Solid DD/DTS Reproduction
Low Noise
Six Channel Analog Inputs

Absurd Lack Of Rear Channel Pre Outs

This is truly a remarkable value in A/V recievers. Clean dynamic sound and 96/24 DA converters all around. However, if I knew prior to ordering that there where no rear pre outs, I probably would have purchased the 3300. Nit picking aside, it is truly a good product. On another note, I implore you not to mention where you purchased your reciever because Denon does not look to kindly upon people stating that the paid anywhere between 200 and 300 dollare below retail. Case in point, Sound City no longer sells Denon online. Even at retail(shriek), it represents a solid value.
System:
DENON AVR 2800
NAD 522 CD Player
Pioneer DV 626 DVD player
AQ Crystal L/R/C
AQ Slate Rear
Paradigm 7semk3 mains
PSB 800I Rears (I know seems odd)
B&W CC3 Center
B&W CC 6 Center

Similar Products Used:

Nakamichi AV8
Harman Kardon AVR 75
NAD T750

True audio-phile grade precision circuitry Outstanding build ans crisp accurate sound reproduction

Remote control is a dinoaur No front AV jacks
limited front pannel control confusing manuel

this is an excellent high-fidelity audio-phile grade piece of equipment not to many bells and whistles but the ones you have are very shiney..Paid $785 + tax at 6th Avenue Ellectronics an authorized dealer. Note had many opportunities on the internet to purchase this dennon at a greatly reduced price. Be ware they are not covered under Dennon's manufacturer waranty and only come with their own special "limited time" waranty if any. returns or exchanges can be time-consuming, costly, and not possible in many cases.!!!

Similar Products Used:

onkyo tx-646 yamaha v995 -give or take a letter!

Excellent DD and 5 channel stereo GREAT RECEIVER FOR THE $

Remote is a little hard to program and is bulky

I stepped down to this from my 2 channel setup, but I wanted to add Home Theater to my system. My 2 channel amp was a Audio Labs mkll and weighed as much as this receiver, so I admit I wasn't expecting to much from a receiver in this price range.
I have been pleasantly surprised and this has done an exceptional job for music as well as HT. It has a simple design with not a lot of bells and whistles and this is what I was looking for. I have a small room and the 85x5 is plenty. Clear sound no Hiss anywhere even at extreme volumes. this is impressive. I admit I haven't listened to any other receivers to compare in this price range, and went from reviews from this forum and Denon's websight and I have not been disappointed!!! Thanks all!
Strengths are Home Theater, but the direct for music works well also. I am using dipoles for surrounds, so I don't use 5 channel stereo much but it would sound great for direct radiating speakers I'm sure.
Weakness is the remote, It's big and clumsy, but enough has been said about it, and all remotes have weaknesses. It really isn't that bad and after getting it all programed I have less remotes out now and that's a good thing.
I strongly recommend this receiver as a contender for best in this price range!!! I give it 4 stars overall as I'm sure there is improvement to be made somewhere.

Better sound quality than I expected

I/O on back panel

I purchased this receiver during the end of December from Sound City (www.soundcity.com) for around $570 shipped. Sound City is a Denon authorized distributor, and I have read good customer reviews of them on the net.

The AVR-2800 is replacing a NAD 314 integrated amplifier. I was hesitant to replace this unit, I wanted to keep similar sound quality, but add Dolby Digital surround sound.

My main concern is CD sound quality, and I was pleasantly suprised to find out that the Denon sounds quite decent in "direct" mode. Compared to the NAD the Denon sounds more natural with femal voices, with just a touch of noticible sibilance. Imaging with the Denon is more precise, room boundaries are well defined and there is an apparent sense of depth. The NAD was better with male voices, the Denon seems a little compressed.

I don't have much to compare its surround sound capabilities with, but there seems to be good seperation between the rear channels, and the subwoofer integrates well.

Overall this is a great bargain for under $600. The AVR-2800 provides good stereo performance, with the added benefit of Dolby Digital / DTS surround. For the budge conscious person who wants good a good stereo receiver, and surround sound, I highly reccoment the 2800.

(btw. The unit does run a little warm, but not excessivly so. I have not managed to overheat the unit yet.)

Other components:
Mitsubishi 27" TV
Panasonic A120U DVD Player

Speakers:
Front: Sonic Audio EM1 Monitors
Rear: Paradigm 5se Minis
Sub: ACI SV-12

Cables:
Monster Cable and Audioqeust

Similar Products Used:

Auditioned various similarly priced Sony and Yamaha receivers, also higer priced Marantz receivers

5 channel stereo, learning remote

awkward remote

I built my entire system from scratch a couple months ago. It had to come in at under $3000, all told. The goal was audio enjoyment for now, and maybe eventually expand to a home theater. I audited the Sony STR-DB930 and the Denon AVR-2800, which were about in the same price range (I could have found them both much cheaper online, but I want to support the local audio stores.) There were some things that set me against the Denon, initially. It REQUIRES a video output to set-up, and all I had was the viewport on a camcorder! The remote control is arcane compared to the elegant Sony one. But in the end, the 5 channel stereo was the deciding factor. The sound was simply better on the Denon. I could set up surround modes all day on the Sony and not get as clean a sound. I am listening to it now - no regrets. The other components of my system are: CD player: Denon DCM-370, Front Speakers: B&W DM 602 S2, Rear speakers: Infinity Overture 1, headphones: Grado Labs SR125.

Similar Products Used:

Sony STR-DB930

5-Channel Stereo, Terrific Dolby Digital

On-Screen Display

This is a wonderful receiver for the money. Ever since I heard it at the store, I've been hooked on the 5-channel stereo, and nothing else has been able to compare. The sound is warm, rich, and evenly balanced. It's not too bright like the Yamahas (especially with my Klipsch speakers), it doesn't have the inherent rear channel problems of the Sony, and the other brands I tried just don't offer enough for the extra money you spend.

Since we watch TV at least ten times more than we watch movies, I needed a surround receiver that would let me get adeqaute volume out of at least four if not all five of my speakers. (Hey, these things cost a lot of money - I don't want them just sitting there silent except when watching movies.) The Denon's 5-channel stereo delivers! Even when listening to the tuner or a CD, the 5-channel stereo completely fills the room and surrounds you with even, well-balanced sound. All of the surround modes in the other receivers I tried just couldn't cut it when listening to music. Most of them drop too much volume from the rear channel, or they just end up sounding like they are in a tunnel.

The Denon not only delivers with the 5-channel stereo, because the Dolby Digital is AWESOME! Put in a good DVD, and except for the size of the screen, I swear its better than most theaters. In fact it is so good, that it can actually be a little annoying because you can hear every minute little rustling or noise that is in the movie - you hear everyhting! The explosions, the clash of swords, it all leaps from the screen right into your lap.

One complaint I have, and I admit that its a minor one, is that most of the advanced features can only be adjusted through the On-Screen Display. However, once you set each input and mode the way you want it, the receiver remembers, so it's basically set it & forget it. The only other thing would be all of the switch sliding that you have to do when using the remote to control other components. But make no mistake, this receiver is worth the money. If you're looking in the $400-$450 range, go ahead and spend a couple hundred extra dollars and you won't be disappointed - I wasn't.

My System:
Receiver: Denon AVR-2800
DVD: Panasonic DVDA-120U
TV: JVC 32"
CD: JVC 6+1
Mains: Klipsch KSB 3.1's
Rears: Klipsch KSB 2.1's
Center: Klipsch RC-3

Similar Products Used:

15 Year Old Pioneer Amp; Sony STR-DB930; Yamaha RX-V 795a; Pioneer Elite VSX-26TX

This unit is super quiet! 5 channel stereo. Dolby digital. digital inputs, d/a converters top notch. clean front, intuitive controls. black aluminum front.

no OSD for volume control, remote volume hard to control...too fast. i/o panel flimsy (thin gauge) same with housing.

I own an HK integhrated amp...very good. I bought the HK AVR65 and was totally disappointed (see my reviews). Returned it to Onecall.com with a fight. With everyones help here, I purchased the Denon 2800. I am very glad I did. This recievers is top notch...so much nicer than the HK.

strengths: This unit is really really quiet. with volume down I a cannot hear any hiss coming out of any channel, even if I stick my ear inside the klipsch horn. Also, Denon added a relay for the mute feature....this breaks the connection to the speakers during mute. HK I could hear hiss (and buzz)during quiet movie passages while sitting in my chair.

D/A converters are high quality. No processsiong delay here. switcch chapters as fast as ya want...the audio is always ready to run. unlike the HK where there was a 2 sec delay.

dolby digital. This thing is really EASY to listen to, every nuance is heard. The DD seem much better than others I have heard.

5 cannel stereo is sounds so good....all speakers are driven, stereo imaging is maintaned, and the room is just completely full of audio....its amazing.

overall the construction is pretty good, nice front panel, especially the portions of it that you interface with daily as a user. yes the i/o panel is kinda cheap, but how often are you really back there...not that big a deal.

compared to other units, I think the remote is decent...not a do all end all remote, but it is intuitive and simple to use.

Weakness: Remote is kinda ugly and not real ergo.

My biggest dislike so far is the lack of on screen volume level display. also it is hard to control the volume with the remote....it can eaily run away and go way loud....not good when its late and the sub kicks in and shakes the place (neigbors don't like it)

I am super happy....seems to have enuf power.

bought it local at Columbia for $640 + tax.

Similar Products Used:

harmon kardon AVR65 (junk)

Clean strong power, quietness, ease of use, internal x-overs, blend between 5 speakers & SW, operating manual, ect., etc.

Havn't found any.

I am not a major pro when it comes to knowing the latest and greatest audio gear, but I beleave I have a discerning ear. I tried the Onkyo per recomendation of salesman who later, fortunately, took it back. From my couch the hiss drove me crazy. Spending almost $500 on an amp you expect quality (I spent more for the Denon). Well, since I replaced it with my 2800, I've been nothing but happy. There's plenty of clean, crisp power to drive my Boston VR950's, VR10 cntr, Micro100x rears, and Velodyne 8" SW. Once my speakers broke in and I adjusted them with a level meter, I have been regularly in that place of open-mouthed, emotional awe - even teary eyed. I wonder sometimes if I should have spent a couple hundred more for the 3300, but then I think, "How could it be any better? - especially for the $"

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo TX-DS575

smooth sound, very good DAC

too warm, muted highs

I purchased this receiver from Sound City for $600. I knew that it was warm and I expected it to mate well with my Def Tech BP-10's that tend to be little open. It replaced my (stereo only) 2x45W budget receiver Marantz SR-45. I did not expect wonders, but I did expect better stereo reproduction. Well, this did not happen.

The AVR-2800 sounded very smooth and warm. None of my CDs sounded bright even those that _were_ bright. The sound was soft and effortless.

That smoothness however comes with a heavy price. The highs were muted like coming through a curtain. There was something wrong with the bass management. It seems that there was some elevation in the lower midrange and the higher low-frequency range that makes the sound smooth and the real, deep bass was quite weak without the sub. They say that with a new receiver you would hear new things from your CDs. In my case I was not able to hear what I knew was there. Acoustic guitar sounded dull also.

DD reproduction was good but again I think that the loss of detail and that the excessive warmness are objectionable for home theater use as well, or maybe even more. My other speakers are Def Tech CLR 1000 center, BP2X surrounds, PF15TL sub.

I returned the Denon and hooked up the good old Marantz SR-45 back. Despite all the limitations that a receiver of this class has, it sounded more dynamical, the bass was tight and deep, the highs were back. I am going to buy the Marantz SR-7000 probably and am thinking about the Nak AV-10 as well.

3.5 stars for the Denon. Even though I did not like it, it might be the perfect choice for someone else with different room, taste, speakers, etc.

Similar Products Used:

NAK AV-10 (much better, but more expensive as well);
my old stereo only Marantz receiver

Clean sound in all modes. Very quiet and plenty of power.

Only one coaxial digital input. Manual could be better. Source selector switch on remote is annoying.

I paid $545 + $25(S/H) from Uncle's Stereo. My system includes 5 NHT Superzeros, a Definitive Technology PF-15 sub, and a Sony TV and DVD player. I originally intended to purchase the AVR-2700 but I waited too long and it was discontinued. I was worried that Denon may have deleted some useful features from the 2700 in order to add DTS to the 2800 and keep the same list price, but this does not appear to be the case. The only thing the 2700 had that the 2800 does not, is bi-wiring capability for the center channel, something I am sure very few people will miss. I don't own any DVD's or CD's with DTS so I cannot comment on this mode, but I can confirm the DD, pro-logic, and regular stereo through the digital inputs all sound very good, free of noise and distortion. I tried the Super Speedway DVD, an excellent demo disc, and was totally blown away. This disc really shows how superior DD is to pro-logic. Even with my low-sensitivity speakers, the Denon provided the clean power to play as loud as I ever wanted without distortion. One thing the manual neglects to mention is that the 'Direct' mode not only bypasses the tone controls, but also the bass-management! Long story short, if you use small speakers with a powered sub like me, use 'Stereo' for 2-channel music, not 'Direct' or your satellites will run full range. Overall, an outstanding receiver. If you care about component-switching or dual surround speakers, by all means upgrade to the 3300, but I suspect most people would be more than happy with this unit.