question about shop stereos

[tod evans]

i`ve killed yet another cd player and really disslike the commercials on the radio so for all you techno geeks what type of source would allow me to play recorded music in the shop? i`ve never owned or held an mp3 player......would they survive the sawdust better than a cd player? or is there a better alternitive? thanks, tod

[Marty Walsh]

i`ve killed yet another cd player and really disslike the commercials on the radio so for all you techno geeks what type of source would allow me to play recorded music in the shop? i`ve never owned or held an mp3 player......would they survive the sawdust better than a cd player? or is there a better alternitive? thanks, tod

Tod,

Time to join the 'satellite revolution' and get yourself an XM reciever. No moving parts to get clogged with sawdust, no commercials (except on the x-rated comedy channel), and every possible genre of music you could imagine. Plus, you can use it in your truck, and bring it into your shop (or home) when you arrive.

And before it starts, I prefer XM over Sirius. I find the music selection a little better (with the exception of the Motown channel on Sirius).

- Marty -

[chris del]

A mp3 player has no moving parts, so for sure it would be much better.....
I would personally keep the CD player, build a nice box for it and put some weather stripping on the lid.... Silicone the hole where the wires come out.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

I too had a CD player bite the dust, so I had this old laptop sitting around, cost me nothing.

I loaded all the music I have into it, and then downloaded Itune for it, and use it like a jukebox.

I have it set up to play even when the screen is closed, so I hit play, close the screen and then I put a cloth over it to keep any dust out.

It has been working well for a few months now.

An Ipod or such will be the way to go, but, you have to buy one.

Don't you have a computer at work?

Could you not set it up as a jukebox?

Just run a wire from the headphone jack on the computer to the "Aux" jack on an amp and you are good to go.

The other nice thing about having the laptop in the dungeon is that I can look at pics I've put on it, for example, the new fangled bowl finishing tool I have. I can look at the pics that I took of Eli Avisera using it at the demo that I took, helps out a lot.

I don't have an Internet connection in the Dungeon........................yet.............. :rolleyes: :D

Cheers!

[Nick Clayton]

Hi Tod,

If you like your CD player, what about building an enclosure with 115v computer fans for cooling and some sort of filtering media in order to prevent dust from entering said enclosure?

Like Marty I have a satellite radio. It's a Sirius, I paid $500 for a lifetime subscription and I can tote it around from car, to house, to barn or listen via my computer. The downside is you need a receiver in order to listen to the thing (unless you're using your computer) and you cannot listen to your own recorded music which is what you want to do in the first place.

My wife swears by her MP3 player. Then again it's because she's a runner and it doesn't skip. They are pretty neat you can store days worth of music on the, but then again you need to sit down and record the days of music on it; not for me. They are again small enough to carry around with you everywhere and can plug into your car your house stereo or a small docking unit for a shop stereo.

I don't know if that helped or made sense. In my 02, unless you run or want the benefits of a satellite radio; build an enclosure of sorts so you can listen to your favorite recorded music on a decent stereo.

[Chris Barton]

Tod,

Time to join the 'satellite revolution' and get yourself an XM reciever. No moving parts to get clogged with sawdust, no commercials (except on the x-rated comedy channel), and every possible genre of music you could imagine. Plus, you can use it in your truck, and bring it into your shop (or home) when you arrive.

And before it starts, I prefer XM over Sirius. I find the music selection a little better (with the exception of the Motown channel on Sirius).

- Marty -

I second Marty's suggestion. I have had an XM unit for 4 years now and it is worth every penny. Music channels are commercial free and every type of music you can think of has its own channel (as well as some you couldn't even immagine). All you need is the receiver (which can be hooked up to any stero unit) and a clear view of the southern sky.

[Steve Strickler]

One word... iPod.

[Al Willits]

I might be the wrong guy for this considering I have a tri amp system out in my garage, but I like the CD format, I picked up a 5 CD/DVD changer for under $150 and its worked well for over a year now.

I burned copies of my CD's and keep a bunch out in the garage to rotate music selection, depending on mood.

I'd build a box for it to keep most the dust out, but I don't think I'd seal it, not sure about CD players, but most audio equipt generate heat, and that's almost as bad as dust.

I'd put a few air holes in the box and see how it goes, unit seems to get warm, add a few more holes.
Maybe cover it when your not using it.

Gotta have tunes...:D

Al

[Larry Fox]

I agree with Marty and Chris - XM all the way. I have had one in my shop for a couple of years now and have never looked back.

[scott spencer]

An IPod or MP3 should do well.

[bill walton]

I'm loath to throw anything away so I have a bunch of old stereo equipment, going back to the Viet Nam era, in the attic that I use in the shop until it croaks and then on to the next piece. Now, I have a wireless network in my home. Over a period of time I encoded all of my CDs, about 40,000 minutes, into MP3. I purchased a unit from Roku that I have hooked into an old receiver in the shop. I can navigate all of that music with a remote in the shop and listen as it streams over the network. If you have a similar arrangement it's a possibility.

[Ian Barley]

I use an MP3 player, mainly to listen to audiobooks. I dislike Ipod because I don't like Itunes (too proprietary for my taste). I use a creative MUVO with the earbuds loose inside my ear defenders. Works perfect. No moving parts. No airflow. No Problems.

[Jim Becker]

I listen only to non-commercial radio and in that I haven't worried about an additional music source to plug into the shop receiver. But if I did, I'd probably go the MP3 route. These devices are solid-state and are, relatively and reasonably speaking, immune to dust, unlike a CD player with moving parts. I personally don't value sat radio since I have such good local non-commercial broadcast available (WXPN.org and WHYY.org), but if I didn't I'd consider it after testing to see if there was material I'd enjoy.

[Randy Long]

I'm with Bill's idea, stream it in from a computer in the house.

Monthly charges to listen to music! Not for me!

Ipod, too prepritary for my as well.

[John Bailey]

I like the sound of CD players better than the iPod. I swear by NAD equipment for my home for sound and value, but for my shop, I use Yamaha because it holds up better. My wife came up with the idea of using a cut off blanket case to cover it. This is the kind of case that is plastic see-through. I put it over the tuner and CD player. I put the stereo up high on a shelf. The bottom is open but any dust that settles does so on top. It's not completely dust-free, but it's been in the shop for two yrs. with no problem. I presently don't have any dust collection, so it gets pretty dusty in the shop at times.

The pictures are the stereo under cover, how I reach in for the controls and the uncovered stereo. If you look real close, you can see lots of dust on the top of the cover, but none on the stereo itself.


450464504545047


One of the nice things about this set-up is you can use the remote, although I never do. The sound with the B&W speakers is great.

John

[Art Mulder]

We have a set of wireless speakers. 900Mhz. So the stereo is not actually *in* my basement shop. The stereo is upstairs, and I just put a speaker in my shop and I'm good to go.

The downside of this is that if my wife or kids want to listen to something else on the stereo then I'm stuck.

But it is a very simple and low-cost option.

I like John's idea with the Yamaha equipment (i used to have a Yamaha CD player, lasted forever, and I wish I'd bought another when it died) under the clear cover. No worries about heat?

...art

[Glenn Clabo]

My Ipod has survived shop dust...office (always on) ...drops (concrete shop floor) ...dribbles (I never actually spill beer) ...sun (mowing lawn) ...cold (snow throwing)

[Andy Hoyt]

Or do what I do. Sing!

Bonus feature - ensures privacy!

[tod evans]

thanks for the suggestions so far! a decent cd player lasts about 6 months in my shop enviornment and that`s just getting to be costly. i too really like the quality of a cd but at 300+ bucks a pop i`m getting sick of changing out players! don`t mp3 units have a hard drive in them? if they do then i`m afraid they`d go the way my cd player and computer hard drives do.....i gotta change drives in this computer once a year now and it`s in the office. or do the mp3 units use a memory card/stick? i think no moving parts would be a really good idea....tod

[Glenn Clabo]

:eek: And that explains why there are no wild animals within 10 miles of the Hoyt Homestead.

[Don Baer]

I'm with Marty and the other in the XM camp. I love it both in the shop and on the road.

[bill walton]

NAD A/V stuff is what I have in the house also but I have an old NAD stereo receiver in the shop now. I use some Polk audio in-wall speaks inside and in the shop. The Ipod nano uses flash memory rather than a microdrive.

[Steve Strickler]

iPod too Proprietary?? It works with Mac and any PC and uses MP3 files. How more generic can it get?

Some of them use flash storage too...no moving parts.

I like the streaming idea--I buried two Cat6 lines to my shop just in case.

[Bill Grumbine]

Tod, I will add in a vote for XM. Like you I was sick of having to listen to screaming car commercials, furniture commercials, etc half the time the radio was on. I got an XM module that moves easily between the shop and the truck, and I almost never listen to local radio anymore. The nice thing is, there are so many different things to switch to as it suits your mood. I am partial to bluegrass, but I listen to classical, jazz, oldies from the 60s and 70s, talk radio from time to time, and the comedy station. The music channels are ad free, and while there are ads on the talk and comedy channels, they are not nearly as offensive as the ones on the regular radio.

Bill

[Matt Day]

Whichever you do, you should put the speakers in the shop and have the source (ipod, xm, cd, whatever) in a different room. Wire them or run wireless.

I highly doubt any of you can tell the difference in quality between an mp3 and a cd, especially with the acoustics in a shop running less than ideal speakers, so I think that arguement is out the door.

[Chuck Trisdale]

I have the fm receiving ear protection (headphones that pick up FM and AM) and I have a regular old fm radio in the shop too. Get the FM transmitter - hook it to whatever you want inside and it will blast FM over a station you choose that isnt being used in your area. That way - put the headphones you hear your stuff. You take em off and your cheapo radio playing the same thing.

Awesome setup. I use it to listen to mp3 sermons, cd's, music off my computer - whatever

[Doug Jones]

Put the CD player in another room and just run speaker wires out to the shop.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I won't have one in the shop.
It'd interfere with my constant stream of invective.

[Bruce Page]

One word... iPod.

Ditto, I've been using mine in the shop for a few years without problem. Actually, the unit is sealed so dust & grime can’t get in there.
It’s great to have all of your music at your fingertips!

[Ian Barley]

iPod too Proprietary?? ..

It actually works only with Itunes and whenever my wife upgrades Itunes I end up having to reinstall about half a dozen DLL's used in Access applications that I have written and reinstall stuff like printer drivers! All software manufacturers are arrogant about the importance of their software compared to other stuff installed on a machine and Apple is one of the more arrogant software manufacturers. That is what I meant by proprietary.

tod - I use a solid state player currently (Creative MuVo TX) but used a hard disk based (Creative Zen) player before that for about 18 months. Neither had any problems. The MuVo is 1gb and with books that gets me 100+ hours of listening. I suspect that if your dog is listening in then you will want higher fidelity than I use for spoken word but 1gb will still give you a good chunk of listening - easily more than a working day.

[tod evans]

I highly doubt any of you can tell the difference in quality between an mp3 and a cd, especially with the acoustics in a shop running less than ideal speakers, so I think that arguement is out the door.

matt, although the acoustics are less than ideal i try my darndest to overcome them, see this thread;
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=27981&highlight=shop+stereo

i`ve never tried mp3 format to see if i could tell the difference but even my deaf ol` ears could tell the difference between hdcd and standard..tod

[Al Willits]

Mp3's are recorded at different bit rates, 128 being a common one to get the most music out of the storage space you have, if you can't tell the difference between this and CD's, either your deaf or your system is sorely lacking in audio reproduction... :)

320 is the highest bit rate that I know of, and that would be a bit more difficult to tell, but to say MP3's and CD are the same is inaccurate.

Having close to 800 CD's now, I'm not about to change formats, but my second choice might be the pay per listen options.

Some of what you go with is dependent on what kind of audio quaility you need, backround music, audiophile quaility, or somewhere in between.

Al

[Fred Voorhees]

My shop is on the second floor of a huge two car garage. I have my stereo system on a shelf inside a closet tucked underneath the stairs up to the shop with wires run through the walls up to the shop so that only speakers are up there, so I don't really run into this problem.

[Bruce Page]

It actually works only with Itunes and whenever my wife upgrades Itunes I end up having to reinstall about half a dozen DLL's used in Access applications that I have written and reinstall stuff like printer drivers! All software manufacturers are arrogant about the importance of their software compared to other stuff installed on a machine and Apple is one of the more arrogant software manufacturers. That is what I meant by proprietary.


:confused: :confused: That only applies to downloaded music from other sources like MusicMatch, Napster etc, and there are ways around most of those issues. Napster for example has a program that converts their downloaded music straight to mp3. As far as ripping your CD collection to mp3 (which the iPod plays just fine), you can use iTunes, MusicMatch, Windows Media Player or any number of programs out there. BTW, I set up iTunes to not do any upgrades.

[Jim O'Dell]

If you have an office, cut through the wall, hinge a piece of plexiglass that will seal off on weatherstrip when closed, and have your equipment on a shelf. Out of the dust, easy to get to. I actually use an old Mazda RX-7 separate system with 2 amps for radio. Had it in my shop garage at the other place for 15 years and never a problem. Now it is not a CD unit, but if I could find the din configuration, I could add one in. It is still packed away from moving 2 years ago, and I'm using the old Pioneer Boom Box now. Great sound, but the volume control is a little scratchy. Needs to be cleaned out. I think that there are several good ideas that have been given. Depends on how much you want to invest in time and money. The MP3 would take some time loading the songs, but might be the best. If your amplifier system is ok, run a line from a computer audio out from another room, or replace a home cd unit, about 50.00 around here, andgo for it. Jim.

[Ian Barley]

...BTW, I set up iTunes to not do any upgrades.
So did I - regrettably I couldn't find the matching configuration option on my version of Wife 2.0

[glenn bradley]

I run a $40 portable CD player that will play MP3 discs. I can fit about 150 songs on a disc. The player sets in a cabinet with a small towel draped over it. The headphone jack runs to some decent quality computer speakers and sounds quite good. If the player flames out, I'll get another one.

I've been running this way for over a year with no trouble BUT, as a hobbiest I don't make the amount of sawdust that production shops do. MP3 players (no disc) would tolerate the dust problems without issue. XM would be a solution too but carries a recurring monthly cost.

On the otherhand, I have music going constantly in the shop and would be hard pressed to give it up.

[Bruce Page]

So did I - regrettably I couldn't find the matching configuration option on my version of Wife 2.0
Wife 2.0 is near impossible to find these days. For those lucky few that do find it, even fewer are willing to pay the price!

[nic obie]

Tod,

If you have sat TV you've got everything you need. It has 30+ commercial free channels of all different type of music.

Get a cheap TV, one with either a headphone jack or audio out RCA jacks. If you have to use a headphone jack you'll need to cut off one end of a RCA patch cord and splice it into the headphone jack cord. Then just plug it into the aux jacks on one of your burnt up CD player or get a cheap receiver with aux jacks if your CD player doesn't have any.

[Bruce Page]

Tod, another option is the post I made to this thread.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=9742

[Ian Barley]

Wife 2.0 is near impossible to find these days. For those lucky few that do find it, even fewer are willing to pay the price!
But Bruce when you find a version as user friendly as this you don't even consider moving up to the outrageously expensive V3

[Bruce Page]

Ian, so true! There are any number of people in Hollywood that would attest to that!

[Dave Fifield]

I only scanned this thread casually, so I'm sorry if I'm repeating someone else's point, but.....

IMO, it's DANGEROUS to have music or radio on in the workshop. I won't do it. It's too easy to lapse into concentrating what's on the radio or simply whistling along with your favorite tune....and you know what happens when you do that....accidents! IMO, you need to be concentrating on your work 100%.

My avatar shows me wearing a pair ear defenders with a built-in radio...these were a mistake....I never use the radio when I'm working with machines now.

Just my 2c worth...

:Dave F.

[tod evans]

dave, i rock at 85db+ most of the day. that`s why i have pa speakers and a mixer board in my shop. what i`m lookin` for is a good source that isn`t affected by sawdust yet puts out quality sound.
thanks for being concerned about my well being but music is an integral part of my life just as sawdust is and after close to 30 yrs working this way i ain`t about to change now....02 tod

[Al Willits]

If you can isolate your CD player, Sony makes a 400? CD player, won't have to convert all them CD's to MP3, just burn copies and fill er' up..
I'm betting dust and this player will not get along though.

I think they get about $200-250 online for this little puppy btw, ain't bad price for what ya get.

Al

[Tom Andersen]

Take a look here:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=25319

[Chris Padilla]

Nice thread, Tod! I actually have a TV with a built-in DVD/VCR player plus it is also hooked up to my Dish Network. The LOML got TV/DVD/VCR for me for Valentine's Day earlier this year. So far so good with everything on it working in the garage/shop.

Funny thing though, I have quad-band (AM/FM/Weather/TV) $10 radio in the shop that I often listen to AM talk radio on. Sometimes I can even pick up the local audio TV broadcasts on it. I use this little thing quite a bit now that I think about it.

I think your cheapest solution is a "not located in the shop" CD player or a CD player protected from the environment. One that plays MP3 that hold a lot of songs is something you'd like a lot, I'm betting.

BTW, I have Sirius on my BMW (one that I no longer have) and it was pretty cool listening to music with no commercials although some of the DJs can be a bit windy at times on certain channels. The coolest thing was the NFL broadcasts. I was on vacation with my wife last year driving the Pacific Northwest and eventually driving across British Columbia and Alberta, Canada and out in the middle of nowhere BC, I could listen to the local Denver radio broadcast of my beloved Broncos! THAT was very cool!!

[Bruce Page]

If you can isolate your CD player, Sony makes a 400? CD player, won't have to convert all them CD's to MP3, just burn copies and fill er' up..
I'm betting dust and this player will not get along though.

I think they get about $200-250 online for this little puppy btw, ain't bad price for what ya get.

Al
I have two Pioneer Elite changers that I’m going to be putting up on eBay pretty soon (gotta dig the original packing out of the attic first). They can be set up as master & slave with the master unit keeping track of all 600 CD’s. Each unit holds 301 – 300 plus a single play slot. They also have optical in/out.

[Al Willits]

""""""""
The coolest thing was the NFL broadcasts
"""""""
Sirius????
Naw, don't need it for that......
Unfornately, we in Minnesota have to tune to the Crime Reports station to get our football info....

Al who'd have thunk they'd know better....:)

[Chris Padilla]

Tod, meet Bruce.

Bruce, meet Tod.

You're welcome! ;)

[Dave Fifield]

dave, i rock at 85db+ most of the day (snip)....02 tod

How's your hearing Tod?

Wha?

I said...HOW'S YOUR HEARING TOD??....

Eh?
I said...HOW'S YOUR.....oh never mind.....

:Dave F.

[tod evans]

Tod, meet Bruce.

Bruce, meet Tod.

You're welcome! ;)

chris-n-bruce, cd is what i`m looking to get away from if i can find a source that`s relatively clean with no moving parts, or at least sealed.. guess i should have the kids borrow an mp3 player and an ipod from friends at school so i can listen...if that doesn`t work then i`ll look into 100ft patch cords and try putting the cd in the office...i`ll check out martys paypermonth radio when i`m in georgia next week too. maybe i`m wanting my cake and eat it too? tod

[tod evans]

How's your hearing Tod?

Wha?

I said...HOW'S YOUR HEARING TOD??....

Eh?
I said...HOW'S YOUR.....oh never mind.....

:Dave F.

two points dave!
and yeah my hearings going but ya` know what......there`s really not a whole lot i want to listen to that i can`t amplify....02 tod

[John Shuk]

Ditto.
I love XM. If I can find the link I'll post a link to a spot with lots of discounts available. The nice thing about Sat radio in general is that you can use it in your car or take it with you on vacation and still listen to what you are used to or enjoy.

[John Shuk]

Nice thread, Tod! I actually have a TV with a built-in DVD/VCR player plus it is also hooked up to my Dish Network. The LOML got TV/DVD/VCR for me for Valentine's Day earlier this year. So far so good with everything on it working in the garage/shop.

Funny thing though, I have quad-band (AM/FM/Weather/TV) $10 radio in the shop that I often listen to AM talk radio on. Sometimes I can even pick up the local audio TV broadcasts on it. I use this little thing quite a bit now that I think about it.

I think your cheapest solution is a "not located in the shop" CD player or a CD player protected from the environment. One that plays MP3 that hold a lot of songs is something you'd like a lot, I'm betting.

BTW, I have Sirius on my BMW (one that I no longer have) and it was pretty cool listening to music with no commercials although some of the DJs can be a bit windy at times on certain channels. The coolest thing was the NFL broadcasts. I was on vacation with my wife last year driving the Pacific Northwest and eventually driving across British Columbia and Alberta, Canada and out in the middle of nowhere BC, I could listen to the local Denver radio broadcast of my beloved Broncos! THAT was very cool!!
That is another nice option. I have Directv which features music programming by XM. If you could hook in to that you listen to what you are already paying for on your Sat TV bill. I think Dish Network has Sirius.

[Dan Larson]

chris-n-bruce, cd is what i`m looking to get away from if i can find a source that`s relatively clean with no moving parts, or at least sealed.. guess i should have the kids borrow an mp3 player and an ipod from friends at school so i can listen...if that doesn`t work then i`ll look into 100ft patch cords and try putting the cd in the office...i`ll check out martys paypermonth radio when i`m in georgia next week too. maybe i`m wanting my cake and eat it too? tod
Tod,

One consideration about going the MP3 route is the time it will take to convert your CD's to MP3 files... if you have 100's of CD's to convert, it's gonna take a good chunk of time sitting in front of the computer feeding it CD's...

Dan

[Ian Barley]

I only scanned this thread casually, so I'm sorry if I'm repeating someone else's point, but.....

IMO, it's DANGEROUS to have music or radio on in the workshop. I won't do it. It's too easy to lapse into concentrating what's on the radio or simply whistling along with your favorite tune....and you know what happens when you do that....accidents! IMO, you need to be concentrating on your work 100%.

My avatar shows me wearing a pair ear defenders with a built-in radio...these were a mistake....I never use the radio when I'm working with machines now.

Just my 2c worth...

:Dave F.
Not my experience Dave. I work alone and wear ear defenders all day. This can be isolating and I listen to recorded books most of the time because it stops me drifting off and keeps my whole brain alert, including the "sharp spinny thing" gland as well as the "great literature" muscle.

[Jim Becker]

Wife 2.0 is near impossible to find these days. For those lucky few that do find it, even fewer are willing to pay the price!
Wife 3.0 is perfection! :p Of course, the cost acquiring was property and kids... :eek: ...although the former came a couple years before the "wife" upgrade became final...
----

On the subject of MP3 fidelity, I agree that technically, it's not "as good" as CDs playing natively, but in a shop environment, which does not feature ideal acoustics or listening position or concentration on the music...even an audiophile isn't going to hear a huge difference under "normal operating conditions". IMHO, of course. (Same goes for sat radio...)

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Marty has a good idea...I have XM in the shop thanks to DirecTV. I also have a CD player though. I get mine off ebay for $10-20 a pop when one goes bad.

[Robert John Hebert]

I ran wires from my computer to my shop and plug into an old amp which i have in a room right outside my shop, Simple speaker wire from the room and we have music. I listen to internet radio, you can any kind of music you like, all free!

[Al Killian]

They make filters for cumputer fans, which will keep all the dust out. I have made one out of 1/4" plexiglass with a hinged front for acess.

[Ben Grunow]

Tod or is it tod- The real question to your answer is what do you want to do? Does listening to radio stations on XM or Sirius sound appealing (same as radio w/o ads) or do you have a CD collection that you love and cycle through constantly? If the answer is the CD's then you need an MP3 player and yes they will survive the dust (no moving parts).

The only downside is that you have to load all of your music into your computer to hear and that happens at a rate of 6 to 10 times the normal playing speed (6 to 10 minutes to load 60 minutes of music). That might sound fine but if you have 200 CDs then you might drive yourself nuts (even more) trying to complete this job. There are companies that you can send your CDs to and they digitize them for you.

The real benfit of an MP3 player is the ability to make mixes of your music very easily and save them to be played when the mood strikes- you dont have to listen to whole albums at a time like with a CD player. The Ipod also has a random or shuffle feature. PLus they are smaller than your wallet, hold 6 or 7 thousand songs, photos, names and numbers and you can listen in your car.

Thats my 2 cents. Good luck making the decision and let us know.

[Brandon Shew]

There are devices that let you "broadcast" songs from your computer to your stereo. You should look into one of those.

[Mark Aho]

I echo the Satellite radio suggestion, but I prefer Sirius to XM. I know a lot of people don't like him, but I enjoy Howard Stern's Show.

[Marty Walsh]

I echo the Satellite radio suggestion, but I prefer Sirius to XM. I know a lot of people don't like him, but I enjoy Howard Stern's Show.

Oh no, mention THAT guy and this thread will wind up locked!!!! :eek: :D :rolleyes:

- Marty -

[JayStPeter]

I have an ipod that I almost always have on me. I have 5 or 6 sets of headphones that I keep around for different purposes (excercise, work, noisy environment, etc.) and it also connects to my truck and 3 stereo systems in the house. In other words, this sucker runs a lot. Current one is over 2 years old now. Previous version went 1.5 years before being stolen, but the batteries were fading.

I have a stereo system in the shop that is usually where I plug in when in there. But if I'm going to be prepping lumber for a couple hours with screaming jointer and planer, I'll hook it to the belt and use my etymotic earplug headphones. Those suckers sound great and block the noise. It makes a dull job much nicer. I recently got a set of Shure earplug headphones to use in the lab at work, they also sound great but don't seem to be quite as effective as an earplug (although still pretty darn good). Both sets can aggrivate my ears internally after extended use, so I'll probably have an audiologist make some earmolds for at least one of the sets.

I keep the ipod in a neoprene sport case all the time to protect it from bumps and drops. It also helps with dust. After a full weekend in the shop, I'll pull the ipod out and hit the case with some compressed air so I don't get sawdust on my clothes.

I haven't had any problems with itunes. IMO, Windows DLL issues have been around since well before mp3 existed so it ain't specific to itunes. A couple years ago, the propritary apple ipod accessories were a pain (both because some of them sucked and the price was outrageous). But now there's so much available you can actually afford to get the accessories you want. It's finally reasonable to use it in your car without a crappy FM or cassette adapter.

I don't purchase music online. Ripping my 200+ CDs was quite a chore when I started. I did it over a period of a couple years. Now, I only have to update the ipod when I get some new music. I have a little over 2K songs on it and it is 2/3 full.

As for music quality in MP3. I consider myself an audio enthusiast, not an audiophile. I find with the ety's or shures, the sound quality is great. They block ambient noise so you're immediately immersed in the music and don't have to fart around with speaker placement to get good imaging. For rock music, it's hard to tell the difference. For more detailed music I'll rip it with higher rates if I notice a problem. Heck, you can rip it at CD quality if you want. You just won't fit as much on the drive. I think I've only ripped about 6 CDs with a higher rate though (4 were live albums, the extra noise/distortion just gets worse). I have noticed a difference between the smaller ipods and the larger ones. I haven't done the research to confirm, but I suspect higher quality digital-to-audio converters and audio components in the bigger ones.

I spent 3 weeks on travel and my rental had Sirius. It's alright, but I'm not entirely sold. There are no decent radio stations around here, so it was nice to hear some new music. No overwhelming urge to get one even though I've been considering it since moving to the boonies a few years ago.

Jay

[jonathan snyder]

Todd,

How about public radio! I too hate commercials. We are blessed here in Anchorage with a great public radio station. I never change the dial. Every genra on music you could imagine. They also stream at www.knba.org I make a small donation each year so I dont feel guilty.

Jonathan

[Vaughn McMillan]

I live in Radio Free Los Angeles. The reception in my area of the foothills is nearly non-existant, but even when I'm in town and can pick up stations, I hate listening to any of them, due to constant commercials and repeated playlists (one of my major buttons is repeated music). NPR, even if I could get it, is not my cup o' Chai. I have a portable XM unit (Walkman size) that I can take into the shop, and simply use the FM receiver in the 20-year-old JVC boombox in the shop to pick up signal from the XM unit. So add another vote for XM. My only gripe is that about a month or two after I got mine, the dropped the progressive rock channel that was my favorite. There's still good stuff available, but I miss that station.

Another option that might work for you Tod is a wireless hookup between your CD player (in another room) and your mixer. I've got this rig (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002EXJ98/sr=8-1/qid=1155894691/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-0555599-1470516?ie=UTF8) running TV and audio signal from my TiVo in the living room to the LCD TV in my home office, and it works for me. You'd only need to use the audio input/output; the video plugs would be unused in your case. It would beat running 100' of cable to get your CD signal from the office to the mixer in the shop. It even transmits the IR remote for my TiVo via RF signal, so I can sit in my office, point the remote at the wireless rig, and control the TiVo box in the other room.

- Vaughn

P.S. This line's a keeper:

...there`s really not a whole lot i want to listen to that i can`t amplify.

[Matt Warfield]

Tod,

While I would agree on XM or MP3 player for a solution, some still like CD's. For a shop, I would recommend a car stereo with a marine grade enclosure.

Or maybe you just pop the top on your CD player and blow the dust out?

Or maybe you just control the dust? :D

Matt

[tod evans]

okay in my reading i`ve found that the ipod is a mac thing....will i be able to use one with my windows computer if i go that route?
ben, it`s Tod-tod or even hey bud. i type one fingered and found that folks think i`m somewhat less obnoxious if i use lower case instead of all uppers.........i`m just lazy i suppose, usually i have a phone in my ear so even if typing with my left hand was something i could do i probably wouldn`t be able very often.....tod

[Nick Clayton]

tod,

I see a repetative theme here. You need your CD's! I've visited your website and you build beautiful furniture. Surely you can build a quick enclosure (sealed-cabinet) with a fan(s) to draw air in through an opening with a filter in it to eliminate saw dust. let me know how it comes out because I have one on the drawing board for my barn/shop.

jon, nobody beats www.wbur.org (http://www.wbur.org) :p


-Nick

[Glenn Clabo]

Tod...tod...hey bud...;)

Yes Ipod not only works with Windows... it's beyond simple. I'm absolutely hooked on this thing. It's brought me back to music all the time...everywhere...while exploring new artists along with getting back to the old.

[Roy Hatch]

Tod,

The response to your question is amazing! I couldn't bring myself to put expensive equipment into the shop atmosphere, so I went shopping at Habitat for Humanity. I got a receiver for $25 and a CD player for $15 which have been playing beautifully for over a year. And the speakers were my first attempt based on info from a speaker building site. Building the crossovers and all associated stuff was about $100 and the sound is fantastic.

Roy

[tod evans]

thanks, glen!
roy, i built my home speakers and to my untrained ear they sound fantastic. have you poked around on partsexpress web site? they`ve got some pretty cool stuff for folks who want to build their own speakers..tod

[Al Willits]

thanks, glen!
roy, i built my home speakers and to my untrained ear they sound fantastic. have you poked around on partsexpress web site? they`ve got some pretty cool stuff for folks who want to build their own speakers..tod

Todd, I bought all my speakers for the garage system though parts express, and got a bunch of hardware though them, good place to do business with.
Made my speakers off plans I got off a audio forum, and each weight about 80#, sound pretty good to me and that's what counts.

Same audio forum has plans for a enclosed rack with cooling fans, don't think it'd be that hard to add a bit of filter to it.
Not sure about posting another forums website, so if anybodies interested, just PM me.

Al .... anybody else like Robin Trower??? :D

[bill walton]

here. I've found the best part of having all my CDs ripped, at near CD quality BTW, is that I find myself listening to music I had not listened to for years. It's so easy to navigate to an album by genre, or artist or whatever and listen. Several years ago I spent several months ripping each time I sat down at the computer for something else and eventually I got it all converted. If you go this route, be sure to back it up somewhere like on an Ipod or external hard drive. I gave my wife one of those a couple of Christmases ago and she won't let me near it.

[JayStPeter]

The speakers in my shop are a Zalytron kit. They are the project that got me into woodworking in the first place. I've built some other speakers/subwoofers for both home and cars since.
I built a sub-sat "boze buster" project for my bedroom that turned out nice. It was about $250 in parts (including the cherry and cherry veneer to make the sub look like furniture) and sounds much better than the mid-range lacking bose systems.
Once I finish the other half of the basement, I'll build a full 7.1 home theater speaker setup that will be the highest quality home speakers (both audio and build/aesthetic) I've built.

oh yeah, tod, the new ipods are very easy to use with windows. a few years (and ipod generations) ago it was a little more difficult, but no problem now. cds are old school bro.

Jay

[Greg Narozniak]

I have a Creative Zen Micro that i have had for 2 years. The reason I chose it over the Apple devices (Not really an Apple fan in any way, shape or form even with the apple store in NYC right in my building :) ) is the Zen has a user replaceable battery, it has a FM tuner built in (No device to be added and I use it at my desk at work everyday) and I have a wired remote that is hung on my sholder strap of my backpack that I carry to work everyday so I never have to touch the unit and it sits safely in it's watertight pouch on my pack. This is a requirement for the 3+ hour round trip commute to NYC everyday.

I added a set of Ultimate Ears Super 5 headphones and while they are pricey I now hear music like I never had before and they isolate SO MUCH of the noise from the Train, Subways, etc that it is almost a pleasure to Commute. The cable is replacable so if they ever break I can replace them for $20. I use it when I cut the grass, work outside, Shop Time, etc with a older pair of Sony ear bud headphones and it works very very well.

The Zen comes with SW that allows you to put a CD in your computer and it goes to the web to the master directory and actually inputs all the names of the Songs and artists for each CD and then you can choose the bit rate etc and it converts them to MP3 and places it in the device as well as on your PC for a backup. It takes maybe 5 -10 minutes to convert a CD. You can also setup playlist etc. The unit is rock solid and I will purchase another one when the time comes. The 5gb I have is not even half full and I have over 500 songs in it.

I also have XM from Directv and will add that to the shop in the future for variety.

[Jim Becker]

II recently got a set of Shure earplug headphones to use in the lab at work, they also sound great but don't seem to be quite as effective as an earplug
If these are the noise canceling type, they are not "sealed" which would explain why they don't block out as much external loud noise. Nature of the beast...they have to take in external noise which they balance out with a phase reversal to effect "noise cancellation".

I personally can't use the "ear-bud" type thingies whether it's for a music player or a wireless phone headset. 'Can't keep them in my ears--even the smallest ones fall out of one or both of my ears--and they invariably are very uncomfortable for me if I can get them to stay in. (I must have strange ears) So if I want to listen to portable music in the shop or wear hearing protection for a long period of time, I use my Bose QC-II headphones that I have for air travel. (They are great on the tractor, too) But most of the time, my shop setup is just the receiver with the two old Radio Shack Minimus 7 aluminum speakers up near the ceiling...remarkable sound for being cheap, old and small, at least in the acoustics of my shop!

[tod evans]

jay, i checked out the zalytron site, never heard of them before. they seem to have fair prices on decent stuff.
greg, the "zen" unit uses off the shelf batteries? what type of "getya`s" are there with either an ipod or zen or any of the others? are they pretty much plug-n-play or does a fellow have to drop another couple hundred to have them function? i wouldn`t be interested in the headphone option as amps-n-speakers are something i do well, but software/cables/batteries ect. all add up quickly...tod

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Tod, the Zen Micro unit uses this.....

http://images.creative.com/iss/images/products/headers/prod11215_hdr_1_6_1.jpg

And the key point is that it is replaceable, the Apple Iplods are not, or you have to pay a bit to send them in and have them replaced, PITA that is. With the Zen, you can just pop a spare battery into it.

I to looked hard at these a short while ago, and I decided that I did not like the Iplod, I know at least a dozen friends that have had all kinds of problems with them, simple stupid stuff, like they dropped it on the wooden floor in their house, not big deal right, you would thing it would be made for that kind of thing, being an "On the go" tool, but nope, stopped working, had to be sent for repair. Others had bad battery problems, I think Apple sorted that, but in the end, I think the Creative Zen line was as good, and for me, it is NOT an apple :rolleyes: :D

Go have a look online, Amazon or some other shopping sites, they have some good comparisons.

Cheers!

[Chip Charnley]

All you need is the receiver (which can be hooked up to any stero unit) and a clear view of the southern sky.

You guys had me interested until you got to that clear view bit. Something about the 8 acres of hardwood forest I live in that makes that problematic at best. ;) :D

[JayStPeter]

If these are the noise canceling type, they are not "sealed" which would explain why they don't block out as much external loud noise. Nature of the beast...they have to take in external noise which they balance out with a phase reversal to effect "noise cancellation".


Both the etymotic and Shure are "in-ear" phones. Not ear buds. They look like earplugs and you have to plug them into your ear canal. They use the seal with your skull to provide bass response (it's my skull dude). I have literally tried 50 different headphones over the last few years (borrowed/demoed). Very few compare to the in-ear as far as sound quality goes.

The downside with in-ears is some discomfort when using them and having to deal with ear wax. They each come with a number of different rubber/foam adapters to fit your ears. Using all 20 of the different adapters they provide between them, I still can't find one that is comfortable for more than a couple hrs. I am planning to go to an audiologist and get earmolds made. Both brands are made to do it, i just have to get around to it.

I have the same problem with ear buds as you. I got some clip on phones for excercise as it's good to hear the cars when your running. The clips hurt after a while, but workouts/runs usually don't last long enough to get there. Better than the stupid earbuds popping out every 1/4 mile.

The Bose phones you have are pretty decent, but all the noise-cancelling phones I've tried bother me. It's hard to explain, but almost like I hear/feel the noise cancelling. I think only a small percentage of people find it objectionable. Unfortunately I'm one of 'em :rolleyes: .

Jay

[Ian Barley]

For me - everything Stu said about Creative instead of Apple. Mrs Barley is a bot more of a fashion victim and has a Nano. Didn't come with a charger (other than USB). My Zen came with everything I need so that I can keep it going away from a PC for as long as I want, has a 60gb disk and has survived several 4ft drops to concrete (not that I would recommend that). I use the Creative Muvo TX more now because it takes an AAA battery and I can keep a handful which means that I don't even need a plug socket.

Just not an Apple fan but it also has to be said that Ipod is VHS to everybody elses betamax. Not technically better but just got the overwhelming market share.

[Bruce Page]

Wife 3.0 is perfection! :p Of course, the cost acquiring was property and kids... :eek: ...although the former came a couple years before the "wife" upgrade became final...
----

On the subject of MP3 fidelity, I agree that technically, it's not "as good" as CDs playing natively, but in a shop environment, which does not feature ideal acoustics or listening position or concentration on the music...even an audiophile isn't going to hear a huge difference under "normal operating conditions". IMHO, of course. (Same goes for sat radio...)
Jim, I found harmony at version 2.5. I don’t think I will ever do anymore upgrades!

[Dave Boxmeyer]

I bought a pair of shure e3c headphones about a year and a half ago - I use them on my ipod. The sound quality is absolutely amazing - these headphones fit into your ears like "foamies" so they serve as both hearing protection and headphones. I think it's the best of both worlds as I am always wearing my hearing protection and I am getting great sound quality at the same time.

When I'm not listening to an audiobook, I'll play the Red Sox games over a cheap walkman (same headphones.)

I'm curious, anyone think using in ear cannal headphones that block out noise while serving as headphones as a safety issue? Sometimes I wonder that I'm not as aware since I can't hear anything. Other times I think it's the best safety gear going since I'm always wearing it.

Sorry if I've revived a thread that was already past it's prime!

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Dave there are some safety issues, but if you are working alone, they are much less. If you work with some other people around you, then it is a no no, IMHO, as some one may yell "Look out!" and you cannot hear it. One thing I would do is put up a sign at the entrance to your shop saying "I'm wearing hearing protection, I may not be able to hear you"

I would then tell family and friends, anyone who comes into your shop that if you do not respond to "Hey Dave" just move into your line of sight, and wait. Tell them to NEVER come up behind you and tap you on the shoulder, that is how people lose fingers!

Cheers!

[Bob Marino]

I am also looking into sound in the shop. Looks way high end, but does anyone have this from Polk Audio?
http://isonic.polkaudio.com/
Bob

[tod evans]

bob, that looks like a bose wave spin off? when it comes to audio gear i approach it like i do equipment, big-n-powerfull......while in georgia(metter) marty-n-denise hooked me up with the x-m stuff so hopefully i`ll be able to get it up-n-runnin` today or tomorrow? i`ll try to remember to post back on this thread how it survives the sawdust enviornment of my shop after a few months.....tod

[Al Willits]

Those not wanting to spend a ton of money might try audiogon or Craig's list and look for 60-70's gear, some great old recievers out there sitting in closets or not being used because their old.

I picked up a 35 wpc Yamaha reciever for a friend for $45 and it works fine...last I heard.

I'm running the old system I had from the 70's I had in the house, until we went with a HT set up, probably a bit of overkill, but at least it's getting used.
Some good deals out there if your a bit patient and look around.

Al

[Mark Pruitt]

Tod, have you considered making a "box" out of filters (furnace filters, HEPA filters etc) that will allow the sound to pass mostly unmuffled but protect the boombox at the same time? I keep meaning to do this, it's on my round tuit list.
Mark

[tod evans]

Tod, have you considered making a "box" out of filters (furnace filters, HEPA filters etc) that will allow the sound to pass mostly unmuffled but protect the boombox at the same time? I keep meaning to do this, it's on my round tuit list.
Mark


mark, my "boom-box" is a little big to put in a box..here`s a pic of the pre-amp,mixerboard, xm reciever, dead cd player and one speaker..tod

45806

[JayStPeter]

Bob,

That thing looks too nice for a shop :)

One of the bonuses of the march of technology is that older technology becomes cheap. I just threw away a '90s (then $400) Sony receiver because I determined it was worthless on ebay. It only had old-school pro logic surround sound. I already have a high-end '80s 2-channel in my shop. Those older pro-logic receivers were selling for ~$25. Some of those were nicer than what I had. Not enough to justify the ebay effort for me. Had I though about it I would've offered it up here as a shop stereo for free/shipping.

Jay

[Ed Kowaski]

I use a squeezebox from www.slimdevices.com. The server is 90 feet and a few rooms away from the shop. The tunes are mostly lossless (flac format) with some mp3. I have 2-250 gig music drives. In the shop it's set to random/shuffle play from a list of > 20K songs. Makes me happy! :)

[Rick Le Douche]

Anybody listen to country music in the shop??

[Alan DuBoff]

Anybody listen to country music in the shop??I tried once, but my shop turned into a deep dark river, my wife said she was gonna leave me, and I started beating the dog...so I turned it off right away.:p

I do play jazz all the time...:D

I guess this is on topic, although I am not sure what music has to do with general woodworking and power tools.

[glenn bradley]

With a rig like that I don't see any alternative to building a cabinet for it. My little portable I just cover with a rag where it sits inside a sliding door cabinet. Not dust proof but adequate. You're gonna need something a little more aggressive.

P.s. A scientific test was run playing country western and classic rock to various wood species. The C&W exposed wood became broken hearted, cheated on their partners, lost their jobs, etc.

[tod evans]

Anybody listen to country music in the shop??

rick, my shop is geared for production so rock-n-roll is the menu of the day....if the wife`s here and we`re popping a top then i`ll let her play some rock/country stuff like lynard, marshall tucker, charlie daniels ect. but i have problems with "the ol` lady ran off on the traaaain with the dawg" kinda stuff.....02 tod

[Rick Le Douche]

country now is not what it used to be.

I like keith Urbin, rascal flatts, and shedaisey just to name a few of the newer country groups.

Still like skynard, 38special, and CSN&Y too.

And Kenny is ok in my book too ;)

[Hugh Jaskok]

I just use a cheapo $20 radio/cd player I gots me from Wal-Mark. I think of it as a disposable item.:)

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

country now is not what it used to be.

I like keith Urbin, rascal flatts, and shedaisey just to name a few of the newer country groups.

Still like skynard, 38special, and CSN&Y too.

And Kenny is ok in my book too ;)

I like most all of it, "Country, Soul, Rock & Roll, what happend to them times.........." :D

[Erik Rudd]

country now is not what it used to be.

I like keith Urbin, rascal flatts, and shedaisey just to name a few of the newer country groups.

Still like skynard, 38special, and CSN&Y too.

And Kenny is ok in my book too ;)

Judging by your avatar you bear an uncanny resemblance to Kenny...but I bet you hear that all the time.

[Hugh Jaskok]

I noeticed that to. hehehehe.:)

[Rick Le Douche]

Kenny has blue eyes and mine are green. I am much thinner and shorter too.
I have been told i looked like him before though.

[Don Baer]

I listen to both kinds of music in my shop....
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
..
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Country and Western...:D

[Rick Gibson]

I use a portable CD player that sits just outside the shop door (basement shop) and a cable run in to a couple decent computer speakers. It also plays MP3's so I rip my CD's for music I like. It's off most of the time because I like silence best. I've got hundreds of CD's of the music I like so I can't see subscribing to one of those satellite radio services and spending money that I could be using for tools or wood.

[Mark Pruitt]

mark, my "boom-box" is a little big to put in a box..here`s a pic of the pre-amp,mixerboard, xm reciever, dead cd player and one speaker..tod


:eek: :eek: :eek: I think that could even compete with my 3 hp dust collector!

[Jim Becker]

Folks, since this is the General Woodworking Forum and not the OT Forum, let's try and keep the discussion to "music systems" for the shop which while on the fence, still fits here. After all...it's an important "tool" for many of us. "What kind of music", on the other hand, is a most excellent topic for a thread in the OT Forum... ;)

Jim
Moderator