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For connector cleaning, deoxidizing, and protection try the Caig cleaning products (DeOxit and ProGold). MT

Bruce: Do you happen to know a source for test tone CDs that have warble tones at finer resolution than 1/3 octave? Same question for short tones that sweep the audio frequency band or step through it at 1/12 or 1/24 octave steps. Thanks MT

Dave: I just began experimenting with ETF and it is a good idea to go through the "Getting Started" section to characterize and verify your computer sound card and familiarize yourself with the program. Acoustisoft, the ETF, company states in their literature that even older "low tech"...

Doesn't sound like the cable is the problem if Master and Commander worked. That also indicates your amplification chain and speakers are functioning correctly. The problem sounds more like an issue with the DVD player or your pre/pro (receiver). MT

The best resource I know for headphone information is the Headroom Company. You can surf their website at the following link: http://headroom.headphone.com/layout.php Their technical support and discussion groups are great for solutions to these type of questions. MT

It's an 18 gauge 3 wire shielded cord and you will likely hear no difference. MT

Was it P. T. Barnum that said, "It is impossible to underestimate the intelligence of the public", "there's a sucker born every minute", "it's a sin to let a fool keep his money", and many more? Seems like many modern marketing strategies are based on these very tenets. A knowledgeable...

Sorry about that headphone link. Headroom's link is as follows: http://headroom.headphone.com/layout.php MT

Try www.headroom.headphone.com for all the information on headphones you can stand (and more). MT

Eric: I like my Brystons very much but I use the 9B-SST for SACD playback into full range center and side channels, so the power is necessary. It might be overkill for theater in a small room. The Bryston reproduces bass well, it's powerful, fast, quiet, distortion free and has a great 20...

Eric: Power in watts is equal to voltage times current so 120V x 17.5A (the maximum current of a 4B-SST) = 2100W. If you use 240V input the current will drop by half and the maximum power dissipation will remain at 2100W (240v x 8.75A = 2100W). So you have two choices, get a 4B-SST and...

One nice thing about Bryston is their 20 year transferrable warranty. If you purchase a used Bryston that is less than 20 years old and it doesn't work when it arrives the folks at Bryston will fix and (sometimes) update your unit under the warranty. No worries. Their amps also sound pretty good...

John: So far the guys have made some pretty good suggestions for amps. Sounds like you need more power if the Lexicon is clipping. Another alternative might be to keep the Lexicon/Bryston (I'm a Bryston owner and completely biased) and buy a used Bryston 4B for the front speakers. It has the...

Chris: If you can truly calibrate the frequency response of your room to within 6dB from 20Hz to 1KHz you are blessed. Enjoy that acoustically flat room! Most people have rooms that vary more than 20dB below 200Hz. Sounds like your room dimensions and speaker placement are spot on. Get a...

One of the best set of speakers I have ever heard is the Vandersteen 5A. Its got a powered sub integrated into each speaker and the bass is fast, tight, and accurate. For $15K per pair it ought to be! MT

The Blue Jeans Cables are fine for digital and audio. Canare RCAPS work about as well as any RCA connectors other than locking RCAs from companies like WBT (the locking ones won't slip/wiggle and become loose). I have BJC audio cable in a high end system and cannot tell the difference between...

I have heard no better processor at any price for analog pass through than the Bryston SP 1.7. Maybe its because the Bryston pass through is identical to their BP-25 preamp stage, complete with a real analog volume control. The 5.1 performance is also good but it doesn't use the analog volume...

ML speakers operate at a nominal impedance of 4 ohms and at some frequencies they can get down to 2 ohms. So you will need an amp that is stable at low impedance and can provide lots of current. Unfortunately these amps can be on the expensive side. A used Bryston 3B-ST comes to mind. It's...

A lot of "audiophiles" poke fun at the sales people at big box chains like BB/CC for their lack of knowledge and credibility. Much of it justified. But for real humor you just gotta love it when those same guys buy a $15,000 pair of speakers without auditioning them just because Stereophile or...

Brian: Thanks. I just finished conducting a very non-scientific experiment in my room. I took an analog Radio Shack SPL meter and put it at my listening position. Using a Stereophile test CD with warble tones from 1000Hz down to 20Hz I mapped the response. The data suggests I have a standing...

Brian: Thanks for the clarification. My movie screen is not on the middle of the front wall due to a window. So the front speakers will not be equidistant from the side walls (front speakers will be at the sides of the screen). Since the front speakers are not equidistant from the side walls...

Pablo: AudioQuest is good stuff but if your AR cables sound good you probably aren't going to hear any difference with AudioQuest. MT

Brian: Thanks for the link. I read Toole's white papers and have experimented with the excel spreadsheet. Lots of fun and a few surprises so far. When you place speakers in a standing wave null that mode disappears. When one speaker is at a null and the other is at a different null do they...

One note of caution. DBS (DIRECTV anyway) passes DC voltage along with signal down the coax so a transformer based isolator won't work with these systems. Panamax does make a DBS protector but I don't believe it's an isolator so it may not solve your ground loop. Best way to tame a humming...

Thanks for the links guys. I've done some reading and it appears my room challenges may not be so bad after all. My vaulted ceiling is hexagonal (well half a hexagon) and the legs are all different lengths and angles. The lack of symmetry helps with reflections. The front wall height is lower...

Before I upgrade my speakers I'd like to "get my room right" acoustically. I have some challenges like a vaulted ceiling and a wall of windows. Can anyone point me to information on determining the frequency response at the listening positions and acoustic treatment design to flatten resonances...

George: The answer depends on the amplifier design. If the amplifier channels share a power supply and capacitor bank then unused channels result in more available energy for the used channels. On the other hand if your amplifier design is based on individual monoblock channels each having...

I run a 35 foot component cable with no problem. I've heard people say that 50 foot lengths also work. Balanced audio cables can be run over 100 feet with no issue. Single ended RCA type audio cable should be kept as short as possible (3 or 4 meters is OK). But I have heard installations that...

Bob: Reading your story I couldn't help but think that you ought to buy a used Lexus with some warranty left and take it straight back to the dealer. With your warranty experience I'm sure you would end up with a new LS430. :D MT

If you have a Bryston amp then you already have a power conditioner. It's designed into the amplifier's AC circuit. All you need now is a $10 Volex shielded power cord (or just use Bryston's cord, it's shielded) of the correct gauge and a surge arrestor (whole-house type is best). I have...