Clean clear sound. Versatile controls. Good power. Very inexpensive while they last. Has RDS tuner not found on the newer DRA-685 and it is very good.

No longer made.

Great machine, as I said in my previous review. Found one new last year for $500. Found three more on u-Bid for an average price of $133(refurbed), for a unit cost of $225(msrp. $750). One everywhere I need one now, bedroom, office, rec-room, shop, and I didn't have to learn to program different machines. Wish I could say I planned it that way, but I just stumbled on them. Two of the three had minor dents in the case(not heavy gauge steel), but the remotes and manuals were still in plastic. I think they were rejected for cosmetic reasons. The third had been used as the remote had scratches and batteries inside, but all have run flawlessly since arriving. Combined with old but good speakers I have music or radio when and where I want it for less than a mini-system would cost. Don't think I would buy CD changers or tape decks rebuilt because of all the moving parts but I think receivers are a safer bet. In any case this is a very good receiver, a step above most any other in it's class(Rotel is v-good). When attached to good components it can be the center of a very serious stereo system, capable of articulating most any type of music at great or modest volume. Perhaps one the last of the strong stereo only units to be built. I don't like mutiple posts but I do own four of these, and the guy who(perhaps justly) complained about the cheesey remote owns a DRA-685 and used the DRA-775 site to vent about it. I'll use my numbers to compensate for it a little, not that it matters much. Just some fun. Get one if you can.

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Sound quality is excellent especially at the price paid.

Remote is not backlit, Volume knob is not lit

Absolutely the deal of the century! I picked this up at UBid as a refurb for $150. Folks, this unit originally retailed for $750!

I purchased it for my bedroom system, I originally was going to do a 5.1 surround system, but my wife said enough is enough. (I already have 2 surround systems, one based on CItation amps the other on Adcom.) So I settled in on a 2 channel system.

I had listened to the Denon 3801, 3300, Yamaha 995, and the classic Sony 90ESG. These all sounded great in a 5.1 setup, and most were adequate for 2 channel. Believe it or not, the Sony 90ES sounded the best of these receivers for 2 channel, but then again it retailed for $1600 in 1999. My local dealer had a left over demo SOny for $350, picked it up and took it home. Unfortunately, whenever I engaged the dsp, it created static in all channels. It was defective!

My dealer also had a demo DRA 775RD that it was clearing out for $400 (no remote and slightly banged up). (It originally retailed for $750). I compared it to the Denon 3801 and to my surprise it beat the 3801 for 2 channel stereo. The sound had more air, better imaging, and just a fuller, more dynamic sound. It was incredible. I tested it with B&W CDM 1nt and I then brought in my NHT 1.5 with the same results. The DRA 775 bested the 3801, but then again it kind of makes sense for a $750 stereo receiver to sound better than a $1000 home theater receiver. The 3801 only lists for a little more, but for the money you get more channels of amplification and a whole lot more processing power. Let's put it this way it costs $1000 for 735 total watts of power for the 3801 plus digital surround processing. On the other hand, the 775 costs $750 for only 2 channnels with a total of 180 watts. Denon had to have used higher quality components in the amplifier section of the 775 than the 3801 and in the 2 channel setup, you can definately hear the superiority of the 775's amp section over the 3801.

Like the previous reviewer, I also listened to the Rotel, but I preferred the 775 in both sound quality and features.

If you want a good 2 channel setup, this receiver is the one to get, unless you want to spend substantially more. It would probably cost at least a $1000 to get this kind of performance. I picked it up for $150!!!!

The weaknesses are the lack of backlighting on the remote and volume indicator lighting. Another thing I would have liked to see is a signal meter strength indicator for the tuner. The shipping was terrible. It was in a box with no foam, but with just a bunch of packing peanuts and the box looked like it had been dropped and ripped open since it was all taped up in one corner. I don't know whether to fault FedEx or UBid. Probably a little of both! Fortunately, I lucked out and it works perfectly.

Similar Products Used:

Denon 3801, 3300, Yamaha 995, Sony 90ES, Rotel,

remote maybe not enough bass

Just got this refurbished model at an awesome price to upgrade from my cheapo aiwa and i must admit i am impressed with this bay boy. Of course i am a part of the elite group of idiots who fell for the acoustic image 6.5 deal but it makes me happy that i got such a good price on this model. Ordered from ubid and two days later it was here. it cranks but needs more low end. I dont know if these speakers are any good but it sounds great compared to what i have used in the past. Very clear sound even at higher volumes. My techno must jams and i just want to crank it all the time.

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Perfect receiver. Perfect, except for one, huge flaw . . .

REMOTE CONTROL

Why is it that EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER OWNED A DENON COMPONENT OF ANY SORT has complained about their crappy little remotes, yet Denon hasn't done anything about it? Hey, Denon! Read your emails, for the love of God!!!!!!!!!1

Build Quality, Sound, Features, Almost too many to list..

No Gold plating, Tone Controls are practicly useless but I dont care since I never use them anyway:)

I am really impressed by this receiver. It sounds better than my vintage Yamaha and it also has A very very good tuner. I also got my mine refurbished from Ubid but it came in mint condition, not one scratch or dent and everything was sealed in plastic:) This receiver also has a good loudness switch and also has a tone defeat switch which is handy. For the price I paid I couldnt be happyer:)

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