(Continued
from previous page)
Performance
I tested the Dreadnaught with
a Toshiba SD-6200 DVD Player, Denon DVM-4800 DVD Player, Theta Casablanca
II Surround Sound Processor, Krix Esoterix Mark II Speakers, and
Threshold ES-500 Electrostatic Speakers. Cables were Nordost and
BetterCables. I used balanced cables to connect the Casablanca to
the Dreadnaught since our Casablanca is fully balanced as well.
Video was through a Sony 10HT projector. A PS Audio P1200 Power
Plant cleaned the AC. I did not use any of our subwoofers for these
tests.
Well, the Dreadnaught is some amplifier!
As is typical with a fully balanced design, it is quiet when things
are paused. No background noise at all. Because of the Class A,
it is detailed and very musical. Most of the time, we don't need
more than a few watts for any of the channels. People are talking
or walking or driving around. It is only during the action sequences
that we need all those big watts. And, the Dreadnaught really delivers
when required. It is truly a massive product.
"Pearl Harbor" - Chapters 22 and 24. The
attack scenes on Pearl Harbor in this movie may very well be the
most astounding ever filmed. Yes, a lot of it is computer graphics,
but it is very well done, and it is very demanding on the audio
system. I ran the Dreadnaught full range even on our electrostatics,
the it did not flinch in the slightest. All sounds were very clear
and detailed no matter how many bullets and explosions were happening
at the same instant.
"Jurassic Park" - The opening to this great
film has the rustle of bushes, clanging of metal cages, people giving
instructions, and dinosaurs roaring. Not to mention John Williams'
terrific score. The Dreadnaught does it with aplomb. With some products,
I have difficulty understanding the hunter telling the workers what
to do, but not here.
"The Matrix" - Chapter 29 is where Neo and
Trinity shoot up the lobby of the building where Morpheus is being
held captive. Gun shots take tremendous energy to produce accurately
and cleanly in an audio system, and that is why I use it for tests.
The Dreadnaught sounded so good, I just sat back and enjoyed the
scene.
"The Phantom Menace" - Chapter 22. The Pod
Race in this movie is already a legend. On a big screen, it is breathtaking,
but it also takes a big sound system to handle it, with pod sounds
coming from all channels. A lesser amplifier would sound mushy with
such sound tracks, but the Dreadnaught gave me everything I wanted.
"Saving Private Ryan" - Chapter 2. Even
if this movie did not win "Best Picture" at the Academy
Awards, Spielberg gave us a new standard in war movie fight scenes.
Of course, the Normandy Invasion on June 6, 1944 is a horrific event
no matter how the story is told. Chapter 2 chronicles the landing.
Amongst bodies being blown apart by rockets and machine guns, the
only way to see this is a large screen and plenty of amplifier power.
The Dreadnaught is just made for such visual and audio experiences.
Maybe if all young people could see this scene with a big system,
everyone would be so scared of war, the next one would be cancelled.
DVD-Audio. Using the new Denon DVM-4800 DVD Player,
which has DVD-A output, I found the Dreadnaught could be as sweet
with 24/96 five-channel symphonic music as it had been mean and
nasty with intense action movies. DVD-A really is the next plateau
in music listening, and even though it will sound pretty good on
a small system, it has to be heard in a Dreadnaught-class arena
to appreciate its full capabilities. For example, Telarc's "1812
Overture" (available on both DVD-A and SACD) is thunderous
. . . especially in the climactic section with the cannons. Tchaikovsky
would have loved to hear a recording of his music on the Dreadnaught.
To summarize the sonic characteristics of the
Dreadnaught, I would say it has a forward high end (not harsh, just
obvious), a neutral mid-range, and a deep, tight bass (as opposed
to a warm, tubby bass).
Conclusion
Like the Casablanca II, the Theta Dreadnaught is state
of the art technology and extremely high quality. It delivers as
much power as you, your speakers, and the wall studs, can handle.
It is reasonably priced for what you get, and you get a lot. A highly
recommended product.
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