I’ve been researching new features in receivers lately and I found some interesting stuff on JVC’s website.  I was at JVC’s site to read more about these new digital receivers that can do HDMI upconversion using Faroudja processors.  I initially found it here yes, it’s old news from the last CES but still interesting.  What’s even more interesting to me is the new breed of digital amplifier.  No, they haven’t exactly taken off, not in the car audio realm and especially not in home theater.  This receiver almost made my recommended list, hey, I personally wouldn’t own a JVC receiver but then I’m kind of a dick that way, not everybody has to be.  What impresses me about this is the use of Faroudja processors (which their website doesn’t even mention, this should be a huge selling point IMHO) to perform HDMI upconversion.  Okay, why is HDMI upconversion a big deal?  What is HDMI upconversion?  If these questions are relevant to you read the next paragraph, if not, just skip the next paragraph:

HDMI upconversion is cool if you have NTSC sources that produce video in old fashioned 480i.  These would be VCRs, old DVD players or a cable/satellite box that didn’t have component video, HDMI or DVI outputs.  This receiver would be a great boon to those with older source equipment, Faroudja is recognized as being one of the best video processors ever, letting this name handle your video’s de-interlacing is a great deal.  But even that’s suspect, seeing the Faroudja name on a sub $500 JVC component makes you wonder if Faroudja has tried to mass market itself, or maybe it’s just an older series of processor, these things do get cheaper all the time so no harm done.

Here is the bad news, I’m reading the specs on this receiver, because after all it’s going to do some amplification duties, it’s not simply a video de-interlacer or dedicated processor box.   

• Stereo: 110 watts per channel, 6 ohms, from 20Hz to 20kHz, with 0.8% THD
• Surround: (Front) 110 watts per channel, 6 ohms at 1kHz, with 0.8% THD; (Center) 110 watts, 6 ohms at 1kHz, with 0.8% THD; (Surround) 110 watts per channel, 6 ohms at 1kHz, with 0.8% THD; (Surround Back) 110 watts per channel, 6 ohms at 1kHz, with 0.8% THD

These specs are horrible!  No, the numbers aren’t really bad (if I even knew what they really were) it’s the blatant deception and marketing BS obscuring the truth to boost the numbers.  All channels are rated at 6ohms, this isn’t a good sign for JVC’s integrity.  Through a six ohm load the watts per channel would be lower, not too much lower but it would be under that magic number 100WPC that marketers of mainstream product seem to insist everything has to be.  A 70WPC amp is perfectly respectable for most homes with moderately sized speakers. 

The worst crime is the surround channel’s specs.  Rated at 1kHz!?!  So, you only get that much power (110Watts) through six ohms (nobody uses 6 ohm speakers, they use 8 ohm speakers) and only if you’re listening to a single frequency, like a test tone.  Natural sounds we hear occur in ranges of frequencies at once, not a single frequency.  Granted some of us have more limited range perception than others, but you can’t hear anything at 1hKz.  It’s just a lie, a way to boost the numbers. 

The sad thing is that the specs posted on their website are the product of some board room, guys in suits decided they need to have numbers that look impressive when spouted off by sales people to undead zombie customers visiting Best Buy for to suck on some brains.  That 100 Watt per channel spec that every manufacturer feels they must meet even if they have to lie (technically not lie per-se but stretch the truth) is meaningless anyway.  Watts aren’t the end all spec, they’re only part of the story.  Take a 100 watt amp and compare it with a 50 watt amp, many would be surprised that the 100 watt amp is capable of only a mere 3 decibels more than the 50 watt amp through a given load.  The watts must double to give you 3 more decibels.  So, running around with an 80 watt amp or a 100 watt amp is not even any difference, barely worth mentioning.  Besides, good manufacturers (IE NAD, Denon, Onkyo) routinely exceed their specs in real world use and cheaper audio manufacturers (IE Sony, JVC) routinely don’t quite measure up to their gear’s specs in real world conditions.

That’s all for now, have a great weekend and look out for Tuesday.  The REAL Home Theater geeks will be lined up at their local DVD retailers with their Storm trooper costumes on next Tuesday.