Small room
June 16, 2006
What are the main requirements when choosing
speakers for a small room?
Roger
The main considerations
are speaker size and the listening distance to the speakers. Speaker size matters because
cabinet size generally corresponds to bass extension. Too much bass extension in a small
room will lead to bad sound because the low frequencies will overload the room. Generally
speaking, you should choose speakers that are appropriately sized for the room in which
they will be used. So small speakers -- bookshelf monitors, for instance -- will work best
in a small room because they won’t produce a lot of bass. The second consideration is
how far you’ll be from the speakers. You need to choose speakers that don’t need
a lot of distance between you and them to sound best. Smaller speakers, usually two-ways
with two drivers per cabinet, will stand a good chance of sounding good fairly close to
the listening seat.
What's next, part two
June 12, 2006
You mentioned in a recent letter that you’d be
reviewing NoiseBuster noise-canceling headphones. Are these similar to the Bose
models I see advertised all the time?
Ron
We’ve not reviewed the Bose headphones, so I’m
not sure, technically, what exactly separates the Bose ‘phones and the NoiseBusters.
There is a hefty price difference, of course, and the NoiseBusters win out in that
comparison for sure. I would hazard that the technology instituted for the noise-canceling
circuit is similar. What I can tell you is that NoiseBuster has a solid reputation that
seems to be well earned. You’ll have to wait for the review for more concrete
information.
New NAD?
June 9, 2006
After a lot of hesitation as to whether I should upgrade my
current amplifier (a 12-year-old NAD 705 receiver), I finally decided to go for it. That
the 705 is 12 years old is not the real problem; it was damaged during a move, resulting
in a broken front panel along with a few of the adjustment knobs. It works fine otherwise,
and I still like the way it drives my Tannoy MX2-Ms. Anyway, now I am hunting for an
integrated amplifier with a budget of around $500. I heard the Rotel 1062 and liked it in
the dealer's sound room (don't know how it will sound with my Tannoys!). I am also
considering the NAD C352 or C320BEE. I listen to music (mostly jazz/classical and a bit of
soft rock/pop) and watch movies almost equally. Any advice would be greatly appreciated,
as would other suggestions in this price range.
Also, to what extent would a speaker-cable upgrade make a
difference? I am currently running 12AWG bare wire with no terminals (SoundKing from Parts
Express). Can I get any discernible difference for $75 (max)? If so, could you please also
recommend any for me? I plan to upgrade my speakers as well in a year or so to a decent
floorstanding pair (maximum $1000).
Sri
I’d personally go with the NAD C352. With a solid
80Wpc, it should drive any speaker you might want to upgrade to, and it provides a fair
number of features, including a headphone jack and tone controls. You’ve obviously
enjoyed the NAD amplifier you have now, and that says something about the company and
their products. The Rotels are also quite good at their price, but I find it hard to not
recommend NAD when it comes to amplification. They rate their products conservatively and
put the money into real hardware like big transformers/power supplies and output stages --
the hearts of any power amplifier. As for better wire, it can make a difference, but
I’d only suggest you look into that option once you have your amp and speakers
chosen. Think of it as more icing on the cake, a way to fine-tune something with which you
are already happy. As for brands, DH Labs has some great deals, and I know they make fine
products. Some of our writers own DH Labs cables and have been satisfied with them.
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