JewishAMerPrince

---------------- On 7/14/2004 3:38:14 PM Sanman023 wrote: cherry all the way....i need to find a way to turn my rs7's and pb2+ into cherry....i hate that black vinyl look..... ---------------- Find a Faux paint artist in your area. If the Yellow Book has none, then call local interior design houses for a referral. I did this with my RS 7s but the PB 2+ remains it's grey/black self because I am going to sell it off and get the Ultra some day in Mercury Red. It cost me $100 to have the RS7s "fauxed". (by the way so you can seem more astute when you speak to the artist, FAUX is pronounced "FOW"). Jerry Rappaport

Count me into the 12ga from Home Depot camp. I spent a bit more to get 12ga biwire wire from www.knuknocepts.com because it looks really cool, and helps control cable clutter in a biwired setup. At about $1.40 a foot it is still much more cost effective than Monster anything. As far as connectors go, if you speakers have 5 way binding posts, as most Klipsch speakers do, no connector can beat just stripping the wire, shove it through the hole and tighten down well. Unless you plan to move your speakers around frequently, this is the best, and also the most cost effective solution. Jerry Rappaport

I pondered the same question until I went and listened to both the 5s and the 7s. The 5s were not significantly better than my 3s were, while the 7s are in a league of their own. I waited two extra months to accumulate the extra $$ and went for 7 series all around. I'll never regret that decision. Be aware that the acquisition of 7 series could spark an entire round of upgrades. When I started I had nearly the identical system to yours. The only difference being I had the Denon 3801, the predicessor to yours but nearly identical. Once I got the 7s I felt that they deserved a better juice diet so I moved from the Denon to Rotel separates. What an amazing difference! Then my sub (SVS 2039pci) seemed to be the weak link, so I upgraded it to an SVS PB2+. Now I have a system that can stand tall with the best, all at the cost of about the first year's depreciation on an average car. By the way I was able to sell off my three year old 3 series at really good prices. I probably recouped 80% of what I had paid for them originally. Jerry Rappaport

I too have had a bad taste for Consumer Reports for years, but in the case of the Panasonic receivers I may agree. Four months ago I bought an SAXR 25 which is a 100 wpc 6.1 receiver with digital amps. While the receiver is very limited in it's feature set (ie. no OSD) the sound is remarkably clean. I use the XR in my MBR setup where it's small size was the determining factor in order to fit underneath my 46" Hitachi Ultravision in the Hitachi made equipment rack. Driving RB 15s and and RCX4 center with RCS4 surrounds the reciver is capable of holding it's own with some of the best...including HK. After purchasing the Panny, I read several reviews from various audio/video sites that substantiate my experience. I have even seen the amps in the XR25 and it's 7.1 brother compared to the likes of ...Krell...believe it or not! Jerry Rappaport

---------------- On 6/29/2004 5:41:54 PM kjohnsonhp wrote: Of course, this is High-end audio where the performance improves slightly with notable price changes. ---------------- If you want to surprise yourself, go buy a Samsung HD841 for $200 at someplace with a good return policy like BB. To my surprise and amazement, the analog audio performance was more than the slight improvement you talk about by spending $1200 on upgrading the the 2900. The upper frequencies seem much more transparent and the bottom end is decidedly more sonorous than the 2900. Female vocals especially seemed to open up quite a bit from the rather compressed sound they had with the 2900. I didn't think the sound was compressed till I heard the difference. Most important, do your own listening,then.....if the 841 doesn't sound stunning with YOUR system...you can always return it. Of course there are some people who would be embarrassed to say they had a $200 player in their $15,000 system. I am not one of them! My 2900 has been relagated to duty in the master bedroom in favor of the 841 after comparing them side by side.

I'm going to pitch the Samsung HD841, which I own. The audio performance of this $200 gem is absolutely stellar. It well outperforms the stock Denon 2900 that I replaced with it. In SACD or 2 channel, the Denon seems dull on the high end by comparison to the Sammy. I'm not sure about how well it will do against the $2000 UPGRADED 2900 though. However, come to think of it, if I had $2k to spend right now on my equipment, I wouldn't put it into a DVD player since some form of HD DVD seems inevitable within the next couple of years, and a $200 obsolete player seems much easier to put in the closet than a $2000 one would. Jerry Rappaport

An awful lot of forum members here seem to like the warm sound of HK with their Klipsch. Also, of the three mentioned the HK probably has the most conservativem (read that honest) power rating. JR

---------------- On 6/27/2004 8:06:19 PM dougdrake wrote: JR - Was your audio comparison between the 2 units using the digital or analog outputs? ---------------- From both digital for surround modes and Analog for SACD and 2 channel stereo. Digitally the 841 had a superior S/N ratio (it was quieter than the 2900). Analog wise the HD841 has some amazingly clear and sweet sounding DACs. The Denon had good sounding DACs but not as clear and well defined on the very top end. JR

---------------- On 6/27/2004 9:44:14 PM minn_male42 wrote: there has been a big discussion over on the avs forum concerning the problems with this unit..... hopefully you won't have any problems with yours.... ---------------- There is a difference between fact and fiction. The "so called" problems are being experienced by only two or three people, and are being blown way,way overboard. My niece's Fiancee is a reagional manager for BB so, after seeing the aforementioned posts, I asked him to do some research for me. So far over 300 HD841s have been sold and 5 have been returned. The HD 841 has been far more reliable than the Bravos. I had three defective Bravo D1s in a row.

I have a 7.1 system built with Reference & series, ie: RF7 mains, RC7 center, RS7 surrounds etc. I am interested in Bi-amping my mains and center and was wondering if anyone has a recommendation for active crossovers. Although I want good quality, I also want to stay in a cost effective range. Thanks Jerry Rappaport

Hi John, I think you need to define what you mean by "low end Reference System"...ie. which speakers do you have. Klipsch doesn't make any receiver recommendations, but I am sure once you elaborate on your speakers a bit...and how you intend to use them, you will get plenty of recommendations here. It would also be helpful if you specified what your budget is. Jerry Rappaport

Three weeks ago I purchased a Samsung HD841 from BB for the paltry sum of $200. The audio from this piece is probably the best I have ever encountered and that includes a Denon 2900 that I have in another system and brought over to compare side by side. The PQ is really excellent...especially if you can utilize the DVI connection. JR

---------------- What do you think of the Samsung HD841? I've in the market for a universal disc player and I saw a review of the new HD941. Does the 841 play DVD-Audio and SACD? Does it upconvert DVD's ot 1080i/720p? If so, these players are a great bang for the buck. ---------------- I've had my 841 for about three weeks. For $200 I am very much impressed. SACD and DVD-A are standard so this can be considered a "universal" player by today's standards. The unit has excellent sounding audio, both thru it's digital outputs and multi-channel analog outputs. The DACs are about the best I have ever heard. Picture quality is very good. The unit successfully upconverts through the DVI output only . Several people I know have purchased this unit thinking it upconverts through component and have wound up being dissapointed. Jerry Rappaport

---------------- On 6/23/2004 5:13:35 PM SteelerFan wrote: Just discovered just because my Toshiba DVD player has the DTS logo on the front panel and on the cover of the manual doesn't mean it will decode it. I hear DVD players don't do a good job with CD's. ---------------- It seems very strange to me that your Toshiba will not decode DTS when it has the Dts logo affixed.Something for you to check out further, perhaps. There are DVD players that make excellent CD players also. I have a Samsung HD841 universal player that has the best audio output from CDs that I have ever heard! Jerry Rappaport

My HD 841 doesn't loose anything when jumping tracks. I would get yours exchanged. JR

---------------- On 6/20/2004 3:34:17 AM pinipig523 wrote: from what i have heard on other forums, the svs ultra driver possesses a different characteristic or sound (for lack of a better term) relative to the db-12 woofer (plus woofer). yes kiddies.. this is why they call it the "vaunted" tv-12 driver. ---------------- SVS is a great company and they make solid products, however, they are very much legends in their own mind and in the minds of a very small group of avid followers that make their products more "cult" than mainstream. The TV 12 was designed essentially by Tom V which could account for some of it's "vaultedness" so to speak. From an engineering standpoint the TV12 theoretically should sound louder but inferior to the db12 due to the fact it was designed for longer excursion. Unless the laws of physics have changed It takes more time to cover greater distances unless the cone is made stiffer and made to move at higher velocities,it's that simple. These higher velocities have to be controlled somehow, either mechanically or by an amplifier or both. Therefore the entire electro/mechanical system has to become considerably more complex. As I said before this is all theoretical since good design can overcome some of the physical issues. While I haven't heard a SVS sub with a tv12 driver I have heard the db12 drivers (in my own, excellent sounding PB2+)and can say that the timbre so well matches the timbre of the Klipsch LF drivers in the Reference series, one would almost swear they were designed to compliment each other. Jerry Rappaport

Well said Griffinator. Pete With some careful shopping, and just a few extra $$ one may be able to get a Reference 15 series setup that will run circles around the top end Synergy pieces. In this hobby it's a pay me now or pay me later situation. Either you spend the $ it takes to get the good stuff up front, or you'll spend twice as much on the back end upgrading to what you should have bought to start with. Once the bug hits, it's impossible to avoid. I can predict you will be the victim of "the bug" with some amount of certainty based on the fact that your interest in the hobby is intense enough to have lead you to this forum! Just my $.02... Jerry Rappaport

Very True Disney does seem to go the extra mile with it's soundtracts. The also seem to be concerned about us who own Home Cinima gear. The Lion King has a specially enhanced home theater track on it. If you haven't watched and listened to it yet, it is a treat! Jerry Rappaport

---------------- On 6/11/2004 11:55:34 AM TauRus wrote: In my particular setup with my display (Sceptre 30" LCD TV) I did not see any major advantages of upscaled DVI output compared to progressive component signal. DOes not mean you will not benefit from it on larger screens. Just FYI.---------------- TauRus makes a very good point, YMMV depending on display. I have done the same comparison between the SAMSUNG HD841 and Denon 2900 on my 65" CRT HDCP equipped RPTV and my comments are that both units have their pluses and minuses. At 65" the lower resolution of the Denon is obvious in a slightly softer, but no less pleasant picture. Since my RPTV is a CRT it can display true blacks so that the black details in DVI are better than they would be on TauRus's display (LCD's characteristically cannot display true blacks). Properly set up the Samsung has more saturated primary colors, which some may find more or less pleasing depending on taste, and could be a future asset since you plan to migrate to a front projector. The SACD audio on the Samsung is superior sounding with MY Rotel Equipment and Reference 7s than the Denon. The Denon sounds a bit bright and harsh, while the Samsung is smooth as silk. The unit has surprisingly high quality DACs for it's price point. This may not make any difference to you now, but may in the future. For example, I never had any interest in SACD until purchasing the 841. Since it was something I could try out without major cost (three cables and a couple of SACDs), I did, and found SACD is something I couldn't be without ever again. I too noticed the flimsy feeling connectors for the analog audio on the HD841, but since most people will make only one attachment to the machine in it's lifetime, I don't think that will ever be a problem. While I am a quality nut, I certainly don't think that the build quality, performance or name recognition of the Denon is worth 4 times what the Samsung is. (Perhaps that is the reason I wear a TAG rather than a Rolex). Besides, at $200 for the Sammy if a newer, better technology unit arrives next year, I can replace the unit without feeling much guilt. Also, I prefer the lower profile of the Samsung, it fits better into my rack than the Denon would. Just my 2 cents, YMMV. Jerry Rappaport

I DO have experience with sounddistributors.com. They appear to be an internet only store that is not a Klipsch autorized dealer, but they offer Klipsch products with their own warrantee. I have purchased Klipsch from them on 3 or 4 occasions and all have arrived in a timely fashion and in perfect (new) condition. Two of my three orders were backordered for several weeks, but this was not a problem for me. They seem to be solid and reputable. I would not know how their customer service would be in the event of a problem since in 4 transactions I have yet to encounter a problem! Jerry Rappaport

---------------- On 6/11/2004 1:15:21 AM JLL wrote: To answer your question though no I have not heard a PB2+ nor would I think I would like it. The sonic quality of the bass will probably be exactly the same as the 20-39 PCi but will go louder and maybe a little deeper. I do not need this extra loud bass. I was looking more for the quality of the bass and I found it. Joe ---------------- Your post here shows a bit of need for education about about the SVS lineup. The PCi line and the ISD box subwoofers from SVS use their entry level driver called the ISD (stands for "improved standard driver") while the PB2+ and other Plus subs from SVS use the db12 driver which is heads and sholders above the ISD in terms of clean output prowess and overall sonic quality. IMHO, while any of the ISD "trim level" of SVS subs sounds good, the drivers in the Plus "trim level" are so much better that they justify the cost difference alone. I truely believe it is patently unfair to judge an ISD trim level SVS sub against an RSW level Klipsch for sonic quality. A better comparo would be the KSW series of Klipsch against the ISD SVS subs. Jerry Rappaport

---------------- On 6/9/2004 9:53:30 PM JLL wrote: Maybe the problem is the slam and power you have with your Klipsch sub and the lack there of in your SVS. I recently had the 20-39 PCi and it had absolutely no slam at all. I returned it and going for a Klipsch subwoofer. ---------------- Perceived "slam" and power have much to do with room size, setup and program material. I have a PB2+ (set at 16hz one port blocked) in a 7000 cu ft listening room. During the main battle scenes in Master and Commander the cannon shots almost make you want to leave the room or seek some serious ear protection!!! Jerry Rappaport

Do you happen to know where one can get a decent affordable 2 way active crossover? Jerry R

I have a very similar room and sucessfully use RS7s as side surrounds and two RS35s as my rears along the back wall of the kitchen. The result is a huge soundstage and very enveloping surround experience. There was no difficulty setting the delay for the rears (the typical problem for this type room) with my Rotel RSP 1066. Perhaps if you could upload a diagram of your room/seating I could be of assitance in speaker placement. I do believe that with the size room you have you may need more subwoofer than you propose. There is just soooo much air to move. If you need info about ROTEL I can provide some answers and direction. Jerry Rappaport

An authorized dealer can sell as low, but usually only when sold with other equipment. Sooner or later this whole "autorized dealer" issue is going to blow up on manufacturers either through a private, or government lawsuit. It basically amounts to "restraint of trade" practices that were prohibited by a court decision about 20 years ago that blew away the "fair trade" laws and concepts. Jerry Rappaport