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Reader Question: DACs - What Do You Recommend?
I am considering replacing my Marantz CD player SA300 with an Oppo BDP-95. I have an older but high quality system consisting of Levinson 23.5 power amp, Roland Consonance Pre, Sota Sapphire Table with SME 309 arm, Wilson Watt II/Puppy III and various cables and interconnects. The weak link in my system seems to have always been my digital component.I just replaced my Theta Transport and DAC with the Marantz player and the improvement in the sound was pretty nice. Now I want to go one strep further regarding digital playback. One of my friends suggested I use the Marantz as a transport and buy a new D/A converter. I live near Nashville, TN and there is no longer a high end store here, so I am relying on your suggestions/recommendations. What do you recommend?
Why are TVs Typically Brighter than Front Projectors?
A front projection system is very different, fundamentally, than a flat panel TV. A front projector is sending light to a passive screen from the front. This has two very important implications: 1) the only way you can get "black" is by the absence of light, and 2) any light hitting the screen also reflects back into the room and causes the potential for true 'black' to decrease. On top of that, a third factor would be that you are also measuring light output from a reflected surface, rather than from the emitted source itself.
Moving Overseas: Voltages and Format Conversions
Importing gear from other countries or taking your gear out of your home country requires a bit of patience and research on your part. It'll take a bit of time to figure out what will work with a plug adapter and what will require a transformer of some sort. You'll have to decide if importing the gear is worth the time and expense. If you move out of the county, you're going to find that a lot of what you have will work with little expense on your part. You may find that it is simply cheaper to sell what you have before you leave and re-buy it in the new country. Regardless, paying attention to the power required and a few other tidbits and you won't be throwing your money away on a piece of gear that won't work in your country.
Ask Dr. A! Too Many HDMI Outputs
Jim from Iowa asks us how in the world he's supposed to make use of all the new HDMI-capable components he has when his TV and AV receiver don't have enough inputs. It's a good question, and one that many people are asking as more and more manufacturers place HDMI into their products. We tackle it a couple of ways to give you options for maintaining a great picture and also retaining the ability to get the best audio quality possible.
No HDMI Output with Component Source
A reader asks Dr. A why he can't view some of his material on the TV he bought. Lots of people run into this problem, so we figured we'd take it to Dr. A for a solution.
Subjective Loudspeaker Reviews - All About Price?
When taking on the task of reviewing products for consumers there are different ways to get across the conclusions and experiences of the reviewer. Objective testing and subjective viewpoints are both presented, and price is also included in the evaluation process. But there are so many methodologies and considerations, how does Audioholics keep it all straight? Frank asks a very valid question and we thought it was good enough to include it for public consumption to outline just how Audioholics handles this issue.
Ask Dr. A! Does Speaker Cable Gauge Matter?
It's been a while since Dr. A answered a reader question so we pulled him away from his 4 month karaoke binge and tossed a new question at him. Seems like Dr. A has an addictive personality so we'll need to keep him a bit more occupied in the future for his own good. This question, from philophobos via our forums, has to do with speaker cable gauge, but we expanded it a bit in our answer to address some other related situations.
Glossary of Electronics Terms
Audio terminology can be very confusing and ambiguous. We talk about things all the time that our readers may not be able to fully understand. Back by popular demand, we've reconstituted our Glossary of Electronics Terms (with some very important updates) and included it here for all to reference as needed. We'll try to keep it updated as we expand our vocabulary and horizons and as technology coins new terms and phrases.
HDMI Audio Transmission for Blu-ray and HD DVD
Ever wonder how the new surround formats are transmitted from the next generation DVD players to the receiver/processor? Our quick interview session with Craig Eggers from Dolby Labs helps shed some light on this subject. Check out this FAQ to learn about HDMI audio transmission and the future for HDMI ver. 1.3 enabled receivers and processors.
Connecting a Motion Actuator to your System ray — August 31, 2004 20:00
Adding Surrounds or Not — August 30, 2004 20:00
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