AudioControl Concert XR-6S (8K 9.1.6 Immersive AV Receiver with Zone 2 and Class AB Amplification).

[apoorvasheth]

Hello All,

I am going to buy this Audio/Video receiver - AudioControl Concert XR-6S (8K 9.1.6 Immersive AV Receiver with Zone 2 and Class AB Amplification).

https://www.audiocontrolpro.com/products/concert-xr-6s-8k?srsltid=AfmBOoqXHyp5eKZ6Qe7_gDdACsC3i6YJDZ3QmldWLqMo-0ozW9R1pH5H

It comes with 5 years warranty. Can anyone kindly confirm whether it's a highly reliable & top-quality premium product to purchase & go perfectly well with my present setup?

Can it output super best sound effects. I love listening to music, songs & enjoy movies, want to feel every single depth of the sound output during a scene, feel scared in a horror movie & so on...I love listening to sweet music & sound quality, not harsh ones like the one from Klipsch which I had auditioned couple of years back.

I'll be watching contents on the OTT platform via apps such as - Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar & Sony Bravia Core. So, want to feel the best Dolby Atmos effect & DTS & Dolby Surround effects & superb music quality on 2ch stereo.

I have also came to know of that the contents available on these OTT apps such as Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar are recorded on max 7 channels (which includes 2 Dolby Atmos speakers) so it will be then pointless to buy an A/V receiver that supports 9 channels or more and, it will also be pointless to add more than two Dolby Atmos speakers, isn't it?

But I still want to understand that in order to receive a proper Dolby Atmos effect, do I need just 2 Front Heights speakers, or I also need 2 Ceiling + 2 Rear Height speakers as well?

My present setup is:

SONY A80L OLED TV.
Yamaha RX-V685 Audio/Video receiver.
JBL Studio 630 Bookshelf Speakers: Front Left + Right.
JBL Studio 625C Center Channel Speaker.
JBL Subwoofer 660P
Harman Kardon HKTS 9 (on-wall satellite speaker) for Surrounds.

Was also thinking of Anthem MRX 740 8k which comes with just 1 year warranty. Is it better than Concert XR-6S b'coz it doesn't come with Dirac Live complete suite including Bass Module which Concert XR-6S comes with.

And can anyone kindly suggest best UPS & Power Stabilizer in the price of under 12k to keep my electronic devices safe?


Regards,
Apoorva.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

The AudioControl AVR looks like a great AVR that will sound great like many AVR/AVP, but most of us won't spend that much money on an AVR. Most people will just buy a Yamaha (like RX-A4-A8) or Denon (like X3800-X6800) and get as great sound quality.

Big jump going from a low-end Yamaha to a $6K AVR, but the sound upgrade won't sound $6K better - diminishing returns and all that.

If you must have room correction, then Audyssey XT32 or DIRAC (or both in one AVR) will be great.

 

[apoorvasheth]

The AudioControl AVR looks like a great AVR that will sound great like many AVR/AVP, but most of us won't spend that much money on an AVR. Most people will just buy a Yamaha (like RX-A4-A8) or Denon (like X3800-X6800) and get as great sound quality.

Big jump going from a low-end Yamaha to a $6K AVR, but the sound upgrade won't sound $6K better - diminishing returns and all that.

If you must have room correction, then Audyssey XT32 or DIRAC (or both in one AVR) will be great.

Hello, thanks for your response & it's quite convincing enough.

But don't you feel is A/V receivers such as Marantz Cinema 40 or 50 or Denon X3800H or X4800H or NAD Electronics T 758 V3i or Yamaha Audio's RX-A6A or RX-A8A or RX-A4A could perform as equal as or better than the AudioControl's Concert XR-6S than, they would have equally increased their price?

Yes, diminishing returns is definitely a very important point which you highlighted as maybe in next 3 to 4 years, far superior technologies will show up & at that time, I will regret on my purchase decision. And DIRAC can be bought online by purchasing a license when AVRs below 3 lakhs INR is selected inclusive of GST tax, so you are right on that as well however, there is one very important point to consider. While brands like Denon, Yamaha Audio, Marantz, NAD, Anthem, etc... offer just 1 year of warranty on their A/V receivers post which, a customer is left by themselves to pay up the cost of repairs but, AudioControl offers 5 years of warranty. So, atleast it's a complete peace of mind for me to not worry about the cost of repairs.

And from my experience, I can say that there are only 2 super major things that will "Definitely" fail in 2 to 3 years of its purchase - 1) Audio/Video receiver 2) Subwoofer.

I had Harman Kardon AVR 174, it lasted for almost 5.7 years (Bought in February 2013, Failed in August 2018).

Replaced it with Yamaha RX-V685 in September 2018, failed in July 2021 due to HDMI Current leakage issue. Repaired it for ₹12,000.00 & now is going on fine.

Harman Kardon Subwoofer failed in 2017, I guess. Repaired it not from Harman/Kardon service center but, some local vendor. It finally failed in 2022. Replaced it with JBL 660P Sub (12-inch driver).

Though I never heard about AudioControl brand but need inputs from people here who have used & experienced it.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

And from my experience, I can say that there are only 2 super major things that will "Definitely" fail in 2 to 3 years of its purchase - 1) Audio/Video receiver 2) Subwoofer.

I always buy Passive subs - externally powered by ANY amp I want. This way, I will NEVER have to worry about the sub amp dying. EVER!!!!

I've seen $10K powered subs that have failed amps after just a few months. So I only trust passive/externally powered subs.

In the USA, Yamaha Avantage and Marantz Cinema have 5YR warranty. Denon is 3YR warranty.

In terms of sound quality, a $6K AVR isn't going to sound better than something like a Denon X6800H (140W x 11Ch) or Yamaha RX-A8A (150W x 11Ch) to me.

I think the $6K 100W x 7Ch AudioControl AVR seems pretty great. But I also think I don't need to spend as much to get equal sound.

 

[apoorvasheth]

Thanks for your response. Yes, buying a passive Sub is always safe, will keep this in mind. I think SVS Sound offers it.

Not sure of whether Denon X6800H or Yamaha RX-A8 offer pure 140 Watts per speaker or 150 Watts per speaker respectively, whereas Concert XR-6s Offers dedicated 100 watts to each speaker as specified on its website.

And Concert XR-6 is Class AB amplification which these others lack + it comes with Dirac Live® & Dirac Live® Bass Control which others don’t.

So why do you feel Concert XR-6S won’t sound great or fantastic considering it being much expensive than these others?

 

[lovinthehd]

Sound quality is primarily in your speakers, not the avr. You should be concentrating on better speakers/subs first. Higher priced avrs don't automatically mean better sound quality at all....much more about the feature set and connectivity they offer. I haven't seen much about Audio Control avrs at all, so will go check those out. Last Audio Control device I had was many years ago, a graphic equalizer. Decent quality but top tier perhaps not.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Thanks for your response. Yes, buying a passive Sub is always safe, will keep this in mind. I think SVS Sound offers it.

Not sure of whether Denon X6800H or Yamaha RX-A8 offer pure 140 Watts per speaker or 150 Watts per speaker respectively, whereas Concert XR-6s Offers dedicated 100 watts to each speaker as specified on its website.

And Concert XR-6 is Class AB amplification which these others lack + it comes with Dirac Live® & Dirac Live® Bass Control which others don’t.

So why do you feel Concert XR-6S won’t sound great or fantastic considering it being much expensive than these others?

I think the $6K AudioControl will sound great.

But as I’ve already mentioned it - diminishing returns. Just because something costs a lot more doesn’t mean it’s much better. This is true for AVR as it is for speakers and subs.

Regarding Dirac Live (DL), you can get both DL Full Bandwidth 20-20kHz Room Correction + Bass Control (BC) for 4 Independent Subs EQ for a bundled total price of $600.

For example, even if you paid $3500 full price for the X6800 + $600 for DL + BC, it would be $4100, not $6K.

According to Gene, the Denon X6800H is 140W x 2CH, but around 100W x 7CH all channels driven. However, we RARELY ever see All 7 CH Driven Simultaneously in real life (ACD) anyway.

But if you are getting 5YR warranty for the AudioControl and only 1YR for the Denon (Instead of the USA 3YR warranty), that might be a factor for you.

 

[apoorvasheth]

Sound quality is primarily in your speakers, not the avr. You should be concentrating on better speakers/subs first. Higher priced avrs don't automatically mean better sound quality at all....much more about the feature set and connectivity they offer. I haven't seen much about Audio Control avrs at all, so will go check those out. Last Audio Control device I had was many years ago, a graphic equalizer. Decent quality but top tier perhaps not.

Thanks for your response. But to drive a speaker at its best, a great Audio/Video receiver is also needed. Expensive A/V receiver uses much better high-end materials & it's finally the A/V receiver that drives the speakers, isn't it?

But still if I have to consider about spending on a high-quality speaker then I shall consider going for Marantz Cinema 50 or one of the Yamaha Audio's Aventage series, pairing it up with Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 or Lumina II or Focal Audio's Theva No.1 - All bookshelves.

The dealer still maintains that the AudioControl Concert XR-6 uses very high-quality audiophile DACs (124 dB of dynamic range) so he says buying this will be more beneficial as I will begin to feel immense difference in sound quality with my existing JBL 630s. What's your opinion.

Also, could you kindly suggest me a very good U.P.S. & Power Stabilizer?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

The dealer still maintains that the AudioControl Concert XR-6 uses very high-quality audiophile DACs (124 dB of dynamic range) so he says buying this will be more beneficial as I will begin to feel immense difference in sound quality with my existing JBL 630s. What's your opinion.

First, it’s not just the DAC, but the IMPLEMENTATION of the DAC and all the internal parts. For example, an AVR with higher-end DAC could measure worse than a AVR with a lower-DAC if the implementation of the lower-end DAC is better! AVR/AVP that cost a lot more could have worse measurements. Some AVP’s that cost $25,000 don’t even measure as well as some AVR’s that cost 5 times LESS.

So it’s not just about the Cost or the DAC. Just because an AVR/AVP costs more doesn’t mean it will measure or perform better.

2nd, Superman couldn’t hear the difference between a DAC with 124dB DR vs a DAC with 110dB DR! Point is, we cannot hear the difference among these DAC because the DR and SNR and THD+N all SO AWESOME with these DAC’s - even the lower-end DAC will have awesome DN/THD+N.

Now, again, there is NOTHING wrong with spending $6K, $8K, or $25K on an AVR if you have the budget. If I were a billionaire, I’d get a $25K AVR even if it measured worse than a $3K AVR.

Again, the AudioControl AVR should sound fantastic.

 

[lovinthehd]

Thanks for your response. But to drive a speaker at its best, a great Audio/Video receiver is also needed. Expensive A/V receiver uses much better high-end materials & it's finally the A/V receiver that drives the speakers, isn't it?

But still if I have to consider about spending on a high-quality speaker then I shall consider going for Marantz Cinema 50 or one of the Yamaha Audio's Aventage series, pairing it up with Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 or Lumina II or Focal Audio's Theva No.1 - All bookshelves.

The dealer still maintains that the AudioControl Concert XR-6 uses very high-quality audiophile DACs (124 dB of dynamic range) so he says buying this will be more beneficial as I will begin to feel immense difference in sound quality with my existing JBL 630s. What's your opinion.

Also, could you kindly suggest me a very good U.P.S. & Power Stabilizer?

Using high end materials isn't very meaningful. As long as they work to specification. The amp section of an avr drives the speakers, yes. Usually better amplifiers are available outside of avrs in the form of power amps (if you really need one). Pre-outs on an avr give you external amp flexibility.

I'd just go speakers first, your current avr is fine for now.

The dealer is trying to sell you something and his logic isn't very good.

I don't use UPS myself, no need where I live. Power conditioners are generally not worth purchasing.

 

[lovinthehd]

I did go take a look at their (AudioControl's) site for specs on this. I didn't see any particular retailer ads but several e-bay ones (a new one that the link didn't work for and some used ones). Makes me wonder about their setup for US distribution. The amp section spec isn't very impressive let alone informative. It only has 7 channels of amp built in, it is to process 9.6.1 but you'll need external amps for the balance. It specs 100 wpc into either 8 ohm or 4 ohm, but no distortion or frequency range spec nor if that is a two channel spec or all channels driven spec.

 

[Verdinut]

I would be really hesitant purchasing a product for which the manufacturer doesn't specify the full specs on its equipment. Moreover, what guarantee of their after sales service and warranty do you have? At the prices they sell their electronics, that's not reassuring.

 

[apoorvasheth]

I would be really hesitant purchasing a product for which the manufacturer doesn't specify the full specs on its equipment. Moreover, what guarantee of their after sales service and warranty do you have? At the prices they sell their electronics, that's not reassuring.

I think none of the A/V receivers brand specify complete details on their product for which one has to refer either their product’s webpage or the manuals, isn’t it? Though if you can kindly suggest me of any A/V receiver that does then, I would like to atleast take a look at it.

 

[lovinthehd]

I think none of the A/V receivers brand specify complete details on their product for which one has to refer either their product’s webpage or the manuals, isn’t it? Though of you can kindly suggest me of any A/V receiver that does then, I would like to atleast take a look at it.

This is the least informative of specs I've seen on any major avr brand offering. I'd generally for avr stick to Yamaha/Denon/Marantz....maybe Onkyo/Pioneer/Integra but think they need to prove themselves somewhat.

 

[apoorvasheth]

I did go take a look at their (AudioControl's) site for specs on this. I didn't see any particular retailer ads but several e-bay ones (a new one that the link didn't work for and some used ones). Makes me wonder about their setup for US distribution. The amp section spec isn't very impressive let alone informative. It only has 7 channels of amp built in, it is to process 9.6.1 but you'll need external amps for the balance. It specs 100 wpc into either 8 ohm or 4 ohm, but no distortion or frequency range spec nor if that is a two channel spec or all channels driven spec.

Thanks for the efforts taken. The link to this product is: https://www.audiocontrolpro.com/products/concert-xr-6s-8k

One things on that link I couldn’t understand is:

1) 4 user-assignable output channels.
2) 16-channels of unbalanced outputs, including four user-configurable outputs.

So, what is balanced & unbalanced exactly, never heard of them before.

Though they have also mentioned points such as:

* Seven amplified channels deliver 100 per channel.
* OUTPUTS
Amplifier Channels: 7
Continuous power output, per channel, 8Ω / 4Ω: 100W.

What do they mean by Minimum Speaker Load: 4Ω?

Preamp Audio Outputs: 16 channels (unbalanced RCA), 2 channels Zone 2 (unbalanced RCA). - What is RCA & what has Balanced & Unbalanced to do with the contents I’ll see on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar? This all is so highly technical making it super difficult for a normal buyer to make sure a right product is being purchased.

I feel after seeing everyone’s input here, I should not spend my hard earned money after this super expensive XR-6S rather, I should focus on getting an A/V receiver such as Marantz Cinema 50 or one of Denon’s, may be x4800H & pair it up with the high end speakers such as Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 or something else that anyone would like to suggest.

But one thing to notice is that neither Marantz nor Denon come with Dirac Live® & Dirac Live® Bass Control which means, I need to buy them separately however even after buying them, I feel the overall cost is still well under control if I do not buy Concert XR-6S, isn’t it?

And how important is it to calibrate an audio system using Dirac Live® & Dirac Live® Bass Control compared to Audyssey MultEQ XT32?

 

[lovinthehd]

Thanks for the efforts taken. The link to this product is: https://www.audiocontrolpro.com/products/concert-xr-6s-8k

One things on that link I couldn’t understand is:

1) 4 user-assignable output channels.
2) 16-channels of unbalanced outputs, including four user-configurable outputs.

So, what is balanced & unbalanced exactly, never heard of them before.

Though they have also mentioned points such as:

* Seven amplified channels deliver 100 per channel.
* OUTPUTS
Amplifier Channels: 7
Continuous power output, per channel, 8Ω / 4Ω: 100W.

What do they mean by Minimum Speaker Load: 4Ω?

Preamp Audio Outputs: 16 channels (unbalanced RCA), 2 channels Zone 2 (unbalanced RCA). - What is RCA & what has Balanced & Unbalanced to do with the contents I’ll see on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar? This all is so highly technical making it super difficult for a normal buyer to make sure a right product is being purchased.

I feel after seeing everyone’s input here, I should not spend my hard earned money after this super expensive XR-6S rather, I should focus on getting an A/V receiver such as Marantz Cinema 50 or one of Denon’s, may be x4800H & pair it up with the high end speakers such as Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 or something else that anyone would like to suggest.

But one thing to notice is that neither Marantz nor Denon come with Dirac Live® & Dirac Live® Bass Control which means, I need to buy them separately however even after buying them, I feel the overall cost is still well under control if I do not buy Concert XR-6S, isn’t it?

And how important is it to calibrate an audio system using Dirac Live® & Dirac Live® Bass Control compared to Audyssey MultEQ XT32?

Balanced components and gear may benefit from connections that support such, but generally not all that important. RCA pre--outs would be an example of something clearly unbalanced vs an XLR connection but internals of the gear come into play. For most home audio gear this is simply not important.

They just indicate the gear is somewhat 4ohm compatible, but don't specify under what circumstanes particularly. The major brands of avrs already do this.

I would focus on better speakers and subs rather than avrs or pre-pros/amps or other electronics as they aren't as important.

Calibration for content created with such in mind is one thing, other content it just isn't relevant.

 

[apoorvasheth]

Balanced components and gear may benefit from connections that support such, but generally not all that important. RCA pre--outs would be an example of something clearly unbalanced vs an XLR connection but internals of the gear come into play. For most home audio gear this is simply not important.

They just indicate the gear is somewhat 4ohm compatible, but don't specify under what circumstanes particularly. The major brands of avrs already do this.

I would focus on better speakers and subs rather than avrs or pre-pros/amps or other electronics as they aren't as important.

Calibration for content created with such in mind is one thing, other content it just isn't relevant.

Thanks for your response but still wanted to understand that is Dirac Live more important than Audyssey MultEQ XT or XT32 to enjoy all the contents via the OTT Apps to its fullest?

B’coz as far as I checked with one audio dealer, I came to know of that all the contents available on Netflix, PrimeVideo, Disney+ Hotstar, etc… are to the max recorded on 7 channels so buying a 9 channel A/V receiver or more than 2 Dolby Atmos speakers will become pointless.

I have asked about on how many channels are the contents recorded by the content providers, to Netflix, PrimeVideo, Disney+ Hotstar on Twitter but they are not ready to divulge this important information.

And between Marantz Cinema 50 vs Denon X3800H vs Denon X4800H, which one would you strongly recommend to pair up with Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 or Sonetto II if this is still available in stock though these all will be a blind purchase without auditioning them as for everything, one has to travel in different cities & that’s a real pain. There happens to be no single spot wherein all the products of all the brands are made available under one roof. One has to pack bags & become a traveller to surf the entire country to audition different products.

Again, just mere listening for 30 minutes to an hour won’t confirm even 70% that what purchased was indeed a correct decision. One has to live with the product for atleast a month of two to properly feel it & receive that confidence that yes, this is what I wanted. Buying a Home Theatre products is either a “Hit or a Miss”.

Again, the setup at the audition rooms are completely different vs the normal life people live in their living room of Flats or even a Villa or Bungalow. Walls, Shape of living room, etc… completely differ & I am sure of that not even a single person would consider changing their home entrance that’s “A Living room” into a studio otherwise their guest who visits them, upon opening the maindoor of the house will feel as if he/she has arrived at the wrong address upon seeing a living room being converted into a Demo room… (-:.

This is the major challenge that audition happens inside a “Squared Box” room but the speakers finally play for the rest of its life in a living room. Sadly, there is absolute no way to bridge this gap.

 

[apoorvasheth]

Also, does anyone have an idea which are the upcoming Audio/Video receivers in 2025? I feel Marantz & Denon have already came out with their latest products such as Cinema 40/50 & x6800H so might not see new from them atleast till mid of 2025 possibly. I'll email them to ask this.

Who should consider a Marantz A/V receiver over a Denon & vice versa? What type of target audience are they meant for?

Also, any suggestion for a decent quality HDMI cable that supports 8K, eArc & 48 Gigabits, HDMI 2.1, etc...?

 

[isolar8001]

Thanks for your response but still wanted to understand that is Dirac Live more important than Audyssey MultEQ XT or XT32 to enjoy all the contents via the OTT Apps to its fullest?

B’coz as far as I checked with one audio dealer, I came to know of that all the contents available on Netflix, PrimeVideo, Disney+ Hotstar, etc… are to the max recorded on 7 channels so buying a 9 channel A/V receiver or more than 2 Dolby Atmos speakers will become pointless.

I have asked about on how many channels are the contents recorded by the content providers, to Netflix, PrimeVideo, Disney+ Hotstar on Twitter but they are not ready to divulge this important information.

Nothing wrong with buying the best you can.
But no sense in buying something that won't fix the underlying issue.
Myself, I'm a firm believer in "no system is better than its source material".

The problem with your scenario is the source material you describe (Netflix, PrimeVideo, Disney+ Hotstar etc)
is the lowest quality there is sound-wise. (video-wise also, but we won't get into that right now).
While Dirac and Audyssey can help with basic setup, they cant make those sources sound any better.

Like others have said, you don't need to spend 6,000 dollars to get a good AVR that will give you all you can get out of those sources with the speaker system you have.
Any audible improvement would require upgrading your entire speaker system...sub and all.

Dealers are there to sell what they have....very few will give you the bottom line truth.

 

[apoorvasheth]

Nothing wrong with buying the best you can.
But no sense in buying something that won't fix the underlying issue.
Myself, I'm a firm believer in "no system is better than its source material".

The problem with your scenario is the source material you describe (Netflix, PrimeVideo, Disney+ Hotstar etc)
is the lowest quality there is sound-wise. (video-wise also, but we won't get into that right now).
While Dirac and Audyssey can help with basic setup, they cant make those sources sound any better.

Like others have said, you don't need to spend 6,000 dollars to get a good AVR that will give you all you can get out of those sources with the speaker system you have.
Any audible improvement would require upgrading your entire speaker system...sub and all.

Dealers are there to sell what they have....very few will give you the bottom-line truth.

Yes, that's the problem. These apps supplying the entertainment contents via OTT have not precisely or even mentioned anywhere on their website, the level of quality for Audio & Video that's being output. I mean while I see under the settings as Full 1080p HD or 4k or but the contents I saw doesn't even look 1% of 4K. On the name of 4k, they are just outputting 1080p quality. Infact the 4K quality (2160p HDR) on YouTube looks so so so far better than the one I've experienced on this so-called Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar. Infact whether 4k or 1080p, these recorded contents via these OTTs apps do not even remove the black bar & cover the entire 65inch screen of my SONY A80L OLED. It's very disappointing to see those black bars. Whereas on YouTube, the 4K content played covers every corner of the screen making it look so nice & beautiful.

Though not sure about Dolby Atmos sound effect b'coz I only have 5 speakers + Sub & not sure of whether Yamaha RX-V685 is under performing or an outdated AVR, hence deciding to upgrade.

Even on a 5.1 sound setup, I don't feel like seeing any movie for more than an hour or listen to songs b'coz all my present A/V receiver does is boom boom sound, I am not able to experience the details, pristine clear, fresh sound every second & the real detailed feeling as if it's happening inside my living room, feel scared in a horror movie & so on hence, I just play my Home Theatre for an hour max & turn it off as its not attaching my emotions to its output.

JBL Studio 630, 625c & Sub 660P have just been purchased in April, this year. It belongs from Studio 600 series line up which launched in this year. Not sure whether the speakers are under performing or it's my Yamaha RX-V685 being old not able to deliver the demanding output quality expected or God knows what then?

Lots of dealer suggested that I shall consider getting an Apple TV 4K so I bought one but absolutely no difference at all in both Audio + Video quality. Everything is still the same. Apple TV 4K is connected into the Yamaha RX-V685 & RX-V685 into the HDMI 3 (eArc) port of SONY A80L. Apple TV 4K has been updated to IOS 18. I am on a 100Mbps internet plan.

Both Dolby Vision & IMAX Enhanced looks pathetic on my SONY A80L OLED. It simply reduces the brightness from 100% to 30% & that's it. The SONY TV is only & only good for Vivid mode & nothing else. Rest all video mode is crap & marketing gimmicks is what I feel after experiencing it in my living room.

I feel the only option now left it to upgrade my existing A/V receiver to a better one?