theta casablanca 3 audiophile qlty stereo sound?

hhmm..thanx for the feedback guys..yes..as i have an ht sysytem already set up in my room..and i do watch movies..like i say..i was hoping for something that offered best of both worlds. I dont know about the dread 2 tho Ckoffend...funny..had some of the guys over last night...they, and i!!..lol..were blown away by this wall of sound this amp pushes out..we could hear every insturment playing away....plus, we had a few beers..so..it got pretty loud!!so at this stage in the growing process in this crazy expensive hobby..i cant agree..i love this dread...but i appct your input...and..i have yet to hear a krell, so, i am no expert, tho i know what i like..like i say, i am using a yamaha rxv 3800..and wondered if changing to something else could get me even better sound..and...all this with keeping ht!!..a large task i know

I used the Theta Dreadnaught as my two channel amp for a bit before I upgraded to Theta's Enterprise Mono's. I did not have the same experience as Ckoffend. It just goes to show that everyone's system and room are different. I still have the dreadnaught and use it to power my surrounds. Cool thing about the Dread is you can turn off some of the channels which for some may increase their dynamics. I would agree with Ckoffend on having stand alone 2 channel preamp for the highest level of stereo performance. Theta also makes a standalone Dac called Generation 8. They’ve justed updated it to the V2. I'm more of a two channel guy than HT these days so this is why I added this piece. Yes the CB with Extremes is much better than most HT prepro's and even some two channel processors but this Gen8 DAC takes things to the next level of dynamics, detail, imaging, bass and has an updated volume control and tweaks to the Dac that take it to the highest level out their right now IMO.

Dan001, in your situation I think the CB3 might be your best option. Otherwise look for a stand alone 2ch Preamp with a pass thru option like the one Ckoffend mentioned in is earlier post. ARC REF 3 would be my first choice and Krell my next. They can be pricy but well worth it.

Or you last option would be to drink more beer and forget the whole thing!! At times that’s what I done!! Good Luck in your search

I have yet to hear a pre which comes anywhere close to top tier 2-channel pre's. I had a Meridian 861 and while phenomenal for a pre it was no match for my ARC LS26.

If your focus is 2-channel get a dedicated pre-amp with passthrough and save yourself the hassle and expense.

LOL...good call Stick!!!..u read my mind actually..i think i may do just that....and down the road look for a pre with ht bypass

I have a Meridian 800/861 combo. The 800 serves as a CD transport, the 861 is the DAC/Preamp in a 2-channel configuration. In my experience, it sounds terrific. It is difficult for me to comprehend how a high-quality 2-channel preamp could improve upon the sound of the 861. On the one hand, you have the 861 directly feeding an amplifier. On the other hand, you have the 861 serving only as a DAC, feeding another component through an additional set of interconnects. Given that the 861 is the CD output, how could the final sound product be improved by going through an additional set of interconnects and a preamp?

If you are using a standalone CD player, I could understand it. But if the processor is also serving as the DAC for a transport (and the 861 is a darn good DAC), something must be lost by forcing the signal to go through an additional component before it gets to the amplifier.

If I am wrong, I would appreciate an explanation. It might be that those who like a preamp in the chain find that the added coloration from the extra component is pleasurable.