0309WHC22 System 1

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Components System 1: 950

Thomson DTH-Panasonic SA-XRPanasonic SB-TP55 550
The first contender in our separates system group test provides well-matched components and a digital amplifier for just 950. But is it cheap and cheerful?
he growing popularity of home cinema and the plummeting cost of one-box systems has had a knock-on effect with the separates market. A budget DVD player will now set you back around 100 less than two years ago, it was 250. The systems boom has also affected the cost of amplifiers, which now have more features, at competitive prices. If all-in-one solutions arent for you, constructing a system of separates is cheaper than ever. The budget bundle featured here comprises the Thomson DTH-211 DVD player and two perfectly matched Panasonic items the SA-XR25 digital amplifier and SB-TP55 speakers. The overall price of 950 is not much more than youll pay for a high-end all-in-one system.
What is immediately striking about the system is just how compact and discreet it is. The slender silver DVD player looks anything but budget, and complements the swanky silver finish of the amp and speakers. Thomson has been prolific in driving down the cost of DVD players and the DTH-211 is its cheapest. It is connected to a display using the RGB Scart to deliver high quality images, while theres also a composite video output. DVD and CD soundtracks are fed digitally to an amplifier using the electrical digital output. The player is compatible with a myriad of discs including WMA files, JPEGs and MP3 files on CD-R/RW discs.

Slimline stunner

Believe it or not, the stunning SA-XR25 is an amplifier and not a DVD player, although it measures just 74mm high. Digital amps are more efficient than analogue varieties which need large heat sinks to dissipate heat
and this allows them to be much smaller. But theres been no compromise on features. This amp can handle 6.1 channel DVDs, supporting DTS ES and Dolby Digital EX decoding, along with Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS and Dolby Pro Logic II. The latter creates almost-5.1 surround sound from stereo or mono sources, which is handy when watching TV. Power output is a generous 100W, while there are also 5.1 analogue audio inputs for SACD and DVD-Audio players and an optical output for making digital audio recordings. The SB-TP55 is designed for use with the SA-XR25 and its bigger brother, the SA-XR45. Yet the speakers are a 5.1 package, so those wanting to utilise the amps 6.1 capabilities will have to buy another Panasonic centre speaker, or get a 6.1-channel package. Pleasingly, theres a designated centre speaker, although the towers are a little wobbly and you have to be careful not to knock them over.
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The main criticism levelled against digital amplifiers is that while they deliver lashings of detail in the high frequencies, they lack presence in the lower end. This is the biggest weakness of the SA-XR25. The opening scene in Gladiator exposes both the strengths and weaknesses of the system. The fire-tipped arrows launched by the Romans sear from left to right and front to back with delicious detail, and whistle through the soundstage. The giant burning boulders catapulted by the Romans also race through the sky, but when one smashes into the trees, the expected boom is a hard crack. PERFECT PARTNERS
The subwoofer struggles to carry the rumble off and distorts under the depth of the effect. It is overworked and has to take midband load off the speakers a task with which it struggles. The speakers are adequate at conveying the information they are being fed from the amplifier. They deliver high frequency sounds with aplomb and there's enormous texture and detail. But they lack presence in the midrange, and rely heavily on the subwoofer to give low-end presence. The overall result is that the soundstage appears a TEST SCENES
little thin. Take the recreation of the battle of Carthage as the chariots shoot around the arena, the hooves of the horses make a weak thud and not a relentless deep pounding. Also, when the one of the chariots is overturned by the slaves, the moment it crashes into the wall is met with a huge grumble from the sub, which lacks any sort of control.

GOOD POINTS

Crisp sound separation is provided by the SA-XR25, while the DVD player delivers colourful pictures

Boxed in

The main weakness, however, is the clarity of dialogue, which, although audible, is a bit tinny and boxy, with little atmosphere or depth to sounds from the centre speaker despite the fact that its a dedicated model. On the video side, pictures from the DVD player are bright, colourful and very clean for such a low-cost player. But it's not perfect, and occasional patches of picture noise in the form of blocky backgrounds can be seen. The weakest link in this system are the speakers, which rely on the sub and fail to push the SA-XR25 which is capable of holding its own with stronger speakers. For such a cheap deck, its also hard to pick faults with Thomsons DTH-211. We chose our speakers badly. Both amp and DVD player would benefit from a better system, like the Elacs on p22. WHC

BAD POINTS

Speakers dont push the amp hard enough, and rely on the subwoofer

OVERALL

Expensive speakers are the Achilles heel of this system, while the DVD player and amp are fine performers

CRT TV or PROJECTOR

GLADIATOR

RATINGS

Style Ease of use Features Picture Sound Value Overall 5555555566
GREAT BALLS OF FIRE TOSHIBA 28ZD26 800
This stylish performer includes three Scarts, progressive scan and excellent picture and audio quality The subwoofer struggle to cope with the resonant sounds of the exploding fire balls

FURTHER INFO

Call Thomson or visit www.thomson-europe.com Call Panasonic or visit www.panasonic.co.uk

HITACHI CP225 2,000

Admittedly its twice the price of the system, but this LCD projector boasts awesome cinema-sized 5ft pictures

VOICEOVER

Dialogue sounds tinny and boxy, with little or no energy from the centre speaker

0309wv33 Panny AMP/SPKRS

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PANASONIC SA-XR45 & SB-TP55
AV receiver & speakers

Playing together

Pairing a purpose-designed Panasonic receiver and speaker system sounds like a good idea. Marco Bilello finds out whether its a dream team or an odd couple
Just like Posh and Becks, Panasonics SB-TP55 speaker system and SA-XR45 digital receiver are made for each other. The swanky 5.1 speakers have been designed to perfectly complement the SA-XR45 and SA-XR25 receivers. However, they can all be integrated into any multichannel system. The speaker system is sold as a 5.1 package with no provision for buying individual speakers, which is a waste given the SA-XR45s 6.1 capability. On the rear of the receiver are six pairs of binding post speaker terminals for the stereo channels and springclip terminals for the remaining channels. The other notable inclusion is 5.1 analogue inputs for DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD. The usual tweaks for speaker sizes and delays are available. Its also possible to assign the four digital inputs to different sources and choose from three filter frequencies, allowing the subwoofer to match the speakers tonally. Speaker-level adjustment is made through the SA-XR45s fluorescent display, and it automatically detects Dolby Digital/DTS tracks and EX/ES 6.1 material.
Small but a doddle to use

DESCRIPTION

The SA-XR45 uses PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) technology, which is commonly found in home cinema systems. This form of digital amplification is more efficient than the analogue equivalent, obviating the need for large heatsinks to dissipate heat. As a result the SA-XR45 is no bigger than a DVD player and measures just 74mm high. Its also extremely eye-catching, sporting a glorious metallic-silver finish. The tall, elegant speakers also grab the attention. They comprise four thin and lofty speakers with pedestal stands, a smaller but equally slender centre speaker and an active subwoofer. All are capable of handling 100W of power and extend to 45kHz, but only stoop to 180Hz (150Hz for the centre). The sub must therefore deliver virtually all mid-to-low frequency response and covers 38Hz to 240Hz. Around the back of the sub are controls for phase, level and crossover frequency, while all of the required cables are supplied.
The weak speakers fail to get the most out of the receiver
The receiver dishes out 100W to each channel (perfect for the speakers) and boasts Dolby Digital EX and DTS ES decoding for 6.1 output. It also features DPL II, Neo:6 and DTS 96kHz/24-bit compatibility. Theres a healthy roster of stereo in/outs, four digital audio inputs and one output for digital audio recording. Video switching is possible, with both composite video and S-video varieties for VCR, TV and DVD, although the dubbing output for the VCR is only composite video. Last but not least, theres an RDS radio tuner.

PERFORMANCE

We put this system through its paces with the Superbit Gladiator DVD. Characteristically for a digital amplifier, the SA-XR45 offers stacks of detail and slick steering. In the recreation of the Battle of Carthage, arrows sear across the soundstage, whistling from speaker to speaker and hitting targets with a thud. Its so frighteningly real, youll end up using the cushion as a shield for protection. Its not a particularly soulful system, though, and low-frequency effects sound a little shallow. In the same scene, when the slaves overturn the chariot it scrapes along the floor before slamming into a wall. This should create a spectacular slam, but instead its a hard-sounding crack. Dialogue isnt particularly fulsome either and, while clear, it lacks depth from the centre speaker. Despite the lashings of detail, two-channel material sounds paper-thin and vocals
The 5.1 analogue inputs are for DVD-A/SACD

OPERATION

Setting up is simple and driven by the user-friendly remote control.
Unusually attractive for a subwoofer
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Specification
FEATURES SA-XR45: 6 x 100W output; PWM amplification; DD/EX, DTS/DTS-ES, DTS 96/24, DTS Neo:6, DPL II; 5 DSP modes; FM/AM tuner with RDS; DRC; analogue-input level matching; assignable digital inputs & more. SB-FS50 sats: 2-way, 3-speaker closed-type columnar design; 2 8cm cone woofers; 2.5cm semi-dome tweeter; 100W DIN power handing; 6 impedance; 180Hz-45kHz frequency response; binding posts SB-PC50 centre: 3-way, 5-speaker bass-reflex design; 4 5cm cone woofers; 2.5cm semi dome tweeter; 100W DIN power handling; 6 impedance; 150Hz-45kHz frequency response; springclip terminals SB-WA55 subwoofer: bass-reflex design; 17cm drive unit; line-level phono input; 100W (DIN) power amplifier; normal/reverse phase switch; crossover freq. adjustable from 50Hz-200Hz; level control; auto switch on/off SOCKETS SA-XR45: binding posts for stereo channels and springclip speaker terminals for the others; 5.1-channel analogue in; 4 digital audio ins (3 optical & 1 electrical); optical digital out; 4 stereo audio ins; 2 stereo audio outs; 3 S-video ins; S-video out; 3 composite video ins; composite vid. out; second audio out phonos; headphone in DIMENSIONS SA-XR45: 430(w) x 74(h) x 375(d)mm TEST DATA Manufacturers rated output: 100W per channel (1kHz, 6, 1% THD) Measured power output at 1kHz (2-channel): 35W (8, 0.1% THD); 25W (4, 0.1% THD) Measured power output at 1kHz (5-channel): 25W (8, 0.1% THD); 20W (4, 0.1% THD) Fidelity firewall: 10W at 0.05% THD (8) Distortion at 50W: 0.2% (8, 1kHz) Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz 0.6dB CONTACT Panasonic 357

What we think

WHATS GOOD Features; supported formats; sound steering WHATS BAD Weak low-end; thin-sounding speakers SA-XR45: SOUND.77777 FEATURES.77777 EASE OF USE.77777 VALUE.77777 SB-TP55: SOUND.EASE OF USE.77777 VALUE.77777
suffer from colouration. The sub is overworked because it has to deliver bass and midrange response. Replacing the speakers with Monitor Audios B4 package caused an emphatic improvement. The glorious detail remains but theres greater texture and depth, with bass output more controlled.
Dialogue is also tighter and more rounded from the centre channel.

CONCLUSION

In many ways Panasonics SA-XR45 and SB-TP55 are perfectly suited. They match in terms of spec and design, but the weak speakers fail to get the most out of the receiver.
The SA-XR45 lacks bass, but thats common with digital amps. Not quite a match made in heaven, then like the Beckhams, one is far more appealing than the other s

Verdict 77777

Impressive digital amplifier let down by bass-light speakers
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