Log inQ. Which TV display technology is best? LCD or Plasma? Some store sales people claim that plasma sets use twice as much power as LCD sets. Others say that plasma screens have better “blacks”. Can you enlighten me?
March 17, 2011
LCD or Plasma as the Best TV Display Technology?
March 1, 2011
Speaker Delay: How to Set Up Surround Sound Speakers?
Q. I have two QS8s in the rear corners of my room. I’m confused by the speaker setup menu in my Yammi RXV 1300 receiver. When it asks how many feet away for the QS8 surround speakers, is it asking the distance from the mains, or how many feet away from my listening position? I believe this deals with speaker delay? How is this done? — Dan
A. The Yamaha speaker setup menu is asking you the distance in feet between your listening position and the QS8 surrounds. The reason you must set this correctly involves compensation for a peculiarity of human hearing–our tendency to locate a close-up sound before one that’s a little farther away.
Log inFebruary 24, 2011
Why is “delay” important for DVD-Audio or SACD surround music systems?
Q. I keep seeing criticisms on audio forums of the new DVD-Audio and SACD high-resolution audio formats that suggest that “they have no bass management or delay.” I know what bass management is, but why is “delay” important for DVD-Audio or SACD surround music systems? What is DVD audio delay? — M.B.
A. One of the most acute abilities of human hearing is our knack for instantly sensing the direction and intensity of specific sounds. If we lacked this ability, there wouldn’t be much fun in stereo or home theater multi-channel surround sound, and more important, this directional hearing ability plays a huge role in self-preservation.
Log inFebruary 23, 2011
Stereo Speaker Placement: Where to Put M3 Bookshelf Speakers?
Q. I have a dedicated listening room of 10ft 4in X 19ft 6in. What is the manufacturer’s recommendation for stereo speaker placement of the m3s? Thank you for your time,
— Aaron
A. The general guidelines for stereo speaker placement apply to the M3s as they would to any compact loudspeaker: Keep them away from corners (which will unnaturally boost the bass output) and separate them by about half your listening distance. You want to achieve a smooth, continuous soundstage across the front with no “hole-in-the-middle” effect. The latter is a symptom of too wide separation between the two speakers.
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