PreampProcessor
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Classé SSP-800 AV pre/pro ships, sans video processing and lossless support
It's more than a year late, but Classé is finally ready to release its SSP-800 AV pre/pro. Stunning aesthetics and build quality are here, but from the specs, it's hard for us to see what has taken the $8,000 beauty so long. The 64-bit TI DSP sure sounds impressive, but the absence of onboard video processing (no scaling or deinterlacing) makes us wonder what it's busy computing. Add in the fact that the DSP will need to be replaced when Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA support arrives in a couple of months, and we wonder why the debut wasn't just delayed pending lossless support. We know there are some who will just have to have this piece of gear, but for others who just want to drop $8k on a pre/pro, might we recommend something along the lines of the Denon AVP-A1HDCI?UPDATE: As several commenters have noted, the Classe SSP-800 did ship last year, albeit without Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD MA decoding.
Emotiva UMC-1 preamp processor gets an estimated delivery date
Emotiva fans who have been wringing their hands over the debut of the company's UMC-1 audio-video preamp-processor were recently treated to some timeline info when the product page was updated with an "estimated June 2009 delivery date." Having a solid date to shoot for is definitely nice, but some of the folks who have been on the preorder list for a long time -- some over a year -- are getting antsy. Seriously, though, with all the functionality rolled into this pre/pro, we think getting a thoroughly tested UMC-1 on "day one" is well worth the wait. If some new photos of the unit that certainly look like it's hardware-ready aren't enough to tide you over, might we suggest enjoying some of the warmer weather? If that's not doing it for you, either, remind yourself that good things come to those who wait (or so we hope, in the UMC-1's case). Some of those nice photos after the break.[Thanks, Raul!]
Anthem makes a statement with its flagship D2v pre-pro
You did take that money set aside for your next preamp-processor upgrade out of the stock market didn't you? Better hope so if you had your heart set on the Anthem Statement D2v -- the flagship model is now shipping, complete with eight HDMI 1.3 inputs and a pair of outputs, top notch video processing courtesy the VXP silicon, and four DSP cores handling audio duties with support for high resolution audio formats and of course, Anthem's Room Correction (ARC) software. Oh yeah, and a (gulp) $7,500 price tag. Most definitely overkill, but we wouldn't expect anything less from an Anthem flagship. If your heart and wallet are up to it, check after the break for the full press release and a few more pics -- window shopping never hurt, right?
Emotiva's UMC-1 AV preamp-processor enters production
Emotiva's internet-only products have earned the company a place in the hearts of many cost and performance conscious shoppers, and its upcoming UMC-1 AV pre-pro looks to continue the trend. A long time in development, the $699 piece of gear -- a price that the company will hold beyond the initial run -- has finally entered production, garnered a web page of its own on the Emotiva website and should be making its way to enthusiasts who preordered soon. We'll let you hit the link for the full details on what's promised, but highlights include support for the lossless Blu-ray audio formats, Genesis Torino video scaling of all formats up to 1080p across the single HDMI output, 5 HDMI inputs, flexible bass management and an on-screen UI. Sounds good, but what really sets Emotiva apart is the rabid fan base that consistently compares their gear to other stuff way beyond the price point, so our hopes are high on this bit of gear. Separates at receiver prices sound good to us, so if you've got one of these in your system let us know what you think![Thanks, Aaron!]
NAD coming to CES bearing gifts for AV enthusiasts
New two-channel gear aside, you just know NAD wouldn't turn its back on components for this fad of moving pictures with audio. Sure enough, New Audio Dimensions is bringing out updates to its T-series of AV receivers (T 785, T 775, T 765), T 175 AV Tuner-Pre-Pro and Master Series M15HD Pre-Pro. The most notable new tech here is the use of Modular Design Construction (MDC) -- a design that allows NAD to build new functionality into products module-by-module for tasks like audio decoding and image processing. The $4,000 T 785 receiver packs in the top of the line AM 200 and VM 200 modules for audio and video, respectively, and things step downward to the AM 100 and VM 100 modules by the time you get to the $3,000 T 765 receiver. Follow the link for full model line pricing info.
