I finally recieved my Casa Nova on Tuesday, after waiting 6 weeks to have it made. I haven't been able to put it through its paces, yet but so far what I've heard I like.
One the handful of CDs I've listened to (A Jeff Weber produced "audiophile" demo disc from Tara Labs, Eagles Greatest Hits Vol I and II) the sound has been very crisp and tight. The drums on Hotel California sounded like they were in the room with me, just the right amount of punch, no unneeded echo/lingering.

My current system is:

Pioneer DV-414 as source
some cheap Radio Shack video cable as digital interconnect
Theta Casa Nova
Tara Labs Prism 33i interconnect
B&K Components AV5000 ser II amp
Tara Labs Prism Bi-wire speaker wire
Linn Kaliedh speakers Bi-wired

I'll be audtioning digital interconnects in the coming weeks and I'm also planning on adding a Mirage BPS 150i subwoofer. I expect the digital interconnect to help imaging, as the identical system at my dealer's store (except for the digital interconnect, which was a BEL digital cable) had a nicer soundstage than I'm currently hearing. Who knows, maybe my Casa Nova needs to break in (I don't know if I believe the break in story).

Setup took 1.5 - 2 hours. I just played around with renaming the inputs/sources and getting the correct input configure to the correct source button and went through the other menus. My dealer will be around later to finish the setup but I think I've probably done 80% of the job.

My Casa Nova doesn't have the DD or DTS cards, I'll add later after my checking account (and wife) recover.

Playing around with the volume last night, I noticed I had to turn the volume upt to 60 (out of 73) to hear any noise when the DVD player was selected as source and the disc stopped. When I'm playing at listenable leves (25-30 range) I notice no background noise.

Overall, I'm very happy with the quality of the sound I'm getting. Now I just need to spend a lot of time listening. I hope this thing will last a good 10-15 years to payoff the investment.

Finally, I received my Theta Casanova. I wrote a quick review of long demo
I had with it at me dealer some time ago (about a month), and now I'd like to
give folks some more in depth thoughts after playing with it (literally) for a few hours.


Preamble:
Upgrading from a Sunfire Theater Grand. Main reasons wwere upgradability, configurations options, and better sound. I did feel that in
2-channel, Pro-Logic,
DD, and DTS, that the Theater Grand was excellent, however I was looking for
a "cleaner" path to future upgradability, daughter cards and software/firmware upgrades, all of which the Casnova supports. A month ago,
I demo'd at my local
dealer against a Lexicon DC
-2 and a Classe model (don't know the number).
My home systems consists of a Krell KAV-500, Parasound C/DC CD changer/transport, Panasonic DVD A110 player, B&W P5 mains, B&W
CC6 center, B&W 601 rears, and a Sunfire True Subwoofer (Tice Elite 3 AC line
conditioner for all..). Cables are Transparent and Cardas. My Casanova included:
digital input card (DD and DTS options), analog input card (tape out, zone 2, and Circle Surround option), analog output card (L/C/R
have balanced outputs too),
RS232, and the alloy case upgrade.

First of all, I think what people who are considering a preamp/prcoessor at this price point are looking for is 2-channel performance. Well,
it's fabulous. I think I've hit my
point of "dimminshing returns" for 2 channel w/ the Casanova, I can't see it getting significantly better. I did demo a BAT VK50 tube
preamp for the hell of it, and while it sounded great, not worth the addtional cost over a Casanova. Others' mileage may vary of course,
but personally, I can't imagine much better unless you go for the top of the line Levinson, BAT, etc. That stuff is outta my price range for
something that's restricted to 2-channels. There is however a hidden musical treasure of teh Cas. that I'll get too, which you cannot get on
a Levinson Reference preamp :-).

The Casanova's config options, as you may be aware, are too numerous for me to cover in this post. Basicallyt, for each type of input (CD,
DVD, VCR, etc) you can of course set your levels, delays, but more importantly are the crossover settings. You can set Butterworh,
Linkwitz-Riley, and Phase Perfect, along with there corrsponding freq. cutoffs, slopes (dB/octave), and phase (0/180). Amazing! Honest, in
my apartment, with less then ideal room acoustics (much less), the difference between the types were very minimal. For someone with a
really good listening room, you can really tailor this thing, and hear a difference (me eventually
:-D ). The nice thing for me was having the basic choice in frequency cuttoffs. For example, I have a full signal going the my mains,
along with a cutoff at 50Hz to the sub. The center is cut at 60Hz, and the surrounds at 80 Hz. It really makes everything sound nice and
smooth, instead of the typical 80Hz barrier on most procesors. Choices are 40,60,80,100,120, and 160Hz. I was set for Butterworth filter
type.

With these settings, DD and DTS sounded grand. The Casanova has a Matrix ans special matrix mode, along with standard Dolby Pro
Logic and Mono. Well, these are all fine and dandy, but that gem I mentioned ealrier for music also shows its stuff for movies.....

Correct...Circle Surround!! Folks, forget EVERY cheesy DSP surround mode (Jazz, Stadium, whatever) you've heard, Circle Surround is a
different ball game. Those with Lexicon's Logic 7 probably can relate (which I've heard) and Merdian's TriField (which I've head of...).
There is Cicle Encoded, Non-Encoded, and Cinema. There are very few CD's encoded for Circle Surround, but I do have a DMP sampler
that was. WOW! Non-encoded is for any standard stereo CD.
All I have to say is "Dark Side of the Moon" in circle surround!! Insane. Until Alan Parsons gives us the DTS version (from the original
quad tracks), this is how DSOTM was meant to be heard! The Circle Surround really brings the soundstage out in the open, along with
superb rear channel ambience that's neither too soft or to distracting. I can't believe this hasn't been licensed elsewhere. Granted you can
get the standalone prcoessor, but having it integraded is really the way to go. Anyone who is considering a HT processor, but really
enjoys music even more, must demo Circle Surround at all costs. It has been extremely hard for me to go back to 2-channels for ANY of
my CD's. Miles, Coltrane, Tuck & Patti, Floyd, every rock and jazz disc I own has new life now. When I switch back to 2-channel,
everything just collapses.

The Circle Cinema mode is way better then Pro-Logic, or even Theta's Special Matrix mode. It's not all center channel, and there is a lot
more going on fo the rear channels too.

I must say overall, some of the best money I've spent on audio equipment in a while. I'm extremely happy with my choice, and since it's
upgradable to practially any new technology, I don't see myself getting anything else in the preamp dept for an indefinite amount of
time. Please, if you looking at processors in the $3500-$5500 range, do yourself a favor and demo the Casanova, w/ Circle Surround if
possible.
I think you'll be as excited as I am.

This is an amazing sound surround processor. It makes for a very high-end 2 channel preamp/DAC. It blew away my existing Counterpoint Solid-8 preamp and Cal Icon MKII CD player. Scary thing is I am still using a DVD-414 as my CD transport. Can't wait to try out a decent transport.
The configuration menus are very well layed out. Users should equate this to powerful and flexible rather than difficult to use. I am a Software Engineer and thought the menu layout was very well thought out. If you don't understand the 70+ page manual, then ask the dealer to walk you through the setup. It is really quite easy.

I look forward to future upgrades from Theta.

I auditioned the Theta in my home and has a few things going for it. 1st off, I do like it's open architecture and looks. It is a MAJOR MAJOR pain to set-up and it does not have non-volatile memory (if you lose power, you lose set-up.)I hope I was doing something wrong here but I doubt it!

The fact remains I did not buy this unit... Why?? 1.) There is very limited amount of expansion. 2.) The costs to upgrade are EXTREMELY expensive when they do come out (ask the CasaBlanca owners how much to go to 24/96 will be!). Might as well buy a psuedo upgradable piece...
The major reason people buy this is for two channel performance. Turns out it came in 4th place behind Proceed, EAD Ovation, B&K ref20 (yes B&K). I called Proceed and B&K and they explained why.... Any time you use a bus or card structure (the best in open architecture techniques) you increase the signal path a lot!! Many products select world class components like the best DAC's, DSP's, precision resistors etc but the total expense of the components is VERY minimal to the price of a $4000 product ($300 or less). Even the Sherwood NewCastle uses world class DAC's etc but the layout etc makes it midfi. Components is only a fraction of the performance game. It is the knowledge of what sound good with what and how it is laid out to extract the Maximum performance. The increased signal path of the Theta comes with a trade off of lower 2 channel performance. Try this simple test, bring in a B&K ref20 ($2500 list) or the Proceed ($5000 list) into your local Theta dealer and be prepared be shocked in two channel.
I pride myself on having a good ear and it simply sounds more open with better dynamics. The B&K was a big shock especially how close it sounded to the best performing (in my group) Proceed. Forget the reviews, let your ears prove that the Theta is a on of the best looking products, not best sounding products. They do a very good job in two channel but not world class.
Just an opinion.....
Daniel

I listened to the Theta Casa Nova after placing an order for a Meridian 561, primarily because the local Theta dealer did not have a demo unit prior to that time.
I was impressed by the excellent looks and build quality of the Casa Nova, but I had been through this before when I compared side by side the Proceed AVP to the Meridian 561. I wanted the AVP more for its looks and substance, but in the end the Meridian 561 outperformed the AVP in flexibility, and sonically it was the more refined and transparent sounding pre/pro.

In two channel listening the Casa Nova reminded me of my audition of the Theta Miles CD player a while back. Quite detailed, good soundstage, somewhat upfront, and a just a little sterile sounding. Perhaps it was not well broken in, or there were other factors. My overall impression was that the Casa Nova was not quite in the same league as the AVP and 561. It's sound is closer to that of the AVP, but I feel that the AVP is a more elegant and refined package then the Casa Nova, especially for someone looking for ease of use. The 561 comes very close to the setup flexibility of the Casa Nova but is much easier to setup through the use of an external PC program, and is very easy to use day to day.

The upgrade methodology Theta employs has merit, and in the long run may prove to be the least likely to become obsolete, but at a price. The AVP and 561 are software upgradeable for free, and both companies have been known to periodically offer hardware upgrades.

Overall at the price point the Casa Nova is very good. If you don't need all the bells and whistles the Casa Nova represents good value at about 3700 without circle surround, video, etc. But adding all the other options puts the Casa Nova close in price to the AVP and 561. At this point you need to compare the Casa Nova to the higher priced pre/pros.

After many months looking for an preamp/decoder, I bought the Casanova.Looks great, it's upgreadable (well I don't know at wich price, but...)
and the sound ?
Honestly I was expecting more from this product.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to audit it, because here in Switzerland
Theta is not very well known, so nobody had a unit in stock.

The Setup menu structure is not so difficult as everybody says.
It takes 1 hour to understand all the manual, although I don't understand why
they have one so big !!!

The good news is that is very versatile and flexible.
You can choose how many channels do you have, crossover types, frequencies and slopes, output levels, and so forth.
One nice feature is the remote power. With this I'm able to switch on/off my Parasound, simply turn the casanova on and your amplifier (if it has a DC input) will turn on as well (you can setup a delay if you need).

The only problem I have at the moment is that when I switch on my Parasound and the Casanova, a high frequency noise (volume independent) is coming out.
I reported this to my dealer and to theta as well. Still waiting...

Andrea

The Casa Nova is a excellent piece of equipment.It has many options and futureoptions. It is very versitile. I find myself having to upgrade everything
around it but I guess that is part of the groing process.

Keith -
In a way I agree with you. I have listened to both the Sony TA-9000ES and the Acurus ACT3 and both are excellent products. I like the Sony a little better. It had more options and more features IMHO. For under $2000, both of those units are excellent and will give most people great sound.

However, in another way I must disagree with you. The Acurus and the Sony are NOT upgradable. In particular, neither will be able accept DVD-Audio when it comes out. So, you will have to buy a whole new unit if you want any new technology.

Also, people have specific needs which neither the Acurus nor the Sony can handle. For example, my speakers are dipolar...with a subwoofer in each speaker (including the center). None of the features present on the Sony or Acurus preamps will allow me to accurately tune my entire system the way I want...there would always be a trade-off. With the Theta, on the other hand, I would be able to specifiy EXACT speaker distances, BASS management options, and do this for each and every input. In addition, I can buy only what I need and have the option to upgrade to a particular feature in the future for MUCH less that I would if I were to purchase the Sony or Acurus.

In a direct comparison, I must admit that although I would be perfectly happy with the Sony unit, the Theta DID sound much better...especially on 2-channel music. The Sony and Acurus are really meant to be only home-theater processors IMHO.

Anyway, I do not own the Theta...nor do I own the Sony or Acurus. I am just making a comment based upon my own listening experience at the various dealers.

I will agree that $5000 is alot of money to outlay assuming you want ALL of the features of the Theta ($3000 will buy you the base unit. I will not agree however that the additional money does not give you additional features and performance however. The Theta simply outclasses the Sony and Acurus on sound and especially on features. The Theta will pay for itself over the course of 5-10 years simply because you can add the upgrades for a fraction of the cost of a new preamp.

It's an excellent preamp...expensive sure, but excellent.

Best,
- Andy...

just wanted to post to correct an erroneous statement in the review below. the acurus act 3 can be modified for new technology as it is a completly modular construction. i have talked to the folks at mondial & they will alter the act 3 to accept either a 6 channel input, or will put on a firewire attachment, depending on how dvd audio eventually works out. plus there is already an upgrade available for an advanced bass management mode. for the full skinny, check out my review under the act 3 version 2 section. granted, the theta is a more advanced piece, somewhat more flexible, but it is also MUCH more complicated to operate. if you are looking for value for $$ & ease of use go with the acurus, but if you are a hardcore audio/videophile & have the cash the theta is a great unit, just get ready to do some serious study of the manual.

I've been searching and searching for a very long time for just the right pre-amp to mate with my B&W Nautilus 805's. I have been searching since January, and looking at everything from EAD, ACT 3, Proceed, Meridian, B&K and Lexicon. I picked these Brands because all of them could be upgraded and that was my greatest concern. If your like me and like to have the latest and greatest for your listening enjoyment you get to a point where you find yourself tired of buying a brand new piece just to have one thing like DTS. I first bought a DC1 because I got it at such a great deal and it sounded good and I email Lexicon to see if it would be able to handle DVD Audio and they told me only the MC1 and maybe the DC2. I really wanted the EAD but I was concerned about the remote and the fact that it does not have any buttons to operate the unit in case I lose the remote which I doubt I will, but it was a concern never the less. Then I came across the Theta, it addressed all my concerns on upgrading but how would it sound compared to the Lex? I heard the Proceed several times and it just didn’t do it for me, it was mated with the Vienna Acoustics (Beethoven), which are sweet sounding speakers, and I always use the Bug’s Life to audition anything since it is all digital, but for 5 G’s I couldn’t see spending that much especially seeing how I could easily go with the Lexicon for less money and I would not b losing that much in detail. With that in mind I figured that the Theta would fall in the same category so I couldn’t loss with the DC1. Then a good thing happened, I emailed lexicon about the DC1 to see how they will address the DVD audio issue and I found out that I would have to purchase the MC1 for it or maybe the DC2. That made me re-think my decision and I decided to give the Theta a go and man was I glad I did. I was truly impress with the detail that this unit produced. The bass management was unbelievable. There is a scene in the Bug’s Life were a left falls on the ground and the bass rendered at that moment was unbelievable realistic. Their was also a scene in Happy Gilmore at the earthquake putt putt where it actually felt like a earthquake in my media room. Circle Surround was great, I use a Minidisk for music listening and it sounded as if I had Dolby Digital Minidisk. I must say that purchasing the Theta was to best think I every did, I am truly happen and now I can enjoy my 805’s as they were meant to be heard.
P.S. A side note – I was very impress with both Lexicon and Theta’s customer services they really impressed me, but I can not say the same for EAD and that’s a par of the reason why I decided not to purchase their unit.