The
“trickle-down” economics theory didn’t work, but it sure seems to describe what’s
happening in the world of home theater electronics. Take one of the latest multichannel
refinements, those 6.1- and 7.1-channel surround modes that require adding one
(or two) back surround speakers to the standard five-speaker-plus-subwoofer
array. A few short months ago, a powered back surround output was something
you’d find only on high-end receivers costing well north of $1,000. Thanks to
technological trickle-down, however, all three receivers in this comparison,
none selling for more than a kilobuck, have one.
Denon’s AVR-2802 ($799), Pioneer’s VSX-D850S ($685), and Sony’s STR-DB1070 ($1,000) all seem clearly targeted toward real-world home theater shoppers, not those A/V fanatics, God love ’em, who’d rather upgrade their gear than eat. These are receivers for people who are serious about surround sound but also care about other things, like video quality — or the well-being of their cars, homes, and children. Still, it’s a good thing the fanatics exist, because refinements only they could imagine paying big bucks for last year have become available at more reasonable prices this year, and if past trends hold, they’ll appear in still more basic, entry-level gear next year.
All three receivers have many features and functions in common, including similar power ratings, component-video switching, preprogrammed/learning system remote controls, basic multiroom capabilities, and more. Most of those commonalties are left to the “Features and Specs” table on page 52, but a few points are worth highlighting.
It’s interesting to note that all three receivers provide officially sanctioned DTS-ES 6.1-channel decoding for matrixed DTS-ES soundtracks on DVDs — the Denon even decodes DTS-ES Discrete, in which the mono back surround channel is encoded as a discrete signal (as well as being matrixed onto the left/right surround channels for compatibility with DTS-ES Matrix decoders). All three also decode Dolby Digital Surround EX 6.1-channel recordings, but none offers the luxury of an official Dolby/THX license. Instead, they use generic matrix-decoding techniques. While each receiver amplifies only a single back surround output, all three have dual preamp outputs for this channel so you can, if you prefer, drive two speakers with an outboard power amp.
Pioneer
VSX-D850S
The Pioneer VSX-D850S is the most affordable of the three receivers, likely
because little money was spent on fancy features or styling. The chassis is
plain sheet metal, and there’s a relatively unadorned remote control. Nonetheless,
the remote is intelligently laid out, and the understated but attractive front
panel has a fold-down door that conceals everything but two knobs and the power
switch. The simple amber dot-matrix display is readable from across the room
— a good thing since there’s no onscreen menu system.
The receiver has two selectable inputs for component-video sources. The most intriguing back-panel feature, however, is probably the “7.1”-channel analog input. There’s the usual 5.1-channel sextet plus two back surround inputs, which are mixed together and sent to the back surround output.
In terms of ergonomics rather than economics, the VSX-D850S deserves only modest praise, mainly because of its boat-shaped remote, designed to control up to eight additional devices. My beefs are not so much with what it does — all the basics you’d expect from a system remote — but with how it does it. For example, every time you press one of the eight component/input selection keys at the top, you have to press the RCV (receiver) button again before you can control any receiver functions beyond volume adjustment and muting. Conversely, if you simply want to select which component the handset will control without switching receiver inputs, you must perform a byzantine ritual to disable the Direct Function mode.
The remote’s function labels are small, and between that and the color scheme, they’re almost impossible to read in low light, but there’s also no backlighting or even glow-in-the-dark keys. The layout is somewhat peculiar, with the master volume keys in the lower right where they’re hard to operate one-handed. The good news is that a small, eight-character LCD readout helps you keep track of modes and operations, particularly during setup.
To select surround modes, you have to step sequentially through the options, but these are usefully subdivided into two groups accessed by the DSP or DD/DTS keys on both the remote and the front panel. The six DSP (digital signal processing) modes, applicable to two-channel and multichannel sources alike, are mostly of the excessively reverberant type. Dubbed Hall, Dance, and so on, they’ll probably be quickly dismissed by anyone interested in serious surround music listening. The sole exception is Theater 2, which seems to be a sensible application of logic steering to enhance playback of two-channel stereo sources.
The VSX-D850S offers four Advanced Theater modes — Musical, Drama, Action, and 6-D Theater — that also apply DSP effects. Again, most of these have too much synthetic reverb for my tastes. The 6-D Theater mode made multichannel music sound a bit dizzying, but it did spread stereo music interestingly around six channels, especially near its lowest setting.
But I doubt many shoppers will consider the VSX-D850S for its DSP modes. Most will be looking for a flexible, 6.1-channel receiver with all the important facilities, plenty of solid power, and a great price — and the Pioneer certainly delivers those. The receiver’s “straight” stereo or multichannel playback was excellent. Sound was clean and accurate, and it drove my home theater speaker system to satisfying volume levels despite its being about half as powerful as my reference amplifiers.
The VSX-D850S also offers extras like preamp outputs for all channels and all-channels digital noise reduction that can actually improve the listening quality of a truly noisy source, such as a distant FM station or a hissy analog tape. If you’re looking specifically for tasteful DSP modes to subtly enhance stereo and surround-encoded music, you’ll probably have to spend a good deal more. Otherwise, this Pioneer receiver performs its primary functions quite well at a reasonable price.
Denon
AVR-2802
Over the years Denon has consistently taken a no-nonsense approach to receiver
design, and the AVR-2802 is no exception, being light on the frosting and heavy
on the cake. It has six solid amplifier channels and 5.1/6.1-channel decoding
that even includes DTS-ES Discrete. The AVR-2802 also incorporates the intriguing
DTS Neo:6 and Dolby Pro Logic II processing modes, both of which are designed
to let you hear stereo recordings in a convincing simulation of 5.1-channel
surround sound.
The receiver’s front follows the basic layout of numerous recent Denon receivers, with a handful of buttons and just three knobs. You use the lower right knob to scroll through sets of parameters or options selected by the four adjacent pushbuttons — a clean and sensible user interface. The busy display is cramped and thus not as legible as it could be if viewed from any distance. Fortunately, Denon’s onscreen menu system is comprehensive and intuitive, handily filling the gap.
The AVR-2802’s rear panel is very well equipped, with ample analog inputs and outputs for both audio and video signals. Surprisingly, it’s the only one of the three receivers to lack a front-panel input for a camcorder or game console. And, as with the Pioneer and Sony, the digital audio facilities could have been more generous — a single coaxial input and zero coax outputs seems stingy for $800.
Once installed, the AVR-2802 quickly impressed me with its well-balanced, flexible performance. Despite its relatively compact size, it has more than respectable power reserves. Playing a new DVD-Audio disc of Dvorak’s Ninth Symphony (Teldec), the receiver had no difficulty delivering the final movement’s many full-orchestra climaxes with fine dynamic “bite” and impact — along with the delicate, three-dimensional detail, stark dynamic contrasts, and lifelike hall “air” that are the signature of a good DVD-Audio recording.
I tested the receiver’s Dolby Digital decoding with the DVDs of Pay It Forward and other movies and found it to be of an equally high order. While that particular soundtrack is no audio spectacular, having its subtle ambient sounds — like the softly trilling slot-machine bells and buzzers in the casino scenes — reproduced in a balanced, clear, and well-placed manner definitely enhanced the movie’s presentation.
Perhaps the AVR-2802’s most valuable bonus is Dolby Pro Logic II, which I still marvel at six months after first encountering it, and DTS Neo:6. Both are designed to create 5.1-channel playback from stereo or matrix-encoded surround sources. The receiver has five more ambience modes — including the usual Rock Arena and Jazz Club options — plus a Mono Movie setting and a simple matrix-surround mode. But I almost always returned to DPL II, which has distinct Music and Cinema (or Movie) flavors, and occasionally to DTS Neo:6 for studio pop or jazz.
Comparing “straight” playback of the 5.1-channel Dolby Digital soundtrack of Pay It Forward with quasi-5.1 playback using DPL II Cinema processing on the DVD player’s downmixed analog stereo output revealed fewer audible differences than you might expect. For example, the change in the slot-machine ambient sounds when Kevin Spacey enters the casino, while audible, was far less dramatic than the shift from Dolby Digital to original-flavor Pro Logic would be. DPL II Music also sounded consistently outstanding.
I have only mild complaints about the AVR-2802’s ergonomics. The supplied remote control — the same handset Denon has packaged with numerous receivers for a couple of years now — is a bit clunky, and its library of codes for DVD players, VCRs, satellite receivers, and the like is limited to the most popular dozen or so brands, but it gets the job done. Varied key shapes and colors help keep you straight, and the most important buttons glow in the dark to make low-light use easier. But the white-on-silver lettering used for most key labels is a joke even in good lighting.
Bottom line: Other than DPL II and Neo:6, this particular Denon receiver model is not dramatically different from several earlier ones — a good thing, since that means it provides very good amplification and solid surround performance all around. But I consider DPL II processing such a valuable addition to any surround receiver’s standard arsenal that it gives the AVR-2802 a real edge.
Sony
STR-DB1070
Sony rarely does things exactly like its competitors, and the STR-DB1070 digital
surround receiver is no exception. It boasts numerous distinctions, from its
inclusion of two sets of multichannel analog inputs to its bypassing
Dolby Pro Logic II or DTS Neo:6 in favor of a proprietary collection of ambience-processing
modes under the umbrella title of Digital Cinema Sound, or DCS. The full list
of DCS modes is as long as my arm, including no fewer than five that simulate
multichannel sound with just two speakers — or headphones.
All the same, the receiver’s rear panel is more or less conventional except for those dual multichannel inputs. There are only three rear-panel S-video inputs, which may not be enough if you want to switch both component- and S-video signals from several components. (I do this with my DVD player, for instance, using the S-video connection to see the onscreen menus and the component hookup for serious progressive-scan viewing.) Like the other receivers in this group, the STR-DB1070 provides a single coaxial digital audio input. Unlike the others, Sony adds insult to injury with the following note in the owner’s manual: “We recommend making coaxial connections instead of optical connections.” Gee, thanks, guys! (Actually, there’s nothing wrong with either type of hookup as long as you have enough jacks in each flavor to match your source components.)
Sony loaded the STR-DB1070 with several unusual setup options. My hands-down favorite is the bass-crossover adjustment. Not only can you set each channel (or left/ right pair) for “large,” “small,” or no speakers in the usual way, but you can also independently set the bass crossover for any “small” channel to any frequency from 40 to 200 Hz in 10-Hz steps. Cool! (I know some $4,000 preamp/processors that don’t give you this level of control.)
The STR-DB1070 is also endowed with tremendously flexible equalization (tone) controls. You can boost or cut the bass, midrange, and treble independently for the front L/R channel pair and the center channel, bass and treble for the surround L/R pair and the back surround. What’s more, you can adjust the center frequency of each control within a range of several octaves.
Onscreen menus and displays are comparatively elaborate, and informative, but accessing and navigating them is counterintuitive. One remote key turns menus on or off altogether, while another steps through the four possible menus. The remote’s four-way cursor-key set does the actual adjusting. Sony’s manual is on the brusque side. I had no trouble deciphering it in order to set up and extensively customize the receiver, but people who don’t do this every day will likely end up scratching their heads over the more obscure options, such as Digital Power, which lets you set the receiver to automatically shut off unneeded digital circuits when you’re listening to an analog source without digital processing.
A somewhat bizarre setup option lets you create a two-zone system by instructing the receiver to use its center and back surround outputs to drive a remote room’s stereo speakers. That seems to suggest you don’t “need” the center speaker up front — if that’s what Sony means, then I strongly disagree.
However, for people like me, playing with all the setup options may be half the fun — and whatever their contributions, in a conventional configuration the Sony receiver delivered outstanding sound. Its power amps were appropriately transparent for straight-through listening to DVD-Audio discs or Super Audio CDs, and its straight Dolby Digital and DTS decoding was unimpeachable with both 5.1- and 6.1-channel soundtracks.
The STR-DB1070’s palette of DSP modes is easily the most extensive of any receiver I’ve encountered at this price level. The Digital Cinema Sound collection ranges from spread-and-expand modes, like the three multispeaker Cinema Studio variants, to “old fashioned” ambience-enhancement music modes like Opera House, Disco/Club, and so on. These varied in quality and usability, but there’s also an above-average number of user-adjustable parameters.
One of the receiver’s most intriguing DSP modes is Night Theater, which combines fairly severe dynamic-range compression with plenty of reverb and ambience. Fortunately, as in most of the Sony’s DSP modes, the reverb time delay and effect level are user adjustable. By suppressing reverb altogether and the ambience effect to its minimum, I derived something that made even wildly dynamic symphonic music pretty listenable at whisper-soft levels — in my book that’s a very useful, if not often heralded, application of modern digital signal processing.
In ergonomic terms, I liked the Sony receiver’s front-panel layout with its multifunction jog-dial and group of setup-control keys; seldom-used operating controls and a set of A/V jacks are concealed by a flip-down door. But the remote control left me lukewarm. It offers access to the receiver’s thousand-and-one features, plus more limited control of other system components, but its mostly small, identically shaped, closely spaced keys are labeled with crowded small lettering, devoid of any illumination, and not very intuitively arranged. Phooey! A kilobuck-class receiver should do better.
Yet the Sony STR-DB1070 has enough strengths to excuse these foibles, especially its vast array of customizing options. It’s clearly the most flexible A/V receiver here. If you want the power to create surround environments to order and tweak your speaker outputs to the nth degree — and if you’re prepared to put in the time to understand how to use all of its settings — then the Sony is likely to be your choice.
Now (drum roll, please), which of these midprice A/V receivers would I be most likely to buy with my own money? It’s a tough question, one requiring considerable thought, so let me concentrate — stop hitting that damned drum! Okay: the Denon AVR-2802. For a couple hundred bucks less than the Sony and a little over a hundred more than the Pioneer (we’re talking list pricing here, not what you’ll pay “on the street”), the Denon performs all the basic tasks of a serious home theater receiver very well indeed, and it does so in an up-to-date, reasonably intuitive manner at a fair price.
If my budget was tight, I wouldn’t hesitate a second to choose the Pioneer VSX-D850S. And if I had a stronger yen for DSP enhancements, as opposed to straight Dolby Digital/DTS and DVD-Audio/SACD playback, I would have to look long and hard at the Sony STR-DB1070. But thanks to the wonders of trickle-down technology and a competitive marketplace, whichever way I ultimately jumped, I’d be assured of getting a tremendous helping of multichannel quality and performance for my money.