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Author Topic: Which would you buy DTS-6D or DTS-6AD? Brad Allen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 688 From: Evansville, IN, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 02-02-2004 04:08 PM                     Without causing a battle over formats I would like to know which DTS unit everyone prefers. It seems on the surface the DTS-6AD is the better buy. Since it contains both the processor and the booth monitor. But I'm sure there are many other opinions and gotchas. Please let'm fly. Thanks!  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 02-02-2004 04:18 PM                     Oh God no don't buy the 6AD! It's analog handling is unbelieveably bad. If you specifically want the dts format over Dolby Digital, just get yourself a dts6-D (or an XD-10) and a quality processor. Personally, I would recommend you look into a Dolby CP-650 as an all-in-one combo. Had I reviewed the 6AD, it would've probably scored something along the lines of a D rating. You can do so much better, and even cheaper if you need elsewhere.  |  IP: Logged Josh Jones Redhat Posts: 1207 From: Plano, TX Registered: Apr 2000 posted 02-02-2004 05:54 PM                        I'll second the DTS-6D. team it up with a CP-65 and you'll have one good setup. Josh  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 02-02-2004 05:59 PM                  I'll 3rd it! Brad is on target about the analog section of the 6AD. Also, the Booth Monitor section is soooo underpowered it's basically useless if a projetor is running. >>> Phil  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 02-02-2004 06:47 PM                     Why aren't you considering Dolby?  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-02-2004 08:32 PM                     I'd actually lean towards the XD-10. SMART right now has a deals going on the Panastereo CSP-1200 packaged with either a DTS-6D or the XD-10. Steve  |  IP: Logged Josh Jones Redhat Posts: 1207 From: Plano, TX Registered: Apr 2000 posted 02-02-2004 10:35 PM                        I just knew Steve would chime in JJ  |  IP: Logged Brad Allen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 688 From: Evansville, IN, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 02-03-2004 12:18 PM                     Ok, I'll play the devils advocate and ask, why should I care about the DTS-6ad's poor analog processing, when I plan to only use analog for rare backup? I'm just asking. Manny, because of budget. Dolby would cost me about $16,000 more for 3 screens of digital. These are relatively small house's in a relatively small town. Budget is limited. And with my limited experience, to me DTS provides just as good or better "dynamic" sound experience. Steve, Brad, anyone else, please educate me as to why the XD-10 is a better choice over the 6d. I've read the manual for the XD-10, sounds like a neat toy. But I'm not keen on adding the hard drive into the failure equation. We don't do a lot of film swapping from auditorium to auditorium, so that limits the plus of storing sound tracks on the HD. Or am I missing the bigger picture here? And as far as it's video capabilities, DTS lacks in explaining why I want or need this? What is the price dif over the 6d? Does the price of it put it into Dolby territory? My experience with hard drives over the years has not given me a warm fuzzy feeling about relying on them for sound presentation. They give me enough fits just selling tickets. Thank you to everyone replying to this thread. I really (always) appreciate the opinions.  |  IP: Logged William T. Parr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 823 From: Cedar Park, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 02-03-2004 12:37 PM                     Well Why should you care about DTS poor analog backup. Lets see we had 4 released movies at my theatre this past summer that were Dolby Digital only so that would be a good starting point. If all you have is DTS and the AD players at that and you ended up with 3 movies that are Dolby Digital only then you will have 3 houses with really crappy analog sound.  |  IP: Logged Brad Allen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 688 From: Evansville, IN, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 02-03-2004 12:43 PM                     William Point taken. I had not run into prints without DTS. Hey, I've got lots to learn.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 02-03-2004 03:38 PM                     Having a good sounding analog backup is extremely important. There will be times you don't get discs, or they won't track properly or got crushed in those new joke DVD style cases (close to half of the ones I've seen have come in broken). You could buy a dts6-d player and pick up an older sound processor used (or new) and save a lot of money over the 6-AD and have a far better sounding end result.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-03-2004 07:08 PM                     The 6AD is up there with the Sony DFP1000 and 3000. Its really a piece of junk to say the least. Go the 6D or better yet buy a used DTS 6 cheaply as its the best of the stand alone DTS players. The analog backup should be almost as good in sound quality as your digital playback is(yes, this is easy to accomplish) so that when there is a reversion to analog there is hardly any discernable difference. Today that means going with a Panastereo CSP-1200 and BACP reader...which is about the finest analog playback you can get. The CSP-1200 also has facilities for 3 digital sources!! Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 02-03-2004 08:08 PM                     The original DTS-6 model seems to be the best built of the bunch. Our Carmike theater here still has their original two DTS-6 units from when the placed opened in 1994. Both have operated for over 9 years now without any problems. The XD-10 is a pretty cool piece of hardware. But a lot of its capability is sadly going unused. I haven't heard a word about any future films using the 8 or 10 channel capability of the system. The thing is even extensible; you could play a lot more than 10 channels of sound with the upgrades that are possible. My guess is the real muscle of the XD-10 may eventually be seen in special venue theaters.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-04-2004 10:01 PM                     The XD-10's real merit and computing power lies in the fact that as it sits is can playback 96 khz/24 bit DTS discs. This will most likely be the next evolution that film sound will go in the not to distant future. Of course the big "d" will have to scurry to counter this ability. I wonder how they would fit that in between sprocket holes. The XD-10 does not need any internal modification as did the 6 and the 6D to playback Special Venue disks. Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 02-04-2004 10:35 PM                        quote: Today that means going with a Panastereo CSP-1200 Somehow I knew you would say that. Unfortunately, I haven`t had the opportunity yet to hear one of these processors except for once in Buffalo, but it was playing an older movie with dialog only. I would really like to check a system based on this processor. Does anyone know where they are installed in the San Diego or Los Angeles area?  |  IP: Logged

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