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The Official Integra DHC-80.2 Pre/Pro Thread - Page 124

post #3691 of 3723
2/4/13 at 12:49pm
I think the issue here is simple. Dave told us he got a good deal. Reading what he has to say will have to be taken with a grain of salt, and he had to know that in disclosing the fact some might not beleive or buy into his view of the component in question. Letting us know that and make up our own mind.... well to me that puts him right back at step one... if he is willing to admit he got a great deal and even state the unit is not as good a value as the Integra..... (i.e. if he where not in a position to buy at a big discount he might not) makes this a fine choice for his situation and as a reviewer fine and decent of him to boot.

The reviewer in question that I recall not only had a good amount of "free" equipment but in fact had given some of it away and or sold it while he denied having any sort of "reviewer" arrangement with anyone. He went with the old...."how dare you question my objectivity when it was very clear to all he had lots and lots of equipment he really did not pay for.... or at least did not pay list for" You don't typically hand a friend a couple grand in custom cables if you paid a couple grand for um..... He made his bed by trying to say that reviewers don't get good deals on equipment. That's sorta like saying your local dealer pay's list for the components he sells you. If you think a reviewer never got a good deal on a peice of equipment I think you ar fooling yourself. Likewise if you think people who put a bunch of their hard earned cash into a peice don't have a bias too you are also fooling yourself. A good way to get a feel for a piece you may never get to hear before you buy is take a poll of both published and user reviews and see how they stack up. In this case Dave is nothing more then an owner/reviewer.

My 2 cents your up front about the deal you can say what you want and need not hold back. Nothing is perfect and at least in this case we know he got a good deal, so he's a proud owner and perhaps even able to be a bit more upfront and honest.
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post #3692 of 3723
2/4/13 at 12:54pm
Perhaps Jeff's tiny differences account for it.
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post #3693 of 3723
2/4/13 at 1:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by atkatana View Post

I think the issue here is simple. Dave told us he got a good deal. Reading what he has to say will have to be taken with a grain of salt, and he had to know that in disclosing the fact some might not beleive or buy into his view of the component in question. Letting us know that and make up our own mind.... well to me that puts him right back at step one... if he is willing to admit he got a great deal and even state the unit is not as good a value as the Integra..... (i.e. if he where not in a position to buy at a big discount he might not) makes this a fine choice for his situation and as a reviewer fine and decent of him to boot.

The reviewer in question that I recall not only had a good amount of "free" equipment but in fact had given some of it away and or sold it while he denied having any sort of "reviewer" arrangement with anyone. He went with the old...."how dare you question my objectivity when it was very clear to all he had lots and lots of equipment he really did not pay for.... or at least did not pay list for" You don't typically hand a friend a couple grand in custom cables if you paid a couple grand for um..... He made his bed by trying to say that reviewers don't get good deals on equipment. That's sorta like saying your local dealer pay's list for the components he sells you. If you think a reviewer never got a good deal on a peice of equipment I think you ar fooling yourself. Likewise if you think people who put a bunch of their hard earned cash into a peice don't have a bias too you are also fooling yourself. A good way to get a feel for a piece you may never get to hear before you buy is take a poll of both published and user reviews and see how they stack up. In this case Dave is nothing more then an owner/reviewer.

My 2 cents your up front about the deal you can say what you want and need not hold back. Nothing is perfect and at least in this case we know he got a good deal, so he's a proud owner and perhaps even able to be a bit more upfront and honest.
While we're exercising our First Amendment rights, I will do the same and decry the lack of civility that the anonymity of an internet forum breeds.
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post #3694 of 3723
2/4/13 at 1:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by atkatana View Post

I think the issue here is simple. Dave told us he got a good deal. Reading what he has to say will have to be taken with a grain of salt, and he had to know that in disclosing the fact some might not beleive or buy into his view of the component in question. Letting us know that and make up our own mind.... well to me that puts him right back at step one... if he is willing to admit he got a great deal and even state the unit is not as good a value as the Integra..... (i.e. if he where not in a position to buy at a big discount he might not) makes this a fine choice for his situation and as a reviewer fine and decent of him to boot.

The reviewer in question that I recall not only had a good amount of "free" equipment but in fact had given some of it away and or sold it while he denied having any sort of "reviewer" arrangement with anyone. He went with the old...."how dare you question my objectivity when it was very clear to all he had lots and lots of equipment he really did not pay for.... or at least did not pay list for" You don't typically hand a friend a couple grand in custom cables if you paid a couple grand for um..... He made his bed by trying to say that reviewers don't get good deals on equipment. That's sorta like saying your local dealer pay's list for the components he sells you. If you think a reviewer never got a good deal on a peice of equipment I think you ar fooling yourself. Likewise if you think people who put a bunch of their hard earned cash into a peice don't have a bias too you are also fooling yourself. A good way to get a feel for a piece you may never get to hear before you buy is take a poll of both published and user reviews and see how they stack up. In this case Dave is nothing more then an owner/reviewer.

My 2 cents your up front about the deal you can say what you want and need not hold back. Nothing is perfect and at least in this case we know he got a good deal, so he's a proud owner and perhaps even able to be a bit more upfront and honest.

I got a good deal on the Integra too, so are my thoughts on this product biased in your opinion too?

I didn't decide that I wanted to purchase the Marantz until very late in the review process (well over a month). The more I grew accustomed to its sound the more I liked it better than the Integra, not that the Integra sounds bad by any stretch. I wasn't looking to upgrade my pre/pro, but I decided to jump on the opportunity.
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post #3695 of 3723
2/5/13 at 3:54am
My 80.2 is also back and I have to say it was likewise a bit rough out of the box. No sound at all and no pic till I picked up on the fact that it was factory default and that I was going into HDMI 2 on my TV....the original setup was into HDMI 1 which is where I put my cable box while the unit was out for repair. Leave the cable box off into the wrong input on the 80.2 and you don't get any picture smile.gif

Setup was more or less factory default all around and even after I managed to restore my saved settings the system did not seem to recall all my audyssey settings. A recalibrate did fix that but it seems odd the save settings seems only to hold your current setup as in mapping of HDMI ports etc, but not the actaul eq parameters. Somthing that does matter as the unit seemed to think I had 9.1 channels when I actually run a 5.1 setup currently. When you get your unit back I strongly suggest .... restore your settings if you saved them. Start with one input and only one and work through the setup process step by step.... I know its tough cause you want to see if its really fixed but it will save you a lot of time in the long run.

I will give high marks to Integra and the dealer network they have. I asked how long for the repair and was told they had a 8-10 business day back log. My unit arrived repaired and ready to roll exactly 10 business days from when it shipped.

I don't know if the unit was going down hill for some time or if the new parts and or repair helped even out some basic operational issues but in my mind the unit soungs just a bit better. Just a little cleaner. All in my head... well likely, but even so shout out to Integra ... while I would love to have never had a problem at least you all fixed it quickly and withough a need for me to call daily and push, prod etc on getting the unit back.
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post #3696 of 3723
2/5/13 at 9:21am

My turn-a-round was 5 days.

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post #3697 of 3723
2/5/13 at 9:46am
I took mine to the repair center 11 Jan and was told they had a one week lead time before it was ASSIGNED TO A TECHNICIAN. One week after that - TWO weeks total - they called and said they were ordering an HDMI board and that it would be ANOTHER WEEK TO TEN DAYS. So either it took the tech a week to troubleshoot or they didn't get to it when they said they would. And then, for a known problem that was afflicting many, many units, to take that long to get the part into the shop is nearly unforgiveable. They did not say how long after they received the part that they would get it in and contact me to pick up the unit.

I AM LESS THAN HAPPY WITH THIS SERVICE.

jEFF
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post #3698 of 3723
2/5/13 at 10:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by pepar View Post

I took mine to the repair center 11 Jan and was told they had a one week lead time before it was ASSIGNED TO A TECHNICIAN. One week after that - TWO weeks total - they called and said they were ordering an HDMI board and that it would be ANOTHER WEEK TO TEN DAYS. So either it took the tech a week to troubleshoot or they didn't get to it when they said they would. And then, for a known problem that was afflicting many, many units, to take that long to get the part into the shop is nearly unforgiveable. They did not say how long after they received the part that they would get it in and contact me to pick up the unit.

I AM LESS THAN HAPPY WITH THIS SERVICE.

jEFF

 Not wanting to be without a processor, I obtained a 80.3. When I dropped off the 80.2, I was told that by California law that the processor would have to be replaced if the repair took over a month.

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post #3699 of 3723
2/5/13 at 11:37am
Well, two weeks of my time was spent in Mexico - and I was hoping to pick it up after I returned and before the Superbowl. That would have given them nearly three weeks with the darn thing.

Jeff
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post #3700 of 3723
2/5/13 at 11:51am
No I think you likely have and would give a fair review of the Integra as well. My honest point of view is my Proceed AVP2 is still a better sounding HT unit then anything I have ever had the chance to audition or listen to. Some equipment is better and if you think the Marantz is better and you got a good deal that's great.

I happen to think anyone who is in the review game is bound to make some connections and get some better then average deals. Its part of what you do, you talk to people in this buiness you must make friends, and or run into situations where gear is available at a good price. I also think its part of what you should get shlepping gear in and out of your system, helping us all in terms of sharing your impressions. No ill will or issue with a reviewer getting a deal.

My entire point is that some take the stance that they would NEVER make an accomidation with a vendor. They could never take a deal as it might compromise their point of view. Its music not surgery. No one's life is lost if you got a better deal then an avg joe cuase you happen to have made reviewing equipment your career choice. I think statements about moral high ground in audio reviews is both highly likely to be un true and makes me question the persons motivation for not taking advantage of a perk of the job. Any reviewer that says they would never make an acomidation or buy at discount... well makes me think their either an idiot a liar, or both.

I think disclosing you got a good deal (and shedding some light that I think we all sort of realize that most reviewers do get some good deals here and there) makes you more beleivable and trustworthy.
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post #3701 of 3723
2/5/13 at 12:58pm
Odd not sure what exactly I said that suggested I needed to be anonymity.....or lacked civility. My primary point was to applaud the disclosure of the facts, not to be critical or difficult but in fact to applaud the honesty.... Odd repsonse would love to understand what you mean.
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post #3702 of 3723
2/5/13 at 1:09pm
Thanks for the clarification.
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post #3703 of 3723
2/16/13 at 2:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by atkatana View Post

I would also ask if the 80.2 has had the HDMI board replaced. When they go they go as I recently found out so you would do well to make certain its been replaced. There are serial numbers that are known to be effected but I have yet to see anything I love my 80.2 and will not likely part with it soon but then I bought from a dealer at list so I have some miles left to put on her before I go for something new. biggrin.gif

Even if you do some serial number research, I wouldn't rely on it. My board just went on my 5508, and the repair shop said that months of production had been affected. As Atkatana sez, you're best off if the board has already been replaced.
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post #3704 of 3723
2/24/13 at 9:14am
I have an 80.2 I bought used about 3 months ago not knowing about these issues. I also just upgraded my TV to a Panasonic p55gt50 and was trying to use ARC to get audio from content streamed to the TV, upstream to the 80.2. Have not been able to do it. I have followed the manuals exactly and started wondering if it was an HDMI 1.4a implementation issue. So I started looking for hdmi 1.4a compatibility issues and ran across this thread. Does anyone think that ARC now working may have anything to do with the HDMI board issue?

Normally, I would think the problem is mine. But I have exhausted the possible setup causes and now I am not sure. I don't have a way to test ARC to make sure it actually works on the 80.2. when I plug an optical cable from the TV into the 80.2 Tv/Cd input the audio from the streaming content can be heard just fine on the Integra, as you would expect. It seemed weird that Integra would use the same input select button on the remote for both ARC and optical input selection. That is why I wonder if the HDMI board might be at issue.

Thanks to all for such a great forum. Your discussion have helped immensely.
Kevin
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post #3705 of 3723
2/28/13 at 9:38am
Hey guys,

Thinking of upgrading my 885 Onkyo to something 3d compatible and with 2 sub outs. A few questions.

Does the 80.2 have 2 separate distance/delay settings for the 2 sub outs for when you have subs at different distances from the listening position (one in the rear and one in the front for example)?

Any major issues with this preamp?

Any other preamps in this price range to consider?

Thanks for the help. I tried looking through the manual for my first question, but it was unclear if separate distance/delay settings could be used on the 2 subwoofer outputs.
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post #3706 of 3723
2/28/13 at 9:54am
Yep it does have separate distance settings.

No major issues except the hdmi board and ribbon cable that could need repair.

Its great bang for the buck. I sold my 80.2 and replaced with the new Marantz 8801 and honestly I feel I wasted money as they are basically the same performance.
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post #3707 of 3723
2/28/13 at 10:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hifiaudio2 View Post

Yep it does have separate distance settings.

No major issues except the hdmi board and ribbon cable that could need repair.

Its great bang for the buck. I sold my 80.2 and replaced with the new Marantz 8801 and honestly I feel I wasted money as they are basically the same performance.

Thanks for the reply!

What is the deal with the HDMI board and ribbon cable? Does the 80.3 avoid these potential issues altogether? I assume the 80.3 is considerably more than the 80.2 (?) and I would rather save the $$$ if possible, but dont mind spending a bit more if it will decrease my chances of having issues.

One thing that I have always found annoying about my 885/9.8 is that I could not FULLY turn off the front panel display and the best you could get it was very dim. Just looking at the manual of the 80.2 and it looks to be the same way unfortunately. Is there still no way to fully turn off the front display?
Edited by Toe - 2/28/13 at 10:15am
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post #3708 of 3723
2/28/13 at 10:23am
I dont have it anymore so I cant really remember. I had thought you could turn it off, but not sure.

I also dont know about the 80.3 boards / repairs...

BUT - Integra will actually repair the HDMI board and ribbon cable outside of warranty, from what I understand, if necessary. This thread details quite a bit about the repairs. The one I sold had both repairs done. No issues after. Look for a used one that has had the repairs.
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post #3709 of 3723
2/28/13 at 10:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hifiaudio2 View Post

I dont have it anymore so I cant really remember. I had thought you could turn it off, but not sure.

I also dont know about the 80.3 boards / repairs...

BUT - Integra will actually repair the HDMI board and ribbon cable outside of warranty, from what I understand, if necessary. This thread details quite a bit about the repairs. The one I sold had both repairs done. No issues after. Look for a used one that has had the repairs.

Sounds good. Thanks again!

Also just noticed the 40.2 which might do everything I need as well and would save me some $$$$. Need to check out this option as well.
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post #3710 of 3723
2/28/13 at 10:28am
If you don't need balanced outs the 40.2 is a terrific option. Its probably half the price of a used 80.2. I have a buddy that is about to sell his, in fact. He is also a forum member. PM me if you want to chat with him about that.
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post #3711 of 3723
2/28/13 at 10:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hifiaudio2 View Post

If you don't need balanced outs the 40.2 is a terrific option. Its probably half the price of a used 80.2. I have a buddy that is about to sell his, in fact. He is also a forum member. PM me if you want to chat with him about that.

Thanks! PM sent.
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post #3712 of 3723
2/28/13 at 5:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Toe View Post

Thanks for the reply!

What is the deal with the HDMI board and ribbon cable? Does the 80.3 avoid these potential issues altogether? I assume the 80.3 is considerably more than the 80.2 (?) and I would rather save the $$$ if possible, but dont mind spending a bit more if it will decrease my chances of having issues.

One thing that I have always found annoying about my 885/9.8 is that I could not FULLY turn off the front panel display and the best you could get it was very dim. Just looking at the manual of the 80.2 and it looks to be the same way unfortunately. Is there still no way to fully turn off the front display?

Many 5508/80.2 have already experienced and been fixed for these bugs. Onkyo has announced that it would fix these problems under warranty even out of warranty.

My 5508 had the cable bug fixed 8-9 months ago and the HDMI bug fixed a month ago.

Before I got it back I considered bailing out and began looking for an alternative in the $1600 price range I had paid for mine. For 3500 I could have bought a new Marantz. For a lot more that that I could have bought the Denon flagship prepro. Or I could have bought a Denon receiver and just used the prepro section.

I am in my theater now thoroughly enjoying my system. What was I discussing? Getting rid of this awesome piece of gear that is the best prepro I have ever heard? smile.gif

Jeff
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post #3713 of 3723
3/2/13 at 10:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by pepar View Post

I am in my theater now thoroughly enjoying my system. What was I discussing? Getting rid of this awesome piece of gear that is the best prepro I have ever heard? smile.gif

Jeff

Amen, brother.
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post #3714 of 3723
3/3/13 at 5:26am
Guys -
As there's been a few purchase inquiries on the thread, thought I'd throw out that I just posted my 80.2 for sale. Same reason as Dave - have a pre/pro in for review, so taking advantage of the shuffling. Ribbon and HDMI board repair completed last year. Unit in pristine condition. Here's the link:
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1461327/integra-80-2-pre-pro-immaculate-conditions
Happy Sunday!
mjv
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post #3715 of 3723
3/3/13 at 5:19pm
I ended up selling mine on eBay for $1250 shipped to a very good buyer in New Jersey.
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post #3716 of 3723
4/4/13 at 3:42pm
I am now using jr river to push music to my system. It works with my oppo 103 and then my 80.2 via HDMI. I can also use my network connection to feed music to the 80.2 directly . Both play. My network is hard wired .

Any trade offs in quality between the two ?
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post #3717 of 3723
4/5/13 at 7:15am
In think the bit depth/sampling rate is limited with the 80.2 reading from network storage. Look in the manual.

"Playing Music Files on a Server"

It is all 2-ch only ...

Jeff
Edited by pepar - 4/5/13 at 7:27am
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post #3718 of 3723
4/5/13 at 12:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pepar View Post

In think the bit depth/sampling rate is limited with the 80.2 reading from network storage. Look in the manual.

"Playing Music Files on a Server"

It is all 2-ch only ...

Jeff
Thanks. Doing it through the oppo sounds better.
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post #3719 of 3723
4/29/13 at 10:43am
Hey all.

I stream MKV files from my NAS to my WD Live TV. I use VLC viewer on my PC which when looking at the audio settings, it states 5.1. When i bring up the movie via the WD, and look it audio settings, it will say DTS.

But on my 80.2, it says "All Channel Stereo". Any idea why the Integra doesn’t interpret the audio as DTS? Hoping it’s something simple that I’m doing wrong.

Thanks,
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post #3720 of 3723
5/5/13 at 2:52pm
Is anyone using a "tape out" from your 80.2 to connect to a different intergated amp?

I'm trying to do this and it only works when I change the source to internet radio/pandora etc. I do not get any output when I select other sources like Coax/optical or HDMI..

any clues?

Thanks
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