I recently changed my Lexicon MC12B to Halcro SSP-100 and sonically it is a definite upgrade without a doubt. Here is a list of improvements over Lexicon MC-12B version3.
1. Much better 2 channel music separation and 3 dimentional sweet sound.
2. DVD 5.1 DD& DTS sound more punchy, louder, clear and surrounds are so dominant that I heard many sounds I haven't heard before in my favourite clips with sounds crossing over my head in a new dimention. You just have to experience it.
3. Eventhough unit has just a single balanced subwoofer output (you could use side axis channels as stereo subs), the bass is tighter than Lexicon.
4. For 2 channel/ TV viewing Lexicon's Logic7 goes head to head with SSP-100's PL2 or Neo 6, but after playing extensively I settled on SSP 100's Neo 6 for both 2 channel music and 2 channel and 5.1 channel dish network viewing. There are very few units which make Neo 6 sound better than PL2x and the only other brand I have come across is Yamaha RX-Z9. Neo 6 in SSP-100 sounds so much better than Neo-6 in Lexicon MC-12 and after many years I replaced my music listening from stereo to Neo 6. Center channel gives more punch to the voice than stereo mode and surrounds are not dominating or distracting with more defined bass.
5. External 7.1 channel input for SACD/DVDA: SSP-100 actually gives balanced and unbalanced 7.1 inputs. I haven't seen any SACD player under $10,000 with even 5.1 balanced outputs and probably no unit is out there with 7.1 outputs. But it is good to know that my unit has it in case some one comes with DTS-HD player with balanced outputs. The biggest problem is SSP-100 doesn't offer Bass management with is seen these days in cheap Denon players. So this unit has nothing to do with your 5.1 channel music but simply controls volume. Lexicon is more advanced in this aspect with full bass management. There is no way to assign external 5.1 analog inputs to any source like Lexicon and 7.1 mode in SSP-100 simply overrides the existing source and you have to press it again to get back to the source. Suppose I want to see the track info/pictures that come with my DVD-A/ SACD, I first have to change the front panel display to my universal player source first then engage the 7.1 mode to listen the sound and also see the display simultaneously.
6. Front panel display: It is extremely useful to see all the information veiwing in DVD-A discs without turning the projector on and to do adjustments with my Velodyne DD-18 digital EQ. I also used it to monitor my mini DV recordings to DVD recorder. Lexicon has no plans to offer a display in near future. Let us just say it looks beatiful with countless uses and you can turn it off to be less distracting. The display doesn't work with HDMI or Component inputs and you need to connect the equipment with S-video or RCA video cable ( I had to dig into my basement for these long gone cables). It is adding more cables to the HT system and I wish they change it in future.
7. Auto distance and level st up: This worked very well with the included mike with no error messages like "no speaker found". No room EQ is available with SSp-100 as seen with Lexicon which may or may not add to sound quality after spending $4000.
8. HDMI switching: Lexicon now offers 6 to 1 switching but this unit also offers built in scaler. Since my Benq PE 8720 projector is incompatible with SSP100 HDMI output I can't comment on the units HDMI quality. I am more interested in HDMI 1.3 upgrade which should bring DTS HD and DD true HD decoders all in one package which brings out uncompressed sound from all the movies which I can't wait to hear. For now I am using SSP-100's component video switching which flickers a little and goes blank for few seconds when source is changed and is not as smooth as Lexicon.
9. Only 2 Optical inputs: These are still the only digital outputs used with all satellite receivers, X-box/PS. I wonder the reason is they welcome consumers to use HDMI for audio and video. But when I tried my DVD player and Dish VP612 audio via HDMI, it sounded less detailed compared to the usual optical or coaxial outputs. So much for the hype that a single HDMI cable will get rid of all other cables in your HT system.
10. User interface: this is no way comparable to beautiful Lexicon's or Anthem's interface and I wish Halcro just copied them. For starters, you can't assign a dedicated sound mode to each source (like stereo for CD player and Neo6 for TV or THX-games for X-box etc.)but you can choose up to 4 modes to be added to all the sources where you can modify the channel output levels and lipsync. Lexicon does it in a much easier way and lets you do it for each mode rather than just to each source.
11. THX Modes: This unit has all the THX modes more than Lexicon offers, but I have never liked THX in my HT set up as it never sounded better than PL2 or Noe6. I am sure there is something wrong with my ears as many top reviewers love THX modes.
12. Party mode: This is one amazing sounding mode included in SSP 100 which brings surrounds into action with a punchy bass and is great for party music. I haven't heard any thing like this before with any other processor.
13. Balanced outputs: I wish they are at the bottom of the unit like Lexicon so you could use shorter interconnects to the amplifiers which are always close to the ground since they are heavy. Lexicon offers few more balanced outputs like total 3 subwoofer outputs and also side axis outputs.
14. Stereo subwoofer hook up: Lexicon is a winner as it routes bass from left speakers and center to left Sub and right speakers and center to the right sub. With Halcro you have to sacrifice side axis channels to achieve this but I am still not clear if it does the same thing as Lexicon. I wish Halcro offered more Balanced outputs and cut down on balanced 7.1 inputs.
15. Remote control: One of the worst remotes ever designed and I boxed it after programming MX-950. There is no discreet on/off commands as expected with a hign end processor and also there is no direct access to some of the sound modes like PL2, Neo6 or Party and Stereo modes except for accessing the useless THX mode. So each time I want to change the sound mode to any of the best modes I have to turn on the front panel display then go through mode+/- button till I see them. I can't even macro it reliably as there is not even a single default mode access button on the remote.
************ But at the end of the day gentlemen, the sound which comes out of this unit is jaw dropping and is better than Lexicon>Anthem D1>Bel canto> Mcintosh >Krell> Arcam> Rotel and various other processors/receivers I tried in my life. I never had the opprtunity to try Casablanca 3 or Meridian so I can't say this unit is similar sounding or better than them as the lesson I learned is never to assume unless you test in your own home (I have had my share of surprises when $150 Black mountain cables sounded way way better than Cardas golden reference interconnects and $300 Synergestic research cables sounded slightly better than Nordost Quattro Fils).
For under $10,000 there is nothing else in this world comparable to the SSP 100 sonically and I am hoping that Halcro will soon release a upgrade to address some of the issues I mentioned above.
##### A word about SSP-80: While it saves money to someone who doesn't need scaler properties of SSp-100 but you also miss one HDMI input, no 5.1 balanced inputs but you still get stereo balanced input. The main thing you miss is no front panel colour display and I heard from my dealer that the processing power is less than that of SSP-100
$$$$$ Here is my equipment:
1. Halcro SSP-100
2. Theta Dreadnaut 2 7 channel amplifier
3. Nordost SPM front 3 speaker cables
4. Synergestic research active X2 interconncts and Black mountain interconnects
5. Nordost Vishnu and few Shiva power cords.
6. Martin Logan theater center, Odyssey front and Aeon surrounds
7. Velodyne DD-18
8. Benq PE 8720 projector with 115" firehawk screen.
9. Nordost Wyrewizard 10M HDMI cable and audioquest cinema2 component cable
%% I hope my review helps you guys to make a decision regarding your next pre/pro purchase.
