LEXICON MC-1 VERSUS MERIDIAN 861

I would agree with Definitive. Proceed AVP is hard to beat. It is excellent on 2 channel not just movies like the Lexicon. However, I sold mine and purchased a California Audio Labs unit, the CL-2500-SSp which is better in most respects than the AVP. The AVP has more inputs and the inputs can be programmed with titles. Some of the CAL units presets can be labled, others are fixed. The Cal unit has is more advanced with newer and more powerful motorola chips and new higher bit dac. It has Burr Brown 1704 dacs on all channels which are 96/24 bit dacs. Also the Cal unit is hardware upgradable and the Proceed is only software upgradeable. The dacs can not be upgraded which in one of the reasons I sold my unit. On 2 channel, the Cal unit is very clean and as good as a lot of hi-end 2 channel preamps but it is not as good as the better ones. The Proceed pre-amp was a Stereophile class B preamp , but the Cal unit is better than it so that should tell you that it's 2 channel performance is not shabby. Audition 1 if you can. It is a new unit and hard to find. I was able to purchase from a dealer who gave me a very competitive price. For video switching you have to buy a separate swithcer which adds another 2000.00 to the cost. The video switcher can switch HDTV signals and will include a line doubler in the near future. As I said the AVP is not hardward upgradeable and thus can not be upgraded to process component video signals or any other new formats that may appear. After comparing them all, including the Lexicon, I settled on the Cal unit because, it sounds better on 2 channel than any that ss processor that I have heard and I have heard most, it has the most advance motorala and Burr Brown chips than any other on the market, and both video and audio capabilities can be upgraded via hardware and software upgrades.

Check out Widescreen Review issue 38. Widescreen has reviewed everyone of the processor you are considering and the editor feels that the California Audio Labs units outperforms all of the others by a substantial margin and sets new standards for a surround processor. But of course you need to listen for yourself. Listen to the other and then listen to it and see what you think. The issues 35-38 cover most of the top processor. Widescreen was doing a review of processor. But one source is not the last word on anything and your opinion is what matters.

The Cal Audio Labs unit has gotten better and better with break-in. I have my cake and am eating it too, love the unit. Great,though not as good as the very best, two channel performance. But certainly, certainly, performance on two channel that is hi-end and better than a lot of strictly two channel pre-amps that I have heard. Out of the box, the soundstage was not as wide as my old Proceed AVP but after about 50 hours of break-in, it has really begin to shine. Seems like many people have not heard the unit and do not know how good it is and think "oh another surround processer claiming to be high-end." This one really is.