What processor?

I've had the Integra 9.8, the Anthem D2 and the newly released Cary 11a which retails for $3500. The former two have integrated video sections for scaling and distribution of the video signal and are somewhat more feature rich.

The Cary 11a, however imo, sounds the best of the 3 in terms of 2 channel by-pass and HT. Again, imo, the other two were somewhat sterile although very clear sounding.

The Cary 11a is just the audio pre/pro and does not contain video processing; it will pass a HDMI signal to your TV and of course accept HDMI for lossless decoding by the unit. It had some initial issues upon release but I belive those have been resolved with the recent software update.

My 2 cents.

Hi Nick, since cary 11a does not contain video processing, does it mean I need a video processor like cary 11v? Is interested in cary 11a but isnt sure of the configuration I needed. thks

No. The Cary Cinema 11a will pull off the audio and output the video without further processing. Whether you need an external video processor (as provided with the Cinema 11v) will depend on your video needs. For example, I would not bother.

Kal

Kal, depending on my video needs ? Currently gears are as such: multichannel amp Halcro mc50 for centre and surround and rear speakers, CJ350 amp for the front channel speakers thru CJ ACT 2.2 preamp HT bypass. Probably will use PS3 bluray simply because none of the bluray play which can decode DTS MA and dolby trueHD is available in Malaysia. So if I use cary 11a as my processor is it fine or would I be better off buying onkyo processor or the highly acclaimed integra 9.8 ? Feedback appreciated. thanks

Depends on your video needs. The Cary will pass the video to your display just fine. However, for non-BluRay materials, i.e., DVD, TV, etc, many people prefer to have a video processor to enhance/optimize video performance. If you are one of these, you would have to add a video processor to the Cary 11a or, alternatively, buy a pre/pro that incorporates video processing, like the Onkyo/Integra.

Kal