Audio quality,

no bananas here! (at least on the speaker connections!, silly method for finding radio stations, can't have the test tone on all channels simultaneously, manual not detailed, should have had one more dig coax input

Recently bought this to replace my venerable Phase Linear 120W per channel stereo amp!

THe sound was noticeably better (in stereo). Wider soundstage, deeper bass.

Haven't used it for HT yet as I've got no rear speakers or even a DVD!

The phono amp is also quite good!

I like the unit. Feels good. Hopefully it lasts well.
Dislikes:

Remote buttons need to be pressed hard and pointed directly at unit with not much range.
Wish I could get the test tone on all channels at the same time.
The speaker connections are terrible. Only allows very thin bare/tinned wire. No bananas or spades.

Radio stations should be able to be 'jumped' to using the numeric keys rather than having to use + and -.

Tape function should be incorporated into the input selector dial rather than ned to press Tape Monitor...

Overall I like it so far!

Similar Products Used:

Considered Marantz SR 5000

Tight, crisp sound, easy set up, and I even think the remote is good.

Prices from authorized dealers seem to be fixed -- where's the competition?

Think receivers are a commodity? Think again, my friends.

I bought a new set of EdgeAudio speakers with a 8" powered sub. Plugged 'em into my Kenwood and was blown away. But the sub kept booming really annoyingly. I almost sent it back. Then, as I listened to the speakers, still hearing details I've never heard before, I began to notice a fuzziness. I suspected that these good speakers might be demonstrating the limitations of my receiver.

I looked at the Onkyo 676 -- it's big, black, sexy and ultra heavy. But upon reading about some of the defects right out of the box on this sight, I opted for the Denon.

I paid full retail from the Good Guys with the intention of returning it if it wasn't 100% better than my Kenwood. I set it up in about ten minutes (once I figured out that you're supposed to use your TV to navigate the menus rather than the receiver's display -- doof!) and was instantly blown away. The sub that had been so boomy and finicky on placement now can be put anywhere without booming. Bottom line -- if you think your new speakers suck or don't sound as good as they did in the showroom, it's your electronics, man. Invest as much or more as you did in your speakers for a good receiver.

Now, as for Good Guys, I really, really, really am getting annoyed at the pushiness for the extra warranty. This puppy is guaranteed for 2 years and there's an authorized repair center right here in SF. So beg off on that warranty, you pushy Good Guys creeps. I would have bought the receiver from a local high end shop (same price anywhere you buy it, except the Internet where you take your chances in terms of warranty service), but I honestly thought I'd return it because I didn't expect to be totally blown away.

Buy it. Go into debt if you have to. Sell your soul if need be. But just go get one of these.

Four stars for value because I hate it when the prices get fixed all over town.

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood VR-357 (similar only in that it is a metal box similarly shaped to the Denon)

awesome DD and DTS capabilities with exquisite Stereo sound in both 5 and 2 channel.

Probably the worst remote ever included with any electronic item

this thing is perfect. I am running it through probably some of the worst speakers (technics SBCR99k but they're better than KLH!). With the Aiwa receiver the Low was always dominant and the mid was never distinguished from the high (due to the lack of control for a 15" woofer) and to get decent sound it would have to be cranked to 8 frickin db's!!! Now with the denon I rarely reach above 00 db's and the technics sound phenomenal for a $200 pair of speakers. I watched gone in 60 seconds in DD and I fell over. The scene where Nic cage jumps over the line of cars on the bridge blew me away. I would say this is the best buy for the buck and I will soon be replacing the Technics with JBL s412p's do to the imbalance with the Tech's and my JBL S-center channel speaker. Don't miss this one its great!!

Similar Products Used:

Aiwa AVS17

Geat Sound in DD and CD, 5 Channel and 2 channel and I hate to say it but Rock and Jazz DSPs if you set them up correctly for your room (dont bother with the manual for this one)

Guess What.....???.....The Manual and the remote. No component video connections, only one coaxial out and no digital in.

Lets get the bad part out of the way. Yes the manual is a great disappointment and lacks the detail to get the best from this product. I found myself constantly looking for answers to many questions I had about the system and I'm not unfamiliar with HT. Compounding the probem of finding out what the sytem can and cannot do is that f&*^%&$@ remote. I AM GOING TO PERSIST WITH IT HOWEVER....as it WILL NOT BEAT ME!. After utilising the pre program function I thought I would program the DVD functions and TV channel functions....what a mess. Half the channels either didnt work or had a differect station come up after use and most of the DVD functions did not work...UHHHHH!!!
I would have liked a little more connectivity also but its not to be.
What sold me was the sound for the dollar. I could not afford the 3801 which has more connection options and ES but in Australia its $1400 more (you yanks and very lucky wih the low prices you pay)
The 2801 sounds superb. Both music and DD are fantastic. I have tested many units and its very very hard to beat for value for the dollar.
5 Channel and 2 channel sterio is simply brilliant. To those who aleady own the unit try adjusting the parameters to rock and jazz DSPs. Get them right for you room and taste and they sound brilliant.
Bass is punchy and controlled. I cannot get over how much more sound I'm hearing from my old CDs. There is a much more punchy bass from the 2801 than my old NAD amp.
The unit replaces a NAD 716 which was stolen. It was a fine amp especially for music. The NAD DD products were the closest to the Denon sound with little or nothing to separate them in my opinion. Maybe the NAD was slightly (and I mean slightly) better with music but I like my subwoofer on during 2 channel which the NAD 760 wont do. What sold me finally was the little extras you get with the 2801.
System notes
Denon AVR 2801
Pioneer DV535
Tara Labs Interconects
NAD 801 Speakers (front)
JBL centre and sub
Rears - Old speaker (which I need to replace)

Similar Products Used:

HK AV7000, NAD 770 & 760, Denon AVR 1800, Denon AVR 3801, Rotel RSX....and MORE Unit replaces a NAD 716

Simple, clean front panel.
Very good sound.

Complex remote.

I was trying to decide between the Marantz SR-7000 and the Denon AVR-2801. Sound quality-wise, I think they are both of very good quality, so it came down to aesthetics.

The Denon beat the Marantz hands down in that department, with a clean simple interface on the front panel. And even though the remote on the Denon is complex, I prefered it to the Marantz.

I run the Denon into 4 Dynaudio Audience 40 speakers (and a Boston Acoustics sub), and am surprised by how unstressed the Denon sounds on the 86dB/W/m Dynaudios. I have never clipped the Denon even at the loudest volumes, and the sound has always been wonderful.

The Denon is far from warm-sounding when paired with the Dynaudios. Indeed, the combination can sound a bit agressive unless you turn "Cinema EQ" on, but that's probably just the DVDs.

Excellent value!

Build quality, exceptional sound quality in both 5 channel and 2 channel, easy menu navigation, easy setup, nice remote, warms up fast.

Very weak manual, no pass-thru video, no 'format conversion' circuitry.

I really like this receiver and am proud to have this as the workhorse of my system. No other A/V receiver I listened to came close to the sound quality and refined look and feel of this Denon unit. The sound is clean and warm with no harshness in the highs or boomy bass. The mid-bass of the Denon 2801 is comparable to Carver and NAD designs which cost considerably more. It's stage presence is very nice and noticeable to even the casual listener making the sound lift off the speakers with ease. I haven't experienced this kind of exceptional sound since I owned the NAD 2200 amp and 1155 pre-amp.

It would have been nice to have the format-conversion circuitry to input SVHS and output composite or vice/versa but I can understand Denon's reasons for leaving this out (http://www.denon.com/support/faqs_ht.asp#Q8). Component video would have been nice as well but you can't expect the world at this price range. There's always the 3801 and higher models for that feature.

Personally, I am very comfortable with the remote. The manual on the other hand is a real piece and needs a serious overhaul.

I think the fuss over buying this unit from an authorized dealer is a little overdone. Slap it on an American Express card and you'll be taken care of.

System:

Denon AVR-2801 receiver
Toshiba DVD-2200 DVD
Polk RTA-12c fronts (4 ohm - 98 db/1W)
Polk CS-400i center
Polk f/x500i surrounds
Polk PSW650 sub
Toshiba TN55x81 55" RPTV
RCA DirecTV

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha, Sony, HK, NAD

Build quality (made in Japan), Sound, DD&DTS

badly documented manual

With some extra money I decided to upgrade from an old Prologic Pioneer receiver. After ready many reviews and listening tests I chose the Denon over Onkyo595 and Yamaha v800. All are great products but I preffered the Denon's sound in music (and it was great in DTS and DD modes).

Some previous reviews mentioned hiss if the CD is placed on pause and the volume turned right up. Switch your audio connection from analog to optical or digital coaxial and the hiss is removed (I suspect it is a small amount of noise from the DACs in the CD player and this is amplified in the DSP circuits). Anyway at the volume level the hiss is heard - you won't hear it if music/etc is playing.

Overall I am very happy with my new amp. I now hear some sounds I never knew existed on my CDs. And with the new DVD player watching movies is fantastic in DTS and DVD. Check out the review at:

http://www.homecinemachoice.com/testbench/index.html

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer, Yamaha, Onkyo

Great sound quality/power on both movies and music.

Fussy with Dolby Digital reception. Manual and remote really bad.

Thought I'd better review this before I take it back. The biggest problem is that the Dolby mode seems real touchy. About a third of the DVDs watched won't kick into Digital mode and automatically switches to Pro Logic. If I wanted that, I'd have kept my old receiver.

Only other problem noted is that the bass/treble adjustment doesn't have enough range for the speakers I'm using (Polk RT 25is front and back with sub and center). Even with the sub off, on some recordings, the highs are muffled. Also, the speaker adjustments on the remote make no sense whatsoever.

While everybody talks about it, the manual is useless. They don't even have clear rundowns on the controls and what they do. You have to read every footnote and section, and even then, you have to make a lot of inferences. By contrast, we bought a Sony DVD (S-560D) and their manual was a dream---Denon, it can be done.

This model, like so many Denons I've read about, does run hot. It's no wonder---it's got to weigh 10-12 pounds less than my old Onkio (which had similar power). Can you say heat sink? I'm not concerned about the air space I have available, but all that heat can't be doing the components much good. I've noted that some of the settings seem to change themselves, when they shouldn't. At times it was like Windows 98.

To the good, on the majority of CDs we played, there was great sound. On DVD movies, when it was good, it was very good (when it decided to behave and work in Dolby Digital). If you listen to FM, it has a powerful receiver. With just the little wire anttena they provide, I was picking up the best receiption in ages (we live behind a hill--35 miles from the nearest station).

The S-Video switching was really neat. By the way, some have complained about the fact that you can't use composite and S-Video together for switching---Wrong, if you have a TV with several sets of composite inputs. Our VCR doesn't have S-Video, so I ran the audio to the Denon and the video to the TV, using an RCA input. The on-screen display adds to the ease (cause you sure can't see the Denon display from 10 foot away).

In fairness, it's likely that I have some chip problems in the circuitry and I'd certainly consider another Denon, but they'd better tackle the design issues first.

Similar Products Used:

Onkio with old Dolby Surround.

Smooth and Detailed sound quality

see review

I have had this receiver for two months and I think it is a great product at a great price. I bought mine online but even paying retail is not out of line.

Dolby D and DTS are fantastic. No hiss in the rear like other brands. The 90 watt rating does seem to be conservative. The movies I have watched were loud and clean with the receiver set well below the 0-db dolby reference setting in my 14x20 room.

The 5 channel stereo really is outstanding. It seems to add depth to the music - no reverb or slappy echo.

My speakers are boston all around, which sounded bright at times with my previous receiver. It seems to be a great combination now that they are mated with the warm sounding Denon.

It would be nice if the volume displayed on-screen since it is very hard to read the display from a distance.

The sub out is my most concerning quirk. The crossover is not a true 80 hz or the slope is too gradual.

The bottom line is this is a pure sounding receiver even at high volumes. The quality went into the sound rather than adding bells and whistles. This is a top performer when you consider the price.

Similar Products Used:

Sony ES

Full Clean,clear sound, Lots of Power(for me anyway)awsome Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 playback. Has outputs for DVD-Audio or SACD or 6.1

Remote could be a little better. But it works just find when you get the hang of it. Other then that, it's a fine good AMP.

The Denon 2801 is a good reveiver for someone who wants great sound and lots of inputs and outputs for the money. The 2801 works great with my Boston Acoustics Setup. And it has S-Video for everything and 3 optical outputs aswell, along with Coxial. Also uses a on Screen display, which is very helpful when tweaking the speakers. It's Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 Play Back is better then any other Receiver I used. If your into 2Channel Stero, this Denon won't let you down. Have a good Pair of mains, and you'll love the full sound you get. Pro Logic is good aswell, nothing out of the normal. I know there other better stuff out there. I think this Denon is a Best Buy for someone with a modest cash to spend on a Receiver. Get your fast! There was only one Hi Fi Buys dealer who still had a new one in the box.

Similar Products Used:

Sony and Yamaha