Integra DTR-80.2 9.2-Channel Receiver Preview

The home theater world can be validly likened to the nuclear arms race of the Cold War era. When one manufacturer comes out with a new feature, a new weapon if you will, the others have to follow suit or risk annihilation (or at least a loss of sales). At lower price points, the key is to cherry-pick your features carefully. Manufacturers have to guess what consumers want most and shoehorn as many of them in at each price point. Guess wrong and you've got thousands of units in boxes on shelves collecting dust. Guess correctly and you can't keep them in stock. At higher price points, you have a bit more leeway. It isn't so much about what you have as it is about what you're missing. With feature lists as long as your arm, it's easiest for consumers to focus on what is missing.

It might take a while to figure out what is missing from the new THX Ultra2 Plus certified Integra DTR-80.2. The laundry list of features is as long as your arm (single spaced). We can start with the basics - 145 Watts per channel at 8 ohms, 20 Hz–20 kHz, 0.05%, two channels driven. The DTR-80.2 has an advanced, audiophile grade power supply with a massive, high-current, low-noise, toroidal power transformer that is dedicated exclusively to audio amplification. The receiver also has two other separate transformers and power supplies, one dedicated to the audio circuitry and the other to the video circuits. The back of the unit sports 11 pairs of binding posts with 9 channels of amplification. The Integra DTR-80.2 supports four zones of audio. This allows you to to connect up multiple speakers in different configurations and switch between them without having to manually switch speaker wires. There are 8 HDMI 1.4a inputs (one on the front panel) that support all the current 3D formats, Audio Return Channel, and HDMI Thru and two simultaneously active capable outputs.

Inputs and outputs abound on the back of the DTR-80.2. There are three each optical and coaxial digital audio, three component video inputs (with two outputs - one of which can send video to a second zone), and a dedicated PC input. Of course at this level you'd expect networking features and you won't be disappointed. The DTR-80.2 is DLNA 1.5 certified and can stream Pandora, Rhapsody, SIRIUS Internet Radio, Napster, Mediafly, Slacker, and vTuner via it's Ethernet port. You can install firmware updates from the network or one of the two USB ports (front and rear) which can also be used to connect an iPod (and display album artwork) or stream MP3, WMA, WMA Lossless, FLAC, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, AAC, and LPCM audio files. 

As you'd expect, the Integra DTR-80.2 decodes all the latest audio formats including DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD. Plus you can connect either through the 9.2 pre-outs or the internal amps the height and width channels of Audyssey DSX or the height channels of Dolby PLIIz. State of the art Audyssey MultEQ XT32 is on board as is the Pro Ready version which allows custom installers to customize the EQ setting for a particular installation.

Speaking of custom installers, there are a ton of features on the Integra DTR-80.2 for them. Other than the four zones support (with subwoofer pre-outs for Zones 2 and 3, component and composite video for Zone 2 and assignable amps for Zone 4) and Audyssey MultEQ Pro mentioned above, there is the expected RS-232 support, multiple IR inputs and 12 volt trigger outputs onboard. The DTR-80.2 features full ISFccc Certified Calibration Controls to support individual color calibration for all video inputs which is imperative for the ultimate in video experience. The Ethernet port is bi-directional and the receiver sports lockable dealer settings to keep customers from "fixing" their dealer settings to death.

Conclusion

Have we covered everything in the new Integra DTR-80.2 receiver? Not by a long shot. We didn't cover the three 32-Bit processing DSP chips, the bi-amping and BTL (Bridged Transless) capability, or the HDMI video upscaling to 1080p/24 with HQV Reon-VX. We didn't touch on the WRAT (Wide Range Amplifier Technology), the VLSCTM (Vector Linear Shaping Circuitry) for all channels, or the Burr-Brown 192 kHz/32-Bit DACs for all channels. We didn't mention the two independently controlled subwoofer outputs which can be calibrated by the new Audyssey solution. We didn't mention graphical overlay on all outputs. Heck, we barely scratched the surface here. What we hope we've done is piqued your interest. The Integra DTR-80.2 is a monster of a machine. For $2800 it better be. If you are looking for something a little cheaper, Integra has simultaneously announced the DTR-70.2. This receiver sports almost all the same features except for slightly less power, a few less inputs, and without the separate transformers and power supplies for $2000. So, we started this off with saying that with this quality of receiver, you look for what isn't there. In the case of the Integra DTR-80.2 the only thing we could find missing is a Zone 2/3/4 remote. Since the consumer of a product at this level probably has a dedicated universal remote system integrated anyhow, that's not much.

For more information, please visit integrahometheater.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.