Odd question?
August 12, 2008
This may seem like an odd question, but how do you guys
decide on what toys you have in your personal audio systems? I know you have access to
some great equipment, but I’ve always wondered how you choose what you personally
buy.
Tom
I’d say a reviewer’s reference system is
chosen mainly for two reasons. First is personal preference. There is no getting around
the fact that reviewers are still primarily into the hobby because they love listening to
music and therefore they buy the gear that helps them enjoy music the most. Of course,
personal preference is still affected by décor issues, budget limitations, and space
constraints -- the same issues any consumer would have.
The second reason for the specific gear that’s
listed in a reviewer’s system is that of compatibility and neutrality. Most
reviewers, if they are worth their salt, will try to have gear that works well with a wide
range of products -- particularly those products they are most likely to be reviewing. It
helps to have an amplifier that can drive a wide array of loudspeakers, for instance. It
is also is critical to have gear that is revealing enough to allow the reviewer to form
opinions on the review samples that make their way into and out of the reference system.
There may be other reasons as well, but those two --
personal preference and compatibility -- are easily the most pronounced.
Connecting a sub
August 8, 2008
Hello there! I just started getting into home audio, so
sites like this are truly a lifesaver! I cannot stress enough that I am very new to all of
this and I can use all the help I can get.
I'm currently in the middle of putting together a basic
two-channel stereo system and was wondering how I would go about connecting a subwoofer to
my Rotel RX-1050. As far as I can, the receiver has a pair of speaker terminals and does
not have a sub out. All I see back there are a pair of preamp outs and main ins connected
by a jumper. I'm thinking of connecting this to a JL Fathom f112. The Fathoms have
balanced and unbalanced inputs, so I don't think anything can go back toward the receiver.
Will I be able to connect the sub to my receiver? If there is more than one option, which
would be the best?
Ko
If the jumper is an RCA cable I think you may be in
luck. What you are going to have to do is get an RCA splitter -- basically a cable that
will let you come out of the preamp outputs with connections for both the main inputs on
the receiver and the RCA inputs on the subwoofer. Hopefully the receiver can drive both
components simultaneously. Perhaps there is some clue in the owner’s manual as to
whether this will work. The JL subwoofers have no facilities for speaker-level input, so
the RCAs are really your only choice. You should be able to find the splitters at your
local RadioShack or online at www.monoprice.com. Give this a shot and let me know how it
works out.
DVI or HDMI
August 4, 2008
I see that my TV has a DVI connector and the new ones have
an HDMI connector. Can you tell me what the difference is and how it affects my home
theater?
Dave
DVI stands for Digital Video Interface and HDMI stands
for High-Definition Multimedia Interface. DVI carries video only whereas HDMI carries
video and audio. DVI was a sort of a bridge until the HDMI spec was fully realized. I
think it is safe to say that you won’t see any new products with DVI connectors.
HDMI-to-DVI adapters are still readily available from electronics stores. You can use DVI
to send video from a DVD player to your TV, but you will need HDMI functionality if you
want to send audio and video via a single cable.
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