Better 2-channel music

"I've realized that you and Bob have different views in experiencing the quality of sound, and the differences sometimes go from rich knowledge to subjective emotion that usually influences our judgments as well as reading other's point of view."

I have no problem with specs. My differences with Bob are not that he does things one way, and I do them another way. All of his listening experience comes from reading articles, and he only picks the specs that he likes to talk about. If you like, I can quote him saying that he does not have to listen to a piece of gear in order to know what it sounds like. Those are his words.

And look at what we have here in this thread. If he is so good with specs and how to apply them, then why wouldn't he address any of the technical matters that I brought up? He refused to acknowledge that you still deal with room acoustics with 2 channel. He talks about Vandersteen but refuses to consider the technical matters I brought up regarding keeping the speakers time and phase correct using his methods.

And lets not forget his crowning achievement.

"06-11-15: Bob_reynolds
I think the standard advice of replacing an AV type of product with an analog preamp is overly simplistic."

Yet you did just that and got excellent results. Every single person that responded to your thread, except Bob, all recommended a similar solution involving removing the AV preamp, and going with something 2 channel. So what's his answer for your success? You imagined it. Really? He now brings psychology in to all this?

"So, Phil's response was entirely predictable. No big deal, it's normal. But, drawing any conclusion from it is foolish.
Bob_reynolds (System | Threads | Answers | This Thread)"

If that's not arrogance fueled with stupidity, I don't know what is. He's insulting you. Bob just doesn't want to look like a fool so he'll say anything. He could care less about you or your system. What does he know about Psychology? Nothing. Like everything else, he just guesses. I actually have a degree in Psychology, and I could easily make the case that when you made a change in your system, it really did sound different. Is that so hard to believe.

In the end, Philkoan, I can't fault you for anything. I know you are just trying to keep an open mind. And audio is a learning process. Most of us here has suffered, at one time or another, listening to the Bob's of the audio world. I know from experience. I just get a little emotional when I see people making the exact same mistakes that I did. But that's how we learn, so in the end good will come of it.

Elevick,
I can't agree more. I've been thinking of moving from a receiver to a pre/pro. In this case from SR7007 to AV8801, (not AV8802), and use the price difference to buy the Cambridge Azur 851C, CD player, DAC and stereo preamp. I don't have a sound proof movie theatre, and moving into Dolby Atmos involves replacing and adding 6-8 speakers with cutting hole and wiring in wall. My question to you is that how to connect the Oppo, Cambridge, Marantz, and power amps so I don't have to use some types of switch. T
Thank you elevick.

Zd542, I heard you, and thank you.
My question to you is that people talking about using decent stereo preamp and HT surround pre/pro bypass. How can it be done if I have the Oppo 103, Cambridge 851C CD player, DAC and stereo preamp and a set of Emotiva amps then speakers.
I really need help!

Sorry. I didn't realize that was what you were asking. Its not complicated if you think about it. Just visualize the flow of the signal through the different components.

For stereo, start with the 851C CD player. The signal starts there and goes to the 2 channel preamp, and then to the amp that powers your front L and R speakers. Its a traditional 2 channel setup.

For Theater, start with the Oppo. The signal from the Oppo goes to the HT processor. What's different here is that you can't send signal from your processor to the amp that powers your left and right front speakers because your 2 channel preamp is already connected to it. Instead, you take the signal what would normally go to that amp and you plug the IC's into the the HT bypass input on the 2 channel preamp. Doing it this way allows the 2 preamps to "share" the same poweramp. When you want to listen to music, you just select any input on your 2 channel preamp that has a source connected to it. When you want to watch a movie, you select the HT bypass input in the 2 channel preamp, and that allows the signal from the processor to pass through the 2 channel preamp and on to the amp. Its really just a switch that allows 2 preamps to use the same amp.

Also, you don't have to use one of your sources with just 1 of the preamps. You can connect them to both. An example would be that you would like to connect your Oppo to your theater preamp to play movies and your 2 channel stereo preamp to play SACD's. You would simply run cables from your Oppo to a input on the HT processor for movies, and run cables from the Oppo to an input on the 2 channel pre for music. You can connect all of your sources like this, that way everything will be shared and you won't have to compromise anything. You'll be able to use every feature on every product you have.

That's what I need to know before ordering the Cambridge Audio Azur 851C. Thank you Zd542.