Lexicon MC-12, Anthem AVM-20, B &K Ref 30?

Sorry to inform you on the wrong information you just got about the sound quaiity of the Lexicon MC12, over the likes of the Classe (any of em, including SSP25/30/50/75, etc), Krell(HTS or Ref standard), or Proceed (AVP)....THIS IS TOTOALLY BACKWARDS! I've worked around ultra high end audio for almost 10 years now, and worked in several high end audio salons, and can say without hessitation that the Lexicon is no the better, SONICALLY, of the others I just menitoned!!! The truth is, unless you neeed some specific features that the Lex MC12 has(EQ's/inputs/logic 7/etc), and even though you're 80/20 HT to music, THE CLASSE'S, kRELL'S, AND PROCEED'S, ARE ALL BETTER IN EITHER 2 CHANNEL OR MULTI CHANNEL DIGITAL FOR SONICS!!!!...infact it's really not that close. The truth be told, even the likes of Acurus, Thule, EAD, Aragon, etc, all are better sounding units for just about any material you put through them over the Lexicon's! And I say this with absolutely no bias what soever.
good luck

I would go with a Meridian 561 or 568 then the Proceed AVP or AVP2.

On the balanced outputs it is best when the pre-amp is fully balanced but results do vary so you should try for yourself. If your interconnect runs are going to be long then you will benefit more from balanced outputs.

You should really try and audition A/V pre-amps in your home since it is a sizable investment. It is the only way to be sure you made the choice that is right for you.

Good Luck

See my reply to "Need advice...Used Aragon, etc (post date 4/30)". My soundstage drives a Mac 7270 thru RCA (unbal, because 7270 too old to have balanced inputs) and oth4er channel it drives a Mac 7300 thru 25 feet of bal XLR's cause 7300 is newer, so accepts balanced. I also drive a 60' run of balanced cable thru surrounds outlets (tried unbal RCA's, but terrible hum becasue of long run) soundstage bal outs to bal in on Pre1-perfect remote system. Incidentally, the Mac's are nice because of separate channel volume controls I use L for lows and R for highs on Snell XA90's, speakers are pointed differently (wife problem) and I can individaully adjust all levels (needed for difference it HT vs CD audio).

I have owned the classe ssp 75, lex mc 12,and the krell 7.1, the classe sounded very good but had some quality issues, the lex sounded artificial and kept locking up, IMO, I think the lex is the most overhyped and overpriced prepro on the market, the krell 7.1 that I now own is just pure enjoyment, stunning on music, and just as good or better on ht as the lex, IMO, if you want state of the art go with the krell, but you can come very close with less expensive prepro's like the interga or the tag, as I said I have owned these prepro's, so I am speaking from experience, good luck

There's probably a difference between "real" and "real world". There are many sonic differences that are "real" to almost anybody who sits and listens for a moment, but far fewer are "real world", meaning that it would be worth the $$$ to have that difference in their own system. So, yes, there are differences between those units and several others mentioned that are "real", but may not be justified in terms of cost for the non-audiophile or casual user.

The MC-12 is considerably higher priced than the others you mention. It's a fabulous piece of gear, IMO. It's absolutely killer on HT, with the Logic-7 decoding being the best on the market, both in my opinion and in many others'. For two-channel sound it's a big step up from the MC-1 though, again, I'm not sure that the differences you hear would be worth the money to a non-audiophile.

While many focus on just the sonic qualities (which are clearly most important), there are other factors that make the Lexicon a great buy. Lexicon products have always been very user friendly, while still being very tweaky if you decide you want to get more adventurous. Lexicon has always had a great trade-in program, which is the only form of true infinite upgrade-ability. The MC-12 is a brand new architecture, and has a load of capability yet to be incorporated, but very possible given the architecture.

I get a bit tired of all the opinions saying brand X is crap, you should buy brand Y. I love Krell gear, but to come away with the notion that Krell outperforms the MC-12 (or even the MC-1) on HT surround would just be unfortunate - review after review speaks of how the Lexicon product line (Logic 7) is the best decoding algorithm on the market. That the Krell outperforms the Lex in 2-channel mode is possible, given any given person's preferences, but to deduce that the Lex is an underperfomer in this area would be wrong. If you're interested in multi-channel synthesis from two-channel sources (many people are) there's no better than the MC-12 (with Meridian being the only real competition). If you like any of the other models (and there are many, many reasons to like the other models mentioned) more than the MC-12, great, but the MC-12 is a tremendous product.

Finally, The Perfect Vision has a review of the MC-12 by Anthony Cordesman in this month's issue. It would be worth getting a copy if you get serious about buying one. -Kirk