The official "Theta" thread - Page 152

My main source for music is the BDP-1. However, I have an excellent TT and 1200+ LPs that every now and then I play. The CB3 analogue will be just fine. I'm thrilled with the reduction in cables and devices since my CB3-HD upgrade and plan no further analogue changes other than possibly a Gen VII which will give me an excellent 2 CH analogue path and 2 awesome DACS for L/R mains fully integrated with the CB3-HD.

That's the most logical course. It pretty much covers you for everything. I am planning to try the Gen VIII with a TT over the holidays. I have a friend with a ton of albums. I typically visit a couple buddies over the holidays for some Scotch, good food and of course music. We usually spin the shinny disc but this time it will be his LPs.

I agree with Roger. Upgrade you player. You can then play Flac with the player. I'd sell the Oppo 83 and then cost to upgrade will be small.

Great! I'll be able to check it out in Feb. when I'm there. It will be cool to compare the Bryston to the new player, first hand. I know the Bryston is hard to beat but I like to have a frame of reference.

Question guys
I have 2 dreadnaughts II. One with tree channels and one with two channels. Now I'm willing to change my set-up and need a dreanaugt with one channel and one dreadnaught with four channels. Is it possible by just taking two channel-moduls out the dreadnaught chassis and putting it into the other one. Can I do this by myself or can it only be done by a Theta dealer.

OT:
BD, sounds like a lot of fun and I think you'll have a good time with the "shinny discs." I love my CBIII HD for movies where it is the best I've ever heard, but when it comes to music, I am still strictly LP because of what I perceive as a more see-through transparency and air around instruments (and some people might argue, in my head LOL). What I've also done lately is transferring my LP collection, quite a few still have stunning, un-matched sound and music, to CD with a cheap Teac recorder and then to Ipod with lossless compression. That way I get to listen to my music anywhere I go. The sound quality is surprisingly still excellent, particularly if I play the Ipod with the Wadia 171.

One interesting development is that I think ebay has revolutionized the way rare and particular discs (and everything else for that matter I guess) are sold and purchased: it is in effect a powerful, near world wide search and has made easy to find discs that you want, even those rare "audiophile" ones on TAS Super Disc list and the likes (if that's what one is into). Between ebay and stores like Acoustic Sounds, I have my candy stores and am set for life :-).
Edited by cannga - 11/6/12 at 6:10am

Wow - thanks for the very interesting info; to me one of the most important "discoveries" about CBIII HD as so much of music is (of course) still only 2 channels.

It doesn't affect me too much because I use a Conrad Johnson tube pre for 2 channel listening, but it may explain some of the funky things that I've complained about in the past: With Roy Orbison Black and White Night DVD set to PCM 2 channel (the "best" mode for this DVD), and played in Stereo Mode, there is always sound coming out of my center channel! It did bother me and I've always thought I set up something incorrectly. I'll try again with Matrix mode.
Edited by cannga - 11/6/12 at 10:20am

I yearn for the day Theta gives the firmware of the CB a good "scrub" so that stereo is stereo, multi-channel LPCM is available for selection as a mode (or at least works properly) and I don't get a green display when switching HDMI sources without rebooting the CB - for the day we don't have to "discover" the CB's idiosyncrasies. It really feels like the current firmware is aging and due a rewrite. Too harsh - maybe, but it feels that way sometimes. Hopefully the new DSP chip and Dirac provide enough of an excuse for a ground-up rewrite.

Having said that, I fired up my CB III HD and re-tuned the levels last night for it's new, smaller room. I've got only the front L/R Andra IIIs and their centre channel connected so far. A little playing around between Full and various XOVR settings and it was absolutely sweet (even with just an Oppo 93 as the source). Everything from Kings of Leon "Revelry", through Nick Warren's Global Underground CDs to Miles Davis and Style Council sounded fantastic.

I too have two Dreadnaughts and moving modules between them is quite simple. As with all Theta gear, they are built like tanks so take your time, use an anti-static wrist strap and make sure you set the main/surround switch properly for the new configuration. That being said, I have to why you want this configuration? I have used mine in the past with a 3/2 configuration so I could have only one module powered in each one for the left and right main speakers making them pretty close to mono-blocks with huge power supplies for 2 ch listening.

Thanks Sam for the explanation. Now I use the dreadnaughts for the surround, side and center channel. I want to put my new rack on the side of the room instead of the front. So my casablanca comes together with one (4 channel) dreadnaugt for the surrounds and sides. The other dreadnaught is just for the center and wil be standing next my centerspeaker behind the screen. My two citadels will stand before the screen for my fronts.

My Theta Compli Blu 3D has been ordered thanks to Craig - should have it shortly!!@@@@

Excellent. I'm now using Enterprise amps for the L/R mains. Citadels get awesome reviews here.

Review of Compli Blu at Postive Feedback:

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue64/theta_compliblu.htm

Positive Feedback finally got around to reviewing the Compli Blu, just as the new Compli Blu 3D is comingo out!!@@

Yes, I would also add a rewriting of the manual to update it and reflect all the tidbits of information, such as the Matrix for Stereo advice. But I agree, in the end, it does come down to the sound, which is best I've ever heard for movies and SOTA without a doubt, and that's why we have these long time Theta owners, and this huge, long running thread.

Now that I think about it, that doesn't sound like a unreasonable request at all for this ultra-expensive processor - the right to have a working manual LOL. Jeff/Theta, how about giving John a 1 week sabbatical to redo the manual? I don't know if there is a new one but the one I got is hopelessly out of date. It really shouldn't take long and it's about time.

Green display when switching HDMI sources without rebooting the CB? I don't think I have this - what is this about?
Edited by cannga - 11/10/12 at 10:30am

But you understand that this is an error - Stereo should simply pass two channel audio. The point is, the "tidbit* shouldn't be be necessary.

I seem to get this a lot, in addition to often getting no sound

Per John B of Theta: "I prefer to play two channel/ stereo listening in the Matrix mode with all channels turned off except for the front left and right channels. In Matrix mode the front left and right channels are as close to Analog Direct mode as possible in a CB3HD when the speakers are set to Full. The Stereo mode was designed to feed a multi channel signal to just the front left and right speakers, the thinking was based on a 1995 world when some people were playing all multichannel formats via a two speaker system."

The above is consistent with the manual's definition of the "Matrix" mode, but is not consistent with the manual's definitionof the "Stereo" mode.

From the Theta CB3 HD manual, pages 47-49, available online at Theta's website:

"STEREO: Left and Right input signals are sent to the Left and Right front speakers. If crossed over in the
SETUP\SPKR\CONFIG menu, SUB channel(s) will be produced.

- - - - -

Matrix (MATX): The signal routed to the center speaker is equal to the left plus right input signals and the
mono signal routed to the surround speakers is equal to left minus right signals. Crossing over any
speaker(s) produces sub channel(s)."
Edited by Steve Bruzonsky - 11/10/12 at 8:39am

Yes but if you read the posts above, John suggests that things don't behave that way...

If you read my entire post above, you would know that I read John's suggestion that things don't work that way!!@@ HA! HA!

I think John put it fairly simple and clear- keep in mind this was just a suggestion provided by John that I found worked well for me. As far as technical details and how / why / what, why not contact John directly and raise your concerns / questions? Outside of that, you will not get any answers.

The ol' edit the post trick!

I tried this over the weekend and I am equally astounded. The improvement was not close to subtle. Bizarre, yes. But I'm happy to find out about it.

For any of you who can compare Stereo to Matrix mode, could you do a simple test? (This assumes that the benefits of Matrix are available from either analog or digital inputs. If only for digital, I will revise the test.)

Play a stereo analog signal as usual, but disconnect the Rch input. Mute all outputs except the R speaker (be careful if disconnecting amps or speakers to do this). Is there any audible signal at the R speaker in either the Stereo or Matrix modes?

Thanks!

Is this M.Kessler with the Casablanca IIIHD and the Dirac Live?

That is Morris Kessler speaking at the California Audio Technology dealer meeting held last month at Raleigh Studios in Los Angeles. That is not a Casablanca.
Edited by Stereojeff - 11/15/12 at 3:25pm

Roger, I think the Matrix mode dates to the Casablanca 1. I believe it is analog only and uses hafler sum-difference circuits.

Ok. But that does not help resolve why Stereo sounds different than Matrix when using only the L/R outputs. So I proposed a very simple test. So far, no takers.

I don't understand the goal of the test, as I prefer to judge SQ with both L/R engaged. Are you unable to test this yourself? Honestly, I would just call John at Theta to ask "why". Questions answered, done. Anything here will be guessing / pontificating.
Edited by k_lewis - 11/15/12 at 4:39pm

i'm only doing digital for this, but I could never find the time to pull out the rack and pull out inputs. Sorry.

+1, digital was the reason for initially investigating this and reporting findings.