Al Griffin

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Can I Use a Receiver as a Separate Power Amp?
Al Griffin  |  Sep 18, 2014  |  3 comments
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Q I own a Pioneer Elite VSX-49TXi receiver that I’m using in a bedroom system because it lacks HDMI connections. My plan is to upgrade the Onkyo receiver in my theater room with a Marantz pre-pro plus a power amp. Here’s my question: Could I use the Pioneer receiver purely as a power amp connected to the Marantz pre-pro? —Rick Jennings, Hollister, CA

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Can I Use a Sonos Speaker Outdoors?
Al Griffin  |  Aug 05, 2015  |  0 comments
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Q I’m shopping for an outdoor speaker to use on my back patio and was leaning toward Sonos. Here are my questions: Can I stream audio to Sonos speakers via Bluetooth from my iPhone? Also, are Sonos speakers able to both play tracks from my computer’s iTunes library and stream them from Apple Music? —Jim Flynn

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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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