Q: Can I attach inexpensive, but good quality speakers to my small kitchen TV for listening to Dish Network Sirius radio stations or other music stations included with Dish? I am not sure if my TV has an amplifier to drive separate speakers. In front it has one video input and one headphone jack. I do have a Dish receiver next to the TV and it has left and right audio connections in the rear of it.
A: I am very confident that your kitchen TV does not have a built-in amplifier. That's OK, though as an easy solution is available that does not require an amplifier and should suit your needs very well.
You can plug powered speakers (such as computer speakers) into any TV's headphone jack using the speakers' miniplug connector. You also can use a miniplug to RCA adapter to connect the speakers directly to the audio outputs on the Dish Network receiver. The satellite box connections may sound somewhat cleaner, but if connected this way you will not be able to use the TV's remote control to change the volume.
I'd start with the miniplug connector to the headphone jack first. If you are not satisfied, get the female miniplug to RCA adapter and connect the speakers directly to the satellite box.
If you are using the headphone output, set the speaker's volume level to about 70 percent and leave it there, using the TV's remote to set the actual listening volume. A little experimentation with both volume settings will make it just right.
I use the headphone jack technique in my own kitchen with a Soundmatters foxL minispeaker and a 19-inch HDTV. The foxL was a Time Magazine Top 10 Gadget 2008 award winner, and for good reason. Though very small, it sounds great with solid bass and has a built-in rechargeable battery for use anywhere. The foxL sells for $199. A Bluetooth version for hands-free calling and wireless music streaming is available for $249. See both at www.soundmatters.com.
A good budget choice is the MS21.2-2.1 PC/Multimedia system from the Speaker Company. It has a tiny subwoofer and two satellites for only $35.97 delivered. Despite the low price, quality is apparently top-notch as it has generated raves from everyone I know who has tried it. If you need computer speakers they should definitely be on your shopping list. See them at www.thespeakercompany.com.
Q: Do I get better sound quality from a purchased CD or from downloaded iTunes purchases transferred to my iPod?
A: Audio CDs contain uncompressed music with much better sound quality than compressed iTunes tracks, but depending on how good your iPod's headphones are you may not be able to hear the difference. If you use a home stereo of decent quality, CDs will sound much better and it will be very easy to tell.
You can import CDs into iTunes with Apple Lossless Compression and enjoy the convenience of iTunes with the sound quality of CDs, but if you upload the tracks to your iPod they will take up much more space on your iPod than an AAC or MP3 file.
The ideal solution is to store music on your computer with lossless compression, and compress the tracks for use on your iPod.
First Published: March 8, 2009, 5:00 a.m.
