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Audio Systems/Questions Answered by Expert Wayne Tapia
| Subject | Date Asked |
| toshiba dvd | 2/10/2012 |
| Q: i have a toshiba dvd model sd-2710 and it has video but barely any sound it about 7 years old and ... A: Well, if nothing has changed gear wise and it suddenly went quiet, you need to test whether it is ... | |
| toshiba dvd | 2/5/2012 |
| Q: i have a toshiba dvd model sd-2710 and it has video but barely any sound it about 7 years old and ... A: So - just to help me narrow down what possibilities there are, I've got some questions... What ... | |
| stereo receiver | 2/4/2012 |
| Q: I bought a SONY 7.1 channel AV receiver for our home stereo. We have 4 separate rooms with 2 ... A: Surround receivers are not really designed to do what you're trying to do. The way the decoding and ... | |
| Outdoor Stereo | 1/22/2012 |
| Q: I play on a field sport. We are looking for a speaker to play during practices, games, etc. In the ... A: While I can't think of any brands to recommend, look in the tool section of your local Home Depot or ... | |
| q about hdmi to bose | 1/20/2012 |
| Q: i am learning about these things. i am a movie buff who is getting a new projector- the hd20 with ... A: Since the Bose system you're looking at only handles stereo, you will not be able to take advantage ... | |
| Panasonic Plasma Audio vs. Apple TV | 12/6/2011 |
| Q: I own a Panasonic Plasma TV TH42PWD7. For cable, I have Cox Communications and they issue a ... A: Not being 100% familiar with AppleTV, is there some sort of setup menu in the device? Since there ... | |
| Classical piano music on CD and on MP3? | 12/5/2011 |
| Q: I would like to ask whether there is really a quality mismatch between a classical piano CD and mp3? ... A: As far as the "theory" is concerned, it's true. MP3, regardless of the sample rate, is a lossy ... | |
| Receiver | 11/24/2011 |
| Q: ..I have a Bose Acoutimass 10 series IV home theater system. It has never really performed well, in ... A: If you have a multimeter, you can just take an ohms reading directly off of the speaker's +/- ... | |
| Receiver | 11/24/2011 |
| Q: ..I have a Bose Acoutimass 10 series IV home theater system. It has never really performed well, in ... A: Depending on the speaker ratings (in ohms) you might not actually be getting the rated output . ... | |
| No more audio from TV | 11/23/2011 |
| Q: I have an LG TV. I bought a sound bar because it was so hard to hear the TV speakers, since they are ... A: This is definitely something you'll need to bring up with LG. If you're not getting any volume from ... | |
| Speakers | 11/23/2011 |
| Q: I have a inexpensive 24" TV. The sound is very tinny. I want to hook up some speakers that will ... A: Well, there are a few things to consider... First of all, does your TV have any other audio outputs ... | |
| receiver/cable box | 8/20/2011 |
| Q: I have had my pioneer receiver and Motorola dvr cable box hooked up to my sharp TV for over a year ... A: If the cabling is not physically broken, you can count those out of the equation. Have you tried ... | |
| receiver/cable box | 8/20/2011 |
| Q: I have had my pioneer receiver and Motorola dvr cable box hooked up to my sharp TV for over a year ... A: Do they say what the "du1" code means? It's definitely not a cabling issue, unless one of the ... | |
| 1/8" stereo plug to bare wire | 7/30/2011 |
| Q: I've got a Dell Inspiron 560 computer that has auxillary 1/8" jacks for "surround sound" speakers. ... A: More than likely, those outputs require powered speakers. Also, outputs labeled " surround" are not ... | |
| Fisher Equalizer | 6/13/2011 |
| Q: I got a Fisher standard audio equalizer with 10 bands on each side and hooked it up with the four ... A: Hmmm I thought I had replied to this... What you have is a surround receiver. Many of these EQs ... | |
| Surround Sound Speaker cable... | 6/11/2011 |
| Q: Wayne, I recently purchased the JBL SCS-145.5 Home Theater Speaker System (8 ohm) with a Yamaha HTR ... A: In all truth, it makes very little difference either way. The whole "equal length" thing only can be ... | |
| Turntable to Computer | 5/19/2011 |
| Q: I have an AIWA PX-E860U turntable and I want to hook it up to my IMAC so I can download my albums? A: If you have a receiver that you connect the turntable to, look for an aux output. From that, you can ... | |
| choosing an amp | 5/10/2011 |
| Q: I have 4 speakers in my boat in which are the following specifications. TI SERIES POWER RATING 150w ... A: The only critical specs you want to concern yourself with are these: On the speakers - the wattage ... | |
| Onkyo HTIB - Zone 2 Outdoor Speaker Setup | 4/11/2011 |
| Q: I setup an Onkyo HT-S7300 7.1 home theater for my brother in law. The Onkyo has a Zone 2 to drive a ... A: According to the manual, the 8x setting is needed if you're driving a total of 8 speakers. If you're ... | |
| wiring choice | 3/29/2011 |
| Q: quick question. I'm doing a new home theater install where I plan on putting my amps in the room ... A: You actually want a coaxial cable for use with RCA connectors. The cabling you're showing is ... | |
| ipod shufflle g4 headphone modifiction | 2/18/2011 |
| Q: Mr.Tapia I want to shorten the wire on the headphones that connect to my shuffle. I tried on two old ... A: How are you reconnecting the wires? You're dealing with wire called "litz wire". Each individual ... | |
| HK 775 preamp installation | 2/8/2011 |
| Q: I have a pair of 775's and am connecting to an ols Realistic STA 2000 receiver. The receiver has 2 ... A: OK - first of all, the Harmon Kardon 775 is a mono amplifier, not a preamp. This type of amp is ... | |
| home theater sound | 2/6/2011 |
| Q: I have a samsung ht-tz512 home theater. i can not get tv sound to play through my speakers. i have ... A: From what you've described, I can only think of a couple of things; 1 - while rare and unlikely, ... | |
| Home Stereo question | 1/26/2011 |
| Q: I have a house with a main room , it has a set of in wall polk audio speakers , I power those with a ... A: It's pretty simple - if you don't understand the physics of what's happening, don't worry. It takes ... | |
| Home Stereo question | 1/26/2011 |
| Q: I have a house with a main room , it has a set of in wall polk audio speakers , I power those with a ... A: First of all, it's not a great idea to have all of the speakers tied together like you have it. This ... | |
| home theatre speakers | 1/17/2011 |
| Q: tapia! i have a samsung ht c550 and 2 jbl movie tlx surround speakers and one jble tlx center. can i ... A: It really depends on the receiver. If the speaker outputs can deal with 8 ohm loads, then you should ... | |
| turntable question | 1/5/2011 |
| Q: I have a Sanyo TP-1005 turntable from around the 70s or 80s. I am trying to hook it up to a a ... A: Do you get the buzzing in the phono channel with the turntable turned on? have you tried replacing ... | |
| Technics SB-C250 speakers | 12/26/2010 |
| Q: What is the best amp to power Technics SB-C250 speakers. They are vintage speakers built in 1990. I ... A: There are things you need to consider about the amp you select - that the output impedance (ohms) ... | |
| Home theater setup with older tv technology | 12/19/2010 |
| Q: I currently have a Pioneer plasma tv HD-5060 that has the separate media receiver in my study. I ... A: I'm not sure what this "separate media receiver" is. Is this something that came with the Plasma? ... | |
| Cleaning Vinyl Records | 11/28/2010 |
| Q: I have a large collection on vinyl records from the sixties and seventies. Is there any way known ... A: I personally wouldn't really trust a cleaning device on my albums. I generally use alcohol... I ... | |
| turnbtable hum | 11/26/2010 |
| Q: I have a Project turntable and as i've mentioned above, it contains an annoying hum. I will list the ... A: I would try a new stylus. I think if it was a motor issue, the hum would be present without the ... | |
| turnbtable hum | 11/25/2010 |
| Q: I have a Project turntable and as i've mentioned above, it contains an annoying hum. I will list the ... A: While I'm not 100% positive about your particular grounding arrangement, my turntable has a ... | |
| turnbtable hum | 11/24/2010 |
| Q: I have a Project turntable and as i've mentioned above, it contains an annoying hum. I will list the ... A: Yes - by all means, check the grounding on the amp, and swap the turntables. Have you tried a ... | |
| Laptop Speakers | 10/17/2010 |
| Q: I have a Toshiba Laptop ( L670-BT2N13) that I want to add external speakers( Harman/Kardon w/ ... A: I'm assuming the Harman/Kardons are powered? If you're using the audio jack on the laptop to your ... | |
| Pioneer PL-S40 turntable | 9/19/2010 |
| Q: I am trying to connect a Pioneer PL-S40 to Kenmore speakers, using a Kenmore amp. I have connected ... A: I would suspect that the turntable is the culprit. One more thing to try is to plug the turntable ... | |
| Pioneer PL-S40 turntable | 9/19/2010 |
| Q: I am trying to connect a Pioneer PL-S40 to Kenmore speakers, using a Kenmore amp. I have connected ... A: Before I go into any troubleshooting, I have one question - does the turntable have hard-wired ... | |
| Vinyl Recording | 9/15/2010 |
| Q: How is sound recorded to a vinyl disc as I cannot understand how bumps can be interpreted as sound. ... A: Here's a few articles that can explain this 100 times better than I can... ... | |
| audio inquieries | 9/15/2010 |
| Q: i was wondering if it would be possible to run 4 speakers off of a cd player style stereo, that was ... A: That is not a good idea. To put it as simply as possible, I doubt that the combined speaker ... | |
| Blueray subwoofer output | 8/26/2010 |
| Q: I've encountered 2 Denon Blu Ray players that I can't figure out how to get any audio out of the ... A: It would be astronomical odds for two different devices to be exhibiting the same "malfunction" so ... | |
| Bose Outdoor/Indoor Speakers | 8/12/2010 |
| Q: We recently purchased a home that had Bose cubes in the family room (front and rear), as well as 2 ... A: First of all, you need to check the exposed wires, and see if the outdoor speakers are hooked up to ... | |
| compatible remote | 6/13/2010 |
| Q: I have a regent HT 2004 SURROUND SOUND SYSTEM,I NEED A REMOTE control that would operate the ... A: While I don't have personal experience with the Regent brand, there are a TON of great universal ... | |
| audio via computer | 6/8/2010 |
| Q: when i connect my powered mixer to my computer i get sound interference thru my speakers@ bass bins. ... A: It might be a ground loop issue. How are you connecting the computer to the mixer? Another thing to ... | |
| TV Add-on speakers | 6/7/2010 |
| Q: Wayne: I suspect that this is an easy one for you. I would like to add better sound to my 32 inch ... A: Any device that accepts an optical input would require a separate DAC & amplifier, and therefore a ... | |
| speakers distorted? | 6/7/2010 |
| Q: I purchased some indoor/outdoor speakers off of ebay and I hooked them up with some Wal-Mart speaker ... A: In most cases, speaker wire is never the problem. I do have a couple of suggestions, however. I ... | |
| Technics SA 700 Teac 6010 Numark 2600 EQ | 5/24/2010 |
| Q: Did everything you told me to do as far as hooking up the Reel to Reel with the EQ to my receiver ... A: I'm trying to remember if the record function actually works on the reel to reel without any other ... | |
| Connecting problem - Tape to Technics SA-700 | 5/12/2010 |
| Q: Let me thank you in advance for any help you can provide. I have the following components : SA -700 ... A: How I would try this would be this: SA700 Tape Deck 1 playback > Teac line out Teac Line in > ... | |
| Sound from Blu ray | 5/11/2010 |
| Q: If I have a Blu ray movie playing, the sound from my CD player won't play, it play the sound from ... A: Run the BluRay directly to the TV with the HDMI cable. Use a digital audio cable from the BluRay to ... | |
| Connecting problem - Tape to Technics SA-700 | 5/9/2010 |
| Q: Let me thank you in advance for any help you can provide. I have the following components : SA -700 ... A: I actually used to own one of these years ago - it was a good unit! Unfortunately, I'm having ... | |
| 7.1 Channels with Dolby Pro Logic II ONLY | 4/26/2010 |
| Q: I had just recently bought a relatively older A/V receiver (Denon 2803) as my 2-yr-old son had ... A: Depending on the processor, you'll probably hear the same thing that's coming out of the surrounds ... | |
| How Can I Make A CD With Many Songs That Will Be Recognized By An Old Car CD Player? | 4/13/2010 |
| Q: We all know that the older car CD players will not play MP3 files on a CD, and that SUCKS because ... A: Does your car CD player play WMA discs? If not, then I don't think that will solve your issues. If ... | |
| Attaching an Ipod | 4/9/2010 |
| Q: Is there a way to attach an Ipod or Ipod dock to a Kenwood KR-V7060 receiver, so that I can play my ... A: Your dock should have some sort of output connectors... if not, get a 1/8" stereo mini plug to 2 ... | |
| high pitched noise | 3/26/2010 |
| Q: I have my toshiba HD tv hooked up to my sony stereo system through the aux output on the tv and the ... A: I don't think it's anything external, because if it was, you'd hear the interference all of the time ... | |
| New surround system | 3/23/2010 |
| Q: Wayne, I am in the prcess of installing a new audio system in a basement I just finished. I have a ... A: The short answer - buy the cheaper cable. The long answer (at least partially) is below. HDMI is ... | |
| spdif | 3/2/2010 |
| Q: i have an alba lcd32hdf and a surround sound system jvc th-p7 that will only accept audio signals ... A: You don't need to worry about damaging anything, as the signal levels are fairly low, and these ... | |
| Sound system for a dance area | 3/1/2010 |
| Q: I am working in my final touches to open a small teen club but friends are giving me different ... A: My personal preference would be to use the Mackie powered speaker, as these can be used with any ... | |
| Digital audio setup | 2/27/2010 |
| Q: I just upgraded my speakers. Now the FM tuner sounds great with my new speakers. Unfortunately the ... A: Check to see if you have the TV set up to send digital audio to the receiver (set up menu should ... | |
| spdif | 2/26/2010 |
| Q: i have an alba lcd32hdf and a surround sound system jvc th-p7 that will only accept audio signals ... A: It may work. Have you tried it yet? I don't think enabling SPDIF will help, as SCART is typically ... | |
| Wireless headset hook up | 2/23/2010 |
| Q: I have just purchased a Samsung 860 Plasma TV and hooked it up to a Denon AVR-790 Surround Receiver. ... A: My only suggestion would be to try using a mini to dual RCA cable (the type you'd use with an iPod), ... | |
| headphones | 2/21/2010 |
| Q: I am interested in buying a headphones set for my TV. Is it worth paying double for a 64 ohm ... A: Any headphone output circuit can handle any standard set of headphones. Depending on the brand and ... | |
| 10 room mono ceiling speakers w/volume control on speaker grills | 2/21/2010 |
| Q: I'm looking for ideas on 10 room mono sound system for a dentist office,ceiling speakers we/volume ... A: While these types of systems aren't my usual realm, Here's a link to get you started: ... | |
| High pitch whistle from home theater speakers | 2/20/2010 |
| Q: I am using a Sherwood RVD-6090R (60 Watts x 5 Channels) receiver with five 20-30 watt speakers ... A: Is it coming from all the speakers? Is it grounded properly? I think you may have to call Sherwood ... | |
| ipod dock problems | 2/17/2010 |
| Q: I have an onkyo DS-A3 ipod dock connected to Onkyo receiver HT-R370 (part of 5.1 system HT-S3200.) ... A: Apple seems to have changed the pin assignments on some of the docks and iPods and iPhones. Why they ... | |
| Yamaha Input Channels? | 2/14/2010 |
| Q: Ok I might be nit picking but I recently got a Samasung BD-P1600 BR Player and I am trying to make ... A: If you're getting discrete channels of output from the speakers , it almost sounds like the lights ... | |
| Speaker cut out | 1/30/2010 |
| Q: Wayne, I have an older TV/stereo system with a Pioneer VSX3300 receiver and two large floor speaker ... A: Try swapping the left and right front speaker connections from the receiver to see if the problem ... | |
| Receiver setup Q | 1/10/2010 |
| Q: I recently picked up a Yamaha 7.1 receiver & a set of Polk Audio speakers. My question is what would ... A: That would be my primary recommendation, because all of your switching can be done through the ... | |
| Kenwood 5090 Reciever & Bose Surround Speakers - no surround! | 1/10/2010 |
| Q: I am not sure when or how this exactly happened but my reciever no longer outputs audio to all of ... A: By only using a stereo pair to the receiver in 6 channel mode, you're not going to get surround ... | |
| Kenwood 5090 Reciever & Bose Surround Speakers - no surround! | 1/10/2010 |
| Q: I am not sure when or how this exactly happened but my reciever no longer outputs audio to all of ... A: Does the receiver have an automatic input selection or do you set this manually? What I mean is, I ... | |
| surround sound help! | 1/10/2010 |
| Q: I have an LG tv and am trying to set up a yamaha RX-V665 surround sound system to it. All of the ... A: You can try a new HDMI, but that doesn't seem to be the issue, as you're getting a picture. How long ... | |
| Buzzing Vinyl to Phono reciever | 1/6/2010 |
| Q: I have a new laptop and I connected it to my phono reciever and it was buzzing. Then I took out the ... A: If I'm reading this correctly, you've got your laptop plugged into the phono input on your receiver? ... | |
| home theatre hookup | 1/1/2010 |
| Q: thx wayne for helping out here....so the situation, tv;samsung ln-s40410 s new blu-ray;samsung ... A: I'm not sure what you mean by "satisfactory" results, as this is a subjective opinion. From what ... | |
| office sterior equipment | 1/1/2010 |
| Q: i am searching for a tuner or stereo for my office. We have already installed "in wall" speakers ... A: I lot of it depends heavily on how the speakers & the associated wiring is configured. Some offices ... | |
| LG Flatron 5.1 surround cabling. | 12/27/2009 |
| Q: i just got a new TV for christmas, it is an LG flatron 22". i have it working fine, except that i ... A: Unfortunately, this is more than likely not possible. As of yet, there are no televisions that have ... | |
| Audio noise whenever HDMI cable is plugged into monitor? | 12/25/2009 |
| Q: My room setup is as follows. Hear me out before wondering why I'm telling you about my monitor ... A: It sounds more like a ground loop issue between your monitor & sound system with the HDMI circuit in ... | |
| Popping/crackle when laptop is playing through receiver | 12/24/2009 |
| Q: When I listen to the radio through my 1978? VR5505 JVC AM/FM stereo receiver it sounds great. ... A: This could be several different things causing this. It shouldn't "ruin" the receiver, but it ... | |
| HDMI Splitout | 12/23/2009 |
| Q: I have an HP laptop with only a HDMI output. It outputs digital video and audio. My big TV is older ... A: Unfortunately, you'll never find a mere cable to separate the audio from an HDMI to another type as ... | |
| TV to receiver audio | 12/15/2009 |
| Q: I recently bought a Panasonic TC-L37S1 LCD TV. I want to run speakers from the TV to my older stereo ... A: Unfortunately, you'll need a digital to analog converter (or a DAC). I suggest looking for this at ... | |
| what mini hifi system can i connect to a turntable | 11/22/2009 |
| Q: Alot of the products do not say if they have an aux in connection. Do you have any ideas on the ... A: One thing about the mini systems is that they are meant to be self contained units. You are correct ... | |
| amp to speakers | 11/10/2009 |
| Q: i got 250w speakers impedence 8 ohm 45hz to 25khz range.. wat would be the best amp fro this... its ... A: As far as brands - Mackie, Carvin, Crown, QSC, Yamaha... these are good. Just make sure that ... | |
| Connecting CD player to cable box | 11/10/2009 |
| Q: I recently bought an old Sony CDP-CE405 5 disc CD player on Craigslist. It works great except ... A: I doubt that your cable box has audio inputs - every one I've ever seen or dealt with have been ... | |
| Question reg 128kbps MP3 with a DAC | 11/6/2009 |
| Q: I have most of my music collection in the form of 128kbps . I plan to use a chinese DAC after ... A: It depends on the quality of the DAC. I've heard good and bad conversion quality. One thing to ... | |
| speaker pop/pulsing | 11/5/2009 |
| Q: I set up an older amp with two AR speakers that I rebuilt with new cones, etc. One of the speakers ... A: One way to test this would be to swap the left and right speakers, and see if it happens again on ... | |
| Conneting two Receivers | 11/3/2009 |
| Q: Can I (or how to) connect my Onkyo TX-SR700 'Pre Out' (6-jacks)Receiver (no Speakers attached), to ... A: well, it should work... as long as you're going from the preamp outs, and you select the "Multi In" ... | |
| BA clock radio speakers for LCD TV? | 11/3/2009 |
| Q: I am trying to connect my Sanyo LCD TV to my Boston Acoustics Duo-i clock radio. The sound quality ... A: First of all, check to make sure that the RCA connections on the radio are for audio input. Also, ... | |
| Decoding HD Audio | 11/2/2009 |
| Q: If my Blu-ray player and my receiver has the ability to decode HD-master audio & DTS-HD which one ... A: It probably doesn't matter too much. If you can tell the difference between the two encoding types, ... | |
| computer to tv hookup | 10/30/2009 |
| Q: I have been trying to hook an HP laptop into an Akai LCT3201TD television. I have plugged the VGA ... A: I'm not sure what you're asking... You need to run from the computer's audio out into the 1/8" jack ... | |
| computer to tv hookup | 10/30/2009 |
| Q: I have been trying to hook an HP laptop into an Akai LCT3201TD television. I have plugged the VGA ... A: Actually, the 1/8" jack by the VGA input on the TV is where you'll run the PC audio to. Typically, ... | |
| Speakers to LCD TV | 10/22/2009 |
| Q: I am installing two in-wall speakers (myself) and running a 14guage cable inside the wall to a ... A: That will not work. The Audio out jacks on your TV are RCA connections, and are outputting line ... | |
| Samsung LCD/LED TV audio | 10/15/2009 |
| Q: The question the below background info relates to is: Will the Samsung 7000, 8000 and 8500 series ... A: That is something that you'll need to get from Samsung to know for sure, but I don't think that's ... | |
| cd recorder | 10/11/2009 |
| Q: #rcd-w500c, latley when i try try record from an external source, turntable, tape deck etc, i get ... A: According to page 37 of the Sony Manual it states, "If this message is displayed momentarily, it is ... | |
| home theater connections | 10/7/2009 |
| Q: I just purchased a new Yamaha RX-V665 receiver, which I'm pairing with a Klipsch Quintet SL speaker ... A: I generally don't like upconverting and most video "enhancement" features, and don't recommend them ... | |
| new install | 10/6/2009 |
| Q: We have the oppotunity to install wiring for speakers in a great room. Some questions: 1) We are ... A: I'll try to answer as well as I can in order: 1) Depending on your budget, you may also want to ... | |
| home theater connections | 10/5/2009 |
| Q: I just purchased a new Yamaha RX-V665 receiver, which I'm pairing with a Klipsch Quintet SL speaker ... A: Here's how I would run everything... I would run the DVD/VHS video out to the TV - Component out ... | |
| Old Pioneer VSX-D902S to Plasma and Blu-Ray | 9/25/2009 |
| Q: Just bought new Panasonic Plasma and Panasonic Blu Ray. Ran Cable Box to Blu Ray, HDMI from Blu Ray ... A: First of all, you may not be able to get surround sound by going from the TV to the receiver, (with ... | |
| Signal Clipping | 9/23/2009 |
| Q: I had a question about signal clipping. I just purchased a pair of used, Sony, 3-way, 140 watt max ... A: You are well within the output range of the receiver. Clipping occurs when the receiver output ... | |
| TV Headphone Jack | 9/21/2009 |
| Q: I recently purchased a 46" LG LCD TV. I love it but sadly no headphone jack. I would like to use ... A: There are many wireless headphone solutions on the market (the TV audio output plugs into a base ... | |
| computer hookup | 9/16/2009 |
| Q: Hey, man. Thanks if you can answer my question. I recently got an audio program for my laptop, ... A: You have some options here... From your headphone jack on the laptop, you can run a 1/8" stereo ... | |
| audio cutting out | 9/10/2009 |
| Q: I have a theater setup with a dvd player hooked up to MTX SW1212 150 Watts RMS subwoofer, 8 ... A: I've got a few more questions... Which speaker outputs are these attached to? I found a picture of ... | |
| Old reel to reel tape recorder | 8/13/2009 |
| Q: I have a very old reel to reel recorder and a few old tapes that I want to copy to CD. The recorder ... A: While I wouldn't really recommend it, you certainly could try that. A speaker level output going ... | |
| External Speakers | 8/12/2009 |
| Q: Hey Wayne, I bought a small 17" inch tv, but am not satisfied with the sound. I have a couple of ... A: OK - what you want to look for on the TV is an "audio out". Depending on the TV, it may be a single ... | |
| Panasonic SA-AK66 sub out help | 8/5/2009 |
| Q: Okay so the stystem is awesome ,i got it for free. Now i just baught a 12 inch car woofer and i want ... A: Unless your subwoofer is an active speaker (which I'm assuming it's not), you'll need an amplifier ... | |
| dvd storage | 8/1/2009 |
| Q: Is there a way to store a large number of dvds on a system. That way I don't have to load a dvd ... A: There are lots of DVD ripping programs out there. The big question is in the legalities of ... | |
| Patio stereo | 7/20/2009 |
| Q: I want to put a stereo system on my patio, with the receiver and a computer (to provide internet ... A: For the most part, you can use any receiver with any speaker - the most important thing to make sure ... | |
| Audio receiver turns on, no sound? | 7/12/2009 |
| Q: My name is Mike and I am also an expert over in the optometry section. This is more of a repair ... A: Wow - this is shaping up to be a bummer situation. If you can't find any easily servicable fuses - ... | |
| HDMI | 7/10/2009 |
| Q: I have a cable box, Sony DVD Home Theatre System DAV-HDX576WF, Samsung Blu-ray Player all running ... A: According to the specs online for your home theater system, you should have another digital input (a ... | |
| FIBER OPTICS IN STRUCTURED WIRING? | 6/11/2009 |
| Q: I'm just preparing to install structured wiring (copper) in a new house. The walls are all open, so ... A: If you have the means to outfit your home with optical, I'm not going to say "don't do it". Future ... | |
| surround sound for kenwood kr-v7060 | 6/6/2009 |
| Q: how can we get sound out of the rear speakers of our surround sound. the front and center work just ... A: I'm sorry, but your question is kind of vague...What kind of content are you playing though the ... | |
| Adapting wireless speakers to CD stereo system | 6/2/2009 |
| Q: Wayne, Is it possible to adapt wireless speakers to an older CD stereo system? Unit in question is ... A: It depends on the wireless speakers to a certain extent, but after looking at the owners manual, I ... | |
| Home Theater Speakers | 6/1/2009 |
| Q: I will soon be setting up a home theater system in my rec room. I have a decent pair of 70's era ... A: I don't foresee any issues with "mixing" speakers up. As long as they sound good to you, and the ... | |
| Marantz 7 channel | 6/1/2009 |
| Q: I have a Marantz 7 channel amplifier. Also I Would like to connect 5 Bose double cube (red line) to ... A: Although I'm not familiar with Bose gear (as I purposely avoid it), the standard 5 speaker set up ... | |
| sound cutting out. | 5/25/2009 |
| Q: Wayne, I am sorry I can't answer your questions more specically as we know nothing about ... A: I did notice that you've got some kind of balun you're using. Which devices is this between? Also, ... | |
| audio cable interference | 5/15/2009 |
| Q: I am building a rec room in my basement. I understand that I should run my stereo speaker wires to ... A: Actually, you should be fine. Speaker cables are much less susceptible to noise caused by power ... | |
| Pioneer Elite VSX81TXV THX Receiver | 5/5/2009 |
| Q: Above receiver connected to Monster Power HTS 3600,Definitive Surround sys.,Sony XBR3 KDL ... A: On page 71 of the owners manual, it states: "AMP ERR blinks in the display,then the power ... | |
| Connecting Blu-ray audio to a non HDMI reciever | 4/29/2009 |
| Q: I just purchased a Samsung BD-P3600 Blu-ray player and need to know what audio connections would ... A: Use the optical connection. You'll get 5.1 surround. You'd need a 7.1 receiver to take full ... | |
| HDMI no TV audio | 4/11/2009 |
| Q: I'm an AE on free global travel. Strange problem and I may be missing something basicbut here goes: ... A: This may seem like a bit of a "cop-out" answer, but due to the terrible engineering and design of ... | |
| Cabling an HDTV to a 10 year old streo receiver | 4/8/2009 |
| Q: I just purchased a new LCD 1080p, 120 hz TV. I also bought a blue ray player. I have a 10 year old ... A: If your Pioneer Receiver only inputs are analog stereo, and you're satisfied with the sound, I don't ... | |
| speaker noise | 4/3/2009 |
| Q: I use my reciever phono input quite a lot to listen to music off my computer or ipod. The problems ... A: You may want to try a different input, such as a tape / cd / or AUX input. Typically, the "phono" ... | |
| Sony STR-DG710 sound problem | 3/30/2009 |
| Q: Before I start, please know that I am a total novice at this and will do my best to describe the ... A: You could try an HDMI cable, but if you are still getting a picture, I doubt that it's a bad cable ... | |
| 5.1 Surround Sound Cutting Out | 3/26/2009 |
| Q: I have a Yamaha receiver, with inputs from cable TV, and a DVD player via HDMI. The only output is ... A: I can only think that it's a design problem with the receiver. If it was a speaker cabling issue, ... | |
| speaker hook-up | 3/7/2009 |
| Q: i just got 2-yamaha 15" with large horn speakers. i had a older pioneer sx1250 receiver with 3 ... A: Before you hook up the speakers, you'll want to see if the speaker impedance matches your amplifier ... | |
| Protect message coming from Sony receiver only with DVD player | 3/2/2009 |
| Q: I saw the answer you gave to a previousProtect message coming from Sony receiver. I hope you can ... A: What exactly changed with the connections to the receiver when you got the Fios box? Are you only ... | |
| Two questions on TV and headphones | 2/24/2009 |
| Q: Two questions on TV and headphones: Hi, 1. A friend has a good, new pair of wireless headphones ... A: Are there any other kinds of audio outputs on either of the TV sets? If so, you could run a line ... | |
| connect a Yamaha receiver | 2/23/2009 |
| Q: I would like to connect the following components together in the best way possible. Sharp Aquos ... A: If you're still using the HDMI for the BluRay, aren't you able to access those menus? Does your ... | |
| home theater hook-up | 2/5/2009 |
| Q: I am having a real problem hooking all my stuff up and making it work the way I want it to. I have a ... A: I would go this route: Plug the sat receiver and DVD directly into the tv via hdmi. From those ... | |
| pc music powered by external amp | 1/31/2009 |
| Q: ..how can i wire up a NAD pre amp and NAD 216 THX amp to my pc to play stored mp3s at volume thru ... A: Depending on your PC's soundcard, you will want to use a LINE OUT to the amp. If you do not have ... | |
| Home audio | 1/29/2009 |
| Q: I recently purchased a Sony KDL52XBR6HDTV. I have an older (15+ yrs) Pioneer receiver w/surround ... A: Are you trying to get all programming & the Blu-Ray audio through the receiver, or just the Blu-Ray? ... | |
| Home Theatre - playing audio CD's | 1/25/2009 |
| Q: I have a Panasonic home theatre system hooked to a 50" Samsung Plasma TV. All works fine except when ... A: On your home theater, there seems to be a feature called VIERA link. This is the culprit for the ... | |
| Preamplifier | 1/24/2009 |
| Q: you have done an excellent job of answering my questions in the past, so I ask for your help one ... A: Your typical receiver has one built into it. The input stage goes to the pre-amp, the preamp feeds ... | |
| Speaker Wire Termination Question. | 1/24/2009 |
| Q: I recently purchase 12ft of Supra Ply 3.4s (shielded) speaker cable from an online vendor. I have ... A: First of all I hope you didn't pay too much for that cabling, because the "boutique" cabling market ... | |
| Blu-ray hdmi | 1/23/2009 |
| Q: Wayne, my kids gave me a Sony blu-ray. My problem is my receiver does not have an hdmi port. My ... A: Were you getting 1080i resolution from any other device? Normally, component video (RGB) output from ... | |
| home stereo | 1/21/2009 |
| Q: how do i get stereo sound to come from reg tv. and movies from the dvd player. i have hooked up the ... A: You'll need to be more specific. I need the brand AND model number. Every brand and model are ... | |
| Stereo Receiver | 1/14/2009 |
| Q: i have the avr 1010 model Stereo receiver and the protection light is stuck A: Although there really isn't a question here, I'll try to see how I can help you. This seems to be a ... | |
| connecting satellite to surround sound | 1/7/2009 |
| Q: I just purchased a plasma HDTV and want to connect my satellite receiver to my Yamaha Home Theater ... A: You're getting the digital reception on your local channels from the roof antenna, as those are ... | |
| audio | 1/6/2009 |
| Q: I am considering a micro system JVC ex-A10 (they call it "theater " system...) . However, at the ... A: To answer your questions in order: 1 - it should be possible - the EX-A10 seems to have the ... | |
| SPDIF / Toslink | 1/4/2009 |
| Q: I came across a USB device that acts as an external sound card and outputs SPDIF. I was wondering ... A: I'll do a little research and see what I can find. Shoot me a followup to this, and I should have ... | |
| SPDIF / Toslink | 1/4/2009 |
| Q: I came across a USB device that acts as an external sound card and outputs SPDIF. I was wondering ... A: First of all, SPDIF is a signal type, and toslink is a another word for optical cable. In other ... | |
| Laptop - (HDMI) - TV - (Optical) - HTIB | 1/2/2009 |
| Q: I've been searching for an answer and I came across your site and from your answers you gave you ... A: On page 38 of the owners manual, it states "When audio from other equipment connected to this unit ... | |
| digital optical cable --worthwhile? | 12/30/2008 |
| Q: I just upgraded to a Pioneer Elite 01TXH receiver from my old (analog) VSX-97, and decided to try a ... A: The D/A conversion is normally just fine on most players - the sonic differences come from what the ... | |
| digital optical cable --worthwhile? | 12/29/2008 |
| Q: I just upgraded to a Pioneer Elite 01TXH receiver from my old (analog) VSX-97, and decided to try a ... A: As far as the price - I know how much optical cable costs from the factory, and $120 is daylight ... | |
| home system | 12/28/2008 |
| Q: my mhc-gx450 sony radio shut off the other day and wont turn back on,it is plugged in .it is not ... A: The first thing is to look and see if there is a fuse that can be replaced (look on the back where ... | |
| Humming noise from right audio output | 12/27/2008 |
| Q: I hooked up a radio shack karaoke mic on Christmas to our dvd player and tv inputs, and ever since ... A: Cool - I guess what was confusing me the most were the mic connections - but now that you've ... | |
| Humming noise from right audio output | 12/26/2008 |
| Q: I hooked up a radio shack karaoke mic on Christmas to our dvd player and tv inputs, and ever since ... A: Your question is a little confusing... What inputs did you hook this mic into - the dvd input? Was ... | |
| hdmi connections issues | 12/15/2008 |
| Q: I have four pieces of equipment: a cable box, a receiver, a TV, and a blu-ray, ALL of which can ... A: I get this question all the time at work. To be honest - there really isn't a "wrong" way, only ... | |
| HDMI & Blu-Ray | 12/14/2008 |
| Q: I am moving into the Blu-Ray arena and I am still a bit confused about 1 thing and hoping you can ... A: My answer kind of depends on if your TV can achieve full 1080p resolution. If it is not able to go ... | |
| music/light controller | 12/10/2008 |
| Q: My controller has too small a speaker for projecting music. QUESTION, can I remove the 2 speaker ... A: After looking at the unit, I'd actually look for a small contact microphone, attach it to the ... | |
| hooking up TV, receiver, blu-ray, and cable box | 12/10/2008 |
| Q: I have a bunch of new equipment: a new Samsung HDTV with three hdmi ports. I'm trying to ... A: It looks right to me, according to what you have listed. by the way, I hope you didn't get ripped ... | |
| Voice recorder to Computer | 12/3/2008 |
| Q: I have Sony voice recorder which has only ear phone and Mic plug ins. I am wondering how do I copy ... A: For a really cheap solution, go to audacity.com and download the program. It's a basic recording ... | |
| suround sound | 11/30/2008 |
| Q: I have a samgsung hdtv 50 inch and a techniques suround sound reciever and a ps3, ps3 is connected ... A: If I'm reading this correctly, the PS3 is not hooked up directly to the receiver. Without an ... | |
| Audio Receiver | 11/29/2008 |
| Q: Hey, i have a Technics SA-EX700... everything works fine.... like the wiring and sound its fine.... ... A: You'll need to check your owners guide to verify this, but your system may have a factory reset ... | |
| speakers fneeded for a concept 2.5 amplifier | 11/28/2008 |
| Q: I am in need o a pait of bookshelf sized speakers for my "old school" Concept 2.5 amplifier and TEAC ... A: My suggestion would be to go to your local HI-FI store and "audition" speakers with a CD that you're ... | |
| I need help buying a radio to make him WOW! | 11/16/2008 |
| Q: I'm totally clueless when it comes to audio,speakers & etc but I know my boyfriend loves it! I can ... A: Because there are so many different brands & models out there, it's hard for me to recommend any ... | |
| surround sound | 11/14/2008 |
| Q: We have a Magnavox 42" HD TV that I'm trying to connect to a JVC RX-5060B receiver for surround ... A: For some reason, many manufacturers are putting no audio outputs on modern TV's for some reason ... | |
| 2 Stereos, One CD player | 11/11/2008 |
| Q: Is is possible to hook up one CD Player (or TV, etc.) to two different Stereo Amps using Y Jacks? ... A: Sure. Just be aware that there will be a 3dB loss at the split, which is an unavoidable physical ... | |
| Electric noise (popping) on Sony 7.1 reciever | 11/2/2008 |
| Q: I get a ticking/popping noise on all my speakers (Sony 7.1 STR -DG600) it happens in all ... A: I'm not positive what "cb" stands for - please clarify. You could try running your gear though a ... | |
| lcd as speaker | 10/28/2008 |
| Q: i am trying to link my pc to my tv(40inch samsung lcd) through my external creative sound blaster ... A: OK - for this you need to be really specific... I need to know exactly what the outputs are on the ... | |
| speakers | 10/27/2008 |
| Q: please help me decide on which speakers to get. there are so many different types of speakers, from ... A: The best advice I can give is to bring a CD with songs you know very well into the listening rooms ... | |
| HDMI Cable | 10/24/2008 |
| Q: I would like to purchase an HDMI cable to connect my 32" plasma (vizio) TV to my cable box but ... A: This is the best resource for FACTUAL information about HDMI cable. I have yet to see another dealer ... | |
| best way to connect two amps | 10/23/2008 |
| Q: I have two AV receivers that have varios input and output abilities. The main unit (Denon) can put ... A: Here are some options: markertek.com sells optical to coax converters, You can run digital coax ... | |
| laptop digital audio out | 10/22/2008 |
| Q: I'm planning on using a laptop as a media server with my HD TV and my home theater system. Today at ... A: Yes - you'd set your output to SPDIF and connect to the digital coax input on your receiver. HDMI ... | |
| laptop digital audio out | 10/22/2008 |
| Q: I'm planning on using a laptop as a media server with my HD TV and my home theater system. Today at ... A: One question - is it an optical spdif output? At any rate, you can get this at bluejeanscable.com ... | |
| connecting satellite to stereo receiver and TV | 10/18/2008 |
| Q: Can you tell me what connections I need to make between a satellite DVR and a stereo receiver so ... A: This will depend on what audio outputs are available on the satellite box. For a true surround sound ... | |
| home theater front projector wiring | 10/10/2008 |
| Q: The Setup: Hi, i have a 14 x 22 family room and I have mounted a front projector on a wooden stud ... A: I'm not totally clear on what you are trying to do. Are you talking about wall plates for the ... | |
| denon surround sound | 10/8/2008 |
| Q: I have a denon home entertainment system that includes a radio, dvd player, and surround sound ... A: One thing you should check is if there is a surround setting on the receiver. My Sony receiver has a ... | |
| Receiver cable hookup for HD-TV/Bluray setup | 10/4/2008 |
| Q: I ordered the latest Panasonic 58" TV (850U)& Bluray player (DMP-55k)that have the usual HDMI inputs ... A: You shouldn't be losing anything "audio-wise" by keeping the receiver. I'd run whatever digital ... | |
| Connecting speakers to tv | 9/5/2008 |
| Q: I hope you can help me? I'm wondering is there any way that I can connect my television to in ... A: Unless the ceiling speakers are powered, or you have speaker level outputs on your TV, you'll need ... | |
| connections for bose 3.2.1 to samsung t.v. | 9/3/2008 |
| Q: I purchased a Bose 3.2.1 Series 3 system. I also purchased a samsung LCD t.v. which has HDMI 3.1. ... A: The 120hz is merely the refresh rate, and doesn't really have much to do with compatibility. With ... | |
| connections for bose 3.2.1 to samsung t.v. | 9/3/2008 |
| Q: I purchased a Bose 3.2.1 Series 3 system. I also purchased a samsung LCD t.v. which has HDMI 3.1. ... A: I would first disconnect everything and start from scratch. Plug the HDMI from the Bose into the ... | |
| whole house wiring | 9/1/2008 |
| Q: . We have a whole house audio system, a Denon system with wired speakers throughout the house. We ... A: Speaker cable comes in 2 conductor leads (one for +, one for -). Each speaker need a cable, so just ... | |
| audio signal | 8/31/2008 |
| Q: I have a Samsung LCD HDTV and a Motorola DVR for my digital cable from Comcast. For the video ... A: Check both setup menus on the gear for an optical input setting (audio setup menus). Also - if you ... | |
| question please | 8/31/2008 |
| Q: I have a musical ear & also had a bachelor degree in electronics & communication engineer , so I ... A: What I mean is that to be an audio engineer, there are specific skills that you need to learn that ... | |
| question please | 8/29/2008 |
| Q: I have a musical ear & also had a bachelor degree in electronics & communication engineer , so I ... A: It's great that you have those degrees, but unless you get an audio engineering degree, you can't ... | |
| PC to Yamaha HTR-5840 receiver Question | 8/26/2008 |
| Q: I have connected my PC to the receiver using the line out / speaker jack on the PC to dual (L/R ... A: Here's a couple things you can check... 1 - Make sure the cable you are running from the PC to the ... | |
| Protect message coming from Sony receiver | 8/21/2008 |
| Q: 2 weeks ago my mid-90's Sony receiver (STR-D511) started overheating while playing the turntable. ... A: I'm thinking that the new speakers are causing the problem (or one of them). I'd seriously think ... | |
| Protect message coming from Sony receiver | 8/19/2008 |
| Q: 2 weeks ago my mid-90's Sony receiver (STR-D511) started overheating while playing the turntable. ... A: For starters, a surge protector will not protect your gear from a short circuit, all it does is ... | |
| rewiring a 1/8 in stereo plug | 8/13/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to create a cable that goes from 1/8 inch stereo plug to bare wires that I could connect ... A: For a stereo line level input, any amplifier will require at least 3 terminals: right, left and ... | |
| Please recommend bookshelf speakers | 8/12/2008 |
| Q: I'm 56 and have 2 big old Trans Audio speakers for my turntable, radio, CD player in the living room ... A: What I do is disregard any preconceived notions about speakers, burn a CD with songs I'm VERY ... | |
| Pooping Sound | 8/11/2008 |
| Q: I have a Kenwood VR-6070 hooked up to to my surround sound system. Every time I change the channel ... A: It's not uncommon for something like this when changing channels / inputs. It's more than likely ... | |
| Feedback from microphones | 7/11/2008 |
| Q: I have a question about avoiding feedback squeal when using wireless mics. We recently added two ... A: Some suggestions - Make sure when you are setting up a stage, you're not in front of the speakers ... | |
| surround | 7/7/2008 |
| Q: I have a Kenwood audio-video surround receiver VR-407, that doesn't work quite right. The problem ... A: The only thing with the cable box that I can think of is that if you are going with a standard ... | |
| Home Audio | 6/20/2008 |
| Q: I've heard it said that when you install your satellite speakers, that it's "critically important" ... A: This isn't a matter of what I think, it's a matter of fact. The differences in speaker cable length ... | |
| surround | 6/19/2008 |
| Q: I have a Kenwood audio-video surround receiver VR-407, that doesn't work quite right. The problem ... A: Some questions... How do you have your components(cable box, dvd player, cd, etc) connected to the ... | |
| Surround Sound Help | 5/18/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to get my digital cable to run its sound through my surround sound system and am having ... A: That doesn't sound good at all. I'm assuming you are merely going from the Motorola audio outputs ... | |
| Proscan TV # 32700 | 5/11/2008 |
| Q: When watching from cable input, there is static. When watching a DVD there is no static. What ... A: It seems you've been troubleshooting quite a bit. If the cable company checked those things, the ... | |
| hd | 5/4/2008 |
| Q: i have 6 rg-6 cables run to a tv with a satilite reciever in a closet connected by ir sensors. i ... A: Component video (RGB) can handle HD - actually better than HDMI. With component video, the issues ... | |
| Onkyo TX-DS484 only plays in tuner/stereo mode | 4/14/2008 |
| Q: I have an Onkyo TX-DS484 home audio receiver. Just the other day I could not get any sound to come ... A: I'd say try the reset first. Have you looked for any Onkyo support forums? it can take some patience ... | |
| headphones | 4/9/2008 |
| Q: i'm trying to find noise cancelling/flat frequency response headphones so when i monitor amp levels ... A: Copied from wikipedia: "Noise-cancelling headphones reduce unwanted ambient sounds (i.e., acoustic ... | |
| New system set-up | 3/26/2008 |
| Q: Greetings Wayne, We recently purchased a brand new Sony 52" Bravia LCD, a Sony DAVX501W and trying ... A: OK - With that info, I'd suggest this routing: Comcast > LCD (HDMI) DAV > LCD (HDMI) Comcast ... | |
| New system set-up | 3/26/2008 |
| Q: Greetings Wayne, We recently purchased a brand new Sony 52" Bravia LCD, a Sony DAVX501W and trying ... A: If you have HDMI cables, you probably won't need separate digital audio cabling (since HDMI carries ... | |
| TV audio output | 3/1/2008 |
| Q: Is there an adapter or .... to connect the digital audio output from a TV to audio inputs (Red & ... A: Sorry to say, but a digital audio out will never work with an analog input. The signal types are not ... | |
| ProTools | 2/26/2008 |
| Q: What do you know about ProTools, the system that Barry Manilow records his music on? All I know is, ... A: Pro Tools is combination of software AND hardware that is as close to a recording industry standard ... | |
| Get sound out from laptop's HDMI to a sound system | 2/22/2008 |
| Q: I feel like I need your advise on connecting my laptop to an external sound system. I have a laptop ... A: You are correct in that you need to have something do the digital to analog conversion. My question ... | |
| Wireless Speaker | 2/20/2008 |
| Q: I have an advent outdoor wireless speaker and the transmitter has a headphone plug on it however ... A: First of all, DO NOT plug your transmitter into your speaker jacks on your receiver. More than ... | |
| humm when connecting tv to receiver | 2/16/2008 |
| Q: Have new Denon AVR 1908 Receiver. Have Cable, DVD connected to Denon via HDMI In. Have Denon ... A: It initially sounds like you've got a ground loop issue. Here are some things to check: 1) if you ... | |
| sharp audio outputs | 2/15/2008 |
| Q: I have a Sharp LC26AD22U - its a flatscreen/dvd combo. I want to run the audio through my stereo ... A: Yeah - it sounds like the cable box is the only answer. FYI - a standard RCA cable is all you need ... | |
| sharp audio outputs | 2/15/2008 |
| Q: I have a Sharp LC26AD22U - its a flatscreen/dvd combo. I want to run the audio through my stereo ... A: I'd say yes, as long as the cable box has stereo output. This will still not allow you to hear the ... | |
Audio Systems
Answers by Expert:
Wayne Tapia
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Home Theater Audio Cabling (from HDMI to speaker cable). DO NOT ask me car audio questions. It is not my forte, and I will not answer them.
Experience
I am a Certified Audio Engineer that also works in the A/V cabling industry. I would like to dispel the myths and outright lies about the cables that connect your home theater systems together. Here's a hint - many of you have been misled out of hundreds of dollars for cabling systems.
Organizations
ASCAP
AES
Education/Credentials
Audio Recording Technology Institute
Vancouver Film School
Past/Present Clients
Post Magic Studios
Khaos Studios
Glass Forest Entertainment
Funkbuddha Productions
The Capital Playhouse
Art In Music
Global Music Project
University of Washington
Belle and Wissel
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