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August 2004
11
Affordable Excellence in Home-Theater,
Stereo, Film, and Music
Features
7
16
21
© Copyright 2004, Absolute Multimedia
AVguide Monthly
3
From the Editor
4
Letters
7
The Future's so Bright…
V, Inc. Vizio RP-56 DLP RPTV
11
World's First ...
Sharp SD-HX500 1-Bit Digital
AVR/Universal Player
16
Hot New Middleweight Contender
Denon AVR 3805
21
Magical Sound, Magical Price
Naim Nait 5i Integrated Amp
24
To Build a Fine, Small System, VI
Monster Power Conditioner Refer
ence PowerCenter HTS 3500
Chang Power Conditioner
CLS305
27
Desktop Home Theater:
Multichannel PC Soundcards,
Part 1
Turtlebeach Catalina &
Sound Blaster Audigy 2ZS Platinum
Pro Soundcard
32
A Remote so Sophisticated it's…
Simple
Logitech Harmony 688 "Internet
Powered" Universal Remote
Page 2
AVguide Monthly
From the Editor
New Faces of Convergence
T
o hear some enthusiasts tell it, Audio and Video are, and ever
will be, worlds separate unto themselves. This is not, of
course, to suggest that music people can't enjoy films, or vice
versa (I like to think our readers enjoy both), but rather to observe
that systems and components often seem skewed in favor of one
medium over the other. But, does it have to be that way? What if
there were products whose strengths could simultaneously
enhance music and film playback? Couldn't those kinds of true
"convergence" products help enthusiasts find meaningful common
ground? I think they could.
Are convergence products purely imaginary, pie-in-the-sky concepts? Not at all. In fact, they're here and ready to be enjoyed
right now if you know where to look for them, as several of the
products covered in this issue of A\Vguide Monthly vividly demonstrate.
First, let me direct your attention to this month's "Desktop Home
Theater" column, where Jerry Sommers begins a survey of affordable, high-performance, multichannel, DVD-Audio ready, PC
soundcards. If you think about it, that last sentence says a mouthful. It says that, with the investment of just a small amount of time
and money, you could transform that beast-of-burden PC on your
desktop into a highly capable DVD-Audio/Video player that could
take your enjoyment of music and films to a whole new level.
How's that for cool?
Next, let me humbly urge you to check out my review of Sharp's
surprising SD-HX500, which I believe is the world's very first combination 1-bit digital AVR/universal player (talk about "do-it-all" products!). Not only can the Sharp handle just about any format of silver disc you'd care to throw at it, but it can also—thanks to its distinctive 1-bit digital amplifier technology—play those discs with
remarkable resolution and finesse. And therein lies the biggest surprise of all: This clever, affordable A/V component puts high-performance music and film playback within reach for almost anyone
(including those on modest budgets, and/or those put off by the
setup complexities of traditional A/V systems).
In the end, convergence products are all about making our
home entertainment experiences richer, deeper, and more accessible. If products like these help more of us discover the delights of
music and film in the home, then the forces of convergence will
have served us well.
Enjoy.
Chris Martens
Publisher/Editor
Chris Martens
Web Producer
Jerry Sommers
info@avguide.com
Copy Editor
Sallie Reynolds
Acquisitions
Neil Gader
A/V Visionary
Harry Pearson (founder of The Absolute Sound
and The Perfect Vision)
Advisors
Mark Fisher, Robert Harley, Thomas B.
Martin, Jr.
Reviewers
Jim Hannon, Chris Martens, Thomas B.
Martin, Jr., Sallie Reynolds, Jerry Sommers,
Thuus Thompson, Randy Tomlinson, Mike
Woods
Absolute Multimedia, Inc.
Chairman and CEO
Thomas B. Martin, Jr.
Vice President,
Publisher TAS & TPV
Mark Fisher
AVguide Monthly
Advertising
Chris Martens
512.334.4515
Web Producer
Jerry Sommers
info@avguide.com
AVguide/The Perfect Vision/The Absolute Sound
info@avguide.com
Affiliate Relationship Requests
info@avguide.com or 512.334.4515
E-Print Requests
Jennifer Martin
Wrights Reprints
Ph: 877.652.5295
jmartin@wrightsreprints.com
www.avguide.com
We welcome your feedback and comments.
Please address correspondence to
avguidemonthly@avguide.com
AVguide Monthly
© Copyright Absolute Multimedia, Inc.,
Issue 7, August 2004. AVguide Monthly is
published monthly by electronic distribution,
$29.95 per year which includes access to the
AVguide Archives by Absolute Multimedia,
Inc., 8121 Bee Caves Road, Suite 100,
Austin, Texas 78746. Published in the U.S.A.
Page 3
www.avguide.com
Letters to the Editor
LET US HEAR FROM YOU.
Write to us at:
A\Vguide Monthly
8121 Bee Caves Rd., Ste 100
Austin, TX 78746
Email us at: avguidemonthly@avguide.com
Editor,
I found your article "Musical
Realism" in AVguide Monthly
and could not agree more. As a
senior listener I have had and
heard many different stereo systems: Hi-Fi, Low-end, Hi-end,
Boomboxes, References,
Monitors, etc.
I also came to the conclusion
that not only price and investment matter. Some systems pull
and absorb you into the music
and some remain analytical, cool
and distant. I have heard some
Hi-end systems that sounded
accurate but harsh and
irritating—so much so that I
could not listen for more than
few minutes. On the other hand,
I ask myself sometimes why it is
that simple mini or midi systems
sometimes sound so appealing.
As an example, I have two
similar small bookshelf size
speakers: Sonus Faber
Concertinos and Mission 751f's.
The Concertinos are very accurate and very revealing, but for
long term listening I prefer the
Missions and enjoy them much
more. I agree that we are not
supposed to have the concert
hall with a real piano, violin or
AVguide Monthly
oboe inside our small or medium
listening room. Just try to imagine that a real piano, oboe or
flute landed in your room and
somebody started to play them
at concert hall volume levels. I
think that most people would not
tolerate this for more than five
minutes.
It is the emotional and stimulation effects that we are looking
for in home stereo systems (I do
not refer to AV because I think it
is another and different opera).
Thank you for the interesting
article; I am waiting for more to
come.
Ishay Ben-Amotz
Ramat-Gan, Israel
Editor,
I want to compliment you all on
the fine work you are doing. My
only complaint is the layout of
the pages of your newsletter. If it
is in fact primarily an online publication, relying on the classic
"portrait" style layout is a drawback. Having to scroll up and
down each page to move from
one column to the next in each
review makes it less enjoyable
to read. Other than that, the resolution of the high-speed PDF
was terrific, and I look forward to
continuing to receive your publications!
Thanks!
Brian Miller
Chris Martens responds:
Thank you, Mr. Miller, for your
encouraging comments. We
presently offer AVguide Monthly
in "portrait" layout for two main
reasons. First, portrait layout
helps emphasize the fact that
AVguide Monthly is a full-fledged
magazine—not just an informal
newsletter (for example, if readers choose to print our articles,
the pages will look almost exactly like those from a print magazine). Second, portrait layout
allows us to offer sponsors most
of the same ad formats available
in our sister print publications,
The Absolute Sound and The
Perfect Vision. But we think
you've raise a valid question, so
Page 4
www.avguide.com
Letters to the Editor
that this month's AVguide
Newsletter features a reader
survey on the "portrait" vs. "landscape" question. We'll be interested to see how readers
respond.
do a full-scale A/V system
upgrade!
Editor,
Editor,
I'm really enjoying your website.
I think you folks have done a
GREAT job in putting it together.
The menus are clear, the organization works, it's fast, and
there's SO much information
available—you could spend a
lifetime reading all this stuff (but
my girlfriend won't let me :-)
Anyhow, very nice job.
I eagerly await each month's
AVguide release, and particularly
enjoy Sallie's "To Build a Fine
Small System" series—very
appropriate.
Nice work.
Aloha nui,
Rick Vasey
We're delighted to learn you're
enjoying our site and AVguide
Monthly. As you can probably
tell, both the site and the e-magazine are labors of love for us.
Regarding the question of getting girlfriend approval to spend
more time on audio and home
theater, we strongly recommend
getting significant others personally involved in the hobby. Who
can say where this might lead?
In a few weeks' time, she could
be the one encouraging you to
AVguide Monthly
I thought Tom Martin's review of
the Sherwood R-965 in issue six
was interesting, but there is, I
hope, an editing error both in the
text and in a highlighted passage. The review says:
"When you bring value into the
equation, the Sherwood shines.
It positively trounces the sound
of AVRs that cost half as much."
What the reviewer probably
meant to say was:
"When you bring value into the
equation, the Sherwood shines.
It positively trounces the sound
of AVRs that cost half again as
much."
You might expect that any
audio component should sound
better than something that costs
only half as much. It's another
thing entirely when a component
routinely sounds better than
competitors that are 50% more
expensive.
Gary Roboff
Thank you, Mr. Roboff, for your
letter and observations. I can
see how you might think there
had been an editing error, but in
fact there was not. Let me
explain.
In an ideal world, we would
agree that "...any audio component should sound better than
something that costs only half as
much," but in practice we have
observed that the relationship
between product pricing and
performance can be extremely
non-linear. In short, despite what
we might expect, the reality is
that paying twice as much for
one component than for another
does not necessarily guarantee
we'll get better real-world performance. And it is important to
note that in our experience paying twice as much rarely gets
you performance that "positively
trounces" less expensive gear.
Happily, as Tom Martin's sincere praise for the product indicates, Sherwood Newcastle's
flagship R-965 AVR delivers tangible value for money, offering a
large and obvious step up in
performance over less expensive AVRs (which is exactly what
we would hope to see, but often
don't, from an AVR of the R965's reputation and price).
Errata
Although Gateway had once planned
to launch the GMAX 5.1 PC sound
system (reviewed in Issue 6 of
AVguide Monthly), the company has
canceled this product. With
Gateway's acquisition of eMachines
now complete, the company is simplifying its product lines and focusing
on higher volume product categories
such as digital televisions, notebook
and desktop PCs, and servers. We
apologize for any inconvenience this
has caused AV Guide and its readers.
Jason Martineck
Gateway, Inc.
Page 5
www.avguide.com
Mike Woods
Equipment Review
The Future's so Bright....
V, Inc. Vizio RP-56 56” DLP RPTV
"Although it is a 56"
diagonal rear-projection
television, the RP56 only
weighs 76lbs—about a third
of the weight of the CRT
equivalent."
R
ear-projection televisions
(RPTVs) have always had the
reputation of being heavy, bulky, and
often in need of a tune-up. This, of
course, describes RPTVs that use
CRTs. Once you and the other six
people who are able to shoehorn the
beast into your living room have it in
place the calibration expert is summoned to make the image as good as
it can be. Seems like a lot of effort to
get a somewhat larger image out of a
television, don't you think?
As much as I like CRT technology,
its time has frankly come and gone.
CRT rear-projectors served their purpose in producing images larger than
a direct-view television could, and
were bright enough to be useful in
most ambient-light situations. But
their size and maintenance requirements, coupled with their inability to
display higher resolution images
accurately due to the small size of the
tubes and lack of electromagnetic
focus (which good CRT front projectors have), has made the CRT RPTV
a dying technology.
Having said all that, I can't say
that the CRT RPTV is a bad thing, as
it served its purpose well. But after
spending some quality time with the
DLP-based VIZIO RP56 from V, Inc.,
it became clear to me that rear-pro-
AVguide Monthly
jection technology has entered a
whole new phase.
When the RP56 arrived at my
house, my usual ritual of calling the
neighbors over to assist in moving the
unit proved unnecessary. Although it
is a 56" diagonal rear-projection television, it only weighs 76lbs—about a
third of the weight of the CRT equiva-
lent. Because of this, my wife and I
were able to move the unit into our
media room with almost no effort.
Size-wise, it's not nearly as big as
some RPTVs with an equivalent
screen size (see specifications), but
its low profile almost requires that it
be placed on a table at least two feet
high for the best viewing results.
Page 7
www.avguide.com
Equipment Review
Side Connector Panel
The RP56 is based on DLP technology, and uses the HD2 chip with a
native resolution of 1280x720. The
HD2 chip also has much better black
levels than previous generations of
DLP chips, providing a contrast ratio
for the RP56 of 1000:1. Unlike the
high-contrast ratio plasma displays
that get their high ratios solely from
the depth of their blacks, the RP56
has both good black levels and very
bright white levels. When watching
the RP56 during the day or otherwise
in high ambient light, one finds that
the image appears to have plenty of
brightness, not to mention that the
unit's good black levels don't bury
details in the dark areas of the image.
An observation that I need to
share, however, is the fact that its
bright image is both a good thing and
a bad thing. As I mentioned, it looks
great during the day, but I typically
watch TV at night. It didn't take me
long to realize that this bright image
was almost too bright in a dark
room—even at a reasonable viewing
distance. An example of this is when I
was watching Harlem Nights
[Paramount Home Video], which has
a lot of "contrasty" night scenes. In
one, Eddie Murphy was wearing a
dark police uniform with gold buttons;
the uniform itself had plenty of detail,
but the gold buttons were so bright
that they almost looked like lasers.
Similarly, when the image went from a
dark scene to a bright scene, I found
myself wincing briefly because of the
sudden and substantial increase in
brightness—something I've never
done with a CRT RPTV. Decreasing
the contrast and brightness helped a
bit, but perhaps what would be more
helpful would be a menu item to give
the viewer the ability to lower the
lamp wattage when the viewing room
is dark. Ultimately, if there is some
ambient light in the room (or if you follow Joe Kane's advice and put a
6500K light source behind the television), the issue with the light output is
not nearly as pronounced.
Unlike the high-contrast
ratio plasma displays that
get their high ratios solely
from the depth of their
blacks, the RP56 has both
good black levels and very
bright white levels."
The screen itself is worthy of mention: The RP56 has a very wide viewing angle (about 160 degrees). Since
this is a DLP-based RPTV, it has a
much brighter light source (a 120W
UHP lamp) by definition, and therefore does not require a screen like a
Fresnel, which was necessary for
CRT RPTVs. This diffusion screen
Rear Panel Connections
AVguide Monthly
Page 8
www.avguide.com
Equipment Review
disperses the light evenly with little
"hot-spotting," so you don't have to be
right in front of it to get the brightest
image. One small complaint, though:
The front of the screen is a smooth
plastic surface that has some reflective quality; if you have a bright window or light behind the viewing area,
it will cause a glare on the screen.
The image is bright enough to overcome this for the most part, but it can
be somewhat annoying.
The RP56 has inputs to accommodate most sources, including DVI
(with HDCP), RGB (via a db-15 connector), two component inputs that
will accept and automatically scale
most signal types (480i, 480p,
1080i, 720p), and two A/V
inputs (composite and/or Svideo) in the rear of the unit.
There is also an A/V input
on the left side in a small
pop-out door that has a
composite and/or Svideo input as well as
an RGB input (also
via a db-15 connector) for computers,
not to mention two
headphone jacks if
you want to watch
TV without waking
up the rest of the
family. This handy
input can be used
for quick hook-up of
things like camcorders, or if you
want to hook up your
laptop temporarily to surf
the 'net. Each video input
has a stereo audio input
with it (via RCA connectors), and the side RGB
input uses a stereo minijack input for computer
audio. There is one audio
output for use with an
external audio system, but
there are no digital audio
inputs or outputs on the
RP56.
The RP56 has many
nice features, but the ones
that stand out for sports
fans like me are the PIP
© Copyright 2004, Absolute
Multimedia
AVguide Monthly
(Picture-in-Picture) and
POP (Picture-out-ofPicture) features.
The unit actually
comes with two
remotes, one
for normal
operation
and one
specifically
for
PIP/POP functions (though
both remotes can control all
PIP/POP functions). The
PIP can be sized and
moved as necessary, and
the POP can provide a splitscreen, so one source or
channel can be on one side
and another on the other
side. Since the unit has two
tuners, it can show two
channels at once. One limitation is that the PIP source
cannot be from the DVI or
RGB inputs; those must be
on the main screen.
While the RP56 does
have an antenna/cable RF
input, it cannot receive terrestrial DTV transmissions.
You'll need to get an external set-top box or satellite
receiver that can receive
off-air DTV signals, then
send the signal into one of
the component inputs or the
DVI input, if your source is
so equipped.
I used my Samsung
SIR-TS160 as a DVI source
for the RP56. Though until
now I've seen negligible differences between DVI and
the component outputs
(contrary to popular belief),
I was able to see a difference here. The DVI input
looked sharper and more
defined than the component HD output from my
Samsung. I also had an
opportunity to try V, Inc.'s
Bravo D2 DVD player,
which also has a DVI output. I was pleasantly surprised to see that, like the
Samsung TS160, the image
using DVI was sharper and
more defined than its component counterpart. I'm not
going to say that using the
DVD player's DVI output
made movies look like highdefinition television, but there
was still a noticeable improvement. The improvements are
more noticeable with better
Page 9
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Equipment Review
transfers (e.g., films such as The Fifth
Element [Columbia/Tristar], Star Trek
- Insurrection [Paramount], etc.), but
overall the DVI input on the RP56 has
proven to be the preferred input for
viewing.
The user interface on the RP56 is
quite straightforward, as is the main
remote control. A simple press of the
MENU button on the remote brings up
the main menu, opening the gateway
to adjustments of video and audio
quality, PIP/POP, parental controls,
and global settings like OSD position
and indications such as lamp hours.
One thing that was missing was a
comprehensive color temperature
control; there was an overall color
temperature setting (warm, neutral,
and cool), but nowhere on the user
menu was there a place to set the
grey scale accurately (my color temperature measurements are noted
later in the Technical Performance
section, below). For the remote, all of
the necessary features are easily
accessible, and it is basic enough that
it won't require studying the user
manual for hours to figure it out.
There are no discreet codes for
power or input selection on the
remote, however, which could make a
programmer's work a bit more challenging.
Finally, maintenance on the RP56
is almost non-existent. The only thing
the user would have to do once in a
while is replace the lamp (located in
the rear of the unit), which does not
require an experienced video technician to do; the owner's manual even
gives step-by-step instructions on
how to do it. But don't worry; lamp
replacement won't be something you'll
get a lot of practice doing, as the rating for this 120w UHP lamp is 6000
hours. That's roughly three to six
years for a normal user in a normal
environment, but more extreme conditions such as a warm environment,
dust and/or smoke can greatly shorten the life of the lamp.
Technical Performance
As the audience shouts in unison:
"How bright is it?", referring to the
AVguide Monthly
earlier comment about the image
being almost too bright, the answer is
a whopping 109 foot-lamberts with a
100 IRE window (after front-panel calibration). Naturally this is the brightest it can be, but considering a 20
IRE window read about 7 foot-lamberts, you can see why I winced during a dark-to-light transition.
With little front-panel control over
the grey scale, the best I can do is to
provide the measurements. There are
three color-temperature settings in the
RP56 (located in the "special features" menu as opposed to the picture menu); Cool, neutral, and warm. I
found the "warm" setting actually to
be the closest to D6500K, with a
reading of about 7080K (X=.300,
Y=.340) at 80 IRE and 7700K
(X=.290, Y=.334) at 20 IRE. The
"cool" setting gave me a reading of
about 10,000K (X=.265, Y=.315) at 20
IRE and 9165K (X=.274, Y=.321) at
80 IRE. The "neutral" setting was
8265K (X=.284, Y=.327) at 80 IRE
and 8950K (X=.277, Y=.323) at 20
IRE. Suffice it to say that "neutral"
should be renamed "middle," since it
reads in the middle of the three settings but is not really neutral. You can
check with an ISF calibration expert
to find out if there is a service menu
that would allow the fine-tuning of the
grey scale. Overall, though, the grey
scale tracked nicely albeit a bit high,
with an average variance of about 50100 degrees every 10 IRE.
The RP56 uses Faroudja's DCDi
de-interlacing technology for its 480i
up-conversion and subsequent 3:2
pulldown for film-based material. I
took a look at the Snell & Wilcox
zone-plate pattern to see how quickly
the unit's internal de-interlacer would
detect film with the 480i output from
my DVD player, then set the DVD
player to progressive to see if it could
do any better. The DCDi actually did a
very good job; on the zone plate, the
film detection time seemed to be
almost identical to that on the DVD
player itself. Overall, I found that in
real video the 480i signal looked a bit
sharper, but there were some slight
artifacts noticeable in some scenes
(flag waving, diagonal roofs, etc.).
The 480p image seemed to have
fewer artifacts but was noticeably
softer than its 480i counterpart. If you
have a DVD player that can output
both 480i and 480p, I'd recommend
looking at both and setting it to your
preference—I left mine on 480i
because of the sharper image.
Overall, I really enjoyed the RP56.
While it is a bit too bright, the quality
and natural feel of the image made it
worth watching. I always say that the
best image is one where you don't
feel like you're watching technology.
An LCD image is a good example of
that, with its poor color uniformity and
high black levels. The RP56 had none
of those problems, providing as natural an image as a DLP can. At its
retail price of $2999, I'd recommend
this to anyone looking for a nice,
bright RPTV that will compliment any
video source quite well. Just pick up a
pair of sunglasses while you're out—
you'll need them!
Specifications
V, Inc., VIZIO RP-56 DLP RPTV
Price: $2999
Screen size: 49 ¼"(W) x 27 ½" (H),
56" diagonal (16:9)
Overall dimensions: 54 ¼" (W) x
44"(H) x 19" (D)
Weight: 76 lbs
Projection type: DLP; uses the HD2
DMD
Native resolution: 1280 x 720
Lamp: 120W UHP
Lamp life: 6000 hours
Inputs: (1) DVI (w/ HDCP),
(3) A/V (composite or S-video), (2)
Component, (2) RGB (via 15-pin dsub)
Audio: Internal, 15W
Manufacturer Information
V, Inc.
320A Kalmus Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 668-0588
www.vinc.com
Page 10
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Chris Martens
Equipment Review
World's First Universal Player/Receiver
Sharp SD-HX500 1-Bit Digital Receiver/Universal
Player
"By combining a universal player and AVR into one neat unit, the
Sharp greatly simplifies system cabling and makes setup
programming about as straightforward as it can ever get…"
W
ould-be enthusiasts who find
themselves intimidated by the
"bundle-of-snakes" cabling complexities and "deep-mysteries-of-theancients" setup programming requirements of modern home-theater sys© Copyright 2004, Absolute Multimedia
AVguide Monthly
tems are going to love Sharp's new
SD-HX500 1-Bit digital receiver/universal player. As the first product of its
kind, the Sharp presents a wealth of
high-powered A/V technology in a
compact, cleanly styled, and easy-to-
use package—one that is light and
slim enough that it can be mounted
on a wall alongside a plasma or LCD
display. Many units have tried for the
does-it-all convenience of this
player/receiver, but the Sharp—
Page 11
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Equipment Review
thanks in large part to its 1-bit technology digital-amplifier technology—
actually pulls the feat off, gracefully
handling virtually all popular disc formats (DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, SACD,
CD, and Audio CD-R/RW), and
makes them sound good in the
process (which is not a given with
most universal players). But, before
we talk about how this unit performs,
let's look at how the elegant little
Sharp is configured.
The SD-HX500 is a two-piece universal player/receiver comprising an
amplifier/power supply module and a
companion disc player/tuner/control
unit, linked by a substantial "umbilical"
cord that allows the units to be placed
up to 10 feet apart. The thin, rectangular panel-like modules are finished
in brushed anodized aluminum
rear-illuminated display panel, a small
rotary volume-control knob (whose
styling echoes that of the "porthole"),
and two sets of unobtrusive LED-illuminated control buttons on its left and
right sides. The entire face of the control module swings open, clamshellstyle, for disc loading, and then
appears to "swallow" the discs and
gently close its shell when you press
the Close button (a loading process
that looks cool, and that my kids find
highly entertaining). Finally, the Sharp
comes with a medium-sized universal
remote control, which, though not illuminated, features buttons that use a
nice combination of color- and shapecoding for differentiation.
The SD-HX500 incorporates a
built-in progressive-scan universal
player and AM/FM stereo tuner, along
nals, and it makes for simpler system
cabling, but for those who need or
want video switching functions, Sharp
offers its similar but more fully featured (though also more expensive)
SD-HX600 (which supports video
input-switching functions through a
remote video input/output connection
box). The SD-HX500 provides DTS,
Dolby Digital, and Dolby ProLogic II
surround decoding, with DSP surround mode presets labeled
Standard, Movie 1, Movie 2, Music 1,
Music 2, Night, Stadium, and Hall,
plus a 2-channel-only Virtual surround
mode. The unit incorporates Sharp's
signature "1-bit" technology, where
audio signals are processed (that is,
sampled and then amplified by 1-bit
digital amplifiers) at an incredible 5.6
MHz. Sharp says that this technology
with three sets of audio inputs (three
digital and three analog), but no
video-switching functions. Thus, you
can use your SD-HX500 to amplify
audio signals from up to three outboard A/V source devices (e.g., a
VCR, DVR, and TV tuner), but with
the assumption that video signals
from these devices will be routed
directly to your TV or display. This is
not a bad way to handle video sig-
preserves the clarity and subtle textures of audio signals (especially on
DVD-Audio and SACD recordings)
more faithfully than most analog
amplification processes can do. The
SD-HX500 offers a five-channel
amplifier nominally rated at 100Wpc,
though a careful reading of the specification "fine print" suggests that
these are not full-range amplifiers, nor
is their real-world output anywhere
Sharp 1-Bit System w/Remote
accented by flanges of clear Plexiglas
that illuminate with a soft blue glow
when the Sharp is powered up. As
shipped, the modules arrive attached
to sturdy matte-silver tabletop
pedestal stands, but users can
remove the stands and substitute a
hefty and attractive set of wall-mount
brackets (included in the package) if
they desire. The player/tuner/control
unit sports a round, porthole-like,
AVguide Monthly
Page 12
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Equipment Review
near an audiophile-grade 100Wpc (for
example, the SD-HX500 is rated at
70Wpc, at four ohms, from 120-20
kHz at less than 2% distortion—which
is a pretty high distortion figure).
Nevertheless, within its practical
power limits, the Sharp's amplifier
sounds clean and clear. In considering the SD-HX500, I think most
prospective buyers will have three
essential questions. First, is it successful as a universal player?
Second, is it effective as an AVR?
Third, how does it compare to equivalently priced separate AVR and universal-player combos (e.g., the hypothetical combination of a $500 AVR, a
$500 universal player, and about
$200-worth of digital, analog audio,
and video cables necessary to connect them)? Let's tackle these questions in order.
Club [World Circuit/Nonesuch] convinced me. At its best, this disc can
give you everything you would hear in
a good CD plus something more—an
elusive element of lifelike richness
that gives you the illusion of being
present with the performers at their
recording session. Sometimes affordable universal players squeeze the
life out of this recording, but through
the Sharp, a large measure of the
hoped-for magic came through, showing off the sound of Ry Cooder's guitar, and the intricate Latin textures of
vocal and instrumental performances
from this album's all-star cast of
Cuban musicians. Significantly, the little Sharp has what it takes to show
why DVD-A sound quality is both different from and better than that of
CDs.
But the Sharp's sound quality on
SD-HX500 as Universal Player
If you've not thought of Sharp as
a "high-end" audio manufacturer, this
player just might change your mind,
because it offers unusually refined
and balanced performance across all
disc formats. In particular, the SDHX500 draws out the almost luminous upper midrange and delicate
treble details of which the best SACD
recordings are capable, steering well
clear of the aggressive, etched sound
that mars so many affordably priced
universal players on SACD playback.
I tried Gary Burton's Like Minds
SACD [Concord Jazz], which has
become something of a watershed
recording for me (in that it sounds
great on a good player, but can
sound somewhat "tizzy" or "pingy" on
a not-so-good player). The Sharp
passed the Like Minds test with flying
colors, presenting Burton's vibraphones with a clear, deep, shimmering sound that had just the right
amount of attack, and capturing the
rich textures of Roy Haynes' cymbals
with an almost feathery clarity that
never sounded overly bright or overwrought.
Results were equally promising on
DVD-Audio material, as a listen to the
DVD-A version of Buena Vista Social
AVguide Monthly
Right Side View
conventional redbook CDs was what
surprised me most of all. The SDHX500 offered CD sound quality
nearly as good as that of some dedicated CD players costing about as
much as the SD-HX500 does (a feat I
didn't really expect the player could
pull off). Specifically, I was impressed
by the way the SD-HX500 handled
dynamics, spatial cues, and especially high-frequency details. By way of
illustration, let me point to "The
Panther" from Jennifer Warnes' The
Well [Music Force]. Near the start of
that track, you hear in the background
a most unusual percussion "instrument," namely, percussionist Doyle
Bramhall playing a metal chair with a
set of brushes. Through the SDHX500, the swish of the brushes on
the chair is reproduced with enough
resolution that you can easily envision
the chair's placement within the
soundstage and can tell that its timbre
is distinctly different from that of a traditional cymbal or drumhead (it actually sounds a bit like a cross between
the two). This is great stuff—the kind
of resolution that puts big grins on an
audiophile's face, and it's impressive
to hear from a comparatively affordable do-all product like the SDHX500.
Finally, the Sharp did a fine job on
film playback, offering adjustments to
allow fine-tuning of images for optimal
sharpness and gamma correction,
good image smoothness in progressive-scan mode, and a nice blend of
sonic impact and nuance for soundtrack playback. Overall, image quality
is about on a par with many well-executed progressive-scan players. The
sound quality is really the big differentiator, here. On the soundtrack from
Cold Mountain [Miramax], the unit did
a good job with explosive battle
scenes and on scenes capturing the
intimate dialog between Inman (Jude
Law) and Ada (Nicole Kidman), and
an exceptional job on scenes featuring well-recorded banjo and fiddle
music (both of which allowed the
Sharp to show off its signature clarity
and subtlety).
All in all, the SD-HX proved a very
successful universal player whose
Page 13
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Equipment Review
overall performance was at least the
equal of standalone universal players
in the $500 range.
SD-HX500 as AVR
When evaluating the SD-HX500
as an AVR, it helps to keep in mind
that Sharp planned from the outset for
this unit to serve as a stylish "lifestyle"
product capable of fitting in visually
with the sleek looks of plasma or
Aquos-type LCD on-wall displays.
This means that the SD-HX500 had
to have distinctive eye-catching looks
(it couldn't appears as "just another
conventional A/V component"), a
small, sleek chassis (slim enough that
it could be placed alongside an onwall display without sticking out like a
sore thumb), and light enough that it
could safely be wall mounted. Taken
together, these requirements impose
certain tradeoffs on the SD-HX500
relative to conventional AVRs in two
important areas: overall flexibility and
amplifier power. If you compare the
AVR portion of the Sharp against
a good, modern
$500 AVR
(for
Universal Player
AVguide Monthly
example, the Denon AVR-1804 I
recently reviewed for our sister magazine, The Perfect Vision), there is no
question that the conventional AVR
supports more inputs, offers more
extensive video-switching options,
and delivers substantially more power
(meaning the conventional AVR can
drive a broader range of loudspeakers, and play much louder, than the
Sharp can). Further, the better fullsize AVRs can easily drive large fullrange speakers, whereas the Sharp
sounds overtaxed on full-range
speakers, and thus works much better in systems that use powered subwoofers. Advantage: conventional
AVR.
However, Sharp's SD-HX500
offers compelling advantages of its
own in three key areas: ease-ofsetup, ease of use, and purity of
sound quality. Judging by conversations I've had with extremely bright
(but not A/V savvy) laymen, I believe
the cabling and set-up programming
requirements of modern surroundsound systems can seem like daunting mysteries to many would-be
enthusiasts (especially when you consider the complicated cabling requirements that come with use of universal
players). By combining a universal player and AVR
into one neat
unit,
the Sharp greatly simplifies system
cabling and makes setup programming about as straightforward as it
can ever get in the surround-sound
"…the Sharp's 1-bit
technology gives it a
noticeable edge, especially
when it comes to resolving
subtle but oh-so-important
upper midrange and treble
details."
world. What is more, this same setup
simplicity carries forward directly into
greater ease of use on a day-to-day
basis. For example, with conventional AVR/universal player combos, situations can arise in which the user
must decide whether to make channel
level adjustments in the player (which
will affect DVD-A and SACD playback) or in the AVR (which will affect
all sources), or both. With the Sharp,
these potentially puzzling questions
never even come up—because the
AVR and player share a common set
of channel level adjustments. In
scores of small ways, the Sharp
proves simpler and more intuitive to
use than most separate AVR/player
combinations. But the Sharp's biggest
advantage by far lies in its 1-bit digital
amplifier's ability to amplify digital
audio signals while keeping those signals within the digital domain (whereas conventional universal players
need really good D/A converters and
analog audio stages, as do their companion AVRs, in order to achieve optimum sound quality). As a result,
when you use the Sharp within its
power limits, you'll get noticeably
clearer, purer sound than you would
typically get from many AVR/universal
player combinations. Advantage: SDHX500.
One small word of caution: In my
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Equipment Review
tests, the SD-HX500's DVD-A and
SACD playback modes proved somewhat sensitive to induced noise. For
best results and maximally quiet
backgrounds, be mindful of your
cable routing, and keep all connections as simple as possible.
SD-HX500: A question of values
At $1199, Sharp's SD-HX500 is
well priced, but certainly not inexpensive. I believe its natural competition
will come in the form of packages
comprising conventional AVRs (likely
in the $500 range), standalone universal players (also in the $500 range)
and the obligatory $200-worth of
cables needed to connect them.
Which way should you go? The
answer depends entirely on your priorities. In terms of power and flexibility, the conventional AVR/player/cable
combos are the hands-down winners;
but in terms of ease of setup, overall
convenience, and ease of use (not to
mention sleek good looks), the Sharp
is the clear victor. Both approaches
can give you excellent sound quality,
though the Sharp's 1-bit technology
gives it a noticeable edge, especially
when it comes to resolving subtle but
oh-so-important upper midrange and
treble details. For enthusiasts who
have limited space, a deep appreciation for stylish-looking components, a
love of film and music in all their formats, and who prize sound quality
over sound quantity, the SD-HX500
can be a wonderful choice.
Component matching tip: Assuming
you don't require head-banging volume levels (which the Sharp cannot
deliver), the SD-HX500 combines
beautifully with the Infinity TSS-750
5.1-channel speaker system reviewed
in AVguide Monthly Issue 4. The
Infinitys will let you hear every ounce
of clarity the Sharp 1-bit system has
to offer. Hint: If I were heading off to
college this fall, this is exactly the
system I'd want to have in my dorm
room or apartment. Big fun, guaranteed.
AVguide Monthly
Specifications
Sharp SD-HX500 1-Bit Digital
Receiver/Universal Player
Price: $1199
Formats: DVD-Video, DVD-Audio,
DVD-R/RW, SACD, Audio CD, Audio
CD-R/RW, or CD-R/RW recorded in
MP3 format
Number of channels: 5.1
Power output: 5 x 70 Watt rms, 12020 kHz @ 2% THD
Surround-decoding formats: Dolby
Digital, Dolby ProLogic II, DTS
DSP Modes: Standard, Movie 1,
Movie 2, Music 1, Music 2, Night,
Stadium, Hall, Stereo, Virtual
Number and type of video inputs:
built in universal player
Number and type of video outputs:
(1) composite, (1) S-video, (1) component video
Number and type of audio inputs: (3)
digital (1 coax, 2 optical), (3) analog,
built-in universal player, built in
AM/FM stereo tuner
Number and type of audio outputs:
(1) digital (optical), 5-channel power
amplifier with coax subwoofer output.
Dimensions: Amplifier unit, 13 7/8" x
8 5/8" x 6"; Player/Tuner/Control unit,
13 7/8" x 8 5/8" x 6"
Weight: Amplifier unit, 11 lbs.;
Player/Tuner/Control unit, 6.6 lbs.
Sharp Electronics Corporation
Sharp Plaza
Mahwah, NJ 07430-2135
1-800-Be-Sharp
www.sharpusa.com
Associated Equipment
Infinity TSS-750 and BohlenderGraebener Radia Z 5.1-channel
speaker systems, Pioneer PDP-505
HD plasma display, Sony SLV-998HF
VCR/NTSC tuner, Monster Cable
video cables, Synergistic X2 interconnect and speaker cables, Chang
Lightspeed CLS HT 1000 Mk II power
conditioner.
Page 15
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Jim Hannon
Equipment Review
Hot New Middleweight Contender
Denon AVR-3805 7.1-Channel A/V Receiver
D
enon has been producing fine
audio equipment for decades
and has developed a strong reputation among video enthusiasts for its
line of audio/video receivers (AVRs). I
purchased my first Denon product, a
cassette deck, almost thirty years
ago, and it gave me many years of
great service. The cassettes which I
made of some prized vinyl recordings
helped me enjoy several long crosscountry trips. That Denon was a solid,
well-engineered deck with much better than average sound. Well, this
description also applies to Denon's
new 7.1-channel A/V receiver, the
AVR-3805. It includes powerful processing capabilities, automated functions, and also does what many moderately priced AVRs fail to do—it
sounds good. When I first heard the
clarity of the dialogue, the natural timbre of the fiddles and banjoes, and
the explosive sounds of artillery fire
while watching Cold Mountain
[Miramax], I knew the Denon wasn't
an average mid-level AVR.
AVguide Monthly
At its price point, the new Denon
AVR-3805 hits the "sweet spot" in the
Denon line. It enjoys many of the
advanced features found in Denon's
flagship, the AVR-5803, including a
full complement of Dolby and DTS
modes, upconversion of composite
and S-video signals to component
"I suspect the AVR-3805
will be more than enough
receiver for many of you
and represents a major
leap in performance from
entry-level units."
video, multiroom control, HDCD
decoding, and more. Compared
against the flagship 5803, you sacrifice some amplifier and processing
power, THX certification, and a few
other options, but you save more than
$3K and you get many of the same
features. I suspect the AVR-3805 will
be more than enough receiver for
many of you and represents a major
leap in performance from entry-level
units.
Setting up an AVR is not my idea
of a good time and can be the most
frustrating experience in home theater. However, Denon's auto-configuration and EQ features make life easier for AVR users and are definite
steps in the right direction. Once you
get the speakers wired into the
Denon, you place the optional Denon
microphone, the DM-S305, at earlevel where you'd normally sit. Before
beginning, it's a good idea to select
one of eight bass management
crossover points since the process
does not automatically configure it.
Page 16
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Equipment Review
Activating the AVR-3805's auto
setup/EQ mode, a short two-second
burst of pink noise is emitted from
one speaker at a time, except for the
subwoofer which gets two bursts. The
Denon automatically calculates EQ
and identifies speaker set-up problems. For example, the Denon detected that my rear speakers were out of
phase. I'm not sure whether I would
have caught this myself.
The whole automated process
takes less than three minutes and is
quite easy to use. The automatic EQ
produces variable results and boosted
the level of some of my speakers a little too much for my tastes, but it is
highly room and system dependent.
However, you can adjust the levels
manually and zero the system in. I
found the speaker distance measures
calculated automatically to be very
close, so you can input them to save
time.
The Denon comes with a rather
large, but slick-looking, backlit remote
that automatically lights up when you
pick it up and can be adjusted to stay
on for up to 20 seconds. In a relatively darkened room, the icons are clearly displayed and, I suspect, many will
consider this attractive remote superior to its standard push-button coun-
AVguide Monthly
terparts. However, I made the mistake
of using the remote for initial system
setup during the day. Even with the
remote's display at maximum light
output, I could barely see the icons.
Not only that, but it seemed as if the
back-light kept going off just as I was
"Strings sounded like strings,
the piano had a satisfying
clarity and balance, and the
soundstage was wide, with
instruments firmly positioned
across the stage."
zeroing in on the desired icon. The
mono-panel control on the remote
does not provide the same tactile
feedback as a button, and you may
want to avoid using your thumb for
selection as there were several occa-
sions I thought I was hitting one icon
and activated another. However, my
daughter, who has slender fingers,
had much better success. Fortunately,
buttons with the same functionality
are provided on the front of the AVR,
have a solid feel, and are relatively
intuitive. I relied on them quite a lot
during the first week. Admittedly, I like
the remote much more now, but even
my home theater buddy, who owns a
Denon receiver two generations down
from the current unit (an AVR-3802),
had difficulty using the new remote.
To aid in system setup and reduce
possible frustration, I suggest you use
the on-screen display to help with
system setup, although it is not
required. If you have never installed
an AVR, be prepared to spend a
bunch of time optimizing your system
and reading the manual. The automated features definitely help and
may enable more consumers to get
better sound out of the Denon than
from other receivers without it. Still, it
took me a few weeks before I felt
really comfortable with this AVR and
believed I was getting its full measure.
I first tried the Denon in a stereo
system consisting of the Hyperion
HPS-938 loudspeakers and the
Page 17
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Equipment Review
Musical Fidelity X-RayV3 CD player.
Far too many AVRs tilt up the sound
in the upper midrange and highs. Not
the Denon. Via its pure direct, analog
bypass mode, instruments in Mozart's
Piano Quartets No. 1 and 2 [EMI
Classics] sounded more natural than I
Remote Control
AVguide Monthly
thought they would. Strings sounded
like strings, the piano had a satisfying
clarity and balance, and the soundstage was wide, with instruments
nicely and firmly positioned across
the stage. The Denon's sins were
largely of omission. It lacked the kind
of image depth, fine detail, harmonic
richness and dynamic range that I
have come to expect of a great audio
system. However, the music came
through without annoying distortions
and none of the "tizziness" that drives
me crazy. It has a clarity on vocals
that is really engaging. Just listen to
the Beatles' voices on Revolver or
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club
Band [Capitol] and you'll notice how
easy it is to follow the vocal lines.
What's more, they're reproduced with
what sounds like a touch of sweetness, which is not a bad thing when
you're dealing with CDs. I started
thinking, "Hey, this is one modestly
priced AVR that has some of the
attributes audiophiles and musiclovers treasure."
In my home theater setup, I initially tested the Denon playing redbook
CDs using a JVC DVD-A/V player. I
like to evaluate the sound of components using voice and natural instruments first. Driving the 3805 with the
analog outputs of the player in the
analog bypass mode produced sound
that was good, if just a bit closed in.
Switching to the direct mode, but still
using the analog outputs from the
player, the sound became slightly
more diffuse and less clear.
Nevertheless, this suggests that not a
lot of information is being lost in the
A/D then D/A conversion process.
The sound improved immensely
when I used the JVC player as a
transport and relied on the powerful
DACs in the Denon. On Natalie
McMaster's Blueprint [Rounder], the
soundstage opened up dramatically,
there was significantly better clarity
and detail, the highs became more
extended and pure, and the music
became more engaging. Cecilia
Bartoli's voice on Mozart Portraits
[London] sounded more natural and
considerably less veiled, and both
saxes and the trumpet on Kind of
Blue [Columbia] had more air and
better timbre. Focusing on the sound
of Jimmy Cobb's drums, the cymbals
had much more sparkle and the overall sound was more detailed, clean
and open. This was a dramatic
improvement, and I encourage those
of you with mediocre CD players to
take advantage of the powerful 24-bit,
192kHz high resolution DACs in the
Denon. You'll feel like you just bought
a new CD player!
The Denon does a good job converting stereo signals to multiple
"…take advantage of the
powerful 24-bit, 192kHz high
resolution DACs in the
Denon. You'll feel like you
just bought a new CD
player!"
channels without creating additional
sonic problems. The Miles Davis
recording in the 5-channel stereo
mode gave me a different, yet engaging, perspective. Feeling enveloped
by sound is pretty cool, and having
more electrostatic speaker surface
area activated helps dynamics. Along
with the DTS Neo:6 and Dolby PLII
music modes, the Denon offers you
three strong multichannel options for
listening to CDs. While I generally
preferred the DTS over the Dolby
alternative, because of its more
extended highs and greater soundstage depth and dimensionality, on
some recordings like Kind of Blue, I
liked the 5-channel stereo mode best,
largely because of its added sense of
envelopment, and its slightly better
ability to reproduce the bold sound of
the saxes. It is really recording
dependent. I had less enthusiasm for
the different DSP surround-simulation
modes, but perhaps they might be
Page 18
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Equipment Review
Black Finish
hits at parties.
The Denon also sounded fine with
high-resolution, multichannel formats
like DVD-A, but something was missing. Although instruments were fairly
natural and detailed on
Shostakovich's Jazz Suites [Naxos],
there was a bit of the same closed
down feeling I experienced with CDs
driven from the analog outputs of the
"The Denon shines most
brightly on the home theater
stage. Its sound is incredibly
engaging, non-fatiguing, and
detailed."
player. Fortunately, the Denon has a
direct digital interface for DVD-As and
SACDs that should lift the player to
another level by keeping everything in
the digital domain. This is a proprietary interface, similar to Firewire,
and is included in Denon's top of the
line universal player, the DVD-5900.
However, Denon has announced that
its Link III interface will be also be
included on several of its new, and
less costly, universal players. I'm really looking forward to trying one as I
believe it will lift the 3805's high-resolution format, multichannel performance considerably.
The Denon shines most brightly
on the home theater stage. Its sound
AVguide Monthly
is incredibly engaging, non-fatiguing,
and detailed. The Denon was a good
match with the Final Sound electrostatics and subwoofer, and this combination was one of the best at reproducing dialogue that I have heard. My
friend who owns the older Denon
receiver and I were shocked by the
clarity and natural sound of the dialogue in Cold Mountain. What's more,
subtle details like the sound of raindrops hitting the ground or the leaves
blowing in the wind came through
effortlessly. Dynamic swings were
also stunning, particularly the sound
of canonn and rifle fire. I was riveted
by the mix of sounds in the final
explosive battle scene in The Last
Samurai [Warner]. The 3805 maintained its composure throughout, and
I never felt like it was running out of
gas driving this somewhat demanding
load.
Denon has raised the bar in the
mid-priced AVR segment. Its processing power, features, and musicality
are particularly noteworthy, bringing
many of the attributes one finds in
higher-priced AVRs within reach of
home theater and multichannel music
enthusiasts. The Denon AVR-3805
covers the bases so well, you can
direct more of your budget to other
parts of your home theater system.
With your savings, you might have
enough money left over to get one of
the new Denon universal players with
a direct digital, Link III connection so
you can enjoy more of the benefits
that DVD-A and SACD have to offer.
Specifications
Price: $1,199
Power: 120 Wpc X 7 into 8 ohms
DACS: 24-bit, 192kHz DACs on all
channels
Surround-decoding formats: Dolby
Digital, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, DTS,
DTS-Neo:6, DTS ES Discrete 6.1,
DTS 96/24; eight DSP surround-simulation modes plus virtual surround for
2 channel listening
Video inputs/outputs: three HDTVcompatible component-video inputs,
one output; seven sets composite and
S-video inputs; one multi-zone composite video output
Audio inputs/outputs: Denon Link III
multichannel digital input, seven
assignable digital inputs (5 optical and
2 coaxial ), two optical digital outputs,
11 analog inputs including built-in
AM/FM tuner, two multi-zone stereo
preamp level audio outputs
Bass management: eight crossover
options from 40 to 250Hz
Other: Auto Setup Room EQ with
Optional Denon DM-S305 or other
manufacturer's microphone; three
zone functionality; RS232 port; backlit
remote control
Dimensions: 6.7" H x 17.1" W x
16.4" D
Weight: 37 Pounds
DENON ELECTRONICS USA, INC.
19 Chaplin Road
Pine Brook, New Jersey 07058-0777
(973) 396-0810
www.usa.denon.com
Final Sound Modular Home Theater
System with Model 200 L/R/C speakers, S200 subwoofer, and Model 100
surrounds; JVC XV-SA600 DVD-A/V
player; MFA Venusian preamp (modified); Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista XRayV3 CD player; Hyperion HPS-938
loudspeakers; Virtual Dynamics
"David" interconnects, speaker
cables, and power cords; Flexygy 6
speaker cables; Chang Lightspeed
CLS-6400 ISO MkII power conditioner; etc.
Page 19
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Tom Martin
Equipment Review
Magical Sound, Magical Price
Naim Nait 5i Integrated Amp
P
eriodically a new product or
a new technology will come along
that is especially challenging to
describe because it does something
new that isn't simply a variation on
what we've seen in the past. Of
course, when something varies what
we've heard or seen before, reader
and reviewer share a common frame
of reference, and the reviewer can
pretty quickly get down to a discussion of "more of this and less of that."
When the product does something
quite different from our common
experience, more careful description
is required.
Jonathan Valin and Wayne Garcia
faced this issue when reviewing the
Epiphany speakers ($15,000) in a
recent issue The Absolute Sound. As
a result of listening to the Meitner
multichannel SACD decoder ($9,000),
Harry Pearson and I have had long
discussions of how to describe properly the soundfield created by good
multichannel recordings. And Robert
Harley dealt beautifully with this problem in reviewing the Avalon Eidolon
Diamonds ($32,000). When the
products or systems under review
have not only cutting edge technology, but also cutting edge price points,
as these products do, it is bit easier to
imagine that something truly different,
some new level of performance, is
happening.
But when the product does something new, but is inexpensive, incorporates no notable new technology,
and looks as mundane as a house-
AVguide Monthly
plant,
well, then
matters become
stickier. We just know
that the entry-level of someone's
product line isn't the place to look for
state-of-the-art performance. And, so,
that brings us to the problem of the
Naim Nait 5i.
"…the Nait is more than a
really good amp: It does
something akin to finding
the holy grail of
amplification, and it does
this while imposing
relatively modest tradeoffs
on the listener."
The Nait 5i is a 50Wpc integrated
amp that occupies the bottom of the
Naim amplifier line, at $1,350. It is a
skinny, albeit attractive, black box with
one knob and a few buttons. Inside
are apparently straightforward solid-
state
pre-amp
and amplifier circuits. None of this would
prepare you in any way for what this
amplifier does. Not even the outstanding reputation of prior iterations
of this amp can get the job done. The
problem is that the Nait is more than
a really good amp: it does something
akin to finding the holy grail of amplification, and it does this while imposing
relatively modest tradeoffs on the listener.
I know this sort of statement
stretches credibility to the breaking
point, but I hope I've at least got your
attention. If I do, what you'll want to
know is what exactly the Nait does
that has proven so difficult to
describe? Well, the Nait 5i resolves
the tube vs. transistor dilemma in way
that doesn't feel like a careful balancing act, but feels like an improvement
on the limits of both camps.
For starters, the Naim sounds like
a tube amplifier in that it gives instruments and voices a rich harmonic
structure, just like the real thing. For
example, you hear the right relationship between the sound of wood and
the sound of strings on a violin or an
Page 21
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Equipment Review
acoustic guitar. Similarly, on voice,
chest tones and vocal tones are properly balanced. In contrast, with a transistor amplifier, the body of the instrument often sounds slightly and annoyingly weaker than the overtones (to
hear this effect, go to a guitar store
and ask them to play a Martin
mahogany guitar and a Taylor spruce
top of the same size; transistor amps
commonly push everything in the
direction of the Taylor). This altered
harmonic structure is a clue to your
brain that the sound isn't real. In less
analytical terms, tube amps and the
Nait sound more relaxed and natural.
What is interesting about this is
that we aren't talking (yet) about overall frequency response. For example,
you could roll off the treble slightly
and bring overtones down in relationship to fundamental tones. Some
tube amplifiers do this, and the price
you pay is a "closed" sound and the
small loss of some instrumental
micro-dynamics. Not so with the Nait.
The effect of "harmonic rightness" I'm
describing occurs instrument by
instrument across most of the frequency range. Through the Naim,
each instrument sounds like itself,
playing in a real acoustic space.
Once you hear this, you begin to realize that most other amps alter the
harmonic signatures of some instruments. Even if these alterations are
done in a pleasing or artful way, direct
comparisons show the superiority of
the Nait, which gives the sense of
freeing the instruments or opening
them up.
As a result, the Naim brings an
unusual sense of clarity to the music,
and so in some sense is like a transistor amp. Because you can hear
what is going on with each instrument, and because you have an
awareness of the body and the harmonics in space, you really feel like
you know what is going on. But this
is not traditional transistor clarity in
which instrumental resolving power
sounds a bit too etched. When you
go back and listen to traditional, very
well-designed, transistor amps, you
get the slight, but constant, impression that the leading edge of harmon© Copyright 2004, Absolute Multimedia
AVguide Monthly
ic tones is overcooked to compensate
for some lost body and warmth. Or, if
the designer tones these edges
down, you get the sense that the
sound is a little soft. The Nait, in contrast, doesn't give you the impression
that the designer is trying to tame
some problem. It just lets the music
through.
In a different way, tube amps,
even when they get the harmonics
right across the instrumental spectrum, don't do clarity with the ideal
sense of realism. If transistor amps
are a bit too clear, many tube amplifiers seem to place the musicians in a
very light fog. The instruments sound
like they are playing together on a
stage, which is good, but the sound is
a bit too woven together. You have to
"Through the Naim, each
instrument sounds like
itself, playing in a real
acoustic space."
strain ever so slightly to pull out the
details. In concert hall terms, tube
amplifiers tend to seat you at row M
or N, where the instruments blend a
bit more and ambience is a larger part
of the mix. I would say the Naim
sounds more like row H, by comparison, except that in reality it tends to
accurately reveal the characteristics
of the recording. Tube amps want to
move you away from the stage a bit,
while the Naim doesn't (note that,
given the state of modern recording
so accurately appraised in Tony
Cordesman's recent review of the latest Pass Labs amplifiers, you may
prefer the tube treatment).
Dynamically, the Nait is an exem-
plary performer. It does string attack
and drums in a very natural way. For
those of you accustomed to big transistor amps, the Naim may seem to
give up a bit, but with its instrumental
realism you will hear dynamics you
may not have noticed before. On big
orchestral or rock dynamic swings,
the Naim sounds unstrained, limited
only by its power in relationship to
your speakers' sensitivity. I am not a
maximum volume kind of guy, and
anyway speakers and rooms vary
hugely in their power demands, so
you really need to check this out for
yourself. 50 watts can only go so far
(though you'll probably need at least
200Wpc if 50 is too little).
I think the power limits of the Nait
might be more of an issue in the bass
than in terms of sheer volume capability. The Nait's bass is extended
and well-defined, but it does fall
slightly short of what monster amps
can do—which is to deliver a sense of
subterranean air-moving combined
with a sense of total control of your
woofer cones. Your speakers have to
be really good, and your budget has
to be really big, for this to be an
issue. It is far cheaper to work on
room treatment and get a good subwoofer (sadly, the Nait has no subwoofer output, so you'll want to use a
sub like one of those from REL which
are optimized for high-level input).
The Nait has two other limitations
that I think are inconsequential, but
that, in the interests of completeness,
I should note. First, this is not the
finest-grained amplifier on the market.
Almost every amplifier imparts some
sense that the signal is made up of
pieces rather than flowing continuously, as real music does. With some
amplifiers this grain is so small as to
be almost non-existent. Music
sounds "liquid" and noiseless. The
Naim has one level of grain above
this, which is less grain than most.
Big enough to notice, but small
enough not to matter for most folks.
To put this in context, you need to be
thinking about spending close to 5 figures on amplification to do better.
The other characteristic of the
Nait, which might be viewed as a limiPage 22
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Equipment Review
tation, is its high frequency performance. Upper treble, particularly cymbals, initially seem slightly depressed
in level. On extended listening this
seems more to do with the low noise
and grain of the amplifier, rather than
frequency response per se. Very high
frequencies sound smooth and clear.
But if you are used to a more "in your
face" presentation, this may be disconcerting. Or heaven.
Unfortunately, all this slicing and
dicing of the Nait's performance falls
short of conveying its profoundly wonderful effect on the music. When you
look at what Naim's designers have
done here, you have to consider that
they've designed an amplifier where
everything sounds like it is cut from
the same cloth. Every sonic attribute
seems to adhere to a philosophy of
"maximum transparency without ever
introducing artificial, even if spectacular, artifacts." Because the sound of
each instrument, the overall frequency shaping, the dynamics, and the
noise level all fit with this ideal, the
amplifier sounds much more real than
some amps whose individual attributes seem quite enticing, but don't
add up realistically.
I do think that the Nait 5i is likely
to qualify as one of the great amplifiers, not just in terms of value, but
period. Certainly there are other
excellent amplifiers near this price
AVguide Monthly
point worth considering, particularly
the NAD C 162/C 272 pair, the Quad
99 series preamp/power amp, and the
Audio Research VSi 55 integrated
amplifier. But measured against our
"…the Nait 5i is likely to
qualify as one of the great
amplifiers, not just in terms
of value, but period."
Specifications
Naim Nait 5i integrated amplifier
with iCOM remote control
Price: $1350
Power output: 50Wpc @ 8 ohms
Number and type of inputs: Four
analog inputs
Dimensions: 2.75" x 17" x 11.85"
Weight: Not specified
Paradigm Atom, ProAc Super Tablette
and Revel Salon loudspeakers; REL
Strata III subwoofer; Yamaha DVDS2300 and Denon 2200 DVDAudio/SACD players; Toshiba DVD
2300 CD player; McCormack MAP-1
preamp; Sunfire Signature power
amp; Audio Research VSi55 integrated amp; NAD 320BEE integrated
amp; Naim NACA5-B and Nordost
Blue Heaven speaker cables; Monster
Cable and AudioQuest interconnects;
Monster Cable power conditioner.
Manufacturers Information
NAIM AUDIO LTD.
www.naim-audio.com
esteemed editor's value criterion of
"Show me better for less," the Nait
will have no trouble. In fact, for lovers
of the sound of live music, the Nait
lays down a corresponding challenge:
"Show me better for more." At $1350,
that's quite an accomplishment.
Represented in the U.S.A. by
NAIM AUDIO NORTH AMERICA
2702 West Touhy Avenue
Chicago, IL 60645-3008
(773) 338-6262
www.naimusa.com
Page 23
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Sallie Reynolds
Equipment Review
To Build a Fine, Small System VI
Power Conditioning: Chang Lightspeed Audio
Powerline Filter CLS 305 & Monster Cable Reference
PowerCenter HTS 3500
Over the past five issues, I've put
together a wonderful system based
on the Magnepan MG-12 loudspeakers, REL Q-108 subwoofer, Musical
Fidelity X-150 integrated amp, Rotel
RDV-1060 DVD-Audio/Video player,
and Nordost Blue Heaven speaker
cables and interconnects. This system has surprising resolution, depth,
and musical excitement. It is transparent, dynamic, and accurate to the
music (in the best sense of "accurate") from about 30Hz on up to my
high-frequency drop-out (on tests, a
little under 10kHz). If you have followed this adventure, you'll know that
each of the components performed
well not only in the system under
review, but in my reference system as
well. With cables, I started playing
with refinement. And after cables, the
most critical refinements came
through improving the quality of the
electrical power that drives it all.
The Idiosyncrasies of Power
Audio (and video) systems need
power line "conditioners" for three
problems. First, fluctuating power levels and occasional power surges.
Even if your delivery is relatively stable, when the power goes out, it may
come back on with a surge that can
fry sensitive electronics. We put blitz
boxes on our computers for just this
reason. If you are curious about the
power as it comes into your house,
plug a voltmeter into an outlet and
watch the needle. At my place, it hovers around 125 volts most of the time.
I have never seen a big spike, and—
like the purple cow of childhood
ditty—hope to never see one.
For audio systems, there are two
additional problems. First, outside
power equipment—area transformers,
AVguide Monthly
your neighbors' high-current equipment, your own power saws and air
conditioners—can spill (or induce)
spurious frequencies, especially low
frequencies, onto the 60Hz AC lines
that power our electronics (and you
thought electricity stayed tamely in
those little wires?). These create distortions we call "noise" because we've
found we can hear them as artifacts
on our home systems. Some people
"I plugged the Chang
Lightspeed 305 into the
wall, and the CD player
into one of its digital
outlets…The effect was not
subtle: Immediately most of
the musical details were
restored and the highs
smoothed..."
put in dedicated lines for their systems; some live in areas that are "quieter" than others; some people can
live more easily than others with
noise that is separate from the audio
signal. So not everyone finds this a
major difficulty.
But most of us have digital equipment, and digital equipment can generate "noise" on our AC lines, affecting music signals. Ten years ago, digitally-induced distortion was horrendous. Today's best digital equipment,
however, no longer exhibits much
graininess, veiling, lack of transparency, unclear transients, or pinched
soundstaging, leading me to suspect
that expensive digital equipment may
now be partially filtered internally, or
perhaps just plain better in design
and execution. But even these units
sound (to me) clearer and their
soundstages more opened up when
they are plugged into the proper outlet of a good filter.
Ten years ago, we didn't know all
this, of course, and the talk of power
line problems and treatment smelt
strongly of rat. Today, most listeners
are familiar with the concept, and reputable power line conditioner companies know what they are doing and
can explain their products fairly clearly.
Chang and Monster are both such
companies, and make units that cover
a wide price range as they move from
simple to complex in design. All, however, have outlets offering different
types of filters appropriate to analog
(amplifier, preamp) and digital gear.
The Chang Lightspeed 305 ($350)
has six well-marked outlets; the
Monster 3500 ($400) Note 1 has ten
(includes outlets for cable TV, etc.),
also well marked. For the review system, I needed only two—one analog
for the Musical Fidelity integrated and
one digital for the Rotel.
Testing for Problems, Finding
Solutions
If you have a good system, unless
you live in electrical hell, a power line
filter should simply refine your
system—not make oceanic differences. But that last 10 percent of satisfaction can be wonderfully satisfying, and there's an easy way to judge
Page 24
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Equipment Review
Chang Lightspeed CLS 305
power line problems and choose a
product that will work for you.
First, it helps to get a couple of
units to play with. Then start your
evaluation without any of them in the
system. Make sure all your components are plugged directly into the
main AC line. That is, take out extension cords and anything else that is
not part of your system. (Whenever
I'm listening critically, I even unplug
the fridge and freezer, which are on
the same circuit.) Listen to this unfiltered sound until you have it in your
head, paying particular attention to
high-treble dynamics, low-frequency
and low-level details, and soundstage
information. I use three CDs for such
judgments: The first has extended
highs and dynamic transients [Nickel
Creek; Sugar Hill]; the second is transcribed for large orchestra and piano,
and also has both the lowest and
highest instruments in solo or nearsolo performance [Ravel: Concerto for
Piano Left Hand; Chandos]; the third
is all percussion [Mickey Hart: Planet
Drum; Ryko], well recorded to reproduce glorious soundstage and imaging details, and stunning dynamics.
Power is a problem for me: I have
just had or am just about to have a
black out, and the local transformer is
close by and ancient. I've been using
the Monster Cable HTS-3500 for a
number of years; indeed, I never take
it out of the system, even when I'm
reviewing. For this review, though,
with Chang Lightspeed 305 in hand, I
removed the Monster, and played the
Ravel recording, bones bared.
Early in the 20th Century, Ravel
AVguide Monthly
spent time in the US and came to
admire jazz, particularly the work of
George Gershwin. Someone once
asked me, "Don't you mean that the
other way around?" But no,
Gershwin's influence can be heard
clearly in this piano concerto for the
left hand, in the syncopated rhythms
and in the use of piano as percussion. Ravel did remarkable things with
"With the Monster in the
system, and the Musical
Fidelity plugged into it, the
soundstage deepened. So
did the overall 'feel' of the
sound."
these jazz artifacts. He played dark
against light, made joy and energy
soar out of despair. This concerto was
composed for Paul Wittgenstein,
who'd lost his right arm in World War
I. It requires great physical strength
(or the right arm as ballast to your
hard-working left side, a pianist once
told me) as well as pianistic brilliance
to play. And in that very energy and
difficulty lies more hope than pity or
sorrow can ever muster.
To appreciate the piano's reach for
the stars, you have to be able to hear
the opening growl as a sonorous
melody from distinct, low instruments.
The piano breaches like a whale from
the dangerous element holding it, and
those deep, dark notes must spread
out around you, the listener, as well,
threatening to suck you down. Only
then can the piano burst with heroic
light and heart. You'll have tears in
your eyes—if it's done right—not from
sentiment, which has no more place
here than in the throes of a fall or an
automobile accident. And to do it
right, your system needs all the
dynamics, clarity in the lows, power
without mud, it can muster.
With no conditioner in the system,
this soundstage became constricted
and veiled. The upper midrange and
highs were a bit pinched and thin. In
some systems, take out the filter and
you'll hear the orchestra turn to cardboard and produce only a low, undefined growl. But my present system is
not that noise compromised. Still, the
piano was pressed against the flattened fabric of the other instruments.
And together they got mashed
between the speakers. The walls
moved in; the ceiling came down.
Once I was familiar with these
sounds, I turned off the system,
plugged the Chang Lightspeed 305
into the wall, and the CD player into
one of its digital outlets. And listened
to the same track. The effect was not
subtle: Immediately most of the musical details were restored and the
highs smoothed somewhat. The
soundstage spread once more
beyond the edges of the Maggies.
The piano popped free of the orchestra, not yet thrillingly enough to make
the hair rise on my arms, but getting
there. The Hart recording was also
improved. Nickel Creek less so. The
latter is a remarkable album, responsive to the slightest changes in the
system, whether because of sensitive
miking or the recording venue I have
no notion. But if everything isn't tiptop, the first, wonderful track generates no excitement. I find myself
admiring this or that about the performance, loving the melody. But withPage 25
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Equipment Review
out involvement.
Third step: I turned off the system
once more and plugged the amplifier
into the Chang outlet marked "analog"
and "amplifier." The soundstage ceiling lifted and air and space surrounded the players in Nickel Creek. The
presentation seemed to emphasize
the upper-midrange a touch and the
soundstage was a bit forward—characteristics that held true with all three
CDs.
After this, I went backward—took
out the amplifier, suffered the soundstage diminution; took out the CD
player, said good-bye to some of the
detailing and watched the soundstage
flatten.
Now I repeated the entire process
with the Monster HTS-3500. And as I
went, more and more richness
returned. I continued with Rufus
Wainwright's rich tenor and orchestral
band and Buxtehude's thundering
organ. I had to be sure I wasn't just
falling with relief into the familiar—I
was pretty sure the Lightspeed, with
the amp plugged into it, had constricted the sound a bit, adding a touch of
forwardness and a sense of flat
space. This was slight, though, and
could have been just an idea. So
back in went the Chang, and yes, the
sound was a little forward and thin. I
listened to the Chang with just the
Rotel and the constriction went away.
But so did some of the soundstage
information and detail clarity.
With the Monster in the system,
and the Musical Fidelity plugged into
it, the soundstage deepened. So did
the overall "feel" of the sound. The
detail resolution wasn't quite so pinpoint, but you know by now that I'll
give up that last ounce of resolution
for the sense of a musical balance
and a good soundstage.
What I Need Is Not Necessarily
What You Need
I seem to need more "conditioning" than the Chang 305 offers in
order to get full performance from the
Musical Fidelity X-150, and the
Monster unit is best for me. It might
not be for you. They are close in
price, and really in performance, too.
Chang makes several models, so if
AVguide Monthly
Monster Reference HTS 3500
you are not satisfied with the 305, but
recognize the service the unit is providing to digital sound, try the Chang
505. (I intend to.) If that doesn't work,
keep going up their line. If you pick
the Monster 3500 to try first, you may
be satisfied with it. And if not, you can
keep moving up that line as well until
you get what you need.
Both units appear to be well
made. The Chang's set-up is satisfyingly simple. Plug your components
into the right outlets, and it's working.
With the Monster, you also need to be
sure you have pressed the right buttons on the front panel to engage the
circuitry. Lights tell you what is in use.
(After three years, my heart still sinks
when one of those little lights winks
off.)
I can't say exactly how you will
fare with either unit, even if you have
this very system. But I'll wager that if
you've never used a power conditioner before, you'll no longer want to do
without one. I think you cannot do
better than to try a Chang or a
Monster. If you think you have only
digital "noise" to cope with, the Chang
305 may do the trick. If you need help
with the amp, try the Monster HTS3500. If neither works to your satisfaction, both companies provide units
that surely will. Move forward in small
increments, though, and go through
the whole routine I've outlined each
time. Unless you are Mozart, at this
level of refinement, your musical
memory will not be a good enough
guide.
Manufacturer
Chang Lightspeed Audio
Price: $350
6465 Monroe St., Suite E
Sylvania, OH 43560
Phone: (419) 885-1485
www.changlightspeed.com
Monster Cable Products Inc.
Price: $400
455 Valley Drive
Brisbane, CA 94005
Phone: (415) 840-2000
www.monstercable.com
System Budget
Magnepan MG12 loudspeaker:
$1099; REL Q-108 subwoofer: $749;
Rotel RDV 1060: $899; Musical
Fidelity X-150 integrated amp: $1299;
Nordost Blue Heaven speaker cables:
$500/2-meter pair; Blue Heaven interconnects: $200/1-meter pair; Monster
3500: $400
Total: $5106
Note 1: The Monster conditioner was
designed by Richard Marsh, who is a
friend of some 15 years' standing.
You might trust my anti-bias, though,
since he also designed my reference
amp and preamp, and I have since
changed that reference to the Musical
Fidelity X-150, and bought the review
unit.
Page 26
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Jerry Sommers
Equipment Review
Desktop Home Theater: Multichannel PC Soundcards, Part 1
Sound Blaster 2 ZS Platinum Pro & Turtle Beach
Catalina PC Soundcards
I
f someone told me a year ago that I
could have high-resolution 24Bit/96kHz DVD-Audio playback on my
PC for less than $80, I would have
thought they were mad! In the last
couple of years, multichannel soundcards have become both commonplace and affordable. A friend of mine
recently came over for a late night
recording session, and was immediately amazed at the features that a
multichannel soundcard provided.
That's right, the multichannel revolution is here, and inexpensive to boot.
Games, music, movie playback, and
high-resolution home recording is now
easily within your grasp. This month
we begin a two-part series on multichannel, DVD-A capable soundcards
with reviews of cards from Turtle
Beach and Creative. Next month we
will round out the series with reviews
of two cards from the German manufacturer Terratec.
Turtle Beach Catalina
$79.95
Turtle Beach has been active in
the music and audio technology market for more than two decades, manufacturing everything from synthesizers
to digital network devices. The
Catalina is the flagship model in the
Turtle Beach soundcard family—a
model that is steps ahead of their
Santa Cruz and Riviera models.
Designed for PC gamers, DVD movie
fans and digital music enthusiasts, the
Catalina is a highly affordable entry
into multichannel audio for the PC.
While it is true that most new motherboards support multichannel audio,
the quality of onboard soundcards
can be below what you'd tolerate for a
high-end audio experience: Enter the
Catalina.
AVguide Monthly
Features
The 24-bit/96kHz capable
Catalina, priced at a reasonable $79.95, is affordable for
those willing to step up to highresolution multichannel playback on the PC. The Catalina
supports EAX, HRTF-based 3D
positional audio, Direct Sound
3D, and full-duplex audio
enabling you to record and listen to music at the same time.
The card also supports Virtual
Surround Technology, allowing
you to up-mix any stereo
source to surround sound.
Hardware: The Catalina's
hardware set consists of just
one PCI card for the PC. The bracket
of the card contains front outputs,
rear surround outputs, center/sub outputs, surround back outputs, a mic in,
and a line input—all via 1/8" mini
jacks. An optical S/PDIF In and an
optical S/PDIF Out are also supplied
on the bracket (the Catalina can
pass-through a Dolby Digital and DTS
multichannel sound to an external A/V
Receiver via the optical output). The
S/PDIF input allows you to record
audio from an external source at up
to 24-bit/96kHz resolution. I installed
the card into an empty PCI slot on my
motherboard, hooked up the green,
orange, and black analog speaker
cables to my Klipsch ProMedia 5.1channel speaker system and proceeded to start my PC. My computer
immediately recognized the card. I
put in the drivers disc and installed
the Catalina drivers, then restarted
my PC.
To help users fine tune the soundcard Turtle Beach supplies its
Catalina Control Panel software
package. The control panel is
extremely basic and provides controls
to set speaker combinations (2.1, 5.1,
6.1, etc.), set speaker line levels, and
control DSPs. Unfortunately, there
wasn't a calibration program and
other fine tweaks that most AVRs and
Catalina Control Panel
higher priced sound cards have. The
control panel GUI (graphic user interface) won't win any design awards,
but it does what it's supposed to do:
Page 27
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Equipment Review
of the speakers.
Music: DVD-Audio
The Flaming Lips
control the sound. Sensaura Virtual
Ear software is also provided, allowing you to add 3D effects for headphone listening. To watch DVD-Video
and listen to DVD-Audio discs, the
Catalina comes with InterVideo's
"On DVD-Audio, the sound
through the Catalina is
huge, the soundstage wide
and open. Voices are clear
and distinct and distortion
free…"
WinDVD 3.1 multichannel version.
I've been using WinDVD for quite
some time and use WinDVD V6,
which is more user friendly with more
available options than version 3.1.
WinDVD version 6 is available at:
http://www.intervideo.com. Before
testing the card, I checked over the
Catalina settings in the control panel
and made sure 5.1 speaker setup
was enabled, checked the channel
levels, and then clicked on a picture
of the speakers in each of their locations on the screen; a test loop
allowed me to check the connectivity
AVguide Monthly
High-resolution DVD-Audio is
available through the Catalina at a
maximum of 24-bit and 96kHz resolution. I listened to "Fight Test" from
the Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles the
Pink Robots [Warner] in stereo DVDA. The drums in this song are simple,
a bass drum, snare and cymbals.
The huge, Jon Bonham-like, cavernous thunder sound that Steven
Drozd always gets out of his drum kit
came across effectively on the
Catalina. On DVD-Audio, the sound
is huge, the soundstage, wide and
open. Voices are clear and distinct
and distortion free, even at loud levels; I actually backed down on the
sound before the Catalina stopped
giving juice. The song features a
hypnotic drum beat, electric guitars, a
sub-synth line, electric guitars, and
vocals to make even Brian Wilson
smile.
Underwater sounds, ambient hall
reflections, bullets, and monster
howls were all realistically reproduced. The introduction of Hellboy's
assistant, Myers, to the paranormal
research center is full of hall reverb
accurately reproduced by the
Catalina. Creature stomps and roars,
chain scrapes, and fire blasts all had
weight and weren't at all thin and anemic.
For under $80, the Turtle Beach
Catalina is a great buy, an entry kit
Hellboy
Music: Traditional (redbook) CDs
I listened to the CD of Modest
Mouse's Good News for People Who
Love Bad News [Sony] using
Windows Media Player 9 and the
Catalina Stereo Expander setting in
the control panel. The stereo mix
was upconverted to 5.1 output, which
gave the band a larger, more
enveloping sound. The pulsating
drum beat sounded tight and punchy,
bouncing around me, and guitars had
a natural tone and weren't at all thin
sounding. Isaac Brock's distinctive
Talking Heads scream was full and
natural.
Films: DVD-Video Soundtracks
Watching Hellboy [Paramount] in
Dolby Digital, I was amazed at how
much is going on in the film's surround channels. Let's not kid ourselves, this movie is all bubblegum
action, and I loved it for that. What
struck me right off was the sheer variety of sound heard through the surround channels in this movie.
into the realm of high resolution
soundcards at an affordable price.
You get high-resolution multichannel
or stereo 24-bit/96kHz playback, 7.1channel capability for DVD-Video, an
optical in and out, and surround capability for multichannel gaming. I recommend buying the Catalina before
Turtle Beach realizes that they should
raise the price of the card on us.
"For under $80, the
Catalina is a great buy, an
entry kit into the realm of
high resolution soundcards
at an affordable price."
Page 28
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Equipment Review
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS
Platinum Pro
$249.95
The Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS
Platinum Pro is Creative's flagship
soundcard, but it is worth mentioning
that Creative also offers models comparable in price to the Catalina.
Targeted towards the multi-tasking
computer audiophile, the Audigy 2
ZS will please audiophiles, home-theater enthusiasts, gamers, and bedroom musicians alike. The features
on this soundcard are pretty impressive, and if you want to step up in
high-resolution and features from the
Catalina, this card will surely please.
The card supports 24-bit Advanced
HD Audio with THX Certification, and
as far as I know, it is the only card for
the PC that delivers Advanced
Resolution 24-bit DVD-Audio playback with 108dB SNR across all
channels. WOWZA! For movies,
DTS-ES and Dolby Digital EX are
"I was amazed at how
much more air I heard and
at the way dynamics of
recordings opened up as I
listened to DVD-A through
the Sound Blaster… I
never thought I could get
this degree of resolution
from my
computer."
supported as well as EAX formats for
multichannel gaming. Upgrades are
available for free via the Creative
website. I looked recently and there
was a DTS: Neo 6 add on for download from the support section of the
website.
The hardware package for the
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum
AVguide Monthly
Pro consists of a PCI card, an
I/O Hub, a Joystick/Midi bracket,
and a remote control. After
installing the PCI card, I used
the supplied umbilical cable to
connect the I/O Hub to the PC
card. I connected my front, rear
and center/subwoofer channel
analog cables to my Klipsch
ProMedia 5.1-channel speaker
system (reviewed in Issue 6 of
AVguide Monthly) and I was
ready to power the system up.
My PC (running Windows
XP Professional Service Pack
1) recognized the card automatically. I popped in the supplied
Creative driver discs and in less than
15 minutes, I was ready to test drive
the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS
Platinum Pro. The only way you can
hook up this system for 7.1-channel
playback, is using a digital speaker
system that accepts a digital speaker
output OR by outputting a digital signal via a coaxial or toslink cable to an
external AVR. The Sound Blaster
Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro only supports 5.1-channels in analog outputs,
which is what I used with my Klipsch
speaker system. The PCI card has
three 1/8" outputs for front, rear, center/sub analog speaker hookup, with
two outputs called AD_Link 1 and
AD_Link 2 supplying power and connectivity to the I/O Hub.
The I/O Hub has an impressive
set of connectivity options. The front
panel of the I/O Hub carries a
Firewire port (for portable music players, storage devices and DV camcorders; I actually hooked up my new
Samsung camcorder to this Firewire
port and my computer recognized the
camera immediately, without having
to go through installing proprietary
camcorder drivers), an optical In and
Out, a ¼" stereo input, another ¼"
stereo input or microphone input, a
headphone ¼" input jack, a microphone/line input level adjustment
knob, a master volume adjustment
knob, a CMSS toggle switch (allowing
you to up mix a stereo source to surround) , and the remote control sensor. A remote activity sensor, CMSS
"On", and a general power indicator
Sound Blaster Audigy 2ZS Platinum Pro I/O
Box, PCI Card and Remote
line the top right of the unit. I had
more than enough connections to
hook up the RCA line outs from my
turntable mixer, my electric guitar, a
microphone, my multi-track recorder,
and my sampler. On my previous
soundcard with only one stereo input,
I usually had to route everything to a
mixer and then into the lone input on
the soundcard. With the Sound
Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro, all
my inputs were easily accommodated.
The rear of the I/O Hub carries
the third line-in thru stereo RCA jacks,
a Midi input and output, a coaxial
input and output, and a digital out for
digital speaker systems, another
Firewire port, and the AD_link 1 and
Ad_link 2 connectors for attaching the
umbilical cable to the PCI card.
The bundled software that comes
with the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS
Platinum Pro is pretty useful. The
Creative Media Source Player is used
to decode DVD-Audio Tracks. You
also get a DVD-Audio Sample disc
with Rock, Jazz and Classical tracks
as well as Creative's Feature
Showcase CD that explains the
soundcards features and basic functions. A bunch of proprietary software
by Creative will help you fine tune
your settings for the soundcard.
Proprietary software that controls the
soundcard's main functions is
installed into your system tray and is
available at the bottom right hand of
your screen at any time. This system
tray utility enables you to switch
between the EAX CONSOLE (a utility
with various sound DSPs, karaoke
Page 29
www.avguide.com
Equipment Review
effects, etc), SURROUND MIXER
(enables you to control the Line
Levels on all inputs as well as control
the master Volume and Bass/Treble
Settings), SPEAKER CALIBRATION
(calibrate your system manually or
through a set-up wizard), SOUNDCARD DIAGNOSTIC (for trouble
shooting problems with your sound-
Creative’s extensive Control Panels
card), THX SETUP (a THX calibration
tool), and a 7-BAND GRAPHIC
EQUALIZER, all designed quite intuitively and extremely useful for onthe-fly tweaks to the overall sound.
Unlike the Catalina's Control Panel,
the more sophisticated control panel
for the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS
Platinum Pro is very stylish, intuitive,
flexible, and allows you to fine tune
your speaker settings quite extensively. Non-essential to my review but
included software is a multi-track
AVguide Monthly
recorder by Steinberg called Cubasis
VST 4.0 along with Wavelab Lite 2.0.
Imageline's FL Studio Creative Edition
is a sequencer that is addictively fun
and entertaining.
Music: DVD-Audio
The Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS
Platinum Pro supports full high-resolution 24-bit/192kHz DVD-Audio playback in stereo mode and 96kHz DVDAudio playback in multichannel mode.
I was amazed at how much more air I
heard and at the way dynamics of
recordings opened up as I listened to
DVD-Audio discs through this soundcard on my PC. I never thought I
could get this degree of resolution
from my computer. According to the
Creative web site, DVD-Audio playback is achieved by, "reading the
DVD-Disc from the DVD-ROM
through the IDE bus. Decoding the
highly precise 'MLP Lossless' encoded audio in the host processor and
playing the resulting streams through
to the 6-channel analog outputs via
the PCI bus and DA converters with
full 24-bit resolution and sample rate
intact!" In order to play DVD-Audio
files, you must use DVD-Audio
decoder software. Creative's proprietary Media Source DVD-Audio
Player is supplied with the card, but it
is limited to DVD-Audio playback only
(i.e., it does not decode the image
portion of DVD-A discs). Thus, if you
want to view the video portion of
DVD-As, you will have to purchase
Creative's Video Player software or
an alternative. I preferred using
Intervideo's WinDVD 6, which
enables DVD-Audio playback with
video storyboard support. Bedroom
musicians can record and play back
high-resolution 24-bit files in 192kHz
as wav files but, you must have
Windows XP Service Pack 1
installed on your computer. When I
initially tried to listen to DVD-Audio
files, I had difficulty in getting the
DVD-Audio tracks to play. I tracked
down the problem to a slow DVDROM drive. Make sure that you have
at least a 6X DVD-ROM Drive or
faster in order for your DVD-Audio
files to play uninterrupted and without
delayed read times.
I listened to Yoshimi Battles the
Pink Robots [Warner] in DVD-A. I
can say that I have thoroughly auditioned this album (playing it through
probably over 100 times), and each
time I listen to it in DVD-Audio I hear
something different. Strings were
open and airy, bass was extended
and tight, acoustic guitar was natural
and full bodied. "In the Morning of
the Magicians" opens with an incredible funky beat but quickly fades to
Wayne Coyne's voice. The voicing is
natural and realistic, with reverb trails
and stereo effects that seem to make
his voice float in mid-air. Guitar
strings segue into the rear speakers,
sounding so natural and full-bodied
that I can almost distinguish the
model of the acoustic guitar.
Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody
I also listened to Queen's
"Bohemian Rhapsody" from A Night
at the Opera [Hollywood] in high-resolution DVD-Audio to jaw dropping
excitement. This track is impressive
for its layering of vocals, and aided by
DVD-Audio's higher resolution the
soundstage depth just opened right
up. Everything fit so well in the multichannel mix. There is a line, "Sent
shivers down my spine..." which is folPage 30
www.avguide.com
Equipment Review
Keep in Time
lowed by a piano key being struck in
the rear channels; the line's uncanny
musical realism literally had me shivering with emotion. The electric guitar seemed to float above the mix.
Roger Taylor's Drums sounded 10
feet tall, big, full, and meaty, but with
finesse and accuracy.
Music: Concert DVD
I listened to a Dolby Digital
Soundtrack from DJ Shadow's DVD
In Tune and on Time. The track was
actually a movie trailer for the DVD
Keep in Time
http://www.mochilla.com/keepintime/.
An all-star cast of old school percussionists, including Paul Humphrey,
James Gadson, and Derf Reklaw
converged on the El Rey Theatre in
Los Angeles to play alongside
turntable artists like Cut Chemist,
Numark, Babu, and Shortkut. What
emerged was the live acoustic old
school drumming funk of the past,
dipped into the creatively brilliant and
expressive hip hop turntable antics of
the present. Through the Creative,
the bass drums, snares, congas, and
cymbals sounded full and open.
Turntable antics were creative and
rhythmic.
Films: DVD-Video Soundtracks
In the opening Portal sequence of
Hellboy [Paramount], the Sound
Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro
handled atmospheric rain quite well.
AVguide Monthly
On weaker sound cards, rain can
sound like loud static, but through the
Audigy, I was immersed in realistic
rain effects. Even when the action
started to pick up, with the sound of
lightning and gunfire being heard, the
rain didn't drop out in clarity. I heard
all of the other distinct effects layered
in with the rain. Creature stomps and
explosions had weight and authority,
never sounding thin. I truly enjoyed
this movie for its special effects, but
more so for its multichannel soundtrack.
At $249.95, the Sound Blaster
Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro isn't the
cheapest sound card on the block,
but it is among the best. With THX
certification, 24-bit 96kHz/192kHz
high-resolution playback, a ton of
connectivity options, a remote control,
and a software package that alone is
worth the cost of lesser soundcards,
the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS
Platinum Pro is one of the finest
soundcards I've heard, and for that
reason I ended up buying it.
Conclusion
Your home theater chain is only as
strong as its weakest component. If
you've recently added or upgraded
surround sound speakers for your
desktop home theater, and want to
experience optimum playback on your
PC, make sure you check out either
of these multichannel soundcards
from Turtle Beach and Creative. If
you want to get your feet wet, and to
experience high quality surround
sound with DVD-Audio capabilities
without spending a lot of money, I recommend the Catalina. If you seek
added connectivity, THX certification,
a remote control, and want to experience high-resolution DVD-Audio on
your PC, I highly recommend the
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum
Pro. Audiophiles, home-theater
enthusiasts, gamers, and budding
bedroom musicians alike will be
pleased at the advances in affordable
soundcard choices now available.
Next month, watch for Part 2 of our
multichannel soundcard survey,
which will feature reviews of the
Aureon Space 7.1 and Aureon
Universe 7.1 soundcards from the
German firm Terratec.
Specifications
Turtle Beach Catalina multichannel PCI
soundcard
Price: $79.95
PCI Card
Inputs: Mic, Stereo Line, S/PDIF, internal
input connectors for CD and AUX
audio sources.
Outputs: Front Channel, Rear Channel,
Center Subwoofer Channel, Back Channels
L/R, S/PDIF
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro
multichannel PCI soundcard
Price: $249.95
PCI Card
Outputs: Front, Rear, and Center/Sub 1/8"
analog
Other connections: Ad_link1 and Adlink_2
Midi Bracket Input/Output: 15-pin MIDI/
Joystick port extension header
I/O Hub
Input: Line In 1 (1/4" Stereo Jack , shared
with Microphone In with Gain Control), Line
In 2 (1/4" Stereo Jack) , Line In 3 (2x RCA
Jack), Optical SPDIF, Coaxial SPDIF
Output: Headphone (1/4" Stereo Jack),
Optical SPDIF, Coaxial SPDIF, Digital Out for
5.1 support (6-channel SPDIF Output to
Creative digital speakers)
Other: 2x FireWire® (IEEE®1394) ports,
MIDI In / Out, Infra-red Receiver, AD_LINK 1
and AD_LINK 2 connectors
CREATIVE LABS, INC.
1901 McCarthy Boulevard,
Milpitas, CA 95035
www.creative.com
Voyetra Turtle Beach
5 Odell Plaza
Yonkers, NY 10701-1406
www.tbeach.com
Pentium 4 2.8GhZ running Windows XP
Professional w/Service Pack 1, 512 MB
RAM, MidiMan 24/96 Soundcard, Dell
W3000 Flat Panel Display, LG 6x DVD ROM,
ATI Radeon 9600 Graphics Card,
Windows Media Player 6.0 HD, Winamp
Version 5.02, WinDVD 6.0 with Audio Pak,
Cubase SX, Fruity Loops Studio, Ableton
Live 2.0, Reason, Adobe Audition, Adobe
Premiere 6.0.
Page 31
www.avguide.com
Chris Martens
Equipment Review
A Remote so Sophisticated it's… Simple
Logitech Harmony 688 "Internet Powered" Universal
Remote
"When it comes to streamlining
the operation of your system, the
688 is an order of magnitude
simpler to use than most remote
controls."
I
t all seemed so innocent at first.
When you bought your first remotecontrolled component, you loved it for
its convenience, and so you bought
another, and another, and now your
coffee table has been overrun by so
many remote-control units that the
AVguide Monthly
pile threatens to overflow onto your
end tables, and beyond. What's an
avid enthusiast to do? The simple
answer would seem to be to buy a
universal remote, yet this is an option
many enthusiasts seem reluctant to
embrace. Why? Well, judging by hor-
ror stories I've heard about some universal remotes, the answer could
have to do with the fact that one
could more easily derive the
Pythagorean Theorem from scratch
than figure out how to program the
darned things (hey, I wanted a univer-
Page 32
www.avguide.com
Equipment Review
sal remote—not a do-it-yourself
Master's degree in computer science). Doesn't anybody make a universal remote that normal mortals can
set up? Happily, Logitech Harmony
does.
The sleek, silver Harmony 688
"Internet-Powered" universal remote
differs from many products of its kind
in three essential respects. First, the
688 makes good on the claim of universality; if your component responds
to infrared commands, odds are that it
can be controlled by the Harmony.
Second, the 688 is remarkably easy
to program, largely because—as the
term "Internet-Powered" suggests—
most of the really hard programming
work is handled by proprietary
Harmony Client Software that operates in conjunction with Harmony's
powerful web wizard-driven setup
software and Internet database of
information on home-entertainment
products. In practice, Harmony's
AVguide Monthly
"...Harmony's setup
software assesses the
components you have,
accurately deduces the
types of activities your
components can support,
and then offers to set up
only those activities your
equipment can handle."
operates. Harmony has done a great
job of keeping the programming
process simple, so that it involves just
eight basic steps. Starting out with
your PC running, the 688's setup
process flows as follows:
Step 1: Load batteries into the 688,
and connect it to one of your PC's
USB ports. This step prepares the
688 for programming, and causes the
PC to recognize the 688 remote and
to install appropriate USB Human
Interface Drivers.
Step 2: Log onto the Internet via
your Internet service provider.
This step prepares the way for automated Harmony web wizards, which
will come into play later in the setup
process.
Client Software, web wizards, and
web site are integral features of the
controller—features that help automate setup programming, making
the task simple, foolproof, and
fun. Third, and perhaps most
important of all, the 688 is geared
toward controlling home-entertainment activities at the system
level. Where many remotes try to
run your components (or devices)
individually, the Harmony controls
all the components in your system as a group, preparing them
to run selected activities (e.g.,
watching DVDs, or listening to
CDs) at the push of a single button. When it comes to streamlining the operation of your system,
the 688 is an order of magnitude
simpler to use than most remote
controls.
Because this level of performance sounds almost too
good to be true, you might wonder if there are hidden catches,
but there really aren't any.
Assuming you have access to a
PC with a CD-ROM drive, USB
ports, and an Internet connection,
all you'll need in order to program
your 688 are the makes and
model numbers of your system
components, plus a working
familiarity with how your system
Step 3: Load the Harmony Client
Software CD into the CD-ROM drive
of your computer; wait for the
auto-installation process to run.
This process installs the Client
Software on your computer, then
automatically opens a browser window, makes connections with the
Logitech Harmony web site, and
takes you to the Harmony Remote
Setup web page.
Step 4: Log-in as a new Harmony
Remote user.
This step registers you as the owner
of a Harmony 688 remote control,
and—importantly—creates a record
on the Logitech Harmony site where
the custom software configuration
data for your 688 will eventually be
stored.
Step 5: Verify connectivity between
the site and your 688.
This step runs automatically to ensure
that the site will later be able to load
custom-configured software into your
remote.
Step 6: Describe your system components or "Devices."
In this step, the site asks you to complete a clear, simple questionnaire
where you list all the components in
your system by make and model
Page 33
www.avguide.com
Equipment Review
number (the site's database contains
configuration data for hundreds if not
thousands of A/V products, including
both popular and comparatively esoteric makes and models). In the
unlikely event that your system
includes a component that Harmony
doesn't yet know about (which my
system actually did, since at the time
of this review I was using a newly
released universal player), site soft-
"…the Harmony database
knows just about
everything there is to
know about the command
and control requirements
of each of your
components."
ware is smart enough to walk you
through an illustrated step-by-step
process where you use your 688 as a
learning remote to "teach" the site
about the control requirements of your
component.
Step 7: Describe the system
"Activities" you want to control.
In this step, you describe the basic
home-entertainment activities you
want to control. Part of the genius of
Harmony's setup software is that it
assesses the components you have,
accurately deduces the types of activities your components can support,
and then offers to set up only those
activities your equipment can handle.
For instance, if your system includes
a DVD player, the software will recognize that the player can act as both a
video and audio playback device, and
AVguide Monthly
will therefore ask if you want to set up
both "Watch DVDs" and "Listen to
CDs" activities. Harmony's activity
setup software is smart, thorough,
and incredibly user friendly, gently
guiding you with questions and explicit direction each step along the way.
For example, if your system includes
an AVR and a TV set, the software
will, when setting up the "Watch TV"
activity, ask if you prefer to control
volume levels through your AVR or
your TV set. I can't overemphasize
the depth, breadth, and sophistication
of the information contained in
Harmony's component database; as
you work your way through the activity set up process, you'll have the
(accurate) sense that the Harmony
database knows just about everything
there is to know about the command
and control requirements of each of
your components. Impressive.
Step 8: Update your controller's
software.
In this step, the Harmony site automatically creates custom "macro-type"
programs that will enable your 688 to
start up and adjust each of your system components so that they will be
ready to run your requested activities,
then creates an archival record of
your controller's custom software configuration, and finally downloads the
program to your PC for final installation on your controller. When the
process is complete, the site prompts
you to unplug your newly programmed controller from its USB
cable, and to go try it out on your system.
What is difficult to capture in
words is the smooth, sure clarity of
Harmony's semi-automated controller
programming process; you feel as if
you are in good hands at all times,
and instructions and questions are
phrased so as to leave nothing to
your imagination. But once the programming process runs to completion, does the remote actually work as
advertised? You bet it does!
I pressed the "Watch TV" button
on my 688, and several things happened at once, in perfect synchrony,
to bring a TV show up on my screen.
First, my AVR turned on and selected
the appropriate input for my VCR/TV
Tuner. Next, my VCR turned on and
selected the correct TV Tuner input.
Finally, my plasma display turned on
and selected the appropriate composite/S-video input channel. No muss,
no fuss, and no errors; nothing but
immediate gratification.
I tried each of the other activities I
had programmed, and every one
worked flawlessly. What is more, as
the system moved from activity to
activity, it powered up and readjusted
system components on-the-fly to
make each new activity work. For
example, when I switched from the
"Watch TV" to the "Watch DVD" activity, the AVR switched from the
VCR/TV Tuner input to the DVD input,
the DVD player powered on and
made itself ready to play DVDs, and
the plasma display switched from its
composite/S-video input channel to
the appropriate component-video
input channel. As I ran various activities, I had the eerie sense that the
688 always knew just what to do, and
without any explicit macro programming on my part. As a result, operations that used to require pressing,
say, ten buttons on four remotes
Page 34
www.avguide.com
Equipment Review
could now be accomplished with the
push of a single button on the
Harmony. What is more, the Harmony
keeps track of which components are
powered-up, and offers one-touch
shutdown for the whole system. Truly
convenient.
Satisfying though the 688s
"Activity" controls are, prospective
buyers will want to know that this controller offers three other modes of
operation. First, "Sound" mode can be
used within an activity to focus on
whichever system component controls the sound of the system (e.g., an
AVR or multichannel controller).
Second, "Picture" mode allows the
controller to focus on whichever system component controls system
image quality (e.g., a projector or
plasma display). Finally, "Device"
mode allows the 688 to function as
the dedicated remote control for any
one component in the system (e.g,,
you could choose your DVD player as
the "Device" you wished to control,
and the 688 would immediately offer
a control menu that mimicked the
control options afforded by the DVD
player's own remote control). Last but
not least, for all the latent computer
science majors in the audience, the
688 offers extensive custom-programming options, both at the "Activity"
and "Device" level (and yes, if you
really want to, you can create your
own custom commands and macros,
though I personally preferred letting
Harmony's software create them for
me).
Are there drawbacks to this universal remote? There are very few
that I can see, though I would like to
offer a few setup precautions and
tips. As you work through initial setup
programming, you may encounter—
as I did—an instance or two where
the sequence of events described in
the product's hardcopy manual differ
from the sequences described online
(which can create some confusion).
When in doubt, I found the sequences
listed in the hardcopy "Quick Start
User Guide" were the correct ones.
Here are four tips that can help you
get good results. First, make sure the
initial installation of Harmony Client
AVguide Monthly
Software runs to completion without
any errors (I actually hit a small snag
with this the first time through, and
wound up having to re-install the software before I could proceed).
Second, once you have connected
the 688 to your USB port, take care
that this link is not disturbed until final
programming is complete. Third, be
careful to start out with fresh batteries
in the remote (I accidentally ran down
the batteries during the setup
process, so that when I first tried the
remote, I thought my setup programming had failed; however, once I
installed fresh batteries, the remote
worked flawlessly). Finally, when you
first try your 688, be sure to start out
with all system components turned
"Harmony's 688 "Internet
Powered" universal
remote… makes good on
its promise. It controls all
the devices in my system,
either at the "Activity" or
"Device" level, and it has
proven easy to
program…"
products that promises you a lot, and
then makes good on its promise. It
controls all the devices in my system,
either at the "Activity" or "Device"
level, and it has proven easy to program (or when the need arises, to
reprogram to accommodate new/different components). Best of all, it's
given me my coffee table back. Try it;
you'll like it.
Specifications
Logitech Harmony 688 InternetPowered Universal Remote
Price: $249
General: Battery-powered, "activityoriented" universal remote capable of
controlling virtually any component
that responds to infrared commands.
Backlighting: Yes
Controls: Combination of illuminated
buttons and LCD display screen
Batteries: 4 x AAA
PC Connectivity: Via USB cable
Programming: Highly automated via
Harmony Client Software (Mac and
Windows versions) and database at
the Logitech Harmony web site
Control Modes: "Activity," "Sound"
mode, "Picture" mode, and "Device"
mode. Supports custom macros, commands, and "learning remote" functions.
Sony STR-DA9000ES A/V receiver,
Integra DPC-8.5 universal player,
Sony SLV-998HF VCR/TV Tuner,
Pioneer PDP-505HD plasma display,
Chang Lightspeed CLS HT 1000 Mk
II power conditioner, Synergistic
Research X2 interconnect/speaker
cables.
off; this step synchronizes 688 with
the system, enabling it to track the
power-up status of your components
thereafter (and don't worry; if anything
goes wrong, Harmony provides simple instructions on re-synchronizing
the remote to the system or to individual components).
Harmony's 688 "Internet Powered"
universal remote is one of those rare
Logitech Inc.
Logitech Control Devices & Harmony
Remotes
6505 Kaiser Drive
Fremont, CA 94555
(510) 795-8500
http://www.logitech.com/harmony
Page 35
www.avguide.com

Untitled

Transcription

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