To meny to list

Make's people jealous

There's no need to stress Gary, you made the right choice. I really had my heart set on the Onkyo 787, I visited the store weekly to look and listen, it seemed to have everything I was looking for in a a/v receiver. I started to notice thing's like the Marantz sr8000, the build of the Marantz was so much nicer, minus the feature's. I was willing to make the sacrifice because of the quality. My good friend suggested to take a ride to Tweeter to look at Denon receiver's, this is after months of juggling mind you. So we went and long behold there it was the Denon 3801, I instanly fell in love. I went home and thought about it for day's until my girlfriend went and put it on lay away, what a christmas present. I finally got it fired it up and was getting a little choked up by the sound, its absolutely amazing, I cranked it up to 00 with a little pink floyd, just to ease into it, I could feel my clothes vibrating on my skin. One thing thats cool the 3801 is the only receiver other than the 5800 that has DTS-ES discrete 6.1 O-nooo where's the THX, who cares I was never a star wars fan anyway. I know THX also means quality tested, but I think the name Denon is quality to begin with. So now when I look back at the mistake I almost made, all I see is a car stereo jammed in a black metal box. I'm not tring to down the 787, but it just doesn't compair, the 3801 is a cut above, thanks to audio review and a good friend I am now pleased. I don't feel as if I need to list specs there all at the beginning of the reviews. One star is an insult I agree, but were all entitled to are opinions and my opinion is if you know anything at all about audio equipment, its so plain to see the Denon is superior

Similar Products Used:

Sony prologic receiver

To meny to list

Make's people jealous

There's no need to stress Gary, you made the right choice. I really had my heart set on the Onkyo 787, I visited the store weekly to look and listen, it seemed to have everything I was looking for in a a/v receiver. I started to notice thing's like the Marantz sr8000, the build of the Marantz was so much nicer, minus the feature's. I was willing to make the sacrifice because of the quality. My good friend suggested to take a ride to Tweeter to look at Denon receiver's, this is after months of juggling mind you. So we went and long behold there it was the Denon 3801, I instanly fell in love. I went home and thought about it for day's until my girlfriend went and put it on lay away, what a christmas present. I finally got it fired it up and was getting a little choked up by the sound, its absolutely amazing, I cranked it up to 00 with a little pink floyd, just to ease into it, I could feel my clothes vibrating on my skin. One thing thats cool the 3801 is the only receiver other than the 5800 that has DTS-ES discrete 6.1 O-nooo where's the THX, who cares I was never a star wars fan anyway. I know THX also means quality tested, but I think the name Denon is quality to begin with. So now when I look back at the mistake I almost made, all I see is a car stereo jammed in a black metal box. I'm not tring to down the 787, but it just doesn't compair, the 3801 is a cut above, thanks to audio review and a good friend I am now pleased. I don't feel as if I need to list specs there all at the beginning of the reviews. One star is an insult I agree, but were all entitled to are opinions and my opinion is if you know anything at all about audio equipment, its so plain to see the Denon is superior

Similar Products Used:

Sony prologic receiver

Everything

Remote if any

Some People???

nearly everything

not many things

For Jeff M and Ken W below:
No product that i have seen from Denon deserves a rating of 1 star. Just because you like Onkyo better it doesn't mean you give it 1 star. If it is poor, then give it 2 stars, if OK but not as good as Onkyo in your mind then perhaps 3 stars etc, but to actually degrade Denon in such a way and give it 1 star shows that you don't understand the concept of a rating system.
Oh and when one of you said Onkyo 787 has DTS-ES, trying to make Onkyo 787 sound good you were not quite correct. It actually has DTS-ES matrix, but not DTS-ES Discrete(Which the Denon 3801 has as well) which is the best of the current sound formats. So when it comes to movies like gladiator in DTS-ES Discrete you will not have the same experience that the Denon 3801 users will encounter because the back surround is a discrete channel and not just matrix encoded in the surrounds

nearly everything

not many things

For Jeff M and Ken W below:
No product that i have seen from Denon deserves a rating of 1 star. Just because you like Onkyo better it doesn't mean you give it 1 star. If it is poor, then give it 2 stars, if OK but not as good as Onkyo in your mind then perhaps 3 stars etc, but to actually degrade Denon in such a way and give it 1 star shows that you don't understand the concept of a rating system.
Oh and when one of you said Onkyo 787 has DTS-ES, trying to make Onkyo 787 sound good you were not quite correct. It actually has DTS-ES matrix, but not DTS-ES Discrete(Which the Denon 3801 has as well) which is the best of the current sound formats. So when it comes to movies like gladiator in DTS-ES Discrete you will not have the same experience that the Denon 3801 users will encounter because the back surround is a discrete channel and not just matrix encoded in the surrounds

Sound, features

Not software/firmware upgradeable

Purchased the 3801 about a month ago, and it has been great right out of the box and ever since. Since I know how to set up A/V systems, I never cracked the owner's manual. I did look through it the other night, finally, and found it to be adequate.

The remote is a bit clumsy, but fine. I've "taught" it to run all my components, and I have no complaints.

Dolby Digital and DTS from DVD's are unreal. Quite a step up from my prior pro logic set-up from circa 1993, which consisted of a hi-fi VCR running through a Kenwood receiver (no sub pre-out).

My only complaint is that it is not software/firmware upgradeable (nod to the Onkyo and Integra units). That would have been nice. But I figure this unit has me set for quite a while, and I'll just upgrade my DVD player (see my reviews on the Denon DVD 1000 and Integra DPS-5) if new formats come out.

Power? For my purposes, more than I'll ever need. All my speakers are either 6 or 8 ohms, and my room is not that large. As a result, I don't think the 3801 has ever gotten more than mildly warm.

Recommend this receiver highly.

Similar Products Used:

Integra 7.1, Onkyo 787, Sony 777ES

Ease of use, quality of sound reproduction

None

I read numerous reviews about this receiver and others on this site. I decided on the Denon 3801 because of the price and the numerous features. This is the first receiver I have owned and I found it easy to hook up. The remote was easy to setup and it did not take long to get used to it. The speakers I have hooked up to it are Def Tech 2002 tl's, 2002 center and UIW 75's for the rears.

This receiver has more than enough power to drive my speakers. The sound quality is tremendous in both movies and music. I have used most of the features the 3801 has to offer. I really enjoy the 5 channel stereo mode for music and TV.

I have been very pleased with this receiver and have not had any problems with it. The unit gets warm, but not hot. I have found the Denon 3801 to be of good value for the money.

Original i posted this review for the Denon AVR-3802 but i think it is also interesting for Denon AVR-3801 owners or buyers.

I am thinking of replacing mine two year old Denon AVR 3300 by the AVR 3802 for the reason that the 3802 has Dolby Prologic 2, should sound again better (especially in stereo) and should have a better remote. The 3300 is still very good and can play almost every cd convincingly, but i would that it could play mine favourite cd; Nils Lofgren, Every Breath better. I hope the 3802 can. I ordered yesterday one, for a testing, so have it at the end of next week (wk 45). Before ordering i did some investigastion in some old and new Audio and Video magazines i read to compare the 3300 and the 3801 whit the 3802;

From the German magazine HEIMKINO the following power measurements;
Denon AVR 3300, stereo (8 ohm); 2x131watt, surround (8 ohm); 5x?watt (measured differently).
Denon AVR 3801, stereo (8 ohm); 2x121 watt, surround (8ohm); 5x70watt.
Denon AVR 3802, stereo (8 ohm); 2x121 watt, surround (8ohm); 5x77watt.

From the German magazine AudioVision (www.audiovision.de) the following power measurements;
Denon AVR 3300, (8 ohm) 5x95watt, (4 ohm) 5x118watt.
Denon AVR 3801, (8 ohm) 5x85 watt, (4ohm) 5x50watt (In the test this low 4 ohm output gave no problems).
Denon AVR 3802, (8 ohm) 5x104 watt, (4ohm) 5x149watt (Means a stable power supply).

For those who didn’t no; all three Denon receivers have a fan inside, at the front, behind the display. The German magazine AudioVision did also measured the housing temperature while testing;
Denon AVR 3300; 38 degrees Celsius (probably the fan starts to works only at high temperature).
Denon AVR 3801; 27 degrees Celsius, with fan.
Denon AVR 3802; 1 degree Celsius, with fan. (Hopely the fan can not be heard).

The British magazine What Video&TV said about the 3801 (yes the one); but unlike the 3300 the AVR-3801 also manages to provide plenty of wel-controlled low frequency effects too. The AVR 3801 is more than a straightforward upgrade of the AVR-3300 to 6.1/seven-channels operation.

The British magazine WHAT HIFI? (www.whathifi.com) said in there October issue about the 3802;
For; Outstanding home cinema performance and good in stereo.
Against; Nothing.
Verdict; Outstanding purchase for movie buffs, and near the top of the class in stereo too, a triumph.
They said also; Even stereo reproduction is good, far better than is typical for most receivers of this type: only the Rotel RSX-972 eclipes it. The Denon is relatively articulate, handles bass confidently, and follows rhythems well, although it can sound overly smooth.
In the November issue ther shall be a eight multichannel system test that offers top-notch style, sounn and vision. The Denon AVR-3802 is coupled on the Denon DVD-2800.

The German magazine AREA DVD (www.areadvd.de/hardware/denonavr3802-1shtml, German text) said (translation); Denon delivers with the AVR-3802 a convincingly upgrade of the 3801, especially in the music reproduction it its audible improved.

Denon had optimized the power supply, used new powertransistors and better opamps, for a more musical sound, especially to be heard in stereo. Labatory measurement show that the 3802 perfomance better than his precessors. Hopely i can give, within a few week, you a follow up of this review.

By the way, i wish there was a Denon AVR-3302.

Build quality, 6.1 discreet, great amp section......

remote, only 105 watts per

I purchased this unit just before as I was building an entire system from scratch. The 3801 is a excellent piece of audio craftsmansip. 6.1 adds so much to the viewing experience (if playing a dvd encoded for it). The addition of a rear surround is wonderful. Just make sure that it is place a few feet behind the seating position not right on the wall overhead. In my opinion 6-8 feet is optimal. I am in love with this reciever. Solid build quality, excellent sound in surround and 2-channel, and "future proof." At least for the time being. If you are in the market for an A/V reciever and want a quality piece of equipment wich is on the cutting edge of current H/T technology (the THX joke asside) look no further.

To those who are interested the system I put together is as follows:
TV: Mitsubishi Diamond WS-65907
Receiver: Denon AVR-3801
CD: Denon DCM-370
DVD: Sony DVP-9000ES
Front Speakers: Polk RT2000i
Center Speaker: Polk CS400i
Surround Speakers: Polk FX500i
Rear Surrounds: Polk FX550i
Subwoofer: Polk PSW450

Similar Products Used:

many

Power, Flexibility, Superb Sonic and Build Quality

None noted

In follow-up to my initial post, I have now received everything and just got it all hooked up two days ago (Thursday). Below, I have posted a review of each major component comprising my new home theater. I am extremely satisfied with every item I purchased below.

A/V Receiver: Denon AVR-3801, paid $867 incl. shipping at CrazyEddie.com; supports 5.1, 5.1 DTS, 6.1 Discrete ES, and many other modes. Incredible bang for the buck, 7 amplified channels, each with 105 watts, to drive two fronts, one center, two surrounds, and two rear surrounds. Pre-out for subwoofer. Many other inputs/outputs.

Dedicated CD Player: Denon DCM-370: Paid $299 overnight fedex through Outpost.com for this 5-disc changer. supports disc-change while one is playing, also lowest cost HDCD player on the market (HDCD adds more spaciousness and is now encoded on about 100 discs including Paul Simon's latest release). Superb cd player with top-notch componentry. Digital coax out.

Pioneer Elite DV-37 DVD Player: Progressive-Scan 3:2 pulldown DVD player with both digital fiber optic out (audio) and Component out (video) among other modes. Paid around $650 (I forget the exact price) at CrazyEddie.com and was given priority on the player from the manager (thanks, Randy!) This is backordered, but he got it to me in his first shipment as thanks for my large purchase. Picture quality is downright stunning...I was wondering how I'd see a difference between my 1st generation Toshiba SD-3006 and this player...while I can't explain the difference I see, it is very much apparent. Everything is more detailed and lifelike...it went from great to even greater. This player is easily worth every penny if you have a TV that can take advantage of Progressive-Scan, and is a true 3:2 pulldown.

Panasonic CT-34WX50: What can possibly be said about this tv that hasn't already been said? Pictures are sharp as a razor. DVD is beyond breathtaking...even the installers of my system were watching in awe and they install systems all the time including many which are much larger, but the quality is what really caught them by surprised. They were extremely impressed by the sharpness and clarity right out of the box (and I do need to have it professionally adjusted still, but even out of the box it looks great!). This is a 16:9 widescreen TV, with a 34" diagonal. It's probably equivalent to a conventional 29" TV in terms of height, but with full width. Some DVDs show full-screen, those that are greater than 1.85:1 still have some black bars at top and bottom, but much less than on a conventional tv. This is because DVDs are recorded anywhere from about 1.85:1 to 2.35:1, I believe. There is a display mode that stretches it vertically, but I prefer it unstretched so the picture isn't distorted. Also, because the clarity of the picture is so excellent, while DVDs look breathtaking, it makes you aware of just how crappy conventional cable pictures are. They're very crappy. I never realized it before. But you will. The dual-display is very cool, with the pictures side-by-side. Each one is shown with their proper aspect ratio (it doesn't stretch it as I had thought it would), so the dual-pictures are very useful and visible. Sometimes I put Millionnaire on the silent picture while watching something else. Also, the proportional display mode for standard images isn't bad...it doesn't stretch much of the image until the outer portions which are then heavily distorted. I haven't decided if I like that or if I prefer the vertical black bars on the sides of the image yet. But it isn't bothersome in either case. This tv gives you the best of both worlds...the ability to enjoy a reasonably large conventional image along with the ability to enjoy widescreen in all its splendor, and with breathtaking clarity, brightness, and imagery.
Paid $2850 + shipping with CrazyEddie (Shipping will run a couple hundred due to the distance and cost of freight for this 170 pound shipment, but that's still less than the cost of tax, and this price is about a grand less than it sells for at Sears!!)

Definitive Tech speakers:
These are awesome! After reading reviews from their site, from magazines, and other sources (cnet), I decided on these speakers. After consulting with our local rep., through whom one must purchase DefinitiveTech.com speakers, I decided on the following:
Two BP 2006 TL speakers (each has built-in 8" sub powered by 250w amp)
One C/L/R 2300 center speaker (has built-in 8" sub powered by 150w amp)
Two In-ceiling BX (Might have the model wrong) Speakers (2 mid, 2 tweet/speaker) for Surround
Two BPX Rear Surround (high-dispersion) speakers (these look like a work of art!)
One BP 15 TL+ 15" Powered Subwoofer (TIGHT sub w/ built-in 500w amp fed with pre-out)

Also,the BP 2006 TL and the C/L/R 2300 have optional LFE input for extra bass in movies.

I am taking advantage of everything, and have the sub positioned in the front of the room, behind the furniture housing the equipment. I also have the front speakers with the subs (which are side-firing) facing away from each other (you can do it either way as it is purely personal preference and you get a matching pair with the subs on opposite sides so you can point them toward each other or away from each other). They are also bi-polar.

Again, I've only had the system two days so I haven't even had a chance to tweak it, but the sound is deep, rich, and incredible. Several of the movies I have played include Jurrassic Park (DTS) and CliffHanger (which turned out to be great in 5.1). I definitely need to tone the bass down as things in the house were shaking and rattling, though admittedly I love being able to feel it! When the airplane flew overhead, it truly FELT like it! For music, such as the Paul Simon HDCD and other CDs, the speakers are very musical and encompassing. The 7-ch stereo mode provided by the AVR-3801 is great, as it surrounds you with stereo. I'm still playing with the various other modes as well (the AVR-3801 has quite a few), and the differences are very noticeable and distinct. Surprisingly, I have the bass and treble FLAT with these speakers and that's how it sounds best. They are superbly balanced across the spectrum, at least to my ear. Prices were about 15% below those listed on Definitive's website.

One final note: I bought ALL of the above both sight and sound unseen, having based my decision solely on research and the many opinions posted by others. Although only several days into the usage of my system, I honestly can state I have not a single complaint thus far, as this system has exceeded my expectations more or less across the board.

Ross