Starting with the simple things. You didn't mention a reboot or a system restore. What did you recently do out of the ordinary, if anything? Any updates or upgrades? Software removal or additions? Windows Updates? Software reconfigurations? Full system scan with your AV and malware detection software(s) of choice? Thunderstorms or power surges? ----------------- -------Rebooted,System restore, nothing new, automatic updates and driver downloads, full system scan and malware (which said some files could not be scanned), thunderstorms after loss of sound.

I've been reading audiobooks almost exclusively since 1982 through the US National Library Service's Talking Books program, and all of their narrators are top-notch. Very occasionally there is someone with an accent I find harder to follow but the problems created by unusual accents are never so severe that I stop reading a book. My impression of commercial audio books is that they tend to be jazzed up with (a) background music and (b) narrators who assume different "voices" for the various characters. I prefer just the book, read in a straightforward way. But I do wish sometimes that the readers would make it clear where a quotation begins and ends, maybe by saying "Quote" and "End quote."

Personally we prefer Sonos. We have experimented with HEOS (Denon's equivalent), Yamaha's MusicCast, Airplay in various licensed products and a few others. From an app standpoint, all pretty good with each having slight advantages and disadvantages when compared against each other. Some have a harder time syncing up their audio output when playing in multiple rooms, causing a slight echo effect when the different zones are close together. Sonos does this pretty well. Lutron has partnered with Sonos to offer up an audio "Pico" for local zone control, furthering its attractiveness. When paired with a Lutron Caseta lighting system for example, you can add a 3-way lighting circuit Pico and a Sonos audio Pico in a 2-gang Lutron Claro wall plate with NO wiring. Pretty slick! From a sound quality standpoint, we feel Sonos is the best so far. Adding to this the equivalent easy of use to the app and negligible if not non-existent multi-room echo effect we feel it is the best buy. Notice I say "so far" however as new offerings come out every day. For example, one product offering that could greatly effect our Sonos recommendation is the Apple HomePod. At $349 retail is it aimed directly at Sonos so we will see what happens when that comes out at the end of this year .

we don't have them, DH and me. smartphones, iPads..we have flip phones, no internet plan family and friends are sometimes very annoyed with us..:) ok..I can't do things just so it'll become more convenient to them. I tried all my life, and now I want to do whatever's better to me. And that smartsphone's not better..of course it has many many pluses and useful apps, but I'm struggling with it..it makes me dizzy..if kids give me their phone because somebody who called them wants to talk to me too-it's like my brain is being drilled. (regular cellphone btw I also avoid in the evenings when already tired. something with that sound that throws me off.) as for my DH-he plainly hates the idea of being constanly "wired" to the world. I understand him..I also hate this idea. He works a lot a lot of hours..if he also had an iPhone he wouldn't sleep at all. There's this expectation nowadays, of everybody being constanly available.. Kids, they have their smartphones etc(their Dad is always giving them gadgets..he loves gadgets himself, so he likes to give them too). It s considered very rude to have them out during a meal Last time we ate with relatives, and DD was very tired and a bit spaced out, so she checked her phone..I gave her The Look..:) they know The Look..:) was promptly hidden away DS did start having a problem when younger teen with playing games too much. Nothing worked, it was hard for him to establish that self control. until we just became very strict and said " you have two hours two days a week, and three hours on Sunday" or something like this. That worked. Of course if he slips-he looses his other hours this week. So he learned not to. Of course he's somebody who won't lie..so with him, it worked. He's like me-very compliant. Lying makes him so uncomfortable he tells truth just to escape this huge inner discomfort:) He saw some relatives' kids recently and they're glued to their phones..they're younger though, approximately his age when it was hard for him to restrict the time with games...he said "so sad, their addiction is stronger than mine in their age" Of course he still plays, twits, snapschats, whatnot, but he's in control...and he doesn't have much time for games anymore-school and work and sport..very busy. He still texts me to let know he's safely here or there. I had the same thing with DD when she was younger. Now she just calls, almost every day. When I was a teen I had this thing I should be at home by 10, or later 11 pm for example and if not there I call and let know where I am. My late Dad had a very severe heart disease, anxiety could literally kill him..so yes, letting know that one's fine was strongly enforced. Telling bad news was slightly discouraged though..:) So, they always mostly saw my sunny side up..my family I mean.. My kids share with me more..or so I think.. yes, times change my Mom would go to swim in a river for several hours with other kids when she was five or so:) (almost drowned couple times btw..Grandma stayed blissfully ignorant me, Mom already watched like a hawk when I was little and in the water. until I learnt to swim well. but we walked around the city and took buses since very young age and played a lot outside by ourselves..something that you won't see here usually. we were much more independent. me, I'm a pretty anxious mother. I just try to keep it quiet. with some doubtful success:) but I think it's important to understand somebody somewhere worries about you ..take a minute of your time and send this short text. If you already have tyour phone and all. Nobody's going to respect you less for that. It will be the other way around. Be considerate to others, and never be apologetic about it. Now, I'd like others to be considerate to me too, and stop bugging me about how I must communicate with them in a way that will take minimum of their precious time. I still have a cellphone, normal phone, a laptop with internet, and they're totally able to find me when needed. Winking and waving, I don't really understand. Wanna talk-talk. Not in the mood-don't talk. When I'm interested in talking I write them letters or dial their number..same if I'm worried about them. My Mom, I usually talk to her couple times a week, and if she doesn't pick the phone I write to her..same thing if she can't reach me. My going off Facebook was very fruitful, since my brother came to visit us here at last. Otherwise everybody has this illusion of participating..ah we see the pictures, ah everybody's fine, ah why should we come then, plane's expensive, blah blah I'm sorry but the plane expensive to me just the same..and I want to travel to other countries too..)) yet for years I chose my country and family to visit.. Time for them to choose me So I guess they caught my drill. and having my brother here, even for a few days-that was happiness..We felt close again as we did when we were kids. It was real.. ..wow, that was long. Sorry..