Price/Feature set

Busy remote

I've had a 2800 for a little over a month now- I love it! It was a big upgrade from stereo all the way to DD and DTS. I was afraid I would be giving up sound quality over my old Luxman integrated amp, but the Denon sounds at least as good to me. Great for movies, plenty of IO, plenty of power.

Warm sound, 5 Channel stereo, plenty of inputs, S-video switching, OSD

Remote

I originally purchased an Onkyo 575 but decided that I wanted the S-video switching and other benefits of a little higher level receiver. So I bought the Onkyo 676 and listened for almost a month. The sound was good but a little bright and analytical sounding (metallic). I also experienced hissing and a humm in the center channel. From other reviewers I learned that the humming was because the receiver was near the TV and the TV was turned on. Unfortunately there isn't many other places to put my receiver and I have to use the TV when watching DVDs or VCR.
Decided that the Onkyo wasn't that great.

Then I read many good reviews about the Denons. I went and checked them out (including the 3300) and was very impressed. Yes the remote isn't as good as the Onkyo, but the sound is why I buy a receiver. And this receiver has great sound - much warmer than the Onkyo. Also, you can use A & B speakers at the same time in Digital suround and 5 channel modes on the Denon - you can't do that with the Onkyo (just A or B). The 5 channel stereo is a must and the unit runs very quietly. The layout and look is very professional (much more than the Onkyo) and the decoding of Digital is wonderful. The 85 watts was enough power to me, I don't need to go above "-10" for it to start hurting my ears (and it goes all the way up to "+18). That is 28 more I could go!

If you want 7.1 capability and multiple surround speakers then the 3300 is what you need - if not, get the 2800.

Good luck!

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo 575 & 676

5 ch stereo. learning Remote. Overall Quality.

lack of bass

I bought this unit 2 months ago after comparing with Sony 333 es, Yamaha 795a and Onkyo 656. I am very happy with my choice. I just a subwoofer and now I can really enjoy the DD 5.1. I watched AirForce One with my new Sub. Whoa!!
Great receiver.

Similar Products Used:

Sony 333es. Yamaha 795a

Love the 5-Channel Stereo Mode. Very ease-to-use remote control. Lots of digital inputs (3 optical & 1 coax). Full video switching!

None that I can tell

I've been in the market for a receiver for the last month. I read just about everything that came across my eye-sight related to HT receivers. After reading a lot and going to the most popular stereo stores (HiFi Buys, Circuit City, DVD Acces, etc) to test the different receivers, I narrowed the finalist list to 2: the Harman/Kardon AVR-65 and the Denon AVR-2800. I must say that both these products impressed me, but for me, two points made the difference: first, Denon has more digital inputs (4) than the HK (2); second, the 5 channel stereo mode. I must admit that the HK might have had a bit more bass output (with similar setting), but the Denon was more than sufficient. The 5 channel stereo mode totally fills the room with beautiful, well balanced sound. I've had my Denon for about 3 weeks now and I know I made the right choice. I got it for about $625 (w/ S&H). If I ever decide to upgrade (and can afford it), my first contender will be the Denon AVR-5700.

I definetly give the Denon AVR-2800 5 start all the way.

Similar Products Used:

HK AVR-65

ample inputs,clarity of sound

remotes a bit busy

during my somewhat lenghty search for a receiver, i got a salesman on the phone who mentioned that he had just received his first shipment of the 2800. i had listened to other dennon receivers, but they were out of my reach so i jumped at this deal. no regrets. fantastic value and great sound, whether you listen to music or movies this receiver will not disappoint.

Similar Products Used:

jvc vbk 888 yamaha 795a

Great sound. Great DD sound.

Manual could be written a bit better.

Purchased unit based on reviews on this board. Very impressed. I paid $650 at the Wiz (they wanted $799)but they had unit in stock and I didn't want to risk buying it online and getting a defective unit. ($529 at Bid.com I have read is a great price....wish I had seen that though!) Took some figuring out to set it up but once I did, it works and sounds great. Using the Wharfedale Modus Movies 5 speakers (uBid for $300) and the sound for CDs and DVDs is great...Definitely would recommend. Almost bought the H/K AVR65's but passed on it due to poor previous experience with Harmon Kardon product. Glad I bought the Denon!!

Similar Products Used:

none

Quiet, full-featured, good build quality, overall sound

That damn remote!!

I auditioned two Onkyo receivers in my house prior to purchasing the Denon, both of which had inherent distortion isses (Hum, Hiss). I bough the AVR-2800 and its in a different league all together. This thing is quiet and produces very accurate sounding music and theater. I couldn't be happier! I paid $589 for the unit and it was money well spent.

That said, who designed that damn remote!! You have to be a masochist to actually like this thing, But as stated before in this community, we buy good quality receivers for the sound that emanates not for the remote control.

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo TX-DS575, 676

Features, 5 channel stereo, 2 channel reproduction, auto detecting sources

missing rear speaker pre outs, remote's switches

as you can see I've been through a few receivers lately trying to find one to use as a pre amp for my HK 5800 amp. Of the above the Denon is the better product. The Sony was very weak in 2 channel mode but had excellent features. The HK exibited the volume clicking and had a loud hum from the amps and the Rotel couldn't properly lock onto the DTS signal (though it may have been a defective unit). Anyway I'm very happy with the Denon's 5 channel HT and 2 channel audio performance. The remote wouldn't be that great for everyday use but its a nice remote for teaching univerals as its easy to use and doesn't use 2 way communication like the Sony's. About the only other receiver left to try was the Onyko 676 but I got a good deal on the Denon so i didn't get chance to test it in my system.

Similar Products Used:

HK AVR 300, Sony BD 930, Technics SA-AX6/SH-AC500 DD/DTS decoder, Rotel RTC-965

Has all major features offered by AVR 3300 with higher quality and cheaper price

I posted the same review under AVR 3300, I hope the info below is helpful in making a better selection between the 2800 and the 3300.

I know lots of people just love the 3300, this is why it became such a hot item on the market. I waited a long time to get one. But after careful comparison with the 2800, I returned my 3300 for the 2800.

The 3300 is made in Korea instead of Japan and trust me, it makes a big difference. Check the reviews and you will found concerns about the 3300's build quility. To reduce cost, more japanese vendors are putting out products that are made in countries with cheaper labor rate and what you get is what you paid for.

The 3300 has more power, 105w vs. 2800's 85w. But since wattage does not translate to speakers "loudness" in a linear fashion (it's logarithm to be exact), I don't find the extra 20w substantial. Besides, the 2800 I have has enough power to drive my Infinity Prelude front and rear speakers.

I'm not sure how many people really need 2 sets of rear speakers, at least I don't found them useful at all. As for component video swithing, it's really useless to me, since I have a Toshiba 61' HDTV ready TV that has 2 sets of HDTV components inputs, why should I run the video signal through a receiver that may even reduce the signal quality?

Pre-amp output seams to be the last major difference between the 3300 and the 2800, but when I have the need to buy a seperate amp later on, consider the way Hi-Fi industry advances, there's got to be new technologies available for pre-amps, so I may wind up getting a whole new system anyway.

Similar Products Used:

AVR 3300

Quality Build, Sound Quality, Ease of use

Ugly remote(though functional), some missing features

I am really impressed with this receiver. The sound is perfect, Dolby Digital is phenomenal. I enjoy the DSP modes, but use them rarely. 5 channel stereo is great, but regular stereo is excellent as well. My old Harman Kardon seemed to have a little more punch, but the Denon's sound is very clean and smooth. The on screen display is amazing, much better than just about any I have seen. The remote is ugly but if you take the time you can use it to run your entire system. I got mine shipped for $554.00 USD from Sound City, I had to do a lot of haggling though. I checked the Denon site and they are an authorized dealer.

Similar Products Used:

Harman Kardon AVR25mk11, Yamaha RV-1105