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192.146.1.16
I'm looking for pre/pro, power amp recommendations from people that use their HT setup as their 2 channel music system too, I have Maggie 1.6's, MC1, CC3 as speakers and are currently driving them with a Denon 5700 receiver. It is listenable, but I think can be improved for 2 channel music. I'm not sure if I want to go to a high end pre with HT bypass, high end pre/pro/power, or what. I have a high end 2 ch system that I can use pieces from, all tube electronics.
I'd be very interested in your experience and systems. thanks
Follow Ups:
I think you can and I like to think I pulled of a nice combination set-up. One thing to watch for is the front end. Make sure you can keep the analog sources, SACD, and DVD-A from going into a default digital conversion. Make sure the analog pass through is just that and if you can shut down the converters when not in use so much the better. What I am running isn't "Hi end" but it sounds great. I use a Sony ES reciever with a true analog pass through for all 2 channel sources and can get DVD and SACD in through a 5.1 input that is straight through no tones no nothing can only use the volume control.
I have my two turntables connected to a two channel Adcom 565 pre-amp. The pre-amp then runs into an NAD pre-pro. The adcom is set at 12:00 for a constant level and the NAD unit controls master volume. Over time I have come to where I now listen to ALL stereo material in Dolby Pro Logic II Music. That codec adds a greater ambiance and improves instrumental timbre for two channel msusic..
I have been using a combi system for years. When I upgraded from a 35" direct-view TV/monitor to a larger 64" Pioneer Hi-Def RPTV, my imaging suffered. By pulling my L/R speakers further out in the room, and apart, the situation has improved.I plan on trying some mini maggies to be able to easily pull them out when listening to music.
I would think the best video set-up would be a front project/screen, as long as you can control the lighting.
On my HT, I am using an LCD projector with 106” diagonal 16:9 ratio screen mounted flush into the wall with the center channel speaker mounted flush underneath the projector screen into the wall also. My FR and FL 1+1 Acoustat speakers are place about a foot away and about a foot in front of the screen and about approximately over a foot from the sidewalls. The soundstage I get from it when playing a 2 channel stereo music is excellent. I did not hear any loss of focus or coherency of the sound.However, I still prefer my tube based system for 2-channel duties.
I went with a wall-mounted plasma and supplementary absorption/diffusion elements so that the three front speakers are minimally effected by its presence.Kal
OTOH, you also have to lose the center speaker for 2-channel. Would'nt do to have a center channel speaker messing up the imaging/soundstaging from 2-channel source....Guess you'll have to add rails to your center channel to (remote-control?) move the center away and/or behind your 2 main speakers when listening to 2-channel. :0).
Sorta. The center speaker in both my systems is slightly farther back than the L/R and much smaller than any CRT or RPTV would be. It's also considerably less resonant a structure. Makes little difference compared to the hulking monitor.Kal
When faced with either upgrading/replacing my pre/pro with six-channel analog bypass solution for hi-rez MC, I opted instead for a separate pure analog 6-channel preamp/switcher. Later on, I added a decent MC Universal player.For hi-rez SACD or DVD-A, I run 6-channel analog from the player to the MC analog preamp which routes everything to the amps/speakers.
For HT, I can either use
(1) the players digital output to feed DD/DTS to the digital pre/pro which than feeds 6-channel analog to the analog preamp. or
(2) the players 6-channel analog output (player does decode DD/DTS) directly to the analog preamp.
If I had found the right Universal which accepted digital audio inputs from satellite/cable box, I might have been able to lose the pre/pro altogether. As it stands now, I'll eventually need a new prepro anyway for 6.1/7.1/(10.2?) HT processing.
For 2-channel CD/SACD, I use the 2-channel analog output from the Universal since the preamp stage on the MC analog preamp is much better than that for my pre/pro. Eventually, I'll opt for a serious 2-channel SACD player solution to go with the Universal player solution. I do think the Universal is holding it's own pretty well against my stock 777ES but I suspect I could do a lot better.
I'm hoping to add five (5) monoblock amps eventually but that's a long ways off.
I use a McCormack MAP-1 preamp. I feel this is an obscelence proof way to do quality 2 channel and 5.1 surround. I use the decoder built into my CD/DVD player to provide surround decoding. I run stereo channel to McCormack DNA amp to Martin Logan Aerius i's. Center and surround channels go to three Outlaw 200 monoblocks. Center channel speaker is Martin Logan Cinema. Surround speakers are Sound Design dipole wall mounts. The MAP-1 has an ARM (Ambience Recovery Mode) circuit that does a great job of pulling out of phase surround sound and directing it to rear channels. It also directs mono sound to center channel for dialog. Pretty similar to the results of Dolby Pro II but I believe it is all done in the analog domain. The Outlaw amps have triggers so they go into standby when there's no signal. This is great when I'm in pure two channnel mode and want all other components shutdown. I'm very pleased with this setup.-CB
It has to do the ARM in the analog domain since that's all it has. No digital in this unit.Kal
i know that can be accomplished at line level.
...regards...tr
which cannot derive a center channel, only ambience surrounds.Kal
especially if you're into tubes and vinyl. That's why I keep them separate, witn my best equipment (ribbon speakers, tubes and analog) reserved for the 2-channel system.
I'd add in a preamplifier with surround bypass inputs, then use the preamp for two channel, and the Denon works as the surround processor and amplifier for the center/surround channels. This would free up some power for the center/surround channels as well. Then, if you want, you can upgrade to a dedicated outboard surround decoder and multichannel amplifier later (usually big $$$ for a good setup) If you're sticking with 5-channel, a used seperate proc/amp is more reasonable.I was going to do this the other way around, I have a SFL1 with surround pre in that I was going to add on to. Now I'm moving to an all solid-state McIntosh setup so I can do multizone as well as home theater.
/*Music is subjective. Sound is not.*/
I use a 3805 as a pre with a PSAudio HCA-2 amp for 2 channel audio. It is *very* nice... the 3805 makes a pretty good pre-amp.I am using a Denon 5900 as a source and it works really well in this setup. 2 channel audio is excellent.
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