tom@rlgvax.UUCP (Tom Beres) (09/29/83)
Recently there was a question asking how to choose a receiver (or was it asking for recommendations? Well, the following is still good advice). The October issue of Hi Fidelity mag has an EXCELLENT article on choosing a receiver. It discusses what to look for, when to look at the specs and when to sit back and listen, and even gives a good idea of what to expect in the various price ranges! I found the article informative, easy to read, and astonishingly USEFUL, rather than the usual "Thy Specs be Law" and "there's no substitute for $$$" the audio mags (HF included) usually preach. The article was written by E. Brad Meyer, who does not work for HF, which may explain its overall quality. Some of the points: What watts and DBW watts mean in terms of volume. Don't worry about the power-amp specs(!) Do worry about the tuner specs Try to listen to the receiver using the same phono cartridge you plan to use and similar speakers (the receiver/ pickup combination will cause about the largest difference between systems). My note: the last point may be idealistic, since the stereo shop may not be able to demo the cartidge you are planning on. If you already own a turntable/cartridge, perhaps bring your cartidge with you? - Tom Beres {seismo, allegra, mcnc, brl-bmd, we13, gatech}!rlgvax!tom