| Cinema Cynergy June 2004
Real-World, High-End Multichannel Sound
As long as price is not a consideration, it’s
relatively easy for an audio/video reviewer to recommend home-theater components that
offer reference-quality performance. Spend $5000 to $10,000 on a multichannel amplifier,
the same amount on a state-of-the-art surround-sound processor, more for a good
front-projection TV -- and the price of a high-end speaker system might be several times
that. The total? $50,000, or even much more. But what if I were spending my own money, or
were to recommend a system to a friend or relative who was serious about purchasing a
truly high-performance multichannel system but didn’t have tens of thousands of
dollars to spend?
There are a few products that I have heard at shows, in
dealer showrooms, in friends’ systems, or have reviewed that really got me excited
about home theater. These components did not offer state-of-the-art performance or
striking appearance and build quality, but instead offered excellent performance well
beyond the standard set by most of their competitors, and at reasonable prices. Typically,
these components were still fairly expensive, costing $1000 or more, but they had clearly
been designed for the discerning audio/video enthusiast who demands high performance on a
budget. Here are my very favorite overachieving audio/video products; I’m sure there
are many more out there.
Control center
 Outlaw Audio sells electronics directly to consumers via the Internet. They
gained quite a reputation with their first products, the Model 1050 receiver
and Model 750 multichannel amplifier. Their current lineup includes the Outlaw Audio Model 950
surround-sound processor ($799 USD, shown right), which is essentially unmatched
in the category of full-featured processors for under $1000 (the 950’s price was
recently lowered $100). About the only significant feature the 950 lacks is
Dolby’s latest Pro Logic IIx decoding, which has only recently become available. In
Jeff Van Dyne’s review of the 950, he compared it to Anthem’s AVM 20,
which we named the Home
Theater & Sound Product of the Year. The 950 doesn’t
have quite the Anthem’s sound quality or extensive feature set, but at less than a
quarter the price, it’s an unparalleled value.
Also offered is the Outlaw Audio Model 7100
seven-channel amplifier ($899), which provides 100Wpc and is a sensible match for the
950 processor. Many receivers are rated at more than 100Wpc, but separate power amplifiers
usually offer better performance than the amplifiers built into receivers, which suffer
from space limitations and usually have smaller power supplies. At a total cost of $1698
plus shipping, the combo of Outlaw 950 and 7100 provides the flexibility and performance
of separates at a price lower than what many manufacturers charge for a midrange receiver.
Down low
 Another manufacturer that sells directly
to consumers is Hsu Research, makers of the Hsu Research VTF-3 Mk.2 subwoofer
($699, shown right). The VTF-3 is Hsu’s biggest and best subwoofer: it has a
single 12" driver and a 350W amplifier and weighs 82 pounds. It not only provides the
massive amounts of bass required for high-quality home theater, it also possesses very
"fast" bass, which makes it excellent for music reproduction. Jeff Van Dyne
reviewed the original VTF-3 at our sister site GoodSound!, and found it to offer
amazing amounts of output, extension, and versatility at its then price of $849. The new
version offers an improved design with 100W of additional power, much better cosmetics,
and a price $150 lower than the previous version. The VTF-3 Mk.2 is available in
premium finishes for an additional $150 to $200, but it is an unprecedented bargain in
standard matte black for $699 (plus a very reasonable $50 for shipping within the US). The
VTF-3 Mk.2 should be more subwoofer than most people will ever need at a price that is
only a few hundred dollars more than most budget subs.
And all around
I recently heard Paradigm’s Studio v.3 speakers in my
system and was extremely impressed. I was especially taken by the nearly seamless
integration of the Paradigm Studio 60 v.3 mains ($1500/pair) and CC-570 v.3
center-channel ($800/each) across the front soundstage. I like to use large speakers
up front in a home-theater system to handle the dynamics of movie soundtracks and
well-recorded music, and the Studios fit the bill. The floorstanding Studio 60 v.3 is a
robust speaker, as is the CC-570 v.3; they weigh a hefty 70 and 45 pounds, respectively.
The CC-570 v.3 has a midrange driver in addition to its tweeter and two bass drivers,
which at least partially explains why it sounds so smooth even when the listener is
positioned slightly off-axis, and why it integrates so well with the Studio 60 v.3s. The ADP-470
v.3 surround speakers ($950/pair) did a great job of matching the mains and
center-channel, and provided nice surround ambience with a good balance of image
specificity when required. Whether playing movie soundtracks or music, the Paradigm Studio
v.3s deliver.
Picture this
Many people like to make the video display the centerpiece
of a home-theater system by purchasing a cool-looking flat-panel display. But I
wouldn’t waste my money on an entry-level LCD or plasma display for a few thousand
dollars, as most of them do not have very good picture quality. For a couple of thousand
dollars, there are some excellent rear-projection TVs, but I find that a high-quality
direct-view CRT is better suited for multipurpose use: watching broadcast TV in daylight
as well as watching movies in a darkened room. Although they may not have quite the
viewing area or resolution of a large flat-panel display, widescreen (16:9) direct-view
CRTs offer accurate colors with very dark blacks at a fraction of the cost of a
high-quality plasma or LCD panel.
 My favorite direct-view CRT is the 34", 16:9 Sony KV-34XBR910 CRT display
($2499, shown right). Compared to similar televisions from other manufacturers in this
price class, and even to Sony’s own non-XBR models, the KV-34XBR910 offers a picture
with truer colors, more depth, and a sharper image that can be stunning with
high-definition source material. Sure, some very good models from other manufacturers cost
less, but in my opinion, the Sony XBR is worth every penny. I recently saw one on display
in a store at a mall and had to go back several times, much to my wife’s chagrin, to
marvel at its lifelike picture quality.
Getting to the source
I’m still waiting for a manufacturer to produce what I
consider to be a killer audio/video source for about $1000. It would have to provide
near-reference-quality video, including a DVI or HDMI digital video output, as well as
excellent multichannel audio quality for both SACD and DVD-Audio discs. This might seem
like a pipe dream, but Onkyo is set to release their DV-SP1000 universal player for $2000,
and Arcam has announced the DV79, which features their highly regarded Zoran Vaddis 5
video processing and will retail for about $1800 (although it will support only DVD-Audio,
not SACD). We’re not quite there yet, but I hope that soon there will be a $1000
universal audio/video player that I can really get excited about.
Keeping it real
Although, as a reviewer, I get to spend time with a lot of
expensive audio/video gear, I still get hyped when I come across components such as the
ones I’ve just mentioned. These products provide excellent performance at prices that
people of limited means, but who are serious about sound and picture quality, can afford.
I hope these manufacturers and others will continue to offer more such products in the
future, and that I can get at least some of them into my system and report back to you.
...Roger Kanno
roger@hometheatersound.com |
