Week of March 19, 2006 Q: I have a Toshiba HDTV with a 1080p display. Does it convert the 480p signal from my progressive-scan DVD player to 1080p? Do I gain anything from an upconverting DVD player (such as the Oppo 971) if my Toshiba is already outputting a 1080p display? In any event, I’m […]
Week of March 12, 2006 Q: Where might I be able repair my 1968 vintage Panasonic receiver? It has magnificent sound that few microchip-based systems can equal. Any referrals or help you can give to get my old war horse back in service? -R.E. Clark, Edgeworth, PA A: Audio equipment repairs are […]
Week or March 5, 2006 Q: I am writing regarding rooftop antennas. I dropped cable once the price reached an obscene $53/mo and satellite is not an option because neighbor has 1 tree blocking line of sight. (ironically, the ONLY sky obstruction anywhere). I live on top of a hill, and www.antennaweb.org says that […]
Week of February 26, 2006 Q: Are a center channel and a subwoofer necessary for Dolby surround sound? -Art Dervaes, State College, PA A: Necessary? No. Prefereable? Usually, but not always. You can get satisfying surround sound without a center channel and/or a subwoofer, meaning only four speakers, front left-right and surround left-right, are used […]
Week of February 19, 2006 Q: I want to have a “music room” in my house, the choice being between a small, unused bedroom (10 x 11) and a fairly large lower level (30 x 30). A good pair of tower speakers would overwhelm the space in the small bedroom, but I’m wondering whether […]
Week of February 5, 2006 Q: I have been copying home videos to DVD with a DVD recorder. Recently there have been reports of the purple dyes in recordable CDs deteriorating. The blank DVDs also appear to have a purple substrate. I plan on not recording over the original tapes, but could you give me […]
Q: We have tried unsuccessfully to have our Technics turntable repaired at the local authorized repair shop. Could you advise us where-oh-where we could buy a new turntable, and which brand you would recommend? We still have many LP records which we would love to be able to listen to, although when CDs […]
Week or January 22, 2006 Q: Bill Gates, (and others) have proclaimed that DVDs and CDs are obsolete and will be replaced by hard drive storage and Internet distribution as soon as 2014. Many in the movie, music and computer industries seem to favor a pay-per-use entertainment model in which consumer ownership is replaced […]
Week or January 15, 2006 Q: I have an Olympus C-765 Ultra Zoom. This is a great camera for long distance shots with a 10X zoom and 4 megapixels. What setting should I use to get this camera to take good pictures inside (in a school gymnasium at a wrestling […]
Week of January 7, 2006 Q: Our 18 yr old console TV’s reception is becoming worse and soon we’ll have to replace it. I would like to go with a flat screen, HDTV model- however, I haven’t seen any that come in a console. Our house is small and does not have a family or […]
Week of December 4, 2005 Q: Recently I purchased a iPod Mini. I love it, but I cannot play it in or through my car audio system; a 2000 Toyota Camry. We have looked at various device, most seem to operate on a FM band, akin to the old FM converters of the late 1970’s. […]
Week of November 13, 2005 Q: When watching television, the voices are quite often drowned out by the music and/or sound effects. As you know, TV speakers are usually quite inadequate so to get better sound we hooked it up to a receiver and 3 medium quality speakers, left, right, and center. That arrangement works […]
Week of November 6th, 2005 Q: I have seen you throw out the term “bookshelf speaker” or “bookshelf-sized speaker”. What’s the definition and context for that term as you use it? -Phil Pyram, Shoreview, Minn. A: A bookshelf speaker is one that fits comfortably on a bookshelf and is somewhat larger than the tiny teacup-sized […]
Week of October 30th, 2005 Q: I read your excellent column that was ran recently regarding speaker wire. Do you feel the same concepts hold true for connector cables? That is, that there is no perceptible difference between most connector cables (assuming we’re comparing similar connection types). Specifically, I’m wondering if the difference in HDMI […]
Week of October 23rd, 2005 Q: In a recent column you comment that you operate your own home system with large front speakers and forego a subwoofer. I also took notice when you wrote on your website that, even with a subwoofer, the front side speakers need to be big enough to handle the upper […]
Week of October 16, 2005 Q: What is the best location to place a subwoofer? I have been told ideal placement of a in a corner with walls extending 6 feet. If this placed the woofer behind a large TV in a wood cabinet with the center channel speaker, would there be any ill effects, […]
Week of October 9, 2005 Q: I have always wanted a DVD recorder, but until now the prices were a bit too high. Now I can buy a DVD recorder for $100 and it is tempting. However, with advances in Digital TV and HDTV, I am again thinking I should wait a bit longer. A […]
Week of October 2, 2005 Q: I am wondering if 12 gauge speaker wire is necessary or is 14 gauge all right? I am considering using 60 to 75 feet of wire. Also, could you say something about connectors please? What do you recommend overall? John Lindborg Rogers, MN A: .For connectors, bare wire, while […]
Q: I have reel-to-reel tape audio recordings of my children singing. How do I transfer them to CD? -Robin Torres Cincinnati, OH A: The easiest way to transfer any audio recording to CD is with a component CD recorder. Think of it like a cassette deck that records on CD. Your reel-to-reel tape machine with […]
Q: have a question about headphones. I have an iRiver H10 MP3 player. The earbuds that came with the player are adequate but not great. So I replaced them with some Sony in-ear headphones. They sound terrific but they are uncomfortable to wear for more than a half hour or so. Now I’ve switched over […]
