Integra’s New 11.2CH Flagship DRX

Apr 13, 2024

Integra DRX-8.4

Sinceits 2021 launch, Integra’s DRX series of AV receivers has been popular withcustom installers thanks to advanced CI tools such as remote monitoring, alongwith high-demand features like Dirac Live room correction, HDMI 2.1 gamingcapabilities, and aptX bluetooth transmitters for sending audio to wirelessheadphones. But the new flagship Integra DRX-8.4AVR, which will sell for $3,200 when it begins shipping in the coming weeks ofspring 2023, is more than just an updated option for the custom installer. Infact, I’d say it’s the most exciting product to come from the brand in manyyears. In order to appreciate what makes this new receiver so special, it mustbe considered in the context of its competition. I happen to be in the marketfor a new receiver, and while I’d be thrilled to take home the $6,500 Denon AVR-A1H, it costs about twice what I can spend. But I don’tactually need the Denon’s 15 channels, and there are plenty of great, lessexpensive options out there, such as the Anthem MRX 1140, the Yamaha AventageRX-A8A, and Sony’s STR-AZ7000ES from the brand’s newly revamped ES line. At the top of mylist is the Marantz Cinema 40 ($3,500). I tend to like the Marantzhouse sound, and the Cinema 40 offers a number of features that appeal to me,such as Dirac Live upgradeability and four independent subwoofer outputs. (If Istick with Denon, I could save a bundle by going with the $2,500 AVR-X4800H,which offers the same features as the Marantz. Both are made in Japan’sacclaimed Shirakawa Audio Works facility. I’d have to hear them both in action,but I’m leaning toward the Marantz.)

Asappealing as the Cinema 40 is, it’s not perfect. It only has 9 channels ofamplification, so I’ll need to add a stereo power amp if I want a 7.1.4-channelsetup, which is the gold standard for Dolby Atmos home theater. It doesn’t have XLR outputs for thesubwoofers, nor for the front LCR preamp channels — and I’d probably want toadd an external amp for those channels. At 125 watts-per-channel, the Cinema 40can’t match the 150-watt rating of the AVR-A1H (which does offer XLR outs, bythe way). I was hoping that the Cinema 40 would use ESS Sabre DACs, like thosefound in the AVR-A1H and Marantz’s own high-end AV 10 processor, but alas, the Cinema 40 uses the same DACs found in someless expensive Marantz receivers. Lastly, Dirac Live isn’t actually includedwith the Cinema 40; I’ll have to cough up another few hundred dollars for theupgrade. And for now, the excellent Dirac Live Bass Control subwoofer optimizerisn’t even available on the Marantz (though I’m hoping it will become availablenext year). These issues may or may not be deal-breakers when it comes time forme to buy my next AVR, but wouldn’t it be great if there were a receiver thatchecked all these boxes without costing twice what I’m prepared to pay? This isprecisely where the Integra DRX-8.4 AVR comes in. At $3,200, it’s notinexpensive, but it costs less than the Marantz, Sony, Yamaha, and Anthemoptions I just mentioned. And my wish-list is almost completely covered, with11 channels of on-board amplification rated at 150 watts, XLR outputs, ESSSabre DACs, Dirac Live included in the price, and Dirac Live Bass Controlavailable as upgrade right now. Hopefully, you’re starting to see why the DRX-8.4AVR is such a big deal.

Trueto the Integra name, the DRX-8.4 was “exhaustively tested and built throughclose working relationships with professional installers,” so that it “exceedshigh expectations with a full suite of integration software tools and XLRconnectivity,” according to the company. It offers all the HDMI features you’dexpect, with 6 inputs and 2 outputs all supporting 8K 60Hz (and a 3rd HDMIoutput for Zone 2, limited to 4K). HDR video passthrough is present andcorrect, with HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision covered. Gamingfeatures like VRR(Variable Refresh Rates) and ALLM (Auto Low-Latency Mode) are supported, alongwith HDCP 2.3. Dolby Atmos, DTS:X,IMAX Enhanced, and Auro-3D are supported as well, though the latter willarrive via a firmware update. So far, so typical for an AV receiver in 2023.But the folks at Integra say they’ve gone to great lengths to improve soundquality, so much so that the DRX-8.4 is a bonafide audiophile music machine.With music-lovers in mind, the DRX-8.4 will be certified Roon Ready after afirmware update scheduled for June, meaning your high-res library — along withthose offered by Qobuz and Tidal — can be easily enjoyed via the receiver, withno hassles or dropouts. Integra’s team reportedly “spent weeks working withRoon to make sure your device will integrate seamlessly with your Roon accountso you can listen to your entire music library wherever the AVR is poweringyour home theater.” (For a deep dive on Roon, check out our video entitled Everything You Want to Know about the Roon Music Player.) The DRX-8.4 also has Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2 built in, alongwith support for Amazon Music, Spotify, Deezer, TuneIn,and others.

TheIntegra DRX-8.4 boasts more power, more symmetry, and an unprecedented numberof referral-ready features. Simply put: we mean business, and we’re ushering ina new dawn of audiophile-level sound with this industry-dominating AVR.

—Integra

Thoseclaims of improved sound quality come down to the basics: build quality, partsquality, and circuit design. The DRX-8.4 is built into an all-new chassisengineered in-house, and promises “best-in-class amplification” with ahigh-current power supply and carefully-designed audio signal path, for“optimum noise reduction and signal clarity,” according to Integra. The all-newreference symmetric class AB amplifier design promises to maximize audioperformance, delivering an “expertly engineered” 150 watts of power to thereceiver’s 11 channels (8 ohms, 20 Hz–20 kHz, 0.08% THD, 2-ch driven, FTC). If you’re usingfewer than 11 speakers, you can bi-amp the main left, right, and centerspeakers by re-routing the unused power amp channels. The DRX-8.4'samplification features extruded anti-resonant aluminum heat sinks and hi-gradecapacitors that promise to “perfectly balance consumption and outputrequirements for optimal performance.” As I mentioned earlier, the DRX-8.4 alsouses audiophile-quality ESS Sabre digital-to-analog converters, specifically a pair of precision 768kHz/32-bit ESS ES9026PRO 32-bit Hyperstream II DAC chips. Integra says that thesestate-of-the-art DACs offer “studio-grade processing capability” and“unprecedented dynamic range with ultra-low distortion.”

Nexton my wish list was XLR outputs, and here the DRX-8.4 actually one-ups themighty Denon AVR-A1H. While the Denon has 4 XLR outputs — meant to be used with4 subwoofers, or the main LCR channels plus one sub — the Integra has 5 XLRoutputs, so you can use a balanced 3-channel amp for the LCR channels and stillhave 2 XLR outputs for a pair of independently-adjustable subwoofers. Shouldyou want to upgrade to external amplification for other channels, the DRX-8.4has pre-outs for all 11 channels on unbalanced RCA jacks. Dirac Liveimplementation is another area in which the DRX-8.4 actually bests the flagshipDenon. Though in fairness, the Denon has full Audyssey MultiEQ XT support on board as well. While the AVR-A1H will offer DiracLive as an upgrade (any day now), the DRX-8.4 includes a full-frequency (20Hz –20kHz) Dirac Live Premium License, no upgrade required. Users can choose abasic calibration using the free Integra mobile app and included wiredmicrophone, or a more advanced calibration using the Dirac app for PC or Mac,and an optional USB microphone (Integra recommends the $79 UMIK-1 fromminiDSP). And while Denon and Marantz owners are still waiting to hear when andif their receivers will be getting Dirac Live Bass Control, it’s already available for the DRX-8.4,even though the Integra hasn’t started shipping yet. Prices for the Integra’sBass Control upgrades are the same as for other brands: $349 for a single sub,or $499 for the multi-subwoofer option, which uses machine learning and AI toquickly determine ideal settings for any subwoofer layout.

Asyou might guess, the DRX-8.4 includes the most advanced and sought-after custominstallation features you’re likely to find in a receiver, from the optionalIRK-180-4C rack adapter to the advanced web app for setup, backup, and recallof all AVR settings. In addition to IP control and web setup from your browserof choice, the DRX-8.4 features onboard HDMI diagnostics and a quad corenetwork processor “for ultimate IP responsiveness and stability.” Otherinstaller-friendly features include the following: assignable amps for Zone 2,Zone 3, and passive subwoofers; compatibility with OVRC Pro, Domotz, Luxul ProWatch, VPN, and other remote monitoring platforms to help manage, configure,and troubleshoot devices on the network; support for smart home assistants likeJosh, Alexa, and Google; compatibility with Control4, Crestron, Save, URC,Elan, and RTI custom installation control systems; an onboard diagnostics toolkit, including test patterns, EDID/HDCP adjustment, and virtual remote, allavailable via the web app; Integra’smost robust API ever, with discrete commands for virtually any AVR function;and custom control drivers based on integrator feedback, all developed andmaintained by Integra’s software team in Osaka, Japan.

Asyou might be able to tell, I think the Integra DRX-8.4 is a seriously promisingpiece of AV gear, and I hope we get an opportunity to put it through its paces,both on the test bench and in the listening room. Like any piece of gear builtto a price point, there are a few potential downsides that you should be awareof if you’re considering an AV receiver in this price range. The Integra’sbiggest limitation, in my opinion, is that it has only two independentsubwoofer outputs (the 3rd and 4th outputs are in parallel with the first two).As I mentioned at the start, all of the latest high-end AVR offerings fromDenon and Marantz offer four independent subwoofer outputs. For some people,this will be a non-issue. Using more than two subwoofers might not be practicalfor those of us who don’t have dedicated home theaters. (If I’m being honest,my living room is pretty small, and I might be able to squeeze in threesubs, but four? No way.) But some hardcore home-theater enthusiasts will skipthe Integra based on this limitation alone, and that’s fair enough. Next, the DRX-8.4only has 11 channels of processing, so it maxes out at the 7.2.4configuration. Again, that isenough for most of us, but some folks with larger theaters will gravitatetoward an AVR with 13 channels,such as the Sony STR-AZ7000ES or Denon AVR-X8500HA.Next, there’s power to consider. Although the DRX-8.4 offers ample power onpaper, we’ve yet to see whether the 150 watts it promises will prove as potentas the 150 watts provided by the Denon AVR-A1H. Our test bench showed prior Integra AVRs weren't able to drive 4 ohm loads as well as comparable Denon AVRs. However, the hefty 50lbs DRX-8.4 appears to be a different animal than their last generation of AVRs.

It’s worth noting that none ofthe receivers on the market today can match the power output of the legendaryDenon AVR-5805 from yesteryear, which produced 170 watts/ch and doubling down at 4-ohm loads withoutbreaking a sweat but the AVR-A1H comes the closest by today's standards. If you find that you want more power than the DRX-8.4 candeliver, adding external amplification is easy enough as we've found prior Integra AVRs to have very clean preouts and the DRX-8.4 should be no different.

The only other nitpick Ihave is that, unlike the unusually elegant Marantz Cinema 40, the Integra DRX-8.4isn’t much to look at, with ho-hum styling that wouldn’t have looked out ofplace in a Best Buy in 1999. But if you can look past its generic appearanceand don’t plan to use more than two subwoofers, the Integra DRX-8.4 has so muchto offer that it’s impossible to ignore. I plan to wait and see whether itssonic performance lives up to its tantalizing potential, but I’ll admit that Ihave high hopes for this receiver. And if I were running the show over at Denonand Marantz, I’d be paying very close attention to this product launch.

Wouldyou make the switch to an Integra for your next high-end AV receiver? Shareyour thoughts in the related forum thread below.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.

Jacob is a music-lover and audiophile who enjoys convincing his friends to buy audio gear that they can't afford. He's also a freelance writer and editor based in Los Angeles.

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