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decibel man

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Everything posted by decibel man

  1. My good Seb, never trust the obvious. I do believe that these links should work for you. I would call the dealers and explain to them what your application is before you buy anything. I had a very boring conference call and I new these things existed from a past article in Stereophile. Good luck and enjoy! http://www.minidiscmall.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi - click "home" then "accessories" do a search for "optical plug adapters" http://www.planetminidisc.com/sonypoc15ab.html http://www.planetminidisc.com/moncabil2.html The first link is more confusing, but it may be your best choice paired with a toslink cable. You have to find out if the second two links are two-way cables, meaning mini-plug to optical and/or optical to mini-plug. JT
  2. Paul, I assume you are talking about taking a 2 channel stereo sorce and making it 5 channel stereo through your receiver's DSP. If this is the case it is rather simple, and could be compared to Prologic to some degree. Typically 5 channel stereo receivers treat each channel as a full range channel (prior to bass management options) where Prologic treats the rears as effects channels. You are correct about the Prologic rears being mono, but also the center channel in Prologic is mainly for speach and not just sound. There are some differences, and you should enjoy music more with 5 channel stereo rather than Prologic. The oppisite is true for movies and TV programs. Just my 2 cents. JT
  3. Tom, I would look into a line like Adcom with a three or two channel amp so you can add a seperate amp later when you make the jump into HT. Think about this: a two channel now then add another two channel and a three channel, or a five channel down the road for a 7.1 surround system. You could go the three channel now and then add another three channel later for 6.1 HT. The possibilities are endless. I think you are better off going with the two chennel and then matching the rest later, just make sure the manufacturer makes models that match for later purchases. And definitely stick with amps that have seperate power supplies if you decide to go more than two channel. Just my two cents worth. JT
  4. Buster, you would not be doing yourself any favors if you put the speakers on their side. Both of the front types of speakers you are looking at have a 90 degree by 60 degree Tractrix horn loaded tweeter. They are made to be upright as the 90 is horizontal and the 60 is vertical. You invert these angles when you turn the speakers on their side. Also, I would have to assume that the wall unit has a back to it. If that is the case there will be some bass distortion as both front speakers have rear firing wide flare ports. Typically you would want a rear firing port speaker at least 8 inches from the wall and not in an enclosed space if at all possible. I know how hard it can be to deal with a wife who just does not understand the importance of our systems. I still have to set my RS-3's on TV trays when I listen to multi-channel recordings because they are well hidden on the shelfs. I also told her that grill covers greatly distort the sound, so she will have to stare at those "ugly orange things", oh the hell that is my life. Good luck with the wife and happy listening! JT ps: Check out the professional section of the website for the in-wall speakers. I also think www.UBid.com has had some in-wall stock that Klipsch is discontinuing.
  5. Good news guys! Burr Brown (Texas Instruments) has developed a chip that will be used in future DAC's that can handle just about any digital audio format including, SACD, DVD-A, DVD-V, and CD. It will not be available in the near future, but it is also not very expensive according to Stereophile. The story is in the April issue on page 20 under the "US: Texas" heading. The unusual thing is that the article is rather hidden considering the importance of the possiblity of a true multi-format player. JT
  6. Alan, DPonder asks some good questions. you should also tell us if you are using a multi-room / multi-sorce receiver or a receiver that will force you to listen to the same thing in both rooms. Just a side note, I live in Strongsville, where do you do your hi-fi shopping? I guess I would have to assume the eastern suburbs. JT
  7. Tom, if you go to www.dts.com or I believe www.dolbylabs.com you can read about the differences. The DTS format uses different compression than the DD format. The DD format may be lacking some detail as it uses less space for its information (meaning it is more compressed on the DVD). I don't remember all of the details, but even on paper the DTS has a slight advantage. I prefered DTS before I knew this, but now that my brain knows it tells my ears that there is a bigger difference (kind of similar to the continuing debate on speaker cable). Some people still prefer DD, so I think it is a matter of choice. JT
  8. James, I understand the ranting, beleive me. The article I mentioned with Neil is quite refreshing in that he may be one of a few musicians that is already behind DVD-A, but is greatly concerned about the quality of the musical presentation and not just the marketing. He stated that he does not like CD recording because of the limitation of the 16 bit 44.1 kHz parameters. He even said that some of his recordings will not be in multi-channel, but just stereo, pointing out that some of his recordings should not be listened to in multi-channel format. He does not want to start releasing multi-channel to just sell another copy of a song, he truely believes that the 24 bit 192 kHz capability is an overwhelming improvement compared to CD. I believe he also said he was going to release some old recordings that he never released on CD due to it's deficiencies. The people involved with DVD-A have a long way to go, but I am optimistic on its long term future. I think it is a lot like HDTV, it is going to be a long road before it is accepted by the general population. It will probably be a bumpy ride too. JT
  9. You first need to find out if the digital outputs run parallel, if this is the case then you should not have a problem running both a coax and an optical cable to the reciever. My receiver lets me select the same input on multiple sources. The other option would be to run stereo analog to the analog CD inputs on you receiver and let the DVD do the decoding. The first option would sound better if it works for you. Good luck and enjoy! JT
  10. JD, I remember reading an article on DVD-A that discussed just what you are talking about. Infact, it discussed the ability to use more bits and faster rates on the three front channels than the rears. This technique will be used more to convert older recordings to DVD-A than it will be used to record in multi-channel. A couple of issues back in S&V, Neil Young had some extensive views about the future use of DVD-A that were right on with what I wanted to hear. The next step of coarse is to get the manufacturers and copyright people together so we can get the correct equipment. This could be a big problem. JT
  11. John, the issue of bass management is pretty crucial because most receivers do not have bass management on 6 channel annolog inputs. Typically the receiver does not filter bass out of the full range channels as it does with DTS or DD digital inputs. To highten the problem, the recording labels have been putting pressure on the the component manufacturers so they do not provide a digital out on the players. This forces us to use our multi-channel "future proof" analog inputs. If we cannot use the receiver's dac the player needs to have bass management features. I think this will be a fantastic media for the future once all of the corporate people take their hands out of our pockets and allow us the same connectivity as DVD-V players. The receiver manufacturers are chomping at the bit for this to move forward so we will go out and buy a receiver with 24 bit 192kHz dac's. Just my two cents. JT
  12. Tom, mine was delivered to me for $279 fully warranteed. That was over a year ago. My local dealer was $350 all the way, but as the salesman said they had some nice Paradigm centers I could look at. Seeing as how I knew more than the salesman, I declined his offer. I guess I am just going to have to move to a Klipsch friendly city. JT
  13. Al, I also have a LF-10 and I think it may have a leak. If I turn the volume past 60% the active driver will bottom out with the very low end stuff. I am using line level and I just can't find a leak. Other than this problem it is really great. It is very fast and clean. Do you have any suggestions on how to find the leak if I even have one? Obviously, I have plenty of time left on the warranty to find the leak.
  14. The RS-7's are also ported for more full range use. This might be a happy medium for what you are looking for.
  15. I appologize for my typo up top on the "RB-3's" which should have read "RB-5's". Doug has a very good point. You could "A/B" the rears, but it could get a little pricy. Another thing to consider is your listening position. I really cannot use RB-5's for rears because my couch (aka. Home Theater Throne) has to be against the rear wall. It would be very hard to find an acceptable mounting position for the RB-5's, where as the side mounted RS-3's work out quite well. DTS suggests that the listening position be several feet from the rear wall and the rears should be toed in to the listening position. Although there is not a large difference, I prefer DTS to DD, but I am stuck with DD's positioning suggestion. I really shouldn't say "stuck with" because I am very pleased with my Klipsch speakers. I hope this has been of some help. JT
  16. Alan, DTS suggests using direct radiating rears and Dolby suggests side-mounted multi-pole rears. If you are picky, for music listening the direct RB-5's would be better. I have the RS-3's side mounted and they sound very nice for both DTS and multi-channel music listening. If you have the chance try both at home and see which you prefer. Also the RS-3's are available in white, but often have to be ordered. The RB-3's are available in real wood veneer where as the rest of the ref line is black vinyl. I cannot and should not make a clear suggestion other than to listen to both. I do believe that you cannot make a bad decision between the two. Good luck and happy listening! JT
  17. djk and all of those interested in the Speakon connectors, you can also get them at www.partsexpress.com in Ohio. I am interested in how you hook these connectors up to the RF-3's. I assume you have to remove the factory binding posts and re-work the input wires on the network. Am I correct? JT
  18. Kathy, just a little FYI. I bought some white professional in-wall wire from www.partsexpress.com in Ohio about four months ago. This stuff was pretty easy to work with. There is a direct link below to the inwall wire section of their site. www.partsexpress.com/pe/showprod.cfm?&DID=7&CATID=56&ObjectGroup_ID=376 I would call them and ask to talk to a technician to see what they suggest. It is a lot less expensive than a typical audio store. I also had a good experience when I bought items from them at their bricks and motor store which is attached to their warehouse. I bought 100' for under $30 including the shipping and state tax. I have been using it with a spare system and it has worked well with two 40' runs. It is insulated which helps to prevent electrical interference. I bought part number 100-762, which is 14 ga white jacket in-wall 2 conductor speaker wire. You can ask them to cut you a special length so you don't have to buy 2-100' spools or one 500' spool. Good luck! JT
  19. Just for gigles, the MSRP's on the two models of speakers that are at the other end of Ray's Meridian link are: DSP8000 - $45,000/pr DSP8000C - $22,500 center DSP6000 - $19,995/pr DSP6000C - $10,495 center Lets see, a 6.1 channel system could be comprised of two DSP8000's, two DSP6000's, one DSP8000C, and one DSP6000C for rear center surround. That should cost about $97,990 without the subs. I say its the best value on the market. Through in about another $25,000 for enough digital cable to wire it up and all you need is the components. Second thought I think I'll hold on to my Klipsch system. It is tempting though. Enjoy and happy listening! JT
  20. Heck maybe I will even learn to proof read my edits before I resubmit. The spelin bea winer
  21. Vagabond, I have my rf's bi-wired and am quite pleased with the result. The way it works is the terminals on the back are two pairs (left / right and a little below another pair of left / rights) The top pair when bi-wired go directly to the high frequency portion of the crossover and the bottome pair goes directly to the low frequency portion of the crossover. There are a couple of ways to bi-wire. The method I use is two seperate runs of wire for each speaker. I have them twisted together at the receiver terminals. You can buy special wire, but that can get rather expensive. You can also split the ends of a single wire run. If you decide not to bi-wire, I would at least remove the "gold plates" that are connecting the terminals. You should replace those jumper plates with small pieces of you speaker wire. Klipsch use the plates for cosmetic reasons only. As far as the power issue goes, the Klipsch speakers are second to none in their price range for efficiency. The 98 dbs sensitivity rating is superb on the rf's. Some of the older Klipsch models are even higher, reaching into the low 100's range. Just to show you the difference, the Polk RT800i's have a respectable sensitivity rating of 90 dbs. Since these are one watt ratings and you essentially have to double the wattage to get a gain of 3.01 dbs, the following would be true: RF-3 at 1 meter with 32 watts equals 113 dbs RT800i at 1 meter with 213 watts equals 113 dbs And lets just say that if your pair of rf's are consuming 32 watts a channel you better be prepared to repaint the room, because the old paint is coming off!!! Happy listening and enjoy!!! JT One of these days, I am going to learn that I should proof read befor I submit a post.
  22. I think one important point about amplifiers that is commonly overlooked is the amount of current that is available. IMO amprage is almost as important as wattage. If a high wattage receiver is lacking in amprage it will start clipping at lower wattage than its peak, this holds especially true with multi-channels are driven simultaneously. A high amprage moderate wattage receiver is safer and probably better sounding for our klipsch speakers than a high wattage low amprage receiver. I have always made sure that ample current was available on any of the receivers that I have purchased. My main system receiver has a monsterous 75 amps of current available at 100 watts. You can pretty much bank on never being able to reach clipping as long as I am using the Klipsch speakers. I believe the Carvers are pretty high current also. In fact a good number of mid to high end receivers have a respectable current output. Just my two cents. Happy listening and enjoy!!! JT
  23. Joe, I think I need to be a little bit more clear as to why the on-screen display is an issure for me. My new tv has six video options (tv or coax, video 1 through 4 and color stream component video). My old tv had just normal and auxilary video. I had to use my receiver for video switching or I would only be able to use one sorce. I think it is easier to use the receiver for video switching rather than the tv. Also, I can use my on-screen display to tweak the surround settings while I am watching a VHS tape without having to change the tv setting. I cannot do this with a DVD because of the component video. I hope this gives you an idea of how to set your system up. It seems like I have spent a little too much of your time on a rather insignificant subject. Happy listening and enjoy!! JT
  24. Joe, I have my receiver hooked up different than I normally would because of my wife. Although I have a remote with a one touch set up, my wife still can not opperate the system to replay VHS videos. She is a teacher in group study off campus Master's program. She needs to watch about 3 to 4 hours of video per week. What I have done is hooked my VCR up through the conventional cable coax connection and also through my receiver. She can turn the TV to channel 3 and push play or she can set the TV to Video 2 and use the receiver along with the VCR. She always chooses the channnel 3 option. Back to your point, I would choose to run the VHS movies I watch, through my receiver. In fact, the set up I had before I was married did not ever use the TV's speakers. I had them permanently turned off. I would only suggest this option if you currently use an on screen display from your receiver. I do not know if your receiver has an on screen display. In summary, I would run the video directly to the TV if I did not have an on screen display from the receiver. I would run the audio cables from the VCR to the receiver for audio. If you are into watching VHS tapes in normal playback mode I would also attach the cable or coax to the VCR. I know this is a bit confusing, so if you have further questions on this let me know and I will try to explain in further detail. I apologize for the lack of clear direction, but this is a debatable topic. Feel free to contact me. Good luck and happy listening!! JT
  25. Joe, I used the extra wire from the interconnects for my on-screen display from receiver to the TV. The great thing about these interconnects is, they are not in attached pairs, each channel is a seperate wire. Does the receiver have a size setting for the speakers or maybe a crossover point for the bass? If it does set the speaker sizes all around to "small". You may want to test wiring through the sub to see what it sounds like. I have never messed around with in-wall speakers. The best advice when it comes to the age old sub wiring question is to go with what sounds better to you. Obviously if there is no difference then you should use the sub out as you are now. This BB is full of wiring questions, answers, and debates. Another lengthy debate is the decision to use coax or optical for the audio. I am using optical, but it is only because I think the concept is really cool. It is much more delicate than coax, if an optical cable gets a little kink it could be shot. Good luck!! Let us know how it comes out. JT
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