If you were to buy a new PrePro today, what would it be?

[boe]

I realize that this is a Rotel forum so I'll probably get quite a few Rotel responses but I've also seen some good recommendations for other equipment that align themselves with the bang for the buck strategy of Rotel.

I was hoping to wait a while for something good to be released at CEDIA or CES but I've heard no rumors that seem to be heading anywhere from any manufacturers. I would have liked to wait longer but my older prepro is dying fast and I have no interest in trying to get it repaired as it is 15 years old.

I would probably consider something like the sherwood 965 to limp by for another year until something could be released but they don't plan on releasing a unit like the 965 with HDMI for nearly another year from what I've heard and I'd prefer the HDMI input now. I still will consider buying it and selling it on ebay but I'd like to consider other options. I don't like NAD looking units like the outlaw so that is ruled out.

I'd like the HDMI for audio although I don't want video processing so that isn't terribly important to me.

Thanks

[DSGCobra]

anthem D2. would ditch the 1098 for that in a heart beat.

[boe]

Thanks - I was considering it although I've never actually tried one. It is however over $5K and for that I'd require HDMI 1.3. I think I'd be keeping any unit above 4K for at least a decade.

[timmay1969]

Anthem D2 or maybe the AVM 50.

The D1's have an video processor upgrade in the works that would make it a D2. I bet you could get a D1 cheap on audiogon.

[kurtholz]

Krell Evolution

:-)

[boe]

Timmay, thanks - I did make an offer but haven't heard back. It is still $2000 to upgrade the D1 to a D2 but that would still only be HDMI 1.1. The warranty is also non transferable.

[boe]

Kurt,

The 707 doesn't look shabby! but I'm afeard to find out the price -

http://www.cinenow.com/uk/image-report-25630-ces_2006_krell_evo_707_25630.jpg.html

http://www.cinenow.com/uk/image-report-25619-ces_2006_krell_evolution_707_25619.jpg.html

[kurtholz]

It's a bad boy for sure

You do know that, you can buy a used Showcase, or HTS Krell, and they will upgrade it with HDMI, think it's like a $1500 deal, also they upgrade the equalization options in it,along with several other tidbit's

hmmmm, since you can find these used easy $2500-ish, might be a great choice

until that dotty old rich aunt of yours leaves you a few million, then you can upgrade us both to full Evolution series

I'm pretty set on speakers, so you won't have to worry about that, unless of course, a nice set of 5 B & W snails sent my way could give you a very warm giving feeling

good luck however you go,

[boe]

After very long thought, I think I'll get a mid range preamp and try to sell it in a year or two. I think I'll go for the Anthem D-1 used. If I can buy it for about $2200 I'm there. Otherwise I might get a Denon 4806 new for the same price - I think they'll have about equal resale value as I'd guess the D-3 will be available within 2 years.

[kurtholz]

Hey boe

for that amount, you could get a used krell 7.1 showcase, something to think about,plus like i said in my earlier post, there is an upgrade they will do to it to include HDMI, though i would wait until 1.3 is out

good luck

Kurt

[aud19]

Money no object... the D2 or the Bryston likely. For an intermediate solution something like the Sherwood or used would likely be my next pick until 1.3's readily available.

[RobP]

I would go for a used Classe SSP60, or if a bag of money fell out of the sky into my hands then it would be a new Classe Delta SSP600.

[BobD207s]

Kevin P and I both have the Sherwood 965 and couldn't be happier - hard to beat for the $

[riceaterslc]

outlaw 990. doesn't compare to most of the units on here, but at 1/5 the price, you can buy one now and when the hdmi business is done evolving purchase something else. :T

[Chris D]

I too would NOT buy one today. Would wait for HDMI 1.3, at least another 4 months, the longer the better.

[boe]

Denon AVR-4806CI or used Anthem D-1?

If you had a choice between these two units - a new Denon or a used Anthem D-1 , and they were both the same price, which would use use as your preamp/processor? I already have the amps.

PS. THanks for the advice to wait - I really would like to wait and I have waited nearly 2 years, but the volume issues of my current bedroom prepro is driving me crazy. I think if Rotel or Denon or Parasound said they would have a unit out by March, I'd be willing to get my old prepro repaired or even buy a cheap receiver to hold me over. But the e-mails I've gotten from each tend to make me believe it will be at least until Q3 of 2007 and then of course delays (occassionally :rofl: ) occur. I'd be happy to even beta test the Rotel 1069/1078 or whatever they call it. Unfortunately becoming a beta tester hasn't been offered to me. Considering the amount of home theaters I set up, I think I could offer them a lot of advice in documentation, feature/design changes, etc. But after years of working in that sort of environment, most companies are ruled by the sales department whose only goal seems to be get any product out without delays, sales first, recalls etc don't affect their percentage incentive.

[Chris D]

On the latest question, I'd have to undoubtedly say the Anthem. By far superior unit to any Denon piece.

[lvhung]

nuforce avp 16 ??? why on one mention it yet

[shades]

Bryston sp2

[boe]

Thanks for the replies - I've decided on a price max (FINALLY) now I'm narrowing my search for a bargain. Since it is so late in the game, I may wait for CES unless an extremely good deal happens along.

[ht_addict]

If you had a choice between these two units - a new Denon or a used Anthem D-1 , and they were both the same price, which would use use as your preamp/processor? I already have the amps.

PS. THanks for the advice to wait - I really would like to wait and I have waited nearly 2 years, but the volume issues of my current bedroom prepro is driving me crazy. I think if Rotel or Denon or Parasound said they would have a unit out by March, I'd be willing to get my old prepro repaired or even buy a cheap receiver to hold me over. But the e-mails I've gotten from each tend to make me believe it will be at least until Q3 of 2007 and then of course delays (occassionally :rofl: ) occur. I'd be happy to even beta test the Rotel 1069/1078 or whatever they call it. Unfortunately becoming a beta tester hasn't been offered to me. Considering the amount of home theaters I set up, I think I could offer them a lot of advice in documentation, feature/design changes, etc. But after years of working in that sort of environment, most companies are ruled by the sales department whose only goal seems to be get any product out without delays, sales first, recalls etc don't affect their percentage incentive.

I would personally go with the Denon. Tons off features and an excellent preamp section.

[Rolyasm]

I have heard some arguements that it is better to keep your HDMI seperate from the pre anyway,thereby avoiding any cross-talk or contamination of your other sources. Why not use an external HDMI switcher and stick with a less expensive pre like the Sherwood? I guess the way I see it is that you are using a preamp, instead of a receiver, because you are in search of better sound/video. We all know the arguement of the more stuff you cram into the processor, the more likely you are to have some kind of contamination into other areas, and the likely fact of poorer build quality throughout. So if you really want seperates, why not keep that theme and get a pre that does a good job and what it is supposed to do, and let your other components (amp, video processing) be done by another component that was designed for that purpose. Otherwise, get the Denon.
Roly

[Andrew M Ward]

I have heard some arguements that it is better to keep your HDMI seperate from the pre anyway,thereby avoiding any cross-talk or contamination of your other sources. Why not use an external HDMI switcher and stick with a less expensive pre like the Sherwood? I guess the way I see it is that you are using a preamp, instead of a receiver, because you are in search of better sound/video. We all know the arguement of the more stuff you cram into the processor, the more likely you are to have some kind of contamination into other areas, and the likely fact of poorer build quality throughout. So if you really want seperates, why not keep that theme and get a pre that does a good job and what it is supposed to do, and let your other components (amp, video processing) be done by another component that was designed for that purpose. Otherwise, get the Denon.
Roly

I believe in keeping video in it's own box for a whole bunch of reasons... for starters the video guys are in the business of making their own products obsolete as quickly as possible, churn, churn churn,

This can be seen clearly in this string as we have people waiting for 1.3 when 1.2 isn't even fully launched and 1.1 is the standard... (nice)

the first true 1080 flat panels have just arrived, and they will be obsolete in about 6 months as soon as 1.3 color depths bring a new idea into the mind of the consumer...they're not really obsolete - just loosely informed consumers and poorly written technology articles guide us to believe that...mostly video guys pushing for more video sales...

stay away from video (it's a consumer trap) buy a nice TV and forget about it for 5 years (don't even look at video technology) and when you're ready for a new TV do the same thing, buy what you can afford that meets your needs and go back into video technology hibernation...

Audio example: I have a 6 yr. old Proceed AVP2 processor, it sounds wonderful and works great on every DVD I use it with... I have an SSP-600 Classe' a little bit cooler and sounds wonderful, works great with every DVD movie I put in it... I have a Rotel 1098... Works great etc.etc.

pick one (anyone) listen, see if it sounds like you want it too and if you understand the menu and like the appearance and style... you're good to go

when super resolution audio is ready for prime time (whenever that is) and blu-ray or HD-DVD have declared a winner, we can all move on to the next best thing...

just my 2 cents

[Blindamood]

I like the looks of the new NAD Masters series. Haven't heard them yet, though.

NAD M15

And, as Chris suggests, I'm waiting for HDMI 1.3. Hopefully, I'll get the new Rotel processor (RSP-1068 equivalent) when it comes out next year (?).

[LEVESQUE]

If I was buying today I would buy the Anthem D2 again.

HDMI 1.1, can accept, pass and process a signal from 1080p24 up to 1080p60, Gennum VXP processing, and with the latest 1.11 firmware we now have 720p24 and 1080p24 frame-locking (for those sweet Blu-ray players outputting 1080p24...), multiple per-input memory banks for video inputs, custom resolution, custom gamma-curve...

The room-eq update for the D2 is almost done and should come out really soon. And Anthem are now starting to upgrade the D1 to the D1-HD (a D2 minus the front plate stickers...) this month. One of the few manufacturers doing a true hardware upgrade like they said they would.

My Blu-ray and HD-DVD players are working flawlessly over HDMI 1.1 with the D2.

[peterS]

my advice, assuming you have nothing now, is to buy the cheapest reciever that satisfies your needs functionality wise. then repurchase pre/pro when the time is right and presumably be amaized at the sq differences.... how cheap to go is dependent on your budget. a lot of consumer grade recievers are half price on ebay

[meltdown]

Kevin P and I both have the Sherwood 965 and couldn't be happier - hard to beat for the $

Could'nt agree more. That box is a hidden secret.

[Azeke]

I would also wait until HDMI 1.3 is proliferated across the board, but the Anthem D-2 would weigh heavily in my consideration. Although the $6800 MSRP is a bit out of my price range.

Peace and blessings,

Azeke

[wmilas]

Joined to post in the DIY section but saw this thread and Couldn't resist.

I've owned multiple Prerpos. Adcom, Anthem, Outlaw, Lexicon.

I currently use a HK 635 as my pre/pro. Yup, thats right. In my experience the higher end receivers give you more bang for the buck as a pre/pro for HT. You can debate about signal coloring all you want for 2.0 sound, but for HT you just can touch a high end receiver unless you spend 10x the price.... and even then some of the pre/pros lag the high end receivers by 2 years in development.

I'd wait the 4 months and buy a 1.3 certified high end receiver with TrueHD. Why?

1) Although 1.1+ allows passing of LPCM 5.1 to 7.2 not all current models support it. If they do support it they may not support base management. All 1.3 models WILL support passing of it. You could test current models to see if they support it... but there is no certainty.

2) The argument that video and audio should be separate is fine for 2.0. With TrueHD and LPCM its not realistic as those signals HAVE to pass down an hdmi cable to realize full resolution due to the encryption standards being forced upon us. Whether you agree with the encryption or not (I definately DO NOT because it removes choice from us as far as hardware goes) we are stuck with the fact that the audio stream has to pass and be processed by the same encryption chips that process the video stream. So there you are.

3) There are jitter problems passing LPCM down an hdmi link. There are opinions that passing the TrueHD stream and letting the receiver decode it will eliminate the jitter since the receiver now has control over the decode process. How much does this matter in the "real" world for HT audio? Its debatable. I think not much, but the purists may argue otherwise.

[Pookie007]

I am debating between an Arcam AVP700, Parasound Halo C2, and Krell Showcase (used). I use a DVDO scaler, so the video processing is not as much of an issue. I still want to see an Outlaw 990 in action before making the purchase. At 1/2 the price while receiving great reviews, I definitely think it is worth taking a look at.

[Race Car Driver]

my advice, assuming you have nothing now, is to buy the cheapest reciever that satisfies your needs functionality wise. then repurchase pre/pro when the time is right and presumably be amaized at the sq differences.... how cheap to go is dependent on your budget. a lot of consumer grade recievers are half price on ebay

Yup, thats what I did, im currently rocking my Yamaha 5990. I just couldnt wait any longer for the HDMI debacle to work its self out.

Switches and converts my HDMI and other inputs just fine. Works fine for HT, although I know im leaving alot on the table in stereo.

I took the money I saved and invested it in other things, better amps, better center channel, cables (ordered a 12meter HDMI cable to run through the wall, is up and going, plug and play when I get a pre and pro) rack etc... Because I know that technology wont be outdated anytime soon.

I could write this thing off and throw it out for what I would loose on upgrading/selling an outdated hi end pro from last year.

I can see me waiting about another 1-2 years before I invest in a nice pro.

[gianni]

I believe in keeping video in it's own box for a whole bunch of reasons... for starters the video guys are in the business of making their own products obsolete as quickly as possible, churn, churn churn,

This can be seen clearly in this string as we have people waiting for 1.3 when 1.2 isn't even fully launched and 1.1 is the standard... (nice)

the first true 1080 flat panels have just arrived, and they will be obsolete in about 6 months as soon as 1.3 color depths bring a new idea into the mind of the consumer...they're not really obsolete - just loosely informed consumers and poorly written technology articles guide us to believe that...mostly video guys pushing for more video sales...

stay away from video (it's a consumer trap) buy a nice TV and forget about it for 5 years (don't even look at video technology) and when you're ready for a new TV do the same thing, buy what you can afford that meets your needs and go back into video technology hibernation...

Audio example: I have a 6 yr. old Proceed AVP2 processor, it sounds wonderful and works great on every DVD I use it with... I have an SSP-600 Classe' a little bit cooler and sounds wonderful, works great with every DVD movie I put in it... I have a Rotel 1098... Works great etc.etc.

pick one (anyone) listen, see if it sounds like you want it too and if you understand the menu and like the appearance and style... you're good to go

when super resolution audio is ready for prime time (whenever that is) and blu-ray or HD-DVD have declared a winner, we can all move on to the next best thing...

just my 2 cents

Boe,

Andrew's post is right on the money. Let me suggest: read this, then read it again and remeber this advice. Save yourself lot's of needless monkey motion.
In the long run you'll be better off.

[wmilas]

I don't think video is a "consumer trap" as long as you are an educated consumer. The fact is that video is advancing MUCH faster than audio is... simply because audio has already had its advances earlier in the last century. At that same time video was pretty static.

Video's requires ALOT of bandwidth and the technology is just catching up to delivery of that bandwidth and the best processing of that bandwidth.

I do agree that you should buy video products that meet your need now and not worry about what will be available in a year or two.

I know this is a bit scattered and it is more of the engineer in me but I see no problem with mixed audio/video paths in the same equipment as long as both of them are in the digital domain. A 0 is a 0 and a 1 is a 1 and its easily detectable when there is a bitstream corruption. You may wish to have the DA converters for audio/video in a different chassis, or in the same chassis as long as they are well shielded. As long as the shielding is adaquate the ONLY difference between having dedicated equipment for audio and video separate is the ease of upgrading the DA converters separately.

I will say that with the total Fiasco that the hdmi 1.1/1.1+/1.2/1.3 signaling handshaking/splitting/encryption experience is turning out to be having one large unit handle it all is a bit hard since there is no guarantee its going to work in the future... but from a pure engineering standpoint there is nothing inherantly wrong with having an all in one processor.

I know its a bit of a ramble but well, thats my $0.02