For most people, flagship A/V receivers costing $4,000 to $6,000 are just too much: too much size, weight, complexity, and, for sure, money. But the cheapest models are too limited in connections and, more often than not, too flimsy. The result? Many enthusiasts find the receiver that's j-u-u-s-t right in that $1,000-$1,500 range: one with lots of power, all the most important features, and, usually, some premium looks, fit, and finish.
The three mid-price A/V receivers assembled here list at $1,300 to $1,400 and street for less. Each promises more than 100 watts to seven channels, the latest 7.1 surround-sound processing, and automatic speaker calibration and equalization. And all three also proffer a pair of switchable HDMI digital inputs (and an HDMI output) for making pristine digital video connections to HDMI or DVI-equipped sources such as a high-def digital cable box. Additionally, they all accept XM Satellite Radio's Connect & Play option, a $50 antenna/tuner add-on that ices the cake with fully integrated XM-ability.
Setting up any A/V receiver is far from simple these days, even with an auto-setup routine, but none in this group presented any real problems. The same can't be said for my Comcast high-def cable box, a Motorola model whose HDMI output wouldn't play nice with any of the three units.
The box correctly recognized each of the receivers as an HDMI "repeater" that sits between it and the TV, transparently passing along the video signal. But Motorola's current software "does not support HDMI repeater," an onscreen message reminded me. So, for test purposes I settled for analog component-video from the cable box to the receiver and a digital HDMI connection from my Panasonic upscaling DVD player, whose HDMI signals the receivers switched perfectly.
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What We Think
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| Denon AVR-3806 | Integra DTR-7.6 | Yamaha RX-V2600 |
| A superb performer with impressive power, but its awkward remote was a handicap. | Fine performance from a pleasingly simple design, though it lacked the high-power grunt of its competition. | An outstanding all-around receiver with top-drawer surround modes and the best video flexibility in this lot. |
Denon AVR-3806
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The Short Form
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| $1,000 ($1,300 LIST) / 17.1 x 6.8 x 16.9 IN / 38.6 LBS / usa.denon.com / 973-396-0810 |
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Plus
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| •Strong power and superb audio performance •Converts analog video to HDMI •Impressive auto-EQ feature |
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Minus
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| •Difficult-to-use remote •Does not upscale 480i video for HDMI output •Slow response when calling up or releasing onscreen menus |
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Key Features
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| •120 watts x 7 channels •2 HDMI inputs •Upconverts composite, S-video and component video sources for output via HDMI •Auto-speaker calibration and auto-EQ •XM Satellite Radio-ready •3-zone multizone playback •Back-surround speaker channels reassignable for Zone 2/3, B-Speaker outputs, or front channel bi-amp •7-device preprogrammed/learning universal remote with macros |
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Test Bench
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| Denon's AVR-3806 aced every bench test I ran, with lots of power, near-perfect noise and linearity, and unusually good performance on our 24-bit/96 kHz PCM tests. 5- and 6-channel power were also particularly impressive, measuring 108 watts for each channel before clipping. Full Lab Results |
The AVR-3806's auto-equalization circuit, licensed from Audyssey, is the most sophisticated of this trio. The corrections it dialed in were immediately audible as less zingy and slightly less honky than my speakers' sound unprocessed.
The Denon converts incoming composite-video, S-video, and component-video signals to HDMI digital video so you can run just one cable between the receiver and TV. But it doesn't rescale the video, so you only get 480i to the TV from sources such as a typical analog cable box or VCR. This probably won't be a big deal unless your TV is one of those whose HDMI or DVI input doesn't recognize 480i signals. In that case, you'll be forced to run an additional component-video (or lesser quality) cable to your TV, then switch the TV input to view 480i sources. Another quibble: There seemed to be an inordinate delay in "releasing" the display when switching in and out of onscreen menus.
MUSIC PERFORMANCE It's hard to fault the Denon AVR-3806's sonics. Stereo music converted to multichannel by its basic Dolby Pro Logic IIx and DTS Neo:6 Music settings sounded great, and if forced to make a pick, I'd probably give this receiver the nod, by a hairsbreadth, for best multichannel sound quality among this trio. Denon's home-brew music-DSP modes, which include Super Stadium and Rock Concert, proved largely too reverb-drenched and processed, but performance from Dolby Digital, DTS, and DVD-Audio or SACD sources was uniformly impressive.
The Denon's XM Radio functions worked as expected. You can set and select station presets as you would with FM or AM, and audio quality is a function more of the signal on a particular channel than of the receiver. "Quality" channels like Classical 110 sounded quite good: I listened to an entire performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 and was surprisingly pleased by the source's very decent clarity, and by the AVR-3806's natural spaciousness via DPL IIx/Music mode.
MOVIE PERFORMANCE The Denon seemed to have the most dynamic reserves of this group — though real-world differences among these three receivers were pretty minute. The AVR-3806 delivered the DVD of the special-effects blockbuster War of the Worlds at truly awesome levels. And it produced equally impressive dynamic detail and spatial realism: On a PBS/BBC adaptation of Dickens' Bleak House that I TiVo'd, complete with its 5.1-channel Dolby Digital soundtrack, the Denon dramatically communicated the cramped, claustrophobic atmosphere of the maniacal rustlings (and rodent squeakings) as Smallweed rifled through the late Krook's papers. Short version: This Denon will deliver performance to spare for even the most challenging film (or television) soundtrack.
EASE OF USE Denon equips the AVR-3806 with a remote control that combines some two dozen "hard" keys with a rectangular "touchscreen" (actually an icon-imprinted translucent membrane covering an array of microswitches). The buttons on the membrane change legends based on which component you've selected. This seems like a good idea, but it's not — the smooth membrane and close proximity of the tiny button zones make it virtually impossible to control by touch. Fortunately, the main hard keys manage basic receiver functions (volume, input selection, and others). But if, for example, you want to control a DVD player while trying different surround modes, you have to toggle back and forth between the "AMP" and "DVD" remote buttons on the membrane, which proved the hardest to select. Did I like this receiver, bottom to top? Yes I did, and quite a lot. Did I like this remote that Denon got? No I did not, not one little jot.
Integra DTR-7.6
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The Short Form
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| $1,400 / 17.1 x 6.8 x 16.9 IN / 28.9 LBS / integrahometheater.com / 800-225-1946 |
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Plus
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| •Simple, straightforward remote and menu layout •Easy on-the-fly speaker-level adjustments |
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Minus
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| •No analog-HDMI video conversion •No scaling of video |
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Key Features
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| •105 watts x 7 channels •THX Select 2-certified •2 HDMI inputs •Video upconversion to S-video, component-video outputs •Auto-speaker calibration and auto-EQ •XM Satellite Radio-ready •2-zone multizone capability •Back-surround speaker channels reassignable to Zone 2 •Backlit learning remote with macros |
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Test Bench
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| The Integra DTR-7.6 was excellent on most of our technical tests, although prolonged power tests with all channels driven provoked a temporary shutdown at roughly half of full power output. This test puts far greater demands on the receiver than real-world use, and I encountered no problems with actual program material. Despite an owner's manual statement to the contrary, the receiver does perform digital bass management on incoming analog-multichannel signals. Full Lab Results |
Like the other two receivers, the Integra includes an auto-equalization routine, and here, too, the results were surprisingly usable. (In general, these things are improving with each new generation of computing power.) Nonetheless, in my system, at least, "EQ-Off" still sounded the most transparent — though with lesser speakers (and other room acoustics), your own mileage might vary.
Unlike the rival AVR-3806 and RX-V2600, the DTR-7.6 doesn't convert composite video, S-video, or component video to HDMI, which necessitates making both component and HDMI links to your HDTV and switching the TV's input accordingly to accommodate both types of sources. And even though the Integra does convert from S-video or composite to component, there's no scaling at work here, so the 480i signal you'll typically get from a VCR or non-progressive-scan DVD player remains at 480i. Note, also, that the Integra's onscreen displays are not visible via the HDMI output — only by the component video or lesser outputs — which is another reason you'll have to run component to your TV alongside HDMI, and another potential source of annoyance when you have to switch your TV input.
MUSIC PERFORMANCE Integra opted for simplicity on the DTR-7.6, and that's a decision I'm pleased to applaud. The unit offers a handful of proprietary surround modes of the "Orchestra" and "Unplugged" variety that are unusually subtle in their effects (and therefore quite listenable), as well as the full complement of Dolby and DTS options (and their THX variants). This includes my favorite, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, used for deriving multichannel sound from stereo tracks, which produced pleasing clarity and dynamic spaciousness on clean studio material. In common with each of the other two receivers, the Integra showed plenty of power for serious listening, even on live-concert recordings played at nearly lifelike levels — such as a set by the Flaming Lips that I caught in HD on an episode of PBS's in-concert series Austin City Limits.
MOVIE PERFORMANCE The Integra DTR-7.6 displayed ample power to deliver the full Steven Spielberg/John Williams sonic experience from War of the Worlds. Admittedly, when I cranked it to ridiculous volume settings during the movie's really big scenes (Chapter 22, for example), I didn't hear the same crispness and palpable, chest-thumping impact that I got from the Denon and Yamaha models. But I'm no great fan of ridiculous volume anyhow, and the Integra pumped out genuine, in-cinema levels (or anything less) without so much as a hiccup. The DTR-7.6 also offers the new THX/Select2 Cinema surround mode, which I found quite effective at bringing out subtle ambience effects, such as the various soft (and not so soft) dripping and rattling off-screen sounds in the creepy Tim Robbins basement sequence in Chapter 18. (Is it me, or is Tim getting better and better at doing creepy?)EASE OF USE Integra's onscreen menu system for the DTR-7.6 is a clear, text-based layout that I found easy and self-explanatory. (It's also quite quick to respond and to return the screen to the regular video image when canceled.) Integra's remote controller is cut from the same cloth as the onscreen system: It has a lot of keys, but for the most part, they're well laid-out, nicely illuminated, and quite legible. The remote also features an always-available trio of "Channel" and + and – keys, which yield immediate access to channel-level trimming — a real boon to an inveterate twiddler like me. True, the remote's stubby "joystick" controller for left/right/up/down and push-in-for-enter proved to be a little touchy on occasion. However, my technique seemed to improve over time, so I think this would be no problem with a bit more practice. Overall, the Integra DTR-7.6 qualified as the easiest and least intimidating device to use among this group of receivers.
Yamaha RX-V2600
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The Short Form
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| $1,000 ($1,400 LIST) / 17.1 x 6.6 x 17.1 IN / 38.4 LBS / yamaha.com / 800-492-6242 |
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Plus
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| •Converts and scales all video sources to HDMI •Superb proprietary surround modes for music and movies •Straightforward, legible remote |
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Minus
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| •Somewhat complex onscreen menus •No on-the-fly channel-level adjustments |
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Key Features
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| •130 watts x 7 channels + 2 presence channels •THX Select 2-certified •2 HDMI inputs •Video upconversion to S-video, component-video, and HDMI outputs •Video scaling to 480p, 720p, or 1080i from any input to component or HDMI outputs •Auto-speaker calibration and auto-EQ •XM Satellite Radio-ready •3-zone play with audio+video for Zone 2 |
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Test Bench
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| The Yamaha RX-V2600 delivered near-benchmark performance on every test, and set actual benchmarks in my experience for linearity (0 error at –90 dB) and PCM signal-to-noise ratio. Power was impressive for just about any common real-world speaker load, including all-channels power, where it measured more than 100 watts per channel. Full Lab Results |
MUSIC PERFORMANCE For serious music listening, especially naturally recorded material, the Yamaha RX-V2600 shone with this group's best selection of proprietary surround programs for 2-channel music—an established Yamaha trait. By tweaking the Yamaha's "Vienna" setting (one of its HiFi DSP digital-surround offerings), I was able to get sound from a new album of Beethoven string quartets by the Tokyo Quartet that was truly lifelike — occasionally, eerily so. (If it could generate rustling programs, coughing, and an occasional ringtone, the RX-V2600 would have it nailed.) There's a long list of these surround modes for music, movies, and TV, with nary a dog among them. (For the most realistic music-surround, be sure to include Yamaha's front-effects "Presence" channels in your setup. I used a pair of small and inexpensive but accurate bookshelf speakers, located high and to either side of my main-fronts.)
MOVIE PERFORMANCE As with many a previous Yamaha I've tested, I also found the RX-V2600's palette of "extra" surround modes for movies more usable than average, with far less tendency toward clangy reverb or EQ-colored voices than many other A/V receivers. Nonetheless, I still preferred "straight" Dolby Digital EX or Dolby Pro Logic IIx for most listening, as reproducing more closely what the sound-designers and producers (and artists) intended. The Yamaha dispensed plenty of power for even the most demanding sequences from War of the Worlds, a workout for any system.
On the video side of things, the Yamaha RX-V2600 was unique among these three in its ability to upscale any incoming video signal, digital or analog, to the preferred resolution of your HDTV (480p, 720p, or 1080i) and output it via the HDMI or component-video outputs. That proved very valuable. In my system, for example, the receiver took the standard-definition 480p output from my DVD-recorder/TiVo box and scaled it to 720p, yielding two main benefits. First, there was a very minor improvement in picture quality on my native-720p Samsung DLP set, which showed up as a slightly smoother, "quieter" image. Then there was the simplicity and ease of use from having a single HDMI video/audio connection from the receiver to the TV, including full display of the receiver's onscreen menus through the same cable. And this virtue carries to all other video sources, including analog 480i devices such as VCRs.
EASE OF USE Yamaha ships two remotes with the RX-V2600, including a full-system model and a smaller wand for remote zone use. The company's full remote layout has changed comparatively little over the past few model years, probably because it's a good one. I found its handset unfancy, comparatively legible, and easy to use. I had one gripe about the Yamaha's ergonomics, though: There's no easy, quick way to temporarily adjust the individual channel levels. So if, for example, you want to adjust the center channel level to make dialogue more intelligible, or goose up the surrounds a bit, you must thumb several levels deep into the menus. This is mitigated somewhat by six System Memory presets you can customize with surround settings, speaker levels, and other parameters. The first two of these can be recalled via direct remote-control buttons, but calling up any of the other four requires another trip to the menus.
and the winners are ...
If I were in the market to buy a receiver in the $1,000 to $1,500 price range, selecting from among this troika would be a tough task. Each streets within a C-note or two of a thousand bucks, so price doesn't factor in greatly. The Integra DTR-7.6 is the least powerful on the test bench, and the least heavily featured (and frankly, the lightest-duty build quality) of the three. But you know what? In terms of real-world sonics, dynamics, straight-multichannel surround, or video performance, the DTR-7.6 in my system proved nigh-on indistinguishable from the others, and I found its simplicity and ease of use quite winning. This is a fine A/V receiver, and if you're not interested in HDMI upconversion and just want a unit that will deliver excellent sound regardless of what source you feed it and not be a challenge to use every day, you won't be disappointed.
The Denon AVR-3806 would win going away on paper — and for many, in the gear rack, too. Its intrinsic performance was impeccable, and its Audyssey auto-EQ processing is a potential plus in some rooms. But the AVR-3806 was for me hindered by its aggravating remote, a somewhat complex menu-and-features structure, and the lack of video upscaling on its convert-to-HDMI feature. If these two items don't trouble you — say, for example, you don't intend to use HDMI/DVI hookup (or your display's own scaling satisfies you and accepts 480i through its HDMI input) and you already have a pleasing universal remote — then no worries: Move the Denon right up near, or even to, the top.
Still, it is the Yamaha RX-V2600 that gets my palme de silicon among this group — for its stellar surround and superior music-DSP modes, excellent audio quality, good-performing and versatile video-scaling/HDMI conversion, and for its all-around ease of use. It ain't perfect — I've yet to see one of these things that is — but it's an excellent piece of kit that gets the job done with thoughtful design and complete, balanced performance.
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