driven. A separate rating is given for 4
Ω
loads:
160Wpc, 20Hz–20kHz, <0.09%, again with
all channels driven. Of course, the A-965 lists
for $1499.95, plus another $1499.95 for the
matching P-965 processor; together, they list
for a cool $1000 more than the R-965. I’ve
said it before and I’ll say it again: when it
comes to analog electronics such as a power
amp, you really do get what you pay for.
Jack Attack!
One look at the R-965’s rear panel is enough
to make a grown man weep. Intimidating at
first glance, this jack pack is complete, well
thought out, and above all, flexible.
First off, there are five AV inputs, each
with an accompanying S-video jack. There are
also three line-level audio-only inputs, labeled
Aux, CD, and Tape Monitor, plus a moving-
magnet phono input for you vinyl diehards.
The AV, Aux, and CD inputs can be renamed.
Many lesser receivers force you to plan a
connection strategy that can accommodate
fixed digital-audio input assignments; e.g.,
Video 1 has a coaxial input, Video 2 has opti-
cal, and so on. The R-965 gives you four opti-
cal and two coaxial digital inputs on the rear
panel and lets you reassign them as you please.
Similar flexibility is extended to the three
component-video inputs, each of which can
be freely assigned to any AV input. These are
switched by relays, not microprocessors, so
high-bandwidth HD signals should pass
through with no rolloff.
The R-965 is the first product I’ve had in-
house that upconverts composite and S-video
inputs to produce a unified, or “universal,”
component-video output. This allows you to
make a single component-video connection
between the receiver and your video display,
thus relieving you and your family of ever
again having to switch video inputs on the TV.
I saw no apparent decline in the video quality
of the composite signal coming from my dusty
VCR or from the S-video output of our much-
loved Sony digital satellite receiver-recorder.
And even if there
was
a performance penalty,
I’d gladly pay it to eliminate those dreaded mid-
day phone calls from the wife and kids com-
plaining that “There’s no %#$* picture again!”
With so much flexibility on tap, it’s easy to
forget what needs to be assigned where by the
time you finally squeeze out from behind the
equipment rack and sit down to program the
input assignments. I found it helpful to make
a little chart to keep track of each input’s new
name, as well as its accompanying digital and
component-video assignments.
The Video 1 and 2 inputs are record loops
with matching AV outputs, so you’ll want to
reserve these inputs for use with a VCR, DVD
recorder, or TiVo. The record outputs can be
switched independently to send different
sources. However, the Video 2 record output
serves double duty as the Room 2 output, so if
you plan to have a second zone, you’ll be left
with only one record output in your main
room. And if your recording device can accept
a digital audio input, the Sherwood has a dig-
ital optical output for recording (plus a coaxi-
al digital output for a Zone 2 feed).
In addition to the regular AV inputs, the R-
965 has a 7.1-channel analog Direct Input for
use with a DVD-Audio or SACD player. (Of
course, there are no such players with eight
analog outputs, so the point of having the
extra inputs is beyond me.) [
Perhaps 7.1-dis-
crete channels on some future format such as
Blu-ray-based SACD or HD-DVD-based DVD-
Audio? Just daydreaming.—Ed.
] Dedicated
composite and S-video inputs are provided,
and the receiver’s bass-management f[unc-
tions are active on this input.
The R-965 has preamp outputs for all
channels, including two subwoofer outputs. If
you’ll be using only one Surround Back speak-
er in a 6.1-channel configuration, you can
switch the unit to Passive Subwoofer mode
and connect an unpowered sub to the
Surround Back R speaker terminals.
There are a total of nine pairs of high-qual-
ity speaker binding posts, labeled Front (L/R),
Center, Surround A (L/R), Surround B (L/R),
and Surround Back/SW (L/R). In addition to
feeding a passive sub as mentioned above, the
Surround Back speaker terminals can be
assigned to feed speaker-level audio to the
Room 2 zone.
This is the first receiver I’ve seen that
sports a USB connector. Familiar to comput-
er users, this high-speed serial port can accept
2-channel PCM digital audio from a PC, or it
can be switched to enable downloads of
upgraded operating software. A 9-pin RS-
232C connector is also provided for the latter
function.
Custom installers and our more intrepid
readers can use the R-965’s IR control jacks in
conjunction with a Xantech multiroom kit
(sold separately) to operate the unit from a
second room or when it is hidden from sight
behind cabinet doors. A pair of DC trigger
outputs can be used to raise and lower projec-
tors, screens, and the like. The first jack trig-
gers each time the receiver is powered on or
off, the second when a specific, assignable
input source is selected.
Control Freak
For the most part, I found the Newcastle R-
965 easy to set up and operate. The onscreen
display (OSD) is simple but adequate, with six
screens. Menu navigation is annoyingly
inconsistent, sometimes requiring a push of
the Enter button, other times a Return. I
often found myself exiting the menu system
entirely rather than stepping back to a previ-
ous sub menu.
The Power Amp Assign screen is used to
direct the rear-channel power amps to drive
either the Surround Back or Room 2 speakers
(so they can play a second, independent
source). The Speaker Setup screen lets you
select a speaker configuration (Large/Small
for each speaker), which is then applied glob-
ally for all inputs. The subwoofer crossover
frequency defaults to 80Hz, but can be adjust-
ed from 40 to 120Hz in 20Hz increments.
Although the R-965 does not have individ-
ual channel-level settings for each input, the
Channel Level Setup screen does allow you to
adjust and then store three channel-level pre-
sets for later recall. You can even adjust the
LFE level separately for Dolby, DTS, and
MPEG decoding modes.
DECEMBER 2004 |
ULTIMATE AV
