Beyond Sony 9000ES...

[kano1975]

<font color='#000000'>I purchased the Sony TAN/E9000ES combo a few years ago and have been pleased thus far. &nbsp;I got a heck of a deal on these units so I don't have a ridiculous amount of money invested (about $900). &nbsp;With that in mind, these new features and sound formats being packed into the latest and greatest receivers and amps have me thinking about moving on. &nbsp;Things that are peaking my interest are component video switching, component video upconversion, 6 or 7 or even 8 channel amplification, PL2, Neo:6, THX, 2nd/3rd zone capability, etc. &nbsp;Really enjoy the benefits of &quot;seperates&quot; but I find myself being led back into the world of the versatile &quot;all in one&quot; unit because it looks to be the best bang for the buck. &nbsp;

Am I jumping the gun??? &nbsp;Are these &quot;all-in-one&quot; units comprimising too much??? &nbsp;Is there anything in the $1-2K range that compares in build quality and sound??? &nbsp;Are these new features and sound formats just a hint at what is to come in the very near future finding myself posting the same message 2 years from now???

All thoughts appreciated,
Kano</font>

 

[steve]

<font color='#000000'>Kano,

These are all valid concerns.  I once owned the Sony TA-E9000ES processor.  There are some things I actually miss about that unit.  I found it to be a great processor, with moderate fidelity.  

Since this processor, there have been many changes, some of which you outlined in your question.  Some of the changes are positive, and others are more toward marketing and trying to keep the technology changing every year.

I think in the time you've owned the Sony, there has been some worthwhile new features in products, many of which fall in your price range of $1k.

For starters, even though the Sony has the Virtual Matrix mode (in the upgrade), it isn't near the quality of a good processor/receiver that has Pro-Logic II.

Depending on your system, there may be some benefit in an &quot;upgrade&quot; to new hardware.  But in the $1k to $2k range, I don't think I'd consider separates.  Many of the low price processors, even though they have the latest gadgets, will not be much of a sonic improvement to the Sony. &nbsp;We've had them side by side and know this to be true, at least for the units we checked out.  

If you are looking for video upconversion and an improvement in sound quality, options, and new formats, I'd consider the Denon AVR-3803.  It has everything you're looking for, including high quality processors and DAC's.

Good luck, and let us know what you decide.</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>Steve, what do you mean when you say you found the TA-E9000ES to be a &quot;great processor with moderate fidelity.&quot; This does not make sense to me as a great processor ought to have great fidelity.</font>

 

[Khellandros66]

<font color='#000000'>Think what steve ment is that a great processor can exert moderate fidelity, but a great processor can be better than expectations too.

In other words in its price range and comparable Processor power, if implemented with slightly better DACs, caps, transformers, etc. &nbsp;It would result in fantastic fidelity

My 2 cents interpretation</font>