Classe vs Meridian vs. Theta


I am building a new home theater from scratch, but i am limited in the availability of products to audition in this area. Does anyone have a recomendation on the best processor. I will be listening to music 50% of the time, so this plays a major role in the comparisons. Please help!!!
marsh

Showing 1 response by argonaut

Your 3 choices are all excellent. If you're not too concerned about upgrading to future surround modes, the Classe' SSP-25 is probably the best for the money. IMHO, its Dolby Digital & DTS performance is just as good as the others and its 2-ch stereo mode is phenomenal (best I've heard from a <$6K surround pre). The only major drawback is the fact that it may not be upgradeable to the new multichannel formats (DVD-A & multichannel SACD). For under $2K, it's the best I've heard.
If you can audition these preamps (preferably in you own home), I would strongly recommend comparing them side by side. Good Luck.