GR5000

Hello, I have a pair of La Scala speakers that my father purchased in the 1980s. I believe the wood is birch with a stain. Unfortunately they got scuffed up by some movers and so probably need some minor restoration. Some questions: ***Any idea how much these are worth? ***Would it be best to restore them before selling? Or sell in current condition? ***I see the Garage Sale forum here / so I guess I could list them there. But any other places that would make sense? I am based in the LA area. Warm regards, GR

Folks, I am a graduate student at UCLA and we are conducting research on entertainment in Las Vegas, Nevada. You guys could really help me out by filling out this short survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=29839374669 Anyone who lives in or travels to Las Vegas is eligible. Two $100 Amazon.com gift certificates will be randomly awarded to participants at the close of the survey. Thanks, Greg

I'm not sure how you plan to use the tape monitor... If it is simply to monitor a cassette deck, it was my understanding that the new Denon receivers did support that feature, using the "Zone 2" button, though I may be wrong (I do not have one of these receivers personally). As an aside, it seems like most of the new A/V receivers have dropped this function... too bad as some of us still have cassette decks. Regards Greg

The record companies must love you guys!

Yes, those speakers are expensive aren't they Sorry about the mistype. What follows is my personal opinion (of course), but the improvement in sound quality from going from a $500 Denon/Yamaha receiver to a $1000 Denon receiver is minimal. Most of the extra money seems to be spent supporting extra channels, extra features, etc. Only when you go to one of the better Denon's (4800 has much better amplifiers) for example or separates do you seem to get a big impact for the dollars spent. Regardless, clearly the receiver is a critical component in any system, so the more money spent the better. Regards Greg

I'll throw out a suggestion: Klipsch speakers are very efficient. You don't necessarily need a very powerful receiver. So I would spend more on the speakers and less on the receiver: RF-7, RC-7, RS-7 ~ $2000 either a Denon or Yamaha receiver ~ $500. Greg

I just wanted to touch base and thank everyone again for their response. A friend (who knows far more than I do) and I worked on the receiver for a while, running several different tests. It seems like the surround processor is blown. From speaking to another person at an audio repair shop, this is not an uncommon problem with these Denon Pro Logic receivers. I'm not sure yet whether or not the processor is still available. I'm checking into that. In the meantime, I'm trying to decide whether or not to replace it. I'm beginning to come around to STL's conclusion that it is not worth fixing. So let's see what happens with it. Regardless, it's been fun working on it, and I've learned a lot through the experience. Regards Greg

I'm also thinking of purchasing a new DVD player. Right now I'm looking at the JVC XV-FA900BK. It is a more inexpensive player, but still plays DVD-AUDIO, and other formats (no SACD though). Does anyone have any opinions on this player? I also noticed that Sony is producing a DVD/SACD changer in the same price range... Greg

I really appreciate everyone's advice. I'm trying to figure out where I can get the service manual. Frzninvt-- Thank you so much for your comments. The fuses seem good. I see the relay switch that you are talking about. I've tapped it a few times to no effect... I'm working on trying to figure out how to open it. In the meantime, I've done some more testing and it seems like the surround speakers are playing after all -- just at a very low volume. For example, when I run the test tones in Pro Logic, the front left, center, and front right speaker tones are very strong. When the surround tone comes on, you cannot hear -- unless you turn the volume way up. It seems like it is like this with standard prologic signals as well. For example, if I disconnect the front and center speakers, and turn the volume up (very high) I do hear the surrounds, with a good amount of static. So if anyone has any other advice given this new info. please let me know! Thanks Greg

Hello everyone: I have an old Denon Pro Logic receiver (AVR-900 to be exact). A few months ago, the surround speakers simply stopped working. If I listen very closely, I can hear some static coming out of them but that is it. This occurs no matter what surround mode I pick (Pro Logic, Concert Hall, etc.). It turns out that the same problem happened years ago, when I first purchased the receiver. At the time, of course, it was under warranty, and I had it fixed. I remember speaking briefly to the person who fixed it. He explained that he had replaced a component inside (he didn't mention which one). Now the receiver would cost more to repair then it is worth. So I have resolved to attempt to fix it myself. I am armed with a multimeter and some basic knowledge of electrical circuits... I am perfectly willing to solder in a new component if need be. I'm curious to know if anyone has any advice for me going into this. Are there any websites that explain the internal layout of a receiver? Are there any resources that I could go to that may aid me in my effort? Any advice would be much appreciated. I still like this receiver, and it would be great to get it working again! Regards Greg

I don't think the RS-7's will work very well as front left/right speakers... I have a pair of RS-3's and used them in that capacity for a few days, waiting for the rest of my reference speakers to be delivered. They didn't sound that great... I think the diffuse effect works well in the back or on the sides, but not very well in the front. Of course this is just my opinion. You may want to get a loaner pair and listen for yourself. You also should look at the RB-5's. Greg ------------------ Gregory E. Rose gregrose@nualumni.com

NOS440-- I believe the site that TBrennan is referring to is: http://www.jblpro.com/Tent_Sale/tent_pick.html TBrennan-- Thank you for the reply, very interesting. I do have a question about the JBL site above. You mention the 3766 speaker... It doesn't seem like they are selling that one anymore. Did you meant the 3677?? Best, Greg ------------------ -- Gregory E. Rose gregrose@bigfoot.com

TBrennan-- You make an interesting comment... What other notable companies manufacture horn speakers around the same price range as Klipsch? I'd like to check them out in more detail. Thanks, Greg ------------------ -- Gregory E. Rose gregrose@bigfoot.com

If the Heritage speakers were selling really well, then I would bet that Klipsch would be able to get them back in production within a week or two. Does anyone have any sales stats for the Heritage line? Maybe Klipsch is in no hurry to bring them back into production... After all, why bother if they aren't selling many of them? I would think virtually 95% of the people out there are either going to buy the Reference line or buy the Heritage line used. Just a thought. Greg ------------------ -- Gregory E. Rose gregrose@bigfoot.com

I've been looking at the Toshiba SD-4700. It is pretty cheap ~$250 and supports DVD-AUDIO. Does anyone have any opinions on this unit? Greg ------------------ -- Gregory E. Rose gregrose@bigfoot.com