Datasat RS20i BETA test and comparison with ADA Rhapsody/Trinnov TEQ-12!!!! - Page 39

The procesors inside the Reference are Intel i5s vs Atom processors for the TEQ.
The Reference has 8 analog inputs; so it DOES have the A/D converters that the TEQ does.
Internal to the Cinema Reference is a full-blown 16 channel Trinnov -commercial unit.

TEQs are the same as what edorr uses, basically; the difference is in the input/output connectivity.
beyond the input/outputs the same 4-channel Trinnov cards exist. TEQ should not be considered anything
less than proper Trinnov processing: the software performs exactly the same in all devices- response time to
changes and response to VNC input is the major difference between Atom and i5 processors.

Dan

Grifo,

In response to your questions:

Yes, the TEQ systems use Atom processors as opposed to the commercial Trinnov units that use i5 processors from Intel- faster computing, faster response to changes, faster use through the UI. NO AUDIBLE DIFFERENCE.

TEQ has only analog inputs so all input signals are run through the A/D converters (which are very good!) Since the Cinema Reference has the direct-digital connection internal to the chassis- there is zero down-rez of DTS and Dolby advance codecs. (advantage Reference- even over modded
devices).

When I say 16 channel commercial unit, I mean exactly that- the Magnitude did not exist when the Reference was developed- so it IS a 16 channel Trinnov; no special name.

Upgradeability:
The Cinema Reference is modular, in a manner of speaking- any upgrades however will have to happen at ADA in NY, so your device would have to be shipped by your dealer back to them. 11.1 surround, etc are going to be chip-level changes to the Rhapsody half of the Reference- the 16 channel Trinnov half works as it does normally- and since it must be connected to the internet- Trinnov can update the software license when they need to.

No ADA surround processor is a card-frame like the Theta or Datasat designs (since the same guy was involved in both, I'm not suprised). Considering we are seeing the first 11.1 Blu-ray release in Nov. it will probably be another 12-18 months before 11.1 decoding hits surround processors- and those pieces will be the bleeding edge. Expect companies like Denon, Yamaha, Sony, Onkyo, etc to implement 11.1 before the boutique brands adopt those codecs. Remember, smaller resources means more conservative choices.

A stand-alone Trinnov is going to be integrated into a system like a commercial DSP: between the surround processor and the amplification- for all common situations this will mean the added A/D, D/A conversions- HOWEVER, one must ask themselves, which is the greater evil; added conversions, or the acoustic issues of the room that Trinnov mitigates? I know my answer to that question from this experiment. Trinnov > no Trinnov in any implementation regardless of conversions.

Erik,

Though it may seem on the surface that HDMI was the cause of the financial ruin of Halcro, that is not the case- there were issues in the backstory. Both Halco and Parasound used the same OEM for their processors: Vinci labs. Parasound had more capital to purchase in bulk than Halcro did, and therefore was in a better position with the OEM. Halcro eventually lost that OEM, and since the money had been invested in that design, they were forced to continue with it utilizing other resources. When a manufacturer is high dollar, low volume, there are always these types of issues; each product sold carries a higher percentage of overall revenue to the company, and if you lose market share in one product category (like Halcro did when they were having hardware issues) it has a greater effect on the bottom line to the company. We must also realize that the decisions of those at the helm of said companies bear a greater result to the survivability of any company than the specific market conditions that exist at any given time.

Overall, there are very few sources for HDMI hardware- the licensing is the same cost for all- so the cost to implement HDMI designs is generally dictated by the existing processor design and the ability to change it, rather than dreaming up new hardware. That was the issue with Theta and Meridian- how do we change our design without starting with a blank page? I'm sure there was talk of scrapping both processors and starting over inside both companies- the decisions of the past constrict you in the future; and these products don't have a life cycle like a cell phone where you'll have a new one in 18 months- consumers expect these products to not be obsoleted for many, many years.

I don't think there is a danger of a company commoditizing the surround processor- the market for surround processors is so small that it is relatively insignificant in the consumer electronics industry. From a business standpoint; it's more lucrative to have a company that makes docking stations for phones/ipods that it is to have one that makes multi-thousand dollar surround processors. Ask yourselves this question; why are so many manufacturers making headphones and ear-buds now? Profit. Kevin Lee saw that market opportunity very early-on and Monster is much the better for it, and others are following suit.

Dan

value is a matter of perspective; to some a Royal Oak offshore is a value, to others it's a Submariner, and to yet others it's a G-Shock.

or to drive the point home: to some the 911 TurboS is a value, to others the E63 AMG is a value, and to others a Focus ST is a value.

where people put dollars and what they think is "overpriced" or not is personal.

Dan

1.) yes, the remapping can be turned off and the system utilized for room optimization

2.) remapping is on or off - all channels or none, but you have the ability to preset various channel setups inside the Trinnov- so technically the answer is yes, and no.

Curt can correct me on any specifics.

Dan