Very clean sound

Could use some more bass

Have had the AVR2800 now for about 3 weeks and I am absolutely satisfied with this unit. The sound is absolutely first rate. The only draw back for me now is that everything else, like my car stereo, sounds like sh**. The 5 channel stereo is an excellent feature. (paid $599)

Awesome for HT. Clean sound. great value

can't find any yet (just got it a week ago)

So far, so good. I'm very happy with the way movies sound in dolby digital (I've seen independence day 5 times and can't get enough); Since I'm new to HT, it's hard to compare it other products. I'm using Energy Encore Speakers with the unit and it's an awesome combo...I highly recommend the Energys.

I'm concerned though about some of the problems people have been posting with defective units. I got mine on ebay for $500. I actually noticed some hissing while in 5ch mode from the front speakers the other day, and changed the speaker connections from the A to B input. The hissing stopped. For some reason, I hesitate to watch TV using the Denon and just use the TV speakers. I'm also always worried of the unit overheating. My DVD player sits on the reciever and both get blazing hot after a long movie. I thinking of installing a fan next to the units to help keep them cool. Any suggestions?

The true test and effect of the reciever comes into play when watching DVDs. Even my overly tech ignorant family can't get enough of movies in dolby digital.

For the price its an excellent product. Coupled with the Energy Encore speakers, the set is outstanding.

Clean sound, straighforward connections, assignable digital inputs

reliability, reliability, reliability

Look out folks because there seems to be a number of defective 2800's hitting the streets. I shopped the internet review sites until I decided on a 2800. Bought mine locally (Good Guys) thankfully. I have returned two that do exactly as others have described (popping and static in rear channels with analog mode). I couldn't risk unreliability in such a product (I dont want to have to send it in, it's hard to disconnect etc). If you get one that works now, so what? It could start having this same problem in two weeks, two months or two years and I would always be thinking about it. I switched to a Yamaha RX-V995 and things are fine. The remote is a little better, the LFE drives my Polk SW-350 with far more punch then the Denon and most of all, it worked right out of the box (and I couldn't find a review of a Yamaha product that was defective). With this problem the Denon belongs in the hall of shame!!

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha RX-V995

Great sound, no noise. 5 channel stereo

Remote hard to understand. Tuner only works from remote. Speaker biddings very close together. No A/V jacks in front

Enjoy the sound from this receiver. I bought it for the 5 channel stereo. Have not found many DTS moves, but the dolby ditigal or 5 channel output make the movies better than my old Kenwood Pro logic. The receiver does lack some bass(using Bose A>M 3) for my front speakers. I really need a good sub to help there.Using Klipsch center and for rears.
The remote is awkward, hard to learn, and waiting to have the little door on front broken off. Would like to find to good universal remote that don't cost an arm and leg.
I thought the receiver would have more power, but was surprised that I had to turn it so loud to enjoy the clean sound. Have to wait for wife to go shopping to crank it.
I did a lot of shopping, before I bought this.(thank you audio review). Bought it at Sound Advice under $650. Wanted local shop, for warranty. Good people there.

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo676 Yamaha995

Quality sound, awesome dolby digital. Good with CD music.
Solid build and looks.

Old fashioned and fiddly remote. No microphone socket?!

Well, I read the magazines, um'd and ah'd, pulled my hair out! etc. I thought sod it the guy in the Sevenoaks hi-fi shop asked what my requirements were: I have a small room 5m by 5m, like listening to cd music as well as DVD's. He recommended this Denon. I like my bass which admittedly this Denon dosen't have oodles to play with, but I am using B&W 601 S2 speakers(excellent sound though) so shouldn't complain. You have to turn that volume up a bit to hear that sound properly.
I didn't spend too much time auditioning, in fact I didn't bother at all and went straight for this Denon! Thought about the Sony 930, but I didn't need all the toys I just wanted something practical and excellent sound. Also Denon a bit of a household name too! The manual is a bit skimpy as I love reading them and really getting to know my equipment! Paid £600 for quality.
My stuff:
Pioneer DV-626D
B&W 601 S2 speakers front
B&W CC6 S2 centre speaker
QED original bi-wire cable
Hitachi widescreen TV

Similar Products Used:

None

Build Quality, SOUND, 5 Channel Stereo, Automatic sensing speed

Gets a little warm, Remote? (who really cares about the remote)

First off let me start by complimenting u-bid. I won this at auction for $427.00 plus $26.00 shipping (UPS Ground). The auction closed on a Monday at 10:00 PM and by Thursday afternoon the receiver was at my doorstep, not bad at all. I bought this unit after hearing it at a local audio shop. Since November of 1998 I have been running a Sony STR-DE925 rated at 105 WPC. The unit was good on movies but I never really knew what I was missing on music until I heard the Denon. I know there has been a LOT of complaints about the Denon remote, I must admit I never would even try to program it to control all of my components. If you use it solely for the receiver it is fine. The remote on the Sony was supposed to be the cat’s meow as well and it certainly overwhelmed me the minute I took it out of the box, I never could get it to do half of the things it could do.
Setup on the Denon was a breeze. The on screen display was very intuitive for me and I was done in less than 10 minutes. The automatic detection of the signal on this unit is MUCH faster than on the Sony. While playing the Eagles DTS DVD on the Sony, it would take the sound 2-3 seconds to catch up to the video when forwarding tracks, on the Denon it is immediate. The Denon does lack the tons of sound fields the Sony had, and to be honest that made the decision even easier. I always hated the artificial sounds those effects provided. For most of us movies are either watched in Dolby Digital, DTS or normal Pro-logic, the sound fields are reserved for music. Well after listening to the 5 channel stereo I know I will never listen to music any other way, it’s that good. The only other manufacturer to offer true 5-channel stereo is Onkyo, and while I am a huge Onkyo fan, the chronic “hiss” and “humming” problems plaguing the 676 and 777 series mentioned on this site scared me away. All said and done I am very happy with my purchase (Granted it’s only been a week). I know people who buy components based on how they look first and how they sound second. I know there are probably better “looking” receivers on the market and probably a lot with better remotes, but in the end it should come down to sound. I have watched movies in DTS and DD, and in this aspect the Denon is as good or better than any comparable receiver in the $500-$1000 category. When it comes to music it really blows away everything in that range (unless perhaps if you were lucky enough to land an Onkyo without the hum/hiss). There is a reason why this receiver is in this websites “Hall of Fame”, just spend some time listening to it and you will understand why.

Similar Products Used:

Sony STR-DE925 (owned).
Onkyo 676 and 777 (auditioned)

Typo in review below...I bought the AR9 Hi-Res floor standing...

Great design, Powerfull, Universal remote, Very good with both music and films

Bad design on the remote, a bit expensive maybe

I bought this together with the Denon DVD1500 from Hifi Klubben in Oslo. After a few weeks of testing I decided not to keep the DVD player (review on this site), though I was very satisfied with the receiver. The analog stereo sound is powerfull and enjoyable to listen to. The remote is also a nice add-on event though it's very poorly designed. It can learn all other types of remotes, which is nice if you have like six different electronic "boxes". The design is also great on the AVR2800. I got hold of the gold version, which really feels a bit high-end.

Overall a great receiver, which I would recomend to anyone who is looking for a new receicer or an amplifier.

Similar Products Used:

Sony, Denon. Can't remember modell names

Reasonable power, excellent AC-3 and dts processing, easy setup, no fan or overheating problems.

Manual

Very nice sound and sophisticated dsp for the money. Relatively rugged construction: this unit was first set up by someone who didn't know what he was doing and ran everthing off the two front channels plus the "b" outputs. After a year of such abuse, it still ran perfectly when properly set up. Probably could have done a bit better on price than with this dealer, but that is not Denon's fault.

Similar Products Used:

Denon AVRs 1700, 3300 and 4800

none

I can't praise this unit enough. The sound is crystal clear, natural, and full. It handles everything I throw at it beautifully. Even the tuner sounds excellent. Dolby digital and DTS are outstanding, I can't find any fault with the sound quality and it the power rating (85wpc)is conservative. In my HT it plays movie theater volume without any complaints, clipping or distortion whatsoever. I will never buy anything but Denon again! The JVC had more features, but I fried it within the first 30 days I owned it. If you burn me once you're outta my house!!

Similar Products Used:

JVC RX-1028