Suggestions for new AV Pre-Pro

Ronrags, That's exactly what I'd consider! By considering another amp by Cary, Bryston, Ayre, BAT and some others, not only are u raising the bar with regard to performance, u are creating a closer degree of synergy...especially with the Cary 5-channel amp. As a result, u will experience more refinement and detail from ur music and movies sountracks. The experience will bring u a little closer to the music and help suspend ur disbelief when watching movies...that's what it's all about, isn't it? And last, by upgrading ur amp to a Cary or another brand, u are simplifying ur set-up and removing the weakest link from the equation. It will also be like hearing all of ur music and movies for the first time...again!

Sparks, I plan on doing further research on the Cary plus these other brands you mentioned. Unfortunately as Kr4 stated, it's nearly impossible to perform an A/B comparison these days. The best advise is usually from forums like this. If these pre-pros sound that good in 2 channel, I'll probably sell the Wyred 4 Sound DAC 1 I just purchased 2 months ago.

"The best advise is usually from forums like this."

Perhaps but how can one distinguish it from the rest?

Kal

Ron, I think you know me from AVS :). I bought the Integra 80.2 a few months ago. I can recommend it very highly. Plus the 80.3 should be coming out probably in a few months. As you know I have the 1027's cc1000be, 705v's. I was told by some one that the Cary was not that reliable. I say go for the Integra.

I've been using a Cary Cinema 11a for some time now, and, regardless of what someone told mikeduke, it's been reliable. What he may have meant is that it's buggy, and can transmit pops when a disc starts or ends or an input is switched. Yet the sound has that sense of transparency and openness I demand. In my audition of an Integra 80.1, I found that lacking. But I was not able to do a side-by-side comparison in own my system. As noted earlier, I was most influenced to buy the Cary by Michael Fremer's rave (for its sound) review in Home Theater, and I was able to hear the Cary in my system before I wrote the check to a local private party -- but that is a rare opportunity indeed.

db.