Integra

[davidtwotrees]

I just picked up a 9.8 and it will be coming next week..............

Did you buy used, new, ebay, agon, locally, internet?

 

[WINGNUT4772]

Did you buy used, new, ebay, agon, locally, internet?

Used but with 1.08 firmware from a fellow Polkie on the Polk Audio Forum.

 

[Davemcc]

Dave,

What players have you tried? I didn't know you had this issue. I have the Samsung 1400 and use bitstream and I am able to decode with out any issues. That does stink. Please let us know how this turns out.

I just went out last Sunday and picked up a Panny BD35. It's my first standalone BD player. I was using the PS3 until now which doesn't bitstream. I think it was Tuesday before I tried to bitstream the DTS-HD MA and found it didn't work. Integra tech asked if I could change the player to rule that out, so I swapped it for a Sony S550 on Wed. night. It still didn't work so I called Integra back Thursday. All the settings in my 9.8 are correct according to their techs and all the players' settings were correct. They had a BD30 on hand, so we went through and matched our settings. His worked, mine didn't. I'm still waiting to hear back or I'll call Monday.

I just picked up a 9.8 and it will be coming next week. It is replacing a Pioneer Elite 82txs. I am curious to see how the SQ compares. How do you like the SQ so far?

I'm quite happy with the sound quality. I'm not blessed with a golden ear so I can only say it sounds as good or better than the Denon I was using. I can't bring myself to use phrases like "chocolatey smooth" or "liquid midrange", so "quite well" will have to suffice.

 

[davidtwotrees]

I'm not blessed with a golden ear...... I can't bring myself to use phrases like "chocolatey smooth" or "liquid midrange", so "quite well" will have to suffice.

Man, you don't know what you're missing...........

 

[WINGNUT4772]

Man, you don't know what you're missing...........

Please tell me that means the 9.8 is better than the Denon.

 

[davidtwotrees]

Please tell me that means the 9.8 is better than the Denon.

Ok. The 9.8 is better than the Denon.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Just to throw things back off......The Denon is better than the 9.8

Ok. The 9.8 is better than the Denon.

 

[Davemcc]

OK, I'll add to my original comments on the sound. I've been going over what my original reactions to the 9.8 were when I first swapped out the Denon. I'm not trying to compare the sound from memory, just my reaction at the time.

I recall my original reaction to be that music did, in fact, sound cleaner, more detailed and more dynamic. I was genuinely pleased with what I felt at the time to be a noticable improvement in sound quality. It's been a few months now and in that time I haven't really had much opportunity to sit for any critical listening, so now I think I just consider how it sounds, how it sounds. I didn't have any major issues with how the Denon sounded but I do recall considering the Integra an improvement. Now, the Integra has had some break-in time to adjust my ears to it's sound.

 

[WINGNUT4772]

Well my 9.8 seller backed out and now I am thinking about the 9.9...in the meantime the Pioneer Elite 82txs gets a reprieve.

 

[WINGNUT4772]

I received my 9.9 last night and hooked it up. I haven't begun to calibrate it or anything yet as I was working on it late last night but waht a wonderful sounding pre. Even my Squeezebox sounds night and day better over my Pioneer so far. I can't wait to get it all calibrated.

 

[Davemcc]

I downloaded the FW update into the 9.8 and it didn't change anything. During the update, the process went as expected and the post-update information matched what it was supposed to. When it still didn't recognize HD bitstream, I repeated the process but it still will not work properly. It's just that one feature, bitstreaming HD codecs, that doesn't work. Everything else is just fine. I'll call the tech line again on Monday.

 

[adk highlander]

Dave,

Any news on this? What did Integra say?

Thanks.

 

[Davemcc]

I haven't been able to get hold of customer service yet. I have some trouble doing business during what most people consider "normal" business hours. I was going to call this morning but my internet was down and it took my Vonage phone down with it, so I was incommunicado. Honestly, I dread the thought of having to pull the unit out and have it missing for weeks on end for service.

 

[adk highlander]

Understood. I forgot you work nights. Well keep me posted.

Cheers.

 

[Davemcc]

Understood. I forgot you work nights. Well keep me posted.

Cheers.

Will do. It only took me 8 months or so to get my sub fixed up. Heck, I might even get this taken care of before Easter.

 

[Davemcc]

Well, Integra gave me a return authorization but they wanted my old unit returned before they would send out a replacement. I took my unit in to the dealer today, so I have a gaping hole where my processor used to sit for however long it takes them to ship out the replacement.

The dealer asked me about the possibility of upgrading to a DHC-9.9 for an amount yet to be determined, between $200-500. For $200, maybe. I'll have a look at the features again, but the 9.9 was already out when I got the 9.8 and I didn't think it worth the extra back then. For $500, I don't think so. That's an additional 25% of the value up here. In the meantime, I'm stuck here listening to my TV's internal speakers.

 

[Adam]

I hope that you get the replacement soon, Dave. It sucks that you need to send yours back first - it was their hardware problem, so they should make it right.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

This just plain sucks Dave.

I am glad I stuck with using an AVR as a pre/pro.

I hope you get it all worked out.

 

[Davemcc]

Thanks guys,

I just spent a long while reading 30 pages of the "official" 9.9 thread at AVS. I see no reason to pay anything to upgrade to the 9.9. It's practically the same thing as a 9.8. I think they added a Dynamic Volume feature and Audessey Pro, which hold no value to me.

 

[adk highlander]

Dave,

That does suck that they are making you wait but at least you don't have to wait for repair and will get a new unit replacement which does not happen that often. I agree on just staying with the 9.8 if it cost you anything too bad you could not get them to upgrade you at no cost.