TosLink advice
April 30, 2003
Wes,
I just read your www.onhifi.com review from March last year of the Musical
Fidelity CD Pre 24, which I really enjoyed. I have decided to take the plunge and have
just ordered one for delivery this weekend.
I know you probably won't want to give advice by
e-mail/letter (it could be the thin end of the wedge!); however, as you clearly write/talk
in my language, I wondered if you could just say a simple "do it or don't do it"
on the subject of TosLink connectors. I've never used them, but as I will be connecting
other digital sources to the CD Pre 24, I could now use them instead of the
normal connectors.
I should be ever so grateful for a one sentence bit of
advice as I can find so little written on the subject. The TosLink looks so feeble in
construction compared to the more beefy RCA cables available.
Neil
If only life were that simple.
It also depends on the question you're asking. If you're
asking me whether you should listen to a TosLink digital connection rather than a stereo
analog connection, then it depends on the relative quality of the source's DAC and that of
the CD Pre 24. I think the CD Pre 24 has an awfully good DAC, so in
most cases, I'd say use its D-to-A section -- especially if your digital source is a few
years old.
But if you're asking whether a TosLink digital connection
is better or worse than a coaxial cable with RCA terminations, then the answer is still it
depends.
My subjective opinion is that TosLink doesn't sound as good
a proper coaxial cable with 75-ohm connectors. People will say that "bits is
bits" and there should be no difference between the two connections, but many
perceptive listeners have heard one anyway -- TosLink sounds less focused and precise.
(This is not, BTW, true of real glass fiber-optical cables, which I cannot distinguish
from a properly terminated coaxial cable.)
However, many digital devices only have TosLink digital
outputs, so you have no choice. Since the CD Pre 24's DACs are probably better
than those of any device that uses only TosLink output, use the TosLink cable and take
advantage of the MF's greater resolution.
Back to that "beefy" RCA, most RCAs are not a
75-ohm connection (in fact, darn few are), so it does not necessarily follow that all
coaxial digital cables with RCAs sound superior to TosLink connections. See what I mean
about it depends?....Wes Phillips
Virtual surround
April 22, 2003
Hello,
I am about to purchase a DVD player. I don't watch that
many movies and have a good two-channel stereo, so I don't plan to purchase any
multichannel gear at this stage.
This leaves me with the various virtual-surround formats
offered by the manufacturers for DVD viewing. Do these audio enhancements offer any real
advantages when using two channels? Is one technology better than another? Any comments
and thoughts are greatly appreciated.
David
I've almost never heard a surround-sound simulation from
two speakers that I could listen to. There are a few virtual-surround algorithms that suck
less than the others, but I generally prefer the stereo outputs of a DVD player to any of
the fake surround options commonly available.
If you're only going to be listening to two speakers, I
recommend you feed 'em a real two-channel signal....Wes Phillips
Amp confusion
April 18, 2003
Hi Wes,
I am trying to put together a home theater by adding to my
existing stereo system. I currently have a Marantz AV-600 receiver paired with a Yamaha
M-85 power amp. I understand that the M-85 is a good amp. I bought it new in 1988 and have
loved it. My front speakers are Bose 901s and I am purchasing some rear surrounds,
center-channel, and a powered sub. The AV-600 has a sub out that I will utilize. The thing
I don't understand is the amp setup. I want to drive my front speakers off of my M-85, and
I do not know what other amps I will need -- can I drive my center-channel off of my M-85
also? I have looked at some monoblock-type amps. Do I need one of these for each speaker?
One for the right rear, one for the left rear, and one for the center channel? Can I get
by with my current amp and then add a two-channel amp? Please help!
Thanks,
Chris
Since the AV-600 is a preamp/processor, it can handle
the multichannel decoding of the source material. However, each channel will then require
its own separate channel of amplification. Use your M-85 for the FR and FL speakers and
you'll still need three additional channels of amplification for the other speakers. There
are three-channel amps and there are monoblock amplifiers -- which you use doesn't really
make a difference....Wes Phillips
Axiom or B&W?
April 14, 2003
Hi Wes,
I have a slight dilemma on my hands for speaker choice and
wondered what your opinion was. I'm currently redoing my front and center channels, and
they will be powered by a Marantz 9200 receiver. I listen to about 60% TV/DVD movies and
about 40% music.
The two speakers I'm torn between are the B&W DM604 S3s
and the Axiom M80Tis (and complementing center-channel speaker). The Axiom is obviously a
little cheaper, but that's not as big a concern. What are your feelings on this?
Scott
I like 'em both, but it's hard for me to put myself in a
position where the price differential didn't matter. I generally have to trade off between
price and performance. Remove that from the equation and it's simply a matter of which you
prefer. I've heard the Axioms more recently than the B&Ws, so I'm probably more
inclined to choose the partner I've been with most recently -- but that's just the kind of
guy I am....Wes Phillips
Plasma problem
April 9, 2003
Hi Wes,
A friend of mine has a 42" Fujitsu plasma TV. He is
experiencing two horizontal lines that scroll vertically. Even after disconnecting all of
the inputs (except one, and he's tried several different types -- coax, S-video from VCR,
component from DVD, et cetera) it still has the scrolling.
He connected the TV to a different power outlet (on a
different circuit breaker) and the lines go away, but this is not convenient as the plasma
is mounted on the wall. Any idea how this can be corrected?
Roger Fukai
It sounds to me like you've eliminated everything as the
cause except some form of interference on the AC circuit. I suspect there's a motor of
some sort feeding some kind of pulse into the line the plasma unit is plugged into. There
are many products designed to clean up this kind of AC pollution, including the Monster HTPS
7000 I reviewed here last October -- any of 'em ought to take care of the problem.
A well-designed power-line conditioner isn't cheap -- well,
compared to a 42" plasma screen, maybe it is!...Wes Phillips
Wise purchases?
April 4, 2003
Wes,
We are what you would refer to as "new to this
stereo/home-theater world." We have a budget of $3k to $4k, but, we are getting lost
in all the ad hype.
We want the best of music and home-theater sound for our
budget. Our room is 20' x 16' x 10'. Two sides are walls and two sides are glass/wall
combination (a lot of glass). We listen to movies and music equally and want concert-type
sound and movie-theater viewing and listening.
We currently own a 50" Mitsubishi projection Diamond
HDTV-ready TV and a Sony 550 DVD/CD Player. We are considering the purchase of the Polk LSi15
towers for front speakers, the LSiC for the center, and LSiFX for surround
speakers. The powered subwoofer will be a Velodyne CHT12.
We thought we had the receiver decided upon with a Denon
AVR-3803 but, I am now looking at an Integra DTR-7.3 thanks to a local home-theater store.
The Denon upconverts composite and S-video to component video. The Integra offers THX and
DTS-EX formats.
Are progressive-scan DVDs the wave of the future? We do not
wish to spend this amount of money and have a system that is obsolete in six months to a
year. Are we way off base with our considerations?
We will probably not have this type of budget to spend
again for some time to come and wish to make the very best decision we can. We are
wondering if there is really a sound difference for dollars that the average person can
appreciate. At one time we just considered ceiling speakers to increase the available
floor space. Please, we could use some help. Thank you.
Mike & Natalie
First, take a deep breath and calm down -- this isn't
rocket science and, while you've budgeted a nice sum of money for the project (and you
should be concerned about getting your money's worth), you're dealing with very good
products. Even if you guess "wrong," you're probably not going to be
disappointed.
Let's start with the easy answers. The speakers and
subwoofer are really, really solid performers, so just go ahead and get 'em.
As to progressive scan -- my crystal ball's broken, I can't
say how widely accepted it will be. I like it a lot and consider it a major step up. Other
reviewers think it's an incremental improvement. But either way, I think your decision is
probably already made. After all, you already have the TV and the DVD player. If both
offer progressive scan, then you should certainly go for a receiver that also offers it,
if only to preserve your options. If not, I wouldn t bother -- buying a new TV with
progressive scan will make replacing your receiver and DVD player look like insignificant
expenses.
By the way, I'm guessing that a really good set of
insulated drapes might be an extremely successful addition to your home theater -- the
drapes will block out light and tame some of the glass reflections, making dialogue far
more comprehensible....Wes Phillips
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