Q I am using a Yamaha RX-V2200 receiver and SW800 sub. I ran two pairs of Monster Cable 16/2 standard speaker cable to the sub location. I now know optimal hookup is through the RCA sub pre-out on the receiver. Can I just add an RCA pins to my speaker cable for connecting the sub-out on my receiver to the pre-in on my subwoofer? What is shielded speaker wire?

A Yes, it should work if your Monster Cable speaker cable is shielded. Normally, speaker cable has two conductors side by side, or perhaps spiraled around one another. If it is shielded, there will be a copper or aluminum mesh wrapped around the two main conductors. You would need to solder the center pin of the RCAs to one of the main conductors in the center, and the shell of the RCA to the other conductor. The shield could be connected to the chassis of your receiver. If the speaker cable is not shielded, it will still work, but you may end up with some hum. You could try twisting the speaker cable into a spiral to see if that might reduce the hum.

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Q Are you planning on doing any tests on the Pioneer 757AI player in the near future and will the results be added to your DVD Player database? That or could you guys maybe look at doing a - 'Battle of the Universal Players'? Find out who is currently 'Master of the Universe'.

A Each player is evaluated in and of itself, and I suspect they all will be Universal Players within a year or two, because it is just a matter of time before the decoding of all formats is on a single inexpensive generic chip that can be placed in any DVD player. Differences will be based on quality of parts, such as the DACs, power supply, chassis, Op Amps, and so on.

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Q I have a Yamaha 420 system with 5.1 speakers (passive subwoofer connected to the amplifier, which in turn connects to front speakers). Whenever I turn on the center, my bass goes down as most of the sound goes to the center. Is there any way to rectify this without buying an active subwoofer. Help Please!!

A The only way to solve this is by using whatever bass management that is available in the receiver's setup menu. Try changing the options there. If there is no bass management, then you are stuck with those limitations. Basic home theater in a box (HTB) packages are generally simple and inexpensive, but they don't have much flexibility.

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Q I have a pair of 6 ohm speakers. I'm purchasing a new receiver and don't know if I need to buy one rated to deliver power at 6 ohms, or if I can buy one that delivers at 8 ohms.

A All receivers will handle 8 ohm and 6 ohm speakers, so you should be safe with any choice. It is the 4 ohm speakers that cause the problems.

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Q  I'm looking to upgrade my Denon AVR-1803 receiver. The two receivers I have narrowed it down to are the Denon AVR-4802 and the Pioneer Elite VSX-47TX. I will be using it for mostly music around 60/40. My speakers are all Mirage (except my sub which is a Paradigm PW-2200), OM-10s, OM-C3, OM-R2s, and Omnisats in the rear. I was told that the Denon produces better sound quality, but the Pioneer has more power (according to ratings). The Denon remote is also a plus, but I would rather have the better receiver rather than the remote.

A Well, certainly don't choose the receiver based on the remote control, because you can get a universal remote that suits you better anyway. Both of these models have similar power (Denon is 150w/ch into 6 ohms, and Pioneer is 160w/ch into 6 ohms). The Denon AVR-4802 has 24/96 DACs, while the Pioneer has 24/192. The Denon has selectable crossover frequencies down to 40 Hz, while the Pioneer does not have this. But, the Pioneer has automatic room configuration using a supplied microphone. It plays tones in the speakers and then automatically adjusts everything. So, your choice depends on what is important to you. The sound quality at that price range ($2,400 - $3,000) should be excellent with both models. Frankly, I would be happy with either one of these beauties.

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Q I currently have a 36" Sony Wega TV. I also have DirecTV. I know DirecTV has a special HD receiver. The Q is will I be able to view HD broadcast (ABC, NBC, CBS) with the DirecTV HD receiver? If not, which receiver do you recommend that I buy?

A The question here is not whether the DirecTV HD box will give you HD, because it will, The question is whether or not your Sony TV can display it. If it has progressive scan capabilities, it might be able to give you some of the programming, but it may not handle more than 480p (Enhanced Definition TV, or EDTV). If it cannot display progressive scan, then you will need to get a new HDTV in order to use the DirecTV HD satellite box.

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Q I recently purchased a ReplayTV PVR. I connected the PVR's Composite Video out to my Sony Wega KV-36FS10 but the video is distorted and there is a double image on the screen. One on the left and one on the right. Is this a problem with my TV or the settings on my PVR? The composite video jacks on the TV are labeled Pb, Pr, and Y but, the PVR is
set to output PbPrY-ANSI. Is this correct?

A PbPrY is component video, not composite video. I suspect that you have the PVR set to output progressive scan, and your TV cannot handle it. I have seen these double images with such mismatches. Also check to make sure the three cables are plugged into their correct respective jacks. If you switch one, you could end up with strange effects like what you are seeing.

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Q First, let me thank you for your Benchmark tests. I was able to buy a different DVD based on your input and return one that had the chroma bug--a bug I could see even more after reading your article. My question has to do with magnetic shielding. Nowhere can I find an authoritative answer on whether unshielded speakers can affect RPTVs. Specifically, are RPTVs (48" and above) susceptible to magnetic fields when tower speakers are placed in close proximity (say one foot).  Also, are powered tower speakers more, less, or same in their ability to affect RPTVs with magnetic fields? Is it true that RPTVs are not susceptible to magnetic fields because the "guns" and electronics are reasonable far away from speakers even if the speakers are placed right next to the RPTV shell? Finally, would you recommend buying magnetically shielded speakers if you had the option to do so?

A The electronics in RPTVs are in the base, so putting an unshielded center channel speaker on top of the TV should not cause any problems. Unshielded tower speakers within 1 foot of the TV may or may not affect the image. It depends on the size of the drivers and where they are situated on the enclosure. With a direct view TV, the picture tube would be within about 12 inches of the speaker magnets, and could be affected. The problem shows up as a greenish/purplish smear along the edge of the picture. With an RPTV, the picture tubes are in the center of the TV enclosure, so they are farther away from the speaker magnets. When I have tested the effects, I generally found that I could start to see the color smears when I put the speaker closer than 1 foot. My guess is that with the RPTV, you won't see the problem with the towers at 1 foot away, but you would if the TV were direct view. For powered towers, the effect on the picture tube will probably be more noticeable, because the power amplifier that drives the subwoofer in the tower generates strong magnetic fields. Now that RPTVs are moving away from CRTs and into using LCD and DLP panels, the magnetic field color smear problem may not be an issue. I choose my speakers based on sound, and don't worry about whether or not they are magnetically shielded.

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