2. home-theater
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Requesting Thoughts and Ideas

Have been off Audiogon for quite some time and need some help/suggestions on updating my home theater system. Over the last few months I have read everything possible on the newest options available for a pre-processor and blue ray player. At this moment this is my two areas that need immediate updates.

My current system:

Classe SSP 60 pre-processor
Nuforce Ref 8B amps
Sonus Faber Grand Piano Homes, Solo & Wall speakers
Samsung BDP 2550 Blu Ray Player
Dual Velodyne FSR 12 Subs
Sony 55 inch rear projection TV

System is 5.1 with no thoughts of adding any other speakers. Usage is 95% home theater.

Room is 16 X 16 that has been treated with GIK panels recommended by manufacturer.Room has an opening to the kitchen that will either be treated with heavy drapes or acoustical accordion doors.

The Classe pre processor has been a flawless unit but lacks HDMI as well the latest codecs, Audyssey XT 32 or similar room correction and 3D capabilities.

The upgrade on the Blu Ray player will probably be the new OPPO 103 at this point which seems like a no brainer.

So I need some help on defining the best options on the pre processor upgrade first and foremost. It is not in the budget to upgrade to the Classe SSP 800. From what I have read here are some affordable choices:

Integra 80.3 /Onkyo 5509
Marantz 7005 or latest with XT32
Denon 4311CI receiver
Anthem 700 series receiver

In any case will use the Nuforce amps to drive the system.Also contemplating either upgrading the amps to V3 status or moving in another direction like the 5 channel Butler amps since Sonus Faber speakers do well with tube amps.

Last upgrade will be to an 80 inch TV but not many choices at the moment.

Any help or suggestions will be appreciated.
hiflyer
Ag insider logo xs@2x
dbphd
1,629 posts
 
Except for room correction, I'd recommend letting the Oppo do the processing. I replaced a Proceed PAV/PDSD setup with a Cary Cinema 11a to get HDMI and the latest codecs before I got the BDP-95. Now I use analog stereo and 7.1 with the Cary in bypass mode. I could have done that with the Proceed setup. I use a Velodyne SMS-1 with a pair of HGS-15s to provide room correction in the critical LF range. Audio quality was paramount for me while still being able to use the same system for music and HT. Projection onto a 100" screen provides the video immersion I want.

db
audionuts
74 posts
 
Your system is fine. I have a similar one and my Oppo 83 se Nuforce ed is doing a very good decoding job. If your concerning is room correction then I would suggested that you should take a look at minidsp with plug in or new antimode. But before you want to eq anything You should at least measure your room acoustic first. You already have 2 subs that will help to solve a lot of room acoustic problem. IMO, too much eq often do more bad than good. Anyway, a good and big plasma is the one that you should buy next.
zd542
5,339 posts
 
"Yes I can do what you suggest but would like to add room correction with XT32 to dial in my dual subs."

If that's the case, you may want to consider another way to go about this. I have a digital EQ that I use sometimes to make bad recordings listenable. Its a Behringer Ultracurve Pro DEQ2496. If you put something like that between your SSP and the subs, the results should be far better than using the room correction feature of a mass market receiver. (And at a much lower cost)

That will allow you to keep your current preamp. The reason I keep suggesting you keep the one you already have, is quite often people don't realize how important a preamp is to good sound (Audio & Theater). I believe that if you go with one of the options that you list above, you will still like the SSP better, even though it doesn't have the room eq.

One thing that you can to is get a receiver from a place that offers a return policy. That way there is no risk of making a bad choice. You will be able to hear them both in your system at the same and then know, for sure, what you like better.
hiflyer OP
99 posts
 
Again thanks to everyone for thethoughts. Sounds like I might keep the Classe SSP 60 and add external correction for the subs. Will look at the Velodyne SMS-1 and Behringer suggestions. Which one is easier to use for a non techie? Or other alternatives?

Never had a plasma but will also investigate this tv option.
martykl
3,578 posts
 
In order to get the SMS-1 to perform optimally, set-up is a GIANT pain in the ass. The "auto-correct" function is inexplicably crude and manual adjustment is 1000% better. Unfortunately, it's also a time consuming process of trial and error for many of the settings.

However, once it's dialed in, the SMS-1 sounds pretty damn good, although you may wish to bypass the high cut function which is both inflexible (fixed at 6db/octave, 80hz) and possibly audible thru your main speakers (YMMV on that one). I ended up using an NHT outboard crossover ahead of the SMS-1 to take that unit out of the main signal path, but some might conclude that this is overkill - hence the YMMV, above.

Been there, moved on to Audyssey.

Marty
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