New Additions to the Mantis Gear family.

[mantis]

Whats up all?
Well I picked up a new Power center / Battery back up due to the fact I'm upgrading to Control 4 for my whole house and I now require a battery back up for it. So I sold my loved Panamax M5500ex as I have no use for it now.

Also I wanted to clean up the rack and make some space for new gear , I sold my Ps3 and removed my Pioneer Elite DV58av which is currently up for sale. I picked up a Cambridge Audio Azur 650BD Blu Ray SACD DVD AUDIO CD DVD player. I was planning on getting the Oppo 83 but after spending some time in the field with the Cambridge , listening to all of there gear over the years found it to be a worthy choice over the Oppo. The Oppo is awesome as I have Installed it now a few times and was impressed but the Cambridge in my opinion is slighty nicer but kinda the same performance in my opinion. Yeah I know it's a bit more money but we carry it and I didn't have to wait for Oppo to ship my a 83.

I plan on doing a full review of the Cambridge after I owned it for awhile and really get deep into it(yeah that didn't sound right ).

Stay Tuned.

Dan

Look at the beat RG6 white cable showing behind the cable box , yeah you can tell I rushed and put it in. I will have to do some cable management later when I have more time. I plan on revamping the entire rack when Control 4 gets here. But that cable is killing my OCD so I gotta go fix that.


And Dust really? WOW I'm suprised I allowed these pic's to go online. I'm kinda ashamed.




Damn more dust , well the Ps3 is coming out of there today so I will clean that up and prepare it for it's new resident .

[comfortablycurt]

Looks fantastic!!

Which APC is that? H15? Or is that one of their higher end ones?

Also, what's sitting on top of the APC? Just curious.



If that one little cable is kicking your OCD in, you'd probably have a heart attack if you saw my "cable management"...lol...It's a bit messy at the moment.

[TouchOfEvil]

Looks nice!!!

[leroyjr1]

How much more is the Cambridge?

[dkg999]

Dan - there were reports that the CA BDP is the same unit as the Oppo? I'd be interested when you get time to do a more in-depth review, as all my previous CA DVD players have been fantastic performers. I'm really interested in the audio decoding and output via analog out, as I use an AVR without HDMI (B&K 507s2).

[Hilbert]

Dust is nature's room treatment.

There must have been 2 or 3 inches of cable showing behind that rack with 9 pieces of gear. I'm tempted to report this outrage to the moderators.:)

[Lasareath]

Dan, Which Rack is that?

[xcapri79]

Mantis who makes that stand? Is it modular or available in a three or four shelf version?

Dan, Which Rack is that?

Simultaneous posts.

[leroyjr1]

Mantis who makes that stand? Is it modular or available in a three or four shelf version?



Simultaneous posts.

No he beat you.:)

[xcapri79]

No he beat you.:)

That he did only because I'm a slow typist and typed a few extra words to boot.
I got a good chuckle when I saw Lasareath's post only after I posted mine.
I then edited mine to acknowledge it.:)

I like the wheels on that stand and would like one like it myself.

[Lasareath]

That he did only because I'm a slow typist and typed a few extra words to boot.
I got a good chuckle when I saw Lasareath's post only after I posted mine.
I then edited mine to acknowledge it.:)

But I started typing when you were on your last word :D

[xcapri79]

But I started typing when you were on your last word :D

I should have waited for you to finish so I could read it before posting.;)

[mantis]

Looks fantastic!!

Which APC is that? H15? Or is that one of their higher end ones?

Also, what's sitting on top of the APC? Just curious.



If that one little cable is kicking your OCD in, you'd probably have a heart attack if you saw my "cable management"...lol...It's a bit messy at the moment.

That is the J15blk. it's a mid end model which I selected to suit all my needs. Funny how it's a slight step down from my Panamax but really I have not noticed any performance loss. The battery backup was my main focus. I really would have wanted the S20blk as it has a few more features but I would have had to wait for it to come in , we had the J15 in stock and I wanted it RIGHT NOW!!! LOL

On top of the APC is my Universal Remote MSU400 , this is a RF to IR controller that supports all the Universal remote or URC remotes in my house. I have 3 of them around the house , a MRF300 in the masterbed and a MRF250 in the basement. On top of that is the bad boy Apple TV which is probably my favorite thing since Tivo.

[mantis]

How much more is the Cambridge?

it retails for 779.99.
It's funny years ago I purchased the Pioneer Elite dv47a the day it was released and it went for 1200.00 Retail. The Cambridge is as good as DVD player , as good or better Sacd and DVD audio player and it's a Blu ray player . It has HDMI out which the Pioneer did not as HDMI was not around back then.
When I replaced my dv47a with the Pioneer Elite Dv58av it retailed for 599.99 and it had improvements over the DV47a. Funny how all that works.

[Toolfan66]

it retails for 779.99.
It's funny years ago I purchased the Pioneer Elite dv47a the day it was released and it went for 1200.00 Retail. The Cambridge is as good as DVD player , as good or better Sacd and DVD audio player and it's a Blu ray player . It has HDMI out which the Pioneer did not as HDMI was not around back then.
When I replaced my dv47a with the Pioneer Elite Dv58av it retailed for 599.99 and it had improvements over the DV47a. Funny how all that works.

And my cost is???? LOL;) j/k


Looks great Dan "enjoy"!!!

[mantis]

Dan - there were reports that the CA BDP is the same unit as the Oppo? I'd be interested when you get time to do a more in-depth review, as all my previous CA DVD players have been fantastic performers. I'm really interested in the audio decoding and output via analog out, as I use an AVR without HDMI (B&K 507s2).

The Lexicon BD30 is a Oppo player with a new chassis THX rating and some improvements not clear according to Lexicon. The Cambridge is not a Oppo as I have tested all IR codes from Oppo and none of them work the Cambridge. Actually I would have been cool with it being a Oppo as I would have discrete on and off. I currently don't have that as I'm waiting for Cambridge to release discrete codes for it. I don't care for any gear thats not discrete. It sucks as I automate everything.

I'm gonna test the Bass management 6 channel out when I do my full review of the unit. From the manual it looks promising I have a job coming up with a customer who still has a B&K ref50 and he wants to use the cambridge in his system. I will report on that when I do it.

[mantis]

Dan, Which Rack is that?

hello ,
I have had this rack for years now . It's a Salamander Synergy design Tripple 20 with Saturn wheels , Maple finish and Silver Aluminum. It's a great rack as it is fully custom. You can add to it all you want. You can build it just about any way you want. Salamander has been around a long time and they do racks right. They have extension backs and all kinds of cool jazz to make your rack personal. Go check them out man

www.salamanderdesigns.com

[mantis]

Mantis who makes that stand? Is it modular or available in a three or four shelf version?



Simultaneous posts.

www.salamanderdesigns.com go check out the synergy line and all the cool ways and stuff they have. My favorite in room cabinet .

[mantis]

And my cost is???? LOL;) j/k


Looks great Dan "enjoy"!!!

Go check out our website and keep an eye out for any used. I don't think you will one for a long time as they are brand new. We just got our first shipment in a few weeks ago and I got one of them. We are getting more in so if you want join the site and get 50 bucks off I think. Read the rules I think thats the deal now. My Boss is doing a really good job on the site.
Soon there will be a "LAB RESULTS" and "DAN'S CORNER" as I'm doing video reviews of gear. It's fun as I'm playing with a lot of gear. I will have a Unofficial Mathew Polk Lab coat when I do my Video's. I wanted that as the name fits.
Stay tuned for all of that.

www.audiolab.com

[leroyjr1]

How's the blu Ray picture compared to the elites and ps3. Only reason I asked is because I want to see if there's a better picture upgrade without an expensive price tag. Was looking at the bdp-09 but it's still pricey. Not interested in a all in one unit but just a excellent bdp. Your thoughts??

Thanks

[mantis]

How's the blu Ray picture compared to the elites and ps3. Only reason I asked is because I want to see if there's a better picture upgrade without an expensive price tag. Was looking at the bdp-09 but it's still pricey. Not interested in a all in one unit but just a excellent bdp. Your thoughts??

Thanks

I gotta be honest with you man, There isn't much difference between the good players. We carry Samsung , LG , Pioneer Elite , Sony and the Cambridge and really dude I have yet to see one better then the other.
Ok will all that said I have Installed the BDP-09 and compared it to a Sony Blu ray and I thought the Pioneer looked more film like. I'm not sure if it was because it was on a Elite 60 inch and it matched perfectly or I was struggling to find a difference.
Years ago with DVD you could see all kinds of differences between players. Night and day from one to another. Now it's extremely hard to tell. I did a job about a year ago with a Pioneer ELite projector , Stweart screen 120 inch with both a Ps3 and a Pioneer Elite BDP94fd. I struggled to see any difference over HDMI. I found the Pioneer elite to look slighty sharper and truer to color standards but honestly it was difficult. I had to switch between both players with only one movie. I had to watch it over and over again and I think the Ps3 did a fantastic job picture wise.
If you like a Blu ray player , buy it. Find the one that has what you want and get it. There really man isn't much difference at all in overall picture quality. Even our Denon players all seem to look as good as all the rest( we are not carrying Denon no more )

[cnh]

Thanks Dan,

I 'suspected' as much but it's good to hear someone out in the 'field' confirm my own biases. Blu-ray tech is a pretty high end pic to begin with...it seems unlikely that the average consumer, would notice much of a difference between one pic and another.

Yeah the professional tests show differences...but they're based on very very very fine tests and measurements. Almost no major name blu-ray is 'bad'!

No DVD upscaling and CD and SACD sound are another can or worms entirely!


cnh

[mantis]

Thanks Dan,

I 'suspected' as much but it's good to hear someone out in the 'field' confirm my own biases. Blu-ray tech is a pretty high end pic to begin with...it seems unlikely that the average consumer, would notice much of a difference between one pic and another.

Yeah the professional tests show differences...but they're based on very very very fine tests and measurements. Almost no major name blu-ray is 'bad'!

No DVD upscaling and CD and SACD sound are another can or worms entirely!


cnh

This is true but over HDMI for audio it doesn't make any difference. If you buy a quality player like a Pioneer ELite , Oppo , Cambridge audio , or even a Sony you will get high quality cd playback. I really don't have any experience judging the Samsung and LG players for this. Only the top Blu ray players offer SACD anyway and they all are fantastic in this role.
The gaps are much closer if at all even any different over HDMI. Analog is another story. This is where you wanna pay attention if you are going to use them.

[okiepolkie]

If you are using an HC300, you could do a composite video out from the Cambridge to the video sense in on the 300. I'm with you on the discrete codes, and I'm to the point where I design systems that follow this rule. If a customer has a cheap dvd player that they want integrated, I give them the choice of $75 to create a driver, or they can spend $75 to get an entry level Sony, that we already have a driver for. They usually choose the latter.

What components are you going to use with your C4 system? I've got an HC300, 10-12 dimmers, a couple iPhone licenses, and an SR250 remote.

[dave shepard]

Even our Denon players all seem to look as good as all the rest( we are not carrying Denon no more )

Hi Bud,

According to your web site in the install section you are including a Denon with the package, might want to see if the boss overlooked that because I remember you telling me that you guys weren't going to offer them anymore.

I see you are going to Control4 in your house, I was looking into an Elan system. Any thoughts? they now have an app. for the Ipod/phone which is cool.

Dave

[okiepolkie]

What are you trying to accomplish with the Elan system? I ask this because feature for feature, Control4 will typically offer more, and usually for the same, or less, money.

I've been selling and installing Control4 for 2 years now, and there are very few things it can not do.

[Lasareath]

hello ,
I have had this rack for years now . It's a Salamander Synergy design Tripple 20 with Saturn wheels , Maple finish and Silver Aluminum. It's a great rack as it is fully custom. You can add to it all you want. You can build it just about any way you want. Salamander has been around a long time and they do racks right. They have extension backs and all kinds of cool jazz to make your rack personal. Go check them out man

www.salamanderdesigns.com

Thanks.

That Madrid is really Hot looking!

This one in cherry: http://www.salamanderdesigns.com/madrid/ma7022.jsp

[xcapri79]

Thanks.

That Madrid is really Hot looking!

This one in cherry: http://www.salamanderdesigns.com/madrid/ma7022.jsp

*1 on that. I waited until you posted this time.:)

Thank you Dan the Mantis for the info.

[leroyjr1]

I was debating between the Salamander triple and the BDI Avion and ended up with the BDI only because I didn't want to wait 4 weeks for the Salamander. If you have a ton of gear then Salamander is the way to go, and it's expandable.