Theta Dreadnaught vs. Earthquake Cinenova?

Based on the fact that you have an all-Vandersteen speaker setup, one would assume that you are trying to build a high-resolution HT system. HT enthusiasts sometimes ignore the fact that much of the movie soundtrack consists of music and subtle spatial clues, so the better the amplifier handles these aspects of sound reproduction, the better.

The Theta Dreadnaught is a superb amplifier that does a fine job with both music and HT sound, but only you can decide if the extra cost (vs. the Cinenova) is justifiable. FWIW, Shane Buettner, a reviewer for TAS and TPV, uses a Dreadnaught as his reference power amp, and has written about it in glowing terms.

Given the rest of your equipment, I personally think that you will be best served -- in the long run -- by getting the Dreadnaught rather than the Cinenova. I must state honestly, however, that I have not listened to the Cinenova. I have, however, listened to a friend's system which uses the Dreadnaught, and if I were in the market to buy a top-notch multi-channel amp, the Dreadnaught would be at or near the top of my list.

The other multi-channel HT amp which you might want to consider is the Bryston 9B-SST. It has a bit less power per channel than the Dreadnaught, but it's an excellent choice for a high-resolution HT system. I note that you have a Lexicon pre/pro, and Bryston has built the multi-channel power amps sold under the Lexicon brand name.

The Theta is miles above in terms of resolution capability. The earthhquake is powerful enough however if dynamic intensity in theatre presentation is your only concern. If you pick the Theta then the dc 1 will be the weak link. Always move forward if at all possible. You may be into theatre at the moment but you will one day crave the beauty of multichannel and wish you would have sprung for the Theta. I know , I had the dc 1 then mc 1 , both with 7 Adcom 555 11 amps in mono and when I went with the Bat 6200 / meridian combo , I was simply astonished at the change. As sdcampbell correctly noted above , theatre is made up of much music and spatial clues that are best resolved with a unit like the Theta.

Another amp to consider, that I'm running, is the Pass Labs X5. I've seen it for around $2500 used. I think it's rated at 125 watts but I got up above 109 db one day without cranking the volume past halfway and the amps just cruised through the material. The sub went wonky but that's another story. It's way more amp than my surrounds need and one day, if I grow up, I'll get another, perhaps lower quality, power amp for my surrounds and bi-amp my mains.

Vandersteen's and the Theta Dreadnaught form one of those sought out synergy's. Vandersteen's do sound wonderful with the Theta. I currently use one (4-ch x 200w) driving my 3A Sigs in a biamp. I just can't imagine hardly any amps that I think would better the combo.

I personally own the Earthquake cinenova and have listened to the Theta Dreadnaught at my local dealer. For home theater applications, the cinenova performs almost as well as the Dreadnaught. Read the reviews at earthquakesound I don't think paying 2 and a half times is worth the money.
With the money saved buy more dvd's!
just my 2 cents...
check out these reviews
http://www.earthquakesound.com/clint_walker.htm
http://www.earthquakesound.com/cineova.htm

I have to admit that I love the Dreadnaught!

If your total budget is $4,500 though I think you would be best served to get the Earthquake or any other quality amp in the $2,000 to $3,000 range (Parasound, Bryston, EAD etc..) and spend the rest on a new surround processor. The DC-1 as stated above would be the week link with a Dreadnaught. If you can afford to get the Dreadnaught and a new surround processor then you would be set for a long time.

The DC-1 is great for just movies but IMHO adding the Dreadnaught to it is OVERKILL. The surround processors from Meridian and Proceed are much smoother sounding then the Lexicon and I feel the Meridian does a better job on movies too.

I agree with Brainwater and my experience with changing out my MC-1 to a Proceed then Meridian was the best move I ever made for HT and music improved dramatically as well.

The amp is very important but don't forget the pre-amp.

Good luck

Thanks so much to everyone for your response. Do you think the Meridian 565 would be good with the Theta and a big improvement over the DC 1 for both movies and music? Everything else from Meridian is just out of my price range at the moment, especially if I buy the Theta. Thanks again for your help.

I think the amp you are looking for is the CINEPRO 3K6SE GOLD. Your application is the exact niche it was designed for. It has incredible power and dynamics, but also is incredibly quiet, and detailed. They are $8,000 amps , and are selling for about $4K right now. Ask anyone who has one. They usually never buy another amp.

There's one selling here now for 3400.00. They sold new for 7500. Extremely quiet and powerful. 500 watts time 5. The best part is that the amp does not run nearly as hot as conventional amps. It has s digital switching power supply. Extremely detailed and great bass control. The Dreadnaught can not match it for bass control by a long shot though it is a fine amplifier. I auditioned both but strongly prefered the Cal audio MCA.