Letters to the Editor - March 2004
Getting the SVS
March 24, 2004
Great review
of the SVS 25-31PC-Plus subwoofer. I've decided to go with the larger 20-39PC-Plus
(13' x 35' room). I just hope the 20-39PC-Plus is as good on high-fidelity music as it is
on HT. (My buddy disses anything that's not a big-name brand, and so I hope to prove him
wrong). I have a Unico integrated hybrid amp by Unison Research, a Sony DVD/SACD player,
and a pair of Devore Fidelity Gibbon 8 (ported) speakers.
Joe
A good subwoofer is a good subwoofer -- with music or
home theater. I can tell you that if you need a subwoofer for music and/or HT, the SVS is
an outstanding choice. I think your buddy will be impressed....Jeff Fritz
Picking a DLP
March 22, 2004
To Wes Marshall,
I'm in the market for a DLP projector. I read your
review of the InFocus ScreenPlay 7200. Is this a good entry-level projector? I have a
120" FireHawk screen with a throw distance of 16'. The price has gone down and my
budget is $5000 to $6000 dollars.
Are there others I should be looking at?
Leo
I think you would love the 7200. You might want to also
take a look at the 7205, which should do a little better black, albeit at a higher price.
I also saw at CES (but haven't had the chance to evaluate it at home) the BenQ DLP and
thought it looked great for about the same price.
Also, you might want to check whether the 7200 can fill
your screen at that throw distance. I think it would be close....Wes Marshall
Acoustic Research?
March 17, 2004
Editor,
I would like to know more about Acoustic Research speakers
before purchasing. However, I couldn't search their official website and find the
information I need. So could you help me to find out with this? Has AR collapsed? Anyway,
thanks for answering my question!
Stanley
I hate to say it, but I suspect that Acoustic Research
speakers are no longer available. Whether it is a temporary problem, or the company has
permanently gone out of business, I can't say. But their official website is down and
several online retailers that did carry the line have dropped them from their websites.
I'll see if I can find out more, but it doesn't look good....Jeff Fritz
Good processing
March 15, 2004
Editor,
To your knowledge, do any receivers on the market today
process signals as you indicated in your editorial dated March 2004? If so, who are the
manufacturers that you would suggest looking into? If such a receiver is not available,
could you suggest an entry-level separate that offers the appropriate processing that
won't break the bank? Thank you.
Jeff Siegel
Most receivers that offer bass management for the analog
inputs implement this in the digital domain. The suggestion in the editorial was to use a
DVD player with bass-management functions so that you could use the analog inputs on your
receiver/processor as a true bypass -- not re-converting the signal back to digital for
further processing once it leaves the source player. An option is something like Outlaw
Audio's ICBM. This unit offers bass management for the analog outputs of your DVD
player. But again, it's just much easier to accomplish all of this in the source
player....Jeff Fritz
System for a huge space
March 8, 2004
Editor,
I need help sizing a sound system for a children's
entertainment arena that is roughly 60' x 80' x 17'. Can you help with proper wattage
sizing and recommend a system to fit my needs?
David
Your best bet is to find a dealer that has some
experience with sound-reinforcement systems as well as large home theaters. To properly
fill a space that large will require specialized gear. You'll need high-sensitivity
speakers -- likely horn-loaded, which is common in professional applications -- and enough
power to generate adequate sound-pressure levels (the amount will be determined based on
the speaker selection). Your best bet is professional installation because of the added
requirement of a completely child-safe environment. You don't need high voltages within
reach of those little fingers!...Jeff Fritz
Center-channel interference
March 4, 2004
To Roger Kanno,
I put a speaker on top of my television to act as a
center-channel speaker, but it messes with the color at the top of the TV (I'm guessing
due to the magnets.) My TV is a JVC 36D303 if that helps at all. I tried various searches,
but I couldn't come up with a solution on how to solve this problem. I've tried putting a
half-inch board under the speaker, but that didn't do anything. Might you be able to
suggest something else?
Josh
The interference that you describe is as you guessed
caused by the magnetic field generated by the magnets in the drivers of your speaker. All
center-channels are magnetically shielded to minimize this type of interference, but if
you are using a regular L/R speaker, it probably isn't shielded.
If you have to use this speaker, one thing you might try
is turning the speaker upside down as most small speakers have the bass/midrange driver
below the tweeter so turning it over will move the larger magnet of the bass/midrange
driver further away from the television's tube. This may also make the sound more coherent
across the front soundstage as the tweeter of the center-channel will now probably be
closer in height to those of the left and right speaker, which should result in smoother
pans across the front speakers....Roger Kanno |
