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Q When 5.1 digital surround first came out (along with the THX
specs), we were told that you have to have five identical speakers and a sub.
Aside from cheap 'in a box' setups, who sells five of the same speaker anymore?
Everyone pushes dipoles and bookshelves for surrounds. I can't even find a
manufacturer who will sell me an odd number of speakers. What gives?
A It is just a matter of having experimented over a long time that
manufacturers realized five identical speakers may not be practical because the
center channel speaker could be too large, and it is laying on its side.
Speakers usually have very different dispersion patterns vertically from
horizontally, so laying the same speaker on its side for the top of the TV
causes a different effect. However, there are some systems that use identical
speakers all the way around, especially since the rear is supposed to have
direct radiating speakers according to THX, under certain conditions*. Such systems include the Athena
speaker package we are publishing a review of this week. These systems seem to
always be a center channel capable design that simply can be used for the other
channels as well. You would not find floor-standers in such a package because
you couldn't adapt it for the center channel.
* THX does specify direct radiating in the rear for THX Ultra2, but those two direct speakers
are ideally placed right next to each other because the ASA
process in Ultra2 makes them a dipole, sort of, to a varying degree based on the
Ultra2 mode selected. It's like having a dipole that the processor can
manipulate at a very fine level. It is a misconception that THX
unilaterally calls for
direct radiating speakers in the rear. For basic THX Surround EX, all
four surround speakers are still ideally dipole.
T
Q What course of study should I follow if I wish to
have a successful career in the consumer electronics industry?
I am fascinated by everything I've seen on your website and am sure that you can
help me. I am about to begin my third year of college. I am majoring in
Electronic Engineering Technology. Of course, I feel like I'm on the right track
but I'm not sure if I should be studying this now and I also don't know where to
go afterwards. I have been unable to receive any guidance that has made me feel
comfortable with my decision. I don't know anyone that is well established in
the field so as to guide me in the right direction.
I am two (maybe two and a half) years away from graduating and if I make a
change I need to make it now. I hope you can answer my question and point me in
the right direction. I've been waiting a long time for some help.
A You should apply for an
apprenticeship or internship with some of the manufacturers in your region
before you graduate. It could be a part time thing if they are close by, or you
could work full time there during the summer if they are too far from your
school to drive each day. Work part time during the school year to save enough
money to live away from school near the manufacturer, as apprenticeships and
internships are not high paying positions.
T
Q First off, this is my
favorite website...there is no equal for high-end audio information - keep up
the great work.
I have recently been bitten by the audio bug and decided to set up an audio-only
system. I don't want to spend more than $4,000 for the speakers, speaker wire,
and amplifier. I purchased a pair of B&W CM 4's from a local merchant (still in
the box). Now I am trying to decide whether or not I should buy a new integrated
amp, like the Musical Fidelity A3.2, or buy a used amplifier and preamplier,
like a Krell KAV 250a and a Krell KSL preamp (or Adcom GFP-750). These used
components are about 5 years old, come from good homes, and are available for
only slightly more money. Would I be better off buying the new integrated amp
with less power or buying the used components which, if new, cost many thousands
more, but now costs about the same as the integrated?
A I would go for the Krells
assuming they come from people you know. Krells are built like a tank and will
deliver the dynamics that good recordings have.
T
Q Are digital RCA cables
better than optical cables in connecting system components?
A This question has not
been scientifically studied as far as I know, probably because such a study is
complicated, much more than just measuring frequency response. But, I tend to
like optical cables because they eliminate impedance issues as well as ground
loops. From what I understand, optical is good to 24/96 but not 24/192.
T
Q I would like to register, but you have not given
the complete address information "Staff at hometheaterhifi dot com", @ What?
A I use that way of stating
the address in the hopeless attempt at stopping web crawlers from adding it to
the spam servers. Alas, 90% of our mail is spam, just like everyone else. It is
Staff and then the @ what you are referring to is "at hometheaterhifi", and then
"dot com". But, it is useless. Nothing stops the spam. One alternative
I like is that every e-mail costs the sender $0.01. One cent. The receiving
e-mail server won't accept the mail until the sending server pays the penny.
That ought to kill most of the spam. If you send 30 messages a day, it costs you
an extra $10 per month. It is worth that to me, because the speed of the
Internet would skyrocket with the garbage not clogging it up.
T
Q This is more of a comment
rather than a question. FYI, Rotel is not a British manufactured product. It is
actually owned and made by the Japanese.
A And built in Taiwan. The Global Economy at work.
T
Q How can I get an instruction manual book for my
AVR-2800?
A Many manufacturers place the instruction manuals
on their websites in PDF form. You can download them. Otherwise, you have to
contact the manufacturer by phone, or, one method I have used is to go into the
dealer showroom and ask to borrow the manual for about an hour. Take it to a
local Xerox copy store, copy it, then return the manual.
T
Q When I play DVDs, scan lines are noticeable,
especially when red is displayed. Is this because my player is interlaced or
because of the chroma upsampling problem? It is hooked up with component and I'm
sitting about 7' from my 42H82.
A This sounds like the CUE, because it looks sort
of like scan lines, and red is the best color to see it. We are disappointed
that so many players still have the CUE, and one manufacturer's new models
picked it up, when their older ones didn't have it. All I can say is that the
companies who clean up their players better have some big containers to ship
them to dealers, because our readership is 150,000 - 180,000 each month, and
Secrets readers do care about picture quality.
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