going to use a dedicated amp.  I agree.  I even liked them better than
    the much more expensive 580s, which they claim you need an amp to get
    the most out of.  I also saved $40 over local retail prices on these
    phones.  Definitely a must see if you're in the market for headphones
    at any level.
    
    /rick
    

    Bought 'em.  Love 'em.

    I hope they sell replacement earpads - the light foamy kind
    these come with do often wear out before anything else does.

    The sound is crisp and clear and you don't need to listen
    loud to listen clearly.  Always nice.

    Tom

    
    	Tom, believe it or not, radio shack.....  I asked the sales dood
    at cookin' about the pads, and he said that grado would be kind enuf
    to charge you around $10 for a new pair.  Why, thank you he said.....
    Last time I was looking for foam pads, I ended up at rat shack, and
    got them there.  I believe they have a selection of them, so when that
    time comes, go there first.....  love my grados', but $10 for a pair 
    of foam pads is a bit much........
    
    		glen(n)
    

    
    	Found another little toy folks might be interested in.  I've been
    loading my briefcase w/CD's each day, and a couple of times, the hinge
    came down and cracked/smashed the jewel case.  Also, anything beyond
    approx. 12 CD's starts to get heavy.
    
    	I had been looking at a case a friend has where as you open it,
    the CD holder things sort of 'fan-fold' out.  Holds about 24 discs.
    What I didn't like was the fact that the case hinge and the fanfold
    hinges were molded, so after time, they would break/tear, due to
    being flexed again and again.  Sort of like breaking metal by 
    repeatedly bending.  I was at lechmere sunday, and ran across an item
    by PLANO (the folks that make fishing tackle boxes).  The brand name
    for this case is METRO.  Holds 32 CD's, slightly bigger than 2 jewel
    cases side by each, about 2" thick, has REAL hinges, index tabs, and
    get this, made in USA!!!!!!   Can you believe $9.99????  (order now
    and we'll throw in this nifty Best of Zamfir CD for free).
    
    	They also had a case 1/2 the size (same thickness) that holds
    12 CD's for $4.99.  But $0.31 per CD won out over $0.42 per CD space.
    
    	Nice little unit, fits in my briefcase, under the car seat, or
    where-ever.
    
    	gad, I hate spending money.......8*))))
    
    		glen(n)

    Glen(n), it has the little sleeves for the discs, right?
    I recently stopped (well, almost) using a similar item
    because of always rubbing the cd surface against the 
    envelope.  For this reason alone I'm sort of stuck using
    the jewel cases, with all that comes with 'em (weight,  
    broken cases, etc)

    Tom

    
    	Nope!!!  It has the center hub/stick out/thumb release/press it on/
    thingy.
    
    	I have a nylon case with the sleeves and a pocket for the player
    that is a PITA to use.  That's why I bought this thing.....
    
    	Tom, where are you?
    
    		glen(n)
    

    
>    	Nope!!!  It has the center hub/stick out/thumb release/press it on/
>    thingy.

    glen(n), now you're talking  :-)  You are Mr. Bargain!

    I have one of those P'sITA too  .. several in fact.. available cheap ;-)

    I am in LKG2-1.

    Tom