Used Gold?

November 30, 2009

I have enough money so I can buy a pair of used PSB Stratus Gold speakers, or I can buy brand new Image or Imagine speakers. What would you do?

Tyler Hache

Interesting question. The answer would depend partly on the condition of the Stratus Gold speakers. They’re an outstanding design from the 1990s, so they likely have wear and tear along with some deterioration. If they’re not in good shape, or have been abused, I’d definitely look to the Image or Imagine speakers. But if the Golds have been well maintained and you can get them for a good price, it’s certainly something to consider.

M&K still legitimate?

November 25, 2009

I am in the process of building a dedicated home theater (14' x 20' with 9' ceilings) and would like to know if it's time to upgrade my speakers. My setup since 1998 has been (4) M&K LCR55 bookshelf speakers, (1) M&K CTR750THX center speaker and (1) M&K V-75 Mk II subwoofer. Is this still a legitimate speaker setup or have vast improvements been made in the past ten years? Any idea how much I would need to spend to make a noticeable improvement? I'd also like your thoughts on 5.1 vs.7.1 speaker systems and whether in-wall speakers should even be considered. Thanks for your help.

Matt

M&K was a highly respected loudspeaker brand before its demise. Their products were considered at the cutting edge of home-theater design near DVD’s infancy. That was back in the mid ‘90s. However, as you suggest, time has marched on and there have been improvements in most every aspect of loudspeaker design. My feeling is that your speakers are still good, but certainly not up to the standards that you could attain with a new system from a brand like Paradigm. For instance, I would bet that a system from Paradigm’s Monitor line, like this one reviewed in our sister publication Home Theater & Sound, would surpass what you have now. Moving up to the Paradigm Studio line would show an even greater improvement.

To answer your second question: 5.1 is fine for most rooms. It is also the standard used for the vast majority of movies you’ll run across. 7.1 will needlessly divide up your speaker budget among more speakers even further if you're going to spend the same amount of money. Even if you're willing to spend more, it's not likely to be worth it. Lastly, in-wall systems have made huge strides in quality over the past five years. I’m quite sure you could equal or better the performance you have now with a top-flight in-wall system from a company like Paradigm or Revel.

Receiver shutdown

November 19, 2009

I recently bought an A/V receiver to use in my home-theater system and when I play the music even a little bit loud, it shuts down. I have to wait a few minutes before it turns back on. Is it faulty? Any ideas?

Andreas Kailing

I don’t know the brands of the receiver or the speakers, but chances are that the receiver has protection circuitry that’s turning the unit off, likely because your speakers are presenting it with too tough a load. To know for sure, though, you should go back to the store you bought it from and ask someone there. Make sure to take the make and model of your speakers to show them. If they know the product well, they should be able to tell you exactly what’s happening.

Denon DCD-1520 CD player

November 14, 2009

A friend gave me a Denon DCD-1520 CD player. I'm not familiar with it. Is it any good?

Ralph McCain

I can't remember when the DCD-1520 it was first introduced, but I believe it was in the late '80s or early '90s. If I recall correctly, it is extremely well built, uses 20-bit DACs that were hand-trimmed at the factory by Denon (they used to do that to improve linearity), and sounds great. In fact, a friend of mine had one for years and sold his -- and regrets doing do. The fact that your friend gave you one puts you in an enviable position if it still works well. My suggestion is to keep it, use it, and think twice before selling it yourself.

The power-cord conundrum

November 10, 2009

I have a pretty decent system: PSB Stratus Gold speakers, older Belles preamp and amp, and a fairly new Denon CD player. I’ve never been one to play with tweaky stuff, but my friend says I should try some of the new power cords that are out. He said that some make a huge difference. I have trouble believing it. What do you think?

Trent Astor

It would be interesting to find out what "huge" means to your friend. I’ve played with power cords and, depending on the components, they sometimes made a difference. But I’d never describe the change as huge. When I heard a difference, it has mostly to do with improvements in dynamics and low-level detail. Sometimes, though, I never heard any difference at all.

As far as your own system goes, if you’re happy with your current components, then swapping out a power cord here and there won’t hurt -- providing you can try them for free (otherwise your wallet could take quite a beating). If you do, I’d be happy if you would report back with what you find.

Party speaker

November 5, 2009

I’m looking for a good party speaker for my living room. I want something that will play loud and has deep bass, and that will also be good for home theater on occasion. I’d like to pay less than $800. What would you suggest?

Ron

There are several characteristics you should look for. One is high efficiency (over 90dB/1W/1m). Having a speaker that will play loud is one thing, but having one that will play loud with a moderate amount of power is another. In the price range you’re looking in, I would assume you will be using a receiver to drive the speakers. Ideally, then, you want a speaker that will hit the sound pressure levels you are seeking with only 50W or so. Second, you need a speaker with good power-handling capability. Pumping lots of power into a speaker for extended periods of time will heat up the drivers’ voice coils to an excessive degree, which could lead to a blown speaker.

Given those two requirements -- high efficiency and good power handling -- brands that come to mind are Cerwin-Vega, Paradigm (some), and Axiom (although their top-of-the-line M80 can be a little tough to drive due to the low impedance, although it's more than you wanted to spend, anyway). The C-Vs are high-efficiency champs and will play loud with ease. Their horn-loaded design is perfect for your application. Paradigm and Axiom make speakers that are rugged and can stand up to punishing SPLs. You might find the latter two sound better than the former, though they probably won’t quite hit the maximum loudness levels that the C-Vs can. Either way, one of those three should be perfect for partying down.