Clean, powerful sound (for 90W); Very good value

Denon's archaic warranty policy
(must buy from authorized dealer which many cities don't have one anymore).

This is a fine piece of audio equipment for the price. Clean sound with plenty of power. I replaced an old Adcom preamp and Hafler 100W amp with this and it sounds at least as good. Highly recommended if you are setting up a mid-priced home theater system.

It would be nice to be able to set surround delay times for each speaker separately in case any are off center from the listener. Couldn't find a way to do that.

The usual complaints apply about the remote and manual. If Denon doesn't want to include a thicker manual with it, they could at least publish some more white papers on their web site that give details on how to set up and use the features. I couldn't get my old universal remotes to learn the functions for this one. If anyone wants to suggest universals that work with this receiver please advise.

As far as the xtremeshopper.com, see resellerratings.com for review.

Warmth, resolution, sound dynamics

Runs a trifle hot

I purchased this amp to replace my underpowered Pioneer 409.
I was absolutely amazed at the difference in sound. The mid-bass blew me away. The sound resolution is sheer magic.
Highly recommended.

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Pioneer 409

Only Amp previewed that could REALLY reproduce acoustic instruments.

This amp blew me away. When I A/B'd it with the lesser Denon Amps, the sound difference was astonishing. There was NO metallic twang! I tried a similarly priced Sony. The Sony also exhibited this metallic twang. If you ever listen to acoustic music, you need an amp with this quality.

Clapton Unplugged will make a good demo CD. Remember that you will need to use the optical audio connection to your CD player to get the full depth of the music.

I works well on DVD's also. It is worth the upcharge over the 1801.

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Sony, Denon 1801, Denon 1601

4 digital inputs, on-screen display, 5 channel stereo, discrete power amplifier

None!

Awesome! You will not find a better reciever for the money. I bought mine at www.acousticsounddesign.com for $549. I found the remote and the user's manual easy to use, but some people might differ. What's important is that this A/V reciever sounds great. DVD movies really come alive, and for music it just flat-out rocks. Highly recommend!

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Pioneer VSX606s

Good clean sound. Plenty of power. Good looking front panel, no useless lights or buttons. Adequate inputs and outputs.

Manual. Remote is not all that bad once you figure it out, but you can not change the settings without the remote. Cheap wire FM antenna.

This is my first AV receiver and my first Denon product and I think that it is the best unit in this price range. After doing my research, I tried the Sony. About the only advantage of the Sony was that you could perform all functions without the remote. It did not have the hiss, but it had input bleed over problems. The Denon has wonderful sound. I wanted a receiver that could provide decent 2-channel stereo sound and also provide home theater technology which would not be obsolete in 2 years, and so far I have been very impressed with the performance of the 2801. You can find them cheaper at discount internet stores mentioned on this site, but I wanted to buy from a local authorized dealer. The dealer was very helpful in addressing my specific set up questions, and I have no doubt that they will stand behind the product.

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Sony STR-DB940

Clear sound, quality of cable connectors is directly related to power out,

Instructions to set up are not intuitive

I have had the receiver up and running a little longer than a month. Complaints about the manual are not unfounded. The remote is not hard at all. I have converted my DVD, CD, and television remotes into a single unit. Sounds great running movies and CD's in a medium sized room

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Running system through Klipsch surround sound speakers, both old (KG4) and new (RC3 and SB2)

looks, front panel
6.1 capable
no hiss, great power for my Klipsch rf-series
memorizes settings
only 5 DSP settings- which is nice

manual, remote could loook and feel better

I was a little skeptical at first about buying this receiver. I wasn't sure if it would drive my new Klipsch Reference series speakers with 90 watts/ch. Whoa was I wrong! This thing can get extremely loud with real sensitive speakers. It made my KLipsch speakers sound nice and soft instead of harsh and bright. The on-screen menu is fairly easy to use- just takes time. It sounds extremely good when playing DVD's in DD or DTS and also with music. The 5 ch stereo is one of its best features.

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Kenwood, sony

Price is in Canadian $$. Great sound, absolutely no hiss, 3 optical inputs, face is not full of buttons. Great programmable remote, controls Pioneer DVR434 DVD, Panasonic 27" GAOO TV, and Toshiba VCR without a hitch. More here: http://denon.com/catalog/pdfs/avr2801LIT.pdf

No component video I/O. Some hum at high levels; suspect cheap A/V cables.

Strengths pretty much sum it up. If you take a bit of time to learn the remote it's not that hard to comprehend.

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Old Pro Logic system.

Solid and clear sound, deep bass, built quality.

Ugly remote. Take time to set up. You really need to read the manual.

I tested Denon against Yamaha and Sony before I bought it. For the same price range ($500-600), Denon has best sound for music - clear, open, solid. It matches well with B&W and KEF - the two speakers that I tested with. The Denon also play DTS and AC-3 movie very well although it lacks behind Yamaha and Sony in DSP variety. Sony is the worst among the three with weak and digital-like sound. Yamaha has the best front panel design and many DSP functions, but sounds rather bright and not as solid as Denon. So after a day at the shop, I took the Denon home.

After I hook the unit up, it only produced stereo sound - 2 channels. I got panic and called up the store. Apparently, factory setting is 2 channels. It took me another 3 hours to finally figured out, set up and balanced all the 6 channels. I worked very well since and I am really happy with it. The unit generate considerable amount of heat. Leave enough ventilation space on top of it!

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Test against Yamaha V800 and Sony 940.

Clarity of the Surround, Huge Depth of the Bass

...well the remote is a little annoying

Just amazing. I have it hooked up to a Mirage bookshelf, center, woofer set and for Movie freaks, this system is unbelievable for the money. The first time I put the Matrix into the dvd player, I couldn't believe my ears. I am spoiled now and can't wait for Movies to come out on DVD - I have no desire to actually go to the theatre anymore and this reciever is a major reason for that. I mean I didn't even have the volume turned up, and it blew me away.

If you have the money for something more, test this one out, you'll be surprised and you'll keep some of your money.
Honestly I can't give a fair review for CD's, music etc, just because DVDs are pumped mostly through this system. But the Digital Surround is phenomenal. Get this one for home theatre capabilities!

BTW, Bough the BOSE first - ended up taking it back and I glad I did, Denon and Mirage kicks BOSE ass!

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Aiwa, but not even in the same ballpark