Anyone tried the Adcom pre/pro's. Just wondering if anyone has had any experiences good/bad. We use their amps all the time now, and use Denon receivers as teh pre amp. The GFA7805 coupled with the AVR2805 is and unbelievable combination at a total of $3400.

Mike

In most systems I've found a receiver is suitable for most systems but if you go for a high end theater a seperates set up is the way to go. I would put that price point at 5 to 6 K and up for the pre/pro and amp(s). With high end speakers positioned correctly in the room you can hear the benefits of the increased performance. It also allows you to use 200+ watts perchannel which I also prefer when possible. I prefer Lexicon or Meridian in a system of this type and you cannot find this level of performance in a receiver period. Adcom has a miserable track record in their pre/pros. I would not use their products given the many alternatives available.

thanks for the input.
With this in mind does anyone have an opinion on the NAD T163/ T973 combo or the Sherbourn PT7000, 7/1250a?

We are expecting our first trial of the Sherbourn any day now, I'll get back to you on that. As far as a seperate preamp with a company that is not going to go away, Rotel RSP-1068 at $1600 is a great value. For high end Meridian, TAG McLaren (until IAG totally screws this up), or Chord.

What does everyone think about Boston Acoustics entry into this market???

BA will eventually leave that market, tail tucked between their legs and yipping all the way like the mongrel dog that they are.

The receivers might be good, but the price point is out of line. $2100 for their entry level receiver and $2000 for the preamp. Only great thing about them is they are using the MX500 as the remote.

Agree with FP Crazy, they'll leave the market in a couple years.

a simple question
then why is the all in one called a receiver.? shouldnt it at least be called a receiver/amplifier?

Receiver = preamp (or pre/pro) + tuner + amps.

Control amp = preamp + amps.

Thanx LLarry
that was cery clear and concise, just the way us beginners like it instead of the usual convoluted way
if i want to use my old existing stereo power amp (because its such a beast) but also want surround sound is there some kind of add ons i can buy to do this?
i suspect there isnt hmmmm...

It is funny that from a mechanical / value standpoint, receivers should be superior to separates (improved ground reference, shorter/better shielded interconnects between switching/preamplification/amplification, overall weight savings, savings due to less materials, etc)... but it is really marketing that drives performance. People that spend money on AV gear either buy it w/o knowing it (typical high end custom install client) or are very knowledgeable (they think) about gear.

People that knowingly spend lots of money on equipment want big racks full of stuff with high end cables, isolation, etc... They think that this makes a difference, so know what?... to them it does. Their system will sound to their ears remarkably better because psychologically they are listening to the effects of carefull selection of equipment, setup, and little augmentations they have performed. I am not one of those people that will accross the board say that audiophile treatments don't make a difference, I really think that they do, I think that most people sacrifice too much on speaker selection, placement, or room design that the nuances that these treatments would potentially bring out are effectively lost in the "quality compression" that their other choices create.

On the other hand, there are lots of different installation variables, and the more models that manufacturers have to build and distribute will equate to lesser value to the end user (increase production costs). So seperates allows, as an example, for a manufacturer to have 3 different pre's, 3 amps, for a total of 6 products versus 9 different types of receivers to handle the same capabilities.

Many flagship receivers do not have very good amplifiers... not because they couldn't, but the designers are making due with the target price point / engineering effort. So if you are the type that likes Class A or AB amps, you are best to go with seperates. I would estimate that from the manufacturer's viewpoint, that type of person is less than 0.1% of the total market. Also, digital front ends have the habit of changing very rapidly. Manufacturer's probably expect to have to redesign processors at least every year or two.

Most of my clients buy receivers, because that is what I think that they want. If they tell me differently, then I listen to them. Most people just don't take it that seriously... but that doesn't mean that we as professionals shouldn't. If someone is buying serious speakers, give them serious gear. Unfortunately, most people just don't spend enough money on speakers to justify anything other than receivers. (unless it is a very high SPL environment, and maybe you just need to go with seperates because 200w/ch is not enough).