September 30, 2001
Can you give me your opinion on a system with
the Denon AVR-1802 plus Acoustic Research Status S50 speakers (just stereo)?
Sergio Carelli
I have experience with both Denon products
as well as Acoustic Research and can tell you that you should get fine sound. The Denon
will likely sound clean and the Acoustic Research speakers are typically very dynamic. If
you've purchased them, congratulations and enjoy. If not and you do end up purchasing,
please write us again and let us know how it works out so other readers can benefit too.
September 28, 2001
Can you explain the following abreviations
found on CDs, and if one is better than the other: DDD, ADD and AAD?
Rick
Each letter represents a stage in the
recording process, and whether analog or digital equipment was used. The respective stages
are (1) the actual recording of the event, (2) the mixing of that recording, and (3) the
mastering. The actual designation as it applies to each stage tells little if anything
about the actual recording quality. The care taken in all three stages is far more
important than the actual hardware type used in any individual stage.
September 27, 2001
My current system consists of a Carver TFM-25
amplifier, Carver CT-3 preamp, Beheringer Ultra-Graph Pro EQ, Klipsch Chorus 2 speakers,
Harmon/Kardon FL 8300 CD player, Apex AD 500 DVD player, and a Panasonic VCR. I love the
sound this system. I bought the DVD player to see what DVDs were like; as you might guess,
I love DVD, so now I am moving to home theater. I bought a Yamaha RX-800 receiver, a
Klipsch RC-3 center-channel speaker and Klipsch KG-1s for rear speakers.
If I hook up my amp and EQ to the Yamaha
mains, do you think the center and rears will keep up? Also, with the 5.1 LFE, can I get
that to my mains, or do you have to have a subwoofer to get the .1 effect? I don't want to
buy a subwoofer when I already have two 15" woofers in my Klipsch speakers.
Dan
You've made some good choices with the
Klipsch speakers. They are dynamic and clean, great for home theater. Having added a
center and surrounds from the same manufacturer, you have a good shot at a seamless
surround experience too. All you have to do to route the LFE channel to your main Klipsch
Chorus speakers is to set the mains to Large and the subwoofer to Off. The LFE track will
then be routed to your mains and be handled by those big Klipsch woofers. If that is
enough bass for you, then you have no need for a subwoofer.
September 26, 2001
Do you think that the off-axis performance of
dual-concentric designs (i.e., Tannoy Saturn or KEF Q series) is all hype, or is
there really something to it? I will rarely if ever have a chance to sit in the sweet spot
and just listen, so I need something that will sound good as I pace around with my
seven-month-old!
John
I wasn't aware that these makers of
dual-concentric speakers claim improved off-axis response as much as improved phase and
time alignment. There certainly is something to broad and even off-axis response and
wide-dispersion speakers. Most companies that incorporate research conducted at Canada's
National Research Council design their speakers so that the frequency-response
measurements off-axis (at 15, 30, 45, 60 and sometimes even 75 degrees) mimic those
directly on-axis as much as possible.
You can also experiment with various
speaker toe-in positions to broaden the sweet spot depending on where you spend most your
time. Also, if most your listening occurs standing up, angle the speaker such that its
front spikes are longer than the rear spikes and the tweeter aims at your ears.
September 25, 2001
I just purchased a Music Hall turntable with
the goal of reviving a large collection of old LPs. I'm wondering what, if anything, I
should do to these LPs to get them ready for play. They have been stored upright in a dry
basement for several years, but they were not particularly well cared for previous to
storage. Is there a record brush, record-cleaning solution or other product you recommend?
Is there a vinyl-care regimen you'd suggest? After spending nearly $400 for the turntable
and a phono preamp (also Music Hall), I don't have much to spend on these items, so any
budget items you could recommend would be appreciated.
William
It's easy these days to spend as much or
more on vinyl care than what you did for your turntable. Keeping the cost as low as
possible, I'd suggest two things immediately. First, get a good carbon-fiber-bristled dry
brush, such as those made by AudioQuest, Hunt, Decca, etc. These brushes are much more
effective than a Discwasher, as their bristles are finer and get deeper into the record
grooves. Use this brush on the LP surface before each play, as it will remove a lot of the
dust and dirt from the surface of the record, and reduce the possibility of the stylus
pushing the gunk deeper into the groove. Also get a good stylus cleaner, such as the LAST
or Record Research Labs products. Use one of these regularly to keep the stylus tip clean
and free of built-up contaminants, as stylus build-up will wear a record out very quickly
(and additionally compromise the sound during playback). You should be able to pick up
both of these items for less than $50 (combined) from a number of retailers. An online
source is www.audioadvisor.com.
The next step is a product made by Allsop,
the Orbitrac. This runs about $40, but is a very effective wet-cleaning tool for those LPs
that are really noisy and dirty. Beyond that, you get into the wet-vac machines, but now
you're into the $200-plus range for even the most cost-effective versions. I know several
people who use the Orbitrac exclusively, and are quite pleased with the results it
provides.
September 24, 2001
This is one of my favorite audio sites. I
especially appreciate the readability of the information.
My current system consists of a NAD 312
integrated amp, Marantz 46 CD player, Polk Audio RT8 speakers, Nordost Black Knight
interconnects and Nordost Blue Heaven speaker cables. I am basically happy with the way
everything sounds, but I'm thinking of upgrading. I would love a warmer sound, and a
little less brightness.
What component would you suggest upgrading and
why? Also, how much difference does an outboard power conditioner make?
Donald
Nordost cables have a reputation for speed
and resolution but also a bit of leanness, while Cardas cables (for example) can be
warmer. Experimenting with cables might change the sound in the direction you want.
Power-line conditioners utilize different
technologies, and from personal experience, I've thus far only found conditioners outside
of our GoodSound! budget that deliver all or some possible benefits (lower noise
floor, higher resolution, sharper leading edges, faster transients, deeper soundstage)
without also introducing common liabilities (diminished dynamics, loss of musical energy).
More affordable units I've tried did some good, but also some bad. In the end, I've
preferred going straight into the wall outlet. Personal experimentation is mandatory,
however. For example, if you were to live in an apartment with ancient wiring, the
benefits of a voltage stabilizer could far offset possible losses elsewhere.
September 23, 2001
I live in area where our voltage is 220 and
the frequency is 50Hz. I know that all equipment produced in the US is rated 110V, 60Hz.
Buying a product from the US is not a problem. As for voltage, I can buy a transformer to
convert 110V to 220V, but my question is the frequency. Is there a difference between 50Hz
and 60Hz, and how it will affect my system? I want to buy a receiver, but will it affect
the tuner if all my other equipment like DVD , CD, and MD are rated 220V 50Hz?
Nasser
Yes, 50Hz and 60Hz are different,
referring to the number of cycles (AC power) that are delivered every second. Transformers
and certain types of power supplies rely on the AC frequency to be one specific value.
Transformers can become physically noisy or generate more heat than they should when they
are operated at a frequency they were not designed for. If you intend to use 60Hz
equipment where you are located, you will need a power supply that delivers 120V and 60Hz
for the equipment to operate ideally.
With that said, some transformers and
power supplies are not affected by changing from 60Hz to 50Hz or vice versa. You really
won't know if there is a problem until something goes wrong. So it is best to be safe and
use the power for which the equipment was designed.
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