Hi James:
Here are some more suggestions.
The first one is actually a reply to your HDMI Issues? thread.
Check out the mod available that offers three coaxial digital outputs
(front, rear, center +sub) for DVD-A and SACD on most universal
DVD/DVD-A/SACD players.
http://www.switch-box.com/Home.htmlHopefully, Switch-Box.com will make this mod available
for the upcoming OPPO BD-83 Blu Ray Player.
If you could make the 3 coaxial digital inputs on the SP3 act as a
single 5.1 input (which your engineers might be able to implement
within the SP3's operating system software), there would be no
need to use HDMI with high bit rate codecs (True HD and MA lossless).
The second suggestion involves built in room correction.
If you do add this feature to the SP3, please make it possible to
have three presets. This is a critical omission with most room correction as
implemented in other pre/processors and AVRs. One preset would be for
2.0 or 2.1 audio.One preset would be for 5.1 audio. And one would be for
7.1 audio.
Room correction algorithms must involve all active speakers. Corrections for
room/speaker interaction, speaker non-linearities, etc., must be determined
as a system. But since two channel music doesn't use surrounds or a center
speaker, doing room correction for stereo must not involve those inactive speakers.
Also, if Bryston does implement a 5.1 + 7.1 capable setup, there should be
room correction presets for each set of speakers.
The third suggestion involves radio. Please check with Sirius/XM. They will
soon have a single home receiver that will be able to support both systems.
I'd really like to see the SP3 with a port for that receiver. The port will
connect the receiver digitally. Without the port, to use the receiver, an SP3
owner would have to connect the receiver via analog outputs. Considering
the poor D/A conversion in the receiver, that would be a really bad solution.
I'd also like to see an optional radio module available that would have
standard AM/FM and HD radio capability.
The fourth suggestion involves the HDMI outputs.
I really wish that Bryston could make each output simultaneously
active, with independent input selection for each output.
The second output would be totally passive, require absolutely no processing
within the SP3. It would simply pass the audio and video feed present at its selected
input. Further, it would require the input to be from one of the SP3's HDMI
inputs. This would relieve the SP3 from any requirement for A/D conversion and/or
scaling from analog sources (either audio or video).
The second output could go directly to a second HDTV, another pre/pro or an AVR
in a second room. With an RF capable remote control, this would save SP3 owners
the cost of duplicating source components to outfit two rooms.
Steven