First thread!!! How many use a dedicated pre/pro or something else as a prepro

[prerich]

I will put this in a poll

Brief Definition: A "pre" is also known as a pre-amp (pre-amplification stage before being sent to a seperate amplifier). This is a piece of equipment that your sources are plugged into (such as a CD player, Tape deck, or Phonograph).

A "pro" is a short term for any signal processor - Signal processors come in many different flavors. Some of the earliest processors (that still retain high resale value) are the DBX line of processors - especially their Dynamic Range expanders that feature impact restoration, other processors include Aphex, Carver, Eq's, Reverbs and so on. These processors impact the actual signal itself.

Now to understand what a pre/pro is -just take the combined definitions above and you will have a base understanding of a pre/pro. With the advent of surround sound - new processing was needed (delays, matrixing, ect). The Yamaha DSP-1 was the official begining of Dolby surround (no center channel at that time). This was a very complex piece of gear that could change multiple dynamics in your system such as center frequency, phasing and so-on. This piece of gear generally sat between the Pre amp and the power amp.

As surround sound progressed companies such as Lexicon, Fosgate Audionics, Parasound, Denon, Golden Tubes, and a host of others pioneered the combination of the pre-amp and processor secitons together - leaving the amplification section seperate. Other compaines such as Yamaha and Pionner opted for another approach - allow the user to add amplification to his receiver - turning the receiver into a prepro (because it has be releaved of its amplifiying duties by the seperate amps).

These methods have long been considered by many to be the best way to achieve the cleanest sound in a system and the easiest way to upgrade specific parts. It is also the most expensive and least convienent.

To make it easy - a prepro is like a receiver with no amps - (and maybe no tuner section either - depends on the prepro). The amplifiers are a seperate component from the pre-amp/processor section hence the term pre/pro and the term seperates.