Excellent build quality, superb sound quality, simple uncluttered remote

MMLabs is no longer in business so if it breaks you are SOL

As this product is no longer available due to Mike Moffat Labs going out of business I'll keep this short: If you get the opportunity to buy one of these DD decoders, buy it! It is simply the best-sounding dolby digital a/v preamp that I have ever encountered. The secret behind the Angstrom 100 is that it is a UNITY-GAIN design. That means that it functions like a passive preamp with the attendant advantages and disadvantages. It will not play very loud (I can run the volume almost wide open in my system) but the quality of sound is unmatched in my experience. Incredibly transparent and musical only begin to describe the performance of this unit (hard to believe that dolby digital can sound "musical" but it's true). Resolution-wise, the Angstrom 100 is nearly the equal of my Camelot Uther/DragonPro/Audio Alchemy DDS-Pro I2s digital front end. One caveat: if you do find an Angstrom for sale be sure that it is one of the final production units that does not have the "hum" problem of earlier units. The one I bought is absolutely dead silent in all channels although it did hum until I verified the polarity of my AC mains was reversed and corrected the problem.

Long on sound but short on features, the Angstrom 100 is the best sounding DD decoder I have yet heard and destined to become a true classic!

Similar Products Used:

EAD Encore, Citation 5.0. Theta Casablance, Proceed AVP

Products come and go at an alarming pace, but MikeMoffat is one whose products endure. The newly revised version of the Angstrom 100 is a classic
example. A study in simplicity, the new 100 offers
ease of use and elegance not found in most processors
in its price class. Its Dolby Digital performance is
even better than in the original 100, which rivaled
the Angstrom 205 in its sound quality with AC-3 coded
sources. Pro-logic and music matrix modes are also
well-executed on the 100.
The revisions to the 100 have to do with the added
upgradability for DTS and video switching. The original 100 was a closed-architecture system with no
upgrade capability. The latest version allows DTS to
be implemented with the addition of a circuit card, and video switching by way of an add-on external box.
This means that when the video standards change, as they will with digital TV, the box can be replaced
with one that will embrace the new standard. Other
components now incorporating video circuits will
become unusable for the new standards, but the 100
will adapt. This is the prime reason for not including the function integrally.
The DTS upgrade will be finalized once DVD's using
this format become available. Since the codec for DTS
DVD's has changed so many times (thanks to the nice
folks at Dolby Labs) in the past few months, Angstrom
will not make the upgrade available until it has been
properly finalized and implemented. There are no guarantees that any DTS decoders currently out there,
or even DVD players that have DTS digital outs, will
work properly with the final version. We'll have to
wait and see.
The price of the revised Angstrom 100 is somewhat
higher than the original, but the added level of per-
formance and new upgradability make it worth the extra cost. The Angstrom 100 deserves a place in any
home theater system where high performance and lower
cost are important.

i owned this unit for about 3 weeks nowi got it for a very good deal,750+ tax demo,first day i experience some problems with it,(hum, TV interference,clicks etc).but now i solved some of the problems.
it actually was not the unit,only the clicking is normal.
i can't say much about this unit since it is already being describe well by the guy before me in this review.
i own a revised version of the 100 and i'm very happy with the sound. but the drawback of its simplicity and low price is the clicking sound when you change ssource from analog to digital and vice versa.
but you can avoid this if you select the source prior to switching on the amp.
i thought it was the problem with the unit, i called MMlab and they said it is normal.i'm not familiar with audiophile terminology to describe sound but i've heard a lot of different brand. and i prefer this unit even it does not have much bell and whistle.the sound is very clean and detail.
if you wanna go above rotel, marantz, adcom or NAD, take this baby home and run it in your system.also cosmetically neat!
p/s: revised version should have analog gain and external video switching capability. if i'm not mistaken coz mine does have these.
the price should be $995 ONLY! you can get less from your regular audiostore.

5 star for value,quality and performance.3 star for simplicity that cause click.
i hate that.
let me know if there is any question.

abdul
axa0005@widener.edu
join the angstrom100user mailing list at http://www.listbot.com
one of them is angstrom technician. you can forward any problem to the list about your angstrom 100.

Bought a demo piece at closeout due to uncertain status of company. Mr. Moffat has made a very affordable pre/pro with Dolby Digital and great stereo reproduction. Not a lot of bells and whistles, exactly what I was looking for. Paired with Bryston amps and Monitor Audio speakers, this gives me more than a glimpse of the high-end. Read Mike Moffats dissertation at mmlab.com concerning upgradability and the status of software. I was willing to sacrifice DTS capability at this time for a great piece at an affodable price. I hope Angstrom can stabilize their operation, as I look forward to more great gear from Mike Moffat and perhaps a DTS upgrade in the future for my 100. 5 stars for sound and value.