Video Asylum

Posted by Ross on March 28, 2000 at 08:31:57:

In Reply to: Surround Sound Processor that's good with two-channel? posted by Duke on March 18, 2000 at 12:09:37:

I was in this quandry, and for awhile was able to keep my beloved C-J preamp while running a Lexicon CP-1 through a tape loop. When it came time for an upgrade to DD, I went w/ an all-in-one pre/pro. In my case, I got a good price on an AMC AV81HT-DD, so I could add my own tuner and phono preamp. Basically an analog unit w/ no unwanted A/D--D/A processing of audio inputs. Sounds great. I also considered the Sherwood unit mentioned here, due to positive reviews on its analog only sound.

You will do well w/ two preamps, but my own experience is that if I can't make the television/VCR system (which is integrated w/ my higher-end audio system) in our home simple enough for all to use and enjoy, I've failed...I don't want to have to leave written instructions on how to turn on the T.V. or play a CD, or be jumping up to 'help' my father-in-law watch the news....what ends up happening is nobody but me will use the system, or I'll hear a blast of volume as my wife is trying to figure it out. If you live alone or have separate systems you'll be ok. I say make things as simple as possible; it's quite a challenge, though, as most pre/pros are designed for lots of flexability and/or to appeal to the consumer who likes all the gadgetry. If you can do a two-preamp system that doesn't require extensive training for others to operate, great. Good luck!