Digital Amp/SACD/HT Combo?

DPD -- Sun, 07/30/2006 - 15:48

I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a good combo of components (ore even a receiver) that is suitable for an all-in-one system that needs to handle HT and music, including SACD.

I'd very much like to use digital amps, as I've heard some before and quite liked them.

Oh, and it needs to be able to drive a pair of Martin Logan Sequels, which have a nasty impedance that can drive my current electronics into self preservation mode on big movie transients (hasn't been a problem on music, though).

The Sequels probably have an average impedance of 4 ohms, and dip as low as 1-2 ohms in some places.

Tom Martin -- Mon, 07/31/2006 - 06:58

I take it that by "all in one" you mean for both movies and music? What budget are we talking about?

CEO and Editorial Director, Nextscreen LLC

DPD -- Mon, 07/31/2006 - 09:51

Yes, both movies and music.

As for budget, I'd like to keep it <$4000 for the electronics.

Robert Harley -- Mon, 07/31/2006 - 20:52

You should look at the Sony STR-DA7100ES AV receiver. I'm not sure how it would drive the Sequel, but it's worth investigating.

Robert Harley
Editor-in-Chief
The Absolute Sound
The Perfect Vision

DPD -- Mon, 07/31/2006 - 22:38

Thanks, RH.

Surprisingly enough, I suspect it might do a passable job.

The reason I suspect so? I'm currently using an AVD-S500ES, a somewhat obscure and no longer produced DVD/SACD/Receiver combo that Sony made circa 2002 or so.

Believe it or not, it actually drives the Sequel reasonably well on almost everything. On music, it's never had a problem, and only on the rudest cinema sound effects (usually via DTS) has it ever really lost its cool.

My understanding is that it uses an ancestor of the SMaster chips used in the 7100ES.

What is it lacking? HDMI out, HDMI switching, video upscaling, and a host of more recent innovations....and just a *bit* more grunt.

Any idea how the Sony player/receiver combo fares vs. the Denon equivalents?

My understanding is that both have a direct SACD-Receiver digital connection, although I don't know if the Denon receivers are using 'regular' amp technology or not....