Remote control degrades sound?
March 7, 2005
Years ago when I was in this hobby more deeply, remote
controls for preamps were seen to degrade sound quality. I now see that most preamps, with
the exception of some minimalist tube units, seem to have remotes. What's your take on
remotes?
Frank Pascal
Personally, I wouldn't own a preamp that didn't have
remote control. Once you're used to the convenience of a remote, there's no going back. As
for the sonic transparency of remote operation, it would surely depend on whom you asked.
I'm certain there are designers/manufacturers that would be of the opinion that
remote-control functionality is a compromise to ultimate sonic fidelity, while others
would say it's not, but is expensive to implement correctly, while others still would say
as long it's done properly, a remote control is no compromise at all. In the end, what
matters is that you decide whether you want remote functionality and whether you're
willing to pay for the luxury. I wouldn't let remote-control functionality deter me from
listening to a particular preamp, however. I've heard some mighty fine preamps with remote
controls -- in fact, I own one.
"TV in the middle"
March 4, 2005
I have my TV placed between my speakers because I watch
DVDs as well as listen to CDs and want to hear movies played back over the stereo. I have
not gone to 5.1 sound yet. I've heard that the TV in the middle will mess up the imaging
of my speakers. Is this true?
Paul R.
Any large object placed right between your speakers will
impact the sound of your stereo at least to a degree. The size of your television and the
design of your speakers will determine the extent. A large reflective surface placed
anywhere near the speakers will have an impact as it becomes a source of reflection. A
common way to combat this is to move your speakers forward so that the front plane of the
speakers is closer to you than the front of the TV. This should minimize the TV's impact
on your system's sound. The other options include draping a blanket over the TV while
listening to stereo and, the most expensive option, is to recess your TV in the wall or
buy a flat-panel unit that you can mount flat against the wall.
Primer on tubes?
March 2, 2005
I've been trying to find some general information online
about vacuum-tube amps, but I've come up with articles with lots of technical terms I just
don't understand. Can you point me in the right direction, or possibly tell me the basics
of vacuum-tube amps?
Danny
Your question deserves a detailed answer; there's far
more to it than I could answer in the "Ask Me" section. Plus, I'm a solid-state
guy! But not to worry -- we have some tube-o-philes on staff who can explain things in a
manner we regular folks can understand. We'll devote an article to this subject in the
near future. I suspect there are many readers who would benefit.
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