ADA Mach 4......WOW!!!! - Page 2

Not going to happen regarding cosmetics. That is not ADA's model.

What I've been told regarding room correction it will ge some time before it is put into the SSPs so for now the focus will be an outboard box.

Now this may change with the Rhapsody and Reference [HD version not out yet] in the future.

ADA and its distribution channel likes to keep "tweaking revenue" in the channel so one button auto cal room correction and/or eq to the extent of other processors may or may not come to pass. Again this is just my thoughts.

ditto

Now is there an add-on piece for composite / component video if you have other components with such?

What's MSRP?

MSRP 7500. both pieces same price. Composite, s-video, etc switching can be handled by other boxes (doesn't your scaler do that?)

Dan

There are plenty of inexepensive and good boxes from the pro video world that will convert any kind of analog video to hdmi.

I understand that the Suite 7.1HD is only HDMI whereas the Mach 4 offers other inputs/outputs. If you only need HDMI inputs/outputs, is there any reason to consider the Mach 4 over the Suite 7.1HD?

I heard that the Trinnov system will be setup to receive an analog input which will then be converted to digital for processing and then back to analog for output to the amplifiers. This does not make any sense to me. Why go through an extra set of AD and DA conversion? Not only will this add to the cost, it can only degrade sound quality. It would seem far more logical to keep the signal in the digital domain all the way through to the DA conversion right before amplification. In the case of an external Trinnov unit, why would the sound from the pre-amp not be output in digital across either HDMI or some sort of proprietary ADA digital connection?

"I heard that the Trinnov system will be setup to receive an analog input which will then be converted to digital for processing and then back to analog for output to the amplifiers."

Where did you hear that, and which Trinnov system was it referring to?

This was from a conversation with ADA. The Trinnov application is still a long way off, so hopefully ADA will change their mind and skip unnecessary AD/DA conversions.

You can order them with chrome, brass or aluminium faceplates instead of black, at extra cost. You can also get them without the front handles (although you get exposed screwheads) and I think possibly without the rackmount lugs.

I love the standard ADA look, but a rackfull of chrome amps would look pretty sweet...

Hi Marcus,

Just to complete the helpful comment you made - the units are all available in "shelf mount" without the rack ears.

My personal favourite is the aluminium finish, I think it looks amazing in a nice rack system - especially if you have a couple of amps underneath it!

I notice you are in London. If you need anymore info on ADA or fancy a demo of the Suite 7.1 HD let me know. There is a very special new demo room opening in Windmill Street next week that is using S7.1HD

That is not (for me) the benefit of multiple sub outs. My rear subs are not the same distance from the LP as my front subs. A number of Prepros allow the sub outs to be processed separately (Denon, Integra, Onkyo) for trim level, EQ, and distance --- a major improvement in overall sound quality.

Any SSP that does not include this capability will never be in my system.

Sorry that I haven't chimed in here earlier. Truth is that I never searched in the Display Devices section.

I just returned from CES and will admit that we had a great show. ADA shared the room with RBH Sound and avielo by Projection Design. We had a 12 foot 2.40:1 SI Black Diamond Screen (huge!!!) and did simple 5.1. From an audio perspective, I have to admit that this was my first show with Trinnov room correction and boy did it turn me into a believer. ADA used a Suite 7.1 HD with PTM-8150 power amplifier. The subs ran off of RBH's own sub amps.

The Cinema Rhapsody Mach IVs began shipping prior to Christmas and the Mach IV Bs are set to ship in the next run this February. Yes, they both feature a Cat-5 based microphone input on the front panel for Trinnov but that technology is not on board. I also don't have a time line of when it will be internal.

That said, we are in the works on the TEQ-1, a 2 rack-space external 8 channel device that will provide a near full implementation of the Trinnov device used in post-production houses. It features both balanced and unbalanced inputs and outputs. I hope to begin shipping units later this spring.

For those who might want to wait for an inboard solution, I want to point out that I doubt the inboard (chip based) approach will match feature to feature the external box. Simply not enough MIPs there.

So now that I know where to find you, you also know where to find me. If you have any questions, please feel free ask.

Richard

Hi Richard --

-- Does this mean that the plan is for units purchased now to be able to have Trinnov loaded on down the road? And if so, is this true of both the Rhapsody and the Suite?

-- Are there any SQ differences between the Suite and Rhapsody? Or is it features and inputs only?

-- Have heard there may be a Reference series processor. Is this correct, and if so, any timeframe on that? And how will it differ from the Suite and Rhapsody?

Thanks for joining the forum. BTW, owned one of your early processors and thought it was a great product.

Rumor, from inside your room at CES, was that the first and only unit with the Trinnov would be the Reference HD. True?

I thought the room sounded great.

BTW, what is the MSRP on that Trinnov unit on display and what features will be removed for the TEQ-1 box and it's target MSRP?

I thought the sound eq graphs on the PC was cool too. What software was being used?

First, thanks for your support and I am glad you had the chance to use some of our gear. We take great pride in our legacy products just as we do our future releases. What did you have?

As for your questions - in order.

If and when we release Trinnov in the Cinema Rhapsody Mach IV, we will then determine what would be involved in upgrading existing units. Frankly, until we have it in the can, I wouldn't speculate as to what it would take or if it is even possible. Our current plan is to charge more for units that feature Trinnov on board and perhaps the upgrade cost will offset this difference. The Suite 7.1 HD was never intended to feature Trinnov.

The three biggest differences are:

Front panel - if you like fiddling with your preamp, the Rhapsody's front panel is much easier to navigate and prettier. The Suite 7.1 HD is more industrial.

Connections - The Suite 7.1 HD has 4 analog audio and 8 digital audio inputs in addition to the 8 HDMI inputs. The Cinema Rhapsody has four more analog inputs and an eight-channel bypass input. It is also available with video (8 composite, 8 component, and 8 S-Video) inputs or balanced outputs. For non-HDMI video, you can use your selection of scaler/processor taking non-HDMI sources and inputting them into the Rhapsody. Then each non-HDMI video outputs to your video processor. The HDMI output from the video processor then inputs through a single HDMI input on the Rhapsody. As you change inputs, say from VCR1 (composite 1) to VCR2 (composite 2), they still both track say HDMI input 1.

Analog Crossover - The Rhapsody features a 2nd crossover fixed at 80Hz, this in addition to the very flexible cross-over in the DSP. By setting both x-overs to large, you can run full range and still extract bass for summing with the LFE to the subwoofer. Very cool feature if any speakers in your system are capable for full-range. You can set this feature by speaker grouping (Center, Front, Surround, Back).

Other than these features, both units share the same SQ and features.

We have not yet determined the future of our usual flagship, the Cinema Reference. In past versions (Mach II and Mach IIIs) these units boasted a front panel video display. While our preamps feature mirror HDMI outputs, we have yet to source a 7" display that is 1080p (the mirror outputs set to the display with the lowest resolution). That said, we have some ideas in mind. Perhaps we'll unveil something at CEDIA Expo next fall.

Richard

Thanks for stopping by and the kind comments on the sound. Frankly, it is among the best sound we have been able to produce in a show environment. The video didn't hurt either.

We set the room using a Trinnov pro unit but I have to admit that even in bypass, the room sounded killer.

The cool graphs that you mention are in fact the Trinnov room correction system. No special software, just part of the package.

As for which unit will feature Trinnov first, until we ship anything with Trinnov in it, everything is speculation. That said, I sense this day coming soon and imagine that the TEQ-1 Trinnov EQ (8 channel 2 RU unit) will be the first to go.

The TEQ's price has yet to be set. To be safe, I can say that it will be under $10K but where exactly has yet to be determined. Once I have more information, I will report here.

Richard

So would a ADA Mach 4 (or another name), balanced, with TEQ-1 Trinnov EQ be coming all in one box?

Does the TEQ-1 include a fan? Noise?

We are "hopeful" that we will have the Mach IV (with video or balanced outputs) with a version of Trinnov room correction one day. When I don't know. Note that the TEQ-1 will have feature sets that I can't imagine cramming into a chip.

I don't know if the TEQ-1 will require a fan or not. Too early.

ADA,

What was the MSRP of the Trinnov unit used at CES? Will that be available via an affiliation of sorts? What differences will there be between your TEQ-1 and the Trinnov unit at CES?

Unless there is an input/output issue it seems to be better to go with the Suite 7.1HD with a video scaler vs. the Rhapsody. The Rhapsody's form factor may allow for growth but ultimatly it will be based on MIPS the processor can handle and the code will require. That said is the Rhapsody dual processor or ugradable to such?

What would the Reference HD bring to the table? You must have some idea if you plan to show a unit at CEDIA [less than 9 months away].

A friend who has an Optimizer MT reported it was roughly $13k.

hoochie momma !!!

Hi Rodger, it's been too long.

I think your friend was confusing Euro and Dollars.

The Trinnov Optimizer MC unit we used at CES was around 13,000 Euro (configuration will change based on the sound cards used). Depending on where the dollar is trading, that comes to about $18K-$20K.

Our TEQ-1 is targeted somewhere between $8K and $10K and will include most of the features found in the Optimizer MC.

And yes, with nine months to go to CEDIA, we have not yet started looking at the Cinema Reference Mach IV. For those that really know us, that should not come as a big surprise. We can roll new designs inside three months depending on the device. For example, at the upcoming ISE show in Amsterdam, we will be unveiling a new whisper quiet 7 channel power amplifier as well as the Suite 32. Both projects broke ground post CEDIA Expo - I am guessing mid October and late November respectively.

Hi Richard, thanks for correction. My friend is in the biz, so maybe that's an accommodation price--or maybe he got it a couple years ago. Anyway--Hoochie Mamma seems accurate.

Looking forward to a solid consumer platform with integrated Trinnov. I know Albert can pull that off!

Had a home demo of the ADA 7.1 HD Suite and it was a big step up from my Arcam AV888. Couldn't justify keeping the 888 and placed an order for the ADA.

In what ways did the ADA do better than the Arcam?

I am not really surprised as every ADA pre-amp I have ever had was an excellent performer but it would be interesting to hear how the ADA trumps the Arcam.

It has much greater clarity and detail and makes the AV888 sound warm and slightly muddy in comparison.

There seems to be quite some interest. I have been waiting a while for my unit to come through as they've been a lot of pre-orders.

greater clarity and detail, arcam was muddy you say...

hmmmm watching movies?

The 888 was def a step up from the AV9 but in comparison to the ADA that's how it sounded.