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1. as a standard matures We can t afford a disc format war this year ay Events ja As already communicated we are planning yet another music day This time in conjunction with A Sound Experience and Valve Audio PLEASE diarise the event details now Venue Thula Thula Lodge Pretoria Date Saturday 21 March 2009 Time 09h00 17h00 5 p p have visited the venue and it offers a lovely tranquil atmosphere large open spaces swimming pool and even self catering units for those that come from afar and wish to stay over For more info and a map to the venue please visit their website at www thulathulalodge co za The day promises to be worth you while We will provide delicious food platters and GOOD MUSIC at no cost There is also no entrance fees There will however be a cash bar on the premises where you can buy soft drinks and alcoholic drinks What to expect Well we will be showcasing all our brands Ecosse Spendor EmmLabs Maestro and Furutech and the other guys will have their brands Rega Valve Audio Stockfish Records Naim Grammophone etc on show Please RSVP to info avcables co za if you plan to attend stating names of attendees Continued on next page lo SENSecm Note Product specials shown and entry into our quarterly competition are only valid for subscribers to our newsletters Click to subscribe NOW News Events and Reviews This section covers all the latest indus2. However 3D content encoded with this process cannot be played back on existing Blu ray players and this means that a new 3D Blu ray Disc BD player and disc encoding format is required Panasonic has asked the BD Forum to standardize their 3D approach Dolby however is proposing a different approach to encoding 3D content using the existing standard Blu ray disc medium and standard Blu ray players The technique uses diagonally subsampled versions of the left and right images which are then re integrated into complete frames a method called checkerboarding or more technically quincunx spatial subsampling The technique is compatible with current popular online and downloadable file formats and uses a similar data footprint as a standard Blu ray movie In addition it does not require changes to the Blu ray HDMI or MPEG specifications and according to Dolby does not require an external decoder box wW v But a format war would be disastrous to the 3D concept given the current state of the economy Without assurance that their purchased format will have viability few consumers would be willing to shell out for a device that could quickly become obsolete And waiting for a standard or worse building a product without it will create further uncertainty when some manufacturers are ready to roll out product now Perhaps the best migration path would be to start with the checkerboard format and add a full HD format later
3. from Robert Harley for soeaker placement h SENSesm Note Product specials shown and entry into our quarterly competition are only valid for subscribers to our newsletters Click to subscribe NOW News Events and Reviews This section covers all the latest industry news and reviews on our products as well as information on any local hi fi news events of interest ot AVCables News Emm Labs announces new flagship DAC and Transport EmmLabs has announced their latest flagship DAC and Transport units at CES 2009 thereby taking digital conversion technology to an all new level Their latest DAC the DAC2 has been standard fitted with Ed Meitner s proprietary Signature Edition MDAT upsampling system discrete converter technology and EMMbed aerospace composite pcbs The main new technology with regards to the DAC2 is MFAST Meitner Frequency Acquisition Technology Most converters including high end systems use a type of PLL phase locked loop system to synchronize their digital systems PLL s have many inherent flaws most notably its lacking ability to get rid of jitter it can only attenuate it inherently slow to lock a limited lock range and response time and will naturally drift thus adding jitter and phase distortion This is where Ed Meitner distinguishes himself the DAC2 utilises their new proprietary digital source acquisition system called MFAST that captures extracts and re clock i
4. strong center image and a wide soundstage You can experiment with angle simply by moving your listening chair forward and backward There will likely be a position where the center image snaps into focus appearing as a stable pinpoint spot exactly between the loudspeakers A musical selection with a singer and sparse accompaniment is ideal for setting loudspeaker spacing and ensuring a strong center image With the loudspeakers fairly close together listen for a tightly focused image exactly between the two loudspeakers Move the loudspeakers a little farther apart and listen again Repeat this move listen procedure until you start to hear the central image become larger more diffuse and less focused indicating that you ve gone slightly beyond the maximum distance your loudspeakers should be from each other for a given listening position Move the speakers slightly closer together until the image snaps into focus again you ve just found the optimum separation of your speaker for a given listening distance A factor to consider in setting this angle is the relationship to the room You can have the same geometric relationship between loudspeakers and listener with the loudspeakers close together and a close listening position or with the loudspeakers far apart and a more distant listening position At the distant listening position the listening room s acoustic character will affect the sound more than at the close listening posi
5. that the loudspeakers should be positioned at different distances from the rear and sidewalls A rule of thumb the two distances shouldn t be within 33 of each other For example if the loudspeaker is 3 from the sidewall it should also be at least 4 from the rear wall Many loudspeaker manufacturers will specify the correct distance from the rear and sidewalls When a measurement is specified the distance is between the woofer cone and the wall Start with the loudspeakers in the locations recommended by the manufacturer then begin experimenting How close the loudspeakers are to the sidewalls affects the amplitude of the sidewall reflection The closer the loudspeakers are to the sidewalls the higher the level of the sidewall reflections reaching the listener not a wW v good thing If you ve treated the sidewalls as described later in this section putting the loudspeaker closer to the sidewall won t have as great an effect than if the sidewalls were left untreated A highly effective technique for finding the best distances from the rear and sidewalls was developed by David Wilson of Wilson Audio Specialties Stand at the rear wall about the same distance from the sidewall as you expect the loudspeakers to end up Bend over and begin speaking moving in a line perpendicular to the rear wall Listen to the timbre of your voice as you move You ll hear different colorations as you move and then suddenly at one particular l
6. REFERENCE CABLE PURE TRANSMISSION Please help us increase our subscriber base by Click on logos or hyperlinks for more info AVCables CC focus your source for keeping you up to date on all the latest news reviews events and technical commentary related to our world renowned product ranges Please forward any inputs comments or suggestions you may have to letters avcables co za Editorial Comment Welcome to our 29 edition of AVCables Focus In this edition we continue our feature article part 3 covering excerpts from world renowned hi fi reviewer Robert Harley Editor in Chief of The Absolute Sound Magazine on system setup secrets Excellent stuff Do not miss out Our News section covers the release of EmmLabs new flagship DAC and Transport units the DAC2 and TSD1 and in our Technical Snippets section we continue our posting of FAQs on HDMI cables and technology And in our regular Reviews section we cover a recent review from ToneAudio on the Furutech s tonearm cable as well as a recent local review of the Furutech Ref Ill speaker and analogue cables FURUTECH JemmLabs forwarding this Newsletter to a friend gt Future Article ROBERT HARLEY S SYSTEM SETUP SECRETS PART 3 cnsctcateccvieesecoets gt News Events and Reviews New EMMLABs DAC TONEARM AND REF III gt Classifieds and As already mentioned we are planning anoth
7. Rosenut pair R14 999 R12 750 e Spendor S6e floorstand speakers Rosenut pair R27 999 R23 800 ISSUE 28 FEB 2009 e Spendor S6e floorstand speakers Rosenut pair R38 999 R33 150 Feature article Harley s system setup secrets part 2 News Spendor s new A line floorstands Reviews Spendor S3 5R Furutech DeMag DEMO ITEMS Wag Now e 1x Ecosse ES4 45 BiWire 2x4 3m set ban ban R4 503 R3 152 e 1x Ecosse Baton MkII 2m pair XLR R4 906 R3 434 Ca E neve E e 1x Ecosse CS2 3 BiWire centre 2x4 1m ban ban R1 415 R990 system setup secrets part 4 e 1x Ecosse Prisma Superior Component 10m RCA R2 992 R2 094 Rae nan euriecn cere e 3x Ecosse S Video MkII Monocrystal 1m each R1 072 R750 HOP st e 1x Ecosse MS2 3 centre 2x2 1 5m each ban ban R1 479 R1 035 a se gee e 1x Ecosse MS2 3 centre 2x2 2m each ban ban R1 801 R1 260 MEMES a ote e 1x Ecosse SMS4 7 BiWire 2x4 1 5m ban spade R13 957 R9 770 SOS a NB Please e mail us at sales avcables co za if you are interested in any of these SPECIALS stating the item s of interest to you and your location and we will refer you to your closest participating Dealer Letters from members Technical Snippets HDMI FAQs Competition corner Classifieds mgp Note Product specials shown and entry into our quarterly competition are only valid for subscribers to our newsletters Click here to subscribe NOW
8. delay in responding I ve been without a PC for some time operating from Blackberry Sm HIGH DEFINITION MULTIMEDIA INTERFACE We will be covering FAQs on HDMI cables and HDMI technology in the next few issues If you have a question of your own please e mail me and we ll cover it Question 6 Do I need v1 3 HDMI to hear the new Dolb TrueHD and DTS Master HD audio content on HD DVD or Blu ray players No The Dolby TrueHD Dolby Digital Plus and DTS HD Master Audio can be decoded by the playback device into multi channel Pulse Code Modulation PCM digital audio streams which is an audio format standard that can be sent over any version of HDMI In fact all versions of HDMI can support up to 8 channels of PCM audio at 192kHz 24 bits per sample To do this consumers should ensure that their playback device such as HD DVD or Blu ray player is capable of decoding these new lossless Dolby amp DTS audio formats into the PCM format on the HDMI output and that the audio device such as an A V receiver is capable of receiving multi channel PCM audio over the HDMI inputs Consult your user manual product specification sheet to determine whether your device supports such PCM capabilities we believe that nearly all HD DVD and Blu ray players will but users should confirm this Devices that support HDMI v1 3 and higher may also offer the option to transport the high definition audio formats as a compressed encoded strea
9. er Back Issues N XY a W U U W or V Y NOTICE The classifieds section is a free service for private sellers ONLY No retailers or wholesalers may submit classifieds Submit your inputs to classifieds avcables co za f OFFERED Phone Pieter TO SWOP Jamo D870 Floostand 0834065907 ing Speakers R38 999 None New Asking R23 000 not boxed Excellent Condition Phone Pieter 0834065907 You can download back issues of our newsletter from our website by Polk TSI 300 Floor a o nere standing speakers R5800 New Asking R3900 boxed Excellent Condition ISSUE 26 NOVEMBER 2008 Feature article Recap of the Sound amp Vision Expo 2008 News New Ecosse MS 4 7 Bi wire amp Furutech Powerflux Reviews Spendor S3 5R Furutech Demag Furutech e TP609E and Ref III cables Prices subject to change without notice While Stocks last ISSUE 27 DEC 2008 JAN 2009 e Feature article Robert NEW ITEMS Was Now Harley s system setup secrets part 1 e Ecosse the Sub Ultra 8m RCA 24k Gold plated R1 758 R1 494 News New Tonearm cables e Ecosse Fibre Optic T2T Superior 3m ea R1 286 R1 093 from Furutech e Ecosse DVI D Picture Perfect 8m ea R2 037 R1 730 Reviews Spendor S3 5R e Furutech FP203 G 24k gold plated spades ea R95 R81 Spendor SA1 Spendor S8e e Furutech FI 15E G high perform IEC power plugs ea R409 R348 EmmLabs CDSA SE e Spendor S3e bookshelf speakers
10. er MUSIC DAY where you can hang out chat eat drink listen to good music and buy great hi fi products Be sure to read more about this event and let us know if you re planning on attending Finally we wish to once again appeal to all our subscribers to get actively involved in our Newsletter this year Your feedback ideas and input will make this Newsletter much more fun to read for all and more technically relevant via combined inputs and experiences from a large music lover audience get at it right away and send us an e mail to letters avcables co za A reminder to please browse through our classifieds and product SPECIALS for great deals on offer Enjoy Jeandr Botha h SENSeciv Yj a TRANSPORT AND FURUTECH CABLE REVIEWS ccicscesssces Special offers 10 Note Product specials shown and entry into our quarterly competition are only valid for subscribers to our newsletters Click to subscribe NOW j How an audio system is installed set up and fine tuned has an enormous impact on that system s sound quality You might have chosen some great individual audio components but that doesn t guarantee you ll get great sound If you have missed out on part 2 of this excerpt please download our previous news letter now by clicking here Introduction We continue our feature article part 3 with excerpts from world renowned hi fi reviewer Robert Harley Editor in Chief of The Absol
11. he loudspeakers are to walls and corners the louder the bass 3 The loudspeaker and listener positions in the room affect the audibility of room resonant modes Room resonant modes are reinforcements at certain frequencies that create peaks in the frequency response which can add an unnatural boominess to the sound When room resonant modes are less audible the bass is better defined and midrange clarity increases 4 The farther out into the room the loudspeakers are the better the soundstaging particularly depth 5 Listening height affects tonal balance 6 Toe in angling the loudspeakers toward the listener affects tonal balance particularly the amount of treble soundstage width and image focus Let s look at each of these factors in detail 2 AVCABLES CC E Ecosse S Spendor F Furutech Continued on next page po fou SENSeciu here jt Feature Article Robert Harley s system setup secrets part 3 continued 1 Relationship between the loudspeakers and the listener The most important factor in getting good sound is the geometric relationship between the two loudspeakers and the listener we aren t concerned about the room yet The listener should sit exactly between the two loudspeakers at a distance away from each loudspeaker slightly greater than the distance between the loudspeakers themselves Though this last point is not a hard and fast rule you should certai
12. ions are limited When a loudspeaker is placed near a wall its bass energy is reflected back into the room essentially in phase with the loudspeaker s output This means the direct and reflected waves reinforce each other at low frequencies producing louder bass The closer to the corners the loudspeakers are placed the more bass you ll hear The loudspeaker s position in relation to the rear and sidewalls will also affect which frequencies are boosted Correct placement can not only extend a loudspeaker s bass response by complementing its natural rolloff but also avoid peaks and dips in the response Improper placement can cause _ frequency response irregularities that color the bass That is some frequencies are boosted relative to others making the bass reproduction less accurate TIP Setting the distance between the loudspeakers is a trade off between a wide soundstage and a strong center image The graph of Fig 2a is a loudspeaker s in room response the speaker s response as modified by the listening room when placed equidistant from the rear and sidewalls Note the 10dB notch reduction in energy at about 200Hz and the peak centered at 60Hz The result will be boominess in the bass and leanness in the midbass Moving the loudspeaker different distances from the rear and sidewalls can make the response much smoother Fig 2b These graphs illustrate that a loudspeaker s room position affects the bass response and
13. l us at letters avcables co za with your comments suggestions questions and or inputs for possible addition to this section oT Oa FIV x b ig eis Ais The HDMI cable was tested on an X BOX The Furutech e TP80E has been and a LCD HD ready Panel Transfering included in my system for some time the digital signal was effortless The now The improvements it brought about image was sharp clear and decisive The were subtle yet distinctly noticeable sound quality was clear detail and Backgrounds seemed more quiet while precise The images were very realistic focus and space within the sound stage improved dramatically Here is a hi fi device that truly defies the law of diminishing returns Whether you ve spent ten thousand rand or two hundred and ten thousand rand or substantially more the addition of a Furutech e TP80E will bring about a noticeable improvement to the picture your speakers manage to paint before you A great value for money upgrade Charl Fourie via e mail recommend this cable to any person looking for HDMI connectivity in order to experience the full HD experience A very impressive cable Chan Velab via e mail Thank you for providing such positive feedback Everyone that have tried this cable have applauded its superiority to anything else they have encountered in the market Well done Furutech Jeandr nomer powe mul connection Hello Jeandre Sorry about the
14. m over HDMI so that the decoding function can be performed by the A V receiver whereas the above transport method has the playback device performing the decoding Question 7 What is the difference in quality between listening to Dolby TrueHD DTS HD over HDMI SPDIF i e coax or optical or analogue from the player to the A V receiver HDMI provides the highest quality as it enables the full loss less audio data of Dolby TrueHD to be transferred digitally to the AV receiver and enables the A V receiver to apply its full digital audio processing capabilities such as bass manage ment or sound field processing effects to further enhance the audio quality SPDIF does not have the ability to support the data rates required by Dolby TrueHD and thus will not support it Technical snippets amp advise Equipment tweaks upgrades advise FAQs Analogue will be lower quality than HDMI due to two reasons 1 the nature of analogue transmission is lossy and will degrade while transported over the cables and 2 many A V receivers will not apply any digital audio processing to the analogue inputs and in such cases analogue signals will be sent directly to the amplifier without the benefit of such Ma i aw lo SENSecm f Note Product specials shown and entry into our quarterly competition are only valid for subscribers to our newsletters Click to subscribe NOW 10 Classifieds N Newslett
15. ncoming digital audio asynchronously a aN _ thereby completely getting rid of any source jitter We sense each incoming data stream using the source frequency as reference and extract the data and re clock using our own internal super accurate clocking system which uses an independent DSP to adjust track and synthesize a system clock that stays in step with the source The DAC2 can be used with any digital source even if the source has bad or problematic digital data It can even be used with older transports computers DVD players etc and you will be completely amazed at what this converter can do for even MP8s Further the DAC2 s USB audio port can be hooked up to any computer based system or digital music server Their new Transport the TSD1 also boasts with built in MDAT technology as well as a new proprietary EMM Link single optical fiber cable for optimum jitter and interference free lossless interconnection to the DAC2 It also comes fitted with a new German drive and brand new LCD display updated transport software and a beautiful new metal remote to complement the two box system Recommended Retail prices are set as follows DAC2 R123 000 and TSD1 R1438 000 We are currently running a promotion on these items at much reduced prices call or e mail us for more details Continued on next page puu SON He j f Asaa Note Product specials shown and entry into our quarterly com
16. nly sit exactly between the loudspeakers that is the same distance from each one If you don t have this fundamental relationship you ll never hear good soundstaging from your system TIP Loudspeaker placement affects tonal balance the quantity and quality of bass soundstage width and depth midrange clarity articulation and imaging Fig 1 shown on previous page illustrates how your loudspeaker and listening positions should be arranged This is such a fundamental prerequisite to good sound that I ll repeat this section The listening position equidistant from the speakers and slightly farther from each speaker than the speakers are from each other is called the sweet spot This is roughly the listening position where the music will snap into focus and sound the best If you sit to the side of the sweet spot the soundstage will tend to bunch up around one speaker This bunching up effect will vary with the loudspeaker some loudspeakers produce a wider sweet spot than others Setting the distance between the loudspeakers is a trade off between a wide soundstage and a strong center image The farther apart the loudspeakers are assuming the same listening position the wider the soundstage will be As the loudspeakers are moved farther apart however the center image weakens and can even disappear If the loudspeakers are too close together soundstage width is constricted The best listening angle will produce a
17. ocation your voice will sound open clear and uncolored There will be a small range several inches over which your voice sounds the most natural Mark this area on the floor with masking tape This is the best distance from the rear wall for your loudspeakers Now repeat this exercise but starting on the sidewall at the same plane at which you have placed the masking tape The point at which your voice sounds the clearest is the best distance from the sidewall to locate your loudspeaker The two points will intersect indicating where you should position the loudspeaker The intersection should be just behind the loudspeakers front baffle and centered on the woofer This technique is very effective and correlates very well with the placement suggested by computer modeling The accuracy can be improved by having someone sit in the listening position as you move and speak and confirm the point at which your voice sounds least colored Fig 2a Positioning a speaker equidistant from the rear wall i dB 0 7 7 o e S and sidewall creates 3t a 7 F severe peaks and 6 Pa t7 dips in the frequency AI i response 10 31 62 100 316 2 1000 2 9 6 Fig 2b This plot is 3 the same speaker as 3 So et in Fig 2a but ina 3 a iia better location Note F Pi the much smoother 9 and flatter bass Coge S response 10 31 62 100 316 2 1000 Hz In our next edition we continue this excerpt with setup secrets and guidelines
18. petition are only valid for subscribers to our newsletters Click to subscribe NOW j News Events and Reviews This section covers all the latest industry news and reviews on our products as well as information on any local hi fi news events of interest Industry News and Innovations The time is right for a 3D content delivery standard Display Daily 26 January 2009 If CES and recent press are any indication 2009 is the year that 3D content moves seriously into the home New 3D displays and systems were among the hottest buzz at the CES 2009 show both for video and gaming content What is missing however is a convenient and immediate way to deliver the content to the home By far the medium with the highest penetration is the DVD but its bandwidth cannot support the data rate needed for viable 3D playback Blu ray is the logical candidate for a medium and 3D content could be the shot in the arm that the format needs to lift sluggish disc sales and rentals Two powerhouses Panasonic and Dolby have announced at CES solutions for a 3D Blu ray format but here s the rub they re not compatible and the differences are like apples and oranges The Panasonic system called the 3D Full HD 83D FHD Plasma Home Theater System delivers full 1080p left and right sided images all the way from recording to playback and display The company has also developed the authoring technology needed to produce the discs
19. tion That s because at the close position you hear more direct sound from the loudspeaker and less reflected sound from the room s walls Consequently the farther away you sit the more spacious the sound The closer you sit the more direct and immediate the presentation Some loudspeakers need a significant distance between the loudspeaker and the listener to allow the loudspeakers individual drive units to integrate If you hear a large tonal difference just by sitting closer you should listen from a point farther away from the speakers 2 Proximity to walls affects the amount of bass The room boundaries have a great effect on a loudspeaker s overall tonal balance Loudspeakers placed close to walls will exhibit a reinforcement in the bass called room gain making the musical presentation weightier Some loudspeakers are designed to be near a rear wall the wall behind the speakers they need this reinforcement for a natural tonal balance These loudspeakers sound thin if placed out into the room Others sound thick and heavy if not Continued on next page pius SENS f Qs Note Product specials shown and entry into our quarterly competition are only valid for subscribers to our newsletters Click to subscribe NOW ey V VA jt Feature Article Robert Harleys system setup secrets part 3 continued at least 3 from the rear and sidewalls Be sure which type youre buying if your placement opt
20. try news and reviews on our products as well as information on any local hi fi news events of interest Latest Reviews FURUTECH REF IlI CABLES REVIEWED BY AVSA FURUTECH Furutech s Ref lll loudspeaker cable and Ref lll analogue inter PURE TRANSMISSION f connect cable was recently reviewed by AVSA Magazine FURUTECH TONEARM CABLE REVIEWED BY TONE AUDIO Furutech s AG 12 tonearm cable was recently reviewed by Tone Audio Magazine Value Award In short this is what Deon Schoeman had to say about these cables In short this is what they had to say about this cable The Furutechs have the ability to extract and resolve ultra fine grains of details and to mould then into a smooth cohesive whole The result is Take it from me it sounds damn good Actually this cable does a great an extremely focussed image smoothly resolved and beautifully job at not having a sound can tell you that the Furutech AG 12 is the presented Deon Schoeman Audio Video SA Magazine most cost effective upgrade I ve made to my analog front end November 2008 ever This cable strikes the perfect balance for me it offers more musical detail without being even a tiny bit harsh Tone Audio October 2008 Issue 18 pus SEN HE h AS Note Product specials shown and entry into our quarterly competition are only valid for subscribers to our newsletters Click to subscribe NOW I f NOTICE Please feel free to e mai
21. ute Sound Magazine on system setup secrets The excerpts have been compiled from his book The Complete Guide to High End Audio All credit for this compilation goes to the author Loudspeaker Placement Finding the right spot for your loudspeakers is the single most important factor in getting good sound from your system Loudspeaker placement affects tonal balance the quantity and quality of bass soundstage width and depth midrange clarity articulation and imaging As you make large changes in loudspeaker placement then fine tune placement with smaller and smaller adjustments you ll hear a newfound musical rightness and seamless harmonic integration to the sound When you get it right your system will come alive Best of all it costs no more than a few hours of your time Before getting to specific recommendations let s cover the six fundamental factors that affect how a loudspeakers sound will change with placement Later we ll look at each of these factors in detail 1 The relationship between the loudspeakers and the listener is of paramount importance The listener and loudspeakers should form a triangle va mind oe without this basic setup you ll never hear good soundstaging and imaging See Fig 1 hereunder i Fig 1 The sweet spot is the listening position where the sound snaps into focus 2 Proximity of loudspeakers to walls affects the amount of bass The nearer t
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