Theta Digital Casablanca II A/V Preamplifier
Theta Digital Casablanca II A/V Preamplifier
USER REVIEWS
[Apr 02, 2003]
KEN MCGLOWN
AudioPhile
Strength:
ALL....ESPECIALLY 2-CHANNEL THROUGH THE ANALOG DIRECT MODE.
Weakness:
NONE NO TIME TO WRITE A LONG DISSERTATION ABOUT THIS MASTERPIECE. SO, I'LL BE BRIEF. I'M NOT THAT HARD TO PLEASE WHEN IT COMES TO MOVIE PROCESSING. THIS THING DOES THAT OUTSTANDINGLY. BUT, WHAT "BLOWS ME AWAY!!", IS WHAT AN EXCELLENT ANALOG PRE-AMP THE CASABLANCA II IS FOR 2-CHANNEL MUSIC THROUGH THE ANALOG DIRECT MODE. NO NEED FOR A DEDICATED 2-CHANNEL PRE-AMP FOR AUDIOPHILE QUALITY 2-CHANNEL MUSIC IN YOUR HOME THEATER SYSTEM WITH THIS BABY. Similar Products Used: CLASSE, MERIDIAN, EAD, KRELL |
[Sep 02, 2002]
IN2MUSIK
AudioPhile
Strength:
SOUND < BUILD QUALITY
Weakness:
EXPENSIVE Got this baby dirt cheap, but I would have paid full price if I had to. I can't say more about the C2's performance. I had a DVD playing out of this thing in 15 mins. No I didn't have all the crossovers set, nor did I calibrate it with an spl meter, however I just thought I would mention that since everybody is always commenting on how diffucult it is to setup. Options , if you can think it , it can do it! Build quality ,sound quality, and upgradability, What more can a pro installer ask for? I went through 3 receivers, and 3 proccessors before realizing that the C2 is the one and only! WARNING, if you listen to the C2 paired with the Dreadnaught and Vandersteens, you better be prepaired to spend some money!!! Similar Products Used: PROCEED, KRELL, B&K, MARK LEVINSON, LEXICON, CLASSE |
[Jul 20, 2001]
aatish
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
beautiful looks, even better sound in stereo mode and really really gets cracking with dts, dd modes
Weakness:
none that i can possibly think of apart from the price - having said that you get what you paid for....furthermore, if you consider audiophile grade stand alone pre amp, dac, and processor all in one awesome unit - the price becomes easy to rationalise. well my unit is original casablanca 2 and not an upgrade from 1, although i am not really sure if there is any difference between C2 and an upgraded C2....the unit comes configured with all the standard features + dts/dd + superior 24/96 superior DA for front and balanced DAC for surrounds and sub....additionally i am running it with theta david transport, krell fpb600 power amp for the fronts and brystons for other channels - sub is sunfire and cables are essentially cardas golden cross, hexlink etc. Similar Products Used: nothing i have used comes even within a mile of being similar to C2 period! |
[Jul 11, 2001]
Eric Stieg
Audiophile
Strength:
incredible versatility, crossover functionality, aesthetics, incredible sound
Weakness:
expensive, and runs very hot This is the second time I've had a Casablanca II. Initially, I owned a CI, sold it, bought a new CII, sold it, and just recently realized that this tour-de-force is the piece to own, so I forked out the mega-bucks one last time to own it. Similar Products Used: CI, Lexicon (not in the same league) |
[Apr 30, 2001]
Bob Aidun
Audiophile
Strength:
Best sounding preamp I have ever heard, regardless of price.
Weakness:
Price. The original Casablanca that I purchased was truly outstanding. Absolutely the best sound I've heard when connecting digital sources directly (CD, DVD, etc.) It even has an analog passthru mode to avoid the A/D/A roundtrip. Infinitely flexible configuration of speakers, crossover frequencies, number of channels, etc. Compared to the other products I have used, the Theta's sound is far more smooth and analog-like. No harshness or any characteristic that makes your ears feel tired after a period of listening. My casablanca had a problem where the unit would emit a shrill noise when auto-switching into Dolby Digital or DTS modes. Similar Products Used: Denon 5800 Receiver |
[Jan 31, 2001]
Saparok
Audiophile
Strength:
Absolute best in sound quality, future-proofing, surround sound processing, etc.
Weakness:
It's not free. I have the configuration with superior DACs for L,C,R Similar Products Used: Lexicon, Meridian, ADA |