Test Report: Integra DHC-9.9 A/V controller Page 2

Lest you get the idea that this Integra pre/pro is somehow video-centric, I found plenty of aural goodness as well. Multichannel SACD listening using the DHC-9.9 was a pure, high-end sonic experience, packed with the open, dramatically silent acoustic space and stirring dynamic contrasts that a recording such as Telarc's Music of Alan Hovhaness demands.

And then there were all those "extras." It's impossible to compare Audyssey Dynamic EQ and THX Loudness Plus directly, since the latter is only available for the THX listening modes (Cinema, Music, Game) with their attendant other enhancements, which themselves defeat the Audyssey process. Nonetheless, I can say that in my system, Audyssey's loudness processing was more dramatic at very low late-night listening levels; THX's processing had a lighter, more musical touch at medium-soft volumes; and both Audyssey and THX performed about the same at around -10-dB reference level. (Since Audyssey's Dynamic EQ is calibrated to actual in-room levels at setup and THX Loudness Plus isn't, this point will differ in every system depending on amplifier gain-structure and speaker sensitivities.)

Dynamic Volume, the remaining Audyssey mode, can only be engaged "on top of" Dynamic EQ and MultEQ. For casual TV viewing, it's a treasure, clearly taming the burst-through commercials (which are compressed to deliver average levels as much as 10 dB higher than regular programming) and the 6-dB level differences among cable and broadcast channels. But it doesn't do so without cost. I found that Dynamic Volume increased the degree and incidence of audible "pumping," which I had only heard at very low master-volume settings with Dynamic EQ alone.

ERGONOMICS

Unavoidably, the DHC-9.9 is like any modern A/V pre/pro or receiver: complicated. But Integra has done a good job of managing the complexity, and I found the unit eminently usable even without recourse to the manual.

One gripe of mine has to do with the Integra's dual HDMI monitor outputs. Only one can be active at a time, and switching between them requires a trip to the setup menus, a potential annoyance to anyone who would route these to a projector and a direct-view TV with about equal frequency. (An HDMI-output select key on the remote would have been nice.) It's also a shame that there's no fast-displaying, transparent pop-up screen to detail basic parameters like input/output signal formats, current volume, and surround settings.

The supplied RC-691M pre-programmed learning remote is a fairly old yet very capable design, despite its button density. But it was easy for me to maneuver since I've used versions of the same handset with at least a half-dozen earlier Integra and Onkyo test subjects.

BOTTOM LINE

Clearly, Integra's DHC-9.9 is one highly capable A/V control center, although it's still not my blue heaven of a preamp/processor. Unlike several pricier competitors (both Audyssey-based and otherwise), it doesn't store multiple setup calibrations and EQ curves. It wouldn't let me tweak auto-EQ curves or view the results graphically onscreen. It lacks the "instant-up/down" high-def graphical interface increasingly found among top pre/pro and receiver models. Finally, it doesn't accept streaming audio or video from a PC or hard-disk server - the Ethernet jack is meant for connecting advanced third-party system controllers.

From a value perspective, though, the DHC-9.9 stands alone. It delivers truly outstanding audio and video performance, and it has a thoroughly usable interface, a valuable feature set, and a price that's far better than fair. The only other things I could ask for would be the aforementioned streaming capability and eight channels of on-board amplifier power. (Screw the balanced-XLR outputs.) All of these things can be found in Integra's $2,600 DTR-9.9 A/V receiver, which is otherwise, as best I can determine, substantially the same as the DHC-9.9.

Heads, you win; tails, you win - definitely a tough call.

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