While buying a home theatre, majority of the consumers go for an A/V receiver which is a combination of a multichannel power amp and a preamp/processor (pre/pro) into one chassis.
Nonetheless, a good number of aficionados prefer to buy a separate pre/pro and power amp. If you want superior sound and have the financial resources, then you are probably shopping for separates.
If you have decided to opt for separates rather than an A/V receiver; then you have traversed over into a whole new world of high-end home theatre electronics. Chances are you are not likely to hit upon these products at the neighboring big-box chain. Specialty retailers will make available the finest assortment, overall knowledge and customer service for this type of product.
It is improbable to locate a dealer who provides comparative listing demos of multiple pre/pros. Mainly A/V shops put forward hardly any different models and linking in a way that permits timely switching between them is tricky situation.
What to look out for – the pros and cons
Donât get too obsessed with specifications as it is virtually unfeasible to choose based on specifications alone because you will find more or less identical technical specifications among the diverse brands. Performance and engineering have accomplished such altitudes of sophistication that specifications such as frequency response, distortion, and noise are all above average in every case.
Even though there are trivial disparities in the technical measurement, most individuals would be hard pressed to notice any distinction in a subjective listening test. There are rarely any incongruities in the quality of sound among manufacturers. However, there are delicate modifications in the sonic signature of different pre/pros that is influenced by the speakers and the amps used, for that reason it is vital to use the similar machinery when contrasting pre/pros.
Having said all that, some specifications, for example, the type and number of outputs and inputs will aid in limiting our choice. For instance, what is the number of source devices you have? Will you add more in the near future? To assist your current system and future plans, it is advisable to go for pre/pros with adequate HDMI and other inputs. If you have an analog timetable, make certain the pre/pro has a phono input appropriate for the cartridge of your picking (moving magnet or moving coil) unless you exploit an outboard phono preamp.
A good number of pre/pros furnish poised analog-audio outputs. Balanced connections reduce noise pickup in long cables. On the contrary, in most systems the cables linking the pre/pro to the power amp will be very short though it is not of much worry.
Pre/pros fall evenly in the high-end category, thus all current models will meet the fundamental needs with specific features such as the capacity to decode all modern surround formats, video upconversion for analog video sources, automatic room calibration and onscreen display via HDMI. (Pre/pros usually meet these basic requirements.) Numerous makers put into practice Audyssey or Trinnov’s auto-calibration system to offer both room setup assistance and equalization, while some implement their own propriety system.
A crucial feature is the video processor. Amongst the most widespread processors are Sigma Disgns/Gennum VXP, Anchor Bay DVDO and Faroudja DCDi. One more outstanding processor employed in some pre/pros is called HQV, primarily developed by Silicon Optix and afterwards acquired by IDT, which freshly vended the technology to Qualcomm; hence it is uncertain whether HQV will persist to be applied in upcoming products.
Take a test disc to the retailer to assess the video processor’s performance to witness how well the pre/proâs processor handles them, make sure the output of the disc player is set to 1080i (for Blu-ray) or 480i (for DVD) during the tests.
Conclusion
A number of pre/pros are sure to excite you; the vital difference however for most buyers will be the features. For example, music can be played wirelessly from any Apple device through the sound system as Marantz and Denon have adopted Appleâs Airplay, similarly 4K video up scaling is proffered by Integra. The final decision will be made on the feature which is most attractive, of course, the sonic character you find most flattering with the system.
As a matter of fact, you might reflect on getting a matching power amp and pre/pro from one manufacturer which will make it enhanced and sonically matched, also presenting an amalgamated visual manifestation.
