now i have reviewed home theater products from almost every brand going back nearly
20 years now and there has been one brand that i've routinely chosen for
my own personal use time and time again integra so it goes without saying that i
have pretty high expectations for their latest av receiver the drx 3.4 so let's get into it
the integra drx 3.4 is a 9.2 channel av receiver possessing 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms
albeit with only 2 channels driven integra doesn't give a rating for all channels driven though it
should be noted that the receiver is capable of driving 4 ohm speakers and has a dynamic
power rating of 220 watts into 4 ohms the integra has support for dolby atmos dtsx as well as imax
enhanced content and can be the centerpiece of a 5.2.4 or 7.2.2 speaker setup you can tailor all
of your speakers to your room using dirac live and the included microphone which is standard
inside the integra like many of the new onkyo and pioneer receivers the integra has support for the
latest video formats which include ak-60 and 4k 120. now for you gamers the integra also supports
variable refresh rate auto low latency and quick frame transport the drx supports dolby vision hdr
10 plus and hlg content and along with a bevy of analog and digital audio inputs which include a
moving magnet phono preamp the integra has full preamp outputs for all channels allowing you to
add a third-party amplifier for more power or for a second zone should you need it aside from
physical connections the integra is compatible with bluetooth airplay 2 alexa google assistant
and it can even connect to popular streaming services like spotify title and more all via wi-fi
and if you are an existing sonos customer the integra works seamlessly with sonos when connected
to a sonos port now control over the integra rests with the included remote the integra control app
or can be handled via a third-party control system such as crestron control4 and savant to name a few
installing the integra into our home theater wasn't too different from any of the other
receivers we've reviewed on this channel especially those from ankio or pioneer we
used our monitor audio bronze series speakers with the integra along with the bronze w10
subwoofer to round out the bass we even did some 2-channel listening using the klh model
fives the rest of our system consisted of our sony x95j and apple tv 4k and of course our ps5
and just like the onkyo rz50 and pioneer 305 we have already reviewed the integra has dirac
live built in i love dirac i think that it is among the best room correction solutions on the
market right now and its implementation here is flawless sound is tighter more intelligible
with better sound stage definition after running each speaker through its paces
do you need to use it no but the results pre and post calibration are typically pretty dramatic so
i wouldn't skip it additional setup is easy using either the nicely laid out on-screen menus
the integra control app or a laptop in your web browser while there is not an infinite level of
customization with the integra compared to say the yamaha a8a there is enough for die hard users to
make the integra user experience their very own i really like that the control app essentially acts
like an on-screen menu which allows me to make truly in-depth changes to the integra
from my listening chair without having to disrupt what i'm watching or listening to
gamers will love the integra's next-gen hdmi support because gaming on our ps5 and
hdr 4k 120 was epic no drop frame stutter emotion or increased input lag at least
not to this casual gamer playing call of duty was buttery smooth and 4k 120 as was god of war in 4k
60. if you're not concerned with gaming the integra is more than enough receiver from a
video standpoint to satisfy even the most picky home theater enthusiasts for a good long while
alright so how does the integra sound it should come as no surprise that the integra has more
than a passing sonic resemblance to the onkyo rz50 despite having 20 fewer watts on tap while i will
not say that the two are exactly the same that kind of statement's bound to get me in trouble i
doubt most listeners would be able to tell them apart in a blind head to head on the whole the
integris sound is basically neutral or true to the source i can't detect any editorializing or overt
coloration to either the source or our monitor audio speaker's inherent tone in other words if
you're looking for an avr to act as a tone control for a bright or dull speaker system you may want
to consider another receiver base without a sub is taut and articulate with good texture in detail on
up through the mid-range while our monitor audio bronze 100s have an 8-inch woofer i don't believe
i've heard them play deeper through an av receiver or integrated amp for that matter
than i have through the integra so huge points there in truth listening to drifting by two lanes
was so fulfilling in the base department that i just turned my sub off speaking of subwoofers
most folks are going to add a subwoofer in which case any and all conversations about
bass extension are likely moot with a sub in tow i was left wanting for nothing with respect to
the integra's base performance the mid-range is exceedingly neutral as in no overt coloration or
changes to your speaker's tone so if you want warm lush romanticized instruments and vocals
unless it's in the mix you're not likely to get that through the integra if you want clean precise
unaltered sound then the integra is your friend of course you can always go into the receiver's
menus and adjust the tone controls to your liking or customize your dirac results to fit
your individual taste but left to its own devices the integra's mid-range is just the facts ma'am
now with respect to the high frequencies i think the integra is terrific while you will no doubt
get mildly sweeter and airier highs from costlier integrateds and maybe even some receivers rotel
i'm talking about you at this price i think the integra's high frequency rendering is pretty great
extended detailed without feeling forward or worse shouty or aggressive while the monitor
bronze speakers can be a bit lively on their own connected to the integra they never wandered into
fatiguing territory which is about all i need to say about the integris performance when it comes
to the high notes if you struggle with dialogue intelligibility the integris highs along with its
mid-range make for a good one-two punch if you're one to shout what did they just say now soundstage
or surround sound wise i think the integra is utterly fantastic be it atmos or just dolby
surround this receiver shines at not only surround sound but in coaxing surround-like performance
from lesser signals like stereo this is one of the better receivers i've heard recently with respect
to dolby virtualization turning even a basic 3.1 setup into one that sounded eerily close
to matching the performance of a true 5.1 setup the sound stage does favor width over depth at
least in my opinion but both are respectable and very competitive compared to other av receivers
when listening to 2-channel music the integra is something else possessing one of the whitest
sound stages i can recall hearing from a receiver dynamically i don't think one needs to worry this
receiver dishes out more than enough power for most mainstream speakers on the market today with
plenty of grunt to make jump scares explosions and more feel truly captivating
so what don't i like well to be honest there was very little about the integra's performance that
i found surprising like i said there are more than a few similarities between it and the comparable
onkyo or pioneer receivers that said the drx design is a little dated reminding me of my
old integro processors and receivers going back more than a decade to say the brand is due for a
facelift at this point would be an understatement but in terms of performance the integra
is as solid and as easy to use as my integras of old starting with the most obvious comparison our
reference av receiver the onkyo rz50 the rz50 is a tad more powerful it's thx certified and
has a few more preamp outs it also runs about 100 more than the integra but when
you get right down to it unless you need a few extra features these two receivers are neck and
neck with respect to performance given how hard it is to score an rz50 or any receiver nowadays
you won't be giving up much if you go with the integra instead and it's the same story
when it comes to pioneer's new elite receivers across all three brands onkyo pioneer or integra
give or take a feature here or there or about a hundred bucks plus or minus
you're going to enjoy largely the same performance you want my advice get whatever
receiver is in stock and works for you and your budget compared to other receivers like yamaha's
a8a the integra isn't quite as powerful nor is feature rich and customizable but sound wise
i prefer the integra to that of the yamaha plus dirac is just better than waipa and the integra
is fully realized and pretty much bug free which is more than i can say for yamaha in my experience
as for comparable den and receivers like the 3700 which you know i love i would go with the
integra you are getting more by way of features and connectivity for less money while giving up
little to nothing in the sound department nothing against the denon x series they're proving
to be pretty great but in terms of value and accessibility the integra is just a notch above
so the real question is is integra back well it sure seems so at least to me a long time
integra user and customer everything from the user experience to the receiver's sound quality
reminded me of my integra receivers of old which is high praise not to mention what i had hoped
for going into this review would i buy the integra drx 3.4 receiver for myself absolutely so that's
it that is now my review of the integra drx 3.4 av receiver but now it's time to find out what
christy thought of it oh i liked it yeah but to be honest i really can't tell the difference between
the rz50 and the integra okay which i think you made pretty clear to point out in your review
um you know i to me i think that the uh the rz50 is a little nicer looking and i'm with you i think
the integra feels just a tad dated but i mean who knows maybe that's what they were going for
yeah i mean integris thing has always kind of been more in the custom install market while you have
been able to get them at retail the same as you would say an encore pioneer i think integra's
bread and butter over the years has been custom installation in which case i have to imagine
unlike onkyo and unlike pioneer elite you know they they look at things as this is going in a
rack probably in an equipment closet so it's not a necessarily always about aesthetics but
i'm with you i think integra needs a facelift yeah definitely you know you winked at the rotel
in the review so i'm gonna go out on a limb and ask the question i can already hear being typed
out which did you prefer like you know which do you really really like and same question
for nad fans i'm positive they're going to ask you about the t778 or yeah or any of the other
ones yeah um hands down in terms of just raw sound quality in my opinion i don't know if i've
heard a better av receiver than the rotel now in terms of feature sets the rotel is woefully behind
but for some of you that worry about obsolescence and in software and things like that going bad or
not getting support the rotel may be the better long-term investment in the fact that it just
doesn't rely on so many different kind of computer whiz-bang tricks right the problem with the rotel
is is if you are also say a gamer or you need more complex atmos or you know things like that
um the rotel is going to come up a little bit short and i don't believe that it will ever be
upgraded to 4k 120 ak-60 things like that it doesn't have that
mobile architecture uh the way that the nad does now speaking of the nad the 778 is still fantastic
i love it i think it's a great platform and if nad sticks to their um that that architecture that
card based uh design that they have with the 778 i think that 778 can be part of these conversations
with these newer receivers once those upgrade cards are uh released but right now if you are
looking for the latest and greatest in the av receiver department with respect to features
very few companies can really compete with onkyo pioneer or integra at the moment that's not to say
that that's going to be a forever thing i'm just saying at the moment like denon has 8k 60 4k 120
support but it is limited usually to like one input whereas with onkyo integra pioneer all of
the inputs will accept some form of that yamaha if you're lucky some of the units got the um firmware
update some still haven't so you're probably left waiting a little bit here and there depending on
what you purchased but things like the rotel they're going to be kind of locked in time but
if you're just looking for kind of a home theater multi-channel integrated amp type vibe the rotel
is fantastic it's just kind of really expensive yeah um oh and if and if anybody's watching and
you're like uh i know you're gonna ask well what about rcam and what about anthem look we can't
review something that that we can't get yeah so i've asked some of these some of these companies
i've asked going back like a year at least oh easy and either they say they don't have one or they or
sometimes they just don't respond so we we would love to bring you those reviews but there you go
yeah we're never trying to keep anything from you totally yeah and final question uh-oh okay
if both are rz50 and the integra are available which one are you getting they're both available
they're right side by side i can walk out with any of them um i'm still buying the rz50 because for a
hundred extra dollars that little extra power the few extra inputs couple extra features why not why
not now if there was like a 500 or 600 thousand dollar price discrepancy between these two i'd
buy the integra all day all day it's not enough of a difference but i i really do think i'm i don't
want you guys to like hold me to it but i think the price difference is a hundred bucks maybe 200
in which case if the rz50 is available get it get it but that isn't to say that the integra is bad
um if the rz50 was like i say i rocked up to the store and the last rz50 just went out the door but
there's two integras sitting here by the integra i wouldn't even think twice about it all right
is that it yep that's it all right well that is now our review of the integra drx 3.4 now it's
time for you guys to tell us what do you think uh let us know down in the comments below and while
you're down there my question of the day for you is this it's pretty simple and that is what are
you hoping to see from integra going forward are you an old-school integra customer like me
remember some of the things they used to do or are you hopeful that they will do something completely
new as we head into 2022 2023 and beyond i know i'm excited for the brand to be back in
full swing so i'm curious what you guys think if you like this video please do give it a thumbs
up like and subscribe go ahead and ring that bell so that you're notified when new videos come out
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you have continued to show your support for this channel and the work that we do here and we both
thank you all very very much for doing that follow me on instagram at recovering audiophile and that
is it for us today so remember the only person who has to like the sound of your system is you
so happy listening everybody thank you so much for watching and we'll see you on the next video bye