Q  I am looking for a new DVD player without the Chroma Bug. In looking at your Q&A it seems like the Panasonic RP82 is the way to go. But, I was also looking at the Pioneer Elite DV45A which has the ability to play all DVD/CD Formats including SACD. Does the Pioneer DV45A have the Chroma Bug ? Lastly Should I wait for a DVD player with a DVI port since I just bought a Hitachi 65SXW20B Big Screen TV?

A The RP82 is a tremendous bargain, and there may be a player or two out there that are even better bargains. The Pioneer DV45A has the chroma bug. As to DVI, there are some players supposedly coming out next year that have DVI output. We will look for them at CES in a few weeks and report here at Secrets. Remember though, that DVI out from the DVD player will only be useful if your new TV has DVI in.

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Q What budget A/V receiver can you recommended for some B&W CDM 1NT speakers?

A The CDM 1NTs are 8 Ohms nominal and 88 dB sensitivity. Just about any receiver should work fine with these speakers. As the impedance goes down (e.g., 6 Ohm nominal ratings), and the sensitivity goes down (e.g., lower than 88 dB), look for larger power amplifiers.

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Q Consider the possibility that, for the surround channels, I connect two pairs of identical speakers, a pair placed on the sides of the listening position and another pair at the back and not so far apart, facing forward. What benefits if any will I get with this setup, and what disadvantages will it have? Also, how should surround speakers be ideally placed?

A Using two pairs of speakers to handle the same signals can cause problems. Here are some graphs of frequency response using a pair of speakers to handle the center channel. First, the response of one speaker (the way they were designed to be used). It is within about 5 dB for most of the range above 150 Hz.

Now look at the frequency response of two of these speakers sitting on a TV, arranged side by side, horizontally, with the tweeters in the middle. See how the response has shifted so that it fluctuates quite a bit more. The high frequency response has deteriorated significantly.

Here is the response with the speakers side by side with the woofers in the middle, arranged horizontally. The upper midrange is attenuated.

Here are the responses with the speakers side by side, but vertical, so that the tweeters are at the top, the same way the single speaker was sitting on its speaker stand. Sound at 13 kHz is now way, way down. Of course, the speakers on the TV are not in the exact same position as the single one on the stand, but the point is that, with two speakers near each other, both getting the same signal, there is a lot of combing between the two outputs, and you can get a terrible response. Bottom line, just use one speaker for each channel. As an aside, these graphs also point out why center speakers seem to work better horizontally, with tweeter(s) in the middle.

Here are shots of the speaker (M/E Limestone bookshelf, review coming soon) and the setup for the measurements:

As to speaker placement, here is a diagram representing the ITU standard for 5.1. If you have a 7.1 system, the rear speakers should be at the back of the room, very close to one another, facing the rear of your seating position (the center of the circle shown below is where you would be sitting).

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Q I am installing new cables for rear speakers and the shape of the room means that the left speaker cable will be 24 feet longer than the right cable. Will this be a problem?

A Because the signal passes through the cable close to the speed of light, it won't be an issue as long as you don't coil the extra cable up. Keep as much of it laid out in straight lines as possible. Otherwise, a coiled cable could have a lot of inductance.

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Q I recently bought a floor sample receiver, a Denon AVR 1801.  Because it was a floor sample, no manual came with it. I contacted Denon, and they no longer have manuals for the 1801, so they suggested I download and use the manual for the 1802. However, they are no way the same on the back panels. Do you know where I can get a manual for the 1801?

A I suspect that the features are similar, but the position of the jacks may be different. Use the 1802 to figure out how to use the features, and then just interpolate to where the buttons are on the 1801. You can also post a request on one of the newsgroups, and ask if anyone has the 1801. Pay for them to Xerox it and send the manual to you.

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Q I currently own a modest home theater setup that consists of a Denon AVR 4802 receiver , Mirage OM-7 front speakers, Mirage OM-C2 center , BPS-400 sub, and OM-R2 surrounds. I also recently purchased a power conditioner, the Monster HTS 5100. I am very pleased with this setup for movies, but what I would like to do is improve this setup for music listening. Would say adding a separate power amp like the Marsh A400s be a step in the right direction? Or would I be better served by upgrading in other areas? By the way, I currently use a Sony DVP-NS650V for CD and SACD playback using the DACs in the Denon. Any advice would be appreciated. I have approximately $2,000 for upgrades, or would this be a waste of money?

A Adding an outboard stereo power amplifier like the Marsh is probably your best solution for improved sound. It will also free up the power supply in the Denon to better serve the center and surrounds.

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Q I have a Panasonic CP-72 DVD player. It has a selection of bitstream or PCM output. What is the difference?

A Bitstream output means the digital stream is sent to the output unchanged. PCM means it will decode DD or DTS and then convert it to two-channel PCM.

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Q I have a subwoofer integrated in my system, and after considerable tweaking, I have it adjusted to my liking for both HT and music. My question is, when playing DVD-A discs, do the rules change?  I have the the cut-off frequency set to around 60 Hz for the sub, but when playing DVD-A discs, there is little output compared to normal CDs. I was wondering what techniques are used for DVD-A mastering, thus requiring a different setting for the low-pass filter for DVD-A?

A This is not a mastering issue. When you use the 5.1 analog input set on a receiver, all the DSP is bypassed, so whatever bass management setting you have for CDs is usually not effective. The bass is there, but it is not being routed the same way it is when you are playing two-channel CDs with the bitstream coming from the CD player to the receiver, where its DACs decode it and DSP is applied.

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