Q&

Q&A - #4 - March 17, 1997
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Q I think Secrets is the best audio/video magazine there is. You guys have done a fantastic job in making technology so easy to understand. Awesome writing. Because of Secrets, I don't plan to renew my subscriptions to Stereophile, Audio, and a couple of others. (Except for Absolute Sound. I like the writing and am collecting the issues.) I'll just take a peek at them in the bookstore. I mean, they are OK and all that, but I get just as much and more from Secrets, and you publish weekly and its free. My question is, do you plan to ever publish your magazine in printed form?

A Thank you for the very nice complements. Those are good publications, and to be compared with them is gratifying. We have had several offers by publishers to take Secrets to print, but because we have animation and sound bites, it would be difficult. Secondly, we use a lot of color, which is very expensive to print. We are thinking about it, in any case. However, the primary location of Secrets will always be here on the Internet, because we believe that's where the future of publishing is.

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Q I am getting ready to buy 2 turntables. I'm buying either the Technics 1200 MKII or Technics 1210 MKII. What's the difference between these two? I also heard there are other models like the 1800. Can you tell me what the differences are?

A The following info was found at http://rg.media.mit.edu/RG/equipment/sl1200.html and is reproduced here for our readers' interest. It is not intended in any way to infringe on any copyright of the author:

Sometime in the early 70's Technics released the original SL-1200 as a hi-fi turntable. Then sometime around 1978-79 they did some work improving the motor, redesigning the casing, adding a separate ground wire, etc. and released the SL-1200 Mark2. This is what the majority of DJ's have and this design still endures today. The SL-1200Mk2 is the only version officially authorized for sale in the U.S. by Technics. The following derivatives are available on the gray market in the U.S. and are international versions (110/220V). The SL-1210Mk2 is essentially the 1200Mk2 except in black. Everything else is the same (word has it that the 1210 is lighter than the 1200 and is more susceptible to rumble, etc.). (To confirm that the 1200 and 1210 Mk2's are the same electronically speaking, the service manuals are identical for either model.) The SL-1200Mk3 is also in black but is supposed to have a better motor and other improvements. The best price on a US version 1200 is from ProSound & Stage mentioned above in the L.A. area. They sell them for $399. There are a bunch of places in the L.A. area and in N.Y. which sell (likely international versions) 1200's and 1210's for around $367. In the LA area, try Quality Electronics on Santa Monica Blvd. (Hollywood?) or Astro Sound somewhere in the valley. Get a hold of the L.A. Recycler for phone #'s... The 1200Mk3 goes for $499 at ProSound & Stage. These stores probably offer their own warranties as Technics/Matsushita will not do any kind of warranty work on non-US models. If you want to find out what region of the world your deck was destined for, look at the SERIAL NUMBER label. This is not the black label on the back. Some of you don't have this info printed next to your serial # so you'll be out of luck. Next to the serial number is the model number: "SL-1200MK2-MC" The "MC" part tells you where it was destined for:

M - USA
MC - Canada
E - Scandinavia/Switz.
EK - UK
XL - Australia
EG - Germany
EB - Belgium
EH - Holland
EF - France
Ei - Italy
XA - The rest of the world (I think they also use XG here)

There are also a few other codes not worth mentioning. An easy way to tell if it is NOT a US version is to look for the 110/220V switch under the platter. The other giveaway is a Euro-plug with a US-adapter.

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Q I have a pair of Cary 300SE that both have power (not audio) transformers that hum when I turn them on. Do you know if I need a power line conditioner or are there some tweaks to try?

A Power transformers often produce a hum that is audible from the chassis itself rather than through the speakers. It can be caused by noisy AC lines, and also DC that is present in the AC lines. A power line conditioner can reduce some of the noise in the AC line (we measured a 40% reduction on an oscilloscope using a Tice Power Block III), but DC won't be filtered out because most power conditioners don't have isolation transformers for power amps. They would make the conditioner too costly and would be huge. DC will be removed by an isolation transformer. Call Cary Audio to get further info on this.

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Q Now that DVD is arriving, do you think that it is going to eliminate laserdisc? I have a lot invested in my player and library of movies.

A This all depends on how good the DVD movies are, in terms of the software production. If they use a lot of compression, there will be motion artifacts that are visible (pixelation). Otherwise, if they use minimum compression, on special editions for us videophiles at least, laserdisc will probably be phased out eventually because the image quality on DVD is potentially better than it is on laserdisc. This is especially true when you take into account the component video output that is available on DVD but not on laser.

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Q Thank you very much for the answer to my post about the LaScala's. Here's another quickie. A sales rep. said I should not use the Sunfire CinemaGrand with my LaScala's, said the LS's are too 'fast' and the Sunfire lacks the 'punch' they need. He said the Adcom 7000 is a better match. I liked the extra power of the Sunfire AND the more tube-like sound you wrote about in your review, especially considering the little 'edge' my LS's have already. Is this true, and will I really notice the difference? I don't mind going a few extra bucks for the Sunfire, any suggestions?

A The first thing that should be considered is whether the rep carries Klipsch, Adcom, and the Sunfire. If so, then his opinion should be considered. Otherwise, if he doesn't carry the Sunfire, he may just be doing his job: trying to sell you what he has. Can't blame him for that, but I'm sure you realize this is a fact of life in audio/video dealerships. Let's say he carries them all. The Sunfire is perhaps slightly less dynamic than the Adcom, because the Sunfire is not quite as fast, due to its very efficient class of operation. Sunfire is class H or D, depending on how you look at it; the Adcom is class A/B. However, the Sunfire has more power. Class A is the fastest, but it is very inefficient, requires first rate parts, and is expensive. Class A/B gives you a percentage of the power in class A, then switches over to class B. It is more efficient, but slower in class B mode, and is less expensive. Mass produced consumer electronics are mostly class B. Then there is class H, which uses variable rail voltages. This is very efficient, but switching rail voltage takes a finite amount of time, so it is slower. Class D represents the digital switching amps, and the latest designs look pretty good. They are extremely efficient, and we hope to get one of the newest designs shortly. Of course, there are other design factors besides the class of operation that affect the speed. Personally, I would love to have a couple of high power pure class A amplifiers, but I also have a habit that is tough to break. It is called eating. If you like to play your home theater system really loud, then you might want to opt for the higher power of the Sunfire. On the other hand, Klipsch are famous for their efficiency, so in your case, the dynamics of the Adcom might be more to your liking, sound wise. The tube-like sound of the current source outputs on the Sunfire is very subtle. It does not recreate a tube amp, but rather, it just mellows the sound out a bit . . . like a tube amp does.

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Q I have Technics SA-EX600 receiver. It's a pretty beefy amp, 120 watts in stereo. It has a built in separate sub amp, 100 watts. I have a passive sub that I built out of a car sub. It is rated at four ohms. The manual says the amp can be configured to drive 4 ohm speakers but I think this only refers to the main outs and not the sub amp. I have used them together but recently my amp starting clipping when a low freq. signal was run through it. I used a 31.05 Hz test tone and when I adjust the volume, it crackles. It does not do this any other time so it's not a dust/contact problem. My question is, could the sub have damaged the amp? The amp is pretty tough, more powerful than the average. Is the sub's 4 ohm rating too much for it?

A That crackling sound is definitely the amplifier clipping. Unless the amp is overdriven for a long time and it gets really hot, I would say that no damage has been done to it. More likely, you would have just blown the fuse on the amp anyway. Clipping can damage speakers, and it is usually the tweeter that goes first (we have blown out a few ourselves, during some amplifier testing). The 4 Ohm rating of your passive sub is probably too much for the amp to handle (4 Ohm loads require more current). If the receiver has a sub RCA output jack, you should consider getting a monoblock amplifier to drive the passive sub. Somewhere around 200 - 300 watt rating into 8 Ohms. Take the sub to a dealer to test the amp, since 4 Ohm loads are taxing on all but the high end amps. You can get a stereo amp that has bridging capability (connecting both channels together to produce a more powerful mono amplifier), but that procedure reduces the ability to drive lower impedance loads. The last possibility is to just bag the 4 Ohm passive sub and get a good powered sub. This last option is what I would do, because the amp is matched to the sub driver.

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Q Where does one find a list of good AC-3 demo laserdiscs?

A You can find a list of DD movies on laserdisc at http://www.dolby.com/ht/ds&pl/lists/ld.html

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Q It is my understanding that the maximum resolution video signal that a Y/C (S-Video) connector can handle is 480 lines. Is that correct? This value was derived from connecting an oscilloscope to the S-Video connection between a Hi8 camcorder and a SVHS VCR and observing a 6Mhz signal. I've read that you get about 80 lines per MHz.

A Theoretically, that would be the horizontal resolution (number of vertical lines) limits. It is 80 lines per MHz. Rolloff near 6 MHz decreases the actual resolution to about 420 (starting rolloff at 5.2 MHz and gone by 5.5 MHz). Apparently, some of the DVD player manufacturers will be doing the same thing, rolling off the signal near 6 MHz (starting rolloff at 5.5 MHz and down 6 dB by 6 MHz), which will decrease the resolution. We heard at the ISF DVD meeting last week that they are doing this because of the sharpness control on TVs, which makes the image look bad when it is turned up to the high position.

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Q I currently have a Pioneer A/V receiver that has Dolby Pro Logic that doesn't have any pre-ins/pre-outs nor does it have any capability to receive AC-3. Now that I have heard AC-3...I want it. I am pretty sure my current receiver is going to have to be scrapped and that pains me since my system is only about 2 1/2 years old (but it could be worse, my PC gets obsolete even quicker than that!)

I started looking around in Jan of this year listening to various systems including Yamaha's RX-V990 & DDP-1, Marantz SR 870 and its outboard decoder, HK 80 and its outboard decoder. This seems to be the entry level to AC-3 and it starts around $1700-$2200.

I read that the Yamaha DDP-2 was coming out in May with a MSRP of $500 compared to the DDP-1 which was $700 (most of the dealers were also offering theirs for $500). Denon is coming out with an internal receiver with AC-3 in May for around $1600/1700. Marantz is also coming out with a similar unit late spring or early summer. I also heard about several of the A/V receivers that currently have AC-3 built in, and the rumors that a number of them were experiencing overheating problems. During my travels, one salesman presented the Marantz SR 96, its outboard decoder and that do-it-all remote. $2200 was sorta at the top end of my scale but boy it is nice!

I am pretty sure that the next receiver I get, needs to have AC-3 (I don't really have any preference for in-board or out-board decoder) and offers me the flexibility to start into separates. I guess the first step would be to use the receiver with external amplifier(s) then to get a preamp. I also want to be able to handle DVD if it gets mainstream enough to rent movies from Blockbuster. It would be a lower priority but I would also like to have options to handle DTS if it catches on.

I sorta decided to wait for a bit until until some of the DVD units come out and see they how they fit into the picture (and my income tax refund). I understand the concept, that if you wait around waiting for the best time to buy, you may never buy anything because there is always something new on the horizon. Dolby Pro Logic is now in almost every product line's receiver. As cheap as I am, I don't intend to wait for that to happen just to get AC-3 for less money. My question is, is waiting a mistake? If I wait till the first DVD units and the first generation of integrated AC-3 receivers to arrive (hopefully this summer). Is there going to be any drop in cost of these new receivers, or is the price going to basically stay the same because the manufacturers have just added features? Are there any other features that you think I should be looking/waiting for?

A Receivers with everything (Pro Logic, AC-3, DTS) will almost certainly become available within the next 12 months. For ease of use, the integrated package can't be beat. For flexibility, separates are king. You can choose one brand for the main preamp/Pro Logic processor, another brand for AC-3 outboard, and a third brand for DTS outboard. The downside of separates is that you need a lot of cables to connect them all together, and usually the remote control only works with the main processor. We use the RX-V990 quite a bit here in the lab. It is a very good all-around receiver, making it a nice reference unit in terms of being fair to our readers, many of whom can't afford to spend $5,000 for a processor. What we recommend is to get a receiver or processor that has at least one set of 5.1 inputs that will accept the outputs of an outboard AC-3 processor or DTS processor. Even if you are not sure you would ever want AC-3 and DTS, this will give you the option if you decide you want the new digital surround after all, at a later time. The Yamaha RX-V990, and some other receivers, have the 5.1 inputs. If there is only one set of 5.1 inputs, there are ways of parallel connecting two outboard processors (AC-3 and DTS). We are going to describe this soon in a product review. As long as you make sure the receiver or processor you buy has the 5.1 inputs for outboard processors, you will be totally forward compatible.

The pre-outs on the receiver is another important feature if you want to add better and more powerful amplifiers later on. Pre-ins will let you re-route the front power amps to the rear, and this will save money. We highly recommend getting a receiver with these features (pre-outs and pre-ins). Only three channels of additional amplification would then be needed. Again, the RX-V990 has these. We don't know all of the various brands and models that have all these features, but all you have to do is look on the back of the receiver to see the inputs and outputs, before you buy it. Ask the dealer about them, and ask to see the instruction manual. Also, keep in mind that some receivers with built-in AC-3 decoding, don't have a set of 5.1 inputs, so adding DTS would not be possible with such units. We have heard DTS CDs, and we think that home theater enthusiasts will want to have DTS capability, because it sounds terrific. DTS decoders will handle the DTS signal from CDs and from laserdiscs. Some DVDs may have DTS sound as well, in the future. Ergo, keep your options open.

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Q I have a Kenwood KR-V8030 stereo receiver that has Dolby Pro Logic. Will it be possible to purchase an "add-on" type dolby digital AC-3 unit so that I can receive the discrete audio offered by this process or am I looking at a new receiver purchase with the process already built-in? I am VERY pleased with my Kenwood and do not want to have to discard it. I can't seem to find any AC-3 "add on" units at stores (sales people don't seem to be very up to date on the subject) or on the Internet. Any suggestions?

A Unless the receiver has a set of 5.1 inputs, as mentioned above, you can't use it with AC-3. What you can do, however, is use the receiver you already have to power the rear channels of a new receiver that has the AC-3 built-in or one that has 5.1 inputs for an outboard AC-3 processor. You would need pre-outs on the new receiver, and you would connect the rear surround pre-outs to one of the line-level input pairs on the old receiver (e.g., "Aux"). Then you would use the volume control on the old receiver to adjust the volume to the rear channel. Plus, you could control the volume of the left and right rear independently using the balance control on the old receiver. This is something you can't do on many surround sound receivers.

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Q I own an AMC Pro 7 supplementary Pro Logic Amplifier that suplies the center and rear speakers, connected to a Harman Kardon integrated amplifier powering the front speakers. The HK is plugged through the Inputs and Outputs so that a loop is established. I want to expand the system with an enhancer. My problem is how to plug in the unit. Right now the inputs are conected together as well as the outputs in the auxiliary . How can I fit in the enhancer? If you can be as detailed as possible, I would be very much in debt, since I am quite confused regarding this matter.

A Enhancers, tone controls, and other controls that change the sound, should be connected AFTER Pro Logic decoding. Otherwise, the phase shift that results from manipulating the signal will mess up the decoding process. Thus, for example, don't connect any enhancement between the source (CD, LD, VCR) and the inputs to your Pro Logic processor. Insert it between the AMC and the HK. So, the front left/right output from the AMC would go to the input of the enhancer, and the output of the enhancer would go to the inputs of the HK.

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Q I am in a nasty prediciment. I have two pieces of Harman-Kardon hardware (AVR 10 receiver and a FL 8300 CD player). They're both a year old. Last Oct., my CD player broke. I didn't get it back until the end of January. A few days before I got my CD player back, my receiver broke. I haven't listened to CDs in months. I called HK and they said the part needed to fix the receiver wouldn't be available until April 20th. In all about six months will have elapsed in repair time.

Needless to say, I'm now shopping around for another brand.

My quest started at the repair shop, here in Gainesville, Fl. Who would know more about reliable workmanship than the guys who actually fix the stuff? They said they get in a lot of stuff, and that Sony was the best in terms of reliability, service after the sale, and performance. I asked them about NAD. They said NAD was "cheap junk." I then asked if other HK owners had similar problems. "Brands like HK and Carver aren't what they were ten years ago. Nobody's what they were ten years ago in terms of reliability and construction." I asked what he meant by that. "Ten years ago, you had 30-50 watts going into big heat sinks. Now, you have 150 watts going into heat sinks a fraction of the size they used to be." I asked about the esoteric brands like Creek, Luxman, Lexicon, etc. "I don't really know too much about them, but from what I've seen, the smaller companies like those don't have the financial resources and capital to do needed product research. That's a big reason why you may not really know what you're getting in terms of reliability."

I was dumbfounded. My whole outlook (severely limited as it is) on quality, high-end, audiophile equipment completely changed. I have resolved to do one of two things: 1) Buy a Bryston (20-year warranty) B-60 integrated amp, or 2) get a Sony ES receiver (STR GA8ES).

I don't yet know if I want to do the audiophile thing (Bryston) or the versatile-ready-to-expand-with-the-times thing (the Sony).

The most I'll spend on a pre-amp/amplifier combo is $1500. That's how much the Bryston is. The Sony'll run me about $850. I now have cheap Sony speakers. I'll upgrade to something like Boston Acoustics, Magnepan, Meadowlark Audio, Vandersteen, or Paradigm Reference later.

What I want: Please comment on some of the things that the repairman said. Is it true that almost all equipment sucks in the reliability department? I've heard Bryston doesn't have a great sound, but they're not bad either. Stereophile mag usually gives them Bs on reviews. I've heard the Sony sounds better than a Bryston. I also talked to a guy that recommended Sony CD players to three people, bought some equipment for himself, and some for his Dad. All six Sony units broke after a year of use, and he said he hates Sony and won't spend a penny on anything with a Sony label. This guy is a reputable (whatever that means), experienced audiophile, so I put much stock in what he has to say. What other types of equipment are pretty reputable? I heard Lexicon is great. Any suggestions, questions, directions, criticism you may have for a novice, severely skeptical (cynical) audiophile would be greatly appreciated. Start from square one. Tell me everything. Should I seriously think about the Sony and the Bryston, or should I look at some other companies? The Bryston's also a great financial investment, don't forget. Could you suggest some things I'd want to take into consideration, and suggest a company to look at based on those suggestions?

--Thanks for your patience, efforts, and time. I really mean it.

A First thing is to read our primer on hifi electronics. We are about to update it (been waiting for AC-3, DVD, and DTS to come out first), but the basics for most topics are already there. It is Volume 1, number 1, 1994 (http://www.sdinfo.com/volume_1_1/v1n1.html). If you ask a number of dealers and repair shops about what is the best sounding, most reliable equipment, you are likely to get different answers from all of them. Even your own experiences show that some like Sony and others don't. This is true for any brand. What has happened over the years are several things. One is that the receivers have become more complicated. They used to be just a two channel amp, with a tuner, volume controls and tone controls. They didn't have a lot of integrated circuits (chips). Now they have surround sound processing, multiple video and audio inputs, several amplifiers, digital readouts. The average consumer doesn't want to pay a fortune for this stuff, but we all like to have the features. So, some things have been left behind. Heavy chassis, wood decorations.

VCRs used to be very heavy. My first one, a Hitachi, lasted for 10 years with heavy use. All the VCRs I have bought since then last about 3 - 5 years and I can lift them with one hand. There is less metal in them and the rental video tapes destroy them. Many amps used to be under-rated. They put out considerably more power than the specifications stated. Now, the spec sheet says 100 watts, and it clips at 105. The specs say 100 watts to the center and 25 to the rear. Actually, that is 100 watts at 1 kHz, not at 20 Hz - 20 kHz, and the rear is driven by a power amp on an IC. The mass consumer stuff is now pretty much all running in class B, which is efficient and doesn't get very hot. That is one reason why the heat sinks are smaller than they used to be. Reliability has probably improved because the mass produced equipment is built by robots. Plus, they are selling these things by the millions, and the people who get the inevitable defective ones are the people who make the noise. We don't write to manufacturers or magazines to say we have a receiver that hasn't caused us a problem. We don't have the time or interest to do that. No one does. However, letters like yours, and the ones we all write when we have difficulty with getting a faulty product repaired, are important because it keeps everyone on their toes, and lets manufacturers know when it's time to make a change.

Bryston is good, Sony is good, Carver is good. Most of the manufacturers have some good products in their line, and maybe one bum product here or there. Otherwise, they disappear from the market. There is too much competition out there for a company with all lousy products to survive. NAD had some QC (Quality Control) problems a while back. Some of their low priced stuff is outsourced for manufacture to keep the cost down. Maybe those products still give them a headache or two. The two NAD power amps we reviewed (208 and 218) are manufactured in the UK and are fine equipment. One bad piece can give a good company a bad reputation. Unfortunate, but a fact of life. All the mass produced equipment (receivers, VCRs, etc.) that we have seen lately have one or two top models made at the company's factory, and the lower priced models are made in other countries that have inexpensive labor. Competition has caused this, and in some cases, quality suffers. It doesn't have to, but it will until the manufacturers get a firm hold on QC of products not made at home. Massive outsourcing is a recent thing in hifi. It will improve with time.

The warranty (parts and labor) is a good indication of how confident the manufacturers are that the products won't break down. The warranty is an important thing to ask about when buying any equipment. Ninety days parts and labor is an unacceptable risk, particularly with VCRs which are the most often repaired hifi component. Other than that, you just have to go with what sounds best to you. Opinions of others, including all magazines, like ours, are only opinions. Sure, we have more experience than the average consumer, because we see and hear a lot of equipment. That's what we do. But in the end, these opinions should be used only as a guide to what you put on your short list of several receivers, several speakers, etc. I would suggest, as said above and at other times, that you consider forward compatibility as a major issue. DTS is one of the best things to happen to CDs since the CD itself. And, it will improve since DTS has the capability for much higher bit rates. Make sure your new receiver has the ability to connect 5.1 outboard products regardless of what is built-in.

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Q I am a college student who would like to invest in a nice home (dorm) theatre system for next year. I've been around many Internet sites and have received many catalogues from companies such as Yamaha, RCA, JVC, and Technics/Panasonic. What are a few good Receivers (Pro Logic) for a moderate price (<$300 non-MSRP)? I was looking at some of JVC's better units - is this a good idea?

A In this price range, receivers are all hit or miss. When I was doing my undergraduate education in the 1960's, I had so little money, I built my own turntable. I bought a children's record player at a second hand shop for $0.50, and mounted it on a piece of plywood.The tone arm was a wooden stick with a bolt at the back end that I could adjust the tracking force by moving the nut on the bolt. The finished item was suspended by the edges on some books in my dorm room, and I turned it on by reaching underneath and flipping a lever. Total cost of the turntable, except for the Radio Shack cartridge, was about $2. The amp was $75 and the speakers, also home built, cost me about $20. So, I understand your situation. Frankly, I would get a last-year's model on sale, or go to one of the warehouse markets, like Price Club, and get a receiver there. They usually have several at $199 to $399, with brand names that you listed. Good luck.