Q&A # 212 - January 4, 2001

Staff

Q Your articles on DVD technology have been nothing short of superb and easily the best available to the public. As a radar engineer, I recognize good engineering, and you folks are doing just that. The latest article on progressive scan has been very helpful to me as I contemplate a digital  television and progressive scan players. I just hope that you folks will go the extra 9 yards and prepare a book on home theater technology based on  your web articles. It would certainly be a best seller in the HT world.

A Perhaps some time we will do that.

Q I am installing a system using Triad's Gold Inwall Surround dipoles for the rear channels, mounted in the ceiling. There is absolutely no way to mount them in the walls, due to the shape and construction of the room. We are using B&K's Ref 30 to process, and B&K's Ref 7260 to power. We want to install a single back channel dipole, but the Gold Surrounds are sold each; one left, and one right. What do you suggest I use in the back? I would also like to know what sources you would suggest for room treatments.

A It turns out that you will need two speakers in the back because the way 6.1 is ideally set up is with two on the rear side and two on the rear back wall. This way, when you are in 5.1, the rear speakers are used for the surround, and when you go to 6.1, the previous surround will now be on the sides, and the rear center will go to the two speakers on the rear back wall. There are lots of sources for room treatments, such as http://www.apluselectronics.com/acoustical_treatment.htm    http://www.getplugged.com/learn/GPLEARNPAGES_2333830.html.

Q I'm converting my basement into an audio listening room and want to better educate myself on some of the concepts before the hammers come out. What resources can you suggest?

A Here are some links: http://xsspl.tripod.com/Audio/RoomDim.htm    http://www.improvenet.com/plan/expertadvice/proadvicelibrary/theater_july.html    http://www.smartcomputing.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles%2Farchive%2Fg0806%2F35g06%2F35g06%2Easp    http://www.mikesart.com/links/database/homeelec.htm.

Q Looking for your advice on a single CD player to $4,000 range. All my interest is CD playing with my system which is Sunfire 300 watt amp, Sunfire tube preamp, and Dunlavy SCIIIs. Thank you, your site is fantastic.

A We are in the process of looking at CD players that will handle SACD, so you should wait until we get those initial reviews published. John Kotches has received SACDs from numerous companies, such as Telarc, and he thinks SACD is fantastic We will know more after CES, 2001.

Q I am about to purchase a new HT System, I am down to different alternatives, one with a passive speaker lay out and one using active speakers . The passive system that I have in mind is as follows:

Parasound HCA-2205AT (made in Taiwan 10 year limited warranty) or Bryston 9B THX(made in Canada 20 year warranty)
Parasound AVC-2500u (made in Finland 10 year warranty) or Bryston SP-1 (made in Canada 20 year warranty)
Panasonic HD-1000 Progressive scan DVD
Panasonic 50" plasma
Cabasse, Baltic range for front , centre and surround plus a Cabasse Volcan sub

The active system:

Meridian DSP33 for front & surround. DSP33C center, D 1500 sub if necessary
Meridian 596 DVD
Meridian 568 surround processor
Panasonic 50" plasma

There are numerous professional and well founded opinions on this subject starting from John Curl going all the way to Bob Stuart and Bill Woodman. But I think the question should be asked in this manner (source equipment, room conditions & dimensions being equal): Is there a noticeable sound and performance difference between a very well designed separate amp and speaker system using top components and a very well designed active speaker system using top components?

A If both are well designed, then no, there won't be a difference. The idea behind the active speaker is that the amplifier is designed specifically for that speaker. Also, there is usually an active crossover before the power amplifier so that power is not wasted. This is one reason why the amplifiers in active speakers are not really large. They don't have to be big. Another advantage of the active speaker is that the amplifier is in the speaker enclosure, so that is one more item out of the way. I have heard a Meridian complete system like the one you described, and it is wonderful. Of course, it is also very expensive because of all the engineering that goes into it.

Q I noticed there are no reviews of component video cables (or even S-Video). Is that because no one has gotten around to it, there are little to no differences, or they just haven't been posted yet?

A I have not seen any differences between S-Video cables, but Brian Florian looked at some Nordost component video cables and found that the color timing was improved.

Q I just purchased a Yamaha home theater system. The instructions show the output from my Direct TV satellite receiver going through the Yamaha receiver and just the video signal going back to the TV. This requires that the I always power-up and use the Yamaha receiver when viewing and listening to satellite programming. I want to be able to bypass the Yamaha receiver most of the time. How can I do this without changing all of the cabling? Is there some kind of switch available? Please help me.

A The best way to do this is to go direct from the satellite receiver to your TV, assuming you will be using the S-Video output from your satellite receiver. If you have a DVD player, then you will need two S-Video connections on your TV. If your TV only has one, then you should use an S-Video switcher that has your satellite receiver's output and DVD player's output going into the switcher, and one S-Video connection out of the switcher to the TV. Here are some links for switchers http://www.alphasoundandlighting.com/videoswtchrs.html    http://www.satserv.com/installation_supplies/video_switches/index_splitters_and_switches.htm#Audio/Video%20Switchers%20RCA%20type%20Connectors%20and%20S%20Video%20Connectors    http://www.kramerelectronics.com/group9a/index9.html. We have also published such links in previous Q&A, so you might search back to see other links.

Q I am trying to help a friend who purchased a Philips CD-R 760 recorder. At the time of purchase, she was unaware that the consumer models required the more expensive audio CD-R discs (with built-in copyright fee). I recall there being a trick that one could perform on many consumer units that would get around this copyright constraint. It seems like it entailed placing an expensive consumer disc in the tray, loading it into the recorder, and then somehow ejecting the tray so that a cheap computer CD-R disc could be inserted before the Philips could re-read the digital copyright flag. Do you have any pointers that may allow us to get over this first hurdle of SCMS?

A We are sorry, but we do not know of a way around this. You might also be interested to know that a consumer CD-R will not give you bit-for-bit copies of the original. The RIAA will not allow this. They use noise shaping to slightly change the bits. You may or may not even notice the difference.

� Copyright 2001 Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity
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