Which universal player?
June 27, 2004
Hello Wes,
I read your articles and reviews once in a while. I have
just moved from the domain of an ardent music lover into wannabe audiophile. I have just
purchased the following gear:
Krell KAV-280p preamplifier
Krell KAV-2250 amplifier
Egglestonworks Rosa speakers
Transparent Audio Music Link interconnects and speaker
cables
I am really confused about the choices of the universal
player. While I believe that the SACD format will survive the war between it and DVD-A --
it's just a hunch, based on the right marketing and choice of titles available, such as
recent Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan catalogs -- I am keen to look at a universal player,
just in case my hunch is proven wrong.
I am considering the following:
Krell SACD Standard. No DVD/DVD-A functionality, and I
heard that a universal player is in the making, but that might just be a rumor.
Esoteric DV-50. It does not have bass management and is a
bit ugly-looking (I still am a follower of form factor as much as function). In looks, I
prefer the Krell SACD Standard, which matches (not an audiophile term; I mean in looks)
with the rest of my gear.
Marantz DV-8400. I'm not sure if the sound is as good as
the above two players, plus it does not have balanced cable connections.
Denon DVD-5900. Same comment as Marantz.
Integra DPS 8.3. Same comment as Marantz.
Shanling SCD-T200 stereo tube SACD/CD player. Aesthetically
appealing and the reviews are favorable.
Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista SACD player. A bit expensive, at
$6500, and does not play DVD/DVD-A.
Lexicon RT-10. It has balanced connections and is a fully
universal player. It looks cool and the reviews are good. At $3500, it sounds like good
value for money.
My confusion also stems from the fact that these players,
which have been favorably reviewed by a lot of people, are drastically varying in price --
from $999 to $6500. I could have missed a few names intentionally (Linn Unidisk --
unaffordable) and some unintentionally. I would not have the luxury of even testing these
players as Sydney, Australia is really not audiophile friendly -- there are hardly any
places that carry a wide range, plus I would not be able to do true A/B comparisons, which
I could have done in Indonesia (where I was staying for the last 11 years before moving
here), and where I purchased all of my audio gear.
I need help from you to at least guide me toward fewer
choices, not the many choices I am contending with right now.
Arvind
I think we can dismiss the notion that you're not an
audiophile -- your equipment definitely places you in the audiophile camp, as does your
analysis of your choices.
As I see it, you've eliminated the Esoteric, Marantz,
Denon, and Integra -- and probably the Musical Fidelity. That leaves three -- and you're
not wild about the lack of DVD-A on the Krell.
The Lexicon does look attractive (I haven't heard it
either) and I am guessing that the Shanling is good for the money but doesn't have the
human interface advantages of the Lexicon.
So here's another option for you: the McCormack UDP-1. It
doesn't have balanced outputs, but it sounds great, is truly universal, has excellent
video quality, and only costs about $3000. I'll be reviewing it on August 1, so hang
around and check out my full report....Wes Phillips
9.1?
June 24, 2004
Hi Wes,
I saw an ad for a Yamaha receiver that has 9.1 surround
sound. What the heck is up with that?
Julian
It's kind of an interesting effect. Yamaha calls the
extra two speakers "presence" speakers, and they're supposed to go above and
behind the LF and LR speakers. You do get "bigger" sound, but not even Yamaha
expects it to be accepted instantly (if ever) -- on the receivers I've seen with this
feature, you can also assign those extra two channels to another room or zone, which is a
nice added piece of flexibility....Wes Phillips
New DVD player
June 22, 2004
Dear Wes,
I'm buying a new DVD player, and it seems as if you can
either buy an el cheapo unit from Wal-Mart with component video or a better (presumably),
more expensive model with progressive output.
My TV is pretty old and doesn't have progressive
capabilities. I'll replace it next, but until I do, do I have to buy an el cheapo model to
use with my current set?
Andy
No, go ahead and buy the DVD player you're lusting
after. You don't have to use the progressive-scan option -- most models can output both
progressive and interlaced signals.
Enjoy your new toy in the knowledge that when you upgrade
your video display it will perform even better.
Digital better than analog?
June 16, 2004
Dear Wes,
I have a Denon DVD-5900 DVD player, which I use with my
older Denon AVR-3300 receiver. If I use the digital connection, do I get any benefit from
the '5900's superior digital processing? Digital connections are better than analog,
right?
Jimmy Jett
Actually, digital is not always better than analog (just
ask Mikey Fremer). In this case, the '5900 has better DACs than the AVR-3300, so you
should use 'em. That means you need to use the multichannel analog outputs of the DVD
player to drive the analog inputs of the receiver.
Over the distances involved in the average HT system, there
should be very little, if any, signal degradation from running the signals analog.
You chose a pretty cool player, by the way. The picture is
spectacular from what I've seen.
Projector shopping
June 16, 2004
Hi Wes,
I'm looking for a DLP projector, and I see you use one (the
SIM2 HT200 DMF). What's a slightly better-than-entry-level projector that will offer
picture quality good enough to make me forget the rather hefty price?
Andrew
I'm pretty impressed with the InFocus
ScreenPlay 7200, which Wes Marshall reviewed at Home Theater & Sound. The
picture's really crisp, and the colors are sharp and true. It isn't cheap, but it boasts
top-notch picture quality and it won't be bettered at anywhere close to the price....Wes
Phillips
The first step to upgrading
June 15, 2004
Hi Wes,
My system is a Unico hybrid integrated amp, modded by The
Parts Connection's Chris Johnson; Sony 999ES universal player, modded by Audience AV; SVS
active subwoofer, the 20-30PC+; and a pair of DeVore Fidelity Gibbon 8 floorstanding
speakers.
A professional audio consultant with whom I was speaking
(getting the new SVS sub's placement is a pain in the rear), who treats room acoustics and
does a lot of big home-theater and studio setups, suggested moving into active speakers
when I told him I'm considering expanding my two-channel analog rig to 5.1 HT.
He suggested Genelec or Meyer Sound and will recommend some
less expensive but equally good speakers when we speak next week. Before his suggestion of
active speakers, moving into HT would have meant buying the DeVore Fidelity 7.1
center-channel to match with the Gibbon 8s, but it's not cheap at $1500.
Most of what I buy I get slightly used on the Internet to
avoid the depreciation.
My room is 13' wide by 35' deep; however, the actual
listening area cuts off at about 15' by the sofa (which runs parallel to the 13'-wide wall
which faces me and houses my system). The rest of the length is actually the living room
behind me and leads into an open kitchen area.
I watch a lot of music DVDs -- such as Norah Jones, Diana
Krall, Rush in Rio, Led Zeppelin -- and action flicks. In addition, I listen to a lot of
SACDs, so a speaker that is good in both modes is important. A guy is selling his Paradigm
Active 40s for $1300. Your thoughts?
Joe
I guess I'm pretty much wondering what you want to do.
It sounds to me like you have a pretty fine two-channel system, so the question is do you
like it enough to want to expand on it or are you looking for an excuse to go for a
complete change?
I really like the Paradigm Active 40s, but I don't think
I'd prefer them to a Unico/DeVore Fidelity Gibbon 8 system -- and I think the Genelecs
sound bright and aggressive (not that that's necessarily a bad thing).
But that's me, and you're the guy who you need to
please. If you think your current system isn't cutting it, change it without remorse. But
if you like your sound and just need the same sound from all around you, I think that the
Paradigms, Genelecs, and Meyer Sounds will not give you what you're looking for.
Figuring out precisely what you're seeking should always
be the first step in making any kind of system change....Wes Phillips
Two-channel preamp in home-theater system?
June 10, 2004
Dear Wes,
I read your review of the Monolithic
Sound PA-1, and I have two questions. My present home-theater system is as follows: an
old Lexicon CP-1 Plus digital processor (I also own an equally old Parasound PS/P 1000 A/V
processor); a Parasound HCA1205A amp (140W x 5), and a Sony CD/DVD (10-bit video D/A
converter, 96kHz/24-bit D/A converter). Will the PA-1 help any in this setup? Where would
the PA-1 fit in this scheme?
Manny
It sure beats me. I'm not sure why you want a
two-channel preamp for that system or what you'd want to do with it. I can think of a few
ways that it might work, but they're quite a stretch.
If you just want to use it to control your 5.1 surround
system, then no, the Monolithic won't do that....Wes Phillips
Mid-price speakers
June 8, 2004
Dear Wes,
I'm new at this, although I've been listening to music for
many, many years and like to think I have a good ear. And I love movies! I'm watching DVDs
at home and my Harmon/Kardon receiver no longer seems to want to send the video signal
out, so off to the audio store I'd like to go -- only now I'd like to get surround sound
as well as a new receiver. Currently, I have the old large Advent loudspeakers, and I'll
be moving them to the guest house. I want to start from scratch. I'm not sure where to
start though. I'd like an all-around decent system, probably in the mid-price range. Any
suggestions? I read your review on Hsu STF-3 that sounds great. What about the rest of the
speakers?
Bonnie
It's pretty hard to answer your question because I have
no idea what "mid-price" means to you. My mid-price might be a lot lower or
higher.
You might get some ideas by glancing through the Hot Product archives
on my site, I've reviewed a bunch of stuff I consider mid-priced over the last few years.
Check out the reviews of Mirage, Axiom, RBH, and Polk for starters.
Good luck on the hunt!...Wes Phillips
MartinLogans for his home theater?
June 4, 2004
Hi Wes,
First of all, thanks for your daily online advice.
I have a Denon AVR-3803 receiver, a Marantz CC-4300
multiple CD player, a Panasonic DVD player, and a pair of MartinLogan's new Mosaic
speakers as fronts. I am now wondering which speakers to use as center-channel, surrounds,
and which subwoofer, too. What do you think would be a good decision? I can't afford to
complete the system with MLs. How about a Velodyne SPL-1200 (series I) for sub? Which
center and surround speakers? Is it true you need to match all five of your speakers?
Frederico
The Mosaics ought to work just fine with your AVR-3803.
As a rule of thumb, you don't need to match all of your speakers for home theater
(although for music surround, that configuration is highly recommended). That said, I
think that getting a tonal match between the L/R front channels and the center is crucial,
so I'd strongly advise that you get a speaker that timbrally matches your Mosaics -- which
may or may not mean other MLs (but that would be my guess).
At any rate, look to economize on surrounds or the sub,
not the center-channel, which may be the single most important transducer in a
home-theater system.
Perhaps a pair of Magnepan MMG Ws for surrounds and a
Hsu Research STF-3 would free up the funds for that all-important center channel -- and
they'd work well with your MartinLogans, too....Wes Phillips
Dayton 10" versus 12"
June 2, 2004
Hi Wes,
I read your review of
the Dayton subwoofer kit. If I understand you correctly, the 10" is very accurate
and tuneful for music. Is it good for home theater? Will I miss a lot of that low end for
home theater? How about the 12" Mk III subwoofer? I guess it's good for home theater,
but how accurate and clean is it relative to the 10" for music listening?
Jade
I haven't compared the two, but I think the 10"
might not have the slam that most hardcore action-movie fans are looking for -- which is
probably why I liked it so much. The 12" would handle that better, but I would be a
little concerned about how agile it was for music. You might also consider the 10"
Polk PSW404 ($479.95), which has a good blend of slam and finesse....Wes Phillips
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