• 03-14-2005, 09:51 AM
    jocko_nc
    New Equipment Observations...
    Guys:

    As some of you know, I recently rekindled my interest in audio equipment after neary 15 years with essentially the same equipment. I moved into 5 channel sound, which I had previously considered cheesy for music, and went for a HT setup.

    Current Equipment:

    Toshiba 52 DLP HDTV
    Toshiba progressive scan DVD
    DirecTV HDTV receiver
    Yamaha RXV-650 receiver
    Carver Receiver
    Sony 200 CD changer
    Vandersteen 2Ce
    MTX 6 1/2 two-way ceiling speakers
    no center

    I have had some time to screw around with this stuff now. Some initial observations.

    The Yamaha receiver does not have the punch to drive the inefficient Vandersteen speakers. If someone were to buy this setup, I can really see how he might blame the speakers for sucking, for being completely overrated. Driven by the Yamaha, the sound is nothing like I am used to. Fortunately, I am using the pre-outs and run the mains off the amp section of the old Carver. Ahhhhhhhh. I think vintage Carver stuff is ideally suited for these speakers.

    The progressive scan DVD (circa 2001 24/192MHz) has much more resolution than whatever the Sony (circa 1998) has in it. I could clearly hear the difference when I first played music CD's through the DVD player. (Since I took out some furniture I do not have space for that huge Sony unit.)

    The preamp section of the Yamaha is significantly cleaner that that of the Carver. I guess that is to be expected, given the age of the latter. Just as I heard more through the DVD, I heard more through the Yamaha preamp. My music sounds better than ever. YeeHaw.

    Through the Yamaha unit, the overall gain was much less that I am used to. At default settings, I can run the Yamaha at full tilt and only get half of the output from the Carver. ???. Not good, I need the juice. +10 dB setting seems to even it out.

    I am surprised how little sound comes from the "rears" of a 5.1 movie. I have not really evaluated the rears with music yet. With HT is is difficult to get a good listen.

    So far I am only switching the audio through the Yamaha receiver. The TV is still set up like it was, doing the video switching. I can run CD music via either the composite digital or the R/L analog as either DVD Audio or CD Audio inputs, respectively. Though they sound the same to me, I tend to use the analog since it seems "more direct" to me. Ha.

    HD proadcasting will flat-out spoil a man for anything else. We just had to buy the full DirecTV package now. HBO in HD is great.

    There are way too many functions of marginal or no value in the AV receiver. It really is overkill. Why those stupid processed "sound fields" Save them for the Bose crowd, my parents included.

    I have a new piece of furniture coming soon. Some local good 'ol boys are building a Sanus knock-off for me, the expensive all-wood one. This is Hickory NC, we have retired furniture people everywhere. They will work for beer and cig money. Soon I will post some pics.

    Thanks for the assistance during this.

    jocko
  • 03-16-2005, 09:08 AM
    shokhead
    Jsut a post,no question? :confused:
  • 03-17-2005, 07:29 AM
    jocko_nc
    Nope. Just observations...