March 27, 2003
Wes,
I just finished reading your archived
review of the Stewart GreyHawk screen. As I understand it, the screen was tested with
a DLP projector. I have a Panasonic PT-LC75U projector, an LCD. Using this screen with
this LCD, would you be still be ecstatic? Is there a review of my projector anywhere?
Adrian
I always try to list the components I use in my reviews
and list anything I compare the reviewed product to. If you don't see it in the review, I
probably don't have any experience with it and anything I could say would be a guess.
I haven't used the GreyHawk with any LCDs, so I can't say
how it would perform with them. However, Stewart developed the GreyHawk to optimize the
performance of DLP and LCD projectors, so it probably would do just what it's supposed to.
I just couldn't say so from personal experience....Wes Phillps
Frustrating shopping experience
March 20, 2003
Hi Wes,
I was visiting a local Sound and Vision shop to look at
some Rotel and Lexicon amps. I like the Rotel 1075 and 1095, but the salesman told me that
my receiver (Onkyo NR-900) wouldn't work well because its preamp output stage is basically
cheap. It will distort the sound some. Is this true?
I like the receiver -- it has a lot of nice features -- but
I'm not sure what to make of this. If my preamp out adds distortion that I can hear, it
would bother me. My speakers are Axiom M80Tis, VP150, and QS-8s. These are great and very
efficient speakers, and extremely clear.
Secondly, how are the DIY subwoofer kits from Dayton
Loudspeakers?
Thanks,
Rick
Tell that salesman to quit blowing smoke up your.... No,
on second thought, don't even bother going back in the store -- it obviously has nothing
but contempt for its customers.
Line-level outputs, as a rule, have vanishingly low
distortion these days -- even on affordable mass-market components. If the salesman had
said that the DACs on his Lexicon processors had superior sound, he might have had a
point, although he would have still been guilty of not listening to what you want.
Find a dealer who will listen to what you are saying and
who will help you construct the system you want. You're right -- your speakers are great
and can reveal differences between components easily. I'm sure you'll hear the
improvements your new amp will bring to your system.
As for the Dayton Loudspeakers subs, I reviewed the
10" model at www.onhifi.com....Wes
Phillips
Complete system
March 17, 2003
Hi Wes,
As a person who has lost touch with audio equipment, I
would like to know what you would recommend if you had to spend $3500 to $4000 on a
home-theater system. I need a TV, speakers, amplifier, and a DVD player. At one time I
knew what was a reputable, quality brand but now that I have a family, and my budget does
not allow me to spend over this amount. Can you help? Are speakers still considered the
most important part of your audio system?
Peter Thomas
The answer to your question depends, to a large extent,
on how much TV you intend to buy. You could sped your entire $4000 budget on a big-screen
monitor, after all.
But let's assume you spend $2000 for the TV -- on an NTSC
rear-projection set, for example. That would leave $200 for an A/V receiver, DVD player,
and speakers, which means you have to make some very careful choices. The Denon AVR-2803
is a full-featured HT receiver that delivers 90Wpc and can be had for around $700, which
sounds about right for the budget. Other options would include the Kenwood VR-6070 at $599
(100Wpc) and the Onkyo TX-SR700 at $799 (100Wpc), which is getting a bit steep for your
budget.
Don't buy the cheapest DVD player you can find -- buy to
match your receiver (so you can control everything with a single remote) and spend about
$200, if only for the better construction quality.
That'll leave you about $1000 for your speakers, which are
not the most important component in your system. It's true that you can't hear what the
speakers don't reproduce, but they won't reproduce anything they aren't fed by the
receiver or DVD player either. In a home theater, the most important component is the
video monitor, which is why we budgeted so much for it in the first place.
An integrated speaker system, such as Polk's RM-7200 offers
a lot of sound quality for the money and fits right into the budget. Axiom's Epic Midi
system is also a winner at about a grand -- and for $200 more, its Epic Master system
offers more of everything (especially bass).
Possibly the best advice I can give is to find an honest
dealer -- one who seems genuinely interested in what you want and not just what he has in
stock -- and let his experience and knowledge work in your favor. These are hard to find
these days, but they are out there and they can save you many a misstep. Enjoy the
search....Wes Phillips
Need an amp?
March 10, 2003
Hello Wes,
I am new to all of this home-theater stuff, so if I don't
know what I'm talking about please forgive me. I am planning on purchasing a pair of Axiom
M22Tis for fronts along with a pair of M3Tis for my rears (still undecided on
center-channel speaker) and I plan to use a Kenwood VR-6070 as my receiver. I have also
purchased an SVS CS-Ultra for my subwoofer, which I know needs an amp. Would I need
separate amps for each individual speaker, or is it possible to drive all of these
speakers with a single amp, or is my receiver sufficient for power everything? Just unsure
as to whether or not I need an amplifier(s)? Also what are some decent budget amps (under
$500) available for purchase?
Thanks,
Pete
Your Kenwood receiver has six channels rated at 100W, so
you don't need any amplification for your front, center, surround, or rear speakers, but
you will need an amp to drive the subwoofer. You can get by with a single-channel (mono)
amp, but you could also use a stereo amp and bridge it (connect it so it becomes a mono
amp with approximately twice the power). There are many amps you might consider for this,
but driving a subwoofer is not the most complicated thing in the world
(counter-intuitively, it requires more power and better quality to drive a tweeter's
complex load than the relatively simple and stable demands of a woofer), so you might look
into picking up an older model used, which will save you quite a bit of money. See if you
can find a B&K ST-140 or a Hafler 200 -- they made a million of 'em and they won't
cost you a lot....Wes Phillips
Which Krell?
March 7, 2003
Hello,
I hope that I am nearing the end of my home-theater
acquisition odyssey! I am just about committed to purchasing the Krell Showcase
multichannel amp and processor. I realize that the Showcase line is a scaled-down version
of the HTS line. There isn't much to read in the form of reviews, as the product is new.
Is there anything at all that you can tell me about the Showcase line or Krell in general?
Should I be looking at another brand in the price range? Should I just save up my money
for the HTS? Oh, and I'm not selling tickets at my front door. I just love high-quality
toys!
I would be very grateful if you could guide me in some way.
Dee T.
This is a fairly common dilemma , whether we're talking
cars or dishwashers or hi-fi -- do you buy the deluxe model or do you buy the entry-level
model?
There are manufacturers who "sell out the
marquee," which is to say they devalue the entire value of their brand name when they
design a product to sell at a particular price point. Krell is absolutely not one of
those, however.
When you buy the Showcase products, as opposed to the Home
Theater Standard line, you do give up some of the benefits you pay for with the more
expensive products; however, as you pointed out in your follow-up letter, the Showcase
processor is not hardware upgradeable and the amps offer less power than the HTS models.
But, at 125Wpc, power probably won't ever be an issue with
the Showcase amps and one of the little-known secrets in high-end audio is how
infrequently consumers actually take advantage of upgrade paths. If you're one of the
consumers who will want to upgrade, you need to consider that in your decision, but if,
once you purchase your system, you suspect you'll keep it for several years, perhaps you
don't need that capability. And if you do, spend the extra money for an upgradeable
processor (there's not much to upgrade on the power end of things, considering the
maturity of analog amplifier circuits).
As to buying used, take the advice I gave to Bob S. below
-- consider buying a used product from a Krell dealer. When purchased from an authorized
Krell dealer, products are warranted and the consumer gets the factory-authorized upgrade
discounts. Besides, unscrupulous Internet tricksters frequently use highly desirable brand
names, such as Krell, to hoodwink audiophiles into charging expensive items to their
credit cards and then not delivering them. Be careful out there.
There are good reasons for buying the HTS products over the
Showcase and only you can decide how the plusses and minuses stack up for you -- but the
Showcase products are still all-Krell and if they are what you want, that's always a name
to reckon with....Wes Phillips
Upgrade strategy
March 3, 2003
Hi Wes,
I've been able to accomplish a lot so far by buying
(mainly) used equipment for my 18' x 20' home theater. I'm ready to plan an upgrade path
over the next year. Your guidance will be GREATLY appreciated.
I have: a Sanyo XP21N front projector with Dalite/Damatt
electric screen, a Marantz SR8000 A/V receiver, a Sony DVP-S7000 DVD player, Mirage OMNI
250 front/Omni CC/Omni 50 surround speakers.
The receiver has no component-video switching. The DVD
player is not progressive scan and no DTS, although as a CD transport, it does OK. My
speakers are new, and now that I have them I want to add to the above to get the most out
of them.
5.1 is fine for me so 6.1/7.1 is not an issue. I'm thinking
Denon 1600 for the DVD/CD transport. I'm also thinking I'd like to make a big
improvement on the audio side: Sunfire Ultimate, used Krell HTS2, integrated preamp/amp
like the VAC Avatar. I would spend $3000-4000 for a marked improvement over the
SR8000, but I don't know how to achieve the best results by matching components.)
My circuits are getting fried researching and thinking. Can
you help set me on a good path? I don't expect you to guide me price-wise, but your vast
experience in quality A/V is greatly appreciated. I would go to an audio dealer, but since
used is a possibility I don't want to lead them on!
Thanks and regards,
Bob S.
I suggest you start by keeping a usage log on your
home-theater consumption for a month or so. Every time you turn it on, write down what you
use it for. At the end of your TV watching or DVD watching or gaming, write down what you
liked or did not like about the experience. Don't even think about equipment changes or
brand names for that period of time -- concentrate on what you actually do and what you'd
like to do.
Then read your log and think about how you actually use
your current system.
At that point, I encourage you to seek out a good A/V
dealer. Don't worry about wanting to buy used -- in fact, tell the dealer you'd prefer to
do so. Many dealers have good used equipment departments -- they know that taking
equipment on trade from good customers is a good way to keep those customers happy and
attract new customers. A dealer who knows you want high-quality used gear may even know
some customers who have what you'd like to buy and, having you on tap, might finally offer
them a better deal on the upgrade they've been contemplating.
Let the dealer show you some separate combos he thinks
work well -- it s a chance to get acquainted with what's available. If you're up front
about your budget and your desire to buy used, if at all possible, there should be no hard
feelings if you can't work out a deal. Truly good dealers offer added value to the
exchange and it should be a win/win relationship.
Also check and see if there are any audio societies in
your area -- meeting other folks with similar interests and goals is a great way to learn
about the benefits of different components. Like the old commercial said, "Ask the
man who owns one."....Wes Phillips
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