Is the MC1 a lateral or step up move from the Ref 30? (1 Viewer)

[Steve Morgan]

I have a Ref 30 and am contemplating an MC1 or the Anthem.Any help is appreciated.

 

[Randy G]

I'll stay away from sound "quality" because it is sooo subjective, but configurability was very important to me, and that's why I went with the Lex.
Features like Logic7, their loudness control, tilt function, and Panorama are why I chose the Lex.

 

[Ricky T]

I believe your system usage is like mine...90% DVD and DSS. Onkyo 989 (with DPL2 for DSS) to MC1 was a nice upgrade for me. Since the Onkyo is comparable to the Ref30, the MC1 might even be a bigger upgrade for you (since you are going from DPL1 to Logic7). Straight 5.1 AC3/DTS to 5.1 Logic7 is an upgrade for DVD sound too.

 

[MatthewJ S]

look at the post on "switchable rears" and tell me about crossover, slope and notch filtering in the Lex....

 

[Steve Morgan]

Okay guys here's the deal.I live 3 hours from any place I can demo gear and farther for the Lex. I have an opprotunity to buy a Lex MC1 tomorrow for under $2300.I guess I am looking for pros/cons.The Anthem has the same chips as the Ref 30 and the Dacs in the Ref 30 are very good dacs.This year I suppose B&K will upgrade to DPL II and the DTS and DD es and hopefully Ultra II with new DAcs.The Dacs in the MC1 are not that outstanding and I lose bypass for DVD-A with the MC1.I guess I could purchas then resell if I thought the Ref 30 fit my needs better.

Thanks for the help.

Steve

 

[Ricky T]

Steve,
Under $2300, just buy it Seriously, which three forum members have owned the most processors? Me, John Tompkins, and Steve Dodds. Steve is keeping his DC1. John and I both recently got and LOVE our MC1s...we even might make a side bet on who keeps their MC1 longer?! 1 year of me/him is like 7 dog years for all of you!
You are 90% DVD/DSS...you're gonna love the MC1. Next time I visit my inlaws in Houston, you can buy me dinner to Thank Me

 

[Mifr44]

"Seriously, which three forum members have owned the most processors? Me, John Tompkins, and Steve Dodds."
Given that just in the last two years I have owned the Marantz SR-8000, Marantz AV-9000, Lexicon MC-1, and now the Anthem AVM-20, I might give this group a run for its money!
"The Anthem has the same chips as the Ref 30 and the Dacs in the Ref 30 are very good dacs."
But DACs alone do not tell the whole story, or the Ref 30 and the AVM-20 would have sounded the same in our system. They did not. The Ref 30 was good, the AVM-20 was far better. In someone else's system, it might be reversed.
Michael

 

[Michael D]

Michael,

Did you give up on the Bryston SP 1.7??? For those that are wondering, I used to own the MC-1 but recently sold it and bought the Bryston unit, no regrets so far.

 

[John Tompkins]

LOGIC 7 MUSIC AND MOVIE MODES PLUS TWEAKABILITY
I will say this is what sets the lex apart from everything else I owned. What do you'll think the price tag on the logic 7 algorithm alone is worth ?
Next, it doesnt matter with the lex what speakers you have because you can zoom in your perfect sound given some time and experimenting with all its features.
I gurantee you will hear inprovements with these features far more then you will hear the difference between two gooddacs! no need for superhuman hearing to tell yourself that you think theres a difference but your not really sure
But if buying mainly for two channel listening then of course dont buy it. I always hated mulitchannel on all my processors in all them nasty dsp modes. Logic 7 music mode is incredible and should get as much play as logic 7 movie mode. Somehow the music mode can move around ambient sound bits and pieces and create something special. It doesnt matter what the cd is either as I put on rush 2112 overture yesterday and couldnt believe what it did for this old song.

 

[Mifr44]

Michael,
"Did you give up on the Bryston SP 1.7???"
Yeah, I ended up purchasing the Anthem AVM-20. I wrote a response last night about it on the thread entitled The NEW Anthem AVM-20 Thread where I mention a comparison I did of the AVM-20 to Bryston's BP-25 preamp. Since the BP-25 is nearly equivalent to the analog section in the SP-1 and soon to be released SP1.7, I figured this was a good test.
To say that I was shocked would be an understatement!
Michael

 

[Stacy Huff]

About a year ago I started looking at pre/pros for a possible upgrade. I was intrigued by DPL II and wanted something that either had it or would be upgraded to it. I listened to the Reference 30 and really liked it. The sound, in a THX-EX configuration, was really nice in the store's home theater room, which was designed like a regular living room with in-wall speakers for the back surround channel. It took me awhile to figure out the remote (I had to read the manual) and while I could use it, I don't think I would have liked it. Even though I knew that the Ref 30 didn't have DPL II or DTS ES, and that any upgrades were way off, I still considered it and planned on getting one when my friend could offer me a good price.

As it turns out I had an opportunity to buy an MC-1 about a month later, and since I've always been a Lexicon fan I jumped at the chance, knowing that I was giving up some things with the dated architecture. For me, Logic 7 was worth it. I don't have DVD-A or SACD and don't plan on having it for many years. What I do have are DVD's and LD's, and I wanted what Logic 7 could give me. Whether the Ref 30 sounds better than the MC-1 is something you will have to determine for yourself, using your own ears. For me, they both sounded great. It came down to features and what I wanted. The Lexicon gave it to me, and I have been happy with it for the past 10 months or so. I was a little disappointed to learn that Lexicon would not be offering any future upgrades to the DC-1/DC-2/MC-1, but then I realized how content I am with what I have, plus there is always the possibility of trading up when the new Lexicon comes out (my MC-1 has not yet been traded in so it should still be eligible for the upgrade). However, as time goes by I realize that I could be happy with this piece for many years to come. Logic 7 has given me what I have been looking for since I got into this hobby back in 1991, and the remote is by far the nicest one I've ever used. Whether or not the features you get with the MC-1 outweigh the new features that you give up is something you will have to decide for yourself.

Good luck. Either way you go I think you'll have gear that you will enjoy.

 

[Steve Morgan]

Okay guys I am joining the Lex family. Ordered the MC1 today!

Steve M.

 

[Randy G]

I don't have any great desire to go to SACD or DVD-A either...especially since some well-respected pros in my local audio group made numerous negative inferrences about the legitimacy of those mixes. No flames please...they merely convinced ME.
That being said, my software is almost entirely CDs, and I wanted something that could expand the soundfield without degrading the source material. I considered DPLII as something I'd like IF it could be matrix into 7 channels like Logic7...no dice. That's why I went with the Lex. Also, the Lex offers numerous features that allow an unbelievable amount of customizability...a tweaker's delight.
Enjoy!

 

[John Tompkins]

Steven, let us know what you think. Im looking forward to your review. I think that the logic 7 modes will impress along with the tweaks.