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Review 4 of 50
Price Paid:
$1400.00
from dealer Summary:
I have owned this unit for almost 2 years, and I originally purchased it as an economical unit until the digital/HDTV shakedown could occur, and standards be adopted. I could not see spending significant $$$ with as many changes would be occurring in the very near future. It seems that standards still have not been adopted, and "future-proof units" will innevatibly have some serious trade-offs. The GTX-1 has more than bridged this gap. It sounds like equipment costing 3-4 times as much.
Having made this statement, the unit is not perfect. I originally experienced some quirkiness with the 1st version of the software, like the unit locking up and having an audible pop in the sub channel when sources were switched. The version 2 software has cured these problems, except for a period of about 1 week that I could not get the unit to recognized DTS signals. It seems that models from other manufacturers also experience this problem, however. This has cured itself, and the unit has continued to play beautifully.
The versatillity of the unit is good, with the ability to change sub crossover settings, fine tune sitting positions, etc. I also like the digital tape loop for CDR recording, which I think, this unit was one of the 1st to include, certainly at this price point.
The sound is superb. I am using Krell gear with electrostats, and the GTX-1 is very transparent, complementing this gear well. I am using a KRC-HR pre-amp with the thru circuit for HT. This provides the best of both worlds for analogue and digital. Keep in mind that the GTX-1 was originally conceived as an outboard stereo DAC, and the designers decided to make it a home theater processor due to the rise in popularity and sales of 5.1 systems. So all 6 of the DAC's are top-notch and the sound reflects this. It also may explain some of the quirkiness of the unit.
I agree that this unit is destined to be a classic. When it performs, which is most of the time in my case, it is amazing. I can see, however, how others have found some of its eccentricities frustrating, especially with version 1 software. It is like a classic automobile, which may not be reliable all the time, but provides a little bit of heaven when it works. If you can find one that has been relatively trouble-free, buy it. That having been said, I may be selling my unit shortly since I just purchased a HDTV
satellite system and need component switching, and would like more sub outputs and balanced outs. Weaknesses:
no dealer support currently, occasionally "temperamental" operation, no component video in, 1 sub output, no 6 channel thru, no analog thru, Similar Products Used:
krell, denon,
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