Preamp/Processor indecision!

THE SONY TA-E9000ES HANDS DOWN. YOU CAN GET ONE IN THE $800-$1000 RANGE WITH THE 1.84 UPGRADE. YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND AND DON'T LIKE IT, I WILL BUY IT FROM YOU. IT WILL NEVER BE WORTH LESS THAN WHAT YOU PAY FOR IT. GO TO SONY'S WEBSITE AND CHECK IT OUT. BETTER YET GO TO AUDIO REVIEW AND LISTEN TO WHAT THE CURRENT OWNERS SAY, THERE ARE OVER 250 RESPONSES.

I just had to make the same decision you are pondering over see surrounded add in this same catagory below for my system equipment. My price point was a little higher but i agonized over this decision for months.I listened to many high end pre/pro Proceed avp ,Theta casonova,and the Meridian 561 i completely changed direction at the last second after hearing a demo of the EAD ovation+ this is simply a great preamp premium dacs in all 6 channels great sonics but the best news is i purchased it from audiogon, for $3,500 and its even the new version to boot!. Do yourself a favor if music is your thing along with movies look for a new version of the EAD ENCORE you can pick one up for around your price point or better yet a used EAD Ovation . All of the EADs are upgradable to the next level so you can buy an Encore now and when you get more money upgrade it to a OVATION are a Signature the key being technology will not pass you by my goal was to make a purchase i could live with for a while i feel i've done just that ! Oh and customer service at EAD is first rate they will discuss there products with you and answer any questions you may have and explain how the upgrades are done . I hope this helps you good luck ! Definitive .

You should add the Bryston SP-1 to your list. Although it's a new model, it looks very good. It has 6 digital inputs, 3 analog inputs, plus Dolby Digital and DTS processing. Bryston also makes Lexicon equipment, so the SP-1 starts with an excellent pedigree. If you decide to include the Bryston on your list, I suggest you contact Danny Oovlin at "Bestofdeal". He offers very good prices on Bryston gear, and I have found him to be very professional. The easiest way to initially contact him is by E-mail at: Bestofdeal@aol.com

In the response I just posted, I should have mentioned that I have an Adcom GTP-750 in my current system. On the whole, I am reasonably pleased with it. It is a totally digital unit, so you will need a phono pre-amp if you want to use a turntable. I initially had some problems with the new unit, and had to send it back to Adcom for repair. They repaired it and it has performed fine since then. The one aspect of the GTP-750 which I am very satisfied with is the processing of DVD soundtracks - it's clean, dynamic, and the "steering" to each of the speakers is excellent. If you can buy a used unit that is less than a year old and is selling for $1400 or so, I think the GTP-750 becomes a very good buy.

Classe ssp-25 would give you better stereo sound than the units you listed. No video switching though.