Its hard to beat the MC-1 & Logic 7! (1 Viewer)

[Steve Morgan]

I happened to be watching HBO tonight and they played the Fifth Element in AC3 2.0. I have had this DVD since the first release and it is one of my Demo DVD's for company. I swear with Logic 7 it is hard to tell the difference between 5.1 and 2.0 material. I am about 90% HT. DSS and DVd's. I have been thinking about upgrading after living with the MC-1 for a year now and I don't think it can be beat for HT unless you are willing to spend 5k or more. I have talked with several people who upgraded to the MC-12 and the 8 and each one has told me the sonic difference is very, very subtle. Hey, I think I just talked myself out of an upgrade!
Later,
Steve

 

[Ricky T]

Steve,

How are you doing? Gonna upgrade your sub(s)? I agree, for 90% DVD and DSS, the MC1 and Logic7 is very tough to beat. You might want to wait a year and see if you can pick up a used MC8 under 4k perhaps? And if you want better 2 channel, you can easily add a 2 channel preamp with HT unity, tube or ss.

 

[Brett DiMichele]

Just like anything else the Lexicons can be beat with a
Hammer (If you are into that sort of thing)

When someone says something can't be beat I say they just
haven't found the right hammer!

heh

Honestly though this is the first time I have seen someone
talk themselves OUT of an upgrade.. Do NOT let the wife
hear about that one!

 

[TommyL]

How is the Lex in the field of rotel/anthem/outlaw? I am looking to upgrade from a marantz 8200 receiver...think this will make a good improvement in sound quality? I have yet to look at lex uptil TV from SVS subs told me about them...always thought they were too high end If you have done any comparisons, I'd like to hear about them...thanks! tl

 

[Ricky T]

Tommy,

What is your system usage? Rest of setup? 5.1 or 7.1? What amps would you get? Total budget?

 

[TommyL]

HI there.. I currently have studio 40's/20's/studio center, B4+ SVS ordered, and panny rp-56 dvd player(for now) I use it almost all for HT...I'm up in the air about amps...I've heard the mca anthem series, but would like to listen to parasound(no dealers around) I think it would settle the digms down a tad...then again, my marantz does a pretty good job accomplishing it. The only other solution is adding a amp to run the fronts/center..I really like the circle surround feature on the marantz...blows away PL2 IMO. thanks for the inquiry..look forward to your thoughts! tl

 

[TommyL]

oops...5.1 setup is all I really need currently

 

[Kevin C Brown]

I'm jealous! (Ricky knows this...)

I'm jealous of people with the MC-1/DC-2, and Bryston/Proceed amp owners (among others).

I'm hoping that the MC-8 has 5.1 analog inputs. And I can hope for bass management on them too, but that might be too much to ask for.

Enjoy Steve!

 

[Ricky T]

Tommy,

Since you are sticking with 5.1, I would not change your Marantz if you like Circle Surround and happy with the 5.1 sonics. If you want to buy something, pickup three Marantz monoblocks for your front 3 speakers: MA6100 125wpc or the discontinued MA700 200wpc (try audiogon and ebay, and local marantz dealers).

Kevin,

These forums will get your jealous, then get you to bid on ebay items Ah the joy of this hobby

 

[Steve Morgan]

Tommy,
Ricky is right. Pick up the Marantz monos for the front 3 channels or maybe a used Parasound 2003a. I used to have the Studio 100's/CC/ADP's/Active 20 system with a Servo 15a.I started off with receivers DSP-A1 then the RX-V1. I tried a Citation 7.1 using the RX-V1 as a pre-pro, then a Carver amp (can't remember the model #) this bought me a definite improvement but the highs were a little crisp. I sold these and bought a used Parasound 2003a to drive the 100's and CC. This was the best that I thought the 100's had sounded. The 2203 took control of the bass and the mids seemed more pronounced. The highs were now warm not crisp. I then with with the 2205a and moved the 2003 to rear duties. Not much dif between the 2. The 40's might be a different beast to drive. Since then I have gone the separate route and a night and day difference from the receiver days. I have to say Parasound is a good synergy for Digms.
Tommy,I am currently talking to TV about the B4+ how has it improved your bass? Could you give us a mini review? I have 2 good subs now but have a 7500+ room which demands alot of air movement.The Servo 15a and the Von Schweikert S/3 are very good but I think I could use a little more output. I still want the quickness I get with these 2 though. What to do? Look forward to your review.
Steve

 

[Jerome Grate]

Well I use Logic 7 with my HK 500 and I don't know if it's sonically as good as a Lexicon, probably not, but Logic 7 rocks. If you thought that was good with 2.0, if you run you analog source through the t.v. and use the Stereo Expander, Logic 7 does some remarkable things with the surrounds. If you thought it was close to 5.1, wait till you try this. I tried DirecTV's TruSurround, and I find that it favors one channel more than the other. That might be a function of the stereo expanders clashing with other. Anyway, Lexicon is certainly on my list as a dream processor.

 

[TommyL]

steve, how is the 2205a? I thought about adding that to my marantz setup...monoblocks are a thought also, but if I can get 1 amp to control all 5 channels, that would be ideal..if the amp is good. I know it puts out 200+ watts perchannel...I don't want to blow my digms...I can just see someone cranking that amp...doh...is there protection against this? The B4+...well, its being created as we speak..should have it in 1 week... an email from tom V from svs pretty much said you'd need a fleet of servo 15's to conquer it I will have a review and pics up as soon as I receive it...bought 10 dvd's just for this occasion

 

[Kevin McCurdy]

Steve,
I've come to the same conclusion as you. I've looked around at what's currently out there and decided that the MC-1 is still my best option. Especially since it's used entirely for home theater with Logic 7 applied to everything.

I think I'll follow Ricky's advice and look for a used MC-8 or possibly a MC-12 when I'm ready to upgrade.

 

[John-Tompkins]

The biggest thing I miss about the mc-1 (logic 7) is the adjustable parameters (tweekers dream)..I loved vocal enhance, bass enhance..plus the tilt feature was really cool as you could hear the speakers coming into focus at the perfect settings.

The rear soundstage in a 7.1 logic 7 setup is really encompassing and puts you "in" the movie. If I was in the market for a new pre-pro the mc-8 would be VERY high up on the list.

Im very curious to hear reviews on the mc-8. The one thing I hope it does is add that last bit of dynamics to the sound but (Im not sure thats possible with the added processing ? )

 

[Gabriel_Lam]

I love my MC-1 as well. One day, I'd love to pick up a MC-12b.

 

[Philip Brandes]

Tommy,

Ricky and others are dead wrong when they suggest that Logic 7 isn't worth the switch if you're only running 5 speakers. On the contrary, the improvement in Left/Right separation is major, even/especially compared to Circle Surround. The comments from Steve Morgan that started this thread are as true for a 5-speaker setup as they are for 7, and will benefit all broadcast TV, videos, and 2.0 Dolby Digital DVDs (remember that the majority of movies on DVD are stereo or 2-channel matrixed). All surround processing is not created equal. I would make a point of auditioning a Logic 7-equipped processor with a 2.0 DD source and determine for yourself how desirable it is.

Cheers,
Philip Brandes

 

[John-Tompkins]

quote:
The majority of dvds are stereo or 2 channel matrixed

? huh, did I miss something. I believe my whole collection is 5.1 at the least ..Im not sure what you mean.

I would agree with tv/satelite/vcr etc. that you would still benifit from logic 7 in a 5.1 setup..I personally dont do any critical listening in these formats anyway..and as far as 5.1 dvds go, To my ears logic 7( in a 5.1 setup) wasnt much of a benifit (if at all)

 

[Philip Brandes]

"quote:
The majority of dvds are stereo or 2 channel matrixed

? huh, did I miss something. I believe my whole collection is 5.1 at the least ..Im not sure what you mean."

Yes, you missed the history of film. Regardless of what you may or may not have in your DVD collection, 5.1 soundtracks are a recent technology--the vast majority of films were made before it was introduced. Although a fraction have been reprocessed for 5.1, most are released in DD 2.0. Logic 7 brings them so close to a 5.1 mix that you probably never noticed they were 2.0.

Cheers,
Philip Brandes

 

[John-Tompkins]

Ok, My bad...I guess almost all movies produced for dvd in the last 5 years or so are 5.1 ?

 

[Philip Brandes]

Well, most of the major studio releases in the last 5 years are 5.1. But it's still common to find Indie and foreign films being made in matrixed Dolby Surround. Matrix surround decoding will continue to be an important factor in surround processor performance.

Cheers,
Philip Brandes