Audio processor

[Allan Barnes]

i am looking to purchase 3 new or audio audio processors for small screening room / cinemas of under 100 seats. I have been happy with a DOLBY 650 and more recent the QSC DCP 100 and 300. I wold be pleased to hear YOUR opinions on new or used audio processors

[Mike Blakesley]

We just got the Trinnov Ovation2 a couple of years ago and have been very happy with it. Prior to that we had a Dolby CP650, but the parts are getting harder to come by since it's been "sunsetted." I'm sure others will chime in with their favorite units too.

[Sam Chavez]

The CP950 is hard to beat if you can get one. Backordered until spring 2023 I hear.

BACP still has a number of 650's new in the box and a full complement of spare circuit boards and power supplies. Also with several thousand sold, there's spares laying around all over. Obsolete for sure but depending on the application, it could be fine.

[Marco Giustini]

I guess nowadays it’s a matter of ‘what’s available’ rather than what is recommended.
I wouldn’t go with the 650, it’s well gone and you don’t want to have to struggle to get parts. Also the 650 doesn’t have a reliable digital input so it requires external D/A which I wouldn’t recommend.

never installed or heard the ovation, everybody seems to be enthusiastic about it but make sure you have someone who knows how to install it. Same for the AP25 and Dirac, make sure the installer knows what they’re doing.

[Gordon McLeod]

I still use the JSD80 or the DTS XD10P and find them very reliable

[Marin Zorica]

I always recommend is to go for new unit! There is a lack of information about rooms, so any advice is tricky....for example, do you have need for multiple external sources, multichannel feed, HDMI pass true, bi/tri amp speakers crossoveretc. Trinnov is way to go, to get you max from speakers and room, next is CP950 (lead time is long, but recently did installed few which came in short period from ordering), another would be DATASAT AP25 if you need for example HDMI switcher, multichannel input, 35mm optical.......also JSD60 is EOL but if available also great choice. Recently also did use JBL CPi2000 which is ok for standard rooms, includes bi/tri amp internal processor and all what is needed for standard dci cinema playback, I think also price if quite affordable, only it lack any kind of booth monitor output.
Next recommendation from me is to buy same for all rooms, so always in case of one goes dead, you can swap between rooms and just upload backup to them.

As for used one's, I would recommend them to buy for temporarily replacement or backup, in case you get them cheap. I have a stock of CP650, JSD80, etc which we use for backup when costumer needs temporarily replacement until their own unit is not repaired or replaced, but would not sell them as they are minimum 10+ years old now, even we did replaced all power supply in those unit.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

I installed a few JSD-80's as long as a film input was required, then lots of JSD-100's and then JSD-60's once they became available. But of all the processors out there, the Trinnov is far and away the best one.

[Steve Guttag]

For new...choices are pretty slim (even if they were available). We're down to the Dolby CP950, Trinnov Ovation-2, QSC's DPM-300 and Q-SYS ecosystem of products, Datasat AP25, JBL's CPi2000.

None of the above is really all that available. The CP950s are off until spring 2023, QSC's DSP is off until mid 2023. Q-SYS is doable, if you you are willing to work with what is available (e.g. CORE NANO and some QIO, DCIO-H). Nobody knows about Datasat. Tinnov seems to be a on a multi-month wait now.

The problem with the used digital stuff is that you are one failure away from being down for months. A combination of events in the last two years has really caused a rapid discontinuation of parts for things that have analog and digital audio in them. AKM burning to the ground really hurt the world since most digital audio companies (essentially all) shopped at that same "store."

[Gordon McLeod]

At any time we keep a minimum of 30 jsd80s dtsXD10p on the shelf in the warehouse and in remote location a second one is mounted in the rack pre programmed so one just moves the pheonix connector if their is a failure and in the plexs there is always at least one spare. All one needs to do is swap and swap the SD card

[Marcel Birgelen]

Like Steve indicated, anything new comes with lead times in the months and no real guarantee it will actually be delivered by then... If you can wait that long, I guess I'd go for the CP950 for a small room of up to 100 seats. If you need it now, you need to shop among the options available.

Keep in mind that supply issues are still present across the board and do not just affect audio processors. Amplifiers, speakers, projectors, servers... if it's not in stock somewhere, it usually comes with lead times in the months.

[Leo Enticknap]

Trinnov seems to be a on a multi-month wait now.

That's a new (and unwelcome) development. The last I knew, they had inventory available to ship immediately.

There is a Barco-badged version of the AP25 that has an Auro card in it. Even if you don't want or need that, if you are willing to pay what is likely a significantly higher price than you would to buy an AP25 directly from Datasat, if Barco has inventory ready to go, it might be worth considering.

[Darin Steffl]

We've been waiting on a new CP950 since April 2022 and no ETA yet. I've heard the CP950A, atmos version, is more available but we don't need that in our small VIP Suite. So we're waiting for it to show up and temporarily running on a JBL CP2000i that our dealer had on the shelf to lend us.

[Steve Guttag]

My news on the Trinnov is second hand. Mike Babb can certainly speak to the reality. What I heard was that they were doing "okay" until word got out in CineEurope or some similar convention and that wiped them out.

[Mike Babb]

Hello all, yes we were doing well as Steve says until CineEurope when everyone found out we had some stock and ordered all at once.

Currently we are looking at February shipment for orders placed today. We are stepping up production in 2023, and keeping an eye on demand.