Few more updates on my Halcro SSP100 after few weeks of critical listening:
1. It does offer bass management with ability to choose direct vs. DSP for the ONLY FOR BALANCED INPUTS. So if anyone out there fortunate enough to own discontinued EAD theater master DVD audio player with balanced outputs they could really use this processor for the best possible sound. Ofcourse, you could always use RCA to XLR adapters to use existing 5.1 outputs from usual DVDA/SACD players which may help with bass management issues.
2. I am currently using resolution audio CD55 via stereo balanced outputs to SSP100. While the CD 55 sound is extremely transparent and clear, it lacks the bass response I love in music CD's when I set up SSP 100 in bypass mode. When I use the SSP 100's DSP mode for balanced inputs, it dramatically changes the bass dynamics without affecting the wonderful sound generated by CD 55 and it quickly became my default mode for all my cd listening. CD 55's bass output is surprisingly weak since I have to increase the output of my Velodyne DD-18 by 2 times to get the same punch I get from my $130 Sony CD changer via optical output. But sonically CD 55 is superior to Marantz SA-1 & Quad CDP-2, I recently auditioned in my house and I can't wait to see if there is any noticeable improvement with their new Opus 16. While the CD 55 can't come close to the construction quality of the 50lb beatiful Marantz SA-1, again sound is light years ahead and is well worth it.
3. SSP 100 also has extreme processing power that it can be used for a movie theater. Compared to Lexicon MC 12 which gives you a maximum front speaker distance of 30 feet from seating position, SSP 100 gives you up to 63 feet. Even with test tone speaker output levels Lexicon maxes out at 12db and SSp 100 goes upto 15db, but the output generated by lexicon at 12 db is surprisingly achieved by SSP 100 at only 4-6db. None of these observations are really important to most home theater set ups but I just wanted to mention in case some one has a very long room with specific needs.
I will post again if anything else changes!
thanks
pramod
1. It does offer bass management with ability to choose direct vs. DSP for the ONLY FOR BALANCED INPUTS. So if anyone out there fortunate enough to own discontinued EAD theater master DVD audio player with balanced outputs they could really use this processor for the best possible sound. Ofcourse, you could always use RCA to XLR adapters to use existing 5.1 outputs from usual DVDA/SACD players which may help with bass management issues.
2. I am currently using resolution audio CD55 via stereo balanced outputs to SSP100. While the CD 55 sound is extremely transparent and clear, it lacks the bass response I love in music CD's when I set up SSP 100 in bypass mode. When I use the SSP 100's DSP mode for balanced inputs, it dramatically changes the bass dynamics without affecting the wonderful sound generated by CD 55 and it quickly became my default mode for all my cd listening. CD 55's bass output is surprisingly weak since I have to increase the output of my Velodyne DD-18 by 2 times to get the same punch I get from my $130 Sony CD changer via optical output. But sonically CD 55 is superior to Marantz SA-1 & Quad CDP-2, I recently auditioned in my house and I can't wait to see if there is any noticeable improvement with their new Opus 16. While the CD 55 can't come close to the construction quality of the 50lb beatiful Marantz SA-1, again sound is light years ahead and is well worth it.
3. SSP 100 also has extreme processing power that it can be used for a movie theater. Compared to Lexicon MC 12 which gives you a maximum front speaker distance of 30 feet from seating position, SSP 100 gives you up to 63 feet. Even with test tone speaker output levels Lexicon maxes out at 12db and SSp 100 goes upto 15db, but the output generated by lexicon at 12 db is surprisingly achieved by SSP 100 at only 4-6db. None of these observations are really important to most home theater set ups but I just wanted to mention in case some one has a very long room with specific needs.
I will post again if anything else changes!
thanks
pramod