Hi all, I am considering moving to 2.1 from current solution of Roon (on dedicated Mac Mini, ethernet)->Wiim Pro->RME ADI-2 DAC->Nord NCx500 dual mono->Fyne F502SP. Have dabbled in DSP on Roon w/help of convolution filter from HouseCurve, and find this very compelling and for me a significant improvement in a slightly bass-challenged room (approx. 5x8m, but opens into rest of floor which is additional approx. 55 sqm). Do not want to change out too much in the chain, so RME is likely target for swapping out.
Reading so far indicates that decent 2.1 preamps are few and far between, but that the Anthem STR pre does tick my boxes re. proper crossover management/sub integration which I have come to understand is crucial (12v trigger is a bonus). Also require balanced out for mains as the Nord is XLR only. Threads on miniDSP have not made me enthusiastic, so that route is closed (so far). I do have a bead on a relatively new Anthem, but came across this passage in the Soundstage review that bothers me a bit:
«I wanted to test some other things I might not have known about had Diego not written about them in his review. One was the STR’s self-noise. Diego had found that the STR’s analog inputs were commendably quiet when the signal remained in the analog domain -- but with Convert Analog enabled, or any of the digital inputs selected, he could hear hiss when sitting in his listening chair with the volume control at its maximum setting (+7.5dB) and no music playing.
I selected an analog input without Convert Analog enabled, and turned the volume all the way up, with no music playing. Like Diego, I found the STR quiet -- I could hear a little bit of hiss only when I put my ear within inches of a tweeter, which is normal. But when I selected a digital input, the hiss increased to the point that I could hear it about 4’ from the speaker. Diego was right -- the STR is noisier with its digital circuitry engaged. I then set the volume to a level typical of what I’d listen at, -35dB, which lowered the hiss to a much more acceptable level -- to hear it, my ear had to be within about a foot of a tweeter.»
One of the main reasons for changing out my +10 yrs Parasound P3/A21-combo earlier this year was an extremely annoying hiss, audible at 1-1,5m, which is completely gone in the new setup. I do not want this to return, and was therefore wondering if the above description of hiss w/digital connection is recognised by any of the STR pre users here on the forum? Eagerly anticipating your experiences,
/Magnus