A newer preamp/control center?

[70sMac]

Pete..... How do you like that Oppo 203 you have in your bedroom setup?

[Vintage Pete]

Originally Posted by 70sMac

Pete..... How do you like that Oppo 203 you have in your bedroom setup?

I like the Oppo UDP-203 a lot. I run the discrete outputs for Front L & R, Center, surround and sub outputs directly to the MX120. I couldn't be happier with the setup.

I also have a UDP-205 in my main (2 channel) system in the living room.

[70sMac]

We've got a new Oppo 203 on the way, but, alas, the 205s have been priced out of any possible justification. For the prices folks are asking for an Oppo 205, we would be well on our way to a decent multi-channel Mac amp. If only we had known about them a couple of years sooner...

[70sMac]

Originally Posted by Masterlu

Just an FYI... you should definitely become a Subscriber. You will gain access to our Maretplace, send and receive PM’s and dozens of other benefits. Without question, it will be the best $25 you can spend for a full year.

https://www.audioaficionado.org/showthread.php?t=135

For your convenience;

https://www.audioaficionado.org/payments.php

Ivan..... I know that it probably doesn't belong here ... but I'd like to the know the difference between becoming a regular subscriber and a platinum subscriber? Thank you, sir.

[Masterlu]

Originally Posted by 70sMac

Ivan..... I know that it probably doesn't belong here ... but I'd like to the know the difference between becoming a regular subscriber and a platinum subscriber? Than you, sir.

Bill... here you go;

https://www.audioaficionado.org/showthread.php?t=3577

[Vintage Pete]

Originally Posted by 70sMac

We've got a new Oppo 203 on the way, but, alas, the 205s have been priced out of any possible justification. For the prices folks are asking for an Oppo 205, we would be well on our way to a decent multi-channel Mac amp. If only we had known about them a couple of years sooner...

Bill...you're absolutely right, the prices being charged today for the UDP-205 are insane. I was lucky, I got mine right under the wire. I was planning to buy one at some point for my living room system (I had a BDP-105D in that system). I wasn't really planning to buy it at that moment. But when I heard the news of Oppo's decision to stop production, I decided I better move fast. There were warnings that stock would deplete quickly. So that evening I placed my order from the Oppo site. Less than two hours later, the site showed them as out of stock. I was lucky to get one right then at the $1299 price. It's a fantastic player, but folks are really greedy and trying to make big money on them.

I now own 4 Oppo players-the UDP-203 in my bedroom theater, the UDP-205 in my living room system, a BDP-105D in my Florida room system, and a BDP-103 in my office system. Great products for sure.

[W9TR]

Bill - happy hunting for a McIntosh Pre/Pro. There have been a lot of good suggestions so far.

You should really consider how you will use your system before you buy a pre/pro.

I tend to buy a couple of models back to keep costs down. The MX 170 and MX 123 are the latest. I have an MX 151 which is two models back. The model changes have to do with video switching mostly. The 170/123 will handle the latest video standards. The older units will have some limitations that are nonetheless easy to work around.

The first question to ask is, do I need HDMI inputs?

You need HDMI if:
* you want your pre/pro to switch both audio and video or,

* you have more hdmi sources than hdmi inputs on your TV.

Then you have to decide what kind of hdmi inputs you need.

1080P - works for DVD video and Blu-Ray video

4K - works with 4K Blu-Ray

4K UHD - works with the latest Ultra High Definition Blu-Ray video

In my case the MX 151 does not do 4K, so I run my only 4K source (OppO UDP 205) directly into my projector for video and then the RCA outs of the 205 to the MX 151 RCA ins for audio.

All my 1080P sources (Roku, Dish Hopper) go through the MX 151, and it goes through the other hdmi input on my projector.

So I get 4K and incredible audio from the Oppo using a McIntosh pre/pro that is two generations back.

I’d also add that these pre/pros take a bit of work to get set up but are fantastic sounding when dialed in.

Tom

[Antonmb]

Great explanation Tom. One point re HDMI: you don’t just need it for video switching - if you’re going to use a newer streaming device, you need it to handle audio as well as video. The newer Apple TVs and Roku devices, for example, have only hdmi output, no other digital or analog outputs, so the only way to use them is with HDMI to your pre/pro, or HDMI to your tv and then some sort of audio return from the TV to the pre/pro.

A clarification re 4K and UHD: 4K and UHD are pretty much synonymous in consumer TVs. Technically 4K is the pro standard for production and cinema, while UHD (Ultra High Definition) is the standard for consumer displays and broadcast TV. However the marketing of consumer monitors/TVs has pretty much defaulted to using 4K or 4K UHD because 4K is catchier and people recognize it. If your tv is 4K, UHD, or 4K UHD, it’s actually all the same thing. 8K is the next highest resolution, but we’re years away from having meaningful content in 8K. In the real world, you only need to worry about Blu-ray and 4K/UHD.

[80B]

Originally Posted by Masterlu

My MX-136 has a kind of cool back story. Many years ago, after hosting many home demo’s featuring all Mac’s best reference gear at the time. Charlie Randall presented me with a new MX-136 at n/c (their best at the time).

I was the very first person/dealer to own the XRT2KW speakers, and MC2KW’s amps. Both are numbered 002/003; numbers 000/001 are the prototypes which I was invited to Binghamton, NY to audition at the factory.

I bought them both on the spot.

I was also instrumental in their development of the matching XCS2K center channel.

The MX-136 has proven to sound extremely good, and rock solid over all these years.

Ivan, that's a very cool story. I gave my MX136 to 80BJr. but he doesn't have the space to use it in Seattle (let alone the B&W 802Ds, LOL), and since he's going to stay with us for much of the next 10 months until his company opens the office up, I'm probably going to bring it out of retirement.

[LarsT]

I have heard that McIntosh had borrowed some technology from Marantz in regards to processors. My question is whether the McIntosh products significantly outperform the Marantz 8805 when using the balanced input, as opposed to digital.