Home Entertainment Center

I'm devoting this post to the RTLSDR. This device is a dongle for laptops and tablets/phones that have USB ports and software written for the particular device. The SDR is a radio frequency receiver. Sounds simple. The radio spectrum is divided into segments dedicated to particular functions and by assorted agencies. The idea behind a SDR is a programmable radio that can be configured and reconfigured for different  spectra and formats. Two different agencies, e.g.,governments, may transmit data in different formats. If the format information is available, the SDR can often incorporate the standards into the unit programming and receive/record transmissions from those sources. The most common uses are to receive commercial FM radio bands, NOAA weather bands, Air traffic control bands and weather satellite imagery. Recently, digital radio, HDRadio, receiving software became available. The digital radio broadcasts are, for some reason, encrypted. A researcher decrypted t...

I found an app to replace the Google Chrome remote desktop app. The name of the app is Team Viewer and works well. The app gives me a remote trackpad on my laptop that can run the laptop remotely. I use VLC player for Windows, and the iOS VLC Remote app to play videos on my laptop using my HDTV as the display screen. I hook up my laptop  to the TV using an HDMI cable. I can select and play the videos from my easy chair using my iPhone. UPDATE: My current setup includes the Googl Chrome remote desktop app to control my PC. My PC is connected to my 55" oled via an HDMI cable. With this setup, I can watch movies stored on my laptop (using the VLC player/streamer) but not yet moved to a remote hard drive.

The idea of attaching hard drives to my router was a good one. There is a drawback: the setup is too slow for some 4K UHD content. Some 4K videos will start to pixelate and freeze. The same videos will play normally when connected to the HDTV USB ports. Lower resolution content will still play normally, but the 4K videos had to be removed. USB hubs would be of use in this situation. A hub funnels several USB devices into one USB port. As a matter of fact, I tried that earlier but found the HDTV would only recognize one or two of three drives on the hub. I have since learned that powered hubs have been working for some. The hub I tried was a passive unit. Any power needed had to come from the HDTV's USB port. My next step is to purchase a powered USB hub and make the same trial. Hopefully, the powered hub will work. The addition of one or more powered USB hubs may allow me to expand the number of drives I can use. I am currently limited to three on the HDTV and two non-UHD ...

I have five hard drives. Four 1Tb(Terrabytes) and one 4Tb, drives. Three have been connected to the LG oled TV USB ports. I found a way to add the two remaining 1Tb drives by connecting them to the TP-Link AD7200 router's USB ports. As stated in a previous post, I had problems playing some of the videos on one drive due to incorrect aspect ratios. I found I could play them using VLC. I connected that drive to the router and now have access to the drive from VLC. The videos on the two router connected drives can be accessed by my laptop and played on the TV, or accessed by the TV directly through the wifi/LAN connection. A total of nine terrabytes is now available. Correction, eight and a half terrabytes. One of the drives is five hundred gigabytes, i.e, one half terrabyte.

My TV is 4K capable. I have several 4K videos that play, but not in the correct aspect ratio. I use VLC video player as my go to for video. I can select different aspect ratios. First off, I tried altering the DAR(Display Aspect Ratio), primarily a metadata change, to reflect the correct ratio. This worked in VLC but not on the TV. Making the equivalent change in the SAR(Sampling Aspect Ratio) would take eight to ten hours per video. I found a work around. I can connect my laptop to my TV using an HDMI cable. This allows me to display my laptop screen on my TV. Now, I watch the problem videos on my TV by running connecting the external hard drive containing the 4K UHD videos to my laptop via a USB port. I open VLC with the correct aspect ratio for the problem videos and play. There was one remaining problem, a matter of convenience. My laptop has to be next to the TV with the short HDMI cable. I don't want to use a long cable because of noise and loading issues. A long cabl...

Much has been added, and the circuitry duplicated for stereo reproduction. A recent image is shown:

I've begun building a SPICE model of the Sansui amplifier. This will aid in troubleshooting the circuitry. This is the initial stage of development. I focus on the output stages and ignore unrelated elements such as phono input circuitry.

The SPICE simulations allowed me to pinpoint a problem in the circuit board without destroying fragile traces. The trace work for both channels of C3 was inferior. Each trace had errors when a component was inserted and soldered. I removed the capacitors, C3Left and C3Right, and hardwired them into the circuit using a piece of wire for each one. This completes the phono preamp. SPICE simulation results with no load, using LTSpice software:

The preamp and SPICE simulations I've assembled and tested the preamp circuit board. There have been a couple of problems. I missed one capacitor but discovered the omission and soldered the cap in. The circuit still doesn't function correctly. The left channel is distorted. The board is fragile and cannot be soldered multiple times. I downloaded and installed a simulation program. After I built the circuit in the simulator, I ran some simulations placing short circuits in assorted positions. I finally discovered one that agrees with my predictions on the source of the problem. The process of using simulation software to replace hardware modifications saved a lot of time and wear and tear on the circuit board. The software required a learning curve but the results are worth the effort. The simulator I used was LTSpice, manufactured by Analog Devices.

Preamp and power supply assembled and tested for functionality. A photo below shows the temporary functional mockup. A box for them is on order and arrives early October.

The laptop is a way to take a lot of activities on the road, or trail. I've already mentioned the SDR dongle elsewhere, as well as the definition of a computer dongle. A new kind of dongle arrived in the mail a couple of days ago. This dongle is video oriented and will allow me to watch local television station programming on my laptop. The particular unit I chose is the Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-950Q. The unit comes withe software and hardware to get up and going with your new 'TV'. The company makes several products that perform similarly and that are newer. I chose the 950Q for the low price on eBay. There were no hardware accessories with mine but I don't need most, or can get replacements or substitutes on eBay. I did have to pay for an 'activation key', the company continues to make money from resold and second hand unit sales. The software accessories are readily downloadable from the web. The setup program scans for available stations using what...

   The permanent case from China arrived.    Sixteen holes were drilled, eight on the front and  back sides. Four for each cabinet, two for the woofer and two for the horn.    The images show front, back, and diagonal side views.    The disk drive storage units are shown in one photo. I have one four terabyte  drive and two one terabyte drives for a total of six terabytes storage.    The four terabyte drive is the general collection. A one terabyte drive is reserved for my blu-ray collection and another for UHD 4K videos.

What are shown below are original, ideal, and real schematic representations of the crossovers and SPICE analysis results. Diagrams follow these. They are, in order of presentation, real, ideal, and unmodified original. In these diagram, the layout is correct but the values are not. The Valencias in my possesion have a single 24uF capacitor instead of 11uF and 10uF in prallel, which equals 21uF. The inductors are 1.5mH instead of 1.75mH. The 8uF capacitor in the horn circuit is correct. The network provides 0db-20db adjustment range and a 12db roll-off. These, after my modification, became second order Linkwitz-Riley hi-pass/lo-pass filters.

Included here are photos of the networks in the temporary case made from a plastic kitchen utility food container: The two large red capacitors sit atop the original black capacitors and are connected in parallel. A view of the connection to the receiver inputs: A better view of the crossover case output side to the receiver: This is what the networks look like inside the case. The circular metal shapes are the resistor L-pads. They were removed from the circuit to make two independent filters, one hi-pass for the horns, one low-pass for the woofers.

   The crossover is complete and in use. The difference is noticeable. The networks, four filters-two hi-pass and two low-pass, are in a plastic container intended for kitchen use. A permanent case I ordered from China will not arrive until late September or early October.    The phono RIAA equalization preamp is assembled. The pcb did not fit the case but I clipped the corners off and can get the card into the case.    An external power supply is needed to run the preamp. I'm drawing up a parts list. The maker of the preamp pcb included a mini power supply pcb for use with the preamp. I'll be using that circuit to power the preamp. I'll need another case for the power supply. This time, I'll order larger than I need. The specifications for the cases I'm ordering do not include interior dimensions. Photos to follow.

I've ordered the PCB for a phono preamp. The kit is for a high quality circuit with options for adding RIAA standards versions from assorted manufacturers of 78rpm disks. The RIAA equalization was not entirely standardized until latter in the 78rpm period. The Alesis is an approximation, at best, and a temporary substitute until I have a full fledged phono preamp. The designer/producer is in Australia, so the shipment won't arrive for a couple of weeks. I still have toe order the parts for the board and decide on a case to contain the unit. The connections to the board are made with wire connectors and need to be replaced by RCA or banana jacks. I have some Nakamichi banana plugs left over from bi-amping the Vaencia speakers. I can use those since the receiver has 5-way connectors that accept banana jacks/plugs. This is the assembled preamp: The assembled case is shown here, with RCA jacks installed: The assembled case from a different perspective: ...

The VSX-42 now plays the LG TV audio using the LG ARC dedicated HDMI port. The appropriate settings change was made on the VSX-42 using the remote.  The VSX-42 remote control is going back. The tuner preset controls do not work. I'm replacing the off-brand remote with a genuine Pioneer remote made for the unit.  I've ordered another HDMI cable, shorter, and LAN cable. Both, the TV and the receiver, have LAN connectors. The receiver accesses Pandora and internet radio using the LAN connection. The TV uses the LAN connection to access the Xumo Channels+ network of TV stations, the internet using the WebOS browser, and LG related data. The SX-255R receiver is paired with the Cerwin Vega speakers on the other end of the room (24'x12'). There are, I think, too many options and settings in the TV. They can be useful for those who are prepared for a long learning curve. Knowledge of cinema formats and technology is a must. Overall, both systems are done ...

I spoke too soon regarding the equalizer as a phono preamp. The Alesis has only +/-12db gain available. The RIAA equalization curve is +/-20db. I re-adjusted the bands on the Alesis for a more accurate reflection of the RIAA standards. There is an improvement in the audio of my vinyl disks. I may settle for what I've got, but I'm remaining open to the acquisition of a phono preamp. I'm looking for inexpensive phono preamps. Phono preamps range in cost from $25 to $2,500. The gains and losses of an inexpensive phono preamp will determne my choices. The RIAA decoding frequency response curve: .

The Alesis has +/- 12db gain per channel.  I have a total gain range of 24db-36db for compensation. I examined the RIAA curve and adjusted the 30 bands in each channel to reflect the RIAA curve. The result compensates for the deficiencies in the recording process as described by the curve. No need to build/buy a phono preamp. I examined the data for the B&O MMC4 cartridge and found the type to be a moving iron cartridge instead of a moving coil cartridge. The latter requires more compensation where the former is more like the moving magnet and requires approximately 10 times less gain with a designed in 47kOhm output impedence. I can use the AV receiver to bi-amp my horns and woofers but doing so will make some playback options unavailable. I may revert to standard AV 5.1 for video and maintain a separate audiophile system, using the Sansui amps and/or the SX255R, later.

I've given some thought to the system and had a couple of ideas. One of the problems I face is : what to do with the turntable's phono outputs. The AV receiver was designed for Surround 5.1, 7.1 and not audiophile listening. I still have the Alesis two channel 30+ band equalizer. Turntable output needs equalization following RIAA standards. I may be able to do this with the Alesis. Problem number two: If I want to omit the SX255R and use the AV (VSX42), I can route the horns through the 5.1 Surround-Back speakers and the woofers through the Surround 5.1 front speakers. The unit has an on-screen(TV) setup program run using the remote controller. The speaker distance can be entered as well as one or two other variables. This may allow me to adjust the horn/woofer volume ratio. The major drawback is not having access to the Surround 5.1/7.1 capabilities. I may just use the original plan and have separate AV Surround and audiophile systems. I have three pairs of speak...

I won a Pioneer VSX-42 Elite AV Receiver at an online auction. The unit arrives nest Tuesday, 7-16-2019. The unit is designed to provide 7.1 channel surround sound for the home. Currently, there are four audio options for room layout: 1.) traditional stereo 2.) traditional stereo with a subwoofer 3.) 5.1 surround 4.) 7.1 surround The unit is fairly sophisticated. Input 520Watts Output 7(speakers)x80Watts 20Hz-20kHz supportd Apple AirPlay iTunes, Internet Rafio, and YouTube compatible Dolby and DTS audio support HDMI support Multi-Zone support (to be continued)

Received a broken Sansui AU-505 in the mail today. I had found the piece on eBay as a parts unit (US $28.77/Shipping: $32.61). There was no description of issues other than 'no audio', and fuse holder issues. I decided to take a chance. I had learned from working with my unit the switches oxidize and can cause all kinds of issues. Besides that, I specialized in power supplies and no audio, in either channel, hinted of power supply problems. I opened the unit up and found a fuse holder had come loose and a couple of wires needed to be soldered to the loose fuse holder. After that, I fiddled around with the thing. I began to hear a faint signal from the outputs. I toggled a couple of switches and heard a popping noise. I closed in and vigorously toggled the Tape Monitor switch several times. I got some of the audio back. I push, moderately on that switch's paddle and toggled some more. I have gotten full audio back. The switch had become oxidized from disuse. Done. ...

I cleaned the potentiometers and circuit breakers with contact cleaner. Where the 'pots' were difficult to turn and sticking before, they now turn smoothly. The breaker contacts do not work perfectly, but a few presses of the reset button fix the problem. The binding posts spring action is rough due, I think, to oxidation over decades. I've binding posts left over from the Valencia project. I may find a way to install new 5-way binding posts. Someone on eBay was selling a Cerwin Vega U123 crossover panel for $15.95. Two were available. I offered $26 for both. The seller accepted my offer. Those will be here in a couple of days. I ran across a webpage mentioning speaker re-foam and re-cone. I read more on the subject then examined my speakers. The Cerwin Vegas could use a re-foam, though their functioning is not affected. I ordered a re-foam kit for them. One of the Altec Lansing Valencia woofers has a small hole in the cone. There's not much too the hole. Sma...

This morning, I visited one of several second-hand stores I have frequented in the past. I haven't been shopping in a while. When I arrived, I drifted over to the electronics area. I was trained and employed as an electronics engineering technician, so technology is in my arena. I browsed and spotted several items of interested. I kept shopping, all the while keeping in mind the list of items of interest. When I was done, I went around and gathered up the items I wanted, after checking the price of one item with the clerks. What did I get of interest in this blog? A pair of vintage Cerwin-Vega HED floor speakers. The speakers are in excellent condition. There was a problem with the tweeter in one, but I discovered the problem. A resetable circuit breaker is attached to each speaker cabinet. The breaker on one was causing intermittent transmission to the tweeter in that cabinet. A loose connection was at fault. I have the option of repairing the breaker or replacing the brea...

I lost a channel off the Sansui again and in the middle  f troubleshooting that problem, discovered the Alesis equalizer had lost a channel. I took the Alsis apart. The design and layout are simple. I traced the problem to a micro break in a piece of copper etch run. The break was at a plate-through. A plate-through is a hole in the pcb that has been lined with metal to connect both sides of the board electronically, at that given point. I scraped the etch next to the plate-through and added some solder to bridge the gap. I'll test later. Now, I'm still troubleshooting the Sansui amplifier. Once I repair the Sansui, or buy another Pioneer SX-255R, I'll insert the Alesis equalizer into the system and run a test. I used the equaizer on one channel before discovering the other chanel was off, and everything sounded good. Currently, I'm still using the cheap Chinese diaphragms on my horns' comression drivers. I have one after market reproduction in storage, a...

I've received the parts and begun assembly. I removed the crossover panels. I drilled the new panel holes and mounted the new Nakamichi binding posts. Next step calls for soldering the speaker wires to the posts and mounting the panels inti the cabinets. After that, I'll connect the speakers to the amplifiers and test the setup. I have a power supply for the equalizer coming. When that arrived, I'll use it to duplicate the frequency crossover point on the original crossover panels, 800 Hz. The base of the woofers can be emphasized using the Pioneer Super Bass control.

One option I haven't had, so far, was recording from my stereo/phono onto my laptop. The latptop I chose has HDMI, USB, microUSB, SD card, and combo jack ports. But no sound card inputs. I can use the combo jack as audio input or output, but require a special cable I would have to build myself. The USB ports will not send analog music data to any app. There needs to be an intervening piece of software, and/or, hardware. I tried running a USB-RCA(stereo) cable from my amplifier to a USB port on my latop with no success. However, I did try using the EZCap dongle that I use to record VHS tapes from the VHS player, and that worked. The dongle has standard A/V terminations:Audio Right, Audio Left, and Video. I plugged the audio jacks into the Tape Record RCA jacks on the back of my amplifier, tuned into a radio station, then plugged the EZCap into my laptop's USB 3.0 port. That works, but I had some trouble locating the source of distortion. The signal  was overdriven to the ...

I received some binding posts today. They're not the ones I will eventually use, but they'll let me test the idea. I looked through my parts boxes and found some banana plugs to use with them. I've installed new external wiring from the speaker cabinets to the Pioneer and, when I install the new binding posts, I'll add the new wiring for the Sansui amplifier. I purchased an Alesis equalizer, used, from an online auction and will be getting that in a few days. I like the Alesis. I read the User Guide, downloaded from the internet, and found a listening room has to resonance frequencies, one high and one low. The Alesis has complete 2 complete, 30 band, 1/3 octave, equalizers. I'll use one for each stereo channel. The 30 bands will let me notch the two resonance frequencies better than an equa;izer with ten, or fewer bands. A parametric equalizer would  provide fine tuning of the bands, but the limitations on availability at a price I find acceptable, led me to p...

One of the problems associated with speaker systems, for audiophiles, is the crossover network. The crossover network is an eletronic circuit that determines the frquency dividing point between the horn and woofer. My system was design with a 800Hz crossover point. All frequencies above 800Hz go to the horn, and all frequencies belo, to the woofer. Some have overcome this issue by employing a bi-amp system. Instead of installing an electronic network with a knob to vary the crossover point, two amplifiers are used. One amp is for the horns and one for the woofers. Both amps are stereo. I gave some thought to this arrangement. I added the Sansui to the system and ran the Tape Record output of the Pioneer to the Aux input of the Sansui. This works. I can hook up the Sansui to the horns and the Pioneer to the woofers. This still leaves the question of how to implement equalization. In lieu of a wiring scheme, I can get two identical equalizers, one for each amp. I don't need to...

I picked up a can of electronic contact cleaner and applied the cleaner to the Sansui problem switch and noisy vulume control potentiometer. The volume control works without noides now. The switch works but a future problem may arise. The switch has a high friction grinding effect when I toggle the switch. I don't think that is normal. A failure may be immanent in the near future. I don't use the switch very oftwn, so some time may pass before the switch fails permanently. I cleaned up the amplifier and placed it beside my current amp, a Pioneer SX-255R receiver/amplifier. The Sony tuner is in place too, but has some rust on top that needs to be cleaned. I may use the Sansui to bi-amp my speaker system. This means replacing the roll-off crossover controls on the backs of the speakers with 5-way binding posts that will separate the horns from the woofers. I'll run the horns to one amp and the woofers to another. I'm ordering an equalizer to compensate for room a...

   I opened up the Sansui amplifier this morning. After setting up the DVM and oscilloscope.    I worked backward from the output and tracked the problem down to a faulty switch. I touched the oscilloscope probe to the wire leads on the switch to examine the signals. Both signals were present, but the act of applying pressure change the output. The signal becam loaded with static. I flipped the switch rapidly a dozen times and the static disappeared. I went through this process of causing static and filpping the switch once more to make sure the problem was consistant.    Both channels are on now, but the switch may cause more problem. I ordered a can of electronic contact cleaner for the noisy volume potentiometer. I'll apply some to the switch. Perhaps that will solve the problem, or forestall further problems.

I replaced parts of my system during the overall upgrade. I have a Sony tuner from the late eighties and a Sansui AU-505 stero amplifier from the seventies. The amplifier lost one channel just before the upgrade but had a noisy volume potentiometer for sveral years before that, and a broken paddle swtich. I recently sw some Sansui paddle switches for sale on eBay. A new pot, or some contact cleaner will improv the amp's condition. Fortunately, I'm trained as an electronics engineering technician and have a DVM and ocsillosope to use in troubleshooting the amp. A website on the web archives old audio gear data including schematics for some. I found the Owner's guide and a set of scematics and service manul for the Sansui amp. This gives me everythin I need to find the problem. The Sony tuner is still good.

I received the diaprags, see last post, and wentto the local home improvement strore and got a replacement set of screws. I installed only part of the screws and bolts since I'll be installing the better set next month. Even so, the cheap diaphragms and partial screws made a distinct improvment over the bookend speaker panels I substituted, albeit temporarily. There are distinctive highs missing before. Two more developments: I discovered the left channel of the amplifier is weaker than the right channel. I had to rotate the balance knob half way to far left ( 9 o'clock position ) to get a true balance. The speaker may be at fault. I'll have to check both the amp and the speaker more closely when I get time. I have partial hearing in my left ear and a smaller degree in my right ear. I downloaded and installed some equalizer software to my lptop and setup the channels to compensate for my hearing loss. I can use my latop with headphones and the equalizer to listen to...

   This entry concerns the horn drivers' diaphragms.    Previously, I had found there was no output from the speakers in the high frequency range. I disassembled the horns and found that both diaphragms had broken leads. This accounted for no high frequency audio.    I ordered a pair of cheap Chinese temporary replacements which arrived a coupleof days ago. I installed one and the difference was notable. Better than the temporary setup using the speaker panels from a couple of bookshelf speakers.    However, the second diaphragm was not installed. The screws had been broken some time in the past and short pieces were found in the holes. All three were involved. At some point in the past, someone else had worked on the speakers. Parts that were not original to the speakers had been used as replacements for missing or damaged original parts. Other substitutes included the segmented foam speaker grilles with Altec badges. One quote for reproductio...

   I've found reproductions of my Altec 806-8A diaphragms. They cost $121 but will be worth the money.    Until I get the new diaphrgms, I've added a couple of old speaker panels to get bck the mid frequencies and some of the highs. I also ordered a couple of cheap Chinese imports to try out. Their reputation is less than admiring. I'll try them anyway.    A couple of images of one of the substitute panels is included. I used aligator clip leads to make the connection. Both speaker cabinets now how have improved functionality.

   I finished most of the upgrades to my media system.    Some time ago, I realized my speakers were not producing high notes. I read article after article and forum post on the Altec speakers. There were some that referenced problems with the horns. Having read those too, I decoded to disassemble the horns and examine the diaphragms.    The leads/wires connecting the diaphagms to the mounting block, hence the reat of the system, were bent at right angles and breaks occur at the point where the bend occurs. This explained the absence of high notes.    I thought back to my history with the speakers and I could remember, at least a couple of times, when I may have played Jimi Hendrix CDs a litlle too loud, overdriving the system. That;s probably when the damage occured.    One of the articles I read in a forum dealt with one user's experience with the problem and his repair of the breaks.    I considered taking his approach,...

   Movie files come in an assortment of formats and compressions. The variability innstorage specifications is great.    My favorite is the Matroska format. Multiple subtitle languages and audio tracks can be stored in that format. The Matroska format is to video what TIFF is, in my opinion, to still pictures.    TIFF is my favorite still image format.    When I download a movie file, the file may be dubbed, overdubbed, and/subtitled. The dub is in a language other than the original. The overdub is recorded on top of the original at a higher volume level and can be difficult to listen to.    A French film may be dubbed in Farsi, Italian, German or some other language. If the film is an English language film that has been dubbed, I search for a version in English and of smaller resolution.    I extract the audio. I extract the video from the higher resolution version, usually 720p or 1080p. I then combine the video into...

This blog will include my home entertainment center and construction. Keep in mind, I trained and worked as an electronics engineering technician. Some of my knowledge and experience was valuable in acquiring and setting up this system. DESCRIPTION : I have recently built a a media center for my blu-ray and dvd discs as well as my audio album collection and old VHS tapes. The system is composed of: -LG oled55c8pua smart tv (4K capable) w/remote -Panasonic VHS player/recorder w/remote -Samsung BD-F5700 Blu-ray/DVD/CD player w/remote -Pioneer SX-255R tuner/receiver w/remote -Pioneer VSX-42 AV receiver, w/remote -Altec Lansing Valencia 846B speaker cabinets, modified for bi-amping -Cerwin Vega HED ch203 speaker cabinets -Polk Audio PSW-10 subwoofer -Bang & Olufsen RX-2 turntable/SMMC4 catridge -RCA digital signal antenna -Channel Master 2-port HDTV signal amplifier -Eotech DAC optical digital audio converter for use with DAO -Sennheiser HD201 headphones -unbrande...