Choosing the right AVP

[70sMac]

Mac Board.... We've been working on adding 5.1 capability to our Mac 2-channel setup for quite a while now. At this point, we have our tried and true MX130, an MX121 and an MX151 to work with. Needless to say, the MX130 won't do us much good when it comes to multi-channel processing, but it has proven to be an excellent 2-channel preamp for us for many years now.

The ideal situation for us would be to have the ability to switch between 2-channel stereo and 5.1 -- in our future AV room -- and maintain the best sound we can get from what we have to work with. If anyone reading this has experience with both the MX121 and the MX151, I'd love to hear from you about your impressions of both AVPs and, most importantly, which one will deliver the best overall performance.

I'm not sure if it makes any difference in this discussion, but we are presently using a Mac MC300 for stereo and will be adding an MC205 in the near future for the additional channels.

Thank you for your time...

[Yamaki]

I may be prejudiced but my pick is the MX-151.

[sgbroimp]

Originally Posted by Yamaki

I may be prejudiced but my pick is the MX-151.

Ditto!

[Logan Nolag]

Originally Posted by 70sMac

Mac Board.... We've been working on adding 5.1 capability to our Mac 2-channel setup for quite a while now. At this point, we have our tried and true MX130, an MX121 and an MX151 to work with. Needless to say, the MX130 won't do us much good when it comes to multi-channel processing, but it has proven to be an excellent 2-channel preamp for us for many years now.

The ideal situation for us would be to have the ability to switch between 2-channel stereo and 5.1 -- in our future AV room -- and maintain the best sound we can get from what we have to work with. If anyone reading this has experience with both the MX121 and the MX151, I'd love to hear from you about your impressions of both AVPs and, most importantly, which one will deliver the best overall performance.

I'm not sure if it makes any difference in this discussion, but we are presently using a Mac MC300 for stereo and will be adding an MC205 in the near future for the additional channels.

Thank you for your time...

The MX121 and MX151 are both very outdated so neither one will be all that useful for video. Looking at used prices for them they are still quite expensive so it might be a better idea to take a look at the new MX100 that was just announced seeing as it's MSRP seems to be similar to the price of a used MX151.

Really though if you want the best possible 2 channel performance you would be better off getting a 2 channel preamp that has the passthrough feature and then get a modern AVP or AVR and use it's preouts.

[70sMac]

Originally Posted by Logan Nolag

The MX121 and MX151 are both very outdated so neither one will be all that useful for video. Looking at used prices for them they are still quite expensive so it might be a better idea to take a look at the new MX100 that was just announced seeing as it's MSRP seems to be similar to the price of a used MX151.

Really though if you want the best possible 2 channel performance you would be better off getting a 2 channel preamp that has the passthrough feature and then get a modern AVP or AVR and use it's preouts.

Thanks for the post, Nolan, but, as with most folks, finances are a huge factor in this. All three of the MX units I described in the original post (OP) are paid for, so we wish to make the most out of our investment(s).

We've been 2-channel stereo listeners for decades now, so this is our first foray into anything that requires more than two channels of amplification. At this point, I'm not even sure if we'll really like blending video with our audio (A/V)...but one things apparent right now, it's the sound that we're interested in. I'm not really sure what you meant by "...neither one will be all that useful for video," but we have (2) Oppo players and a Sony X800M2 that handle 4K UHD very well.

Getting back to sound, we also have DVD-As and SACDs in our physical media collection that we've never gotten the most out of, so there's another reason we're trying to make the best choice...and, furthermore, I've been listening to Mac since the late-70s, so we wish to keep our rack full of the blue, teal and green lighting that we've loved for most of our lives. I experimented with other so-called "high end" brands when I served overseas -- and nearly all of it, other than the Mac stuff, is in a landfill somewhere.

If you happen to have experience with both the MX121 and the MX151, I'd really love to get your thoughts on the pros and cons of both MX units. So far, I'm very impressed with the sound we're getting for the MX121. It has 9-band manual equalizer capability that I really like. I'm told that the same thing can be achieved via the room perfect menus/settings, but we haven't, as yet, figured that out. This makes it rather difficult to perform proper controlled A/B comparisons -- via the same music sources -- so, once again, we're looking for thoughts from folks who've heard both units "in action."

Thanks again for the post...

[Logan Nolag]

Wait so you already have an MX121 AND a MX151? In that case just use the MX151 it's the higher end and more feature packed one out of the 2. It should be fine for 2 channel. Use the MC300 for the front left and right channels and the MC205 for the other channels.

What I mean by the MX151 and MX121 aren't useful for video is that neither one supports 4k or ARC so your best bet is to plug your sources directly into your tv and then run an optical cable from your tv's optical output into the MX151.

Another option would be to sell the MX151 and the MX121 and buy a newer AVR.

EDIT: Actually I was a bit wrong. The MX121 does have ARC so if you decide to use that one you can just connect an HDMI cable from your TV to the MX121. The MX151 has roomperfect though while the MX121 only has Audyssey which isn't quite as good.

[70sMac]

Originally Posted by Logan Nolag

Wait so you already have an MX121 AND a MX151? In that case just use the MX151 it's the higher end and more feature packed one out of the 2. It should be fine for 2 channel. Use the MC300 for the front left and right channels and the MC205 for the other channels.

What I mean by the MX151 and MX121 aren't useful for video is that neither one supports 4k or ARC so your best bet is to plug your sources directly into your tv and then run an optical cable from your tv's optical output into the MX151.

Another option would be to sell the MX151 and the MX121 and buy a newer AVR.

EDIT: Actually I was a bit wrong. The MX121 does have ARC so if you decide to use that one you can just connect an HDMI cable from your TV to the MX121. The MX151 has roomperfect though while the MX121 only has Audyssey which isn't quite as good.

Yes, Logan, the MX121 does have an HDMI connector on its rear panel with ARC capability. As I mentioned in my last post, it also sounds much better than the other two MX units we own, so it's definitely a nose ahead of the MX151 right now...remember what I said about sound?

On the other hand, the MX151 has a lot of XLR connections (both in and out), which I prefer, so it's definitely the winner when it comes to connectivity...but I need to stay on point here.

At this point, I'd love to read the thoughts for someone who's spent some time with both the MX121 and the MX151, adjusted both units and has heard the difference. Once again, sound trumps everything else, so that's our chief concern in this regard.

[njcardave]

I have a MX121 playing in pass through with my C47 preamp. I think that the technology has advanced quickly since then. Looking to purchase a dedicated AVR soon. Considering the ANTHEM line. Got some info that the new models will be out soon.

[leftside]

I have an MX121 connected to an MC205. It's great for 5.1 sound. It's also very good for 2-channel sound as long as "Pure Direct" or "Direct" modes are selected (bypasses digital processing). The 2 channel DAC in the MX121 is poor, so I also have a standalone DAC (that is connected to the MX121 and Pure Direct mode is used).

For video, I simply connect the Display Port cable directly from my home theater PC to the TV (bypassing the MX121) and connect a HDMI cable from the home theater PC to the MX121 for 5.1 sound. This way my MX121 will never be "outdated".

[substance]

MX121 has more features and true analog pass through if that matters. The video board on MX121 is from Marantz AV7005 which has the ABT2015 system on chip. ABT2015 is arguably the best de-interlacer for SD video and 1080i Cable/Satellite. It’s upscaling and enhancements are above average too.

MX151 is better only if Room perfect is your preference and interested in digital audio.