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Can I Use a Stereo Amp to Power One Speaker?
Al Griffin  |  Feb 26, 2015  |  0 comments
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Q Will I damage a stereo amplifier by using it to amplify only one channel—in this case, my system’s center speaker?—Richard Regan

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Can I Use AirPlay 2 With Both Wireless and Wired Speaker Setups?
Al Griffin  |  May 19, 2020  |  0 comments
Is there an amp or integrated amp with Apple’s AirPlay 2 that I can use to power my passive JBL towers while simultaneously streaming music to multiple Apple HomePod speakers? —Marc Rocard
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Can I Use All Ceiling Speakers In an Atmos Setup?
Al Griffin  |  Aug 14, 2019  |  0 comments
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Q Is it possible to install a Dolby Atmos 5.1.2 or 5.1.4 configuration using only in-ceiling speakers with directional tweeters? —Felix Diezel, via email

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Can I Use an AV Receiver with Electrostatic Speakers?
Al Griffin  |  Nov 21, 2013  |  1 comments
Q I have been reading A/V magazines for years, as well as conducting my own research, and am still a little confused about how to select the right amplifier to use with MartinLogan electrostatic speakers. The literature I’ve read clearly indicates that the ohm rating of a receiver is just as important, or more so, than its wattage per channel when considering an A/V receiver to pair with speakers. Does the ohm rating of MartinLogan electrostatic speakers make them incompatible with typical AVRs?
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Can I Use an External Amp with an Atmos Receiver?
Al Griffin  |  Apr 20, 2016  |  2 comments
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Q Help! Perhaps it's the case that I don't understand the Dolby Atmos specifications, but I get the impression that if I build an Atmos system with four height channels, I will also need to purchase an expensive receiver.

I want the unit I buy to handle both two-channel analog music and big-budget films with multichannel soundtracks. Is there such thing as a receiver that can process Dolby Atmos soundtracks for a 5.1.4-channel speaker layout but also let me use a high-end stereo amp to power the front channels? —Joshua Gonzalez, Houston, TX

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Can I Use an OLED TV for Bright Room Viewing?
Al Griffin  |  May 26, 2020  |  0 comments
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Q My house has a well-lit living room where I watch TV. Are OLED sets bright enough to use in that space, or should I buy an LCD TV instead? —Paul G.

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Can I Use Back Surround Speakers If My Couch Is Against the Wall?
Al Griffin  |  May 02, 2019  |  0 comments
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Q I’ve got a smallish 10 x 12-foot viewing room. The room’s size isn’t necessarily a problem, but the seating is a modular couch set all the way against the back wall. Can I get any value out of in-wall surrounds right behind or beside the seating? —Robert Greenwalt, via email

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Can I Use Bipolar Side Surrounds in an Atmos Setup?
Al Griffin  |  Nov 17, 2021  |  0 comments
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Q I read your response to a reader who asked about using dipolar speakers as surrounds in an Atmos system. You recommended “losing any side-mounted dipole surround speakers in the system and replacing them with properly positioned direct-radiating models.” Does that same advice hold for bipolar surrounds? —Darryl Brooks, via email

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Can I Use Ceiling Speakers as Surrounds in an Atmos Setup?
Al Griffin  |  Apr 26, 2018  |  0 comments
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Q I want to install a Dolby Atmos 5.1.2 speaker configuration using ceiling speakers for both overhead height effects and the left/right surrounds. How would you recommend I go about positioning the speakers? —Tuck Seng

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Can I Use Cloud Backups With a Music Server?
Al Griffin  |  Mar 01, 2018  |  0 comments
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Q My Windows-based Music Server (MediaMonkey) recently died and I want to replace it with one that supports music streaming services and will let me control playback with a tablet. I spent many hours ripping FLAC versions of my CD collection. Those files were stored on my PC’s hard drive, and I had them backed up offsite using iCloud. Here’s my question: If I buy a standalone music server like the Elac Discovery or Bluesound Vault 2, how can I restore access to my music collection that’s now sitting in the cloud? Also, can you backup data directly from the Elac or Bluesound servers to storage services like iCloud? —Jacques Simard

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Can I Use Different Brands of Subwoofers in My Home Theater?
Al Griffin  |  Apr 27, 2015  |  1 comments
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Q Can I use two different brands of subwoofers in my home theater?—Alphonse Michelet / via e-mail

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Can I Use Different Wireless Speakers With Sonos?
Al Griffin  |  Dec 17, 2015  |  1 comments
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Q Are different wireless speakers compatible with each other? I own several Sonos speakers, but have recently noticed more top-line speaker makers (e.g., Definitive Technology, Polk) starting to distribute their own. As I continue expanding my wireless hook-ups, I’m wondering if I'm locked-in to using just Sonos? —Stephen Romanelli

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Can I Use Dipole Height Speakers for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X?
Al Griffin  |  Jun 18, 2015  |  15 comments
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Q I have a 7.1-channel surround system with four dipole surround speakers. My plan is to move the back surround speakers to the ceiling in my home theater and use them for down-firing height speakers in a Dolby Atmos 5.1.2 setup.  The room is 12 x 20 feet with a flat, 8-foot-high ceiling. Will I get a good Atmos experience with this setup? How will it work for DTS:X? —Dan Spaughs

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Can I Use Dipole Speakers as Atmos Height Speakers?
Al Griffin  |  Nov 13, 2017  |  2 comments
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Q I currently use dipole speakers as the side surrounds in a 7.1-channel configuration. My plan is to upgrade to an Atmos setup and replace the side surround speakers with direct-radiating models. Here’s my question: Could I use my existing dipole surrounds as Atmos height speakers? —Nick Ward / via e-mail

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Can I Use Dipole Speakers in a 7.1.4 Atmos Setup?
Al Griffin  |  Jul 20, 2017  |  0 comments
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A Here’s a question that has probably been asked and answered a thousand times. I plan to upgrade my system from a 7.1-channel to a 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos configuration. Should I replace my current dipole surround speakers with direct-radiating speakers? Also, which 11.2-channel AV receivers should I consider buying? —Dave Brown / via e-mail

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