Hello again everyone. Well I have had the Monster hts-3600 for about a week now and I HAVE noticed some improvement with sound and video. As far as sound goes, I have noticed cleaner and more powerful bass since this power center has been hooked up. The biggest difference I have noticed is in the video dept. Whe I watch regular cable TV(no digital) I noticed a huge improvement in picture clarity. I ran my cable connections through the power center and the difference was awsome! I also noticed a little better picture when playing dvds as well. Hope this helps anyone thinking of getting one. I am happy with the power center, Paradigm speakers are next!!

You can find a cable filter for about $20 that will reproduce what you're seeing on the cable line.

oh man, the flame war is about to begin.....good luck everyone!

Hopefully everyone is too exhausted from the "receivers having different sound qualities" post!

Glad it's working well for you. Thanks for the update, I've often wondered if they were any more than a glorified surge protector.

If you're happy with it, don't listen to what anyone else says! (because I'm sure they will!)

Where can I find that cable filter Semi?

Do a Google search for "cable RF filter". Alternatively, you could probably bitch to your cable company about their RF leak, though cable companies tend to be unsupportive in my experience.

Incidentally, for all those that have ever wondered at my rather direct posting style in debate, you can get a good insight into where that comes from in a new thread at Ars regarding speaker wire.

http://arstechnica.infopop.net/OpenTopic/page?a=tpc&s=50009562&f=67909965&m=6660975975

Franco,

Perhaps it would be useful for people here if you can tell us whether you see the improvement of picture quality when you only use the cable filter on the Monster (without using the power conditioning).

Semi is correct that sometimes if you bitch enough to your local cable company they will bring a tech and install a cable filter or even a drop amp. They did that with mine because the old place had poor old wiring (really old loft). The static on my cable TV disappeared and the picture was very clean and clear.
This is something what they installed.
http://electroline.com/en/products/drop_amplifiers/era/index.html
click on products...drop amplifiers...ERA 4100
I have the old 2400 model.
They also carry straight filters without a boost that the drop amps have. These products should be free from the cable companies. If not I believe they are less than $100 CDN depending on what model.

If you need pictures of my cable picture before drop amp and after I can supplies those too. No more static and fuzzy screen. But cable picture isnt the greatest to begin with.

I have bitched to my cable company for years about the damn filteration and bad signal! They have hooked up different filters , amps, and other crap time after time!!!! Now, FINALLY, this monster thing did SOMETHING. Like SPIFFNME said, I DON'T GIVE A RAT'S ASS WHAT ANYONE SAYS, THIS POWER CENTER DID DO SOMETHING!!!!

OK dude, chill.

Glad it worked for you.

Oye...I said DON'T listen to them.

It'll be alright.

Close your eyes and imagine you are in your happy place. Breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth. You're in your happy place now. No one can bother you there. The sky is blue, the sun is shining, birds are chirping. There's the quiet summer sound of crickets in the fields...and everyone shares the same opinion on cables, filters, and amps. A smile slowly forms on your lips. Your smile slowly melts across your body, taking away all your anger and frustration. You're bathing in a smile...rinsing away all the tension.

In through the nose, out through the mouth...in through the nose, out through the mouth...

Now don't you feel much better?

Those who enjoyed reading the link in nowave's line conditioner thread in which the saga of NulloModo vs the engineers was played out may be interested(if you're in a somewhat sadistic mood) in this discussion of optical vs coaxial digital connects in which poor Nullo is even more unmercifully skewered by DriverGuru.

Spiff,

I believe the concept is known as a "cleansing breath"!

Just tryin' to help the fella' chill a bit. He got kinda freaked.

There should be some sort of warning as you enter the Axiom boards...

"WARNING YOU ARE NOW ENTERING A 'EVERYTHING SOUNDS THE SAME EXCEPT SPEAKERS AREA.' ANY TALK OF CABLES, AMPS, RECEIVERS, FILTERS, AND SO FORTH MAKING AN AUDIBLE DIFFERENCE WILL NOT BE TOLLERATED."

As much as Franco may have freaked, some of you guys here need to relax as well.

I'll second that one.

You second which part, Ken?

And Craig, you forgot the spaker break-in!!! hehe...

But seriously, I myself wouldn't assert things that strong. I would rather keep myself open, especially to the potential sound differences due to the digital-domain processing algorithms and the DAC/ADC circuits. I keep myself open to the issue of long-term speaker break-in, too, depending on the brands and the materials used (when it comes to the Axioms, I do follow Ian though, who has openly stated that his speakers do NOT need a lengthy break-in).

It is just that I haven't had a convincing personal experience so far on some of these controversial areas.

I'm very curious of all the Axiom board members who are adamant about the lack of scientific evidence for speaker "break-in", amps, cables, filters, etc - how many are atheists?

That Carl Sagan story about the invisible dragon is certainly NOT about audio equipment.

I've tried to stay out of this fray...but alas I cannot hold out any longer.

Here are my thoughts (I say this like anyone gives a rat's backside...)

1) Speaker break-in: I have no evidence, but given what I've heard, and what simply makes sense to me - I belive a) it's entirely dependent on what materials the speakers are made of, b) "brain" break-in plays a LARGE roll and c) does it matter why? If it sounds different to you after a week, then it sounds different. Who cares why?

2) Separate Amps vs All-in-One recievers: I again have little experience, BUT - When I switched from my flagship Onkyo TX-SV919thx reciever to my Rotel separates, I DID notice the bass tighten up. Nothing earth shattering, but it did sound better.

3) Speaker cables - This is one area I've actually tested at home. (I don't even want to hear about the fact that my test wasn't double blind, yadda, yadda, yadda - we've all heard it before.) I switched back and forth several times between standard 12awg copper wire and a pair of Monster Z2 Reference cables. There was a difference, but MINOR. If I had to do it again, I'd save my money and stick with straight 12awg cable. It was that minor.

4) Line "conditioners" - Can't say anything, because I have zero experience with them.

5) Video cables - My experience has been that jumping from single RCA to S-Video makes a HUGE difference in picture quality and brightness. Jumping from an el cheapo S-Video cable to a $50 Monster S-Video cable makes little to no difference. Again it shows that a "standard grade" cable gives you great results - get a quality built cable, but don't go nuts with exotics.

5) I believe nothing based on blind faith. But at the same time, if I personally HEAR a difference, I don't need a 20 page document of scientific data to prove it to me. I trust my ears - even if they are being duped, I still hear what I hear. All the graphs and flow charts in the world won't change that.

'Nuff Said (from me at least)

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I feel much better now. Now, I am interested in purchasing a set of Paradigm mini monitors, how do you guys and gals feel about those speakers? I went to a store where there are nothing but audiophiles in there and the owner told me to go with the mini monitors because of my budget. I asked him what he thought of JBL's, the first thing he said was"Oh, Junk But Loud?". I have never owned JBL home speakers but have owned JBL car audio speakers and they were pretty damn good! I also know that the local movie theaters in the city I live in use JBL speakers. What is everyones opinion on this one, and don't worry I won't freak out.

My experience with Paradigms is that Axioms are much better. The equivalent to the mini-monitors would be the M2s or the M3s. Why not check those out?

Sushi, I seconded the bit about everyone needs to chill out.

Spiffnme, I've gotta agree with most of the stuff you said. I'm not sure about the speaker cable, but whatever. Oh damn, I just put myself in between the camps! Aaaa!

My sister-in-law has some little JBLs in her HT and hooked up to a HK receiver they sound pretty good. I'm not sure what model they are, but I think they sound pretty good. Not as detailed as my M60s and without much bass extension, but they still sound nice - soft, warm, not muddy or wooly. Pretty darn good actually.

I don't believe anything anyone tells me if they're trying to sell me something. My old grandad was fond of saying, "Don't believe anything that you hear, and only half of what you see." Seems like good advice, particularly when dealing with vendors of hi-fi equipment.

In reply to:

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"Don't believe anything that you hear, and only half of what you see."

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My version would be: "Hear the speakers, not the salespeople."