High quality processors with HDMI 1.3

I currently own a B & K Ref 50 and have nothing but good results from it. Good switching, good video, good audio and easy to use. But I also want an HDMI connection and wonder if the Ref 50 will do an upgrade.

Krell S-1000

I hear B&K also has something coming out any time now with 5 HDMI 1.3 inputs and may be priced about $3500.

I don't know much about B&K quality one way or the other though. I wish someone made just a HDMI DAC with three or four inputs. This way I wouldn't have to get rid of my existing pre/pro which I really like for multi-channel analog. I am thinking there are a lot of others in the same boat as I. In the end, I bet I’ll just have to shell out for a new current piece.

Darrylhifi- the Denon prepro was introducted at CES 2007, and it's still not out!! I do see it advertised by dealers in HiFi+ magazine but nothing here in the US yet. Hope you're right about the two weeks.

Russ

There is a very high end Denon coming out in about two weeks . I think it lists for $7500.00 . I know thats its fully balanced , its made in Japan , and in terms of processing options , no other machine comes even close.

Kal, your not keeping up on your AVS reading! BTW, Onkyo/Oppo combo is doing very well. Only complaint is the fussiness of HDMI and the fact that there are just too many options.

Thanks

CJ

Thanks but now I must correct my earlier post. It turns out that the new Cary Cinema 11a will decode those formats.

Kal

To All- Kal is to be congratulated for all the hard work he put’s into championing our cause; multi-channel music. His January Music in the Round was the best yet. The light at the end of the tunnel is at hand and is NOT a locomotive charging full speed at us. All we need now is for Theta, Bel Canto, Bryston, et al to catch up with the Asian giants.

Looking forward to the next Music in the Round and the “new speaker setup”. I think Kal may have left us a hint a few issues back when he stated, “the music sounded better when all the B&Ws were set to small”. I’m thinking (guessing) five high quality two or three-way stand mounted monitors in conjunction with two JL Audio subwoofers. Wowsa!!

Keep up the good work Kal. I’m doing my best to keep the multi-channel SACD producers going strong.

Russ

Note that both the NAD and the Cary, afaik, do not (yet?) have the CODECs for the lossless formats (Dolby-TrueHD and dts Master Audio) and, therefore, require PCM from their sources.

Kal

I just got the NAD T175. I had an EAD Ovation. I was very reluctant to replace the EAD, but it drove my wife and kid crazy. The EAD was one of the best around BITD.

Call me crazy, but I think the NAD sounds better.

It has HDMI 1.3. Killer build quality and nice remote as well.

The Integra DTC9.8 is also the EXACT same thing as the Onkyo Pro PR-SC885P, and a tad cheaper. My understanding is that NAD has their own variant as well, based on the same model.

Now, there are others

Older Halcro 80/100's can be sent back to the factory and upgraded, or you can buy a new Halcro 180/200, which will also handle these codecs.

Further, the new Cary pre-amp/processor series can also do it.

Here is a link that will give you all the info you need.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=965362

To date the only pre/pro I am aware of released that handles all the new audio codecs is the Integra DTC9.8, many were shown @ CES, but not ready for market yet.