System matching
November 11, 2002
I have a pair of Mission m773e speakers, and I am thinking
of buying an NAD integrated amplifier. Can you tell me which models go well with my
speakers? Also, do you think a Marantz CD player could be a nice addition to this setup
(which models)? Thank you.
Johannes
You really must listen to the components under
consideration to know exactly how they would match with your speakers. I would guess that
an NAD amplifier would be fine, but have not heard the combination, so this is just
conjecture. And I don't know how large your room is or what kind of music you listen to,
so it's impossible to give you any kind of power-requirement recommendation. If I were
considering a Marantz CD player, I'd most certainly look toward a universal audio player
(Marantz makes one). You'll gain quite a few optional features, the ability to play
high-resolution music, and still have a machine that will get the best from your CD
collection.
Maggies
November 8, 2002
I'm thinking of buying the Magnepan MMG speakers, but I'm
wondering if there are any better speakers for the same price. I was thinking about the
B&W DM602 or DM601 S3. My concern is sound quality at low volume because I stay in the
dorms of my college. I have a Parasound HCA-750 amp. Also, bass is not an issue because I
have a subwoofer.
Tyrone
Sounds to me like the Magnepans are a great choice based
on your criteria. As to whether they are the best at their given price, well that's a
tough question. Speakers vary greatly in performance from model to model and brand to
brand. What may be "the best" to you may not be to me. Your ideal speaker is one
that you find your music to sound best through. I like Magnepan and B&W. But if you've
listened to the Magnepans and like the way they sound better than the competition, then
trust your judgment more so than advice to the contrary.
New speakers
November 6, 2002
Recently I've been kicking around the idea of picking up a
new pair of speakers. My current setup is a Rotel RCD-950 CD player, Adcom GTP-400 preamp,
Rotel RB-980BX amplifier, and a pair of DCM Time Window 1a speakers (circa 1985). I
generally listen to rock music with a smattering of acoustical guitar and new age.
My dilemma is that the more I read, the more confused I
get. Some speakers that I've been reading about are the NHT ST4, PSB Image Series (6 or
7), PSB Stratus Bronze, Vandersteen, and Meadowlark Swift. I'm basically looking for a
good full-range floorstanding speaker that has good soundstaging and decent bass. Do any
of the speakers listed strike you as being better for my needs, or do you possibly have an
alternative suggestion?
Jeff
There's so many factors involved in your decision, like
dealer support, aesthetics, and on and on. But the biggest determinant is how all of the
candidates sound to you. Each company you've mentioned, as far as I know, is reputable and
makes a good product, so it's hard to pick one over the others without knowing a lot more
about you, your tastes, and where the speakers will need to perform. My best advice is to
go listen to some of these. Your likes and dislikes will start to come to the fore. And
the decision will become clearer to you throughout this process.
Overload
November 2, 2002
What are some common problems that can cause a receiver to
overload and shut off after playing music on a CD (through a DVD player) at loud volume
levels? It usually will happens after the receiver has been on for awhile. I am on my
second receiver in three years. My first was a Pioneer 100W model, and it started to
overload frequently. I just purchased a Panasonic SA-HE100, and it started doing it as
well. I have great speakers -- Infinity Kappa 5.1 (8 ohms) that can handle up to 150W. I
made sure that the speaker wire (Monster XP) was secured correctly with no loose wires or
strands, thinking that could be the problem. I am afraid to play the receiver at loud
volume for fear of this happening again. Thanks,
Chuck
Yours is an extremely common problem. Many of the
receivers today have a hard time with large, full-range speakers that present either an
impedance mismatch (which doesn't sound like the case here, but you never really know if
the specs are correct), or a sensitivity issue (the speaker needing a lot of power to play
loud). I've seen some of the mighty receiver flagships shut down in what would be
considered "normal" conditions. I think part of it has to do with having more
and more channels of amplification within a relatively compact chassis -- there's just not
much room in there for a lot of heatsinking, so heat becomes an issue quickly. Make sure
your receiver is well ventilated.
If you really want to make those Kappas sing, look for
an external power amplifier you can use with the Panasonic receiver. It may save you the
hassle of going through receiver after receiver and experiencing the same problem over and
over.
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