levisjustin

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 2 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Awesome surround sound detail! Truely amazing. Only gripe is that i traded a Mark Levinson 380s for this. The Lex does not have balanced inputs which means you are stuck with the DAC's in the lex. Which are good i know, but this seems like a major omission to me. My stereo sound not as good as ML.

Strengths:
Surround decoding

Weaknesses:
Price, No XLR Balanced inputs Analogue. Only one digital balanced input.

Price Paid:  $8000.00 from Pecar Home Theater

Summary:
Alright... Upgrading to the MC-12 from the McIntosh MX-130 (a very fine piece of equipment), The MC-12 offered substantially more dimension with regard to setup and listening modes, and features. First off, I'm going to pick out the weaknesses, because there are few, then move on. While the remote is quite nice, I would expect something more versatile, and programmable, such as the Home Theater Master remote. Secondly, The bass and treble are set at 20 Hz and 20 kHz filters. This works alright for 50% of the time, but with a product of this capacity, I'd expect several parametric filters. Also, I have more source equipment than this unit has analog inputs for, but the MC-12 does have decent capacity for analog inputs (8 stereo inputs OR 1 5.1 input and 5 stereo inputs), not to mention all the digital inputs (12 of them), and the video inputs (18 (8 S, 5 component, 5 composite )), and 12 input selections on the front panel. Now for more of the strengths.
The MC-12 offers the most versatile configuration chactaristics I have come across in a product in its class. All things considered. Bass management is most versatile with its individual X-Over settings for each speaker assignment, including Sub augmentation with the front mains. Input assignments are second to none, with limitless configuration characteristics. Speaker setup is straight forward and can be done manualy or automatically with optional mic kit, providing software is updated to version 3.1 or higher. This unit has expansion slots within to increase processing power for better audio and / or future features. The MC-12 has 3 output zones. Main, Zone 2 and Record. This provides even more versatility. Also 2 RS-232 ports for software upgrade and expandability. Now how does it sound / look? Well, I have to say the MC-12 has a sound like none other than and just shy of the Levinson No. 40. That said, this unit provides dead a silent background, imaging is pinpoint, with space and air around the instruments, very detailed and lifelike sound, explosive dynamics, need I go on? Video is lossless. Beautiful video switching. Need I go on? Inputs can be switched between digital and analog if you wish to connect both from one source. Now what about surround modes? Breathtaking! The MC-12 offers so many listening modes (surround and otherwise), I can't even tell you how many. Logic 7 is Lexicon's proprietary mode, which even improves upon Dolby and dts. Music modes can be shifted on the fly to find which one you prefer for a particular CD. Film modes, the same. The MC-12 is available in RCA only or RCA and XLR versions.
The MC-12 is very nice looking, with its matteted aluminum front panel and black chasis. Its not reflectively shiny, which tends to be annoying in certain room lighting.
I have expressed some additional improvements to Lexicon which they can implement in the MC-12. This unit is so powerful and versatile (there's that word again..), It's capable of so much more than it is currently. I hope the folks at Lexicon decide to implement some of these upgrades, because if they did, no one else could come close.
My MC-12 is powered with PS Audio Plus power cable, plugged into a PS Audio P-300. I use several different digital and analog cables from various source equipment. The outputs are fed to Mark Levinson No. 432 and Proceed HPA 2 and 3 via AudioQuest Pythons.

Strengths:
Unparalelled sound quality, expandability and versatility (and looks).

Weaknesses:
Hmmm.... Remote, audio filters.

Similar Products Used:
McIntosh MX-130 (auditioned many others, in home)

Price Paid:  $5200.00 from Used

Summary:
I upgraded my Lexicon DC-1 to the MC-12 and I want to say it is everything I expected it to be. So much flexibility and it was a cinch to upgrade the software. The menue is very easy to navigate through. This is the last pre-amp I will ever purchase.

Strengths:
I love the the seperate Lt & Rt subwoofer outputs along with the LFE out. I have four subs in my system. I hooked up two of them in stereo and two to the LFE. Very flexible crossover points. This is a top notch unit. I has every bell and whistle you could want.

Weaknesses:
None, price, maybe!

Similar Products Used:
Lexicon DC-1 V4

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Just wanted to chime in here. I recently auditioned the MC12 (I am about to purchase an MC12 B). I have owned several HT setups and also listened to many more, and although the processor quality DID vary each time I upgraded, I was NOT prepared for what I heard from the MC12. Transparency is a big issue with me when I choose electronics... yes, the support that you get with power is nice and necessary, but the transparency is #1. The Lexicon showedd off in several areas. The Logic 7 wrapped the sound around me like never before. NO, it did not sound like BAD multi-channel audio. It just sounded like you were immersed in an incredibly rich field of 'sound'... each sound defined like never before. Chair creeks, birds flying and dialogue were reproduced at a level that is FAR beyond what I had ever heard. I hate when someone shows you their HT system and automatically blast it to impress with volume. If I want to be blasted, I'd go to a commerical theater. When I opt for a home setup I want my system to perform heads and shoulders about the fancy theaters. The dialogue was impressive in that it was pinpoint without the echo effect that comes from congesed gear. The spacial cues were so refined, detailed and seperated. I returned home to give my (son to be x) system another listen. What I was once satisfied with ( I guess through ignorance) was no longer listenable. I am spoiled. I would love to be able to get a pre/pro like the MC12 for 2K ( I don't NEED to own the most expensive ), but they just don't compare. I also listened to the Proceed AVP2 and all Proceed electronics. NOISE, NOISE, NOISE (IN COMPARISON TO THE MC12) The Proceed did not make me want to uograde... The Lexicon DID. If you have the means AND want the current State of The Art ( By a wide Margin), then find someplace that has this on display. I was listening through the LX7 amp.

Strengths:
Clarity... Sense of immersion into the sound field... Upgradability.. Processing power... Solid Company!!!

Weaknesses:
Price... looks still do not beat the funky retro, modern look of the Proceed..

Similar Products Used:
Moved from HT Receivers, to Adcom, to B&K, to Myryad and a few others after that in the higher price ranges...

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Sound Video

Summary:
Beautiful. I upgraded my MC-1 to this, and I have to say that I''m really impressed. There were some initial bugs in the MC-12, but with the latest 1.10 firmware (4/02) I think this unit tops anything else I''ve ever heard. I''m a predominantly movie person, and find the sound to be completely immersive and initimate. Bass is thrilling, yet tight. It feels like I''ve been listening through an opaque pane of glass and that suddenly, having bought the MC-12, the pane of glass was removed and I can hear the sound much clearer. It''s great!

Strengths:
Sound is dazzingly, configurability, ease up upgrade (did it myself without breaking a sweat), fantastic customer support, lots of options to tweak to get the best performance.

Weaknesses:
Remote is a bit of a kludge, cosmetics (I know everybody loves the brushed aluminum look, but I preferred the appearance of the MC-1), pricy.

Similar Products Used:
Lexicon MC-1, CP-3, various HT receivers.