Superb sound, simplified controls, ease of setup

again, poor remote and confusing manual

I bought the Denon because the Yamaha HTR-5150 I have, while terrific at producing cinema-quality sound, is incapable of producing a clean stereo sound. The 1801 is definetly equipped to handle home theater duties, but it truly shines when playing music.
Denon is only manufacturer I know that has the 5 channel stereo function on its receivers. It seems like such a basic DSP to include, but Denon is the only manufacturer I know that includes that function. I found that the sound quality was so incredibly strong on the Denon, I wasn't missing the additional sound fields that Yamaha uses so often. Rock sounded just as good as classical on the basic stereo setting, testament to how strong a receiever this Denon is.
To be honest, however, the remote stinks. If anyone has any suggestions of where to find a better universal remote, please let me know. The remote is of the same poor quality found in a Pioneer product, which is really a surprise considering the strong engineering of the receiver itself. Odd.
I would definetly recommend this receiver to anyone looking for a strong, solid unit in this price range. This is an receiver that handles all of its duties incredibly well, with superior sound, at a terrific price.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha HTR-5150

All!!

None in this pricerange!!

This receiver really rocks! I have had it for about a year now and i am really pleased with it!! It has clean sound in stereo and it rocks in hometheater! Don't think, just buy this receiver, you will not be dissapointed!!! Denon says it is 5x70 watt (20-20000Hz, 8 Ohm, 0,08 thd) but it sounds like 5x100 watt at least!!! IT REAAALLY ROOOCKS!!!

Great sound and ample power despite the moderate rating

Readout size, interface, and the el-cheapo remote

I purchased this product from Tweeter (actually Bryan Mawr) to replace a Dobly Pro Logic receiver I had with 5.1 inputs. When I got it out of the box I was disappointed to see the spring clip connections on the back for the surrounds instead of binding posts. My second impression, also bad was the awful remote, one of the worst I've ever seen. Not only is this thing poorly laid out, the batteries are in the front on th e bottom so it's out of balance and hard to hold.

Next I hooked it up and was pleasantly surprized to find the sound was excellent. This is, after all, what really matters. I spent some time setting it up which wasn't too difficult but did require me to stand close to the receiver so I could see the readout which is way too small. Once it's set up that's it right? Wrong. During replay of movies I found that I wanted to tweak it and again found myself having to get out of my chair to see the readout to make changes.

Despite the great sound I decided after 20 days or so that this was not the model for me and exchanged it for the Yamaha RX-V800. A few more bucks, but to me it was well worth it for the extra features including moe power, better connections, more inputs, component video switching, the on-screen set-up and much better interface. The sound is comparable and, even though some would argue, a much better remote.

In summary, this was not a bad receiver for the money but lacked a number of must have features for me. If you want a great sounding AV receiver at a budget price and can put up with the aforementioned shortcomings you will like the Denon. Overall, I recommend you buy the receiver you think you want from a reputable dealer who will offer the option to exchange it, like mine did, if it's not everything you thought it would be.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha, Pioneer

Clean warm sound, 5 channel stereo, plenty of power, many inputs, can play really loud!!

Only 2 optical and 1 coax input....

This unit is awesome! I really love it! I have looked for a receiver for months now and finally I have found one which suits my needs! It has everything that I want: 5 channel stereo, clean warm sound, plenty of power (5x70 watt but sounds like a 5x100 watt). I have seen other reviewers here which not is satisfied with the power of the Denon and they changed to a Yamaha RX-V596.. Just wanted to say that the Yamaha also have 5x70 watt (if you count it in 8 Ohm, 20-20000Hz, 0,07% thd (Which is right counting method)). But Yamaha counted it in 8 Ohm, at 1 Khz which NOT is right.. REMEMBER THAT YAMAHA FANS! Ok, back to the strengths again :) It has plenty of analog inputs and so on.. I have tried other receivers but this Denon blew them away totally!!

The only weakness I can find is that it only has 2 optical and 1 coaxial digital input...

Excuse my English... :)

sound quality, DTS output

reliability, remote layout, no binding post for surround

I got this B-stock receiver from ubid.com for $289 + over charged shipping. Hook it up with my Toshiba 3205 DVD player, Klipsch KB 3.5 front, KSC-C1 center, Quintet for surround and Dahlquist PDQ-1500 sub. Put in Gladiator then suddenly I was surrounded by all sorts of sounds as if I were in the battle field: people shouting, horse running and even the wind blowing through. I was quite amazed by the sound quality of avr-1801. But it ONLY LASTED FOR 10 MINUTES then just quit working anymore!! No sound coming out, nothing shown on its front panel(completely blank). I've tried various ways according to its manual to get it work again but can't. I am in the process of returning it to ubid right now.

WARNNING:
Whenever bidding on ubid, please double check the weight of the item which you are bidding on. Ubid usually puts COUPLE OF EXTRA POUNDS in the shipping section for that item to charge you more on shipping. You can find the actrual weight from its tracking # or packing slip. I've been over-charged more than 5 times!

Similar Products Used:

HK avr-500

Great sound! 5 channel stereo a plus! Warm clean sound

Remote control

Yeah...The guy that bought this receiver from U-bid sounds like he got a lemon and should not put a review on this POST because he did not buy from an authorized dealer. That was a review for U-bid. But this receiver is awesome! It's like a highend unit. I could not be any happier for getting this receiver. I love watching DVD movies and concerts especially in DTS mode. I mean "WOW" So...Awesome! I don't even go to the Theater or to a concert anymore. I just pop in a DVD and I am in heaven with this unit. This receiver has a very warm,clean sound! I love listening to music in 5 ch. Stereo. I don't even care for the other music mode. As long as I have DD,DTS5.1 for movies and 5 ch. stereo for music Especially with this receiver is totally heaven.

Similar Products Used:

Technics DX-930 / Denon AVR85

sound quality, easy to use, overall build quality

none so far

first, i have to say i got a really hard time deciding which receiver i should go for:
jvc rx-8000vbk,
sony 845,
denon 1801.
all receivers are very respectful brand name and under my price range(usd$400 including shipping) but after almost one month of researching online and audition all over ny, i finally chose denon 1801 simply because it's sound quality and balancing.

i like the connectivity and detail sound of jvc rx8000. the sony 845 has a lot of bell and whistle, nice power out put too. the denon 1801 has the best music image in the 3 choice. all of them are very good in dolby digital and dts. but how about in stereo mode? which one should i choose?

when i was making the final call, i asked myself the question:
what is the purpose i buy this receiver?
the answer is 60%music and 40% dvd movie watching.

so the bell and whistle is not really so important to me. also the sound of sony is not so musical in stereo and the sound stage is not as wide as denon and jvc. so there is only 2 choice left. denon and jvc.

than i go to audition again and again. after 2 days of hard listening to those 2 recivers, i find out that the jvc has a lot of detail but some time it could be harsh for long time listening. and the denon has more warm sound than jvc and wider sound image but less detail about the same wattage output. also the price of denon is $60 higher than jvc. but i still chose denon because i wont upgrade in a short time and i know if the stereo mode(2 chanel music listening) is not the best in this price range, i will upgrade again.

so, i got the denon 1801 3 days later.
i will never regret about what i chose.

the sound from denon is very detail and comfortable to me, it also has very good bass and nice mid and vocal. i was useing a pair of bic v736 ventura as my front and i was very satisfied with the combination in stereo mode.

the first cd i try is the "blue man group" and on the track 3 i hear a very nice bass in the beggining and also the detail sound which i never heard before. if i have time, i will listen to all my cd collection again.

i am a happy man now.

Similar Products Used:

kenwood vr-2080, jvc rx-8000vbk, sony 845

5-channel stereo, great sound..

Remote, spring clips for surrounds

I owned this receiver for about a month and a half before deciding that I wanted to go with something cheaper. My Onkyo 373 was only $99 and is rated at 50 watts, but is just as powerful and dynamic as the Denon. Some reviers claim that the 70 watts by 5 rating is conservative, but I'd say that the receiver puts out right around 70 watts, if not less. It's definitely not going to rattle your windows with bass.

The 5-channel stereo, however, did fill the room with sound, but definitely took away from the sound quality. I only wish I had a sub to balance out all the mids and highs by the surrounds.

This receiver is definitely worth the money ($360 with shipping), but not much more. If you're looking for a good home theatre receiver, this would be it, but if you want a good balance between music and theatre, look elsewhere.

Similar Products Used:

JVC 6000, Onkyo 8511 and TX 373

Denon quality, DD/DTS, Ease of use over others in its class.

Pro Logic mode, No component video inputs

I first purchased a Yamaha 596 that was defective. I then intended to return it for a new one, but decided to try the Denon in its place. I am glad that I made the switch. The Denon took me 1 hour to hookup and understand most every aspect about the receiver. The Yamaha with all of the DSP settings, would have taken me quite a while longer to master than the Denon. I will also have to give Denon kudos on their remote in comparison with the Yamaha. What's with that cheap little dial on the Yamaha remote that I'm sure would have been broken after a few months of use. The Yamaha had a defect in the center and rear channels, so I was a little hesitant about picking up another one. The sales rep told me that they very rarely see Denons come through their service department, so I made the purchase of the Denon AVR-1801.

I love the sound out of this receiver. It seems to me that Denon pretty much leaves the original sound the way it is and was intended to be heard and just perfects it. The Yamaha goes into a little different type of interpretation of the sound that is input with its many different DSP's.
I think that Dolby knows how to adjust sound, so I'll just go with the Denon and listen to what was intended for me to hear. I think I made the right choice when considering they were the same price.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha 596

5 channel stereo

no pre out for surrounds

I love this receiver. I love everything about it. surround pre-outs would be nice but not needed. I dont mind the remote. I want to get a good universal remote anyway. The sound for movies and music is fantastic. I was always a Yamaha guy but I have converted over to Denon. If youre looking for a great receiver at a low price, check this one out.

Similar Products Used:

yamaha