Buying a car is a lot more fun than buying a surround processor, because in a sense, you get to build your own. You start with a basic model and add the extras you desire. Want 22-inch wheels on that SUV? You got them. A more powerful engine? Just say the word. And if you live in Los Angeles, where only an octogenarian would want heated seats, you can leave those off.

Despite the surprising fact that a high-end surround-sound processor can cost as much as a low-end car, your audio/video dealer might laugh if you ask for the options list. Consider yourself lucky if you can choose between silver and black finishes. On the other hand, if the surround processor you choose carries the Integra Research brand, you are in for quite a ride. Either you or your installer will pay a visit to the Integra Research website, where you engage a "configurator"—a web page that lets you select the options you want and configure the RDC-7.1 surround processor to meet the requirements of your system and the demands of your musical or cinematic tastes.

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Integra Research’s remote controls, such as the one for the RDV-1.1 DVD player, are covered with tiny buttons and labeled such that the remote is quite difficult to use in the dark. (Click image to enlarge)

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The back of the unit sports a row of removable panels, similar to what you find on the back of a desktop computer. Integra offers a wide selection of modules that fit into the slots behind the panels. The modules you choose determine what functions the RDC-7.1 can perform and to what devices it can connect. The basic version includes a digital audio input/output module, an i.Link digital multichannel audio interface module (for connection to i.Link-equipped DVD-Audio/SACD players such as Integra Research’s RDV-1.1), and two analog audio input/output modules, one of which includes a phonograph input. A full set of analog audio outputs (balanced and unbalanced) is included at the bottom. 

 

To make the RDC-7.1 fully functional, you add optional video input modules. A double-width video module adds basic composite video, S-video, and component video inputs and outputs. Two more modules add more component inputs—one offers professional-style BNC jacks, the other RCA jacks. An HDMI module lets you add two digital video inputs. And best of all, the RDC-7.1 can convert all of the incoming analog signals to digital, so you can run all the video signals from the RDC-7.1 to your video display through a single HDMI cable.

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The RDC-7.1 processor, RDV-1.1 DVD player, and RDA-7.1 amplifier share cosmetics, but only the RDC-7.1 employs a modular concept. The RDV-1.1 plays DVD-Audio and SACD discs in addition to DVDs; the RDA-7.1 is rated at 150 watts per channel. (Click image to enlarge)

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Two multichannel audio input modules let you connect a DVD-Audio/SACD player the old-fashioned analog way; one provides two 7.1-channel inputs, the other a single 7.1-channel input and a pro-style AES/EBU digital audio input.

The two remaining modules on the list provide additional listening options. One is an AM/FM tuner with standard antenna connections. The other gives you the Net-Tune feature found on many Onkyo components (Onkyo is the parent company of Integra Research). Net-Tune interfaces the RDC-7.1 with a standard Ethernet computer network, so you can listen to music files stored on your computer or on a Net-Tune-equipped Onkyo music server through the RDC-7.1. You can also use Net-Tune to access Internet radio stations.

With so many options, the RDC-7.1 must be considered one of today’s most up-to-date surround processors. It would be nice also to see modules for XM or Sirius satellite radio, or the new digital HD Radio, but I suspect Integra is at least contemplating those. The one place where the RDC-7.1’s capabilities fall short is in the two-input HDMI digital video module. My system has three digital video sources (a DVD player, a digital TV tuner, and a computer), so I must compromise by connecting one of them through the analog component video inputs. Some competing products offer four digital video inputs; Integra needs to follow suit.The company ships the unit with modules installed, and all of them can be controlled through the front panel or the remote. The inputs from the various modules can be combined as you wish—say, any component input with any digital audio input. The unit sets up much like Onkyo’s best receivers; the on-screen menus are intuitive but extensive, so getting the best performance the RDC-7.1 can deliver requires some knowledge and expertise.

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The RDC-7.1’s remote (left) features an unusual two-line LCD display that shows what source is selected and what device the remote is controlling. But we find the button layout cumbersome. (Click image to enlarge)

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Fortunately, Integra Research seems to have put as much effort into the RDC-7.1’s sound quality as it has into the unit’s features and flexibility. The RDC-7.1 sounds impeccably clean and precise; the instruments in my favorite audiophile recordings seem to emerge from specific points between and behind my speakers, as if they were arrayed across a stage. Of course, this is what these recordings are supposed to sound like, but some surround processors seem to smear or distort them slightly. Television shows and movies also benefit from the RDC-7.1’s accuracy—subtle details of the sound effects come through with impeccable realism, and the string sections in orchestral soundtracks sound lush and dense.

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One can tell by looking at the RDV-1.1, RDC-7.1, and RDA-7.1 that the units are immensely versatile. The RDC-7.1 is shown with only the basic analog and digital audio input modules installed; additional modules can be inserted alongside these. (Click image to enlarge)

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There is no way I can cover all the intricacies of this excellent processor in such a short review. Let it suffice to say that this is the way I wish all surround processors were built.

DESCRIPTION
THX-certified surround-sound processor. Decodes surround sound and stereo, controls volume, routes audio and video from source devices (DVD, satellite TV, etc.) to TV and amplifier; switches and upconverts video to HDTV resolution

AUDIO MODES
Direct, Pure Audio (video circuits off), Stereo, Mono, Dolby Digital EX and Pro Logic IIx, Dolby Virtual Speaker, DTS-ES and Neo:6, THX Ultra2 modes, Dolby Headphone, various proprietary modes

CONNECTIONS
Supplied: two IEEE-1394 connectors for i.Link digital audio, nine analog stereo audio inputs, phono input, five analog stereo audio outputs (can be assigned main, zone 2, or zone 3), six Toslink optical digital audio inputs, six coaxial digital audio inputs, two Toslink outputs, two coaxial outputs, three 7.1-channel outputs (two RCA, one XLR), DB-9 connector for RS-232 control, 3.5mm jack for remote control sensor input, five 3.5mm jacks for 12-volt trigger out, 3.5mm jacks for IR in and out in main, zone 2, and zone 3
Video module: six composite video inputs, six S-video inputs, three component video inputs, four composite outputs, four S-video outputs, component video output
HDMI module: two HDMI digital video inputs, HDMI output
Component video modules: two component video inputs (RCA or BNC available)
Multichannel audio input modules: either two 7.1-channel inputs on RCA jacks, or one 7.1-channel input and one AES/EBU digital audio input
AM/FM tuner module: F-connector for FM antenna, spring clips for AM antenna
Net-Tune module: RJ-45 Ethernet jack

DIMENSIONS
7.8 x 17.7 x 18.8 inches (hwd)

PRICE/CONTACT
PRICE: $4,000 plus $100 to $500 each for additional module
CONTACT: www.integraresearch.com, 201.785.2600