Q&A # 265 - November 23, 2001

Staff

Q Now that surround sound is finally starting to appear in console video games utilizing Dolby's Pro Logic II (Star Wars on GameCube), I have a question. My receiver does not support Dolby Pro Logic II, only Pro Logic, AC-3, and DTS. Will Pro Logic be able to do anything impressive with the signal intended for the Pro Logic II?

A Pro Logic II is a matrix decoding technique that just does a better job than Pro Logic at taking a two-channel stereo signal and turning it into surround sound. Pro Logic will work fine with your games.

Q Below is a list of hardware I own and would appreciate if you could advise me on the following queries to improve the system:

Amplifier : Cary Audio integrated Amp (Model - SLI 50) 30w/ch, Class A Push Pull (Triode)
Speaker : Proac Tablette 50
CD Player : Musical Fidelity Elektra E600 (Old model)
Speaker cable : Shark cables
Interconnects : Shark and QED silver spiral

I listen mainly to Vocal, Jazz, Classical, Drums & New age music.

I am considering to buy a REL Strata III subwoofer to improve the limited bass from my Proac speaker especially when listening to Orchestra music.  Apart from REL, are there any other subwoofers that can integrate well with Proac for music and home theater application?

A There are tons of good subs out there that would work well. What you want is something that will go down to 20 Hz or lower and is clean. This generally means a large driver, i.e., 15" or18", and plenty of amplification. I won't name any brands because there are too many good choices for this.

Q I have a HK510 receiver, used mostly for movies, but it has no phono inputs, and I have a turntable. How can I connect my turntable?

A You specifically need a phono preamplifier, not just any preamplifier. The reason is that a phono cartridge output is not only low voltage (0.5 - 5 millivolts), it requires RIAA equalization, which is a curve applied to the signal when it is in the preamplifier. There are lots of phono preamps out there, many of them quite inexpensive. Here are some links: http://www.tracertek.com/techlink.htm    http://www.paia.com/riaa.htm    http://digitalaudioworks.com/terpa0.html    http://www.artech-electronics.com/canada/products/audiolab/8000ppa.html    http://www.quicksilveraudio.com/products/phono.html.

Q I have a Toshiba 42H81 42" TheaterWide HD Projection TV and am looking to buy a progressive DVD player. I looked at your review on the Panasonic DVD-RP56 player, and you wrote "If you have a TV that locks into Full mode with 480p signals, this may not be the player for you." How can I find out if my TV is a TV that locks into Full mode with 480p signals?

A The best way to test this is to go to the store where you bought the TV and ask them to connect a DVD player with 480p output to your same model of TV, and just see if it locks into Full mode.

Q What's the best way to store DVDs and CDs? Vertically or horizontally and why?

A Because the discs are so light, it does not really make any difference as long as the cases are not being compressed or bent. I store mine vertically between bookends.

Q I recently purchased a Denon 1802 receiver, Denon 1000 DVD player, and Klipsch Quintet speakers. I am very pleased with the results, but have a question I hope you can answer. I noticed that the music at the end of DVD movies is not nearly as loud as the movie itself, and doesn't sound very clear. I get the same results when listening to music CDs in two channel stereo mode. Is something not connected properly?

A To save money, the studio may just have the end music in two-channel stereo, and your receiver may automatically switch to Pro Logic decoding. That could reduce the volume a bit from each channel and also, two-channel matrix decoding won't be as clear as DD and DTS, which are discrete 5.1 digital sound.

Q Which format do you think will win out between SACD and DVD-Audio? I am thinking about purchasing a Pioneer 38a which can play DVD-A and video but don't want to be stuck with the wrong format.

A That is a million dollar question. SACD has better marketing but not as many titles out there as DVD-A. There are more multi-channel DVD-A players available at low prices right now, but within a year, there could be more multi-channel SACD players too. Both formats sound good. The problem as I see it is that the industry has not agreed on a digital output for either format, so it will be slow growth for them until that is solved. Even if both formats are available in cheap players, we would end up with two different sets of 5.1 analog cables going to a receiver. That is a solution that I don't care for at all. For either one of them to do well, they need to settle the digital output issue, and hopefully, allow both formats to co-exist in one player.

Q I just bought a "Chesky" DVD which states it is in 96kHz/24 bit, and it's supposed to play on a DVD-Video player (which I'm about to purchase soon). What format would this Chesky DVD be in? DD 2.0?

A It's in the same format as conventional CDs, just at a higher sampling frequency and word length. It is on a DVD rather than CD because CD does not have the room. A DVD player with 96/24 DACs can play these discs, but not necessarily DVD-A discs because the 96/24 discs are not part of the DVD-A format. They were released before DVD-A was finalized.

� Copyright 2001 Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity
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