GREAT sound - Pro Logic II - Component video in and out - don''''t have to buy another receiver for the next three to five years as the features for the future are already incorporated into the unit. GREAT price for the build quality/sound and features.

Manual and Remote -

I upgraded to the 3802 from the Denon AVR 97 - passed onto my son. I thought the AVR 97 was great - well this one is even better - with warmer, higher quality sound, Pro Logic II and component video in and out which makes it worth the difference in price- The setup was pretty much streight forward once you figured out that "surround rear" is NOT like the old 5.1 rear - that what they really mean is use the "A" channel for the rear if you are not using the side channel for the 6.1/7.1 setup. The remote is better than the AVR 97 - if only for the LED screen alone. The manual - like most Pacific Rim manuals - somewhat sucks - but if you go into it with the knowledge that it sucks it makes the setup go much smoother ''''cause you already know that you are going to have to search back and fourth to find out what you need to successfully set up the system. Best thing to do is sit down and read it fully from start to finish so you then know where all the info is located - and then set up the system. If you try to do it cold from page one while setting up - you will be at it for a LONG time. BTW - this is the seventh "refurbished" unit I have bought from uBid and every one has been flawless (No fingerprints, scratches, etc) and I got this unit for less than 1/2 of what I would have paid at Goodguys with tax, etc.

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Denon AVR 1600 - Denon AVR 97

Very refined sound, both with cinema and stereo. Fantasic dsp processing, giving versatility and choice 7.1 amplification for future proofing (and more realistic and enveloping sound with current technology)

I have read about problems with the remote - if you stick with it and are prepared to learn its "nuances" it can prove a worthwhile universal remote. I can''t think of any real weakness - perhaps the inability to override the crossover frequancy for the subwoofer (minor point that hasn''t affected me to any great degree)

I initially purchased the Marantz 5200 and was initially impressed, However, The sound seemed to be constantly on the edge of "over doing things" - very edgy. This worked well with action films and all out sonic scenes. On stereo, it was a bit over zealous. It then "blew" on me after one week. I decided I wanted something more refined. Enter the Denon 3802... The difference is astounding. The Marantz had 6.1, the Denon 7.1....but that is not what makes the difference...nor the discrete 6.1 decoding of the Denon (no DVD''s with this feature). The Denon is superior in every department. With stereo music the sound is in the audiophile dept - a giant leap from the Marantz - it handles a variety of music with overwhelming ability and confidence (from classical to acoustic music to heavy rock). You just want to close your eyes and soak it all in. The soundscape is so natural that the speakers "disappear". On to "cinema experience"... Again, although I cant put my "finger on the exact reasons" it easily excels the Marantz. If I had to try....The bass is tighter, the information to the rear channels is more exact with "positioning" of sound very well placed (e.g. the ''bullet time'' bullets in Matrix when Neo is on the roof being shot by the Agent), the vocals are more defined and the dynamics are more controlled and explosive (when going from "minimal sound" scenes to sudden effects and action) - the difference is so amazing from the Marantz! The Denon has several ''effects'' for ''playing around with sound''. I have 4 rear speakers. In normal dolby digital 5.1, the additional speakers (back spkrs)mirrors the sounds from the rear speakers. You can engage ''wide screen'' to spread the soound across the 4 spkrs. This gives a more enveloping effect, although you can hear a slight loss of definition as a result of the processing. Also, this can actually reduce the definition of direction pushing sounds that should be left and right to behind the soundscape - some dvd''s seem to benefit, others lose the ''encompassing'' effect. The differnces are minute and take careful listening so Denon have to be given credit for such smooth processing. I can''t wait to buy a discrete 6.1 dvd to really test the system! I also have SACD which, through External Input, also sounds superior to the Marantz - again more refined. Overall, an amazing product for the pri

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Marantz 5200 Marantz 4200

Sound and build quality.

The Remote truly sucks. Sure, I could figure it out, but it lacks charm, having to do such nonsense.

Worked at the Wiz and was trying to decide between the Denon 3802,4800, 4802 Because I was a salesman, I could have had the 4802 for $1250 thru Denon direct. I could have bought the 3802 for $600, the 4800 for $999, but then I found an "open box" 3802 for $500 and had to take it... What a good deal. It was in perfect shape, and it sounds awesome.

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Denon 810 (Old Pro logic model) Onkyo, Yamaha 595a

Incredible sound, 5/7 channel stereo. All the processing you could ask for in a non-THX amp.

Volume indicator too small, would have liked it to appear on the monitor. Has made me want to go out and upgrade all my speakers, because I know in my heart, that the 3802 is being held back by my current speakers. My poor credit card.

I bought the 3802 after about 6 weeks of looking around for something to replace my old yamaha DSP2070. I was conscious of the fact the the yamaha was an expensive amp in its day, and I was very happy with its performance with pro-logic and stereo sources. But the time had come for me to replace the amp with something digital. Dublin doesnt have a lot of places to buy these sorts of things, and even fewer where they can be demoed before hand. I came pretty close to buying a Sony DB1070, before eventually taking my credit card in hand and buying this unit sight unseen (and unheard) over the net, based on the positive reviews I''d read. I''m delighted with my purchase. Based on things I''d read I was expecting some nightmare setup problems but didn''t encounter any. From the time I opened the box, It took me about 45 minutes before I had the DTS and DD intros from the start of T2 blowing me away. The connections on the back are well ordered, and well marked. I had read some of the instruction manual before the amp had arrived (be sure to download if off the net) and found that I didn''t to need to refer to it during the actual setup at all. I was delighted with the remote (despite all the terrible things I''d read about it). I took me just a couple of minutes to punch in the codes for the rest of my kit, and the remote was quickly controlling everything. The remote is also a full learning remote .. if you have any problems with using the codes. As for How did it sound? I must say that I think it sounds fantastic. I use my amp for mostly movies and can honestly say that there is no comparision between pro-logic and digital. The 3802 creates a fantastic movie experience. The detail in the sound is incredible. The rear effects channels are completely reborn. There is plenty of base (without being overdone). Try Arnie firing the shotgun at the T1000 in the shopping mall in T2 for some incredible punch. Its no coincidence that since I bought my 3802 that family and friends have been inviting themselves around to watch movies with us. In stereo the sound is great, but I really love the 5 channel stereo mode, which can completely fill the room. All in all, highly recomended.

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None.

Sound in stereo, DPLII ( it really is better) 5/7 channel stereo, price

My only beef- the monitor out does not show volume level. I would pay to change this if I could

This is the best receiver in its class. If you cannot figure out to use it, return it and buy something at Toys R Us. Or buy Home Theater for Dummies. It took me ten minutes to hook it up, and it worked! Wow. Manual is not great but its not horrible. It is not as good as the 4802, which costs more than twice as much, but for the money it won''t be beat. The remote is fine too. Remotes are subjective- some will love them, some will hate them.

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every Yamaha, Onkyo, Denon, Pioneer Elite out there. Krell, Sunfire, and Adcom separates

All you could ask below 1500.00,very musical,does dvd-a well,simple set up,read carefully.

small vol display,Denon should re think no on sreen volume,thats all,not bad!

Great unit,best in price,i heard em all,owned many,first denon,easy setup,better than my onk 777,898,much more musical.bad volume display is the only real flaw,no on screen volume also,otherwise chris from England said it all below.

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onkyo 777, 898, owned 777 2yrs,898 2days not musical at all

Well built, clean power, all the new toys DP II, DTS-ES, 6.1 neo...

Runs hot, better programable remote at your local Best Buy, could have a few more of those DSP to play around with just for the hell of it.

First of all this is a review of the Denon 1082 (same as the 3802) and second to get it out of the way I am NOT a Denon employee as some posters think Denon execs attack other reviews on this board. I just got this machine 3 days ago so this is a first impression and initial review. I have to disagree with the many posts about setting this baby up. I got it on Thursday afternoon, had it working that night and have been making little adjustments and programing my own (not the Denon) remote. Just label your wires and have your area ready when she comes in and you should get this thing up and running. And for those that would rate this receiver a (1-2) because they couldn''''t figure out how to set it up...well they probably didn''''t deserve this fine of a machine anyway. Yes the manual can be a little confusing at times and the remote is not as good as say a $40 RCA programmable remote you can get at Best Buy...but give a call to a Denon Tech and they will be glad to talk to you about the unit, connections and use. I found the guy to be very helpful and talked A/V stuff for like 20 minutes. Once you get it up and running you should like what you have...a solid, well built, clean power A/V receiver to give you enjoyment from music and video alike. * I really like the DP II. It makes old VHS movies come alive to a near DVD sound experience. * I would have liked a couple more DSP to play with. My old Denon had a Classical DSP setting that I liked on duh Classical music and that is absent from this new model. * It runs hot and you should give it some space. * I also would recommend getting the Denon 1082 like I did which is the same unit as the 3802 but can be found for a few bucks less. Etronics.com got me this one for $689...$721 to my door in a couple days. Some basic set up notes that I had to learn on the fly with this upgrade. 1. Take your old EQ and put it on the shelf...it won''''t work out of the tape loop anymore. 2. When connecting a DVD with DVD-audio you will have to connect both the digital (coax or opt) for your best video output and the 5.1 cables to switch to the DVD processor on DVD-A. 3. Connect both the S-video (or component) for the DVD and connect the regular RCA for your VCR. More to come once I have more time with the Denon 1082 and we get to know each other better. Overall very pl

Value for money, features, build quality, power output, ability to have various settings remembered, reputation.

Manual could be simplified / generally improved. Remote tries to do to much, but gets easier to use with time.

Music - Its reproduction in direct and stereo form is excellent and on a par with many audiophile class separates. Not only to the ear, but when electronically benchmarked to. Best described as a warm sounding unit that does not colour the original source with brightness that many of the Sony / Onkyo AV receivers seem to do. Home Theatre – For your average / larger house this unit is excellent. The amp has the power to drive a decent set of 6 / 7 speakers + sub in say the circa $3000 - $4000 in total area (any less speakers and you are not getting out of the system what it can deliver). Yes it’s not a Lexicon, but it’s as good as you are going to get at this price and without the expense of going up to a THX cert system. Its not perfect, but some of the posts before have been in my opinion a mile of the mark. I''m just average bloke with an interest in hifi / home theatre, but I''m amazed at how many consider themselves to be Audiophiles. I suppose everyone always think they are the best driver also. Review as many models from as many manufacturers as you can. Listen with your own ears and decide on what suits your taste''s. I did and the Denon won hands down (Lexicon accepted, but it is 20 times the price).

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Harmon Kardon AV (2 week test), Sony AV (3 week test), Onkyo AV (2 day test, didn''t like at all). Lexicon (borrowed from friend as a benchmark)

If you find the 3802 hard to set-up, you can''t consider yourselves to be an Audiophile. Yes its not perfect, but hard / difficult, its definitely not. Unless maybe I''m a HIFI-GURU and just don’t realise it.! Its a cracking machine that can''t be beaten for value, featured, sound quality, build quality at the price. Audition and make up your own mind

Low price for high power. Multiple surround speaker setup options. Can play 6 channel discrete surround formats, prologic II.

None for what I use it for.

It''s a shame that this receiver is getting such a bad rap regarding setup concerns and "lack of some features". IMHO, these missing features really don''t matter much when it comes to most home theater or stereo listening. I don''t miss them at all. This is my first receiver purchase and I''m no audiophile, however, I found the setup to be reasonably simple, intuitive, and quick. If you are the type of person that can program a VCR without reading the manual then you will be able to set this up without much difficulty. In fact, I didn''t think the manual was as bad as the reviews led me to believe. I don''t find the remote to be all that bad. Could it be better? Probably. Although I don''t find it to be too complex and it is more than enough to control the unit. Overall this is a very nice receiver. The volume cranks and the sound is clear and natural (and my speakers haven''t even broken in yet). Like a previous reviewer, I didn''t find that the lowest subwoofer crossover setting (80Hz) provided the best sound for my room. I actually like it better with all my speakers set to large (except the center) since they play decent bass down to about 60Hz. I then can set my sub to play below 70 - 80Hz...I find it to provide a much smoother transition with more enveloping bass. I am using Paradigm Mini Monitors with a CC370 in front, ADP170 sides, and Titan rears. The sub is an HSU VTF-2. I couldn''t find a better receiver for the money and am very satisfied with it. Most of my listening so far is movies.

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Tested Onkyo (liked them also but more $ for the same options), Pioneer, and Yamaha.