Integra Home Theater vs. Integra Research?

[ibluetooth]

Ok I'm a total newb to this high end world, but I was doing some research on which integrated AV receiver to get and the two brands that got thrown out to me were Integra Home Theater and Integra Research.

Can someone please clarify if these companies are related in some way? Their products looks pretty similar if comparing the specs relatively quickly.

ps, the models that were suggested to me were the Integra DTR 10.5 combined with the Integra DPS 10.5 or the Integra Research RDC-7.1 combined with RDV-1.1

[emerson]

Same company as I see it regarding who's behind it,
You've got; Onkyo, Integra Hometheater and Integra Research,
And,, in the same order you could rate their "aim" in the market with
Onkyo as the standard consumer product and Integra Research as the High-End,
Integra Hometheater is a more specialed company with,, yeah,,hometheater products
that's more "connected" then what is common in normal hifi....

[Burke Strickland]

Hi Kieron -

Welcome to HT Guide and Club Integra. Thank you for posting your questions.

Onkyo is the parent company to Integra (Integra Home Theater) and Integra Research. Its relationship to the other brands is kind of like Toyota having Camry and Avalon a step above their more mass-market models, with more refined creature comforts and possibly better performance, and Lexus a step up from there. Even though they market Lexus as "high end", we know it comes from the same company as Toyota.

Integra (Home theater) components are upscale versions of their Onkyo brethren, presumably with upgraded internal parts, and in some cases, additional features and slightly better specifications. As pointed out, Integra includes a lot of connectivity features that are not common-place in the HT market. They offer receivers and separates, as well as DVD players and a variety of other specialty components.

The "high end" arm, Integra Research, touts its partnership with other high tech companies such as Apogee and BAT in the design of their products, and they try to position their three models (pre/pro, power amp and universal DVD player) at the top of the scale. Although they are pricey compared to Integra and Onkyo, when compared to equivalent models from other manufacturers at that level, they tend to look very attractive in terms of features and quite reasonable in price. The Integra Research products were also designed with the requirements of custom installers in mind in addition to appealing to DIY (do-it-yourself) HT enthusiasts.

Both the Integra DTR-10.5 and the Integra Research RDC-7.1 have a card-based internal architecture for easy upgradeability (assuming they offer upgrade cards in the future). The DTR-10.5 has its amplifiers built in, while the RDC-7.1 connects to power amplifiers on a separate chassis, with its own power supply. The appeal of the receiver would be its smaller overall footprint (takes up less space) and relatively lower price.

Having separates (power amps in one box and the rest of the electronics in the pre/pro) means that the components can be laid out internally with more space around them and more space on the rear panel of the pre/pro for additional connections since there are no speaker binding posts or fan outlet. Having the power amps separate means there is more space for heat to dissipate, so it is less likely you would need an external fan unless you mount the components in a very constricted enclosed space, and the power supply in each unit is dedicated to that unit's function, which, if you like to play your soundtracks loud, is preferable for driving speakers loudly and cleanly without "running out of gas".

Of course, deciding which models have the features you want at a price you are willing to pay is a personal decision, and the relative value gained by moving up the HT "food chain" is something each of us has to assess for ourselves.

Burke

[ibluetooth]

Thanks for the clarification

Hey Burke,

Thanks so much for explaining it to me in a way that I could understand. Just to let you know, I think that I'm gonna go with the Integra DTR 10.5. The reason being is that I wanted the high end integrated AV receiver. I would love to have separates, however I know that separates are more precise and I'm afraid that my wife's MP3 collection would just sound terrible on it. Most people I talk to seem to suggest that an integrated solution would be best because of the MP3's...am I wrong in assuming this?

I've got a regular Toshiba DVD player for now and I'll hold off till the new format wars are settled before purchasing a high end one. The one thing that I really like about the Integra 10.5 is the built in ethernet input so I can stream the MP3's directly from my music server in a different room.

The other AV Receiver I was seriously considering is the Arcam AVR300. I've never had any experience with Integra products...how is the reliability and performance? Any comparison between the two.

I'm gonna be inputing the following sources:

MP3, CD Audio
DVD, Satellite and HD Cable.

I'm also going to be connecting my receiver to either Monitor Radius speakers or Totem Accoustic Arro Speakers for both stereo, 5.1 stereo and movie modes.

Also, I was thinking of either Nordost or Monster THX cabling for the AV interconnects.

Any thoughts?

[emerson]

If u can afford it,, seperate's are better,, period!,
I can't really see what that have to do with mp3's...,,, Maybe it's just me,,but,
it can't really make a difference..

Arcam...Well,, yeah,, they are a serious company,, though,, I think that often the bigger names,, like Onkyo as a corporation,, have so much more money than some smaller actors that they will normally supply a better deal and better technology than their smaller counterparts... Specially concerning more "technical" products such as AV processors,,etc,, When it comes to spearkes, CD players, amplifiers, etc,, then it's another thing,, there they might be just as good..

[Ovation]

I originally bought an Arcam AVR200, but after two of them blew up on me within a week, I went with my second choice, the Integra DTR 6.4 (not your league, but still pretty good). I have some nitpicks with my Integra (see my thread about the "ticking" noise in this forum--although the issue annoys me, in the grand scheme of things it is rather small) but overall, I'm quite happy with my receiver. It has a number of features that I actually use (especially the digital BM/TA) and sounds very nice (though not quite as nice as the Arcam--when it worked) in "Pure Audio" mode. I valued sound quality over features when shopping, but the Integra has a great balance of both. I don't want to scare you off the Arcam, as the problem was an isolated issue, but I think you'll be happy with the Integra, should you go that way.