Does nobody do a svelte AV processor any more?

[admin_exported]

Hi, I'm struggling with my setup at the moment.

I recently 'invested' in a Pioneer KRP-500A kuro screen and a Sony BDP-S550 blu-ray player. The player is feeding a Tag Mclaren AV32R (non upgraded version) which then drives various naim amplification to Totem speakers.

Currently the blu-ray player (and sky+ box) feed their video directly into the Pioneer's connection box and their audio into the AV32R. I have several problems with this arrangement:

First, I clearly can't get HD sound as I don't have 5.1 analogue inputs nor HDMI on the processor. I've been looking for a replacement processor to fix this but I can't find anything in the same slim form factor (to fit my rack). It seems vendors are typically only making full AV amps and the few processors I've found are chunky behemoths with the design aesthetics of a brick. Does anyone have any suggestions of processors I may have missed?

Second, can I simplify the cabling of this lot? Currently I have to switch video on the TV box and sound on the processor separately. Simplifying this would aid domestic harmony.

Finally, I bought the S550 as a stop-gap and because it had processing on board which I thought might be useful depending on processor options. I'm open to uprating the player if there are decent benefits to picture and sound. Suggestions here would be helpful too.

cheers

alf

 

[bigboss]

What's your budget? And what dimensions are you looking at?

Check this out......kill 2 birds with 1 stone!

http://www.denon.co.uk/site/frames_main.php?funk=main&main=prod&sub=1&Pid=440&MID=3&action=detail

 

[Pindi]

Or there's this...

http://www.marantz.com/new/index.cfm?fuseaction=Products.Product&cont=eu&bus=hf&type=avr&prod_id=3827&series=comp

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry guys, maybe I wasn't being clear. I have decent power amps and I don't want to replace them. I am looking for a processor not an AV amp/receiver! But I would like a processor that is in standard size hifi component dimensions. Many AV units seem to favour 1.5X or 2X height components.

cheers

alf

 

[Andrew Everard]

Clickety

Gramophone review here.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Andrew. I did see this (and the somewhat lukewarm What HiFi review). I seriously considered it nonetheless but I'm concerned that I would be relying on always having processing in the player and this seems to be disappearing (according to various dealers) particularly at the high end.

I also would like to have more than 2 HDMI source inputs if possible as I'd like to add a media PC type source at some point in the future and I'm wary of multiport adaptors (thousands of pounds of equipment depending on pence worth of connectors).

I had hoped to find Audiolab at the Bristol show to ask them about futures but I don't think they were there (or I missed them).

Any other options?

cheers

alf

 

[Andrew Everard]

Nope, gave it my best shot...

 

[Anonymous]

OK thanks anyway. um, do you share the view that the processing is being phased out of players?

 

[Andrew Everard]

Not that I've heard; indeed with 3D Blu-ray players appearing incompatible with current receivers, I'd suggest that onboard decoding and conversion in Blu-ray players may become important again, allowing new players to be used with current amps with multichannel analogue inputs.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks again Andrew. After further research, it looks like the options are indeed limited.Guess Audiolab here i come...