Lexicon DC-2 Logic 7 questions... (1 Viewer)

hi!

jumping from forum to forum and still looking for the right unit for my HT, i'm currently checking out specs for the above mentioned lex dc-2.

the main reason for considering the lex as my new HT processor is the built-in logic 7 mode.

i now wonder what it is capable of doing...

ok, it can process 7.1 channels out of DD/DTS 5.1 sources. thats cool and very important for me...

but i still have several questions left:

a)
as for now, i only have a 5.1 setup and no space for the additional 2 rear speakers.
how does logic 7 affect the sound if i apply it to normal 5.1 soundtracks on 5.1 speakers (and is the DC-2 able to do this)?

b)
according to the instruction manual,the lex setup menu offers the possibility to choose between rear and side speaker...my setup uses 2 dipole-speakers on the sides...what is the appropriate selection for my setup? side speakers or rear speakers?

c)
if you are in a good mood and have enough time, you may want to explain all the logic 7 modes possible on the dc-2 (logic 7 on dd2.0 tracks, ...)

...that would make my day

d)
i dont want to give in to the surround-format-mania as i just want great 5.1 and at a later date, 7.1 decoding...
is a new dc-2 a good investment for a HT or would you recommend buying a HK8000 ? what are your thoughts?



well, i am new on this board, but i'm looking forward to discuss the latest home theater stuff here...
thanks in advance for your replies!

greets,

michael

a) Logic-7 will use head related transfer functions in conjunction with one pair of side speakers to simulate separate rear speakers. It sortof works and is preferable to straight 5.1 decoding, although it doesn't compare to a full 7 speaker setup.

c) There's 5.1 Logic-7, 2.0 Logic-7, DTS Logic-7, and PCM Logic-7 which get applied when you have an input of the given format (DD 5.1, DD 2.0, DTS, and two channel sources). Of more interest are the parameters you can tune (Vocal Enhance, Bass Enhance, Steering on 2.0/PCM flavors).

d) It's a lousy investment, because you are going to loose money. OTOH, the Lexicons do sound nice. Try for a used MC-1 which hasn't been traded in (Lexicon's trade-in program has been exceptional in the past; as in 60-70% of original MSRP).

hi!

thanks for your quick replies...

you guys posted helpful information.

well, drew, your statement about the lousy investment made me rethink my situation.
i live in europe and you might understand my point of view if i dont want to bid on ebay USA to get a used dc-2...there is too much risk and the unit might have some flaws that will be much more expensive to repair than buying one of few new dc-2´s out there.

what's your suggested price for buying a new dc-2? this info would be very helpful as well, because i might be able to get a better deal if i know the prices the unit sells at the moment (a new unit of course, not a used one).


another question i have is about the on screen menu:
does the menu also show status changes (volume up/down, switching from DTS to i.e. DTS THX and so on...) or is it just for calibration purposes?

thanks in advance,

michael

When using the onscreen menu it show all the info.. Source, Vol, etc etc

any suggestions for a price tag i should aim for?
i dont know for how much the units sold/sell when they were last available and i want to get a feeling for the price-range i should focus on.

any information on this helps and is greatly appreciated!

(ps: i'm talking about a new and NOT a used dc-2)

greets,

michael

hi...

another logic7 questions comes to mind...

is the dc-2 capable of simulating virtual rear center speakers on a 5.1 setup with DTS and Dolby Soundtracks as well?
in the instruction manual the 5 speaker enhance - mode is only listed with the PCM effects...


greets,
michael

after reading the instruction manual again, i came to the conclusion that 5 channel enhance is a feature implemented in logic 7 for use with PCM signals only.
there are several chapters in the owners manual that describe the different features the unit can apply to analog and/or digital sources.
there are also graphics that list the modes one can apply to different sources. the "5 channel enhance" mode is only listed in the L7-PCM effects section. because of not owning the unit (yet) i cant tell if the option "5 channel enhance" is also accessible for DTS/ac-3 soundtrack, but on my knowledge based solely on the owners manual i think that "5 channel enhance" is not featured for DTS/ac-3 sources.
it would be a nice feature to have the lex simulating virtual rear speaker not only with PCM but also DTS/ac-3 soundtracks...
as i mentioned above, i don't own the unit yet because otherwise i could just experiment with the modes, but only having read the instruction manual, my understanding is that the 5 channel enhance mode was for PCM sources only...
maybe some of you lexicon owners out there can clear this thing up for me...
thx

The DC-2 is actually an outstanding investment for the prices being asked these days. Even if high-res audio is a priority you can add a preamp with 5.1 input to the mix and still take advantage of some the most sophisticated processing available today which (you’d think) would be a consideration in the purchase of a surround sound processor. And as far as using 5 speakers, obviously the preferred set-up would have an array of 7 plus subs but the benefit of Lexicon processing isn’t just the magic it creates with the surrounds but how, after proper calibration, it ties all the speakers in use together to make a complete and cohesive sound field. The steering of sounds amongst each source point must be heard to truly comprehend the level of processing acumen at work when listening to modes like Logic7 and Meridian’s TriField. Trust me, you won’t feel like you’re listening to 5 speakers, you’ll feel like you’re in the middle of an event.

how do i connect the preamp with the DC-2 and which preamps would you recommend?
i bought several SACDs lately, but my main focus is on dvd-video-soundtracks, so i didn't mind the DC-2 not being able to reproduce hi-res-audio formats...to add a preamp and enjoy multichannel-hi-res-audio would be perfect!
i hope its not all that expensive, i'm just a plain and simple student with no money anyway

Michael,

Without starting a flame war here but if I am reading this right, your intentions to buy a Lexicon to use Logic7 but you do not plan on using 7 speakers? Isn't that defeating the point? If a really great 5.1 setup is what you seek then there are other options for you thru companies that have European ties (you were concerned about buying from America). Tag McLaren and Meridian come to mind.

I am NOT trying to sway you from Lexicon but more looking at the big picture of why buy a product with a specific feature if you never intend to use it?

best of Luck
Mike

wow, finally people are really getting into this thread
first of all, thanks for all your quick and helpful replies.
Mike Burke, i considered a tag mc laren av32r months ago. the problem with the tag is that if i wanted to update the unit, i had to ship it back and forth to england and back to austria.
i am not feeling well shipping such an expensive piece of equipment from country to country. of course, the tag mclaren is an excellent piece of equipment, but keeping it up to date on such a high level costs much money i cant afford right now...as for now i am just getting started of being a top-manager who can spend a little cash on those mc-12s out there...
concerning the lexicon dc-2:
yes, currently i'm running a 5.1 setup, but in the not too distant future i want to dedicate a special room for my HT setup with, of course, 7.1 speakers.
right now, having only 5.1 speakers, i am very curious about using special algorithms such as logic 7 to enlarge my soundstage... thats why i was asking about logic 7 being able of applying the "5 channel enhance" mode from the PCM effects on dolby/dts soundtracks to enlarge the soundstage and to give me a feeling of actually being there, (virtually) surrounded by more than my 2 dipole-speakers.
also, the vocal enhance function of the dc-2 sounds pretty nice...currently my system is driven by an onkyo 939 thx receiver and when playing for example godzilla, some of the dialog cannot be heard that well...i hope the vocal enhance feature will help to clear up the dialog in louder scenes.
reading through the dc-2 manual i noticed more options being offered in the logic 7 PCM mode than with DD/DTS soundtracks...
with 5.1 speakers, what is logic 7 processing when playing an ac-3 or DTS soundtrack? there are less configuration possibilities, so what does it to in 5.1 logic 7 and DTS logic 7?

Why not get it right from the source? Everything you want to know is right here:
http://www.lexicon.com/downloads/dc2_downloads.asp#5

I would encourage you to buy a DC2, if DVD Audio/SACD are not important for you.
I have tried the following processors in the past 8 years:
Onkyo 919, Fossgate (3.5?), Lexicon DC1 and then the Dc2 since it was introduced.
Movies really started sounding like movies only after I switched from the Onkyo to the Fossgate. It was superb. Then came the Dolby Digital and I had to get a Dc1. It was not good. The sound was sounding too "digital". It was quite a disappointment. Subsequent to that, the DC2 really stood out. It is a superb processor. I have had a few dicsussions with people who have also tried the MC1. Based on that I concluded that the upgrade to MC1 or the new $10,000 processor was simply not worth the money.
Bottom line: The Lexicon DC2 is an excellent processor. Lexicon offers a very good trade in program. You might be able to get a DC2 that was traded in from that program - I do not know the prices but it would be a much more cost effective option. There is another source I can give where you may be able to get a good price on a DC2. If you are interested, you can email me. I do not know the sources yet but I can investigate for you, if you would like. Personally, I am not in favor our buying anything from Ebay.
Actually, there is a fourm dedicated to Lexicon DC2: http://smr-home-theatre.org/Lexicon/dc2/ Perhaps you might find good deals on new or use processors there.
If you need any help, please feel free to contact me at:[email protected]