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From: rfg@hound.UUCP (R.GRANTGES)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: audio vs. video speaking
Message-ID: <1410@hound.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 14-Oct-85 22:43:58 EDT
Article-I.D.: hound.1410
Posted: Mon Oct 14 22:43:58 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 16-Oct-85 04:22:30 EDT
References: <3900007@uiucdcsp> <104@cholula.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 33

[]
>...snake oil is indeed sold...

The theory behind so called "video speakers" is that they are
magnetically shielded and so will not perturb the electron beam
in your TV picture tube, which would produce reallly neat visual
garbage if and when it were to happen.
And the fact is that most magnetic speakers can visibly bend the 
beam if waved in the right spots and close proximity to the tube.

However, the truth is that practically no good loudspeaker will have 
a visible effect on the picture at any reasonable distance - like
right alongside (outside) the case. Maybe if you put the speaker
on top of th set you could have a problem, but why would you want to
do that?
In the unlikely event that there is a problem, simply move the
speakers farther away from the set. A few inches is usually plenty.

Last saturday I heard a video hi-fi tape played on an expensive (i
guess, they are all expensive) Sony stereo tv with real neat looking
stereo video speakers. It sounded awful compared to my rig at home
where I use a 30 year old Harmon kardon Citation amp with practically
dead tubes and either a pair of AR-4 (el cheapo for AR) speakers or,
more recently, a set of AR-1W/Janszen 65 speakers about 32 years old.
Either of these rigs blew the doors off the Sony with its video
speakers. And they don't look too bad either. The AR/Janszens are
kinda big, but they are newly painted white and look real purty.
The AR-4s were fairly small. I have even used Radio Shack Minimus
0.7's with good results.

-- 

"It's the thought, if any, that counts!"  Dick Grantges  hound!rfg