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Corrected picture for BOB CARVER TOUCH SCREEN REMOTE FOR SUNFIRE THEATER GRAND PROCESSOR II Posted incorrect picture for SUNFIRE RECIEVER AMPLIFIER. My Apologies. Sunfire Theater Grand Processor II. Manufacturer: Sunfire Model: Theater Grand II Category: AV PreampDolby Digital and DTS encoders, along with basic DSP modes, are essential elements to the $3,295 TG II, though it is two analog features that distinguishes this processor from the pack. The inclusion of an AM/FM tuner with 40 presets and a phono preamp is a rare find these days on high-end digital preamps. Moving forward technologically is fine, but Sunfire remembers that there are still a number of us with ties to older technologies.A learning remote is included, offering a few more programming features than the last model. Up to eight components can be controlled via the remote. When any component is activated, a separate screen for that component is displayed. A macro function is provided for a single sequence of 10 learned functions, such as turning on all your components and playing movies. All changes are indicated on the large vacuum florescent panel with bright blue lettering, which is readable from across the room.Rear PanelWhen judging the merits of a product, the amount of inputs on today’s digital processors is equally as important as its sonic characteristics. Even if the unit sounds fabulous, when it can’t handle the component load of a typical home theater or accommodate future growth, it’s just not worth the money. That’s just one of the areas where this processor shines, because it accepts signals from up to six digital sources [one more than the original model], four analog audio devices and five A/V components. It provides outputs for up to four recording devices from standard VCRs to D-VHS to CDR.The video portion of the five A/V inputs provides both S-Video and composite connections. The two component video inputs accommodate both a satellite system and a DVD player. This does mean that your DSS receiver will need to have a HDTV tuner, since there is not a third set of component inputs for a HDTV set-top box. Of course, the component outs go to a monitor/TV with corresponding component inputs.All inputs are marked and assigned to a specific component. For instance, the component inputs are marked DBS and LD/DVD. Only the digital LD/DVD input is linked to the video input marked LD/DVD.Six single-ended and six balanced XLR outputs [L,C,R,RS,LS, LFE] are provided for interconnecting the TG II to separate amplifiers. A new addition to this model is the DB-25 connector for direct connection [without a bundle of wires] to an external processor or DVD player that has its own processor. This 6-CH input can be assigned to any component, ostensibly including the input, using the external decoder. The TG II is one of a few such processors to feed the LFE track to more than one subwoofer - three, in fact, eliminating the need for Y adapters. The seven-axis output adds two side-channel speakers, which can be an advantage in a large room where there is quite a distance between the mains and the surrounds. The result is a more coherent 360-degree effect.No processor would be complete without the RS-232 jack [DB-9] that connects to a computer or a sophisticated wired controller such as a PHAST or Crestron touch panel.EvaluationSo how does a preamp that got an A+ rating from me a year ago get even better marks today? Well, it would seem that I didn’t leave enough room at the top for a better performance. I think the main difference is the TG II is just a better overall value, primarily due to the improved sonic characteristics that rival preamps I’ve reviewed for two to four times the price.Cleaning up the internal pathways and consolidating all DSP functions on Motorola’s latest 24-bit Symphony processor, the interior of the TG II is just plain sparse compared to its older brother. Eliminating many of the long signal paths with a four-layer board design, it’s not surprising that this processor has a purer and cleaner sonic signature. Crosstalk between source devices is significantly reduced with the new input selector circuit, which contributed to the lowering of the noise floor. Utilizing Analog Devices top-end 1853 DACs, the TG II is now 24-bit/96kHz compatible. With some changes in the unit’s circuitry, these DACs are capable of attaining 192 kHz when and if such bandwidth is needed on DVD-audio or SACD sources. The usual assortment of digital surround and hall effect processes are a given, but with the power of this processor, where’s the HDCD circuit, guys?There is a greater delicacy on acoustic instruments, such as Oscar Castro Neves’ guitar on New Hope from ‘Tropical Heat’ (JVC XRCD), that is much tighter than it was previously, with a more pronounced transient response. At the beginning of Persuasion from Patti Smith’s recent release ‘Gung Ho,’ the electric guitar has an abundance of reverb ala 1966 that is delivered with a huge stadium-like effect within the TG II’s wider and more open soundfield. Rock music is solid and clean and less dense in the mid-range when compared to the original unit.Pulling out a single instrument in a piece of music and commenting on how it sounds is relatively easy, but what about a complex and multi-textured piece like Release from the second album by Afro Celt Sound System (Real World)? Demanding superior separation with an expandable soundfield, each layer of this track comes alive and has its own distinctive placement. Sinead O’Connor’s vocals are ethereal, rising into the heavens, effectively demonstrating the three-dimensional soundscape that projected well into the sides of the room without any help from proprietary Holographic Imaging or any other DSP effect. Overall, compared to the original model, this preamp sounds much lighter with a greater sense of air, allowing instruments to breathe in their own designated space.Five-channel speaker calibration is simple and part of the extensive surround sound setup sequence that includes all bass management functions, surround and center channel time delays and speaker configuration. (The latter was handled by a set of toggle switches on the previous model.)
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