Budget Hi-fi for the Holidays: Pro-Ject Debut III Turntable

There's no doubt vinyl has made a comeback. Many artists are releasing an LP version of their album to offer larger cover art, liner notes, and better sound. Plus, there are thousands of titles available that have never been digitally released. If you or a loved one is using a turntable that you bought at a garage sale or found in a dusty basement somewhere to play back your LP's, I would recommend looking into upgrading, not just because of better sound and performance, but to preserve your record collection by avoiding damage to your records. An improperly set up or worn-out turntable can do more harm than good when playing back your LP's, because the stylus is essentially melting the record each time it passes through the groove; if the stylus is improperly aligned or the cantilever is worn out, you could be permanently damaging your records! At $349 ($379 for multiple colors!), a Pro-ject Debut III turntable is a great way to invest in your record collection for the years to come, with a nice belt-driven steel platter and lightweight aluminum tonearm with pre-mounted Ortofon OM-5E moving magnet cartridge. If your pre-amplifier does not have a phono input, you can add a Phono Box MKII at $159 as a great add-on.

Budget Hi-fi for the Holidays: NAD C 315 BEE integrated amplifier

The NAD C 315 BEE is a great buy at $350. With 40 high-current watts per channel supplied by a large toroidal power transformer, it will drive most moderate efficiency speakers in medium sized rooms to ample volume levels with ease and musicality. There's also a front Media Player input for iPods and MP3 players, and a Headphone jack for private listening. It's a great product to consider as a gift for a music lover, or just as the beginning of a great Hi-Fi system.

New Runco Q-750i LED projector on display in Bellevue

Runco's latest offering to the front projector market, the Quantum Color series, incorporate a new LED lamp-less light source, which offers improved efficiency, color gamut, and reliability for front projection systems. We have the Q-750i, a single-chip 1080p with internal video processor, currently on display in our Bellevue showroom. An external DHD processor is available in the Q-750d model for improved performance. Both projectors can utilize Runco's Cinewide and Cinewide with Autoscope options, offering no "black bars" for true 1080p film viewing.

Our initial reaction is that a projector of this performance caliber, without the hassle of worrying about lamp replacements every 2,000 hours or so (the LED's have a life expectancy of over 20,000 hours), and the fact that the LED light source maintains it's brightness at 90% of the initial output throughout it's life expectancy, offers an extremely compelling reason to think big when considering your next video purchase. Sure, flat panels are getting less and less expensive, but the big ones are still pricier and why not get a true 2.35:1 experience at a much larger size than what a 103" plasma is going to offer? And as big as 65" seems to sound, it really is no comparison to watching a movie on a big screen.

SIM2 C3X Lumis Host now on display in Seattle

One of Sim2 Multimedia's newest offerings (which we introduced at our June Home Theater Event), the C3x Lumis Host, is now currently on display in our state-of-the art Cinema room in Seattle. A 12-ft. wide Stewart CineCurve 2.35:1 screen is not the easiest thing to light up with a projector, and the Lumis Host does a great job with an astoundingly detailed and dynamic image. A custom designed HOST processor houses all of the projector's inputs and video processing/scaling circuitry, allowing more of the physical space inside the projector chassis itself to be dedicated to optics and the light engine, improving light output from the projector as well as performance in the video processor. The HOST processor connects to the C3x via a 3-link Fiber Optic cable, which can be run as long as 750 ft. (try to do that with an HDMI cable!).

The performance from this projector package must be seen to appreciate the engineering feat in getting so much light output from such a small chassis, with a pristine, film-like image to boot. With the 2.35:1 Anamorphic lens attachment and a 12-ft. wide screen, you'll wonder why you even bother to go to the local Movie Theater. Stop by the Seattle showroom and we'll be happy to give you a demonstration!

New Linn Majik DS-I

Linn's newest product in their DS lineup, the Majik DS-I combines the performance of Linn's network music streamer, a pre-amplifier, and power amplifier all in one sleek, stylish chassis. In addition to the network streamer, there are 3 75-ohm SPDIF digital and 3 Toslink digital inputs, plus 4 analog inputs (one of which is a moving-magnet phono stage by default, but can be configured to a line-level input or a moving-coil phono input).

With the new Dynamik power supply from Linn built-in, the 100w amplifier is capable of driving most loudspeakers to a comfortable threshold in small to medium-sized rooms (just ask anyone in the Seattle showroom if I've put it to the test or not... it will play loud). And with a DS as a built-in source, the performance level of your digital music collection will be brought to a whole new level. Not to mention, in a system in which you are only using 2 speakers, but are integrating video components (game systems, cable/satellite boxes, Blu-ray players, etc.), the 6 digital inputs allow improved performance from all of your digital source components by using the internal DAC in the DS-I.

If you are in the market for a performance 2-channel system, and plan on integrating multiple digital sources and streaming music from your network, come check out the DS-I! It might just be the ticket.

2 Channel Home Theater

I am a big fan of music, and it’s what I spend the majority of the time using my system for. But I also enjoy watching movies and TV, and the results I get from better performance audio gear in enveloping me in the experience of film and TV entertainment. The general consensus among the majority of people is that you need to have surround sound with either 5 or 7 or even more channels and a subwoofer in order to properly enjoy watching a movie. I’d like to challenge that approach for those of us who would like our movies to sound stellar, but don’t want to sacrifice the musical experience we enjoy from our performance stereo systems.

Sometimes 2 is All You Need

I don’t wish to diminish the idea that home theater is best experienced with 5 channels and a subwoofer (the .1 in 5.1). At Definitive, we pride ourselves in selecting only the best applicable components and products to create a truly better-than-the-movie-theater experience, and we’ve got the track record to prove it. If you are the type of person who uses their system to primarily watch TV and Film, most often 5.1 or 7.1 (or .2 or .4, you get the idea) is the right solution for you. However, many of our clients listen to music on their system just as much, if not more, as they watch movies. And many times, especially in smaller spaces or a living space like a condo or apartment, it’s often a design challenge or simply not possible to have all 5 speakers. My alternative approach to a 5.1 system in these types of situations is a 2-channel system (and maybe a subwoofer to go along with it). In fact, many clients are amazed at the performance a 2-channel Home Theater provides, even in comparison to systems with all 5 channels at similar prices. I’ll detail a few products and concepts that can help you get the most out of a stereo Home Theater.

Speaker Placement

When choosing speakers for a Home Theater or Music System, there are many things to consider such as the end location of the loudspeakers, the size and type, and for the aesthetics-conscious, the appearance of the loudspeaker and how it blends with the décor of the room. With a 2-channel Home Theater, often the design goal is to have less clutter in the room by eliminating the center and surround speakers. Also, if there are no plans to have a subwoofer, this will mean that you will typically wish to purchase as full-range a speaker as possible. If the speakers are not mounted in or on the wall, and you have some ability to move the speaker around, you will especially want to pay close attention to how you have the speakers placed, since surround and center channel information will be down-mixed to the 2 front speakers and thus be sensitive to positioning. I recommend this anyway no matter the system, but you will typically notice more phase-induced issues if the speakers aren’t properly dialed in because of the delay times and such going on in the 2-channel down-mix.

All Analog

There are a few ways to approach the electronics in a 2-channel Home Theater. The simplest and best sounding for music (assuming you have a good music source) is to use an integrated amp, or a separate pre-amp and amplifier. The downside to this is that most pre-amps and integrated amplifiers only have left and right analog inputs, which leaves the digital-to-analog conversion up to the DAC circuits in your source equipment, which are often not very good (especially if you are using a Cable or Satellite box for TV), unless you have a truly high-performance source like Ayre’s up-and-coming Blu-ray Universal player. It’s also not quite as convenient to use since a 2-ch preamp will not have video switching built in. If you only watch a little TV and movies, this is ok, or you can always purchase a separate DAC, like the Audio Research DAC7, to get better sound from your DVD, Blu-ray, and TV components. A very popular piece for us is also the Peachtree Audio Nova, which is an integrated amplifier with a built-in DAC and multiple inputs for your equipment. There are also a couple of very nice products from Linn, like the Classik Music or Akurate Kontrol, which have digital inputs as well. The Akurate Kontrol in particular is a very high-performance primarily 2-ch preamp that also has surround processing built in, so that a full 5-channel signal from a source is properly processed and down-mixed.

The Digital Approach

The more common approach to 2-ch Home Theater is to use a surround pre/amp processor and a 2-ch amplifier, or a simple surround receiver. The pre-amp processor is really the heart and soul of a typical surround sound system, since it handles all of the digital information and determines delay times, channel levels, etc. before turning the digital signal into analog for an amplifier. When used in a 2-ch system, you simply inform the surround processor that you are not using a center, surrounds, or subwoofer; the processor then takes the full 5.1 channel information and mixes it for use with only 2 speakers. Most surround processors also have video switching and trans-coding built in, so that you are only using one input on your display device for your video sources. The Classe SSP-800, Rotel RSP-1570, or Meridian HD-621 with a Meridian Surround Processor all have the latest HDMI 1.3 audio and video inputs for proper Hi-Resolution audio decoding (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, etc.) and full 1080p video processing or pass-through from Blu-ray sources, which gives them a convenience advantage over a typical 2-ch analog preamp or 2-ch DAC. This is also a great approach since you have the option for future expansion to a full surround system at a later date; you can have great sound for a long time with only 2 speakers while waiting to budget for the rest of the surround system over time which will yield much better performance in the long term.

If you plan on improving the value of your investment in your music and movies by integrating audio and video, don’t automatically assume that you should buy a 5.1 system. Granted, more often than not we will recommend a full surround system for the best film performance, but in some cases (especially for the music lover) your budget and resources might be better served allocated to maximizing the performance from just 2 speakers. Stop in or call one of our showrooms sometime to discuss your options!

The New Era of Digital Audio

If you’ve attended either of our recent Tips 'n Techniques seminars, you’d have heard our Director of Performance Systems, Craig Finer, speak on digital audio and it’s various delivery methods, especially pertaining to Hard-drive based storage and the associated equipment used to retrieve those 1’s and 0’s and turn them into “squiggly waveforms”, or an analog music signal. I’m going to briefly touch on the categories we’ve covered and mention a few of our favorite examples in each category, as well as sum up some of the basic file formats and which ones we recommend using.


Music Servers

A dedicated music server is something that we would categorize as having it’s own method of storing information, with it’s own interface software and GUI (Graphical User Interface). Often the storage is internal, as in the instance of a PC/Mac or Apple iPod, which you can purchase with either a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid-State Drive). Sometimes, as in the case of our Sooloos and Kaleidescape products, the storage is externally located but in a proprietary fashion using a custom file system native to the particular product. The Sooloos in particular, we feel, is our best example of a Music Server since it comes with it’s own display, storage, and also offers great sound quality (courtesy of the parent company, Meridian) to boot. Most of the time, these products are the easiest to use and set up, and often don’t require much expertise in terms of computer know-how. The downside in the case of the PC/Mac or iPod type solutions is that you’re leaving the digital-to-analog conversion up to either inexpensive or simply poorly implemented DAC circuits that are more susceptible to issues like noise, interference, etc. since they are in a computer environment, which is not an environment which seeks to delicately nurture the analog music waveform.

USB DAC’s

A USB DAC takes the music off a PC or Mac through the USB output to turn it to analog. The theoretical advantage is that the USB interface is less prone to “jitter” or word clock timing errors than the typical SP/DIF Digital Coax or Toslink Optical connections on a computer sound card, thus able to retain the digital bitstream much more accurately before reaching the DAC. Another inherent advantage is that you will be able to use the interface you prefer (iTunes, Windows Media Player, WinAmp, JRiver, etc.) to manage your music library. A few examples of USB DAC’s would be our Audio Research DAC7, Ayre QB-9, and PS Audio Digital Link III. The Ayre QB-9 is unique since it is one of only a few USB DAC’s that uses a technology called asynchronus USB, which essentially uses a buffer to store the digital information before it gets sent to a fixed-frequency master clock, thereby virtually eliminating jitter. This is a bit different from the variable-frequency clocks that are found in the adaptive USB DAC circuits commonly in use. Many of the DAC’s on the market also offer multiple inputs so that you can hook up Cable or Satellite boxes, DVD players, Blu-ray players, or an older CD transport. Make sure if you are using a USB connection to ask us to demonstrate a Transparent Performance USB cable, you’ll be surprised!

Network Music Players

A Network Music Player retrieves the digital music information over your home network. Most Network Music Players will have their own interface and controller, such as a Sonos or Logitech Squeezebox. They typically utilize a protocol dubbed UPnP, or Universal Plug and Play, to communicate with software that scans your music library and serves it to the player over the network. The most common way to store music using a Network Music Player would be to use a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device. The Linn DS is our best performing example of a Network Music Player, though it does not come with any way to remotely navigate your music library. The digital music information is streamed over the network to an internal buffer (similar to the Ayre QB-9) in the DS, which then sends the info to an extremely low-jitter word clock to be sent to the DAC circuit, which is designed by Linn’s team of engineers experienced in the art of designing world-renowned source equipment.

File Formats

There are many different ways to convert the information on your 5.25” CD’s to digital files on a computer. The most popular way to store music on your computer hard drive is the MP3 format, which is also probably the worst way to do so, since it is typically an extremely “lossy” form of compression. Similar compression schemes are WMA and AAC, as well as other various formats. We strongly recommend avoiding these “lossy” compression algorithms since they throw away much of the original information on the disc. The alternatives are to use no compression, or “lossless” compression. WAV and AIFF files are the exact data from the disc with no compression, but do not have very good “tagging”, which gives you artist, track, title, album art, etc., and also take up more space on your storage drive. A “lossless” compression, such as FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) or ALAC (Apple Lossless) take up about 40-50% less space on average than a typical uncompressed WAV file, have great tagging capabilities, and are virtually indistinguishable from the original file since they use complex coding schemes to retain all of the original data. We typically recommend using a lossless compression since it’s all of the original data with the convenience of less space and great tagging. If you’re a PC user, FLAC is the best way to go and has the most flexibility. If you are an iTunes or Mac user, ALAC is the alternative since FLAC is currently not supported by iTunes.

I will be covering some of the products mentioned in further detail in the future. Hopefully this serves to help guide you as to what type of product may be suitable for your application, but in the meantime, if you have questions, stop by a showroom and we’ll be happy to help find the right solution for you!

5 Ways to Improve Your Hi-fi for Less Than $100

So, you've spent a bunch of time listening to speakers, amplifiers, CD players (or DAC's or Turntables for that matter), and possibly even cables, and you've assembled a Hi-fi System. The thing about it is, there are probably at least a couple of things you could do to improve the enjoyment of the music you're playing back on your Hi-fi, no matter the level you've invested at. I'm going to list 5 of my personal favorite products that give the most impact to an already existing system, that are typically no more than about $100.

Transparent Cable High Performance Powerlink

Hopefully we have all heard what investing even about $50-$85 on some interconnects will do to a system, especially compared to the cheap "freebies" that come in the box with most Audio/Video electronics. (Next time you are in the Seattle showroom, ask one of us what we do with those "freebies"!). Well, the fact is that most manufacturer-supplied power cables are as equally performance limiting as the interconnects they throw in the box. If your piece of audio gear has a standard 3-prong IEC connector, try a $105 Transparent High Performance Powerlink on it. In all but the most rare cases it will have enough of an effect that you’ll want one for every piece of gear in your system (or a better one, for that matter!). The big thing I always hear is an effortlessness to the music that just flows, which comes along with improved dynamics and transient speed. It’s because the equipment is actually getting current!

Quadraspire QX-Silencer

It’s not surprising that a company who makes great performing Hi-Fi furniture would make a product that improves isolation of equipment. Enter the QX-silencer, which come in 3 different sizes for various applications. A set of 4 of the smallest, the QX-25, will set you back $49. If your speakers are the small type and are being used on a shelf, try a couple of sets of these underneath them. The isolation from the shelf will improve bass “tightness” and the music will sound much more coherent and natural. Great for underneath CD players, cables, etc. as well.

Transparent Jumpers

Still have the manufacturer-supplied jumpers for your bi-wire speakers, or those metal bars on your integrated amp that connect the pre-out/main in? You really need to replace them. Even a few dollars invested in some good bulk speaker wire from Transparent to connect in between your bi-wire binding posts will make your speakers sound much more fluid and natural. And a $50 set of jumpers from the pre-out/main in on your integrated amp will simply blow your mind. It’s the little things like these that will get you listening to your Hi-fi more, and ultimately, more music!

Ayre Acoustics Myrtle Wood Blocks

Akin to the Quadraspire QX-Silencers mentioned above, these go underneath your components, cables, power cords, etc to provide improved isolation. At $5 each, it’s kind of hard to go wrong with trying a set of these Myrtle Wood blocks, and in some ways they are some of the best value in audio today. The one caveat is that they are a bit more application specific, meaning that they won’t necessarily make certain manufacturers equipment or speakers sound better. We’ve tried them under just about everything we sell, so if you ask us, we can make sure to recommend them in the right application.

Transparent Cable Performance USB

With the increasing popularity of Computer-based digital audio, there has been an influx of USB-based DAC’s in the audio marketplace (we just so happen to have some of the best available). But since this is new territory, not many manufacturers have paid much attention to the USB cable connecting the computer and the DAC. Thankfully, Transparent Cable did some long research and development to provide us with a USB cable that literally transforms a USB DAC. We recently had a Tip’s and Techniques Seminar in which we demonstrated an off-the-shelf USB cable connected from a Mac Mini to the wonderful new Ayre QB-9 USB DAC, and then replaced the cable with the Transparent. Every single person in the room heard an improvement that was in no way subtle. If you own a USB DAC, this is a $90 investment that should definitely be on your short list.

While there are many things to consider when purchasing a Hi-fi system, it is often some of the small overlooked things that can make significant improvements to your enjoyment of not just the equipment you invested in, but also the music that is being reproduced through it. These are just a few of the ways you can get more from your Hi-fi, but since everyone’s ears and musical tastes are different, connect with a consultant at one of our showrooms and allow us to help you find the right ways to get the most out of your system. I'll be posting a similar article on Home Theater upgrades soon.

Advanced Audio

We are pleased to introduce our new relationship with Advanced Audio Systems of Tacoma, bringing our premium brands and in-house service to the South Sound.

At a time when many companies are hunkering down to weather the economic storm, or going away all together, Definitive Audio and Advanced Audio have decided to expand our businesses jointly, to better serve our customers.

This exciting change will provide Tacoma and South Sound customers with access to expanded selections in audio, video and custom installation, as well as additional in-house service support from the friendly, experienced staff at Advanced Audio Systems, through Definitive Audio.

Please stop by the showroom at 6450 Tacoma Mall Blvd. in Tacoma.

The phone number is 253-472-3133.

Advanced Audio will be open new hours:

Monday - Saturday, 11-6

Sunday, 12-5