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Q&A # 227 - April 27, 2001
Staff
Q I'm considering multiple subs in my home theater system. Two front stereo, and one in the rear for LFE. The question I have is how do I hook up the two front subs to run stereo? Do I have to use a "y" connector and split the signal from the processor? If I run preamp out to the line level in on the woofers then send this signal back out to the amp does it restrict the bass management capabilities? It seems that if I were to go that route, I wouldn't be able to turn the woofers off for two-channel stereo, and I would need to be able to do that as I am using full range floor standing speakers in all four corners of the room.
A It would be best to use the "Y" connector to split the pre-outs from the processor, with one leg going to the subwoofer and the other to the power amplifier. Use the front left pre-out for one sub and the front right pre-out for the other. That will give you stereo subs in the front. For the LFE channel subwoofer, put it in the front as well. If you put it in the rear, you will end up with less bass, as the subs tend to fight each other.
Q In my viewing room there is an aisle behind the couch, and I can't put surrounds there. I do have access to the ceiling. What do you think of putting surround speakers in the ceiling near the back of the room? The speakers I had in mind were some two or three way automotive speakers that are designed for flush mounting.
A Ceiling speakers are very popular with consumers who don't have the room for floor versions, or who just want everything out of the way. However, you have to choose the spot carefully because once they are in the ceiling, it would be quite a job to move them. Secondly, automotive speakers tend to be 4 Ohms. If you go ahead with this, be sure to get a receiver with lots of power so that it won't have trouble with low impedance speakers.
Q I have read much on the internet that using RG 6 coax cable (the inexpensive kind you buy at Radio Shack or Home Depot) works just fine for connecting say your DVD player to your preamp or preamp to your amp. This cable is 75 ohm rated and you can put gold plated connectors on. What do you recommend and what are the benefits and drawback of using such a cable versus a ready made professional grade cable.
A As long as you use 75 Ohm connectors (RCA plugs are usually 50 Ohms or less), it might very well be an alternative to ready-made digital cables. Even with the best 75 Ohm connectors (around $75 for two), it would be less expensive than a good ready-made. For audio band interconnects, making them yourself probably would not give you an improvement since 75 Ohm impedance is not an issue (digital signals are in the megahertz range, while the audio band is in kilohertz).
Q I read your review of the Proceed DVD transport (PMDT) and I have a few comments. Firstly, I agree that the video performance of the PMDT is stellar. I had the Toshiba 9000 prior to the PMDT, and the Proceed clearly kicked the pants off of the Toshiba. It also is far superior in functionality. You described a stress test that I, frankly, haven't encountered in my use of the PMDT. The PMDT is very fast for changing chapters on DVDs and tracks in CDs, whereas the Toshiba was almost completely unresponsive. I also like the programmability of the PMDT, especially resume and restart options. The PMDT is unquestionably a superb CD transport. Test it with the Mark Levinson 360S for superb sound. I have compared it against my Rotel 980 CD transport and the Toshiba, both excellent transports, and the PMDT is clearly superior. Where the PMDT fails miserably in my mind, is in its zoom mode. The Toshibas have excellent zoom modes that work great on 4:3 aspect televisions (everybody hates watching 2.35:1 aspect DVDs on a 4:3 screen), whereas the PMDT zoom mode isn't worth the energy it takes to engage it! The PMDT motor drive is also a bit noisy when playing DVDs. What I have noticed is that different DVDs cause different levels of noise in the drive. This beats me what's going on unless DVDs spin at different rates? That the PMDT is expensive is without a doubt - but if you have to ask . . . . Thanks for the review and the overall DVD project which is heroic. The conclusion that I am coming to about consumer electronics is that just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so is audio and video quality (eye and ear).
A We will be testing the latest Proceed DVD player at our next Benchmark Event. They have designed a progressive scan option which has just become available.
Q Are DVD Audio players so expensive because: a) it is the new technology and a perfect time to do some market skimming, or b) the technology (192/24 DACs) is generally expensive to use and there is no chance it will change soon?
A It is strictly a new technology marketing phenomenon. DVD-A players in the $400 range are just about at the release point.
Q For the analog connections between my VCR, subwoofer, and television to my receiver, should I be using twisted pair patch cables or coaxial cables?
A Twisted pair designs are relevant to digital signal frequencies, but not to audio band frequencies. However, if you look at all the audio cable models on the market, you will find just about every permutation of winding wires together that are possible.
Q I am a contractor doing research on movie theater systems. I was hoping you can give me a little insight on the advantages and disadvantages of a CRT projector vs. a DLP projector.
A CRT projectors give the best color, and deepest blacks. However, they are not very bright. I have seen several installations with two CRT projectors one above the other. That is very expensive and takes up a huge amount of space. CRT projectors are also time consuming in the setup, and the alignment has to be retouched now and then. DLP, LCD, and D-ILA projectors are digital in nature. They produce very bright images (some as high as 3,000 lumens). They do not resolve full HDTV yet (1080 x 1920), but Sony is supposed to be coming out with an LCD projector using three 16:9 panels with this resolution in 2002. The current digital projectors use 4:3 panels, and the 16:9 images are put within this rectangle, throwing out some of the panels' capability. Seeing the pixels on the screen (the "screen door effect") used to be a big problem, but is not so bad now. Digital projectors scale all incoming video up to the panels' resolution, whereas CRTs can show the image at several different resolutions of choice. Digital projectors have less contrast (200:1) than CRT projectors (800:1). Digital projector panels often have dead pixels, which show up as colored dots that are always on or always off. CRT and digital projectors are in similar price ranges for the best ones, but you can get a very nice three-LCD digital projector, such as the Sony VPL-VW10HT, for $5,000 (http://www.hometheatervillage.com/cinemasource.site/cinemasource.html), and it will sit on a coffee table. In fact, this particular model is the only LCD projector that uses 16:9 panels (1366 x 768 pixels). The lower priced DLP projectors ($10,000) have only one DLP panel that has to handle all three colors (red, green, blue). This results in some people being able to see a flash of color when they move their eyes rapidly from one side of the screen to the other. This is due to the fact that a spinning wheel lets the three colors fall on the single DLP panel in rapid succession, and when the eye moves across the screen, it sees one part of the screen as one of the colors is being projected, rather than all three colors. Projectors with three DLP panels are in the $50,000 price range, and are very big. DLP has more contrast and brightness than LCD, but is much more expensive. At my age (55), I need more brightness, so if I were building a large home theater, I would look for a digital projector that has three 16:9 panels and 3,000 lumens of brightness, and install a 10' Stewart Grayhawk screen (the Grayhawk is a new design that is for digital projectors with black level issues).
Q
I have a collection of Marantz equipment which consists of:
1 - 2285 receiver
1 - 2270 receiver
2 - 2240 quadradial amplifiers
I have had this equipment for many years, some of which I purchased new in 1975. They are all great performers.
I would like to be able to incorporate Dolby Digital into my entertainment center without having to buy a new receiver. I have been looking at a Marantz DP-870 digital processor and my question is:
Would I be able to use my vintage Marantz receivers as separate amplifiers for each of the output channels from the DP 870?
I'm thinking:
Front L&R to the 2285
Surround L&R to the 2270
Center channel to one 2440
Bass channel to the other 2440
Am I on the right track? Would it be necessary to purchase an AV preamp?
A Certainly you could use the Marantz equipment as outboard amplifiers. In fact, that vintage of Marantz amplifiers was exceptional quality. However, the DP-870 only does DD not DTS. I think you would be much happier getting one of their AV preamps and using it with your vintage power amplifiers.
� Copyright 2001 Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity
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