|
FEATURE
TEN EASY UPGRADES
INTRO
Homogenous home cinema is possible. Banish the boxes with our
in-depth guide to Dolby Pro Logic upgrade packages
COPY
New Dolby Pro Logic televisions have been coming out of the
woodwork lately. It’s not difficult to see why so many TV manufacturers have adopted
the so-called ‘one-box’ approach to home cinema. The concept is still quite new;
the apparent complexity of the technology, and the need to clutter their living
rooms with boxes and cables everywhere, has proved difficult for manufacturers
to overcome. Televisions with built-in DPL decoders, and just a couple small
speakers are much easier to accommodate, especially when the purchase coincides
with the replacement of the family TV.
Whilst DPL TVs undoubtedly provide a satisfactory solution
for many people, they have their drawbacks. Firstly performance. The stereo
speakers fitted to most home cinema TVs are weedy little things. They’re set
far too close together, inside big hollow boxes, so it’s unfair to expect them to
create anything more than shallow, ill-defined soundfield. The rear speakers
supplied with these sets are generally disappointing, and more often than not,
underpowered as well. Secondly, not everyone is in the market for a new TV,
particularly those who have brought a NICAM stereo TV in the last year or two.
There’s clearly a pent-up demand for a simple, fuss-free
alternative to DPL TVs and traditional systems or AV components, and that’s
precisely what we have been looking at. We’ve gathered together ten new (or
nearly new) home-cinema outfits, that can be easily integrated with a TV and NICAM
VCR and/or a satellite receiver. They’re all relatively easy to assemble and use,
moreover almost all of them out-perform most Dolby Pro-Logic TVs. More good
news, with only one exception none of them will upset your bank manager and we’ve
even managed to track down one system that won’t leave the living room
criss-crossed with unsightly cables.
THE TESTS
AMSTRAD SRD2000 £380 (inc. 60cm dish)
Having a Dolby Pro Logic decoder inside a satellite receiver
makes a lot of sense, especially if you haven’t got around to satellite TV yet;
satellite channels are a rich source of Dolby Surround material. By connecting
the receiver between the TV and NICAM VCR it can also process surround sound
movies and TV programmes broadcast on terrestrial channels and films on tape.
The Pro Logic facility blends in quite well with the rest of the SRD-2000’s main features. It’s a reasonably
well-specified design with a 300-channel tuner, Wegner Panda 1 noise reduction,
twin LNB inputs and an easy to follow on-screen display system. Incidentally,
it’s also the first Astra satellite receiver to be ‘digital ready’, though you
needn’t worry too much about that just yet.
The receiver has built-in amplifiers to drive the front
stereo and rear effects channels, just add speakers, or better still, hook it
up to a hi-fi system. Amstrad are offering an optional 5-speaker JPW package
for an extra £100. Performance is satisfactory, DPL channel resolution is good
but the on-board amps could do with a bit more power; the controls are a mite
awkward, but it is very easy to install and use
Value for money 90%
Amstrad plc, telephone (01277) 228888
BOSE LIFESTYLE 12 SYSTEM, £2500
Lifestyle 12 is full of surprises, and that includes the
price! This is the odd-one out in that’s it’s also a mini hi-fi system, the
feature list includes a CD player and AM/FM tuner. The configuration is also
highly unusual, the flat silver box contains the control electronics, CD and tuner, whilst all of the amplifiers
and main power supplies live inside the sub-woofer. Five neat little
Acoustimass cube speakers are used for the front, centre and rear channels.
Installation and set-up are virtually painless; the outfit
comes with abundant supplies of idiot-proof colour-coded cables and a test CD
that helps the user to check out the wiring and set surround-sound levels. The
remote control handset transmits RF (radio frequency) signals, rather than IR
commands, so it can be used anywhere in the house.
The twin cube speakers pack a real punch, they’re highly
directional and can be adjusted to precisely contour the front and rear
soundfields. DPL accuracy is excellent, though the centre-front channel sounds
a little strident at times. The sub-woofer produces a deliciously rich,
deep-throated bass that really adds to the atmosphere, especially on sci-fi and
action movies. CD and tuner performance are both good. Top scores all round,
the only real drawback is the price.
Value for money 80%
Bose UK Ltd., telephone (01795) 475341
CANON MOVIE SOUND KIT B £499.95
Canon Audio have earned considerable respect for their range
of home cinema speakers but now they’ve branched out into the systems market,
with three affordable packages selling for between £490 and £700. System B
includes two pairs of SV-15 wide dispersion speakers -- for the front stereo
and rear channels -- there’s an S-C5
for the centre-channel and a D-300 5-channel amplifier/decoder. Canon make no
excuses for it; it’s a basic entry-level design, there’s no front-panel
displays, save for a few LED indicators. Levels can only be set from the front
panel, which is rather inconvenient; it has two external inputs and of the 20
buttons on the remote handset only 7 have any function. It’s a straightforward
5-box set-up, cables are not supplied and the speaker terminals on our sample
fell apart at the slightest touch.
The speakers perform brilliantly, moreover the amplifier and
DPL decoder both work reasonably well. Surround-sound resolution is good with
frontal effects very clearly presented. Centre channel information is tightly focused,
the back channel is plenty loud but a little diffuse; the rear SV-15s need room
to breath and are at their best when they’re some distance from the seating
position. A safe, realistically-priced introduction to home cinema, though the
amplifier is somewhat crude.
Value for money 94%
Canon Audio, telephone (01483) 740005
CELESTION HTiB, £749
HTiB stands for Home Theatre in a Box. The box in question
is a cube-shaped enclosure that houses the amplifiers, decoder and sub-woofer.
This drives the five magnetically-shielded speakers that accompany the outfit.
Celestion also include a good supply of quality connecting cable. Everything,
apart from sub-woofer level is controlled from an oddly-shaped remote;
functions are shown on a quirky display panel on the front of the box. It all
goes together fairly easily and once you’ve got the hang of the controls, is
easy to use. The box is not a very convenient shape though, and it’s too small
to put anything on top of it.
Centre output is very smooth and the front stereo channels
provide a compact but well defined soundstage; the rear effects tend to sound a
little muddy and bass from the sub is fairly brutal. There’s plenty of power,
but with some material it can be a little choppy, the control on the back panel
needs careful adjustment otherwise lumpy bass sounds jump in and out without
warning. The system functions adequately well but we’d guess it was better
suited to smaller rooms, and the speakers require careful placement for them to
give their best.
Value for money 80%
Celestion International, telephone (01473) 723131
GOODMANS GCH-40 Home Cinema, £300
It’s big and it’s cheap but it has to be one of the quickest
routes into home cinema. The console, which is sturdy enough to support a large
TV, has space underneath for a VCR and satellite receiver, behind a pair of
tinted glass doors. The stand also contains the 5-channel amplifier, DPL
decoder, sub-woofer, centre channel, and main stereo speakers, that are built
into the sides. They can be turned slightly to vary the shape of the
soundfield, to suit the surroundings. DPL facilities are quite rudimentary,
there are no displays and the functions on the remote handset are somewhat
limited. A pair of compact back-channel speakers are also supplied; connecting
the system together takes just a few moments, though we suspect the short
speaker cables are going to be a source of annoyance for some owners.
The sub growls a bit at lower volume settings but it comes
to life when fed with suitably dramatic effects. The rear effects and
centre-front channels are cleanly defined and the main speakers deliver a
reasonably cohesive sound close-to; further away and it begins to dissipate so
it might be a tad underwhelming in larger rooms. Nevertheless the price, ease
of installation and utility of the console design definitely count in its
favour.
Value for money 92%
Alba plc, telephone 0181-594 5533
JVC Big Box 2 £349
Big Box 2 is one of a number of value for money packages
from JVC. This particular one is based around their AX-V6BK
amplifier/processor; better specified RX-416 and RX-616 AV receiver/amps are
available as an option. The outfit comes with five speakers and cables though
they’re on the short side. The amplifier is a bit of a lump, and rather basic
with just DPL and one ‘hall’ effect option. A front panel display shows mode
and status, but little else. The SP-V50 front stereo speakers are a good size
and the system fits together easily. The remote handset is programmed with
commands for a number of other JVC AV products.
Despite their size the front speakers are a touch soul-less
and although the DPL processor works well, the stereo soundfield is woolly,
individual effects are not always clearly resolved. Dialogue from the
centre-front channel is well-defined though, and the back channel is quite
lively, though the wick needs to be fully turned up for it to make an
impression. Considering the price and the average to good performance this is
worth considering as a budget starter outfit but check out the other amplifier
options before you decide.
Value for money 94%
JVC UK Ltd., telephone 0181-450 3282
PACE MSS-1000 £400
(inc. 60cm dish)
Deservedly a top-seller, this well-designed satellite
receiver would still rate highly, even without the on-board Dolby Pro Logic
processor. The tuner has a 250-channel memory, an efficient Wegner Panda 1 noise
reduction system plus a bundle of useful convenience features, like twin
smart-card slots, two dish inputs, an interface for a positioner and motorised
dish, categorised favourite channel memories and a very well thought-out
on-screen display system. In addition to Dolby Pro-Logic and Dolby 3-channel
modes it also has a set of simulated surround effects, but don’t get too
excited...
Installation is quick and simple; it connects between the TV
and a NICAM VCR, so it can process surround sound material from the satellite
channels, terrestrial TV and pre-recorded movies on tape. The receiver has an
on-board four-channel amplifier, to drive the front stereo and rear effects
speakers directly; Pace can supply a 5-speaker Wharfdale package for an extra
£150.
Picture quality is great, crisp, clean colours and very
little noise. DPL performance is good, though the amps are underpowered and
noisy action set-piece effects lack drama. Nevertheless it’s a simple yet
flexible solution; pipe it through a meaty hi-fi and it’ll give most mid-price
component systems a run for their money.
Value for money 95%
Pace Micro Technology Ltd., telephone (01274) 532000
SHERWOOD/GALE Home Cinema Package £549
This package differs from the others in this round-up in
that it doesn’t come from a single manufacturer. It’s been assembled by Richer
Sounds, who have matched a set of five Gale loudspeakers with the Sherwood
RV-4050 AV amplifier. The speakers comprise a pair of classy-looking Model 4s,
plus two matching Mini Monitors and a shielded centre speaker. They can be
brought separately for £350. The Sherwood amp retails on its own for £199.
Together they look like a pretty fair deal, in view of the quality of the
components. The AV receiver is a solid design with 4 amplified output channels and 4 external inputs. The only minor
drawback is the lack of cables, through Richer Sounds will obviously be only
too happy to help with that.
The tall, elegant Model 4’s produce a mellow, well-rounded
sound, there’s sufficient bass on tap to make a sub-woofer almost unnecessary.
Stereo imaging is lively and full of detail; surround-sound effects are clearly
located. Dialogue is cleanly picked out on the centre-front channel and the
efficient rear effects speakers rarely miss a beat. Well worth considering if
you’re looking for a package that can be easily upgraded into a fully-fledged
AV hi-fi system.
Value for money 95%
Richer Sounds, telephone
SONY SA-VA15, £400
Sony have taken the concept of active speakers one stage
further with the SA-VA15. The Dolby Pro-Logic decoder and amplifiers for the
front stereo, rear effects channel and sub-woofers are all built into the
left-hand column. A ribbon cable connects the two front speakers together, the
rear-channel speakers are fed by separate wires. Inside each column there’s a
pair of speakers, one each for right and left stereo channels, the other two
are for the centre channel. Down below there’s a sub-woofer on each side. In
addition to DPL processing there’s hall and simulated surround effects. There’s
just two external inputs, sufficient for a basic home cinema set-up but it’s
not going to replace the hi-fi.
Rear-channel output is lightweight and busy blockbusters
sound rather tame. The front speakers do a good job though, plenty of bass
muscle, and the DPL decoder does a fair job of picking out subtle sounds. The
centre channel is slightly unfocussed, and if the speakers are set too far
apart it looses cohesion altogether. A convenient, space-saving package it
performs adequately well and the price is fair.
Value for money 88%
Sony UK Ltd., telephone 0181-784 1144
SONY SA-V55 £800
The SA-V55 is a clear response to one of the most commonly
cited objections to home cinema, namely the proliferation of boxes and cables.
A pair of cordless infra-red rear-channel speakers gets around the problem of
trailing wires and the two front speaker towers house meaty sub-woofers; the
left hand stack contains the DPL decoder and front-channel amplifiers. DPL is
augmented by two simulated surround modes (hall and stadium). It’s not an
alternative to a hi-fi system though, with only two external inputs it’s pretty
much dedicated to home cinema use.
The ‘cordless’ back-channel speakers actually have a cable
running between them, and they need a nearby mains supply. The IR transmitter
must be carefully positioned, nevertheless it is reasonably easy to set-up. The
cable connecting the two front towers could do with being a little longer
though. The head-height speakers deliver a generous frontal soundfield, there’s
plenty of bass power and the decoder is good at picking out intricate
sounds. The rear channel speakers struggle
to keep up however, moreover they’re quite noisy, with buzzes, odd clicks and a
distinct hiss, that’s apparent during quiet passages. Fairly expensive, and not
very flexible but economical on space, boxes and wires.
Value for money 82%
Sony UK Ltd., telephone 0181-784 1144
---end---
Ó
R. Maybury 1996 1104
| 
