# AudioControl Announces Concert AVR-7 and Concert AVR-9 Atmos/DTS-X Enabled Receivers



## Todd Anderson

Seattle's AudioControl recently announced retail availability of its new Atmos-enabled 7.1.4 channel Concert AVR-7 and Concert AVR-9 AV receivers. Aside from carrying attractively unique physical styling, the AVR-7 and AVR-9 are loaded with enough current tech to keep them relevant for years to come.

Both models ship 4K ready with HDMI 2.0a and HDCP 2.2 compatibility. This means they can handle frames rates of 60 fps, High Dynamic Range, and wide color gamut, putting 4K UHD Blu-ray completely in play. Both models also possess the ability to scale to any resolution standard or high definition source when required. Video connectivity options include a whopping seven HDMI 2.0a inputs, making multi-source connections more than easy to accommodate.

The audio side is well covered with support for both Dolby Atmos and DTS-X (firmware update required, no date issued), in addition to the following legacy codecs: Dolby True HD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, and DTS-HD Master Audio. Beyond seven HDMI inputs, AudioControl provides both receivers with Toslink digital audio inputs (two), stereo analog inputs (six), and a USB input. Second-zone HDMI outputs (ARC compatible) are also available.

Hi-Res audio is also adequately addressed with support for MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, and MPEG-4 AAC file playback.










_The backside of the Concert AVR-9._​

For the first time ever, AudioControl owners can tap into the powerful room correction capabilities of DiracLive. The company says that all AudioControl products (going forward) will have this feature. Using a PC/Mac based application, DiracLive determines essential settings for speakers and automatically calculates room equalization filter values to tame resonate frequencies. This is great news and a welcomed addition to the company’s offerings.

The primary difference between the AVR-7 and AVR-9 models can be found in the amplification section. The AVR-9 features powerful 7 x 200 Watts per channel performance (8 ohms), while the AVR-7 only offers 100 Watts of power across seven channels. Owners can opt for a 5.1.2 Atmos speaker configuration using the AVR's available onboard Class H amplification sections, but full 7.1.4 channel performance requires the use of external amplification. While any brand of external amplifier will work, AudioControl does offer two high-power 2-channel amps: the Bijou 600 and Rialto 600. The lack of 9 channels of internal amplification is a curiosity, as most Flagship models in the industry offer at least 7.1.2 standalone power. 


Priced at $4,200 for the AVR-7 and $6,200 for the AVR-9, both models are only available through authorized custom installation professionals and authorized dealers of AudioControl products. AudioControl includes a reasonable 5-year warranty with purchase.

_Image Credits: AudioControl_


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## Peter Loeser

Todd Anderson said:


> The AVR-9 features powerful 7 x 200 Watts per channel performance (8 ohms),


That's impressive for an AVR with as many cutting edge features. May also answer the question of why 7 amp channels instead of 9.


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## Todd Anderson

Yes... pretty beefy!


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## Tonto

Boy it would be really nice to get a unit to put through its paces! Any chance of that happening?

Really wish Denon & Yamaha would get on board with Dirac. I've had my Yammy for 20+ years without a hint of a problem! That's quality. But that's another thread!


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## Todd Anderson

Working on it!


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## asere

Wow the Avr 7 is beefy. $4200 is really steep though. I'm sure Denon and Onkyo will adopt Dirac pretty soon.

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk


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## Audiofan1

Really doubt D&M will adopt Dirac! Its a bit to complicated for the vast majority users and as flexible as the ability may be to create custom curves and such with Dirac, it really pales in comparison when the full Audyssey is taken into consideration and not to mention that can be applied to 11.1 channels these days at relatively low price points. Once Dirac is more plug n play that may change but I'm willing to bet before that happens Audyssey may have some new offerings.


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## Owen Bartley

It's nice to see more gear coming out with Atmos, DTS-X (upgrades at least), and Dirac. I'll admit I don't know much about Audio Control equipment, but the specs are nice, especially with 200wpc. They're a bit pricey, but if the build quality matches I'm sure they'll make some customers very happy.


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## lovinthehd

asere said:


> Wow the Avr 7 is beefy. $4200 is really steep though. I'm sure Denon and Onkyo will adopt Dirac pretty soon.


Onkyo I believe is going with a version of MCACC now that they've got Pioneer....I also doubt Denon will abandon Audyssey soon, plus Audyssey is due to release a new product this year according to their FB page....

Would be nice to see Onkyo go back to something better than AccuEQ.


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## Muller21QQQ

I imagine people who use mobile scenes and drag and drop audio equipment every time...


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