Going seperates

That B&K combo is a good deal though.

mule wrote: »

Ht is not my #1 interest so as a result I have other hobbies higher on the list of expendable cash. That is the reason I have been looking on ebay and what not hopeing to get a setup from someone who allways has to have the latest and greatest.

But the more I read stuff here I am thinking I should hold out and go for the latest and greatest processer and just look for a good used amp.

IMO the worst thing you could do is get the latest and greatest. If you care more about music then HT I would suggest getting a older nice pre. I see Rotels and older B&Ks pop up all the time for <$500 which should work excellent for your situation. You can pair it with a nice <$500 amp and easily beat any receiver out there.

Example, older B&K flagship does 7.1 sounds phenomenal with movies and equally good with music, only $475.

mule wrote: »

No offense taken, I appreciate the input and it is a valid point. Thats why I put my intentions in the original post, to get realistic advice for my situation.

And yes the cymbals in mp3 sound like crap

The silver lining is IF you plan on upgrading your source in the future (Ps3) then invest the money in solid gear. We can't all buy everything at once. If you are happy with your source and using mp3's, then just don't blow a huge wad on the rest of your gear because the mp3's and Ps3 limit the quality of sound and no amount of higher end gear will change that.

H9

LessisNevermore wrote: »

Allow me to disagree, kind sir.:D

The PS3 plays sacd's, & cd's, very well. I'd be hard pressed to distinguish between it and my dedicated sacd player. (though, it's a low $ Pioneer 563)

The PS3 also upconverts dvd's to around (IMO) 90% BR quality.

We agree completely on the mp3 subject, but it sounds like the OP put more priority on sacd and BR.

Now if he wants to play MCH sacd,(using the PS3) and the new DD tru hd/dts ma, he's going to need an hdmi receiver, or pro., that has v1.3. Emotiva will soon be releasing new pro's with this, but none of their current models are capable of sound through hdmi.

I just wish sony would produce a 8-channel audio out cable, but that would make too much sense.....

We're all at a different point in our audio journey and we have different expectations. I'm a strictly 2 ch audio guy so the DD tru hd/dts has no bearing on what I consider important.

Any mid level stand alone cdp will sound better than a PS3 for redbook and any decent sacd will sound better too. Certainly some of the multi channel advantages you list you do get with a PS3 that you won't get with a decent stand alone dvdp.

I've been down the road of mediocre dvd players and they don't do music any good at all. I use a separate stand alone DAC in both my systems and the difference in source quality is night and day. Again, multi-channel format I have no desire whatsoever to pursue for audio. Up converting on the level you describe is of no benefit because the quality of the components used are not the best.

It all depends on what your goal is and where you are in the hobby. Perhaps the PS3 is passable for him (not for me) but get rid of the MP3's if you are looking to move up the chain.

H9

Ahhhh MP3's...... So convenient, but hard to enjoy at times for sure. I find mp3's sound alright on earphones when I am struting around town or at the gym, but I have never been impressed w/ them on full sized speakers (for obvious reasons. If you are going to play MP3's over a stereo for any length of time or any amount of musical glee there are somthing you can look out for or try to smooth out the digital rough edges. I am sure most of this information falls into the duh... category for some of you, but it may help out some rookies.

MP3's are so great and convenient because you can fit so many of the bugger on a CD or hard drive. However, this great strength leads to there greatest downfall. There are a compressed and encoded version of a particular song. Compressed and enocoding invariably leads to loss is sound quality. I find most MP3's to sound hollow and not very enveloping. The low-end is undefined and the high's are usually all mix together in one muddy sound. Now, on to some possible solutions.
1) Try to get files with the highest bitrate possible. This basically translate into the amount of information encoded in the file. The higher the bitrate, the more info, but the bigger the file (a PS3 has a monster of a HD so that shouldnt be a prob)
2) I have used a tube stage preamp/processor with great results and you should be able to plug it into the your reciever in the pre out or pre in area (not sure if that would work w/ your particular receiver). Tube's have a wonderful penchant for adding warmth to the sound, reducing harshness that is often accompanied by digital sources (MP3's, WAVs, etc). I use one of these processors (avail on ebay) in between my computer and my amp in my secondary setup with amazing results.
3) If you are uprgrading your receiver try to find one that has enhancers for MP3's. My yahama rxv-1800 isnt the best receiver out there, but I bought it because for the money is was very well equipped, this included a compressed music enhancer which makes a world of difference. It is designed to restore the banhwidth loss at either the low end or high end of the MP3's. With this enhancer on, I can tolerate litening to mp3's on my ipod, through the receiver on my LSI's (which are notorious for high lighting bad sources).
If anybody has more experience with specific tube pre's or buffer I would love to hear it. I am new to the tube thing but so far am impressed... Next upgrade may be a tube cd player...... Just need more money.... If anyone has any spare cash lying around let me know (I do accept credit cards )