0308wv25 Sharp allin1

12/6/2003

3:55 pm

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SHARP SD-AT1000H

1-bit amp/speaker combi

Bit below-par

Sharps latest amp/speaker package boasts 1-bit digital amplification and a highly enticing 380 price tag. But can it excite David Smith?
At the rear are colour-coded speaker sockets. We like this touch because it takes some of the hassle out of setting up the system and will be especially welcomed by home cinema newbies. Digital audio inputs come in both electrical and optical flavours, enabling you to connect your DVD deck for home cinema fun. There are also three sets of stereo audio inputs along with a set of outputs and a subwoofer preout. The presence of an RDS-equipped tuner is given away by the antenna sockets. The satellite speakers are bigger than most. Although having a small footprint they stand tall at 251mm (except for the centre, which lies long, if you see what we mean). The front three boxes all house a pair of 80mm full-range drivers and weigh a substantial 1.5kg. The satellites are identical in size, but only have one of the 80mm drivers and weigh just 0.9kg. This is a better specification than the SD-AT50DVH (where all the speakers had a single 80mm driver), but its not ideal for a home cinema speaker system to have unmatched speakers front and back. The subwoofer has a magnetically shielded 160mm woofer and weighs 6.3kg. Its relatively light because amplification duties are carried out by the main unit. Speaking of which, the quoted output of 6 x 100W seems very optimistic. Its hard to believe that these plastic satellite speakers can handle such a load.
Cluttered with tiny buttons and a pain to use
The amp pumps out 6 x 100W
Back in our June 02 issue we raved about Sharps first 1-bit all-in-one system, the delightful SD-AT100H. This stunning system garnered a Best Buy award despite its hefty 1,000 price tag. Less than a year later we got the 550 SD-AT50DVH. Although a less impressive performer, this was still a great looker. We were, therefore, positively slavering with anticipation when Sharps latest 1-bit system, the SD-AT1000H, hit our test bench. It may not include a DVD deck, but this amp/5.1 speaker system is yours for a highly alluring 380.

OPERATION

Setup is a cinch. The colour-coded cables (which are generous in length, to say the least) make it easy to get the package connected and youre soon on to the simple process of tweaking output to your tastes. You can adjust speaker delay settings between 0.1m and 9m for all speakers, allowing you to tailor them to an unusually shaped room. Speaker output can be set from 6dB to +6dB for the satellites and -10dB to +10dB for the sub. Strangely, although the sats are sensibly set to 0dB, the subwoofer comes out of the box at +6dB. As overly enthusiastic subs are a

DESCRIPTION

The AT1000Hs main unit is fairly attractive but doesnt match the AT100Hs overall flair. However, the large volume knob bang in the centre is a very classy touch. Elsewhere, there are a few minuscule controls to the right, a neat display to the left and a 1-bit logo which glows blue on the extreme right.
Colour-coded speaker sockets ease the setup process
106 August 2003 s WHAT VIDEO WIDESCREEN ENTERTAINMENT

3:56 pm

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Specification

FEATURES Amp: Dolby Digital/DTS/Dolby Pro-Logic II decoding; 6 x 100W amplification; AM/FM RDS tuner; speaker delay setting; speaker level setting; Movie, Music, Night, Standard & Surround modes; test tone; remote control Front and centre: 2 x 80mm full-range cones; magnetically shielded. Satellite: 80mm full-range cone Subwoofer: 160mm woofer; magnetically shielded SOCKETS Front: headphone minijack Rear: one optical digital input; one electrical digital input; three stereo audio inputs; one stereo audio output; AM/FM antennae inputs DIMENSIONS Amp: 430(w) x 67(h) x 324(d)mm Satellites: 105(w) x 251(h) x 125(d)mm Subwoofer: 240(w) x 408(h) x 306(d)mm CONTACT Sharp 2333 www.sharp.co.uk
common problem with all-in-ones this is a questionable decision. A test-tone generator is on hand to let you check your adjustments. Once set up this system can deliver Dolby Digital, DTS and Pro-Logic II soundtracks, depending what you feed it with. A smattering of sound modes includes Movie, Standard, Music, Night and Surround. Pure stereo sources can be listened to in Stereo mode, with sound routed only through the front stereo pair and the subwoofer. In this mode bass frequencies can also be enhanced. This simplicity of operation means that you can quickly get on with watching movies and listening to CDs. But before we get onto that, a quick word about the remote. As is becoming increasingly common, this zapper carries buttons for a range of items, including VCR, DVD player and TV. The result is a very cluttered design with a load of buttons you just dont need.

was used for the main testing sequence, with backup from Saving Private Ryans awesome beach-landing scene. Sadly, the AT1000H does not deliver. The first impression is of a horribly boomy subwoofer channel running roughshod over the rest of the soundstage. At high volume levels this quickly becomes very irritating.
The satellite speakers do a fairly good job at low volume
Trimming subwoofer output down from that ridiculously high factory setting does help. When the bass output is put back in its place the soundstage becomes more coherent, but the subwoofer still throws out low frequencies in a rather uncontrolled manner. The shuddering explosions on Omaha Beach are intended to be overwhelming, but this
system struggles to get down to the really rumbling depths. The satellite speakers do a fairly good job at low volumes and sound effects are well steered by the amp section, but crank up the volume and they really struggle. This makes the 6 x 100W power output a waste of time. If you hooked up higher-grade speakers to the main unit you would no doubt reap rewards, but that is hardly the point with a system such as this.

What we think

WHATS GOOD Ease of use WHATS BAD Unconvincing sound SOUND. FEATURES. EASE OF USE VALUE.77777.77777.77777.77777

Also consider.

SAMSUNG HT-DM150 Delivers better sound and includes a DVD deck, all for just 350 Reviewed Feb 03 SHARP SD-AT100H The original Sharp 1-bit system and still the best. Well worth the asking price of 1,000 Reviewed June 02

CONCLUSION

Theres no doubt that 380 is a snip for a 1-bit amp and speaker combi, but the SD-AT1000Hs middling performance makes you wonder where all the cutting-edge technology has gone. In short, this is neither as good-looking, nor as capable as its predecessors. We can only hope that Sharp rediscovers its past form with its next 1-bit offering s

PERFORMANCE

A spanking (no, we wont make the obvious joke) copy of Goldmember

Verdict 77777

Good price but distinctly average performance

0303wv18 Sharp system

17/1/2003

12:42 pm

Page 74

SHARP SD-AT50DVH

dvd home cinema system

BIT OF ALRIGHT?

Sharp takes the 1-bit digital amplification route with its stunning SD-AT50DVH. David Smith hopes to find a thumping home cinema heart beneath its radiant skin
Slim and easy to get to grips with. Nice
Two boxes for the price of one
Its less than a year since we had the pleasure of auditioning Sharps SD-AT100H, a 1-bit digital home cinema system that could turn heads at 50 paces. Sharp is now offering a new 1-bit system in the shape of the SD-AT50DVH. At around 550 its close to half the price of its forefather, and theres little family resemblance. While the AT100 was a stunning one-box affair, the equally lovely AT50DVH comprises two boxes plus the speakers. Designed with increasingly style-conscious buyers in mind, Sharps newest baby is intended to be paired with a sleek plasma display, or a flatscreen TV at the very least. Suitably partnered, theres no doubt the AT50DVH will add a dash of class and hi-tech glamour to any living room without taking up too much space.

DESCRIPTION

The two units of this system are small silver boxes which can be stored either horizontally or vertically. Our guess is that the vertical option will prove irresistible. The display panels on each unit radiate a blue light when activated, and theres the
Component video hurrah! No RGB Scart boo
bare minimum of buttons to clutter the sleek fascias. Featuring the same 1-bit digital amplification as the older model (with a 2.8MHz sampling rate) this model ups the ante in terms of power output, offering a highly impressive 50W per channel. Amplification is housed in the large subwoofer unit, to which all speaker connections are made. The use of colour-coded cables is a nice touch and will help to reassure newbies that they are hooking up their system correctly. Connections on the AV control unit arent quite so impressive. Yes, you do get S-video support and even more welcome component video output sockets. But theres no Scart socket and that means no RGB signals. For most users this rules out the best possible picture quality and is a puzzling omission. The satellite speakers are tiny silver boxes, just 114mm high, and each houses a single 80mm full-range cone. They have a power handling rating of 100W, which sounds optimistic, but they are only being asked to handle 50W in this system. The sub offers a meaty 160mm woofer and, as it also houses the amplification, is a hefty 10.3kg.
Finally, the remote control is neat and tidy, and if there are rather a lot of buttons to master thats only because this system has rather a lot of features.

OPERATION

The colour-coded cables make it easy to get the speaker system hooked up and the usual setup procedure is available, including speaker level, size and delay time settings. A test tone lets you check the adjustments. You can then specify your screen type (4:3, 4:3 letterbox or 16:9), preferred language, audio output and parental control settings. Once up and running youre able to enjoy the usual DVD playback options, including a zoom, slow-motion playback, A-B repeat and frame advance. High-speed picture search is available at a near-warp speed 60x. Sonic options are limited, but that could be a blessing as too many DSP modes can be confusing. Apart from the pure surround sound modes (Dolby Digital,

M A R C H s W H AT V I D E O W I D E S C R E E N E N T E R TA I N M E N T

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SPECIFICATIONS
FEATURES SD-AT50H 1-bit amplifier: Dolby Digital/DTS/Dolby Pro-Logic II decoding; AM/FM RDS tuner; Dynamic Sound; Movie/Music/Night modes; test tone DX-AT50H DVD player: DVD/DVD-R/DVD-RW/ CD/CD-R/CD-RW/MP3 playback; DD/DTS/DPL II compatible; onscreen display; standard DVD playback options; black level setting; PAL/NTSC output; sleep timer; remote control SPEAKERS Satellites: 80mm full-range cone; magnetically shielded Subwoofer: 160mm woofer; magnetically shielded; 6 x 50W amplification SOCKETS SD-AT50H: 1 optical digital in; 1 electrical digital in; 4 stereo audio ins; 3 composite video ins; system connector; AM/FM antennae inputs; headphone minijack DX-AT50H: 1 electrical digital out; 1 stereo audio out; 1 S-video out; 1 composite video out; component video outs Subwoofer: colour-coded speaker inputs; system connectors DIMENSIONS SD-AT50H: 215(w) x 58(h) x 261(d)mm DX-AT50H: 215(w) x 58(h) x 257(d)mm CONTACT Sharp 2333 www.sharp-world.com TEST DATA DVD: Video jitter: 11ns (below average) Signal-to-noise ratio: -54.6dB (below av) Chroma AM/PM: -63.5dB/-64.9dB (av/av) Chroma crosstalk: -54.6dB (average) Frequency response (S-video) at 5.8MHz: -7.76dB (very good) Composite video at 5.8MHz: -7.53dB (v gd) Digital audio deviation: 310.4ps (good) (Amplifier results unavailable)
DTS and Dolby Pro-Logic II) you can choose Movie, Music or Night settings. Movie boosts bass, Music boosts treble and Night tames both for late-night viewing. Surround mode creates an expansive listening area from two-channel signals, while Stereo is available for pure music playback. A black level setting is provided, creating a brighter image when switched on, but otherwise picture adjustments are left to your TV.
In audio terms this system has the traditional all-in-one problem an overly loud sub. Thumping bass is one thing and is desirable in action sequences and loud musical passages but it should never boom and drown out the rest of the audio image.

PERFORMANCE

The sumptuous Moulin Rouge was used for this test and the results were mixed. In S-video mode the picture is very good indeed. In fact, even in plain old composite video mode its highly watchable. The luxurious colours swirl across the screen with no smearing or pixelation, and are stunningly vibrant. An RGB connection would still have been preferable, though. The black level setting should be left in the default Off mode, as the brighter image is washed-out, with depth and solidity being sacrificed.

system) audio performance. Miles Daviss Kind of Blue isnt the epitome of laid-back cool that it is with more impressive all-in-ones. The subwoofer and satellites struggle to find common ground, with a result thats rather indistinct and eventually tiresome to listen to.
it doesnt stand up to the demands of music lovers

CONCLUSION

As a home cinema system Sharps SD-AT50DVH is, overall, a very impressive package. It looks fantastic, the picture is very good and the sound is perfectly acceptable for home cinema use. It doesnt stand up to the demands of music lovers though, and the lack of RGB support is really a blow. People shelling out for a home cinema system deserve the very best picture quality, which S-video doesnt provide. It might have been a squeeze to fit in a Scart socket at the back of the DVD unit. But if it was left out purely for space-saving reasons then this is a case of style over substance and thats a shame s

VERDICT

WHATS GOOD Picture; looks WHATS BAD Overly strident subwoofer; no RGB output OVERALL Sublime looks and excellent pictures but a flawed audio performance PICTURE.7777 SOUND.777 FEATURES.77777 EASE OF USE.77777 VALUE.7777 OVERALL.7777
A severe curtailment via the setup menu does bring the sub back into line and the system meshes well, but the centre struggles to convey the warmth of vocals. This makes the dialogue in Moulin Rouge sound rather forlorn, and even hard to follow in certain scenes. It also requires a fair amount of fiddling with the speaker level settings to sort it out. Switching to audio CDs confirms a rather average (for an all-in-one