For $1800, we are approaching separate territory. A good five channels amp like the B&K av5000 or the Rotel RB985 and something along the line of Acurus Act 3 surround processor(Soon to be release with Prologic, DD, and DTS)will definitely outclass any receivers come to mind (no matter at what price). When your budget is around $1,000, I can see the point of going with receiver. However, once the limit is starting to reach the $2,000 point, you will do much better by going separate. I've heard a demo of the AVR3600, and it's pretty good. However, It does not equal good affordable separates from company like: Acurus, AMC, Rotel, and B&K. So check out these separates before throwing a wad of cash down on some expensive receiver. Forgot, to mentioned that the combination mentioned earlier cost ~$2,500.

After many months of searching for the best deal on a good receiver, BEHOLD!!The AVR-3600 is monstrous at almost 50lbs. and is massive in size.This is a man's receiver. I have a modest setup by some standards:a pair of Cervin-vega DX9's, Onkyo EQ-35 equalizer, and a Sharp CD player, but whatever. What impressed me the most was the power of this thing. The piece of sh*t receiver I had before (which I am embarrassed to say what type), never did my Cerwin's justice. Never had I realized this more than when I hooked them up to this Denon powerhouse. I had this thing at rather high volumes and it was clear and strong all the way (glass was shattering as well as my ear drums,YEEHAW!!).I wish I had a legitamit surround setup so I could check out the AC-3 capabilities of this thing as well as all the other surround modes. Look don't take my word for it check it out for yourself, and if you can get it for $600 bucks on a closeout at P.C.Richards like I did you'll have gotten one of the best deals (steals?) around.
P.S. Some people wrote unfavorable reviews on this piece, but judge for yourself. I for one am very happy because the music sounds great!

This overbuilt, overpriced behemoth does everything except sound decent. The Digital Dolby 5.1 outputs and built in AC-3 are nice features. The build is very good for a receiver, too. But the sound is lacking finesse, rhythm and depth. The midrange sounds lifeless as well. And what gives with the manual? Who wrote this thing? For over $1700 (or even $1300 for that matter), you're better off checking out separates. Try listening to Adcom, Rotel, Parasound, maybe even NAD on a good day. All will surpass this unit, with fewer frills, better ergonomics and good sound. I ended up going with the Adcom GFA-6000 power amp and GTP-600 Preamp-Tuner combination. Got both for $1500 (demos). Sound is well articulated without sounding grainy, the low-end is nicely defined, and the midrange is full of life and believability. Surround sound is fantastic!

For the price you're much better off going with separates (i.e. Acurus, Rotel, Parasound, etc.) The sound quality is better and the simplicity make them much easier to use. Don't embarrass this receiver by putting it up against a good 5 channel power amp. There is no substitute for a good power supply. This receiver had a tendency to sound bright or brittle. This characterization came through on three types of speakers. This alone turned me off to laying down the dough for the AVR-3600. Pretty good build as far as receivers go.

Gritty sound, overblown bass, ridiculous sound field settings...all in a day's work at Denon's engineering dept. Beautiful looking however. If they were just alittle more careful about sound, I might like this unit very much.

Didn't care for this receiver too much. I must admit that I purchased mostly because of its nice looks. But the surround modes weren't that great and in regular music mode the sound was mediocre. Too much sizzle on treble. Bass was on the boomy side. Luckily I could return for credit. Now I'm looking at Yamaha and also thinking of separates from Rotel or Parasound.

I have to admit, I purchased the Denon ARV-3600 for two reasons. Reason 1: It's beautiful to look at. Reason 2: Heaping amount of power. I've noticed though that it sounds a bit BRIGHT. Wow, I clench my teeth when raising the volume to my Polk Audio speakers. Rather disapointing. I wonder if its becouse of my Sony DVD/CD player. I know a true enthusiast would have separates for DVD and CD. Also, they could do better on their remote. Enough bitchin'.All and all, Denon did an overall terrific job on this piece considering that you could walk out the door paying as little as $1200 to $1700.

With comparision to two previous receivers that I owned, the Harmon AVR25 and Yamaha 992, this is how I think the Denon stacks up in terms of music performance. The music on the Denon 3600 is not as smooth as the Harmon, it does sound brighter than both the Yamaha and Harmon. Bass on the Denon is much more accurate than the Yamaha, pretty close tie with the Harmon. When listening to Harry Connick Jr., the bass on the Denon was pleasant and understated as compared to the Yamaha which yielded a slighty more booming feel. For Robert Miles and the Eagles Hell Freezes Over, the bass was definitely well emphasised by the Denon. My gut feeling tells me that the 3600 is probably most suitable for lower efficient speakers. (I have 8 ohms Energy C6) I should also mentioned that I did tried out the Denon 3200 for a week before deciding to exchange it for the 3600. I personally do not think that the extra bucks (between $500 to $700) for the 3600 is worth it. I bought mine as an open box unit for $1100 so maybe it's worth it. If you are going to spend $1700 for a receiver, I would think the Harmon AVR-85 (which a close friend of mine owns) is a better bet as far music performance goes. I'm not a hardcore audiophile so I was wooed by the Denon's 5 channel stereo mode especially when listening with a reference standard center speaker such as the Paradigm 450 (which I recommended wholeheartedly).
Bottomline: If you can see yourself doing the following:

1) Setting the treble control a tad less than nominal.
2) Spending about $400 (yes, it will drop from $700) to have MSB Technology add a DTS chip to your receiver when (or if) DTS gets really popular around mid 1999.
3) Owning reference standard 4 or 6 ohms speakers or eventually upgrading to them.
4) Liking the 5 channel stereo mode which could be listened to with any CD's.

then the Denon 3600 is probably your receiver. Otherwise for the same money, go with Harmon AVR85 for it's superior smooth music performance.
For the 3600's home theater performance, please read the other reviews.

The Denon AVR-3600 is a tremendous value for the money!!! When comparing this receiver to other RECEIVERS and not seperates, there is absolutely NOTHING that compares in it's price range. I compared the AVR-3600 to the Yamaha 2092 and the Onkyo 838 and i found the Yamaha did not have the same high current power as the Denon and i found the Onkyo which is a nice piece to be a little too bright. The Denon has such a rich, powerful sound. The bass is perfect and the midrange is awesome! I bought the AVR-3600 from a factory authorized mail order store and i paid $1199 . It has the full factory warranty. Now, for this price range there is nothing , i mean NOTHING that compares!!!! The Denon is AWESOME! Also, look at Stereo Review's review on this unit. they stated that the 3600 is probably the best receiver they have ever tested!!! 5 STARS EASY!!!

SIMPLY THE BEST!