2. amps-preamps
  3. 1015256119

Preamps in general

Ok, I know the story, Lexicon (which I own) is a great HT piece, and does 2-channel great (IMO) but there are better 2 channel units out there. From all I have read, and all my logical prowess, I can only assume that with dvd-a and sacd-multi, Lexicon will be among the best for those formats. Am I wrong?

I am mainly into this hobby for 2-channel, but can't ignore the onset of future formats. Do you all agree that the decoding power of Lexicon will make it wonderful for the multi-channel music formats? What preamps do you guys consider better...Anthem AVP-20, Tag, EAD...etc???

I like opinions, but facts and experience are better;).
mdomnick
sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
Yes and no. Digital technology is still evolving; so that part of the preamp may be obsolete in a couple years, regardless of how good it is today. A great 2 channel preamp that can accomodate a external digital decoder that can be upgraded or replaced with something else as digital evolves, may be a better route.
kthomas
911 posts
 
Which Lexicon do you have? Everything before the MC-12 will NOT be a good choice for the new formats, as Lexicon has pretty much stated that they won't be upgraded in the future. The MC-12 is the first Lex. to have 2-channel analog pass-through (in fact, it has 6-channel analog pass-through). It also has a lot of upgrade capability to support digital inputs for the new formats if / when that is a possibility.

Many Lexicon owners like the Music 7 mode for multi-channel music out of whatever source. I assume it can be applied to a six-channel input, but have never looked into it myself. I'm not sure I'd want to go with a synthesized 7-channel mode when I could have 6 discrete channels from the source. So, for two-channel sources played back in multi-channel, yes, the Lexicon is great choice. For the new formats, I don't see where the Lexicon's processing power is any real advantage because I wouldn't want to employ it on a true multichannel SACD or DVD-A.

I've owned the DC-1, MC-1 and now MC-12, so I'm definitely a Lexicon advocate. They have a great record of offering their customers aggressive trade in values on new models. I find the MC-12 to be a very nice step towards "true" high-end, although I greatly enjoyed the MC-1 for music playback as well. If you have a system where you like both music and movies, and you want to keep the system as "simple" as possible, it's a fabulous choice IMO. -Kirk

mdomnick OP
332 posts
 
I am using the DC-1 v.4 and am looking to upgrade. I love Lexicon stuff, but I'll be honest, when I bought it, I merely spent the money based on their reputation, and the recommendation of my salesman. I am now asking myself if there is a better preamp that will do 2 channel, as well as pull off HT. When I upgrade, I am thinking the MC1...the 12 series is WAY out of my price range, but I would buy it if I could. So for >$3000 (which is what I can buy a used MC1 for), what else is there that performs well, or IS Lexicon the sh*t in this price range?
fatparrot
1,314 posts
 
One thing that I would look for is modular construction, so that as new technologies evolve, new modules/circuit boards can simply be plugged in. Don't know if this applies to the Lexicon, which has an excellent reputation! Happy Tunes!
kthomas
911 posts
 
I wouldn't pay anywhere close to $3K for an MC-1 - they seem readily attainable for $2500, even less if you're willing to buy one that has already been traded in (meaning it won't be eligible for trade-in allowance later).

Other pre/pros that do 2-channel exceedingly well (according to reputation, not my personal experience) are the Classe SSP-30, the new Tag-McLaren (not sure of model #) and Bryston's offering (again, not sure of the model #). All of them will do fine on HT as long as you're not addicted to Logic 7. If you value 2-channel music over HT, but want both, you'll probably be more satisfied with one of these other manufacturers. I found the MC-1 to be a decided improvement over the DC-1 for 2-channel, but these other models have a strong reputation at outperforming the MC-1. -Kirk

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