JBL’s new home theatre receiver easy to set up and a joy to use

Home theatre receivers cop a bit of flack because of their often convoluted setup requirements, not to mention sheer complexity, which usually takes the form of button-laden remotes and rears filled with enough connections to make a space shuttle cockpit look like child’s play. While AV enthusiasts are used to this, the average Joe typically finds this complexity more than a little off-putting. Adding insult to injury, audiophile buffs are also critical of AV receivers owing to their poor reputation for accurately reproducing music as well as movies.

None of these concerns were wasted on the JBL team this time round. They put their heads together and crafted the MA9100HP home theatre receiver, the flagship model of JBL’s new AV receiver lineup.

With the MA9100HP, JBL hopes to deliver an easy-to-setup and easy-to-use-use home theatre amp that sports all the latest connectivity options and can deliver decent audio for movies and everything else.

On paper, JBL’s MA9100HP has a lot going for it – nine channels, support for major surround formats, the ability to crank out 8K video and all the latest video trickery for gaming consoles, plus enough wireless connectivity to make sure your smartphone stays useful.

Out of the box, JBL wins points for its elegant design, which removes much of the traditional complexity associated with AV amps. The usual pile-up of buttons and controls has been replaced by a simple rotating input and volume knobs, plus just six other buttons.

JBL’s receivers are available in either white or black and their styling is on point. Instead of looking like something at home in a B-movie Mad Scientist’s laboratory, the clean design of the white unit I reviewed gave it a stylish and, dare I say it, friendly look and feel.

Perhaps the most noticeable feature when the MA9100HP is powered up is its LCD colour display, which provides an at-a-glance overview of volume levels, active inputs (you’ll need to squint from the comfort of your lounge sofa though) which – making doubly sure you have the info you need – also displays all the info you need on your telly. The other is the customisable downward shining RGB LED lighting that is by default set to JBL Orange but can be customised to several different colourways. Its elegant yet minimalistic design allows it to fit in with most living spaces.

Having set up my share of home theatre gear over the years, reviewing an AV amp isn’t something I look forward to, given their often ridiculously fussy and time-consuming setup requirements. Thankfully, JBL had this covered, too.

While I was initially taken aback by the lack of any printed manual in the box, a QR code led me to an online manual and the rather nifty JBL premium audio app. With both of these, I was guided through the setup process. Handily, the JBL Premium Sound app also acts like a second, more detailed remote with which I can drive the amp. The EZ Setup EQ app was equally useful, using my phone’s mic to sample white noise from the amp to generate a custom room equalisation profile.

Around the back, the unit maintains a focus on simplicity. Instead of a cluttered and confusing pile of inputs, the focus is first and foremost on HDMI, of which there are 6 inputs and 2 outputs. Half the inputs are 8K, and the rest are 4K 120Hz capable; eARC is also supported. These are complemented by optical/coaxial inputs and two sets of analogue RCA sockets plus a phono input, hinting at the MA910HPs musical chops. 

While anticipating the setup process would take 2-3 hours, I was done, dusted and listening to some Mozart with a cuppa in hand just 45 minutes after opening the box. I’d barely broken a sweat or even uttered a single obscenity. That’s got to be a new record for setting up an AV amp at Cassa Pilch.

Setting up the MA9100HP may have been simple, but when it came to audio, it really delivered. I paired the amp with my Theophany Epiphanies front and centre and a Theophany floor-standing sub plus some rear surrounds.

Firing up the NZSO YouTube channel not only showcased the MA9100HP’s 4K chops by allowing my Panasonic Z95A TV to display an incredibly crisp performance by NZSO at the Michael Fowler Centre. Setting the receiver to Neural Surround Mode,  the delicious audio, the delicious sound that filled my lounge was incredibly detailed, dynamic, nuanced, and yet controlled. As a regular concertgoer, I can attest to the fact that most home audio setups have difficulty reproducing anything approaching a live orchestral performance, but the MA9100HP did a solid job with the NZSO’s More Than Words performance. My lounge expanded sonically into the massive Fowler Centre concert hall, and the audio had plenty of warmth and depth, along with all the dynamic detail I’d expected from the NZSO. Closing my eyes, it wasn’t hard to imagine the orchestra in front of me as audience members quietly coughed behind and beside me. In short, the receiver did a solid job of coaxing extra depth and space out of YouTube’s 2.0 channel audio. 

This was also borne out once I fired up Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon SACD. ‘On The Run’ packed plenty of trippy surround detail in Dolby Digital and my sub gave my entire lounge a good dusting. I didn’t get to test the receiver with a turntable as a lack of space for storing albums meant I’d long switched to digital audio formats. 

To round out my listening experience, I used the receiver’s baked in Chromecast functionality and fired up some Led Zep on Amazon Audio. ‘Black Dog’ was full of energy and incredibly engaging, showcasing the MA9100’s musical chops. Listening to a few of my own pieces via Soundcloud also impressed.  Having composed and mixed these tracks myself, I was pleased with the level of detail and texture the receiver delivered to my ears. Lastly, I used the JBL Premium app to fire up George FM and finish up with a little electronica.  While there was plenty of surround action happening, I did find myself tweaking my sub in several bass-heavy tracks. 

My excellent audio experience continued once I fired up the original Matrix movie. The MA9100HP’s 5.1 Class D amplification barely broke a sweat as my lounge was filled with the sounds of Trinity and Neo taking down agents. Bullets flew around the room, and I was fairly certain that the LFE channel loosened my neighbour’s ceiling plaster, too.

With support for Dolby Digital/Atmos/DTS/DTS:X, those lucky enough to have height speakers in addition to the usual 5.1 setup will experience surround effects that are positioned with surprising precision. Even with my modest 5.1 speaker setup, I found the Matrix’s audio presentation to be very three-dimensional.

While I run a 5.1-channel setup, 9-channel support means you can add extra rear speakers along with two up-firing channels for height effects. This flexibility is pleasing in that it adds a small measure of future-proofing to the audio mix.

The team from JBLK deserves kudos for how little effort was required to get such impressive audio. While those well-seasoned in setting up home cinemas will find the whole process straightforward, mere mortals for whom the complexities of getting an AV amp going seem bewildering and scary will discover the out-of-the-box experience unintimidating and surprisingly straightforward.

While many opt for soundbars to produce room-filling audio, they’re missing out. The sheer power/depth (width and height) on offer, not to mention LFE, makes the audio delivered by the MA910HP exciting and engaging. If you’re looking for a cinema-like sound, it is hard to go past a decent AV amp like the MA9100HP.

Driving the entire setup was done using an extremely simple remote that had only 6 buttons and a D-Pad. About the only grizzle I had with it came down to its lack of backlighting, which in a darkened room is annoying. That said, the JBL premium audio app gives you all the control you’ll likely need via your phone’s illuminated display.

JBL set out to craft a home cinema amplifier that marries ease of use with sonic performance and great looks. The MA9100HP does a solid job of delivering on all of these criteria thanks to its refined styling, simplified setup process, and straightforward controls. Best of all, it sounds great, both musically and with movies/TV. Audio in 5.1 or 2.1 sounds great. Add to this its reasonable $2949.95 sticker price, and the MA910HP effortlessly earns a gold.

https://www.jbl.co.nz/MA9100HP.html