For all of the talk of the ever-evolving home theater market and the technologies that drive the industry, it's almost easy to overlook the evolving consumer market that buys these products.
Take for example a decade ago, when the electronics industry was locked in an arms race to produce the biggest, most feature-laden A/V receivers. Today, consumer demand for space friendliness is now driving an increasing number of companies to produce slim, small footprint A/V receivers.
The latest company to introduce a slim-footprint receiver is the custom-centric brand Integra. The company's new 6.1-channel DSX-3 A/V receiver stands three inches tall and weighs less than nine pounds. The receiver is designed to appeal to homeowners looking for low-profile, unobtrusive electronics.
Features & Specs
Integra says the DSX-3 A/V receiver is capable of playing Dolby Atmos and DTS:X object-based surround sound formats, and it incorporates a choice of wireless audio technologies, including Apple AirPlay, Bluetooth, FireConnect and Wi-Fi to support the streaming of services like TIDAL, Pandora and Spotify.
Rated to produce 80 watts into 4 ohms, the receiver utilizes 32-bit/384kHz Asahi Dasei DACs, as well as four HDMI inputs that support Ultra HD 4K, along with HDR, 4:4:4 chroma subsampling; the BT.2020 color space, and HDCP 2.2 copyright protection.
In addition, the receiver also upscales 1080p to 4K, and it includes a USB input to support high-resolution audio equipment, as well as connections to allow for the playback of SACD via HDMI.
The DSX-3 also features installer-friendly options such as bi-directional Ethernet control, rear-panel IR inputs, dealer settings that store and recall functions, and options for auto equalization through Integra's AccuEQ EQ suite.
The receiver carries an MSRP of $600.
