Excellent sound quality. Component video switching. Plenty of inputs.

Few DSP modes that are pretty useless.

The sound quality out of this unit is superb. The highs and mids are really crisp and the base is nice and tight.

Other components in me system include Klipsch KSF 8.5 fronts, KSF C5 center, KSB 1.1 rears, Velodyne 810 sub, Pioneer DV-C302D DVD, SONY Trinitron 27".

I've had the Denon for about 6 months and have never even heard the fan. I work from home, so the system is playing music during the day and usually movies at night; so on average it is on for about 11 hours per day.

I've tried the the SONY and the Yamahas in my home and the Denon is by far the best. I especially like the 4 digital inputs, plenty of S video inputs, and also 2 component video inputs.

The unit is really solid and performs very well in stereo and Digital modes. The DSP modes for music are pretty useless, but the 5 channel stereo does fill the room with music quite well. There are no DSP modes in digital which is bad if you like extra bells and whistles, but good if you want to hear things as the director intended.

The remote does take some getting used to, but I really like that it has the ability to learn signals from other remotes. I have an old CD player in my system that no other programmable remote could control. Now the Denon is the only remote I use for my entire system. Others seem not to like it, so if you don't, then just get a universal.

Overall this is a really great unit and I've been really satisfied with it. I plan on having it for a very long time.

Similar Products Used:

Sony STR-DB830, Yamaha RX-V595a, Yamaha RX-V995

Very Quiet,easy to operate

Remote kind of cumbersome,

After having problems with the same whining noise others experienced coming from the unit after hook-up, Denon replaced it. Since then (about 5 or 6 weeks) no problems.
Have never owned anything remotely this good, and together with the Stratus Silvers, Minis and Mirage Sub, our new HT kicks. Seriously consider this unit.

Lots of power, overall quality

Cannot assign a digital input to the MD, a pity

After choosing between the Denon AVR-1800 and the 2800 I finally decided to go for the 3300. It has the same 32-bit processors as the HiEnd Denon amplifiers and enough power do drive my B&W 603 speakers without any problem.

I am very pleased with this reciever, compared to my old Sony it sounds a lot more clearer. That's what you get with larger poweramps.
My system:
B&W 603s (L/R)
B&W CC6 (C)
B&W DS6 (Surround)

I am so happy that I went for this a litter more expensive reciever instead of the smaller ones.
When you break it down you always (almost) get what you pay for and I plan on holding on to this one for a long while.

I kinda like the remote. It has built in codes for other machines, even of other brands. This, plus the possibility to "learn" from other remotes makes it very complete.
It even has makro-functions, superb. One buttonpress turn my whole system on!
It also has a "Cinema Re-Eq" function that compensates for
the bright sounding movie soundtracks - as you might know the sound is supposed to go through the screen at the cinemas and is therefore a bit bright, wonderful feature.

A nice thing is that the digital inputs are freely assignable. The only downside is that the MD channel is not in this list. (you can use VDP for example but it's still annoying)

Overall a wonderful reciever that ooozes quality.
If you want to spend the extra $800 to get Surround EX then go ahead, I didn't think it was worth it.
I would be glad to answer any questions by email.

Similar Products Used:

Sony STR-DB925, Yamaha DPS-A990

Power, Suround Processing, Apearance, Cost, 7.1 Channel Input, Dual Suround Outputs

No Digital Output, No Front A/B Speaker Switching

Equipment:
Denon AVR-3300
Denon DVM-3700
Sony KV27S65
Near 50MII's (Front)
Altec Lansing 85's (Rear)
Homemade Subwoofer

I have owned a DVD player for about a year and have listed to many movies, but only in stereo. The first time that i watched "The Matrix" i sat in awe and became engrossed in all of the soundtrack that i had been missing. Granted i had tested this receiver and others in stores, but you really cant get the whole picture until you set up the system in your own home. Needless to say i have not been disapointed one bit and the initial sticker shock of purchasing the AVR-3300 and the DVM-3700 wore off very very quickly.

A/B surround switching, component video in/out, great value,

remote, won't accept dual banana plugs, klugy instruction book

Thanks to everyone for the reviews. Being a diehard Yamaha fan I was prepared to be disappointed in the Denon, even after all the good reviews. I wasn't disappointed, to the contrary, I feel this is an incredible receiver and a bargain to boot, even at the $999 retail price. I purposely did not listen to the unit until all of the set up was complete. I wanted to give it a good chance. I listened first to movies which it reproduced flawlessly and effortlessly. I had to go back in and turn the bass down a bit but that was the only adjustment needed. Bass was much better managed than the Yamaha. With the Yamaha I had to adjust the bass every time I used it. With the Denon, once it was adjusted I could leave it alone. I have full range speakers in the rear and with the Yamaha there wasn't any rear bass, with the Denon I had full range all around. I am totally happy. This is the best money I have ever spent on my system.
I thought the movies were incredible until I listened to the music. I was having "eargasms". I thought the Yamaha reproduced the music well but the Denon was on an entirely different level. With the Yamaha there was a good soundstage but compared to the Denon the Yamaha sounded veiled, as though the sound was coming from behind a wall. You could place the instruments within the soundstage, but the Denon put the instrument into the room. Very three dimensional. On Dark Side of the Moon cymbals had dimension and air around them with the Yamaha they sounded like a point source spewing the sound at you. The denon puts you in the music not in front of it. I have been an audio enthusiast for many years and this was a new experience for me. My system includes the following equipment:

Denon AVR-3300
Pioneer 414 DVD player
Yamaha M-65 for sub woofer bi-amping
Legacy Focus main speakers
Legacy Silver Screen Center
T&A P30 for the rears
Pioneer PRO-100 Proj. TV

I have never heard my Legacy's sound better. Great improvement over the Yamaha. I have been converted.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha RX-V2092, DSR-100,

Very sweet, clean sounding even at high level peaks. Signal to noise is very impressive, I never noticed the surrounds hiss like some other receivers.

Remote is fairly complicated to control. The preamp/processor also doesn't have the capability to switch instantly to what the source is capable of. Wheter it is DD, DTS, pro logic or stereo.

Overall, it is a very fine unit. An even better value if you get it at EBAY. I have heard this receiver in my cousin's house where he had Monitor Audio Silver series all around. The receiver had enough juice and punch to fill up the room while maintaining accuracy, speed, and control. Watching scenes from Saving Private Ryan was awesome!

On music material, it also does a superb job. Vocals are super smooth(thanks to the great sounding Monitor Audio's). Highs were never harsh or fatiging. Bass response was well controlled and defined(the speakers rolled off below 30hz, but this isn't Denon's fault). One nice feature I liked was the 5 channel stereo. The sound is so big and spacious. Going back to two channel seemed like the music had no life. This is a really great feature if you are listening to background music. I wouldn't use it for my normal listening sessions (sweet spot).

For $999 it is a great deal, the only complaint is the remote and the automatic switching of sound. It is certainly better than the Sony 555ES in terms of sound quality.

Similar Products Used:

Sony 555ES

Audio quality, appearance, features (DTS & DD), plus many more to list.

Only one digital coax.

After listening to the Yamaha RX-V995 for a while, I decided on the Denon AVR-3300. The Denon is simply a far more superior product in term of audio quality. The sound is very natural and crisp. It has all the features I could ask for in a receiver, especially for under $900. The sound quality is simply incredible. It is what my decision was primarly based on. The new slick front panel is also very nice for a Denon. Many buttons are replaced with a knob, and so the front panel is slick and clean. The auto detection of the digital signal is a plus. Overall, it is the best receiver for around $900-$1000.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha RX-V995

I purchased my AVR 3300 2 weeks ago and needless to say, I was and still very impressed with the unit. I upgraded from a Sony STRDE-925 that I've owned for 2 years (I didn't know better then). I began to crave for a new and better sound, that's when I seriously considered buying a new receiver, despite of the wife's disapproval. I went to a local retailer and the sales person demoed 2 units: the Yamaha RXV 995 and the Denon AVR 3200. He said the 3300's should
be in anytime. The Denon definitely sounded richer and cleaner with a sweeter low frequency punch. After a few hrs of product research and 2 sleepless nights, the sales guy finally called to advise me that he just got his shipment in. I rushed to the store to pick it up. Hook up was a breeze, it actually took me longer to tidy up all the wires in the back of the receiver. A lot of reviews on the AVR 3300's remote control have been negative. I've played with it for 2 weeks and it's as easy and accomodating to use as the rest of my universal remotes. I think it's just a matter of getting used to it just like any elctronic equipment. I love the DVD player control that the remote control has behind the flip door. I noticed however that there are several buttons on the remote that are not functional. It would be nice to have the option of being able to program those buttons at the user's discretion. The "5 CH Stereo"
gave me a new meaning of stereo imaging and it's 5.1 Dolby D is just breathe taking. I found myself dusting my DVD collection that I haven't watched for 6 mos. This is probably one of the few times I made a major purchase that I didn't feel any buyers' remorse or guilt. I think the AVR 3300 deserves 5 stars overall! For it's price of course...

The Manufactor will make the necessary repairs that need to be made to fix the overheating problem.

Everyone that owns this receiver knows it has a heating problem that I noted in an earlier review and some of you have sent it to "authorized dealers" only to get it back not fixed. There is a solution that I will mention in the Review summary.

In response to emails that I received regarding the problem with the Denon AVR 3300 Receiver.

The reason that we had the same problem is because they only change the fan not the circuit board. I finally got mine fixed and have not had any more problems.

You need to send it to Denon to get the repair done right.
Call (310)974-1010 to get a RMA number

UPS it to this address:

Denon Electronics Ltd.
1640 W. 190th Street
Torrance, CA 90501

Be sure to tape the RMA number on the receiver and write it on the shipping box.

I know how frustrating it is to deal with the “authorized dealers” they have set up to do the repairs. They only change the fan which does not fix the problem.

Good Luck to All.

Wade

Good quality for a 1000$ unit

remote, display

This is my third review.
I have reported earlier that it would not come close to my arcam d290 and I would use arcam for the front chanels.
Well, I used arcam for a couple of weeks and then used the 3300 by itself for 4 months and thought it was very good.
During that period I send arcam to replace a switch.
Last week I used the arcam again for the front chanels.
It was then that I found out what was missing from the dennon. Bass, and mid range clarity. No comparison of any kind.
It is very good for HT and quite acceptable for stereo listening.
I still use 6 remotes since dennon's remote cannot simply replace them (especially the dvd's).
Also the display does not show the setting for dsp and dd and you have to use the monitor to set them, or memorise the keystrokes and do it blind.
What is for sure is that this unit would never deliver 5X105 watts at any circumstance. Its supply is not up to this task. And of course at 6 ohms the less. People who use less than 6 ohms speakers must expect problems to drive them (and with overheating).
Fan problems none. As I reported earlier my dvd makes more noise at night than the fan (if it does any)
What I do not understand here is the conflict between people who like or dislike dennon. What I also don't like is reporting problems and not actually reviewing.
Ok you got a lemon. We don't have to read it 10 times. As I said before lemons went to people who bought refurbished or so units. Now it is not so common for so many ref. units being out there, but if dennon did have some faulty units then these are the cheap ones offered later.
If you browse through a magazine like Hi fi choice or Hi fi news and RR you will see how these people deal with these HT machines. Why should anyone expect the same sound from a 1000$ stereo and a 1000$ HT unit ? In other words is you have a 1000$ stereo amp and want to go to HT then add the cost for the extra components inside, calculate the manufacturer's profit and there you go. You should be up to around 3000 to 4000$.
Anyway I am happy with my 3300 so far.
It gets 4 for value and 4 for rating

Similar Products Used:

sony 940