Denon AVP-A1HD - Page 11

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By trimming down two of my subwoofers
from +2.5dB and +1.5dB respectively, I got
back 2.5db of gain on my master volume
but I also had to turn down the channel
trims on all other channels the same so it
was essentially a net wash. However, I did
play with input source level adjustments and
wasabletosetthesourceto+7dBwithout
causing the max master volume limit to
decrease. Thus I got back a some of the
headroom with this trick and I suggest you
experiment with it should you run into a
similar issue when engaging Audyssey room
correction in a post processing mode such
as PLIIx Music/Cinema.
Hopefully the forthcoming EQ editing
feature for Audyssey will allow the user to
limit the boost (especially on the surround
channels) to minimize headroom loss and
ensure you can never reach the limit of the
volume control in any listening situation.
Remote Control(s)
The AVP-A1HDCI comes with two
remote controls – the RC-1067 which
serves as the main zone remote control
and the RC-1070 which functions as a
simplified remote for the main zone as well
as multi zone control. TheRC-1067 is an
updated version of their learning/multibrand
touchscreen electro-luminescent remote
originallyofferedwiththeAVR-5805.Gone
however are the Colecovision style push
buttons and instead this remote consists of
real push buttons for main function control
such as selecting inputs, adjusting volume,
changing channels, and using a push button
fly wheel to navigate the OSD menus. The
touchscreen is only used to select the
device you want the remote control to
operate or the surround/soundfield mode
you desire. The tactile feel of this remote
has been greatly improved and
you can pretty much operate
it with one hand without any
issues. I was also pleased
tosee theRC-1067requires
only 2AA batteries unlike its
predecessor that required
4AAA’s to operate. I have
a few major gripes with this
remote starting with the fact
that you can no longer select
what PLIIx mode you want
to be in via a remote hot key.
Another annoyance is the
very inconspicuously “M.SEL/
Home” button that when
pressed will select which
HDMI output you desire to
send video signal to. I can’t
tell you how many times I
accidentally hit this button
in my dark theater room
and lost my picture and had
to trouble shoot for nearly
½ hour until I realized the
culprit. This is a dangerous
button to be offered with
such easy access.
I was quite puzzled by how
difficult I found it to use the
radio on this product. There
are two discrete inputs and
antenna hookups for FM and HD radio but I
recommend using the HD one for the main
zone and the FM one for another zone.
The HD tuner input also accommodates
standard FM broadcasts so it makes it easier
to use this input for the main zone so you
don’t have to toggle between inputs to
listento bothoptions.Unfortunately since
you can’t control any tuner functions via the
front panel of the processor, you have to
rely solely on the remote control. To make
matters worse, once you select the tuner
input, you have to navigate the touchscreen.
TooperateAM/FM,youhavetoselect“TU”
then “Dev1”. For HD radio, the input is
labeled“DTU”whichmakeslittlesense.In
order to operate it, you must select “Net/
DTU” and “Dev2” via the touchscreen
of the remote. In either case you won’t
be allowed to use the center circle hard
buttons or CH up/down functions to make
your selections for tuner mode or changing
stations. A tuner shouldn’t be this difficult
to operate in this day and age and I suspect
it will really discourage its use among casual
users. Finally the location of the on/off
buttons seem a little out of place as I found
myself accidentally hitting the “off” button
on many occasions since that is exactly
where I position my thumb when holding
the remote with my right hand.
The RC-1070 is a nice addition and
perhaps the most comprehensive multi
zone remote control I’ve seen. You can
pretty much control the entire processor
with this remote as it has virtually all of the
functionality of the RC-1067 but in push
button version. Despite my criticisms, I still
feel this is the nicest remote solution I’ve
seen Denon offer in their products and I
was relieved at how intuitive they were to
operate most of the time.
To date, I have been the only known
user of this product to report this issue
to Denon. Following my guidelines
above should minimize the likelihood of
this occurring in your setup.
Editorial Note about
Volume Scaling Issue (07/09/08):