The final gunfight showdown in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum provides enough of a manic lead-eating frenzy that it’s a slam-dunk for putting an audio system through its paces. Not only did the MP-40 emphasize the shrieking bullet fire ricocheting above and below inside an enveloping orb of sound, each gunshot managed to pierce my chest with a visceral, immaculately timed thud. At no time amidst the mayhem is audio fatiguing or tinnitus-inducing, even as you approach reference levels.
There are not many times when auditioning audiovisual equipment that you feel you have just walked into undiscovered territory, but on this occasion the description seems to be apt. If this processor shows us two things, first it’s that dialog, music and effects can be achingly real and beautiful; and second that bass doesn’t have to be invasive, aggressive or removed, but can be subtle, powerful, warm and integrated.
Martin Dew, www.hometheaterforum.com