My Ultimate Question (1 Viewer)

[Chris Bone]

Greetings from a newbie!

First of all let me say that I have learned more from reading the posts of you fine people then from questioning my local audio dealer. My wife and I are 100% movie people. We are having a new home built with a dedicated theater in it. It will be be just over 3000 cubic feet. I am using
M & K 150p's for the left,center and right. I am using two
MX-5000thx mk2 subs and will be purchasing four active versions of the M & K tripole surround 250 mk 2 when they come out later this year. So, I will have nine active speakers for my theater. I loved their theater sound better then anything else,passive or active, that I auditioned.
Which leads me to my question. Since I will have no need of a power amp. I am looking for the ultimate pre/pro to mate with my M&K's for an unbelievable theater experience. I am willing to spend up to $15,000 for new or used although I am not interested in just buying a name if the extra cost does not equate to signifantly to better sound. Being 100% theater I of course need the current formats and it must be very up-gradeable. Of course, great sound is number one on my list. So what do you think? Theta? Lexicon? EAD? Meridian? Krell? Classe? Bryston? McIntosh? B&K? Integra? AVM? Outlaw? Any suggestion or help would be more appreciated than you will ever know.

 

[Mike Matheson]

Chris,
With the amount of money you're making available for a pre/pro you can certainly get something impressive.
You listed sound as the most important decision factor (rather than value, looks, features, etc.). You'll probably find any of the upper-end units you list (Theta, Lex, Meridian, etc.) will do an outstanding job in this department (and they're upgradeable). Whether they offer important enough sonic or feature advantages vs. the somewhat less expensive models (TAG, Cinepro, Classe, B&K, etc.) would be largely a personal decision.
I'd particularly recommend looking closely at the Lex MC-12b and the Theta Casablanca II, but that's primarily based on my own preferences and feature needs. (I wound up with a Theta CB2). I'd also recommend coming up with a list of features that you require--it'd be a shame to drop $12K or more on a new toy and discover it didn't do everything you wanted/needed (do you plan to run your subs stereo? need one or two 5.1 analog inputs? component video switching? etc.)
You might try searching and/or posting over at the AVS Forum as well--I believe there's more activity related to this level of pre/pro at AVS than here at HTF.
Regards,
Mike

 

[Earl Simpson]

Chris Bone

Read my post on the newbie thread/ beginners on wiring your house. I am an electrical instructor/instructor pilot as well as 10 other hats these days. I'm back working for the AF again. Be sure to have all of your wires(12 or 10AWG stranded copper,high volt, high temp) for speakers and rg 6 coax installed in every wall,plus pre fish you sub cable if needed(quad shield rg6), plus 3 extra pair of speaker wires incase you relocate your main stuff to another wall, plus extra coax in every wall for distribution of SAT, plus the new SAT RCVRS need two COAXS (for each rcvr) for surfing and recording at the same time. Run 4 to 6 coaxs(all rg6) to a dish location outside in PVC conduit under ground and inside to a location of you choosing(just in case you decide to get a dish later). Doing this later is not fun!!!!! I thought my house was wired good. But then came 6 channel and the new SAT dishes. One big thing that the electrical contractor and builder screwed up on is this. Have you electrical service located where all your 220 volt equipment is. EX= AC on same side of house as you service panel. Or have a sub high amp panel installed on the opposite side of the house with your AC. Of course demand copper sub panel service conductors.

 

[RajeeK]

Read my post on the newbie thread/ beginners on wiring your house.

Earl or anyone, I couldn't find this post. Anybody got a link to it?

 

[Earl Simpson]

Lots of good posts here=
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=55635