Post photos of your media room!

The differences between the Mac and Denon generally comes down to the I/O (input and output analog stages, digital-analog conversion, and analog-digital conversion, and features (including the user interface, which is non-trivial for most peple). For most companies, the analog and DAC/ADC stuff is pretty much copied from application notes, so most companies don't add much value there either.

Digital processing these days is a black box for most companies, too --- they get code from the DSP chip makers that decode all the popular formats the same way.

Room correction is one area where many people are doing their own thing, and the results vary quite a bit.

There is a company that makes OEM designs for most of the surround processor companies out there, so many of them are the same guts in different boxes. It's actually a pretty good platform, so it's not a bad thing. If I had to guess, Mac probably OEMs their surround processing.

Denon still designs their own stuff, as do many of the large receiver companies, but quality can be hit or miss. The only high-end companies that are doing their own thing these days are Lexicon, Meridian, and Theta. But Theta just got bought out, and their stuff hasn't been updated for ages.

So get the surround processor that has the features you want, and make sure you listen to it and can live with its sound quality.

--Andre

Originally Posted by kronik

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I, unfortunately, have neither the resources nor the ability in some cases to audition the differences
It's ok! You'll have plenty of cash when you sell all of the women's shoes you bought. How is the website going? Oh wait...epic fail.

Originally Posted by Andre Yew

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The differences between the Mac and Denon generally comes down to the I/O (input and output analog stages, digital-analog conversion, and analog-digital conversion, and features (including the user interface, which is non-trivial for most peple). For most companies, the analog and DAC/ADC stuff is pretty much copied from application notes, so most companies don't add much value there either.

Digital processing these days is a black box for most companies, too --- they get code from the DSP chip makers that decode all the popular formats the same way.

Room correction is one area where many people are doing their own thing, and the results vary quite a bit.

There is a company that makes OEM designs for most of the surround processor companies out there, so many of them are the same guts in different boxes. It's actually a pretty good platform, so it's not a bad thing. If I had to guess, Mac probably OEMs their surround processing.

Denon still designs their own stuff, as do many of the large receiver companies, but quality can be hit or miss. The only high-end companies that are doing their own thing these days are Lexicon, Meridian, and Theta. But Theta just got bought out, and their stuff hasn't been updated for ages.

So get the surround processor that has the features you want, and make sure you listen to it and can live with its sound quality.

--Andre

I'm pretty sure Anthem does their own as well.

Originally Posted by Connemara

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It's ok! You'll have plenty of cash when you sell all of the women's shoes you bought. How is the website going?

Oh wait...epic fail.

Your avatar is epicly gayer than mine, Conne. And mine is already very gay.

Originally Posted by GQgeek

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I'm pretty sure Anthem does their own as well.

But not very well. AVS had pictures of the internals of an Anthem a while ago, and it was pretty bad for a supposed high-end component.

--Andre

What do you mean, just not very well layed-out? Or sloppy soldering? Either way, I can't say i've ever heard anyone complain about Anthem based on what it looks like inside.

The circuit design was pretty bad: very few voltage regulators all far away from the circuits they powered, bad layout, etc. It's like opening the hood of a $70K car and seeing a Yugo engine inside.

Nevertheless, lots of people enjoy the Anthem, so have a listen, and if you like it, it doesn't matter what I think.

--Andre

I'll always be a Mac guy. I think next year might be a big upgrade year. I wanna do it before my money becomes "our" money lol.

<wants a Anthem Statement D2 so bad>

Here are some pictures of mine. From top to bottom: - Linkwitz Orion, with a pair of NHT U2 subs stacked in the corner. - Electronics: Oppo 980H, Toshiba A3, DVDO VP50Pro, NHT sub crossover and amps for subs and center, Lexicon MC-12HD, ATI 6012 amp for the Orions (4 channels/speaker). Not visible is the Orion active crossover below the ATI. Partly visible are the HTPC off to the left and a Linksys WRT54G sitting on it, running DD-WRT, and configured as a wireless bridge. - Aerial CC3 center (not the best match for the Orions, but it's what I had lying around, and it's OK), and Pioneer 150FD plasma TV. - Linkwitz Pluto for surrounds. The amps are built into the base.

OMFG, F you Andre.

I don't know enought to add anything to this thread but to say that those speakers are beautiful.

Originally Posted by kronik

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OMFG, F you Andre.

I assume that's a good "F you".

Originally Posted by Huntsman

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I don't know enought to add anything to this thread but to say that those speakers are beautiful.

The cool thing is that the design of the side panels is very much form follows function. That they came out looking good is icing. Here's more info on these speakers:

http://www.linkwitzlab.com

I built mine from a flat-pack, and they turned out pretty nice.

--Andre

It's a mess, but you get the idea. This is the setup in my bed room. Some of the furniture has been handed down, and some of it is just extra junk we had no room for. We didn't have anywhere for the couch so we moved the old one downstairs and I set this one up in here. Everything else, I've bought. If you have a question about what something is, just axe.

And yes, that's SF on the computer screen.

Nice system Andre.

You should look at the maple version of the Salamander equipment racks. I bet it would match those Orion speakers wonderfully.

How do you like the Oppo 980H?