Sunfire Theater Grand V Vs C1 preamp

That is sort of like saying that a 1969 VW Beetle is just like a 2008 VW Beetle...

The Sunfire Preamps, TGP-3 and later co all their processing COMPLETELY in the digital domain. Dolby, 9.1 surround, even Sonic Holography, are all done in the digital domain. They are all capable of 2, 5.1, and 7.1 output, and the TGP-4 and 5 are also capable of 9.1 output. They all have 7.1 input, for hooking them up to DVD or SACD players with multi-channel outputs. They are all controlled by a VERY sophisticated universal remote, with advanced home theater capabilites. They all have video switching capabilites. They all have on-board DACs, and TOSLINK and coax ins and outs. They all have multiple modes for surround processing.

The C-1 is stereo. It is all-manual. It is ONLY for audio.

All those things said, I'd wager that there will be a WHOLE lot of C-1's still in service in another 20 years. I would hesitate to say the same thing about any Sunfire TGP-line preamp, because they are a LOT more complex and a lot harder to fix...

These are two VERY different critters. As different as a 1969 Porsche 911, and a 2008 Porsche Boxster. Both are VERY good at what they do, but they do VERY different things, and the way they accomplish those tasks are also fundamentally different.

--Richard

Art

Just wondering if you got your new toy as of yet. I know you have waited a while to make the jump and were all excited for you. Keep us posted on how you like the new Sunfire in your system. If I recall only one other member has the TGP 5. Hats off to you Mr Art. I hope you like it

Scheduled to be here June 3. Working On a Martin Logan Theater i center next.

Art,

So you're getting a Martin Logan Theater-i for your center channel. I also see you are running Carver Amazings, and Silver 9t's. Sounds like we have a very similar setup...

What sort of speakers are you using for your rears, and what sort of subwoofer (if any) do you have?

Have you considered getting some Martin Logans for your main speakers? I know that there are a lot of folks out there who LOVE the ALS's, but you've got to admit, they are 20-year-old technology, with equally old drivers. I think you might owe it to yourself to listen to a pair of Vantages if you haven't already...

But anyway, that Theater-i should be a good match for the Amazings. I think that the Carver speakers are very similarly voiced to the Martin Logan line...

Maybe, when you get th TGP-5 and the Theater-i installed, you could post some pictures? I'd LOVE to see some photos of your rig.

--Richard

Art,

Maybe, when you get th TGP-5 and the Theater-i installed, you could post some pictures? I'd LOVE to see some photos of your rig.

--Richard

Me to. Sounds like it's going to be nice.

TGP-5 arrived today. The back of this thing just scares me to death. This thing has more holes than a prairie dog field. I'm used to the old KISS method. I think i'd better find someone whose used to all this to help me. It'll probably cost me a small fortune just to cable this rig . There are even holes for XLR cable. Hell the only time I've ever used these things was plugging microphones into sound systems. I think for the time being I'll just replace my C1 with it for 2 channel. The Logan Theater i will be on it's way from Florida shortly. I still need the 5 channel amp. That Sunfire 5400(5X400) should do the trick. That will be my next venture. I think I'll finish up with the Martin Logan Scripts for my rear speakers. The processor,amp and center will get me up to six grand. The Scripts probably around a grand.Wonder what my divorce will cost me after all this.One thing that really pissed me off a bit was that this TGP-5 was made in China. What's up with that? The fact that it wasn't made in the U.S. caused me to to have to pay duty on it at the border as well as the GST. Added to that was brokerage. What the hell is this shit anyway.Get this ,It cost me 59 bucks to get this shipped all the way from California to New Brunswick, Canada(that's right next to the state of Maine) and 56 bucks for brokerage. Brokerage, GST and Duty cost me 158 bucks, shipping 3000 miles just $59 Why not just stick a knife in my heart. Can't wait to see what they'll do to me with that 55lb Logan going across.

I keep warning Canadians about the damned Brokerage Fees on top of Customs, Duty, Federal Sales Tax, Provincial Sales Tax (where applicable) and, especially for UPS, grossly inflated Brokerage fees. I've gotten $38 Brokerage Fees on $6 pipe parts that only cost 90 cents in taxes and no Duty Fees from UPS, so I avoid UPS at all costs for cross border shipments. BTW, US built goods are usually Duty Free for Canadians due to NAFTA, but anything from anywhere else gets chaged with Duty Fees

BillD,

The TGP-V does HDMI video switching, but it DOES NOT carry digital audio over it's HDMI ports from what I understand, so you still need to connect any HDMI device to it with a TOSLINK or coax for sound, right?

I dodn't realise it had digital bass management. How does it stack up against the Velodyne SMS-1? Does anyone out there with a TGP-4 or 5 also have an SMS-1? How to they compare?

Also, does anyone with one of the Sunfire preamps also have a Benchmark DAC? How do the on-board DACs in the Sunfire pre's stack up against the Benchmark for 2-channel? I know they beat the Benchmark for multi-channel (the Benchmark is only 2-channel), but I'm curious how the Sunfires do as far as stereo DACs.

--Richard

Richard,

I'm CERTAIN the SMS-1 is MUCH more comprehensive than the TG-IV. It just has basic bass management (select which speakers are large/small, set crossover between 40 & 120 hz, sub trim adjustment, etc.). My Klipsch sub actually has a lot more options than the TG-IV (crossover slope selection, digital room eq).

Also, I really can't tell a helluva lot of difference between the DAC-1 and Sunfire DACs off the cuff, but I've not done any A/B comparisons and I've only use the TOSLINK connection thus far, not the composite.