Polk review?
May 7, 2002
Do you plan on reviewing Polk's successor to the RTi35,
the RTi38? It does appear to be a somewhat significant redesign with increased
dimensions and a re-worked crossover. You have to give Polk credit for spending resources
on improving an already fantastic speaker while maintaining the same price point (more or
less). I guess I'm wondering if this is a "New Coke" or if they really made a
better speaker?
Hudson
Although we don't have that review set up at the moment,
you've sold me on trying to schedule it. I agree with you on Polk's commitment to quality
-- they seem to give their best each time out. We'll try to arrange the review.
New system for a new home
May 5, 2002
I am a music lover who has suffered with a somewhat
substandard system for as long as I can remember. I'll be moving to a new home later in
the year, a 1200-square-foot loft, which I intend to break up as little as possible. Soon
after I move and renovate, I would like to replace my system, with the exception of my CD
player, which is relatively new. I would like recommendations for speakers which could
handle most of the space, a receiver for audio only (my interest in TV is small) and an
equalizer. I listen to jazz, both instrumental and vocal, house and other assorted
electronica and dance, baroque instrumental and choral, and other random stuff. I also
don't want to spend a lot of money -- I was reading an old review of some Polk speakers
and thinking that this was the level of equipment I would be up for. Thanks for your help.
Chris
You need a fairly substantial speaker to handle an
entire loft -- something that has enough low-end foundation to support the room without
thinning out too much in the bass, which, of course, is ever-present in some of the music
you listen to. I'd suggest models by Polk and NHT as good starting points. You could also
go with a smaller speaker and add a subwoofer, especially since, with that large a space,
you would likely have plenty of placement options for the sub. If you know you won't be
setting up an entire home theater, I'd look at a quality integrated amplifier instead of a
receiver. The Denon PMA-2000R comes to mind as a great alternative to a receiver. At a
list price of $999, and a street price lower than that, it would make a good pair of NHT
or Polk speakers sing. It doesn't have a full equalizer, but it does have separate bass
and treble controls.
On a $3000-3500 budget
May 4, 2002
I would like to obtain an audio system for $3000-3500. The
main room in which it would be used is a 13' x 27' living room without carpet. Although we
might occasionally watch TV and DVDs, the primary application is to listen to classical
music. At some future point in time, we would like to install connections and speakers in
a family room the same size as our living room.
One candidate is the Bose LifeStyle 50 system. Good value
is important. I can also take time to listen and learn about a variety of systems. What
should I consider? I would like to buy it in time for my 50th birthday in six months.
Rich Haney
For your proposed budget, you can assemble quite a nice
system, one that should easily better an all-from-one-company alternative.
Here's what I would do. Start with with a good A/V
receiver; one that will allow you to listen to stereo (likely the main source for your
classical music), movies (either TV or DVD), and accommodate multi-room expansion. I'd
budget around $1000 to the receiver, which will be the heart and soul of your setup. Look
for solid power (100W or so) and ease of use, as well as sound quality. Next, I'd purchase
a current-generation DVD player. This will be the source component that will play DVD as
well as CD. Again, picture quality and sound quality, as well as ease of use, are keys.
Look to spend $500 or so here. Lastly, and most importantly, I'd search for a good pair of
stereo loudspeakers, and spend the remainder of your budget here. This will serve your
classical music well, and also sound great with movies. You'll have the lion's share of
your system budget allocated toward the component that will be the largest determinant of
sound quality. A good pair of speakers is always a wise initial investment, especially
when CD sound is important.
From there, you can add speakers if your thirst for home
theater grows, or you can add speakers to the other room using the available amplifier
channels on the receiver. You'll end up with great sound now and flexibility for the
future. Happy birthday!
New CD player
May 2, 2002
I want to buy a new CD player. Which one will be a better
choice: the Naim CD5 or the Sony SACD-777ES? The CD performance is very important to me.
Ela Segal
Many SACD and DVD players sound great with CD and
provide you with the ability to play the higher-resolution audio formats either in
multichannel or stereo. If you know that these are, and will be, unimportant to you, then
looking at a good CD player that matches your current system might be the better
alternative. For example, if you have Naim gear now, the CD5 may be the more logical
choice based on potential system synergy. Of course, the only way to know for sure is to
listen to both and decide which one sounds best to you.
|
