October 24, 2001
I have a Harmon/Kardon AVR-7000 receiver. The
unit keeps turning off. I have checked all speakers and they are fine. The lab says that
the problem is due to my rear (6-ohm) and center (4-ohm) speakers, because this unit can
operate with only 8-ohm speakers. I do not believe this is right. What is your opinion?
Isaac
Unfortunately it probably is the correct
diagnosis. What is happening is that the receiver's internal protection circuit is
tripping when it senses a speaker load that the internal amplifiers can't drive. This
defensive mechanism is designed to protect the amplifier from overheating, which would
damage both the receiver and your speakers. If your receiver has preamp outputs, you could
add an external amplifier to relieve the receiver from having to drive the lower-impedance
speakers. That is about the only real solution without having to replace any equipment.
October 23, 2001
I am planning a system to use for both stereo
listening and video watching. I am thinking of the Outlaw 1050 receiver, Axiom M3Ti
speakers, and Axiom subwoofer.
Will a DVD player be a good choice for
listening to CDs in stereo, or should I get a separate CD player? Any suggestions?
Craig
I would not split up your budget into a
separate CD player and DVD player. You'll do far better with a good DVD player that will
do both formats. In fact, there has never been a better time to get into a
high-performance, low-cost front-end player that will handle all your source needs. Look
at models from Sony, Pioneer, and Philips, just to name a few. It is likely you can get
DVD-A or SACD thrown in, and with the Outlaw 1050, you will have multichannel analog
inputs already, which will give you an upgrade path should you desire it. You're looking
at some fine gear, and you have the potential for a really satisfying system.
October 22, 2001
Greetings. Love the website!
I have a dilemma. I have a Marantz CC-48
entry-level CD player, and I want to upgrade. But with the DVD-A and SACD wars going on,
I'm not sure what makes sense. I want to improve the sound of my system (I think the
Marantz is too harsh/bright), but I don't want to buy something that may soon be obsolete.
So I was thinking that a good solution would be to buy an outboard DAC that could also
work with DVD-A/SACD and keep the Marantz as the transport for now. Would the Full Nelson
version of the MSB Link III improve the sound of a DVD-A/SACD player if I ultimately
decide to go that route? Does this strategy make sense? Or would the Link not improve the
sound of those formats? The rest of my system includes a Rotel RB-1070 power amp,
Parasound P/HP-850 preamp, and PSB Image 2B speakers, with M-Series Monster Cable speaker
cables (which I plan to upgrade), and DH Labs Silver Sonic BL-I II and AudioTruth Opal
interconnects. Any advice would be appreciated.
Peter Doyle
There is no facility for using an outboard
DAC with either SACD or DVD-A due to the lack of a digital output from any of these
players. The MSB may very well improve the sound of your Marantz though, so if that is
your primary goal it may be a worthwhile upgrade for you. Having said that, you may want
to listen to some of the new Sony SACD players, which can had for as little as $300, and
go up in increments of about $200 from there. You may find that this is more cost
effective for you and will give you an opportunity to experience high-resolution audio
now, since it seems you are leaning that way. It will, of course, play your CDs too, and
likely better than the entry-level Marantz CD player you are upgrading.
October 21, 2001
I am considering adding an external amp for
the front two channels of my Harmon/Kardon receiver. My receiver is rated at 50 "high
current" watts in stereo and 40 "high current" watts into five channels. My
first question: Do high-current watts really matter? My second question: Is there much to
be gained by adding an external amp? I have heard that you increase the current to the
other channels by bypassing some. Is this true?
Tim
You have hit upon one of the most
cost-effective and logical upgrades available to a home-theater system. As well, your
logic is spot on. As you can see from your receiver's specifications, when you use fewer
channels, you enable the internal amplifiers in your receiver to deliver more power. The
reason for this is that the shared power supply (typically one transformer and a pair of
filter capacitors) is only powering two or three instead of five or six channels. You're
likely to get cleaner power too, for the same reasons. Not only do you increase RMS power,
but headroom is increased as well, and distortion lowered. As for "high
current," this relates to the amplifier's ability to deliver current to an
increasingly complex load, and again, the capability of the amplifier's power supply and
output stage. "High current" means it can deal with real speakers in the real
world, not just on paper.
October 20, 2001
Why would I need Dolby Digital decoder in my
DVD player if I have Dolby Digital processor or receiver? As I know all processing is done
in the processor, why are most of DVD players equipped with Dolby Digital/DTS decoders?
Robert
There are several reasons. One is pure
marketing. Often people will ask if the DVD player "has Dolby and DTS." I think
part of this stems from a lack of understanding that it is in fact embedded in the digital
stream. Every current DVD player has the ability to pass both DTS and Dolby Digital from
their digital outputs to use with a receiver/processor. Having said that, there are some
reasons outside having a marketing advantage. First, some of the older products simply
don't have internal decoders, but do have six-channel inputs. These products were deemed
"Dolby Digital Ready" by their makers. Such receivers are rare today though.
There are also a new wave of of six-channel preamps set to hit the market, such as the
Sony TA-P9000ES, which could be used in conjunction with a DVD player with these
processing features. In this case, it makes little sense to have a standalone processor to
duplicate these functions. But to make a long story short, there is no advantage in having
the processing in two places.
October 19, 2001
As always, great work on the site! I was a
little disappointed that you didn't compare the Paradigm Atom to the Axiom M3Ti in your
current review of the Paradigm speakers. Care to contrast the two in the "Ask
Me" column? I would love to hear if you think the M3Ti is worth the extra $90 or so.
Thanks!
John
We have multiple reviewers contributing to
GoodSound! now, which makes comparisons sometimes impossible from a logistics
standpoint. I agree that the Axiom/Paradigm comparison would be relevant, but they simply
weren't in the same reviewer's hands at the same time -- nor are they now.
October 18, 2001
I have just begun using my Cambridge A500
Integrated as a preamp because I just added a Marsh A400S amp to my system. I wonder if
adding a higher-quality preamp such as the Marsh P2000 or the Rogue 66 will make much of a
difference in my system. What do you think? My speakers are Totem Arros and my main source
is the new Sony XA777ES SACD player. Thanks for your input.
Scott
My initial thought is that, yes, it will
make a substantial improvement. Looking at your system as a whole, I see you have
assembled what I would predict to be a resolving, refined sound. The Sony XA777ES has the
capability to provide you with extremely high resolution, and I've heard good things about
the Marsh A400S amp as well. I would pursue hearing the P2000 preamp in your system as it
is likely a sonic match for the A400S, considering it comes from the same manufacturer.
After that, you should be pretty well set to sit back and enjoy your music!
October 17, 2001
Before I get to my question, I just want to
say how helpful your website has been. I just purchased those Axiom M3Ti speakers, and I
couldn't be happier. So thanks for the tip on those speakers. Along with the Axioms, I
have a Rotel RB-951 power amp and a RC-972 stereo control amp. I wanted to ask for some
assistance in finding a CD player to go with my current setup. I am definitely not an
audio buff, so I have no need for anything glamorous. I just want a quality product that
is well worth the money. I could spend up to $700, no more.
Thanks for your help,
Jordan
Your search for good value in a digital
product is one a lot of people share. The best value these days seems to be in the newer
format players, both DVD-A and SACD. One reason for this is manufacturers revamping
product lines and pushing the new formats heavily. You can get outstanding CD performance
from these players and often get a lot of bang for the buck in other areas. Two examples
are the Sony SCD-555ES, originally retailing in the $1700 price range, now available for a
street price of around $700. Also, the Technics DVD-A10 was listed at $1200, but it can be
had for under $400. Both these players offer excellent CD performance and compatibility
with high-resolution formats as a bonus. The Sony, being an ES, product has outstanding
build quality, which adds value, and the Technics also upsamples. Those would be my
recommendations.
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