Speaker ratings, new amp or subwoofer?
November 28, 2003
Wes,
I am newcomer to the home-theater
addiction; however, I see no 12-step program in sight. I
have just upgraded speakers that are rated at 250W, but my receiver, a Pioneer Elite 43TX,
is only rated at 100Wpc. I am thinking of buying a
Sunfire amp, but I am not sure that I will receive enough of a performance boost for the
money. I guess I am looking for advice in the right
direction from someone who isn't trying to sell me anything.
I have a smaller room (12'x18'), but that
will not always be the case. I am also thinking of
buying a new subwoofer, and the Polk SW650 and the Sunfire Mark IV are the two I am
interested in. I know that the Sunfire is one of the
best names in amps and subs, but with such a large difference in price, which is the
better for the money?
Randall
The deal with loudspeaker ratings is
that they're complete hooey.
Well, maybe that's harsh. There are
speaker ratings that can be quite useful, such as frequency response and sensitivity,
which tell you which frequencies a speaker can reproduce and how hard an amplifier will
have to work to drive them.
But the power ratings expressed in
watts are almost entirely pointless. Take your 250W rating, for instance. I could attach
those speakers to a 1000W Classé monoblock and drive 'em for years without even coming
close to blowing them, as long as I keep the volume reasonable and don't cross the bare
speaker wires.
For more info on this subject, refer
to my article "How
Many Watts Is That Speaker?"
So do you need a more powerful amp to
drive those "250W" speakers? Almost certainly not, given your room size --
although I can't say for sure, since you didn't tell me which speakers we're talking
about.
Buy new speakers, by all means, just
don't do it because your amp and speakers "don't match."
As to subwoofers, I've used a great
many and I keep coming back to the PSW650s as my point of reference. I haven't lived with
the Sunfire, but it has a reasonably good reputation and many people seem to like it
(although, like anything else, not everyone). Other companies that produce high value/high
performance subwoofers include Velodyne, Hsu Research, and Earthquake -- you're almost
bound to find one that matches your needs and budget among them.
Hard-disk recorder
November 26, 2003
Hi Wes,
I am interested in buying a DVD recorder
with a hard disk. What would be my best choice? Have they got all the bugs out of the
Panasonic units? I have to buy one from out of
town, so it must be reliable.
Byron
Reviewers don't generally keep
products long enough to talk knowledgeably about reliability problems, and I'm no
exception. I had the Panasonic DMR-E100HS in my system for about 90 days, which isn't long
enough to talk about the "long run." It did, however, perform as specified --
mostly. As is the case with many complex products, there were times when there seemed to
be interface/logic issues, most of them attributable to user stupidity, no doubt.
I wouldn't worry too much about
having to buy from a distance, just as long as you buy from a vendor you trust to do the
right thing in the event you get the unit built at 4:30pm on a Friday....Wes Phillips
HDTV/TiVo/DVD recorder all in one box?
November 24, 2003
Hi Wes,
I'm about to move into a new house, and I
am using the occasion as an excuse to finally upgrade my TV to HDTV. But herein lies a problem.
I'm not interested in buying everything multiple times. I'm going with DirecTV, but what I really want is a
HDTV/TiVo/DVD recorder all in one box. At the least
I want the HDTV/TiVo receiver combined. As much as I
would like a DVD recorder, I just can't see dropping $1000 on one of those nice new
Pioneer TiVo/DVD units when they won't do anything for my HDTV needs. How long will I have to wait until my dreams come
true?
Dave
Well, Zenith has a terrestrial
high-definition PVR available right now (at least that's their story and they're sticking
to it): the HDR230 ($999). But life ain't quite that simple, apparently.
First, there's that price. Early
production samples were reported to have reliability problems, which may well have been
dealt with by now. Also, despite an 80GB hard disk, the HDR230 can only record none hours
of HD programming (27 hours of standard).
On the plus side, the unit is
reported to be stone-simple to set up and has superb signal sensitivity.
TiVo is rumored to have one in the
works (no official announcement yet) and the DISH Network has announced the model 921
($999.99), which is supposed to be available before the end of the year. Guess we'll
see....Wes Phillips
Axiom or RBH, direct or eBay?
November 20, 2003
Hi Wes,
I've been studying and researching and researching and
studying, and I'm torn about a speaker purchase for my home theater. I've spoken with a
gentleman at Axiom regarding the Epic Grand Master series, and have concluded that I would
swap out for the larger (VP150) center channel, and also upgrade the front speakers to the
M50ti towers. This would put me just shy of $1800 for a set that has received glowing
reviews across the board.
Then today, I saw the RBH AC Series 2 on eBay for $1250!
That's $500 less than I've seen them anywhere else. I've seen only one review online for
the AC Series, and it was quite positive. The system on eBay is the same, but adds two
towers instead of bookshelves.
I'm fatigued and confused and (as always) hesitating to buy
something without hearing it, but I've no other choice. Do you have any ideas?
Josh
I've liked all the Axiom loudspeakers I've heard, which
is about every model they make, I reckon. Good sound, good value -- all the good stuff.
I liked the RBH Sound CT-5
system I reviewed, too. It was also well built and offered a lot of speaker for the
money. I'd guess that the AC Series 2 would be pretty good, too. You can't always
extrapolate from a smaller model to the sound of its larger brethren, but I'd expect
speakers from either RBH or Axiom to be safe bets.
But I do feel obliged to confess that I bought a pair
of the M3tis and have been delighted with them. Over time, my admiration for the company's
design and build have only increased. Familiarity certainly did not breed contempt.
I'm probably revealing myself to be a child of the
pre-Internet age when I say that I prefer to deal with dealers face to face or, failing
that, directly with the manufacturers. That said, I'd feel safer ordering directly from
Axiom than buying from eBay. Your mileage, as always, may differ....Wes Phillips
Receiver for Polk speakers?
November 18, 2004
Wes,
I read your review of the
Polk LSi-series speakers. Can you tell me which receiver you used for your
audition?
Peter
I was alternating between two
different receivers at that time: the Denon AVR-5800 and the Kenwood Sovereign VR-5900.
Both worked extremely well with the Polks....Wes Phillips
DLP and DVI
November 12, 2003
Hi Wes,
I would like to know more about the DLP technology in the
new Samsung HDTV monitors. They look fantastic in the store but I have not been able to
find any long-term reviews of the TVs regarding durability, maintenance, etc. I am
wondering how they compare to, say, a Hitachi HDTV rear projector?
Also, I am trying to find a DVD player with a DVI connector
but so far the only one I have seen is Samsung and the reviews for it on the Web are not
great. Is there a noticeable difference between the DVI connection and the component-video
connection? Thanks.
Jim McGuire
I'm not quite sure if you're asking me for more info on
DLP technology or for more info on Samsung's implementation of DLP technology. If it's the
former, here's a nifty interactive website that will answer a lot of your questions: www.dlp.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1#Scene_1.
I haven't had any hands-on experience with Samsung's DLP
sets, but they look pretty impressive in the short demos I've seen. I've had lots of
experience with DLP projectors, so I know the basic chipsets are amazingly robust for such
complicated devices, and I wouldn't worry about long-term reliability.
You bring up an interesting point, however: reviewers,
in general, do not spend years or even months with products, so we can't really comment on
long-term issues like reliability or even day-to-day satisfaction. That's why Internet
bulletin boards with comments from folks who actually have been living with products can
be so helpful. You can also learn a lot about how manufacturers treat their customers from
these sites.
At the top end of the market, there are lots of choices
of DVI-enabled DVD players, such as the TAG-McLaren DVD32R I am currently in the process
of reviewing; at the other end of the scale, there's an increasing number of choices,
including the $199 Bravo D1.
In theory, DVI, as a purely digital connection, should
offer significant advantages over any connection scheme that converts digital to analog
and back again. Like everything else here in the physical realm, however, there seems to
be varying levels of implementation. I've never seen a disappointing presentation
utilizing DVI, but like everything else, you can find folks on the Net who are less than
thrilled with what they have seen.
As always, do your best to get a good demo before buying
-- and believe your eyes, not what ought to be better. Good luck!...Wes Phillips
No widescreen for me
November 9, 2003
Wes,
I think you can point me in the right direction.
Am I the only human left who is willing to spend a little
$$ on a really huge TV with a 4:3 aspect ratio? Is this the right thing to do?
I know the FCC is trying to make us all love 16:9, but I
get the feeling it will be a while before I can plop down on my sofa, flip the big-screen
on and find that more than 50% of what I see coming at me is actually in widescreen
format. With that in mind, I'm thinking that a 4:3 TV is the best investment right now. I
very rarely watch DVDs, and I'll get digital cable when I get the big TV.
If my goal is to see as few "black bars" on my
screen as possible over the next ten years, which format is right for me?
Thanks.
Brian
Your situation is analogous to that of the music-loving
attentive listener -- do you buy based on what you like and is available now or do you buy
into what everyone assures you is the future?
Unlike the music-lover -- who may really have to wait a
long time to see an overwhelming amount of great music mixed for surround -- the
transition to widescreen TV programming actually seems to have some momentum. However,
there's a huge amount of legacy programming that is still -- and will continue to be --
broadcast in 4:3.
I have a lousy history predicting how quickly format
changes will take place; the only consistency I can claim is that the all successful ones
happen a lot faster than I imagined. But I do know that if you spend a lot of money on a
widescreen set, when what you really want is to see as few black bars as possible, every
black bar will irritate the crap out of you -- and that's not what I call customer
satisfaction.
But we're talking about a significant amount of money,
so I urge you to check out the current generation of widescreen televisions and get the
salesman to show you how 4:3 is presented on the best of them. If your heart falls at the
prospect of spending that much money and not really enjoying the picture, listen to your
heart and not the pundits.
Unless, of course, they're willing to pay for the TV
themselves....Wes Phillips
Speaker placement
November 3, 2003
Hi Wes,
I'm a relative newcomer to the home-theater arena, so
please bear with me. My first question has to do with speaker placement and calibration.
I've heard various opinions -- to which I suppose there are various levels of truth.
My room is a rectangle, measuring 14'W by 22'D. I have a
Mitsubishi 65" widescreen with an integrated HDTV tuner, Harman/Kardon AVR120
receiver, Infinity Alpha 50s for fronts, Infinity Alpha 37C center, and Infinity Reference
rears. No sub yet.
Currently, my towers are right next to the TV on either
side with my rears about 6" above and to the rear of my sweet spot. What would be the
best way for me to figure out where the best placement for my speakers is? I've run the
test tone and it sounds pretty good, but perhaps I'm missing something.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Tony Ramirez
Duke Ellington said, "If it sounds good, it is
good." That works for speaker placement as well as anything else -- so if you're
happy, you're ahead of 90% of all audiophiles anyway.
However, if you'd like a good rule of thumb, I can supply
one and all you'll need is a length of twine (an assistant will make it a little easier,
though).
First, I'm going to make the assumption that your preferred
viewing location is in front of the TV and between the L and R speakers. If so, sit in
your chair and hold a piece of string or twine to the tip of your nose. Now have your
assistant stretch the string until it touches your 37C with no slack. Tie a knot in the
string where it touches the center channel speaker.
The distance between your nose and the knot is your
theoretical ideal distance for your front speakers. If you place the Alpha 50s at that
same distance from your nose -- and equidistant from the monitor -- you'll have all three
front channels in a shallow arc facing you and their arrival times should be the same.
Now, that's theory and it'll work a lot of the time, but
rooms are different and different floor plans and decorating schemes might affect the
perceived channel balance. That's where the test tones come in -- although to really use
them, you'll need an inexpensive SPL (sound-pressure-level) meter, such as the one Radio
Shack sells for $49.99 (catalog # 33-2055). Sit back down in your chair and turn on the
meter (set it to "C weighting"). Now run through the test tones. The signals
from all three front loudspeakers should register at the same SPLs. Now don't go nuts --
the RS SPL meter is a handy tool, but it's not a laboratory-reference instrument and you
aren't in a laboratory, anyway. (The meter is just fine in the midrange, which is what you
really want to get right, but it just isn't that precise below about 40Hz or above 10kHz
-- but it's a lot more accurate than playing it by ear).
BTW, the position of your surrounds sounds just fine to
me. Some folks would tell you to put 'em right at your ear position (at least 2' higher),
while others would insist that about 6' behind you (and at least 2' above you) would be
better. I've attempted all of these and all of them can be made to work if you use the
setup menus to properly establish the delay time. Your SPL meter can be a huge help in
establishing the right level for the surrounds, too.
Be careful about both rules of thumb and meters,
however. Both are extremely useful aids in setting up your system, but don't be shy about
exercising your judgment about what you like or even what works best in your room (even if
it’s a "frivolous" decision based on décor rather than sound). It's your
system and your house -- and your life. Enjoy all three as much as possible....Wes
Phillips
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