Any owner of Integra DTC-9.8 or Onkyo PRSC885

malikarshad

I have been seriously considering buying this preamp
Is there any member in the club here that owns one and can give a little review for it.
AVSForum seems to have lots of +ve reviews
Also I want to know if its worth waiting for it?

If somebody owns one can you let me know from where and at what price you got it for.
I don't have any onkyopro dealer in my town but I contacted integra dealer and the wait seems to vary from few weeks to months.

Here are the links to the preamps
Onkyo PR-SC885
Integra DTC-9.8

avguytx

DTC-9.8's are going to be hard to come by unless a dealer just happens to have one. Currently, the back orders for the Integra aren't shipping till late January 2008. If anyone does happen to have one, there won't be much of a "deal" on them since they are in such short supply. Great preamp and, even though I'm a rep for both lines, I don't own either one. I'm pretty basic on the HT side as I spend more time listening to the 2-channel stuff.

malikarshad

I know its very hard to get them or get a good deal on them but in this thread
WilliamM2 had mentioned that 9.8 can be had for 1400. Man I'll payup right now for 9.8.

Let's see WilliamM2 chimes in.

What are the other alternative to these preamps? I know many mfgs are still withhelding the HDMI 1.3 products. Are there any announcements for any other upcoming preamps that at par with the 9.8's. Outlaw may come out with something this summer but I don't want to wait 6 months.
I want to enjoy HD video + audio now. I'm missing the whole experience without HD audio.

WilliamM2

Actually, it is the 885 I said could be had for under $1400. I got mine from Troxell Communications for $1322 delivered, but they now refuse to ship to anyone but schools and government organizations.

Good luck.

malikarshad

William thanks for chiming in. I heard about troxell from avsforum and i'll try my luck there.

I'm thinking of ordering both of them and cancel the order that does not arrive. I'll be doomed if both of them arrive at the same time.

How long did it take yours? What are your impressions about the preamp?

WilliamM2

Ordered mine on Sept. 21, it arrived Sept. 27. I believe it is the fastest delivery of an 885 on record.:)

I'm very happy with the pre-amp. Sounds very good with both movies and music. It's built like a tank as well.

malikarshad

WilliamM2 wrote: »

Ordered mine on Sept. 21, it arrived Sept. 27. I believe it is the fastest delivery of an 885 on record.:)

I'm very happy with the pre-amp. Sounds very good with both movies and music. It's built like a tank as well.

I bet people who waited for 3 months must be very jealous.
So far I have contacted Troxell and still waiting for a reply.
I contacted my local Integra dealer and I have placed my order with a deposit.
Now its a wait and see game.

I browsed through some of the 885 posts at AVSForum and seems like people are very happy overall with the performance of these preamps.

I agree i'll take 885 over 9.8 just for the cosmetics if I had a choice. But to me both are winner whichever comes first.

Thanks William for your inputs

WilliamM2

Doesn't really matter which you choose, they are identical inside. On my 885, the torroidial transformer even says "Custom Designed for Integra" on it, though most have reported that this is covered with an Onkyo sticker.

I might add that the 885 is also packaged better, comes double boxed from the factory, the 9.8 does not.

malikarshad

I got my Integra 9.8 few days ago unexpectedly much earlier than I had thought. Ordered on 11/26 and got it on 12/04. Well I did not beat WilliamM2's record by I may be next.
It was crazy day on 12/04 here with heavy snow and road conditions were horrible. Nevertheless I called my dealer and he said I could pick it up. It took me 1 hour to reach the store for a 15 min drive. But it’s well worth it.
I'm so excited to get this. I'll post my review in a separate thread.

Systems

I planned on buying a Integra 9.8 but got sick of waiting (2+ months) so I bought an Onkyo 805. Turns out it was the best thing to do since when it comes down to it, the 805 does everything I need it to with my setup.

malikarshad

Silverti wrote: »

I planned on buying a Integra 9.8 but got sick of waiting (2+ months) so I bought an Onkyo 805. Turns out it was the best thing to do since when it comes down to it, the 805 does everything I need it to with my setup.

I hear ya. I was researching the 9.8 for a while and i know people had been waiting for this since June 07.
I was also considering Denon 3808 and Onkyo at one point but since I already have an amp I did not want to throw money on the receiver.

I just got lucky to get this within a week & that too with the upgraded firmware.

Anyways 805 is also a nice choice and i think it has all the features of 9.8. So you are not missing too much.

I'll put out the review once i'm done doing some listening.