AV Receiver Reviews

The latter characteristic held true throughout the soundtrack demos, as well, where editorialization is more difficult to identify but probably no less distracting to those who favor movies over music. I got all seven channels blazing with our EX-encoded version of the Star Wars: Episode 1—The Phantom Menace laserdisc—the logistics for which, by the way, were made much easier by the onboard RF demodulator (still think this is superfluous on a modern receiver?). A soundtrack rife with sonic effects being played back in five discrete channels and one (or two) matrixed channels can certainly tax a processor's management capabilities, and the DTR-9.1 really left nothing to be desired in this respect. For kicks, I A/B-tested the Integra against an EX-enabled Lexicon MC-1 (the best pre/pro on the market for the money, in my opinion) running off Krell's flagship multichannel amp, the KAV-1500. Far be it from me to defend receivers against separates, but the truth is the truth, and—with this speaker system—the difference between the two setups was relatively minor. Sure, there were times when the Integra's amp stages didn't keep up with the 300-watts-and-14-transistors-per-channel Krell. If you were to put these setups on a cost-no-object speaker system, the performance gap would undoubtedly widen. However, the bottom line is that, with the speaker systems most likely to be paired with the Integra, this receiver can offer soundtrack performance close to what some of the best stuff on the market can do—and that's saying something.

The soundtrack demo continued with the usual suspects—the movies I've referenced a thousand times over by now (hey, I stick with what works). The dynamic exchanges of Saving Private Ryan, Armageddon, and The World Is Not Enough displayed the same type of demeanor I'd experienced with the music tracks—efficient, accurate, engaging, and punchy. I reined in the powered subs of the Phase Tech front speakers and added a couple of independent powered units for additional acoustic fireworks, which the DTR-9.1 regulated quite nicely. The soundstage was again deep and well-layered, something I always like to see from a processor for both music and movies. Here, as with multichannel music, there was a consistently well-defined sense of space that I normally wouldn't expect from a receiver, no matter what it costs. As you hope for (but don't always get) with a more-advanced processor, there is also a good degree of control over various aspects of the soundtrack. You can adjust bass trims, delay times, additional surround and center levels, crossover frequencies, and any number of other tweaks via the intuitive onscreen menus, and you can save them with the memory features. I definitely like the fact that levels can be adjusted in half-decibel steps, an omission I have lamented on many a high-end pre/pro. The end result of all of this should be an output that is more tailored to your individual tastes, which is always a good thing. THX Ultra is, of course, on hand to make sure the soundtrack still sounds somewhat correct even after we've done our meddling.

Naturally, peripherals are first-rate on the DTR-9.1. There's a lot going on with this remote—but hey, there's a lot going on with this receiver, and the controller reflects that quite competently. As always, you'll need to spend some time getting acquainted with the remote and everything it can do; but, after a while, you'll probably agree with me that it's one of the best receiver remotes there is. Thankfully, it's backlit, as well. Obviously, I've had to breeze over many of the secondary features of this unit for the sake of space, but you definitely won't be disappointed in this department—there are plenty of memory features, assignable options, presets, and other personal tweaks to keep you busy. The onscreen menus and owner's manual—both of which are well above par—should make discovering and implementing these features relatively simple. The front-panel readout is easy to make out and offers a significant amount of control features, some of which are hidden by a slick, motorized panel that drops down on command. Dimensions for the DTR-9.1 are 17.13 inches high by 7.69 wide by 17.75 deep, with a weight of 48.5 pounds.

All things considered, Integra's DTR-9.1 is easily one of the best receivers I've ever toyed with. It's rock-solid in every major category—performance, ergonomics, build quality, features, and upgradeability—and doesn't appear to have any major flaws. It's obvious that Integra is serious about developing a niche in the high-end realm, whether it be receivers, separates, or source components. Just about everything I've seen from them so far has lived up to advance billing. This high-end-receiver war is still a long way from over, and I'm not quite ready to back one pony just yet. Still, as a fellow who has spent far too much of his life at sports books, horse-racing tracks, and casino tables, I can tell you this: Don't bet against the DTR-9.1. It's definitely for real.

Highlights

• Top-shelf performance with movies and music

• Stacked with features and considerably upgradeable

• High-end bonuses like high-bandwidth component video switching and 24/192 DACs