Purchased my Ref 20 about a week ago along with a B&K AV5000 Amp. Have had zero problems with either.

This is a great sounding unit with a multitude of features and i/o's. Additionally, the unit is upgradeable which is comforting with all of the surround formats being discussed for the future.

Additionally, the backlit remote is very easy to use and can be programmed to run your entire system.

In this price range, you cannot do better - a definite 5 stars for both performance and value.

So far So good. To tell you the truth, when I was looking for a pre amp/processer I wasn't that informed. I came across this forum and used it as a guide. Well since I started this journey I have learned plenty. First of all be careful with the mail order houses. American Theater Systems for one...Lossers...The Pre:Nice tone, easy set up, lots of options for speaker size, good remote,
I thought there was a problem with the DAC but it was the digital cable or lack there of that was the problem. Even with a good dig cable the internal DAC is just slightly better than the DAC in my Sony 7700 dvd. I would have gone with the Proceed if I had the cash. The main reason for going for either one of these was the upgrade path. SYS: Dynaudio 1.8 + 1.1, ATI 1505, Sony 7700 DVD five star for the product, one star for the dealer

I ordered my Ref20 in May of 98, before the dealer even saw the first one in his shop. I was a little apprehensive about buying something this expensive, sight unseen, but went ahead. I owned a B&K AVP2000 DPL unit prior to this which I liked, though it had a few short-commings. I knew the Ref20 was to have on screen display, which was one feature I hated not having on the 2000. The other main complaint I had with the 2000 was an annoying low-level poping sound, when adjusting the electronic volume, which I found was removed from the Ref20. When I connected the unit up, I was absolutely thrilled with the performance. Even on analog inputs there was no comparison to the 2000 or any of the other comparable units I looked at in stores. I did notice the unit ran quite hot (a very tight enclosed rack didn't help matters) which I cured by connecting three box fans and a variable speed that turn on with the unit. Now the unit is actually cooler running than when in sleep mode. I can't recommend this enough!

I had a bad experience with this unit. For a company that prides itself on "QUALITY", they fail to follow through. I could not get the unit to turn on. Frustrated, I opened the case and discovered that the AC lines from the transformer to the back of the unit were improperly tied together behind a capacitor and could not physically reach the back of the unit where they should have been connected... hence the unit was NEVER EVEN TESTED WHEN IT LEFT THE FACTORY! Considering the way the wires were tied together... the possbility that the problem occurred during shipping is non-existant. For a $2200 unit... that's absolutely unacceptable. The connectors themseleves were, well, cheap... non-crimped push fit spade plugs... on a $2200 unit?! They could work loose over time without too much work. Do you want to spend that much money for a unit that's built like that?
Don't be fooled... the B&K looks good on the outside... but it's "guts" are of rather poor quality.. and the company really doesn't care to do much about it. The Motolora DSP is good... but it's only 24 bits and it's not a SHARC chip... something now available in several units within this $ range.

When I got the unit working the RF produced by the unit was unacceptable. My TV had no loop problems and was well over 4 feet away, yet I could not watch 5 channels without *severe* distortion. This was yet another reason why I would return it within a week.

B&K never returned my calls regarding the unit (I called 3 times). I took it back and well never own another B&K product. ...Another reason.

I had ***6*** different people (3 of which had no audio biases and didn't even know what a D/A converter or a DVD was) listen to the D/A conversion produced by my Toshiba DVD SD-3107 player (used for CD playback) and the B&K in plain-old 2 channel stereo..... every single person quickly came to the conclusion that the Toshiba's internal converters (with not-so-great RCA cables) sounded far superior than the B&k's reporduction. I heard comments such as "the sound is tinny" and "confusing" and "cold". ...Another big reason.

You should do your own research.... but I think you'll agree that you can do much better.

Picked up one of these as an exchange for an ACT3 that I was unhappy with and when I first hooked it up I thought I had found the preamp I was looking for.Then mysteriously the sound started cutting out. I rearranged wires and checked connections and it seemed OK. I started to watch a DVD movie and 10 minutes from the end the sound cut out again. The unit was extremely hot and after a time I was able to play the last 10 min of the film but analog sources would not work.
So, my experience with this new unit was not a pleasant one. B&K never responded to my email regarding the problem and I took the unit back.

Two problems:A)Same as first review. That is, after waiting a month to get unit and hooking up whole system and pushing master power on front panel nothing happened. Big disappointment. Tech support said probably loose AC wire, just open it up. I said forget it. For this dough I want a unit that actually works out of box. One month later and smarter I fired it up before hooking into system and, voila, it didn't go on again. This time, totally frustrated, I let tech talk me through opening unit and sure enough the AC wire to the back was disconnected. A simple spade, I pushed it back with some difficulty. There was no slack in the lead. No wonder it pulled itself off.
B) The onscreen display degrades the video. Although my DVD goes straight into TV, my laser switched through the Z1 output shared with the OSD. No good. Luckily the front panel display is easy to read from my seat (glasses on) and I make do. And there are other switching options separate from Z1. Tech support claimed to find the cause/cure but I think they're waffling on that account.

Otherwise, the sound is terrific. I've had some great listening experiences. Some movies, tremendously produced acoustic spaces: soundstage, detail.
Features and flexibility,a big reason I bought the Ref20, 5 stars. Bass management, there is almost no scarcity of setup options including large/small combinations, and adding a sub in addition to a large speaker rig. I play around with that stuff alot, adding a Velodyne woofer only when I want to push the bass envelope.

Great backlit remote.
Jerry at tech support 6 stars.
Recommended.

I have had the Ref20 for about a week and think it performs absolutely fastastic. The first unit I got had a faulty display. I took it back and got another one that has worked flawlessly. I agree with the previous poster that the quality control should be better in units in this price range. Jerry, at B&K customer service, told me that a lot of the damage seems to be coming from shipping..(dropping boxes and etc.) I don't think that is a very good excuse when they could be boxed better. I give it 5 stars on performance and 4 on quality control.

I love this preamp! Compared it to DC-1, Encore, ACT3. Ref20 sounds as good as or better than all of them. On direct analog, I might as well have had the DAC plugged right into the power amp. It is perfectly transparent. The DD is smooth yet detailed. It's a bit bright, but never edgy... just detailed...gorgeous. The Stereo F/R mode is superb, as well. It creates a nice envelope of sound while retaining some good front soundstage image.

I have now had this preamp for just over 6 months. I have never had a problem with it. I see that many people have. I hope B&K gets with the program on quality control because I am extremely happy with this preamp. The sound from source to amp in direct mode is almost completely transparent. The DD and DTS processing is unsurpassed -- by anyone. I also enjoy the stereo F/R for some music selections (though I usually use stereo direct for music). This unit is also built like a tank, with a no frills black utilitarian look. B&K is not about flash. They are about mil-spec electronics, great sound, and unbeatable value. If you have a problem with your unit, your dealer must swap it. If not, go somewhere else. The EAD Theatermaster series is great too, but it lacks direct analog and built-in video switching. It also REQUIRES the remote to operate it. That was a bit scary to me. So I went with the B&K and I'm not lookin' back.

I've had my B&K Ref 20 and AV 5000II for a few months now and I'm still amazed every time I turn on my system! The build quality and performance are more than I could have imagined. And when I purchased them, there was ABSOLUTELY NO comparison between this and other units in it's price range. The only comparing one store could do was with the $5000 Proceed AVP -- talk about a great comparison! The B&K sounded just as good for half the price!
I love the sound -- my CD's sound great... and I can't wait to try out some DTS DVD's. I've had no problems like others reviewing this product. 5 stars all the way!