Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post

Crooky · 05-15-2003, 01:05 PM

I asked my audiophile buddy and he directed me to a site that had this to say about the topic:

How Do I Recognize Quality In A Receiver?

One simple way is to lift it. If its heavy, chances are the unit has a well made transformer, your power source. The weight means the transformer is built of good quality materials and in order to have good, clean sound, you'll need a good transformer.

Examine the outer dials and switching devices. Are the dials smooth and effortless in their operation or do they feel "grindy" and "plasticy"? Do the buttons have a clean "click" to them or do they require alot of effort to push and feel loose. A poor connection to any switching device will prevent the unit from delivering the performance you want.

Signal to Noise Ratio (S/N) is the ratio of true sound to background noise. Once you have the Receiver hooked up to the Speakers of your choice (or any matching Speakers, for this example), turn up the volume with nothing playing on the system. You shouldn't really hear anything. If you hear any background "hiss", you're not getting true sound. The sound is being lost due to the poor construction of the unit. This rating is measured in decibles (db). The higher the rating, the more true sound and less background noise you'll get from the unit.

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) is how badly the sound distorts at higher volume levels. When you crank up the volume, the sound should still be clear, not turn into a big mess of noise. This rating will be given in a percentage. The lower the percentage, the better.

The Efficiency rating explains why you do NOT buy an Amp or Receiver based on big watts of power.
Efficiency is the ability of the unit to transform power into clean sound. If you get a 200 watts per channel Amp with an efficiency rating of 50%, you're really getting a unit that produces 100 watts per channel, background hiss and a lot of heat. Manufacturers will sometimes boost the watts but forget the efficiency knowing full well the average consumer goes for the unit with the most power. This rating is given in a percentage. The higher this percentage, the better.

Look at the RMS rating. I won't bore you with what this stands for or the formula as to why. The point is: The rating of100 watts per channel isn't worth squat unless the Amplifier can do it over a significant amount of time. If the watts per channel is given in RMS, its telling you that, yes, the Amplifier can give you this level of performance constantly without any trouble. The watts per channel output should always be measured in RMS.

Dynamic Headroom is the ability of the Amplifier to handle sudden increases in sound levels. This is most important in a Home Theatre application as movie sound tracks are always bouncing from quiet to loud at any given time. This rating is given in decibles.

Get a Reciever without a lot of lights, bells and whistles. Keep the functions (outside of volume, treble, bass, audio / video switches) as minimal as possible. That really neat light show doesn't make your system sound any better it just makes it look pretty. And, as stated above, the added circuitry may only hamper the sound quality.

Besides, the light show will be something that will eventually break down or burn out. Now your pretty Receiver not only sounds cheap, it looks cheap. The various types of surround styles are really unecessary as well (hall, jazz, concert, and the like). Believe me, you'll use them maybe 5 times to show your friends and that's about it. If it's possible, get a Receiver without it.

Stay away from demo deals. A demo is a unit that has been on display for who knows how long. Everyone and their friend has fiddled with the unit's dials and buttons, turning it up and down and who knows what else. Even if the dealer offers a full warranty, don't get it. When something goes wrong with it (and it will) you'll have the inconvenience of bringing it in for service and being without it until it's repaired. New in the box is the best way to go. See the BE PREPARED section for more on that.

What does THX mean for quality? You've seen it at the beginning of many a movie (the ominous THX opening logo) and the little emblem on a "select few" Amps or Receivers. This is not a sound format, but a standard developed to measure sound equipment that was established by George Lucas (yes, the Star Wars guy).

Now, we all have our own standards, that is, what each of us thinks is great. When it comes to sound quality, THX is George's standard. So, really, just because the THX label is on the outside of an Amp or Reciever this does not necessarily mean it is of exceptional quality. It just means that George's team of THX folks went, "Yup, we agree that this unit sounds real good."

It should also be noted that the manufacturers have to pay royalties to THX in order to get that little logo of approval put on to their respective unit. An opinion on this: When money changes hands to get a "seal of approval" it makes me skeptical. It opens an opportunity to bypass the approval process all together. They pay their money, they get the approval sticker.

The sound quality that THX rates sounds more, well, "movie-like". Some units have their own built in process for this, not just a label. For example, Onkyo Receivers have "Cinema Re-EQ" but, unlike THX, this is an actual re-equalization device which you can activate or deactivate at the touch of a button.

05-15-2003, 01:05 PM	#2 (permalink)
Crooky Upright Location: Canada	I asked my audiophile buddy and he directed me to a site that had this to say about the topic: How Do I Recognize Quality In A Receiver? One simple way is to lift it. If its heavy, chances are the unit has a well made transformer, your power source. The weight means the transformer is built of good quality materials and in order to have good, clean sound, you'll need a good transformer. Examine the outer dials and switching devices. Are the dials smooth and effortless in their operation or do they feel "grindy" and "plasticy"? Do the buttons have a clean "click" to them or do they require alot of effort to push and feel loose. A poor connection to any switching device will prevent the unit from delivering the performance you want. Signal to Noise Ratio (S/N) is the ratio of true sound to background noise. Once you have the Receiver hooked up to the Speakers of your choice (or any matching Speakers, for this example), turn up the volume with nothing playing on the system. You shouldn't really hear anything. If you hear any background "hiss", you're not getting true sound. The sound is being lost due to the poor construction of the unit. This rating is measured in decibles (db). The higher the rating, the more true sound and less background noise you'll get from the unit. Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) is how badly the sound distorts at higher volume levels. When you crank up the volume, the sound should still be clear, not turn into a big mess of noise. This rating will be given in a percentage. The lower the percentage, the better. The Efficiency rating explains why you do NOT buy an Amp or Receiver based on big watts of power. Efficiency is the ability of the unit to transform power into clean sound. If you get a 200 watts per channel Amp with an efficiency rating of 50%, you're really getting a unit that produces 100 watts per channel, background hiss and a lot of heat. Manufacturers will sometimes boost the watts but forget the efficiency knowing full well the average consumer goes for the unit with the most power. This rating is given in a percentage. The higher this percentage, the better. Look at the RMS rating. I won't bore you with what this stands for or the formula as to why. The point is: The rating of100 watts per channel isn't worth squat unless the Amplifier can do it over a significant amount of time. If the watts per channel is given in RMS, its telling you that, yes, the Amplifier can give you this level of performance constantly without any trouble. The watts per channel output should always be measured in RMS. Dynamic Headroom is the ability of the Amplifier to handle sudden increases in sound levels. This is most important in a Home Theatre application as movie sound tracks are always bouncing from quiet to loud at any given time. This rating is given in decibles. Get a Reciever without a lot of lights, bells and whistles. Keep the functions (outside of volume, treble, bass, audio / video switches) as minimal as possible. That really neat light show doesn't make your system sound any better it just makes it look pretty. And, as stated above, the added circuitry may only hamper the sound quality. Besides, the light show will be something that will eventually break down or burn out. Now your pretty Receiver not only sounds cheap, it looks cheap. The various types of surround styles are really unecessary as well (hall, jazz, concert, and the like). Believe me, you'll use them maybe 5 times to show your friends and that's about it. If it's possible, get a Receiver without it. Stay away from demo deals. A demo is a unit that has been on display for who knows how long. Everyone and their friend has fiddled with the unit's dials and buttons, turning it up and down and who knows what else. Even if the dealer offers a full warranty, don't get it. When something goes wrong with it (and it will) you'll have the inconvenience of bringing it in for service and being without it until it's repaired. New in the box is the best way to go. See the BE PREPARED section for more on that. What does THX mean for quality? You've seen it at the beginning of many a movie (the ominous THX opening logo) and the little emblem on a "select few" Amps or Receivers. This is not a sound format, but a standard developed to measure sound equipment that was established by George Lucas (yes, the Star Wars guy). Now, we all have our own standards, that is, what each of us thinks is great. When it comes to sound quality, THX is George's standard. So, really, just because the THX label is on the outside of an Amp or Reciever this does not necessarily mean it is of exceptional quality. It just means that George's team of THX folks went, "Yup, we agree that this unit sounds real good." It should also be noted that the manufacturers have to pay royalties to THX in order to get that little logo of approval put on to their respective unit. An opinion on this: When money changes hands to get a "seal of approval" it makes me skeptical. It opens an opportunity to bypass the approval process all together. They pay their money, they get the approval sticker. The sound quality that THX rates sounds more, well, "movie-like". Some units have their own built in process for this, not just a label. For example, Onkyo Receivers have "Cinema Re-EQ" but, unlike THX, this is an actual re-equalization device which you can activate or deactivate at the touch of a button. __________________ "Doors aren't like assholes! They don't shut themselves!"