Ok, now that all of that is out of the way, what your decision should really come down to is simple...One, does it sound good?...two, does it have the features you think you want?...three, is it practical and dependable to use for you?...four, are you willing to spend the money? Cosmetics?...probably no biggie, right?
For me the sound quality has to be number one!...right next to price. Hearing the ultra clear, detailed, musical, dynamic sound that a lot of digital soundtracs and high quailty CD's out there posses is where it's at to me! I've personally gotten to the point in life that I would always rather hear even two channels of ultra high quaily sound, rather than hearing plain-Jane sounding multi channel from some average sounding pre/pro or speakers! If you want bells and whistles,and a lot of gadgets that won't get you anything remotely resembling chaility sound, then just buy a fully loaded receiver for cheap, and save a ton of money!!!! Alot of those pre/pro's mentioned previously above are really no better sonically than most any decent receivers preamps section!!!!....seriously! If you were going to end up buying the likes of the Lexicon, B&K, Sunfire, Parasound, Anthem, Sony's, or many there pre/pro's out there, sonically, you would get the same or better results by just using a receivers pre-out's into a better amp.
I would easily, EASILY, chose to listen to a high end audio rig in 2 channel only(using a digital processor for DD/DTS however), with all quality gear, rather than have mediocre, bland, boring sound from 5.1 or 7.1 set-up with some average sounding pre/pro!!! (everyone gets that kind of sound....yaaaaawwwwn....boring!) It's like eating a gallon of plain vanilla ice cream vs. eating a pint of Haggendas!!!...I'd pick the Haggendas ever time personaly.
If you want really special, blow your socks off, pretty, ultra refined, delicate, musically correct,clear, audophile grade ambitious sound quailty(once you get it, you'll never go back to mid-fi trust me..), that some of these pre/pro's offer in either 2 channel or 5+, you owe it to yourself to use better sounding gear. The likes of Krell, Proceed,Classe (ok, build is bettered elsewhere), Aragon, Thule, Ayre, Theta Casablanca, EAD and Macintosh perhaps, or even simple Acurus! This stuff all sounds really really good at any given price point. Heck, I use a modest little Acurus Act 3 pressently in my HT system, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in favor of some of these highly publcized/market pre/pro's like Lexicon, B&K, and sunfire!!!..no way!(unless I was going to sell it for profit or something). You may find something you like in another brand, but you sure won't get anything that special sounding in the ones I previously mentioned!
Every company makes a pre/pro that works...but only a select number are really really good sounding, that will keep pace with a good high end system that is.
I know you'd be much more pleased with some simple unit that sounds great, rather than a mega featured pre/pro that sounds like everything else that comes down the pike.
Give some of these overachievers I mentioned a try....your EARS and friends will all thank you for it, with a decided "WOW WOW WOW!!!!"
good luck
For me the sound quality has to be number one!...right next to price. Hearing the ultra clear, detailed, musical, dynamic sound that a lot of digital soundtracs and high quailty CD's out there posses is where it's at to me! I've personally gotten to the point in life that I would always rather hear even two channels of ultra high quaily sound, rather than hearing plain-Jane sounding multi channel from some average sounding pre/pro or speakers! If you want bells and whistles,and a lot of gadgets that won't get you anything remotely resembling chaility sound, then just buy a fully loaded receiver for cheap, and save a ton of money!!!! Alot of those pre/pro's mentioned previously above are really no better sonically than most any decent receivers preamps section!!!!....seriously! If you were going to end up buying the likes of the Lexicon, B&K, Sunfire, Parasound, Anthem, Sony's, or many there pre/pro's out there, sonically, you would get the same or better results by just using a receivers pre-out's into a better amp.
I would easily, EASILY, chose to listen to a high end audio rig in 2 channel only(using a digital processor for DD/DTS however), with all quality gear, rather than have mediocre, bland, boring sound from 5.1 or 7.1 set-up with some average sounding pre/pro!!! (everyone gets that kind of sound....yaaaaawwwwn....boring!) It's like eating a gallon of plain vanilla ice cream vs. eating a pint of Haggendas!!!...I'd pick the Haggendas ever time personaly.
If you want really special, blow your socks off, pretty, ultra refined, delicate, musically correct,clear, audophile grade ambitious sound quailty(once you get it, you'll never go back to mid-fi trust me..), that some of these pre/pro's offer in either 2 channel or 5+, you owe it to yourself to use better sounding gear. The likes of Krell, Proceed,Classe (ok, build is bettered elsewhere), Aragon, Thule, Ayre, Theta Casablanca, EAD and Macintosh perhaps, or even simple Acurus! This stuff all sounds really really good at any given price point. Heck, I use a modest little Acurus Act 3 pressently in my HT system, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in favor of some of these highly publcized/market pre/pro's like Lexicon, B&K, and sunfire!!!..no way!(unless I was going to sell it for profit or something). You may find something you like in another brand, but you sure won't get anything that special sounding in the ones I previously mentioned!
Every company makes a pre/pro that works...but only a select number are really really good sounding, that will keep pace with a good high end system that is.
I know you'd be much more pleased with some simple unit that sounds great, rather than a mega featured pre/pro that sounds like everything else that comes down the pike.
Give some of these overachievers I mentioned a try....your EARS and friends will all thank you for it, with a decided "WOW WOW WOW!!!!"
good luck