Originally Posted By: mdrew

Having said that, there are two Pre amps worth a serious look. The Integra 9.8 and its Onkyo Pro Sibling, the 885. Unfortunately, these two use a Reon video processing chip, and it’s been confirmed that the reon does alter the video stream, unless you completely bypass it, and when you do that, you loose the menu system.


If by menu system you mean the OSD when changing volume, yes you lose that, but the setup menus are still accessible via HDMI output to your display regardless of whether the Reon is being bypassed or not. I use the 9.8 in this fashion and it works for me as I can see the current volume level on the unit's display directly in front of me. Mounting the 9.8 in a hidden location and bypassing the Reon would certainly leave one guessing at the current volume level.

A: Epic 80 * 600 / Integra DTC-9.8 / A1400-8
V: Samsung HL-S6187W / Tosh HD-XA2 / PS3 / Oppo 970HD