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Chris
Martens
AUDIO REVIEW
NuForce AVP-16
Multichannel Controller
The Gift of Simplicity
latest and greatest video processing options, or with elaborate custom installation-oriented features. On the contrary,
this controller turns back-to-basics
engineering into something of an art form.
Keep ing It S impl e
The AVP-16 provides
simple and effective
pass-through switching
for composite, S-video
and component video signals but provides no video upconversion or format
transcoding features of any kind. This
means all incoming video signals remain
in their original formats as they pass
through the controller. When using the
AVP-16 with source components that
output video signals in multiple formats
at once, the game plan is to select the
source component first, and then to use
the AVP-16’s video input switches to
choose which sets of video input you
want to use. You might think this sort of
manual switching would be a pain, but
in fact it is literally child’s play. My kids
had the AVP-16’s operational protocols
figured out in a matter of minutes with
zero instruction from dad. Works for me.
On the audio side, the AVP-16 is a
straightforward solid-state 7.1-channel
analog preamp, with single-ended (RCA
jack-equipped) outputs for all channels
and a set of balanced (XLR-type) outputs
T
here’s an old hymn that
proclaims “’Tis a gift
to be simple” and that
line fits the personality
of NuForce’s AVP-16 7.1-channel
A/V controller to a “T.” Where many
controllers tout auto-this, microprocessor-controlled that, and HDMIequipped everything, the affordable AVP-16 is headed in the other
direction with one main objective
in mind: namely, achieving superb
sound quality—especially for highresolution multichannel music—for
the least amount of money. To grasp
what the $995 AVP-16 is about,
picture it as a high-performance
7.1-channel analog audio preamplifier that provides just enough basic
surround sound decoding and videoswitching functionality to serve as a
solid A/V controller. What the AVP16 is not is a features-rich controller
equipped (or, depending upon your
point of view, burdened) with the
Solid-state preamps sometimes have a cold, sterile
quality that distances listeners from the music, but the
AVP-16 does not. Instead, it offers a delightful combination of clarity and natural, organic warmth.
[ ]
TPV | March 2007
54
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specifically for the left, center, right, and
subwoofer channels. This design touch
acknowledges the fact that some audiophiles already own amplifiers with XLRinputs, and that stereo purists might
wish to make the transition to surround
sound incrementally, adding a center
channel and subwoofer
first and surround
channels later on.
Puri sts Dig It
How does the AVP-16
perform in real-world
systems? I found the
AVP-16 was at its
best when playing
high-resolution music material (SACD,
DVD-Audio, and DualDisc) in Bypa ss mode.
Solid-state preamps
sometimes have a
cold, sterile quality
that distances listeners from the music, but
the AVP-16 does not.
Instead, it offers a delightful combination of
clarity and natural, organic warmth. On Gary
Burton’s Like Minds
[Concord, SACD], for
instance, the AVP-16
brought out the round,
full, honey-sweet tonality of Pat Metheny’s
jazz guitar, yet it also
had sufficient transparency to reproduce the
sound of Roy Haynes’s
sure and almost in-
describably delicate percussion work.
The AVP-16’s overall presentation on
Like Min ds was so clean and pure that
many guest listeners offered unprompted compliments on the sound. On
well-recorded orchestral material such
as the Gergov/Norrlands performance
of David Chesky’s
Conc erto for Orc hestra [Urb an C once rtos ,
Chesky, SACD], the
NuForce did a great job
of capturing the ambience of the recording
venue while conveying the sound of an
orchestra arrayed on a
wide, deep, three-dimensional soundstage.
Overall, the AVP-16
sounded much like
NuForce’s excellent
P8 stereo preamplifier (reviewed in The
Abso lute Sou nd issue
169), which is saying
a mouthful given that
the AVP-16 costs less
than the P8 does.
On CDs and other
stereo program material the AVP-16 performed well, offering
the expected batteries of Dolby PL II
and DTS Neo:6 processing modes, plus
eight proprietary DSP
modes (churc h, sta-
DiuM , thEatE r, and so
on.). The Dolby and
DTS modes proved
effective, though their sound was
not quite as pure and transparent
as that of the Bypass mode. My suggestion would be to avoid using the
AVP-16’s other DSP modes, though,
since they aren’t up to the controller’s
otherwise high sonic standards.
On DVD movies, the AVP-16’s video
pass-through switching added no
visible noise or artifacts. Sonically,
the controller’s Dolby Digital and DTS
decoders worked well, though they
sometimes smoothed over extremely
low-level, high frequency textural details. As a small example, consider the
“Ann Disarms Kong” scene from King
Kong where Kong seizes a full-grown
bamboo tree to munch on as a light
snack. High-resolution controllers let
you hear an explicit snap and crunch as
the thick, tubular bamboo trunk breaks
apart while Kong chomps down on it. In
contrast, the AVP-16 captures the snap
of the trunk but loses textural detail
as Kong chews on the shattered tree.
Nevertheless, the AVP-16’s surround
sound processing easily equals that of
most mid- and some high-priced AVRs.
The AVP-16 will appeal to stereo
enthusiasts looking to take their first
steps toward home theater and multichannel music. The NuForce provides the core sonic qualities that
audiophile’s demand, with solid though
minimalist video switching and surround sound processing features.
TPV
• Fine sound quality in BYPASS
mode
• Nice combination of clarity and
warmth
• Simple, effective video and
surround sound features
• Value
• No HDMI, no video upconversion,
no auto-setup
• Surround modes not as pure as
BYPASS mode
• Remote is beautifully made, but
ergonomics need work
Specifications
NuForce AVP-16 Multichannel Controller
• Decoding formats: Dolby Digital , Digital
EX and Pro Logic IIx; DTS, DTS-ES and
Neo:6; eight proprietary DSP modes.
• Video inputs/outputs: Component video
(three in, one out with support up to
1080i), S-video (four in, one out), composite video (four in, o ne out)
• Audio inputs/outputs: 7.1-channel analog
(single-ended RCA, one in, one out), 3.1channel analog (balanced XLR, one out),
stereo analog (seven in, one out), digital
audio (seven in—four coax, three optical)
• Dimensions: 3.54" x 17" x 18"
• Weight: 17.5 lbs.
• Price: $995
• nuforce.com
The Last Word
Poor Good Excellent
10 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Value
Sound quality, film
Sound quality, music
User interface
NuForce AVP-16 Multichannel Controller
(compared with similarly priced multichannel controllers)
TPV | March 2007
55
analo g direct mode, an d when
playi ng well- recorded material
at mo derate v olume lev els. The
recei ver’s subtl e touch of warmth
and o verall c larity he lped it
rende r instru mental an d vocal
timbr es effec tively. For example,
it so unded te rrific on the Hei fetz
recor ding of the Sibel ius Violin
Conce rto in D Minor [R CA Livin g
Stere o, multic hannel S ACD], cap -
turin g the vi olinist’s s weet, sur e,
lustr ous stri ng tone. Two sm all
drawb acks are that the Sony
offer s good b ut not gr eat soun d-
stagi ng and c an sound bright o r
rough on vigo rous tran sients.
Fortu nately, thes e minor flaws
rarel y intrud e on the Sony’s
warm and invi ting core sound.
Lost in Translat ion
The o nly area where I had
signi ficant r eservatio ns about the
STR-D G800 inv olved its user
inter face, wh ich I fou nd diffi cult
to us e. First, the rec eiver pro vides
no on screen m enu displ ay,
inste ad showi ng menu i nforma-
tion only in the recei ver’s front
panel display window. Sec ond,
the S ony’s autom ated spe aker
set-u p featur e for som e reason
recog nizes al l speaker s in the
syste m except for powe red
subwo ofers. A s a resul t, all
subwo ofer con figuratio n settin gs
must be enter ed manual ly.
Final ly, the receive r’s remote
contr ol is fa r from in tuitive and
makes common control t asks (fo r
examp le, adju sting cha nnel lev el
trims on the fly) much more
diffi cult tha n they ou ght to b e.
Overa ll, Sony ’s STR -DG800
recei ver offe rs a vers atile mi x of
featu res, fun ctions, a nd I/O
optio ns, and it provid es very
stron g core p erformanc e for th e
money.
My on ly wish is that i ts user
inter face mad e its per formance
capab ilities easier to tap—
espec ially fo r first-t ime AVR
owner s. The g ood news is that
the p erforman ce fundam entals
are a ll in pl ace; Sony just ne eds
to do a bit m ore work on the f ine
point s.
TPV
Sony | (877) 865-7669 | www.sonystyle.com
I NS I D ER S T I P:
Do not even
think
about setting this
AVR up without reading its manual
beforehand.
!
As reviewed in issue 72 of The Perfect Vision and issue 168 of
The Absolute Sound.
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