New System is FINALLY Here.

[mph]

After 14 years, I thought it was time to upgrade! The old system was a Technics SA-GX670 Dolby Pro Logic Surround(circa 1994), Cerwin Vega RE-12's and Pioneer SNK-060-0 for the rears. No center, no sub.

Thanks to those of you who took the time to answer my questions, I got what at the time seemed to be good advice. Well, IT WAS! My ears are happier than they've been in quite a while.

I just got the last of the components (listed below, except the Pioneers (circa 1973, but perfect for rears)) yesterday. The Denon 3808 is awesome! It seems to be right at the top of the "bang for the buck" scale. Above that your not getting a lot for you money. The features cover all the necessities and a few more. I had heard a few complaints about the remote, but I was able to program 99.9% of my TV, DVD/R, and CD players functions into it with a little effort. The auto setup gives a good baseline for the listening positions. The RF-82's push everything their asked to. Again I heard a few negatives regarding their lack of bass, but I can't complain. Very little tweaking of the EQ parameters in the Denon and they deliver. The RW-12-C sub hit's ya right in the chest.

Bottom line is the definition and clarity are far better than anything I've had before. Obviously, I haven't shopped for new audio equipment except guitar and bass amplifiers, mixers, and other music related items in well over a decade.

I've got more fine tuning to do regarding speaker / sub placement, tonal tweaking, etc... But I don't think I could be much happier, well that is with my clothes on.

Thanks again for all your input and advice!

 

[Adam]

Congratulations! Always nice to see someone who is happy with their new (or newly reconfigured) gear.

Going from Pro-Logic with no center to that set-up must have been a real treat! I remember the first time that I listened to my new Dolby Digital system. What a great experience, and my receiver back in 1998 couldn't hold a candle to that Denon of yours. Excellent choice.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Very little tweaking of the EQ parameters in the Denon and they deliver.

You might want to compare the sound with and withOUT the EQs, like using Pure Direct mode. Using EQs usually increases distortion to your overall sound.

 

[3db]

You might want to compare the sound with and withOUT the EQs, like using Pure Direct mode. Using EQs usually increases distortion to your overall sound.

Thats a blanket statement that isn't necessarily true. You can't go pure direct mode in Dolby Digital mode. Pure direct implies analog from preamp to power amp output.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Thats a blanket statement that isn't necessarily true. You can't go pure direct mode in Dolby Digital mode. Pure direct implies analog from preamp to power amp output.

I have not looked at the owner's manual for the 3808, but for the 5308, I remember it says that you can go Pure Direct mode in 7.1 HT. With SACD, the 5.1 Pure Direct mode will bypass conversion to PCM so DSD will go straight to Analog. With other sound formats, 7.1 Pure Direct mode will convert all sound to PCM (for bass management) and then to Analog.

Perhaps this is an advance setting only available in the flagship model.

 

[mph]

You might want to compare the sound with and withOUT the EQs, like using Pure Direct mode. Using EQs usually increases distortion to your overall sound.

AcuDefTechGuy:
Thanks for the tip. Like I said... I've got more tweaking to do. The changes I made in the EQ on the amp were very minimal at most. There's just way too much here to play with I figured since the EQ was in the amp itself and not an add on it wouldn't hurt too much. There's just so much more here than on my old setup, I'm like a kid in a candy store.

3db:
I looked through the manual and I still don't know how it handles it. My old system had 1/10th of what this does and I'm still rather green when it comes to the signal processing capabilities and their terminology. More to learn.

With not being sure how this works would it be possible to check the differences in just plain old stereo mode?

Thanks,

 

[wcz]

Please help a newbie

i have a sony kdl46s3000 tv and a denon home theater receiver.

i only use the denon for audio (no video hookup)
I have the optical out of the tv hooked to the optical in on the denon.
the denon is set to auto select for audio input

thats it!!

no cable box, coax from wall into tv.

when i tune the tv to cbs regular (channel 2 in NY) the receiver
displays st 5.1

when i tune the tv to cbs HD channle 2.1 in NY) the denon displays either
"dolby d" or PCII C - depending on what show is on.

my hookup is basic and i have selected auto for the tv input on the denon.

are these the correct modes for channel 2 & 2.1?

cbs states broadcast is HD and 5.1. Is dolby digital 5.1 also?

please , pardon my ignorance but i have no one else to ask.

my email is wcz (at) exit109.com if you prefer to answer my dumb questions without wasting space on the forum

Thanks