Anyone try and compare the Halcro SSP 100 or 80?

I have another shocking discovery I wanted to share with my friends in audiogon. Few days ago I mentioned the wonderful sound I heard with CD playback via balanced and RCA inputs from various high end Cd players like CD-55, Marantz SA-1, Quad CDP-2. I was playing around with the digital inputs of SSp-100 to evaluate the performance of unit's own DAC and I was shocked to see that music playing from my $130 Sony SCS-CE595 CD/SACD player via optical output sounded identical to the other high end CD players I mentioned earlier. While the SSP 100's digital processing is the best I have heard to date for music and DVD playback, this also rises a possibility that their balanced inputs are not doing a good job even in bypass mode, since the bass sounds extremely weak with CD playback. I never had the chance to use balanced inputs for CD use when I owned MC-12 since it doesn't offer them. If anyone is planning to purchase SSP-100, I advise them to make use of its digital inputs for music playback and invest in a CD/ DVD transport rather than a player with balanced outputs. I am going to sell my CD-55 to buy a transport myself. I also urge every one to audition Sony SCS-CE595 CD/SACD player before wasting money on other expensive CD players. I am going to compare all my future transports head to head with this cheap and wonderful player and keep you posted.

pramod

Pramod,

I was speaking with Smitty at XLO Cables yesterday and we were discussing Balanced cables. He said that machines made in the US vs machines made to european specs have the two pins in the XLR reversed.

According to him if you connect via XLR a U.S. made product to a european made product (ie Halcro) your units will be out of phase. He said that they often make custom XLR cables to use between US and european products.

Do you think that this might have had something to do with the balanced inputs sounding worse?

I am considering a Halcro SSP 100 or Meridian 861 v4...used to have Lex MC8B...terrible on music...Meridian G68XXV...much better....but moved to analog Ayre K5ex...with old Meridian 565 for processing...presently don't need any video switching...and I am concerned about what HMDI 1.3 will do to things once it works....

so anyone have analog judgement between SSP 100 and the 861?

John

Hikejohn,

I have a SSP80 in on audition. From what I can tell so far is that the analog portion is pretty good. Maybee close to the best, if not the best that I have heard in a pre/pro. It's not as good as my dedicated pre-amp, but it is definitely musical sounding and enjoyable. I have not tried it yet for movies, only two channel so far. I was using an Arcam DV79 for the source and it seems that connecting digital to the SSP80 was a little better than going in analog. I think it is mostly due to better DACs in the Halcro. You had to listen for it, but the voices were a little more clear going digital in with the DV79.

I not 100% sure, but I think Meridian processes all analog signals, so it is not a straight pass through? I have never heard the Meridian analog so I can't comment.

Meridian is the best? Hmmm... I sold my G gear after a few months... I have owned EVERYTHING!!! The Halcro SSP100 has no peer with regard to purity of sound. The Lexicon is easier to setup, yes. But if you want your HT to double as a close to reference audio system, then Halcro is the answer.

I know that the word 'referece' is subjective... so please don't beat me up for using that word.

Halcro HT is the best of the best.