Multiple subwoofers
June 19, 2003
What do you think of running two subwoofers instead of just
one? Is there a real benefit to doing this or would it cause problems?
Roger Neil
This depends on a number of variables. If you are using
fairly small main speakers and therefore need a highish crossover point (say, above 80Hz)
to avoid a hole in the frequency response, running two subwoofers may be beneficial. In
this case the subwoofers are actually acting as the speakers' woofers, and not just
producing very low bass, so having one per speaker is ideal. If, on the other hand, your
mains are good to 50Hz or so and you're using a subwoofer to reproduce very-low bass only,
I'd put my money toward a really good subwoofer and only use one (as opposed to two
mediocre subs). With this scenario, two subs would be necessary only if you needed more
output, because, for example, you had an extremely large room. Placing one subwoofer in
your room is hard enough.
Cabinet resonance
June 16, 2003
I'm wondering if anyone has had the opportunity to compare Athena's AS-F2
and Axiom's M50Ti. I've read yours and Stereophile's reviews of the Athena and my
only concern is the pronounced cabinet resonance measured by John Atkinson of Stereophile.
(These were the strongest found looking through other issues.)
Any comments are appreciated.
Jeff Kaschyk
Looking at a cabinet resonance in "isolation"
does not tell you much, if anything, about the speaker's final sound. On it's own, it is a
rather worthless measurement, in my estimation, since there are many more factors involved
and designers work with all these factors when creating good-sounding products. What's
important is the acoustical output of the speaker, and that's what things like frequency
response, distortion, and the like tell you. I don't see why any measured resonance should
preclude you from buying a speaker if you enjoy the speaker's overall sound.
7.1 pre-out
June 13, 2003
I have been trying to see what a 7.1 pre-out is, and as
much as I look, I can find no answers. I am looking at two receivers and the only
difference between them is one has a 7.1 pre-out and one doesn't. Can you tell me what a
7.1 pre-out is and what it does?
Bryant
A 7.1 pre-out is a set of "preamp outputs"
used to drive a separate power amplifier. You'll see them as a set of eight RCA outputs
that would correspond with the input bank on a multichannel amplifier. They're important
if you think you'll add a standalone power amp as an upgrade in the future. If the
receiver you buy has enough power for your speaker system, it may go unused, so it's not a
necessity for home-theater operation.
Need more power
June 11, 2003
How do I go about hooking up a separate power amp to my
receiver, which does have pre-outs? I have a Marantz SR-8000 receiver.
Rich Haussner
Pre-outs, or preamp outputs, will be labeled according
to the channel you wish to drive with a separate power amp. For example, the front left
and right pre-outs when connected to a power amplifier will be driven by the new amp, not
your receiver. You'll simply connect the pre-outs to the amplifier's corresponding inputs
with RCA cables. Then connect your speakers to the new amp and you're ready to go.
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