Current best pre pros under 4K
- Thread starter thedudeabides
- Start date
7.2-channel (with Dirac Live) or 7.2.4-channel with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X (and Auro-3D ready for $199 more)?
• 7.2-channel: Emotiva XMC-1 with Dirac Live ($2,500 MSRP and less when on sale) ... Refined sound quality, and best to read more about functionality.
• 7.2.4-channel: Marantz AV7702MKII with Audyssey MultEQXT32 and Dolby Atmos & DTS:X and Auro-3D Ready ($2,200 MSRP, less street...about $1,600).
• Marantz AV8802A (7.2.4) and same as above but with top grade AKM AK4490 DACs and more refined HDAM modules ($4,000 list and about $2,800 street).
• Yamaha CX-A5100 (7.2.4) with YPAO (parametric EQ with several manual parameters) and Dolby Atmos & DTS:X ($2,500 list and $2,000 on sale or less).
• Anthem AVM-60 (7.1.4) with ARC2 EQ system and Dolby Atmos & DTS:X ($3,000 list).
Best is to read the pro reviews (Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity, Stereophile, Audioholics, etc.) and user reviews with various uses because everyone has more uses than just home theater surround sound. ...AVSForum.
Those are pretty much it in the below $4,000 (MSRP) pre/pros for home theater. ...There are couple more from Integra like the DHC-80.6 ($3,200 list), but missing DTS:X software update. It's an 11.4-channel pre/pro (7.4.4).
* The .1 LFE channel is the same but with Marantz 2 subs are EQued, and then summed up as one. With Onkyo it's the same .1 LFE channel but with four sub connectors, and no separate EQ. ...And the main EQ system is called AccuEQ.
For sound quality alone, with both movies and music, in a straight 7.2-channel pre/pro, the Emotiva XMC-1 with Dirac Live has the advantage, from my extensive readings.
For a 7.1.4-channel pre/pro, the Marantz AV8802A is popular with all around great performance...ask Kal he has one in his own rig.
And the Yamaha CX-A5100 for even less money is well build, and seems to be fully featured with extras that the Marantzes missed.
...Like cross-pollination between Dolby Atmos and DTS:X up-mixers where you can apply DSU to dts audio codecs, and Neural:X to dolby codecs. With the Marantz you need to do that through PCM audio. ...For the criss cross thing.
The CX-A5100 uses 64-bit DSP chips, YPAO is @ 96kHz resolution, and it uses top DACs too.
Audyssey MultEQ XT32 operates @ 48kHz, so higher resolutions are output @ that maximum resolution when using Audyssey. ...Little detail.
The DACs are also premium DACs.
For half price (roughly) the 7702MKII is nice too. ...With perhaps 87% of what his big brother has (rough estimate from readings only).
The Anthem AVM 60; I haven't read enough about it, but it has that Canadian design touch.
• 7.2-channel: Emotiva XMC-1 with Dirac Live ($2,500 MSRP and less when on sale) ... Refined sound quality, and best to read more about functionality.
• 7.2.4-channel: Marantz AV7702MKII with Audyssey MultEQXT32 and Dolby Atmos & DTS:X and Auro-3D Ready ($2,200 MSRP, less street...about $1,600).
• Marantz AV8802A (7.2.4) and same as above but with top grade AKM AK4490 DACs and more refined HDAM modules ($4,000 list and about $2,800 street).
• Yamaha CX-A5100 (7.2.4) with YPAO (parametric EQ with several manual parameters) and Dolby Atmos & DTS:X ($2,500 list and $2,000 on sale or less).
• Anthem AVM-60 (7.1.4) with ARC2 EQ system and Dolby Atmos & DTS:X ($3,000 list).
Best is to read the pro reviews (Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity, Stereophile, Audioholics, etc.) and user reviews with various uses because everyone has more uses than just home theater surround sound. ...AVSForum.
Those are pretty much it in the below $4,000 (MSRP) pre/pros for home theater. ...There are couple more from Integra like the DHC-80.6 ($3,200 list), but missing DTS:X software update. It's an 11.4-channel pre/pro (7.4.4).
* The .1 LFE channel is the same but with Marantz 2 subs are EQued, and then summed up as one. With Onkyo it's the same .1 LFE channel but with four sub connectors, and no separate EQ. ...And the main EQ system is called AccuEQ.
For sound quality alone, with both movies and music, in a straight 7.2-channel pre/pro, the Emotiva XMC-1 with Dirac Live has the advantage, from my extensive readings.
For a 7.1.4-channel pre/pro, the Marantz AV8802A is popular with all around great performance...ask Kal he has one in his own rig.
And the Yamaha CX-A5100 for even less money is well build, and seems to be fully featured with extras that the Marantzes missed.
...Like cross-pollination between Dolby Atmos and DTS:X up-mixers where you can apply DSU to dts audio codecs, and Neural:X to dolby codecs. With the Marantz you need to do that through PCM audio. ...For the criss cross thing.
The CX-A5100 uses 64-bit DSP chips, YPAO is @ 96kHz resolution, and it uses top DACs too.
Audyssey MultEQ XT32 operates @ 48kHz, so higher resolutions are output @ that maximum resolution when using Audyssey. ...Little detail.
The DACs are also premium DACs.
For half price (roughly) the 7702MKII is nice too. ...With perhaps 87% of what his big brother has (rough estimate from readings only).
The Anthem AVM 60; I haven't read enough about it, but it has that Canadian design touch.
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