January 31, 2001
Subject: Inexpensive subwoofers
Who, if anyone, makes a decent, fairly inexpensive passive
subwoofer anymore? I have a system that I recently inherited from my uncle. Due to the
high cost of shipping, I was unable to import his subwoofers from Pennsylvania. I intend
to have a biamplification deal with a Carver M-400 amplifier powering the loudspeakers,
and an Audire Crescendo (8 ohms, 80 watts; 4 ohms, 150 watts) powering one or possibly two
subwoofers. It seems as though every subwoofer on the market is powered. I've considered
building my own, but as I lack any carpentry or electrical engineering expertise, I've
decided that this option could invariably turn into a large waste of time and money.
Thank you for any suggestions
Michael
Hi Michael:
You're right, there don't seem to be a lot of
affordable passive subs out there anymore, but at least one company is still making a few.
Look into Hsu Research (www.hsuresearch.com).
I haven't any experience with them personally, but my friend Michael Fremer rated them
very highly when he auditioned them in Stereophile's Guide to Home Theater, and I
generally agree with his sonic assessments.
ATB...Wes
January 22, 2001
Subject: Reply to letter
Thank you for your reply to my letter regarding my new
speakers appearing out of phase. They were. As is many times the case, the problem was a
simple one. The terminals on one of the speakers were installed in reverse. Once I figured
out the BLACK ONES are on the left, a switch was the solution. This enlightenment will
rank right up there with my realization of "LEFT IS LOOSE AND RIGHT IS TIGHT."
Thanks again for your help. If I am in some database,
please keep me apprised of any of your future audio endeavors, so that I may offer my
support.
Sincerely,
Joe Dudley
P.S. An audio aside. My wife insisted that I upgrade my
system with Proceed electronics and the flagship Legacy speakers. She said that I had been
working so hard that I deserved it. Really. Some guys have all the luck. Now she tells me
she truly wouldn't mind if I upgraded my Proceed HPA2 amp to the new Levinson No.335.
After all, she says, why not get what I want if it makes me happy? Go figure.
Dear Joe:
I'm only going to say this once -- and, if my wife
comes into the room, don't blink if I change the subject -- you are one lucky guy. But you
probably already knew that.
Enjoy...Wes
January 17, 2001
Subject: Phase test for speakers
Dear Wes:
Thank you for your speedy reply to my questions about
Legacy loudspeakers. Very impressive.
I am writing because of the following problem. Since I last
contacted you I purchased a pair of Legacy Whisper speakers ($14,900 give or take). I
tested them with the Stereophile Test 2 CD and was surprised to find that they were
completely reversed on the track 2 phase test. Tomorrow I will contact the company for
some guidance; however, I was curious as to whether you have encountered such a result
with the test CD. Could this be the disc? Or my processor, a Proceed AVP? Or is a reversed
phase speaker simply wired improperly? The rest of my system is all Proceed -- HPA3 and
HPA2 amps and a PMDT transport.
Obviously, my level of technical expertise is limited. I've
tried Bob Harley's book and I'm OK until the engineering stuff kicks in. Any help you can
provide would be very much appreciated. Someday, if you find yourself in Central Florida,
near Orlando or Daytona Beach, please let me know so I can retain your services for an
audio consultation.
Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Joe Dudley
Hi Joe:
I'm not clear on whether one speaker of both has
reversed phase. If it's just one, there's probably a wiring error. If it's both, speakers shouldn't
reverse (invert) the phase, but frequently a preamplifier/processor or an amplifier
will. You might want to check all of your wiring connections before you call Legacy. Also
check your owner's manuals. If a component inverts phase, all you need to do is reverse
the speaker cables at one end (either amp or speaker) for both channels (important
detail!).
Let me know how it all turns out.
ATB...Wes
January 10, 2001
Subject: 400 CDs
Wes,
I had meant to write and thank you a while back for opening
up the idea of a megachanger and to suggest using artist mode to supplement the eight
categories. I see, though, that I wasn't the first one to think of this. Curiosity got the
better of me, and before I knew it, I was ignoring your good advice, sprawling out on the
floor typing in all of my CD titles. You don't know how much of a mistake you've made
until you try and get up!
I am now looking for a DAC to use with the Sony and my
Rotel 971. In doing a little research into the current upsampling DACs I noticed that MSB
is running a special on their Digital Director, which has four coax and yes, two TosLink
inputs, with a coax and TosLink output. Maybe I will get that second Sony -- the
director is going for $199. Not too bad, even though that's about 80% of the cost of the
CX400.
Thank you for entertaining and intelligent website.
Chel Illingworth
Thanks, Chel!
I'll have to check out the MSB as part of the great
upsampler shootout.
ATB...Wes
January 5, 2001
Subject: Seeking help
Can I get some advice from you? I'm very new in the world
of hi-fi and am looking for a system to use in my rectangular study room (17' x 15' x
13'). I enjoy all kind of music and presently own a A/V system (Denon AVR3300 + Pioneer
DV-626D + B&W DM605S2 + B&W DM603S2 + B&W LCR6S2), which I use for music also.
I went to the Singapore Hi-fi Show last month and was
"impressed" by the Audio Note set (Conquest Silver Sig+M2 Sig+CDT-0+DAC 2.1x
Sig) and Totem Acoustic Forest speakers, but I am still wondering if I should spend that
kind of money (about $13,000 USD) to get this system.
I've compared the following amps (in the same listening
room) with the M2 preamp, Nakamichi CD changer and B&W DM 601 S2 -- Krell KAV150 and
the AudioNoteConquest (the normal one not the silver signature version) -- and I can tell
the AN Conquest is much better (may be it's unfair to the Krell because the preamp is the
AN product and I believe tubes are better than transistors for vocals).
I'm thinking of buying the above-mentioned AN set to match
my B&W DM603 S2 or to buy the B&W Nautilus 805. What do you think? Please comment
and you are most welcome to give me some recommendations.
Thank you.
Yours Sincerely
Jackson
Hi Jackson:
That's some upgrade you're contemplating! Before
committing to it, I suggest you listen to at least one other comparison. Listen to a Krell
preamp/power combination that costs something similar to the AN combo, say the
KRC-3/FPB-250Mc. If you still prefer the AN, you'll have at least done an apples-to-apples
comparison.
You might also try similar comparisons with
Conrad-Johnson or Mark Levinson gear. Whatever you choose, I suspect you'll want to step
up to the N805s, at the least -- maybe to the N802s!
ATB...Wes
January 3, 2001
Subject: Low-priced home theater
I just bought an Onkyo TX-DS575X, and I was wondering, for
a medium-sized room, could you suggest an under-$500 home-theater speaker system, and a
$500-$1000 speaker set?
I've been reading about some Cambridge SoundWorks systems
like the Ensemble III and IV, and MovieWorks 308 for under $500. For more expensive, I
have heard about the Paradigm Cinema HT. Also, I am still unsure, which connection is the
best to use for CD MD, and DVD, is it optical, or coax. The guy I talked to said optical,
but he didn't seem too sure about it. Also, I know that I'm not at a very advanced stage
with my equipment, so would you suggest going to quality cables? And if so, what would you
suggest. I was thinking Monster, or AudioQuest.
Thank you for your time.
Jin
Hi Jin:
Personally, I think you'd do best to start with the
best two-channel speaker system you can afford and listen to everything that way -- even
surround-encoded DVDs. You'd be amazed at how good stereo sounds with movies. Then, when
you can afford it, add a pair of surrounds, which won't cost much, and at last, a
center-channel speaker -- which should be at least a match for your L+R speakers.
As to digital connections, wherever possible, I try
to use S/PDIF coaxial, but not all DVD players offer it -- sometimes your only choice is
TosLink, which shouldn't sound different, but all too frequently does.
I think good-quality cables are important, so I
always try to budget for them. Monster makes good cables, as does AudioQuest. Any good
dealer will let you take home cables to audition on a trial basis, so take advantage of
the offer.
ATB...Wes
January 1, 2001
Subject: Understanding room acoustics
I've been enjoying your work here, although you are sorely
missed in the pages of Stereophile.
While not new to high-end audio, I am not an engineer and
actually have very little interest in the technical side of audio. I just love music and
appreciate what quality products can do for reproduced music in the home. Recently, I've
been wrestling with room acoustics. My reference system is in an L-shaped living
room/dining room, with lots of windows, hardwood floors, and the like. I've gone about as
far as I can with carpeting, bookcases, and draperies, and I'm considering the purchase of
room-treatment products like those from ASC, Argent, and others. I realized I didn't have
the foggiest notion where to start, so I purchased a Radio Shack SPL meter with the intent
of "measuring" the behavior of sound in my listening space.
Hah! Unfortunately, the instructions have very little to do
with understanding sound pressure levels with respect to music. Can you help with a basic
outline of what I should measure and how it can help me select acoustical room treatments?
Any help would be appreciated. My system is comprised of the following components:
- Sonic Frontiers Power 2 amplifier
- Sonic Frontiers Line 2 preamplifier
- VPI Aries turntable with JMW Memorial tonearm and
Transfiguration Spirit MC cart
- Sonic Frontiers Phono 1 Phono stage
- MartinLogan Request speakers
- PS Audio P300 Power Plant
- VPI turntable power line conditioner
- Nordost Blue Heaven speaker cable
- Highwire 700bi Balanced and RCA interconnects
- Synergistic Research AC Master Coupler (to amplifier)
- Zoethecus equipment stands
Many thanks,
Bill Howard
Hi Bill:
Yes, the instructions for the rat shack SPL meter
blow chinks. What you really need, however, is something to measure. In the old
days -- that is, before CD -- this required a test-tone generator at the very least. These
days, all you need is a good test disc.
I'm most familiar with the three Stereophile
Test CDs, all of which balance test tones with musical tracks and interesting tutorials.
Since none of the material is repeated, you could buy all three -- I use all of them all
the time. If you just want to buy one for in-room speaker measurement, I'd go with disc
#3. It's cheap, too -- just $9.95.
ATB...Wes
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