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Lexicon to Rotel...Opinions Wanted. (1 Viewer)

Russell _T

Supporting Actor
Joined
Aug 26, 2001
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579
According to my manual Cirrus extracts both discrete as well as matrixed channels, and steers the signal to the sixth and seventh speakers. It overlays similarily to L7, but only works with DD, PL, and PL2. NOT to be confused with Circle Surround. Cirrus is a very good algorithm, I think on par with L7. I can't toggle back and forth to get a direct comparison because Cirrus is on the Outlaw, and of course L7 is on the H/K.
 

Shawn Fogg

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Oct 5, 2001
Messages
223
Russ,

"and steers the signal to the sixth and seventh speakers."

So does DD EX and THX Surround EX... doesn't mean it is a stereo signal though.

"but only works with DD, PL, and PL2."

What about DTS?

"Cirrus is a very good algorithm, I think on par with L7."

Have you tried 7 channel Logic 7 yet? From your posts of yesterday you still hadn't so you really shouldn't make a comparison between the two until you do.

Shawn
 

Russell _T

Supporting Actor
Joined
Aug 26, 2001
Messages
579
Shawn,
Yes , I forgot to mention I hooked up the two side surround speakers and spent quite a lot of time getting them to blend in in my room which isn't the best for ideal 7.1. In the end the 7 channel setup sounds better than I thought, but I still need more time with it. I've got a lot of speakers here, and I'm going to be doing some switching around top see what sounds best. The biggest problem is hauling that big assed 8000 in and out of the rack. :D If I had more room, I would just leave them all in the rack in order to make switching easier.
BTW, I'm not trying to make this into an L7 vs PL2 battle. My feeling is that we are fortunate at this stage of HT evolution to have so many excellent surround formats to choose from, so there is at least one or more to make everyone happy.
 

Shawn Fogg

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Oct 5, 2001
Messages
223
Russ,

"In the end the 7 channel setup sounds better than I thought, but I still need more time with it. "

Spend a lot of time with it if you can. I've been using 7.1 for around 4-5 years and I don't think I could go back to 5.1 with the 'holes' you get in the surround... esp. for music.

" I've got a lot of speakers here, and I'm going to be doing some switching around top see what sounds best."

For L7 make your sides whichever speakers you have that are the closest match to your fronts. They should be located directly to your sides if possible and perhaps slightly above listener position. If you find them too distracting recalibrate your speaker output levels and point your SPL meter directly at each side speaker during the setup. If you haven't read it already the MC-1 'Theory and Design' booklet goes through speaker setup in it some along with the thinking that went into Lexicon's setup. You can download it from Lexicon's website and it is a good read for anyone interested in surround.

Shawn
 

Eric A

Second Unit
Joined
Jan 3, 2001
Messages
336
John,
Tell Ricky not to worry. I am not about sell my Lex. This thread has taken on a life of its own way beyond my original question. By the way, in my research I had the opportunity to listen to the Rotel and while it is a very nice piece it is not on par with even a Lexicon DC-1 v4. The flexibilty is just not there which is what make the Lex so great. Also I talked to an area rep that represents both Lexicon and Atlantic Technology. The new AT piece (P2000) that is similar to the Outlaw is coming out. I discussed a switch to that with him and he totally steered me away from it as well. He has had a great deal of experience with both processors and while he stated that the AT piece was nice, once you have lived with a Lex you will never be satisfied wh anything else. I also learned about the Lexicon MC-8 that will be coming out soon. It is a baby MC-12 and will be on the same platform without some of the MC-12's major refinements. It will retail around $6000 and there should be trade up deals for current Lex customers. Anyway a little research helps you to realize the grass is not always greener.
 

Dan Harmer

Agent
Joined
Sep 11, 2002
Messages
30
I had the opportunity to listen to the Rotel and while it is a very nice piece it is not on par with even a Lexicon DC-1 v4. The flexibilty is just not there which is what make the Lex so great.
Eric, can you elaborate on this? Are you referring to sound quality or tweakability of the processors? Did you do a direct comparison between the two units using the same equipment? I'm very interested in your findings, but am wary of conclusions made on two pieces of equipment that are auditioned in different locations using different speakers, room acoustics, amps, etc.
I keep wondering why my local dealer keeps steering me to the rotel over a used Lexicon DC1/2--he claims the Rotel is the better unit for the money, unless I want to part with 2-3 times the price for an Anthem, etc. If a baby MC-12 (MC-8?) is going to be around $6000, that's quite a bit more than I'm ready to part with :frowning: I want to spend $1200-$1500 for a great sounding unit given its pricepoint. Sure, units that cost 3 times as much may sound better, but I'm not sure about 3 times better :)
-Dan
 

Eric A

Second Unit
Joined
Jan 3, 2001
Messages
336
Dan,
I did not do a direct comparison. I listened to a Rotel processor in a local dealer in an elaborate HT room. The rooms speakers and associated equipment were much nicer than mine. The unit sounded fabulous and I was impressed, but it was not a Lexicon. I know it is hard to comprehend if you have not had a Lex in your system and played with it, tweaked it out to your personal preference and lived with it for month after month. Sound quality and tweakabilty go hand in hand. The sound quality of the Rotel was right there with the Lexicon if you were just talking about "plug and play" but that has never been my experience in audio for about 15 years now. The tweakabilty is where the Lex sets itself apart and allows you to take every possible advantage of its processing power. Basic features on the Lex like Panorama, listener position, rear and side channel high freq cutoff, soundstage location, are nowhere to be found on the Rotel. In my HT I have learned over months of tweaking that I really need these features to exact the sound I am looking for (and believe me, it takes months). Now if I were in your situation I would do as the dealer did and steer you towards the Rotel because you do not know what you are missing yet. But in my case, I have had 3 dealers steer me away from making this move. 2 of these dealers sell both Rotel and Lexicon. One of these dealers does not sell Lexicon but by reputation alone he told me I would never be satisfied with the Rotel and tried to move me up to Aragon as a comparable piece. I know I am not much help but I will stick with my Lexicon until I can afford to move to one of their newer MC pieces. Maybe next year. You still have to make a tough decision, but I do not think you could go wrong either way. If you get a Lex you will join the fraternity and understand what we have been trying to explain. If you get the Rotel you will be just as satisfied because it is a fine piece of gear as well.
 

Shara

Auditioning
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Messages
5
I have both MC-1 and Outlaw 950. We could talk about technical side of LOGIC 7 and features of VER. 4 software but the bottom line is what sound good to you and your system.
They both are so so on two channel music and I use ARC. Pre for music. My set up 7.1 all Aragon amps+Velodyne sub using all Hales Concept Five,Three(4),and center.All set to large(40HZ) except small center(120HZ).My main supprise was that Cirrus extra surround is good as THX2 or LOGIC 7.
Lexicon has smoother sound but has less dynamic sound than
950.
The channel separation on 950 is more aggressive and wider which I prefer for video.
The value of 950 is very good for its processing sound. The Lexicon is also good value because of its features.
I will keep outlaw 950 and sell the MC-1 on A-gon.
 

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