Integra DHC80.3 , Still Impressing the hell out of me.

mantis

Hello all,
Over the last 2 weeks I have done 2 jobs with this preamp. I have been fully impressed. I'll explain.

The job that really stands out is a Anthem AVM40 preamp which was connected to a NAD 7 channel amp. All wired with Cardos IC's. Speakers where Paradigm Sig 8's along with the rest of the Sig line for a 7 channel theater setup rounded off with a Sub25 which is a beast. Our source of choice was a Oppo BDP95 which on a side note is awesome. I like it as much as my Cambridge BD. If I had to get a new player , I would strongly consider this unit or the new 105.
But whats crazy is this customer upgraded his 50 inch Elite to a 70 Elite LED model. With this upgrade he wanted to go all 3D. We where going to bypass the Anthem for video and just send it audio over HDMI , the Oppo has 2 HDMI outs and This could have worked just fine.
I suggested trying out the Integra due to a few other jobs I have done that where a huge success . These jobs where done with the Integra amp. So He agreed to give it a test drive and I got one and Installed it. After a full calibration and firmare update , we sat done to give it a listen. Before I installed the Integra I listened to the Anthem over HDMI for CD and then Analog out of the Oppo same cd. I actually liked the Oppo Analog more then the HDMI using the Anthem's internal DAC's.
Ok cool the Oppo sounds better. So out came the Anthem and in went the Integra. The first thing I noticed was it was quieter. Ok , took notes and moved on. Then I connected HDMI and Analog out of the Oppo exactly like the Anthem connections. Ran same CD with very different results. So why does this sound so much better? Come on 2600.00 preamp sounding better then the Anthem with HDMI. Ok customer and I sat there and scratched our heads. Then we used the Oppo analog out and same thing , it was completely better then when the Anthem was in. WOW how amazing is it that 2 people agree on sound quality and he was considering going with a new Anthem , not anymore.
We ran Blu ray movies , Apple TV audio and video , Mac Mini everything , gave the Oppo a full workout with SACD and some more CD's.

Guys I got to tell , this preamp is fantastic. Screw the Integra amps , use something else like a NAD or even a Krell( another job that murdered it).
When you mate this preamp with real power , it really shows off. So much I'm getting one and an external amp. So clear detailed and the features are such icing on the cake , really good high end icing.

Side note I'm replacing another one of my customers Krell Home theater Standard preamp with a Integra DHC80.3. His system is incredible and even has one of my all time favorite subs in the Velodyne DD15 running full balanced. Incredible system to say the least.

So I'm fully convinced this preamp is all it's cracked up to be. It gets very high praises on line and I fully agree. I would love if Pioneer Elite made a preamp. I bet they would knock it out of the park and beat the Integra. Why do I feel that way? I have VS most models with Elite Receivers and Integra and the Pioneer's always sounded better no matter what speakers I used or room I had them in. I was going to bring home a DTR70 or 80.3 and compare it head to head with my SC07 but after all my other shootouts , I'm not going to waste my time. I'm going back to separates and Integra is going to be my preamp along with a killer amp. I'm gonna start looking for a Krell Home Theater Standard as I really like that amp. Yeah it's heavy at 100lbs and it's mostly found in silver which I would rather a black one but sound quality wise , control and the ability to drive any speaker is very attractive. Unless I find another crazy Impressive preamp the Integra is the one.

pearsall001

Excellent write up Dan. That is one mean piece to say the least. I actually took a long look at it myself but the deciding factor was having to add too many amps to get my 11.2 system. If I was just doing a 7.2 then I just might have it in my system as we speak.

BlueFox

I really do not need a 9 channel pre for my 5 channel HT. Any idea as to how the 40 compares to the 80?

mantis

BlueFox wrote: »

I really do not need a 9 channel pre for my 5 channel HT. Any idea as to how the 40 compares to the 80?

Thats a great question and I would like to know the answer myself as I could spec it in places where only 5.1 is only ever going to be used. I gotta find that out or order one in and test the hell out of it. If it sounds exactly like the 80 with less channels , that might be the one.

mantis

BlueFox wrote: »

I really do not need a 9 channel pre for my 5 channel HT. Any idea as to how the 40 compares to the 80?

It's beat , no balanced out's , that changes a few things.

polkfarmboy

Your saying the Anthem does not have balanced outs? Well it does has in's and out's. Did you try going to the anthem with balanced connections for stereo input? Thats the way to do it, if you have a dac thats best way

Music over hdmi is flawed because of jitter from players as none on the market were made for it. The anthem avm's MUST have ARC (auto room correction) running or else it is not going to sound any better than an avr in a bad room. The Anthem avm 40 never came with ARC and to get it done on mine I had to pay $800 to replace the sound board (still have my old board laying in a box)

You mentioned that you ran the auto correction on the Integra so its not really a good comparison and what kind of speakers were used? You may prefer the integra but you aslo like the sound from def tech speakers that to my ears are over the top. Maybe you like bright jingly sounding things but it is just your opinion that the Integra is best, I have heard the integra's and even a member here has owned one witch he got rid of as it was too bright

BlueFox

mantis wrote: »

It's beat , no balanced out's , that changes a few things.

When I do upgrade my HT pre I did want to use balanced to my amp (Sunfire TGA-5400), but it isn't a deal breaker since I currently have 5 MIT CVT Terminator 1 RCA ICs.

I was thinking of going with the Marantz 7005, which does offer balanced outputs, and it is in black.

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MAAV7005

BlueFox

On the other hand, if I had $10,000 for an HT pre I would get the Bryston SP3.

http://bryston.com/products/digital_audio/SP3.html

cnh

No need to be so defensive PFB! It is somewhat subjective, as you know. Preference is a tricky thing!

That said. I'm not surprised. AV is Onkyo's bread and butter. They have almost "everything" invested in it as far as R&D is concerned and the sell ridiculous numbers of their product. Anthem is NOT primarily an AV company. They are an audio company that has AV pre-amps. It follows that their tech in this area would not be the latest nor necessarily the greatest. That's not to say I don't love me some nice warm Anthem separates sound, I do!

But if I were going AV. Integra would be one of my top choices for a pre-amp! Got to go with Dan on this one!

cnh

polkfarmboy

Sorry if I come across defensively but the comparison is flawed, fair deal if you have a preference

The reason anthem is a lil spendy is that the components they use are high quality

philr168

I've been looking at the Integra to replace my Denon avr

mantis

polkfarmboy wrote: »

Your saying the Anthem does not have balanced outs? Well it does has in's and out's. Did you try going to the anthem with balanced connections for stereo input? Thats the way to do it, if you have a dac thats best way

Music over hdmi is flawed because of jitter from players as none on the market were made for it. The anthem avm's MUST have ARC (auto room correction) running or else it is not going to sound any better than an avr in a bad room. The Anthem avm 40 never came with ARC and to get it done on mine I had to pay $800 to replace the sound board (still have my old board laying in a box)

You mentioned that you ran the auto correction on the Integra so its not really a good comparison and what kind of speakers were used? You may prefer the integra but you aslo like the sound from def tech speakers that to my ears are over the top. Maybe you like bright jingly sounding things but it is just your opinion that the Integra is best, I have heard the integra's and even a member here has owned one witch he got rid of as it was too bright

NO , I said the DHC40.2 from Integra does not have balanced outputs. If you read the post right above mine , I was looking into the 40 instead of the 80 due to no need for the extra channel outputs.

Comparing the Anthem to the Integra preamp was not done with any correction. It was right out of the box and tested vs for stereo over HDMI and Analog outs of the Oppo 95. Please re read the post.
If ARC needs to be ran for the Anthem to sound good , then my friend the Anthem is flawed. I don't judge a preamp by what it can do until I like the way it sounds and that means raw , no processing just direct analog and HDMI so I can hear what DAC sounds better and what analog stage sounds better. On a side note I have done ARC many times and Installed many D2V2's and I don't like them either. The owner of the Anthem AVM40 says his system never sounded so good and thats with the Integra at the helm.

Again I refer you to re read my post as I said i used the Paradigm S8's which are a flagship speaker for 2 channel stereo. It's a full 7.1 system Signature series with a Sub25 sub which then was Paradigm's finest sub.

Speaker preference is personal. Yes I like and own Def Tech speakers which to this day I love. I actually replaced a full Dynaudio 5.1 system for them. I also like Klipsch , B&W , Toitem and still have a passion for Dynaudio. All different sounding speakers.

My point about the Integra is the price point , at 2600.00 retail , thats a steal for a high quality preamp. There are guys who are replacing Krell , Anthem , NAD , Classe pre's for this unit. In todays market of fast moving technology, I see no reason to spend a ton on the pre. At the price point the Integra is , it's far reachable for more people.

Personally I think Anthem sucks balls in every single way. I have had to send back every D2v2 I have Installed due to problems with HDMI and the unit locking up. Firmware updates and ARC issues. The Anthem receivers are pretty nice but I much prefer others over it and that includes Integra models.I personally think the SC models from Pioneer smoke it in all ways.

Just remember , this is our hobby , I happen to be a professional but also I'm a hobbiest like you and everyone else on this forum. We all will never all agree but thats the beauty of it.

mantis

polkfarmboy wrote: »

Sorry if I come across defensively but the comparison is flawed, fair deal if you have a preference

The reason anthem is a lil spendy is that the components they use are high quality

My comparisons are not flawed. I have all things equal not to give one unit an unfair advantage. I ran Audyssey after the shootout.

tonyb

Nice write up Dan. Though I dunno if one can consider a 2600 buck pre amp affordable, considering after you add decent amplification your in the 4-5g arena. Now take Pioneers top receiver at 2g's and your probably 85% there, and more so in reach of the average joe.

mantis

tonyb wrote: »

Nice write up Dan. Though I dunno if one can consider a 2600 buck pre amp affordable, considering after you add decent amplification your in the 4-5g arena. Now take Pioneers top receiver at 2g's and your probably 85% there, and more so in reach of the average joe.

Considering what most preamps cost for HT , I feel it's very affordable.

polkfarmboy

You could buy a used D2 for a price of a new 80.3

dave shepard

Dan you know I have been using the Integra DHC 9.9 Pre for quite sometime now. The sound is detailed and would not be any differant if I upgraded to the newest version. It is one of the best bang for the buck Pre's out there and one of the better choices I have put into action in my system. If I had (as Blue Fox put it) $10k for a pre it would be an ADA (Proudly USA owned and made) hands down but we are most surely not descussing that level of gear in this thread.
I have been looking at placing another Pre in and have been looking at Marantz their sound is a little fuller in the mids with very good detail for movies.
The one thing that does drive me alittle crazy with this Pre is it will lock-up from time to time and have called Integra and was refered to a repairman (an hour 1 way drive) and he stated that he knew excactly what was wrong and has fixed it before it is nothing new and would take about a week. I just haven't found the time to take it to him it happens from time to time and the unit has to be shut off and restarted then it is back to action. The screen freezes but the sound keeps going kind of a pain and disappointing. So Integra does have glitches nothing is fool proof. I have to look into wheather Marantz corrected the No Audyssey correction with Blu-Ray, perhaps someone could chime in on that.

Dave

mantis

Hi Dave,
The DHC80.3 would be a killer replacement for your 9.9. Many new features , better sound quality etc. It's has streaming built in and a nice iPhone app to control it. It's just a little bonus.
I called you awhile back and didn't hear back from yeah, cool we are busy people but when you get a chance , give me a ring.

rdb2001

Dan,

Have you installed many Denon AVP's? If so, how would you compare it to the Anthem and the Integra. I know the Integra is in a different price range but the Denon and Anthem are close in price. Just wanted to know your thoughts. Thanks

asindc

Thanks for the review. I have the 9.8 (original owner) and I came close to upgrading to the 80.2 based on reviews of improved sound quality. I just have been focusing on 2-channel more in recent years. One of the things that really intrigued me about the 80.2 is that it can do auto-room correction with 2 subs. I assume the same feature is built into the 80.3.

DMara

asindc wrote: »

Thanks for the review. I have the 9.8 (original owner) and I came close to upgrading to the 80.2 based on reviews of improved sound quality. I just have been focusing on 2-channel more in recent years. One of the things that really intrigued me about the 80.2 is that it can do auto-room correction with 2 subs. I assume the same feature is built into the 80.3.

You're correct. I'm running 2 subs with it. When running the 80.3's Audyssey, it will go through each sub separately asking you to adjust the volume.
At first I thought the Integra was too bright because I was quite familiar and pleased with Denon's warm tone signature. However later I fell in love with its detail and clarity, and the LSiM707 speakers really shone with it.

mantis

rdb2001 wrote: »

Dan,

Have you installed many Denon AVP's? If so, how would you compare it to the Anthem and the Integra. I know the Integra is in a different price range but the Denon and Anthem are close in price. Just wanted to know your thoughts. Thanks

No , I have not put my trust in Denon in years. Sorry to say I never even touched one of the AVP's but it looks like a beast. I wouldn't pay that much for a Denon pre or any for that matter for HT. They come out with new features to fast and a HT preamp can really get behind fast. 2 channel pre is a completely different story.

If you didn't get it out of my posts about Anthem , I'm not a fan at all. I don't like the A series amps , I don't like the P series amps due to price to performance ratio even thought hey are pretty nice , I would rather a Bryston for that kind of money or a Krell.
Anthem receivers are ok at best , they sound pretty good but are all stripped down and in todays market , features have to follow close to overall performance and sound quality. I prefer sound quality first then everything falls into place.
The Preamp sucks IMO. I had to many actually everyone I Installed come back for repairs in some way or another. ARC is nice and works pretty damn good. It's amazing how much different the system sounds after running it. It's a good tool for a challenged room. Even in a good room , ARC really helps tweak the last bit out of the system. But thats one of the problems I have with the Pre's , they sound very average when running them without ARC. Just like a 2 channel pre. I feel the Integra sounds better with no room correction right out of the box , put in stereo and away you go for 2 channel.

mantis

DMara wrote: »

You're correct. I'm running 2 subs with it. When running the 80.3's Audyssey, it will go through each sub separately asking you to adjust the volume.
At first I thought the Integra was too bright because I was quite familiar and pleased with Denon's warm tone signature. However later I fell in love with its detail and clarity, and the LSiM707 speakers really shone with it.

Years ago I felt the Integra line was a bit bright . That is not the case anymore. All of their receivers and the preamp sound clean fresh and very clear. The receivers fall a bit short against a SC Pioneer but thats about it.