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Affordable Processor with Fabulous 2 Channel ?

Gang,

I'm using my Mytek Brooklyn DAC as a pre for music and TV. It is fabulous sounding but I really would like to have 5.1 channel surround, and a single remote! 

Is there an affordable processor (used OK) that has at least as good 2 channel performance? Emotiva is right out. I owned one, and it sounded thin as paper. I note that there are a lot of Krell processors for sale at reasonable prices. 

Thoughts?

Erik
erik_squires
willland's avatar
willland
846 posts
 

Erik,

If under $2000.00, I really would look for an Anthem Statement D2v or AVM50v2.  They are rock solid reliable and ARC is top shelf.


Bill

erik_squires OP
16,395 posts
 
Thanks @willland !

I haven't thought of Anthem since they got sold and closed down Sonic Frontiers. I will check them out! 

Erik
auxinput
2,920 posts
 

The Krell Showcase / HTS range was amazing.  However, they are getting very old and a lot of these units are starting to fail in different areas (digital board, analog channels, etc.).  If you want to take a chance on these, go for it.  But expect a risk.  Also, the Krell units standard behavior for COAX digital input is to down-convert everything to 44.1/48khz sampling rate.

I remember reading that the Classe SSP-800 will convert everything to 96khz, because they believe that is the optimal sampling to feed the specific DAC chips.  The Classe is going to be an excellent item, but expensive again.  Same price range as the Krell S1200 (which is the same generation.

I think I have seen Anthem D2 in the $2k range.  That would probably be your best bet, but I don't know how it behaves with digital coax.

Digital COAX will always give you better 2-channel PCM sound than anything over HDMI.  COAX is better for even old school Dolby Digital / DTS.  The only thing that HDMI audio is good for is the hi-res bluray formats (DTS-HD MA and Dolby TrueHD).

erik_squires OP
16,395 posts
 
Thanks auxinput!

So I looked again, I guess the Krell Foundation is still out of my price range unless I wait, does anyone like their musical performance?

Erik

caphill
678 posts
 
I would get a used Classe Sigma SSP over a used  Krell Foundation. Krell as a company isn't the same anymore since Dan D'Agostino's departure from the company in 2009. The Classe Sigma SSP sounds better than the Krell Foundation especially in two-channel performance for stereo music playbacks.
The Classe Sigma SSP is optimized for stereo performance for music playbacks. But the surround or multi-channel performance for HT is very good as well but its stereo performance for 2ch music playbacks that stands out. 

I've heard both processors in the same setup and system and the Classe Sigma SSP sounded better especially in two-channel for stereo music playbacks. 
For stereo digital music files playbacks the Sigma SSP's USB DAC input port sounded significantly better than its other digital inputs. This unit is optimized for its use of USB DAC input signal path for digital music files downloads. Its USB DAC inputs circuitry was copied and pasted directly from Classe CP 800 stereo preamp/DAC. You can read more on that online to find out. 

The Classe Sigma SSP original retail price is cheaper than the original retail price of the Krell Foundation. I think the latest version of Krell Foundation retails for somewhere between $7k to $7500 and the original or first version of the Krell Foundation retails for maybe around $6500, whereas the Classe Sigma SSP version 1 (original version) retails for $5k and the Sigma SSP Mk2 retails for $6k and will sound better than the Krell Foundation especially for stereo music playbacks or when used as a stereo preamp. 

However, the Krell Foundation has more connections eg inputs & outputs connectivities than the Classe Sigma SSP. The Classe Sigma SSP is stripped off unnecessary inputs and outputs connections. You won't find any legacy analog video connectivities nor multi-channel analog audio 7.1 inputs on the Classe Sigma SSP.  But the Sigma SSP has a pair of stereo analog audio inputs (both XLR & RCA). And the analog audio outputs on the Classe Sigma SSP has XLR balanced outs only for its front LR channels only and with the remaining channels are only available in single-ended but the optimized ones. 

The Classe Sigma SSP internal circuitry  is true differential or fully balanced design all the way for only its front LR channels and with the remaining channels are single-ended design.
The Krell Foundation processor has all XLR analog audio outputs for all channels but not sure if its internal circuitry is true differential or fully balanced design all the way like the Classe. 

For stereo music playbacks the Classe Sigma SSP also sounded better than any Anthem processors, but the Anthem has advantages in multi-channel or surround sound applications for HT cause Anthem's ARC (Anthem Room Correction) is very good and really works.
Especially the new Anthem AVM60 processor is equipped with the latest ARC2 and performs very well in surrounds for HT and is better than the Classe Sigma SSP in that regard. 

The Arcam processors are good too.
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