Nerdy Awesome shit you bought!

[TdC]

Dunno if this is nerdy enough but I just took delivery of a fine new winter parka

 

[DaGaffer]

Dunno if this is nerdy enough but I just took delivery of a fine new winter parka

Pfft, I am now old so I can wear Barbour without irony. And the 50% staff discount doesn't hurt either

 

[Deebs]

Just bought the following:

Marantz M-CR610 in black
Monitor Audio Bronze BX2 to go with the above

The above is for my conservatory, the following is to go in the lounge:

Focal Chorus 726 (2013 model), I have a couple of Focal Chorus 714V as my fronts, these will move to become rears Now, I just gotta find the money to upgrade my amplication for both stereo and home cinema.

 

[Tom]

Dunno if this is nerdy enough but I just took delivery of a fine new winter parka

Pfft, try a Canada Goose Expedition Parka...

http://wslackandsons.co.uk/Canada-Goose/Canada-Goose-Mens-Expedition-Parka-red/prod_982.html

It only comes out when it's really cold

 

[TdC]

that's right, and which is why I got the Barents specifically. I had it's predecessor before for over 10 years and it was perfect for the harshest Dutch (and overseas) weather. I had it down to -25C for brief outdoor exposure standing about and not working, but I have friends in northern Sweden who do husky dog runs which I intend to join some day and they say that its not enough and needs things like this and this to go with, not to mention like 3 or 4 merino wool base layers so fuck me I'll be wearing like 3~4K euros in clothes not to mention feeding 12 dogs bits of frozen fish pfff

 

[Deebs]

Got my new Focal speakers today Just gotta run them in....



And off to see Thor 2 tonight with my son, happy days

 

[leggy]

Marantz M-CR610 in black

I was tempted by this in Super-Fi, Nottingham the other week. I'd be interested to know how good it is.... looks fucking sweet.

 

[Deebs]

I was tempted by this in Super-Fi, Nottingham the other week. I'd be interested to know how good it is.... looks fucking sweet.

It is awesome, got it hooked up to a pair of Monitor Audio Bronze BX2, the only issue I have had has been down to DLNA streaming from my FreeNas server. I think that it is down to the DNLA server on FreeNas. Apart from that the FM, DAB radio works fine, internet radio works fine, CD works fine etc.

 

[MYstIC G]

It is awesome, got it hooked up to a pair of Monitor Audio Bronze BX2, the only issue I have had has been down to DLNA streaming from my FreeNas server. I think that it is down to the DNLA server on FreeNas. Apart from that the FM, DAB radio works fine, internet radio works fine, CD works fine etc.

If you're using MiniDLNA plugin then be aware that it is shit as whilst tiny its very feature limited. Either use Serviio which is free (my notes running that are here) or use the Plex plugin and fork out for a PlexPass (which is now my platform of choice).

 

[Nate]

Got one of these 25MB/s in a usb 2 slot yay

 

[DaGaffer]

For a $35 bit of kit its pretty decent.

 

[ECA]

Chromecast is nice but you cant play a lot of .avi or mkvs through browser which is annoying.

 

[Hawkwind]

Chromecast is nice but you cant play a lot of .avi or mkvs through browser which is annoying.

The browser system for Synology NAS can. There are also apps for Apple and Google OS, maybe someone can hack those to do the same thing.

 

[DaGaffer]

Chromecast is nice but you cant play a lot of .avi or mkvs through browser which is annoying.

Hadn't tried that yet tbh, but like Hawkwind I'd probably do that through my Synology anyway as that's where I keep everything. I noticed its not that great rebroadcasting streamed content on a browser unless you've got a really solid wifi connection; I tried watching Sky Go through it and got sound and picture synching issues, which I didn't with Netflix and Youtube which have obviously been optimised for it.

 

[Ch3tan]

Put a deposit down today on a 2.0tdi A3 s-line black edition s-tronic

 

[Moriath]

Diesel .

 

[ECA]

Diesels are fine these days, get over the hate

Fucking love not having to refill very often either.

 

[Bodhi]

I currently drive one of the best diesels out there (a 330d), and it's quite refined, pretty damn quick and not too thirsty. However when it's replaced I'm going back to petrol. The fuel savings aren't really worth the smell, the lack of revs (and the 330d Will happily rev to the red line), the cement mixer sounds in the morning and the constant worry about a turbo\dmf\injector etc going bang.
Would have had a Golf GTD or 120d personally instead of the A3, mainly as a black A3 TFSI is one of the worst cars I've ever driven. Numb steering, appauling ride, handled like a boat and was just generally awful. Only decent part was the engine. Oh, and every time someone tries to park in my boot on the motorway, they're in a black A3 S-Line.

Enjoy!

(the wrong car)

 

[Moriath]

I had a diesel for four years or so and just hated the lack of revs. Pulling away from a standing start have to change up so early and they still have a issue with particulates and the price difference between petrol and diesel at the moment you have to do a heck of a lot of miles to get any benefit especially with the more expensive car in e first place.

 

[DaGaffer]

The tax benefits of diesel versus petrol in Ireland mean that its very unlikely I'll buy another petrol car while I'm living here; just as an example; the road tax for a BMW 520 Diesel is about €140 a year; whereas a 2.0 petrol Focus that my missus currently has is nearly €900(!) a year. Add in the fact that you can't buy Super Unleaded at all unless you go up to the North, and diesel is pretty much a no-brainer.

 

[Raven]

My mate just picked up a new 5 series diesel and its lovely. You wouldn't know its diesel from driving it.

 

[Bodhi]

My mate just picked up a new 5 series diesel and its lovely. You wouldn't know its diesel from driving it.

You'd have to be fucking daft or deaf not to realise a car is a diesel. Even in my uber smooth (for a dag dag) 330 gives away what fuelling it the second you turn the key. Most normal 4 cylinder diesels make the sort of clatter expected from a skeleton wanking in a biscuit tin.

I only see two advantages of the 330d over my old 328i.

1) I can go 100 miles further on a tank.
2) it's making me work harder so I can go for a 130/330 next time.

Point 1 is moot as filling up takes 5 minutes and I can get some smokes whilst I'm there. Point 2 seems to be working however......

 

[Raven]

You haven't been in a new 5 series then.

 

[Deebs]

1) I can go 100 miles further on a tank.

There is a price difference of 8p per gallon here, how does that work out? From my understanding petrol engines are cheaper to maintain than diesel.

 

[Raven]

Newer Diesels aren't too bad for maintenance.

 

[Bodhi]

Deebs, I think it works out at about an extra 2k miles a year to pay back the extra purchase cost on fuel, however dont quote me on that. Generally you need to be doing about 18k a year in order for a diesel to make sense financially, when buying new. As soon as the warranty runs out, that goes up quite a bit.

Now Raven. Please stop showing how little of which you speak. Yes I've driven a new 5 Series. A 530d in fact with all the toys, and a lovely car it was too. Apart from the cement mixer under the bonnet. The same cement mixer thats under the bonnet of the 3 Series I currently own. Yeah it sounds OK, and on the move its quite quiet, but when its cold it sounds like a bag of spanners, and it still runs out of puff far too quickly. A 530d sounds OK in a gruff sort of way, a 530i sings to you as it gathers speed in a far more exciting way, and carries on for an extra 2000 revs long past when the diesel has got bored and asked for another gear. All that whilst achieveing a whopping 7 mpg less.

As for maintenance, please don't even go there. Modern diesels are generally time bombs waiting to happen after the warranty has run out. Feel free to Google Diesel Particulate Filters, Dual Mass Flywheels, or any of the other ridiculously complicated gubbins a diesel needs to be half as nice as a new petrol engine. Then, when you're done, Google Audi Oil Pumps, BMW Timing Chains, Ford Injectors, the Mazda 6 Diesel in general, then come back to me with how they aren't too bad for maintenance. If any of them fail, 3 year petrol saving is gone, in an explosion of expensive metal.

 

[Ch3tan]

I'm not worried about the sound, got an auto volume Bose system in it to cancel it out.

 

[Trem]

I drive a Mazda 6 MPS, your petrol and road tax worries have nothing on me

I used to love Audi's, I was within minutes of buying an RS2 a few years back but they do seem to be the bell ends car of choice nowadays (I don't mean you Ch3tlar and maybe it's different down South), actually, all prestige German cars seem to have had the indicator stalk removed along with the brake pedals.

Oh, nerdy awesome shit......I just bought a Yamaha YSP 2200 does that count?

 

[Hawkwind]

Now Raven. Please stop showing how little of which you speak. Yes I've driven a new 5 Series. A 530d in fact with all the toys, and a lovely car it was too. Apart from the cement mixer under the bonnet. The same cement mixer thats under the bonnet of the 3 Series I currently own. Yeah it sounds OK, and on the move its quite quiet, but when its cold it sounds like a bag of spanners, and it still runs out of puff far too quickly. A 530d sounds OK in a gruff sort of way, a 530i sings to you as it gathers speed in a far more exciting way, and carries on for an extra 2000 revs long past when the diesel has got bored and asked for another gear. All that whilst achieveing a whopping 7 mpg less.
.

Doubt anyone would buy a diesel for the sound of the engine, they mostly sound like 1950's tractors.

I'll stick to my 4.5 L petrol engine - fine when it only costs 20 GBP to fill up the tank.

 

[Edmond]

I have a 12yr old Focus that just went through its MOT, i've done just over 1000 miles since the last one, so the cost of fuel doesnt bother me, but its over £200 to tax