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To Keep or Not to Keep Bose 401 Speakers
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 12, 2012  |  11 comments
I'm trying to develop a home-theater system. I am definitely a neophyte, not an audiophile, and based on your reviews, I fit into the entry-level price range. I have a pair of Bose 401 speakers in very good shape, and I like them. Also, I thought the money saved by using these could be put into other components. I don't know what surround speakers, center speaker, and subwoofer to buy that are compatible with the 401s. I'm also going to purchase a new A/V receiver and Blu-ray player.

Currently, I'm considering the Pioneer VSX-1021 or Onkyo TX-SR609 AVR and the Samsung BD-D6700 Blu-ray player. After that I have no idea what to do. What subwoofer, center channel and surround sound speakers do I buy to go with the Bose 401s? Perhaps the Bose 161s? Or do I just forget it and buy a complete speaker system? If so, which one?

Brent Gardner

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Top of the Line Plasma
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 26, 2011  |  9 comments
I'm in the market for a high-quality plasma TV, and I have narrowed the choices to two: Samsung PN64D8000 and Panasonic TC-P65VT30. I have gone to three high-end A/V stores in New York City and was told that the Samsung ranks better than the Panasonic. But I was in a Best Buy store today and was told that nobody comes close to the Panasonic, especially since it is THX-certified. How do you rate these two models?

Michael Quinones

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Top-of-the-Line TV Shopping
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 26, 2011  |  2 comments
I'd like your help deciding on a new LED LCD TV. I was going to purchase a Samsung UN46C8000 in January based on Home Theater's review, but then I saw the D8000 series at CES and decided to wait for that TV. The UN55D8000 is finally available in my area, but I have not seen many reviews of it other than on CNET, which says it "exhibits poor screen uniformity with excessive brightness variation and banding." Do you have any experience with this TV model? Is it an improvement over the C8000? Is there a comparable television from another manufacturer that I should consider?

Luke Salsman

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Torn Between Two AVRs
Scott Wilkinson  |  Feb 24, 2012  |  7 comments
I have a dedicated 400-square-foot theater room with a 7.1 surround system used entirely for movie viewing. I currently have a Pioneer VSX-1019 A/V receiver and plan on replacing it with either an Anthem MRX 700 or Arcam AVR400. I am torn between these two models. The Anthem has great room correction and video processing, while the Arcam has more power and lower distortion. I'm looking for the most enveloping sound experience.

Greg Barnett

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TosLink Switcher
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 27, 2011  |  1 comments
I bought a new TV based on your suggestions, but I found a problem when hooking it up. I have a Yamaha receiver that has only two TosLink optical digital-audio inputs and one coax. But in order to hook up my computer, I need a third optical input. Can you recommend a TosLink switcher?

Brad McQuade

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Training, Crossover, Pass-Through
Scott Wilkinson  |  Apr 21, 2009  |  46 comments
Career Training
I am interested in learning home-theater installation as a career path. Can you suggest a training program I should look into?
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Trials and Tribulations with an Outboard Phono Preamp
Al Griffin  |  Mar 30, 2015  |  1 comments
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I have a Denon receiver. Since the receiver has no phono input, I purchased a Pfantone AMP2 phono preamp so I could play records through it. The preamp works, but the volume level is low, even with the Denon’s volume turned all the way up. A friend suggested that the preamp simply doesn’t have the power to provide full stereo sound. Is this correct, or is there some other explanation? —Shaun Herron / via e-mail

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Troubleshooting a ‘Strange Sounding’ Speaker
Al Griffin  |  Apr 07, 2016  |  3 comments
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I’m wondering if my center speaker is damaged. When I watch movies with 5.1 soundtracks, voices sometimes sound strange, as if the actor is speaking with a lisp. I seem to hear it most with movies streamed from Netflix, and occasionally on cable movie channels like HBO. Do you know of any test DVDs or other material I can use to evaluate my system and speaker set up? —Craig A. Childress / Lake Charles, LA

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Tube Amp Warmth
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 22, 2011  |  1 comments
I've been reading about tube amps and the warmth of the sound they produce. Will a tube amp work with an A/V receiver if there is a digital amp already in the receiver? It seems to me that it wouldn't because the sound has already gone through a digital amp and you can't get back to the original quality.

Bob Spencer

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Tube Amps, Best Connections, Ripping Music
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 25, 2010  |  10 comments
More Power!
How is it that tube amps only produce, say, 25 watts of power, and yet they provide enough output to drive speakers rated for hundreds of watts?
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TV & AVR Shopping
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 30, 2011  |  1 comments
I am in the market for some new gear—specifically, a new plasma and receiver. Is Home Theater planning to do a review of the Panasonic VT30 any time soon? I expect it to improve upon the VT25, but I would like to hear it from you or Tom Norton before I get it.

On the receiver front, I would like your opinion on the Denon AVR-4311CI versus AVR-4810CI. What are the differences between the two? In your opinion, do those differences or features justify the 4810CI's extra cost?

Spencer Torgan

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TV Disappointment, Vizio 3D, Closed Captioning
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 08, 2011  |  4 comments
I'm unhappy with the LCD TV I bought, any suggestions? What do you think of the Vizio XVT3D650SV? Is there a TV that displays closed captions when you mute the volume?
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TV for HTPC
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 21, 2011  |  8 comments
Is it be better to connect a plasma or LCD TV to an HTPC? I want to use it for watching movies, surfing the web, and playing games.

Steve Norene

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TV Headphone Listening
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 12, 2011  |  3 comments
I own a Sony KDL-40V4100 LCD TV, and I need to use headphones when I watch TV at night, but the TV doesn't have a headphone output. How can I connect headphones to the TV?

Mel

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TV on Blu-ray, Sound Problems, Misdirected Audio
Scott Wilkinson  |  Apr 21, 2010  |  8 comments
To Boldly Go
Like you, I am a fan of Star Trek (the original series) on Blu-ray, and I'm wondering if other TV shows I love will possibly be transferred to Blu-ray. What is required for old shows like these to go from standard-definition to high def? Can any show be converted to Blu-ray or do they have to be recorded in a particular format? What does the process involve?
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