Introduction The
Proceed AVP is a full function audio/video preamp that combines audio
preamplification, digital conversion, broadcast-quality video switching
and surround sound decoding into a highly refined high-end gem. Priced
at $4,995 (S-Video version), the Proceed AVP comes equipped with DTS,
AC3, Pro Logic, THX and numerous other surround fields for both music
and video playback. The digital section of the AVP uses Burr Brown 1702
20-bit Multibit DACs for the left and right channels and 1-bit, 24-bit
compatible AKM Delta-Sigma DACs for the center, surround, aux and
subwoofer channels. A dealer-provided software update will be available
in the near future to get your AVP ready for the 24-bit 96 kHz
performance.
The
AVP comes equipped with seven digital and eight analog highly flexible,
assignable inputs. A special version of the AVP can be ordered in order
to take up to four S-VHS inputs, as well as four composite inputs. A
standard AVP comes with six composite video inputs. During the set-up
process, you decide which audio and or video device is to go into what
input. For example, you can set the primary and secondary input method;
a DVD player would take a digital input first and possibly an analog
second. The set-up process is not a cakewalk, but it is logical and
intuitive. The AVP manual is among the best I have ever read, in that
it is complete and easy to understand for the end user.
The faceplate of the Proceed AVP has a non-traditional design that
incorporates a sexy modern look with useful buttons in unconventional
placements. The controls for the loudspeaker level adjusters are curved
around the beautifully milled volume knob. This makes lots of sense in
that the volume knob has a dual purpose: it also controls the surround
parameters when desired.
The
design for the Proceed AVP’s remote is unique in that, unlike its
competitors, it fits easily in your hand and features only nine
buttons. Each button is within reach of your thumb for both left- and
right-handers. The three main buttons toggle up and down smoothly.
However, I frequently found myself making the mistake of switching my
inputs when I wanted to lower the volume. Ultimately, I added a
hand-held touch screen remote to control every component in my system,
as well as to facilitate macros.
Music on the Proceed AVP
Proceed’s tie into the Mark Levinson line of electronics is evident as
soon as you audition music through the AVP. The AVP is an excellent
preamp, worthy to replace many a high-end two-channel contender on the
market. Its 20-bit DAC sections for the right and left channels also
qualify the AVP as a replacement for the digital conversion found on
all but the best CD players and DACs currently on the market.
In
my theater application, two-channel music playback has a distinct
problem in that my left and right speakers (M&K THX monitors) are
installed into a bookcase. The center image is challenged, to put it
politely, by a 35-inch Sony XBR tube television set with another
M&K THX monitor blue tacked (with that gooey Silly Putty-like
stuff) to the top. The musical result is there is very little blending
of the left and right stereo speakers (the blend is known as center
imaging). After 50+ hours of listening, I tried an experiment that
would be considered blasphemy by some audio purists. I switched a
two-channel CD over to one of the AVP’s surround modes, L/R Surround.
The cut "Lung" from Hooverphonic’s Blue Wonder Power Milk (Epic)
provided some of the best results. The center channel immediately
solved the center imaging problem while the rears brought a surround
sensation that, while obviously not discrete 5.1, was cool and far more
musically involving than the traditional two-channel mode.
Surprisingly, the L/R Surround mode was not shrill or cheap-sounding.
Was it as good a DTS 20-bit CD? No, but with under 200 DTS and Dolby
music titles currently on the market, using your AVP to take your music
to the next level must be considered a major plus.
The
AVP really flexes its muscles for music in 5.1 surround especially on
Boyz II Men’s "Thank You" from their II record (DTS Entertainment).
Boyz II Men is a great group for discrete 5.1 surround. With four
singers, you can experience musical trickery that swirls, pops and
creates three-dimensional effects we only aspired to in the glory days
of two-channel. On "Thank You," the background vocal parts have the
type of resolution and three-dimensional pop you’d expect to get from a
$20,000 high end loudspeaker, imaged to the highest level. The musical
experience was all-consuming, far beyond anything you can get from mere
stereo.
On
Steely Dan’s "Hey Nineteen" from Gaucho (DTS Entertainment) you’re
hearing a lesser recording mixed into 5.1. The cymbals sounded harsh
and a bit shrill, but Michael McDonald’s signature backup vocals were
well placed in the rear channels. The song performance through the
Proceed AVP was more exciting than I have ever heard it on my reference
music system, but it lacked the resolution of the more modern Boyz II
Men recording.
The Movies One
critical, often overlooked aspect of an AV preamp is the importance of
a high-quality video distribution and switching mechanism. The AVP uses
a broadcast-quality video switching video section capable of passing an
HDTV signal with an output bandwidth of 65 MHz. The result of the
careful attention paid to the video performance is evident on sources
such as scene three of Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery (New
Line – DTS LD). Here Austin (Mike Myers) does his mod dance sequences
fully clad in a crushed blue velvet suit and accompanied by one of the
most vibrantly dressed casts ever caught on film. On lesser AV preamps,
the blacks seem faded and the brilliant colors look muted. On the AVP,
the colors pop with unparalleled beauty and the blacks are extremely
dark. With the Proceed AVP, you’ll enjoy more than just amazing audio
effect – the picture is simply wonderful.
For an all-out
test of the surround capabilities of the AVP, I looked to Tomorrow
Never Dies (MGM-UA DVD - AC3) the latest James Bond video release.
Chapter 20 has two phenomenal tests of a high performance home theater.
First, as Pierce Brosnan’s Bond and actress Michelle Yeoh’s Wai Lin try
to escape via motorcycle while being chased by Chinese assassins in
Range Rovers and a helicopter, the duo create a trap in a crowded
marketplace. The assassins’ gunshots accidentally set off an entire
truckload of fireworks. The surround effect on a lesser system can
become blurred, seeming like a sheer wall of sound attacking your ears.
On the Proceed AVP, all five of the main loudspeakers are lit up with a
dynamic yet detailed explosion that all of a sudden blooms into one of
the most amazing home theater moments I have ever heard.
The
second test in chapter 20 of Tomorrow Never Dies is at the end of the
scene where Bond and Wai Lin are seemingly trapped by the helicopter,
which is looming in on the two heroes as they are backed into a
dead-end corner. In true Bond fashion, the agents escape by looping a
metal laundry wire to the landing gear of the helicopter and
immediately taking off. In order to flee their pursuers, Bond and Wai
Lin need to slide the motorcycle under the rotating copter blades and
jump into a water well. As they pull off this seemingly impossible act,
you hear the most tremendous swirling effect with the helicopter
blades, coupled with pounding bass. The two dive into the water well
and the helicopter explodes with an impact I have never heard before in
my theater. The next scene soothingly cues Bond and Wai Lin taking a
makeshift shower in an alley way, with the delicate trickle of water
strikingly juxtaposed against the preceding cacophony of a helicopter
crash.
The Downside The Proceed AVP
has three balanced audio outputs for left, right and center
loudspeakers, while the Proceed Amp 5 five- channel power amplifier
accepts five balanced inputs. I could understand if there wasn’t enough
room for two or three more balanced jacks on the back of the AVP, but
there are in fact two more balanced outputs for zone II operation. I
simply don’t understand why the AVP would give up balanced performance
for the rears and subs.
The left and right DACs are 20-bit, but the rest are 1-bit. With a
future software upgrade the AVP will be able to do 24/96Khz. With the
growing importance of full range 5.1 sound for music, video and DVD, it
would have been nice to see the highest quality DACs throughout the AVP.
Conclusion
The Proceed AVP is the best value in all of the AV preamps. At $4995,
it is far from cheap, but it has all of the features and high-end
performance you’d expect from a Madrigal product; you would need to
spend upwards of $15,000 to get anything comparable elsewhere. The fit
and finish is great and the ease of use is much better than average. As
a two-channel preamp, the Proceed AVP could replace nearly all of the
existing preamps on the market even if you saved the surround features
for future home theater upgrades. The Proceed AVP is a home run of a
product. You’ll be proud to own one as the centerpiece of your high
performance multi-media system.
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