February 7, 2002
I am planning to purchase a new receiver to replace my
current home-theater receiver. I was told that DTS is much better than Dolby Digital. But
when I heard them, I could not tell the difference. There is a big price difference
between Dolby Digital and DTS ($100). So my questions is what's the difference between
Dolby Digital and DTS; and is it worth spending the extra money for a DTS receiver?
Ashneel Kumar
Dolby Labs and Digital Theater Systems (DTS) are
competing corporations with competing formats. Although many people prefer DTS over Dolby,
there are also those who feel exactly the opposite. Both offer discrete 5.1 (at least)
encoding/decoding methods, and both offer matrix-type formats too (Dolby Pro Logic II and
DTS Neo6). I've heard software that I prefer in DTS, and material that I prefer with Dolby
Digital. There have been more than a few where it really didn't matter -- they both
sounded the same. Instead of thinking of DTS as an upgrade, think of it as another option
for the user. Only you can decide if that is worth the extra $100.
February 6, 2002
Great site. Lots of very good and "sound"
information. I do hope that you can point my ears in the right direction. My setup is as
follows: Adcom GFA-555 II amp (had for over ten years), Adcom GFP-555 II preamp, (here's
where we go down hill) and DCM K12 Series Two speakers, which replaced Bose 601s. I was
looking for more bass, and boy did I get it. I miss the openness I had with the Bose
speakers, but I do like the bass. Very big question: What would be the best speakers to
pair with my amp?
J. Conte
For your system, I would look hard at some of NHT's
offerings. They are known for tight, strong bass and have a lively, open sound. The Adcom
gear is terrific, especially the GFA-555 II. This amplifier is a classic, and should work
well with most any speaker you choose.
February 5, 2002
Hello! I just recently stumbled upon your website, and let
me first say it is undoubtedly one of the best sites to have ever hit the Internet! I hope
it continues to grow and prosper.
This question is a follow-up of sorts to one posted by
"Ray" on June 18 of last year. I am currently in the process of trying to
rebuild my music/home-theater system, and I recently came across an AAD C301
center-channel speaker I found for an excellent deal. Not having heard much about AAD, I
did some research and decided that, considering the price and value, it was probably worth
the cost. However, it is as of yet the only speaker I have purchased. I wanted to read
some professional reviews of AAD's products (especially the "C" line) before
committing to more of their speakers, and I was wondering if you had posted any of the
reviews you mentioned in your reply to Ray (in particular the C200 bookshelf model, which
I was strongly considering.)
Thank you.
Steve Blagg
A comprehensive source for reviews is Audio Video Reviews, which is
part of the SoundStage! Network.
Here you will find two AAD reviews completed by Home Theater & Sound's
staff. As well, we spoke with the folks at AAD at the 2002 CES and are in the process of
arranging some additional reviews of their new products.
I must say that I have always been impressed by the
level of quality AAD is able to offer at the price. I know nothing that would prevent
recommendation based on what our writers have heard and what I know of the company.
February 4, 2002
I bought a Sony MHC-NX1 bookshelf stereo that comes with
front speakers plus jacks for rear speakers. I want to add two additional speakers, using
the rear jacks. The specs call for 4-ohm impedance for the rear speakers. I can't find
4-ohm speakers. Sony has been no help in this quest.
Anthony
The 4-ohm specification is the minimum value recommended
by Sony. This means anything above 4 ohms is safe. Most speakers have a rated 8-ohm
impedance, which would work fine in your case. What you want to avoid are speakers that
fall below 4 ohms. This would likely cause your system to shut down, or worse, damage your
amplifier section.
February 3, 2002
I just bought a Mission home-theater speaker system (773e,
77c1 and 77ds) on sale. My main concern is which budget A/V receiver is good enough to
power the 773e front floorstanding speakers. The specifications of the Mission 773e are as
follows: 88dB sensitivity, 25-100W power handling. My room is about four meters by five
meters. There are limited brands of A/V receivers here, and for me it just boils down to
Denon and Onkyo. I already used up some of my finances, because initially I did not plan
on buying the center and rear speakers, but since they were on sale, I bought the whole
package. Many thanks.
Gilbert Simbol
Denon and Onkyo are both good choices, so the limited
availability of brands should not be a concern because what you do have is of good
quality. According to the manufacturer, the nominal impedance of the 773e speaker system
is 8 ohms, which if correctly rated, would be an easy load for most A/V receivers. The
Onkyo TX-DS777 is rated at 135W (6 ohms) while the Denon AVR-3802 provides 150W (6 ohms).
Either model should drive the Mission system to comfortable levels, while providing the
latest in processing modes and features. These would be a good place to start your search.
February 2, 2002
What's the best way to hook-up a subwoofer to a
home-theater system?
Ashneel Kumar
The best way to connect a subwoofer to a home-theater
system is to use the LFE output (sometimes labeled "Subwoofer") on your
receiver/processor. This will route the low-frequency-effects channel to the subwoofer and
allow you to redirect bass from other speakers there as well (a function called bass
management). The receiver will likely include some processing modes that will allow you to
use the subwoofer with music too. The connection method is a standard RCA-type cable.
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