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This is not a review. Just want to tell everyone where to get a good price. Even better than eBay !

Just go to Yahoo Shopping at

http://shopping.yahoo.com/ and search for the model that you like.

It has the best price for both Denon 2802 ($458) and Denon 3802 ($665).

Actually I just ordered the 3802 from them !!

Don't pay retail unless of couse you have too much in your bank !

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Music reproduction,POWER,Excellent DD and DTS,DTS;Neo and PL2, Excellent build quality, well layed out front panel

Tight binding posts connections

This receiver is both musical and agressive. It has a load of decoding options, including all the new formats, DTS-ES,DD-EX, DTS-Neo, Pl2. For music though, the most accurate and clear mode is 2 channel direct/stereo. This receiver has a very natural sound, with warmness,yet crisp highs and a powerful bass punch. Music justs sound so smooth,not digitized, and in good recordings you can hear little the subtle sounds and backround instruments your wouldnt normally hear from a receiver this price. Personally, i have heard the Marantz SR-7200 in stereo and compared it with the Denon 2802, and i enjoy the sound of the Denon much better. Also, it seemed like the Marantz was very undepowered and lacked Marantz's typical musicality when i auditioned it. Usually you will here Marantz praised for their music reprduction, but not usually Denon. Next comes movie listening. This receiver, only coming in at 26lbs, pushes out the power with ease. The volume know extends from -70 to +18, and for movie listening i usually keep it in the area of -25 to -15. In a DD track such as the Matrix, Air Force One, X-Men, True Lies etc., the channel separation is amazing. The movement of objects flying across in all directions is accurately provided by this receiver. The Denon has, as i said, an agressive feel during movies. Meaning, the bass punch, the dynamics, the 3-D enveloping effects create a movie experience the way the movie was intended to be heard. DTS tracks will even add to the clarity and smoothness of a movie. I also like to mention the endless options of controls on this receiver. It has a volume adjustment for each channel, digital bass and treble regulator, PL2 soundfield and balance are changeable, Cinema EQ, and last Dynamic Range Compression. Lastly i like to say, for everything thing this receiver offers, all the new decoding options, Denon build and sound quality,and the price i paid, i believe there is no other receiver that compares.

Denon AVR-2802
CSW Newton M80's
CSW Newton M50's
Polk Audio CS245
Sony 560D dvd player
Monster and AR interconnects, with CSW and Home Depot speaker cable

P.S Most people will complain about the remote. Its not bad and frankly giving a receiver a bad rating because of its remote is quite stupid. I base my rating on sound quality and build quality, because thats whats most impt.

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Yamaha HTR-5460, Marantz SR-7200, Pioneer VSX-510S

DTS Decoding; PLII; Unbelievable 6.1 (check out Rush Hour 2 - cheesy movie - outstanding audio!)

Remote (will someone please explain this to Denon!)
On Screen Setup (at least one video cable from AVR to TV - I only had one SVideo cable - had to swap between DVD and AVR to the TV)

I went through quite a bit of analysis and am very happy with this decision. I looked at Rotel, Integra, Outlaw, Yamaha, Pioneer Elite, and Denon. Each had their own pros/cons. Went with the Denon for true 6.1 power (there are 6 discrete amplifiers rated @ 90 watts each) and expanded DTS modes (ES Matrix/Disrete and NEO6). Dollar per feature, the AVR2802 is the best value...

PLEASE NOTE ABOUT PURCHASING DENON FROM AN INTERNET RETAILER
Due to purchasing agreements with Denon, most internet retailers DO NOT SERVICE WHAT THEY SELL. In order to get service on a unit purchased from an NON-AUTHORIZED dealer, you will have to send the unit back to Denon in Japan (you pay for everything - the shipping and any non-warranty repair costs)! So here is what I suggest... Bring a price list (from the internet) for a specific model to your local AUTHORIZED Denon retailer. I was able to "meet in the middle" (lowest price form the internet was $520 - selling at store for $760).

Purchasing DENON off the internet, while great for price comparisons, can be risky proposition if you need service!

Very clean and impressive sound quality even though it's only 90 watts / ch ... High banditz component video inputs

On-screen manual can't come out from component out.

Actually mine is AVR-982. I believe they're identical. The only difference between them is their model numbers. Sound quality is excellent. It's way better than my Sony receiver. Once I hooked it up and tested it, I could tell the difference right away. I have no regret for this investment. Even though my housemate is not really a stereo enthusiast, she could tell the difference right away - it's way better than Sony. Highly recommendated!

I think the only weakness I found for this unit is the on-screen manula can't come out from its monitor component out.

Pro logic 2

remote is kind of hard to get used to. Other than that no weaknesses

This recevier blows the other recivers away that I looked at. The power this thing puts out is unreal. The pro logic 2 rocks. I was going to buy the AVR-3801 last years model, but it did not have the Pro Logic 2. I was worried that it would not push my speakers well but I was way wrong. Thinking about buying this recever? STOP! and buy it now.

My set up:

Polk RT16
polk rt/fx
polk CS250
boston PV400 sub
PS2

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my Pioneer vsx-607s, but dose not compare.

Clean clear sound, tonnes of S-Vid plug ins, S Video switching. Accurate surround sound (5.1, DTS and DTS ES)

Cheap looking remote. I can not figure out how to have the display show up when using component video, the display shows up for S video though...not sure if it just doesnt do this, or if I havent read enough on it.

Buy it, it rocks for the buck.

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Marrantz 6200

More than enough power. Extremely versatile. Solid build.

Overall ergonomics. On-screen options not accessible through the receiver. Definintely not "plug-n-play".

Overall, this is a great receiver especially for the price. Clean sound throughout (even on my relatively old speakers).

I'm more into music than the a/v side (but expanding more into that arena) and I'm very happy with the sound for my entire musical collection. Since I am not an a/v buff, I have one of the only TV's left that does not have RCA inputs on the back. So, if you're like me, make sure you stop off at RadioShack to pick up an adapter because to really get the most out of this receiver you'll need to use the on-screen menus.

Also, even though the receiver remembers what soundfield you use for each input, it doesn't always remember the exact setting. For instance, if you use PLII set to Music for your CD's and PLII set to Cinema for your DVD's, and switch between the CD and DVD it will always keep the last used setting (Music or Cinema).

One more little thing (and I could be wrong on this since I haven't explored it thoroughly yet)... At this point, I haven't found a way to separate the speaker set-ups for each input. For example, I don't want to use the center channel for music when in DPII but I want to use it when I watch TV. So far, I've only been able to have one set-up for all inputs.

Once I figure this all out, I'll rescind any incorrect info I posted here. But, in the end, I'm very happy with this receiver and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good receiver in this price range.

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Nothing worth mentioning.

dd/Dts 6.1 AND discrete DTS 6.1 Clean Denon sound with lots of headroom.

None as I see it but remote a little clumsy

As I opened up the box I noticed that it wasn't as heavy as the Technics AX-6 but that's where it stops.

This Denon 2802 has the following improvments over my previous reciever.

1)Overall sound quality is far better.
2)New Dolby Pro-Logic 2
3)Dolby Digital EX and DTS 6.1 (Matrixed & Discrete Formats)
4)Component Video inputs and outputs(1)
5)More soundfields to fiddle with
6)Onscreen Display
7)Pre-outs on ALL channels
8)Analog input mode if need be

Anyways...plenty more actually but that's just the immediately noticed differences.

A HUGE improvement is in the quality of the sound. No more hiss from the rear speakers or any others for that matter. The only way to hear hiss is to put your ear right up to the tweeter. The AX-6 has loud enough hiss to hear from my listening position....JUNK!!!!!

Although the AX-6 served it's purpose as my upgrade from Dolby Pro-Logic, it was time to sell it, and FAST!!! I actually sold it for $350 but shipping was $70 on that beast. Still I was glad to part with it.

I am glad I did not go with the Marantz 6200.

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Techincs AX-6 6 channel reciever

Good, clean 90 Wpc to 6 channels. DTS-ES, Pro-Logic II, and Dolby 6.1 Matrix decoding capability.

Remote can be annoying.

I just think this receiver, at an list price of $799, justifies its price. But when you buy it from an Internet retailer for about $200-$250 less, it's a huge bargain. The 2802 is rated at 90 Watts per channel, but it's measured under more strict regulations than receivers from some of the other brands. This is more than enough for most setups in homes and regular-sized rooms.

The array of features found in this receiver is also very good. It has 7.1 pre-outs, 2 sets of component video inputs and bass management with 3 settings. Beside the regular DTS and DD decoding, the 2802 also has the DTS-ES Discrete, Matrix, Neo:6, and Dolby Matrix 6.1 decoding for those with a rear surround speaker. Perhaps the best new feature on this receiver in my opinion is the Pro-Logic II, it converts regular stereo PCM encoded material into 5 channel surround to create a larger sound field.

The remote, although not very easy to get used to, is not terribly difficult to deal with, but I definitely recommend reading through the manual before starting to play around with the receiver.

Denon has a reputation of being on the "warm" side, so pairing it with neutral or bright speakers would be a good choice. But it really depends on the listener.

All in all, this receiver is a good upper-middle class receiver. If you're considering receivers in this price range, the 2802 probably has all the features you will ever need with upgrade compatibility for newer formats and more than enough power to drive your speakers. I heartily recommend this receiver to anyone who is looking in this price range.

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Yamaha RX-V496

VERSATILE, CLEAN SOUNDING

REMOTE SUCKS, DSP MODES SUCK, NO CUSTOMER SUPPORT!!!

THIS IS DEFINATELY NOT A AVR FOR THE FIRST TIMER.(my self).
The manual was very informative and should be read several times both prior to and after setting up your system. Everything on this receiver functions great and it has more options than your average user will need. It also sounds great for Jazz, blues, and easy listening. Rock, especially metal, sounded like crap but I believe this was/is the nature of the speakers I'm using (see below), because Sting's "Ten summoner's tale" and Seal's "Seal" CD's as well as the classical sound trac from Braveheart sounded fantastic. CD'S from other artist using both the same as well as different settings produced varied results all the way down to outright awful. It's amazing how a good receiver/speaker combo can reveal the broad differances in recording qualities on CD's and this is one receiver that helps to show this.

DTS NEO 6.1: I found this to be the most pleasing mode for all types of music but I often switched between this as well as DOLBY PRO LOGIG II, DIRECT, and STEREO modes depending on which CD was being played. Try both the MUSIC and CINIMA modes in the NEO and PRO LOGIG.

DSP Modes: THEY ALL SUCKED!!! and produced distortion regaurdless of their intensity level settings.

The REMOTE: This thing is not user freindy at all. Switching between the various componants is a pain in the ass if the sliders are not set in the correct position. It lacks a button that simply puts the avr in contol to switch between componants. The layout of the buttons has nothing in common with any of my other remotes. All my other remotes have simular buttons in simular areas that perform the same funtions. The denon remote did learn the buttons of my other remotes and the macro programming worked fine up to the time you get finished using the macro, then the entire remote locks up and prevents me from entering other modes. I often find myself giving up and walking over to the receiver to perform theses tasks manually. No back lighting as stated. What a shame for denon to have supplied such a lame Remote with this reciever.

CUSTOMER SERVICE: THERE IS NONE!!! Go to the web site. You will not find any tech support, no e-mail addresses, no 1-800 #s. Not squat. If the outlet that you purshased this unit from does not offer tech support or is not fairly knowledgeable about the product, your SCREWED. Thanks to some of the previous post on this page I was able to bring up the on-screen menu and get this thing set-up.

I'm currently running the dvd into the receiver with componant and toslink cables, the reciever to the TV with componant, (and s-video for the on screen menus), and the TV to the receiver via RCA L&R audio connects. This set-up works fine.

System Includes:
Zenith 27" FLAT SCREEN
DENON AVR-982
DENON DVD-800
ACOUSTIC RESEARCH HR6 HOME THEATER SPEAKERS
JVC VCR.

Over all, I would recommend this reciever to anyone with patience enough to set this up. I dont think you can beat all the features this unit has to offer, in this price range. I was also considering the ONKYO TX-696, but all those that I spoke with that knew and or sold both products suggested the DENON. Lack of customer support and a crappy remote are whats keeping me from giving this unit a 5 star rating. PLEASE EXCUSE THE SPELLING. All feedback is welcome.

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