August 15, 2001
I continue to find your site the most
rewarding audio site on the Internet, and I check it every few days for the latest
"Ask Me" postings. Many thanks for your excellent advice and frequent updates.
Your "Ask Me" posting for yesterday
includes the statement from Kirit the he can get the Hsu Research VTF-2 subwoofer for
$399. He didn't list an e-mail address, so I wasn't able to ask him this directly, but I'd
love to know where he found that price. I couldn't find it on the Hsu Research website.
Would it be possible for you to ask Kirit where he found the price, please? Given your
glowing review of the VTF-2 (and the many others it has received), I suspect that posting
this information in the "Ask Me" section would cause a number of us who are on
the verge of purchasing the VTF-2 to flock to that dealer. Thanks so much.
Scott
Once an answer posts, I delete the
original with the questioner's e-mail contact from my folder. I no longer have Kirit's
e-mail address. If he reads this post and answers it, we'll be sure to post his response.
One website that sells the Hsu subwoofer is av123.com. I haven't checked their prices
lately, but give them a try.
August 14, 2001
I read your reviews on Axiom M3Ti and M40Ti.
Look very good. In fact, the site is very nice and informative.
I am planning to get the Axiom M22Ti for
front, VP100 center and either M3Ti or M22Ti for rear. I don't know how good the Axiom sub
is, and I was thinking of the Hsu VTF-2 (on sale for $399) compared to Axiom's EP125 or
EP175. The package of M22Ti with M3, VP100 and EP125 is costing me $1000, close to my
budget. If needed, I can spend little more.
I listen to more music than home-theater and
my room is 24'D x 14'W x 10'H. I need advice on:
Which will be the better speaker for the rear?
Which sub should I go for?
Do I really need a very powerful receiver? I am planning to get Denon AVR-1802 (80Wpc)
would this work or do I need to spend more?
I was also seriously considering the Paradigm
Monitor series 5 for front and 3 for rears. Would Paradigm be a better choice?
Kirit
Axiom has sent their M22Ti and EP125 combo
-- review to follow. Until then, I can only say that in my room (same width and height
dimension as yours, but shorter by five feet) the Outlaw 1050 receiver's 70Wpc ($499) work
very well with the Axiom M3Ti. More power is certainly not needed. The Denon should work
just fine.
I can't comment on your question how
Paradigm and Axiom would compare since I haven't done that comparison. (I do have a pair
of Paradigm Atoms for review, though.) Both companies enjoy excellent reputations for
superior products at very fair prices, so you couldn't go wrong with either. Once I get to
the Axiom M22Ti review, I will make comparisons between it and the M3Ti and also compare
the EP125 to the Hsu VTF-2.
August 13, 2001
On the basis of reviews, I have so far thought
of three components: Ah! Tjoeb 4000 CD player, Magnepan MMG speakers, NAD C-370 integrated
amp. These would probably cost about $1700. That is stretching a $1500 budget -- but is it
worth it? Will these components sound good together? Would the tubes in the CD player and
the Maggies together reduce dynamics too far? I am hours away from any half-decent dealer.
Are there other components I should consider in this price range for the kind of music I
listen to? Would I need a sub to go with the MMGs , therefore stretching the budget even
further? My most important sound qualities are: soundstaging and warmth, with dynamics to
spare. Most of my listening is in stereo and includes jazz, blues, classical, classic
rock, and very little else. Occasional home-theater use is anticipated.
Rahim Dhanani
While these three components enjoy a good
reputation, I haven't heard them in combination. Even if I had, who is to say you'd share
my tastes? However, I appreciate your dilemma of not being able to audition locally.
Here's an observation. Your wish for
"dynamics to spare" strikes me as being at cross purposes with panel speakers.
Usually, dynamic-driver speakers have the advantage in dynamics. Adding a subwoofer and
filtering the monitor speakers only tends to enhance that quality. The Axiom M3Ti/Hsu
VTF-2 combo ($775) is one I have personally reviewed and really like. I imagine it would
work very well with the electronic components you mentioned. The Cambridge Audio A300
($299) and A500 ($450) integrated amplifiers are also excellent units you might add to
your list.
If your mind is set on the Magnepans, you
might like to contact the company and tell them about your room and listening tastes. They
should have some good feedback on whether the MMG on its own will suit your needs, or what
subwoofer they feel works well with it.
August 11, 2001
What is the difference between 24k gold CDs
and normal aluminum CDs?
Thomas
Most 24k gold CDs I've come across were
either remasters (say, on the now-defunct Mobile Fidelity label) or so-called audiophile
pressings. I've never been certain whether the superior sonics were not mostly or
exclusively due to extra efforts in the recording or mastering processes rather than the
layer of gold on the actual CD.
August 10, 2001
I found GoodSound! today while at
work and spent several hours this evening reading "Ask Me." I am losing sleep. I
am so impressed with your down-to-earth evaluation of hi-fi, I had to write and ask your
opinion of what digital format you think we need to prepare for.
I have been researching hi-fi the last year in
an attempt to upgrade our old mix of equipment and have been considering equipment which
may be outside your range: used Sunfire amp and preamp, Rotel 991 or Adcom 759 CD player.
My Pioneer reel-to-reel deck will come out of storage as my Dark Side of the Moon,
Tubular Bells, and Eagles Live at 7 1/2 IPS will never be matched by CD.
My Technics SLQ turntable will come out of storage with a new Shure V-15 cartridge as I
have vinyl which most likely will never again be cut in digital format. I will live with a
two-year-old pair of JBL C100 speakers and upgrade when I can. I had to give away my pair
of Pioneer CS99A five-way, six-speaker cabinets as the veneer had peeled on one. They were
not steals, but, they could move a lot of air with 15" woofers.
The SACD format has gained much ground as this
is marketed by Sony and Philips only. Sony and Philips will soon lose their patents on the
CD format they designed and they need a new medium to collect revenues to replace the
seven cents they receive for every CD. Sony Music and a few other labels will cut SACDs.
Problem is, Sony Music owns much of the world's music which will not be available on other
formats unless consumers understand what is going on. HDCD is now owned by Microsoft, the
same Bill Gates who gives you crap for personal-computer operating systems. (Note: My work
is computers. I have help with my IBM midrange systems long before I have help with
Windows crap.)
I vote for DVD-Audio. The problem is, we have
few players. Here is a format which is readily available, with little or no cost, capable
of home theater and audio beyond SACD, and the music world can not move. For what it is
worth, that's my opinion.
Wes Gibson
My position on the new digital formats is
pretty cut and dried: "Let's wait and see." The kind of music I enjoy isn't
mainstream enough to find itself supported by either SACD or DVD-A, at least in the first
few years. The fact is, the 16/44 CD medium has finally matured to where it sounds very
good. I'm not saying that SACD or DVD-A aren't potentially better. I'm saying I don't care
about it until I can purchase ten SACDs or DVD-As every month at Borders or CDNow that
feature the kind of music I now buy on CD. I doubt this will happen anytime soon.
My advice then is to stay put and not
become an early adopter. Universal players are starting to appear. Within a few product
generations, the pricing will plummet and whatever first-generation problems existed will
be engineered out. At that time, I could be tempted to buy one of those machines, even if
the software support was still marginal. Until then, I want musical variety neither SACD
or DVD-A delivers at present, so I'm supporting the good ol' CD format with every spare
penny I've got.
August 9, 2001
Thanks for running a helpful and interesting
site.
My question involves a pair of Spica TC-60s
that I bought in 1995. They excel (when properly positioned) at imaging and soundstaging,
particularly on small-scale acoustic music (chamber music, folk, etc.). However, when
playing loud passages of orchestral music, such as in a Mahler symphony, the soundstage
and imaging become substantially flattened and compressed, losing most of their depth and
breadth. Since I listen to a lot of orchestral music, this is a significant drawback. I'm
wondering whether this is a problem that can be easily resolved by upgrading my associated
equipment, or whether I would be better off putting the Spicas in a secondary system and
getting new speakers.
If you think replacing the associated
equipment would solve my problem, what would you suggest doing? The problem may be poor
amplification -- I'm driving the Spicas with an old Pioneer Pro Logic receiver (circa
1992) that is long-overdue to be replaced. I'm ready to take the plunge on a new amplifier
or receiver, but would like to keep it in the $1000 or below range. Can you recommend
particular components? Due to space and budgetary limitations, my stereo system has to
double as my home theater, so I'd prefer something that can also handle home-theater
duties, but with the emphasis strongly upon two-channel musical reproduction rather than
multiple surround-sound modes (other than basic Dolby Digital, DTS and Pro Logic) or
"bells and whistles." I'm using a Pioneer DVD player as my CD player (along with
a Pioneer laserdisc player), so I'd be interested in a receiver or amp that could make use
of the 24/96 datastream output.
Or would adding a good subwoofer, such as the
Hsu VTF-2 that you reviewed last month, be a better way to improve the Spicas' performance
on orchestral music? If so, what would be a good match for the Spicas. If you think
replacing the Spicas is a better option, can you suggest particular speakers to audition?
My price range runs from $500 to $2000. My tastes run primarily to classical music, from
Bach (and before) to John Adams, and from solo instrumental to massive orchestral works
(Mahler, Bruckner, etc.), with some acoustic folk, blues, jazz and rock thrown in.
I'm not an audio tweaker, so I'd be happy to
find solutions that would last for a long time. I'd appreciate any insights you can share.
Thanks so much.
Scott
The Spicas are veritable soundstage
demons. This always was their unquestioned forte. They're a little soft on the top,
relatively weak in the bass and not very dynamic, but what they do right is very difficult
to improve. I'd definitely hold on to them. Adding a subwoofer, as you suspected, would
solve the bass and dynamics problems. The Hsu VTF-2 may be the perfect choice. For a
receiver that covers all bases, look into the $499 Outlaw 1050. It features sophisticated
bass management also in two-channel mode. You'd defeat the Hsu crossover to use the
electronic one in the receiver instead. These two components will set you back exactly
$1000 plus shipping, but I don't think you could do better -- they're both available
factory-direct, which cuts out the retail middleman and gives you the most bang for the
buck.
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