I am confused on what to do about my interest to upgrade my processor. I have an EAD Encore but not sure whether EAD upgrade options are whats best or go with something entirely new. They have an option to go to the Ovation-8 which I am not sure is the best way to go because of the lack of built in jitter reduction that the Ovation has. On the other hand, the O8 has analog passthrough and I do have SACD. I have heard that the Original Ovation sounds better or as good as Meridian 561, Proceed AVP, Krell HTS and others. In opinions? I am unable to audition these SSP's. $1250 seems like alot to upgrade a unit just for 6-channel ins.

Any EAD users (past or present) out there?

Tough call. I upgraded from an Ovation to a Sig 8 and love it. I really couldn't detect the loss of jitter reduction at all. Another board member and myself compared a Sig and a Sig 8 and I believe we both agreed that the Sig was a little more airy. Though I believe the bottom end was better on the 8. Maybe, he can chime in. Since I have DVDA now I love the upgrade to the Sig 8. But $1250 is a butt-load to do it. HOWEVER, as I recall, I think I paid $1250 to go TO the Sig 8. You may want to consider selling the Ovation and maybe picking up a used TM8000pro instead. Or even a TM8800. I'm waiting for someone to compare the TM8800pro to the Sig 8 (or TM8000).

Andy

Well I upgraded an Encore to an Ovation8 a couple of years ago. I agree that the jitter thing will not be a problem. The flywheel probably had to be implemented in their older units because of the design and/or parts used back then. The Ov8 and Sig8, which are essentially the same as the 8000 and 8000pro, are great pieces and strong in all areas. I've recently within the last 3 weeks traded in my Ov8 for an 8800(non pro model). The 8800 bests the Ov8 sonically in all areas, but not by leaps and bounds as the older units are still sweet. The 8800 has better DSP, better DACs, RCA passthrough instead of the octopus, true 24/96 sampling through the digital input, true ES/EX decoding, DPLII, Neo6 etc.... and the included Marantz 5200 remote pre-programmed is nice as well. But cost can be an issue. EAD is a boutique, higher end type company. They only make a few, select components that are designed and built in house to a very high standad by very good people(Alastair to name one). So yeah they are somewhat costly, even for the upgrades. I've stuck with EAD because I love their products and I'm glad they were able to find a union with Tara Labs and Alpha Digital and stay in the game. Tough call indeed. I think you would be lucky to get 1,000 for the encore if you sold it and a used Ov8 or 8000 may cost you around 2,500, so it's less if you go the upgrade route unless you happen to find a great used price. Good luck though.

Personally.. I miss my Ovation+. Sold it to buy a Signature 8. Was never as happy with the sound of the -8 unit and passed it on. Have not heard a EAD piece since. But I still remember how a OVation Plus and a Power MAster 2000 struck down the walls and brought a sound that had to be heard to be believed.

I agree - it will probably be more cost-effective to sell your Encore and buy another used piece.

While we're reminiscing, I too had an Ovation and PM2000 for about 3 years. Man I loved that amp ! Nothing could blast air jets through my main speakers front ports like that PM2000.

The Ovation & Signature had the BB 1702 DACs. ( editted )

The Ovation-8 & Signature-8 used the BB 1732 DAC.
Though these were touted as 7.1 processors, they did not directly support EX & ES signals, but rather its own self-generated matrixed rear channels.

The 8000 and 8000-Pro are the same as above, except the chassis now had some front-panel controls.

The current 8800 and 8800-Pro are a "complete & major redesign" as told to me by EAD. That is why the upgrade price to these is very high, as everything internally gets changed. The 8800 uses the Crystal CS43122 24/192 DACs, and decoding chips that support all of the latest formats ( DD-EX, DTS-ES, DPL2, etc ).

I may even order an 8800-Pro tomorrow !

- Andy

I believe the DSP chip in the 8800 series is of the Motorola Symphony line. Can't remember the number. Same one used in the Halo C1, C2 and many others. I want to peek inside but they changed the chassis screws for which I have no tool.

Andy,

Can I encourage you to order that 8800pro asap? Selfishly I'd really want to hear some comparisons to the older units. BTW, is the Crystal DAC a highly regarded one as compared to the BB's?

Andy

I am also an EAD owner. I currently have the Signature 8A which was upgraded from the original Signature.

AndyN and I compared the 8000 and Signature and I agree with Andy's finding. The other thing about the 8000 is that it has higher background noise than the Signature. If you are using it mostly for 2 channel music, I would recommend the Signature. For HT application, the 8000 is better.

I bought the parts from EAD and did the upgrade myself. I also bought a used Encore for my dad and upgraded it to an Ovation Plus. I took the DAC board from my unit and installed it in the Encore to make it an Ovation Plus. The total cost to upgrade for units cost about $700. I also did the VFD display upgrade myself as well. The people at EAD were very nice and extremely helpful. I visited them last June in Oregon.

When I did the upgrade on my unit, I did tweaked it a little more by using Blackgate caps and eliminating the Octopus analog bypass cable. I used Kimber silver wires to convert 4 pairs of the 7 A/D analog inputs to true analog bypass. I spoke to EAD about this and I think they liked the idea and it's now a feature in the 8800 model.

The 8000 is still a very good sounding unit but unfortunately I don't use it much for 2 channel music anymore since acquiring a Pass X1 preamp. If I decide to upgrade, I'll consider an EAD Studio.

As for upgrading from an Encore to 8000, it's better to sell the Encore and buy a used 8000 or 8800. The upgrade cost is too high.
Upgrading to a Signature/Ovation Plus may be a little more difficult since the Signature DAC boards are hard to come by since not too many people upgrade from a Signature.


Andy L,

I think the Signature and Ovation Plus had the BB 1702K DACs, The Ovation had the regular 1702. The BB PCM 63K was used in the original Theatermaster Classic model.

Andy N,
The 8800 uses Crystal DACs which I am not very familair with. Most high end cd players such as Wadia, Krell and Levinson tend to use BB DACs. BB parts are generally highly regarded by most EE but BB parts expensive.

Rich

Rich you are correct on the 1702 DAC chips in the Ovation & Signature.
I editted my post above to correct my error.

Another forum member is a longtime EAD processor owner and recently has an 8800 Pro. He said it is several notches better than his previous 8000, and also a couple notches better a Lex MC-12B for 2-channel ( I trust his opinion ). Mind you, the Lex has mega-features that the EAD's do not, and of course Logic-7.

I currently have a Parasound Halo C-2 and am upgrading for the helluvit.
One thing I will miss in the C-2 is its great ergonomics & remote, specifically the remotes abilty to let you bump up/down the centre, surrounds, and sub levels on the fly. As each DVD is a different mix, I am always tweak these settings per movie.

But I am eager to give the 8800 Pro a go !

- Andy

Now thats better...I was starting to wonder if I was the only EAD owner around here where Lexicon, Meridian, Integra ect ect seems to be on everyones wish list. Its hard to pick when some like the older Ovation better than the new 8000 or Ovation 8 due to some features taken away although the analog passthrough is a big plus for DVDA and SACD users. With my present Encore, or any other non analog passthrough preamp for that matter, is it true that I am no better off with SACD than I would be with standard CD in terms of sound quality? I thought the EAD units were highly regarded in terms of its AD/DA conversion technics?

richwu, How hard was it to install all the internal comp. yourself? I am knowledgable about pc's, is it similar or do you have to a electrical eng. to do it? :D That would save me some $$ for sure, also sounds like a fun thing to do. THe standard board stuff, not the passthrough mod that you did...thanks!

I just bought an Ovation and am selling the Encore I have used for the last five years. I am going to wait on the upgrade to an 8 channel EAD until it will accept and process a digital signal from SACD/ DVD-A. I do not want to spend another $1,200 for the 8000 when the pass through sound will be no better than the SACD player that feeds it, requiring a significant investment in another digital source with duplicative D/A processing. I am a firm believer in cheap digital sources and expenses processors. Until then, I am thrilled with my 5 channel Ovation, and want the jitter circuit as I am using an array of megachangers with computer control as my source units.

EAD has really lacked lime-light over the last 2 years.
Even the EAD users site had only a handful of posts in 2003.

1stArmorvet:
I have changed EAD internals myself.
If you are comfortable with the insides of a PC then an EAD processor is no big deal as it is pretty wide open inside.
Simply undo some crews holding a board in place, unplug some ribbon cables, and you're done.

Cobrakahn:
The Ovation-8 and 8000 and 8800 series all have analog passthrough for multi-channel inputs
EAD's digital flywheel was an advanced feature from the old days of digital.
They felt it unnecessary to implement a similar feature in their newer processors that had "advanced" digital input recievers and DAC chips.
If you are still concerned about jitter reductio nat a lower cost, I highly recommend the Monarchy DIPs.

... I just ordered a black 8800-Pro minutes ago :)

- Andy

Andy - 8 channel analog pass through is exactly what I am trying to avoid. Then I would have to invest in high end D/A converters in my pre-amp processor AND my DVD player. I would prefer to have an 8 channel capable digital connection and high bit D/A conversion in the pre-amp that does it all and save a couple grand on the DVD player. I want to avoid having to pay another $2,000 for another set of quality D/A converters in my DVD player in addition to those in the processor. It is only a matter of time before this happens, Pioneer and others already do it via "iLink" (firewire).

I am happy with my Ovation until the SACD/DVD-A digital link issue gets settled. I don't have enough speakers for nor do I have room for 7.1 anyway.

Anyone have any inside info on the upcoming EAD Studiomaster series shown at the CES?

The CES picture shows:

8 balanced and 8 RCA inputs for 8 channel audio
10 channel balanced outputs and 2 sets of 8 channel RCA outputs (one for a second zone).
7 analog RCA stereo inputs including one balanced
6 each composite and S-video input
4 component inputs
2 each dvi and vga inputs
2 S-video, 2 composite, 1 dvi and 1 vga out
1 hdmi port (in? out?)
12 V trigger
3 coax, 3 optical, and 2 AES digital inputs, 1 out of each
2 sets stereo RCA record out
RJ 232 port
Ethernet port
2 switched A/C outlets

This is a whole different approach for EAD, to say the least. Ins and outs were minimal before as we all know.

I do not know what is inside.

I also see inputs for 3 microphones.

Room correction EQ?

From SMR

Close on the heels of its $10,000 Theatermaster Studio preamp/processor introduced at CEDIA 2002, Enlightened Audio Designs unveiled a scaled down version called – well, the Theatermaster Studio (its big brother has been mercifully re-christened the Theatermaster Studio Pro to minimize confusion). To meet a lower target price of $7,500, the new kid on the EAD block sacrifices the front panel monitor, DVI switching, and some I/O flexibility, but sports the same Texas Instruments Aureus DA610 1800MIPS DSP chip, with the same basic decoding capabilities, surround modes, and bass management. The Pro model still retains a sonic edge with higher quality DACs for its main outputs, and sports an unusually flexible 8-output multi-zone array which can be configured as 1 8-channel zone, 4 2-channel zones, or 8 1-channel zones – or, it could be reconfigured in the future to provide up to sixteen main zone channels, says Chief Engineer Alastair Roxburgh, “…if the world goes more mad than it is at the moment.”

Also the Pro apparantly includes video upconversion.

Cobra,

Thanks. By video upconversion to you mean converts 480 to 720/1080?

This is the first pre/pro I have seen with DVI and HDMI inputs/switching. I loved it until I saw the price!

Dsmith

I have no idea what I mean. I am just quoting someone else. Could mean that or could mean converting composite and S-video to component. Who knows?

Does anyone have an idea as to when EAD is releasing the Studio and StudioPro? In light of the fact the the 8800 was just released EAD may be shooting itself in the foot again if the new series is around the corner. Especially since the DSPs of the 8800 and the proposed TI DSP are different. I assume this means no easy upgrade path except for trade in value. I'd hate to lose a significant amount of value on the 8800 if the Studios are coming soon. Same thing happened when the Sig 8 upgrade (and 8000series) were announced then about a year later the 8800 comes along.

Unfortunately I just can't kick the EAD habit.

Andy

1starmorvet,

The upgrade from an Encore to an 8000 requires desoldering and soldering a surface mount chip with about 50-60 pins. The chip is a Zoran DSP chip required for 7.1. The rest was fairly straight forward. So unless you have SMT tools and skill, I would not recommend doing it yourself. SMT parts are pretty delicate.

Fortunately, I had access to all the necessary tools at work.

Rich, you are fountain of EAD knowledge !

This is the longest EAD thread in a long time, and its good to see there is a loyal following out there still

I will report back once my 8800 Pro arrives and has some run-time on it.
Hopefully my Parasound C-2 will still be around and I can provide some head-to-head 2 cents.

- Andy

Thanks again rich and everyone for spreading knowledge about EAD products......hard to find nowadays. Looking at that pic of the Studiomaster series made me day dream what that would be like to own one. Have to be good competition to Meridian 861, Theta CBIII, Lexicon MC-12, Linn Kisto, ect and maybe even ML No 40. I could only imagine.


oh and Andy, you are verrry lucky!

I have the original remote (touchscreen) and while all the buttons function I am unable to get the MUTE, Re-Eq, Display Brightness nor impotantly, the Night Mode function buttons to do anything. I hit the night mode button as the manual states and con't to press it until you cycle through :Off, Low, Med, High settings. No matter how many times I press it, it only stays on Night Mode: HI....funny thing is when playing dvd's back it doesnt sound compressed at all (bass is full). I dunno, but I would like to know if I have to reprogram the remote or not. Any ideas?

Look in the manual. there is a way to make the unit transmit the codes for relearning.

The Night mode does not remove bass or affect frequencies at all, it reduces dynamic range, making the loud passages quieter and the quiet passages louder so that all sound is more near the average. This way you can listen to the movie at lower volumes, still hear the quiet passsages, and the loud passages won't increease too much in loudness and disturb others.

Good luck.

Thanks CobraKahn, so I am missing alot from normal playback of any movie/music I play then right? I mean, dynamic range is what we want to have when listening during normal hours/conditions?

Also, what are some of the digital coax/toslink cables you guys are using to connect your digital devices (DVD, CD players)?

I am currently using an Audioquest ST glass cable and Kimber toslink. The analog cables are Tara Labs The 2 and Audioquest Amazon.

Rich

Yes, very refreshing to see some EAD users in a thread longer than a couple of responses.

Currently using an Ovation+ and just bought a used Signature. Now I am at a crossroads, but not that bad. Facing choices now.... check out the SIG and see how it sounds vs the O+. If it is smoother than the O+ ( hard to fathom) then I can sell the O+...... oh, I don't know. All I know is that I have two great processors and can only listen to one at a time.

I bought the SIG for no good reason other than to listen to it. I am questioning my own better senses right now ;*). But I will be in touch with alpha and check out my options in terms of an upgrade to the Sig. Might have an excellent O+ up for sale if anybody is interested.

Anyway, very nice to hear from other dedicated and appreciative EAD users. Just a great unit no matter what level one is at.

BOK

BOK123, I thought the Ovation + was a Sig just without the teflon board? I dont see how just that board would make an audible difference worth the Sig price...I may be leaving out some other things though..

Rich, does that glass cable make a difference in terms of sound quality for DVD hookup. I have an AQ DigX cable I have had a long time and was curious about another more revealing cable if thats something I would here with the Encore.

1stA,

yes, the 0+ does not have the teflon board as you say. O+ also does not have the 20bit CS5390 5th order delta-sigma A to D converter when using analog inputs.

Plus, I bought the SIG for $300 less than I bought my O+. Saw it and just couldn't resist. The price was lower than some guys are selling standard Ovations for on AGON these days.

I will be selling off the O+ pretty soon.

BOK

The right side of the O+ is the smae as the Sig... it is the Sig bord actually. Open the top and look at it. If its an O+ the right side will say sig right on the bord.

Differenace is in the ADC and the inputs of trading video for more analog ins.

rich wu,

Do you know who is actually a EAD dealer in San Francisco or Meridian for that matter?

BOK123, I'll be browsing Audiogon to see what you will be selling it for thats for sure if I have not deviced on whether I should upgrade my Encore..I think they are a bit harder to move however, so I dont know. I am also thinking about taking a soldering class to do it myself and save some $$ and time with shipping and all. :D Rich, how does that glass cable connect? I have that output option on my Encore. Do I need a device with Glass/AT ins? Sound better than standard dig coax?

1st,

The glass ST cable does sound better to me than toslink or coax but it's not like night and day. I don't know of any DVD players that have ST output other than DVD players made by Theta.

In my system, I use a Sony DVP 9000ES DVD player with its coax digital output connected to a Wadia coax-ST converter box. The Wadia box has three coax inputs and one ST output. The reason I have it setup like this is that my the EAD and the DVD player are kind of far apart. So I use a 5 meter ST cable between the Wadia box and the EAD. A short coax cable is used between the Wadia box and the DVD player.


Almight1,

A few months ago when I visited SF Stereo on market st, they had some EAD products on display and they were a dealer then. I don't think anything was hooked up fro demo. The other place that had some EAD stuff was Audio Chambers in Oakland on College Ave but it's now closed.

As for Meridian, I believe Audio Excellence on Van Ness is a dealer but I have not been there in a while. Pro Home theater in Oakland and Walnut Creek are also Meridain dealers. Both stores have pretty good Meridian setup.

Since you are in SF, if you want a demo of the EAD, you are welcome to drop by my house for a demo. Send me a PM if you are interested.

Rich

Thansk Wu again for a detailed and educational explanation. So i guess I am fine with AQ DigX coax then...? What about something silver coated? I am looking to step up in a cable as long as its not outrageous in price and that I can hear an audible difference as I have before when trying an AQ Ruby (too short) which i liked better. Anyone know which issue of Sterophile or SGHT where EAD products are review in?

1stArmorvet

Try Audiogon. Go to EAD, at the page bottom there is
a link to reviews. Unfortunately not many. Also
http://www.alphadigitaltech.com

Jim

I have gone through many digital cables over the years with 2-channel digital rig, and yes they do make a difference. I particularly like the Virtual Dynamics Nite cables and power cords. The Acoustic Zen MC-2 and Stealth Varidig are also good digital cables, IMO.

If you are asking about digital cables then you are obviously tweak friendly.
I think you will get far better return on your tweak dollar by investing in a power cord then in an expensive digital cable. Again, I am a big fan of the VD Nite power cords and have 6 of those bad-boys in my system.
And of course, EVERYONE should have a great PLC like the PS Audio Powerplants with Multi-Wave2 :) I really cannot live without my power tweaks as they do so much good for my sytem.

- Andy

1st,

The Sig deal I had going turned sour. I'm sending it back to the seller and he has agreed to repay. It was a Classic Sig, and the seller cut and pasted AlphasD's "Past Products's Sig page. Consequently, he totally misrepresented the add listing and has agreed that it was his oversight.
I called Steve Holt of AlphaD and we had a nice chat. I may upgrade my Ovation+ to an Ovation 8.

Oh, well, it was wishful thinking with the Signature deal. Think my eyes got too big.

BOK

BOK,

Sorry to hear about the mix up. My understanding is that the Classic Signature has better 2 channel performance than the Theatermaster Signature. It's suppose to sound pretty similar to the highly regarded EAD DSP9000 DAC which was rated Class A in Stereophile. I am not sure about its HT performance. The user interface is suppose to be pretty awful. Some of the used one had DTS upgrade but Classic parts are no longer available for DTS upgrade.

I think if you using only digital source, there really isn't any difference between the O+ and the TM Signature. The Svideo inputs in the O+ are just passing through relays and don't get involved in any audio circuits.

As Andy, suggested, I would also recommend a PS Audio Power Plant. The EAD processors are somewhat sensitve to AC noise/transient. I used to get some pops or lose signal lock once in a while on my Signature when I turned on other devices. I use a P600 in my setup.

Rich

You "may" not be happy with the Ovation-8 sonics -> it will be very different from what you are used too. When I had one, I thought it had more treble "sparkle" and lighter bass, and definitely not as "smooth" ... but that is just me. Be careful of the cost of such an upgrade, verus what you can already buy used at Audiogon. And the Ovation-8 is officially 2 generations old, though the -8 and 8000 series are more-or-less indentival except for the front faceplate controls.

Also, I recently owned an EAD DSP-9000-Mk3-Pro for a few months, as one popped up locally so a snapped it up. Yes it is a fine piece and the direct drive is great too. But I soncially prefer the likes of a Bel Canto DAC-2 over the 9000.

- Andy

I heard of the Sig Classic and think I have seen it once on Audiogon too. It looks cumbersome to use by todays standards but after hearing that the 9000 DAC is one of the best in the world and it being on the same lines, no wonder people still buy those on the used markets. I just dont know if I want more sparkle (O-8) or more smooth (Ovation, O+) decision decisions. I do have a Sony NS-900V SACD player though and would like to know what it would sound like not going through the EAD DAC's. Thanks for the info on power cords and cables as they can be easily done "cheaper" tweaks to get the most out of a system, although some say there is no audible difference amongst them all. I think so and have heard it, at least with cables. Guys, I have a HK 5800 amp..I am doing the EAD justice by having it mate with a mid-fi amp as this one?

Thanks for the feedback Andy.... I know you have a good ear (have read many of your comments on this board), and being a longtime EAD user, I trust your insight into the O+ vs O-8 . I would not dare give up the O+ 's smoothness for a heightended treble, let alone sparkle. May seriously re-think my O-8 upgrade now.

Rich, yeah, the Classic Sig was built like a tank, but when I opened the box and saw the LED's and no VFD display, my heart sank and I was totally taken aback. User interface was vintage 90's, almost worse, and I was quite bummed.
So back it was shipped this morning and I may just cool it for awhile and upgrade my amp section .....while I wait for the DLP hdtv makers to release the new HD2+ chip this summer.

On my O+, I use an Audience PowerChord into a PS Ultimate Outlet (15A), which, in turn, runs an HT Fantasy cord into my Bolder Power Strip with 5 Bybees (2 Bybees for the digital duplex alone). I also use ERS paper throughout the UO and Bolder strip, and the Bolder fixed Nitro cord is entirely wrapped in ERS.

Yet, like rich wu, I still get occasional clicks when I use my DVD's remote to change tracks and such. I have the flywheel set at #2. I have tried all flywheel settings and only #3 (naturally, the mildest) is the least prone to clicks. But it is not that bad. Use a Pioneer DV414 DVD player fully modded by Dan Wright. Old, and a passable picture, but the sonics are superb.

BOK

PS..... gotta edit here to just say that even though I use a "dated" Pioneer DV414, the video quality has been "GREATLY" enhanced by my recent use of Walker Audio's 'Vivid Optical Enhancer' disc treatment formula. Walker states that one can realize a 10-30% improvement of audio and video quality. Well, I must be on the upside of the 30% because this treatment is the real deal. If you have not sampled this Vivid formula on your discs then I can only say you are missing the boat. This stuff, IMHE, is incredible. Enough said, as I am .................. just amazed at the A/V detail it extracts from your disc. Try it !

What speakers you guys have mated with your EAD? I have Linn and it matches pretty well.

Good idea. Let's hear what everyone has paired with their EAD. I have a TM 8800. Speakers are M&K S150s. Subs are SVS 16-46CS+(2) and a PB2-ISD. Bryston and Marantz amplification. Arcam DV27A DVD/A-CD player. Pioneer Elite RPTV paired with RCA DTC-100. Future upgrades are to a dedicated room with a move to front projection and an additional 2 M&K surrounds, and possibly a dedicated 2 channel rig.

Here's my system:

Front speakers are Revel Ultima Studios, Center is Revel Voice, sides are Revel Embrace, rears are Revel M20 and subs are Revel B15 and Velodyne HGS 15 II. The front three amps are Krell FPB 250 mono blocks and the rear and sides is driven with a Proceed AMP5. CD player is a Wadia 860 and 2 channel preamp is a Pass Labs X1. All the source devices are powered by a PS Audio P600. DVD player is a Sony 9000ES. The display is a Fujitsu P50 plasma. The pre/pro is of course an EAD Signature 8.

My wife and I are starting a family and we'll be having a baby in a few weeks so I don't think I will be getting anymore new toys for awhile.

Well, for speaker I use Von Schweikert LCR-15's across the (3) front stage, and use two Von Schweikert VR-1's for surrounds.

I use two (2) Classe CA150 2-channel amps for the front trio and two IRD-MB-100 monoblocks for surround amps.

The rest is here if interested..... http://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/783.html



Have four Auralex T-Fusors diffusors coming in a few days.... so this will be another addition to create a better stage.

BOK

My speakers are the Waveform Mach 17 which is tri-amped via a custom Bryston 3-way active crossover ( included with the speakers ) . They are finnished in beautiful Quilted Makore veneer. I use 4 Waveform MC surrounds, with matching stands also in Quilted Makore. For centre, I use an Infinity Prelude MTS.

Power is from a 7-channel Sim Audio Titan for L-C-R, while a Parasound HCA-2205AT powers the surrounds. ( I used to use an EAD PM2000 and Cinepro 3K6-III for many years, and most every model of Bryston amp at one point ). My Contrabass sub is powered by a Crown K1.

Full details are here: http://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/1132.html

- Andy

Wow, some very nice systems.

I've got Nht 3.3's and an AC2 in front. Nht 2.5's in back with 2 AC1's to round off the 7.1. Sub is a SVS 20-39cs. Power via an Aragon 8008bb and an Aragon 8008x3. My two AC1's are currently powered by an old Denon receiver. CD player is an old Sony 7000dvd player and dvda out of a Panny rp82. All thru the Sig 8 and a Richard Gray Power conditioner (actually just the pj, the Sig8, the dvd player, and cd player).

We're saving for a house so after the DVDO iScanHD, I'll have to wait awhile to get a better amp for my additional rears and a real cd/sacd/dva player. Now if only I can score any additional pair of 3.3's for the rears.


Rich,

I've still got to hear your system. Did you ever get that plasma?


Andy

Andy,

You are welcome to drop by anytime to demo my system. I picked a couple Fujitsu plasmas last summer, a 50" for the living room and a 42" for the bedroom.

Rcih

I'll second that, WOW! You guys have put some things together I see. rich, congrats on the baby...we are expecting twins are selves. I wish I was in the bay area to hear that system, must be awesome as others too here. Keving what is it like with all that BASS?! Must have a huge room. I forgot to mention that I have Linn 5120 to mate with my Keliedhs. Some Carver dipoles (for now) and a SVS 22-31. HK5800 amp, Sony NS-900V SACD/DVD, Panasonic HTS20 HDTV tuner and Panny 47WX49 HDTV. As you guys can see, I am not done yet. There is some "weak links" within my system but like rich, I have to cool it a while. I think I need to start with those rears then amp... not to mention the upgrade to Ovation or O-8.

What I used to have...

EAD Ovation +
Cinepro 3k6se 1 2 3 then EAD PowerMaster 2000 in the mix somwhere.
Cinepro 1k2se
NHT 2.9s AC-2, 1.5
HSU TN1220HO two of them because I wanted to feel it in a cement slab. IT DID!
EAD TheaterVision P DVD player
Dish Network DiSH 6000
Cinepro PS 30 PP 30
ButtKicker 2 with 1000 watts of amp.

I got the Signature-8 and was never as happy with the sound as I was with the O+.

Currently I have the NHT T6 system with 5 M-6s 2 bass modules and the requsite amps and crossover.

NO PREAMP
NO TV

NO SYSTEM.

Its an injustice I tell you!

EAD Ovation
Aragon 8008X3
Acurus A250
Von Schweikert VR-3s
Von Schweikert LCR 21
Von Schweikert TS-210s
Paradigm Servo 15
Bravo D1
3 Sony 400 disc CD changers run through coax one input via a DXS automated digital switch and controlled by computer database via S-link through a Slink-e
Kimber Hero analog interconnects
Radioshack digital Toslink cables

Originally posted by rich wu
1st,

The glass ST cable does sound better to me than toslink or coax but it's not like night and day. I don't know of any DVD players that have ST output other than DVD players made by Theta.

In my system, I use a Sony DVP 9000ES DVD player with its coax digital output connected to a Wadia coax-ST converter box. The Wadia box has three coax inputs and one ST output. The reason I have it setup like this is that my the EAD and the DVD player are kind of far apart. So I use a 5 meter ST cable between the Wadia box and the EAD. A short coax cable is used between the Wadia box and the DVD player.


Almight1,

A few months ago when I visited SF Stereo on market st, they had some EAD products on display and they were a dealer then. I don't think anything was hooked up fro demo. The other place that had some EAD stuff was Audio Chambers in Oakland on College Ave but it's now closed.

As for Meridian, I believe Audio Excellence on Van Ness is a dealer but I have not been there in a while. Pro Home theater in Oakland and Walnut Creek are also Meridain dealers. Both stores have pretty good Meridian setup.

Since you are in SF, if you want a demo of the EAD, you are welcome to drop by my house for a demo. Send me a PM if you are interested.

Rich

Never knew SF Stereo was a EAD Dealer. I know my friend who runs Ultimate Sound had EAD but I don't think he's still in business. As for Audio Excellence, I thought they don't actually have anything on display anymore but they just order what you wanted after consultation. They used to be a Theta dealer too, who sells Theta these days?

Can someone tell me why I dont hear much of an audible difference when playing music back on my SACD player in analog mode and in straight digital? Is it because of the conversion that the EAD does? I guess I am not getting true SACD huh?

Almighty,

I think Music Lover in Berkeley is a Theta dealer. When did Ulitmate Sound close? The owner of Ultimate Sound and I were high school class mates back int early 80's.

1st,
What you are hearing is the A/D of the Encore. You really need a bypass or an analog preamp to get the benefits of SACD.

Rich

any particular recommendations of a preamp out there that would blend well with the EAD...without costing a crazy amount of money? I would buy used in a heartbeat...any leads guys on analog preamps?


Edit: what do you guys know about CREEK OHB-11, Channel Islands CV-1, or ADcom GPT-750? I spent a little time on Audiogon searching for a high reviewed and well price preamp to be setup with my Sony SACD player. I really would like something with 5 ch ins but will settle for 2 channel bypass to get better sound with analog sources on my mains. I am trying to get more detail and dynamics from my cd's/SACDs. Would a more powerful amp help bring that out as well? Say 200w per channel. I have 4 ohm speakers btw.

Had been a while and thought I would check in and lo and behold a real live EAD thread....

Still running a simple O+/PM2000; powering Revel Salons/Voice/Embrace -- and still grinning ear to ear everytime she shakes the room. 'Tis a wonderful thing indeed.

No need for SACD/DVD-A or 7.1 yet so can wait until EAD gets it all together for the next big leap.

regards to all you old EAD diehards.

george

Wow, a real EAD thread... good to see.

I am using a cousin to the EAD Ovation-8 in a Simaudio Attraction 7.1. I previously had the Attraction 5.1 (EAD Ovation+ equivalent) and like the little extra sparkle up top and slightly less rounded bass of the Ovation-8 board especially with movie soundtracks. The analog pass-through has a bit better set up on the Sim in that it offers proper rca inputs for separate 2, 6 and 8 channel analog sources. I believe Sim did their own output section as well.

The rest of the system is: Simaudio Titan 5 channel amp, Denon 5900 universal player, Magnum Dynalab MD 102 tuner, Vecteur L-4.2 CD player, Totem Mani-2 Signature mains, Totem Model 1 center Sig, Model 1 Sig rears and Totem Thunder Sub. All cabling is Cardas Neutral Reference or Audioquest solid silver. Truly one of the best home theater/audio processors out there in my opinion.

Andy Lammer, any reason why you didn't go with the Sim Attraction? I see you also have a Titan but in the even larger 7 channel version. I was saddened to see Waveform close. Great speakers in my opinion.

Just ordered a firmware update chip for the processor and was wondering if anyone else had updated firmware before and general impressions of operational changes?

I was also wondering if the newer Marantz remote would work on my older Ovation-8? Any other suggestions for an SRC-2000 remote replacement? I'm currently entertaining a new Harmony remote that looks promising.

Video Up-conversion means that you can plug different types of video signals into the processor (for example, composite video from a VCR, S-Video from a Laser-disk player, and component from a DVD player) and use only one connection to your TV. A video up-conversion capable processor has the ability to convert any of the incoming video signals to the chosen output signal. Say you choose to connect your Theatermaster to your TV using component video cables. Up-conversion will convert the composite signal from the VCR into component video for your TV. Previous Theatermasters could only pass the incoming video signal as is; S-Video in to S-Video out, composite in to composite out, etc.

I currently have an EAD Encore processor but intend to upgrade within a month or two. I had my sights set on an 8800, but recently came by an opportunity to buy a new Krell Showcase processor at a very good price. Has anyone auditioned these two specific units? I'm very interested in knowing how they compare, particularly in two channel mode in a high end system. The Krell's parametric equalizer would be very nice for tayloring room acoustics. However, pure sonic performance is the determining factor.

Hello AV Avatar

I am using a Harmony SST-659 remote. I had a little trouble
with my Panasonic TH-50PHD6 to turn on, but was able to correct.
Using Denon dvd player, Onkyo receiver & cd player,Pace HD550 cable
box/w dvi.Everything is working fine now.

Monday, my Powermaster 1000 will arrive, then looking for a TM8800.

The latest EAD remote is the Marantz RC5400.

Jim
:)

FYI for those interested. In response to an inquiry, EAD informed me that their new Studio series will be released in the fourth quarter of this year.

Plenty of time for me to plan the necessary bank robbery.

jjtoma,

Thanks for the info Jim.

I'm looking at the SST-768 which seems to be able to run everything in my system. I wonder if the RC 5400 will also work as well?

Anyone have any experience updating firmware on an EAD main board? I believe I'm getting version 8.5 for the Ovation-8.

I am using an MX-700 and it works great. All necessary files not available online are at remotecentral.com

When I got this remote, it was the first time anyone other than my wife and me can watch TV at my house. Now anyone can do it with just one button.

THats what I need.firmware as well as hardware upgrade. I am interested in upgrading to the OVation/8000 (from Encore) series myself....I wonder how hard that is? Rich Wu did it himself..I have a steady hand I think, it sure could save me some money and time...but if I dont do it right...(gulp) any ideas?

My other question is do some of you guys own SACD/DVD-A players and how do they fair when connecting to your non-pass through EAD units? I am trying to get an idea of what I missing so that I wont upgrade to the wrong version.. O+ or O-8

Yes; We need to rob a couple of banks!

I talked to Steve Holt at EAD last week. He was very informative,
the Studiomaster now will have video processing. If I
remember correctly it`is with the Silicon Image 504, will scale
720p, 1080i. Price about 14K! Ead has about 70 preorders.

Another eye opener will be their new Dvdmaster, similar to
the 8000pro. But this unit will a universal type(cd/dvda/sacd).
Again Silicon Image 504 upscaling to 720p & 1080i with DVI.
The case will have a machined top and sides to go along with
the front panel, should be something to see. No price quote.

Jim:)

PS If true EAD looks to be coming back big time.

I just got my 8800 Pro today with the black face.
It came very well packaged, and included the Marantz RC5400 remote.
It also had an hand-competed Q.C. checklist to ensure all was well before shipping, dated and signed by the tech.

Man, it takes along time to tear down a system, decide on a gear layout, and recable everything neatly !

So far I have only had time to get 2-channel going, fed by an Altis CDT-3 transport. I am very pleased with the sonics so far, and will elaborate later on after a few weeks play and listening. I will tackle the HT setup tomorrow night.

My goal is to be "satisfied enough" with the EAD 8800 Pro which is replacing my Sim Audio Eclipse CDP, Sim Audio P-5 pre, and Parasound Halo C-2 processor. I hope to have still great sound, less gear & cabling & clutter, and money in the bank from selling the 3 pieces above.

- Andy

The new EAD processors look sweet, but for me are complete overkill. I will be running two video sources: an HD Satellite Tivo and a DVD player, plus a CD player and a tuner. All video sources have DVI output. I do not need 20 inputs, or video processing or any of that. All I need is a great audio processor that sounds nice with integrated DVI switching. I think in trying to be all things to all people, the EAD guys have left their philosophy of doing audio right for the right price, and are off the reservation on price.

But for those that can afford it, it will be a sweet piece of gear. Actually I can afford it, it just doesn't make any sense to me.

CorbaKahn

I understand your thinking, I am about the same place.

If they could add some type of DVI switcher to the 8800 series,

that would be great. My thinking about their new universal DVDmaster

should have a 6000 model with upscaling 504 chip with DVI.

That way EAD would have 2 different price points for their products.

Super & Super Duper.

My thoughts anyway.

Jim:) :(

PS If these products were to be produced, I'll one of the 1st inline

Hi Everybody:

jjtoma wrote me and asked for some initial feedback about the TM8800pro which I've had for a few months. I think I might have posted my reply in the wrong thread...so here's a link:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=320348&highlight=8800

Regards,
Harry Brandt

THanks Harry for contributing to this thread. I am sure those interested in that price range are very eager to hear what you and ANdy have to report esp since Andy has had a Parasound and SIM gear. I am jealous...cant go that far just yet with my upgrade (new house) although I want to step up to something better than the Encore..just not sure how much of a leap I need to take to get better 2ch and HT sound.

There is an Ovation+ with updated display and SRC-2000 remote at Audiogon right now for about $1525. That is a great buy ! The new remote makes it very easy to use for everyone, compared to the old Rotel LCD and Producer-8 remotes.

- Andy

Hi, All that was my O+, Sold still need to mark it. No interest in the US for it had to sell overseas. My father and I upgraded to the Ovation8. I like the treble of the 8 with silk domes. Did like the O+ with 2 channel! Can't wait to hear some direct comparisons with the O8 and 8800. What's this EAD coming out with a new line at the end of this year? Any news would be great. The EAD user site is not used to much anymore. Anyway, hope we can keep this thread going.
My system.

EAD Ovation 8
3- Odyssey Stratos Monos R,C,L
2- Odyssey Khartago surrounds
Bolder M80s ICs
DIY speaker cables
Speakers (Soon to be replaced by Northcreekmusic Rhythm DIY kits 5 channels.)
Adire Audio 281s R,L
Adire LLC center
DIY side surrounds
M&K tripoles back surrounds (will keep these)
EHOME 8500 with all the mods MP can muster
MOVI 2000

Powered By BPT 2.5 and 3.5 sig

Hey Andy, the other 8800 thread got buried too far back. If you still have the email you sent off to EAD, can you forward it to me? I've had my 8800 for a few weeks now and I want to stay in the loop on the issues and fixes. khunt5@austin.rr.com

Also, does any other 8800 user use satellite or THX speakers? I have M&Ks all around and have to integrate a sub for 2 channel and I'm having a hard time getting it to sound right in stereo. Because of the recommendation to keep the 8800 sub trim at -8, I've had to turn down my sub's amp to match levels for DD and DTS, which was easy enough and sounds great. These same sub settings in stereo are way too low(almost no bass) and I'm afraid to raise the 8800 sub level because of their recommendation. Thus I have to keep messing with the sub's gain when switching from DVDs to CDs. I can't get a proper setting to store in memory, unless I bring the 8800 sub trim into the + side. Any recomendations? In the manual, stereo mode is explained as output to the left and right main channels only, but I assume there has to be a summed bass signal that is being crossed at the chosen crossover point and sent to the sub. Am I right here? When in stereo mode, the speaker layout on the display only shows the left and right main channels lit up.

Lastly, from what I've read in general, both DPLII and DTS-NEO are supposed to have a cinema/movie mode and a music mode. On my 8800 it seems I just get DPLII-movie and no music, and with DTS-NEO it's just the music mode and not cinema. This is by using the surround and music buttons on the first page of the "sounds and features" menu. So when you want to use DPLII when watching TV or perhaps listening to a CD, it's always movie mode, which is center channel concentrated, and just the opposite for DTS-Neo music which is more spatial and spread out. Did EAD just implement one mode of each?

I'll post my system since I dont have a sig made just yet and hope to get some feedback as to what i could do to in order to see the biggest gain:

EAD Encore with older software/remote (lcd
HK PA5800 AMP 5x80w high current
Sony SACD/DVD NSV-900D
Linn Keliedh fronts
Linn 5120 Center
Carver 5.1 dipole rears
SVS 25-31CS(350w 22hz tune)
Panasonic 47wx51 16x9 HDTV
Panasonic Tu-HDS20 HD Decoder (analog only, digital doesnt work)
various cables from Audio Quest, Monster, Tributaries
room is an apartment (for now) cathedral cielings with carpet and a drapes, leather seating.

ok, now where should I begin? Weakest link(s)?

Good morning Kevin

Harry Brandt's post talked about a choice between PLII music & movie
in stereo. Perhaps there a deeper menu for choice? I am running a
monitor-sub(2) setup, but my subs are in a cabinet. Not practical to
adjust gain for each mode. Hopefully this can be corrected in update.

In your menu can adjust neo-music for width stage depth & panorama?
I understand these settings are optional on the manufacturer.

Thanks

Jim

PS mcw120 was not happy with PLII with TV, are finding the same?

thanks again guys for keeping this thread going..any other ifno is valuable to all of us EAD users.

1st,

Great to see the thread is still going. I have been in hong kong and China for the last three weeks. Lots of interesting audio stuff in China.

As for up grading the Encore to an 8000 yourself, I would not recommend it unless you have surface mount soldering experience and specialized
SMT solderind iron and desoldering tools. The solder pads can be burned off pretty easily.

Hi all! I would be grateful for any suggestions/opinions regarding a couple of Ovation issues.
I have 2 Ovations with bad displays. Can they be user replaced? Is a firmware update necessary?
They use the abysmal LCD touch screen remote, both of which read "ERROR" when a function is pressed. How can they be restored? Can I just upgrade to another remote?
The owners manuals were lost during a move and EAD does not have a copy on file (which seems a tad thoughtless). I'm at a loss without one.
I'd like to sell one of the Ovations (with it's companion UltraDisc 2000), but until these issues are resolved I cannot even use them properly myself.
Thanks very much for any thoughts.

The old LCD "Rotel" romote was very flaky.

You can always buy a new remote from EAD.
The latest SRC-2000/2010 remote really makes the older EADs much easier to use too, even for the wife & kids.

You can also buy a cheap Pronto on EBAY and upload a CCF for the EAD.
When my old LCD remote died a few years ago, I bought a Pronto same-day on EBAY and was up in business in no time.

You may also want to post a Wanted-to-Buy ad at Audiogon, and I am sure you will get some replies.

- Andy

There is a mode on the Ovation which will make it broadcast the IR codes and allow you to reprogram the remote. This happened to me when I took my batteries out for too long. PM me and maybe I can image the user manual and send it to you.

Personally I replaced mine with a MX-700 - best remote I have ever used.

EAD will replace the displays. $75 for LCD and $400 for VFD. They do not reccomend doing this yourself, although you could.

Hi All:

Sorry I haven't been as involved in this thread as I might have been. Thought I'd give you an update on my TM8800pro situation. AndyL and I have been working through some issues together. I must say, it's nice to have an audiophile friend who picks up the same piece of gear around the same time so that we can compare notes. I respect Andy's opinions a lot. In fact, he's on my email list to consult prior to picking up new gear. Now, for the ups and downs with the 8800pro so far:

The ups:

(1) The sonics of the unit are absolutely outstanding. At different points in time I've had Lexicon, Krell, Meridian, Denon, and other gear in my system. I knew when I first picked up an Ovation8 that the sonics of EAD was something special. Now, there is substantial improvement with the TM8800pro. Much greater resolution and clarity, and not particularly digital sounding. I've worked hard so that when my system plays 2 channel music, the signal path completely bypasses my AV Processor. The 2 channel path includes Wadia, dCS, TacT and Placette gear...and then heads out to my Innersound monoblocks and CLS IIz's. My point here, is that I have a nice reference path for comparison. In the past, I never would have considered mucking this time-honored 2 channel system through an AV processor. But I'm actually thinking for the first time ever, about dissembling it and easing operation by running my stereo path through the TM8800pro!! Haven't done it yet....but the fact that I'm even contemplating that is a testament to Alastair Roxburgh's excellence in sonic design. To me, sonics are the most important element of any piece of audio equipment. I mean...isn't that why we are all here?

(2) Simplification. Obviously, the folks at EAD figured out that the TM8000pro software was on the complicated side, and they made some design decisions to simplify the operation of the 8800pro. I agree with this decision (even though they haven't worked out all of the details yet...se below). Basically, once the current software bugs are resolved, I believe the unit will auto-detect whether dts, DD, or PCM is coming in...and then there will be a simple decision between stereo or surround, and music or theater. At least this seems to be the goal. I think, ultimately....it will be simpler to operate than the 8000pro. The manual (which could be better written and clearer) is MUCH shorter than the 8000pro manual. That fits with a design goal of simplification.

Ok, now for the downs: [NOTE: SEE POST BELOW...AS MUCH HAS BEEN CORRECTED NOW BY EAD]

Most of these have been discussed elsewhere, but I'll give my laundry list here:

(1) Quality control. My unit has been back to EAD twice now requiring them to touch the unit for a fix. First, I had a board problem leading to a 10db difference in volume between left and right. The unit went back and was returned. Then the tape monitor loop failed requiring return again. I'm used to this sort of thing with new products and many manufacturers, but knowing Steve and Alastair, I think this unusual for them. Maybe it's asking a lot, but i'd rather not be shipping new products back and forth between the east and west coast!! It the unit didn't sound so darn good, i'd be more upset about this.

(2) Gain problem. Supposedly this will be worked out in the new version of the software, but the gain was sufficiently down in surround modes from the Ovation8, that I would have to run it up to nearly full volume to get the level I like to listen to. With most of my other gear, this level would blow me right out of the room. in defense of EAD, I have relative low gain amps (for 800W monoblocks!!) and not particularly efficient speakers (ML CLS IIz's). Others will likely not have the same issue, but for me, this is a big deal. I've heard there's several db of improvement in the new software.

(3) Crossover problem. It was my understanding, that this product was going to have the potential for truly individual, independent crossover settings for each individual speaker. That is, I thought I was going to be able to set a different crossover point for my fronts, center, rears, rear surrounds etc. In the current version of the software, this is not possible. i have been able to work things out so my fronts can run full range....but I'd like more flexibility....for example, setting different crossover points for my center channel and rear surrounds since their frequency response is different. I hope you follow this.

(4) Bugs - As with all new products, there are a fair number of bugs in the software that I hope will be corrected soon. The auto detection of format (pcm, dts, DD) seems to be screwed up. For example, after playing a DD digital disc, if one pops in a DTS disc....sometimes the TM sticks in DD digital mode until the unit is powered up and down.

Bottom Line: EAD products are sonically superb, and better than just about everything else I've tried. As with most new products, be prepared to have to wade through some initial problems and bugs. Once they are worked out, you will likely be very happy.

I will agree with Harry that the 8800-Pro is one fine sounding processor.

I have owned several EAD's in the past. My last 2 processors were the Bryston SP-1.7 and Parasound Halo-C-2. Compared to these 2, the 8800-Pro's 2-channel sonics are in another league alltogether. I too have owned/auditoned some very nice "high-end" 2-channel digital pieces over the years. I put 90% of a pre/pro's value to me solely on its 2-channel abilities.

I too have had some QC issues, and EAD has responded in a timely manner. It is easy to pick on companies for flaws & glitches, but we EAD owners seem to be a stangely loyal bunch. Rather than rant nastily online about some of our woes, we choose to constructively work with EAD to make their products better. It is in all of our benefits to have our "favourite" companies succeed. In the end we get truly great sounding & unique products, and gear that is "out of the mainstream".

The Auto setup is extremely simple, and the end results work/sound like charm in my system & room.

I state the below just to be informative to other prospective future EAD owners.

Crossover
For a product of its price range and "elite-ness", I do believe the 8800-Pro should have individual crossover settings. Though I really want this feature it is not a necessity in my setup.

Lip-Sync
I also feel that such high-end pre/pros should offer lip-sync delay for those of use with video processing devices that introduce video delays. Again, I am not too affected by this ommision.

Gain
I have plenty of gain in my system as my speakers are 91db and amps are 33db gain. But Harry is an exception with his setup -> very insensitive speakers and an amp with low gain. Most pre/pros do affer some gain boost above the 0db setting ( at least my SP-1.7 and C-2 did ).
EDIT 03/29/04: In my latest correspondence with EAD, the gain problems have been resolved.

Simple User Interface
Like Harry says, the manual is very thin, and the operation is extremely simple. But I find some things "too simple" and would prefer more direct control over some settings, specifically in the abilty to change surround modes.

Software Bugs
There are still several oustanding issues with settings & logic.
None of these are life or death, and you can always do what you want to do. To us end-users, it all seems so simple, which surely it isn't, and we know EAD will continue to iron out these idiosyncracies. We know because they have proven so in the past, and we EAD luvers just hang there. I will continue to send EAD my bug findings as I discover them, and am confident they will act on our feedback.

In a perfect world, I would also like to see more subwoofer outputs such L & R & LFE1 & LFE2, balanced analog inputs, AES/EBU balanced digital input, full input naming on the display, room correction or at least some parametric EQ, etc, etc. I think the upcoming EAD Studio will have some of these features

Ditto Harry's closing remarks above :)

- Andy

It's nice to see some EAD users!

I've had an Encore since -98 and upgraded it to an Ovation-8 a couple of years ago.

My system as of now:

EAD TheaterMaster Ovation-8
Primare A30.5
Mirage OM-8
Mirage OM-C2
Mirage MBS-2
Pioneer DV-668AV
Pioneer Elite CLD-97

As many other users noticed, the Ovation-8 is not as sweet as even the Encore was. But it makes up for it totally in multichannel playback. I've never had such a fine multichannelsound from DD and DTS soundtracks as from my Ovation-8.
At first it did have some software buggs. But throu eprom upgrades they have all dissapeard. It's a bit sad that the unit don't have DPL2 or DTS-discrete. Mostly it's my laserdiscplayback that suffers from the lack of DPL2.

As my Pioneer DV-668AV plays DVD-A and SACD I use the breakout cable to connect between the player and the Ovation-8. It works fine but it's to bad one can't upgrade the cables easy.

I actually had one of the SSM2142 chips blown. It added alot of background noise so I had to replace it. It was fairly simple and didn't affect the soundquality. I heard that newer Ovation-8's have the Burr-Brown driverchip, and that it has a greater S/N value.

I'm not sure if the described soundquality of the Ovation-8 compared with the Encore/Ovation/Signature is just the added sparkle on topp. The former EADs is absolutly smoother. But it puzzels me that it does sound great in multichannel and a bit stiff in 2-channel playback?
This is no big issue for me. My Mirage setup has a pretty smooth presentation of music as they are.

I missed some corresondence from EAD last week that I just read now, and they state the gain problems have been resolved. Again, this is only an issue if you have a system with very very low overall system gain.

I am sure HarryB will report back on this soon.

- Andy

Great news. I got my unit back from EAD today. I've only had a couple of hours to play around with it....but so far, the bugs noted in my post above have been corrected. In particular, EAD has COMPLETELY corrected the gain problem. Even my power hungry, low efficiency electrostatic setup...I've got plenty of volume now. My usual listening volume now reads about -20db....and the unit runs up to +10db. Before, I was running it at about -5 db for normal listening, and it only went up to 0db max.

Kudos to Steve Holt and Alastair Roxburgh for their reponsiveness in fixing the problems. I remain convinced that the TM8800pro stands out as sonically superior to just about everything else.

Being the neurotic perfectionist that I am....I do still hope that they will provide a lip sync delay, and also work on providing the potential for individual crossover settings for each speaker set to small...with full range for those set to large. But I can easily live without these in light of how spectualar the unit sounds.

Harry

The TM8800 Pro seams to be the best TM processor. But I do think the original faceplate (straight, silver, with old logo) is the best looking! And without the buttons.

What really is the difference in the last analog stage between the Ovation-8 and TM 8800? They use the CS3310 but what driverchips?

Is the TM8800 smoother than the other TM's?

Harry and/or Andy,

I just received and installed the 2.3c IC for my 8800. Is this the latest software with the fixes? There was no addendum so I don't know what has changed. I had no problem with gain in my system. I do have a problem with auto detection just as Harry stated. When I change formats, my display reads the new format correctly but what is being output from the speakers is the previous format I was listening to. I don't have to power down but I have to rehit the surround button or whatever button it may be on the remote and it will then pick up and output the proper signal.

Individual crossovers would be nice but my current system is M&K THX so I'm good. I really miss the stereo sub outputs that were on my Ovation8 though. I still have to recalibrate after installing the new IC but I'll report back any improvements if I note any as well as report any newfound bugs. Thanks for keeping the thread going.

Hello guys, it seems that I cannot engage the EAD "THX" mode HiFr..i believe its called from the remote (old Rotel). ALso, I think that my DD and dts playback is compressed because when I check the status on the display it says "Night Mode Hi". In the manual, it mentions that this mode resets itself after shutdown but it still shows compression or night mode is engaged... how would I know? I asked this before but not quite sure if I got it or not? My bass seems full and the sound from all channels "seem" to be there and active full range but how would i know for sure given the status on the display? thanks to all for contributing to this thread...

Harry and Andy,

I just recalibrated my system after installing 2.3c coming from 2.3a. I noticed about 5dB more gain than previous in my system. My reference level went from -11 to -16. I had to store 2 settings, one for DD/DTS and one for stereo. The subwoofer settings in the 8800 for DD/DTS are too anemic when in stereo so I had to bump it up a bit. Atleast to me, the stereo playback with this revision seems much improved from 2.3a. Have ya'll had any other findings?

Kevin:

Just about everything is working now. The improvement in the gain was HUGE for my system. My reference level is about -20 now. I think my unit was faulty before...even beyond the software problem. There are still some minor issues, but nothing too substantial. Some of the formats get stuck until you hit the button a couple of times. And the "theater mode" screen savers don't work like they finally did with the Ovation-8. I liked the display to go into the mode with just a dot in each of the four corners since my unit is below my screen. I also would like a Lip Sync adjustment. And I'd also like to be able to downmix DD/DTS to Stereo for headphone listening.

But I think the Theatermaster 8800pro is sonically the very finest processor around. I wouldn't trade it for Meridian, Krell, Lexicon etc. I would like the opportunity to a/b compare a Theta Casablanca III with the Ultimate DACS to the TM8800pro.

Harry

Interesting about the gain in TM8800. I run my Ovation-8 at -30db reference level with DTS/DD and when in stereo about -40db to -45db for a comfortable listening level.

Regarding reference level, I was stating my technically accurate(75dB) reference level as measured with VE. I never listen that loud. A loud listening level for me is usually in the lower 30s to upper 20s with the 8800.

That seams to be the same level as mine then. I calibrate my system to 70db as this is closer to the level I actually listen at.

Is it correct that the stereosubs feature is gone on the TM8800 series?

The EX/ES-surround with side and rear surrounds is of no interest to me. I tried it, when I got the unit back from the upgrade, but it didn't sound better than the 5.0 setup I had. The bipolars are so spacious and they fill alot of space. The surroundeffects are better defined with true discreete channels all around instead of matrixed EX-channels.

Are you guys running the TM8800 with 7.1?

Originally posted by editman
That seams to be the same level as mine then. I calibrate my system to 70db as this is closer to the level I actually listen at.

Is it correct that the stereosubs feature is gone on the TM8800 series?

The EX/ES-surround with side and rear surrounds is of no interest to me. I tried it, when I got the unit back from the upgrade, but it didn't sound better than the 5.0 setup I had. The bipolars are so spacious and they fill alot of space. The surroundeffects are better defined with true discreete channels all around instead of matrixed EX-channels.

Are you guys running the TM8800 with 7.1?

(1) I calibrate to 75 db....but my average listening volume is quite a bit less than that.

(2) Correct....no provision for stereo subs in the TM8800 series.

(3) When properly set up and calibrated....I think you will find that the realism of 6.1 and 7.1 does exceed that of 5.1. While the back channels are not fully discrete (yet), in the right setup DTS-es and DD-ex adds a greater sense of envelopment (imho). I have a rear center...and set the volume of this quite low. But a point source in the rear does add something.

(4) I'm running 6.1 by disabling one of the two back speakers in the Bass Management screen.....and then using a single center speaker in the back. Since the most recent software upgrade....this works like a charm.

Harry

Here's a question for other TM8800pro users.

I found that in the last version of software for the TM8000pro....EAD finally got the Theater Mode screen savers right!! After a few minutes, the display would go to 4 small dots in the four corners of the display.

Now...with the TM8800pro, my display never does this. In Theater mode, the display does get a bit dimmer, but is still pretty darn bright...which is an issue, because my unit sits below my screen.

I'm sure this can be easily addressed and will let the folks know about it at EAD.

Hello Kevin

With revsion 2.3c; that clear up your previous problem with stereo-
dd/dts subwoofer low problem? You do not have to adjust gain for
each?

Thanks

Jim

EAD has just started production on a new version

of the Powermaster 1000 (200x5) @ $4500.

Also they are taking a look at producing the

Powermaster 2000 (400x5). No price yet.

Jim

jjtoma, no this newest revision didn't really fix my problem. There is more overall gain within the unit but I still have to adjust my passive sub's gain louder when in stereo verses dd/dts. My calibrated subwoofer levels for dd/dts are much too low for proper stereo playback.

A bit of history:

I don't know how it all started but I made one of the first (if not the first?) CCF-files for the TheaterMaster. This was back in -99 i think. After to many hours behind the ProntoEdit screen I finally got a CCF that controlled everything on the TM, including setup parameters as distans, channel levels and crossover point. This in a straight forward maner. It has never been my intention to do a CCF that explains everything. I made it to suit my daily needs.

When I got the Pronto Pro I started to work on a colorlayout for the TM-8 series and made an extensive CCF-file. I've had these files on remotecentral since the dawn of the Pronto remote and to my surprise even EAD did finally rip some of my panels and functions. The discreete pages are, or atleast was with the TM-8/8000, almost exactly a rip :)

EAD did a somewhat userfriendly setup layout when it comes to a brand new setup for the TM-series but I really can't see their CCF-files beat mine when it comes to everyday use.

In the latest versions during the years I have only made minor adjustments to the layout. Ofcourse they are all to my spec and firstly custom made for/by me.




As I'm really satisfied with my current setup in all aspects it's hard to find interest to upgrade the TM-8 to an 8800 or any other. My use of the TM-8 is about 75% DD/DTS and 25% PCM/HDCD. Little use of DPL2 or other 6.1/7.1 systems. Occasionally I play SACD but the software is still imited...

I don't know how many times I've upgraded and got lost in something that seamed to be great but turned out to be unsuited for me and my needs/preferences.

How is the current remote and everyday use for the 8800 series? They do include a Pronto remote, right?

The current remote is the Marantz RC5400.

The AutoSetup is a breeze as the remote totally holds you hand through it. I do wish there were some more low-level controls, or easier-access to get things done. They have almost made things too simple.

Sonically, the 8800-Pro is a major step up. I know you've heard that before at each upgrade offering ! But to my own picky 2-channel ears, the 8800-Pro's sonic improvement is significant. ( I never did like the sonics of my "-8" unit -> energetic treble & light bass IMO ).

- Andy

Originally posted by rich wu
Almighty,

I think Music Lover in Berkeley is a Theta dealer. When did Ulitmate Sound close? The owner of Ultimate Sound and I were high school class mates back int early 80's.

1st,
What you are hearing is the A/D of the Encore. You really need a bypass or an analog preamp to get the benefits of SACD.

Rich

Interesting.... I don't have a car so Music Lover's is a bit far for me. Know any EAD dealers though? As for Ultimate Sound, I'm not certain if he's closed or not since he relocated and he is my business partner in another Internet business. You're talking about David right? Where did you guys go to high school?

Any news?

Hello everyone, has anyone heard the new EAD Studio yet? I wonder how it will stand up to Meridian 800 and Theta's greatest setups, Linn Kisto and others? It sure does look like the 'last' processor you will ever need to buy! Anyone lucky enough to audition.. No EAD support here in Houston :(

The Studio has not been released yet!!

I've owned my EAD since 2000.First the encore then the Ovation and then the Ovation-8.Same chassis but upgraded boards and some home upgrades(chip set replacements).I currently use a Pioneer 563 with anOutlaw Audio ICBM and the pass through is so damn clear.What a giant killer the Pioneer/ICBM combo is.I emailed Alpha Digital and inquired about a PLII upgrade but I think I'm at the end of upgrades with this chassis.My last email from them was the 2400.00 upgrade to what ever their new processor is.It is very sad that due to budget restraints I'm out of the EAD loop.

kgveteran, in you opinion, the upgrade from Encore to Ovation to Ovation-8 gave you what in its impression musically? How much better? How about HT, was there much of a change as it was in music? I am at odds at what to do...I love the smoothness of the Encore but I feel that its lacking in resolution..

I felt that the ovation sounded better that the Ovation-8.It might have something to do with the 20bit burrbrowns the removed during the ovation-8 upgrade.If the upgrade for you gets you the 20bit burrbrowns go for it.
The ovation-8 is no slouch.Home theater crushes.The ES channel fills in the back perfect.Now with the pass through I'm enjoying SACD and DVD-A.All that clearity is back.How much to go from encore to ovation?

Thats the thing, I think they qouted about $800 or so but I think that includes the software update and the display. I dunno, seems a bit a high for an already great processor I am just wanting to know the magnitude of how it sounds from the Encore to the next step up, in stereo mainly as i think 5.1 wont be much difference even with new dacs.

Check to see what dac's they now use in their Ovation upgrade.If I recall my cost for encore to ovation was $1000.I'm tapped out now.
First Armor Vet? I was in the 2nd and 69 armored division on Kelly Hill Fort Benning around 84-87. I was an M88 operator,tank hull mech.

No kidding kg? Yes, First Armor Vet... 2 BDE HQ (S-2) 89-91...yep with to Storm.. M88's are those large loud hulking tank pullers right? If so, how would you guys survive the battlefield? THey are pretty slow huh?

I think the Dacs are 20 bit in their already Delta Sigma??

Thats all I know is that the 20bit dacs sounded great.If your encore has 20bit dacs than ask what they will be upgrading to if you go with the ovation.I am now looking for an ATI 1506 six ch. amp.ALWAYS looking for more stuff.
When I was an 88 operator the vehicle had a V-12 continental twin turbo air cooled diesel.I think that since then they have upgraded to the same gas tubine that is in the M-1a3.They needed to keep up because the tanks were so damn fast.My 88 did 32mph down hill! I think the new ones do 50-55mph.They now weigh 60 tons unlike the 53ton model I drove.I can't believe I enlisted 20! years ago.

1StAmorvet,

I believe the Encore has Crystal DAC's and the Ovation has BurrBrown 1702 DAC's. In adition to the BB DACs, you also get balanced outputs on the Ovation. The upgrades involves adding the new DAC board and couple of minor cuts and jumps. This upgrade is pretty easy to do yourself.

The 1702 DAC is similar to the ones used in the Ovation Plus and Signature except the 1702K are selected grade with tighter tolerance.

Rich

thanks guys rich I understand that you have to solder transistors and all that with the board replacement...if I can build a pc, you think i could do it my self and save a little $$? I would love to have those DACs as i hear that they are as good if not better than the newer chips from BB..

1stamorvet,

The upgrade from Encore to Ovation is pretty straight forward. You don't need to solder any transistors or chips, just a couple of wires for the balanced connectors from the new DAC board. The Encore to 8000 upgrade is more involved. I think the Ovation DAC board is around $400 and the EPROM is $25. You'll also need a ribbon cable to connect between the main and the DAC boards. You can check with Steve at EAD or the origianal EAD group in Iowa.

To my ears, the old 1702 BB DACS sound beter than ones in the 8000 for 2 channel music.

Rich

Hello everyone

Boelen Electronics is the former Ead folks in

Fairfield, Iowa. (641) 469-5092.

Ask for Frank or Greg, they can answer anyone's

questions.

Jim:)

THanks a bunch jjtoma...I will give them a call surely as I do have many questions, but I guess Steve can answer them too on the parts issue. Appreciate it rich, I will enquire about the board because $425 or so will be worth the upgrade, much more economical for me right now instead of spend over $1200 for them to do it. I have a steady hand and familiar enough with electronics, I will give it a go unless I get other opinions otherwise.

Hi guys, I guess my question is mostly for Rich but anyone my take a stab.

I have an Ovation 8 with the latest firmware (chip by the power supply 8.508 NOR 1BES and the other Z10 A2) and a Sig 8 with older firmware. Could I switch the chips to update the Sig 8????

OR should I sell them both and get an 8800 and be done with it :D :D :D

An answer to the first question would be greatly appreciated...... Any comment on the second will be taken as well. :cool:

SRP68,

I think switching EPROMs from Ovation to the Signature may cause some incompatibility issue. It will work but you may have some problems with certain features such as auto calibration and other issues. I have tried it. The Ovation has video switching so the software is slightly different than the Sig.

I would suggest upgrading the EPROM for the Signature 8 since it cost only $25 plus shipping. That was what I remember about a year ago. I takes only a few minutes and it's pretty easy.

Just call EAD and give them the EPROM versions numbers on the old chips and they'll know which version to upgrade to.

I would suggest trying this before selling your units for the 8800.

Rich

Say Rich, Thanks for the info I'll give Steve a call tomorrow. I'd like to keep the Sig8, it edges out the Ovation8. Watch Agon the Ovation8 may soon be up for sale, very cheap.

I will chime in some more about my 8800-Pro.

I did have an initial hardware problem, but I must commend EAD and my dealer for taking care of me. I am a believer that "sh*t happens" and I don't get upset at such events, as long as problems are rectified in a timely and straightforward ( no-BS ) manner. Thank you EAD for doing what every manufacturer should -> take care of the customer.

As a somewhat early adopter of the 8800-Pro, the software was not as mature as I expected it to be. Now that I have updated firmware, most of my complaints have been addressed. You see, I just bought my EAD 2 months too early :)

EAD is a company that is responding to their customers' input.
HarryB and myself have sent our bug-lists to EAD and they have resolved many/most of them, and/or are working on feature enhancements and user-niceties.
Progress is happening -> this is all very good !

No onto what's really important - >the sound.

I am exceptionally happy with the 2-channel sonics of the 8800-Pro !
The EAD has replaced my Sim Audio Eclipse CDP, Sim P-5 pre, and Parasound Halo C-2 processor. I also have a great sounding Classe CDP-10 in a 2nd system for a further comparison piece. I have also owned several other even more expensive digital pieces than these in the past.
With the 8800-Pro doing all, I honestly feel I have easily better sound.
It offers great transparency, detail, imaging, dynamics, bass, frequency balance ( not tipped high or low ), nimbleness, etc ... better than any other previous piece I have owned -> Ovation, Ovation+, Ovation-8, Lex MC-1, Bryston SP-1.7, Halo C-2 .

If I had to single out 1 particular trait that stood out, it would be transparency -> something you don't know how good it is until you experience it. When you have "transparency" or a "black-background", so many good things ride along with it -> detail, dynamics, imaging, articulation, etc, all stand out.

I do have my 8800-Pro tweaked out with PLC, power cords, vibration stuff, cabling, etc, which I am sure contribute to my great satisfaction.
Also, I am recently using an inexpensive Monarchy DIP Upsampler between my transport and EAD to peform jitter reduction and 24/96 upsampling.

Well done EAD !

- Andy

Andy

Thank you for the update.

Just received a email from Steve Holt about the new

Dvdmaster 8800Pro available late June, msrp $7900

Jim:)

Andy, Jim, Kevin and everybody else:

I just couldn't be happier with the TM8800pro now. EAD is really coming on strong. Not only is it sonically outstanding, but the newest software has taken us to a whole new level of convenience and performance. Alastair Roxburgh and Carl Christie at EAD are among the best in the industry when it comes to audio design and listening to customer feedback. I was doing some informal beta testing of software version 2.6e.....and virtually every issue or idea we came up with was resolved or added in version 3.0. These guys are amazing!!! I wouldn't trade my TM8800pro for Theta, Lexicon, Krell, Bryston or anything else. The only thing I will trade it for is the EAD Studio when it is released!!!!

Apart from many bug fixes, here are the major goodies in TheaterMaster 8800/8800 Pro ver 3.0 Released May 14, 2004.
(Note: Use of all of the new features also requires an update for the RC5400 remote)

Ten new memories (6 digital and 4 analog) may be accessed with STO-STO and RCL-RCL. Unlike the normal memory functions, these don't use a memory number, and can be used without having to remember which input number you are using at the moment. Our feeling is that most users will use these in preference to the ordinary STO-n/RCL-n memories.

Speaker Size and Crossover Frequency have been added to all store/recall memory functions. This allows you to easily store and recall completely different setups for different source material.

Next/Previous Surround Mode selection rolls through all seven possible sound modes for non-surround-flagged 2 channel sources.

A special blank top VFD screen has been added to give you full blackout control (just press Brodie Up/Dn while in the main VFD screen). Volume big numbers still work while in this screen.

The special icon just to the right of the input label shows a bold "A" for automatic decoding mode, as well as a variety of icons for user overrides: "movie camera" for cinema surround, "musical note" for music surround, bold "2" for 2-channel stereo, and "stacked lines" if the Analog Direct input is in use.

Downmixing of DTS, DTS ES and DD EX sources is now allowed for those who use headphones on these modes.

When scrolling into the 1st Adjust screen, LF is now selected, same as if you pressed the Adjust key.

A pop on start/stop of some DTS and DD input streams has been fixed.

The "Big Buttons" Sounds and Features page has been added to all six remote control devices (VCR, DSS, Tuner, DVD, TV, CD) for the 5400 and 5200, to make it easier to control the TheaterMaster while using one of these other devices.

The ability to up/down mix DD 2.0 surround-flagged and unflagged input streams has been added.

I'm pleased to say that lots of these excellent features come from EAD's willingness to listen to their customers! I hope others in the industry will follow suit!!

In the next round of software I think we'll probably see some additional improvements such as more ability to tweak some of the PLII surround formats like Panorama and Center Width. We also will probably also see the return CinEQ.

I have absolutely no affiliation with EAD. But I do plan to continue to give them feedback about their products because they seem to really listen!!

Harry

What is the latest word on the ship date of the StudioMaster Pro? I'm interested in that bad boy for its DVI switching, along with the many other fine features we can expect from EAD.

I need some help guys... I am at a point where i want to upgrade my amp as well as upgrading my ENcore to an Ovation. My amp is a HK5800 80w per 5 channels..its served me well but I am anxious to see if I can improve my 2ch stereo listening portion of my HT 5.1 by giving more power to my Linn's. I almost about to pull the trigger on a Parasound 1200MkII THX amp which will give me 205w as oppose to just 80, plus its a great design and parts ect ect..its going for around $350 but i can get the Ovation upgrade for around $425 or so when I called EAD. Which will lead me to more benefits IYO?? That amp is almost here but tell me what I should do before I go to PAYPAL over the weekend...! thanks guys

Harry, that is such great news about everything in the v3 update.
Those EAD boys have been working hard and receptive to their customers comments & wish-lists. And that they were able to implement such features in a couple of months is commendable !

FYI: I thought the EAD folks would outfit the Studio with HDMI switching, versus DVI.

- Andy

any ideas...gotta make a decision by the weekend.... lean me in the best direction.

I would go with the amp upgrade first. I think you'll get more improvement than upgrading the processor.

Rich

thanks Rich, thats what I was thinking as well just wanted an educated or experienced opinion. I see that my amp is the weakest link on my front end. I didnt think I was getting the most out of my Encore with the HK. Next will be the cd player..which is a Sony 900NS dvd/sacd.

Originally posted by Andy Lammer
FYI: I thought the EAD folks would outfit the Studio with HDMI switching, versus DVI. - Andy As CobraKahn noted back in February, the Studio Pro will have one HDMI and two DVI ports. Does anyone have any conclusive information on the availability date? Also, why no SACD/DVD-A digital link? In my opinion, that is a mistake. I think many will choose to wait until that feature is included. If Pioneer, Denon, Meridian and others can do it, so should EAD. I wish someone from EAD would chime in here on their rationale...

just added a Parasound amp to my mains....mucho mejor!! better sound all the way around than with just the HK...thanks guys for the feedback.

Hello Everyone

If anyone is interested. There's a EAD pro 8800 on Audiogon

for what appears to be a really good deal. (cheap)

Jim:)

Jim,

I'd be all over that if someone would take my Sig 8 off my hands.

Actually, anybody heard any new news regarding the Studio Pro?


Andy

That may be a risky one. No feedback and a cheap sale price???
Well, if it is legit, someone will get a killer deal.

Here's another one on at Audiogon.

Seller reduced price; it's the lowest by far I ever seen a
EAD TM8800pro for sale. Seller has high feedback rating.
Now only if my son would finish college(tuition due at
end of month).

Jim:) :(

Added a Parasound 1200mk II amp and its helping my "out of date" Encore sound much better...now budget will go to the Ovation+ upgrade.. :D

Any new news on the Studio Pro?

Hello

EAD is not at CEDIA this year. They are busy on some new projects.

No news the the studio pro. They are working on another universal
dvd player (6600?) for about $4500, due later in the fall. Also
rumor about a possible type of intergated ssp-amp combo
or a recievier.

Steve Holt has left EAD, he is replaced by a fellow named Cliff.

Jim

:)

how fundamental to eads products (design & sound quality) was Steve Holt and do you know where has gone now?

Hi,

just a question. I have an EAD TheaterMaster Encore, which I like a lot and which I would like to upgrade to 8-channel. How much would I have to pay and where do I get the parts from?

Thanks a lot!

Yours,

Philip

Hey guys, this is abit OT but I know an EAD enthusiast will see it here.

What is the the difference between the Ovation and Ovation + ?

thanks

The O+ has the same DACs as the Signature version which is the Burr Brown 1702K. That's it.

Don't quote me cause I'm not 100% but I think Steve Holt was just a marketing/sales manager. Nice guy. I got several Plaxo emails from him after he left confirming my contact info, which contained the company information for who he is now with. I didn't pay attention that well but I think he is now with "Immersive Technology" or "Immersive Audio", something like that.

found it:

www.immersiveinc.com >> This is where Steve now is. Looks like some very nifty gear!!

I wonder if it was Immersive Inc....the makers of the Holo3dgraph (and other pieces) of equipment?

thanks for the heads up.

Hello everyone,

I'm new EAD user. I purchase a used Ovation last fall and I just purchased a 7300. I must say the 7300 has life in. A lot. I've tried a aragon 2005, and I didn't find it did anything for me. I got a great deal on the 7300, so I puchased it.

What I wanted to ask was, were do I go from here? I read a few ad that I should replace the power cord. I would have thought the power I received with them was good enough. Am I wrong? IF so, what would you guy suggest? As well I'm using MIT terminator 3 as my inter connect as well to my amp. Would I really find a differnce if I was to go with balanced cable?
If so, what would you recommend?

My speaker are good (Mirage avs 500) sound good. Should I change them or should I replace my 8 year old DVD player?
If I was to replace my DVD player do I really need a high end player? Since the ovation has does the processing would I need the DVD player to be as good?

Thanks for all your help?

AMF

A Ovation Plus had all the guts and ins and outs of an Ovation with the Signature DAC bord. Son hence you got the Signatures sound with the OVations connections. You gave up 3 analog ins for 3 video ins.

Probably my favorite sounding processor I have owned from my years in the bizz.

With regards the 8800pro - has anyone installed the recently released 3.2 ROM?

My dealer is being tardy with regards sending it to me. Any idea what it fixes or improves?

cheers
VB

amf_amf:
Congrat's on your EAD enjoyment !
If you don't already have a PLC, I highly recommend either a PS Audio P500 or P600 with MultiWave2, or a Shunyata Hydra with upgraded Python power cord. Having such clean power will benefit ALL of your electronics ... you just wait and see :)

VikingBoy:
I installed v3.1 in my 8800-Pro about 6 weeks ago.
Not sure what it fixed, but I find it now almost flawless these days.
Though it would be nice if EAD posted a list of bug fixes at each revision.

Also, Steve Holt is now at Immersive Inc ( http://www.immersiveinc.com ) , the makers of the Holo3D video processing cards, and lots of of great video/scalers to come. So I can "haunt" him there too as I have been a long-time Holo3D owner too :) :) :)

- Andy

Andy,

thanks for the advise.
Here's a few more questions about the ovation.
When I power up form standby the ovation humming sound from the preamp and unit and into my speakers. Just from a few minutes and them it gone? why?
As well I get a humming/hissing noise from the speaker when the amp is turn on only and nothing is connected. It's pretty loud. Should I be concerned?
Is there something I should try before I send it back (please don't let me send back my 7300)

What do you guy think about the Monster PLC, is it as good as the PS Audio or the Shunyata Hydra?

Thanks for the tips.

AMF

Nice to see the thread going on strong since the last time I posted. I currently still have the Encore, but i did improve 2 channel by adding a Parasound 1200MKII to my HK 5800. What still bugs me is whether or not I should sell both amps and go with a PM 500 but I see NONE on Audiogon or ebay ever. Plus Ovation-8 and Ovation Plus decision for upgrades have got me going crazy too...

Could someone tell me why EAD processors dont have calibration methods for the sub built in in autosetup modes?

I need help....

I just purchased a 7300 (love it) and I get alot of hissing and humming.
I tried the same up with a Rotel RB 956, and didn't I didn't the same sound?

Can someone make some suggesting? I don't want to send it back for repair yet?

Any help would be appreciated

AMF,

I am assuming that the 7300 is an amp. If so and it has balanced inputs (XLR), you may need to short pins 1 to 3 of each XLR input connector if you are not using the balanced inputs. This will then ground the negative phase of the input and may reduce the hiss and humm.

The above doesn't apply if there is a balanced/RCA input selector on the amp.

Rich

Rich,

The 7300 is an amp and it has selector built into them. Thanks for your help.

Did anybody purchase a unit in US and have it shipped to Canada? If so, did you have serviced in Canada or did you have to sent it back to the US?
The Canadian retailer would take a look at it, if I was pay for the service, rather then honoring the warranty, because I didn't purchase it from them?
Any comments on that?

I left two msg and one email with EAD, and it's been over a week! Do you think they'll ever get back to me?

AMF,

If the hum goes away when the inputs of the amp are connected then I would not be too concerned. My Krell amps have much higher background nosie when the inputs are open and it's more prone to picking up rf/emi noise.

When the ovation is booting up, its output may may be open for a short time and so you have hum and hiss. Once the boot up process is done , it should it should be normal. You might also check with EAD to see if there are software upgrade for your Ovation. The EPROM is about $25 and it's pretty easy to do yourself.

One test that you can also do on your amp is short the inputs with a shorting RCA plug and see if the hum and hiss goes away. If it does, then your amp is fine.

Rich

What a great thread! I just bought an EAD Ovation, Theatermaster2000 and TheatervisionP DVD player set at a bargain price here in the UK. I actually bought them "blind" and will be picking them all up later this week. Reading all your comments fills me with confidence that I have done the right thing as I am after decent 5.1 DD and DTS performance and 2 channel performance without all the bells and whistles that most current processors have. I have owned various kit including Denon and Bryston SP1.7 but have most recently been using my HTPC hooked straight into my Bryston 9B ST.

One question I have is how easy is it to make the DVD player multiregion? Is it a software or hardware mod? (I actually bought this to use more as a CD transport so if it is best to leave it as Region 1 then no problem - what are your views on its performance as a cd transport running to the Ovation?)

Second question is, I currently have M&K S-150 speakers but at 4ohms and therefore 700watts per channel I think this is a little OTT. Can anyone suggest a good match speaker wise at 8 or maybe 6ohm? I'm probably going to go with full range speakers this time round.

Thanks,

Steve

I have Linn speakers to go with my EAD Encore...i would look at Linn although they are 4ohm but drive easily for me and the 2000 yo have will drive anything just about...also look at Dynaudio and PMC.

EAD Ovation from an Encore or wait for whats around the corner, DD++ and dts-HD? I'm getting bored with the Encore and have(had) the itch but i cannot spend a fortune but looking for the best bang for the buck guys...

Hello everyone

Does anyone have experience with the Dvdmaster 8800pro,not
the 8000pro. Audio & video comments appreciated. There was
someone on the DVD forum that had problems with his unit
a while back. His PM is turned off, can not contact him to
see if his problems were resolved.

Thanks

Jim

:)

Can anyone tell me how an EAD Encore matches up against a Krell HTS (first vers.)? Which is better for 60/40 HT to music and operation?

Krell HTS ,SOLD on Audiogon for $700...i guess a good deal although no remote.

Andy, wainting for the STUDIO or are you content with the 8800pro? :D

Having come back from CES a few weeks ago, I saw/heard nothing inspiring to make me consider a switch. I did not see EAD anywhere, which was surpising.

As far as the EAD Studio, I don't need a display on my pre/pro, I don't need balanced inputs, nor DVI/ HDMI switching, nor multi-zone, etc. So after 1+ yeras ownership, I am exceptionaly content with the level of performance I have achieved out of my 8800-Pro, with lots of external power & other tweaks, but no internal modifications.

Since getting my 8800-Pro, my only upgrades last year were a Vutec Silverstar screen, and a couple of killers subs -> Servodrive Contrabass and Velodyne DD-18. If ever want to pursue uber-2-channel again ( unlikely ), I will seek out the likes of an Audio Aero Capitole MK2 and run it direct to my amps. However, I may pickup a used DCS Purcell to insert inbetween my CD Transport & EAD. I gave up on SACD/DVD-A a long time ago and personally don't care about MCH music.

- Andy

Wow Andy! I am sure your listening room...err whole house is rocking with all that low frequency you are getting! Tell us, does the EQ adjustments on the DD-18 help with your Contrabass as well in dialing it into your system better for system integration?

Hello everyone

Some sad news for EAD fans; they closed the doors yesterday.
All repair work can still be preformed by Boelen electronics.
Many of you will remember they are the original EAD folks, still
in Fairfield, IA.

Since there is no more EAD, there is no warranty work being
paid by EAD.

I spoke to Greg at Boelen this morning, they will have the source
code and future ability to due software updates. Alistaire doesn't
want his baby to die!

Here's their new website.

http://boelenelectronics.com/

Jim
:) :(

Wow...that sucks. Sorry to hear EAD has gone down. But I'm glad I picked up my TM8800pro and got the kinks worked out. My guess is that it will be in my system for quite a while. I may end up sending it to Boelen for some diodes and blackgates. Sonically, it is still among the very best processors I've heard.

harry

Wow... that is something. So Tara finally gave them up? I mean is there an official announcment somewhere?

Please say it isn't so! I was just about to send in my Encore in for an upgrade to an Ovation+! Now could anyone give me some new direction on a more modern processor if I am (able) to sell this one? I did NOT want to do this....sucks bad...

Originally posted by 1stArmorvet
Please say it isn't so! I was just about to send in my Encore in for an upgrade to an Ovation+! Now could anyone give me some new direction on a more modern processor if I am (able) to sell this one? I did NOT want to do this....sucks bad...

Do not panic, Boelen Electronics has more experience with
older EAD products than anyone (personal there are the
original technicians working for EAD).

Much more to come from them.

You be surprised what they can do, check their website.

http://www.boelenelectronics.com/

Call Frank or Greg at (641)469-5092 in Fairfield,IA

Jim:)

Hi Harry, I knew you were still hanging-out around here !
Me too -> I luv my EAD sonics, and like I stated a few posts above, I have no desire to upgrade. I hope/trust the EAD folks will resurface, as they do have such great products.

- Andy

Hopefully owners will panic and put there EAD stuff for sale. I would love to get my hands on some top notch gear for a good price. Just like what happened to Proceed when they first went out of business you could buy there stuff very cheap on Ebay and Audiogon. I wounder what they are going to do with there stock?

Andy

Imho, I think we'll be okay. They will be getting a eprom burner, so software
is not dead (Alistaire gave them the source code). I plan on keeping my EAD stuff for now (like you said, can't beat the sonics).
I like the one heading on their website "Audio Blueprinting"
an old drag racing term:) . Should be interesting. I like to hear about the
DCS Purcell if you try it.

Take care

Jim:)

I owned a Purcell a while back for about 1+years.
I used it with my longtime Wadia 27ix, and borrowed Chord DAC-64, MSB Platinum Plus, Cary 306/200, Bel Canto DAC2, and some others DACS I can't remember.

As per the DCS website: http://www.dcsltd.co.uk/dcs_purcell.html
I agree with the comments that the Purcell does:
• Improved dynamics
• More dimensional stereo imaging in both width and depth
• More accurate bass
• Better resolution of fine detail
• A more relaxed and natural presentation

Surprisingly, one piece that the Purcell did not improve IMO was the Audio Aero Capitole MK2 using its dig-out and dig-in abilities, nsertign teh Purcell inbetween.

With my 8800-Pro, I do use a cheap Monarchy DIP Upsampler for my 2-channel.
I believe Harry Brandt above uses a more advanced device in the Apogee Big Ben.
http://www.apogeedigital.com/products/bigben.php

- Andy

Andy

If you are interested, Boelen has a new digital "balanced "interconnect
cable on their website.

Jim

Sorry to hear this news. Competition sure is brutal in the space. I am still addicted to my Ovation+. Maybe time to pick-up the 8800 pro cheap??

take care

george

Hello,

I was speaking to Alister and John a few day's after the the door closed, and there currently talking to a big company (no idea who it is!!!) that will be taking over there line... I won't worry about the service issue. They'll be opening there doors soon.

This is first hand conversation with John.

Originally posted by amf_amf
Hello,

I was speaking to Alister and John a few day's after the the door closed, and there currently talking to a big company (no idea who it is!!!) that will be taking over there line... I won't worry about the service issue. They'll be opening there doors soon.

This is first hand conversation with John.

That is good news. I hope the best for them, always had great products.

Jim:)

I have also heard the samething when I had call there office to cinfirm them going out of business. I also hope the make it out of this.

Question....

Did anyone ever purchase an EAD unit from the US and had it serviced under warranty in Canada?:confused:

jjtoma wrote:

I like the one heading on their website "Audio Blueprinting"

Hi Jim. I have what I'm pretty sure is the first instance of a customer EAD unit that has been "Audio Blueprinted". I sent in my Encore to have upgraded to a Signature 8, and it was around the same time they were doing final testing of the productized version of their AB. In fact, they were using my Sig8 upgrade as a test platform (with my knowledge, of course)!

The problem AB is meant to solve is that of noise, both in the audible band and outside. Greg and his brother (a skilled engineer in defense electronics) came up with a clever idea of how to suppress noise which involves analyzing the actual unit (hence the "blueprinting" part of the process). The achievable levels of noise suppression are from about 6-20 dB depending on the frequency (I'm pretty sure that's what Greg told me). All I can tell you is that my Sig8 is a beautiful sounding unit. Not having an umodified Sig8 I can't tell you how much better it is, but it sounds so good to me that I sent them my DSP-7000 Series III to have a similar analysis (and potential AB'ing) done to it.

I'm being a bit vague about how they actually do it because I'm not sure how well they have their IP (intellectual property) protected just yet.

As in the past, Boelen is also still doing diode, cap, and resistor mods. They seem to have the complete plan for making the EAD units sound absolutely the best they can. In the phone and email discussions I've had with them during the Sig8 work I can say they seem to know what they're doing (I'm also an engineer familiar with this kind of work, and Greg explained everything they were doing, with no BS).

Wow, I sure hope EAD gets picked by someone though it's good to know that Boelen is around for help/support too. I still use my 8800(non pro) with latest firmware and absolutely love it. I have no operational glitches at this point. The last one that got fixed for me was the display would go into standby during use if inactive for a period of time(normal), but then would not be responsive at all to the remote - had to do a hard shut off and bring it back up. Now it's perfect.

I have exactly this issue. What is the fix? New firmware?

THX

Originally posted by CobraKahn
I have exactly this issue. What is the fix? New firmware?

THX

Yeah Cobra. I just looked at my EEPROMs and I have 2.3A, 2.3C, and 3.0 lying around so I think the last one I got was 3.2 Don't want to pop the top again but it had that fix in there. Hasn't done it once since. I actually got Alistair on the phone when I called and he took down the problem and 3.2 was released shortly and sent to me. You might need to ask Andy or jj if they know where or who from to get this update. I'm not sure if it was the latest available before they shut their doors but I have zero problems at this point.

Cobra, call Frank Boelen at 641-469-5092. They may have gotten copies of the latest firmware before EAD shut the doors.

Originally posted by KevinH
Wow, I sure hope EAD gets picked by someone...In the very least, they must have some valuable intellectual property that other companies will try to acquire.

Anyone have any news on EAD's status. After all of this time, the website was never been taken down so I have my fingers crossed. Andy, jj, amf_amf?????? anyone???

Hello Kevin

I have not heard anything yet. Just extreme turmoil at work(Airline),
keeping me very busy.

Jim:) :mad:

Hopefully they will stick around. The quality of their products is awesome. I have just purchased an ex demo DVD Master8000 Pro which has simply the best CD playback I have heard, as well as the best picture (via SDI).

I'm considering buying the matching processor now as I know of a brand new TM8000 Pro for sale at obviously a greatly reduced price. Is the TM8800 Pro a lot better?

Oh, and I have my trusty Powermaster2000 for amp duties! :D

Thanks,

Steve

yes mate, IMHO the 8800Pro was substantially better - it was a wholly new designed unit. Very happy with mine. I would imagine dealers would be offering these are pretty low prices due to the EAD situation.

hello

I am about to purchase an Encore unit; coming from an Outlaw audio 1050 I am sure to be impressed. i chose the Encore over the Ovation that I could also pick up but the encore was 250 less and my plan is to upgrade to the Ovation 8 in a few months so I figured to save a couple bucks now.

anyway, aware of the current situation with EAD, I have to admit i am a bit concerned about future service work if needed on the unit. Can anyone comment on the reliability/ build quality of the EAD's? obviously they look robust from the outside but how about the internals? any chronic issues people are having with them? Also, if parts do go out, and for some reason Boelen Electronics cant do the work, can much of the parts in these units (or any for that matter) be serviced/replaced by other technicians?

Guess I am looking to get advice and/or vote of confidence that I can enjoy the unit for years to come. I have been going back and forth between new units like the outlaw 990, anthem and cary audio. coming from a Linn 2 channel system, I definetley appreciate the no nonsense approach that EAD uses, just want to make sure it will keep working and sound great.

On another note, I have heard mixed reviews on the older units between 2 ch and MCH. there seems to be consensus with 2 ch sounding amazing but some say HT sounds a little flat, too laid back..comments like this. Opinions?

thanks for any info

Hello there, wanted to know if you indeed get the Encore you were looking to get months back? Also, wanted to keep the thread alive....again after all this time. Few of us EAD users remain. To tell you the truth, even if you get the earliers s/w vers of the Encore, you will be impress with the sound in both 2ch and MCH. I have...Now I have heard that the upgrade to Ov-8 give even better separ. for HT DVD's. Upgradeable and is very well built too. I hope you ended up with one! I am looking to sell mine though for a great price so that I can get the Ovation-8 rather than upgrading.

I picked up an Encore with the upgraded VFD and am very happy with it. I was a little concerned that interfacing with the unit would be clumsy since it is located in another room, but I picked up a Pronto remote and it makes everything so easy to control. who needs an OSD??? Originally, I was going to upgrade the Encore to the Ovation-8 but given the fact that I have rekindled my 2 channel system and need funds for it and the SQ is so pleasing with the Encore now, it might be a bit longer before I do the upgrade. Given the price Encores are going for compared to used Ovation-8, I was still thinking upgrading will be cheaper than selling and buying an O8? NO?
The unit really is a gem. probably the biggest improvement upgrading from an old Outlaw 1050 to the encore is the huge soundstage. As well, I found myself constantly fidgeting with the controls on the 1050. with the Encore, I just turn it up to some reasonable level and let it go.

Wow, a real EAD thread... good to see.

I am using a cousin to the EAD Ovation-8 in a Simaudio Attraction 7.1. I previously had the Attraction 5.1 (EAD Ovation+ equivalent) and like the little extra sparkle up top and slightly less rounded bass of the Ovation-8 board especially with movie soundtracks. The analog pass-through has a bit better set up on the Sim in that it offers proper rca inputs for separate 2, 6 and 8 channel analog sources. I believe Sim did their own output section as well.

The rest of the system is: Simaudio Titan 5 channel amp, Denon 5900 universal player, Magnum Dynalab MD 102 tuner, Vecteur L-4.2 CD player, Totem Mani-2 Signature mains, Totem Model 1 center Sig, Model 1 Sig rears and Totem Thunder Sub. All cabling is Cardas Neutral Reference or Audioquest solid silver. Truly one of the best home theater/audio processors out there in my opinion.

Andy Lammer, any reason why you didn't go with the Sim Attraction? I see you also have a Titan but in the even larger 7 channel version. I was saddened to see Waveform close. Great speakers in my opinion.

Just ordered a firmware update chip for the processor and was wondering if anyone else had updated firmware before and general impressions of operational changes?

I was also wondering if the newer Marantz remote would work on my older Ovation-8? Any other suggestions for an SRC-2000 remote replacement? I'm currently entertaining a new Harmony remote that looks promising.

I've just been reading through this thread again and I wondered if someone could clarify how SimAudio is a cousin to EAD. I listened to one of their Moon Aurora amps a few days ago which sounded great but have not heard their processors. If they are someway related to EAD I will certainly sort out a demo!

I recall that Sim Audio used the older EAD 8000 platform as the basis for their range of products. They modified PSU and analgue output stages if memory serves me. They never did anything on the 8800 platform.

my memory couldbe rusty....but until someone else steps in.....

Thanks VikingBoy, I'm actually now deciding whether to get a Signature 8 or Ovation 8 as I have been given the option of buying either for around £1,200 for the O8 and £1,500 for the S8. It's either that or get an ex dem Lexicon MC8 for £2,800. What should I do? :)

I dont think the Lex is in the same league as the EADs. Id go EAD everytime. There are a few places in the US selling off EAD 8800 and 8800Pros now. Shipping to the Uk wouldnt be too much and the PSU has an internal dip switch to choose between 120/240v operation. I dont know where you would stand warrnaty wise though but as EAD is out of business it maybe isnt that much of an issue.

VikingBoy, Could you tell me where they are selling the 8800Pro? I haven't been able to locate any on the web?

Thanks,
Steve

VikingBoy, Could you tell me where they are selling the 8800Pro? I haven't been able to locate any on the web?

Thanks,
Steve

Currently there is a EAD 8800pro on Audiogon for sale.

Color is silver, asking price is $2900.

www.audiogon.com


Jim :)

Hey, all this rekidled EAD talk as got me thinking of not to 'upgrade' my EAD Encore to a Lex MC1..which i have to admit I want just because of the tinkering you can do and oh...Logic 7. I may just go ahead and send in my unit to upgrade to the Ovation+ afterall...I guess! man, decisions decisions...good thread to keep alive..

btw, I heard there's not much that can compete (sound wise) of EAD TM 8800/pro units out there..(maybe Meridian, MC-12, Theta CBIII Anthem?)

Currently there is a EAD 8800pro on Audiogon for sale.

Color is silver, asking price is $2900.

www.audiogon.com


Jim :)


Thanks Jim,

I've never really looked at Audiogon. I just sent an email to them. Hopefully they are willing to ship to the UK....

Steve

I recently bought a Proceed AVP2 and compared it to my old EAD Signature 8000 and I prefer the EAD. The AVP2 had more features but the EAD had better sound.

I might try the MC12B next year.

Rich,

Have you had mods done to your EAD Sig 8000 like Boelens? ie..black gates, DNAs, etc? I'm thinking of having Boelen custom make a cable or create an additional RS232 input so I can have DVDA/SACD w/ RS232 automation and since the EAD would have to go in, I was considering doing the mods also.

I was thinking about getting the TM8800pro but Boelen feels like the 2 Channel performance of the older TM's is better than the TM8800s and felt that the upgrade would do wonders. What do you think?

Andy

Andy,

I did replace the caps on the DAC board with Blackgate caps. I also replaced the internal wires with Kimber cable silver wires. I used 4 pairs of the RCA inputs as analog bypass input rather than the Octopus/serial cable adapter. I have thought of replacing the Op Amps with better Burrbrown ones but it's a lot of work. If I decide to keep the EAd longer, I might change the Op Amps and repalce the diodes.

I think the Blackgate caps and the soft recovery diodes will improve the sound. I am skeptical of the the DNA and LPF filters.

I think the old Signature was the best for 2 channel. I don't know how the 8800 sounds since I have never heard it.

What's wrong with your unit?

Rich

Thanks Jim,

I've never really looked at Audiogon. I just sent an email to them. Hopefully they are willing to ship to the UK....

Steve

Unfortunately it's been sold. Does anyone else know of any TM8800Pro's for sale?

Rich,

Nothing wrong with the Sig 8. Still love it. Just that I'm looking into doing some automation stuff and since the Sig 8 used the "octopus" it takes up the RS232 port. So, to do automation/integration I'd need Boelen to configure a "split" cable or do something similar to what you did ( analog RCA's and add a smaller RS232 port). If I end up sending in the EAD for some chasis modification I may just do the diodes and the Blackgates.

I agree that when we compared your older Sig vs. the Sig 8 that yours definitely sounded better. Like you I was also looking into the Lex but only when/if we move to a house big enough to justify 7 speakers.

Thanks again as always for your EAD support.

Andy

Seeing that my Ovation + was unable to power up yesterday ( fuse ?, something else ?) I called Boelen Electronics and found out that Greg Palma has bought out Frank and is continuing to offer service, repairs and mods to EAD products.

Greg is now going to call the company Noble Electronics and can be found and reached ( same phone # as listed at website) at the same address and phone # found at the current www.boelenelectronics.com site

I spoke for awhile with Greg and he and his brother are going to keep all the services and mods found at the website. Nice fellow and very knowledgable and passionate about all EAD products ( 14 years with EAD- working and servicing).

Anyway, I'm going to have the Rectifier Doide, Black Gate Capacitor, and LPF with Vichay resistor for L/R channels mods done while my Ovation+ is in their shop for troubleshooting the non-power up issue.

I just can't imagine buying something new to try to replace this unit when for $550. I can get it modded and brought back to life for some more years of enjoyment.

BOK

ok, after further investigation it seems one of my kids 2 new kittens must have stepped on the power cord of the PS Audio UO which feeds the Ovation+ and pushed it loose ( or something to lose the connection ).

Took the UO and O+ out of the lower rack - hooked them up separately - and all is fine. Powered up no problem.

Still sending the O+ to though to Greg for the mods. I'm psyched for an upgrade.

BOK

Can anyone tell me how to change the voltage from 120v to 230v on a Theatermaster8800pro please, I'm not too sure where to locate the internal switch that was previously mentioned.

Thanks,
Steve

Can anyone tell me how to change the voltage from 120v to 230v on a Theatermaster8800pro please, I'm not too sure where to locate the internal switch that was previously mentioned.

Thanks,
Steve

All sorted :)

One question though, I have an "A" on the display of my Theatermaster8800Pro located between the input selection (eg D1:DVD) and the volume level. I can't find any mention of this in the instruction book. Could someone tell my what it stands for please?

Thanks,
Steve

Hi all
I should probably know this but i have an Encore that i am looking to integrate into my 2 channel setup and wanted to know if signals coming in from the analog inputs are converted to digital? thanks in advance

The Encore digitizes analog inputs.

thanks for the response. I was afraid A to D conversion was the case. I was hoping to integrate my linn lp12 and 2 channel equipment with my ht gear but the idea of digitizing the old lp12 doesnt sound very appealing. I will give it a listen for curiosity sake.

Tell us your reults as I here the Linn is very good. Could he get a bypass somehow to intergrate anyone?

Is it possible to update the firmware of a TM8800 Pro without having to send it back to Noble Electronics in Iowa? If so, how?

Thanks

Its a simple EPROM change, you can do it yourself if you get the ROM but Im not sure where you would get one from sicne EAD is OOB now?

WHich version do you have?

I received my Ovation+ back from Greg @ Noble ( had the following mods done: 8 Fairchild soft recovery rectifier diodes on the motherboard, 15 Black Gate capacitors for power supply de-coupling in the DAC board power supply circuits, LPF (low pass filter) mod for reduction of conversion noise caused by DACS, one new WBT Nextgen 75ohm RCA jack for Digital input, and also Vishay Resistors in the analog musical paths.

All told, just an incredible leap foward in transparancy, resolution and dynamics. Just blew me away. And so quiet but just dynamic as all hell. Like an upgrade I was not anticipating- it's that good. Highly recommended.

BOK

Its a simple EPROM change, you can do it yourself if you get the ROM but Im not sure where you would get one from sicne EAD is OOB now?

WHich version do you have?

The one before the most recent one from memory. Basically I seem to have been screwed over by the seller. The unit hasn't worked properly since I bought it off Audiogon, I assumed it got damaged in transit so tried to ship it back to the seller so he could claim on the couriers insurance but he didn't want to know. He has since agreed to go halves on repair costs when I ship it to Noble, but before I did that, I wanted to check to see if the firmware had just gone screwy. I had hoped it was a downloadable update.

I received my Ovation+ back from Greg @ Noble ( had the following mods done: 8 Fairchild soft recovery rectifier diodes on the motherboard, 15 Black Gate capacitors for power supply de-coupling in the DAC board power supply circuits, LPF (low pass filter) mod for reduction of conversion noise caused by DACS, one new WBT Nextgen 75ohm RCA jack for Digital input, and also Vishay Resistors in the analog musical paths.

All told, just an incredible leap foward in transparancy, resolution and dynamics. Just blew me away. And so quiet but just dynamic as all hell. Like an upgrade I was not anticipating- it's that good. Highly recommended.

BOK BOK123 I am sending my ovation out in a week for the mods except I am going to have them put the signature back board on so I can have the tape loop and the better analog outs so I can run the esoteric 50dvs out of the tape loop since it is a universal player because I beleive I need that loop for the analog outs on the esoteric for sacd and dvd audio. because using the analog outs on the ovation I am not getting the true sacd or dvd audio am I correct in assuming that?

Look in the manual. there is a way to make the unit transmit the codes for relearning.

The Night mode does not remove bass or affect frequencies at all, it reduces dynamic range, making the loud passages quieter and the quiet passages louder so that all sound is more near the average. This way you can listen to the movie at lower volumes, still hear the quiet passsages, and the loud passages won't increease too much in loudness and disturb others.

Good luck.


Hey, I have no idea if this thread is still monitored . . . but I am kinda at a loss.

My remote has ceased to be able to function . . . As in, every button except the component area produces an error. I have read the manual which initially states to hold the learn button for a couple of seconds . . . then I would be able to reprogram via the IR from the ovation to reset . . . . but the learn button is showing an error . . . . I then read to hold the reset button for two seconds . . . which would then reset the remote to factory settings . . . but the reset button is also showing an error . . .

The system itself is fine . . . it's just the remote that I am having issues with . . .

Any help would be great!

Hi,

Get yourself a pronto remote, I've been using my encore with a pronto for about 5yrs now, with NO problems...... :)

Any EAD users still out there, Looking for a manual for a Signature Classic. Mine's been lost. Could use the RS232 protocol as well (fingers crossed).

jcmitch

I have a chance to buy a second hand EAD Theatermaster ovation 8, how good is this processor and preamp. Is a better buy than a receiver? The price offered is $900...

Hey Funky,I`ve owned EAD since the 90`s.You can`t beat the sound.A lot of people use them for 2 channel systems.I went to a receiver.So I could get hdmi switching,ease of use.I might use the Signature-8 for dedicated 2 channel.

The seller want around $900 for it. As long as I'm not interested in video... is this better sounding than the receivers (new) that's around for the same money? Does it matter that it uses 24bit 96 khz DACs vs the new 192 khz DACs?

I don`t think, I could tell the difference in the DAC`S.What always gets me,is the noise floor.If it`s not on the recording,theres no sound.This was when I used it with my Powermaster 2000.I`m sure it`s the same with other amps.The audio pasthru is stunning.

So you would recommend me to buy this preamp?

Funky,at $900 you can`t go wrong.Audio wise, it would be hard to beat with newer products.Down the road you would have good start on a nice 2 channel setup. Dennis

Any EAD TheaterVision P user here? I just got a stock Ovation from Audiogon. I am thinking of get the matching DVD player for the Ovation. In terms of 2 channel sound, is it a good match between Ovation and TheaterVision P? Or would I be better off getting a newer technology player with upconversion (e.g., Pioneer DV-59Avi) for video and let the processor of the Ovation take care of 2 channel audio.

Just curious if there are still many or any EAD users out there? I'm still using my 8800 and will continue to do so since I bought the Denon 3800 Blu that decodes all of the new formats. I'm also fixing to ship it off to Noble to have a handful of mods done. Rectifier Diode and Blackgate Cap mod. Their DNA and LPF with vishays for the LCR channels, and two mods for the analog pass-thru. Excited to get it off and back to hear the differences.

If anyone on this board has done Noble upgrades to EAD units, I'd sure like to hear your thoughts.

Kevin, I had a full set of mods done to my Ovation back when Noble was Boelen. You will not be disappointed.

Thanks Tony, I look forward to it. It's my one piece of gear that I have not parted with in the last 4-5 years.

great to see a wonderful piece still being used by someone else.

I am still using my Ovation+ in my office (8+ years now), and my 8800 in the HT (4 years now)...

Take care,
George

EAD TheaterMaster is really wonderful pre/pro. I had the Ovation 8 upgraded with Rectifier Diode and Blackgate Cap mod by Noble Electronics. Excellent service from Noble Electronic. I would like to thank all posts here that helped me choose the right pre/pro and pleased to see the thread is still going on.

Just acquired Ovation+ and wanted to know if there is anyone out there still using this unit so I can pick your brains. I had been using Rotel RSX 1057 prior to Ovation+.