... "What I find interesting is that once people experience separates the rarely go back and the ones in denial have never used separate components." ...
And are often the most outspoken against using them.
John, seems to me one of the problems going with separates all the way is finding a good processor. I'm using an HK AVR635 as a processor via the Rotel 1080 amp for the 80s but am looking to upgrade somewhere in the not too distant future ... what would you suggest as a good (great!) processor?
Rick, as usual it depends what you are looking for. The latest Integra and Onkyo processor come loaded with the latest bells and whistles including the ability to decode TrueDD and HDMI1.3a. I'm thinking of upgrading to one of those mainly to get the audio bitstream directly from my Toshiba XA2. I also like the fact they use Burr-Brown DACs and the Reon chip for video. The internal circuitry and power supply are supposed to be very quiet with minimal RF indicating the designers have really paid attention to insulating interference and heat.
The latest NAD also comes with all the latest goodies but is more expensive. I believe the Integra 9.8 is the best choice for the money but its hard to find. The upcoming Sherwood processor is also looking good and it should be released in the next few months. We might be able to buy them through Axiom since they are the only online supplier.
At the moment, I'm using a 2 year old Arcam AVP700. Its a remarkably quiet preamp with analog inputs so I can process the latest formats in the HDDVD player. It has a simple HDMI video switcher with little upscaling capability which I don't use anyway.
There are long wait times for the Integra 9.8 processor and its Onkyo cousin so a great alternative would be a processor with analog inputs. There are many choices. Krell, Anthem, Rotel, are just a few which can be bought at great prices now since the don't have the latest decoders.
For stereo only duty I'm a big fan of tube McIntosh preamps like the C220 or the solid state C46. The Cary Audio preamps are also very nice. I'm currently using a C220 in my stereo. The list of excellent 2 channel pre-amps is a long one.
