July 31, 2002
Subject: Too much speaker for my room?
Dear Wes:
My
listening room is 15' x 13' x 8' with speakers firing across the 13' width. I have an
opportunity to buy some Dynaudio Audience 80s at a good price. However, I'm concerned that
they are simply too big for the room and will overload it. What is your opinion on this?
Would I be better off looking into the Audience 62 or 72? Thanks very much in
advance. Your website is a fantastic resource.
Scott
Truelove
Hi Scott:
They'll only overload the room if
you insist on playing them louder than the room will support. Quad's Peter Walker used to
maintain that for every record, there was only one volume level (in each room) where it
would sound real. The trick audiophiles must learn is to seek that level and try to stick
to it. This means that harpsichord and lute records must be played quietly and big band
and rock need to be goosed a bit. Always be careful not to exceed the point where the room
starts to compress the sound -- that point might
be a little softer in your small room than it would be in a larger room, but your
proximity to the speakers ought to compensate for it.
If you've got a great deal, buy
as much speaker as you can afford.
July 28, 2002
Subject: HDCD?
Hi Wes,
I currently own an Arcam CD72T player and I wonder if you
feel that HDCD is enough of an improvement over CD to warrant an upgrade to an Arcam CD92T
player?
Thank you,
Millard Jones
Hi Millard:
You know, it's a funny thing -- I can hear what a great
filter the HDCD filter is, even on non-HDCD-encoded discs. And it definitely sounds great
on HDCD-encoded discs, but I've just never been able to get excited enough about it to
make it a feature I add to my must-have list. Of the best CD players I've ever heard, some
have HDCD and some don't.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't make the switch, however.
Compare the two and ask yourself if the difference is worth the price to you -- it very
well may be.
And it may be because of the HDCD capabilities of the
player or it may be in addition to them -- or even despite them. But, in the final
analysis, the only reason for buying the CD92T is that you prefer its performance to the
unit you have now.
July 27, 2002
Subject: Sonus Faber and electronics
Hi Wes,
First, let me tell you how much I enjoy your website and
your articles -- now or from your Stereophile days. I hope you don't mind, but I
have a few questions to ask.
(1) I intend to replace my five-year-old Sonus Faber
Concerto, which is now powered by Pass Labs Aleph 3, with the Electa Amator. So far I've
been really impressed with my previous Sonus Faber, as it seems to work very well for my
musical tastes (vocal, jazz, and occasionally some rock). I wondered if my current amp
will be able deliver enough current to drive SF EA1, even though they have 89dB
efficiency.
(2) Should I feed the amp directly from my CD source or
look for a preamplifier that could bring me closer to the music? All I know is that the
Aleph 3 must be matched with active preamp, at least when reviewed by Muse Kastanovich and
John Atkinson (Stereophile), due to its low output gain. Now I'm looking at the
Audible Illusions Modulus 3A.
Cheok
Hi Cheok:
First, I definitely advocate a preamp for sonic reasons.
I've never driven an amp straight from a CD player with as much success as when using a
good preamp.
I think the Aleph 3 will drive the SF Electa Amators, but
not to ear-splitting volumes. On the other hand, it is so sweet and pure-sounding, so you
may not need to crank the sound as much as you might think -- sometimes people do this to
get more of that "U-R-there" sound, which both the EAs and the Aleph 3 have in
spades.
And, yes, the Audible Illusions is an active preamp and
should sound very good with the Pass.
July 25, 2002
Subject: Hsu subwoofer
Hi Wes,
I've been reading your responses to queries and have found
them very useful! I have a query of my own regarding subwoofers. I'm looking for a good
subwoofer, but I am on a very tight budget. I came across some pretty funky-looking
cylindrical subs at Hsu Research, but I wasn't sure how they work and how good they'll
sound. Any comments? Also, this model comes with a separate amp. Can I save some cash by
using my old stereo amp instead? The amp unfortunately is only 45Wpc. Can I somehow use
both channels to drive the sub? If so, how should I hook it up? By the way, I'm using a
Marantz SR4200 receiver. Thanks!
Punit
Hi Punit:
Yes, you can supply your own amp with any sub that requires
an outboard unit. I've had extremely good experiences with the Hsu and yes, they do look
funky. But they can sound great, so who cares?
I say, why not try your receiver with it? While 45W doesn't
sound like a lot, it could be sufficient as a stop-gap measure until you can afford the
subwoofer amp of your dreams.
I doubt the Marantz can be easily bridged, but couldn't say
for sure.
July 10, 2002
Subject: New amp
Wes,
I have an SACD player and Paradigm Reference Studio 100
speakers. I'm looking for the best amplification that will work well with this setup. I'm
tying to decide between the Musical Fidelity A3cr power amp and the Conrad-Johnson MF2250
power amp. Both put out 120Wpc and are similarly priced. Some have said the Conrad-Johnson
has better resolution and a larger soundstage. I'm anxious to buy something and get
started listening to the music. This equipment quest is getting old. Thank you for your
help.
Ron
Gosh Ron:
You're asking me to choose between two amps I respect a
lot! The fact is that I've never had the two here at the same time and so have never
actually compared them head to head. I think either would go well with the Paradigms. If
you do get a chance to pit them against one another, why not write back and tell me which
YOU preferred and why.
July 7, 2002
Subject: Integrated amp to replace Luxman receiver
Hi Wes,
I've got a Luxman receiver from the early '90s -- it's an
R103, or something like that -- and it's ready for the worm farm, I fear. I've had it
"cleaned" three times to try to remedy a noisy volume pot -- noisy ALL the time,
not just when you turn it, at my prime-time listening position of 9-10 o'clock. Cleaning
it makes it work again for a few weeks, then the problem starts up again. The worst part
is I understand you can't get parts for Luxmans anymore.
So I'll probably be looking for something new to pair with
my Vienna Acoustics Bach loudspeakers (with Monster 1.2 speaker cables and interconnects)
and Denon CD player. I doubt I'd miss the tuner, so an integrated would do just fine. One
requirement I have -- yeah, I know, it's weird -- is that it can't be more than five
inches tall, since I've got a handmade stereo cabinet that was built for my trim little
Luxman. But that shouldn't be a problem, since most low-power integrateds are pretty
dainty. FWIW, I'm thinking Arcam 65 or Rotel 972 (as you can tell from that selection, I'm
looking for high-quality budget gear). The room size is modest, and I listen mostly to
classical music at modest volumes.
Jim
Hi Jim:
Given your Vienna Acoustics loudspeakers and your classical
listening preference, I'd hazard that the Arcam will fit the bill just fine. Good as it is
-- and I like it a lot -- I suspect the Rotel has just a bit of a (edge isn't precisely
the word I'm looking for, so let's call it a "burr") burr or slight roughness
that could prove not to your taste in the long run. (On the other hand, many rockers might
find its presence more exciting and incisive than the Arcam's, so these things even out.)
July 5, 2002
Subject: Multi-disc CD players
Wes,
I have recently put together a new system and would like to
pick your brain about my final purchase. My wife wants a multi-disc unit to add to the
system with preferably 200- to 400-disc capacity. I bought a Cary 303-200, and the company
advised that I could hook a multi-disc player to the 303 and be able to use the Cary
electronics to enhance the player. Would you please give me a couple of products to choose
from? I would greatly appreciate any help you could throw my way. Thanks.
Mike
Hi Mike:
I have several Sony CDP CX-400 400-disc carousels, and they
are well built, reliable, and have digital out (TosLink only). I have also used some older
model 301 units from Pioneer, which impressed me with their build quality.
But I recommend the Sony very highly -- not simply because
I own them, but because companies seem to consider them the industry standard and use
Sony's S-link command system to devise various control and inventory systems for the
units.
And you're correct in assuming that a carousel playing
through a high-end DAC can sound very, very good indeed!
|
