Old versus new
October 21, 2002
I currently have a pair of Paradigm Reference Studio/20s, a
Technics five-disc changer, and a 15-20-year-old Onkyo receiver. My local dealer has a
trade-up policy so I may continue working up the Paradigm Reference ladder. Meanwhile, my
dad, a serious audiophile, is giving me a top-shelf Proceed CD player, which he doesn't
need. To further improve upon this system, I'm looking to purchase an integrated
amplifier; I've been looking at NAD, JoLida, Rotel -- you get the idea. I like the NAD a
lot and understand why people rave about its price/performance ratio. But here's the
thing: Dear old dad also has a 31-year-old McIntosh C-28 preamp that I can have gratis.
Should I take the Mac and use my $500-$750 and buy a power amp, new or used -- and forget
about the integrated? I have trouble believing that a 30-year-old preamp is the way to go.
When does classic become old?
Jason
Of course the only real answer is to listen to each and
decide based on performance, aesthetics, and reliability. Only you know what your tastes
are, and which combination you'll be happiest with is anyone's guess.
However, being an old Mac guy myself, I can tell you
that I'd look for a used McIntosh 2200 to go with the C-28. They are readily available in
the $600 price range, and the combo would be sweet and powerful-sounding. McIntosh
equipment is built to an incredibly high standard, and surprisingly, it holds its own
pretty well with today's new equipment (that is priced similarly to the Mac's used
prices). The decision is ultimately yours, but don't discount the McIntosh preamp based on
age alone.
Bass overload
October 17, 2002
I just purchased a pair of the Sonus Faber Grand Piano
speakers with a B&K Reference 30 preamp and 7250 amp. I do not have a subwoofer yet
(but the speakers themselves have two 7" woofers in them: one is for the low bass and
the other is the midrange), and I was wondering what you would recommend for this problem.
When I watch a movie in DTS, whenever a really loud
explosion happens, the woofers can't seem to handle the load and make a "thud"
sound, which I know is not good -- I don't want to damage them. Otherwise the bass is
awesome! I was looking in my manual, and I can set the LFE and crossover settings as well
as the high/low-pass slope. I am kind of confused on what to do. I have the preamp set on
two speakers only, so all the bass information is set to the speakers.
I turned down the LFE (about 10dB). I understand this
feature lessens the bass information when a "surge" happens. As for the
high-/low-pass slopes, I am confused there. I can set them to be a dB level, which to me
does not make sense.
As for the crossover frequency, its currently set at 80Hz.
I don't think this even applies right now since I do not have a subwoofer yet, but I am
not sure since all the bass information is being sent to the front. The frequency response
on my speakers is 40Hz-20kHz.
Tom
You are overloading your speakers with low-frequency
information they were not designed to handle. The only real solution is to listen at lower
volumes or add a subwoofer so that your system can route the bass information there and
not send the super-powerful low frequencies to your Sonus Fabers. Simply lowering the LFE
level will help, but then you reduce the information you're actually hearing, which will
unbalance the soundtrack's sonic palette. So add a sub or turn it down -- the only two
viable choices for the long term.
Titans or Atoms?
October 16, 2002
I am looking to buy four small speakers for a four-season
room. The speakers will be wall mounted with one in each corner of a 12' x 19' room (8'
ceiling). Right now the favorites are the Paradigm Atom and Paradigm Titan. What would be
your choice? Thanks.
Rick McCullough
You don't mention whether you will be using a subwoofer, so
assuming not, I'd go with the Titans if for no other reason than their larger bass driver
(6.5" in the Titan versus 5.5" in the Atom). They play a little lower in the
bass (50Hz versus 55Hz), which will give you a fuller sound that would likely be more
pleasing over time. If you are setting them up as a home-theater system, the added power
handling of the Titan could be a benefit as well.
The proof is in the listening though. If you could hear
them side by side you'd know for sure which is more suited to your application.
More upgrade advice
October 14, 2002
I am looking at upgrading my home-theater receiver.
Currently I am using a 12-year-old Kenwood with Dolby Pro Logic. My tastes have changed
dramatically since I purchased my first system, and now I am looking for something that
will give me great musical reproduction and some decent home-theater sound for my spouse.
My budget is $800; I have been looking at Marantz and NAD. But would I be better off
purchasing a separate amp/preamp? I really want quality sound for my stereo, and I want to
be able to easily upgrade with new technology. My budget will be bigger in the future, but
my system is painfully inadequate now. Any recommendations?
Nathan A. Jaworski
Although I have not heard much about the latest Marantz
receivers, I have heard from good sources that the latest NADs are very good. In fact,
with $800 to spend, this is where I would look. Since you mention you will have more money
in the future, you would still have a clear upgrade path down the road, which is to add a
separate amplifier for stereo playback. Doing this effectively upgrades the NAD receiver
by adding more clean power to your system. This makes more sense than trying to squeeze an
amp/processor combo into an $800 budget now.
Home-theater upgrade
October 10, 2002
I have preamp-out jacks on my receiver. These are for sub,
center, and surrounds (left and right). I would like to upgrade by connecting a power
amplifier for my front speakers. Can I do that?
Ivo Todorov
Although you don't mention it, I'm sure you have outputs
for your mains (left and right) too. You would connect the new amplifier to the main
preamp outputs, thereby letting the receiver continue driving the rest of the system. The
added power amplifier will likely improve the sound quality of your front stereo pair. By
taking the main speaker load off of the receiver, it will sound better too, so you have a
two-fold improvement. This is a common upgrade, and a wise one too.
Preamp question
October 9, 2002
Can a Yamaha preamp drive a pair of small speakers? I have
one my father gave to me and I don't think I need a lot of power. Thanks for your advice.
Roger Kreh
No. You need a power amplifier to drive a pair of
speakers. The preamp will control the volume, input switching, and perhaps tone controls.
The preamp will connect to the power amplifier (and your source -- CD, DVD, etc.), then
the power amp to the speakers.
Full-range speaker versus sub/sat system
October 7, 2002
If you could choose between a full-range loudspeaker and a
subwoofer/satellite system, which would you choose and why?
Noak Janis
If space were not a consideration, I'd most certainly
choose a full-range speaker. The integration between the bass frequencies and the midrange
and treble has been perfected (hopefully!) by the manufacturer. A sub/sat system is most
valuable when space is at a premium but the listener still wants deep bass. In this
instance, the small satellite speakers provide easier placement, and the subwoofer can be
tucked away so that is doesn't intrude into the room. The down side is that many times the
subwoofer sounds "disconnected" from the satellites -- because it is! With
enough tinkering, though, to achieve proper blending, great sound can still be had.
So, to sum up, if you can house them without space
constraints, go with the full-range speaker. But don't despair if you can't, because with
a little work and experimentation you can still have great sound with a
subwoofer/satellite system.
Blown Driver?
October 3, 2002
I think I may have a problem with my subwoofer. The driver
is making rubbing sounds and crackling a bit when I play any music with bass frequencies
present. Is it possible that the woofer is somehow out of adjustment? Can it be fixed or
aligned?
John Novak
I think what you may have is a blown driver. To be more
specific, a burned voice coil is likely what is causing the noise. I'd contact the
manufacturer and ask them, but you will probably have to replace the driver in question.
Luckily this is usually a fairly simple operation and can be done in the field.
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