Net-Tune

I’ll admit I’m one of the few who still hasn’t caught onto the whole idea of storing massive amounts of music on my computer, and I really don’t spend much time listening to Detroit Wheels Rock station (I live on the East Coast) over the Internet. I suppose if my house were larger, where a whole house audio system would be beneficial, I’d probably change my tune, excuse the pun.

I do however have DSL service at home, and along with the DTR 10.5, an Ethernet cable connected to my modem, I’m promised Internet radio. Likewise, if you download from Integra’s website Net-Tune Central, Integra’s program for your computer, you can organize your mp3, WAV and WMA files for easy access for your receiver.

I’m sorry to say, I never got the Internet Radio to work properly. The manual did warn that DTR 10.5 does not support PPPoE connections, of which my Verizon DSL service is one, and that there may need some tweaking. Frustratingly I tried customizing IP addresses, etc., to no avail. I didn’t bother contacting Verizon to try and remedy the situation; I guess to me it wasn’t that important. Someday it may be, and the Integra will be there for me. It is not necessarily an Integra problem.

Downloading Net-Tune Central, the proprietary music manager software from Integra, yielded similar results. Although the receiver did finally acknowledge the server, I could not configure the receiver to play back the few mp3 files I had stored on my computer. Blame me if you’d like, but if I’m the average user, then Integra needs to provide better support for this product. Neither the manual nor the website was very helpful. I suspect it is similar for all the receivers that are beginning to have Internet Radio capabilities. It will just be a matter of time to work out the issues.

Evaluation

As I’m reviewing a full 5.1 package from Revel, the Concerta line, I connected them to the Integra.

Listening to Dar Williams new CD My Better Self, activating the Integra’s Pure Audio mode, and deactivating the subwoofer, gave me unexpurgated two-channel playback. Her voice was soft, yet full at times, and I was able to detect nuances completely different than the Melody tube amp I’ve become accustomed to evaluating two-channel material. Her duet with Marshall Crenshaw on a Neil Young remake, "Everybody Knows this is Nowhere" revealed the upper range of her voice, yet made me a Marshall Crenshaw fan again. The Integra 10.5 portrayed his voice as easy going, yet I sensed a warm character to his vocals.

Another remake on this CD is Dar’s rendition of Pink Floyd’s "Comfortably Numb" with backup vocals featuring Ani DiFranco. The wonderful meshing of contrasting styles between the two female vocals is intoxicating. The DTR 10.5 was soft around the edges on this track, not quite crisp, but that only adds to the sultry nature of the track.

Multi-channel audio evaluation required for me to activate the subwoofer of course and set the listening mode to Multi-channel. This is where I kick myself for not asking Integra to send along a DVD player taking full advantage of the i.Link capability. Through i.Link, the Integra playback for DVD-Audio uses its internal DACs.

A mess of analog cables later, I popped in a number of surround sound music sources, including DVD Audio, SACD, DTS, and Dolby, and was treated with clean and properly balanced playback from the DTR 10.5. However, what was noticeable was a tendency to be overly bright on DVD Audio. Perhaps due to having to use analog connections from the player, where its own DACs were decoding the bitstream.

A few more multi-channel disks later, and I felt that other than DTS or Dolby material, I found DVD Audio and SACD playback a bit flat. The Integra in this case, for analog reasons, required more attention. I did finally configure it to my liking, deeper focused bass and less brightness. This is a good enough reason to do what you must to use a digital source such as i.Link.

Of course, you don’t buy a receiver like this for music exclusively. Watching many DVDs during my time with the 10.5, I was extremely pleased with its surround options and listening modes.

Although I wanted to like this movie more than I actually did, Batman Begins was no less a nice test, and the Integra came through, entertaining me nonetheless. Dialogue was warm and focused, clashing swords were metallic, and explosions were powerful, coming from a significant amplifier in the DTR 10.5. This is what this receiver was designed to do.

The Fantastic 4 offers a delight of surround effects, despite the average entertainment value of the movie. Scene 26 could soon become a reference demo for surround sound. In the scene, a heat-seeking missile is chasing the Human flame Johnny Storm. As he is able to fly, the sense of burning flame is thick as he races by you, while the missile thunders past you. The DTR 10.5 delivers with exceptional detail later in the scene as shattering glass fills the air, and the shatter is full of character. The heroic musical score is clean and elegant, as it’s seamlessly integrated with the sound effects.

Less than completely satisfied with my multi-channel audio results, I saved the last music DVD for Robert Plant and Jimmy Page’s DTS version of "No Quarter-Unledded". The Integra, rich and textural instruments, and vocals from Morocco and Snowdonia paired with half of Led Zeppelin finally blew me away. Robert Plant’s voice was thick and rich, but what came through especially for me was Page’s guitar playing. The DTR 10.5 performed remarkably.

Conclusions

Evaluating the performance of the Integra, besides a pleasure, is actually very subjective; hmm let me explain. There definitely exists a sound characteristic associated with the DTR 10.5: Highs are handled cleanly. Lows are deep and punchy. Midrange is definitely its strength. I would not exactly say the sound is warm, but perhaps I would say natural.

Ironically, just like the flexibility in the architecture, there exists a tremendous amount in sound adjustability in the Integra. Treble, mid, and bass can be altered to your liking for almost all playback options. Two-channel isn’t just two-channel, or 5.1 isn’t just 5.1, there are many levels to each. Although I’ve had the receiver for some time (thank you for letting me keep it this long Integra), I can honestly say I ran out of time listening to material in the various modes, and to my personal preferences.

My point is that the DTR 10.5 demands a long-term relationship with its owner. You can tweak this unit to death and still not find your own perfect setting. Sounds like quite a ride if you’re willing.

Integrated with your PC, the Integra presents itself as a potential center of any state-of-the-art home A/V system, and with authority I might add.

Finally, ask anyone who’s recently purchased a quality receiver at any price range in the last year or so, what their biggest gripe for that receiver was, and most likely the response would be, it’s already obsolete: Perhaps no HDMI or PC compatibility. That won't happen with the DTR 10.5, because it has modules for these things.

Probably more modules are on the way. I could see one for satellite or HD radio. How about a wireless solution for speakers, or components in other rooms?

How can you possibly find fault then for a design that would allow you to add or subtract features as you see fit? You can’t. The "Built to Order" process, I will tell you, is very empowering. Add to that flexibility, quality, and performance, and voilá, you have the Integra DTR 10.5!
 

- Piero Gabucci -

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