chickey

Wild Blue, I think you said it right. It's all about the amount of risk you're willing to take. Working with an authorized retailer provides the assurance that you are getting non-gray market merchandise and someone to back-up you purchase with service and a factory warranty should a problem ever arise. But there's a price you pay for those assurances, which generally means a higher cost to you as the consumer. A non-authorized retailer may be able to offer additional flexibility around pricing (they are not constrained by the manufacturer's pricing policies). The tradeoffs come in the form of potentially receiving gray market goods (I'm not saying that's the case here) and/or not being able to count on a factory backed warranty. It's up to each individual to gauge the potential risks and proceed accordingly. C

Thanks for the update Mike. He seems like a very straightforward fellow, at least based on my email exchanges with him. Just to clarify my original post, I generally make it a practice of doublechecking a manufacturer's website whenever I'm contemplating a piece of gear, just to make sure I'm working with an authorized dealer. Sooo, when I didn't see his name on the Parasound Halo website, I rang them up and asked them whether anyone not listed on the site could be an authorized Halo dealer. They replied no. I then asked whether there will be any authorized Halo distributors, to which they responded that all Halo gear will only be sold factory direct. I presume this means factory direct to authorized retailers. At that point, I thanked them and hung up the phone. I probably should have been more descriptive in my original posting, but I was rushing my post as I was at work (a big no-no). Net-net, you were wise to have a phone conversation with him to double-check. He seems like a reasonable fellow, and his pricing is excellent. Let us know how you make out...that would make me feel a whole lot better if/when I decide to pull the trigger as well. C

Thanks Mike - please keep us posted. I'm bummed, becuase his price on the C2 is sooooo good. C

I emailed this guy and he sent me back his price list, which looked very good. Too good, in fact. So I called up Parasound to get the skinny. They indicated that he is NOT authorized to retail Halo equipment, and that only dealers listed on the Parasound Halo web site are. This guy's distributor is also not authorized to sell Halo gear. In fact, Parasound indicated that the Halo line will only be sold factory direct to a select group of retailers - those listed on the Halo website. As for matching up Parasound gear with Klipsch, it's a great combinbation. I currently run the Parasound P/SP-1500 controller and P/DD-1500 digital decoder. This combo makes for a great home theater experience, but distinguishes itself by offering outstanding 2 channel performace as well. Given my experience with Parasound, I'm seriously contemplating upgrading to the new C2 controller. I'll keep you posted. C

I actually have one...an old Technics SL-L3 direct drive linear tracking turntable. It sounds fine, but it should not be confused with more serious contenders (belt driven, non-linear tracking). I bought it as a novelty - the direct track access is pretty cool, and it's OK for casual listening. But I'd look elsewhere if you are considering a turntable purchase for serious listening through your Klipsch. C

The Knack - My Sharona. The opening drum sequence always reminds me of why I bought my Chorus II's in the first place. Van Halen's "Hot for Teacher" is also an opening riff favorite. Did I just date myself???? C

Guys, All great suggestions, thank you! I will check out all your recommendations -- I really appreciate the input. Thanks again! Colin

Tom, You get the record for fastest response...wow!!! Much appreciated. Yep, this is exactly the kind of furniture I'm looking for. Nice looking and very functional. Two Ultra 60's would do me just fine. Wonder if they ever go on sale? Thanks again! Colin

Can anyone recommend some affordable but good looking AV furniture? Im about to embark on upgrading my woefully dated stereo cabinets, and I need something that is both good looking and practical (e.g., removable backs, wire management, etc). I need to accommodate about a dozen components, and I would like to stay away from the stacked rack designs (Ive got WAF to worry about). The Salamander Designs Synergy series suits my tastes, but not my wallet (the configuration I priced out their website was over 3 grand). Any ideas are greatly appreciated! Thanks, Colin

I'm running Chorus II's and an Academy in front with RS-7's as surrounds, and definitely agree they are a very good combination together. C

I run a Parasound pre/pro with a Carver Lightstar Reference powering the front channels. Ditto Chuck regarding the ability of a high wattage amp to drive 12" or 15" woofers. The trick, of course, is finding something that sounds equally good and distortion free at low wattage levels, where you wind up doing a whole of listening. Amps like the Lightstar, McCormack, and Acurus all fit this bill admirably. C

Ditto Elgrillo regarding Signs. My gauge to Home Theater success is how deep my wife drives her nails into my arm as we watch a scary or suspenseful movie. By the time the dogs were barking in the left and right surrounds in the opening scenes of the movie, she was already well attached to me. By the end of the movie, her nails had drawn blood... C

Is that Hanson?????

...sounded awesome on my Klipsch! Wow. Nice low bass and some nice surround effects. Definitely a keeper. And yes, I have seen "Das Boot", but the soundtack on Das Boot just couldn't compare.... C

A higher damping factor is not always a good thing. High damping factors generally equate to very low output impedances (remember, we're talking ratios here). To get very low output impedance, the amplifier design probably has a lot of negative feedback. Unless designed very carefully, an amp with negative feedback will probably exhibit more phase shift than an amplifier that has less negative feedback - and that means it will distort the sound. The more phase shift, the more distortion. So damping factor shouldn't be taken out of context -- it's one barometer among many to use when evaluating an amp's performace. C

Steve, Ouch!! (literally and figuratively) Sorry to hear about that. Did the speaker slip off the screw heads, or did the screws come out of the wall? I'm a curious (and now concerned) RS-7 owner myself. Thanks, Colin

JHawk - LOL...not at all. I owe my Academy addiction and admiration in large part to you. No new house yet....but not for the wife's lack of trying. She agreed to a big screen HDTV, but only once we get the house. AT least she has a high WAF for all my gear and big old speakers.... C

As a native of New Jersey and a long time fan of a little ocean town called Sea Bright, I had a big smile on my face last night when Tony was contemplating his beach house purchase. But we all know the producers took a certain degree of artistic liberty with those phony little speakers on Tony's boat blasting Dean Martin Live from Las Vegas. We all know that only a good set of Klipsch's could have driven the rich folks inside!! Now back to our regularly scheduled program.... C

Chuck, JHawk is on the money with his always wise counsel. I run a similar set-up to you - Chorus II's up front, an Academy center, and RS-7's in the back. There's no comparison between the KV-4, the KLF-C7 and the Academy. I'll sum them up in one or two words, since I've had each in my system (along with the KV-3) KV-3: Too small KV-4: Too bright KLF-C7: TOO SHOUTY Academy: Just right (seamless) With the Academy, the front sound stage is transparent from Front Left to Center to Front Right. Because of the timbre match, you tend not to distinguish the center from the other front speakers, and the sound is therefore uniformly seamless. BTW, the RS series in the rear makes for a nice match with the Heritage/Classic front end. Hope this helps! Colin

Yes, they are 5-way binding posts. Remove the black and red plastic end caps on the posts, and you should be able to insert your banana plugs. Something with a thin blade should be sufficient to pop out those end caps. Colin

These may be capacitive voltage sensors (I have these on my Lightstar amps). Typically, there is a control inside the unit that allows the sensitivity of the touchplate to be adjusted. If you have a service manual for the unit, you could probably locate the control mechanism. It was a simple 1/4 turn of a screwdriver once I found mine. Not sure if this helps, but it may shed some light on the problem. Colin

Clu, The Titleist and Cleveland wedges are $99.99 apiece. The numbers you saw were the model numbers - if you click on "add to cart", you'll see the actual price. The designation of 52, 56, and 60 degrees refers to the loft of the club. The higher the loft, the shorter the ball will go. The different lofts help you be more accurate with your distance, which is critical when you are close to the green (~120 yards and in). A nice 52 degree gap wedge might be the perfect complement to a golfer who already carries a 48 degree pitching wedge and a 56 degree sand wedge. A 60 degree lob wedge would also be another nice choice. No disagreement between Mike and I -- both Titleist and Cleveland make excellent wedges. More a matter of personal preference. Ask the recipient's significant other what kind of clubs he already has, and if he already has a gap or lob wedge. The good thing about Edwin Watt's is that they have a good return and exchange policy, so he can always exchange the club for another if it's not exactly what he wants. C

Mike... Another very nice choice...I'll take one of each under the tree...LOL Now if only Santa could bring me a swing... Best, C

Titleist Vokey Wedge http://www.edwinwatts.com/AB1936000/showdetl.cfm?&DID=8&Product_ID=328 Would bring a smile on my face on Christmas day.... C

There was a good review of the CSE 6.1 in Sound and Vision earlier this year. The review was generally very favorable, but I recall that the reviewer felt that the DSPs contributed to a slight elevation in the noise levels in the rear channels. C