CLEAR CLEAN NOISE LESS SOUND

ME LIKE 90% HAD PROBLEMS WITH REMOTE

THE 3300 GAVE BACK MY B&W S THE SOUND I HEARD IN THE SHOW ROOM WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THEM. I M GLAD TO HERE THEM AGAIN THE WAY THEY SHOULD SOUND. THE SONY RECEIVER I HAD BEEN USING JUST DID NT CUT IT BUT ITS NOT BAD IN THE BEDROOM WERE I HIDE MY BOSE SYSTEM.I STILL HAVE A ? ABOUT UP GRADING THE 3300 WILL IT BE ABLE TO RUN 6.1 7.1 WITH A DIFF OUT BORED DECODER NO ONE HAS BIN ABLE TO TELL ME A STAIGHT ANSWER YET? I STILL HAVE A LOT OF STUFF TO LEARN ABOUT THIS RECIEVER SO FAR 5 STARS.

Similar Products Used:

NAK AV-10

It's cheaper than other brand offering similar features

Less than ideal quality. Made in Korea

I know lots of people just love the 3300, this is why it became such a hot item on the market. I waited a long time to get one. But after careful comparison with the 2800, I returned my 3300 for the 2800.

The 3300 is made in Korea instead of Japan and trust me, it makes a big difference. Check the reviews and you will found concerns about the 3300's build quility. To reduce cost, more japanese vendors are putting out products that are made in countries with cheaper labor rate and what you get is what you paid for.

The 3300 has more power, 105w vs. 2800's 85w. But since wattage does not translate to speakers "loudness" in a linear fashion (it's logarithm to be exact), I don't find the extra 20w substantial. Besides, the 2800 I have has enough power to drive my Infinity Prelude front and rear speakers.

I'm not sure how many people really need 2 sets of rear speakers, at least I don't found them useful at all. As for component video swithing, it's really useless to me, since I have a Toshiba 61' HDTV ready TV that has 2 sets of HDTV components inputs, why should I run the video signal through a receiver that may even reduce the signal quality?

Pre-amp output seams to be the last major difference between the 3300 and the 2800, but when I have the need to buy a seperate amp later on, consider the way Hi-Fi industry advances, there's got to be new technologies available for pre-amps, so I may wind up getting a whole new system anyway.

Don't get me wrong on my rating, 3 is only relative to the 5 I gave to the 2800. I still think Denon has far better products than other vendors in this area.

Similar Products Used:

AVR 2800

Exceptional value/sound

None that i can see in this price range unless remote ergonmoics are a priority to you

The reason i am submitting this review is to counter the three star review and clear up some misguided notions by Jim regarding the Avr 3300 and avr 2800. First of all this is an excellent sounding reciever. When i first bought it i thought i just got a good peice and probably they all did'nt sound that good. Then i thought maybe it was just a lucky combination of the componenets i was usuing. This receiver is still in my opinion definitely the best sub $1000 reciever out there without a doubt. Probably the best sub$1200 reciever out there. I've compared it to the Nak av-10 and the rotel i think its the avr-965. While all three had really good attributes and sound, i thought that the combination of upgradeablity, features and sound was best in the denon, regardless of price. I did think the rotel had a little better sound but it was not readily obvious.
Now regarding the whole Korean manufacturing thoery. Companies outsource parts and labour in order to cut costs and be more competitive. Japan has one of the highest labour costs of any country. Today with global standardization (iso quality assurance standard etc) manufactures are able to maintain the same level of quality, regardless of where they are. Thats why the three new VW models are made in Mexico, and the new Beetle just won the award for best built car of 1999. So "trust me" the fact that denon is made in korea, has no effect on the final product. I should know i am a supply chain management manager. Maybe 5 years ago to discriminate on the basis of country of origin was valid but today it makes no difference. Personally i'd rather buy a product that has the most savings passed on to the consumer.
Also the avr-3300 has better components than the avr 2800. The bigger transformer ( a mere 5 pounds heavier), bigger primary capacitors and eight channel inputs make it obviously the better reciever and thus the more expensive model. Thus power output is not as much the question as power handeling. I was unable to get this reciever to clip (without blowing my studio 40's which can take there share of abuse). While both receivers offer excellent value i think it is unfair to give a three star rating to the better model just because u bought the lesser one or that its made in korea. And i'm not the only one who thinks that the 3300 is a great buy. Hometheater Mag Dec99, reveiwed the 3300 and gave the reciever a 90 for sound and 94 for value. Thats the highest rating i've seen for a $1000 reciever. Anything better is in the $2000+ range (B&K avr2200, Denon 5700). So if you are going to make reviews on a product , whether you love it or hate, try and make subjective argument instead of a "trust me" one.
The AVR-3300 is a really good product period. The AVR-3300 at MSRP $999, is a bloody exceptional product period. If you are in the market for DD/DTS reciever with plenty of power, great soundstage and transparancy, and the flexiblity of future upgradablilty you would be remiss not to audition it period.
Hope that helps.

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo Integra, Yamaha, Nakamichi

Overall Sound and number of Video Sources

REMAOTE

After my last post, my wife went on a two day rage on how she couldn't turn on the TV with the AVR-3300 remote. The Macro keys were very slow and if you moved during system power-up, some component got left off. Anyway, with additional web searching, I found out about the Philips Pronto. Very pricey! But it restored peace in the house (after about two days of programming it). So it was worth every cent!

I'm not saying any other vendor(at this price point)has a better remote, but if your wife, mother-in-law, etc. can't watch TV without you changing the channels for them, well I just have to say it sucks!

If you guys think you can live with the remote, so be it. But sound is only so good as you can get to heard it. I programmed the Dennon remote (I know, some will say operator error causes the problems)and struggled with system control.

Do yourself a favor, buy a Pronto. Go to www.remotecentral.com and and download some CCF files select your style of menus. I even got a new button from the AVR-5700 that works with the AVR-3300, Video Select!

I'm going to upload my CCF. Check it out!

Similar Products Used:

None

looks good, sound and separation(so far)

remote-tech support-needing to be hooked up to monitor for some adjustments

So far I have enjoyed my 3300,I have notdone any back flips by any means.
The sound quality is good,have not had any trouble with the audio portion of the system (pretty straight forward).
I purchased a b-stock item (no way is it worth $1000,which is what the local hi-fi store is asking)I figured$599 is a fair price so I elected this route.
Big complaint with this unit(maybe all the others also) is if you have s-video in from dss and s-video out to you tv then you always need the receiver on to watch the tube.
I suppose I could go back to the rca jack route but loose my clarity.
Also no way listed to contact denon for questions.
5-channel stereo is my favorite feature(selling point) once you compare it to the dsp modes you wont even bother with them.
Have not tried dts music selection on this unit as of yet,looking forward to that.
I dont know if this unit does any more than anybody elses(sound decoding etc) I like the 5-channel stereo.
If I strictly wanted a H/T receiver for movies and some occasional music then I could find alot cheaper route to travel,that would do all the things the above would do.

Similar Products Used:

n/a

5 channel stereo
Component Video Switching
Full Sound Stage
Strength in the lower frequencies
Sounds spectatular
In this price range nothing compares!

Remote needs more programmable buttons
Remote should also have a better light mechanism

My job is mostly high end consulting and installing of Home Theaters in Northern California.

The recent crop of new av receivers has created some home work for me. Just recently I have done some in home testing/selling on the following receivers:

1. Denon 3300
2. Onkyo 777
3. HK AVR500
4. Pioneer 26TX

I used the following configuration: (a customers home which is an atypical situation due to the odd configuration of the room)

Room Size 11 x 18 (Difficult to control sound due to open on one side)
TV: Sony Wega 36"
Speakers:
Infinity RS5 Front (about 10 ft apart and 1 ft from back wall
Infinity CC3 Center (on top of tv)
Infinity QPS Surr (At the sides/rear about 2 ft back and side)
JBL 250 watt 10" sub

The reason for the specific speaker configuration was that these were already in place of the customer's residence..

Denon: Lively Rich Sound! Great Features such as 5 channel stereo, and Component Video Switching! As well as Multi-Surround A&B (I didn't get to use the multi-surround due to the lack of a 2nd set of surround speakers). Very nice features for this level of equipment. The thing I noticed most about the Denon was the purity of the sound. It had absolutely no background noise. I used the DTS most recent demo disk and the results were simply spectatular. Honestly I was very surprised to find the RS5 speakers to have such a dynamic sound. In the past I've only heard the RS5's on lower end equipment (Yam 795 and on a HK AVR45) The sound was much too bright with either of those. On the Denon the staging was incredible. I closed my eyes and could actually believe I was listening to a $2000/pr speaker (Yes! that clear and full). For 5 chan stereo, I'd personally put some RS5's or maybe RS3's for the rear to get a better match as the QPS did well for surround dispursion they would get lost on the one side of the room due to "no wall" The direct radiating RS5's or 3's would have made 5 chan stereo much better. In 5.1 DD for movies, I was very impressed too. The Denon was effortless in pushing even the most detailed sections of action, and I was never tempted to adjust the center channel due to inconsistencies in the vocal track. The thing most impressive was the lack of noise during silent sections. The Denon was absolutely quiet. Even the fan was impossible to hear. (Smart Fan!) Well talking about fans!... Denon, you've make a fan out of me!! Although he, my customer, could afford to buy a Denon 5700, I'm recommending the 3300 due to the incredible value and the fact that he doesn't really need much more power to push those Infinity RS speakers. I have to make a small sub note here, that the combination of the warmth and fullness of the Denon receiver, and the clarity and crispness of the Infinity RS5's, I've definately changed my opinion of the Infinity RS line! Again my hat's off to Denon for making a quality product that can span such a great gap between audiophile quality sound and mainstream componentry to make a near perfect HT Receiver.

Onkyo 777:
Well all the above praise about the Denon may make one think that the Onkyo pale in comparison. I'd have to admit that I was impressed by the quality of the sound and the strength of the detail. I won't be long here due to the fact that there was a discouraging remark and that was a "deal breaker." The center channel had an odd noise that immediately turned my customer off on this unit. (I don't know if it was some interference or what, I didn't really get to tinker long with it since the customer was so negative about his immediate experience. We did however listen to the 5 channel stereo mix, and I was impressed as I was with the Denon. Although the fullness of the sound of the Denon was more complementary of the Infinity RS speakers.

Pioneer 26TX:
Nice unit, has ample power and drives the RS speakers well. The problem here was not anything specific, it just didn't sound very lively! I mean it seemed to have good volume and good bass, but it lacked definition. It was basically flat sounding. It really did nothing for the speakers. I let the customer make his own opinion and he noted the same. He said that it didn't seem to "jump out at you"

HK AVR500:
Wow, for such a very low price point, this unit rocks. I was impressed by the feature set and it did sound quite clear and detailed! The only drawback was the DSP assimilated 5 channel stereo was terrible. The clarity was completely lost, and the rear channels sounded processed. I hate processed music. Now that's my opinion, my customer on the other hand was very impressed with the sound. I actually had to ask him if he heard the reverberation of the rears, and he didn't really recognize it. He thought that was part of the sound of the disk, I then said listen for a few minutes, and then we'll put the Denon back on.
At that point he noticed exactly what I meant by the difference between the two. Overall a very good unit, but don't buy for the music, buy if you are a primarly HT listener.

Here are my results, and my recommendation to my customer.

Denon 3300:
Sound quality: 95 (Full Soundstage and unmatched clarity)
Stereo/Music: 99 (can it be done better at this price?)
Dolby 5.1: 94 (Lack of background noise was amazing)
Remote ergonimics: 89 (could have been much better)
Feature Set: 98 (Improve the remote and nothing touches it!)
Overall: 97

Onkyo 777
Sound quality: 90 (Good Soundstage but center noise)
Stereo/Music: 94 (very close to the Denon 5 chan stereo)
Dolby 5.1: 92 (Somewhat noisy yet detailed and powerful)
Remote ergonimics: 92 (Good remote)
Feature Set: 94 (Missing Component Video switching and multi surrround)
Overall: 92

Pioneer 27TX:
Sound quality: 89 (Ok Soundstage yet simple sounding)
Stereo/Music: 91 (can be done better at this price!)
Dolby 5.1: 94 (Nice 5.1 good mix good power)
Remote ergonimics: 93(Best remote of this group)
Feature Set: 90(Dated features, THX, but nothing else)
Overall: 92

HK AVR500:
Sound quality: 95 (Full Soundstage and great clarity)
Stereo/Music: 90 (Sad 5 chan DSP ok 2 chan)
Dolby 5.1: 94 (Good sound to all channels great detail)
Remote ergonimics: 91 (Nice but pretty generic)
Feature Set: 93 (Nice attempt to DSP the 5 chan, but otherwise good feature set)
Overall: 93

I wholeheartedly recommended the Denon to my customer, the acoustics of his room, plus the complementary sound with his speakers made this choice a "NO BRAINER!" He was very pleased with the decision and gladly paid the consulting fee.

Thank you for your time reading this and if you are in the market for a Home Theater or Audio system for your home, I'd be happy to work with you to make your shopping experience a pleasure, but even more so, your decision a successful one!

Mark

avmaster@consultant.com

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha 795/995
Onkyo 777
HK AVR300 and 500
Pioneer 26TX
HK Signature 2.0/2.1

Great features, nice on screen menu, very dynamic, and a warm sound with excellent bass management. No audible background noise. Denon has also improved the remote on this one.

This receiver will sound it's best with speakers that are neutral to bright. Although it will drive a 4 ohm load well, I would reccomend 6-8 ohm speakers for the greatest performance. Only 1 coaxial input.

This receiver is an excellent value for what it offers. Unless you are driving 4 ohm speakers, the sound quality is the same as the Denon 5700 for $1800 less. The other advantages of the 5700 are more surround ambience modes, THX certification, 35 watts more per channel, more coaxial ins and outs, and slightly higher build quality. To me, the only feature I could miss here is the extra headroom into low impedence loads in case I ever decide to switch to 4 ohm speakers(I doubt this will happen.) I use my 3300 to drive my Monitor Audio Silver series and it does so with great authority.

The clincher for me was when I experienced how clean this receiver really is. You'll should never hear an audible hiss, and I've rarely heard seperates accomplish that! An easy 5 stars at this price point. Denon's really got a winner!

Similar Products Used:

Nak AV-10, Yamaha 995, Marantz 880.

5ch stereo,Sound

remote could be better

I have AVR-3300 for two months. I use it for both music listening and home theater. The 3300 delivers very rich, clear sound to all channels and the features are great.
I use Boson VR-950,VR-12,Energy EXL-10, Take-2 for surounds.
I give the 3300 a big five speakers for being what I consider the best receiver in its price range.

smooth bass, dd is excellent, future upgrades, 2 pair surround hookup

music very dull sounding with no detail,remote,receiver displays way too small,no digital out

tried the 3300 with the dtr7 side by side for 1 month. altho i liked the smoothness of the 3300, music reproduction is very dull and flat sounding. sounded okay for softer music, but couldnt deliver on the rockin to mid rockin stuff. overall, way too laid back and boring for music. this receiver's specialty is dolby digital and dts movies. the dtr 7 on the other hand is very detailed and clear both for music and movies. also has a great 5 channel stereo mode like the denon plus a digital out. also, all of the new dtr7's in production do not have the center hiss as onkyo has finally fixed this problem. anyway, i bought the dtr7 based on the fact that it reproduces music much more detailed and clearer than the denon. i highly recommend the dtr7 based on this fact.....

Similar Products Used:

integra dtr7

Excellent Sound specialy in DD & 5 Channel & Matrix

Controls, Remote, Mannual & build quality

A receiver with such an excellent sound deserves more attention in other areas like user interface, mannual and remote. This would have been an excellent peace of work if it had equally supporting mannual & remote.

Without monitor u can't set the system easily.

If ur DVD player is connected using Digital input, nither u can record any thing on cassette nor u can use video switching.

Build quality is questionable, may be that's why it's cheaper in camparison to Japan built other models(it's Korea made). Like AVR2800 is only $50-100, while feature wise component wise 3300 should be more costlier.

But still in this price what u get is still a better choice than others and it performs better than expected where it should i.e. sound.

Bought it from Uncle stero(Andrew Kent) $755.00 shipped. I can recommend them as I didn't had any problem.

Similar Products Used:

AVR - 1700, Bose Lifestyle - 25