Very clean power for a unit in this price range. However first and foremost the Denon name and how they stand behind their product.

none if you only need 70 watts per channel.

This is an update to my last review. Denon did exactly what they said they would do. I sent this unit in for repair 15 months after purchase and they delivered almost to the day that they said they would. This is outstanding considering it was over the hiloday season. I now have this unit in bedroom powering a home theatre with the previously mention polk and bose speakers. This unit is way great for this application, almost overkill. I am completely pleased with this unit and as I will indicate below that it is a "giant killer". I am so pleased with this unit that I am considering replacing my Onkyo TSDX 797 in the living room with the new Denon 5803 or a more reasonable 5800 with a upgrade.

Similar Products Used:

JVC, Denon, Onkyo, Yamaha, Pioneer

cost, clarity

# of video inputs

Just like the last poster, I picked this unit up from Ecost.com for $170 + shipping (about $20). I had been considering Onkyo and Dennon units when I happened across this deal. The cost to feature ratio just made it too good to pass up. As listed under the weaknesses, the system could use a few more video inputs and possibly another digital audio in (and S-video switching). The remote really isn't that bad (to me), and I've quite gotten used to it.
The unit is currently connected to a Harmon Kardon TS1 home theater speaker system and sounds great! I definitely love the 5 channel stereo mode for TV and music.
With the few exceptions listed, this is a quality reciever at an exceptional price. Good luck finding a better value out there!

Clarity, DSP, DD

Remote too small, no binding posts for surround speakers

I was searching around for an affordable Dolby-Digital receiver for a long time, when I ran across the AVR-65 on Ubid for about 200. This receiver essentially has the same features, circuits, and amplifiers as the AVR-1600, but was commercially released for Sears. The only difference is the power output is rated at 70 watts/per channel at 1kHz. This is the same as 60 watts/per channel at 20Hz-20kHZ. This receiver delivers all the quality of you can expect from a Denon product. The 5 channel stereo mode is perfect for music and delivers great clarity and dynamic range. It lacks a little in bass though. The Dolby Digital is also crystal clear but doesn't really seem to surround you so much. It may because of the lack of binding posts for rears or the quality of the surround amps. All in all, a good buy if you're starting out in mid-fi audio equipment.

Big features for a small cost. .007% THD is less than that of the typical .008%THD in systems of this price and 4 x higher.

For Me...not enough power...currently in the shop to fix where something blew...no problems there so far and covered under the two year warranty.

For my living room area it was not quite powerful enough especially when I upgraded the speakers from the provided Denons to Polk Audio 800i's and Bose 301's. The system blew within one night of an "OZZYFEST" in my house.

The problem was I asked it to do more than it was designed for which is not the fault of the receiver.

I have since upgraded to an Onkyo 797 with Klipish speakers and cannot wait to get this unit back to setup in bedroom for surround sound on that TV.

Similar Products Used:

JVC and several onkyo products.

11 Surround Modes, Dolby Digital and AC-3, Look & Price

Remote (small and limited control of other manufacturers products), NO Sleep Timer, Small Display

Picked up on Ubid for $167 + S&H (which is where they get you!) Was looking for a AV receiver with versatility for future components. Presently, I have a Sony CD player, and recently picked up Hitachi HTS5 Surround Speakers with Subwoofer off Ubid as well for $57 + S&H. I am not very knowledgable about Home Theatre, but am a quick learner. The Denon AVR65 seemed to have everything that I needed. I wasn't sure on the power specs, but I just hooked my system up this week and it is fantastic! (It does have 70 watts per channel = 350.) I would definately like to see a larger display and sleep timer, but for the price, I won't complain. After placing my winning bid, I searched the internet to see how much a new AVR65 (mine is a refurb) would cost. There weren't many places carrying the AVR65, but the ones that I found were asking $399. I would recommend the receiver to anyone looking to start out or even someone who is an enthusiast. The Dolby Digital and built-in AC-3 decoder will come in handy with DVD players and any new formats that come out in the future

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer VSXD457

Build Quality, Buttons instead of Rotary Knob, Sound Quality

Remote, Small Display

I was looking to get started into home theater and I shopped long and hard to find the right receiver for my needs. The AVR-65 fit my needs perfectly for right now. I first got caught up in the internet hoopla and ordered the Kenwood, boy what a mistake. I only had it about 10 days and I was not happy with it at all. In Prologic it did not sound as good as my old 2 channel Pioneer. I knew that I had made a big mistake and took measures to return the Kenwood. I then started shopping again and happened upon the Denon in a nearby town. They only had 1 left and made me a really good deal on it. I got it home and hooked it up in my 11' x 22' room. Wow! Prologic sounded great. I am still working on getting a DVD player and realize there are only about 10 DVD's in my whole town to rent so DTS is not a big concern for me at this time. The Denon worked well with my low budget speakers. I have an Optimus Pro-88av for a center channel and Optimus Pro-44av's for surrounds plus I am using some Pioneer CS-GS301's that have been completely rebuilt for the fronts. No sub yet. The sound that the Denon delivers is just incredible compared to that Kenwood and with only 70 watts I can't even get it cranked too high without the wife hollering to turn it down. The 5 channel stereo option is great for music also. The only things I don't like about this receiver are the remote and the display is a little small to read at distance. There doesn't seem to be any problems with heat in my enclosed cabinet where it resides. This receiver was perfect for my entry into ht at this point in time. I am giving 5 stars for Value because of the deal I got on it and 4 stars for Overall because the remote could be better and the display could be larger.

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood VR-307 Pioneer VSX-201

Optical In, Dobly 5.1, VERY low price, small remote

No DTS, but it IS a few years old....

This reciever, although not extrememly powerful, does produce a nice crisp sound. At the moment, I'm using it with my Playstation 2, for Dolby Digital output, and it's far better than anything else I could have bought with that $60 (no, that's not a typo). The subwoofer has really good bass response, and isn't OVERLY large (though, it is somewhat bigger than what I'd like).
Everyone else complains about the remote being small, but I happen to like it...it's a nice, and very useful remote.
Anyway, if you can find this reciever for a good price, get it.

Everything if you can find it somewhere cheap

none so far!

Altho this is my first Dolby Digital receiver, I must tell you there is a BIG difference when this baby is in Dolby Digital compared to the 6 channel analog thing. I bought this baby in Sears were they had a Clearance sale plus it was the one used for demonstration. I paid 500 bucks for the whole set of the AVR-65, the 5 Denon speakers and a Denon subwoofer. I have a DVD with built in decoder and it doesnt decode the audio very well but when I hooked up the Digital connection and switched to 5.1 the difference in surround sound was AWESOME! I almost drooled when I played the scene from Independence Day where the guy shoots a bullet at the can and it bounces everywhere in the room... AWESOME RECEIVER, AWESOME SPEAKERS, AWESOME SOUND!!!

Similar Products Used:

none

Features for the dollar, seems well built.

Remote is terrible, Tuner reception not great.

For the price this receiver is being offered, this is a total no-brainer deal. It is a full-featured Dolby Digital (not just digital-ready) receiver for under $200, not to mention the fact that it sounds great. I got mine refurbished (I believe it may be discontinued now), but at the price that is not a problem. I would have had to spend $300+ just to match the features in this receiver, to match the sound you would really have to go with the new Denon AVR-1801, for $500. I have been listening to a pair of paradigm atoms with this receiver since I got it and they sound great, The only negative to it is the remote with its tiny buttons that tend to stick when changing the source or the volume, and the lack of tuner scan on the remote. But my CDs sound great through the digital input (though I would like to have more digital ins), Basically, For the price it can be found at right now, you can't go wrong - try finding any DD receiver for this price. I can't give it five stars - the remote sucks, and I know the atoms don't sound as good powered by it as the $2000 mcintosh amp they were hooked to at the hifi store, but I don't really expect them to. But the value is 5 stars easy. Maybe there's a good universal remote out there that could make this one perfect.

Similar Products Used:

My first A/V Receiver, Looked at marantz, yamaha models.

Great Sound

Small Remote buttons

I recently got this great reciever for $169 + shipping refurbed at ubid.com. I got it at a great price. I think that it sounds very good. My parents have a AVR-85, and from what I can tell, they sound very similar. I love the 5 channel surround sound. Would pay much more for just that option. Dolby Digital sounds wonderful from my computer DVD player. I highly recommend it.

There is no hiss from the speakers except at high volume, but that also could be my source. I don't know. It sounds good.

The remote's buttons are too small, but it can all be fixed with a better remote which I hope to get.

Buy it, you won't regret it.

Similar Products Used:

JVC RX-884