As for the processor, I'm going to have to go with the CP65. It has a cleaner sound than the CP500 and can easilly accomodate all digital formats without redigitizing the incoming 6 track signal, as the CP500 does with DTS, which will degrade the quality. I don't care too much for the CP200 either. It sounds good, but it is really weird and requires so many external modifications and boxes just to get it to do what 1 CP65 can do. Just looking at the thing you'd think it was 40 years old. The only thing I don't like about the CP65 is that it pads the surrounds in digital mode. That really sucks for Dolby Digital. I guess Dolby had to put something in there to make it cheesy. However this doesn't affect DTS since the levels are set seperately. So it's livable. This is probably why I prefer the surround presence of DTS over SRD... I can hear them!

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Dolby is clearly the best processor. However the CP45 is junk. I strongly dislike the CP65 purely for the padding down of the DA20. If it weren't for that and the lack of full magnetic capabilities, I would highly recommend it as my favorite. However, I'd take a CP200 with an aux rack any day for my personal preference. A good second is the CP500, although there are a few quirks with these and the sound can be a little harsh if the eq is not done carefully.

I've never liked Ultra Stereo very much, although if I couldn't have a Dolby, this would be my second choice. I've never worked with the Panastereo line, but anyone who has to resort to putting a sexy woman with a gun on their ads to sell a product must need all the help they can get. Plus, for those cosmetically minded, the Panastereo units just look cheap. (Hey, you wanted honesty, right?) I've never been happy with SMART processors, although I will admit I've never had the chance to work with their top unit.

(Please note before any flaming begins that I am not stating the Panastereo and SMART top of the line units are bad. Again, I've never worked with them.)

The Sony analog processors are junk. This is to be expected from the makers of SDDS, though.

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Regarding amplifiers: two of the requirements we like for theatre amps (assuming the electrical parameters are within spec.) are; no front-panel volume control that unauthorized personel could alter, and some measure of output level indication (the second is not absolutely essential, but is, at least, reassuring during a performance).

Both of these requirements have been met by the amps I have been using over the last few years:

Ashley - The older FET-200 and FET-500 models were extremely reliable, having a very low failure rate. The newer FTX-1501 and FTX-2001 have not proved quite as reliable.

QSC - The first thing I liked about the 1222 and 1622 models was carrying them up to the booth. The switching power supplies make for a very light-weight unit. In five months of use, I have only encountered one failure so far.
During a routine service check of one installation, recently, while running pink noise into Left channel (CP-200 with T.H.X.) I found no Left channel bass. Input plug substitution with Left-Extra proved the problem to be with the Left amplifier. Turning the fader up to near 10 brought the bass channel to life. It stayed good, after reducing the level to 7, but only for about half an hour. I changed the amp.
Front-panel controls are sealed by a cover secured by an allen screw.

Speakers - JBL or EAW.

Dolby CP500 isn't very impressive when it comes to pure sound quality. Then I prefer the good old CP65.

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OK now for reality... I have installed just about everything you can think of amp-wise, and my favorites are the QSC 1000-series (1400, 1700 et al) although I have had little problems with the USA series either. I like BGW and Crest as well.

Processors: Just anything Made from Dolby save for the CP-100 and older CP50s, I prefer the CP55,65,200 and 500 the best.
Ultra*Stereo 200 series are also almost as good as the Dolbys and save for a couple of bad power supplies that caused a mysterious hum in two of them, they have been a very good unit for the money, and can handle 6-channel sources 'right out of the box' ( try that with a CP50!)

I have no experience with the Panastereo or Sony, so I cannot make any comments about them. Some of the other Smart units range from pretty good for a basic 4-channel processor, to 100% pure CRAP!

With Kintek being out of business, I try to avoid them for a retrofit install, but still come across a few of them in my travels.

Worst processor? Easy. Eprad STARSCOPE and its brethren. DAMN these things suck!

Speakers? I prefer JBL, but really like Altec, EV, and Apogee as well...

Until later...