#High-Quality Sound System for Home

[coolwaysgroupofcompanies]

Transform Your Living Space with a High-Quality Sound System for Home

A modern home is more than just a place to live—it's an experience. From smart lighting to automated climate control, today's homes are designed to maximize convenience and comfort. But what truly elevates the ambiance of any living space? The answer is a high-quality sound system for home.

Whether you’re hosting a movie night, throwing a party, or simply enjoying a quiet evening with your favorite music, the right sound system can make all the difference. But how do you choose the best sound system for your needs, and why should you invest in a premium setup? Let’s explore the benefits of having a high-quality sound system and what to look for when upgrading your home audio experience.

The Importance of a High-Quality Sound System

In today’s digital age, audio has become an integral part of our daily lives. From streaming music and podcasts to enjoying immersive TV and gaming experiences, we constantly interact with sound. A high-quality sound system for home ensures that this interaction is seamless, clear, and powerful.

Here’s why investing in a premium sound system is worth every penny:

1. Immersive Entertainment

A high-quality sound system for home takes your entertainment experience to a new level. Whether you’re watching a blockbuster movie or a live concert, the surround sound effect transforms your living room into a theater. Every whisper, explosion, or musical note is delivered with precision, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the experience.

2. Multi-Room Audio Capability

Many modern sound systems offer multi-room audio capabilities, allowing you to enjoy music in every room of your home. This feature is ideal for large homes or gatherings where you want seamless audio playing throughout the house. You can control the audio from a central device, streaming different music in different rooms or syncing it all together for a party-like atmosphere.

3. Superior Sound Quality

The main reason to invest in a high-quality sound system for home is the superior sound quality. Cheap or low-end systems often produce flat or distorted sound, which diminishes the overall listening experience. A premium sound system, on the other hand, provides clear highs, rich mids, and deep bass, delivering an accurate representation of the audio source.

4. Smart Integration

A top-notch sound system not only enhances sound quality but also integrates seamlessly with your smart home devices. Many modern systems are compatible with voice assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri, allowing you to control the audio with simple voice commands. You can even automate sound settings to sync with your daily routines, like waking up to your favorite playlist or setting the perfect background music for a dinner party.

5. Tailored to Your Space

One of the key advantages of choosing a high-quality sound system for home is the ability to customize the setup according to your space. Whether you have a small apartment or a large home, a professional sound system installer can tailor the speakers, subwoofers, and amplifiers to fit your environment perfectly. This ensures optimal acoustics and an audio experience that feels just right for your space.

What to Look for in a High-Quality Sound System

Choosing the right sound system can feel overwhelming with so many options on the market. Here are a few key factors to consider when selecting a high-quality sound system for home:

Audio Clarity: Look for systems that provide a well-balanced sound with clear vocals and instrumentals.

Power Output: Ensure the system has enough power to fill your space with sound without distortion at high volumes.

Connectivity: Opt for a sound system with multiple connectivity options, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, HDMI, and optical inputs.

Expandability: Choose a system that allows for future upgrades, such as adding additional speakers or subwoofers.

Brand Reputation: Trusted audio brands are known for their quality and durability, so it's wise to invest in systems from reputable manufacturers.

Conclusion

Investing in a high-quality sound system for home is more than just a luxury—it’s an essential component of a modern living space. With immersive audio, multi-room capabilities, and smart home integration, a premium sound system enhances the way you experience entertainment in your home.

By choosing the right system tailored to your needs, you can enjoy superior sound quality that elevates every moment—whether you're relaxing with a podcast or hosting a movie marathon. So, if you're ready to transform your living space, it's time to explore the possibilities that a high-quality sound system can offer.

[morelhifi]

Fresh news: Read the new Avyra 622 review by The Ear HiFi Music Gear

🔊 Fresh news: Read the new Avyra 622 review by #Theearhifimusicgear - Author Trevor Butler.

Here are some highlights:

"Before packing these delightful speakers away, I thought about the dozens of designs which I hear, many at this price-point, but deem unworthy of a review because they simply are not up to the job. The 622s remained in my system, either side of the TV screen, as I went through my usual diet of drama, news and current affairs, and live classical concerts. At no time did I feel the urge to take the Morels out of the system because they never failed to not only satisfy but also excite. They did everything I wanted of them, and did it just right."

"This is a lot of speaker for the money...Confident of its design standards, Morel offers an impressive five-year warranty against manufacturing defects."

"...In the Avyra 622 we have a well-engineered, solidly made and superb sounding standmount speaker at a very competitive price, it is very highly recommended."

Read the full review HERE

To discover AVYRA - press here

[hope-for-the-planet]

From the article:

The two students presented their groundbreaking project at the 2024 International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF); a device that operates by using ultrasound waves to push microplastic particles to one side of a water flow, allowing clean water to pass through while trapping the contaminants. In their tests, the system successfully captured up to 94 per cent of microplastic particles, showing promise for real-world applications.   "If we could refine this, maybe use more professional equipment, maybe go to a lab instead of testing from our home, we could really improve our device and get it ready for large-scale manufacturing," Justin told Business Insider. The duo envisioned their device being used in water treatment plants, directly modifying the quality of water for daily use. This application could significantly reduce the amount of microplastics that end up in water sources, protecting ecosystems and human health.

[humans-are-seriously-weird]

Hey all things have been wild and i havent been on a lot

I wanted to make this post to raise some awareness for the chronic illness Ive recently been diagnosed with, in the hopes that someone suffering something similar feels less alone.

Around Christmas i started getting very very sick. I would throw up 5-6hrs of the day, and it kept me from eating or sleeping at all. For four months straight i cycled between ER rooms and hospital admissions. Ive lost over 100lbs since Christmas due to a complete inability to keep any food or water down. After dozens of tests, I finally have been diagnosed with Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome.

Its a brutal disease. Essentially it’s a stress induced illness where the autonomic nervous system that controls the stomach becomes out of sync. When my body becomes too stressed, I start getting sick. And when I am out of the stress, my stomach and abdomen dont get the memo that we are okay now. It continues to have its own mini anxiety attack, contracting and twisting and forcing me to throw up everything I have inside, and keeps going after with dry heaving. This is called an abdominal migraine, and let me tell you, it is so much worse than it sounds. Once you are in an episode, it is difficult to get out of. Once the body is stressed, the sickness stresses it more, which makes me sicker. It is a vicious cycle.

I lost my job to this disease because I missed two full months. I collapsed at work and had to be rushed to the hospital. The worst part of this disease is that it is so uncommon most hospitals dont know how to treat it. Ive been labeled a drug seeker at every hospital within 10km of my home because of how frequently I had to go to the ER, severely dehydrated and in such pain I could barely stand. I started refusing strong pain meds in favour of antispasmodics instead. ER docs and nurses blamed cannabis and told me that was my sole issue. It wasnt, though it does exacerbate the illness. Ive since stopped smoking, even though it brought me some relief, just to be taken seriously.

I am one of the lucky ones who got diagnosed quickly. Most people take years to get a diagnosis, and I got mine within 4months, though it is only because of how severe my illness was.

I am finally getting proper treatment that gives me some quality of life. I have a new job that is very understanding of how many days Ive had to take off due to flare ups and episodes. Im doing well now, but for awhile, i truly thought this disease was going to take my life. I wrote a will. I picked out a grave plot.

This isnt a sympathy post. CVS is often misdiagnosed as chronic appendicitis or GERD. The odds of someone following me who also has this disease is high, and I want to make sure they dont feel as alone and unheard in this as I have.

There is no cure for CVS, you can only try to manage it and lengthen the time between episodes. The hardest part is everyone constantly saying “but youve been doing so well”. I may be doing well now, but tomorrow is not guaranteed, the next hour is not guaranteed. My episodes come quickly and with little warning, and triggers can only be found through trial and error. I still miss a lot of work, I still wake up in the night dry heaving. If i miss a single dose of medication, i relapse. It is a brutal road, and I have been fortunate that I have a supportive partner and friends who have walked it with me.

If this sounds like you, you are not alone. Find a doctor who will listen to you, and trust your instincts. Advocate for yourself, and accept nothing less. Once, when an ER refused to see me, despite the fact that I passed out on the threshold, I started just screaming. I absolutely screamed my head off as if i had been shot. That got their attention, and they said they would treat me just to shut me up. Make a scene. It sucks that that is what I had to resort to, but they finally agreed to do an ultrasound and CT scan. It started me on the path of getting a proper diagnosis. Advocate for yourself loudly and without reserve. And if you cant, find someone who can on your behalf. When i was flitting in and out of consciousness, my partner advocated for me, and refused to let them discharge me until they got the vomiting under control, even just for a day. Be loud, be annoying, do whatever it takes.

You are not alone.

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Jamil Viper - Nightmare Suit Voice Lines

Everybody's waiting for the next surprise. In this town, try not to jump out of your skin. (Zero: Bark, bark, bark!)

Summon: This is Halloween! It doesn't matter where we are, it seems what we all have in common is that we want to celebrate and have fun on Halloween.

Groovification: Hahah, I can hear the screams echoing all across town. This ended up being a fantastic Halloween. (Zero: Bark, bark!)

Home: I'll be as gentlemanly as I can.

Swap Looks: Zero, don't romp around too much (Zero: Bark!)

Home Transition 1: As I listen to the sound of the fountain in the town square, I'm reminded of Scarabia. That is... as long as I don't look too carefully at the color of the water.

Home Transition 2: I was thinking this suit was surprisingly comfortable and as it turns out, each individual material making up this outfit seems to be of high-quality. It's rather extravagant...

Home Transition 3: I thought I heard a cat crying, but I soon learned it was the town alarm system... It gives off a bit of an intimidating feeling.

Home Transition - Login 1: There's werewolves, vampires, and other creatures I've never witnessed before... Who would have ever thought there'd be a strange world like this!

Home Transition - Login 2 (Swap Looks): Do you want to go for a walk? I'll go with you. This town under the moonlit sky is actually really beautiful. (Zero: Bark, bark!)

Home Transition - Groovy: I'm surprised you're fine after all those scares. You must really be thick-skinned... Hey, don't get mad, it's a compliment.

Home Tap 1: I see the sconces in the town hall were designed to look like snakes. I rather liked them. Maybe I should look for something similar one of these days.

Home Tap 2: Looks as though Jack-san's got pretty nimble fingers. Did you see how perfectly he made that card tower...? I wonder who would be more dexterous: him or Ace?

Home Tap 3: While Trey was trying to make some snacks, the pumpkin he started to cut started to move... Heh, I never thought I'd ever seen him of all people startle like that.

Home Tap 4: The cuisine here is just as bizarre ―ah, ahem, I mean... unique― as the townsfolk. I rather enjoyed talking about cooking with Sally-san.

Home Tap 5: It seems Malleus-senpai has taken to strolling around Halloween Town. The word is that he's searching for gargoyles, but I'm sure that's not the case.

Home Tap - Groovy: The Mayor and I are similar? How...? Because we're both two-faced? Heh, you sure don't pull your punches anymore.

Duo: [JAMIL]: We'll have them trembling with fear, Riddle. [RIDDLE]: I am fully prepared, Jamil.

Requested by @farfalla049.

[inkdrinkerworld]

if you’re looking for logan requests, idk if you do this or not but i’d love to see how he would react with a s/o whose high and giggly af- kinda how he’d react

Logan hadn’t been around you when you’ve had a smoke before, he’s always at the institute and you always need a smoke when he’s gone for longer than a week.

It’d been three weeks and you’re on your second blunt when he shoulders the door of your cottage home open.

The first thing he smells is the burning of it and then he hears you giggling and smiles.

“Lo?” You call, leaning over the back of your sofa hair falling in your eyes as you catch sight of your burly boyfriend stomping into the house.

“Hi, princess,” he kisses your forehead and sets his bags down. “How’re you?”

“Good,” there’s a giggling quality to every sound in your voice and Logan has to struggle real hard to keep his face passive. “There’s dinner, I made pesto pasta and chicken cutlets.”

“Thank you baby, I’ll eat in a little while.” He sits beside you and pulls you into his lap, your half smoked blunt held far away from Logan.

“Do you think if you smoked this you’d get high? I don’t know if your body would just regenerate and clean it out of your system.”

Logan watches you take another inhale and turn your face away to blow it out. “Maybe, I’ve never felt the need to try it.”

“It’s fun, makes you feel nice.” You finish the blunt off all by yourself, giggling even more, especially when Logan’s hands find your waist.

“Do you want any snacks? Anything to munch on?” This part of the dance he’s familiar with, getting all your favourite munchy snacks ready for you.

“Not yet, you smell nice.” You bury your nose to his neck and then to his chest and arms. “Why do you smell so nice?”

Logan chuckles as you try tucking your nose along every crook on his body. His hand pushes your forehead away, “I showered before I came back. Used that body wash you got me.”

“Let me smell you again, Logan.” You try turning your head free of his palm and giggle madly when you do and tuck your face into his shirt.

“You’re something else, girl. Completely something else.” He kisses your forehead gently and lets you busy yourself with sniffing him like a dog- at least till you get hungry.

[sirfrogsworth]

Froggie's Guide to Budget Headphones

@nimrella I am more well versed in traditional audio and home theater with big honking speakers, so I don't have much personal experience with headphones and headphone accessories. But I can tell you what I've learned from other people who are in the headphone world. And since you are starting more within the "budget" range I think I am somewhat qualified to guide you at this level.

You have three paths to choose from...

Wireless, low impedance wired (no amplification required), and high impedance wired (amplification required).

Basically... easy, medium, and hard.

But also... good, better, best.

Wireless Headphones

Wireless headphones have come a long way. Audiophiles used to scoff at them but now there are options that really do sound fantastic and the Bluetooth data rates are good enough to deliver high resolution audio. They also have noise cancellation options which may be desirable. If you do not have a quiet, dedicated space for listening to music you might find high end noise cancellation a godsend. People love them especially for planes, trains, and automobiles.

I don't know if everyone knows how noise cancellation works or not, but basically the headphones have microphones that listen to the world around you. They measure the incoming sound and then generate an opposite sound that just about kills ambient noise. If you play the same sound 180 degrees out of phase it basically nullifies those sound waves. The tech works best between 50 Hz and 1000 Hz. For reference we hear between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz (lower if you are old). So anything super high or super low pitched can still get through.

In any case, if that sounds appealing, wireless headphones should be a consideration.

The other advantage of wireless headphones would be the ease of use. They pair to your phone, your laptop, your TV. They have controls to help you pause and skip songs and change volume. Some allow you to take phone calls.

But the big downside is the sound quality takes a bit of a hit. As I said, the bluetooth standards have actually gotten very very good. (Though there are audiophiles who will swear it still sounds like a 1990s MP3.) So streaming the actual media files are not really an issue. But trying to cram all of that tech into lightweight headphones you can wear around town all day requires compromises and added expense. Not to mention the battery has a limited lifespan. You may have more limited or inconsistent frequency response, poor dynamic range, distortion problems, weak output, and a high noise floor. Wireless options still can't match wired headphone systems in the same price range. And the wireless options that come close are quite spendy.

Wireless Headphones Suggestions

In your price range the two wireless options that I hear mentioned over and over again are the Sony WH-1000 series and the Bose QuietComfort. They are both well regarded for having a good mix of sound quality and noise cancellation while also being a decent value. You might be able to visit a Best Buy and demo them to see if you prefer the sound and comfort of one over the other.

The Apple AirPods Max are said to work really well within the Apple ecosystem. They have some interesting spatial sound modes and very good audio quality. I've heard the noise cancellation is some of the best currently available. But they seem too expensive and a lot of people feel they are too heavy. I also suspect they are due for an update. That said, if you wait for the new ones to come out and buy used, they could come into your price range. I'd really only suggest these if you have multiple Apple products that you will be streaming sound from.

Before we move into wired headphones, let's go over some terms that you might see pop up when doing research and reading reviews.

Froggie's Glossary of Audiophile Terminology

Driver A speaker is made up of drivers. Some speakers have a woofer, a midrange, and a tweeter. Each individual thing is a driver. And with headphones you will often hear "headphone driver" instead of speaker because it is more specific. Headphones typically have an all-in-one driver that does all frequencies. A woofymidteet.

That's not a thing.

I made that up.

Frequency Response This is the range of frequencies produced by the drivers from low to high. You want to make sure your headphones have good, deep bass. That will make more of a difference than anything else. It's the foundation of all sound and what is sorely lacking in devices with small/cheap speakers.

Music typically doesn't go much below 40 Hz in the bass range. So if you are only interested in music listening, that is plenty deep. Movies can go down to 20 Hz, but this isn't necessary for a good immersive experience unless you have giant subwoofers. So if you find something that can play ~40 Hz with decent output, you should be all good. Every speaker has a frequency response curve. It looks something like this.

The X-axis represents the frequency and the Y-axis represents the volume in decibels. We are most concerned with the 40 to 10K Hz section, as most sound happens there.

I'm not going to go super in-depth and overwhelm everyone, but typically you want this graph to look fairly flat in that range. A flat-ish line will give you a "neutral" response.

The above graph gets a little bumpy in the high frequencies. That means those frequencies will have a higher volume than the lower frequencies. If a higher frequency has a big peak, that could make your sound seem too bright or tinny.

Or you could have the opposite problem. You could have a null in the bass where the output dips below everything else. This can make your sound a bit anemic and lacking punch.

Whereas a more flat speaker will output all frequencies at about the same volume and sound much more balanced and smooth.

Equalization or EQ A flat response is good because it will accept EQ well. Equalization is where you add peaks and dips in volume deliberately to taste.

This can be as simple as 3 knobs.

Or it can be a more complicated parametric EQ.

A lot of digital EQ methods have presets to help get you started. I promise it isn't as intimidating as it looks.

Some people like to buy speakers/headphones that are EQ'd how they prefer out of the box. (Or if you get Beats by Dre they just turn the bass all the way up and say "Fuck them other frequencies!") But this is often a bit of a crapshoot because it is hard to EQ a speaker that sounds good in every room or every environment or just to varying individual preferences.

By making the speaker more neutral, it can be much easier to equalize specifically to your needs and enjoyment.

So if you like the bass a little bassier and the mids a little quieter, you have the power to dial that in with great specificity on a neutral speaker. You can apply any EQ you wish and you won't be fighting the speaker's predetermined response.

Basically if you are reading reviews and the headphones are described as "flat" or "neutral" that's a good thing (in my opinion). Just remember nothing is going to be perfectly flat. We're shooting for flat-ish.

If you do decide to get a neutral sounding pair of headphones you may find them a little bland out of the box. Do not panic. You just need to learn a bit about how to apply EQ, but thankfully YouTube is plentiful with tutorials.

The Harman Curve was researched to be most liked by the most people, so you might start there. (Also, SoundSource is a very popular EQ app for Mac.)

Dynamic Range This is the spectrum of how quiet to loud something can get. If you have speakers that can render both a pin drop and a big explosion with great fidelity and proper intensity, you will be in audio heaven. There is so much emotion and drama that can be expressed by expansive dynamic range and most cheap speakers compress it to an inch of its life. When the soft and the loud sounds are the same you miss out on so much audio information intended by the composer.

Distortion This is just how loud a speaker can go without breaking up. Low distortion is good. While every driver distorts at some point, usually that is at a much higher volume than you will use. This typically only plagues cheap, tiny drivers.

Sound Pressure Level (SPL) This is a measurement of how loud a speaker can get. While you don't want to listen to anything louder than a sustained average decibel level of 80 to 85, you do want peaks over 100, especially in the bass. Bass is less damaging to ears and hearing damage is all about sustained volume rather than quick peaks here and there. Most headphones can comfortably do an SPL between 90 and 110 dB. The ability to go louder is good, but only because that expands headroom, not because you should actually listen to them that loud. So if the headphones can get super loud, that means they will have a much easier time delivering normal levels.

Noise Floor Every sound system has background noise. You know that static you hear when you turn a radio up really loud when there is no sound playing? That is your noise floor. You want that to be as quiet as possible because if you turn up the volume, you don't just turn up the volume of the sounds you want to hear, you also turn up the volume of that background noise.

If you can find a headphone system with a decent low noise floor and you can also find a very quiet space to listen in, you could have a religious experience. I don't think people realize how much the room you are in matters, even when listening to headphones. When you are in a quiet room, you can play at lower volumes. And that can mitigate a lot of the problems associated with cranking the volume. You won't damage your ears for one thing. But the speakers won't have to work as hard so you'll have less distortion and better clarity.

Noise mostly comes from the amplifier, which I will talk about later on.

Froggie Pro Tip: If you want cheap speakers to perform better, go to a quiet room and move them as close as possible. This allows you to play them at a lower output while maintaining your desired perceived volume.

Okay, now we can finally talk about...

Wired Headphones

You have open back and closed back styles.

Open back tends to have a more natural sound and feels more comfortable. Like listening to regular speakers. People generally feel they are able to listen to them longer because they don't create a seal and cause pressure on your ear drum. However, if sound can get out, it can also get in. So with open back headphones people nearby will be able to hear what you are listening to. And if you are not in a quiet room, all of that sound will leak in. Meaning you have to increase the volume and the noise floor and the distortion.

Closed back seals off your ears and gives you a quiet and immersive experience. You can be in a noisier room without having to crank the volume as much. Some prefer this style just because it helps them feel like they are going into their own personal dimension of sound. These are great for ASMR too. But ear fatigue can become an issue and you may need to take little breaks to let your ears breathe and your ear drums rest.

And the last thing we need to discuss is impedance.

The impedance of headphones mostly determines how hard they are to amplify. Impedance is measured in ohms which is this little horseshoe symbol... Ω.

Lower ohms means less electrical resistance and easier to amplify.

Higher ohms means more electrical resistance and difficult to amplify.

If you get headphones rated below 100 ohms, they can typically be driven by smartphones and laptops just by plugging into a standard headphone jack. Though depending on the device, 100 may sound a little quiet so you may want to go lower. 30 ohms is fairly typical if you plan to drive your headphones with everyday electronics.

Above 100 ohms you are going to need some sort of amplification—usually a DAC with a headphone amplifier. (There are DACs without amplification so be sure to check that.)

A DAC, or digital-to-analog converter, is already built into your phone and laptop. But those are very small, don't have a lot of power, and might have a higher noise floor due to interference from other components and heat and just a lot of electrical signals nearby.

By getting an external DAC w/amplifier you separate out the components, make them larger and more powerful, and typically improve the sound quality. Because it is more isolated, the amplification can be much quieter despite being more powerful.

If you plan to stay in a static location and you have high impedance headphones, you can get a little box DAC that sits on your desk. It works like an external sound card for your computer. If you record music or stream, a digital audio interface works great as well (remember to check the Ω).

But if you need to be more mobile with your headphones you can get a little USB dongle DAC, though you will probably not get the same sound quality and power.

Both will be superior to the internal DAC built into your computing devices.

So, low impedance headphones are easier if you need to move around.

High impedance headphones are better for staying put in a single location unless you get a dongle DAC.

Just remember, high and low impedance doesn't necessarily indicate quality. It's just that in order to drive high impedance headphones you need the larger amplifier with the nicer components and, by necessity, you automatically get that quality bump.

You can get very good low impedance headphones. However, if you power them *only* with a smartphone, you may not use them to their full potential. Which is why getting an external DAC is a good idea regardless.

But the nice thing about low impedance is you can get the headphones and still use them until you save up for the DAC. Or you can use them as normal while out and about and have a special listening spot at home with the DAC.

To review...

Low impedance and high impedance can both be high quality.

Low impedance (less than 100 ohms) works with anything.

High impedance (more than 100 ohms) requires amplification.

Both will be used to their full potential with a DAC/headphone amplifier of some kind.

Wired Headphones Suggestions

Again, I have not personally listened to any of these. I am just relaying what experts I trust have mentioned as being nice quality in your price range.

The beyerdynamic DT 770 headphones are some of the most well-regarded budget headphones I've heard of. They come in low and high impedance versions.

The Sennheiser HD 560 high impedance headphones are also praised for their value and performance.

If you can go a little pricier...

The HIFIMAN Sundara headphones have low impedance and can be driven easily by all your devices.

And the HIFIMAN Edition XS are even lower impedance and about the same price.

And if you want to try a DAC, I've heard good things about both Fosi and Schiit (yes, like the poopies), though there are many different brands. Just make sure the DAC has a headphone amplifier rated for the ohms you need.

The FOSI K5 Pro is a cheap "beginner" DAC that will power anything up to 300 ohms. This is the kind that sits on your desk.

And if you want a more portable dongle DAC, you can get something like the iFi Go Link.

I've also heard good things about the AudioQuest Dragonfly, though I hate recommending AudioQuest products due to them claiming they can do magical things. They use scientific gobbledygook to scam customers most of the time. That said, the DragonFly might be their only valid product.

Note from Future Froggie: AudioQuest just can't help themselves. While the Dragonfly itself is a good product and not a scam, they developed the "DragonTail", which is a scam.

It's just a USB A to C Adapter for the Dragonfly. But they have to find a way to justify 30 fucking dollars so they came up with this bullshit.

Definitely need to stabilize my geometry. If I have unstable geometry that could lead to quixotic trigonometry. And we all know that could introduce vertices into dodecahedrons. Which leads straight to accelerated cosmotic entropy catalyzing the heat death of the universe.

Fucking AudioQuest.

ANYWAY...

An inexpensive DAC may be all you ever need but DACs can get crazy expensive—just like headphones. And if you are really fancy you can get a DAC and a headphone amplifier as separate items. Audiophiles claim when you simplify components to a singular function you increase quality. While I think there is some small truth to that, I suspect they just think the tubes look neat.

Froggie's Disclaimer: I am not telling you to get these specific things, but I do think you'll probably be happy with anything I've suggested. But sound is a subjective experience and it is always best to test things out before you buy them, if possible. Or make sure there is a return policy. You might see if there is a brick-and-mortar store nearby that allows you to demo headphones. Remember that comfort can be just as crucial as sound quality for long listening sessions.

Final Thoughts

Good sound has been life changing for me. And I am excited when anyone goes down this journey. While the stuff mentioned is considered "budget" by audiophiles, this can give you a good starting point if you want to upgrade down the road. You'll get to know your preferences and get a better understanding of how this all works and choose your own adventure from there.

Though it is very possible you'll be quite content with "budget" and the sound quality is more than enough.

Personally, while I am very happy with my current home theater setup, I am hopeful one day I can upgrade one budget tier above where I currently am and that will be my endgame. I've heard $10,000 speakers and it is mostly a land of diminishing returns once you reach that level.

I'm fine in "budget" land.

Further Research

I didn't mention the different types of headphone drivers because I didn't want to put too much data in everyone's head. But if you want to do additional research you can learn about the 4 main types... dynamic, planar magnetic, electrostatic, and balanced armature.

[femmefatalevibe]

Femme Fatale Guide: Products & Services Worth The Splurge

Fashion:

A great couple of bras in black/nude (your best skin-toned shade)

Comfortable, breathable, and seamless underwear

Outerwear (Coats, jackets, blazers)

The perfect pair of jeans

An LBD that works from day to night

Comfortable, sturdy, sleek, and timeless footwear (a versatile black boot, a black heel, white sneaker, and a black flat/loafer/sandal)

A timeless and versatile crossbody or shoulder bag (a larger one for the daytime/work or school and a smaller one for nighttime/events)

One or two well-made classic jewelry item(s)

A conversation-starting item or accessory

Beauty:

Sunscreen

Any skincare/skin cosmetic products that are game-changers for you

A quality hair brush, comb, and hair towel

Your signature scent

A quality razor/hair removal product

Vitamin C/Retinol serums

Reliable hair tools and sturdy nail tools

A quality hair heat protectant/scalp cleansing or conditioning spray

Makeup brushes and beauty tool cleaners

Home:

Lamps/lighting

Couch/desk chair

Everything for your bed: Bed frame, mattress/sheets/pillows, etc.

Knives

Dishwasher-safe and microwave-safe dishes & cups you love

A full-length mirror

Vacuum

Storage solutions/cedar blocks or moth balls

Quality holders for everything: Paper towels, shower storage, hooks, mailbox/key bowls

Name brand paper products/household cleaners

Electric toothbrush & Waterpik

Sound-proof headphones/Airpods

MacBook Air

Health & Wellness:

High-quality lettuce and/or sprouts

Organic frozen fruits and vegetables (if fresh is too pricey)

BPA-free canned goods

Potassium bromate & glyphosate-free grain products

Snacks free of artificial colors

Quality coffee

An at-home massage tool/heating pad

Fur products for skin/hair removal

Vitamin C/Retinol serums

Quality running shoes

Anything that goes near your vulva or into the vagina: Sex toys, lube, condoms, toy cleaners, pads/tampons/menstrual cups, cleansing wipes, etc.

A yoga mat, resistance band, and a pair of small ankle weights

Spotify subscription

Books and audiobooks

Services:

Therapy

A top-tier haircut

House cleaning (even if it's only once every couple of months)

Top-tier hair removal/brow maintenance services of your choice

Best doctors, dentists, OB/GYN, and dermatologists you can get

At least one personal training/styling session in your life

Professional/Social:

Ownership of the domain for your full legal/professional name and/or business name

A CPA/bookkeeper/fiduciary financial advisor

Automation workflow/content management system software

A lawyer for contract review/LLC services

Personalized stationery/"Thank You" cards

Memorable client gifting for the holidays/milestone successes

Niche skill-based certifications (Google, AWS, Hubspot, etc.) or courses made by trusted professionals in your field

Subscriptions in world-leading and industry-authority digital publications

[starchaserwrites]

@jegulus-microfic / february 3: king / word count: 281

"Good afternoon, you have reached the after-sales service of Estrella's Beds & Beyond Emporium. My name is Regulus, how can I assist you today?"

"Hi, I recently received a new king size mattress that I bought from you guys, but I'm not really completely satisfied with my purchase."

"I'm sorry to hear that, could you please give me some details about what didn't meet your expectations so that I can better understand and address your concerns?"

"Sure! Well, the delivery service was good, they even gave me instructions on how to look after my new purchase. The mattress seems to be really optimal, it is obvious that it is made of high quality materials and it also seems to comply with the motion isolation and adaptability systems promised by your company. It is even environmentally friendly!"

"Excuse me, but I fail to see the problem here. It actually sounds like an excellent investment."

"'Yeah, the thing is, it's crucial for me to find out how it will react under more strenuous conditions, if you know what I mean, so I need someone to help me test its capacity.'"

"How terribly inconsiderate of us not to think about that. Would it be all right if I send one of our highly trained assistants today? He can be there in less than twenty minutes if you agree."

"Oh, that would be perfect, thank you so much!"

"Before we finish, how would you rate my assistance during this call on a scale of 1 to 10? 1 being completely unsatisfactory and 10 being completely satisfactory."

"Eleven, hurry up, please!"

"Really eager, Potter, aren't you?"

"For you? Always."

"See you at home in a minute, baby."

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

Not covid, but another great reason to keep masks on hand: Fine particulate matter increases all sorts of other health issues like asthma, high blood pressure, some cancers, and even strokes. Pollution is just as bad for you as covid in some senses.

By Alden Woods and Kiyomi Taguchi

As Baby Boomers hit retirement, about 1 in 6 Americans is now over the age of 65. The number of Americans living with dementia is projected to skyrocket — but the proportion of older Americans who develop dementia has actually decreased. The exact reason why is uncertain, but various lifestyle and environmental factors can influence a person’s risk of cognitive decline.

One recently discovered risk is air pollution. Studies have linked exposure to a type of air pollution called fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, with an increased risk of developing dementia, and researchers suspect that some sources of PM2.5 may pose a greater risk than others.

New research led by the University of Washington found that wildfire smoke is especially hazardous. An analysis of the health care records of 1.2 million Southern California residents found that higher long-term smoke exposure was associated with a significant increase in the odds that a person would be diagnosed with dementia.

The researchers presented their findings at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in July and published the full study Nov. 25 in JAMA Neurology.

“There have been studies that have found total PM2.5 is related to people developing dementia, but no one had looked specifically at wildfire PM2.5,” said lead author Joan Casey, a UW associate professor of environmental & occupational health sciences. “Wildfire smoke is a different animal, in that it’s much spikier. There are many days where there’s no wildfire smoke, and there are some days where exposure is really, really extreme.”

Researchers analyzed the health records of 1.2 million members aged 60 and older of Kaiser Permanente Southern California between 2008 and 2019, all of whom were free from dementia at the start of the study period. They estimated each person’s long-term exposure to both wildfire and non-wildfire PM2.5 as a three-year rolling average, and then identified people who received a dementia diagnosis.

Researchers found that for every 1 microgram per cubic meter (µg/m3) increase in three-year average wildfire PM2.5 concentration, the odds of a dementia diagnosis increased by 18%. Exposure to non-wildfire PM2.5 also increased a person’s risk of dementia, but to a much lesser degree.

“One microgram per meter cubed might sound fairly small, but we have to think about how people are exposed to wildfire smoke,” Casey said. “Most days they aren’t exposed at all, so this might represent a few days of exposure at a concentration of something like 300 µg/m3, where the AQI is over 200 in someone’s community. When you think about it, it’s actually a few really severe wildfire smoke days that might translate into increased risk.”

That risk further increased among racialized people and those living in high-poverty census tracts, following long-term trends in which vulnerable populations often experience disproportionate effects of environmental hazards. The authors suggested that disparities might be related to lower-quality housing, which can increase the amount of smoke that enters people’s homes, or lower-income families’ inability to afford air filtration systems.

The study period does not include the summers of 2020 and 2021, which produced the most extreme wildfire seasons recorded in California. The climate crisis has drastically increased the frequency and severity of wildfires across the American West, introducing “smoke season” in many West Coast regions The influx of smoke has chipped away at air quality improvements made over the last century.

“The main culprit here is climate change,” Casey said. “It’s a global problem. While individuals can protect themselves with air filters and masks, we need a global solution to climate change. It’s going to have to be many-pronged — many people have to be involved to solve this highly complex problem.”

Co-authors on this study are Holly Elser of the University of Pennsylvania; Timothy Frankland of the Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Center for Integrated Health Research; Chen Chen and Tarik Benmarhnia of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego; Sara Tartof and Gina Lee of Kaiser Permanente Southern California; Elizabeth Rose Mayeda of UCLA; Dr. Alexander Northrop of Columbia University; and Jacqueline Torres of UC San Francisco. This research was funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences.

Study link: jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/article-abstract/2827124

[itsythebitsyspider]

Jayce X fem reader. Quick enemies to lovers, slight angst (argument) smut

No beta we die like men, enjoy.

“Seriously? This is Hiemerdingers pick?” You groaned and slammed your hands on your desk. “I cannot believe you! This is basic principle. How do you just forget the first thing we’re taught about the Arcane? When you apply force it will adapt to your force and reciprocate with a force of its own.” You picked up his journal and waved it around. “It’s own force!”

Jayce groaned and threw up his hands. “Okay well y’know what? I’m not the one who caused some kind of supersonic boom in the lab!”

“I was following the procedure you gave me!”

“The procedure that requires two people??? Yeah no wonder it blew up. Because you can’t seem to follow basic instructions, or even bother to ask for help.”

“I don’t need your damn help.” You snapped, standing up and shoving the chair behind you a few feet back. You grabbed your notes and shoved them into your satchel. “Screw you.” You jammed your finger into his chest. “ And screw Heimerdinger for putting us on this stupid project. And also, screw your little arcane fantasy okay? Go share that wet dream with someone who cares.” You slung your bag over your shoulder and stormed out.

Your anger was seething. It felt like a vat of hot acid bubbling like mad. Every drop that fell over the edge burned everything around it. The vat trembled with the might of your anger, and you could imagine the little people in your head that ran the system were freaking out with the sheer amount of effort it took just trying to contain the damage to that one area. Every window you passed as you walked to your room in the academy was taunting you.

Every potted plant outside the rooms of the other dorms, every small welcome sign, hell even the damn lights above your head were calling for you to get angry. You had to hold back. You couldn’t get angry. You didn’t work well when you were angry. You couldn’t function. Breaking something would release the anger, but could you afford to break anything?

Your door thanked it’s lucky stars that you didn’t punch a hole in it when you struggled with the keys, but you didn’t bother being gentle as you slammed it shut. The sound echoed in your bare room and the lights flickered on. You grimaced at the bright lighting so late at night before you reached over to the light switch and dimmed it. You dropped your bag on the ground next to your shoes. You slowly discarded your academy uniform until you were left in a basic tank top and a pair of underwear. The room was hot. Much too hot to be wearing any clothes. You let out a sigh and took off all the blankets on your bed until you were left with just the sheets. You turned the fan on as high as it would go and you laid down, hoping that somehow the cool air would be able to calm the fiery storm that burned at your self control.

How could Jayce be so stupid? Yeah you might have caused a mini explosion in the lab. But that was nothing compared to the incident that Jayce had caused when he tried to force two arcane particles together. Was he trying to cause a nuclear explosion? Splitting an atom was the basic principle of making a nuclear bomb.So adding two atoms together would cause what? What was the opposite of nuclear? The opposite of an explosion?

An implosion? Implosion of what? It would have to be something renewable. Something natural. The arcane was a natural sort of energy. Despite its unnatural qualities, it was still an organic type of energy native to the planet. Adding together the two ideas you’d get an implosion of organic energy. Organic energy that loved to heal via adapting.

You sat up in bed. Organic energy that would heal via adapting? Adapting how? Creating something new entirely? The arcane in an explosion would destroy things from the inside out. You’d witnessed it first hand during that explosion at Jayce’s home lab. Everything in the area seemed to have been destroyed internally before even touching the outside. When you heard about the woman from Zaun who had been caught in a similar explosion not even days later, you heard that her hand had been destroyed on a molecular level. It seemed to destroy her bones, her nerves, the muscle and tendons, followed by the skin soon after. It wasn’t a clean cut, the man giving you the information seemed to have a sick glint in his eye when he spoke about how they ended up having to cut off her arm a few inches higher because it had left a mess on her stump.

Working on the theory that rather than subtracting from an Arcane particle, that you would instead add to it, opened up a whole new line of thought. All of this was subjective of course. It was just some fan theory about an entirely new science. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t plausible.

You leaped out of bed and scrambled to find a clean sheet of paper and a pencil. You groaned and grabbed a marker instead and found the nearest wall. You climbed on top of your chair and started writing. If your theory had even some semblance of truth to it, this could be the big breakthrough that would finally allow hextech to be integrated into other fields. Not just the Hex Gates that kept you safe from outside threats, but also inside threats. Diseases, physical conditions, this could be the cure. You stared at your mad scribbling. Could it…? Cure to what? You bit your lip. If you were right about this, it could be the next Shimmer. Unregulated Hex… Hex medicine? HexMed? You’d work on the name later. But this would be the next Vicodin. And these hurting citizens of Piltover, would be the crippled doctor that popped a pill on the hour.

Strict regulations.That would help keep people from developing an addiction or overusing it. But what were regulations for people with money? Nothing. You could imagine the desperate people breaking into pharmacies and taking as much medicine as they could carry. Soon you’d see mutations up and down the streets. A cashier with three eyes where he used to be blind. A doctor with fibromyalgia suddenly having muscles that were far too adapted for the rest of his body to handle. Or someone with a stump, growing an entirely new limb. It was unpredictable. Far too unpredictable to use.

You were on the verge of an episode, you could feel it crawling up the back of your neck.The familiar You needed to talk to someone.

You groaned.You only trusted a handful of people, and one of them infuriated you to no end. You grumbled and glanced at the phone before reluctantly calling the man who you had just argued with and told to go screw himself just a few minutes prior.

“What.”

“Still mad?”

“No. I’m just ecstatic that you yelled at me and proceeded to degrade my entire being.”

“Look I… I need your help.”

“I just got to my dorm. Can it wait?”

“Not if you wantt me to end up with another 5150..”

There was a long silence on the other end as he processed what you said.

“I'll be right over. Don’t blow anything up.”

You had half the mind to at least throw on a pair of shorts but that was it. Your mind was racing a mile a minute and it was all you could do to write down the occasional thought before immediately jumping to another. By the time Jayce got there, you had already filled up one wall of manic scribbles and thrown your hair into what was supposed to be a bun, but ended up looking like a tumbleweed had gotten into a fight with a cactus.

“Heralds above you look like you’ve been up for three nights already.” Jayce set down the bag and snacks on your desk before slowly approaching the wall with your writing. “Should I be grabbing an epipen or something?”

“What? Why would you grab an Epipen?” You whirled around, nearly falling off the chair before catching yourself. Jayce's hands had shot out, reaching to catch you. “Well, you’re acting like you just shot yourself full of Shimmer.” Jayce retorted, reaching out and gently grabbing your hips to help you off the chair before you hurt yourself. He moved you over to the bed to sit down. He sat on your left. “So, want to uh.. Talk about it?”

“”Had an idea. Started thinking. Thought too much.” You gestured at the wall. “Now I have a headache.” You rubbed your temples.

Jayce turned and looked at the wall, darting from random thoughts to ideas and formulas. “Medical use Hextech.” He mumbled aloud to himself. “If we can figure out how to control it–”

“But that’s the issue!” You exclaimed. You waved your hands wildly, gesturing to one of the sections circled off from the others. “You can’t control the Arcane, remember? Not if you’re not a previous Arcane user. It has to be natural. You have to have been born with it, because you know what’s happened when a non-Arcane user tries to tame the Arcane.”

“Explosions, forced mutations, fried pathways.” Jayce shrugged. “Nothing good really”

You started to go off before Jayce quickly stopped you. “Hey, you’re spiraling.”

“I am not.”

“You are.”

“I- gah! I don’t even know why I called you! You’re such a nuisance.” You threw your hands up in frustration. “All you’ve done all day is criticize me and belittle me. It’s annoying!”

“Me? When I made a mistake you started tearing me a new one like I had just insulted you and your entire bloodline or something!”

“That’s because you continuously make the stupidest mistakes I’ve ever seen!” You defended, crossing your arms stubbornly. “You refuse to ask for help on instructions that explicitly state that they require two people!” Jayce shot back.

“I’m asking for help now aren’t I?”

“Because you don’t want to have to spend seventy-two hours in a room with me. You’d rather gouge out your eyes than be stuck with me.”

“That’s a lie.”

“Is it? We’ve never even had a proper conversation without getting mad at each other. It’s like you insist on arguing with me.”

“I don’t insist on–”

“So why are you always fighting with me? And I want the truth. No skirting around it, okay?” Jayce looked at you, a firm look in his eyes.

You sighed and rubbed your temples.

“Look. You’re a smart guy, okay? You’re not a total idiot, and you’re not the worst partner I’ve ever had. It’s just.. You’re so damn naive and hopeful. You think that hextech will be some tool that’ll save everybody. But you can’t. You can’t cure everyone, you can’t save everyone. But you run yourself ragged trying to. You’re so damn positive all the time and it just gets on my nerves.” You finally admitted, laying your hands on your lap. You looked down and fiddled with your hands. “So, I don’t hate you. I never did. I… I actually look up to you, if you can believe that.”

“I can’t, actually.”

You rolled your eyes and send him a half-hearted glare.

“Okay, okay I’m sorry. Continue.”

“You were the top of our class. And it surprised me because the top of the class was always the people with money. People with power. You came from a lower class, with barely enough money to afford tuition and a dorm, and no say whatsoever in anything politics wise. But you persevered and you made it to the top despite everything. So, yeah I admire you. Because you give me… hope I guess.”

“Hope? For what?”

“That if you could do it, I could too? I’ve been stuck in the middle of the class. Passing but never excelling. It was hard to do that when it felt like the odds were against me. You showed me that,” You took a deep breath and felt the tension start to leave your body the more you spoke. “That it doesn’t matter where you came from. You can still do great things.”

You finally turned to look at Jayce, expecting him to be looking at you with judgement in his eye. Maybe a disgusted or disappointed look. Anything that would tell you that he didn’t feel the same. But all you were met with was a soft, puppy-like expression.

“Well?” You prompted. “Go on. Make fun of me. Laugh at me. Call me name. Insult me. Just stop being so–”

Jayce leaned in and pressed his lips to yours. You froze, surprised by his sudden actions. After a few moments he pulled back and instantly started to apologize.

“Sorry! Sorry- did I misinterpret that? I’m really terrible with these kinds of things, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable or anything! I can just—“

You grabbed his shirt and pulled him back in for another kiss. You felt him tense before slowly relaxing. His hands awkwardly held you by the shoulders and you pulled back to laugh.

“You’ve never done this, have you?”

“I have! Just uhm…”

“You weren’t the one to initiate it?”

“Not really. She kinda just kissed me and then she said my lips were chapped and walked off.”

“Your lips don’t feel chapped.” You traced your finger over his lips.

“Well I started wearing chapstick after that.”

You snorted and leaned in to kiss him again.”Good choice.” You whispered before kissing him again. You grabbed his hands and guided them over to your hips, giving his hands a gentle squeeze to reassure him.Jayce in return squeezed your hips.

Impatient, you bit at his lip. The moment he gasped you snaked your tongue in, immediately asserting yourself as the lead. Jayce could only let out a quiet moan before you were all but devouring him. He gave your hips a squeeze, pulling away and panting.

“Oh wow… you can really hold your breath.” He chuckled, reaching up to touch his lips as if he couldn’t believe what had just happened.

“You better catch yours fast, because I’m not letting up.” You grinned, starting to undo the buttons on his uniform. You had the jacket off in an instant before you paused, seeing the corset underneath. You weren’t surprised by it, no. All uniforms had a corset. The adjustable buttons on the back allowed for the wearer to decide if it was just for show or if they’d actually use it. You unbuttoned it and held it in your hands.

“Something wrong?” Jayce asked.

“No. I’d just like to see you in this without anything on.” You set the corset down on his lap. He grew flustered as you practically ripped off his shirt and trailed your fingers down his toned skin.

“H-hey! You could be a little more gentle!” He exclaimed.

You shushed him. “Easy there milk chocolate, wouldn’t want you to melt.”

You pulled the corset back on him, tightening it. You ran your fingers over the lace, liking how the red looked against his skin. “Now this, is my kind of sight.” You mumbled to yourself. Your eyes caught the muscles on his chest and you reached up ot give them a squeeze.

“Hey! Pervert.” Jayce reached up and grabbed your wrists.

“Oh come on. Everybody has dreamed of squeezing these babes. That tight uniform of yours doesn’t exactly help with the urge.” You snickered, squeezing them again for good measure.

“Okay! Okay- but fondle me later, yeah? I’d like to get back to what we were doing earlier.” Jayce huffed, letting go of your hands.

“Oh? You raised an eyebrow. “And what was it that we were doing earlier? Remind me, man of progress.”

Jayce grumbled. ‘Stupid title.’ You could hear him mutter under his breath. “We were… kissing.”

“Yeah? Seemed like I was the one doing the kissing and you were the one loosing your mind over it.”

He playfully glared at you. “Shut up and kiss me, yeah?”

You leaned in and kissed him, grabbing him by his hips and shoving him down onto the bed. You followed soon after, throwing your tank top onto the floor. Jayce’s eyes widened before you had shut him up with a kiss. He let out a groan.

You felt his warm hands travel up your waist, the large size of them practically swallowing your waist. You felt them trail up your sides until they were on your stomach, then your ribs, then teasing the underwire of your bra. His fingers trailed the wire until he reached the back of the bra, finding the clasps and struggling with them until he finally managed to get them off.

“Damn confusing things.” He muttered, throwing your bra across the room with a little more force than necessary. You giggled and sat up, your giggles growing louder as you saw the gobsmacked look on his face at seeing your bare chest. moving your hands to the fancy buckle on his belt. You pressed down on the button and the clasp came undone. You pulled his belt out before glancing at it and then his hands that had already reached up to start feeling your chest.

“Mmm…”

“Whatcha thinking about?” He looked up from where he had been squeezing your chest.

“When you were first arrested and they had the cuffs on you.”

“Oh? Why were you thinking about that?” He raised an eyebrow at you, confused as to why you’d be thinking of his arrest at a time like this.

“Reenact that for me. How did they have your hands?”

“Uh. Pretty sure they were in front.”

“Show me.”

“What? Why?”

You groaned at just how oblivious he was. You’d seen the pin up girl posters in his room. The magazines he kept in his drawer. He couldn’t possibly not have a clue as to where this was going.. “Oh my herald, Jayce. I’m trying to be kinky and you’re kinda ruining it here.”

“Oh. Oh! Ah- y-yeah. My bad.” The man of progress had the audacity to blush with embarrassment before putting his hands together. Using the belt you carefully formed the two loops before moving it onto his wrist and tightening it.

“It is a wonder how you are such an innovative scientist when you miss the most obvious of clues.” You muttered to yourself. He huffed. “It’s not my fault you’re so confusing sometimes.”

You rolled your eyes. “Oh shush before I have to gag you too.”

“I wouldn’t mind that.” He whispered.

You raised an eyebrow. “We’ll explore that later. I think I’d like to hear you begging tonight.” You pulled off his pants and kicked off your shorts, leaving you both in just your underwear. You put your hands on his chest to steady yourself as you leaned your weight onto your knees and started to roll your hips against his. He let out a deep moan, letting his head fall down onto the mattress. You were suddenly grateful that you had taken off all the blankets yesterday. The way things were going, you were going to have him a mess on your bed.

You rolled your hips again, starting to set a steady rhythm. You loved hearing the sounds he was making, the expressions he couldn’t hide from you. It was all so beautiful. But your legs were starting to get sore already.. You didn’t exactly plan for this, so there weren’t any extra squats at the gym you were doing or even some stretches beforehand so you wouldn't cramp. Instead you came up with an idea that would still allow you to get what you wanted, which was him being a drooling mess because of you, and also you could give your legs a little recovery time.

You laid down next to him, pulling him by the arms to press up into you.

“W-what’s this?”

Oh he sounded so wrecked already.

You moved your thigh in between his legs and gave him a look. He paused, staring at you for a while before turning bright red. “Y-you can’t be serious.”

“...”

“Oh my– you’re serious??? But- that’s embarrassing!” He whined. Oh he whines too? Gods above please let him whimper as well.

“Well?” You raised an eyebrow. Jayce grumbled and scooted closer, burying his face in your chest before slowly starting to move his hips against you leg. He let out a whine. You could feel him biting down on his lip before he continued to thrust his hips against your thigh. Occasionally he’d whine about how humiliating it was, but not before he started moaning and thrusting a little faster. It didn’t make much for him to start to loose control of his pacing. You could feel his desperate thrusts against your thigh. His hands, still bound, were holding onto whatever part of you that he could grab.

“Please- please I- I’m so close.” He whimpered.

Success!

“What do you want?” You teased him.

“Fuck, don’t make me beg.” He groaned. “Just- I- I need you to touch me. Touch me, talk to me, please I-’I’ll take anything!”

“Anything?”

“Yes! Yes- a-anything.”

“You want me to tell you about how pathetic you look? Humping my leg like you’re in heat.”

Jayce’s face burned. “I- I don’t look-”

“How you’ve been whimpering and moaning at just the feeling of my thigh on you. I bet you wish you could free your hands, hm? Reach out and grab me properly? You wished you were able to pin me down and take control.” You gently toyed with his hair before yanking it back and making him make eye contact with you.

“Well you’re not in control. I am. I have you right where I want you. And that’s under me, begging for me to even touch you so you can cum.”

Jayce whined, “S-so close- so close- k-keep talking.”

“I don’t think you’ll last long enough for me to praise you.” You reached your hand down, slipping your fingers past the waistband of his boxers. You could feel the sticky mess that he’d made in there already. Your fingers found his tip, leaking with precum. You chuckled and teased it, tracing your finger in circles as he moaned and bucked into your hand. You wrapped your hand around the base and immediately it was like he’d lost his mind, the only think he was able to be focused on was just you and the way that your hand felt wrapped around his yearning cock. Jayce let out a moan, spilling his cum all over your hand. You moved your hand up and down a few times before letting him rest. You wiped your hand on his boxers and he managed to give you an annoyed look.

“What? If you think I’m cleaning you up after you made such a big mess you’re surely mistaken.” You scoffed. “If anything, you’ll be the one cleaning up once I’m done with you.”

“Y-you’d really make me–” He let out a loud moan when you suddenly wrapped your hand around his cock again. “W-wait I just-! Fuck!”

You set a quick pace, listening to his raw moan as he struggled to keep it together. Overstimulation just looked so good on him. His hips bucked wildly, as if in between pulling away and thrusting into your hand. His hands were grabbing as tightly as they could onto the sheets. You knew if not for the belt, he would be leaving bruises on your hips. His face was contorted with pleasure. It was a pretty sight, even with the line of drool that had started to escape the side of his mouth.

‘More’ Your mind whispered. You intended on making sure he couldn’t look you in the eyes the next morning without thinking about everything you’d just done.

As soon as you felt Jayce start to squirm, you pulled your hand back.

“N-no no please! Please!” Jayce thrusted his hips into the air, looking for anything that would give him the friction he needed. “Fuck please- please let me- oh- let me-” He panted, starting to come back from the edge of his orgasm.

He glared at you. “Are you seriously playing with me right now?”

“Yeah.”

“What?! That is so-! So mean!” He said lamely. You laughed. “Mean? That’s all you’ve got to say about it?’

“Oh cmonnnn. Just touch me a little more. Please? I’ll be good.”

You grinned. “You’ll be good for me?”

“Yes! Yes I’ll- I’ll be so good! You won’t have to tie me up or- or use a muzzle or- or anything! I’ll listen. I’ll be good.” He promised, desperate for you to touch him again.

“You better make good on that promise, Talis.” You said before reaching down and wrapping your hand around him once more. Instantly he was bucking into your hand, not wanting to give you the chance to pull away from him again. Before you knew it, he was cumming into your hand for the second time. He tensed, spasming next to you as he finally got to enjoy his sweet release.

“Wow you–” You started before Jayce interrupted you.

“Shush.”

“I was just gonna-”

“Shush!”

You grumbled to yourself, giving his rear a harsh slap before settling in next to you. He gave you a glare and lifted his hands. “Oh you want me to…?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s the magi–”

“Take the fucking belts off.”

“Okay okay! Jesus. Someone is feeling bratty.” You grumbled and removed the belt from his wrists. In an instant you were wrapped up in an infamous Jayce Talis bear hug. You sighed and wrapped your arms back around him.

“I–”

“Shush.”

“Seriously?! I just wanted to–”

“No. Shush, we're going to cuddle.”

“You–”

“Shut up and cuddle.”

“...fine.”

“I was just gonna say that you moan like a-”

“Cuddle in silence!”

Authors note:

Hope you like. I capped this at 4,352 words but I am so amped that I am down to do a part two. It’ll probably take a while as I have a few other requests currently in the works, but it was a lot of fun to write. As always here my attempt at tagging, add any tags you think should be added, and feel free to request anything else you’d like to see later on. Peace out

[c0la-queen]

HELLO!! I just wanted to say that I am absolutely IN LOVE with your works!!! 😭😭😭 its hard to even find EW fanfics nowadays and your fics have such high quality it’s like finding shiny, luxurious beautiful diamonds.

I genuinely love how you depict all of the characters so much I don’t think any other resonates with me as much as yours does, most Especially Tord. My god, you write him so well, his midly uncanny strange-esq demeanor and off-putting nature fits Perfectly with his character being a child solider and all, being subjected to the horrors of survival, war and being so close to death at such a young age growing up Would absolutely make him a little abnormal, like there’s something definitively wrong with him in that twisted mind of his. I love that truly.

I’ve been mega binging your works to read for fun and I love them so much— but most especially the Hybrid series I love SOOOO MUCHHHHH AGHHHH and I wanted to ask of you were going to continue it in any forms??? 🥹🥹🥹 like hcs, more drabbles, imagines or literally Anything frfr I beg of you 😭😭🙏 I love the wolfdog boys so much hicccc…

I ALSO SAW THAT YOU WERE ASKING IF WE WANTED REVERSE AU! WHERE READER IS THE HYBRID INSTEAD AND YES ABSOLUTELY I would love to see how the gang handles her and whatnot if you’d like to make that still whehehe, anything you want really!! 😭 thank you so much for your hard work and thank you even more if you manage to write these requests 💖💖💖🥹

USUEUSSJDJ YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH THIS MEANS TO ME WAAAAH!! Sometimes I get a little insecure about my writing, so to hear all the sweet things you guys say always makes my entire day!! And hearing you say that about my Tord is literally one of the highest forms of praise I've ever received!! I'll probably make some more content of the Hybrid Boys as well, since I love this Hybrid AU a lot! But for now, here's a drabble of Hybrid Reader that I've been working on for a little bit!!! I hope you enjoy!! Mwah mwah!!

---

Stray Bunny | Eddsworld x Reader

Warnings: Drunk Tom, Reader is a bunny hybrid because I love bunnies fight me, the boys are victim to the Hybrid Distribution System

Words: 1.4k

---

You didn't know where to go. You didn't have anywhere to go. The rain was going to start falling soon.

Worst of all, you were stuck in your shifted form. A mixture of anxiety, paranoia, and hopelessness had caused you to shift by pure instinct, and you couldn't get yourself to calm down enough to go back.

So you just... run. Run down the sidewalk as the rain droplets begin to fall, dodging between pedestrians' legs. You didn't know where you were going, but you knew you had to go somewhere.

The harder the rain fell, the less people were on the streets. Rushing home and ducking into nearby shops to take shelter until the storm eased up. A few brave umbrella wielders kept walking, determined to finish their journey.

Every drop that splashed against your body soaked into your fur, weighing it down and making your running more difficult. You were passing a building when suddenly the door was thrown open aggressively, making you yelp and scramble to a stop.

You watched as a young man staggered out of the building. From the smell and the sounds and the brief peek you got through the door, it was a pub. The man was unsteady on his feet, you wouldn't be surprised if he was absolutely piss drunk right now.

Not wanting to get tangled in his feet, you stopped, stepping back to wait for him to pass. He whistled a tune, fishing a cigarette box out of his pocket and popping one in between his teeth -

-before stopping. And staring.

At you.

Surely he was piss drunk because instead of being disgusted or angry - or anything else you expected, really - he immediately dropped his unlit cigarette to the ground without a care in the world. He crouched in front of you, starting to coo and baby talk.

You were too confused to even process what he was saying - he was too drunk to know what he was saying, either.

Next thing you knew, you were being scooped up into his hands. He continued to coo and talk as he pressed his cheek against your fur.

The sound of car tires drew your attention. You peeked up in time to see car headlights pulling into the parking lot of the pub. At the sight, the man holding you tucked you safely into his hood. You made a sound, but he just giggled and shushed you.

You couldn't complain too much, though. It was warm, and dry.

"Tom, mate, you look like shit."

"And you, Matt, look like the queen."

"You've definitely had too many drinks. Get in the car."

Surprisingly, the drunk man - Tom, it seemed - took care not to smush you against the carseat. Slowly, your panic began to subside. The warmth of the AC and the gentle movements of the car driving down the road eventually lulled you to sleep.

--

You jolted awake when Tom began moving again. The car had stopped, apparently reaching its destination. You couldn't see anything but the dark blue fabric, so you weren't quite sure where you were.

Was this the safest choice you could've made? No. But, in your mind, it was better than the streets.

"Matt. How many bloody drinks did he have?"

"Don't ask me. He wasn't very conversational in the car."

"Fuckin' hell."

Tom's movements stopped for a moment. Then, he was falling. Well, you were both falling. You squeaked as you tumbled out of his hood, rolling onto the carpeted floor below. Whatever conversation had been going on above you stopped.

"Is that... a rabbit?"

You righted yourself, shaking your head to get your ears out of your face. It was a house that you were in, more specifically a living room. Tom was laying on his stomach on a couch. He must have drunkenly flopped down onto it, causing you to fall out of his hood.

Two more men were standing beside the couch. Staring at you in disbelief. You attempted to shrink in on yourself, trying to make yourself as small as possible.

"Edd, the poor thing is soaked. Look at how it's trembling. We can't get rid of it."

"I wasn't planning on it. Jesus, I'm not heartless."

The man named Edd crouched down next to you, gently picking you up in his hands. His fingers smoothed over your head, gently scratching at the base of your ear. Embarrassing as it was, you fucking melted.

"Of course Tom would get drunk and bring an animal home. I'm just glad it's not something rabid."

"I'll go get a towel to dry them off. The poor dear is probably freezing."

While the other man disappeared down a hall, the one holding you carried you over to the kitchen.

"I'm sure you're hungry. Rabbits like carrots, don't they? I don't know how realistic that portrayal is."

You couldn't help but huff at that. It was an annoying stereotype in your opinion - though you did enjoy the taste of carrots regardless.

"Rabbits are herbivores. They'll eat any kind of vegetable or plant you offer them."

Edd set you down on the counter as he opened the fridge.

"Nice of you to join the land of the living, Tord."

The newest addition to the room scared you the most. He was intimidating looking, muscular and mean. His cold eyes were fixed on you.

When he approached, you backed away slightly. Noticing this, he made sure to lift his hand slowly, extending a finger out to you. You watched his hand move cautiously. He slid his finger under your head, gently scratching your chin. To your horror, your back foot thumped against the counter.

You were going to die of embarrassment.

Tord's lips quirked up in a small, amused smile.

"Do I even want to know why there is a bunny in the kitchen?"

"Tom's drunk."

"Ah."

Matt eventually returned with a towel.

The three men absently chatted as Matt gently and thoroughly dried your soaked fur. You were completely relaxed in his hold. He even made sure to be especially careful drying your ears.

Yeah, there were definitely worse things than this.

In your relaxed state, you didn't quite account for just how much you had calmed down. Before you knew it, you had suddenly shifted back into your normal form.

The three men froze. You froze.

"....hi."

The longer the silence stretched out, the more fear built up inside of you. What if they were angry? What if they threw you out? What if they hurt you?

As possibilities ran through your head, tears started to well in your eyes.

"What the fuck."

The dam broke. Tears flooded down your cheeks, sobs catching in your throat.

The three men jumped into action. Matt drew you into his arms, holding you securely.

"Tord! Look what you did!"

"Me?? What did I do??"

"You scared the poor thing! I can feel her trembling."

"I feel like my response was very reasonable."

--

One plate of carrots and ranch later, and your tears had been calmed. Having tired yourself out, you were lying comfortably in Edd's lap in an armchair. Matt and Tord were sitting on the couch. They had moved Tom to a makeshift bed on the floor where they could keep an eye on him until he was sober.

Edd's fingers ran through your hair, smoothing out any knots he found. Occasionally he would scratch at the base of your ears, making you hum happily.

Amongst your tears earlier, Matt had managed to coax your story out of you. Now, they were deciding what to do.

"She doesn't have a handler, Edd. We can't just turn her away."

"I know, Matt. I don't want to kick her out."

The two men looked at Tord expectantly.

"What?"

"No dissenting opinions?"

"Of course not. I'm not a fucking monster."

"What about Tom?"

Edd glanced down at the fourth man.

"He's forfeiting his vote."

With that, Edd gently cupped your cheeks and tilted your head up to look at him. Through the sleepy haze of your vision, you saw him give you a gentle smile.

"What's your vote, bunny? Do you wanna stay here with us?"

Did you? These were four men that you didn't know. Despite that, they had been kinder to you than anyone had been in a long time.

You didn't have to think long about your answer.

You nodded, slow and lazy as you fought against sleep.

Edd laughed softly, settling you back down.

"Get some sleep, love. You're alright now. We've got you.”

Taking those words to heart, you slept better than you had in months.

[less-dev]

We're making a Starbound/Terraria inspired space sandbox game!

We're making a 2D sandbox game similar to Starbound! Or uh, terraria in space.

#nodev contains shitposting

#planetarium contains dev progress

Specifics under the cut

Who are you?

Aspen - Project Lead, Programmer, Pixel artist, Sound Designer.

Hey! I'm Aspen, I've been programming and making games for many many years in basically every engine there is... But never felt the drive to finish one, until now! I consider myself very experienced in the engine we're using (Gamemaker Studio 2.5) and have confidence we'll be able to make this game a reality. I also run the Tumblr account, so assume it's me behind the wheel as a default. Thank you for checking the game out!

Alec - Concept artist, Character Designer

H a l l o I'm Alec, I like writing and drawing and painting and designing shiiiiiiiit. I adore world building and have frequent bursts of creative possession in which I conceive and birth the greatest ideas and concepts in a mere moment. Otherwise, I can be a total dumbass and completely useless. I'm good at colours 👌 I have been a 85% a home-brew DM for about 2 years now and that is the greatest proof of my ADHD-given God powers of creativity. Slay.

What a cool guy!

Design pillars

Immersion. Above all else, I would like roleplay (casual or serious) to be natural and well supported. I would like players to find engaging with the world, and it's characters to be very personal.

Innovation. Tropes such as "You spawn in a green forest and can walk left or right" will be actively avoided. Biomes will have generation that presents more unique movement opportunities. Such as geysers in rock pools launching players high up, or giant twisting vines that hold up chunks of land to hop between.

More quality less quantity. Planets will be significantly more content-dense than Starbound, and perhaps controversially travel between them will be more difficult/expensive as well. This would encourage players to take advantage of all the resources presented on each planet, instead of hopping from one to the next. This would also encourage us throughout development to give each planet as much love as possible. Each planet should feel like a 'miniature terraria world'. Though actually achieving that is easier said than done.

Meaningful content. Procedurally generating creatures from 100 different pre-set monster parts could technically produce limitless alien creatures for players to encounter. But in both No Man's Sky and Starbound. I find this novelty to wear off quick, these creatures are not manually, meaningfully crafted and beyond an unusual appearance and some shallow gameplay changes... They do not create much of a memorable experience for the player. In my opinion, anyway. I would rather hand-craft every creature and make them all significantly unique and interesting. That's not to say procedurally generated creatures won't ever have a place in the game, but they certainly wont be as prevalent as others games.

Okay well... What's finished?

Fundamental lighting shaders akin to Starbound.

Some world generation brushes and basic commands.

A text mark-up language (heavily optimised), and game chat.

Extensive custom debugging tools

Hard and soft-loading of chunks to save on as much memory and CPU usage as possible.

Complete unloading, and compression of chunks on top of the previously mentioned system. As well as a live-saving system.

Setting, Story baseline, and conceptualization of the first 3 playable species. Each species will have a different starting planet, and immediately different playthrough.

Designs and cultures of several additional unplayable races.

Character proportion tests, sprites and sketches.

First-pass on collision functions.

Weighted Tile variance and tile connections.

CONCERNS

Multiplayer. While I have made an online multiplayer game before and it's definitely doable for this game, it would require some practice in a one-off test game to be fully confident. It would also take a LOT of time.

Modding. As far as I know gamemaker games are notoriously difficult for players to modify. Something like Unity is far easier even without mod support. Gamemaker on the other hand is difficult even if I want to design systems in favor of modders. This is kind of a problem for later, I have faith there'll be something we can do to make it work... But a cursory look says it won't be easy. I would be extremely disappointed if there was nothing we could do.

[gon-and-killuas-mother]

my local theater is playing the Extended Edition Fellowship of the Ring, and after maybe a third of the way through i have to say.

this movie really is best experienced in a movie theater. i'm noticing small details i've never caught before. the massive surround sound is letting me process the music and the sound effects in greater depth.

the scene on weather top blew me the fuck away. i can't even describe it. the textures of the sound and pressures in my ribcage. incredible.

and it's helped me listen to the music threading through dialogue and adding layers to characters beyond what i've ever experienced, it's hard to focus on it when you're at home trying to keep the volume reasonable.

but i finally heard what the music was telling me! i feel a little crazy now. i've only ever processed half the conversation, only focused on the spoken words.

the characters only verbally express a small part of what they're experiencing internally. this is true to real life. and the numerous, high quality songs expressed all the rest of the unspoken emotions, their thoughts, their fears, their pain, their hope.

GOD to have seen this in theaters when it first came out. i've rewatched this movie more times than i can count and i feel like i've just seen it for the first time!!! this was MEANT to be EXPERIENCED in a big dark room with a proper sound system!!!

[lizbethborden]

The other woman I'm thinking about right now is Diane Schuler. Her case is one that is very well-known in my home state of New York and around where I grew up. She was responsible for the 2009 wrong-way crash on the Taconic Parkway that killed almost everyone involved.

Diane Schuler evidently had a history of suppressing her negative experiences and pain. In documentary footage, her living family members describe how she never shared anything that was going on with her, including debilitating health issues such as the one that seems to have been plaguing her at the time of her death. She was a highly organized individual responsible for childcare for multiple children, as well a high-level corporate career. Her survivors talk at length about how she and the children were always immaculate, that no matter what, she never allowed a stutter or a hair out of place.

One of the children in the car with her called home and said that Diane's "head hurts" and that she couldn't see not long before the crash. It was determined via toxicology after her death that she had a BAC of 0.19. A BAC of 0.05 or higher is considered evidence of impairment. She had apparently ingested a bottle of vodka, as well as smoked weed, given high levels of THC in her system. One of the suggested reasons for her imbibing at this level was that she had been dealing with an abscess in her tooth or jaw, for which she had been visiting the dentist over the previous couple of months. The idea is that in response to blinding pain, she self-medicated with alcohol and weed.

She was driving home on the Taconic from a family camping trip and had multiple small children in the car with her. Descriptions of her driving indicate she drove straight down the wrong side of the parkway, staring straight ahead, unwavering. To me, this sounds like some kind of psychotic or otherwise mental break, induced by intoxication and likely the pain she was experiencing and had been experiencing over a long period of time. She was spotted making multiple stops before getting on the Taconic the wrong way, driving erratically, at one point seen getting out of her car and adopting a posture like a person about to vomit. There was something going on, separate simply from the ingestion of alcohol and THC.

I think many women would recognize themselves in the qualities Diane Schuler's survivors describe: the suppression of pain, the need to be seen as perfect, an obsessive sense of organization and control. What if she had not been raised with these qualities? What if she had been able to say that she was in pain? What if she were not held responsible for the shepherding and organization of multiple small children while she was being literally blinded ("Mommy's head hurts, Mommy can't see") by pain? Would she have taken any of those substances? Would she have gotten on the parkway driving the wrong way? Would she still be alive?

I am not trying to argue or litigate her personal psychology. No matter what, she was responsible for the actions she took. I am also not trying to suggest that some nebulous "patriarchy" was responsible for so many deaths. What I am trying to suggest is that the circumstances inflicted on women in great and small ways by the patriarchal structure--even when they are in a family life, a heterosexual partnership, a role of responsibility that they (seem to) have freely chosen--could contribute to the tragedies that end women's lives. What if Diane had been able to say "I can't make the camping trip, my tooth is killing me"? What if she had been able to tell her husband, sister, or anyone else, "I don't think I can drive, my head hurts"? What if somebody else had offered to drive the children back that day? What if somebody had even just noticed that she was in pain?

[satoshi-mochida]

SacriFire launches in Q1 2026 for PC, later in 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch - Gematsu

Pixel art RPG SacriFire will launch for PC via Steam and GOG in Q1 2026, followed by PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch later in 2026, developer Pixelated Milk announced.

Here is an overview of the game, via its store pages:

About

SacriFire is an upcoming RPG, inspired by the 90s titles that began our love affair with gaming.

Key Features

Dynamic Battles – Our combat engine merges real-time and turn-based styles to provide a fluid experience that is both challenging and satisfying. Fight alongside companions, choose from multiple weapons, target individual enemy body parts, and string attacks together to create elaborate combos.

High-Quality Presentation – Employing both pixel art and 3D graphics allows us to combine retro-style graphics with innovative digital effects wizardry. Hand-drawn and animated characters blend seamlessly with 3D-modeled environments.

Moral Complexity – SacriFire‘s original story aims to both respect and subvert the standard RPG tropes, so although you’ll feel right at home with our cast of lovable characters, you’ll never know what to expect next!

A Tale of Two Worlds – Travel between the sprawling subterranean city of Antioch and the idyllic spirit paradise of Erebus in a well-developed game universe which includes elements of both fantasy and science-fiction.

Elaborate Gameplay Systems – Adopt diverse combat disciplines, craft weapons, solve puzzles and tackle imaginative dungeons.

Original Music and Professional Voice Acting – A brand new soundtrack composed by G4F and the legendary Motoi Sakuraba. The talented Sound Cadence Studios bring SacriFire‘s memorable cast to life!

Watch a new trailer below, featuring a new track by Motoi Sakuraba.

Release Window Trailer