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New amp, any recommendations

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  • 01-09-2003 8:27am
    #1
    Fallschirmjager
    Registered Users Posts: 3,341 ✭✭✭


    Ladies and gentlemen,

    i am about to change my big pioneer dts, THX amp for a new one.

    anyone got any recommendations. More so, anyone know what the latest on the sound front, it seems to have jumped from 5.1 to 7.1 in no time, as far as i can see.

    the question i have is something big (e.g. another standard like DTS) about to break that i should hold on for?


    any recommendations.

    thanks for your help and ideas....


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    #2
    Guy:Incognito
    Registered Users Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    The SOny STR-DB1080 (6.1) if u can still get a hold of 1 r if u can afford it then the STR-VA333ES (7.1) prices r €699 & €1199. Not well up on other brands, sorry


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    #3
    Am I Sad?
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17 ✭Am I Sad?


    Whats your budget m8. Are you looking for another THX spec amp? Anyway the avforums amp section gang should be able to help you. No disrespect to here but 5 posts a day here versus 5 posts a minute over at avforums. No contest! They seem to be more knowledgable over there and you'll get some good answers within an hour or so.

    As regards sound formats. Nothing new on the horizon for a good while I imagine. Dolby Prologic 2 and DTS Neo:6 came out this year and 99% of amps/receivers are at least 6.1 (ie 1 centre rear) or 7.1 (ie amplification for 2 rears). I'd say it'll be a few years before anything new. The low to midrange will probably be 6.1 and the high end behemoths that you're probably interested in will be 7.1. You probably know about DPL2 and Neo but in case you don't they do a much better job than old prologic. Almost sounding like true 5.1. Well worth upgrading for. Its amazing the differance when watching TV and I switch my Sony 1080 from ordinary prologic to prologic2. DTS Neo is just a 6 channel/speaker version of Dolby's PL2.


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    #4
    MartinHSabag
    Closed Accounts Posts: 186 ✭✭MartinHSabag


    I second "Am I Sad?" in any word he said.

    Just wanted to give you a heads-up about the 6.1 and 7.1 thing...

    There are very few titles that actually have the 6.1 sound-track and there is no such a thing 7.1 sound-track format - it's only spliting that sixth speaker (rear center) into two monos.

    The advantage of the 6th or the extra centers at the back would be mainly in big rooms where the rear sound stage is not clear and definite thus a center would help.
    Since not a lot of set-ups have the place to place rear centers I'd say it's more of a gimic than a real advantage - are you going to place an extra center/two centers at the back ?
    I personally wouldn't choose a receiver because of that but as said before, most of them have them any way or at least have a pre-out for the rear center and you could always add a power-amp.


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    #5
    Korg
    Closed Accounts Posts: 110 ✭✭Korg


    Agreed, for the average smaller house the extra rear channel is more of a burden. The average seating area i've seen in most houses has the chair close to or against a back wall thus the rear centre ends up being much closer to the listener than the left&right rears, & is difficult to balance with the other rears. 2 half decent rear speakers will produce a good rear centre image anyway, (at the sweet spot)


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    #6
    Am I Sad?
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17 ✭Am I Sad?


    Typical!! :D:D Yesterday I make a definitive statement about there being nothing new on the horizon with regard to sound formats and then I discover this today.
    Pro Logic II, already one of the best processing modes to produce multi-channel sound from stereo sources, has just got even better!


    Pro Logic IIx takes Pro Logic II processing into the 7.1 arena, taking full advantage of the back channels that are becoming part of many advanced Home Cinema installations.

    5.1 Set-ups also benefit, as Dolby’s designers decided to fine-tune Pro Logic IIx to improve sound quality for 5.1 home cinema installations too..

    Finally for all ‘gamers’, be it 5.1 or 7.1, the new sound format Pro Logic IIx Game is added which can make gaming even more realistic.

    Its basically Dolby's version of DTS neo6. ie using the surround centre(6.1) or back rears (7.1). This Autumns new amps will possibly have it or maybe early next year.


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    #7
    Fallschirmjager
    Registered Users Posts: 3,341 ✭✭✭Fallschirmjager


    gentlemen,
    what can i say but a big thanks....

    i guesss i will spend close the 1 biggie on it cos i dont nwant to change the bloody thing in 6 months....


    so i guess it something with prologic 2,dts neo (actually, ahem, cough , splutter, SURE , SURE i knew that...ahem) and i suppose the fear i have is that if i dont get a 7.1 some git in hollywood will go

    '...and Matrix reloaded, special edition WITH 7.1 support!!!!'


    i will check out avforums and see...but it looks like i should hold until after christmas before the amps arrive with the extras....


    thanks for the help....


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