suggest a prepro for me (1 Viewer)

[Mifr44]

Ricky,

The problem with the S&V lab results is that they may be old (what's the date on the anyway?). Since those tests, Anthem has upgraded the AVM-20 such that they reduced the THD and increased the S/N for ALL inputs.

Michael

 

[David Weltman]

the other issue on the Aragon for me is that DB25 connector for the 5.1 passthrough. Not sure on the quality of that.

 

[Philip Hamm]

Don't worry about it. You can get high quality 5.1 cables for the DB25 in from Monster and others (I think BetterCables makes one), and it works just fine. I've used this type of connection for years.

 

[MikeTz]

I have heard no better processor at any price for analog pass through than the Bryston SP 1.7. Maybe its because the Bryston pass through is identical to their BP-25 preamp stage, complete with a real analog volume control. The 5.1 performance is also good but it doesn't use the analog volume switch (too big and expensive I guess) so it's not quite as transparent as the two channel pass-through. It also has a 20 year transferrable warranty so buying used poses no risk.

Now the downside, the Bryston does not have any video switching so you'll need their external unit (about $1500) or the ability to hook video signals directly to the monitor/projector. A used SP-1.7 can be had for about $2500 on eBay/Audiogon if you are patient.

There are other pre/pros that sound almost as good in analog pass through (and are less expensive) but you asked which one sounded best.

MT

 

[Ricky T]

David,

Integra Research and Onkyo also uses the db25 connector for the 5.1/7.1 inputs. Onkyo sells a db25 to 6 RCA converter cable (you add your own RCAs) for $13 plus $6 shipping.

Michael,

The S&V issue was probably sometime in 2003. Any potential change to the Anthem measurements wouldn't change the Stage One's 0.003% measurement, the lowest I've seen in S&V

 

[David Weltman]

MikeTz:
I don't need video switching. I only have two video sources (DVD and cable) which I can switch at my plasma. So again I'm into the minimalist approach on the sound part of the prepro.I am tempted to spend the extra bucks on the Bryston, although as you say, the 2 channel analog passthrough is supposed to be the really outstanding part of that piece. I am more interested in the quality of the 5.1 passthrough.

I am also tempted by units that have an LCD screen, although that probably provides an additional source of noise inside the unit. Since I won't be using the p[repro for video switching, an LCD screeen allows me to deal with on screen display issues in a convenient fashion.

 

[Charles Gurganus]

David, I was in the same place as you a few years ago. I had a 2 box solution. The Sony TAE-9000es and the TA-P9000es. My one box solution is the Aragon Soundstage. (Rick T's old prepro before he got a Stage One only to sell that and get ANOTHER Soundstage )

The DB25 cable worried me as well but the $13 converter from Onkyo is seamless. Multi channel sounds great and 2 channel analog bypass on all sources means you can connect multiple hi rez or analog 2 channel to many sources. You can find a Soundstage on occasion for around $1200-$1300. Don't forget this puppy sold for 4k new.

 

[Andrew Pratt]

David like you I'm finding the LCD screen on my Rotel 1098 to be very useful for navigating setup menu's and the like while not having to power up the TV or PJ. Its really handy for DVD-A as well

 

[Dan Driscoll]

David,

For the money I don't think there's much out there that will beat the updated Audio Refinement Pre-2 in an A/V processor for music. Check here for the feature set. I finally got to listen to one of these at a friend's home last week and I was very impressed. It performed much better than the Anthem AVM-2 (not AVM-20) and Outlaw 950 that he has had in his system, IMO.

 

[Robert Todd]

The AVM20 will also allow you the CHOICE of analog DSP on the 5.1 input, ie: bass management. I have the Anthem, and their customer support/software upgrades are second to NONE. In addition, it has very "transparent" sound quality, and while I usually avoid the use of such adjectives re: audio equipment,(because they are so subjective), in this case it's accurate. I paid under 3K and if you don't mind buying used, you can do much better than that.

 

[David Weltman]

well, everyone seems to be satisfied with their choices, so I guess I can't go too wrong. Here's my question: In general, when you go for a more expensive pepro, you're spending the dollars to either get proprietary surround software (like Logic 7) or increased flexibility in setup and management. Will there be a corresponding improvemnt in the analog circuity if I spend the bucks for a Bryston or an Anthem, or will the $1000-15000 range prepros give me identical quality there (again the MC passthrough being my major concern)? Aside from flexibility in setup and management functions, is there much difference between listening to a movie (i.e. basic DD decoding) in a 5.1 setup with an entry level prepro and one in the $3000 range?

 

[chung_sotheby]

From my own experience, I found the biggest difference between $1-1.5k pre/pros and $2.5-4.5k pre/pros is in the analog section. In terms of DD and DTS performance, my Anthem AVM20 was noticeably better than the Outlaw 950 or Rotel RSX-1055(pre only) in terms of decoding these movie signals, but it wasn't night and day difference. However, there was a drastic improvement in analog-only applications (cd, SACD, DVD-A, LP) when using the analog section of the preamp only. Also, the Anthem is much more configurable(is that a word?) than either the Rotel or Outlaw, and if you are a control freak like me, this is only a good thing.

 

[ChrisDixon]

Chung,

I don't own any of the pre/pros that you mentioned, so this is not a loaded question. When you say that the Anthem is "noticably better" than the Outlaw, what are the specific things that you notice when comparing DD or DTS performance? I do a lot of critical listening and comparisons with music, but I find movie soundtracks to tougher to break down.

Chris

 

[Robert Todd]

I agree that differences in surround performance are more difficult to quantify and describe, but the Anthem has the full suite of THX ultra enhancements as well, which I use habitually. I also use the boundary compensation feature, which significantly improves the LFE performance in my room. There is nothing wrong with the Outlaw, it offers
spectacular value, but IMHO, you really do get what you pay for in the Anthem. It represents a spectacular value in its' market segment.