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AV Pre/Pro as your HIFI pre and/or dac ???


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Hi guys,

This might be frowned upon by some old school audiophiles but I know I have read about some higher end audiophiles using AV pre/pros in their HIFI rig lately. Hands up guys, who is currently using an AV pre/pro in thier rig? Either in the past, present, or intend to in the future?

Im contemplating going down that path myself, and was wanting to get some first hand experiences / opinions. Can I ask why you went that way, what you think works well, what doesn't etc.

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Interesting. The past few days (while my missus has been away) Ive been playing with a few different configurations here.

For a few days I took my bewdiful Conrad Johnson preamp out of the loop and went back to the rather meagre Denon AVR 3300 as preamp, still feeding the ME 550.

Well, the result was rather lacklustre. I had a much flatter soundstage without my usual wonderful imaging.

So, it may be feasible with a high end AVR, but certainly not with mine.

Cheers,

Jake

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Interesting. The past few days (while my missus has been away) Ive been playing with a few different configurations here.

For a few days I took my bewdiful Conrad Johnson preamp out of the loop and went back to the rather meagre Denon AVR 3300 as preamp, still feeding the ME 550.

Well, the result was rather lacklustre. I had a much flatter soundstage without my usual wonderful imaging.

So, it may be feasible with a high end AVR, but certainly not with mine.

Cheers,

Jake

Cheers for your findings mate. Wonder if you would get a different result if you were only using the denon feeding the power amps rather than going through two preamps, not sure.

Ill have to look up the denon 3300 as I havent' heard of that one before.

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Cheers for your findings mate. Wonder if you would get a different result if you were only using the denon feeding the power amps rather than going through two preamps, not sure.

Thats just what I did. Errr, as I said ;)

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Thats just what I did. Errr, as I said ;)

opps, some how I read your post and thought you were saying you were feeding the me preamp. But now that I have re-read it, it seems you were talking about the me power amp, sorry for my mistake. :)

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I use my Meridian processor as a preamp. Works fine for me.

That looks like a high end bit of kit to me, very nice. Was there a particular reason you went for an AV processor for your HIFI kit? HT / HIFI integration, just purely because it sounds fantastic??

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Guest JohnA

I started off byusing my rotel 1098 then once i put a dedicated 2 channel pre noticed the poor 1098 just could not compete.

Many said it made a great 2 channel pre, and sure it is good, but just cannot compete.

I doubt i would ever go back down that path

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EAD Ovation as my (2-channel) pre-amp for some years now.

I'm yet to 'hear' a better pre-amp.

The 5.1 processing (D/D & DTS) is out-of-this-world to boot :popcorn

Russ.

Wow, that something I haven't seen before, looks impressive and I bet it sounds great too.

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I started off byusing my rotel 1098 then once i put a dedicated 2 channel pre noticed the poor 1098 just could not compete.

Many said it made a great 2 channel pre, and sure it is good, but just cannot compete.

I doubt i would ever go back down that path

Cheers John.

Its good to hear the good and bad experiences.

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I've (almost) always had offboard DACs, originally with pre/power separates. I saw using a processor as a preamp as knocking out one link in an expensive chain. However (and this is a big however) I would think twice before putting sound and video through the same bit of kit.

edit: I use digital all the way through to the speakers. I have no analogue sources and only one analogue output to the SGR sub

Edited by Mr_Gimlet
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I've (almost) always had offboard DACs, originally with pre/power separates. I saw using a processor as a preamp as knocking out one link in an expensive chain. However (and this is a big however) I would think twice before putting sound and video through the same bit of kit.

Cheers, thanks for your thoughts.

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Since I sold my Moon pre to John, I've been using my Cary Cinema 11 and then onto 11a. This was a step backwards in SQ. Not massive, but a hit all the same.

I'm currently waiting for a new valve pre to be built, which should be very nice.

With the pro, I connect via analogue inputs (XLR & RCA), but I did try the digital in and found the difference was small. The digital input would miss the first 2 seconds of each track which was most annoying.

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Since I sold my Moon pre to John, I've been using my Cary Cinema 11 and then onto 11a. This was a step backwards in SQ. Not massive, but a hit all the same.

I'm currently waiting for a new valve pre to be built, which should be very nice.

With the pro, I connect via analogue inputs (XLR & RCA), but I did try the digital in and found the difference was small.

Thanks LuckyDog.

The digital input would miss the first 2 seconds of each track which was most annoying.

That would be annoying. Wonder what the reason behind that is?

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I have simplified my system to the Denon AVP HDA1 preamp which everything now goes through, yes including 2channel music. And yes it sounds good (unlike previous denon avrs I have owned/used)

It has XLR for the cdp input, so could take XLR from the dac

It sounded as good as a 4.5K rrp preamp to me on a test one day, so out went the krell preamp and this all made connecting the subs to both 2ch and HT easy without mixers etc

So the behringers are no longer used

Nor the krell preamp

and now not the benchmark dac (can't be bothered reconnecting it)

Additioanlly I have ability to put all my hdmi sources in and out and use my Octagons for everything -which is what sounds best.

As a preamp, it does allright for me

Although it has no power amp circuits, it weighs as much as my 7channel Elektra power amp... it is a special beast

http://www.audioproducts.com.au/ProductInfo.aspx?pid=AVPA1HDSP

Edited by norpus
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Hi guys,

This might be frowned upon by some old school audiophiles but I know I have read about some higher end audiophiles using AV pre/pros in their HIFI rig lately. Hands up guys, who is currently using an AV pre/pro in thier rig? Either in the past, present, or intend to in the future?

Im contemplating going down that path myself, and was wanting to get some first hand experiences / opinions. Can I ask why you went that way, what you think works well, what doesn't etc.

Hi Drizt,

I have found any av pre pro is too much of a compromise in a high end 2 channel and 5.4 surround system,even on movie surround in my system,therefore I use analog out for bluray,dvd and use 3 different pre amps for 5.4 surrounds (bat vk-5 L.R) (copland cva 306 centre,rear left and rear right)(proceed AVP SUB VOLUME ONLY BLUERAY,surround for foxtel,tv,etc)

Theta casablanca II,mark levinson No 40 listen in all Genesis surround,wilson audio maxx 2,watt surround and all Martin logan surround systems they sounded ok,audio research ref2 mkII crushed both on 2 channel cheaper than both new,1/3 the $ of ML No40 but they do surround decoding,In the under $20k the arcam av9 sounded good and does switching,but analog suits my amps and speakers much better(martin logan prodigy,s ,logos,rears requests,subs 2 revel b-15,2 genesis 900 rears).

Please note it is far easier with av pre,and HDMI connection for audio low to med system,but to get that extra 15% try it and you won,t go back regards victor.

my system.http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/showthread.php?t=13152

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Hi Drizt,

I use one, past present & future.

I use a Sony TAE9000es pre processor into 3 Musical Fidelity monoblocks and one Copland Tube power amp.

I run my analog into a Copland pre, into the Copland power driving L&R front) speakers & digital (mainly home cinema) through the Sony to the Copland & MF to run front, centre & rears.

I/ve tried al sorts of combinations as i basically have a stereo syst within the home cinema one.

The Sony has no prob in coping with complicated movie tracks as it has 3 processing chips. No prob with running bluray either and you can hear the improvement from bluray. It even has a phono input (i don't really use it).

In anaog, it is fine but really excels in digital.

In stereo, the Sony into Copland power sounds better than the Copland pre into MF monobocks.

A HT pre is the way to go, very flexible and solid performance and i can intergrate it with my anaog system. This was the reason i went this way.

Things i found interesting, watching a movie only in stereo through the valve amp and listening to vinyl in surround.

What doesn't work well, nothing really,

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Thanks for the detailed reply. Thats making me feel better about looking at going this route.

Thats a serious looking AV pre/pro by the way.

I have simplified my system to the Denon AVP HDA1 preamp which everything now goes through, yes including 2channel music. And yes it sounds good (unlike previous denon avrs I have owned/used)

It has XLR for the cdp input, so could take XLR from the dac

It sounded as good as a 4.5K rrp preamp to me on a test one day, so out went the krell preamp and this all made connecting the subs to both 2ch and HT easy without mixers etc

So the behringers are no longer used

Nor the krell preamp

and now not the benchmark dac (can't be bothered reconnecting it)

Additioanlly I have ability to put all my hdmi sources in and out and use my Octagons for everything -which is what sounds best.

As a preamp, it does allright for me

Although it has no power amp circuits, it weighs as much as my 7channel Elektra power amp... it is a special beast

http://www.audioproducts.com.au/ProductInfo.aspx?pid=AVPA1HDSP

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Flexibility is definiately the strength of going this route isn't it. And if SQ is right up there it would seem like a no brainer. I guess thats the ultimate key isn't it, SQ. I guess I'll just have to take the plunge and find out for myself.

Hi Drizt,

I use one, past present & future.

I use a Sony TAE9000es pre processor into 3 Musical Fidelity monoblocks and one Copland Tube power amp.

I run my analog into a Copland pre, into the Copland power driving L&R front) speakers & digital (mainly home cinema) through the Sony to the Copland & MF to run front, centre & rears.

I/ve tried al sorts of combinations as i basically have a stereo syst within the home cinema one.

The Sony has no prob in coping with complicated movie tracks as it has 3 processing chips. No prob with running bluray either and you can hear the improvement from bluray. It even has a phono input (i don't really use it).

In anaog, it is fine but really excels in digital.

In stereo, the Sony into Copland power sounds better than the Copland pre into MF monobocks.

A HT pre is the way to go, very flexible and solid performance and i can intergrate it with my anaog system. This was the reason i went this way.

Things i found interesting, watching a movie only in stereo through the valve amp and listening to vinyl in surround.

What doesn't work well, nothing really,

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