I'm a 'middle-brow' audio enthusiast (translation: I'd like to be higher brow, but I have no money). I recently bought the new Oppo BDP-83 player and started thinking about a new Preamp/Processor or Receiver with HDMI. ( I currently use an Denon AVR - 1800 receiver, but preamp the Center, left and right channels out to an Outlaw 750 amp.) It's important to have left and right channel preamp outputs, because the front speakers are Magneplanar 1.6 QRs, which need a lot of power and a 4-ohm rated amp).
(For vanilla audio CDs I have a Cambridge D500 which connects directly to a Morrison E.L.A.D. preamp).
$850 or under: Something that can handle 4+ HDMI inputs and decode Dolby True HD and DTS HD. I could care less about the tuner section, I rarely listen to radio. HD radio doesn't interest me.
There seem to be a lot more receivers than preamps. (Isn't that always the case?) I don't want to pay for an amplifier section I'll never use, but If there is a receiver that is an exceptional value that has a preamp out for the the left, right and center channels, I'm interested.
The Emotiva UMC-1 looks to be the best deal right now. My only concern is that I'm not familiar with their products. The 40% discount on future processors is a great hook. The Outlaw 997 looks like a nice unit, but that's a little more than I want to spend. Of course it would be nice if I could actually buy the UMC-1 or 997 today, but I'm willing to wait a couple of months.
Someone is selling the Sherwood Newcastle R-872 Receiver for $699 on Ebay, which seems like a pretty good deal. The features look excellent for the money, but there are very few reviews to be found, which makes me nervous.
So what should it be? The Emotive, the Outlaw, the SW R-872, something used on eBay, or something else? Should I wait and upgrade later? Feedback appreciated.
Thanks!
System:
Cambridge Audio D500 CD Player
Sony DVP-NC85H SDVD player
Oppo BDP-83 Blu Ray player
Western Digital Media Player
Denon AVR 1800 Receiver
Morrison E.L.A.D. Pre Amp #252
Outlaw 750 Amplifier
Sennheiser HD580 Headphones
Magneplanar 1.6 QR front (and stereo) speakers
Sound Dynamics Center and Rear Channel Speakers
Panasonic PC-P50G10 Plasma TV
(For vanilla audio CDs I have a Cambridge D500 which connects directly to a Morrison E.L.A.D. preamp).
$850 or under: Something that can handle 4+ HDMI inputs and decode Dolby True HD and DTS HD. I could care less about the tuner section, I rarely listen to radio. HD radio doesn't interest me.
There seem to be a lot more receivers than preamps. (Isn't that always the case?) I don't want to pay for an amplifier section I'll never use, but If there is a receiver that is an exceptional value that has a preamp out for the the left, right and center channels, I'm interested.
The Emotiva UMC-1 looks to be the best deal right now. My only concern is that I'm not familiar with their products. The 40% discount on future processors is a great hook. The Outlaw 997 looks like a nice unit, but that's a little more than I want to spend. Of course it would be nice if I could actually buy the UMC-1 or 997 today, but I'm willing to wait a couple of months.
Someone is selling the Sherwood Newcastle R-872 Receiver for $699 on Ebay, which seems like a pretty good deal. The features look excellent for the money, but there are very few reviews to be found, which makes me nervous.
So what should it be? The Emotive, the Outlaw, the SW R-872, something used on eBay, or something else? Should I wait and upgrade later? Feedback appreciated.
Thanks!
System:
Cambridge Audio D500 CD Player
Sony DVP-NC85H SDVD player
Oppo BDP-83 Blu Ray player
Western Digital Media Player
Denon AVR 1800 Receiver
Morrison E.L.A.D. Pre Amp #252
Outlaw 750 Amplifier
Sennheiser HD580 Headphones
Magneplanar 1.6 QR front (and stereo) speakers
Sound Dynamics Center and Rear Channel Speakers
Panasonic PC-P50G10 Plasma TV
Im currently using the Onkyo 885 instead.
