Letters to the Editor - May 2006
Staying Canadian
May 24, 2006
To Doug Schneider,
Due to some mishaps, I am in the process of replacing my
home-theater speaker system. I was running PSB Stratus Bronzes as fronts, Alpha center,
and Alpha A/Vs as rears. Please note that I did not have a sub. During my search, I've
been considering several brands/models, although I've tried to stay Canadian. Do you have
any thoughts on how Axiom speakers have held up over the years against newer designs such
as Energy's C-Series and Reference Connoisseur lines, or PSB's Image series? I know that
the reviews of the M3ti were excellent when the speakers first came out, but would they
still be as stellar with the speakers against newer competition?
Also, is Paradigm going to revamp the Monitor series any
time soon? This is one line that seems to be due for a freshening. I believe that only the
Axioms and Paradigms are actually made in Canada, while Energy (C-Series and RC) and PSB
(everything below Stratus) manufacture their products overseas.
Any insight would be appreciated.
Dave Yiptong
Honestly, it’s getting harder and harder to tell
where any manufacturer actually makes things these days. For example, some get the entire
speaker made overseas, others just get some parts, and a number still do a lot of
manufacturing in North America. I can’t keep track.
What I do know, though, is that the bulk of the
research and development for the companies you mention still happens in Canada. I know
because I’ve seen the design teams at work at all the companies you mention.
So how do they all stack up? I’d have to say that
Energy took a big leap ahead of a number of manufacturers with the Reference Connoisseur
and C-Series lines -- the build and sound quality are simply extraordinary for the price.
However, the people at Axiom haven't been sitting on their hands; they just opened their
"wood shop" and the new VaSSallo speakers have real-wood veneer. In fact, you
can pick your veneer, finish type, and grille color. Amazing, really, and I believe that
when it comes to custom-configuring speakers, nobody is touching Axiom. The options seem
endless, no doubt because they do actually make their cabinets in Canada. PSB, too, has
been trying to keep up by recently redesigning the Image and Alpha series, and I hear that
they’re in the middle of redesigning Stratus, too. We actually have some of the new
Alphas coming in for review on SoundStage! Then there’s Paradigm, a company
that doesn’t seem to stop growing -- speakers, amplifiers, processors, you name it.
But, yes, the Monitor series seems like it’s getting a little long in the tooth. Last
I heard, though, it’s all redesigned and about to be re-launched, so look for it as
well.
It looks like staying Canadian isn’t a bad thing
-- you have plenty of options. Now, just what should you buy? Your call, of
course....Doug Schneider
Mitsubishi HC3000 vs. HC900
May 19, 2006
To Wes Marshall,
I have read your review of
the Mitsubishi HC3000 projector, and I don't fully understand the part about 15:9
ratio and having white edges. Could you please explain further?
I have 106" Da-Lite 16:9 screen. Are you saying the
extra lines (picture) will be in the black edges? I'm confused! It seems to me that 15:9
would be smaller (1.66) with white showing, "not filling the screen," because
16:9 (1.77) fits perfectly within the black edges.
I have the HC900. Have you reviewed it? Is the HC3000 that
much better that I will see the difference? Can the HC3000 be set to 16:9 for HDTV? On the
HC900 I have no control over the size of HD programming. Also, how is the white, such as
hockey ice, on the HC3000? On the HC900 it is too bright and grainy.
John
What I meant was that when you are watching an HD
broadcast set for the HC3000’s resolution, it will be covering 720 lines of 1280
pixels. Since the HC3000 shows 768 lines of 1280 pixels, those extra 48 lines of 1280
pixels, i.e. 61440 pixels, will be showing light. If your screen is masked, no
problem. If not, you’ll get light, which will reduce the apparent contrast. In other
words, the HD signal is 1280 X 720, and the picture put out by the HC3000 (and all other
DLPs using this chipset) is 1280 X 768. Since those extra 48 aren’t getting any
signal, they’ll put out something.
I have not reviewed the HC900. The HC3000 has almost double
the pixels and you have full control over the aspect ratios unless you are doing a
pixel-to-pixel conversion (which I recommend, since all HD programming is 16:9).
The HC900 is more of a data projector, whereas the HC3000
is strictly for home-theater use. I think it would do much better on hockey. The
graininess you are seeing is probably attributable to the fact that pixels show up more on
large white surfaces. If you had more pixel density, like 1280 X 768 instead of 1024 X
576, you’d probably see a distinct reduction in grain....Wes Marshall
Oppo, InFocus, and a question
May 16, 2006
To Wes Marshall,
Thank you for your review
of the Oppo Digital OPDV971H DVD player. I'll confess I'm fairly non-technical (though
not entirely blonde!), so I wonder if you could help me with a question. I love
movies, and I can't wait to get my InFocus 4805 connected with my Oppo DVD player (both of
which I've already bought).
Am I correct that, since my InFocus projector can do no
better than 480 pixels, I should simply leave the Oppo at native 480 resolution and the
InFocus the same, and connect the two of them with component-to-component connections?
Sorry for being a bit slow on the uptake, but I'm trying!
Martina
First of all, let me tell you, you are so smart! What
good choices. You have years of wonderful DVD viewing ahead.
Now to answer your question: the best solution will require
spending just a little more money. I want you to use the digital out from your Oppo, the
DVI-D. InFocus uses an M1 digital input, which is an abnormal adapter. To add insult to
injury, they charge $50 for an adapter to be able to use your DVI-D or HDMI cable from
your Oppo. So I did a quick search for a good solution and found www.cablestogo.com with
good-quality cables with M1 at one end and DVI-D at the other. Using this type of
connection, set your Oppo to 480p, the native resolution for a DVD, and set your InFocus
for the M1 input, put in a good test disc like the AVIA disc and make whatever settings
the 4805 allows, and you will have the best picture on the block.
Also, be sure to go to the Oppo website and burn the update
into your machine and also go to my review for an easy way to convert the Oppo to a
worldwide player. Once you can play discs from all over the world, you’ll be amazed
at the DVDs available elsewhere that we can’t get in the US….Wes Marshall
Subwoofer choice
May 12, 2006
Editor,
Which would you recommend, both being at the same price
point: SVS’s PB12-Plus/2 subwoofer, which, as you probably, know has two 12"
woofers and a 900W BASH amp (each driver is of the recent v3 design); or Axiom’s
EP500 v2? My room size is 30’ x 20’, and I will be able to place the sub in the
corner.
Ed
I don’t think you can go wrong with either unit.
They both have tons of output capability, both are rated to play extremely low, and both
come from good companies. I think what is also obvious is that because both companies
offer Internet-direct products only, they each are incredibly high-value products. You
simply get a lot for your money with either the Axiom or the SVS products. Our reviewers
have also fallen head over heals for each. Sorry I can’t give you a definitive winner
-- that’s because they are both winners!...Jeff Fritz
Blown speaker?
May 5, 2006
To Doug Schneider,
I have a Nakamichi AV-10 receiver. I think that you have
one. One of my speakers has stopped working. Is it blown?
Donald Zeiler
Yes, I do have an AV-10 around, and my experiences with
it leads me to believe that your problem could be something other than a damaged speaker.
For example, some time ago one of the speakers in my system stopped working. I thought
maybe that the amplifier itself was damaged. It turned out, though, that over time the
speaker-cable connection had gotten a bit loose, and the metal also probably oxidized a
bit, ruining the connect. I simply detached the speaker wire, cleaned it and the
connector, and then re-attached it and I was back in business. Perhaps that’s your
problem too. Or, it could be something else like, for example, a bad amplifier channel --
or a blown speaker.
One way to test if it’s a blown speaker is to
simply move the speaker to another channel that you know is working and see if it plays
there. If it does, it’s fine. Likewise, you can move a speaker that works on another
channel to that channel to see if it will work there. If it doesn’t, there’s
probably something wrong with the amplifier itself….Doug Schneider
"Real surround sound [from an] ...ancient
receiver?"
May 3, 2006
Editor,
I'm thinking of purchasing a Harman Kardon AVR30 at a very
reasonable price. Will I be able to get real surround sound using this ancient receiver? I
looked at pictures of the back of the unit online and it didn't look as though it has
optical inputs into the unit. However, it does appear that the unit does have a built-in
Dolby decoder. I was hoping that you could shed some light on this old unit for me. Thanks
for any help you can give to someone who is new to the world of surround sound.
Richard Apted
As far as I can tell, the AVR30 is a Dolby Pro Logic
receiver that retailed for just over $1000 back in the mid ‘90s. They seem to be
selling for about $125 used now. You can get surround sound from it, but it won’t be
Dolby Digital or DTS -- no discrete surround channels, only matrixed surround from analog
sources. That doesn’t mean it will sound bad, though. The older Harman Kardon
receivers had really good amplifier sections in them that belied their ratings (the AVR30
was rated at 65Wpc, but will sound more powerful, according to their owners). So I
wouldn’t pay a mint for it, and I wouldn’t expect the latest features, namely
digital surround. But if you’re OK with those limitations, it will get good sound
into your home….Jeff Fritz |
