RDC-1 Recommendations and Conclusion
Playing an assortment of DVD movies ranging from Star Trek, to Double Jeopardy, I was equally enthralled by the RDC-7.1's home theater performance capabilities. I always found it to be transparent and extremely clean sounding. I also loved the fact that I could transform standard 5.1 DD DVD's to 7.1 via PLIIx processing and felt it really added a sense of realism and envelopment to the movie watching experience. If you are contemplating on whether you wish to integrate the extra two back surround channels, just do it! Find a way to make it work as it will be worth your while.
Recommendations
Let's face it, nothing is perfect, but there is no crime in striving for perfection. With that I have comprised a short list of areas I would like to see updates and/or improvements:
- Analog Video Upconversion to HDMI
- HDMI 1.1 (or higher) for Multi-channel audio provisioning (though without SACD support this isn't a big priority)
- Multiple subwoofer outputs with independent channel assignability, channel trim, delay adjustment, phase, and notch filters
- Ability to store independent speaker, trim and delay settings for Zone A and B, as well as different listening modes (ie. Stereo, DD/DTS, EXT Analog Inputs)
- Provide DTS mute during search and acquire
- Resolve SACD i.LINK noise issue
- Video pass through on analog video sources when processor is powered down
- Video I/P scaling for analog 480i signals
- Audyssey or equivalent room correction system option
A few minor issues that puzzled me where:
- Lock Setup is supposed to lock all user settings once
engaged, but allow non retainable user adjustability where the default
settings are all restored after power cycling. This feature did not
function as advertised and allowed me to vary settings which were retained
after power cycling.
- Pure Direct Mode has a user setting to allegedly allow for subwoofer output. This did not function for two-channel audio, thus I could only conclude this feature is for provisioning multi-channel audio mode only.
Conclusion
The RDC-7.1 is truly a high end processor in both form and function. Its physical appearance and build quality have no rival. Its modular based design provides an easy path for upgradeability ensuring longevity of your investment. All of the major surround formats and video switching options are covered for the most part, and the ability of provisioning extra component video switching or BNC connections will serve installers of high caliber home theater systems quite well. While I would have liked to have seen inclusion of some sort of auto setup feature (at least for channel level and distance calibration), Integra Research informed me at the time of development of this product they weren't too thrilled with the available options on the market. Much has changed in this area over the past two years (see our Audyssey MultEQ review), and Integra Research realizes this. Don't be surprised if an upgrade module surfaces in the near future. I feel there is so much more potential to unleash in this platform. If Integra Research supports hardware and firmware updates, it could make for an unprecedented value for a high caliber home theater system based on its performance, open architecture design, configuration flexibility, and ease of operation.
Take your time right off the bat to properly configure the audio and video settings of each input to ensure maximum enjoyment and ease of operation, both for yourself and your significant other. Fuel this processor with high quality components, loudspeakers, and room acoustics - a great sports car demands nothing less!
