I use the Reference Recording Big Band Basie for spaciousness, Harmonia Mundi Corelli Concerti Grossi Op. 6 1-6 for timbre, and Columbia Records Time Out, especially Take Five for depth of soundstage.
I've thought about replacing my Proceed PAV/PDSD pre/pro with a modern processor like the Integra 9.9 or 80.1. Recently a nice man invited me to listen to a system with a 80.1, and I took my 3 discs. As soon as I got home, I played the discs on my system. His system had preserved spaciousness, but was less good with timbre and depth of soundstage. Could I conclude the difference was a Proceed/Integra issue? No. His speakers and ancillary equipment were different as was his room setup, so any judgement was confounded. That would be true also of an evaluation in a dealer showroom. Replacing the Proceed units became much less urgent, because I was so satisfied with my system after the comparison. Still HDMI 1.3 would be nice.
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I've thought about replacing my Proceed PAV/PDSD pre/pro with a modern processor like the Integra 9.9 or 80.1. Recently a nice man invited me to listen to a system with a 80.1, and I took my 3 discs. As soon as I got home, I played the discs on my system. His system had preserved spaciousness, but was less good with timbre and depth of soundstage. Could I conclude the difference was a Proceed/Integra issue? No. His speakers and ancillary equipment were different as was his room setup, so any judgement was confounded. That would be true also of an evaluation in a dealer showroom. Replacing the Proceed units became much less urgent, because I was so satisfied with my system after the comparison. Still HDMI 1.3 would be nice.
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