Ask the Audio Doctor: January/February 2001 — Page 1
Celestion Ditton 66 upgrade and placement
Hello Doctor!
I kind of got stuck in the seventies and still own the equipment I purchased back then (Accuphase C-300 amp, C-200 preamp and Celestion Ditton 66). While the amp/preamp combination suits me fine, I find that the Celestions lack imaging and depth. Would you advise breaking up this combination? If so, which speakers would tentatively work well with this amp/preamp combination? I listen to all kinds of music. Thanks for your help.
— Jean D., Ottawa
Dear Jean, The Celestions are, in my opinion, the weakest part of your hi-fi system. There are quite a few excellent-sounding loudspeakers on the market that would provide much-improved sound over your current loudspeakers for a reasonable price. Look into auditioning the new B&W CDM 1NT (approximately $1,200 per pair at the time) or the Sonus Faber Concerto ($1,850 per pair at the time). The new Energy Veritas line might also work well with your older Accuphase equipment. The smallest bookshelf unit retailed for about $1,000.
If you are planning on holding on to your Celestions, I would recommend a more traditional placement off one of the short walls. Start with a placement approximately one-third of the way out into the room and 1 3/4 to 2 feet from each of the side walls. The narrow width of your room gives you less flexibility with placement, but experimentation on your part should provide successful results. Be patient and tweak the placement of the loudspeakers until smooth room response couples with a satisfying and expansive soundstage. One note, though: you may want to consider placing a thick area rug or carpet on the floor between the loudspeakers and your listening position. This will absorb some of the early reflections and secondary reverberations, or echo effect, in your room that can smear the presentation and dissolve overall clarity and focus. Good luck, and thanks for reading Planet HiFi. — gk
Nakamichi AV-8 or NAD T760
Dear Doctor,
I am considering purchasing either a Nakamichi AV-8 HT receiver or a NAD T760 HT receiver. I know that both are in my price range and both will have great sound. However, where I live I cannot audition them. I was hoping you could comment on your opinions as to the sound-quality differences between the two. Thanks a lot.
— Robert
Dear Robert, I have not listened to either model. But generally, I prefer the sound from Nakamichi receivers over NAD receivers when playing two-channel stereo music (except for NAD stereo-only units). Ergonomically, I have always had difficulty operating both brands. Layout was traditionally awkward, and neither company provided the in-depth surround-sound features that videophiles die for. Of course, this may have changed with the introduction of both the Nakamichi AV-8 HT and the NAD T760 receivers.
I would also look into the Marantz line of A/V receivers. I believe that they have a very natural sound to them in both two- and five-channel modes. If your needs emphasize surround sound more than music, I would also check out the Sony STR-DA333ES. I sent my friend over to a local dealer for one. It has tremendous flexibility, gobs of ins and outs, great build quality, the latest 32-bit processing and 24-bit decoders, a learning remote, very good sound quality, a five-year warranty, and retailed for around $800 (although my friend picked it up for under $600 at J&R Music World in New York City). Good luck, and thanks for reading Planet HiFi. — gk
Bose Wave Radio/CD
About Bose Wave Radio/CD,
How is it rated for sound quality and performance, reliability, and so on by customers, consumer reports and reviews? Thanks.
— Mark
Mark, My parents received one as a gift a couple of years ago. The sound is surprisingly good from such a compact system. The sound is open and uncompressed, with decent fullness and bass extension. Ergonomically, it is a dream to use. I would rate it among the very best. In fact, except for the Cambridge SoundWorks model, I believe that it could be the best-sounding tabletop unit then on the market. As for reliability, my parents use it almost every day and I haven’t heard them curse yet. Good luck, and thanks for reading Planet HiFi. — gk
Banana plugs or spade connectors
Hi Greg,
Long time no talk. I was wondering what is the best speaker connection and why. I’ve heard many say that banana connectors were the best connection. I suspect that this is for ease of hookup rather than sound quality. Any information would be great. Thanks.
— Tim
Dear Tim, Most audiophiles agree that the spade connection is best due to the greater surface contact area between the connector and the speaker post. It also allows the ability to crank down on the connector and thus provide a tighter connection. I like it because I do not have to worry about the cables getting knocked off the speaker posts while the amplifier is powered on. Of course, if this happens and the positive and negative terminals of the speaker cable touch, you are basically in deep doo-doo and your amp will most likely need service.
I wouldn’t fret too much over the difference in sound quality between bananas and spades. I worked at two different hi-fi shops, and we used bananas exclusively because we had to constantly switch loudspeakers in and out of systems. It was just easier. Good luck, and thanks for reading Planet HiFi. — gk
Empire and Utah vintage speakers
Dear Doctor,
I have two old sets of speakers. One set is Empire 9000 Royal Grenadiers, and the other is Utah brand (made in Huntington, Indiana), 12-inch three-way model WD-90s. Do you know anything about these two brands? Are they worth anything? Is there any demand for them if I should wish to sell them? I would appreciate any help that you could give me. Thanks.
— Harry
Dear Harry, Unfortunately, we are not familiar with your loudspeakers. But that doesn’t mean they are not valuable. I would check the Orion Blue Book at your local hi-fi dealer or, more likely, at your local public library for information on these two sets of speakers. At the time, we also suggested placing an ad in the Planet HiFi Audio Mart, Audiogon or Audioshopper. Good luck, and thanks for reading Planet HiFi. — gk
Repairing an Advent Model 300
Dear Doctor,
I have acquired an Advent Model 300 that I am trying to repair. I can’t seem to find the company, Advent Corporation, anywhere. I need to find a repair manual, and I was hoping the company could find one for me. I realize this isn’t the kind of question you typically answer, but I can’t find anywhere else to ask. Thanks.
— John
Dear John, Advent was then part of the Recoton family of audio and video products. Its website provided contact information. Good luck, and thanks for reading Planet HiFi. — gk
KR 800 VT tubes in France
Dear Doctor,
Hello. Can you tell me whether one can find tubes for the KR 800 VT in France? Thank you.
— David
Dear David, At the time, the KR Enterprise website listed local distributors and provided a way to contact the company’s headquarters directly. Good luck, and thanks for reading Planet HiFi. — gk
Marantz SR-8000 dimensions and weight
Dear Sir,
I live in India and do not have access to the Marantz catalogue. Please help me with the dimensions (width, height and depth), as well as the weight, of the Marantz audio/video receiver, model SR-8000. Thank you. Regards.
— Vikas Raikhy
Dear Vikas, At the time, Marantz made its entire catalogue available through its website.
The SR-8000 is 440 × 159 × 458 mm (17 5/16 × 6 1/4 × 18 1/16 inches) and 33.1 pounds (15.0 kg). Good luck, and thanks for reading Planet HiFi. — gk
Using an external DAC with MiniDisc
Hello Doc!
I have a home MiniDisc recorder/player. It has a coaxial output, and I was hoping I could hook up a separate DAC to it. Would you know of any reason why this application wouldn’t work? Thanks.
— Darren
Dear Darren, Can’t see why not. I have a Sony MiniDisc player/recorder with a Toslink digital output, and it works fine using the Birdland Audio Odeon-Lite DAC. Good luck, and thanks for reading Planet HiFi. — gk
DAC upgrades and digital jitter
Hey Doc.
I’m looking to upgrade my digital source, but with the whole DVD-A/SACD issue out there I thought maybe I should hold off on the transport upgrade and upgrade the DAC. I’m currently using a Yamaha CDC-755 CD player only, digitally speaking. I have 500 or so discs that probably won’t be upgraded for years, if at all, to the new format, so I want something that upsamples to 24/96 and, in the future, 24/192. The Bel Canto DAC-1 is a wee bit out of my price range. Is the MSB Link DAC-3 the only option? It’s not a bad one, but it’s the only one I know of.
Secondly, what are the “digital jitter issues”? I have never used a separate DAC and am not aware of the whole “jitter” thing. I assume that jitter is related to the extra cable, not the single CD player/DAC source, although I could be way off here as well. Should I make an effort to deal with jitter in my potential setup: Yamaha CDC-755 as transport, Toslink and MSB DAC-3 with the 24/96 upgrade?
— Kevin
Dear Kevin, Another option would be the then-upcoming Perpetual Technologies P-3A ($599 at the time). It also upsamples to 24/96.
As for jitter, DVD players have much higher rates of jitter than CD players, so it is a good idea to attenuate it when possible. Both the Link DAC III and the P-3A incorporate phase-lock loops to reduce jitter in the signal. You can try outboard jitter boxes, but it may not make much of a difference. It depends on the quality of the jitter unit as well as the rest of your playback system. I would hold off on purchasing one for now.
Also, Toslink has a much narrower bandwidth than coaxial digital connections, so it has greater amounts of jitter. Use coaxial if possible. Good luck, and thanks for reading Planet HiFi. — gk
Correction on the Arcam Alpha 9 and FMJ CD23
Dear Audio Doctor,
Get your facts straight! The difference between the Arcam Alpha 9 CD player and the FMJ version (CD23) is not just a brushed-aluminum faceplate!
The FMJ player has separate power supplies for the digital and analog circuitry, for starters! The difference in sound quality is noticeable. None of the Arcam CD players can be upgraded to the FMJ player.
— Soundman
Dear Soundman, Thanks for the feedback. I stand corrected. Hopefully, we can settle out of court. You know how costly malpractice suits can get. — gk
Sonus Faber, Silverline or Vandersteen
Dear Doctor,
I really enjoyed your review of the Silverline Audio speakers. I am planning to buy a set of speakers soon but cannot decide among these:
- Sonus Faber Concerto Grand Piano
- Silverline Audio Sonatina
- Vandersteen 3A Signature
In your expert opinion, which of the above do you recommend? I plan to use them for audio (75%) and home theater (25%). Thank you.
— Fabian Looi
Dear Reader, Be aware that the Silverline Audio SR12s have fairly restricted low-end response due to their minuscule size. Both the Concerto Grand and the 3As will outperform the SR12s in low-frequency response, output level and dynamics. A fairer comparison would be with the floor-standing Silverline Audio Sonatina. Of the two, I would go with the Concerto Grand if you have a powerful amplifier and really enjoy midrange richness and excellent soundstaging; the cosmetics will polarize your friends as well. The 3As, on the other hand, are extremely open and revealing—a true classic. Good luck, and thanks for reading Planet HiFi. — gk
Fabian replies: Thank you for the reply comparing the Sonus Faber Grand Piano, Silverline Audio and Vandersteen 3A. You mentioned that I should compare the Silverline Audio Sonatina to the Sonus Faber Grand Piano. Of the two, which do you prefer? These two speakers are about the same price. There is no Silverline dealer in my area, so there is no chance for an audition. However, with the recent rave reviews of the Silverline Sonatina, I was thinking of purchasing these speakers without an audition. What do you think? I also like the Sonus Faber Grand Piano a lot. It has a very nice, smooth, warm sound that is really enticing. My amp is a 100W-per-channel EAD Power Master 500, and the preamp is the EAD TheaterMaster Encore. Please advise.
Dear Fabian, I prefer the Sonatina, but it differs greatly from the Concerto Grand. It is definitely not a warm-sounding loudspeaker. I would characterize the sound as being more upfront and forward. Also, your amp should be fine driving either loudspeaker, unless your room is very large. — gk
A headphone amp for the Grado SR225
Hello Doctor,
Just recently I discovered a new passion: listening to music through headphones. So, I purchased the Grado SR225, which sounds great to me. My experience as an audiophile, however, is limited to a loudspeaker system centered on the KEF Reference 107, along with a Sony XA20ES CD player. I have a question about the XA20ES: is the headphone output any good? At this moment I can’t compare it with anything, since I don’t have a headphone amplifier. Could you please tell me whether I’m losing sound quality by not using an amp, or whether this Sony machine, which cost $700 at the time, is capable of getting the best from the Grado SR225? Thank you very much. Best.
— Maab
Dear Maab, The headphone outputs on most CD players and receivers are of poor quality. Manufacturers add them for convenience and because, apparently, people still want and use them. Unfortunately, after listening to the headphone output on the CDP-XA20ES last year, I am going to recommend that you seek an outboard headphone amp. The Grado SR225s are excellent cans and deserve a high-quality amp to drive them. I recommend the Musical Fidelity and Creek headphone amps. At around $200 to $250 at the time, they were a great value in high-end gear. At the time, Audio Advisor offered more information, while Headphone.com carried amps that were a step up in price and performance. Good luck, and thanks for reading Planet HiFi. — gk
Inexpensive speakers for tight quarters
Hi, Doc—
I’m temporarily living in very tight quarters with no space for my Magneplanar loudspeakers. I’d like to buy a pair of very inexpensive speakers for my system (Nakamichi TA-2A, CR-2A and CDP-2A) that sound decent right out of the box and perhaps can be used later as rear speakers. Do you have any suggestions?
— Tamar Stieber
Dear Tamar, I’m a big fan of the B&W DM601 S2 ($350 per pair at the time), the B&W DM302 ($250 per pair at the time), the Monitor Audio Silver 3 ($650 per pair at the time) and the KEF Q15 ($350 per pair at the time). All of these recommendations are stand-mounted designs that can be moved to the rear-effects position or to an office or bedroom. Good luck, and thanks for reading Planet HiFi. — gk
Planning a Yamaha and Energy home-theater system
Hey Doc,
I have about $5,000 to play with, and I was considering the following system. Unfortunately, I cannot audition the system—small-town blues—but I have heard or seen the individual components and like them. The system will be used for a little of everything, from Metallica to Ode to Joy to The Matrix. The ultimate target of this is a Toshiba 50-inch display and my couch, but I want high-quality music too.
- A/V receiver: Yamaha RX-V2095
- DVD player: Yamaha DVD-C900
- VCR: Sony SLV-798HF
- Main speakers: Energy e:XL26
- Effect speakers: Energy Encore (two rear, two front, subwoofer and center)
My understanding is that the Yamaha is a 7.1 system, with two extra channels for front effects, and they recommend against bipolars for the effect channels.
- Is this a realistic layout—or, perhaps more pertinently, is this going to use the Encores effectively—or am I without a clue here?
- One thing I’m considering is wiring the Encore set to the A side, the e:XL26s to the B side, and switching between them: A for movies and B for audio. But then I’ll lose the ability to play DTS CDs and lose the front effects.
- What components would you change? I was looking at the Parasound AVC-2500 and HCA-1205, but my budget…
— Mitch
Dear Mitch, Do not set up the e:XL26s on the A terminals and the Encores on the B terminals. Although manufacturers provide this option, it will most likely overtax your amp if they are intentionally or accidentally activated at the same time.
As for the components, I am very familiar with the e:XL line and believe that the 26 is a very good loudspeaker, especially for music that requires pace and rhythm. I do not think that the Encore system reproduces music at the same level as the 26, but in a surround-sound configuration it will work very well. Your decision to use a 7.1 configuration may be problematic if your room is small to medium-sized. You may end up overwhelming the listener with eight speakers. Considering that there really aren’t a ton of CDs or DTS movies available on DVD, you may want to consider foregoing 7.1 in favor of a more straightforward 5.1 system. This would also save you a bit of cash.
You mentioned the excellent-sounding Parasound combo. I think that both of these units are a significant step up from the Yamaha receiver in both sound quality and craftsmanship. If you are willing, I would make the long-term investment in this great combination, even if it means getting only the front loudspeakers and either the subwoofer or center-channel speaker. You can always add the last pieces to your system next year, or in April when your tax refund comes in from the IRS. I’m taking this very same approach right now. I’m building a killer two-channel system that I am completely happy with and adding surround sound as my budget grows. I never have to say I shoulda, coulda, woulda bought that other system. And I get to upgrade a little bit at a time, which means new toys three times a year instead of just once. Good luck, and thanks for reading Planet HiFi. — gk