Component Reviews
Sunfire Ultimate AV Receiver II
7.1 channel digital surround receiver with 200 watts per channel, side axis channels and automatic source selection
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Published on August 01, 2005
Sunfire Ultimate Receiver II
SRP: $4,995.00
Basic Description
7.1 channel 200W x 7 Digital Surround Receiver with DD EX, DTS ES, DPL
IIx, DTS Neo:6, Side Axis Holographic Imaging (9.1 w/ amp), Party Mode,
Source Direct two channel bypass, Auto Signal Sensing input and power
on, Two Zone Control w/ two channel rerouting for 5.1 + two channel
second zone, digital downmix capability for digital to analog recording
or Zone 2 output, 24-bit and 192kHz A/D conversion, video upconversion,
Six A/V inputs w/ composite and S-video, Two audio tape inputs and
outputs, three component inputs and two components outputs, four
optical digital inputs, six coaxial digital inputs, phono input, and
built-in AM/FM tuner, optical and coaxial digital outputs, RS-232
control, IR ins and outs, 12V triggers, eight channel input, 10 channel
preamplifier outputs (including three subwoofer outs), one fixed stereo
output, LCD Learning/Universal Remote Control with hard buttons, Flash
Memory upgradeable, Panel Dim (four levels including off), Treble and
Bass Tone Controls, black or silver finish. Two year
warranty. 17” W x 5.75” H x 16.5” D, 32 pounds.
Equipment
Denon DVD3910 Universal Player, Musical Fidelity A308 CD player, Monster HTS1000 Power Conditioner, Bowers & Wilkins 703, HTM7, 705, ASW750 surround speaker system, Music Hall MMF-5 Turntable w/ Goldring 1012GX Cartridge, Audioquest, Linn, Monster Cable, and Revelation cabling.
Setup and Options
The design of the Ultimate Receiver places a lot of importance on simplicity. This is evident even when connecting the source components to the unit. Instead of Video 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and digital 3, 4, 5, 6, etc. there are labels like the old days (CD, DVD, SAT, etc). This makes figuring out which digital cable goes with what source a piece of cake. If you don’t intend to use a satellite receiver for instance, you can always re-label it to indicate you are using cable instead.
Because of the use of Bob Carver’s “tracking downconverter” (a design element that eliminates much of the heavy power supply), the receiver is much lighter weight than the big behemoth models that normally occupy this price range. Yet, in listening, you’d think there was a much “bigger” amp behind the speakers. Another advantage to this design means elimination of heat vents on the top of the unit. There are some vents on the side, but you could put something on top of the receiver or slide it into a compartment without worry.
Some of the differences between the older Ultimate Receiver and the newer model include video upconversion, and a newer chipset. The A/D converter is a 24-bit Crystal Semiconductor chip while the D/A converter is a 24-bit 192 kHz Analog Devices component. The processing is handled by a 32-bit, 20 MHz microprocessor and a 24-bit, 150 MIPS Motorola Symphony DSP Processor. Additional technology includes Sonic Holography and a special FM noise reduction circuit.
The remote that comes with the unit is one of the Home Theater Master remotes. It is ergonomic and can be programmed to control your entire system (10 components) with macros if you desire. I only used it to control the receiver and it worked easily and effectively. The manual is written simply and clearly and details all of the functions and how they operate. It should make a master of those who take the time to read it thoroughly.
The on-screen menu is easy to navigate up/down and left/right. The speaker distance calibration lets you adjust placement to the closest inch! The crossover for the left, right, and center speakers is adjustable in 10 Hz increments from 40-160. These only seem to function in the surround modes (or perhaps it was because I set the speakers to large with the subwoofer off). I almost overlooked an important setting within the menus—the Enhanced Bass option. This allows you to listen to the subwoofer (in the stereo mode) even if the main speakers are set to large.
There is a video delay adjustment that can compensate for the use of an external video processor (and delay the audio to properly match up with the video)—this is a highly useful feature.
FM Tuner Listening
I attached a dipole antenna to the receiver to take a listen to the FM performance. I’ve come to not expect all that much from modern surround receivers in this department, but the Sunfire managed to surprise me. 88.1 is a relatively hard station to receive and some units can’t get it at all. With some antenna fiddling, the Ultimate Receiver had some noise in the background, but otherwise the sound was impressive. I tried a classical station (which is usually less compressed than other stations) and a few rock stations. Strong stations came in well and the difference between stations that were heavily compressed and those that were not was audible.
With an outside antenna my guess is this tuner would sound great. I wouldn’t be quick to add an external tuner unless radio is way up on your list of sources.
Phono Listening
Normally I wouldn’t bother to listen to phono preamplifier sections in A/V receivers, because normally they are a joke—an afterthought for those who hook up cheap, plastic turntables to play beat up old records. I find myself listening to more vinyl than ever lately, so I decided to give the Sunfire a try. After listening to the Music Hall table on what many would consider a lower-high end system, I connected it to the Ultimate Receiver.
I started with Dave Grusin/Lee Ritenour’s Harlequin. I put on band one and two, “Harlequin (Arleqium)” and “Early A.M. Attitude”—a tune that is played on lite jazz stations often. The sound was quick, slightly lightweight, but musical and less mushy and muddled than I’m used to with this table. Even with its limitations the sound was so good it made me want to toss half my CDs in the trash.
Next, for fun, I put on ABC’s Lexicon of Love “The Look of Love (Part One).” I have to admit that I have a soft spot in my heart for 80s music and this track embodies the early part of that period as much as any. The disc was a little crackly, but was not bad. I don’t know what came over me, but I had a sudden urge to try some of the surround modes—audiophiles try to stay with me. Party mode plays the same stereo sound through the surround speakers and brought back all sorts of memories from Junior High dance parties with four big speakers and parents watching over the partygoers like hawks. At least with this system the fidelity was much better.
The jazz club setting produced too much reverberation even at the lower settings for my taste although the Neo:6 mode was decent. In order to adjust the parameters for each mode, you have to go into the setup menu of the receiver. At first I felt the Dolby Pro-logic II mode was inappropriate for music, but once I adjusted the controls I got improved separation and sense of space.
One of the drawbacks of the Sunfire receiver became apparent while making these adjustments. When I set the Pro-logic mode to music, standard, or movie, it would stay that way on all sources. This meant that if you wanted to use a particular mode with CDs and a different mode for your VCR, then you’d have to go into the menu and switch it each time. That’s unfortunate. Another thing I discovered is that the Source Direct function that bypasses the tone controls, digital processing, etc. is only available on analog sources. Audio purists who don’t want to simulate surround would want to set this mode on and leave it that way for two-channel sources. “Full Automatic Operation” (explained later in the DVD section) does not activate with the turntable or tape input.
DVD Listening
Most people buy surround receivers to actually listen to surround material—what a surprise! Keeping this in mind meant selecting some favorite DVDs and multichannel music to try.
I started with I Am Sam in DTS. Although this disc isn’t heavy on surround, the lovely covers of Beatles tunes and additional background music is hard to ignore. While other, lesser receivers produce excellent sound that is often hard to criticize, when you hear a soundtrack (or music) presented in such a way that is just right you tend to sit up and take notice. For those who believe that it is impossible for a “receiver” to deliver audiophile sound…you’re in for a big surprise. There was no doubt that the Sunfire Ultimate Receiver was delivering high-end sound—the kind of sound that reminds you what it is you like about music in the first place.
Another disc I haven’t heard in a while was Lauryn Hill Unplugged in DD. One of the big knocks against receivers is lack of strong power output. Sure, there are tons of models that are rated 100 Wpc plus into 5, 7, 9 channels, etc. But hook them up to real speakers whose impedance can drop to four ohms (or below) and listen to what happens—a jumbled, compressed, distorted mess. The Sunfire was able to deliver both music and video sound at a realistic level and much louder. Not that I wanted Lauryn’s guitar blaring, but on peaks the dynamics were preserved without giving ground to low level detail or impairing transient response. Tonally the sound leans towards warmth and has an attractive smooth quality. That’s not to say that you are losing out on high frequency performance, sense of space, resolution, or focus. I didn’t have a set of $10,000+ of separates for comparison, but if I did, I bet the Sunfire would acquit itself quite well.
At this point I checked for noise from the receiver and I heard a low level hiss from the speakers (equally) that was not clearly discernible from four feet away. It seemed completely unaffected by volume, so would appear to be the component’s noise floor.
Lastly, I tried another older DVD—the DTS track of Se7en Special Edition. I engaged the “Full Automatic Operation” feature on the receiver to check it out. Just by turning on a connected source component, the Ultimate Receiver will turn on and switch to the most recently activated input. This can be turned off completely or by individual source. As soon as I started a DVD the video came on and the sound switched as well. This is a major focus of much of Sunfire’s advertising and makes what might be a daunting purchase for some an easy one.
Back to the movie…This film has an aggressive surround mix that shifts from scenes of extreme quiet to scenes full of sonic cacophony. This disc highlighted one of the characteristics of the Ultimate Receiver related to its presentation. Some components are designed to bring out every last detail (hyper-detail) from the media. At first this is an eye opening experience, which can later turn to listener fatigue—an uncomfortable listening experience over long sessions. Although I would not consider the Sunfire soft or lacking in detail, its strengths lie in its ability to elicit involvement and enjoyment in what is clearly not fatiguing reproduction.
DVDA and SACD Multichannel Listening
I shifted my attention back to music and put on the DVDA disc of Queen’s The Game. One of my surround favorites on this disc is track 3, “Another One Bites The Dust.” The sound from this material was even more impressive than was what previously heard with the DVD material (as was expected). I just kept wondering how much better it would sound with a better source component. I tried the DTS ES 96/24 mix via a digital connection to the Sunfire, but it wasn’t quite as good as the DVDA mix. In any case it might be a moot point—who knows what format the record companies/hardware manufacturers will come up with next?
On the SACD side I tried Philip Bailey’s Soul Jazz, track 2, “Dear Ruby.” I’ve always been fond of this track even though there is some background hiss and an extra little bit of crispness. The vocal harmonies are excellent as is the instrumentation—and there is a wide variety of different instruments. If anything, the Sunfire made it a little more listenable than to what I was accustomed.
CD Listening
First on the CD hit list was Howie Day’s Stop All The World Now. With the Denon as a CD player via the analog outputs the performance was good, but with the digital input into the Sunfire the sound was better. I’d expect that with better players this would be opposite, and it all fairness I felt that anyone using the Sunfire would most likely have a higher performance CD player. Luckily, I was able to borrow the Musical Fidelity A308. After the switch I noted how much more fleshed out the images were and the guitar was much more natural. Just take a listen to track five.
With track 1, “Is You Is, Or Is You Ain’t My Baby” from Diana Krall’s Only Trust Your Heart disc I was struck by how silky smooth and clean the sound was. Diana’s voice was big and rich without sibilance. Dynamics were very good and horn was brilliant without irritation, hardness, or compression. It was easy to sit back, relax, and let the disc spin.
I was checking for some older female jazz vocal tracks to listen for midrange quality and overall sonics when I came across another example of the Ultimate Receiver’s resolution abilities. It was on Atlantic Jazz Vocals Voice of Cool Volume 1 from track one to six to nine to fourteen it was easy to discern the wide range of quality difference in the various tracks (because they are from radically different recordings). This definitely reassured me that the Sunfire was staying out of the way of the music and letting me hear what was on the disc. By the way, this two-disc set makes a great casual Sunday afternoon listen.
Conclusion
It’s always hard to write a conclusion when there is an obvious flaw with a product that will mean it can’t be recommended. With the Sunfire receiver I never had any serious trouble or found any fatal flaws. There’s no doubt that when you review more expensive products you tend to hold them up to a more stringent review standard, yet I’d have no trouble recommending this product to a close friend. Above all, it sounded great. Sonically, it leaned towards warmth, ease, smoothness, and a strong sense of power and dynamics—a perfect combination of characteristics for movie watching. On music it was equally impressive. It had a good tuner section, a completely usable phono preamplifier, and aside from the tonal qualities above, did very little to interfere with the sound. With the Ultimate Receiver the goal is not to extract every last detail, but to make listening enjoyable and easy.
Setup was a breeze, and as for operation, in the case of the Sunfire, less is more. It is compact, runs cool, and the silver finish makes it look as high end as it sounds. If you plan to use it only in a five channel configuration then you have 200 watts of power to use to drive other speakers throughout the house. If Sunfire will let me keep it I’d gladly use it to drive the surround system in my own home. Recommended!
-- Brian Bloom
big_brian_b@hotmail.com
Equipment
Denon DVD3910 Universal Player, Musical Fidelity A308 CD player, Monster HTS1000 Power Conditioner, Bowers & Wilkins 703, HTM7, 705, ASW750 surround speaker system, Music Hall MMF-5 Turntable w/ Goldring 1012GX Cartridge, Audioquest, Linn, Monster Cable, and Revelation cabling.
Setup and Options
The design of the Ultimate Receiver places a lot of importance on simplicity. This is evident even when connecting the source components to the unit. Instead of Video 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and digital 3, 4, 5, 6, etc. there are labels like the old days (CD, DVD, SAT, etc). This makes figuring out which digital cable goes with what source a piece of cake. If you don’t intend to use a satellite receiver for instance, you can always re-label it to indicate you are using cable instead.
Because of the use of Bob Carver’s “tracking downconverter” (a design element that eliminates much of the heavy power supply), the receiver is much lighter weight than the big behemoth models that normally occupy this price range. Yet, in listening, you’d think there was a much “bigger” amp behind the speakers. Another advantage to this design means elimination of heat vents on the top of the unit. There are some vents on the side, but you could put something on top of the receiver or slide it into a compartment without worry.
Some of the differences between the older Ultimate Receiver and the newer model include video upconversion, and a newer chipset. The A/D converter is a 24-bit Crystal Semiconductor chip while the D/A converter is a 24-bit 192 kHz Analog Devices component. The processing is handled by a 32-bit, 20 MHz microprocessor and a 24-bit, 150 MIPS Motorola Symphony DSP Processor. Additional technology includes Sonic Holography and a special FM noise reduction circuit.
The remote that comes with the unit is one of the Home Theater Master remotes. It is ergonomic and can be programmed to control your entire system (10 components) with macros if you desire. I only used it to control the receiver and it worked easily and effectively. The manual is written simply and clearly and details all of the functions and how they operate. It should make a master of those who take the time to read it thoroughly.
The on-screen menu is easy to navigate up/down and left/right. The speaker distance calibration lets you adjust placement to the closest inch! The crossover for the left, right, and center speakers is adjustable in 10 Hz increments from 40-160. These only seem to function in the surround modes (or perhaps it was because I set the speakers to large with the subwoofer off). I almost overlooked an important setting within the menus—the Enhanced Bass option. This allows you to listen to the subwoofer (in the stereo mode) even if the main speakers are set to large.
There is a video delay adjustment that can compensate for the use of an external video processor (and delay the audio to properly match up with the video)—this is a highly useful feature.
FM Tuner Listening
I attached a dipole antenna to the receiver to take a listen to the FM performance. I’ve come to not expect all that much from modern surround receivers in this department, but the Sunfire managed to surprise me. 88.1 is a relatively hard station to receive and some units can’t get it at all. With some antenna fiddling, the Ultimate Receiver had some noise in the background, but otherwise the sound was impressive. I tried a classical station (which is usually less compressed than other stations) and a few rock stations. Strong stations came in well and the difference between stations that were heavily compressed and those that were not was audible.
With an outside antenna my guess is this tuner would sound great. I wouldn’t be quick to add an external tuner unless radio is way up on your list of sources.
Phono Listening
Normally I wouldn’t bother to listen to phono preamplifier sections in A/V receivers, because normally they are a joke—an afterthought for those who hook up cheap, plastic turntables to play beat up old records. I find myself listening to more vinyl than ever lately, so I decided to give the Sunfire a try. After listening to the Music Hall table on what many would consider a lower-high end system, I connected it to the Ultimate Receiver.
I started with Dave Grusin/Lee Ritenour’s Harlequin. I put on band one and two, “Harlequin (Arleqium)” and “Early A.M. Attitude”—a tune that is played on lite jazz stations often. The sound was quick, slightly lightweight, but musical and less mushy and muddled than I’m used to with this table. Even with its limitations the sound was so good it made me want to toss half my CDs in the trash.
Next, for fun, I put on ABC’s Lexicon of Love “The Look of Love (Part One).” I have to admit that I have a soft spot in my heart for 80s music and this track embodies the early part of that period as much as any. The disc was a little crackly, but was not bad. I don’t know what came over me, but I had a sudden urge to try some of the surround modes—audiophiles try to stay with me. Party mode plays the same stereo sound through the surround speakers and brought back all sorts of memories from Junior High dance parties with four big speakers and parents watching over the partygoers like hawks. At least with this system the fidelity was much better.
The jazz club setting produced too much reverberation even at the lower settings for my taste although the Neo:6 mode was decent. In order to adjust the parameters for each mode, you have to go into the setup menu of the receiver. At first I felt the Dolby Pro-logic II mode was inappropriate for music, but once I adjusted the controls I got improved separation and sense of space.
One of the drawbacks of the Sunfire receiver became apparent while making these adjustments. When I set the Pro-logic mode to music, standard, or movie, it would stay that way on all sources. This meant that if you wanted to use a particular mode with CDs and a different mode for your VCR, then you’d have to go into the menu and switch it each time. That’s unfortunate. Another thing I discovered is that the Source Direct function that bypasses the tone controls, digital processing, etc. is only available on analog sources. Audio purists who don’t want to simulate surround would want to set this mode on and leave it that way for two-channel sources. “Full Automatic Operation” (explained later in the DVD section) does not activate with the turntable or tape input.
DVD Listening
Most people buy surround receivers to actually listen to surround material—what a surprise! Keeping this in mind meant selecting some favorite DVDs and multichannel music to try.
I started with I Am Sam in DTS. Although this disc isn’t heavy on surround, the lovely covers of Beatles tunes and additional background music is hard to ignore. While other, lesser receivers produce excellent sound that is often hard to criticize, when you hear a soundtrack (or music) presented in such a way that is just right you tend to sit up and take notice. For those who believe that it is impossible for a “receiver” to deliver audiophile sound…you’re in for a big surprise. There was no doubt that the Sunfire Ultimate Receiver was delivering high-end sound—the kind of sound that reminds you what it is you like about music in the first place.
Another disc I haven’t heard in a while was Lauryn Hill Unplugged in DD. One of the big knocks against receivers is lack of strong power output. Sure, there are tons of models that are rated 100 Wpc plus into 5, 7, 9 channels, etc. But hook them up to real speakers whose impedance can drop to four ohms (or below) and listen to what happens—a jumbled, compressed, distorted mess. The Sunfire was able to deliver both music and video sound at a realistic level and much louder. Not that I wanted Lauryn’s guitar blaring, but on peaks the dynamics were preserved without giving ground to low level detail or impairing transient response. Tonally the sound leans towards warmth and has an attractive smooth quality. That’s not to say that you are losing out on high frequency performance, sense of space, resolution, or focus. I didn’t have a set of $10,000+ of separates for comparison, but if I did, I bet the Sunfire would acquit itself quite well.
At this point I checked for noise from the receiver and I heard a low level hiss from the speakers (equally) that was not clearly discernible from four feet away. It seemed completely unaffected by volume, so would appear to be the component’s noise floor.
Lastly, I tried another older DVD—the DTS track of Se7en Special Edition. I engaged the “Full Automatic Operation” feature on the receiver to check it out. Just by turning on a connected source component, the Ultimate Receiver will turn on and switch to the most recently activated input. This can be turned off completely or by individual source. As soon as I started a DVD the video came on and the sound switched as well. This is a major focus of much of Sunfire’s advertising and makes what might be a daunting purchase for some an easy one.
Back to the movie…This film has an aggressive surround mix that shifts from scenes of extreme quiet to scenes full of sonic cacophony. This disc highlighted one of the characteristics of the Ultimate Receiver related to its presentation. Some components are designed to bring out every last detail (hyper-detail) from the media. At first this is an eye opening experience, which can later turn to listener fatigue—an uncomfortable listening experience over long sessions. Although I would not consider the Sunfire soft or lacking in detail, its strengths lie in its ability to elicit involvement and enjoyment in what is clearly not fatiguing reproduction.
DVDA and SACD Multichannel Listening
I shifted my attention back to music and put on the DVDA disc of Queen’s The Game. One of my surround favorites on this disc is track 3, “Another One Bites The Dust.” The sound from this material was even more impressive than was what previously heard with the DVD material (as was expected). I just kept wondering how much better it would sound with a better source component. I tried the DTS ES 96/24 mix via a digital connection to the Sunfire, but it wasn’t quite as good as the DVDA mix. In any case it might be a moot point—who knows what format the record companies/hardware manufacturers will come up with next?
On the SACD side I tried Philip Bailey’s Soul Jazz, track 2, “Dear Ruby.” I’ve always been fond of this track even though there is some background hiss and an extra little bit of crispness. The vocal harmonies are excellent as is the instrumentation—and there is a wide variety of different instruments. If anything, the Sunfire made it a little more listenable than to what I was accustomed.
CD Listening
First on the CD hit list was Howie Day’s Stop All The World Now. With the Denon as a CD player via the analog outputs the performance was good, but with the digital input into the Sunfire the sound was better. I’d expect that with better players this would be opposite, and it all fairness I felt that anyone using the Sunfire would most likely have a higher performance CD player. Luckily, I was able to borrow the Musical Fidelity A308. After the switch I noted how much more fleshed out the images were and the guitar was much more natural. Just take a listen to track five.
With track 1, “Is You Is, Or Is You Ain’t My Baby” from Diana Krall’s Only Trust Your Heart disc I was struck by how silky smooth and clean the sound was. Diana’s voice was big and rich without sibilance. Dynamics were very good and horn was brilliant without irritation, hardness, or compression. It was easy to sit back, relax, and let the disc spin.
I was checking for some older female jazz vocal tracks to listen for midrange quality and overall sonics when I came across another example of the Ultimate Receiver’s resolution abilities. It was on Atlantic Jazz Vocals Voice of Cool Volume 1 from track one to six to nine to fourteen it was easy to discern the wide range of quality difference in the various tracks (because they are from radically different recordings). This definitely reassured me that the Sunfire was staying out of the way of the music and letting me hear what was on the disc. By the way, this two-disc set makes a great casual Sunday afternoon listen.
Conclusion
It’s always hard to write a conclusion when there is an obvious flaw with a product that will mean it can’t be recommended. With the Sunfire receiver I never had any serious trouble or found any fatal flaws. There’s no doubt that when you review more expensive products you tend to hold them up to a more stringent review standard, yet I’d have no trouble recommending this product to a close friend. Above all, it sounded great. Sonically, it leaned towards warmth, ease, smoothness, and a strong sense of power and dynamics—a perfect combination of characteristics for movie watching. On music it was equally impressive. It had a good tuner section, a completely usable phono preamplifier, and aside from the tonal qualities above, did very little to interfere with the sound. With the Ultimate Receiver the goal is not to extract every last detail, but to make listening enjoyable and easy.
Setup was a breeze, and as for operation, in the case of the Sunfire, less is more. It is compact, runs cool, and the silver finish makes it look as high end as it sounds. If you plan to use it only in a five channel configuration then you have 200 watts of power to use to drive other speakers throughout the house. If Sunfire will let me keep it I’d gladly use it to drive the surround system in my own home. Recommended!
-- Brian Bloom
big_brian_b@hotmail.com
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