Surround Processor Reviews

Cary Audio Cinema 11a Surround Processor

Analog frequency response in Bypass mode:
–0.03 dB at 10 Hz
–0.00 dB at 20 Hz
–0.07 dB at 20 kHz
–0.43 dB at 50 kHz

Analog frequency response with signal processing:
–0.19 dB at 10 Hz
–0.05 dB at 20 Hz
–0.03 dB at 20 kHz
–13.49 dB at 50 kHz

The chart below shows the frequency response of the left (aqua), center (green), LFE (purple), and left surround (red) channels at the Dolby Digital decoder’s preamp outputs. The left channel measures –0.00 decibels at 20 hertz and +0.03 dB at 20 kilohertz. The center channel measures –0.00 dB at 20 Hz and +0.03 dB at 20 kHz, and the left surround channel measures –0.00 dB at 20 Hz and +0.06 dB at 20 kHz. The LFE channel, normalized to the level at 40 Hz, is –0.00 dB at 20 Hz, reaches the upper –3-dB point at 110 Hz, and reaches the upper –6-dB point at 118 Hz.

Response from the multichannel input to the main output in Bypass mode measures –0.03 dB at 10 Hz, –0.00 dB at 20 Hz, +0.00 dB at 20 kHz, and +0.01 dB at 50 kHz. The analog THD+N is less than 0.023 percent at 1 kHz with a 100-millivolt input and the volume control set to -6. Crosstalk with a 100-mV input was –92.50 dB left to right and –92.02 dB right to left. The signal-to-noise ratio with a 100-mV input from 10 Hz to 24 kHz with “A” weighting was –121.21 dBrA.—MJP

Cary Audio Model 7.125 Amplifier

Seven channels driven continuously into 8-ohm loads:
0.1% distortion at 119.5 watts
1% distortion at 136.5 watts

Five channels driven continuously into 8-ohm loads:
0.1% distortion at 122.1 watts
1% distortion at 141.0 watts

Frequency response RCA input:
–0.16 dB at 10 Hz
–0.04 dB at 20 Hz
–0.49 dB at 20 kHz
–4.93 dB at 50 kHz

Frequency response XLR input:
–0.16 dB at 10 Hz
–0.04 dB at 20 Hz
–0.56 dB at 20 kHz
–5.14 dB at 50 kHz.

This graph shows that the 7.125’s left amplifier channel, with two channels driving 8-ohm loads, reaches 0.1 percent distortion at 132.0 watts and 1 percent distortion at 159.1 watts. Into 4 ohms, the amplifier reaches 0.1 percent distortion at 219.0 watts and 1 percent distortion at 256.7 watts. An input level of 62.70 millivolts was required to produce an output of 2.83 volts into an 8-ohm load. This indicates an overall gain of +33.11 decibels using the RCA input. When using the XLR input, a level of 62.80 millivolts was required to produce an output of 2.83 volts into an 8-ohm load, which indicates an overall gain of +33.10 decibels.

THD+N from the amplifier was less than 0.009 percent at 1 kilohertz when driving 2.83 volts into an 8-ohm load using the RCA input. When using the XLR input under the same conditions, THD+N was also less than 0.009 percent. Crosstalk at 1 kHz driving 2.83 volts into an 8-ohm load was –95.64 dB left to right and –98.14 dB right to left using the RCA inputs and –95.75 dB left to right and –98.60 dB right to left using the XLR inputs. The signal-to-noise ratio with 2.83 volts driving an 8-ohm load from 10 Hz to 24 kHz with “A” weighting was –102.41 dBrA using the RCA input and –102.25 using the XLR input.—MJP