2. home-theater
  3. 1061224073

EAD TheatreMaster 8000/8800 ?

I recently took my mothballed TAG McLaren Audio AV-32R out for a dedicated AV set up. Was contemplating a 5.1 bypass surgery and upgrade to the twin SHRAC processor spec. I guess we'll never find out how good it will sound now given TAG's "business review".

I need a new processsor for an AV biased set up in a small room. Already have a decent 2 channel system. Having said that, I am looking for refinement not commonly found in processors (not that the TAG is great, it was a sensible option 3 years ago). Have heard the Theta and Krell - very good but not really my musical cup of tea. Also, hear the older EAD Ovation and Signature in the past. Pretty impressed with the stereo sound quality. Rather wallet friendly as well. Would the TM8000/8800 be a step in the right direction ? What other processor should I look at ?

BTW, I use a Chord Electronics(small UK concern)5 channel power amp - 130W monoblocing front left and right, 160W mono into centre. Rear surround driven by less critical TAG power amp.

Thanks,

Tom
gilas
macct
51 posts
 
Former Ead Owner, but now have the Krell HTS 7.1 (before that the HTS). I really enjoy the Krell, but realize it is not everyone cup of tea. The Krell has excellent dynamics, and can be very melodic with good material. It is, however, not very forgiving of bad source material.

That said, I really did enjoy the EAD processor I had. It was a very dynamic and detailed processor, while also being more forgiving of lesser quality source material. Its been about 3 years since having the EAD, and hopefully they have improved their ergonomics & manual. I found my processor to be reliable, but the operational quirks are frustrating, especially if someone other than you will be using it. I would highly recommend a good univeral remote (home theater master mx 700) if you went with an EAD processor. Overall, I think EAD has a great sound, and is a great deal on the used market (personally I would want a warranty).

I would also include the new Classe ssp30. Having heard the older versions I think it is a great compromise for HT and music. The newer version has more features, including Dolby Prologic II (which I think is noticeably better than DP).

Good luck, mac-ct

rwwear
2,692 posts
 
The new EAD processors are more user friendly and can now be controlled without a remote.
gilas OP
39 posts
 
I have also heard good things said about the Classe and the Sunfire Theatre Grand III. Any user/listener feedback please?

Thanks,

Tom
mrlabguy
44 posts
 
My EAD TheaterMaster 8000 and Theta Dreadnought combo sounds great in 2-channel and very dynamic in 5.1/7.1 My best combo yet.

Difficult Remote Control

Michael
kelvin70
1 posts
 
EAD TM 8000 has decent sound if you prefer bright and harsh sound. It lacks tremble and bass management...and it is too complicated for non-technical user...
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