INTEGRA DHC-80.3 Surround Processor

I have the Integra DHC-40.2 which is very similar to the 80.x (minus balanced pre-out connectors and less channels). User features and flexibility is very good. Sound and video quality is also excellent. Mine is a recent purchase so I am still learning. The best feature is certainly Audyssey MultiEQ. I was not sure when I first read about it but now that I have calibrated my room with MultiEQ it is amazing. I can always switch to 2 channels of "untouched" source material from my Oppo BDP-93. For everything else, especially movies MultiEQ is always in use.

Hi Kal, do you feel that your highend choices match or beat the current hi value products in picture quality, flexibility etc or is it mainly audio quality that seperates them from hi value for money Onkyo,Denon etc. One can't help but get the impression that these "smaller" companies just don't have economies of scale that say Onkyo has and therefore one has to pay substantially more for the same technology in these high end products.
Thanks

Looks's like I'm in the right thread. I have money down and I plan on ordering the AV 7005 tomorrow morning but I'm having second thoughts about the 80.3. It will cost me about $700 more than the 7005, is it WORTH IT? I am big into 2ch listening and use my rig about 50/50 music to movie surround sound stuff. Any feedback would be appreciated.

There is a bigger feature list for the "hi value for money" prepros than there is for most (but not all) of the high-end prepros but the fundamental sound quality is not as good.

OTOH, one does pay a big price for this in $$ and in loss of features. Whether it is worth it is a very individual choice.

I am very happy with the Integra 80.2 which I just re-installed in my CT system today.

Kal

I can safely say that buying dearer components does not always equate to better sound. I have had some very high end components and receivers over the years including the beautiful Arcam AVR600, which I still own. In my opinion, the biggest improvement one can make to their experience in sound quality is room treatment and/or correction. That is why for me the Audyssey XT32 enabled Integra had me pull out my AVR600 and utilise my multichannel power amp (NAD M25)and DHC 80.3. I run two SVS Ultras. The Audyssey XT32 bass management is head and shoulders above the bass management of the Arcam. I sold my ASEQ1 so I wanted excellent bass management. The Integra delivers in spades. Quite simply the audio is outstanding. I strongly believe that an excellent set up will perform just as well in 2 channel as it does in multichannel. If it does not, then it is not the right way to go.

Regards,

M