Guide to AVRs, Controllers & Amps

GUIDE TO AVRs, ContRolleRs & Amps

Bonus section:

Choosing Home

Theater Cables

2 THE PERFECT VISION GUIDE TO AVRS, CONTROllERS & AmPS www.avguide.com

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AVRs, controllers & Ampscontents

Introduction

AVRs, Controllers & Amps: Buying Tips from TPV

Automated Speaker Setup/Room EQ Systems Explained

On the Horizon: New AVRs, Controllers & Amps

Headed Our Way

Choosing Home Theater Cables

TPV AVR REVIEWSCambridge Audio 650RMarantz SR8002NAD T775Onkyo TX-SR608Pioneer SC-27Rotel RSX-1550Sony STR-DA6400ESYamaha RX-V3900

TPV A/V CONTROllER & AmP REVIEWSAnthem Statement D2v A/V ContollerAnthem Statement P5 AmplifierClasse Audio SSP-800 Multichannel ControllerMarantz AV8003 Pre TunerMarantz MM8003 AmplifierParasound Halo P7 Multichannel Preamp and Marantz AV8003 Pre Tuner

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EDITORIAL PUBlISHER Jim Hannon

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Chris Martens

SENIOR EDITORS David Birch-Jones, Video Chris Martens, Audio

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Neil Gader, Associate Editor, The Absolute Sound Steve Guttenberg, Contributing Writer, The Perfect Vision and Playback

Robert Harley, Editor-in-Chief, The Absolute Sound

GUIDE TO AVRs, ContRolleRs & Amps

cREATIvE CREATIVE DIRECTOR Torquil DewarART DIRECTOR Shelley Lai PRODUCTION mANAGER Aaron ChamberlainDESIGNER mikki Bullock

cORpORATE OffIcE NEXTSCREEN, llC, INC. CHAIRmAN & CEO Tom Martin

VP/GROUP PUBlISHER Jim Hannon

ADvERTIsIng ADVERTISING REPS Cheryl Smith(512)-891-7775

Marvin LewisMTM Sales(718)-225-8803

Scott Constantine(609)-275-9594

To sign up for Buyer’s Guides alerts, click here

Address letters to the Editor: The Perfect Vision, 4544 S. Lamar #G-300, Austin, TX 78745 or [email protected]©2010 NextScreen, LLC

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To this end, we lead off with two pieces entitled “AVRs, Controllers & Amps: Buying Tips from TPV” and “Automated Speaker Setup/Room EQ System Explained”. Together, these articles provide need-to-know information to help you understand key differentiators between various makes and models of AVRs, controllers and amps, and to make wise purchase decisions accordingly.

Next we provide an article called “On the Horizon: New AVRs, Controllers & Amps Headed Our Way”. Seventeen of today’s most influential A/V manufacturers share insights on soon-to-be-released (or very recently released) new models you may want to know about before investing in new gear.

Then, recognizing that no home theater system can be complete without high quality cables (and that wires can sometimes be the “weak

link” in otherwise good systems), we offer a cool bonus section called “Choosing Home Theater Cables”. Fourteen leading cable manufacturers recommend cabling packages for both entry-to-mid-level and mid-level-to-top-tier systems.

Finally, we wrap up with a collection of The Perfect Vision’s expert reviews of fourteen AVRs, controllers & amps—just to help get you started on your search.

We hope you have as much fun reading and using this Guide as we did putting it together, and we wish you the very best that fine home theater systems have to offer. Happy viewing and listening,

Chris Martens, Editor, AVguide.com, Playback/ The Perfect Vision

Welcome to The Perfect Vision Guide to AVRs, Controllers

& Amps. By design, this is a different kind of “Buyer’s

Guide”—one that focuses not so much on telling you

which components to buy, but that rather aims to provide information

that will help you sort through the myriad of products available to find

those that will best meet your real-world needs.

InTRODUcTIOn

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Choosing new electronics components to power and control your home theater system can be an intimidating

and sometimes confusing task. Knowing this, the TPV team has put together four simple groups of buying tips to help simplify and streamline your task.

TIP 1: Keep Your Eyes on the Prize—Core Performance Key Concept: Core performance outweighs “gongs and whistles” every time.

There has been and will likely to continue to be an “explosion of features” in the world of AVRs, controllers and amps, and it is easy to see why. For many manufacturers, the marching orders from the marketing department say, “invent something (anything) new so that we can differentiate this year’s models from last years offerings.” This is all well and good, provided that you as a consumer and enthusiast understand that some features are extremely useful and therefore desirable, while others are mostly just eye candy. How do you sort them out? We recommend using this simple litmus test:

The Core Performance litmus Test:“Do the features or functions offered by the

component improve core performance in ways I can actually see and/or hear?”Core Performance = Picture Quality + Sound Quality + Vital Control Functions.

?GONGS

& WHISTLES

CORE PERFORMANCE

!

• If yes, then, consider putting the component on your short list.

?GONGS

& WHISTLES

CORE PERFORMANCE

! • If you’re not sure, ask questions and

also ask to have the features/functions demonstrated in action.

?GONGS

& WHISTLES

CORE PERFORMANCE

!

• If not, may we politely suggest that you look further?

TIP 2: Power Specifications Are Not Created EqualKey Concept: High wattage power output claims—taken in isolation—mean almost nothing; the key lies in learning how those measurements were taken, and under what test conditions.

Much though we wish we could tell you otherwise, the fact is that some manufacturers use very conservative and stringent power rating standards, while some use “standards” that would make the average Wild West Snake Oil salesman blush with embarrassment. Not a good situation. Here are some key tips to keep in mind.

?GONGS

& WHISTLES

CORE PERFORMANCE

!

• Look for power ratings taken with all channels driven—not just one or two channels driven. (Remember: In the real-world, your electronics will have to drive multiple channels at once—not just one or two channels to make their specifications look good).

?GONGS

& WHISTLES

CORE PERFORMANCE

!

• Look for power ratings taken with channels driven across the entire audio spectrum (20Hz – 20kHz)—not just at one (typically midrange) frequency. (Remember: In the real-world, your electronics will have to cover all possible frequencies—not just one easy-to-handle midrange frequency to make their specifications look good).

?GONGS

& WHISTLES

CORE PERFORMANCE

!

• Look for power ratings taken at low distortion levels (typically measured at tenths of a percent of THD or less)—not at moderate-to-high distortion levels (e.g., distortion levels at or even above 1% THD). (Remember: In the real world, clean power is what really counts most.).

?GONGS

& WHISTLES

CORE PERFORMANCE

!

• Where possible, look for power ratings quoted when the receiver or amp is driving both 8 Ohm and 4 Ohm loudspeaker loads. (Remember: In the real-world, loudspeakers present loads that vary with frequency—with higher impedances at

some frequencies and lower impedances at others. Ideally, you want an amplifier that can handle both high and low impedance loads gracefully.).

TIP 3: Choose Features, Functions You Need and Will Use Key Concept: Features and functions aren’t “free,” so don’t waste money on options you don’t need or are not likely to use.

As mentioned above, there’s a “features explosion” going on in the A/V world with no end in sight, so that it can be hard to separate features and functions that are genuinely useful from those that are merely novel or theoretically interesting—but not really likely to be used. To help you separate the “wheat from the chaff,” so to speak, we provide a suggested priority list, below.

?GONGS

& WHISTLES

CORE PERFORMANCE

! mUST HAVE FEATURES, FUNCTIONS

• Clean, powerful amplifier section adequate for your listening environment and intended speaker configuration.

• Enough output channels to support your intended speaker configuration. But note—

Chris Martens

AvRs, cOnTROLLERs & Amps: Buying Tips from TpV

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be realistic in deciding whether you’ll use a 5.1-channel, 7.1-channel, or other speaker configuration. Choose carefully.

• Support for the latest standard high-resolution surround sound codecs (e.g., Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD master Audio).

• Enough of the right types of inputs/outputs to support your intended source components (including noise-free video switching functions).

?GONGS

& WHISTLES

CORE PERFORMANCE

!

STRONGlY CONSIDER

• Built-in automated room/speaker EQ systems. In principle, these systems can greatly simplify speaker setup, while also improving perceived sound quality. However, some enthusiasts feel that a certain amount of absolute sonic purity is lost when EQ systems are in engaged.

• Built-in high-powered video processors. In principle, these processors turn your AVR or controller into a high quality video scaler that can upscale almost any kind of input for 1080i or 1080p output while—in the best cases—also smoothing and/or sharpening images, and otherwise improving picture quality. However, some enthusiasts argue that it is better either to use a separate outboard scaler (if in fact you

need one at all) or to buy source components that already incorporate their own onboard video processors. These enthusiasts would argue that the AVR or controller should provide noise-free video switching—but not necessarily onboard video processing.

?GONGS

& WHISTLES

CORE PERFORMANCE

! ImPORTANT FOR SOmE

• 3D or 3D-ready functions, if desired. But note—even though 3D is the current marketing rage, some viewers have already made the conscious choice that 3D is not something they really desire or would use. Choose carefully.

• Tuner functions, if desired. Be aware of your options, including AM, FM. HD Radio, Satellite Radio, and Internet Radio.

• Networking connectivity, if desired. Be aware that your home network can potentially open up a huge range of desirable audio and video content options (for example, playing digital audio files, photos, or videos stored on PCs connected to your home network).

?GONGS

& WHISTLES

CORE PERFORMANCE

! WEIGH OPTIONS CAREFUllY

It’s easy to get caught up in the “more is better” mentality and to say, “I want the one with all the options,” but TPV advises thinking

through your choices carefully. There’s nothing wrong with choosing advanced features and functions if you’ll really use them and they make for a better viewing/listening experience. But beware making the assumption that “I might use feature ‘X’ someday, so I guess I’d better pay for it now.” Such choices can add needless cost and complexity to your component purchases. Here are some choices we think you should weigh very carefully.

• Elaborate, non-standard surround sound processing modes. There is nothing wrong with choosing a receiver or controller that supports supposedly beneficial non-standard surround sound technologies—provided those technologies actually do improve the viewing/listening experience. But TPV advises that you hear such systems in action before making a purchase to make sure they meet your expectations. Sometimes, you’ll find simpler, standardized solutions can be a better fit for your needs.

• Elaborate multi-zone support options. TPV strongly advises that you think through your reasons for using one AVR/controller to run multiple listening zones in separate rooms. While multi-zone receivers or controllers can potentially add convenience, they can also add unforeseen levels of system cost and complexity. In the end, you might find it cheaper and more effective to put separate systems in each listening room. (Bear in mind

that it can be very costly to run wires from location to location in your home—especially in retrofit installations).

• Extra amplifier channels designed to support multiple listening zones and/or non-standard surround sound modes (e.g., systems that introduce additional “width” or “height” channels). Remember that additional amplifier channels don’t come for free. Therefore, it can pay to weigh your real-world requirements and to choose electronics that provide the number of channels you actually need and will use—rather than buying on the basis of hypothetical future requirements.

TIP 4: SEE & HEAR COMPONENTS IN ACTION BEFORE BUYINGKey Concept: Resist the temptation to buy any A/V component purely on the strength of reviews (even ours).

Key Concept: The only reliable way to make sure you get what you really need and want is to see and hear A/V products in action before you buy them.

Based on inbound mail from our readers, we suspect the most frequent cause of A/V buyer’s remorse and/or disappointment is the fact that enthusiasts very often buy components sight unseen, and sound unheard. Don’t let this be you. Here are some essential


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tips that can save you from the headaches and heartaches that are the inevitable result when you buy the wrong product in the first place.

• Use published product reviews to decide what components to look at—not to make final purchase decisions. Reputable A/V journalists do their best to provide keen insights and authoritative advice, but their words are no substitute for firsthand experience with a product you’re considering. The smart way to use reviews, then, is to narrow down your shopping list, but then to use your own eyes, ears, and brain to make the final decision.

• Never underestimate the value of a good local dealer. Let’s face it: good local dealers can (and should) provide certain key services you won’t want to be without. Among those are: 1) product demonstrations, 2) advice on matching system components, 3) setup/troubleshooting guidance, and 4) expert instruction on getting certain complicated features/functions to work as intended. Product demonstrations are particularly important, because they can show you in no uncertain terms whether a component can deliver the results you seek—or not.

• Demos can tell you a lot about product usability, too. These days, half the battle with any AVR, controller or amp is product usability. Stated another way, products

should not only offer high performance, but should make that performance easy to access for you and members of your household. Nothing will tell you more about usability than holding the remote control for a component in your own hand, and then giving it a test drive. Don’t skip this key step.

• Above all, trust your eyes and ears. TPV urges you to use a good variety of musical and cinematic material during your product tests, and then to pay very close attention to how components affect picture and sound quality. But no matter what, trust your senses. If something looks and sounds right, it is—and vice versa.

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As many of you have already learned through the “school of hard knocks”, setup procedures for home theater systems tend to be a fair amount more complicated than those for traditional stereo systems. And if you stop to think about it for a moment, it’s easy to understand why. With a stereo system, you are basically using two speakers to create the illusion

of a wide, deep, and preferably three-dimensional soundstage that is—give or take a bit—spread out in front of the listener (often a single listener). But with a home theater system the task is much more complex. In home theater systems, on the other hand, we typically use five or seven main speakers plus one or more subwoofers to produce a seamless hemisphere of sound that completely surrounds the listeners’ positions and that creates the believable illusion of various three-dimensional spaces and environments—a tall order indeed. A typical home theater system, if viewed from above, might looks something like this:

AUTOmATED spEAkER seTup/room eQ sysTems explained

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHTIn order to create these all-enveloping, believable “hemispheres of sound,” home theater systems require several basic types of setup adjustments that traditional stereo systems do not. Specifically, home theater rigs require settings for:

• Speaker Configuration SettingsBy convention, “large speakers” are capable of producing full-range, or near full-range, bass on their own, while “small speakers” do not produce full-range bass and therefore require support either from large speakers or subwoofers.

We program our AVRs or A/V controllers to indicate the configuration of our speaker systems. The idea is to show A) which sizes of speakers we are using and where, and B) to specify subwoofer crossover frequencies for each speaker—if possible—so that each receives adequate bass support and is used optimally given its size and/or performance constraints.

Chris Martens

30˚ 30˚

110˚110˚

L R

Ls Rs

subwoofer0˚

C

Rs

subwoofer

Ls

R L

3D “Hemisphere of Sound”

Configuration settings for each speaker in the system—sometimes specifying exact crossover frequencies, with an ‘On/Off’

notation for the subwoofer

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• Speaker level Settings.The hemisphere of sound we hope to achieve depends on having the output from any one speaker balanced in proportion to the other speakers in the system, so that—from the listeners’ points of view—all speakers contribute equally to the overall 3D illusion we want to create. Our task is complicated, though, by two variables. First, some speakers are inherently more sensitive than others, and second, we typically wind up sitting closer to some speakers than to others (making them seem louder than speakers that are farther away).

We program our AVRs or controllers with individual level settings for each channel so that we start out with a baseline condition where output from all speakers is balanced—again, as perceived from our most commonly used listening positions.

• Speaker Distance Settings.In order for the complex spatial effects

encoded in movie soundtracks to work properly, the arrival times of sounds from various channels in your home theater system must be precisely synchronized.

With this end in mind, it is critically important to program our AVRs or controllers to indicate how far away each speaker is positioned from the main (or central) listening position. The electronics, in turn, adjust delay times for the signals for each channel so that arrival times are in sync.

AUTOMATEd SPEAkER SETUPConceptually, there’s nothing terribly difficult about the task of setting Speaker Types, Levels, and Distances manually. But that said, I would observe that for many newcomers (and even for some veteran two-channel audiophiles), these tasks can feel more daunting than they really are—sometimes causing would-be home theater enthusiasists serious anxiety (and who wants that?). It’s not a matter of lack of skill or

intellect, I think, but more fear of the unknown—of somehow not getting things quite right.

To address just such fears and anxieties, a number of AVR and controller makers have wisely equipped their products with automated speaker setup functions, which we highly recommend for two reasons. First, most automated systems really do work well, and second, they give greater peace of mind that the system is configured properly. Here’s how most automated systems work.

Step 1: Hook up speakers and source components following guidelines from your AVR or controller manual.

Step 2: Almost all automated speaker setup systems use a microphone (typically included with the AVR or controller) to take calibration

measurements for each of the speakers and also the subwoofer(s) in your system. Place the mic on a camera tripod, positioning the mic at ear level for a seated listener and connect the mic cable to the AVR or A/V controller.

Step 3: Following instructions from the AVR or controller manual, start the automated test

sequence. (Typically there will be an onscreen display that provides step-by-step instructions for you to follow.).

Step 4: Making sure that the environment is quiet and that you are quiet and standing in a location (perhaps near the back of the room) where you will not affect the measurements, wait to hear test tones and for the system to take calibration measurements.


Specific distance settings for each speakerSome systems give onscreen prompts

for initial microphone placement

Specific level settings for each speaker

Remember, it’s very important to keep quiet when measurements are being taken

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In many cases, setup systems will use a combination of impulse tones (which may make a sharp, “Bip, Bip, Bip, Bip” sound) and sweep tones (which may make a repetitive, rising “Burrreeep, Burrreeep, Burrreeep” sound). Do not be alarmed if the test sounds are fairly loud and somewhat peculiar. Generally, impulse tones help in checking speaker distances and other timing characteristics, while sweep tones help in checking levels and the frequency response characteristics of speakers.Step 4A: Some systems take just one set of measurements, while others invite you to reposition your test microphone and to take multiple sets of measurements.

TPV’s Recommendation: If your system allows for multiple measurements, by all means use them. As a general rule, results are more accurate (and consistent) when multiple measurements are used.

Step 5: When measurements are completed, many systems will ask if you want the AVR/controller to calculate setup parameters for your system (others will begin calculations automatically). If you believe the measurements were correctly performed, give your consent for the system to begin calculations.

Step 6. Most automated setup systems give you the opportunity to check settings before locking them in. This is your chance to double check for any obvious errors (for example, if you know your system has a center channel speaker, but the setup system thinks there isn’t one, then something is obviously wrong). Look over the size/type, channel level, and distance settings your AVR/controller recommends. If they look reasonable, go ahead and lock them in (some systems do this with a “save” command). Verify results by listening, and enjoy.

AUTOMATEd ROOM/SPEAkER EQAbove and beyond helping with basic speaker type, distance, and level settings, many modern automated setup systems can also help with an even more sophisticated task: equalizing your speaker system to compensate both for speaker performance anomalies and for room acoustics.

As many of you know, loudspeaker design is part science and part art. Most designers design speakers to perform well under what might be called “laboratory conditions” and also to work well in “average listening rooms.” The problem is that most of us live in unique spaces that differ, sometimes in significant ways, from both the laboratory ideal or from a theoretical “average room.” As a result, the real world sounds we hear are often good—but not as good as they could or should be.

One possible solution is to measure our

speaker systems’ actual in-room performance (imperfections and all) and then to calculate and apply a set of corrective equalization (EQ) curves that will make the speakers’ real-world performance more closely approximate the theoretical ideal. This, in a nutshell, is precisely what many of today’s most sophisticated speaker setup/room EQ system do.

As you look at various AVRs and controllers and consider their respective auto speaker setup/room EQ systems, here are some key differentiators you’ll want to know about.


When EQ calculations are complete, most systems show their results and give you a

prompt to save the final EQ settings

Three in-room system response curves showing uncorrected room (top), ‘inverse” or correction

curve being applied (middle), and corrected room (bottom). Diagram courtesy of Audyssey.

Some systems will guide you through second, third, and subsequent Mic placements, if any

It may take a while for your AVR or Controller to calculate EQ settings, as shown

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WHAT PROBlEMS CAN EQ SYSTEMS HElP SOlvE?Some room EQ systems adjust frequency response only, while others correct both frequency response and phase response. Virtually all room EQ systems correct frequency response, since there is widespread agreement that listeners can easily hear and appreciate the benefits of a smooth, neutrally balanced frequency response curve. However, some designers argue that listeners can also hear the effects of poor phase response (the tendency for certain audible frequencies to have subtly different arrival times than others), so that it is worthwhile to also have EQ systems that correct phase response errors. Some room EQ systems also provide specific technologies that identify and correct for room resonances and for so-called “standing waves.” Finally, some EQ systems attempt to adjust the spatial characteristics of the system, either by synthesizing additional “height” or “width” channels (channels not present in the original soundtrack or music recording), or by compensating for asymmetrical speaker placement in the room (where speakers might, for example, be placed at widely differing heights or at highly irregular distances from the listening position.

WE All WANT “SMOOTH RESPONSE,” BUT WHERE ANd FOR WHOM?Many room EQ systems work from the assumption that the most important seat in

the house is the central “sweet spot” where the home theater system owner typically likes to sit. For this reason, some systems take measurements from and specifically gear their correction curves just for that key central seat (often trying for and achieving near-perfect response results in that one location).

Other systems work from the assumption that home theater experiences are often shared among multiple family members and/or guests, so that the objective is not so much to achieve “near-perfect” response in any one location, but rather to achieve “very good” response across multiple locations. Interestingly, room EQ systems that take this approach tend also to incorporate technologies that compensate for the fact that certain acoustic problems might be prevalent in some areas within a room, but not in others.

HOW dO WE dEFINE “IdEAl” RESPONSE?Some systems operate from the assumption that the optimal response curve for a system would—at the main or central listening position—exhibit “ruler-flat” measurable frequency response from the lowest bass notes to the highest treble notes, and everywhere in between. From a theoretical standpoint, the idea has real appeal, since perfectly “flat” response is a gold standard, of sorts, by which we judge many kinds of audio components. Others argue that flat response at the listening position tends to produce overly

“hot” or “bright” highs and somewhat “thin-sounding “ bass. Nevertheless, a number of room EQ systems predominantly follow the “flat response is best” philosophy.

Other acoustic theoreticians argue, however, that at the listening position the ideal response curve would be very smooth, but not necessarily ruler flat. Instead, some acousticians have proposed alternative curves—curves that often exhibit a small degree of bass elevation (said to mimic the “room gain” that most bass sound sources exhibit when played in confined spaces) and a subtle degree of treble roll-off (thought to replicate the manner in which treble energy tends to dissipate in many real-world spaces). Some also argue that it is desirable to build in a small, shallow response dip in the upper midrange region to compensate for the fact that a majority of modern cinema and music recordings sound overly “hot” in this region. Other room EQ systems incorporate some or all of these response curve-shaping ideas, or give users the option of choosing “flat” or “shaped” response curves.


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WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS?

Manufacturers auto setup/ rooM eQ systeM autoMated speaker size, LeveL & distance settings? autoMated rooM eQ and other features

Anthem ARC-1 (Anthem Room Correction System) Yes Yes. • Note that the Anthem ARC-1 software package is designed to run on a

PC, and then to download correction settings to ARC-1-capable Anthem components.

• Allows multiple response curves. • Optimizes response for multiple listening positions.• Provides storage for multiple, user selectable EQ profiles.

Cambridge Audio CAMCAS (Cambridge Audio Mic Controlled Auto Setup)

Yes, partial (checks speaker level and distance settings, but not size).

No

Denon, Integra, Marantz, NAD, Onkyo

Audyssey room EQ systems (several versions are available)

Yes Yes. • Optimizes response for multiple listening locations. • Uses sophisticated “fuzzy logic” system to model room/ speaker/listening

position interaction problems.• Allows standard (that is “lightly shaped”) Audyssey response curve, plus—in some cases—both a” Flat” curve and/or manufacturer-specific custom EQ response curves.

• Provides phase response correction. • Some versions provide “Dynamic EQ” and “Dynamic Volume” extensions

designed to improve sound quality at low listening volumes.• Some versions provide optional support for additional “height” and “width”

channels.• “Pro” versions (designed primarily for custom installation scenarios) allow measurements from very large numbers of listening positions and even more complex correction curves.


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Harman-Kardon EzSet/EQ II Yes Yes• EzSet/EQ II takes a combination of Near Field measurements (from about

two feet away from some speakers), plus measurements from your main listening position, then calculates settings accordingly.

• For increased flexibility, the system can calculate and store settings for two different preferred listening locations.

• Advanced settings allow users to manually adjust some EzSet/EQ II settings after the fact.

Krell ARES (Krell Automatic Room Equalization System)

Yes Yes• Optimizes response for a single, central listening position.• Gives users selective control over which portions of the audio spectrum

will be equalized. For example, users could elect to equalize bass frequencies only.

• Provides manual EQ controls in addition to automatic controls.• Provides storage for up to three EQ profiles (or “use cases”), and allows

these profiles to be associated with specific source components. For examples, a “home theater” profile could be associated with a Blu-ray player, while an “audiophile” profile could be associated with a CD player.

Lexicon V4 EQ Yes Yes• The Lexicon mic kit includes four microphones and stands, and takes measurements from four locations, optimizing response throughout the room—not just at one location.

• Correction specifically targets resonant frequencies with abnormally “long decay times as being the most important to correct.”

• Four levels of correction are provided: Low, Medium, High, and Maximum.

McIntosh RoomPerfect /RoomKnowledge system (Lyngdorf-licensed products)

Partial: Users may manually enter speaker size and distance data, and choose maximum calibration volume levels.

Yes• Takes measurements for a central “Focal Position” and from multiple other “Room Positions” until the RoomKnowledge system indicates it has acquired sufficient data to model the acoustics of the room accurately. Correction filters for each channel are calculated accordingly.

• Allows multiple “voicing sets.”

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Meridian Meridian Configuration Program and Room Correction Program.

Procedures are semi-automated, but require the purchase of a sound pressure level meter or microphone (not included), plus manual measurements for speaker distance settings.

Yes• Note: the Meridian Configuration Program is a Windows application used

both for basic system setup and for more complex tasks. The Meridian Room Correction program is essentially an add-on for the Configuration Program, and can be used to create multiple correction profiles for the user’s room.

• The system allows users to capture multiple correction profiles, to display both raw system measurement data and the resulting corrections filters, and manually to edit filters after the fact.

Pioneer Advanced MCACC (Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration)

Yes Yes• Can be optimized for single or for multiple listening positions.• Allows for multiple response curves, with varying levels of correction. For example, users can deliberately choose not to equalize their main speakers, but can equalize other speakers in their systems to match the main speakers.

• Provides group delay correction.• Provides “standing wave” detection/ correction.• Provides an excellent graphical user interface so users can easily see the

changes being applied by the system.

Sherwood Trinnov Room Optimizer EQ system YesThe system uses a special, Trinnov-specific “acoustic probe” module that essentially incorporated four precisely positioned microphones in one housing.

Yes• Unlike most other EQ systems, the Trinnov Room Optimizer is designed

to compensate for speaker configurations where, as a matter of practical necessity, speakers may not be placed in symmetrical locations (e.g., the left main speaker might be positioned farther from the center than the right main is, or the center channel is not truly centered, or the heights of speakers in the system might vary).

• The system can take measurements from, and create correction curves for, up to three listening locations.

• As implemented by Sherwood, the system offers five different response curves: None, Flat, Audiophile 1, Audiophile 2, and Natural.

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Sony DCAC (Digital Cinema Auto Calibration) Yes Yes• Optimizes response for a single, central listening position.• Allows for multiple response curves, including “fully flat,” “engineer” (which matches frequency response characteristics to those of a Sony listening room standard), or “front ref” (which matches the center and surround speakers to the front speakers).

Yamaha YPAO (Yamaha Parametric Acoustic Optimizer)

Yes Yes• Allows for multiple response curves, including “flat” and “shaped” response curves

• Advanced versions provide “standing wave” detection and correction.• Some versions can be used in conjunction with derived “height” and “width”

channels.• Provides an excellent graphical user interface so users can easily see the

changes being applied by the system.

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on the horizon: new avrs, controllers & amps headed our waychris Martens

Anthem www.anthemav.com Anthem mRX-series A/V receiversThe MRX is Anthem’s new A/V receiver line built with 7-channel amplification, and featuring HDMI 1.4 with 3D support and Audio Return Channel. Award-winning Anthem-quality performance and features that have set the standard will now be available starting at a fraction of the price of an Anthem separates stack. Unique features like the incredible Anthem Room Correction system, a hallmark of the Anthem processors, will be present in every MRX receiver. Amplifier sections will embody Anthem’s design focus on low noise, low distortion and “real” power. Retail prices for the MRX receivers will start at $899, MSRP. The first two models arrive in August.

Bryston www.bryston.com Bryston SP3 Surround ProcessorBryston’s SP3 is a surround processor built for audiophiles that supports the latest high-res surround formats. The top section of the SP3 chassis houses dual power supplies and audio/video HDMI switching functions, while the lower section houses core audio circuitry. The processor provides extensive digital and analog audio I/O options, including multiple balanced and single-ended analog inputs and outputs. An optional video board adds composite, S-Video, component video, and HDMI inputs and outputs.

Two SP3 versions will be offered, one with basic video switching functions (available mid-2010), and the other with full video processing capabilities (available later in the year). Pricing is estimated at about $10,000, MSRP.

Below, 17 leading A/V manufacturers give

TPV readers a first look at new AVRs,

A/V controllers and amps that are soon

to be released, or recently have been. Enjoy.

www.avguide.com

www.anthemav.com

www.bryston.com



on the horizon: new avrs, controllers & amps headed our way

Cambridge Audio cambridgeaudio.comCambridge Audio Azur 650R A/V receiverBuilding on the success of its award-winning Azur 640R, Cambridge Audio offers its finest-sounding AVR to date, the Azur 650R. Boasting a true 7 X 100 watts of audiophile-grade power on an acoustically dampened chassis, the 650R supports all major HD surround sound formats, including Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD High Resolution, Dolby True HD, and DTS-HD Master Audio. The 650R also features analog to digital video transcoding for simplicity and flexibility as well as pure analog stereo direct mode. Built in multi-room capabilities and an RS232 control interface make the 650R ideally suited for custom installation as well. $1799, MSRP.

Classé Audio Ltd. www.classeaudio.com Classé Audio CT-series high-end home theater amplifiersClassé has been designing and manufacturing high-end electronics in Montreal since 1980. While recent innovations in digital design—culminating in the groundbreaking SSP-800 and CT-SSP surround sound processors—have gained the company recognition, Classé is still best known for amplifiers. Critics and consumers worldwide rely on the consistent performance of Classé amplifiers, as do recording engineers at Abbey Road Studios and elsewhere, who use them every day to monitor and master recordings. The Custom Theater (CT) models are the first world-class high-end amplifiers specifically tailored for modern custom installations: CT-5300 (5x300Wpc) $9,000; CT-2300 (2x300Wpc) $6,500; CT-M600 (1x600Wpc) $6,500; and CT-M300 (1x300Wpc) $5,000.

www.avguide.com

www.cambridgeaudio.com

www.classeaudio.com




Denon www.denon.com Denon AVR-3311CI A/V ReceiverDenon’s AVR-3311CI 7.2-channel A/V receiver offers three-zone, three-source capability and high-quality A/V distribution throughout the home, with unprecedented support for all digital sources. In addition to HDMI v1.4a Repeater Inputs with 3D (all mandated formats) and Audio Return Channel, the AVR-3311CI features the capability to stream Pandora and Flickr, as well as audio and photos from PCs, allows access to 7,500 Internet radio stations and connects to subscription-based Rhapsody and Napster. Control4 Certification ensures compatibility and smooth integration with all Control4 IP-based home automation and entertainment systems. It also features iPod Digital Direct via USB, and is ‘Works with iPhone’ and ‘Made for iPod’ certified. Projected price: $1,199, MSRP. Available June 2010.

Harman Kardon www.harmankardon.com Harman Kardon AVR 3600 A/V receiverHarman Kardon AVR 3600 ($1199, MSRP) is a high performance, 7.1-channel AVR that puts out a conservatively rated 7 x 80wpc, and includes a superb HD graphical user interface. Highlights include built-in Dolby Volume features, multizone audio support and A-BUS multiroom connectivity, and the EzSet/EQ automated speaker setup/room EQ system. The AVR 3600 also comes equipped with Harman Kardon’s The Bridge III universal iPod/iPhone dock with HD video support. Available now.

Starting this September, AVR 3600 units will begin shipping with HDMI version 1.4a with 3D support. Owners can update current AVR‘s to include these features via a no-charge software download.

www.avguide.com

www.denon.com

www.harmankardon.com




Integra www.integrahometheater.com Integra DTR-30.2 3D-Ready THX AV Receivers for Custom InstallationIntegra takes pride in being the best selling brand of AVRs to custom installers...those professionals who turned your brother-in-law’s house into an automated AV fantasyland. The newly introduced Integra DTR-30.2 ($800, MSRP) is a THX Select 2 Plus certified receiver that uses the latest HDMI 1.4a interface to pass 3D video signals from a source to a 3D video display, while simultaneously extracting uncompressed full-definition studio-master-quality sound tracks using Dolby True-HD or DTS-HS Master Audio. With Audyssey DSX and Dolby Pro Logic IIz processing on top of that, you can visit all the available dimensions of video and sound.

Krell www.krellonline.com Krell Evolution 707 Reference Surround ProcessorStarting with legendary Krell Evolution CAST™ preamplifier circuitry, the Evolution 707 Reference Surround Processor guarantees ultimate playback from HDMI 1.3 Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD soundtracks using an 8.4 channel configuration. Optimal performance is insured by the Krell designed ARES system. ARES analyzes speakers’ capability and determines ideal crossover points, delay, and volume settings. A 32 bit dual core DSP computes equalizer filters, overcoming irregular surfaces and problematic speaker placement. Preamp mode bypasses all digital circuitry for the purest music signal path possible. The Evolution 707—the ultimate music and home theater centerpiece. Price: $30,000, MSRP. Available now.

www.avguide.com

www.integrahometheater.com

www.krellonline.com




Marantz www.marantz.com marantz SR7005 A/V ReceiverThe Marantz SR7005 is a 7-channel home theater A/V Receiver that satisfies a broad range of multi-room signal distribution needs for home entertainment enthusiasts and custom installers. The SR7005 offers three-zone, three-source audio distribution capability and unprecedented flexibility and support for high-definition audio and video performance from all digital sources. It includes six HDMI v1.4 inputs, as well as DLNA v1.5, ensuring smooth content sharing among connected devices. The SR7005 is also compatible with the Apple iPod and iPhone, with iPod Digital Direct via USB and a special iPhone Application for network controllability. Users can also enjoy network-streaming services such as Rhapsody, Pandora, Napster, Flikr, and advanced performance-enhancement features including Audyssey DSX Decoding and more. Available now.

McIntosh www.mcintoshlabs.com mcIntosh mX150 A/V Control CenterThe McIntosh MX150 A/V Control Center is a leading-edge home theater component that provides enthusiasts with total flexibility and maximum performance from today’s advanced video and audio sources. It features five HDMI 1.3 audio/video inputs and is engineered to function with all the latest audio processing technologies and insure seamless compatibility with advanced Blu-ray disc players. The 12-channel, 2-zone a/v preamplifier is designed to command the most advanced home theater installations with a potent suite of features including multiple subwoofer and center channel configurations, an electronic crossover function and on-board Room Perfect Room Correction processing.

www.avguide.com

www.marantz.com

www.mcintoshlabs.com




Meridian www.meridian-audio.com meridian 861 V6 Reference Digital Surround ControllerMeridian’s 861 V6 Reference Digital Surround Controller ($25,995, MSRP) is built on a modular architecture, enabling owners to customize the “core” unit to fit their needs.

The 861 V6 core includes: a digital output card with eight SpeakerLink outputs for use with Meridian DSP Loudspeakers, a digital input card with six coaxial and two Toslink inputs, one SpeakerLink input, one MMHR (Meridian Multichannel High Resolution) input, and an analog input card with six stereo (or two multichannel) analog inputs with 96/24 ADC.

Options include an ID40 card for connecting the 861 to Sooloos networks and an external HD621 Processor for connecting the 861 to multiple HDMI sources.

NAD www.nadelectronics.com NAD T 785 A/V receiver Featuring NAD’s Modular Design Concept (MDC) architecture, NAD’s flagship T 785 High-Definition AVR now comes equipped with new second generation MDC Upgrade Modules. This award-winning technology (RedDot 2009) boosts performance, features and flexibility, while resisting obsolescence. The T 785 supports all HD video formats, features PowerDrive (200W x 7, FTC), and the latest lossless audio decoding formats. Audyssey MultEQ XT even corrects room acoustics. Among much else, the T 785 provides 3 extra audio zones, and offers an optional dock for iPods with onscreen navigation. Price: $3,999, MSRP. Available now.

www.avguide.com

http://www.meridian-audio.com

www.nadelectronics.com




Onkyo www.us.onkyo.com Onkyo TX-NR708 3D-Ready, Networked THX-Certified Receiver Onkyo brings networking and Internet radio features to new lower price points in July with its TX-NR708 home theater receiver ($899, MSRP). This THX Select2 Plus™ certified AVR has HDMI-1.4a for 3D readiness, the latest audio and video processing, upscaling to 1080p, support for multi-room set-ups, iPhone/iPod-compatible front USB, Internet radio services such as Pandora, Rhapsody, vTuner, etc., and HDMI-Thru which lets kids play sources straight to the TV when the receiver is in standby. Audio features includes studio master-quality Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio complemented by the expanded surround dimensions of Dolby Pro Logic IIz and Audyssey DSX.

Pioneer www.pioneerusa.com Pioneer Elite SC-37 and other new Elite A/V ReceiversFor 25 years the Elite line has provided the most advanced technologies available from Pioneer. The new SC-37 and five other recently announced Elite receivers elevate this heritage with “Works with iPhone” certification, Bluetooth audio streaming, HDMI 1.4a for connection to a 3D home theater and the most advanced audio and video processing and connectivity options. Additionally, the iControlAV App turns iPhone or iPod touch into a fully functioning, graphic remote control for the receiver. The Elite line offers comprehensive custom installation features with certifications from leading automated system control partners. Retail (MSRP) prices for the new Elite models will range from $550 to $2,200 (for the SC-37). Models will arrive between June and August 2010.

www.avguide.com

www.us.onkyo.com

www.pioneerelectronics.com




Rotel www.rotel.com Rotel RSX-1560 A/V receiverRotel’s RSX-1560 receiver delivers top-of-the-line performance. At 7 x 100 watts into 8 ohms this advanced surround receiver can fill your family or media room with the most dynamic, pulse-pounding, sound effects. The RSX-1560 surround receiver features an audiophile quality Class D amplifier design, along with HDMI 1.3A connections. It also includes the ability to decode all of the latest surround-sound audio codecs. The RSX-1560 is a true theater command center and can also provide a multiroom audio solution with up to three additional audio zones throughout the home. $2,499, MSRP.

Sonywww.sonystyle.com Sony STR-DA5600ES Networked A/V ReceiverSony’s flagship Elevated Standard “ES” audio video receiver brings the same high quality heritage along with new features such as 3D pass through, four-port Ethernet switch, DLNA audio server, Internet radio and easy set up via a new PC set up manager. Delivering 130 watts of 7.1 channel power, the receiver offers six HDMI 1.4 inputs (1 front), two HDMI outputs, second zone HD video and audio which are controllable via the 2nd zone on screen display or free “AV Receiver Remote” iPhone app. The STRDA5600ES is fully integratable with Control Systems through RS232 or IP and will be available in August for about $2,000, MSRP.

www.avguide.com

www.rotel.com

www.sonystyle.com




Yamaha www.yamaha.com/yec Yamaha RX-V567 A/V Receiver Yamaha’s 3D-ready RX-V567 AV receiver (90W x 7; $479.95, MSRP) delivers wide-ranging source connectivity and superior HD video and audio performance, as well as 3D support for the latest newest broadcast formats and current 3D Blu-ray content. Yamaha’s proprietary Cinema DSP audio processing complements the new 3D television technology to provide extra sonic dimension and presence. Analog-to-HDMI 1080p video upscaling produces stunning picture quality, even from non-HD sources. The RX-V567 gives users access to today’s popular content sources, including iPods/iPhones and Bluetooth (A2DP) devices via optional accessories. Song information from iPods/iPhones appears on front panel and via on-screen display.

www.avguide.com

http://www.yamaha.com/yec



chOOsIng Home THeaTer CaBles

Chris Martens

Frankly, some people—including those who really should know better—will tell you, “Eh, wire is just wire; use the cheapest stuff you can find that seems to work.” In TPV’s opinion, those well-meaning folks really couldn’t be more wrong. Investing in good (though not necessarily outlandishly expensive) home theater cables is arguably one the best ways to make sure you’ll enjoy all the sound and image

quality your components have to offer. At The Perfect Vision, we’ve found that good cables make a tangible difference you can see and hear.

Since choosing cables can be a bewildering task, we’ve asked a select group of cable manufacturers to survey their own (often quite elaborate) product lines, and then to recommend home theater cable packages to fit two specific real-world scenarios:

• Cables for Entry-to-mid-level Systems (systems with list prices ranging from $3k - $10k, where the emphasis in on achieving maximum “bang for the bucks”), and

• Cables for Upscale Systems (systems with list prices in the $10k-$25k+ range, where the emphasis is on achieving higher levels of performance at sensible, though by no means cheap, prices).

We think you’ll find the manufacturers’ recommendations useful and in some instances eye opening. Enjoy.

—The Perfect Vision team.

You’ve spent days (if not weeks, or months) choosing your home

theater electronics, source components, speaker systems, and

displays. But don’t stop yet. Now, it’s time to think about one of the

most commonly overlooked elements in any home theater system; namely,

the cables that connect your components and bring the system to life.

www.avguide.com




ANAlYSIS-PlUSwww.analysis-plus.com

speaker cabLes anaLog audio interconnects

digitaL audio interconnects

video interconnects hdMi cabLes

Model Oval 16 Oval IW Black Oval Compent Oval IW X-Factor

conductor technology

Patented hollow oval design Patented hollow oval design Patented hollow oval design Patented hollow oval design 24AWG conductors Gold plated contacts

dielectric/ insulator

Low loss CL3 (UL) rated for in wall


Low loss dielectric Low loss CL3 (UL) rated for in wall


price range$2.99/foot Starting at $58 for a 0.5-meter

pairStarting at $65 for a 0.5-meter cable

Starting at $138 for a 1-meter cable


RECOMMENdEd CABlES FOR ENTRY-TO-MId-lEvEl ($3k - $10k) HOME THEATERS

http://www.analysis-plus.com




ANAlYSIS-PlUSwww.analysis-plus.com

RECOMMENdEd CABlES FOR UPSCAlE ($10k - $25k+) HOME THEATERS




Model Blue Oval Blue Oval-In Digital Oval Component Oval One X-Factor


Patented hollow oval design 12 AWG

Balanced patent hollow oval design

Balanced patent hollow oval design

Patented hollow oval design 24AWG conductors Gold plated contacts




Low loss Teflon dielectric Low loss dielectric Low loss CL2 (UL) rated for in wall

price range$6/foot Starting at $141 for a 0.5-meter

pairStarting at $140 for a 0.5-meter cable



www.avguide.com

http://www.analysis-plus.com




AUdIOQUESTwww.audioquest.com




Model Rocket 44 Diamondback VDM-3 YIQ-1 HDMI Cinnamon


PSC+ copper, optimized for full range and BiWire, 4-size SST HyperLitz solid core

Solid Perfect Surface copper (PSC), triple balanced geometry, cold-welded RCA or XLR plugs

Solid 6.1% silver-plated copper conductors

Component Video, solid 2.5% silver-plated copper conductors

Solid 1.25% silver-plated copper eliminates inter-strand distortion and reduces jitter.


PVC w/conductive polymer on negative leg, dual-quad spread-spectrum geometry, optimized for full-range or BiWire

Polyethylene Air-Tubes Nitrogen-injected hard-cell foam Nitrogen-injected hard-cell foam High-density polyethylene composition optimized for critical signal pair geometry

price range6-foot pair, $325;8-foot pair, $375

1-meter pair, $159; 3-meter pair, $279

1-meter cable, $125;3-meter cable, $205


1-meter cable $69;3-meter cable, $109


www.avguide.com

www.audioquest.com






Model Meteor Colorado Eagle Eye YIQ-3 HDMI Coffee


Solid Perfect-Surface silver/solid perfect surface copper+ conductors, 72V DBS

Solid Perfect-Surface copper+ conductors, 72V DBS, triple balanced geometry, cold-welded RCA or XLR plugs

100% Solid Perfect-Surface silver, 72V DBS

Component Video, Solid 6.1% silver-plated copper conductors

Solid 10% Silver-Plated Copper Conductors, 72V DBS


PVC w/conductive polymer on negative leg, dual-duad, spread-spectrum geometry, optimized for full-range or BiWire

Teflon Air-Tubes Nitrogen-injected hard-cell foam Nitrogen-injected hard-cell foam High-density polyethylene composition optimized for critical signal pair geometry

price range6-foot pair, $2,730;8-foot pair, $3,490

1-meter pair, $850; 3-meter pair, $1,550

1-meter cable, $750; 3-meter cable, $1,350

1-meter cable, $250; 3-meter cable cable, $450




AUdIOQUESTwww.audioquest.com

www.avguide.com

www.audioquest.com




CARdAS AUdIOwww.cardas.com




Model Crosslink 1S Microtwin High Speed Data Precision Video Cardas HDMI 1.4


4x14.5 AWG Golden Ratio stranded Cardas copper conductors

2x23.5 AWG and 2x28.5 AWG Golden Ratio stranded copper conductors

20.5 AWG Golden Ratio stranded copper coax conductor


24 AWG Silver plated copper, triple shielded


EEA Dielectric with PVC cable jacket

Teflon Dielectric with PVC cable jacket

Teflon Dielectric with 6 air tubes and a PVC cable jacket

Foam PE Nitrogen gas injected dielectric

price range

$187 for a 2-meter pair; $32 for each additional 1/2 meter.

Can be bi-wired for $65.

$180 for a 1-meter pair: $40 for each additional 1/2 meter.

Can be terminated with RCA’s or XLR’s

$107 for a 1-meter cable; $40 for each additional 1/2 meter.




www.avguide.com

www.cardas.com






ModelSE-9 for fronts and SE-15 for effects

Microtwin Lightning 15 Golden Presence Video Cardas HDMI 1.4


9.5 AWG and 15.5 AWG concentrically wound Golden Ratio stranded copper conductors

2x23.5 AWG and 2x28.5 AWG Golden Ratio stranded copper conductors



24 AWG silver plated copper, triple shielded


Teflon tape Teflon Dielectric with PVC cable jacket

Teflon and Air tubes Teflon tape and foam PE Nitrogen gas-injected dielectric

price range

SE-9 front-channel cables: $601 for a 2-meter pair.

SE-15 effects-channel cables: $194 for a 2-meter pair.

$180 for a 1-meter pair; $40 for each additional 1/2 meter

Can be terminated with RCA’s or XLR’s

$319 for a 1-meter cable; $26 for each additional 1/2 meter

$330 for a 1-meter set; $90 for each additional 1/2 meter

$90 for a 1-meter cable; $12 for each additional 1/2 meter



CARdAS AUdIOwww.cardas.com

www.avguide.com

www.cardas.com




CRYSTAl CABlEwww.crystalcable.com




ModelCrystal-Speak Picollo with Splitters

Crystal-Connect Picollo CrystalDigit Standard N/A CrystalHDMI


Co-axial design consisting of .3MM pure silver (Aligned Crystal Orientation) center core (99.999999 purity) positive conductor, with woven silver/gold annealed alloy blend braided negative conductor.



N/A Co-axial design consisting of .3MM pure silver (Aligned Crystal Orientation) center core (99.999999 purity) positive conductor, with woven silver/gold annealed alloy blend braided negative conductor.


Amorphous Teflon outer-jacket surrounds signal conductors insulated with three layers of Kapton & PEEK for mechanical and electrical shielding.

Terminated with custom-made Neutrik and WBT connectors.




N/A Amorphous Teflon outer-jacket surrounds signal conductors insulated with three layers of Kapton & PEEK for mechanical and electrical shielding.

Terminated with custom made Neutrik and WBT connectors.

price range2-meter pair, spade lug-terminated, $1,350


1-meter cable, RCA-terminated,$1,000

N/A 2-meter cable, $550


www.avguide.com

www.crystalcable.com






ModelCrystalSpeak Reference with Splitters

CrystalConnect Reference CrystalDigit Reference N/A CrystalHDMI





N/A Co-axial design consisting of .3MM pure silver (Aligned Crystal Orientation) center core (99.999999 purity) positive conductor, with woven silver/gold annealed alloy blend braided negative conductor.








N/A Amorphous Teflon outer-jacket surrounds signal conductors insulated with three layers of Kapton & PEEK for mechanical and electrical shielding.


price range2-meter pair, spade lug-terminated, $5,000

1-meter pair, RCA-terminated,$2,400

1-meter cable, RCA-terminated, $1,500

N/A 2-meter cable, $550



CRYSTAl CABlEwww.crystalcable.com

www.avguide.com

www.crystalcable.com




FURUTECHwww.furutech.com




ModelEvolution II Speaker Evolution II Audio (XLR or RCA) Evolution II Digital (XLR, RCA or

BNC) N/A HDMI-N1


∂ (Alpha) μ-OFC Conductors ∂ (Alpha) μ-OFC Conductors ∂ (Alpha) μ-OFC Conductors N/A ∂ (Alpha) Silver plated μ–OFC conductor


Special formula polyethylene reduces capacitance.

Polypropylene designed to reduce capacitance, damps vibration.

Polypropylene designed to reduce capacitance, damps vibration.

N/A RoHS compliant flexible PVC with noise- isolating three-layer shielding

price range

Evolution II Speaker-04, 2-meter pair, $650Evolution II Speaker-06, 3-meter pair, $850

Evolution II Audio RCA, 1.2-meter pair, $700Evolution II Audio XLR, 1.2-meter pair, $800

Evolution II Digi RCA, 1.2-meter, $420Evolution II Digi XLR, 1.2-meter, $500

N/A HDMI-N1- 1.2-meter, $143.172.5-meter, $229.085-meter, $385.388, 10, 12, 15, and 20-meter cables also available


www.avguide.com

www.furutech.com






Model Speakerflux Lineflux Digiflux N/A HDMI-xv1.3


∂ (Alpha) OCC Pure Trans-mission conductors



N/A Silver plated ∂ (Alpha) μ–OFC solid core conductors


Dielectric/ insulation: High grade PE reduces capacitance for improved vibration damping



N/A RoHS Compliant UL Spec. Pb-free, fire retardant PVC and five-layer shielded conductors.

price range

Speakerflux-04, 2-meter pair, $2,888Speakerflux-06, 3-meter pair, $3,395

Lineflux RCA, 1.2-meter pair, $2,135 Lineflux XLR, 1.2-meter pair, $2,433

Digiflux XLR, 1.2-meter cable, $1,200

N/A HDMI-xv1.3-1-meter cable, $3342-meter cable, $4173-meter cable, $5015-meter cable, $668 8, 10, 12, 15, and 20-meter cables also available

RECOMMENdEd CABlES FOR UPSCAlE ($10k -$25k+) HOME THEATERS


FURUTECHwww.furutech.com

www.avguide.com

www.furutech.com




kIMBER kABlEwww.kimber.com




Model 4PR TONIK V21 DV30 HD09


8-wire braid of 19AWG stranded copper conductors

-3 wire braid of 19 AWG vari-strand copper conductors

22 AWG copper conductor with tinned copper shielding

18 AWG copper conductor with tinned copper and aluminum/ poly foil shielding

Copper conductors with triple shield


High Pressure, Low temperature Polyethylene

High Pressure, Low temperature Polyethylene

Foamed Polyethylene Foamed Teflon Foamed high density Polyethylene(HDPE)

price range $2.90/foot $65/meter $68/meter $105/meter $79/meter


www.avguide.com

www.kimber.com




kIMBER kABlEwww.kimber.com





Model 8TC HERO D60 DV75 HD29


16-wire braid of 19AWG vari-strand copper conductors

4-wire braid of 19 AWG vari-strand copper conductors

Solid silver center conductor with silver shield

18 AWG silver plated copper conductor w/ multi layer foil and stranded shielding

Silver conductor for signal path, silver plated copper grounds and shield


High Pressure, Low temperature Teflon

Dual layer high Pressure, Low temperature Teflon

Teflon Foamed Teflon Air-articulated HDPE (high density polyethylene)

price range $20/ft $200/meter $390/meter $235/meter $277/meter

www.avguide.com

www.kimber.com




MONSTER CABlEwww.monstercable.com




Model MC Speaker Cable MC 400I MC 600DFO MC 500 CV MC 1000HD


Time Correct windings with Magnetic Flux Tube construction for greater dynamic range and improved bass response.

Dual solid-core center conductors. Two-way Time Correct multi-gauge wire networks separately guide high and low frequencies for accurate phase.

Graded index optical fiber.

Monster designed pressure connector.

Multi-stranded all- copper center conductor.

Silver-content solder connections.

Rated bandwidth greater than 15.8 Gbps.

Note: If A/V components you purchase in the future ever surpass the performance of today’s MC 1000HD, Monster will upgrade the cable, free of charge.


LPE Dielectric Duraflex protective jacket with aluminized Mylar foil shield.

InsuLight Inner Jacket with Duraflex Protective Jacket.

Gas injected dielectric, with aluminized Mylar foil Shield plus copper braid. Duraflex protective jacket.

Nitrogen injected gas dielectric with high density, triple-layer shielding.

price range$1.80/ft. Available in 1 to 4-meter lengths,

$49.95-69.95Available in 1 to 2-meter lengths, $69.95-89.95

Available in 1-meter to 25-foot lengths, $59.95-139.95

Available in 0.5-meter to 75-foot lengths, $99.95-$499.95


www.avguide.com

www.monstercable.com






Model M1.4 Biwire Speaker Cable. M1000 I M1000DFO M1000CV M2000HD


Four-conductor design with Time Correct multiple wire networks for greater clarity.

3-way time correct with 2x Microfiber dielectric, and multiple larger gauge wire networks.

Ultra low-loss graded-index fiber with spring-loaded connector.

Silver-plated conductor, with single large gauge copper core.

Proprietary-alloy conductors, bandwidth rated to 21 Gbps. ISF Certified and guaranteed to meet or exceed the highest HDMI standards.

Note: If A/V components you purchase in the future ever surpass the performance of today’s M2000HD, Monster will upgrade the cable, free of charge.


PEX Dielectric Braid and foil shielded, UL CL-2 jacket.

Duraflex Protective Jacket with HexMex jacket technology.

Nitrogen- injected dielectric with quad-layer shielding.

Proprietary dielectric with quad-layer shielding protects against radio frequency noise up to 1 GHz.

price rangeAvailable in bulk at $8.50/foot and pre-cut lengths from $145.00

Available in 4 to 8-foot lengths, $120-$180

Available in 4 to 8-foot lengths, $90-$120

Available in 4, 8 and 16-foot lengths, with prices ranging from $120-$280

Available in 4 to 35-foot lengths, with prices ranging from $250-$800



MONSTER CABlEwww.monstercable.com

www.avguide.com

www.monstercable.com




NORdOSTwww.nordost.com




ModelFlatline 2-Flat or4-Flat

WyreWizard Dreamcaster WyreWizard Shamen WyreWizard Component Video WyreWizard HDMI


Two or Four flat, solid OFC conductors

Four silver-plated OFC solid-cores

Silver-plated OFC solid core co-axial Micro Mono-filament FEP

Three 20AWG OFC Silver-plated 26AWG OFC


FEP ribbon construction FEP Micro Mono-filament FEP Polypropylene Polypropylene

price range$139.99 for 2-meter lengths, $25 for each additional meter

$173.99 for 2-meter lengths, $44 for each additional meter




Nordost advises that AC power cables can have even greater impact on overall system performance than signal cables do. For entry-to-mid-level systems, Nordost strongly recommends its WyreWizard Magus AC power cord, which is priced as follows: $199.99 for 2-meter lengths, $40 for each additional meter.


www.avguide.com

www.nordost.com






Model Blue Heaven Baldur Silver Shadow Silver Screen Silver Screen HDMI


Silver-plated OFC solid cores Silver-plated OFC solid cores Silver-plated OFC solid cores Silver-plated OFC solid cores Silver-plated OFC solid cores


FEP ribbon construction Micro Mono-filament FEP Micro Mono-filament FEP co-axial Micro Mono-filament FEP Micro Mono-filament FEP

price range$459.99 for 2-meter lengths, $150 for each additional meter





Nordost advises that AC power cables can have even greater impact on overall system performance than signal cables do. For upscale systems, Nordost strongly recommends its Vishnu AC power cord, which is priced as follows: $659.99 for 1-meter lengths, $220 for each additional meter.



NORdOSTwww.nordost.com

www.avguide.com

www.nordost.com




NUFORCEwww.nuforce.com




Model

Nuforce Focused Field SC-700B Focused Field IC-700R Focused Field DC-800R (co-axial) orFocused Field OT-700 Locking Toslink (optical)

N/A Focused Field HD-900


OFHC, unique shape OFHC Silver-plated OFC (DC-800R)Mitsubishi SuperESKA (OT-700)

N/A OFC TMDS


Low Density PEX Hollow PEX Teflon (DC-800R)N/A for OT-700

N/A HPDE

price range

2-meters, Banana-terminated, $299

1-meter, RCA-terminated, $199 1-meter, RCA-terminated (DC-800R), $1491-meter, spring-loaded Toslink (OT-700), $99

N/A 2-meter, 20Gbps rated $99


www.avguide.com

www.nuforce.com






ModelNuforce Focused Field SC-700BB Bi-wired

Focused Field IC-700X Focused Field DC-800B N/A Focused Field HD-900


OFHC unique shape OFHC Silver-plated OFC N/A OFC TMDS


Low Density PEX Hollow PEX Teflon N/A HPDE

price range2.5-meters, Banana-terminated, $450

1-meter, XLR-terminated, $139 1-meter, BNC-terminated, $149 N/A 2-meter, 20Gbps rated, $99



NUFORCEwww.nuforce.com

www.avguide.com

www.nuforce.com




SYNERGISTIC RESEARCHwww.synergisticresearch.com




Model Galileo Basik Strings Galileo Basik Strings Tesla Tricon USB HDMI Directors' Cut HDMI Directors' Cut


Silver Matrix Silver Matrix Proprietary Silver Matrix Silver Matrix


Virgin polypropylene Virgin polypropylene PTFE PTFE PTFE

price range$450 for 10-foot lengths, $27 for each additional stereo foot

$430 for 2-meter lengths, $36 for each additional meter


$155 for 3-meter cables,$185 for 4-meter cables$235 for 6-meter cables

$155 for 3-meter cables, $185 for 4-meter cables, $235 for 6-meter cables


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www.synergisticresearch.com




SYNERGISTIC RESEARCHwww.synergisticresearch.com





ModelAccelerator Speaker Cable Accelerator Analog Audio

InterconnectD3 Digital Audio Interconnect Tesla Tricon Active 1080p

Component VideoHDMI Directors' Cut


One Tricon plus One Vortex Geometry

One Tricon plus One Vortex Geometry

Two Tricon plus Two Acoustic Geometries

Three Tricon Geometries Silver Matrix


Virgin polypropylene & PTFE Virgin polypropylene & PTFE Virgin polypropylene & PTFE PTFE PTFE

price range$1700 for 8-foot lengths, $125 for each additional foot


$3000 for 2-meter lengths, $600 for each additional half meter

$2700 for 2-meter lengths, $350 for each additional half meter

$155 for 3-meter cables, $185 for 4-meter cables, $235 for 6-meter cables

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www.synergisticresearch.com




TRANSPARENT CABlEwww.transparentcable.com




ModelThe Wave The Link High Performance Digital Link High Performance Level Video Performance HDMI to 20 feet or

High Performance to 40 feet


Stranded, slow-annealed OFHC copper in a twisted pair with pressure extruded jacket

Stranded, slow-annealed OFHC copper in a shielded, twisted pair with pressure extruded jacket

Solid core, slow-annealed OFHC copper center conductor with high noise rejection copper and foil shielding system

Solid core slow-annealed OFHC copper center conductor with high noise rejection copper and foil shielding system

Solid core silver-plated copper twisted, differential conductor pairs


Best sounding for the money Best sounding for the money Foamed Polyethylene Foamed Polyethylene Foamed Polyethylene

price rangeFrom $200 per pair or $1.95/foot for in-wall

From $85 per pair From $100 each From $75 each From $100 each


www.avguide.com

www.transparentcable.com






Model

MusicWave or MusicWave Plus speaker cables and High Performance 12-2 or 10-2 in-wall cables

MusicLink and MusicLink Plus Premium Digital Link High Performance Level Video Cables

High Performance HDMI


Stranded, slow-annealed OFHC copper in a twisted pair with pressure extruded jacket

Stranded, slow-annealed OFHC copper in a shielded, twisted pair with pressure extruded jacket

Solid core, slow-annealed OFHC copper center conductor with high noise rejection copper and foil shielding system

Solid core slow-annealed OFHC copper center conductor with high noise rejection copper and foil shielding system

Solid core silver plated copper twisted, differential conductor pairs precision manufactured to insure High Speed signal transmission and low noise


Best sounding for the money Best sounding for the money Foamed Polyethylene Foamed Polyethylene Foamed Polyethylene

price rangeFrom $400 per pair or $4.00 per foot

From $175 per pair From $345 each From $75 each From $250 each



TRANSPARENT CABlEwww.transparentcable.com

www.avguide.com

www.transparentcable.com




TRIBUTARIES CABlEwww.tributariescable.com




Model SP16: 16AWG Speaker cable 5A: Audio Cable 5AD: Digital Audio Coax Cable 5VC: Component Video Cable 5DH: Digital HDMI Cable


Two 105-strand, 16AWG OFHC copper conductors

30-strand, 22AWG OFHC copper conductors. Double-shielded with an aluminum/ Mylar wrap and a copper braided EMI/RFI interference shield.

75Ohm impedance, 30-strand, 22AWG OFHC copper conductors. Double-shielded with an aluminum/ Mylar wrap and a copper braided EMI/RFI interference shield.

75Ohm impedance, 30-strand. 22AWG OFHC copper conductors. Double-shielded with an aluminum/ Mylar wrap and a copper braided EMI/RFI interference shield.

28AWG tinned OFHC copper conductors. Multi-layer shielding with dual aluminum/ Mylar wraps and a copper braided EMI/RFI interference shield. Connector features a separate copper braided EMI/RFI interference shield.

Certified High Speed HDMI Cable. Simplay Certified.


Available in clear jacket with one round leg and one square leg for easy +/- identification in dark locations. Also available in white UL CL2 jacket for in-wall installa-tions. RoHS certified for green compliance.

Polyethlene (PE) dielectric with highly flexible PVC outer jacket.

RoHS certified for green compliance.

All 5A cables are hand soldered in USA

Foamed Polyethlene (PE) dielectric adds more air to the insulator. Highly flexible PVC outer jacket. RoHS certified for green compliance. All 5AD cables are hand soldered in USA

Foamed Polyethlene (PE) dielectric adds more air to the insulator. Highly flexible PVC outer jacket. RoHS certified for green compliance.

All 5VC cables are hand soldered in USA

Foamed Polyethlene (PE) dielectric adds more air to the insulator. Outer jacket is highly flexible PVC. UL CL3 certified for in wall use. RoHS certified for green compliance.

price range$1.85 / foot 2-meters, $50; $10 for each

additional meter2-meters, $36; $6 for each additional meter

2-meters, $90; $15 for each additional meter



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www.tributariescable.com






Model 7BW: BiWire Speaker Wire 7A: Audio Cable 7AD: Digital Audio Coax Cable 7VC: Component Video Cable 7DH: Digital HDMI Cable


Four 14AWG OFHC copper conductors with 413 strands for flexibility. Cables can be bi-wired or Red and Black leads can be combined to create an 11AWG speaker pair.

46-strand, 20AWG OFHC copper conductors in twisted pairs. Double-shielded with an aluminum/ Mylar wrap and a copper braided EMI/RFI interference shield.

75Ohm impedance, 46-strand, 20AWG 1.25% silver- plated OFHC copper conductors. Cables are surround soldered, for shield coverage from cable to connection, and include robust strain reliefs. Double- shielded with Aluminum/ Mylar wrap and a copper braided EMI/RFI interference shield.

75Ohm impedance, 46-strand, 20AWG 1.25% silver- plated OFHC copper conductors. Cables are surround soldered, for shield coverage from cable to connection, and include robust strain reliefs. Double- shielded with an aluminum/ Mylar wrap and a copper braided EMI/RFI interference shield.

26AWG 1.25% Silver-plated OFHC copper conductors.Multi-layer shielding with dual aluminum/Mylar wraps and a copper braided EMI/RFI interference shield. Die-cast Zinc connector features a separate copper braided EMI/RFI interference shield. Certified High Speed HDMI Cable.Simplay Certified.


Available in UL CL2 blue jacket suitable for in-wall use or with an optional black mesh cover for in-room use. Can be bought in bulk and terminated in the field or ordered pre-made with lengths to suit (pre-made cables are soldered in the USA).


Low-density polyethlene (LDPE) dielectric with highly flexible PVC outer jacket and a silver-blue mesh cover.


All 7A cables are hand soldered in USA.

Nitrogen- injected foamed polyethlene (PE) dielectric adds more air to the insulator than standard foamed PE. Highly flexible PVC outer jacket with a silver-blue mesh cover.


All 7AD cables are hand soldered in USA.

Nitrogen- injected foamed polyethlene (PE) dielectric adds more air to the insulator than standard foamed PE. Highly flexible PVC outer jacket with a silver-blue mesh cover.


All 7VC cables are hand soldered in USA.

Skin/ nitrogen- injected foamed PE dielectric allows maximum air content for insulator. Highly flexible PVC outer jacket with a silver-blue mesh cover. Cables six meters and up are available with UL CL3 insulators suitable for in-wall use. RoHS certified for green compliance.

price range$7.25 / foot 2-meters, $130; $30 for each

additional meter2-meters, $85; $15 for each additional meter





TRIBUTARIES CABlEwww.tributariescable.com

www.avguide.com

www.tributariescable.com




WIREWORld CABlE TECHNOlOGYwww.wireworldcable.com




Model Equinox 6 Speaker Cable Equinox 6 Interconnect Starlight 6 Digital Audio Starlight 6 Component Starlight 6 HDMI


DNA Helix design (patent pending) with Ohno 6N conductors

DNA Helix design (patent pending) with Ohno 6N conductors

DNA Helix design with Ohno 6N silver-clad copper


Sym-metricon design with 16 silver-clad OFC signal conductors


High Density Polyethylene Composilex (patent pending) Composilex (patent pending) Composilex (patent pending) Gas-injected hard-cell PE foam

price range$36/foot + $62.50 termina-tion charge per channel

$200/1 meter pair + $70 per additional half meter

$80/1 meter + $40 per additional meter

$270/1 meter + $60 per additional half meter

$200/1 meter + $50 per additional meter


www.avguide.com

www.wireworldcable.com




WIREWORld CABlE TECHNOlOGYwww.wireworldcable.com





Model Silver Eclipse 6 Speaker Cable Silver Eclipse 6 Interconnect Gold Starlight 6 Digital Audio Starlight 6 Component Silver Starlight 6 HDMI


Diagonal DNA design with Ohno 6N silver-clad copper

DNA Helix design (patent pending) with Ohno 6N silver-clad copper

DNA Helix design with Ohno 6N solid silver conductors


DNA Helix design with 24 silver-clad OFC signal conductors


High Density Polyethylene Composilex (patent pending) Composilex (patent pending) Composilex (patent pending) Gas-injected hard-cell PE foam

price range$132/foot, plus $125 termination charge per channel

$700/1-meter pair, plus $250 per additional half meter

$500/1-meter cable, plus $175 per additional additional half meter

$270/1-meter cable, plus $60 per additional half meter

$350/1- meter, plus $125 per additional meter

www.avguide.com

www.wireworldcable.com




XlO ElECTRICwww.xloelectric.com




ModelXLO HTPRO HTP12BW Bi-Wire Speaker cable

XLO HTPRO HTP1 Single -Ended Shielded Audio Interconnect Cable

XLO HTP4 Silver Coaxial Digital Cable

XLO HTPCV-2M Silver Component Video Cable

XLO HTPHDMI Silver HDMI Cable


Four Conductor 9 AWG 4N OFHC copper

XLOWaveLink signal transmission 6N (99.99998%) pure lab-grade copper conductors

XLO Wavelink signal transmission technology, with exclusive Poly-Elemental High Frequency Silver conductors

XLO WaveLink signal transmission technology, with exclusive Poly-Elemental High frequency Silver conductors

XLO Wavelink signal transmission technology, with exclusive 24 AWG Poly-Elemental High Frequency Silver conductors


Ultra-Low capacitance LDPE dielectric insulation

DuPont Teflon dielectric insulation DuPont Teflon dielectric insulation DuDupont Teflon dielectric insulation

Ultra-Low capacitance LDPE dielectric insulation

price range$240 for 4-foot lengths to $768 for 15-foot lengths

$150 for 2-meter lengths to $350 for 6-meter lengths

$130 for 2-meter lengths to $190 for 4 meter lengths

$402 for 2-meter lengths to $1,050 for 8-meter lengths

$330 for 2-meter lengths to $720 15-meter lengths

XLO Electric advises using high-performance AC power cords in conjunction with its signal cables, as listed above. For entry-to-mid-level home theater systems, XLO Electric strongly recommends its Ultra-10 AC power cords, with pricing as follows: $140 for 3-foot lengths on up to $320 for 12-foot lengths.


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www.xloelectric.com






ModelXLO S3.5.4BW Bi-Wire Speaker cable

XLO S3-1 Single -Ended Audio Interconnect Cable

XLO S3-4 Coaxial Digital Cable N/A N/A


Four-conductor 7 AWG cable construction using proprietary treated UPOCC-6N (Ultra-Pure, Ohno Continuous Cast 6-Nines) lab-grade conductors.Features Integrated Field winding geometry with WaveLink signal transmission technology.

Four-conductor 7 AWG cable construction using proprietary treated UPOCC-6N (Ultra-Pure, Ohno Continuous Cast 6-Nines) lab-grade conductors.Features Integrated Field winding geometry with WaveLink signal transmission technology.

Proprietary treated, poly-elemental, high- frequency pure silver center conductors. Features Integrated Field winding geometry with WaveLink signal transmission technology.

N/A N/A


Ultra-Low capacitance Teflon and Teflon-variant cores and dielectric insulation used throughout

Ultra-low capacitance, Teflon dielectric insulation

Nitrogen-injected foam polyethene dielectric insulation, with bi-metallic EMI/RFI shield.

N/A N/A

price range$2,100 for 4-foot lengths to $6,500 for 15-foot lengths

$1,260 for 2-meter lengths to $2,940 for 6-meter lengths

$705 for 2-meter lengths to $1,250 for 4-meter lengths

N/A N/A

XLO Electric advises using high-performance AC power cords in conjunction with its signal cables, as listed above. For entry-to-mid-level home theater systems, XLO Electric strongly recommends its Ultra-10 AC power cords, with pricing as follows: $140 for 3-foot lengths on up to $320 for 12-foot lengths.

RECOMMENdEd CABlES FOR UPSCAlE ($10k -$25k+) HOME THEATERS


XlO ElECTRICwww.xloelectric.com

www.avguide.com

www.xloelectric.com



tpVAVR REVIEws

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Some AVR makers think advanced features and functions are what most home theater enthusiasts want, but

Cambridge Audio’s Azur 650R 7.1-channel A/V receiver is built for audio purists who believe that less is more, simpler is better, and that the shortest path to great sound involves amplifier circuits that inject as little technical gobbledygook as possible in the signal path. This does not mean, however, that the Cambridge is not modern or up to date, because it is both, but rather that its priorities are simply different from those of most mass-market receivers. Instead of focusing on technical gongs and whistles, the Cambridge instead concentrates on providing a rugged, purist-grade amplifier section that’s backed up by a simple but effective bank of audio and

video switching facilities and a powerful but no-nonsense set of surround sound decoders.

In keeping with the purist aesthetic, the 650R takes a “first, do no harm” approach in handling both video and audio signals. Accordingly, the receiver provides composite video, S-Video, component video, and HDMI (version 1.3c) video inputs and supports transcoding between those formats, but otherwise makes no attempt to provide more elaborate video scaling or processing functions. Similarly, the Cambridge provides a useful mix of analog (stereo and 7.1-channel) and digital (coaxial, optical, and HDMI) audio inputs, but takes special pains to give users the option of listening to audio signals with little or no signal processing or tone shaping applied. The latest Dolby TrueHD and DTS-

CaMbridge audio azur 650r a/V reCeiVer Chris Martens

tpv avr reviewsgo to: avr reviews | a/v controller & amp reviews

overviewConsider this AVR if: You are a purist at heart and know and love the sound of good, clean, powerful amplification when you hear it; this is really the 650R’s greatest strength. Also consider the Cambridge if you would like an AVR that offers specialized controls (for example, the ability to set individual subwoofer crossover frequencies for each channel in fine, 10Hz increments) that audiophiles will actually want to use.

look further if: You want a receiver that offers large numbers of HDMI inputs (the 650R offers only three), that provides automated room/speaker EQ functions (the 650R has none), or that incorporates a high-powered onboard video processor (the 650R supports format-to-format transcoding, but stops there). The 650R is not cheap, which may lead some to ask whether it is overpriced, but what you are paying for is amplifier circuitry that sounds much better than the norm for this price class.

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HD Master Audio surround sound decoding modes are supported, but otherwise DSP modes are held to a minimum (Cambridge supports five basic alternative modes called Movie, Music, Room, Theatre and Hall). Finally the 650R incorporates an automated speaker setup system called CAMCAS (Cambridge Audio Mic Controlled Auto Setup) that provides basic channel level and speaker distance settings, but that pointedly does not offer room/speaker EQ functions. The sense one gets in setting up and then using the Cambridge on a day-to-day basis is that it is meant to be clean, simple, and straightforward in every way—giving you all the essentials you need, and nothing you don’t need or aren’t likely to use.

Frankly, I can see how two very different reactions to the Cambridge receiver might be possible. Enthusiasts who appreciate and expect the densely layered features commonly found in competing higher-end AVRs might find the Azur 650R seems, well,

a little spartan. But high-end audiophiles, who are often skeptical of whizz-bang circuit add-ons that promise great things but that ultimately do more harm than good, will feel right at home with the approach Cambridge has taken. Let’s take a closer look at the 650R to see how it performs under real world conditions.

FEATURES: • A key centerpiece of the 650R involves its 7

x 100-Watt amplifier section, which is rated with all seven channels driven. Cambridge has this to say about the amplifier section: “the seven 100W audiophile grade fully discrete amplifiers are kept as separate as possible from the processing and input stages and feature a large power supply with a low flux toroidal transformer.”

• Provides a massive X-TRACT forced-air cooling tunnel that occupies a large center section within the 650R’s chassis, and that runs from the front of the unit to a large vent in the rear panel. This is precisely the sort of construction detail you might expect to see on a big multichannel power amplifier, but that is relatively rare in AVRs.

• Unused amplifier channels can be used to bi-amplify main loudspeakers.

• CAMCAS (Cambridge Audio Mic Controlled Auto Setup) system provides automated speaker level and distance settings via included calibration mic.

• Allows users to set individual subwoofer crossover frequencies for each channel in 10Hz increments from 40H to 120Hz.

• For listening to stereo sources, the 650R

provides both a pure “Stereo” playback mode and a useful “Stereo + SW” mode that digitally applies whatever subwoofer crossover settings have been chosen and that digitally derives a subwoofer output signal from standard two-channel signals (analog or digital).

• Provides extensive Tone/Sub/LFE configuration settings with a broad range of subtle trim options.

• Audio Split mode allows viewing one input while listening to another.

• Tuners: The receiver provides standard AM/FM reception.

• Provides A-BUS/Cambridge Incognito support for two additional zones, if desired.

• Three HDMI inputs (version 1.3c).• Supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD

Master Audio surround sound processing modes.

• Supports high resolution PCM bitstreams.• Uses Cirrus Logic CS43122 24-bit/192 kHz

DAC for front left and right channels.• Uses Cirrus Logic CS52526 24-bit/192 kHz

CODEC for surround channels + 24-bit A/D conversion.

• Uses Cirrus Logic CS497004 dual 32-bit DSP.

Comments: While there is much to like in the Azur 650R, I should point out three minor shortcomings that need to be addressed.

First, the Cambridge provides only three HDMI inputs (and none on the front panel). At this price point, I would expect more HDMI inputs—especially in light of the many HDMI-equipped source components one might


specs/pricingCambridge Audio Azur 650R 7.1 channel A/V receiverPower output: 7 x 100 Wpc @ 8 ohms, with all channels driven Decoding formats: Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital and Digtal EX, and Dolby Pro Logic II and IIx; DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, DTS, DTS-ES Matrix and –ES Discrete; multichannel PCM (up to 7.1 channels at up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution); five DSP modes (Movie, Music, Room, Theater, and Hall). Video inputs/outputs: Composite video (5 in, 4 out—2 for remote zones, 1 for recording); S-Video (5 in, 2 out—1 for recording), Component video (3 in, 1 out, HDMI version 1.3c (3 in—1 out).Audio inputs/outputs: Stereo analog (8 in, 2 out—1 for recording), 7.1-channel analog (1 in, 1 out), optical digital audio (6 in, 2 out for recording), coaxial digital audio (5 in, 2 out for recording), HDMI version 1.3c (3 in, 1 out), AM/FM tuner, headphone output Other: Control bus (1 in, 1 out), A-BUS keypad (2 out), A-BUS 24VDC external PSU (1 in), IR Emitter (1 in, 3 out), RS-232C (1)Dimensions (HxWxD): 5.9” x 16.93” x 16.54” Weight: 33 lbs.Warranty: Three years, parts and labor.

Price: $1799

Cambridge Audio www.cambridge-audio.com

DISTRIBUToRAudioplus Services (800) 663-0686www.audioplusservices.com

user interface sound quality, music sound quality, movie value

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

RATINGS(relative to comparably priced AvRs)

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http://www.cambridge-audio.com

www.audioplusservices.com



want to connect to the receiver (e.g., Blu-ray players, network media players, cable boxes, DVRs, and so on).

Second, while the 650R does offer the CAMCAS automated speaker setup system, it does not provide a room/speaker EQ system—a feature that is welcome and expected on receivers in this price class. While purists may frown on using room EQ systems, the fact is that large number of serious

enthusiasts enjoy and use them on a daily basis (and remember, EQ systems can easily be bypassed should purists wish to do so).

Third, the Cambridge supports high resolution multichannel PCM, but does not support direct DSD bitstreams (the native format for SACD discs). This omission does not seem consonant with the 650R’s “audiophile’s first” mission profile—especially in light of the fact that Cambridge itself offers

a Blu-ray universal player that can output DSD bitstreams.

USER INTERFACEThe Azur 650R setup menu is refreshingly straightforward to use, and it is also well-documented in the receiver’s user manual. A simple one-touch button puts the menu list onscreen (or turns it off again), and menu options are easy to follow from that point forward.

The CAMCAS automated speaker setup system is easy to use and less complicated than most of the more elaborate room EQ systems tend to be. Again, note that CAMCAS sets speaker levels and distances, but provides no means for detecting or compensating for room/speaker response anomalies.

REMOTE CONTROlThe 650R remote control is not backlit, but is otherwise a functional delight. One point that I appreciated, and that I think many enthusiasts will applaud, is that most control buttons offer single functions that are relatively unambiguous—this in contrast to multi-function, context-sensitive buttons that invoke different (and often perplexing) functions at different times.

One potential drawback I noted is that the remote provides no mechanism for making on-the-fly channel level trim adjustments. Since this is a function many serious listeners might need/want to use from time to time, I hope Cambridge addresses the requirement in future models.

vIdEO PERFORMANCEThe 650R provides clean, simple, noise-free video switching functions and format-to-format transcoding that works as expected (but without providing additional scaling or other video processing functions).

SONIC CHARACTERThe 650R sounds more like a good high-end integrated amplifier or preamp/power amp combo than it does like a traditional AVR. Here’s what I mean by that comment. If you know and love fine two-channel audio components then you might find, as I sometimes have, that most AVRs (good though they may be) sound a little bit veiled or just slightly compressed—almost as though they are “homogenizing” the sound of fine music recordings to some degree. But not so the Cambridge 650R; it is not only reasonably powerful but rich in sonic finesse, detail, and resolution so that you tend to hear much deeper into recordings than you typically would with most AVRs—even quite expensive ones.

In doing reviews of AVRs for The Perfect Vision, I typically make a point of comparing the analog sound of a good universal player vs. the sound of the same player feeding identical digital data to the receiver for the receiver to decode. Frankly, many receivers tend to blur or at least minimize distinctions in such player vs. receiver comparisons, but with the 650R exactly the opposite was the case. While its surround sound decoders performed well with no apparent glitches and its DAC’s sounded good-to-very-good, high quality audio-oriented disc players (e.g., the


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Oppo BDP-83 SE) sounded spectacularly good through the Cambridge Audio, bringing much of their full sonic potential to bear. When fed by high quality analog audio source components, then, the Cambridge will reward you with wide, deep, richly detailed soundstages and a big, wide-open sound overall. This is what truly sets the 650R apart.

While the Cambridge’s digital front end may sound slightly brighter and bit more sharp-edged than today’s nicer purist-oriented disc players, it certainly is no slouch, as it seems to specialize in information retrieval. In practice this means that when you play movie soundtracks through the 650R you may find the overall sound seems more nuanced and noticeably more “complete” than when listening through competing AVRs. If your speakers are up to the task, surround sound imaging through the Cambridge is especially good, so that you’ll hear a smoother, better integrated and more continuous wraparound circle of sound from your system than you may be used to.

MOvIE/SOUNdTRACk PERFORMANCE: While I was evaluating the Cambridge receiver in The Perfect Vision listening room one project I was working on involved compiling a list of ten favorite soundtracks for evaluating surround sound systems, and as I listened to candidate films through the 650R I was struck repeatedly by three things. First, this receiver seems to reproduce subtle low-level sonic information with a certain self-assured clarity that few other AVRs can match. Second, it offers top-shelf

surround sound imaging—provided, of course, that your speaker system is up to the task. Third, it delivers dynamics that just don’t wilt under pressure—not even when driving large, near full-range main speakers with material rich in bass content. Put these qualities together and you’ve got an AVR that does an unusually effective job of putting listener in the center of the action onscreen. An example drawn from the film Apocalypto will illustrate these points.

Apocalypto uses frequent shifts between literal and figurative images and sounds to deliberately blur lines of distinction between conventional narrative story telling and the invocation of prophetic (or apocalyptic) visions. The chapter “Ravage” shows this process in action, opening with a scene of a forest village near dawn that is supported by delightfully realistic and highly three-dimensional jungle sounds of birds chirping, wind sweeping through the trees overhead, and a dog barking in the distance. But soon the scene and the soundtrack shift to an off-kilter sequence

where the story’s protagonist Jaguar Paw experiences a prescient dream of warning where a frantic fellow villager (who has plainly had his heart cut from his chest) warns him, in a slightly distorted and phase-shifted voice, to “Run!!” The reason for the warning soon becomes apparent as Mayan warriors attack Jaguar Paw’s village, and the sound designer deliberately “spotlights” selective sounds of violence for greater impact, while interweaving the film’s dark, otherworldly score as the action reaches a violent crescendo.

Through the 650R, those natural sounds at the start of the chapter sound strikingly vibrant, lush, and detailed. But then, as the chapter progresses, the 650R seems to track perfectly with the sound designer’s intentions, first nailing the subtle distortions of the warning dream, and then exploding with the full force of the graphic violence that follows. The Cambridge distinguishes itself by maintaining clarity and unflappable dynamic composure through it all.

MUSIC PERFORMANCE:The Azur 650R really comes into its own when driven by high-quality source components playing high resolution music files. A good example would be “Bye Bye Blackbird” from Patricia Barber’s Nightclub [Mobile Fidelity SACD], which—as you might expect from the title—faithfully recreates the intimate sound and “vibe” of a small jazz club. On the track referenced, for example, the Cambridge caught the dark, smoky, almost sultry sound of Barber’s voice, the sublimely restrained and delicate brushwork of percussionist Adam Nussbaum, and the deep, earthy, full-bodied growl of Marc Johnson’s bass. If your disc player is good enough, the Cambridge will also convey the clean, percussive attack of Barber’s piano, and will even let you hear the sounds of high harmonics from the various instruments energizing and then reverberating within the walls of the recording space. What’s significant here is that I found myself instinctively comparing the 650R not to other AVRs, but rather to high performance audio components. As one colleague put it, “it’s as if the Cambridge is primarily a big, multichannel, high-end integrated amplifier that just happens to offer the functions of an A/V receiver as well.” I second that assessment.

Part of what makes the 650R so enjoyable is that it not only gets the core sound of instruments and vocalists right, but also—on well-recorded material—conveys a sense of the context or setting in which the original recording was made. To hear what I mean, try listening to the track “Grandmother” from


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Rebecca Pigeon’s Raven [Chesky SACD]. At its best, this track should offer an unusually deep, wide soundstage so that you are in essence transported from your listening room to the recording space where Pigeon and her backing musicians are arrayed before you. Relatively long reverb times and sounds that are slow to decay give you an idea of the size and acoustical qualities of the room and make the performance seem much more believable. Where some AVR’s render the track from a somewhat flattened, two-dimensional perspective, the Cambridge lets it unfold—as it should—into three dimensions, with performers taking their places onstage with almost sculptural solidity. These may seem like fine distinctions to make, but they spell the difference between good performance and something more.

BOTTOM lINE: Cambridge Audio’s Azur 650R A/V receiver has been built, I think, with old-school audio purists in mind. Obviously, the 650R was designed with the thought that it would be used in conjunction with very high-quality video/audio source components. Unlike some AVRs, then, the Cambridge does not seek to modify or otherwise embellish upon the signals it is fed. Rather, it strives to reproduce those input signals with as much accuracy and purity as possible—a job it does very, very well.

While the 650R does not offer features that have become commonplace in competing AVRs, such as room/speaker EQ systems or extensive onboard video processing functions, it offers easy to use, noise free video switching and transcoding functions, plus superb core sound quality, which is something that never goes out of fashion.


NeXT page

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Marantz’ $2000 SR8002 THX Select2-certified SR8002 A/V receiver was ahead of its time when first released,

and today enjoys status as something of an “evergreen” product in the firm’s receiver lineup. We remember when flagship receivers all went for thousands of dollars more and, sad to say, none of the megabuck models of just four or five years ago offered the HDMI switching and Dolby and DTS’ lossless surround decoding capabilities that this receiver has. Those receivers are now hopelessly out of date.

Another reason we were impressed with the SR8002 is the fact that, despite its top-tier status, it is quite compact—only an inch or two larger than its more moderately priced siblings. The handsome receiver’s front panel keeps the control and button clutter to a bare minimum.

FEATURESThe SR8002’s Audyssey MultEQ audio set-up system will provide automated speaker setup and extensive room equalization/correction for your system. Experience has shown that Audyssey can make very significant improvements with some speakers, though our


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Marantz Sr8002 a/V receiver Steve guttenberg

reference Dynaudio-based system sounded great without any correction at all.

Auto speaker setup is nice, but even so, there’s still a lot of manual set-up work up to do. You’ll have to assign inputs for your sources, adjust display resolution and HDMI particulars, and—if you’re going to take advantage of the SR8002’s multiroom capabilities—you’ll need to delve deeper into the menus, which we found easy enough to fathom.

The SR8002 sports HD Radio which promises “CD quality” sound from FM stations broadcasting in HD, and FM sound quality from AM stations broadcasting in HD. The SR8002 receiver is also XM “ready,” but you’ll need to buy XM’s install kit and pay a monthly subscription fee to enjoy satellite radio. HD Radio is free. The SR8002 amplifiers’ all-discrete circuitry (no integrated circuits) pumps out 125 watts for each of its seven channels. The receiver boasts Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio as well as a more rarely seen feature, Dolby Headphone. That’s cool, because it means the SR8002 can deliver virtual 5.1-channel sound over stereo headphones. The HDCD (High-Definition

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Compatible Digital) circuitry decodes HDCD CDs with 20-bit resolution compared to standard CD’s 16-bit sound.

The SR8002 comes with two nifty remotes. A light grey, fully backlit remote with an LCD screen that offers direct control over the selected source—DVD, tuner, TV, etc. We liked it a lot, which isn’t something we can say about too many fancy remotes. The second remote (intended for use in multiroom systems) isn’t as well endowed, but is also easy to use.

vIdEO FEATURESHDMI v1.3a Switching/Repeating for four sources and two displays. The SR8002 up-converts composite and S-video sources to 480p over HDMI, and will convert 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i component video signals to HDMI format.

AUdIO PERFORMANCEZZ Top’s Live From Texas Blu-ray [Eagle Vision] boasts a killer DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. The surround mix features a mid-hall perspective, with lots of reverberation and audience ambiance, and yet the sound never gets messy or loses focus. Dusty, Billy, and Frank came to play so we cranked the volume just to see if we could make the SR8002 stumble, but it cruised through the concert without complaint. The sense of being there with the crowd was as good as it gets. The SR8002 does run hot, though, so make sure you place it on an open shelf or in a wellventilated cabinet.

We next checked out the Mad Men: Season 1 Blu-ray set. The 5.1-channel mixes revealed

the subtlest of details. Iin the Madison Avenue offices of the Sterling-Cooper advertising agency, for example, I could pick out individual IBM typewriters in a room full of them. And when a group of junior executives were listening to a Bob Newhart comedy LP, I could hear the record’s surface noise! Otis Taylor’s Recapturing the Banjo [Telarc] demonstrated the SR8002’s musicality, and I’m happy to report that through the Marantz, the mostly acoustic album’s natural balances remained intact. That’s not the case with a lot of receivers, which can sometimes add a bit of glare and flatten the natural dimensional quality of instruments. The SR8002 steadfastly refused to cross that line.

The Magnetic Fields’ three-disc opus, 69 Love Songs [Merge] is all about contrasts. Each song sounds wildly different from

the next and the SR8002 made that fact abundantly clear. The disc’s sound quality is way above average, but it’s the variety of sounds that kept me engaged. There’s sweetness and light—followed by riproaring distortion bathed in cavernous reverberation.

FM stations broadcasting in HD Radio sounded much, much closer to CD quality than XM Satellite Radio. That said, XM’s dozens of commercial free music channels might be reason enough to subscribe to the service.

CONClUSIONThe Marantz SR8002 has it all: style, performance, and user-friendly ergonomics. We especially appreciated that last one; thanks to intuitive menus and controls, the owner’s manual remained closed for most of our tests.


specs/pricingmarantz SR8002 THX Select2 7.1-Channel A/V ReceiverPower Output: 7 x 125WattsDecoding Formats: Dolby TrueHD,Dolby Digital Plus and EX, Dolby PLIIx, Dolby Virtual Speaker, Dolby Headphone; DTS-HD Master Audio and High Resolution Audio, DTS ES, DTS 24/96, DTS Discrete and Matrix 6.1, DTS Neo:6; SRS Circle Surround II; Neural THX (for HD radio), DSD bitstream decoding via HDMIVideo Inputs/Outputs: Composite video (5 in, 2 out); S-video (5 in, 2 out); Component video (4 in, 2 out), HDMI (4 in, 2 out)

Audio Inputs/Outputs: Stereo analog audio (7 in, 4 out), 7.1-channel analog audio (1 in, 1 out), digital audio (7 in--four optical, three coaxial; 2 out--one optical, one coaxial), HDMI (4 in, 2 out), AM/FM/HD radio tunerDimensions (HxWxD):17.3” x 7.25” x 15.6”Weight: 33.1 lbs. Wrranty:: Five years, parts and labor Price: $2000

marantz America, Inc.(201) 762-6500www.marantz.com

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Within the home theater marketplace, NAD has earned a reputation as a firm whose roots are firmly grounded

in the high-end audio tradition, yet as a maker of products that, though they may be premium-priced, are nevertheless affordable. Yet in almost every way possible, NAD offers prospective buyers cues that its core values and priorities are different from those of most mass-market manufacturers. In essence, NAD is about sound quality first and almost everything else second. As a result NAD has never been very interested in the game of “specsmanship” for its own sake, nor does it care about being first to market with the latest/greatest technical gongs and whistles (except, of course, in cases where said new technologies make for an audibly better user experience). But when NAD does make strong new technical moves, you can safely bet it will do so in ways calculated to make either a difference in perceived sound quality or to add long-term value to its products. A good case in point would be NAD’s T 775 A/V receiver, which is the subject of this review.

The T 775 is the next-to-the-top-of the line model in NAD’s new range of MDC (Modular

Design Construction) receivers, where audio and video functions are each supported via separate, modular, plug-in circuit boards that fit in the receiver’s rear panel. The MDC approach offers several benefits. First, the MDC approach allows NAD to assure prospective buyers that—even as audio/video technologies rapidly change and evolve—the T 775 will not become obsolete because it will be possible to buy new audio or video boards to update the receiver over time. Contrast this to the typical mass-market approach where, to be blunt, technology updates more often than not entail replacing old units with new ones—lock, stock, and barrel. Second, the MDC approach frees NAD to design a receiver that, in a very real sense, is a performance-oriented A/V tuner/amplifier platform designed to last for years and years. While new features may come and go (and MDC components can flex and adapt with them as necessary), the core tuner, preamp, and amplifier sections of an NAD receiver remain rock-solid and unchanged over time. In short, MDC gives NAD owners the freedom to swap out audio/video feature sets over time, while preserving their investment in high-quality core electronics. That’s an

Nad T 775 a/V reCeiVer Chris Martens


overviewConsider this AVR if: You want an A/V receiver that, more than most, offers the sonic qualities—such as openness, transparency, resolution, and robust dynamics—that are typically associated with A/V separates (that is, separate high-performance A/V controllers and multichannel power amps). Also, consider this receiver if you appreciate a product whose “Modular Design Construction” architecture offers a meaningful degree of future proofing in a world where new technologies are evolving rapidly. Above all, though, look at this AVR for its pure, natural sound quality.

look further if: You need or want to be the first enthusiast on your block to own a receiver with all of the latest/greatest technologies. This receiver provides just 7.1 channels with 100 Wpc, where some like-priced competitors offer 9.1 channels with higher claimed power output per channel. Similarly, the NAD does not incorporate decoding features for Audyssey or Dolby modes that support so-called “height” or “width” channels. But that said, note that the NAD’s core sound qualities are among the best you’ll find in any AVR at any price.

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approach I can respect, can’t you? From a business perspective, NAD is what

might be termed a “fast follower,” in that it closely observes emerging technical trends, but follows them only once it is convinced they add real sonic benefits or tangible value (in other words, NAD products impose a built-in technical “BS filter” of sorts). Several examples can be drawn from the T 775. First, it provides—as NAD products have traditionally done—extremely conservatively rated power specifications. In an industry where at least some level of spec inflation is de rigueur, NAD takes the opposite tack, honestly rating the T 775 at 2 x 130 Wpc for stereo operation, or 7 x 100 Wpc for 7-channel operation, with both specs taken at very low distortion levels. NAD’s power numbers may seem underwhelming at first, but in my experience they’re scrupulously honest and reflect the underlying muscle and sophistication of the firm’s amplifier designs. Similarly, NAD has equipped the T 775 with Audyssey’s MultEQ XT room/speaker EQ system, but with a very interesting wrinkle.

Where most Audyssey adopters offer three standard equalization options—Audyssey EQ “On,” Audyssey EQ set for “Flat” response, or Audyssey EQ “Off”—NAD has negotiated the right to offer a fourth EQ option for the T 775; namely, a proprietary NAD EQ mode, which we will discuss in more depth later on. The point is that NAD is continually looking for ways to push the sonic envelope—to deliver that elusive “something extra” that will matter to performance-minded enthusiasts.

Does this entail a price premium? It does, though not an outlandish one. The T 775 sells for $2999 (where competing models from mass market manufacturers might sell for roughly two-thirds that sum, give or take a bit). Thus, a key question to ask is whether the NAD’s sonic “extras” and other “intangibles” make it worth what it costs. I’ll attempt to address that question in this review.

FEATURES: • Very conservatively rated at 7 x 100 Wpc or 2

x 130 Wpc

• Dual subwoofer outputs• Tuners: The receiver provides standard AM/

FM reception and is XM satellite radio-ready• Provides support for optional NAD iPod

dock.• In addition to standard Audyssey EQ options,

the receiver also incorporates a proprietary, Audyssey-approved “NAD EQ” mode (see sidebar, below).

• Proprietary NAD “EARS” (Enhanced

Ambience Retrieval System” mode, which is geared for use with stereo source material and that promises to extract “the natural ambience present in nearly all well-produced stereo recordings.” NAD adds that the EARS mode “does not synthesize any ambience or other sonic elements and thus remains truer to the sound of the original musical performance than most other music-surround options.”

specs/pricingNAD T 775 7.1 channel A/V receiverPower output: 7 x 100 Wpc @ 8 ohms, or 2 x 130 Wpc @ 8 ohms, with channels driven from 10 Hz – 20kHz ± 0.3 dB at less than 0.05% distortionDecoding formats: Dolby Digital TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital, Dolby ProLogic IIx, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, DTS Digital Surround 96/24, DTS Neo:6, proprietary EARS mode, Enhanced Stereo, and Enhanced Bass mode, multichannel PCM (up to 7.1 channels at up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution)Video inputs/outputs: six analog video inputs (all S-Video and composite, 1 front panel); three component video inputs (HDTV compatible); three analog video outputs—two tape (composite and S-Video) and one Zone (composite); four v1.3 1080p HDMI digital audio/video inputs; four video monitor outputs (HDMI, component, S-Video and composite formats).

Audio inputs/outputs: seven stereo analog audio inputs (one front panel); three stereo analog audio outputs (two assignable as Tape out, or as Zone 3 and Zone 4 outputs with independent source and volume control); one 7.1-channel analog audio input (for DVD Audio/SACD/etc.); seven digital audio inputs, (3 coax and 4 optical, 1 front panel); two digital audio outputs (1 coax and 1 optical); preamp outputs for all 7.2 channels (2 Subwoofers); four v1.3 1080p HDMI digital audio/video inputs; one XM satellite radio antenna module input; AM/FM Radio tuner; one headphone output.Other: RS-232 port (1 in), 3 x IR outputs, 1 x IR Input; 3 x 12V output Triggers, 1 x 12V input; auto calibration mic (1) Dimensions (HxWxD): 6.125” x 17.125” x 16.56” Weight: 50 pounds

Price: $2999 NAD Electronics International(800) 263-4641www.nadelectronics.com


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Features NAD’s modular Design Construction Am 200 Audio module, which provides:• Dual High Speed DSPs with 32/64 bit

Floating Point architecture.• Dolby Digital TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus,

Dolby Digital, Dolby ProLogic IIx decoding.• DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD High

Resolution Audio, DTS Digital Surround 96/24, DTS Neo:6 decoding.

• EARS, Enhanced Stereo, Enhanced Bass.• Audyssey MultEQ XT room correction with

support for Audyssey MultEQ Pro.• Audyssey Dynamic Volume and Dynamic EQ.• 3 Coaxial SPDIF Inputs, 1 Output.• 3 Optical SPDIF Inputs, 1 Output.

Features NAD’s modular Design Construction Vm 100 Video module, which provides:• HDMI Repeater.• 4 HDMI Inputs, 1 Output.• Converts analogue video to digital HDMI.• OSD on HDMI.• Supports all SD and HD video resolutions up

to 1080p.• De-interlaces 480i/576i to 480p/576p.• Support for Deep Color and xvYCC color

space.• Real time support for data (like RDS text,

iPod navigation, etc.).

USER INTERFACEThe T 775 features a simple graphical user interface (GUI) and setup menu that is highly

intuitive and easy to navigate. Because Audyssey’s MultEQ XT room/

speaker EQ system is a vital, integral part of the T 775, its setup and control procedures should be part of our User Interface discussion. My finding was that the NAD (GUI) guides you through Audyssey automated speaker setup in a straightforward way, though with less graphical clarity (that is, fewer illustrative onscreen diagrams and the like) than I have seen in some other Audyssey implementations.

Here are three important hints for best Audyssey results:• Make sure you place the included calibration

mic at ear level for a seated listener (ideally by mounting the mic on a camera tripod that you can move from one listening seat to another).

• The MultEQ XT system allows you to take eight sets of room measurements, and we recommend that you use all eight (Audyssey’s modeling of the room/speaker interface gets better as you capture more data). For best results, take the first set of measurements from the most central listening position in the room (typically the position you would use most often). Then, take the second through eighth sets of measurements from other frequently used listening positions (or from locations near those seating positions).

• Do the Audyssey setup when your room is as quiet as possible; the system is very reliable, but in my experience it can be thrown off by spurious room noises, such as footfalls, cars passing by, aircraft passing overhead,

household HVAC fans, etc.). For this reason, it sometimes works best to do Audyssey calibrations either late at night or early in the morning.The Audyssey system significantly simplifies

system setup and adds readily apparent sonic benefits. Contrary to common audiophile wisdom (which can sometimes entail a bias against DSP-driven EQ systems of any kind), I find that Audyssey does not blur or diminish subtle sonic characteristics in good speaker systems; on the contrary, it leaves the core sound of speakers intact, while smoothing and balancing their in-room frequency response. But note: even if you do not want to use Audyssey EQ settings (and remember, you can turn those EQ setting off at any time, if you wish), it is still a good idea to use the Audyssey system to handle basic speaker system configuration/setup tasks, such as setting speaker sizes, distances, channel levels, and—especially—speaker-to-subwoofer crossover frequencies. Do be sure to check out the NAD EQ mode, which we’ll discuss in some detail, below.

While I have strong positive reactions to the basic Audyssey EQ/NAD EQ system, I have somewhat mixed reactions to Audyssey’s Dynamic EQ and Dynamic Volume functions, and I recommend approaching both with some caution. While the Audyssey Dynamic EQ function offers potentially worthwhile benefits for those who listen at low-to-moderate volume levels, adjusting EQ curves in keeping with the volume settings you’ve chosen, I personally find that the Dynamic EQ function seems to undercut clarity a bit (which the

basic Audyssey EQ/NAD EQ system does not). My basic complaint is that the Dynamic EQ system seems to impart an ever-so-slightly bass-heavy sound. The Audyssey Dynamic Volume function, in turn, can be very useful for those listening in apartments—especially in terms of managing volume levels late at night—but seems to undercut clarity further still. My suggestion, then, would be to try both functions for yourself and make your own judgment call as to whether their benefits outweigh potential drawbacks.

REMOTE CONTROlThe T 775 comes with a backlit remote that, on the whole, I found very easy to learn and to use. In particular, I liked the way the remote encourages on-the-fly adjustment of channel levels, and also facilitates on-the-fly comparison between surround processing modes.

There were, however, two problems I noted with the remote control. First, I noted that NAD has chosen to break with what I consider an accepted industry remote control interface convention. In most remotes, up/down and left/right cursor buttons are used for navigation, while a central button is used to perform Enter or Select functions, but the NAD remote does not entirely follow this convention. Instead, up/down buttons are used for navigation, left/right buttons give access to sub-menus, and then up/down buttons are used again to select desired options (your instinct will be to press the center button to select options, but that’s just not how the NAD rolls). Is this somewhat confusing? Yes, but it’s


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also something that, with practice, you’ll learn to work around.

Second, I found the remote was fairly limited in range and quite fussy about being positioned directly in front of the AVR—not off to the side or above or below the receiver—in order to work correctly. NAD suggested that I try installing a fresh set batteries, which I did, but the battery swap only marginally improved the situation. NAD indicated that it had not experienced problems with range or reception angle for its remotes, but when I mentioned the matter on a blog I wrote on the T 775 for our Web site, www.avguide.com, at least one reader mentioned experiencing the same problems. If you decide to buy a T 775, then, make sure your dealer is willing to work with you to verify that the remote is functioning as it should.

vIdEO PERFORMANCEThe receiver’s HDMI repeater function and deinterlacing functions performed transparently, without adding any apparent noise or artifacts.

SONIC CHARACTERLet me come right out and say it: superior sound quality is the reason to want this receiver, and this is because it doesn’t sound like a typical AVR at all, but rather more like an expensive set of A/V separates. But what does that actually mean in practice? Several things.

First, the T 775 handles complex musical or cinematic sonic details with an almost casual, offhanded ease. Small details are never exaggerated, spotlighted, or overdramatized,

but rather are just there—simple, pure, accessible, and unadorned. Even on complicated orchestral material or densely layered soundtracks, the NAD remains as unflappable as a UN translator in the midst of a heated debate; it just relays the information it’s been given in a faithful, accurate, and unflustered way. Perhaps as a result of this, the NAD does a much better job than most receivers of filling in the spaces and background textures between notes, voices, sound effects and the like, always supplying both content and context for the sounds you’ll hear.

Second, the T 775 typically sounds dynamically unconstrained—and frankly sounds more muscular than its published power specification might lead you to expect. With most receivers, we unconsciously brace ourselves for slight signs of compression, congestion, or even stridency that can result when the sonic going gets rough. But with the T 775 in play you gradually learn to relax as you come to realize that it is more or less unfazed by large or small-scale dynamic swells in the material (well, except in those case where owners insist on listening at absolutely ridiculous volume levels). But even under the direst circumstances, owners have the option of switching on NAD’s proprietary “Soft Clipping” circuit, which allows the amp to endure (and then recover from) moments of dynamic overload in a sonically graceful way. Note, however, that while “Soft Clipping” clipping circuit can prove a lifesaver when overload is expected, the T 775 actual sounds subtly purer and cleaner with the circuit


about the Nad eQ CurveAs I mentioned above, the T 775 offers not only the standard “Audyssey EQ” response curve, but also a special “NAD EQ” curve, which raises an important question: what’s the difference between the two? I posed this question to Greg Stidsen, NAD’s Director of Product Development, who offered a great deal of useful background information.

First, Stidsen explained that it was a natural choice for NAD to explore digital room correction solutions in general, and to collaborate with Audyssey in particular. This is partly because of NAD’s long association with TacT’s Peter Lyngdorf, Stidsen observed, who “had sold his interest in NAD to pursue the development of the TacT room correction (system) along with V. Bosovik many years ago.” But apart from its familiarity with Lyngdorf and TacT’s efforts in the room correction field, NAD also had a great deal of prior experience in working with Audyssey co-founder Tomlinson Holman (of THX fame), since “NAD developed the first THX product, the 208THX amplifier.” Putting these two factors together, it was perhaps inevitable that NAD would want to incorporate Audyssey features in its receivers, and indeed NAD worked closely with Audyssey as it developed successive iterations of its systems, including the MultEQ XT system incorporated in the T 775.

But, says Stidsen, the key issue for any room correction involves the fact that “all of

these adaptive correction systems base their correction on a measurement of the existing acoustic ‘fingerprint’ of the speakers and their interaction with the room. The system doesn’t know what the overall ‘correct’ or ‘target’ response should be; this needs to be programmed into the system. There are several theories about what the target response should be…”

Expanding on this point, Stidsen explains that, “in a nutshell, most speakers are designed for ‘flat’ response in an anechoic chamber. When that flat responding speaker is placed into a typical room, the bass response is elevated due to ‘room gain’ and the high frequencies are absorbed by walls and furnishings. The resulting response in the room is very different from the response in the anechoic chamber, which mimics a ‘free space’ response. All recording engineers use a speaker in a room to monitor their recordings, and the acoustic balance of all recordings reflect this reality. If you make a speaker/room combination ‘flat’ (an option on the T775) it will sound ‘thin’ and ‘bright’ with too much treble energy and not enough bass. The Audyssey setting compensates for this by increasing the bass and decreasing the treble”—a setting that Stidsen and others at NAD perceived as sounding good, but also a little ‘like a ‘loudness control’ had been applied.”

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switched off. Choose wisely.Third, the T 775 offers the characteristically

smooth, rich tonal balance I have come to regard as the NAD “house sound.” This sound is, perhaps, tipped just slightly to the warm side of absolute neutrality, but from musical or cinematic perspective this is far, far preferable to sounds that are skewed in the

other direction; that is, toward a cold, austere, “spotlighted” presentation that, while initially impressive, can prove sonically fatiguing over the long haul. The appeal of the NAD “house sound” is that it is unfailingly welcoming, engaging and, I think, relaxing so that it makes you want to keep listening for hours on end.

MOvIE/SOUNdTRACk PERFORMANCE: To experience the delicacy and refinement of the T 775, try listening closely to the first conversation between Amelia Earheart (Hilary Swank) and George Putman (Richard Gere) in Amelia. What the T 775 will reveal, and in an effortless way, is the very hard work that Ms. Swank has put in to mastering the crisp diction and somewhat unusual cadences of Earheart’s distinctive voice. Earheart was very well spoken and had gift for precise, eloquent word choices, which Swank mimics so beautifully that you almost feel she has transformed into an entirely different person—truly “inhabiting the role,” as the old saying goes. (You can verify the effectiveness of Swank’s work, by the way, by watching the extras for Amelia, which include some early newsreel footage that captures the sound of Earheart’s unusually crisp, clear speaking voice.). With the several different speaker systems I used with the T 755, the receiver consistently exhibited an uncanny level of natural clarity in reproducing the sounds and delicate—almost subliminal—inflections of human voices.

But as you might expect, the T 775 is very good at handling much larger scale passages, such as the hand-to-hand battle in the shipyard that takes place in chapter 13 of Sherlock Holmes. As the relatively compact and agile Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) is pursued by the behemoth Dredger (Robert Maillet), you not only sense but hear the futility of Holmes’ evasive maneuvers as Dredger, bearing an enormous long-handled maul that has already proven too heavy for Holmes to lift

off the ground, shatters giant shipyard beams and braces as if they were toothpicks, then picks up an enormous cast iron chain and flings it at Holmes as if it weighed no more than a pair of nun chucks flying through the air in a Bruce Lee movie. The big NAD does a great job of capturing the explosive force of the beams bursting, the clanking of the links of the massive chains, the loud but futile “pop” of Watson’s pistol being fired in Holmes’ defense, and—finally—the deep, ominous groan of the ship breaking free from its dry-dock supports and sliding into the Thames, dragging heavy chains, capstans, and other debris with it as it goes. The T 775 has enough sheer dynamic “oomph” to let giant-scale sound effects like these really expand, “breathe,” and fill the listening room.

MUSIC PERFORMANCE:But good though the T 775 is as a cinema receiver, it is truly a “music first” component—just as NAD advertizes it to be, which implies that for all its muscle this receiver give even greater emphasis to refinement and sonic subtlety. For proof of this, try listening to the Conspirare choir’s rendition of the Dolly Parton song “Light of A Clear Blue Morning”, as heard in A Company of Voices/Conspirare in Concert [Harmonia Mundi]. For those unfamiliar with Conspirare (the name means, “to breathe together”), it helps to know that the group is a sophisticated and eclectic choir that—under the guidance of Artistic Director Craig Hella Johnson—is working to inject new energy and life into the world of choral music. To this end, the choir sometimes chooses “pop”


While acknowledging that many listeners like the effect of the standard Audyssey EQ setting, the NAD team felt that with some extra time and effort it might be possible to produce an even more natural sounding alternate EQ curve—one that would potentially hold even greater appeal for critical audiophiles. Accordingly, NAD worked out an arrangement with Audyssey where, as Stidsen put it, “Audyssey allowed us to include our own target (EQ curve) as long as we also included theirs.”

According to Stidsen, the NAD EQ curve “was developed in the NAD Lab with help from our sister company PSB Speakers. Steve Wilkins from NAD (developer of EARS) and Paul Barton (of PSB) did most of the acoustical measurement and analysis.” The NAD team felt the standard Audyssey EQ curve added “a little too much energy in both the bass and treble (regions),” so that NAD’s strategy was to try for an EQ approach that was “a bit more sophisticated and uses a couple of ‘shelving filters’ in the treble response and a bit less emphasis in the bass region. Our goal was to leave intact

the character of the loudspeaker as it would be heard in a room with favorable acoustics.” Stidsen observes that, “if you have your front stereo speakers well placed and you have a good room, the NAD target curve will sound very similar.”

While conceding that, “the NAD curve has less ‘wow factor’ than Audyssey’s,” Stidsen adds that, “we think it is more natural and satisfying over time.”

With the T 775, however, the great news is that the choice is entirely yours, since the receiver provides the standard Audyssey EQ curve, the NAD EQ curve, a ‘flat’ setting, plus the option of turning EQ off altogether.

While I can see merits in both the Audyssey EQ and NAD EQ curves, and I spent a great deal of time comparing the two, I found I preferred the NAD curve over the long term, finding it let even more of the speaker system’s distinctive personality shine through, while still providing a useful degree of in-room response smoothing. But by all means try both curves (or none at all), to see which works best for you.

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songs, such as “Light of A Clear Blue Morning” as its musical vehicles, but treats them to astonishing new arrangements that impart refined structures, polish, sophistication, and deeper meaning that provide a whole new take on familiar material.

“Light of A Clear Blue Morning” opens with a simple, haunting piano passage, where the T 775 really lets you hear the sound of the instrument reverberating and resonating within the interior of Austin’s Long Center for Performing Arts. Then, the main lyric of the song is taken up by the powerful, crystal-clear voice of soprano soloist Kathlene Ritch, whose voice gradually soars and swells, lifting the song up to the hall’s highest balconies. Finally, the rest of the Conspirare choir joins Ritch, with individual choir sections taking up and expanding upon, individual lines or phrases drawn from Parton’s lyrics. The effect is enchanting, as if the song is literally unfolding and slowly filling the hall with its power. The NAD does a fine job with Ritch’s voice, and gives palpable body and presence to the choir sections as they join in. But perhaps the most amazing quality of all is the manner in which the T 775 deftly captures the echoes and reflections of sounds within the recording, creating the really believable illusion that you are enjoying the performance within a large, warmly resonant concert hall. (The effect was especially significant to me, since I had the privilege to be present in the Long Center when the original recording was being made.).

BOTTOM lINE:NAD’s T 775 is a premium-priced A/V receiver that puts its primary emphasis on sound quality—taking what NAD would characterize as a “music first” approach. The receiver is rich in those feature that matter most, but at the end of the day it is a product that is more about delivering sonic power and refinement than providing the latest features, functions, or technical gimmicks du jour. The receiver’s ingenious MDC architecture does, however, offer a welcome measure of future proofing that should help preserve your investment.For the price of the T 775, the fact is that you could buy an AVR that offered more channels, (ostensibly) more power, or more expansive feature sets. But that said, I think you would be very hard pressed to find a receiver that sounds better than—or even as good as—this NAD, which to my way of thinking makes the T 775 the smarter buy in the long run.



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About a year ago I reviewed Onkyo’s value-oriented TX-SR607 A/V receiver, which has now been succeeded by

the firm’s similar but significantly improved TX-SR608. What are the differences between the two? For starters, the TX-SR608 is 3D-capable, more powerful and carries THX Select2 Plus certification, and incorporates a digital front end with a new jitter reduction circuit—all while selling for the same $599 price as the earlier TX-SR607. I can’t speak for you, but I appreciate it when products offer increased value while holding the line on price, don’t you? What’s especially nice in this case, however, is that the TX-SR608 not only looks like a stronger performer than its predecessor on paper; it actually sounds noticeably better under real world use conditions, which is what matters most.

To understand the product concept behind the TX-SR608, it’s helpful to take a look back at the TX-SR607. That receiver, if you will

recall, was one of the first of a new breed of AVRs designed for enthusiasts who primarily plan to use digital—not analog—audio and video source components in their systems. The same is also true of the TX-SR608. If you look at the rear panel of the receiver, you’ll be struck not only by the things you do see (namely, plenty of HDMI inputs) but also by those things that are absent (namely, multichannel analog audio inputs and outputs). At year ago, I would have found this lack of multichannel analog audio features disconcerting, but over time I’ve gotten more comfortable with the idea—in part because I now see how well digital-minded receivers like this one fit the needs of a wide base of customers.

The fact is that there are many folks out there who want good, solid, affordably priced AVRs, but who have no interest at all in dealing with the setup and cabling complexities associated with using the analog outputs of high-performance multichannel Blu-ray,

oNkyo TX-Sr608 THX SeleCT2-CerTified a/V reCeiVerChris Martens


overviewConsider this AVR if: You want a well-priced A/V receiver that is powerful and sounds noticeably better than its predecessor, but is geared primarily around using digital audio inputs to feed its internal surround sound decoders and DACs. Also consider the TX-SR608 if you require a 3D-capable receiver or want to experiment with Dolby ProLogic IIz or Audyssey DSX processing. ProLogic IIz allows adding optional front “height” channels to a traditional 5.1-channel system, while Audyssey DSX allows you to add your choice of extra “front height” or “front width” channels.

look further if: You are a multichannel audio enthusiast and feel strongly that the analog audio section of your disc player sounds better than the digital front end of the Onkyo (the TX-SR608 can play multichannel audio material, but via its digital inputs only). Note that some competing AVRs in this price class do provide multichannel analog inputs, though they may not offer other benefits the TX-SR608 provides.

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universal players and the like. For them, digital source-centric receivers like the TX-SR608 make perfect sense and also offer good value for money. After all, why pay for complicated analog inputs and/or preamp circuits if you aren’t going to use them?

FEATURES: • 7 x 100 Watts per channel with discrete

Onkyo WRAT (Wide Range Amplifier Technology) linear (not class D) amplifier circuits, with HCPS (High Current Power Supply) with a “massive high power transformer.”

• Digital audio section provides “jitter cleaning circuit technology.”

• THX Select2 Plus certification.• Dual subwoofer outputs.• Unused amplifier channels can be re-routed

to bi-amp main loudspeakers.• Audyssey 2EQ automated room/speaker EQ

system with support for Audyssey Dynamic EQ and Dynamic Volume functions.

• Supports Audyssey DSX mode, which allows users to add, at their option, extra “front height” or “front width” channels, which are said to provide a more realistic and enveloping surround sound experience.

• Video Processing: Faroudja DCDi Cinema Enhancement processor provides upscaling to 1080p for all video sources (including component video sources) via HDMI.

• Tuners: The receiver provides standard AM/FM reception and is Sirius satellite radio-ready.

• iPod and HD radio functions can be added via an optional iPod/HD radio tuner module.

• Six HDMI inputs (one front panel mounted) with support for 3D, Audio Return Channel, Deep color, x.v. Color, LipSync, and CEC.

• Provides Onkyo RIHD control interface that is also compatible with Panasonic VIERA Link TVs and player/recorders, Toshiba REGZA-LINK TVS and player/recorders, and select Sharp TVs and player/recorders.

• Supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound processing modes.

• Support Dolby ProLogic IIz mode, which allows adding optional “height” channels.

• Supports DSD Direct mode and high resolution PCM bitstreams for those who love listening to SACDs or DVD-Audio discs, (via HDMI inputs only, though).

USER INTERFACEThe TX-SR608 features, as did the TX-SR-607, a simple graphical user interface (GUI) and setup menu that is highly intuitive and easier to navigate than the menus found on some of Onkyo’s higher end receivers. Even so, I would encourage users to read the manual before

setup, just to help familiarize themselves with the receiver’s capabilities and basic setup procedures.

One beauty of this digital-centric receiver is that it invites you to make simple and straightforward HDMI connections between your source components and the receiver, and between the receiver and your display, and call it a day. For the most part, then, there’s no need to worry about getting composite or component video, or analog or traditional digital audio cables sorted out (though the Onkyo does provide some old-school analog and digital audio inputs, along with a handful of composite and component video inputs, to help handle any legacy components you may have).

Audyssey’s 2EQ room/speaker EQ system is

a vital, integral part of the TX-SR608, and the receiver’s graphical user interface guides you through Audyssey automated speaker setup in a simple and more or less foolproof manner. But here are three important hints for best Audyssey results:• Make sure you place the included calibration

mic at ear level for a seated listener (ideally by mounting the mic on a camera tripod that you can move from one listening location to another).

• The Audyssey 2EQ system requires that you take three sets of calibration measurements (other Audyssey systems require six or more sets of measurements). Take the first set of measurements from the most central listening position in the room (typically the position you would use most often), and the




specs/pricingOnkyo TX-SR608 THX Select2 Power output: 7 x 100 Wpc @ 8 ohmsDecoding formats: Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital, and Dolby Pro Logic IIz; DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, DTS Surround Sensation, and DTS; DSD bitstreams; multichannel PCM (up to 7.1 channels at up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution); Audyssey 2EQ room/speaker EQ system, with support for Audyssey DSX functions. Video inputs/outputs: Composite video (5 in, 2 out); Component video (2 in, 1 out), HDMI (6 in—1 on front panel, 1 out, with support for 3D, Audio Return Channel, Deep Color, x.v. Color, LipSync, and CEC).

Audio inputs/outputs: Stereo analog (7 in, 3 out—1 as Zone 2 output), 2 subwoofer line-level analog outputs, digital audio (2 optical in, 2 coaxial in), HDMI (6 in, 1 out, with support features as above), Sirius satellite radio (1), AM/FM tuner (1), input for onkyo iPod dock/HD radio tuner module (1), headphone output (1), Other: RI port (1), universal port (1 in), auto calibration mic (1)Dimensions (HxWxD): 6.94” x 17.125” x 12.94” Weight: 25.4 pounds

Price: $599

Onkyo U.S.A. Corporation(800) 229-1687us.onkyo.com


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70 THE PERFECT VISION GUIDE TO AVRS, CONTROllERS & AmPS


second and third sets of measurements from the next two most frequently used listening positions.

• Do the Audyssey setup when your room is dead quiet. The system is very reliable, but be aware that it can be thrown off by spurious room noises, such as footfalls, cars passing by, household HVAC fans, etc. For this reason, I suggest doing Audyssey calibrations late at night or early in the morning—preferably with heating/air conditioning systems turned off.

The Audyssey system greatly simplifies system setup and—with many rooms/speaker systems—provides readily apparent sonic benefits. Contrary to what some audiophiles might suppose, Audyssey does not blur or diminish subtle characteristics of good speaker systems; instead, it leaves the core sound of speakers intact, while smoothing and balancing their in-room frequency response. Note, however, that purists can easily switch off Audyssey EQ effects should they wish to do so.

I am, quite frankly, less convinced of the sonic merits of Audyssey’s Dynamic EQ and—especially—Dynamic Volume functions, so that I recommend approaching them with some caution. I personally find that the Dynamic EQ function, while offering some worthwhile benefits for those who listen at low-to-moderate volume levels, appears to undercut clarity somewhat (which the basic Audyssey EQ system does not). The Dynamic Volume function, in turn, can be useful for those listening in apartments—especially late

at night—but seems to reduce clarity further still. My suggestion: try these two functions for yourself and make your own judgment call.

REMOTE CONTROlThe TX-SR608 comes with a non-backlit remote that is smaller, simpler, and arguably easier for newcomers to use than the remotes provided with Onkyo’s higher-end AVRs. A row of four sound mode buttons labeled MOVIE/TV, MUSIC, GAME, and STEREO provide application-specific playback options, which are useful and well organized. For example, if you repeatedly press the MUSIC mode button you will be offered choices geared specifically for music listening, while pressing the MOVIE/TV mode button give you movie-watching options, and so forth.

Where many receivers offer well-intended but overly complicated surround mode menus, the TX-SR609’s menu system is much simpler, more intuitive, and easy to master—especially for those new to our hobby.

vIdEO PERFORMANCEThe Onkyo’s Faroudja DCDi Cinema Enhancement processor generally does a good job of upscaling lower resolution sources to 1080i/1080p levels. However, on tests from the HQV Benchmark DVD, the Faroudja processor did not perform as well as the Anchor Bay Technology VRS processor used in our reference Oppo BDP-83SE Blu-ray player.

On many HQV Benchmark DVD tests, such as the difficult jaggies tests, the Faroudja performed flawlessly, but on the Film Detail tests it had problems with moiré patterns,

while on the Cadence tests some cadences (e.g., 24 fps film and 30 fps video) looked fine, though others showed noticeable jerkiness. One further caveat: the Onkyo’s on screen text display feature can induce subtle back background color shifts, so switch the feature off before watching TV or movies.

SONIC CHARACTERThe sound of the TX-SR608 surprised me

from the outset, offering noticeable improvements vis-à-vis the earlier TX-SR607. This leads me to think that the steps Onkyo took to achieve THX Select2 Plus certification have yielded worthwhile, across-the-board sonic improvements.

When I reviewed the TX-SR607 I praised its “natural clarity” and “dynamic punch and swagger.” The TX-SR608 exhibits these same strengths, while serving up a significantly

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smoother, more full-bodied, more powerful and dynamically expressive presentation overall. Bass, in particular, sounds more robust, with a good measure of low frequency slam and plenty of pitch definition.

While the receiver performs well with its various EQ options turned off, I found it sounded even better when its onboard Audyssey EQ system was brought into play. As mentioned above, one of the most impressive characteristics of the Audyssey system is that it preserves the basic, underlying voicing or “character” of the speaker systems with which it is used, while removing room-based acoustic anomalies that would otherwise mar the sound. Benefits include superior integration of subwoofers with main speaker systems, plus a smoother, cleaner, and more balanced sound overall. Purists might argue that Audyssey imposes a very subtle layer of “DSP haze”—a claim that might be based on at least a kernel of truth, but I think the majority of listeners would agree the system’s benefits far outweigh any minor drawbacks it might have.

On Blu-ray discs, the TX-SR608’s Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound decoders give soundtracks a nuanced and three-dimensional sound that, on good material, is highly convincing and realistic. Well-recorded Blu-ray concert films are a delight too, with wonderfully wide, deep soundstages and audibly better-than-CD quality sound overall.

While the TX-SR608 lacks multichannel analog audio inputs it is still fully capable of playing multichannel music discs, because

it can decode both DSD bitstreams (the native digital audio output format of SACD discs) as well as high bit-rate PCM audio data (the native digital audio output format of DVD-Audio discs). In fact, the Onkyo will automatically detect and decode high-resolution digital audio bitstreams provided that your disc player can output them in the first place.

The only caveat I would mention is that the Onkyo’s digital front end, though quite good-sounding in its own right (and for its price), nevertheless sounds somewhat less smooth, nuanced and three-dimensional than the high quality analog audio output sections of today’s better Blu-ray/universal disc players (for example, the Oppo BDP-83SE and others). This is, after all, the inevitable tradeoff one faces in a receiver that does not have multichannel analog inputs. But that quibble notwithstanding, the key points to remember are that the TX-SR608 is audibly superior to the TX-SR607 and that is otherwise a very solid performer that offers excellent value for money.

MOvIE/SOUNdTRACk PERFORMANCE: To experience both the delicate and high-powered ends of the Onkyo’s performance spectrum, try watching the sequence from The Hurt Locker where the American squad encounters a British team (whose members are dressed in “Haji” garb). The Onkyo captures the incredible tension of the initial encounter with the British, revealing the plainly edgy and stressed sounds of the

American soldiers’ voices as they approach the apparent “Haji” group across open ground. Not only does the Onkyo capture the inflections of the voices, but also the dark and subdued refrains of the film’s subtly ominous score, which ratchets tension levels even higher. Once the identity of the British team is revealed, however, there are brief moments of relief—and even of black humor, which is shattered by the terrifying “…whirrr—ThwUCK” of an Iraqi sniper’s bullet striking down one of the British team members. Then, all hell breaks loose as gunfire erupts and mortar rounds begin to rain down on the Anglo-American group, causing violent, ground-shaking explosions.

The TX-SR608 handles this transition from deadly quiet sounds to even more deadly loud ones with surprising grace and ease, preserving subtle low-level details and nuances in the midst of a soundtrack calculated to paint a horrifying and unnerving sonic picture of battlefield chaos. It’s this ability to handle multiple difficult sonic challenges at once that proves the Onkyo’s real worth, and that sets it apart from some of the budget price receivers that I’ve heard.

MUSIC PERFORMANCE:The TX-SR608 also acquitted itself admirably on the jazz standard “If Ever I Would Leave You” from the Jimmy Cobb Quartet’s Jazz In The Key of Blue [Chesky, Multichannel SACD]. I took advantage of the receiver’s ability to decode direct DSD bitstreams, which seemed to increase sonic purity somewhat. Several things impressed me about the Onkyo’s

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performance, starting with its soundstaging and imaging. Chesky SACDs are a lot of fun to use as test discs, since they typically include diagrams that show where the various musicians were positioned onstage during the recording. Thus, you can compare what you’re hearing with the diagram to see if imaging is accurate, and with the TX-SR608 I found that the imaging was spot on.

Percussionist and band leader Jimmy Cobb kept time and directed the proceedings from the right of the stage, bassist John Webber helped anchor the rhythm section from center stage, guitarist Russell Malone added tasteful, honey-toned commentary from the left of the stage, and trumpet soloist Roy Hargrove performed from just slightly to the left of center stage (as if standing between Webber and Malone). Perfect.

But as I listened more deeply, my ear was caught by the delicate, pure timbres the Onkyo produced. Jimmy Cobb is a master of understatement, so that he can get more rhythmic drive out of a few well chosen brush strokes and snare drum rim shots than many percussionist are able to achieve with an entire drum and cymbal kit. The TX-SR608 let me hear Cobb’s sure, steady touch propelling the song forward, making the sounds of his brushes against the textured snare drum head sound remarkably refined and realistic. Similarly, the Onkyo caught the round, sweet, almost honey-like tonality of Malone’s Gibson L5 jazz guitar as played through a Roland stage amplifier. Finally, the receiver did a surprisingly sophisticated job of reproducing the sound of Hargrove’s trumpet, showing how

the sound of the horn gently and precisely rose above the mix, yet without overpowering the ensemble in any way. And as Hargrove played, the Onkyo let me hear the sounds of his momentary changes in embouchure and even of breaths drawn between phrases. In all these ways, I would say the TX-SR608 offered more of a “high-end” sound than one might have expected given its price.

The only small caveat I would offer is that, good though the Onkyo’s sound is, it is not fully the equal of the sound produced by today’s better multichannel analog source components. But for just $599, I think most prospective buyers will happily overlook that fact (since climbing up to the next level of performance entails much higher levels of cost).

BOTTOM lINEOnkyo’s TX-SR608 improves upon the already very good TX-SR607 offering more power, TXH Select2 Plus certification and noticeably better sound quality overall, yet without any increase in price. There’s real value here, making the TX-SR608 perfect for users who prefer the sim-plicity of using digital A/V source components, and who want high quality without paying the high prices that more elaborate receivers would surely entail.

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Pioneer Elite’s SC-27 is a powerful (7 x 140 Wpc, with ICEpower Class D amplifier modules), full-featured,

Ethernet-enabled, THX Ultra2 Plus-certified A/V receiver that stands as the number two model in Pioneer’s lineup—second only to the very impressive but also very costly flagship SC-09TX. Given the huge price differential between the SC-27 ($2000) vs. the SC-09TX ($7000—gulp!), we think the SC-27 will be the model that most performance-minded enthusiasts choose to look at first, especially in light of the fact that the SC-27 is a more recent design that in some respects provides an even broader mix of features than its big brother.

Because the SC-27, like most high-end AVRs of Japanese provenance, is chockfull of advanced features, it would be easy to assume the receiver focuses primarily on elaborate

technical gongs and whistles, but frankly that is missing the central point. At heart, what the SC-27 is really all about is achieving the best possible sound quality at a sensible price—something it does very well. Perhaps a small anecdote will make this point clear.

At a recent presentation at CEDIA Expo 2009, I heard a talk given by THX representatives who pointed out that their THX Ultra2 Plus certification rating is difficult to earn. In fact, the THX people emphasized that while many manufacturers have tried and failed, Pioneer is to date the only firm to have its Class D amplifier systems (as used in the SC-27 and a small handful of other Pioneer receivers) achieve full THX Ultra2 Plus certification. But what is even more telling, the THX spokesman said, is the fact that Pioneer did not immediately go to market once its

PioNeer eliTe SC-27 THX ulTra2 PluS-CerTified a/V reCeiVer Chris Martens


overviewConsider this AVR if: You want an A/V receiver whose up-to-the-minute technical features are not easily outgrown, yet whose primary emphasis is where it should be: on sound quality. Consider this model if you want most of the sound quality of a $5k-$7k receiver, but at a $2k price. Finally, consider the SC-27 if you’re a die-hard A/V enthusiast who enjoys tweaking and fine-tuning the performance of his/her system; the SC-27 provides far more extensive tuning and set-up options than most other AVRs we’ve tried.

look further if: Technical complexity frightens or confuses you. The SC-27 is not particularly hard to use or understand, but neither is it a dirt-simple, set-it-and-forget-it receiver. Like many products targeted toward knowledgeable enthusiasts, it offers some very advanced set-up and operational modes that can and do take extra time and effort to master. This receiver is a killer performer, but to get the most out of it you must study its manual carefully.

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class D receivers earned Ultra2 Plus approval. The reason? Pioneer felt that, good though its newly certified designs were, they did not quite meet the stringent sound quality standards Pioneer hoped to achieve with its new, top-tier Elite models. So, Pioneer delayed release of its Class D-powered receivers over a year until it had tweaked and tuned their sound to even higher levels.

Helping Pioneer in the tweaking and tuning process were the good folks at AIR studios, who have awarded the SC-27 with official AIR Studios Monitor Sound Tuning Certification—tuning that has essentially become an integral element within Pioneer’s next-generation Advanced MCACC (Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration and Control) automated room/speaker EQ/setup system. The result is a receiver whose sound is muscular and full-bodied, yet full of nuance, refinement, transparency and detail.

FEATURES• 7 x 140 Watts per channel, rated from 20

Hz – 20kHz at less than .09% total harmonic distortion, with all channels driven.

• Uses advanced ICEpower Class D amplification modules.

• THX Ultra2 Plus-certified.• Tuned for AIR Studios Monitor certification. • Unused amplifier channels can be re-routed

to bi-amp main loudspeakers.• Provides full multichannel (7.1-channel)

analog inputs and preamp outputs.• Features Pioneer’s latest generation

Advanced MCACC automated room/speaker EQ/setup system with a built-in

9-band equalizer and included calibration microphone. The system offers three levels of room EQ/speaker calibration: Full Auto MCACC (maximum simplicity and ease of use), Auto MCACC (offers some user-driven customization options), and Manual MCACC (offers extensive user-driven customization options). The system also incorporates “Full Band Phase Control” that “analyzes the frequency-phase characteristics of the speakers connected and corrects the phase distortion to the flattened frequency-phase characteristics,” said to yield better overall surround sound integration and a clearer, more focused sound. Note: the Phase Control can be turned on or off at the owner’s discretion.

• Provides Pioneer’s PQLS (Precision Quartz Lock System), which is a “digital audio signal transfer control technology using (Pioneer’s) KURO LINK function.” When used with PQLS-compatible digital disc players, the system is said to remove jitter that would otherwise have “a negative effect on the




specs/pricingPioneer Elite SC-27 THX Ultra2 Plus-certified A/V ReceiverPower output: 7 x 140 Wpc @ 8 ohmsDecoding formats: Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Digital Dolby Pro Logic IIx. DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-EXPRESS, DTS ES, DTS, DTS 96/24, Neural-THX Surround, WMA-9 Pro, HDMI SACD Transfer and HDMI DVD-Audio Transfer modes, plus 14 other proprietary Pioneer surround sound processing modes. The receiver also supports the following digital audio formats: LPCM, WAV, MP3, WMA, AAC, and FLAC.Video inputs/outputs: Composite video (5 in, 1 out); S-Video (5 in, 1 out), Component video (3 in, 2 out), HDMI (6 in—1 on front panel, 1 out), Ethernet (1 in), USB memory (1 in), iPhone/iPod USB (1 in)Audio inputs/outputs: Phono (1 in), stereo analog audio (4 in, 1 out), 7.1-channel analog audio (1 in, 1 out), digital audio (7 in—4

optical in, 3 coaxial in; 2 optical outputs), HDMI (5 in, 1 out), Ethernet (1 in), USB memory (1 in), iPhone/iPod USB (1 in), Sirius satellite radio (1), XM satellite Radio (1), AM/FM Radio tuner (1), headphone (1)Other: Auto calibration mic (1), RS-232C (1), IR (1 in, 1 out), 12V trigger (2)Dimensions (HxWxD): 7.92” x 16.56” x 18.12” Weight: 40.69 poundsWarranty: Two years, parts and labor

Price: $2000

Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.(800) 421-1404www.pioneerelectronics.com


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quality of the sound.”• Supports Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus,

Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Digital Dolby Pro Logic IIx. DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-EXPRESS, DTS ES, DTS, DTS 96/24, Neural-THX Surround, WMA-9 Pro, HDMI SACD Transfer and HDMI DVD-Audio Transfer modes, plus 14 other proprietary Pioneer surround sound processing modes.

• Provides audiophile-oriented Stream Direct mode that disables all non-essential audio signal processing.

• The receiver also supports the following digital audio formats: LPCM, WAV, MP3, WMA, AAC, and FLAC.

• Features Burr Brown 192kHz/24-bit analog-to-digital converters and Wolfson WM8740 192kHz/24-bit DACs.

• Tuners: The receiver provides standard AM/FM reception and is Sirius/XM satellite radio-ready.

• Built-in Ethernet connectivity supports streaming Internet radio, Rhapsody, Neural Music Direct, Sirius via Internet, and allows

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for periodic receiver firmware updates. • Receiver is iPod/iPhone and USB-ready and

is Works with iPhone certified. Features front-panel iPod/iPhone/USB connections (the iPod/USB cable is included) and requires no dock. The receiver is capable of looking up album art for iTunes material.

• Five HDMI inputs (one front panel mounted).• Video processing: supports HDMI 48-bit

Deep Color, HDMI x.v. Color, and HDMI 1080p Video Transfer, and incorporates a 1080p scaler for lower resolution/analog video sources plus a Pure Cinema I/P converter.

• Offers Pioneer’s latest and best full-color graphical user interface (GUI), complete with Graphic PC output to facilitate Advanced MCACC setup and adjustment.

USER INTERFACEThe SC-27 features a well-designed graphical user interface, many aspects of which are self-explanatory but some of which are not. I found—and this point cannot be overstressed—that you really must read the manual (and read it carefully) to make full use of all the setup options and controls that Pioneer has provided. One caveat and small criticism I would offer is that Pioneer sometimes tends to bury incredibly important (though at first, seemingly inconsequential) details in the footnotes of its manual text.

For example, when first working with the SC-27’s setup menus I found that a number of expected setup options were—for reasons I could not guess at the time—unavailable to me. Only later on did I discover a manual footnote, which explained that when the receiver’s available KURO LINK feature was

turned on, a number of menu options were automatically turned off (go figure). The only way to gain access to the full array of setup menu options, the manual explained, was to enter a different menu and turn off the KURO LINK feature beforehand. The longer I worked with the SC-27, the more I found other features and functions that could only be accessed through specific (and sometimes counterintuitive) procedures described down in the “fine print” of the manual text.

The good news is that the SC-27 will let you do almost anything you might want to do (and frequently offers options that might not have occurred to you). But the not-so-good news is that you’ve got to study the manual in order to unlock all the technical tricks and treasures and delights this receiver holds in store for you.

REMOTE CONTROlThe SC-27 comes with a partially backlit, LCD panel-equipped learning remote control. When users toggle a light on/off button, the most frequently used controls light up with a soft red glow, while the small LCD panel is illuminated with a soft white backlight. A sliding cover panel on the heel of the remote covers over less frequently used button until they are needed. On the whole, I found the remote extremely easy to learn and to use on a day-to-day basis, although the remote—like the rest of the SC-27—becomes much easier to master if you read the manual first.

vIdEO PERFORMANCEThe Pioneer’s built-in scaler did a good but not great job of upscaling lower resolution analog

sources to HD levels. Specifically, on the full battery of tests from the HQV Benchmark DVD, I found that the Pioneer’s processor did not perform quite as well as some of the video processors used in competing receivers in this price class, nor could it match the exemplary performance of the Anchor Bay VRS processor used in our reference Oppo BD-83 Blu-ray/universal player.

When I fed the Pioneer 480i component video test signals from the HQV Benchmark DVD, I found the Receiver stumbled in three areas: on the disc’s notoriously difficult battery of jaggies tests, where some rough edges were apparent; on the Film Detail tests where the Pioneer had initial problems with moiré patterns (on the famous racecar-passing-in-front-of-empty-grandstands scene); and on some of the Cadence tests, where fine line details and overall motion sometimes exhibited momentary roughness.

When fed high-resolution video material via component video (up to 1080i) or HDMI (up to 1080p), however, the SC-27 proved a faultless and noise free video signal switcher—one that could convert component video signals for HDMi output without any hitches or glitches.

SONIC CHARACTERIn a lot of ways it makes sense to talk about the sonic character of the SC-27 in two distinctly different lights. First, there is the core sound of the SC-27’s amplifier sections without any EQ or other digital signal processing applied, and then there is the sound of the receiver after the Advanced MCACC system is brought into play. The



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pure, unadorned sound of this receiver is, as I said above, muscular and full-bodied, yet also rich in inner details and delicacy and capable of excellent transient speed. Over time, I’ve had many opportunities to listen to various ICEpower amplifier implementations, and while I’ve enjoyed many of them I’ve also held out a concern that some had a slightly dark, subdued sound that could under some circumstances suppress high frequency details and the sense of “air” surrounding instruments. But impressively, it’s in precisely these areas where the SC-27 excels; it sounds noticeably more open, transparent, and revealing than many of the ICEpower designs I’ve heard in the past. Good job, Pioneer.

Bringing the Advanced MCACC system into play takes the SC-27’s underlying qualities of clarity and transparency and, on the whole, sharpens their focus even further. Advanced MCACC is a very sophisticated system that measures and addresses multiple aspects of speaker performance and of the room/speaker interface with surprising levels of precision. The system can, for example, measure speaker positions to with about ½-inch tolerances, and then sets channel distances (or delay times) accordingly. Similarly, the system analyzes—and corrects for—problems in both frequency and phase response for speakers in the system, and also tests for problems with standing waves (or room resonances) and then applies programmable filters as necessary to eliminate their negative effects. Finally, the system even checks the reverb characteristics of the room and adjusts the speaker system to compensate.

When all is said and done, Advanced MCACC tunes your speaker system for flat in-room frequency response and smooth, evenly balanced phase response (or group delays) at your listening position. All of the measurements I’ve described above happen automatically when you use the Full Auto MCACC program. Just plug in the included calibration mic, position the mic in accordance with Pioneer’s instructions, launch the calibration process, and then wait as the system conducts its battery of tests and calculates appropriate speaker distance, level, EQ, and phase and reverb compensation settings for you. But for veteran A/V enthusiasts, the SC-27 offers two additional options: the Auto MCACC program, which provides some user customization of the setup process, or the Manual MCACC program, which allows extensive user customization and fine-tuning of the process. True, Auto MCACC and Manual MCACC require a fair amount of background knowledge on the user’s part, but they also help make the SC-27 more responsive to the needs and wishes of technically sophisticated users.

How does the receiver sound with Advanced MCACC adjustments in place? My experience was that all of the SC-27’s core sonic strengths remained in evidence, but that the overall system sound became tighter, more neutral in overall tonal balance, more crisply defined and more sharply focused and three-dimensional. This result is excellent, though it occasionally comes at a price: namely, a slight increase in overall perceived system brightness—at least on some material. This is not too surprising, since my past experience with room EQ

systems suggests that when systems are adjusted for truly flat frequency response as measured at the listening position, they can strike some listeners as having somewhat elevated upper midrange and treble response. Even so, I feel the superior clarity and focus that Advanced MCACC provides more than outweighs any minor shifts in tonal balance.

Still, competing EQ systems from Audyssey and from Yamaha do give listeners the choice of applying either flat response settings or settings that dial in a judicious touch of upper midrange/treble roll-off (which subjectively gives systems a somewhat warmer, smoother, and some would say more “natural” sound). Perhaps Pioneer would do well to consider adding the option of a slightly more subdued “Natural” response curve—if only as a pleasing complement to the flat, AIR Studios Monitor-certified response curve it already provides.

MOvIE/SOUNdTRACk PERFORMANCE I put on one of my favorite test films, Apocalypto, and was thrilled to hear the intensely involving and sharply focused sound the SC-27 produced in The Perfect Vision system when playing the disc.

The soundtrack of Apocalypto is impressive from end to end, but the “Warrior’s Death” sequence is a particular sonic treasure trove because it combines tense, rhythmically propulsive instrumental music, rich and vivid jungle noises, dark and strangely slow-paced choral sections, and incredibly closely-mic’d sound of the breaths and footfalls of two combatants who are about to engage in a battle to the death. The passage sounds good even on fairly modest systems, but it achieves altogether higher and more profound levels of impact when you bring the powers of an exceptional receiver like the SC-27 to bear.


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In the “Warrior’s Death” sequence, one soundtrack element I’ve probably heard dozens of time, yet not noticed with the impact I experienced with the Pioneer in my system, is the way the dark, somber choral accompaniment continues to build in intensity as the character Jaguar Paw faces off against his opponent. At the penultimate moment, tension rises to a crescendo as we hear the almost hyper-focused sounds of the two warriors drawing slow, furious breaths as they prepare to charge toward one another. The sounds of breaths being draw might seem like small, inconsequential details, but the Pioneer gives them extra weight and power by making them stand out in sharp relief.

Later, after Jaguar Paw has felled his antagonist with a mighty blow from his captured Mayan battle hatchet, the Pioneer caps the scene off by masterfully reproducing the deliberately overblown, reverberant “thud” of the stricken opponent’s body crashing to the ground—a sound that is quickly mirrored (and given greater finality) by the sudden and unexaggerated sound of a violent thunderclap heard as a rain forest cloudburst begins. Like all great receivers, the SC-27 can shift gears effortlessly from reproducing small, delicate sounds to hammering out gigantic, high-powered effects.

Are higher priced receivers such as the SC-27 really worth the extra money they cost? Once you listen to a demanding and revealing soundtrack like this one through the Pioneer, your answer will be a resounding “yes.”

MUSIC PERFORMANCETo see what the Pioneer could do with first-rate surround sound material, I put on the haunting title track from Sara K’s Hell or High Water [Stockfisch,

multichannel SACD]—a beautifully recorded and mixed album of jazz-inflected folk music. “Hell or High Water” is a bittersweet song, sung from one lover to another, wistfully conceding that “…the love that ran between us has grown cold/that’s alright, no one’s to blame/it’s just time to go.” To capture these dark, mixed emotions, Sara K uses sparse instrumentation: a tin whistle, ocarina, and percussion played by Beo Brockhausen, fretless bass provided by Hans-Jörg Mauksch, and acoustic guitar played by the late Chris Jones. Against this simple yet evocative musical backdrop, Sara K’s breathy vocals rise like an uncertain beacon of hope, balanced precariously between what has been lost and what might yet be gained.

The Pioneer does a fine job with each of the backing instruments, capturing the taut and richly textured “mwaaah” sounds Mauksch’s sustained fretless bass notes, the ancient and almost otherworldly sound of Brockhausen’s tin whistle and ocarina, and the restrained but exquisite intricacy of Jone’s guitar lines. But it’s Sara K’s voice that really pulls us in, with its elusive mixture of pain and sorrow, strength, inner grit, and hope. What I mean to say is that the Pioneer crosses the fine line between getting the general shape and outline of notes right to go even deeper—to retrieve the small sounds and dynamic swells that express the emotion behind the notes. And that’s a big part of what makes this receiver special.

But it also offers one other quality that, once experienced, quickly becomes addictive; namely, absolutely killer surround sound imaging. Many receivers can place sounds in roughly the correct quadrant (right, left, right rear, left rear, and so on), but frankly that doesn’t impress me much. What I

want, and what the Pioneer delivers in spades on the Sara K track, is a really seamless, holographic presentation where the walls of the listening room melt away, the speakers seem to disappear, and you feel yourself transported to a different space where the music unfolds all around you. The SC-27 was able to take me there, as few other receivers have.

BOTTOM lINEPioneer’s SC-27 is a superb receiver that offers in equal measures compelling power, finesse, and highly advanced technical features that will not easily be outgrown—all a fair (though by no means cheap) price. But perhaps the most important point is that the SC-27 has its priorities straight: its main emphasis is on achieving a rare level of sound quality that makes it a joy for music and movie playback.


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The world of modern-day A/V receivers sometimes seems to be driven by the headlong pursuit of elaborate technical

gongs and whistles, plus the burning desire to quote impressive—though sometimes implausible—power specifications. Deliberately bucking these trends, however, Rotel has always chosen to march to the beat of a different drummer. While competitors have added more buttons and flashing lights, Rotel has consistently taken a simpler, “less is more” approach. And while others have chosen to inflate their product power output claims, Rotel has taken exactly the opposite tack, quoting conservatively rated power figures that may not look very impressive at first glance, but that honestly reflect Rotel’s uncompromising standards. In short, Rotel has never built AVRs to impress the “wowee-zowee” crowd; instead, it makes receivers for A/V purists, and especially for those who appreciate the finer

points of sound quality. Admittedly, this product philosophy has

meant that Rotel has sometimes moved slowly to adopt new standards or technologies that, in the end, turn out to have tangible benefits. Two examples would be the now nearly ubiquitous HDMI 1.3 interface standards or the latest high resolution Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio codecs, both of which were omitted in past Rotel AVRs. But with its new “15-series” A/V receivers Rotel has gotten fully caught up on those technologies while still hewing to its traditional “simpler is better” roots.

Our review subject this month is the Rotel RSX-1550 ($1999), which is a no-nonsense 5.1-channel receiver that puts out a very conservatively rated 5 x 75 Wpc (Rotel also offers a slightly higher-powered, 7.1-channel model, called the RSX-1560, whose MSRP is $2599). However, we deliberately chose the RSX-1550 because it caters to the needs of

roTel rSX-1550a reCeiVer by aNd for PuriSTS Chris Martens


overviewConsider this AVR if: you believe, as many audiophiles do, that a simple, “less is more” approach often leads to superior sound quality. When matched with the right speakers, the RSX-1550 can deliver a pleasingly articulate and lucid sound. Also consider this Rotel if you appreciate products that are well made; the closer you look, the more quality-minded details you’ll notice. The remote is clean and simple to use, too.

look further if: you need or want a receiver with built-in speaker setup/room EQ features; the Rotel offers neither of these. Also look elsewhere if you need a powerful receiver suitable for driving power-hungry speakers; the RSX-1550 is not the last word in dynamic clout compared to other AVRs in its price class. Finally, be aware that, while build quality is very high, so is the price.

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those enthusiasts who prefer (as we do) the sonic benefits and simplicity of 5.1-channel surround systems. Let’s check it out.

FEATURES • 5 x 75 Watts per channel at .05%

distortion with all channels driven. Here you can see Rotel’s policy of quoting conservative power ratings in action; by typical industry rating standards, the RSX-1550 would easily qualify as 5 x 100 Watt receiver.

• Incorporates Rotel “Balanced Design Concept” audio circuitry, which emphasizes advanced circuit board layout techniques and comprehensive, listening-based selection of parts used in the audio signal path.

• Includes the latest HD audio codecs: Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.

• Includes four proprietary Rotel music-oriented DSP-driven surround processing modes, labeled “DSP1,” “DSP2,” and so on, that duplicate the sound characteristics of everything from a small intimate club on up to a large arena-sized acoustic environment.

• 7.1-channel analog preamp outputs.• Provides analog bypass mode for

“pure 2-speaker stereo with no digital processing.”

• Can accept NTSC or PAL video inputs at any of the resolution levels supported by either format.

• Provides “videophile line-doubling and scaling up to 1080p.”

• Comes with backlit remote control.

• User interface provides an advanced setup menu that allows users to assign specific subwoofer crossover frequencies on a channel-by-channel basis—a touch audiophiles will sure appreciate.

USER INTERFACERotel’s provides one of the clearest and best-organized user interface/menu structures we’ve encountered. We especially liked the fact that the RSX-1550 manual provides an “aerial view” that shows essentially all of the set-up/control options available, all neatly presented on one page (this is something we wish all manufacturers would do). I have only two criticisms, both relatively minor ones.

First, unlike some AVRs, the RSX-1550 is designed so that playback must stop before the menu can be brought up onscreen (this, in contrast to receivers that overlay menus on top of playback screens, and that allow playback to continue while menu adjustments are being made). Second, when modifying surround mode settings, mode changes do not take place in real-time. Instead, they take place only after the associated input has been de-selected and then re-selected.

REMOTE CONTROlRotel’s backlit remote control is—as AVR remotes go—blessedly simple and straightforward to use. A particular strength is that the Rotel remote makes it very easy to apply channel-level trim adjustments on the fly. I do, however, have two minor quibbles with the remote. First, it does not provide any means for on-the-fly switching between

surround sound modes. This won’t be a drawback if you’re the sort of individual who likes to pick a favorite mode and stick with it, but if you like to experiment with—and do back-and-forth comparisons between—various surround modes, the remote (and the menu structure) will definitely slow you down. Second, the remote is set up so that certain buttons vary their functions depending on whether you give them a “short” or “long” push. This can be a bit confusing until you’ve mastered the “short vs. long” learning curve.

vIdEO PERFORMANCEI evaluated the performance of the Rotel’s built-in line-double/scaler using the HQV Benchmark DVD, and found the RSX-1550 performed extremely well—especially so on the HQV disc’s challenging jaggies tests. The Rotel stumbled in just two areas, exhibiting a few flickering moiré patterns on the familiar racecar-passing-the-grandstands scene from the “Film Detail” test, and showing a very slight lack of smoothness on the disc’s notoriously

tricky “Film Cadence” test The Rotel proved capable of switching/

passing through high-res Blu-ray images without adding visible noise or other artifacts.




specs/pricingRotel RSX-1550 5.1 channel A/V receiver

Power output: 5 x 75 Wpc @ 8 ohmsDecoding formats: Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital EX/Digital 5.1/2/0, and Pro Logic IIx Music/Cinema/Games; DTS-HD Master Audio and High Resolution Audio, DTS 96/24, DTS Discrete and Matrix, and DTS Neo:6; Rotel XS mode; four proprietary Rotel music surround processing modes.Video inputs/outputs: Composite video (3 in, 6 out); S-video (3 in, 3 out); Component video (3 in, 1 out), HDMI (4 in, 1 out)Audio inputs/outputs: Stereo analog (7 in, 6 out), 7.1-channel analog (1 in), 7.1-channel analog (1 out), digital audio (4 optical in, 3 coaxial in; 1 optical out, 1 coax out), HDMI (4 in, 1 out), AM/FM Radio tuner (1)Other: IR output (2 out), Remote input (4), 12V trigger output (6), Ethernet (1 RJ-45 jack)Dimensions (HxWxD): 6.38” x 16.97” x 17.13” Weight: 37.48 poundsWarranty: Five years, parts and labor

Price: $1999

Rotel of America (800) 370-3741www.rotel.com


0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

RATINGS(compared to other sub-$2k AvRs)

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SONIC CHARACTER Many of the Rotel components I’ve experienced in the past, have had an airy and transparent, but also somewhat lightly balanced character, but it seems to me that the RSX-1550 breaks new ground, introducing a sound that is somewhat warmer, a bit darker, and—for want of a better term—more “organic” in nature. In practice, this means the RSX-1550 shifts the focus of the listener’s attention more toward bass and midrange frequencies, rather than emphasizing mids and highs.

Bass is taut, emphatic, and—if your main speakers and/or subwoofer are up to the task—very finely textured (you can hear details such as the deep, resonant, woody “growl” of acoustic basses or the skin-sounds of bass drums being struck). Middle frequencies, in turn, are quite seductive, in part because the Rotel offers enough resolution for you to hear extremely subtle inflections in actors’ voices, or small performance details (plucking noises or the almost inaudible creak of a piano pedal being pressed down, for example) that add richness and realism.

The RSX-1550 sounds quite good up high, too, though it emphasizes treble smoothness at the expense of a very slightly soft-sounding presentation of high-frequency harmonic information or of the treble “air” surrounding instruments and voices. But please don’t misunderstand me: the RSX-1550 certainly does not sound “opaque.” It’s just that it misses, by a very small margin, that sense of wide-open treble transparency that some of

Rotel’s best components offer in spades. In terms of large- and small-scale dynamics

the Rotel is excellent provided you stay within its power envelope, though there is no getting around the fact that the RSX-1550 is—despite its conservative ratings—simply less powerful than many other AVRs in its price class (many competing receivers serve up 120-to-140 Wpc in contrast the Rotel’s 75 Wpc). In practice, this means the RSX-1550 works very well with speakers that offer moderate (or better) sensitivity, but less well with those that are

power hungry. During my listening tests, I tried the Rotel with two speaker systems: the Acoustic Energy Radiance system (whose speakers offer fairly high sensitivity) and with an oldie-but-goodie Von Schweikert Audio System 12 (whose speakers are somewhat harder to drive). Not surprisingly, the RSX-1550 sounded wonderfully expressive with the Acoustic Energy system in play, but struggled at times with the Von Schweikert rig, exhibiting faint signs of compression and/or sonic “hardness” when large-scale sound effects or

musical passages came along.The RSX-1550 does not provide any

automated speaker set-up/room EQ functions—features some customers might not miss at all, but that others would definitely appreciate both on sonic grounds and as a matter of practical convenience. Frankly, some audio purists feel that the digital signal processing technologies used in “auto EQ” systems undermine sonic transparency, so the Rotel should appeal to them. On the other hand, my personal experiences with today’s best auto EQ systems have been quite positive. Either way, automated room EQ features are pretty much de rigueur for $2000 AVRs, so that I wish Rotel had included them in the RSX-1550 (even if purists might opt not to use them).

MOvIE PERFORMANCEBecause of its midrange clarity, the RSX-1550 can do a fine job of presenting even quite complicated and convoluted soundtracks. A good example would be the soundtrack of the “Hostage Situation” chapter from Spike Lee’s Inside Man. Police are responding to a bank robbery where hostages have been taken and activity at the crime scene is becoming increasingly chaotic. To reflect that fact, the sound designer builds in more and more layers of soundtrack information as the scene unfolds—the sirens of arriving police cars, the piercing horns and deep-throated diesel roar of emergency vehicles, the garbled back-and-forth conversations of law officers on police radios, and snippets of frantic conversations from onlookers. With some


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receivers this scene could potentially turn into a cacophonous mess, but through the Rotel each individual sonic thread remains clear and well delineated, with every element maintaining its distinct flavor even as new elements are added. Interestingly, each sounds occupies its own tightly focused position within the larger sound field, so that as the soundtrack becomes increasingly complex, listeners can track specific sounds not only by timbre but also by their locations within the soundstage. But just when it seems the soundtrack can’t get much more elaborate, director Spike Lee cuts away to the nearly silent interior of the bank. The contrast is delicious.

But later on, Inside Man also gives the Rotel a chance to flex its dynamic muscles.

Detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) has deduced that the bank robber, Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) has a hidden agenda and that the robbery is not what it appears to be. But before Frazier can act on his insight Russell decides to change the game in a violent way by shooting one of the hostages. Spike Lee captures the horror of the moment by showing that the events leading up to the shooting are unfolding more rapidly than Frazier can follow. One moment Frazier feels he has handle on the situation, and the next we hear the hard, sharp, vicious report of a gunshot as we see a police video of a hostage being shot in the head and then slowly falling to the floor. The Rotel did a very good job of capturing the abrupt transient “bark” of

the gunshot, and then the ensuing whirlwind of sounds from within the police van as the officers struggle to comprehend the murder they have just witnessed.

MUSIC PERFORMANCEA record that’s been in frequent rotation on my various A/V test systems of late is jazz vocalist Norma Winstone’s Distances [ECM]. A favorite (and very revealing) track from the album is “Mermaids,” which is chockfull of sonic riches from end to end. The track opens with a variegated mix of percussive sounds—deep piano strings that sound as if they have been plucked or struck, hand slaps, and the like—all of which seem to float in space as their notes slowly echo and then fade in the confines of what is plainly a reverberant recording space. The Rotel made a delightfully vivid sonic potpourri of those opening percussion notes, and then got even better when Winstone’s voice, accompanied by Glauco Venier’s haunting piano, enters the song. Winstone’s voice is creamy smooth, yet by no means saccharine sweet, and full of subtle and evocative twists and inflections—characteristics that play right into the Rotel’s greatest sonic strengths. But for me, perhaps the greatest treat of all was hearing how the Rotel handled the dark, reedy sound of Klaus Gesing’s bass clarinet accompaniment. As it happens, the instrument’s range falls right in the sweet spot between the bass and midrange—a frequency region that the Rotel handles particularly well. That bass clarinet sounded so vibrant and so right that I almost felt like I could reach out and touch it.

If there were any drawback to the Rotel’s performance on this beautifully recorded track, it would be that the usual sense of treble “air” and openness I normally expect to hear was diminished to a slight (but audible) degree. But perhaps this is the small price to be paid for the RSX-1550’s overall treble smoothness.

BOTTOM lINE: Rotel’s RSX-1550 is a beautifully made A/V receiver that can—when matched with the right speaker system—sound highly expressive, with rich, well-defined bass and sumptuous mids. Highs are very good, too, though they do not offer the last word in sonic transparency as compared to the best Rotel components I’ve heard. The power produced by the RSX-1550 is very clean and conservatively rated, though I suspect some prospective buyers might wish that there a few more watts/channel on tap. Two caveats are that the receiver does not provide an automated speaker set-up/room EQ system, and is rated to drive 8-Ohm speakers only. Apparent build quality is very high, but so, too, is the price.

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SoNy STr-da6400eS MulTiCHaNNel reCeiVer aNd bdP-S5000eS blu-ray PlayerNeil gader


Sony Electronics’ ES (Elevated Standard) products are the crème de la crème of its line—a showcase for high-quality

construction, premium parts, and Sony’s razzle-dazzle features and technologies. Sharing space at the summit of the ES universe is the STR-DA6400ES 7.1-channel A/V receiver and the BDP-S5000ES Blu-ray disc player.

ES-OTERICADescribing the Sony STR-DA6400ES as a mere 120Wpc audio/video receiver (AVR) doesn’t do it justice. Sure it counts among its A/V highlights dual Faroudja DCDi Cinema chips for upscaling standard-def content to 1080p in the main room and 1080i in the second room. And naturally it reproduces the latest audio formats, including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-

HD Master Audio. But that’s not all by a long shot. It’s a network receiver with capability more akin to mission control in Houston than the average AVR. The 6400ES is designed to be the system hub, routing and directing the action to and from a labyrinth of electronics, a computer, and its peripherals. For example, you can stream music, photos, and videos stored on a PC over a home network via Ethernet or a wireless router. Likewise you can access your music from an iPod or Walkman, as well as SHOUTcast, the Internet radio directory service, or Rhapsody Music Service. XM/Sirius ready? Are you sirious? And, it’s got the connectivity to spread the entertainment around the house, including high-def to a second room via CAT5e cable or three-zone audio. Sony even tosses in an extra full-function remote control. Also

bundled is ES Utility software, which adjusts set-up parameters and enables upgrades via the user’s computer. (It’s Windows XP-or-Vista-compliant only, however. Does Steve Jobs know this?)

The BDP-S5000ES Blu-ray player displays video in full 1080p/24fps resolution and upscales DVDs to 1080p resolution. Unique to the player is a new 14-bit HD video processor that operates in tandem with Sony’s HD

Reality Enhancer and Super Bit Mapping technologies. Together these systems analyze each pixel of a disc and automatically adjust the picture quality. The player will also decode surround formats internally, allowing the user to stream multichannel audio through its analog 7.1-channel outputs and making the player compatible with late-model AVRs not equipped with today’s advanced audio formats. With its Ethernet connection and a

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memory card it’s also BD-Live-capable. The S5000ES continues a tradition of ruggedly built players with a rigid beam chassis and dual-shield construction for increased solidity and isolation from resonances, and uses Sony’s R-Core transformer, a design Sony feels has an inherently lower radiated hum and noise than comparable transformers. Importantly, the audio circuit board is isolated from all video circuitry, but unlike its stereo SACD forbear, the DVP-9000ES, the video circuits cannot be manually turned off.

When it comes to setup, don’t be cowed by the scope of the STR. It’s surprisingly easy to get up and running, from speaker settings to networking. Using Ethernet I was able to log on to the Rhapsody site without a hitch or any reconfiguration. However, you might want to avert your eyes before checking out the crowded back panel stuffed with grandpa’s old component and composite video inputs. With HDMI’s ascendency, it’ll soon be the dustbin for these relics. Fortunately, the STR offers a generous six HDMI inputs and two HDMI outputs. The on-screen display is excellent, vivid, and exhaustive, and geared to tap content on a networked PC. There’s auto-calibration for speaker setups, although this rewarded the surround channels with too much output for my tastes.

Purist stereo playback may be of secondary importance to many home-theater fans, but it remains the ultimate shakedown test for system transparency. I experienced the best results by running through the analog inputs and hitting the Audio Direct button—an all-analog circuit that bypasses processing and

tone controls. The difference is telling. Except for some minor reservations—softness at the frequency extremes and so-so imaging—I was impressed by the Sony ES tag-team. With my usual playlist of pop, rock, and symphonic at the ready, I immediately felt the full weight of the receiver’s 120Wpc even at cinema levels. The low-frequency material of Dire Straits’ “Telegraph Road” had bloom and solid pitch-definition. There was an overall warmth to the system’s audio personality and a smoothness in the treble that ran counter to my experience of many AVRs and DVD-based players, which often have a scratchy, dry treble and a flat presentation. To maximize performance and improve imaging and soundstaging be sure to turn off all digital-component switching (DVR, flat panel) through the receiver’s video section.

But these are secondary considerations to the true mission of the ES receiver and player, which is to transform your system into a high-resolution A/V wonderland. Among the Blu-ray discs I played were titles like Tropic Thunder (Dolby TrueHD), WALL-E, and Pan’s Labyrinth (DTS-HD Master Audio). The one common sonic ingredient is the way these formats bring musicality back to the soundtrack. Whereas the early compressed surround formats sounded relatively edgy and ultimately synthetic, the Sony combination outputs movie audio with complex multi-layered conviction. It’s a more elegant kind of immersion—as if music’s fabric had been changed from burlap to silk. It envelops the room with a dimensionality and image specificity that make the average movie soundtrack sound, well, symphonic. Surround effects are similarly enhanced. During the

opening desert ambush sequence in Ironman, the steering precision of the system was tested by a deadly buffet of small arms fire and diagonally cross-panned explosions and ricochets. Each cue was discretely imparted with its own specific timbre. Meanwhile, midway between the front speakers and the surround speakers, helicopters hovered in a specific airspace. My ears could track the movement of these images seemingly within inches—a task earlier surround formats could never accomplish in my room. Note: The one downside is that with higher resolution and dynamics comes the need for speakers that can match full-range demands. Begin with a great pair of front L/Rs and a strong, timbre-matched center channel—something along the lines of Paradigm’s Monitor 9s (The Absolute Sound, issue 192) and its CC-290 center channel (a fabulous system and a great value).

THE ESSENCE OF ESBy any standard the Sony STR-6400ES and BDP-S5000ES are impressive. Only you can decide, however, whether you’ll need all the network firepower and connectivity these flagships provide. And there’s a final issue I haven’t touched upon. A large part of the draw for these bespoke ES designs has to do with the Sony’s product line integration. From its VAIO media PC, Walkman personal player, PS3, and flat-panel displays, each element is designed to form a seamless familial whole. Sony’s wagering that this calling card will prove irresistible. After luxuriating with the STR-6400ES and BDP-S5000ES for a few months, you won’t find me betting against it.


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specs/pricingSTR-6400ESPower Output: 120Wpc (8 ohms, 20Hz-20kHz, two channels driven)Video Inputs: Six HDMI, three component, five composite Video Outputs: Two HDMI, two component, three compositeAudio Inputs: Five optical, three coaxial, four analog audio, one eight-channel dis-creteAudio Outputs: Two optical, one analog audio, one six-channel discreteControl: RS232C, 12V, IR inputsDimensions: 16.9” x 6.75” x 16.9”Weight: 34.5 lbs.

Price: $2500

BDP-S5000ESVideo outputs: one HDMI, one component, one S-video, and one composite Audio outputs: one optical, one coaxial, one analog, one eight-channel discreteControl: RS232C, IR input Dimensions: 17” x 4.92” x 14.37” Weight: 22 lbs.

Price: $1999 Sony Electronics(858) 942-2230www.sony.com

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Fans of the 1984 Barry Levinson film The Natural (or the Bernard Malamud novel upon which the film is based) will recall

an epic baseball story where the mythical Roy Hobbs (played by Robert Redford) emerges as one the most versatile and naturally talented players the game has yet seen. Roy, we are shown, is not only a smokin’ hot pitcher but an astonishingly skilled hitter, too; in the world of baseball, it seems there’s nothing Mr. Hobbs can’t do and do well. Our review subject this month, Yamaha’s upper tier RX-V3900 ($1,900), is a bit like The Natural, too, because it covers all the key bases—sound quality, video performance, and overarching flexibility—with a kind of muscular grace. And like Mr. Hobbs, this Yamaha, which was released some time ago, has an “evergreen” quality that make it feel up-to-date, even in comparison to newer models. In short, this receiver still has all the right moves.

FEATURES • 7x140 watts per channel with Yamaha Digital

ToP-ART (Total Purity Audio Reproduction Technology) amplifier circuits.

• Unused amplifier channels can be re-routed

to serve three different purposes:- to bi-amp main loudspeakers;- to power front “Presence” speakers—a

unique-to-Yamaha technology where supplementary L/R front speakers are positioned well above the L/R main speakers and are used to control perceived image height;

- to power a stereo pair of speakers in a second zone.

• 7.1-channel analog pre-amp outputs mean the receiver can drive a standalone multichannel amplifier, if desired.

• Yamaha next-generation YPAO (Yamaha Parametric Acoustic Optimizer) automated room/speaker EQ system applies multi-band parametric equalization to support several processing options:- EQ optimized for a single listening location;- EQ optimized for multiple listening

locations (requires additional measurements);

- EQ optimized, at user’s option, for textbook “Flat” response or for slightly warmer-sounding “Natural” response.

• Video Processing: Anchor Bay VRS video processor provides 1080p upscaling for all

THe NaTuralyaMaHa rX-V3900Chris Martens


overviewConsider this AVR if: you want an A/V receiver that combines three essential qualities: natural and very refined sound quality, killer video processing capabilities (thanks to an onboard Anchor Bay/VRS video processor), and input/output options galore. The only drawback: this Yamaha offers options upon options in places other receivers don’t even have places, so you really must read the manual to have any hope of getting the most out of this baby.

look further if: you need or want a receiver sufficiently simple that you can set it up purely through experimentation and trial-and-error—without cracking open the manual. Yamaha’s RX-V3900 isn’t particularly “mysterious” or hard to use and many of its functions are self-explanatory, but it is extremely rich in features; some serious manual study time will be needed in order to master them.

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video sources (including component video sources) via HDMI.

• Tuners: the receiver is XM/XMHD and Sirius satellite radio-ready, with AM, FM and HD radio as standard.

• Networking features: receiver provides Ethernet connectivity, is DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) certified, and provides built-in support for Internet radio and for the Rhapsody music service.

• Bluetooth and iPod support: receiver supports optional docks for iPods and for connectivity to Bluetooth devices.

• Moving magnet phono input is a plus for vinyl fans.

• Supports all contemporary surround sound codecs including Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, THX Neural Surround, and Circle Surround II (licensed from SRS Labs).

• Provides extensive range of proprietary Yamaha surround processing modes, including five Classical music modes, five Live/Club modes, five general-purpose Entertain modes, six Movie modes, two Stereo modes, and two compressed music Enhancer modes. Yamaha describes many of these modes in terms of four key parameters:- Size of sound field space. - Vertical/horizontal balance (where the

“vertical” component refers to ceiling reflections, and the “horizontal” component to sidewall reflections).

- Front/rear balance (“front” implies a greater “feeling of openness and depth toward the screen” while “rear” implies a “sense of envelopment and movement” oriented more toward the back of the room).

- Sound field atmosphere (which Yamaha describes on both a “Simple-to-Complex” axis and also a “Calm-to-Powerful” axis).

• Pure Direct mode shuts down all extraneous processing (video and audio) to maximize sonic purity.

USER INTERFACEThe RX-V3900 has a two-tiered set-up structure. One level, called the “Advanced Setup” menu, uses front panel controls only to configure certain core functions that will likely only need to be adjusted once (for example, setting the impedance for the loudspeakers you’ll use). A second level, called the “Graphical User Interface” menu, offers a well-designed GUI to let you navigate through a very broad range of setup options—some of which you might want to reconfigure on the fly. In general, the GUI menu is well conceived and fairly easy to use, with a master menu that unfolds into multi-tiered “trees” of options presented in layered sub-menus. Graphics are quite good and help to steer you through the plethora of set-up and adjustment options at hand. Nevertheless, prospective buyers should be aware that there are (or can be) two catches. First, understand that this is a seriously flexible A/V receiver, which—of necessity—is fairly complex; in short, the sheer number of set-up/control options could be daunting or intimidating for some owners. Second, be aware that certain set-up procedures are not as logical as they could be.

Consider this anomaly as one example. Most of the RX-V3900’s inputs can and should be configured through a very handy I/O

ASSIGNMENT menu. The menu provides a list of (most of) the receiver’s available inputs, such as the Blu-ray or DVD player inputs, and allows you to assign audio and video ports to those inputs as desired (for example, you could assign HDMI port 4 to the Blu-ray player). But if you look closely, you’ll find the I/O ASSIGNMENT menu does not allow you to configure the multichannel analog audio input. Only after poring over the manual (and doing some trial-and-error experimentation) did I

discover that I needed to use an altogether different menu, called INPUTS, to set up the multichannel analog audio input. Not an impossible problem to solve, but a puzzler all the same.

The good news is that the ultra-flexible RX-V3900 almost always offers a way for you to do what you want, but the bad news is the “right answer” isn’t always obvious or easy to find. The RX-V3900 poses just enough anomalies along the way to be confusing at times.




specs/pricingYamaha RX-V3900 7.1-channel A/V receiverPower output: 7 x 140 Wpc @ 8 ohmsDecoding formats: Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Digital, and Pro Logic IIx Music/Movies/Games; DTS-HD Master Audio and High Resolution Audio, DTS 96/24, DTS Express, DTS-ES Discrete and Matrix, and DTS Neo:6; THX Neural Surround, and Circle Surround II. Yamaha also provides 25 proprietary surround sound field processing modes.Video inputs/outputs: Composite video (6 in, 5 out); S-video (6 in, 2 out); Component video (3 in, 1 out), HDMI (4 in, 2 out)Audio inputs/outputs: Stereo analog (9 in, 5 out), 6.1-channel analog (1 in), 7.1-channel analog (1 out), moving magnet phono (1), digital audio (5 optical in, 3 coaxial in; 1 optical out), HDMI v1.3a Repeating/Switching (4 in, 2 out), XM satellite radio (1), Sirius satellite radio (1), headphone output (1), AM/FM/HD Radio tuner (1)

Other: RS-232 port (1 in), IR input/output (2 in/2 out), 12V trigger output (2), auto calibration mic (1), USB port (1), Ethernet (1 RJ-45 jack), iPod dock port (1)Dimensions (HxWxD): 7.125” x 17.125” x 17.25” Weight: 38.375 lb.Warranty: 2 years parts and labor

Price: $1,900

Yamaha Electronics Corp., USA(714) 522-9105yamaha.com/yec

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But one aspect of the receiver that’s not confusing at all is the well executed, next generation YPAO room/speaker EQ system. Unlike many such systems, this newest version of the YPAO system lets you choose between two fundamentally different EQ schemes. You can optimize EQ settings for just one listening position, or take more measurements and dial in settings that provide a best case solution for multiple listening positions at once. Either way, the room/speaker EQ system is a joy to use and gives audibly excellent results.

REMOTE CONTROl The RX-V3900 provides one of the better remotes I’ve yet found among AVRs in this price class. It has three things going for it: very effective backlighting (in brilliant blue) for all of the most commonly used buttons and switches, direct access buttons for every input that the receiver supports (a total of 16 in all), and a very complete set of listening mode control buttons. Realistically, no receiver with as many processing options as this one offers is ever going to be truly “dirt simple” to operate, but that said, I found the RX-V3900’s listening mode buttons made it a lot easier to narrow down my choices and to harness and enjoy all of the processing power on tap.

vIdEO PERFORMANCEThe RX-V3900 incorporates a VRS video processor from Anchor

Bay and it performed extremely well on the HQV Benchmark DVD, turning in a stellar performance on the disc’s extremely difficult jaggies tests, and film detail/moiré pattern tests. In fact, the VRS processor got very good-to-excellent on almost all of the tests, though its weakest area of performance involved noise reduction on static images, where test results, while good, were not the best I’ve seen.

But the benefits of the VRS processing also extend to high-resolution Blu-ray material. A practical test I’ve begun to use is the Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds Live at Radio City Blu-ray disk, where I look to see how processors handle the small louvers on the arched ceiling of the hall and also the close-up details on Matthews’s and Reynolds’s faces. The processors in some AVRs give these

details a smooth, almost film-like treatment but one that renders fine, small details just a bit indistinctly. But not so the RX-V3900 with VRS processing; it rendered the ceiling louvers and almost infinitesimally small details on the player’s faces with remarkable clarity and sharpness.

SONIC CHARACTERThere are several aspects of the Yamaha’s core sound that are worth discussing, so let’s begin by talking about the purest mode of all; namely, the “Pure Direct” mode, which turns off superfluous audio and video processing. I tried the Pure Direct mode on multiple, high-quality CDs and multichannel SACD discs, and in each case came away impressed with the improvements I heard. Specifically, when I flipped on the Pure Direct mode, I heard

deeper, finer low-level details that had not been readily apparent before, plus a marked improvement in presentation of imaging and soundstaging cues. As a result, everything sounded more three-dimensional and—as the name of the mode would suggest—purer, too (though not in a sterile, analytical sense). The bottom line, then, is that the Pure Direct mode is often the best way to go when you’re playing audiophile-grade records.

Next, let’s talk about the sonic differences made by using Yamaha’s next generation YPAO room/speaker EQ system. As I mentioned above, the new system lets you optimize equalization for either a single listening position or for multiple positions. In The Perfect Vision lab, a multi-position setup worked best, but the good news is that the YPAO gives you both options, so you can

choose what works best in your room. Once EQ setup is finished (and it works like a charm), you’ll have to decide whether to use the “Flat” or “Natural” EQ settings (an option some but not all Audyssey EQ systems also offer). I found the “Natural” setting gave the smoothest, sweetest, and most believable tonal balance over all, though you should definitely audition both settings and pick what works best for your room/speakers. (The difference between “Natural” and “Flat” setting mostly involves upper midrange and treble balance, with the “Flat” option sounding noticeably brighter and



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also just a bit more “edgy”).How does YPAO affect sound, and how

does it compare with the characteristic sound of Audyssey systems? I would say YPAO generally smoothes and tightens up bass and lower midrange frequencies while also cleaning up small peaks and valleys in the system’s midrange, upper midrange, and treble response curves. The result, paradoxically, is a sound that’s at once smoother and more relaxed, yet also more open and intelligible—especially on movie dialog. In comparison to the Audyssey system, its seems to me that the YPAO system affords a slightly more lightly balanced, though also tighter and more focused, bass sound coupled with an every-so-slightly more forward midrange presentation that adds a subtle but welcome measure of dialog intelligibility. Differences between Audyssey and YPAO equalization are subtle, so that I’m hesitant to declare one system better than the other; both do a good job of helping to match your speakers to your room, which is the main point. I will say, though, that the longer I listened through the YPAO-treated system, the better I liked it.

Finally, we should discuss Yamaha’s many proprietary surround sound field processing modes, which are mostly meant to help synthesize believable surround sound effects when listening to stereo material. Here’s what I found. When stereo recordings contain a lot of recording venue sounds, it’s generally better to listen to them in their original stereo format or to use one of the traditional Dolby, DTS, or Circle Surround processing modes. However, when stereo recordings have more

of a pure, “studio sound,” Yamaha’s sound field modes can sometimes yield significant benefits. For example, I used the Ludvig Berghe Trio’s Weekend [Moserobie], a fine jazz recording, as a test vehicle and discovered it synced beautifully and quite realistically with the RX-V3900’s LIVE/CLUB “Village Vanguard” setting. The setting gave the Berghe recording much greater three-dimensionality within the convincing acoustic setting of a famous jazz club. But keep two points in mind: first, Yamaha’s processing modes work with some recordings but not others, and second, you will always get best results by choosing surround modes that are consistent with the material you want to play (for example, a small chamber group might sound great with the Classical “Church in Freiburg” setting, but terrible with the Entertain “Sports” setting; you get the picture).

MOvIE PERFORMANCE: To appreciate the benefits of the Yamaha’s superior bass control, try watching the scene from 10,000 BC where the hunters stalk a herd of wooly mammoths. The scene is a low frequency torture test of sorts, because the mammoths’ footsteps emit loud, very low frequency thumps, while their grunts and groans are also quite low-pitched. It’s the sort of scene that can (and with many receivers does) turn into bass mush, but that the RX-V3900 masters with a nice combination of low-end power and clarity.

Yet the Yamaha’s powers of clarity and expressiveness are by no means limited to the bass region. To see what I mean, put on the



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“Out of Range” chapter from Déjà vu to take in the amazing trans-dimensional chase scene where Agent Dave Carlin (Denzel Washington) retraces the path a criminal took four days earlier while wearing ultra high-tech goggles that allow him to view the past as if it were unfolding in real time. The tension in the scene derives from three key elements: the sound of Carlin hurtling down heavily trafficked New Orleans streets in the present, overlaid with snippets of sounds that occurred during the criminal’s getaway four days ago, merged with an ominous, fast paced, and richly textured soundtrack that’s calculated to get your pulse racing.

If my description makes it sound as if the scene presents a tremendous amount of sonic information to process, that’s because it does. Nevertheless, the Yamaha does a masterful job of disentangling and clarifying the individual soundtrack threads, so that you can at once appreciate Carlin’s chaotic experience, while

rising above it to follow the simultaneously unfolding past and present plots. It takes an elusive combination of power, clarity, and—oddly enough—delicacy and finesse to keep so many disparate elements straight even when all hell is breaking loose. And that difficult to balance set of qualities is, I think, precisely what the RX-3900 delivers and what makes this receiver so good.

MUSIC PERFORMANCE:While experimenting with the Yamaha’s “Pure

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Direct” mode (see comments under “Sonic Character,” above), I chanced to put on a multichannel SACD recording I know well: namely, the Conspirare choirs’ performance of Tarik O’Regan’s Threshold of Night [Harmonia Mundi]. Frankly, the recording is not an easy one to reproduce, partly because it is rich in subtle spatial cues that are hard to capture accurately, partly because the various sonorities of the sophisticated choral voices are even more subtle and more difficult to render faithfully, and finally because the choir’s almost shocking dynamic range can (and sometimes does) overload amplifiers and speaker systems alike when large, powerful vocal swells come along.

As I listened to my favorite track, the third movement of a composition called “Triptych,” I was bracing myself for a potentially bad outcome (because the piece provides huge, exuberant vocal swells that can overtax most systems). But to my pleasant surprise the Yamaha turned in an unexpectedly strong, muscular, and yet also delicate performance. Three things caught my ears. First, the three-dimensional cues that defined the size and acoustics of the recording space were beautifully handled and remained consistent despite huge swings in volume between loud and soft passages. Second, the Yamaha did a great job of teasing out one of the subtlest yet most distinctive characteristics of the Conspirare choir; namely, the uncanny if not downright eerie beauty of the choirs’ unison voices (the name Conspirare means “to breathe together,” and with good reason). Finally, I was wowed by the RX-V3900’s grace

in handling the largest vocal swells. Granted, on the very loudest passages I could hear faint traces of compression setting in, but that’s much, much better than can be said of most AVRs on this challenging material. My point, really, is that the Yamaha maintains clarity and a natural-sounding presentation in the face of demands that would make many receivers “blow a gasket.”

BOTTOM lINE: Yamaha’s RX-V3900 is a highly capable A/V receiver that has earned my respect and admiration. It’s one of the best receivers I’ve yet tried in the sub-$2k class. The receiver’s strengths are clear and natural sound, an excellent room/speaker EQ system, strong onboard video processing, and tons of flexibility. Built-in Internet Radio and Rhapsody functions make the Yamaha a great vehicle for discovering new music, too. Just remember that for best results, you need to read the manual (hey, it’s a small price to pay for excellence).


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When I reviewed Anthem’s original Statement D2 A/V controller some years ago in The Perfect Vision,

I said its performance was “as good as it gets,” but the fact is that Anthem’s improved, next generation Statement D2v ($8499) takes significant steps forward vis-à-vis its predecessor. Changes include:• Expanded HDMI options (with the D2v

offering eight HDMI inputs instead of the D2’s four, plus two HDMI outputs).

• A new “broadcast grade” Sigma Designs VXP digital image processor.

• Two proprietary dual-core DSP engines that deliver a combined 800 MIPS of processing power and that provide decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.

• Support for up to 7.1 channels of 24-bit/192kHz PCM audio.

• Anthem’s proprietary ARC (Anthem Room Correction) system—a system first offered

in later production Statement D2’s and that comes standard on the D2v.

• Dolby Volume (as of software v.2,10)

What is difficult to convey in words is just how complete and well balanced the D2v’s design really is. This component can be viewed through many different lenses, and depending upon how you look at it you might see the D2v as a dead serious high-end multichannel analog audio preamp, as a full-featured surround sound processor, as a superb audiophile-grade 24-bit/192kHz DAC with potent oversampling/upsampling features, as a capable (and highly adjustable) room correction system, as an powerful and versatile video processor, or as a flexible multi-zone A/V controller. But as you study the design and construction details behind each of the D2v’s functions it becomes clear that ever aspect of the controller has been thought through

aNTHeM STaTeMeNT d2V a/V CoNTroller & STaTeMeNT P5 aMPlifier Chris Martens

tpv a/v controller & amp reviewsgo to: avr reviews | a/v controller & amp reviews

overviewConsider this Controller/Amp combo if: you want to experience (and can afford) true top-tier performance. What makes the Anthem pair so appealing is that it addresses all aspects (not just some aspects) of A/V performance at once—sound quality, picture quality, room correction/EQ, massive power output, and overall flexibility and control. While some competing units cover some of these bases well, few offer the supremely well-balanced solutions that the Anthem pair provides.

Though admittedly expensive (at least by normal mortal standards), the D2v/P5 pair is more than fairly priced for what you get—especially in light of the fact that most of the Anthem combo’s serious competition costs as much if not more—in some cases, a whole lot more). This is a combination you will not easily outgrow, since Anthem has a proven track record for making available running product updates as new developments arise.

look further if: you want—as would be perfectly reasonable when shopping in this price/performance class—to do due diligence and thus to evaluate the Anthem’s competitors (likely candidates might include flagship models from Arcam, Bryston, Classé, Denon, Integra, Lexicon, Mark Levinson, McIntosh, Meridian and Krell). While you might prefer individual aspects of one competitor or another, the fact is that the Anthem pair can compete with just about anything on today’s market—including models that cost far more.

Be aware that the same things that make the D2v powerful, flexible, and full-featured also require an experienced hand to help oversee setup procedures. Veteran home theater enthusiasts (especially those who are computer savvy and familiar with room EQ systems) could probably handle setup tasks on their own, but others might need or want to have a dealer/installer handle the work. Also know that Anthem’s ARC system is more complicated to set up than, say, an equivalent Audyssey room EQ system.

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and executed with great care. In short, this is component with no apparent weaknesses.

The Statement P5 five-channel amplifier ($7499) is purely and simply a “monster,” and in more ways than one. Weighing in at a mind-blowing 130 pounds (can you say “Ouch, my back!”) and designed to draw power from not one but two separate household power circuits, the P5 puts out a staggering 325 Wpc at 8 Ohms, 500 Wpc at 4 Ohms, and 675 Wpc at 2 Ohms—with all channels driven. This baby has power reserves adequate to drive most any loudspeaker system—including those that present very low impedance loads (which some home theater amps just can’t handle). What is more, the P5 also offers vanishingly low levels of distortion to match its dynamic clout. Total harmonic distortion plus noise (measured at 200 Wpc output levels) is quoted at 0.0007% at 1kHz or 0.008% at 20 kHz, while inter-modulation distortion (IMD) is specified 0.00019% (CCIW at 325 Watts). These would be exemplary numbers for any high-end stereo amp, and they’re doubly impressive in a blockbuster five-channel amp intended for home theater applications. Of course, numbers alone never tell the whole story, but in this case the P5’s real-world sound quality as every bit as good as its specifications might lead you to expect.

As their names imply, Anthem’s Statement D2v A/V controller and P5 power amplifier are top-tier, statement-class A/V components—components designed to deliver benchmark levels of performance with no “ifs”, “ands”, or “buts”. And in practice, they do just that.

FEATURES: Below, I touch on important features and technical highlights for the Statement PD2v and P5. For a more in-depth review of design details for these products, visit the Anthem web site: www.anthemav.com.

D2v Audio:• Supports separate Movie and Music speaker

system configurations.• Extensive bass management, center channel

EQ, and low frequency notch filter options.• Subwoofer crossover frequencies can be set

individually for each channel, in very fine 5Hz increments.

• Provides separate EQ trim options for each input.

• All HDMI inputs are connected through TMDS (Timing Minimized Differential Signaling) timing regenerators and multiplexers, which are said to be helpful in “cleaning up a noisy/jittery source, or when a long or low-quality cable is being used.”

• 24-bit/192kHz DAC, with 128X oversampling and 24/192 upsampling for all digital inputs.

• ADC functions with resolution up to 24-bit/192kHz levels.

• High-accuracy digital clocking system.• Dual proprietary Anthem DSP processors

(800 MIPS total) for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding.

• Support for AnthemLogic and various THX/THX Ultra2 surround sound modes geared for use with two-channel audio sources.

• Balanced AES/EBU digital audio input.• Balanced stereo analog audio input.• Full complement of single-ended and


specs/pricingAnthem Statement D2v A/V Preamplifier/Processor/TunerDecoding formats: Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital and Digtal EX, Dolby Pro Logic II and IIx (Movie, Music, Matrix, Game), and Dolby Volume; DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, DTS, DTS-ES (Matrix, Discrete), DTS Neo:6 (Cinema, Music); THX Ultra2 Cinema, THX Cinema, THX Surround EX, THX MusicMode, THX Games Mode; AnthemLogic Cinema and AnthemLogic Music; All Channel Stereo, All Channel Mono, Mono and Mono Academy; multichannel PCM (up to 7.1 channels at up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution with 128X oversampling and 24/196 upsampling for all inputs). Video inputs/outputs: Composite video (7 in, 5 out—one main, two for remote zones, two for recording); S-Video (7 in, 5 out—one main, two for remote zones, two for recording), Component video (4 in, 2 out—one main and one assignable to remote zones), HDMI (8 in—2 out).Audio inputs/outputs: stereo analog, single-ended (7 in, 4 out—two for remote zones, two for recording); stereo analog, balanced (1 in); multichannel analog, single-ended (1 x 5.1-channel in, 1 x 10-channel output—7.1 channel with dual center channel and dual subwoofer outputs), multichannel analog, balanced (1 x 10-channel output—7.1-channel with dual center channel and dual subwoofer outputs); digital audio (11 in—seven coaxial, three optical, one AES/EBU; 2 out), HDMI (8 in, 2 out), AM/FM tuner, headphone output

Special Features: 24-bit/192kHz DAC with 128x oversampling and 24/192 upsampling for all inputs, “broadcast grade” Sigma VXP video processor, proprietary Anthem ARC room correction system, extensive custom installation features.Other: 50-mA triggers (2 out), 200-mA triggers (1 out), IR Emitter (2), powered IR Receiver (3), RS-232C (1)Dimensions (HxWxD): 5.875” x 19.25” x 15.25” Weight: 27 poundsWarranty: Three years, parts and labor on main unit, one year on remote controls Price: $8499

Anthem Statement P5 multichannel AmplifierPower Output: 5 x 325 Wpc @ 8 ohms, 5 x 500 Wpc @ 4 ohms, 5 x 675 Wpc @ 2 ohms Inputs: Analog audio, single ended (5 in); analog audio, balanced (5 in)Other: Relay trigger (1 in, 1 out)Special Features: Three on/off modes (manual, auto, or trigger).Dimensions (HxWxD): 9.375” x 19.25” x 22.5”Weight: 130 lbs.Warranty: Five years, parts and laborPrice: $7499

Anthem Electronics Inc. (905) 564-1994www.anthemav.com

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balanced 7.1-channel analog audio outputs—both offering support for dual center channels and dual subwoofers.

• Analog-Direct available on all inputs.• Very high quality circuit boards and parts

(e.g., “audio grade” film capacitors and operational amplifiers, low-ESR electrolytic

capacitors, “audio grade” signal coupling capacitors, 1000µF ADC reference voltage decoupling capacitors, etc.).

D2v Room Correction:• Proprietary ARC (Anthem Room Correction)

uses an outboard PC and calibrated USB

Mic (included) to take in-room response measures from five different listening locations. The system then plots correction curves for each channel in the system plus the subwoofer, to bring actual in-room response into conformance with a well-defined “target curve.”

• ARC offers both “standard” and “advanced” EQ settings. Under the advanced settings, users can modify the standard “target curve” to fit their specific requirements or listening tastes.

• An extensive graphical interface allows users to see and compare “before” vs. “after” results for each channel and for the sub.

D2v Video:• Provides memory for storing up to four

separate Video configurations.

• Supports independent source settings and adjustments.

• Provides extensive support for custom installer/calibrators, with the ability to generate sophisticated video test patterns.

• Sigma Designs “broadcast grade” VXP digital video processor is said to provide “professional-grade, fully adaptive deinterlacing, adaptive 3D noise reduction, mosquito noise reduction, block artifact reductions, adaptive detail enhancement featuring sharpness and texture enhancement with overshoot control, and adaptive contrast enhancement.”

• The D2v offers extensive transcoding options, and can convert any resolution level or format of input into the target resolution/format of your choice (for example, 480i component video input signals could be converted to 1080p/24fps HDMI outputs, and so on). Image stability when turning 60i input to 24p output depends on quality of input.

D2v Convenience:• Comes with two full featured, backlit

remote controls—one for the main room, the other for a second zone. A “learning” function helps each remote to control other components.

• Extensive programming support and options for custom installers.

P5 Audio:• Given the P5 massive power output

capabilities, the amplifier requires two power cords, each (ideally) fed by a separate household power circuit.


user interface (main D2v/P5 combo) user interface (ARC software) sound quality, music sound quality, movies value

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• Internally, the P5 is configured as five separate monoblock amplifiers, each featuring “two separate and autonomous power supplies fed from separate transformer windings.”

• Uses massive “low-impedance toroidal power supplies—one per amplifier channel.”

• Each channel features its own “oversize aluminum heatsink” with over 1125 square inches/channel of radiating area to ensure cool, quiet operation.

• A whopping fourteen bipolar output devices per channel.

• Offers user selectable single-ended or balanced analog audio inputs.

USER INTERFACEThe D2v’s user interface is clear and reasonably straightforward, though users should bear in mind that this controller provides a much broader range of setup/configuration options than most other A/V controllers do. Frankly, the D2v offer layers of setup options in places where other A/V controllers don’t even have places. For this reason it is vitally important to read the manual and—where necessary—to seek expert help/advice during the setup process. I suspect that many owners will choose to have their D2v’s set up by a dealer or custom installer.

The D2v gives users the ability to make on-the-fly audio adjustments and thus to hear the effects of setting changes in real time. When adjustments are made, an HD onscreen display shows exactly what changes have been made (though this feature can be disabled should you find the display distracting).

REMOTE CONTROlThe D2V provides two backlit remotes, that can be programmed to control other components and that provide a “learning” function. The unit is fairly easy to master, though it does—as a matter of practical necessity—provide a number of context-sensitive buttons that have multiple possible functions, which can be a potential source of confusion and/or user errors. Again, it is essential to read the manual, since this is not one of those remotes you can learn purely through trial and error.

The remote does make it easy to make on-the-fly adjustments channel trim adjustments, with separate trims for front, center, and surround channels, and for the subwoofer (a feature I think many audiophiles will appreciate and use often).

ARC ROOM CORRECTIONIn truth, the ARC Room Correction system probably deserves a separate review of its own, so that I will have to stick to highlights here. Unlike the widely used Audyssey systems found in many AVRs and A/V controllers, the ARC system requires a separate PC (or Mac) for setup and installation. You load ARC software to the PC (which must run Windows XP or higher) and then connect a calibrated USB Mic (which is included with the D2v along with a professional-type mic stand) and a roughly 14-15 foot-long “umbilical cord” that runs from a serial port on the PC to the D2v’s RS-232 port. Interestingly, the ARC software ROM contains calibration data specific to your test mic, so that the ROM and Mic must be

used as a matched set.Once you are ready to begin, the ARC

software will prompt you to describe your speaker configuration (5.1-channel, 7.1-channel, etc.) and to indicate whether you wish to have separate “Movie” and “Music” speaker system configurations. Then, you place the test mic on its stand at the central listening position at ear height, and begin taking room measurements. During the measurement process, the PC issues commands to the D2v causing a series of sweep tones to be played through each speaker in the system and through the sub, while the mic captures response data. Once the first set of measurements is complete, the PC will prompt you to reposition the mic in four more listening locations, which should be located symmetrically to the left and right of the central position, where additional measurements are taken.

When measurements are complete, ARC software calculates correction settings for each channel and the sub, and then asks if you want to save the calculated settings and to upload them to the D2v—a process that takes several minutes. One slightly unnerving aspect of the upload process is that the PC will, at various stages along the way, turn the D2v off and then back on again as it uploads and confirms various settings. Once correction settings are installed, they can be applied any or all the D2v’s inputs. The ARC system offers a detailed graphical interface that shows you (on the PC screen, not your home theater screen) “before” and “after” response graphs for each channel and for the sub.

ARC offers two basic room correction options: “Standard” and “Advanced”. With the “Standard” option, the system applies a well-defined “target curve” that offers flat response at mid and high frequencies, but that allows a gentle, natural-sounding amount of room gain at lower frequencies. While this means the target curve is not, in a textbook sense, perfectly flat, Anthem argues that it is important to allow for room gain, since dialing in perfectly flat low-frequency curves yields bass response that sound overly “thin” or reticent. With the “Advanced” setting option, users can modify standard EQ curves by manually setting subwoofer crossover frequencies, adjusting the amount of room gain the system allows, and choosing the maximum frequency at which room EQ will be applied. ARC’s “Advanced” setting give user options and a level of control that few other room EQ systems can match.

I do have three small criticisms of the ARC system. First, the fact that the system requires an outboard PC to run measurements and calculate EQ settings is somewhat cumbersome. In an ideal world, it would be preferable to have the D2v be able run test procedures and calculate EQ settings on its own. Second, the fact that ARC requires a serial port connection between the PC and the D2v is problematic, given that most modern laptops no longer have serial ports. (True, you could use a USB-to-serial-port adapter, but Anthem’s manual makes it clear that this is not a recommended option.). Ideally, I’d like to see Anthem create an all-USB version of ARC. Third, I think the PC-to-D2v connection


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cable needs to be longer to allow for large or irregularly shaped rooms where D2v will be placed relatively far from listening position. These minor shortcomings really don’t undercut the excellence of the ARC system, but they are points I hope Anthem will address over time.

In practice, I found ARC gave excellent results, noticeably smoothing and tightening up low frequency response, yet without


smearing mids and highs, and while allowing the fundamental character of the speaker system to shine through. There is very little (if any) of the “DSP haze” that you might hear with some room EQ systems, meaning that the effects of the system—at least when used with an already high-quality speaker system—are very subtle.

vIdEO PERFORMANCEI evaluated the video performance of the D2v using IDT’s HQV Benchmark 2.0 discs (both the Standard Definition NTSC version 2.0 and the Blu-ray Disc version 2.0). With both disks, the D2v’s Sigma VXP video processor performance was simply exemplary, with

results that looked as good as if not better than those achieved with any other video-processing device I’ve tried.

Several aspects of the D2v’s video performance really stood out for me. First, on the Standard Definition disc, it was impressive to see how the D2v handled the Multi-Cadence tests, offering consistently and almost eerily smooth motion on tracking shots that—as I’ve learned from past experiences—can and often do give other video processors fits. Second, the D2v’s performance on the Standard Definition disc’s Resolution Enhancement tests was spectacular. I would be misleading you if I said the D2v made DVDs look “just like” Blu-ray discs, but it certainly gave DVDs greater apparent resolution than I’m used to seeing—and this without introducing any unpleasant artifacts that I could see. Finally, the D2v gave breathtaking results on the Resolution Enhancement test from the Blu-ray discs. The best way for me to describe the visual results would be to say that, in a subjective sense, onscreen images reminded me a bit of demonstrations I’ve seen of ultra high-resolution 4k x 2k images.

In short, when you watch TV or movies through the D2v, with both SD and HD content, you may have the sense that you are seeing subtle yet significant across the board improvements in resolution and overall picture quality.

SONIC CHARACTERLet me begin by saying that perhaps the defining characteristic of the Statement D2v is sonic transparency—a certain “see through”

quality that is highly prized in high-end audio components, but is all too rarely heard in home theater electronics. The D2v doesn’t merely sound “somewhat like” an audiophile-grade component; it is an audiophile-grade component. Does it sound as open and as resolving as today’s very best stereo preamplifiers? No, though it is not too far off from those levels. But bear in mind that some of today’s finest stereo preamps cost more than the Statement D2v and P5 combined (gulp!). I think it is fair to say, however, that the D2v is entirely competitive with purist-oriented stereo preamps in the $3k range, and perhaps with models even further up the high-end audio food chain. This is pretty remarkable when you consider that the D2v must support eight high-quality output channels—not just two—and that it incorporates tons of other onboard video, room correction, and input-switching technologies as well.

In practice, the D2v makes it easy to hear the sonic effects of even very subtle changes in associated system components, so that it is—in a very good way—a sonic chameleon that faithfully shows the characteristics both of the program material you play and of the equipment that you use. This speaks volumes for the D2v’s fundament neutrality. More so than most components, the D2v does a great job of capturing low-level information that presents spatial and reverberant cues in soundtracks and in music, and as a result one of its greatest strengths is it ability to create believable, 3D surround soundstages.

The P5, like the D2v, is highly transparent, so that at first you may find yourself drawn to

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its effortless clarity and ability to retrieve layer upon layer of information from soundtracks and music records. It’s signature sound is at once crisply defined, yet also rich, vibrant, and full of tonal colors (this is not, happily, one of those amps that gives you transparency, but at the expense of a bleached, cold, and sterile sound). But one thing that words can’t adequately convey is how take-no-prisoners powerful the P5 really is. Some multichannel amps sound good to a point, but—when push comes to shove—run out of steam when the going gets rough, especially at low frequencies. But not so with the P5; it fears no loudspeaker load (at least not any that I have found) and offers stupendous dynamic clout that just won’t quit. The cool part, though, is that despite its enormous output capabilities the P5 never sounds muscle-bound or sluggish; on the contrary, it offers a fast, agile sound that few genuinely powerful amps can match.

MOvIE/SOUNdTRACk PERFORMANCE: In many respects, great home theater electronics are in the business of creating vivid and believable sonic contrasts on demand, and that is exactly what the Statement D2v and P5 do when playing the soundtrack for chapter 16 of The Hurt Locker (a film that has become one of my most frequently used surround sound test discs). The chapter in question shows the film’s protagonists, bomb disposal expert James and his partner Sanborn, as they are called in to tackle a nightmarish scenario where an Iraqi citizen has—very much against

his will—been fitted with a suicide bomb that he desperately wants to have disarmed. The sheer chaos and threat potential of the scene are conveyed by a swirl of load, frantic voices all seeming to shout warnings, commands to take cover and the like, all at once.

But in the midst of the chaos, there are also telling sonic details that ratchet tension levels higher and higher, such as the distinctly metallic, electronic sound of James’ voice from within the helmet of his bomb disposal suit, or the terrified voice of the citizen-turned-bomber begging for the bomb to me removed. The pace quickens as James realizes the bomb is fitted with a timer set for detonation in just two minutes, and requests Sanborn’s help to try and disarm the bomb. As time runs down, interchanges between James and Sanborn become louder, more terse, and more intense until James—realizing that he has finally encountered a bomb he cannot disable—vigorously orders Sanborn to flee the scene, promising “I’m right behind you.” After mounting one last, futile attempt to save the Iraqi citizen, James apologize (“I’m sorry,” he shouts) and then tries to run to safety, encumbered by the massive bomb suit.

And then, as we know it must, the bomb detonates—creating one of the loudest moments I think I’ve ever heard in any film soundtrack. But this isn’t just random loudness; it is detailed and explicit loudness, where you not only hear the blast of the bomb, but also—a split second later—the awful “thwacking” and “clunking” of rocks and other chunks of debris smashing into the padding and the thick visor of James’ theoretically

“bombproof” suit. It’s a stunning cinematic moment, made all the more effective by the terrible silence that follows the explosion. For a moment, we’re not certain if James is alive or dead, but he slowly opens the visor of his helmet and stares skyward, drinking in the strangely peaceful sound of a kite tossed on the breeze overhead.

What made the Statement components so impressive in this passage was their ability to convey chaos and small but vitally important sonic details at the same time. No less impressive was their ability to handle the immense explosion (at which the P5 did not even blink), but then to shift gears to nail down the delicate sound of the kite’s tail fluttering in the wind.

MUSIC PERFORMANCE:Above, I mentioned the D2v and P5’s ability to deliver a presentation that is “rich, vibrant,

and full of tonal colors.” To hear precisely what I meant by this, try the track “Country Roads” from jazz vibraphonist Gary Burton’s Like Minds [Concord Jazz, multichannel SACD]. Somewhat unusually, the album seeks to capture a “stage mix” that shows what it might sound like to stand between Burton and his fellow band members in the midst of a performance. And what an all-star team of musicians this recording features, with Chick Corea on piano, Pat Metheny on guitar, Dave Holland on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums. As the recording unfolds, note the remarkable purity and nuance the Anthem components bring to each instrument’s distinctive voice.

Burton’s vibes, for example, have a deep, shimmering, tubular tone that is highly realistic, with a voice that penetrates sharply when the instrument is first struck, but that then floats and lingers on the air, slowly decaying back to silence. Corea’s piano, in


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turn, sounds powerful, clear, and articulate, with a just-right attack at the leading edges of notes. On Corea’s most powerful chords, of which there are a few here, the P5 flexes its muscles, letting you both hear and feel the almost explosive emphasis Corea is giving certain phrases. Metheny’s guitar produces, as always, a sweet, lilting sound that is more or less the sonic equivalent of pure honey. Holland’s bass offers up a deep, earthy growl and—toward the end of Holland’s solo—the expressive but brief rattle of a vigorously plucked string vibrating against the surface of the bass’ fingerboard. Perhaps most impressive of all, though, is the silvery sound of Haynes’ delicate cymbal work, which is appropriately crisp and metallic-sounding, yet rich in sparkling overtones. Most home theater electronics reach for, but fail to attain, this kind of tonal and harmonic richness and realism.

But what is really breathtaking about Like Minds in general, and the track “Country Roads” in particular, are the spatial characteristics you’ll enjoy. Instead of hearing the musicians in front of you onstage, you hear them from up close as if they are surrounding you and standing only a few feet away. It’s a mesmerizing and pleasingly intimate experience, as though you’ve been allowed to share a moment that ordinarily would be available only to the musicians themselves. Here, the D2v’s ability to capture low-level spatial and reverberant cues really makes the stage mix concept work—brining it alive in a vivid way.

BOTTOM lINE: Anthem’s Statement D2v A/V controller and Statement P5 multichannel amplifier are extraordinary components—partly because they have been so carefully thought out, partly because they are both so well executed, and entirely because they can show you what true high-end home theater experiences are all about.

Whether you are a performance-minded audiophile, videophile, or a bit of both, Anthem’s Statement components belong on the short list of components you should see and hear before purchasing top-tier home theater electronics. Given the level of performance on offer here, Anthem’s admittedly expensive flagship models are, if anything, a bargain.


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Those of us with single systems for stereo playback, multichannel music, and film-sound reproduction are presented with a dilemma. We can choose the best-sounding multichannel controller we can afford

and accept its performance limitations with stereo music sources. Or we can add a separate two-channel preamplifier for CD and LP playback so that those signals never pass through the multichannel controller.1

Now there’s a third option: Classé Audio’s SSP-800. This is a multichannel controller that not only delivers state-of-the-art functionality, but sets a new standard in two-channel and multichannel sound quality in the controller category.

The SSP-800 is loaded with the latest high-tech features, connectivity, and upgradability, yet sound quality remains its chief virtue. Despite its immense flexibility, the SSP-800 is astonishingly easy to set up initially as well as to use on a daily basis. The SSP-800 is not only the most sophisticated controller I’ve had, it’s also the most intuitive. The front panel contains a volume knob and just three buttons: “Standby,” “Menu,” and “Mute.” Other functions are accessed by the touchscreen panel. It’s impossible to overstate how the SSP-800’s touchscreen transforms the user interface from a frustrating collection of menus and sub-menus into a brilliantly simple control center. Moreover, the touchscreen can double as a video preview monitor. I actually spent more time with the owner’s manual discovering the SSP-800’s capabilities than looking to find out how to perform certain functions.

ClaSSé audio SSP-800 MulTiCHaNNel CoNTrollerrobert Harley


1 This is realized by running the controller’s left and right outputs through one of the preamp’s inputs that has been set to “Pass-Through” mode. This mode sets the gain at unity so that the individual channel calibrations remain correct—it’s as though the preamp isn’t even in the signal path. The preamp’s outputs drive the left and right amplifiers just as they would normally. This is the ideal method, but expensive and impractical for some listeners.

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Here’s the Cliff Notes overview; you can find technical details in the sidebar “Under the Hood.” The SSP-800 is a ten-channel device with both balanced and unbalanced outputs on all channels. Most of the inputs are digital—four coaxial, four optical, four HDMI—but the one balanced and two unbalanced analog inputs can be configured to bypass any digital conversions. There’s also a discrete eight-channel input for connecting the analog outputs from a multichannel DVD-A or SACD player. Current SSP-800’s can directly decode the new audio formats (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio), though early relearse units could do so only if your Blu-ray player output high-resolution PCM via an HDMI interface (see sidebar).

FEATURESThe SSP-800’s feature set is staggeringly comprehensive. In addition to the usual functions such as setting up each input with a predetermined level, audio delay, audio and video connector, favorite processing, and whether the input should be bypassed, the SSP-800 sports many additional capabilities. Each channel has independent crossover-frequency and slope adjustments, and each channel has its own five-band parametric equalizer that allows you to tackle room-induced frequency-response errors. A parametric equalizer provides adjustment of center frequency, boost or cut, and Q (the filter’s steepness, defined technically as the center frequency divided by the

bandwidth). These filters would typically be used to notch out problem frequencies, and are best adjusted with the aid of test equipment during installation by your dealer. Unused inputs can be removed from the source-selection menu to simplify operation.

The “System Trims” feature provides direct access to controls that would otherwise be buried deep in the menu structure. A typical use would be adjustments like channel levels, audio delay, and engaging the “Dolby Late Night” mode that reduces dynamic range. Similarly, the backlit remote control includes four “Function” buttons that can be programmed to perform any function or series of functions. The “Profile” feature allows you to create shortcuts to a particular control in the menu system. Two separate Profiles can be stored with up to six commands each.

Up to six different configurations of these set-up parameters can be stored in memory and recalled from the front panel. For example, if you want to run your main speakers full-range for two-channel listening with no subwoofer, but engage the high-pass filter and drive a subwoofer for film soundtracks, you simply switch configurations.

The SSP-800 has ten discrete channels, with eight channels typically reproducing 7.1-channel sources coupled with two auxiliary channels. These auxiliary channels are extremely flexible; they can drive additional subwoofers, output a two-


deCodiNg THe NeW audio forMaTSClassé introduced the SSP-800 without the ability to decode the new audio formats, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD, and DTS-HD Master Audio. But this doesn’t preclude you from enjoying these new formats through the SSP-800. Rather, it simply means that the “decoding” takes place in your Blu-ray Disc player.

Here’s how it works. The film soundtrack starts out as high-res PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) audio and is encoded into, for example, a Dolby TrueHD bitstream for storage on the Blu-ray disc. (I’ll use TrueHD as a stand-in term for all the new audio formats.) You can think of this process as creating a Zip file on a PC.

The file must then be “unzipped” on playback; that is, the Dolby TrueHD bitstream must be decoded back into multi-channel linear PCM audio for conversion to analog. This decoding can take place in the Blu-ray player or in the controller. If the decoding to PCM takes place in the player, the controller receives high-res PCM over the HDMI interface. The controller then converts the PCM to analog for listening. If the decoding of Dolby TrueHD to PCM takes place in the controller, the HDMI interface carries the TrueHD bitstream.

It really makes no difference sonically where the “decoding” takes place—in the player or in the controller, provided that the controller was designed to minimize jitter in the HDMI interface (as the SSP-800 was). HDMI can introduce audible degradation to the high-res PCM signal unless the signal is handled with the utmost care

at the receiving end. Conversely, the TrueHD bitstream is relatively immune to degradation when transmitted over HDMI.

There’s a small functional advantage to decoding in the player and outputting PCM on HDMI—the Blu-ray format has the capability of mixing different audio sources on the fly during playback. An example of this is a director’s commentary posted on a movie studio’s Web site after the Blu-ray disc has been released. There are many other examples of Blu-ray’s interactivity—features that are lost if the TrueHD-to-PCM decoding doesn’t take place in the Blu-ray player.

Not all Blu-ray players can perform this “unzipping” of TrueHD bitstreams to PCM, and some of those that do down-rez 96kHz to 48kHz. High-res decoding requires a lot of DSP horsepower, making it an expensive feature for disc-player manufacturers. I expect, however, that all next-generation players will decode and output full-resolution PCM.

So, when you talk about whether a controller can “decode” the new audio formats, remember that there are two distinct functions—“unzipping” of the TrueHD bitstream to PCM, and the conversion of that PCM to analog.

By the time you read this, all SSP-800s will ship with an additional DSP board that performs the TrueHD-to-PCM conversion in the SSP-800. Owners of existing SSP-800s can have their units upgraded at no charge through their Classé dealers. RH

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channel downmix of a multichannel signal, or be configured to bi-amp the main left and right audio channels. Finally, software updates are realized via a rear-panel USB connector. You go to the Classé Web site, download the software to your PC, and then upload the software to the SSP-800.

The only feature not offered is automatic speaker setup and room equalization. Classé believes that room equalization has a limited ability to correct problems and introduces a

host of other issues. Moreover, Classé asserts that human involvement and judgment is essential in setting up a multichannel controller. Finally, the SSP-800 does not offer THX post-processing.

USER INTERFACEA great irony of AV controllers is that the best-sounding units from high-end companies are likely to have the worst user interfaces. Software development is expensive, and

high-end companies must amortize that cost over a relatively small number of units. Moreover, there’s often a mindset among high-end companies that users should accept challenging operation as the price of sonic purity. Conversely, many mid-fi controllers have excellent user interfaces because customers demand it, and the manufacturer can spread out the development cost over many more units. Such controllers, however, typically have abysmal user manuals. The SSP-800 is a breath of fresh air, combining a highly sophisticated feature set, outstanding user interface, and the best-written owner’s manual I’ve seen. In another irony, the SSP-800’s great owner’s manual is a bit of a waste; I found myself able to configure the unit with just a rare glance inside the manual.

The heart of this intuitive interface is the front-panel touchscreen. Although the menu structure isn’t significantly different from that of other controllers, the directness of the touchscreen transforms those menus from complicated branches and sub-branches to a simple guide that allows one to find and change a setting instantly. I’ve lived with my share of controllers and AVRs with poor user interfaces and can tell you that a good GUI is a vital component of long-term satisfaction with the product.

lISTENINGA multichannel controller consists of several separate elements—digital-to-analog conversion, linestage section, and surround decoding—that can be judged independently.

I evaluated the SSP-800’s DAC section by

comparing it to Classé’s excellent CDP-502 CD/DVD player ($8500), which I favorably reviewed in The Absolute Sound Issue 183. I fed the 502’s coaxial digital output to a digital input on the SSP-800, and the 502’s balanced


a giaNT leaP forWard iN SouNd QualiTyIt is impossible to overstate the significance of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio formats on Blu-ray Disc. These two formats deliver perfectly lossless high-resolution multichannel digital audio with no sonic compromise. Just look at the data rate of Dolby Digital on DVD compared with TrueHD on Blu-ray: DVDs typically contained 384kbps, but TrueHD has a maximum peak data rate on Blu-ray of 24Mbps—more than 50 times that of Dolby Digital on DVD. That’s not an incremental advance, but a giant leap forward.

You can vividly hear this leap forward on the Blu-ray disc Legends of Jazz Showcase. This great disc is a sampler of performances by various artists shot for a PBS series in HD video and recorded in high-resolution multichannel audio. The disc offers the option of Dolby Digital or TrueHD. Going back and forth between them is like throwing a light switch; the TrueHD is everything that

Dolby Digital is not—warm, spacious, rich in timbre, resolved and detailed, and musically engaging. And this comparison doesn’t fully reveal the extent of the difference. The Dolby Digital track on this disc runs at 640kbps rather than the typical 384kbps (the Dolby Digital format has a maximum data rate of 640kbps, but was limited by the DVD format to a maximum of 448kbps) and also benefits from a new and improved encoding algorithm.

The combination of 1920x1080 high-definition video with high-resolution multichannel audio on musical performances is extremely compelling. I just wish that the producers of Legends of Jazz would release on Blu-ray the entire performances of each artist—and that more concerts and musical presentations were available now that we’ve moved beyond the bottleneck of Dolby Digital. RH

specs/pricingClassé Audio SSP-800 multichannel ControllerDecoding Formats: Dolby ProLogic II, PLIIx Music, PLIIx Movie, PLIIx Matrix, PLIIx Game, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Surround EX, DTS, DTS Neo:6, DTS Neo:6 Cinema, DTS Neo6: Music, DTS Neo:6 Cinema ES, DTS Neo:6 Music ES, discrete, mono, stereo, “party,” “mono plus,” “move plus”Inputs: Two (each) S-video, composite video, component video; four (each) HDMI, coaxial digital audio, TosLink digital audio; one discrete 7.1-channel analog input; one stereo balanced analog; two stereo unbalanced analog; one (each) IR, RS232, USB, CAN Bus Outputs: Two (each) component video, HDMI, trigger ; one (each) CAN Bus, coaxial digital audio, TosLink digital audio, main analog audio (7.1-channel output plus auxiliary stereo output, all on both balanced and unbalanced jacks)Dimensions: 17.5” x 6.75” x 16.5” (excluding connectors)Weight: 29 lbs.

Price: $9000

Classé Audio, Inc.(516) 636-6384www.classeaudio.com

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analog outputs to the SSP-800’s balanced analog inputs with all digital conversions bypassed. Going back and forth between the two was as simple as switching sources on the SSP-800.

Putting a highly sophisticated ten-channel controller up against a CD player of roughly the same price might seem a bit unfair, but my favorable impressions of the SSP-800 during daily listening invited the comparison. The SSP-800 and CDP-502 had a very similar sonic signature, with neither exhibiting significant colorations. The CDP-502 was a bit warmer in its rendering of instrumental textures, more refined overall, and sweeter in the treble. The CDP-502 was also more resolving of fine musical detail and was better at allowing me to follow very quiet instrumental lines. Additionally, the CDP-502 had a slightly more spacious soundstage, with a greater sense of air and bloom around images. Nonetheless, the difference between this outstanding $8500 CD player and the DACs in the SSP-800 was remarkably small considering everything else the SSP-800 does. The two products sounded quite similar, with the difference being in that last degree of refinement rather than the SSP-800 departing from neutrality or adding sonic artifacts.

Next, I evaluated the SSP-800’s intrinsic sound quality as a preamplifier with the bypass test. This involves driving power amplifiers directly from a variable-output digital source (in this case the Berkeley Alpha DAC or the Meridian 808.2i) and then inserting the SSP-800 (with its volume control set to unity gain)

in the signal path. No preamplifier is sonically transparent, and the bypass test immediately reveals the preamp’s colorations. The SSP-800 tended to shave off a bit of low-level detail, slightly reduce timbral liquidity by adding a touch of grain, and make the hall sound slightly smaller. No preamplifier on which I’ve performed the bypass test—and I’ve done this with some of the world’s great preamps—emerges without revealing some colorations. The SSP-800 was notable for not imposing a common coloration—a bright treble, hard textures, reduced dynamics, for example—over the music. Rather, the SSP-800’s departure from transparency was manifested as a slight reduction in resolution. In fact, the SSP-800 was significantly more transparent and lower in coloration than other multichannel controllers, and indeed, as neutral and free from artifacts as many $5000 two-channel preamps. That’s saying a lot for a multichannel controller. On this basis, the SSP-800 is fully up to the task of serving as the control center for two-channel sources including the output of a high-quality phonostage. I should mention that I evaluated the SSP-800’s DACs and linestage with reference-quality two-channel music sources under exacting conditions through the highly resolving Wilson Alexandria X-2 Series 2 loudspeakers and applied the same standards I use to judge high-end gear.

When playing multichannel music and film sources, a controller’s DACs, preamplifier stage, and surround-decoding all come together to determine the unit’s overall sound quality. In this regard, the SSP-800 is, by a significant margin,


UNDER THE HOODThe SSP-800 is an enormously sophisticated device from every standpoint—the software, user interface, audio circuitry, and physical construction. Although not inexpensive at $8000, a five-figure price tag would not be unexpected.

Starting with the casework, the SSP-800 sports Classé’s wrap-around front-panel that gives the unit a distinctive and extremely elegant look. The front-panel is a full 3/4”-thick brushed-aluminum panel. The unit exudes a sense of beefy solidity, but at the same time a luxurious refinement.

The tall (6.75”) chassis provides plenty of rear-panel real estate for the myriad input and output jacks of today’s sophisticated electronics. As mentioned, all the analog outputs are on both balanced and unbalanced jacks, and one of the analog inputs offers balanced connection. The SSP-800’s balanced output is created by the differential outputs of the Burr-Brown PCM1792 DACs; the signal is kept balanced through the analog output stage with two analog amplifiers per channel. The left, right, center, subwoofer and both auxiliary channels use the PCM1792, and the four surround channels employ the slightly lower-spec’d PCM1796 DAC.

The DSP engine is from Texas Instruments and has computing horsepower of 1800 MIPS. This is plenty of power for decoding a Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio

bitstream into discrete PCM channels, but the chip doesn’t contain the decoding software. Consequently, the SSP-800 cannot accept the TrueHD bitstream. Classé has addressed this issue in two ways. First, you can “decode” the TrueHD bitstream into eight discrete PCM signals in a Blu-ray player and feed it to the SSP-800 via HDMI. If you prefer that this decoding take place in the controller, Classé will, at no charge, replace the DSP board with a new board containing dual next-generation DSP chips that contain the decoding software and also have enough power (a whopping 5600 MIPS between them) to simultaneously perform high-res signal processing. (See sidebar “Decoding the New Audio Formats.”)

Much attention was paid to minimizing noise contamination between sections as well as handling signals inside the unit. The main board is a six-layer design with careful trace-routing. Critical signals are transmitted differentially, with trace lengths optimized for the signal. I toured Classé’s Montreal factory and watched engineers laying out traces by hand on computer screens. Although the boards for most electronics are laid out using an automated program, high-end audio products need skilled human judgment in routing board traces. Also during the factory tour, I was impressed by the overall dedication to product quality that was apparent at every manufacturing stage.

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the best-sounding controller I’ve heard. The SSP-800’s smooth and grainless reproduction of timbre, coupled with its lack of glare, created an immersive listening experience that didn’t induce fatigue. Many controllers overlay the presentation with a steely hardness that doesn’t encourage high playback levels, is uninvolving, and quickly becomes tiresome. I’ve lived with the SSP-800 for many months and listened to quite a number of film soundtracks and musical performances, often at high playback level for extended periods, with no sense of fatigue. I also never thought that the SSP-800 was limiting the performance of my reference system; in fact, it was wonderful to have a controller that fully revealed the rest of the system’s capabilities.

Another testament to the SSP-800’s sound quality is its apparent ability to “disappear” in the signal path and reveal differences between recordings, particularly those with high-resolution soundtracks such as the Blu-ray Legends of Jazz Showcase. Although recorded in the same studio, each performance by a different group has its own sonic flavor—a flavor that wasn’t homogenized by the SSP-800. It was on these high-res sources where the SSP-800 really revealed its prowess, with excellent dynamic contrasts, no glare, deep bass extension, and a resolution of fine detail that consistently engaged me.

CONClUSIONThe Classé SSP-800 is a remarkable achievement, combining a comprehensive feature set, outstanding user interface,

advanced technology, and most importantly, category-defining sonic performance. Frankly, I’m surprised that this level of build and sound quality doesn’t cost more. Although it’s difficult to call an $9000 controller a bargain, that’s exactly what the SSP-800 is when you consider that it is fully up to the task of serving as the centerpiece of a demanding high-end two-channel and multichannel playback system.


For example, Classé maintains the highest standard of solder-joint quality, as seen through microscope photographs. You wouldn’t notice these quality differences with the naked eye, but the production engineer explained to me why the solder joints are important to sound quality and long-term reliability. Everyone at the factory seemed to take great personal pride in the products produced.

How the HDMI input signal is handled requires more than “off-the-shelf” solutions to achieve good sound. Many listeners have reported that HDMI connection introduces degradation. Classé did considerable research into this problem and came up with its own way of recovering and decoding the complex HDMI signal (it is transmitted in packets and carries high-res multichannel audio, HD-video copy protection, and other housekeeping data). One of the engineers who worked on this problem (and on many other aspects of the SSP-800) is Alan Clark, the primary author of the great Linn CD12 CD player. Clark is VP of Research and Development and Chief Technical Officer of the B&W Group. Another Classé engineer who contributed greatly to the SSP-800 is Tom Calatayud, who worked at Mark Levinson on such products as the groundbreaking No.30 digital processor and No.40 Media Controller. The user interface was created and written by Classé engineer Richard Katezansky. RH

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MaraNTz aV8003 aNd MM8003 THX ulTra 2-CerTified a/V Pre TuNer aNd 8-CHaNNel PoWer aMPlifierMarantz A/V components consistently

have earned strong ratings in The Perfect Vision, a reflection in roughly

equal parts, of their sound quality, build quality, and ease of use. But even for Marantz, a brand that has already established a strong track record, the new AV8003 A/V controller ($2,600) and MM8003 ($2,400) must be considered very special products—products that, while certainly not cheap, perform at a level that greatly exceeds customer expectations.

Before the AV8003/MM8003 pair was released to production, I had the opportunity to hear the components drive a very expensive set of Snell loudspeakers (Marantz and Snell are sister brands within the performance-minded consortium called D&M Holdings, Inc., which also owns Boston Acoustics, Denon, Escient, and McIntosh Laboratories). What floored me then, and still does now, is the fact that the Marantz A/V separates sounded less like typical A/V receivers and more like serious two-channel high-end audio components—the sonic differences including a subtle increase

Chris Martens


in sonic detail, focus, purity, body, and overall smoothness. Somehow, it seemed to me, Marantz had found a way to straddle the conceptual and sonic gap that so often separates the home theater world from the purist high-end audio world. And that, I believe, is what makes this Marantz pair so appealing.

RECOMMENDED2009

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FEATURES AV8003 A/V Pre Tuner• 7.1-channel A/V pre-tuner with THX Ultra2

certification.• AV8003 can serve as an Ethernet-enabled,

DLNA-compliant Digital Medial Player for audio, photo, and video files (it can access network attached devices, but cannot access the Internet directly).

• Sound processing modes: supports the latest HD audio codecs from Dolby (Dolby TrueHD), DTS (DTS-HD Master Audio), plus THX, Circle Surround, and Marantz’s proprietary M-DAX mode (intended to restore lost dynamics when playing MP3 or other compressed files).

• Two sets of 7.1-channel analog pre-amp outputs—one unbalanced (RCA), one balanced (XLR).

• Balanced (XLR) stereo analog input for use with high end CD and SACD players.

• Ample analog and digital audio/video inputs and outputs (none on the front panel, however).

• HDMI 1.3a: four in, two out.• Anchor Bay video scaling and processing:

10-bit video processing with upscaling to 1080p (but processing applies for SD sources only).

• Chassis is made of copper-plated heavy gauge steel to help minimize electrical noise and problems with physical vibrations.

• Multizone support, with component video output for remote zones.

• Comes with two remotes.

FEATURESmm8003 8-Channel Power Amplifier• 8 x 140Wpc @ 8 ohms with “high current

output.”• Wide bandwidth amplifier with “current

feedback topology” uses “LAPT Hyper Power devices” in a circuit similar to that of Marantz’s Reference Series PM-11S1 stereo amplifier.

• Audio circuits feature WIMA and other select components.

• Power supply is based on a massive toroidal power transformer with custom Marantz-designed storage capacitors.

• Amp features an innovative “slow start”/“soft turn-on” circuit that prevents inrush current problems at start-up.


USER INTERFACE For set-up purposes, the Marantz on-screen user interface is straightforward and relatively easy to use, offering the following options:1. Input Setup2. Spkr Setup3. Surr Setup4. Video Setup5. Preference6. Acoustic EQ7. Network

If you follow the guidelines provided in the well-illustrated manual, you’ll have the AV8003/MM8003 up and running in short order. Obviously, each of the seven Setup selections

above has sub-menus, and the manual does a fairly good job of walking you through those sub-menus to get to the selections you need or want.

The AV8003 is equipped with the Audyssey MultEQ room/speaker EQ system, which I found highly beneficial, though the AV8003’s Pure Direct mode sound is quite smooth and polished, meaning that you may want to opt for no EQ processing at all. In any event, the AV8003 offers five EQ options: AUDYSSEY (Audyssey MultEQ enabled), FRONT (center and surround speaker are equalized to match the voicing of the front speakers), FLAT (all speakers adjusted to produce theoretically flat frequency response), PRESET (applies user-chosen preset EQ adjustments), or OFF (all EQ processing switch off).

REMOTE CONTROlThe AV8003 comes with two remotes: the LCD-screen equipped RC2001 remote (intended for use in your main room) and the RC101 remote (intended for use in a separate zone). My comments here focus on the RC 2001.

Frankly, if you are accustomed to remotes that give you direct, single-button access to input source selection, surround and/or stereo processing modes, channel level trim settings, etc. (examples would include remotes from Integra, Onkyo, Pioneer, Yamaha and others), then the Marantz remote may at first strike you as being downright inscrutable. Here’s why.

The RC2001 provides no direct access buttons for handling anything other than ON/OFF functions, MENU/EXIT functions, and VOLUME +/- controls. Even then, On/Off functions seem confusing since there are three


overviewConsider this amp/controller pair if: you want a superb pair of A/V separates priced competitively with today’s flagship A/V receivers yet that audibly outperform any A/V receiver we’ve heard. Importantly, the AV8003 is an Ethernet-enabled DLNA-compliant media player that can access audio, photo, and video files from network-attached PCs or storage devices. For best results, however, plan on studying the AV8003’s three (!) user manuals.

look further if: you plan on using speakers with impedance ratings below 6 ohms (with lower impedance speakers, the MM8003 amp manual advises, overheating may occur). Also look further if you are what oenophiles might call a “label drinker” and therefore feel the Marantz pair is not, well, exotic enough for you. But note: you could drop a bundle on ostensibly “higher-end” components, yet wind up with much less performance than this Marantz combo offers.

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power buttons: ON, OFF, and ON/OFF (good luck figuring that one out). All other functions and controls must be selected/operated through generic, context-sensitive buttons that relate to various menu options displayed on a tiny (1.125-inch x 1.875-inch), relatively low-contrast LCD screen. Happily, there is a backlight switch for the screen, though the light goes dark within 5 seconds after being turned on.

You know you’re in for a rough ride when the manual, in discussing something as basic as choosing input sources, tells you the remote control offers “…three ways to select DVD.” Do we really need three ways to select inputs? Wouldn’t one be enough? The good news is that the RC2001 remote is remarkably flexible and powerful—once you get used to it. But the bad news is that it takes a lot of practice and concerted manual reading before the remote starts to feel anything like an intuitive control.

There are, for example, nine (count ’em) separate levels of menu screens (labeled 001–009) that are used to describe the AV8003’s core functions, and many of the options found on those nine menu levels have elaborate sub-menus of their own. Control freaks will probably adore the RC2001 remote, but my guess is that normal mortals will find it frustratingly and/or maddeningly difficult to master. This is a real shame, since in principle the 8003 pair could and should be a simple delight to use.

vIdEO PERFORMANCEI tried several comparisons between the Marantz’s Anchor Bay scaler/processor vs. the built-in scalers in several of the DVD players

I had on hand and generally found that the Anchor Bay unit gave superior results in terms of creating a sharper and yet still film-like image. That said, however, I did not think the Marantz processor performed quite as well as

the Sigma Designs VXP processor found in the Anthem Statement D2c controller The Perfect Vision lab uses as its reference (in fairness, however, the Anthem controller costs more than the Marantz A/V pre tuner and amp, combined).


specs/pricingmarantz AV8003 multichannel Controller with THX Ultra-2 certificationDecoding formats: Dolby TrueHD, Digital Plus and EX, Pro Logic IIx, Virtual Speaker, and Headphone; DTS-HD Master Audio and –HD High Resolutions Audio, ES, 96/24, Discrete and Matrix 6.1, and Neo:6; THX Ultra 2; SRS Circle Surround II, DSD (SACD bitstream) via HDMI; THX Neural Surround for XM satellite radio; HDCD; and Marantz proprietary M-DAX mode for use with compressed audio formats. The AV8003 is also equipped with the Audyssey MultEQ room/speaker EQ system.Video Inputs/Outputs: HDMI (four in, two out), component video (four in, two out), S-Video (four in, three out), composite video (four in, four out), network (RJ-45 connector)Audio Inputs/Outputs: 7.1-channel analog (one in—unbalanced, two out—one unbalanced, one balanced), stereo analog (seven in—six unbalanced, one balanced; four out), digital audio (six in—three coax and three optical; two out—one coax and one optical), network (RJ-45 connector), tuner (AM/FM/HD antenna inputs, XM- and Sirius satellite radio ready, headphone (one out). Other inputs/outputs: RS-232C (one for external control), DC triggers (two out), flasher (one in), IR receiver (one in), IR emitters (two out), and D-Bus Remote RC-5

connections (two in/out pairs, one form main zone, one for external zone).Dimensions (HxWxD): 7.31” x 17.31” x 15.19”Weight: 25.6 lb.Warranty: Three years, parts and labor

Price: $2,600

marantz mm8003 8-Channel Power AmplifierPower output: 140Wpc @ 8 ohms, 170Wpc @ 6 ohmsNumber and type of audio inputs: analog audio (8 unbalanced, 8 balanced—switch selectable on a channel-by-channel basis).Other inputs/outputs: DC triggers (one in, one out), flasher (one in), and D-Bus Remote RC-5 connections (one in/out pair)Dimensions (HxWxD): 7.31” x 17.38” x 15.13”Weight: 39.5 lb.Warranty: Three years, parts and labor

Price: $2,400

marantz America, Inc.(201) 762-6500www.marantz.com

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www.marantz.com



One interesting touch that videophiles will appreciate is that the AV8003 provides a “THROUGH” setting that allows users to turn off all video processing and to pass incoming signals straight through the A/V pre tuner. This setting could be useful A) if you happen to own a player with an exceptionally good onboard processor of its own, or B) if you want to use a high-end outboard scaler without any intervention from the Marantz.

SONIC CHARACTERIf your frame of reference is the sound of typical A/V receivers—even quite good ones—then the sound of the Marantz AV8003/MM8003 will come as something of a revelation.

As mentioned above, this means that, relative to even the best AVRs, you’ll hear finer levels of detail, a quality of sharper focus, and greater purity of instrumental and vocal timbres—all presented with effortless power

and smoothness. Those last two qualities are particularly important because they give the Marantz pair an overarching quality of ease and athletic grace—you never sense that the components are working hard or struggling to keep up with large scale dynamic swings in soundtracks or music.

Some home theater and high-end audio components that are highly detailed tend to wear their heightened levels of resolution “on their sleeves,” so to speak, but these Marantz components are not among them. Instead, the Marantz pair pulls off what I regard as one of the toughest tricks in all of high-end audio: namely, the ability to present gobs of low-level sonic details in a natural, “organic,” and almost self-effacing manner. All of the sonic information and subtle cues are just there before you, yet without drawing particular attention to them selves (in much the same way that natural sounds occur in real life).

What is more, and unlike components that

achieve a sense of resolution and detail at the expense of sounding somewhat lightly balanced, the Marantz offers an elusive quality of sonic richness, replete with plenty of well-controlled bass power, which gives the Marantz components a full-bodied quality that few if any A/V receivers that I’ve heard can match.

Although it is only an intuition at this point, my educated guess is that the AV8003 is the more special of the two components in this Marantz pair. Time permitting, then, I will at some future point try to test the AV8003 with other high-end multichannel amps to see if even greater performance potential can be realized.

MOvIE/SOUNdTRACk PERFORMANCEThough it may seem a bit of a hackneyed expression at this point, it was literally true that the Marantz components revealed new aspects in what I thought were familiar soundtracks. At the request of a guest listener, I put on I, Robot and during the “The Interrogation” chapter began noticing subtleties that had escaped my attention before. The chapter opens with Detective Spooner (Will Smith) winning permission from his lieutenant to do a five-minute interrogation of the captured robot Sonny. Spooner winks at his superior officer to indicate his thanks, and Sonny picks up on the then new-to-him gesture, zooming in—with the crisp ratcheting sound of a motor-drive equipped camera—to capture an image of the wink for future analysis.

As Spooner enters the room and begins questioning the robot, Sonny asks about the meaning of the wink, mimicking it for Spooner, and when he does so we hear the faint, almost


user interface user interface, A/V pre tuner sound quality, film sound quality, music value

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RATINGS(relative to comparably-priced A/v separates)

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subliminal whirring of the actuator mechanisms that control Sonny’s facial surfaces. It’s downright unnerving to see the robot recreate a uniquely human expression, while whirring sounds remind us that Sonny is, after all, only a machine. As the interrogation progresses, we learn that Sonny has been programmed to experience emotions and that he even has dreams. Thus, when Spooner accuses the robot of “murdering” Dr. Lanning it comes as no surprise that Sonny’s voice takes on an increasingly agitated, almost human edge as repeats his denials: “I did not murder him.”

As emotional tension builds, the whirring of Sonny’s facial actuators becomes more and more pronounced until the robot’s face suddenly contorts with a mixture of grief and rage and he shouts, “I DID NOT MURDER HIM!!” The utterance is punctuated with the violent “clang” of Sonny slamming his mechanical fists down with such force that he puts two dents in the metal tabletop surface. Spooner presses on, telling Sonny, whom Spooner calls “Canner” (as in can-opener), that he has just experienced the emotion called “anger,” and asks if he has ever simulated it before. The robot replies, in a profoundly weary and sad tone of voice, “My name is Sonny…” Almost immediately, the soundtrack introduces an ominous and very low-pitched effect that grows progressively louder, suggesting that a very dark turn of events is about to unfold (which is indeed the case).

My point is that every single aspect of this chapter is illuminated or illustrated with sounds—some so subtle that they are barely audible, others so loud and violent that they’ll

make you startle in your seat. Either way, the Marantz electronics bring you all of them with compelling—yet never heavy-handed—power and clarity.

MUSIC PERFORMANCE If you are interested in components in this general price class, then it is probably a safe bet to say that you are pursuing a heightened sense of musical realism, and the Marantz combo does not disappoint. I put on an old surround sound favorite, the late Babatunde Olatunji’s aptly named Circle of Drums [Chesky, Multichannel SACD], and was floored by the holographic presentation the Marantz electronics elicited from The Perfect Vision reference system. A particularly impressive track was “Incantations,” where the listener will find him or herself seated at the center of a powerful, yet intimate drum conversation taking place between master percussionists arranged in a circle.

Several key factors come into play. First, the Marantz rig offers sufficient power to handle even the largest and most deeply pitched drums, plus enough detail and timbral purity to differentiate each instrument (even in cases where several drums might be quite close in pitch). Second, the Marantz combo offers excellent transient speed and realistic dynamics, so that it captures the individualized attack and decay characteristics of each drum as well the signature playing style of each percussionist. Some drummers, for example, strike drumheads with their fingertips, producing a deep, penetrating “thomp,” while others play more with the flats of their hands, creating a sharp, dry “thwap.” Either way, the 8003-series components faithfully render the variety of playing styles down to the smallest details. Finally, the Marantz pair does a phenomenal job at reproducing spatial and imaging cues, so that you can tell where within the drum circle a given percussionist is seated

and how far away he is.I invited many guest listeners in to

hear the Marantz electronics in action on the “Incantations” track, and all of them commented favorably on how gripping and realistic the surround imaging was. In fact, I had a lot of fun watching from the back of the room as listeners’ heads swiveled involuntarily to look toward the sonic images of drummers positioned far off to the left or right side of the room. Such is the sheer musical realism of which the Marantz components are capable.

BOTTOM lINE: If you have been entertaining the idea of buying a flagship-grade A/V receiver, then you really owe it to yourself to consider Marantz’s AV8003 A/V pre tuner and MM8003 8-channel power amp as an alternative. The reasons are simple: the Marantz pair offers A) sound quality superior to any AVR I’ve heard, and B) network media player options that offer an impressive degree of “future proofing.” Then, there’s the matter of value. At $5,000, this combination isn’t cheap, but I’ve never heard anything less expensive that even comes close in terms of performance, which makes the Marantz combo a very good deal in my book. Now if they could just come up with an easier-to-use remote control…


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An Important Note for The Perfect Vision Readers: As with many of my articles, this is an exploration of how

sound systems work and how we perceive sound as much as it is a review of the components at hand. I have for some time been interested in preamps, and specifically multichannel preamps. The reasons for this interest arise from some basic questions.

For about a decade I have assumed that the ideal music playback system would be multichannel. I figured that multichannel music would become a mainstream option. I also figured that a lot of us would want to use our music systems for movie playback (with a sizeable investment in multichannel audio for music I had no interest in spending more for a separate home theater rig). Because of the limited availability of multichannel music, this vision isn’t exactly happening, though of course some people still respond to the economic argument. And classical fans do have a good choice of multichannel SACDs. This review will tackle several key questions.

ParaSouNd P7 MulTiCHaNNel PreaMP & MaraNTz aV8003 a/V Pre-TuNer Tom Martin


overviewParasound Halo P 7

Consider this multichannel preamplifier if: you want a multichannel version of a traditional stereo preamplifier (that is, a preamp with an all-analog signal path), and your musical priorities tilt toward delicacy and nuance.look elsewhere if: you need full home theater surround sound decoding features, onboard video switching/processing features, etc.

overviewmarantz AV8003

Consider this A/V Pre-Tuner if: you want a full-function A/V processor whose preamp section easily competes with traditional two-channel audio preamps at or above its price.look elsewhere if: the complexities of full-fledged home theater processors and remotes annoy and/or confuse you.

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Question 1: If you take multichannel sources seriously, are there good multichannel preamps available as judged by traditional two-channel audio standards?

The other element of my fascination with preamps comes from my sense that the preamp is a very simple device that shouldn’t make much difference. Or, said differently, it should be pretty easy to design a nearly perfect preamp and thus they should be readily available at affordable prices. Problem is, my experience is that preamps matter quite a bit and unfortunately the best examples are expensive. Hence, a second question.

Question 2: Do preamps really differ meaningfully from each other, and if so how?

To address both questions above, I decided to review and compare two very good but conceptually dissimilar multichannel “front end” components. I gathered up the Parasound Halo P7 multichannel preamplifier, because Parasound Halo-series components enjoy a great reputation for delivering good sound at reasonable prices ($1999 in this case). I also obtained a Marantz AV8003 multichannel A/V controller because I wanted to see whether a full-on digital processor could play in direct comparison with some serious high-end audio big boys. I chose the Marantz because it pays attention to audio matters yet doesn’t break the bank at $2599.

For comparison purposes I also brought along two very highly regarded, purist two-channel preamps that I own: the mbl 6010D ($23,800) and the Audio Research LS26 ($5999). I conducted most of my listening in two-channel mode because I wanted

to understand where, if anywhere, the multichannel gear gave ground to premium two-channel gear.

FEATURES, PARASOUNd HAlO P7• Subwoofer output with analog bass

management• Theater bypass mode to connect a digital

surround receiver• 2 sets of multichannel (7.1) inputs for

surround sound movies & music • 7 Stereo inputs; 1 balanced XLR input; 1

MM/MC phono input • 7.1 channel balanced XLR outputs and

unbalanced RCA outputs • Custom input naming • Source input level matching • Defeatable tone controls • Note: The Parasound Halo P7 is an analog

audio-only preamplifier. As such, it does not provide onboard DACs, surround sound decoders, or video processors of any kind. Instead, it is targeted primarily toward purist multichannel audio enthusiasts.

FEATURES, MARANTz Av8003• 7.1-channel A/V pre-tuner with THX Ultra2

certification• AV8003 can serve as an Ethernet-enabled,

DLNA-compliant Digital Medial Player for audio, photo and video files (it can access network attached devices, but cannot access the Internet directly).

• Sound processing modes: supports the latest HD audio codecs from Dolby (Dolby TrueHD), DTS (DTS-HD Master Audio), plus THX, Circle Surround, and Marantz’s


specs/pricingParasound Halo P 7 multichannel preamplifierInputs: 2 sets of multichannel (7.1-channel) analog audio inputs, 7 stereo analog audio inputs (six single-ended RCS, one balanced XLR), 1 MM/MC phono input, 1 front-panel input jack for portable MP3 playerOutputs: 2 sets of 7.1-channel analog audio outputs (1 set single-ended RCA, 1 set balanced XLR), subwoofer output with analog bass management, high quality headphone output Other controls: Serial port for RS-232 control, rear panel IR input jack, 3 different 12v trigger outputsDimensions (H x W x D): 4.125” x 17.25” x 13.75”Weight: 13.5 lbs.Warranty: 5 years, parts and labor

Price: $2000

marantz AV8003 THX Ultra2-certified A/V pre-tunerDecoding/sound processing formats: Dolby TrueHD, Digital Plus and EX, Pro Logic IIx, Virtual Speaker, and Headphone; DTS-HD Master Audio and –HD High Resolutions Audio, ES, 96/24, Discrete and Matrix 6.1, and Neo:6; THX Ultra 2; SRS Circle Surround II, DSD (SACD bitstream) via HDMI; THX Neural Surround for XM satellite radio; HDCD; and Marantz proprietary M-DAX mode for use with compressed audio formats. The AV8003 is also equipped with the Audyssey MultEQ room/speaker EQ system.

Video Inputs/Outputs: HDMI (four in, two out), component video (four in, two out), S-Video (four in, three out), composite video (four in, four out), network (RJ-45 connector)Audio Inputs/Outputs: 7.1-channel analog (one in—unbalanced, two out—one unbalanced, one balanced), stereo analog (seven in—six unbalanced, one balanced; four out), digital audio (six in—three coax and three optical; two out—one coax and one optical), network (RJ-45 connector), tuner (AM/FM/HD antenna inputs, XM- and Sirius satellite radio ready, headphone (one out). Other inputs/outputs: RS-232C (one for external control), DC triggers (two out), flasher (one in), IR receiver (one in), IR emitters (two out), and D-Bus Remote RC-5 connections (two in/out pairs, one form main zone, one for external zone).Dimensions (H x W x D): 7.31” x 17.31” x 15.19”Weight: 25.6 lbs.Warranty: Three years, parts and labor

Price: $2600

Parasound Products, Inc. (415) 397-7100www.parasound.com

marantz America, Inc. (201) 762-6500 www.marantz.com

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proprietary M-DAX mode (intended to restore lost dynamics when playing MP3, or other compressed files).

• Two sets of 7.1-channel analog pre-amp outputs—one set unbalanced (RCA), one set balanced (XLR).

• Balanced (XLR) stereo analog input for use with high end CD or SACD player.

• Tuner: AM/FM/HD radio is standard, and AV8003 is both XM and Sirius satellite radio-ready.

• Ample analog and digital audio/video inputs and outputs (none on the front panel, however).

• HDMI 1.3A: four in, two out.• Anchor Bay video scaling and processing:

10-bit video processing with upscaling to 1080p (but processing applies for SD sources only).


• Multizone support, with component video output for remote zones.

• Comes with two remotes.

lISTENING EvAlUATIONS, SONIC CHARACTERAlmost every test I’ve done offers up some surprises, and this one was no different. The first thing that confronted me was the similarity in sound between all four preamps. Since I’ve often had a strong preference for one preamp over another when doing testing, this similarity surprised me. Of course, each reviewer has a methodology, and I know I tend to look for tonal balance issues first. Maybe it isn’t too surprising

that preamps, with their tendency to deliver superb measurements (flat frequency response, high channel separation, low noise, etc.), sound similar in this regard.

My next surprise, with more listening time, was how much the Parasound Halo P7 sounded like the superb conrad-johnson ART stereo preamp ($15,995 - discontinued) that I had on test last year. The P7 has a “golden” treble sound that I simply find beguiling. Treble sounds clear yet not etched or grainy. The decay of notes is well preserved, which is critical for soundstaging (space is recreated with very low level sounds). Bass is also very well produced, with impact and definition that rival any of the other preamps here. My listening notes refer to this as a “deserted island sound” meaning that it seems just the tiniest shade off

of perfectly neutral, but in a way that lets the music shine through. You’d choose this kind of sound, I think, if you were living on a deserted island and had to choose your last preamp.

Impressed as I was with the Parasound Halo, I found the Marantz moved one step farther toward neutrality, with a bit more definition in the treble, though it sacrifices the Parasound’s enchanting musicality. Some of that feeling of neutrality also may come from the very slightly lighter bass presentation of the Marantz. It would be hard to prove which is right, but in any event, we’re talking about very small differences. And we’re talking about very good performance.

But the real shocker for me came when I pitted the Marantz against the mbl 6010D. Try as I might, I really couldn’t reliably say what the difference was. With the 6010D, trying multiple discs, about all I could say was that the mbl sounded a little more stable–in the sense that subliminal noise and distortion modulated the music less on the mbl. Another way of putting this is to say that the Marantz had the sense of a miniscule low frequency grain when compared to the mbl. This is a very subtle effect.

At this point in my listening tests, I remembered some experiences I had last year when reviewing a group of CD players for our sister magazine, The Absolute Sound. At the time, differences between players would often seemed non-existent until I found a certain section of a certain disc that could expose and highlight performance differences, suddenly making them seem night/day obvious. One of the important things about testing equipment


treble mids bass soundstaging dynamics resolution value

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RATINGS Parasound Halo P 7(relative to comparably priced analog multichannel preamps)

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is that you have to remember certain rules. One of them is that “the object under test can’t show a behavior unless there is a stimulus than triggers that behavior.” An obvious example is that of a speaker without significant output from 20-40Hz. You can’t expect to observe that particular weakness until you play music that you know has instruments that are playing down in the 20-40Hz range.

As I explored the capabilities of the Parasound Halo and Marantz, I decided to use some of the same difficult test material I had found helpful (and revealing) in my CD player reviews. Often this is material with repeated or high-level treble transients (female voice, cymbals, other metallic percussion).

With these CDs the Parasound occasionally emphasized the leading edge of treble sounds. You might say the P7 sounded a little brighter than neutral, but really the overall treble level didn’t rise. Instead, only the first part of “S” sounds and the initial “ping” of cymbals being struck was emphasized. In contrast, the mbl, Audio Research, and the Marantz all tended to sound as detailed as the P7, yet somewhat smoother, when reproducing these same sounds.

Are these slightly accentuated transient edges right or wrong? That’s harder to say. First we should note that these emphasized transients aren’t what you hear with live acoustic music. So, in some sense, this behavior isn’t what we want. But, it may not be the fault of the equipment under test. It could, for example, be on the recordings. Or, these transient anomalies could be caused by the DAC in my reference disc player

(primarily an EMM Labs CDSA). And so on. Returning to the Marantz on the same test

material, I got basically the same result with it as I did with the mbl, which is remarkable considering the price disparity between the products. Again, the differences were essentially inaudible, to me at least. My colleagues at The Perfect Vision and The Absolute Sound have sometimes heard

things that I didn’t notice immediately (and vice versa), so I wouldn’t take it to the bank that this $2600 A/V controller is basically the equal of a more or less handmade $24,000 preamp from Germany. But I would say for many of us that it is so darn close on the kind of material I used that the differences are meaningless (the paragraphs above should issue a further cautionary note about the importance of

specific test material). And almost no one would view the value issue as debatable.

Now I need to bring up the troubling tale of the Audio Research LS26. The trouble is that it doesn’t sound like the mbl or the Marantz. The LS26 is troubling because it isn’t obviously flawed or superior; it just sounds different. The tonal balance is similar, the transient handling is similar, and the soundstaging is similar. But I can’t imagine that two groups of experienced listeners would be indifferent if offered their choice of the mbl/Marantz or the Audio Research. Some would pick the former and some the latter.

So, what’s the deal?Well, my best explanation is that the

difference is in the background presented by these products. We tend to listen to the music, just as when looking at a painting we


treble mids bass soundstaging dynamics resolution value

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RATINGS Marantz Av8003(relative to comparably priced multichannel A/v controllers)

www.avguide.com



look at the image. But in reality, a traditional painter has put real effort into selecting canvas or board, then covering it with gesso, then drawing in charcoal, and then painting a verdaccio version. Then what we see as the paint goes on. My point is that we do perceive the background (the underpainting, etc., that the old masters worked so assiduously to perfect). It’s just that we don’t see the background explicitly, but rather experience its effect on a more subliminal level.

I’d say that preamps have backgrounds, too. Describing them is difficult, but the Audio

Research has a background that makes it seem slightly more airy and rich than the mbl or Marantz or the Parasound Halo. These background differences matter a lot to some listeners (myself included), but are precisely the kind of “differences” that are so subtle that, for some listeners, they seem either meaningless or non-existent. Subtlety isn’t automatically meaningless (perhaps the opposite), but by definition it isn’t obvious.

Two (or four) preamps don’t tell us everything we need to know to answer my opening questions. But I would say that the mid-priced preamp market clearly has some surprisingly good offerings. You can certainly get a multichannel preamp that performs very well on music while being affordable in high-end terms. It doesn’t seem likely to me that most people would need to go beyond this level of preamp. Preamps do differ meaningfully, though, so once you have everything dialed-in as well as you can, the issue of sonic backgrounds can become very important. BOTTOM LINE, ParasOuNd HaLO P7:A well-made affordable and luscious-sounding preamp that is close to, but not quite the last word in, treble purity. BOTTOM LINE, MaraNTz aV8003: Viewed simply as a preamp this controller is close to state-of-the-art; considering that you also get a full multi-channel decoder and Audyssey processor it is almost ideal for a mixed music and theater system.


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Documents

Guide to AVRs, Controllers & Amps