Staff Blog: What I’ve Been Up To

What I’ve Been Up To

On 12/18/2019 at 02:24 PM by Matt Snee

First of all, I've been SLOWLY playing Dragon Quest 11 on the Switch. I finally reached the point where I was on PS4. It was worth getting the Switch version... there is the 2D mode (had a sidequest in that) and the orchestral soundtrack is great. Plus, I can play it on TV or handheld mode. At this rate though, I should finish the game in like five years - I play it maybe twice a week for an hour or two.

For Christmas, I am getting a new receiver for my surround sound system. My current Yamaha receiver is like six years old, and the cheapest piece of my system right now - I've upgraded to nice speakers and a dope turntable, but the receiver itself is a piece of shit. The new receiver is a Marantz 7 channel. Right now I have five channels, so I'm gonna use the extra two channels to bi-amp my front speakers.

Also, installing the new receiver will give me a chance to organize all my cables, etc, and I was thinking of reconnecting my GameCube...the receiver does have component inputs, and I have a GameCube component cable... somewhere. I've been thinking about this a lot, actually. There are not a lot of Gamecube games I want to play, but there are too HUGE ones - Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door, and the Remastered Skies of Arcadia. I already have these (I think) and I've been thinking of playing them a lot.

Otherwise, just getting ready for Xmas here. I asked for the new Pokémon game. Figured I'd check it out.

Cary Woodham

12/18/2019 at 11:00 PM

If I had the new DQ game on Switch, I'd play it entirely in 2-D mode.

Matt Snee Staff Writer

12/20/2019 at 09:57 AM

I considered that... but 3D mode is very pretty!!

KnightDriver

12/19/2019 at 11:28 PM

I used to be such an audio equipment head. I suppose if I had the money, I would pay more attention to it again. I was just listening to Rhino Record's podcast where they talked about how modern recording has really changed the sound of classic albums. I experienced that a few days later when I listened to Moving in Stereo by the Cars on Pandora. The clarity was mezmorizing. That song is so carefully composed and there were sounds in it I never heard before like keyboard imitations of car horns and how interesting Ben Orr's bass playing was.

I love my GameCube, wish I could set it up right now. I've got the GameBoy player for all those games plus a handful of GameCube games. Thousand Year Door is amazing. I'd like to revisit the Rogue Squadron games again too.

12/20/2019 at 09:58 AM

Ah, I forgot about the Rogue Squadron games! I used to love those! I guess I could find them on Ebay.

12/20/2019 at 10:44 AM

I never got through any of them but the second game was why I got a GameCube.

12/21/2019 at 12:47 PM

I don't remember which one it was, but I was obsessed by the Bespin level.

12/21/2019 at 09:21 PM

I can't remember hardly anothing about it now, but I still have II and III. I want to replay them.

mothman

12/23/2019 at 10:15 AM

I have a Marantz CD player and it is very nice.

I don't do surround at all and my integrated amp is a PS Audio Sprout. 50 (genuine) watts a channel into 8 ohm loads, built in phono stage, 1 analog and one optical digital input. Plus it has a bluetooth receiver built in.

Drives my Monitor Audio Bronze 2 speakers very well.

I'm thinking of getting a Sonos Beam soundbar for the living room TV. They sound great for the price and will likely be on sale after Christmas.

12/23/2019 at 12:27 PM

The Marantz has 50 watts per channel, a phono stage, and built in airplay and Bluetooth. I've been using Bluetooth, but I wanted airplay because it's lossless. The Yamaha I have now is a serious piece of dung.

12/23/2019 at 07:29 PM

LOL, let me know what you think of the Marantz after you've used it for a bit. I may go Marantz for a stereo integrated amp in the main room but then again I could go Rotel or Cambridge.

Then I could go all out crazy and go with McIntosh. As long as I can keep the wife from knowing what I paid.

12/23/2019 at 07:46 PM

I will. I know the audiophiles scold people for this, but when I'm not playing vinyl and just streaming music, I listen to "5 channel stereo." I just like the sound coming from everywhere and panoramic.

PixlBit

What I’ve Been Up To

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