December 31, 2001
This afternoon, I purchased a new Rotel RCD-961CD player,
and I was advised by the salesman to have a CD playing on repeat for several days before I
would be able to hear the player's true sound. Is this actually true? It sounds a bit
absurd to me. If it is true, how does it work? Is it a common practice? Any information
would be appreciated. Thanks!
Howard Stelzer
You've touched upon a controversial subject to say the
least. I'll just say that many people feel there is evidence that electronic components
"burn-in" in such a manner that the sound changes over a period of days or
weeks. Others feel components need proper warm-up time to sound their best, with 30
minutes doing the trick. Still others believe this concept is actually our ears becoming
accustomed to the sound over time -- not the component changing, but our reaction to it
altering. Which of the three is most valid, I can't say. And likely the answer involves
all three to an extent. Listen to your new CD player right away, then let it run for a few
days and listen again. Let us know what you think.
December 29, 2001
I have received a pair of old '70s KEF 104 Reference
speakers. They still sound pretty good (in my opinion). The rest of the system is:
Nakamichi RE-2 receiver, Denon DCD-835 CD player, Puresonic 5050A (to be upgraded) and VDH
CS122 cables.
It was suggested to me that I upgrade the amp. I'm
wondering what kind of budget would be necessary to get a significant, obvious upgrade
from the Nak receiver. Are those old speakers worth the effort? Many thanks.
Olivier
You better believe they are worth the effort! The KEF
104 Reference is a terrific vintage speaker that can be enjoyed for years to come. Given
the right power, it has tons of slam and images great. I think an upgrade of the amplifier
is a great suggestion, and I do have a couple models to suggest. First, try the B&K
ST2140. This is a well-made two-channel amp that can be bought for under $600. It is dead
quiet and has plenty of current. The second suggestion would be a used McIntosh MC2105.
This amp was likely the partnering piece sold with these speakers years ago. You can find
them used on eBay for about $600 too. Old or new ancillary equipment, you definitely have
something worth hanging on to with the KEF speakers.
December 28, 2001
I am considering buying a relatively low-powered amp. When
trying to match speakers, what is the factor I should consider more: impedance or
sensitivity? In other words, facing a choice, should I go for higher impedance or higher
sensitivity?
Dan
The first place to start is with a definition.
Impedance is the opposition offered by an electric circuit to the flow of an alternating
current, and is a combination of resistance and reactance. Measured in ohms, the lower the
value, the harder it is for a amplifier to supply power to the speaker. Eight ohms is
considered typical, while anything below 4 ohms is considered low. Tube amplifiers can
vary widely in how well they deal with lower impedances. You should check with the
amplifiers manufacturer to see what the safe operating range is, then match this with the
the speaker's specifications (assuming they are correct).
The sensitivity is a measurement of how loud a speaker
will play with a given input (typically with a 2.83V input measured at one meter). This is
largely a consideration that should take into account the size of the room and the
preferred listening level. An average rating would be 86-88dB, while anything over 90dB
should be considered a high-sensitivity design (remember that this is often overstated by
the manufacturer). With a small room and low-volume listening, you can get away with much
less power.
To sum up, you should first make sure your amplifier
can handle the speaker's impedance, then confirm that the speaker can play your music in
your room at the level you like.
December 27, 2001
I currently have a decent audio system consisting of
Monitor Audio Silver 4i bookshelf loudspeakers, a Cambridge Audio A300 integrated amp,
MMF-2.1 turntable, and a Sony DVD player that I also use to play CDs through my system. As
you can probably see, most of my components are fairly inexpensive yet of decent quality.
I am looking to improve my system's overall performance, but I have no idea where to
begin. I need to stay in the $350 or less (preferably less) range, but I don't know what
to buy. I was thinking of using the A300 as just a preamp and purchasing a separate amp,
maybe the Cambridge Audio A500 amp. Just a thought though. If you have any suggestions,
please share them with me. Oh yeah, one last thing. I live in Alaska, and there are no
audio retail stores here, so whatever you suggest, keep in mind it will have to either be
purchased online or via mail order. Thanks!
Steve Freund
It appears you have assembled a well-balanced system. To
upgrade the performance of what you have carefully selected, you must first assess what
aspect of performance it is you want to improve. The amplifier upgrade you are considering
may indeed be an improvement, but it is hard to tell what the limiting factor in your
system actually is.
The most dramatic upgrade you can make to a system, one
that affects performance more so than any other component, is the speaker system. If you
want to raise the level of performance across the board, this is usually the most
sure-fire way to do so. However, if you are generally happy with the sound, but want, for
example, more bass, possibly a powered subwoofer would be a good upgrade. This is often a
dramatic improvement to a bookshelf-speaker-based system. The amplifier upgrade could
impart a greater sense of ease and control to your system, among many other potential side
effects.
Map out what you want to improve specifically, and you
then set out on a plan to accomplish just that. Avoid, though, replacing components that
are working well together just because something appears to be an upgrade.
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