dts

Posted by SMR [WizOp] on October 01, 1998 at 19:52:20:

In Reply to: dts posted by Brad on September 30, 1998 at 19:27:21:

Brad,

You make some interesting points about the process of upgrading to a separate system, for those currently using a receiver it's quite an upheaval and expensive. The only area in which to save money is the amplification, one should be able to use the old receiver for at least two channels, but it still means a new processor, amplification and tuner (where applicable).

The message for anyone who has an eye to the future should be: think separates first. At least by starting with more modest separates, each piece can be changed when funds allow, rather than needing to upgrade the whole shebang in one go. For example… buy a B&K and a modest Rotel 5-channel amp, then swap the Rotel for something more up-scale and finally get a Theta Casablanca (or whatever).

: I guess I just wanted your thought's on whether or not is a mistake to bother going with an integrated home theater receiver, when the new formats and technologies that are arising may not even be able to plug into the back of that receiver (the VSX-07 only has 3 digital inputs, I'm already using two and I don't even have a satellite).

Receivers offer a very convenient route to home theatre, and if one is concerned with just main-stream formats such as Dolby Digital they're fine. What's more, if a receiver has six discrete inputs one can add any type of external decoder later. However… they do not offer the type of (operating) software driven flexibility that the 'high-end' boxes do, neither do they offer an open architecture which will allow for internal hardware upgrades. For these type of features, only separates will do.

I personally think one has to be one sandwich short of a picnic to spend, for example, £2,500 on an Onkyo TX-DS939. That's an amazing amount of money for a single component, one which can't be upgraded and doesn't even have 5.1 inputs!

Stuart.

Follow Ups:

• dts Ralph Quinones 13:25:55 10/26/98 (0)
• dts Brad 20:09:18 10/01/98 (0)

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