How many of you guys use a HT processor ?

I would say it depends on your ratio of music/HT. I was in the high end HT pre/pro (Proceed/Krell/Classe) market a couple of years ago, but then I realized that 80% of my listening was to music. I also tired of the constant upgrade versions of the pre/pro's. Then I took the advice the advice that many here told me in the first place. If you listen to much music, you'll be happier with a high end stereo preamp with a HT throughput. There are many models on the market from companies like BAT, Classe, Sonic Frontiers, Cary, VAC, just to name a few. When I tried a Classe CP-60 stereo preamp, it was all over for my high end pre/pro's. I now use a Denon receiver for HT duties, with the FL&FR preamp outputs feeding into a unity gain input on my BAT preamp. I will never play with pre/pro's or multi-channel amps again. The Denon does fine for HT purposes. In my opinion you're visually distracted when watching a film anyway, so the level of finesse that I love in my music (mostly through tubes), isn't necessary for HT. However, dim the lights, and music never sounded so real in my home as it does now.

I hope this was helpful, I know I ignored many of these type of replies when I was playing the pre/pro game. I'm much happier now though. If you use your system for mostly HT, then a pre/pro may be for you though. Only you can make that call though.

Regards,
John

Also audition meridian on your short list.

You can get by without a HT processor. I think that perhaps the only reason to have one has more to do with the total anarchy of what is called HT today. There is firewire, DTV, HDCP, DVI and more to come tomorrow.

I own an excellant projector that's most modern input is component and it has a 15-pin computer RGB input. With all of the anarchy in today's HT possibilities, a decent pre/pro might be in order as you can always update/improve it without having to go out and buy a new system. This can cover firewire, DTV, DVI, etc.

My DAC is an Audio Aero Capitole Mark II and I run both Satellite and DVDs through it so, for me a processor would only be used to modify/interpret various HD signals for my Dukane projector.