Q&A # 257 - October 13, 2001

Staff

Q My HT speaker system is B&W 602 S2 (front), B&W CC6 S2 (centre), B&W 601 S2 (rear). I'm going to buy a new receiver, Denon AVR-2802 or AVR-3802. The first one has 90W, second 110W (both into 8 Ohms). My rear speakers have 100W of maximum handling power. I don't know if the Denon 3802 could be too much power for my modest 601 S2, and maybe the 2802 would match my speakers better. Is it possible to bi-wire "A" front speakers using both "A" and "B" speaker terminals, instead of using only "A" speaker terminals?

A Depending on what the A and B setting does when both are connected, it might not work properly. I would suggest just using the "A" terminals for both sets of wires, and the "A" setting. Buy the 3802. More power capability is better. Not having enough power is what causes problems.

Q What is the range of voltage that comes out of a CD player output before it gets to the preamplifier input? Is there a standard that manufacturers follow?

A There is no exact standard, but it is usually about 1 volt or so.

Q Is there a product that I can use to convert component video to S-Video or composite video?

A Yes, there are such components as switchers, but they are pretty expensive. Here are some links: http://www.autopatch.com/switchers.htm     http://www.smarthome.com/8288s.html

Q If I have a analog and a high definition ready TV, will there be any difference in picture quality if I have digital cable? Also, what type of picture quality would I get if I connect to a DVD player or Direct TV?

A Digital cable is converted to analog video at the cable box in your home. Secondly, even with digital TV, the signal is analog by the time it gets to the picture tube. With your DVD player, the video signal is converted to analog before it passes to your TV. So, at this point, even with all our digital hi-fi products, there is still a lot of analog in the signal path.

Q I have a PS Audio P300 (which is a nice product), but it can't handle the load of all my equipment, and I'd like a solution that isn't as expensive to operate. I've been considering the Equi=Tech 2Q and ExactPower 2000 products. I don't think I can $wing both, so I'm wondering which is likely to provide the best benefit? With the Equi=Tech you get balanced power. With ExactPower you get voltage regulation and sine wave regeneration, but not balanced power.

A There is benefit to having both balanced power and clean sine wave AC. I would suggest getting the ExactPower 2000 and a Balanced Power Technologies BP-2 balanced transformer. The BP-2 is relatively inexpensive. Then, you plug the BP-2 into the wall and the Exact Power into the BP-2.

Q We just recently got hooked up to Time-Warner "Digital Cable" here in Houston. The premium channels (like HBO) are supposedly being broadcast with Dolby Digital 5.1 for select films and shows. I have a Yamaha RXV-795a HT receiver and I'm trying to figure out how to connect the Motorola Digital converter set-top box (DTC-2000) to correctly decode the DD signal. It appears the Motorola has a S/PDIF mini-jack output and a Coax output (along with the normal R/L RCA connectors for Audio and the "F" connector for the Cable pass through) but no optical out.

A The mini-jack is probably for communication with other products like TiVo and RePlay TV. You need to connect the coax digital output jack to your receiver. We listed some coax-optical converters in previous Q&A pages, so you can locate them there.

Q I use an AX-1 receiver with JBL Main, Center and Rear surround speakers in my 5.1 system. All speakers are 8 ohms. However, I found the center speaker has an extremely low volume on sound when I use DSP to watch movies even though I've increased the center speaker to +5 dB in the speaker setup mode. Is there any special set up on centre speakers with the AX-1?

A Some DSP modes don't use all the channels, so for movies, I would suggest setting it to DD (DTS if that is the format) or DD Enhanced rather that one of the more esoteric DSP modes.

Q With today's most recent receivers releasing 6 and 7 channel models like the Outlaw 1050 and Denon 3802, would one get an increase in wattage (or current? voltage?) by running the 5 crucial channels for 5.1 surround rather than 6 channels (added rear center)?

A It depends on the power supply. If there is a common power supply for all the channels, then yes, you would have a little more power available to five channels if you did not connect the sixth. If, on the other hand, the amplifier is modular so that each channel has its own power supply (transformer and capacitors), then it would not give you more power in the five channels if you did not connect the sixth one.

� Copyright 2001 Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity
Return to Q&A Index.