Diminishing Returns In A Hi-End Preamp/Processor?

In my experience there is a big difference in sound with multi-channel processors. I have a separate HT system that I only listen to movies and cable TV with. I have had many many many processors and have found that the amplification as well as the processor makes a big difference.......... I like the Anthem.

If you're going to use the DACs and processing of the pre/pro, my experience is there is a difference in sound quality. If you're using the DACs and processing of the source, i.e. bypassed analog input, I'm skeptical. Most high-end pre/pros offer differential balanced output to the amps that may not be available with low-end pre/pros, and that can be important if you value short speaker leads that require long runs from pre/pro to amps.

Then there's room correction, but I think the Integra 80.2 offers SOTA room correction.

In my case, I used analog to get around a bug in the pre/pro that prevents bass management with PCM from SACDs -- the speakers I now use don't need to be augmented by subs even for low pedal notes from a pipe organ. But balanced stereo from an Oppo BDP-95 is something to behold, so I'm likely to stick with analog.

db

interesting thread. if i understand the op's question, it's not whether a $7k levinson or cary will sound better than, say, a $1.5k onkyo; rather it's whether the sonic improvement is cost-effective. that, necessarily, is a very subjective determination. personally, i don't watch a lot of action movies or multichannel dvd concerts; for my usual diet of "pawn stars" and nfl i'm okay with my lesser denon/integra gear. the other consideration is that however much their makers claim that they're "future-proof", pre/pros probably depreciate and become obsolescent faster than any other component. i see an awful lot of once-sota pre/pros listed here for a tiny fraction of their original price. ergo, if you're not determined to have the latest-and-greatest codecs and gizmos, you can get some great bargains.

I think it matters a lot what your video habits are and how much importance you assign to the sound in those situations. I agree with Loomis that if you're watching a lot of "Pawn Stars" and the like, it won't make any difference. If, on the other hand, you watch a lot of big-production Blu-Ray movies, you might care more about the sound. Even so, I would expect the amps, speakers, subs and room treatment to make a much bigger difference for cinematic audio than the pre-pro.

In my case, I have a tiny house and share my system for 2-channel and 5.1, so I thought it was worth spending more to buy an Anthem (AVM 50v). However, if I had a separate HT rig, I'd probably buy a $1500 processor (unless it was a full-on custom big-buck home theater situation)

Can anyone comment on the Analog bypass of the Integra 80.2,80.3 or Onkyo 5508 pre's. I love the way my current Avthem AVM 20 handles the stereo XLR and analog 5.1 inputs from my Oppo 95, but I would love to update to room correction but not at the cost of musical performance!