Extra Speakers, Progressive Scan, NAD Receivers

Q: After this past xmas I now have two extra Sony 5.1 surround speakers. Is there a correct way to add these speakers to my back speakers without lowering the sound quality of what I already have set up? I don't have any more plugs left in the receiver. I was thinking of splicing them.

Audioholics: Before you do this, ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish by adding more speakers. More does not always mean better. You can connect them in parallel with your Receiver, but this drops the load impedance with your amplifier in half. You risk overheating your amp which may in turn shut it down temporarily. You can try this, but make sure your Receiver is properly ventilated and continually monitor your Receiver to determine if excessive heat build-up resulted in this configuration.

Q: Hello, I was just wondering what they mean when they say a DVD player has progressive scan. Thank You.

Audioholics: Progressive scan is basically a non interlaced video signal.

Q: I am really curious as to what Axiom and Paradigm setups you intend to review per your 9/11/02 post, or if the review is still even in the works. Do you have a release date in mind?

I'm trying to compare Axiom M60s and Paradigm Studio/60s (and accompanying center/surrounds) but no dealers I can find in the US or Canada carry both lines for a direct comparison. They both sound great on their own.

Audioholics: We plan on reviewing Axiom Audio's flagship speaker line (M80ti, VP150, QS8, EP350) speaker package within the next couple of months, followed by a new line of Speakers from Paradigm to be announced. In the meantime, we encourage you to review our other Speaker Face Off Reviews.

Q: Have you or anyone else on your staff checked out the NAD T752 or T762 receivers that recently came out? In general, how do you feel about NAD products? Also wondering if you have any experiences with the Rotel amps, receivers or processors? Are their products any good? Currently looking at rsp 1066, rmb 1075 and rsx 1055.

Audioholics: We have not yet had the opportunity to review the NAD or Rotel product lines you are inquiring about. However both of these companies offer truly high performance products for consumers on a budget. They typically are not stuffed with useless features and dedicate most of theit budget in their designs into relevant sound quality. I have hear Rotel amps in the past and was very impressed by them. In fact, Rotel was my first true experience to high end equipment.

Q: Is the Onkyo TX-SR600 a mid-fi receiver? I ask only because I have a pair of 4-ohm floorstanding speakers and am yet to buy a receiver. Any suggestions as to a decent model would be appreciated.

Audioholics: The TX-SR600 model you refer to is Onkyo's middle of the road Receiver in their product line. There is more to consider about how well a speaker will work with a particular receiver than just the speakers impedance. Many 4 ohm speakers may provide as easy/hard of a load as an 8 ohm speaker. Consider looking at the speakers sensitivity as well. A speaker with 90dB SPL @1 meter will require only half the applied power of a speaker with a sensitivity of 87dB SPL @ 1 meter to achieve similar loudness. If you like to play your music loudly, and you have your system in a large living room for example, you should choose the most powerful Receiver within your budget.

For more info, read our FAQ on 4-ohm Speaker Load Considerations.