Need help in picking a good preamp/processor

Ramesh,

I am very pleased with my Proceed PAV/PDSD. They serve as the preamp/processor for a Proceed Amp 2 and Amp 3 that drive a pair of KEF 104/2s, KEF C 200, and a pair of KEF 102/2 surrounds. All biwired. A Velodyne HGS-15 takes everything below 80 Hz.

The sound is open and transparent, with a large soundstage and precise imaging.

Reviews suggest a Krell HTS would be a good choice also. Either the Proceed or the Krell would be a cost effective solution to excellent stereo and 5.1 sound.

db

Ramesh,

I've never compared the Proceed PAV/PDSD side by side with the AVP, but I suspect the AVP is a bit inferior. The AVP2, OTOH, is probably at least equal and may be slightly superior, but it is more expensive used.

What I can say is that I've listened to many high-end systems, and, of course, they all sound a little different. People talk about warmth or coolness as their preferrred form of distortion, but I listen for openess and transparency, along with a large, well defined soundstage. The PAV/PDSD has not been wanting.

At one time, I thought I should try the convenience of a receiver, and it was OK for movies and HDTV, but that openess and transparency I look for in stereo was missing, so I went back to the Proceed stuff.

You should be aware, though, that the Proceed units do not handle component video, so if that is important to you, you might look elsewhere.

db

Flrnlamb,

Your response might be useful if we knew what elicited the triple no, otherwise in a series of posts we have no idea of your intent.

db