After waiting for well over a year for the Acurus ACT-3 to become available to me, I started looking around to see if anything else was out there for around the same price. I found the B&K ref.20, the Enlightened Audio pieces and the Golden Theater GTX-1. After extensively auditoning all of these, I decided on the GTX-1 because of its cost vs. performance ratio. My dealer sold it to me for $1800, the same price that Acurus is asking for the ACT-3, and it has much more to offer! (I am not biased against Acurus, I have 3 of their amps!) I don't know what is wrong in the other reviewers connection to his DWIN projector, but I have had nothing but perfect video switching with composite and S-video. I am currently running the picture to a 32 inch Sony and have tried the GTX-1 with a LCD based projector without problems. True, a DWIN projector is better.How the GTX-1 blows me away is in the audio and the ease of use. Dead silent background. Very good D/A converters. My DTS DVD demo works perfectly, as well as my DTS laserdiscs and DTS cds. Dolby Digital DVDs and laserdiscs also work perfectly. I really liked the plain stereo processing that the GTX-1 provides. In my opinion, it sounds as good as any $2000 plain stereo preamp, but does so much more. My new 24bit/96khz dvd music recording from Chesky is an eye and ear opener. This is the selling point for this unit. It must be tried. Look on the goldentheater.com website for pictures and specs.
The unit is very easy to set up and run (my wife loves it) although it does not have on-screen display (to maintain top video quality, I'm told) the LCD screen on the front is plenty large to see across the room. The remote is Home Theater Master, like what Acurus and B&K offer. Good, plain, no problems, but nothing to get excited about. I do wish the GTX-1 had a built-in RF demod for Dolby Digital laserdiscs and a cinema equalization circuit, but these are minor things. All in all, I feel this is the best preamp/processor for the money. The sound quality is better than the Acurus and B&K and equal to the EAD. Plus it has TONS of inputs and outputs, something I needed that the EAD and Acurus couldn't provide.

I first heard about this pre-amp in the November issue of Home Theater magazine. Two weeks later I had the GTX-1 in my house for a demo. First, the unit has many great features. It is DPL/DD/DTS and 24 bit/96khz dacs. It uses high quality parts and has a heavy duty chassis. The back of the unit is well layed out and gives plenty of room for high quality interconnects. the unit lacks on-screen display (company claims this reduces video distortion) but has a very nice LCD display. It also allows for various volume recalls for each surround format, very nice. the remote is the very popular Home Theater Master (same as BK and ADcom)
The sound is incredible. My velodyne sub never sounded so quick and low. I was immediatly impressed by its stereo reproduction. Highs were cyrstal clear, while drums were thick and deep. It had a very deep and wide soundstage.

For home theater application the GTX-1 showed every detail in movie soundtracks. Little details that I never picked out before I heard. Since I have very bright speakers (MK 125s) the pre-amp was a good match. It was a little laid back but with normal to bright speakers it is a good sound. The GTX-1 also had great surround steering. i suggest that you give the GTX-1 a serious listen because it is definetly the pre amp/proc to beat under 3K and it is hardware and software upgradeable!
I Have also demoed:
Sony ES 9000
B&K REF 20
Adcom- DD preamp
ACT 3
EAD
It beats all of them in performance or performance vs. price

As of two weeks ago I have had the GTX-1 in my system and I am blown away by its sound and performance of this unit .The operational flaws mentioned by others have not happened with my unit at any stage .The build/sound quality/finish is first rate ( not to mention the price ) .My comparisions with the Sunfire/Acurus/EAD was the GTX-1 is better in all regards .The EAD was the only unit that sounded as good .Solo has done a great job on the finish and fit which my friends all comment that I must have paid a fortune for this unit .
Switching and detection of formats is handled without a hitch and I am most impressed with the spacious rear panel layout .
This is one very musical preamp that is sure to please anyone looking to spend up to $5000 .I understand Solo are looking at a software revision to add variable crossover choices which will give added flexability to this super unit.
With the great amount of input and outputs avaliable you will not be short changed in almost any setup .It was good to see heaps of SVHS inputs avaliable for a change .
Well done Solo I am impressed .

Solo Electronics is offering a software upgrade. Visit their web site for details. The upgrade improves the sonic characteristics of the unit and provides a bit more flexibility for set up. There are some useful changes in remote control operation also. In my opinion the changes make the GTX-1 a great bargain. You will be hard pressed to find a better sounding and now operating unit at this price piont. Solo has done their homework and created a world class performer. All of the quarks that I mentioned in my previous letter have been corrected. This unit now gets 5 stars for sound 5 stars for service 5 stars for value.Well Done solo Keep up the good work.

Wow is this unit built extremely well !! It is unreal for a processor to be built this well and yet be $2000.00 .Listening to it I would have to say after comparing the Acurus and Sunfire that this unit beats them hands down for soundstage depth ,high end extension and detail .I do not believe you can beat the GTX-1 in sound and build quality unless you spend 3 times as much at the minimum .Awesome finish and great build hits you from the first view .
I use the Pronto remote as I do not overly like most supplied remotes including the one supplied with the GTX-1 ( even my Meridian remote is suspect to use ).
You can not go wrong with the GTX-1 give it a listen .
I found the build to be better than my old Meridian 565 to tell the truth and the sound was about equal .The 565 was a pig to set up but it does have a little more flexability at a price of around $3000 dollars more of coarse .
Well done on a great unit Solo , now if you could only get something like 6 axis or 7 axis for a stereo to multichannel PCM playback I would pay a few hundred dollars more .

John

I have had the GTX-1 for about 6 weeks, now. I Let me start by saying it is an extremely well made preamp. The sound and imaging are very high quality. I listen mostly to classical music in stereo. As this is not processed (or not much), one can more readily evaluate the sound. The orchestral sound stage is superb (with good recordings). Several people have commented on what have been apparent software problems. I think I was one of the first to obtain a GTX-1 with the version 2.0 software. I have never experienced any of the software problems that have been noted in previous reviews. Since I was sensitized to them, I have checked the problems carefully. Using a sound meter, I had no problem with variable test tones. Furthermore, I checked the balance after a few weeks. It had not changed noticeably (It is very difficult to be sure you had the sound meter in exactly the same location both times).
I chose the GTX after considering several options and auditioning a few of them. Among the options considered were; a) Theta Casanova, Meridian, Sunfire, EAD, Accurus, Lexicon and B&K. I eliminated several on the basis of not having enough inputs (the GTX has an extraordinary number of them) and a preference for 24/96 DACs. I eventually audioned the Casanova, Merdian, and Sunfire (despite the fact it doesn't have 24/96 DACS) in addition to the GTX. Auditioning was not easy. In NYC, where I live, I had to go to three different dealers to hear these four preamps. One of the first I auditioned was the GTX. The only dealer caters mostly to an oriental trade and seemd not to really want my business. First he pretended h could not find the unit, then set it up in such a way that it sounded absolutely horrible. It sounded so horrible that I could not believe a $1995 unit could sound that bad. I called the manufacturer (Solo), who put me in touch with another dealer in NJ (avalon AV, Avalonav.com) who loaned me a demo unit. While I was waiting for it to arrive I auditioned the others in very reputable audio dealer in NYC.
I bring my own CD's to the auditions and use the same ones at each. I had Nabucco (played only the overture) in the Sinopoli recording, Mahler's first (Boulez), Mozart Haydn quartets (quatour Mosaique, Mozart's Idomeneo (overture again) Levine and the MET, and the Bach wedding Cantatas (Heidi Grant Murphy).
I auditioned the Sunfire Theatre grand and the Meridian at the same dealer. The sunfire sounded thin and had a very poor sound stage. The salesman blamed it on the speakers and the CD player (probably at least partly true). He played the same CD's in the same room through a different system) all McIntosh save the speakers. The difference was incredible. However that was way off my budget. I listed to the Meridian set up (all meridian components including the digital speakers). The stereo was magnificent. The surround mode was not impressive (this unit did not have the 7:1 surround option) Again out of budget.
I auditioned the Casanova at a different reputable dealer. I had initially planned to get this unit based upon what I had read. I particularly liked the modular design. However, I was disappointed by the sound, which had the unfavorable characteristic hardness that is often associated with digital gear. The other components were a Krell amp and Linn speakers. I have heard bad things about the Linns, so that may have been the problem. However, I was not going to buy on that audition.
My demo GTX arrived. I hooked it up and was amazed. I sounded so much better than in the dealer's set-up. It was much better than the sunfire or the Casanova in the environments I heard them. The Meridian was probably better, but the price differential was enormous. The GTX performs admirably. I bought it to replace my Revox preamp as I have many digital inputs (CD, LD, DAT, DVD, etc) and wanted to have a home theater setup. All of the digital inputs sound much better than I had heard them before. Even the SUMO CD/SUMO Theorem DAC was marginally less good. It comes with a good (if complicated) universal remote. For the record I use a classic SAE 501 amp and Allison one speakers for stereo (other Allison's for surround and center - no subwoofer). The AC-3 and DTS are also quite impressive, but I don't know what these processed tracks are really supposed to sound like.
Are there drawbacks? Of course. Here are some of the things that I would have liked to see on the unit: a) a second set of outputs; b) an analog pass through (so my analog inputs are not converted to digital and them back to analog; c) a headphone output; d) a balance control (for sources that are out of left-right balance). Also, the music surround modes are not that great. I was using a Yamaha DSP-1 before. However, the stereo is so good I don't miss the DSP-1. However, this unit performs better than others costing twice as much.
Why is this such a bargain? I am not sure I can say, but Solo seems like a company that is run by good audio engineers, without marketing people. Their marketing literature is just awful. Even the English is rather poor. The instruction manual is rudimentary for such a complex piece of equipment. Obviously all their money and effort goes into designing and building. This is an advantage to the informed buyer (the problem is becoming informed).

build quality and perfomance

none

THE GOLDEN THEATER SOUNDED SO TRANSPARENT AND CLEAN
WHICH MADE SOUNDSTAGE APPEAR INCREDIBLY REALISTIC

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B& K AVP 1030

Excellent sound and build quality.Easy to set up,easy to use.

No Company support, out of business.

I was very hesitant to purchase this unit because of Solo going out of business but I listened to it at a local audio store and fell in love with it!I have had it in my home theater for over a month now and it sounds better and better with time. This particular unit was one of the newerones with the upgrade so I have not experienced any of the problems that my fellow reviewers have had.
To sum it up..it's perfect for my system, great sound, very quite and easy.

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Yamaha,Sony

Capable of great performance , but I have not heard mine in awhile.

Still hoping that whatever elements of Solo that remain return Serial # R 10 G 4213 , but hope is dwindling. I think the failure to return someones property in your care for servicing is a pretty serious matter. How is the Chris Lau search coming? I would like more info for the BBB.

Excellent Sound, Smooth Volume Control, 24/96 Digital Input

No analog pass through, some occational power up/down problems

The sound blew away the Rotel and the Sony. The digital in is what I use for 2 channel because the DAC section is much better than my Denon CD changer or my Pioneer DV-05 DVD. Too bad there is no analog pass through for analog sources. The double conversion ADC-process-DAC for an analog source defeats the whole purpose of it except for dance music or Dolby Pro-Logic. Only a select few units have this feature and the GTX-1 is about the only one to do 24/96. Hopefully SOLO will return and offer some type of upgrade for DVD-audio and analog pass through. Nothing I know of comes close for the price!
Flaws: L/R balance control can get you in trouble if you go too far to one side in dB adjust (result: digital trash to speaker--ouch!), the digital power supply is a bit noisy (par for the course with home theater).
I would give 5 stars except for the above 2 reasons.
Anyone looking for the best home theater and digital audio sound but need modest price should look into this unit. Other units of similar quality are from $3500 and up. If Solo returns to offer DVD Audio upgrade and improve the above tech problems, they should be very successful!!!

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Rotel RSP-985, Sony $1700 pre/processor