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We need physical audio kill switches

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Re: We need physical audio kill switches

#281

Post by SSLy »

qppo wrote: post #63
formerly_proven wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a problem mostly caused by using passive log-taper circuits, instead of alternate active volume control circuits that use linear-taper pots, which have sufficiently good tolerance and ganging in low-cost dual units. But these circuits require 1-2 op amps per channel and those 20 cents are too much in three-figure hardware. Ganged log-taper pots have something like +-3 or +-6 dB ganging mismatch even for relati…

I've seen/heard this in $100 units from Schiit. Not to mention the poor hand soldering job that cost more money because a human did it in America.

You get what it says on the packaging

Re: We need physical audio kill switches

#282

Post by maest »

frankosaurus wrote: post #129
allenu wrote: post #105

I don't know what I'd do if my iPhone didn't have physical volume buttons. When I watch videos on YouTube now, as soon as an ad starts playing, I just mute it by using the volume button and look away for a few seconds as I can't stand ads (sadly there isn't a dedicated mute button).

Nice, I need to come up with a solution for this on desktop. My dream is a Chrome extension which recognizes Youtube ads and auto-mutes while they are playing.

You can just use Firefox + ublock.

Re: We need physical audio kill switches

#283

Post by SSLy »

stingraycharles wrote: post #143
mrkwse wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

macOS disables the audio control of HDMI outputs because that is what the HDMI specification expects/defines. If you think of all the devices that output via HDMI, Windows PCs are the outlier (afaik, not sure how Linux handles it) in allowing separate volume controls beyond those on the output device. Satellite set top boxes, media streaming devices (e.g. Apple TV - I realise NVidia Shield and some Chromecast apps do…

Linux can control volume on HDMI just fine. I guess it’s my expectation that on a desktop, I can control volume that the desktop emits, whereas with some appliance like an Apple TV or game consoles are solely built for streaming to a TV, and don’t have keyboard input etc, and for which it makes much more sense to just disable that control.

And so does Windows 10, BTW. (let you adjust HDMI vol)

Re: We need physical audio kill switches

#284

Post by mindslight »

GoToRO wrote: post #258
closeparen wrote: post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What languages and frameworks are people using in consumer electronics?

Autosar for automotive. The delay is a requirement and not really due to the framework.

Um, what? What kind of requirement of that? The UI lag on modern cars is a safety hazard.

Re: We need physical audio kill switches

#285

Post by radley »

vagab0nd wrote: post #151
brandon272 wrote: post #29

I let my spouse, who likes the novelty of a touchscreen, talk me into a Whirlpool oven a couple years ago that is controlled by touchscreen. I had no idea it was possible to hate an oven so much. The only saving grace is that the stovetop elements are still controlled by knobs.

Ah yes, the touch screen ovens. I have one. Every time I open it, the steam rushes out and registers the touch screen, doing something random each time. You never know what it'll do, it's exciting.

We have a Samsung oven. Often I'll lean a pot lid against the back and a random button event will be triggered (like setting the over to Bake). The lib doesn't press any buttons, it just triggers something via proximity (and steam, eh?).

Half of those unplanned triggers will cause the system to lock up. Samsung Support's solution: unplug the oven.

Re: We need physical audio kill switches

#286

Post by nerplederple »

onion-soup wrote: post #11

Nothing will ever come close to convenience of analogue volume knobs. They give both immediate action and infinite granular control. Same goes for kitchen stoves. All the modern touch controls with step-based control is the absolute nightmare in terms of UI.

I used to be able to control every element of the audio and HVAC in my old pickup truck by feel without ever taking my eyes off the road. Now, half the vehicles I sit in require taking eyes off the road to even find the control let alone locate the visual-only position of that control's feedback.

Re: We need physical audio kill switches

#287

Post by birdyrooster »

ctdeneen wrote: post #263
joe_the_user wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The upside to wireless switches are how cheap they to install and remove. I'm in a 40 year old apartment with a lot of switches that now affect nothing, because they broke and no one fixed the wires ('cause landlords are cheap). I wouldn't want to change this for a bunch of wireless switches but it's easy to imagine landlords of the future wanting nothing but glue on fixtures - routing wires costs significant money.

Are you saying the switch is broken? Those can be replaced in about 15 mins and cost very little. The wires in wall rarely break and if do that could be a very dangerous situation.

Waiting for “yeah there is a circuit that trips the breaker even with nothing plugged in”

Re: We need physical audio kill switches

#289

Post by auxym »

Judgmentality wrote: post #80
liability wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Things like this make me glad I'm not an audiophile. What you describe seems very annoying, but thankfully I've never noticed anything like it.

I don't think there's much benefit to being an audiophile, unless you're so rich you can actually enjoy your insanely expensive setup in your sound-proofed room with your specially-purchased lossless audio sources. Luckily, very few people who claim to be audiophiles can actually hear the difference in a blind test. https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2015/06/02/411473508/...

Heh, back in the day we purchased those "CD" things and they were lossless. Actually, they didn't employ any compression at all!

Re: We need physical audio kill switches

#290

Post by auxym »

liability wrote: post #117
tetris11 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every microwave I have ever owned have been under $30, purely because I didn't want to go digital. Analogue egg-timer knob - good enough accuracy, and instantly pliable

At least microwaves with digital controls actually have full numpads. Every digital-control oven I've ever had the misfortune of using only has increment/decrement buttons. Want to set the oven to 450F? Have fun pressing the increment button twenty times for five degree increments starting at 350F. It's an abomination.

Oh yeah and the button will probably give out after 3 years, at which point you have to replace the entire "timer" (control panel PCB), which is about half the price of the oven.
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