Q&A # 22 - July 29, 1997
Staff
Q I found your Bryston amplifier reviews most interesting. I own all Bryston equipment including two 7B ST amplifiers and a BP-25
pre-amp. I use a Sony X777ES CD player, and I have Sound Lab A-3 ESLs. I believe that I am suffering to some extent from the "hardness" that you are describing. Do you think that the Musical Fidelity X10-D tube interface (sold by Audio Advisor in the USA) connected between my CD player and my pre-amp
would ameliorate some of the hardness without losing much of the detail? Have you ever reviewed the X10-D unit or do you plan to do so in the near future?
A It is very likely that the X10-D would indeed smooth out those edges for you. Tube gear has a habit of doing that, and it is one reason there are so many tubeophiles out there (including me). I don't think you will find that any detail is lost. It will just sound "sweeter". The only thing that will be missing is the hardness produced by the CDs. This brings up the issue of what is hi-fi and what is not. Amplifiers with really "square" square wave response are probably more accurate at reproducing the complex waveforms that pass through them. Unfortunately, those sharp corners are a manifestation of mostly the odd-ordered harmonics that might be present in the incoming signal, and it is the odd-ordered harmonics that irritate the ears. High frequency odd harmonics are more irritating than low frequency ones, such as those in subwoofers. So, amplifiers that have rounded corner square wave responses will smooth the sound out so that it is pleasing. Many of the amplifiers we have tested, have the rounded corner type of response. It is a matter of the designer's choice, with no relation to the price of the amplifier at all. If you define hi-fi as accurately reproducing the original waveforms that come into a component, then tube gear is not as hi-fi as solid state gear, but the point is, what kind of a musical experience does it produce? If it is unpleasant, but accurate, what have you achieved? Bryston has chosen to make amplifiers that are accurate. The result is that, at least for current CDs, one has to balance out the rest of the system so that the results (what you hear) are not too edgy. With an LP player (phonograph records), there would be less harshness in the source, so, in my estimation, your Brystons would probably sound fine with all the other components you already have. P.S., we are reviewing the Musical Fidelity X-DAC this week, and perhaps we can do the same for the X10-D later on.
Q Do you know what Pioneer's SD-T50W1 (50" widescreen) and the 42" version (can't remember the model number) perform like? I live in Bahrain (but am from the UK) and am thinking of purchasing one. There is a Sony shop here, but their large widescreen TVs are way out of my budget. There isn't much large screen TV variety in Bahrain.
A I am not familiar with that model #. Here in the states Pioneer has
released two 16:9 sets, and both are 57" diagonal. I have always liked the
Pioneer TVs, as they have excellent gray scale tracking, great DC
restoration, and a good color decoder. (Some Pioneer sets can be
modified and the color decoder set to studio quality.) These sets
really do benefit from post-calibration by a trained person equipped
with a color analyzer.
Q My wife and I are currently shopping around for a 50" RPTV. We looked at most major brands (Sony, Mits and Pioneer etc.) We both seemed to like the picture of the Pioneer SD-P50A5. The salesman told us that most of the
electronics inside are similar to their Elite versions, the difference being the
outside cabinetry and gold plated connectors. What is your experience with
Pioneer RPTVs? How does this unit compare to Sony XBRs and the
Mitsubishi?
A After post-calibration, both the Sony and Pioneer are some of the best looking on
the market. By post-calibration I mean after someone has come to your house
and properly adjusted the gray scale! This will make a world of difference, and I will talk more about it in an up coming review of a 16:9 TV.
Some of the Sony and Pioneer sets can be further modified to correct the
color decoder inside. Currently there are only 3 people doing the Pioneer
mods, one in Southern California, one in the Texas area (I think), and the
other in the Washington, D.C. area.
Some differences between the standard and Elite Pioneer line includethe black Uri finish, the gold plated connectors, the removable protection shield (you would definitely want to remove it!) The Elites are usually painted black inside (if you purchase a standard Pioneer that is not
black inside, paint it black!), and the Elites also filter the green and red
lenses. Sometimes they also have higher quality audio systems.
Q Why do loudspeaker companies build low impedance loudspeakers if they are problematic to drive with certain amplifiers or A/V receivers? Is the impedance of a speaker related to the make, type, or design of the drivers? If one were to build a high end speaker, what would the optimal impedance be? I have an Acurus 200x3 amplifier driving a pair of Jamo Concert 11 loudspeakers, which are rated at a nominal 4 ohm impedance. Any problems
with this combination?
A I posed this question to a major speaker designer, and the answer is that 4 Ohm speakers will pass more current at a given voltage, and therefore, more watts. So, they will play louder. It is that simple. Unfortunately, the amplifier is taxed because it has to deliver higher current at the same voltage, and current is hard to come by. Your Acurus should not pose a problem as long as you don't crank the volume control all the way up. Acurus has good stuff, but they don't have the big power supplies that their (Mondial) high-end products (Aragon) do.
Q I have a YAMAHA AV-870 receiver/processor, NAD 218 THX power amp, PIONEER 503 laserdisc player, a pair of MIRAGE M3 speakers and a PORK 350 center speaker. I would like to upgrade my whole system to AC-3. Please advise me as to what is the best way of doing it in terms of money and quality (I plan to spend under
$5,000).
A Take a look at the new Yamaha RX-V992 Receiver, which has AC-3 built-in, and pre-outs for outboard power amps. Get another pair of M3s for the rear. Use the NAD for the two rear channel speakers, and get something like an Adcom GFA-5503 for the front left/center/right (200 watts/ch). Have someone like MSB Technology put in an RF output on your laserdisc player if it does not have one already. For a subwoofer, check out the Velodyne F-1500, Sunfire, or M&K MX-5000. Take two aspirin and call me in the morning.
Q Now with the possibilities to upgrade to DTS and AC3, using LD and DVD, there are many readers (including me) who would be grateful if the VCRs could be upgraded to "digital" and connect to outboard processors. I have a Mitsubishi HI-FI HSU500. Do you know if it is possible to do this with a DIY or a kit?
A Not that I am aware of. I do not think there are any plans to make the
current generation VCRs able to support the digital soundtracks. It would hurt DVD sales for one thing. The future D-VHS (Digital-VHS) may support it (AC-3/DTS), but we don't know the manufacturers' plans right now. We saw digital VCR prototypes two years ago at the CES in Las Vegas. With HDTV ready to start broadcasting in the USA in 1998, I hope the digital VCRs that are released for mass production will record HDTV as well as regular TV. Otherwise, we would be in a situation of "Buy one now, and another one in two years."
� Copyright 1997
Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity
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