Great performance / features for the price

No S-video

Just auditioned the AVR1800 and the AVR2800. Compared them to Sonys and Yamahas. Couldn't tell ANY difference between the two Denons. Both blew the Sonys completely away. Liked the build of the Yamahas a little better, but still liked the sound from the Denons more. I plan to order the AVR1800 from Sound Distributors for $500. At that price it's a steal. Only thing I don't like about it is no S-video I/O. The AVR2800 has them (and more power), but I can't justify spending the extra money for it since the S-video is not so important to me right now, and it has EVERYTHING else that is important to me. Based on the audition, I'm giving it a five. Will post a follow-up when I receive the unit and play with it awhile.

features, power, sound quality, channel seperation

poor user manual, controls not intuitive,

Like a few other reviewers here I too have mixed emotions about this unit but, the good far outway the bad !
First, I agree that the user manual is terrible but this is probably brought about by the multitude of features this unit offers. Also, I do not like the remote, but then I had a Yamaha before and its remote had a single button for each function for each piece of equipment - very simple to use - but a very big remote !
The Dennon is so configurable that it took me 2 days just to figure out the setup, but once I did - what a sound.
I have never heard dolby surround sound so vivid and the balance between the speakers is terrific !
Connections are fairly intuitive and can be figured out from the back panel
Speaker Setup, once figured out is quite easy and very configurable.
I guess the manual controls on the receiver are using a different paradgim in that rotary controls are used to select different modes etc. together with various push buttons, but this is poorly explained in the manual and until you realize what the engineers are trying to accomplish it is not as intuitive as the the simple push button that other units display. Having said that this unit appears on the outside to be extremely simple and devoid of all those buttons, but inside it is probably the most configurable unit I have used to date.
From a music perspective it has a nice warm sound, but I felt it was a little "too warm" as it lacked a little in the treble, so I bumped this up two notches (i.e. 4db on the Dennon controls) and now it sounds great. It is very clear and has more than enough power for my use. It handles the dynamics of CD's extremely well and produces a very clean sound at high volumes. I found the bass to be very pleasing (although another review thought it a little week) in that it is very tight and precise in its delivery.
In all it seems that the power amps in this receiver is wery well manufactured and each power amp performs within very tight tolerances to each other to provide a well balanced sound through the entire volume range
I think with all the features this unit offers it will be with me for many many years (that, and my wife is still wondering what was wrong with the old unit !)
I'll give it a 5 in the rating department simply because it is currently perfoming way beyond my expectations for the price

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha

Good Looking, Dolby Digital&DTS 5.1 Play Back. 6.1 outputs.Speakers A/B Swtiching, Banana plug compatible speaker terminals for all channels.

No S-Video, could use more Watts,Remote needs to be laid out better, No on Screen Display.

I used the Denon 1800 for a about a year and half. It was Just a "OK" Receiver. It did't have enough power to Run my main speakers(Vr20s). I always found my self cranking it up to around -26 to just get a some room filling sound. Dolby Digital and DTS play back is fair. For the Money you would think they could add on screen display or some S-video(at least for DVD and Sat/DBS). The 1800 is good for a small speakers(like Boston System 9000) that don't need lots of power or bass, if your planning on hooking up some Floorstanding and big Center Channels, then look into Denon 2801 and up.

Similar Products Used:

I was useing this Denon until I pick up the 2801. Also Used Yamaha.

The product itself leaves little to be desired - very good product for the money. Sound is great.

Yes, I agree with many others: the manual blows, the remote is a bit busy, some functions seem to only be available through the remote (I miss the up-front features like my folks' old Kenwood - the Denon has got a lot of stuff going on inside)

I purchased this reciever along with a pair of PSB Alpha A/V's and the Denon DCM370 5 disc CD changer as a starter system. My intent is to save up the money to turn this into a complete surround sound set-up (move the Alpha's to the back, buy a center channel, subwoofer, floor speakers, and DVD, etc.) and I am extremely confident this reciever will satisfy those needs quite adequately. So far everything is phenom except my ability to figure out all the remote functions and the manual. It is coming with time though, and after quite a bit of searching, you do, in fact, find the answers to most of your questions in the manual. The DCM370 is working wonderfully except for the reviewer-noted turntable noise which really isn't all that bad unless you like to go to sleep with it on the random function. The Alpha A/V's mounted in the corner of the room sound really good considering the sound-to-size ratio. Haven't had a chance to really up the volume a lot and check it out, but at moderate to extremely low volumes this system is doing wonderfully. I wouldn't recommend setting this system up without some advice/help if you are uncomfortable with those sorts of things (not a very novice-friendly, step-by-step manual).

I got this reciever for $480. I saw some folks found it for less $460 seemed to be a common price, but for $20 I decided to stay local with my purchase. I got the whole setup for just under a grand - reciever, cd player, speakers, speaker cable, and wall hangers. I know I could have gotten it a little cheaper somewhere off the net probably, but that wasn't a huge factor for me.

I looked at Yamaha, Onkyo, Onkyo's Integra line, and Pioneer in addition to the Denon. Judging from the reviews on this site and others, and personal experience, I am very glad I got the Denon and would recommend it as of now to anyone looking for an affordable starter system that is capable of giving great sound now AND in the future when the speaker set-up becomes more elaborate.

Similar Products Used:

15 year old Kenwood amp, tuner, tape deck, phonograph, eq w/ a somewhat standard pair of Kenwood floor speakers. (Yeah, a poor comparison, I know).

Great Sound, Great features, Remote, 5 channel stereo, price

Manual is terrible, Lack of S-Video inputs

When first setting up, it was quite a pain to get everything running smoothly. The manual is unitelligable and leave huge gaps in operation information. Once getting through all that (with a lot of trial and error) and setting up the remote, the unit runs great. Probably the most influential forces on the purchase of this unit was the price and 5 channel stereo feature, which is excellent for those who just cant stand to see their surround and center speakers just sitting there when listening to a CD. The 2800 is almost identical, with S inputs, but who wants to spend an extra 200$?
Had this unit had the S inputs, it would have recieved a 5. I think Denon should hire a new Japanese to English translator for their manuals though...

QUALITY BUILT, CLARITY, LOOK HIGH END, 5-CHANNEL STEREO

BASS

I BOUGHT THE KENWOOD KR-V990D ON-LINE WITH REFURBISHED CONDITION. AT FIRST, THE KENWOOD SOUND OK FOR A WHILE THEN ONE DAY DIED INSTANTLY.SO, I BROUGHT TO SERVICE, AND IT COST ME OVER A HUNDRED BUCKS TO FIX IT. I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM IS GOING TO BE OK, BUT RIGHT NOW THE MACHINE IS PLAYING ON/OFF DEPENDINGS ON CERTAIN DAY( *&^%%^&&% ).
ANYWAY, I HAVE TO SHOP FOR ANOTHER RECEIVER SO I LOOK FOR YAMAHA PRODUCT. I SAW AN AD AT ANDERSON'S T.V. WITH YAMAHA 795a FOR $299, BUT WHEN I CAME IT WAS ALREADY SOLD. HOWEVER, I SAW DENON AVR-1800,AVR2800 WITH $227 AND $297, RESPECTIVELY. ALL OF THESE PRODUCTS WERE DEMO.WELL, I TOOK THE 1800 BECAUSE THAT'S ALL I CAN AFFORD RIGHT NOW. I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE AVR_2800 INSTEAD, HEH.

I TRIED IT OUT WITH:

DENON AVR-1800
FRONT= JBL_ L100T
CENTER= PINNACLE AC
SR.= POLK AUDIO LS F/X
NO SUBWOOFER YET= CANNOT AFFORD RIGHT NOW( VELODYNE OR MK )
WILL BUY DVD LATER AND TRY OUT.


THE SOUND IS AMAZING. THE TONE IS SUPERB COMPARE TO OTHER PRODUCTS I TRIED AT GOOD GUYS,CIRCUIT CITY, AND FRY'S. WELL, THE BASS IS A LITTLE WEAK. I TRIED TO INCREASE THE BASS ALL THE WAY UP, AND IT SOUNDED MUCH BETTER WITH THE JBL_L100T. CRISP AND CLEAR.
I SHOULD HAVE READ THIS WEBSIDE FIRST BEFORE BUYING ANY PRODUCT. WHAT A WAISTE OF MONEY FOR THE KENWOOD( RIGHT NOW IS IN MY GARAGE ).

THE REASON I AM WRITING THIS REVIEW IS THE REMOTE CONTROL. MY NEPHEW BROKE IT. IS ANY ONE OUT THERE HAVE A REMOTE CONTROL FOR DENON_1800 FOR SALE? PLEASE EMAIL ME IF YOU ARE INTERESTED TO SELL. I HAVE THE R.C. FOR AVR_2700 TO TRADE ALSO.

Similar Products Used:

KENWOOD KR-V990D, SONY, HARMON KARDON, YAMAHA

Well made. Independent power for each channel.

Sound is average. No direct switch. Remote is unusable in the dark.

Like many people ( I am supposing .. ) I bought this to add Dolby Digital to my DVD's. I also listen to CD's and LP's. I junked a recent half-decent integrated amp and replaced it with this. I was sad that the sound of this amp on standard, analog-in, CD reproduction was only average - it sounds like all your other friend's mini systems. Not 'hi fi' at all. ( The junked amp was much better ). Given that the amp sports a decent power amp stage I assume that the preamp stage with digital volume and tone control and signal processing is to blame. I really wish it had a 'direct' switch to bypass all this stuff ( err, except the volume .. ) for CD listening. For DVD's, I dont care so much - film soundtracks being more about impact than absolute fidelity in my opinion.

Apart from that, the remote is amusingly inept. Example: 8 buttons for selecting various remote devices, but one of them *toggles* between the amp and the tuner, and another *toggles* between DVD and DVD-Setup. All the others directly select the device. Great, so I never know what the hell is going to happen in the dark, the only way to find out is to switch on a light and look at the LCD display. Meanwhile the other 6 buttons go unused.

Thats it for whinges. Positive things: It does appear well made. It doesnt hum, rattle, whistle, overheat. It powers 5 speakers easily. Its probably all you need, *unless* you had a half decent amp before. In which case, I suggest comparing it to the more expensive Denons which I believe have a source direct option. Or dont junk your old amp. ( Sigh ... )

Used with:
Denon DVD 2500
Rega Planar 3 turntable
Norh 7.0 main speakers
Denon Centre Speaker
Audo Research cables ( if that matters ? )
Denon Rear speakers

Comparative audio-only amps were Musical Fidelity B1 and Denon PMA 390-III

great sound

remote (see below), interference with composite switching

I decided to upgrade my 10 yr old Denon to this and haven't looked back. Paired it with new b&ws and an energy sub for main stage and they all seem happy together.

The only points I think need to be noted that I haven't seen in the other articles have to do with the remote and an issue with composite video switching I have observed.

First of all, the remote- can't use it in the dark (poor layout/behavior), can't learn. If you click on the amp select twice you get the tuner and this is bad because the behavior changes. Sound like a nit? - yes it is, so get yourself a decent universal remote to cover all those other screwed up device remotes. Fortunately the receiver setup is well thought out and the system has been easy to setup and use. My cable box is weird and spits out digital audio or analog dep on channel, so in conjunction with a dvd + vcr, the system could have been a pain to use. Well as-was the system was tolerable, however I just added a pronto remote and all my non-standard remotes + tv and audio switching problems are gone.

The other odd issue I have observed is some mild interference with the composite video line. Not an issue for me though because I changed my setup for s-video anyway; Fortunately the 1801 rev is now including s-video switching so I recommend checking it out if you are interested in video line consolidation. I can't ding them in my review rating though, because I'm far too happy with the audio quality with both music and home theater, and how easy and well it works together with my entire electronics system.

Similar Products Used:

Denon 325

Fantastic performance for money paid; excellent Dolby Digital and DTS decoding engines.

Ease of initial set-up; lack of OSD

Can I say Amazing? This receiver quite possibly poses the biggest threat to competitors to date in the world of mid-to-high end consumer electronics. Although this unit is, by far, not the best piece of A/V gear I've ever auditioned, (see list of similar products), it does provide one of the best performance-per-price factors ever. Now, of course, I must drone on about the list of connected equipments. As a reference source unit, originally, I was using the Denon DCM-460 CD player. (This unit has recently been upgraded to a Sony DVPS9000ES.) The 460 was connected using AudioQuest 'VIPER' interconnect cables. Also connected was a Project 1.2 turntable (with Sumiko cartridge), and (unfortunatley, I know) an AT&T Digital Cable receiver. (Connected with AudioQuest 'CORAL' cables.) All of these components are benefiting from the use of a Monster HTS2000 line conditioner. On the post-amplifier, I listen in this case to the Energy Audissey 2+2 bipolar loudpeakers, connected with Monster's Dual-Biwire Z2 Reference Cable.
Upon initial start-up, the receiver performed to expectation, but what I did not realize was what this units capabilities would be after system break-in. I typically leave a unit playing for approximately 10 days continuous before I'll listen; to make sure proper break-in has taken place. However, this unit sounded so good out of the box, that I couldn't help but listen. (Under the excuse of comparing pre-break-in to post-break-in). I began listening to well-known favorites; reference recodings for me... titles such as Diana Krall's 'Love Scenes' on Impulse records (GRP), and Spyro Gyra's 'Got the Magic' on Windham Hill Jazz. Immediately, this receiver's capabilities became apparent. Vocals as clear as crystal seemed to float several feet off the floor between the speakers, while instrumentation was precise and unerring. I was able to hear such precise detail and texture in Diana's voice, I could scarcely believe I was listening to a six hundred dollar audio/video receiver. Hearing Diana's lips smack between lines of lyric in "Peel me a Grape" was an especially enticing event. Of course, this unit's performance on DVD's Surround sound was no less impressive. In combination with the 2+2's as mains, I added the AC-300 Center channel loudspeaker, and a pair of RVSS rear surround speakers; all by Energy. DVD source unit was the Sony listed above. Once again performance exceeded price on this unit. The decoding engine used in this piece would more likely be found in extremely high-end pre-pros costing much more. The detail extracted from DVD was exquisite, while dynamic range and impact remained perfectly reproduced. Now, lest I drone on for hours and hours listing this receivers accolades, I would recommend two things. One, I shut up; and Two, you go and buy this receiver.... There's nothing quite like listening for yourself...

Similar Products Used:

Denon 3801; B&K AVR307

Great wide range, room filling sound. Looks... I like the remote... I think I got an upgrade model. Strong power all the way to the top.. No hiss at all!!

LCD could be larger.

This thing simply purrs! Using with 5 channels....

2 Klipsch Herseys in the front
2 Klipsch SF 2's in the back
Infinity center

Strong sound when used with the great speakers! Klipsch are well known for the effencient use of power and the Denon provides plenty enough. Makes your teeth rattle!

I only paid $222 for this AMP.. On sale!! I bought the matching CD changer for only $110!!! I deal I could not pass up...

Similar Products Used:

JVC Amp