Last year I spent several months trying various A/V receivers when I upgraded to bluray and a new plasma TV. I tried an Onkyo 606, Denon 988, and a Yamaha 663 and ultimately ended up with the Yamaha RX-V663 as I felt it gave the best performance for the money. I decided to switch to a different receiver after I changed my home theater setup and began to route everything to the tv via 1 HDMI cable. The Yamaha's video processing on HDMI sources was fine, but other analog sources were seriously degraded when converted to digital. So my search began again, bringing me to the 1910:
I am flat out blown away by this receiver. The main reason I wanted it was for the Audyssey processing. The only thing I was in love with on the Onkyo 606 I tried out was the Audyssey dynamic EQ. The 988 I demoed did not have it but the 1910 does and it is worth every penny. I have 2 small kids and even though my theater room is 2 floors below, I obviously can't listen at reference volumes. Audyssey dynamic EQ along with Dynamic Volume is a knockout combo. The bass response up front and sound from the rears is jaw dropping at lower levels. I would pay much, much more just for this feature. Last night I listened to Goo Goo Dolls live from Buffalo DVD and I heard things I never heard in the mix before. Every strum on the guitar and bass line was alive and distinct. Drums thumped and vocals were crystal clear. I also watched Live Free or Die Hard on bluray and the surround effect at -35db on the volume was nothing short of spectacular. Speaking of spectacular, the Audyssey auto setup nailed everything perfectly. I have a 6.1 Jamo surround setup consisting of 4 matched satellites, a larger center, and a smaller rear center. The 1910 has independent crossover levels for each speaker, unlike my Yammy which was one global setting. The crossovers were dead on for each of the 3 different speakers. Levels and EQ settings were perfect. My room is 18 x 22 and my wife even commented how on the other side of the room not in the sweet spot for listening, the sound was much better than before. I am running all 6 ohm speakers and this thing seems to have plenty of power for my room size.
The 1910 has the Anchor Bay scaling chip this year instead of the Faroujda chip last years 1909 had and from what I have seen so far, it handles component to HDMI signals with no problems.
I always thought Denon was overpriced and over hyped after trying the 988. With the added Audyssey features and half the price, this 1910 is the deal of the century imo. The only drawbacks are:
1. Poor remote. I have a Harmony One so it' not much of an issue for me.
2. Confusing at times. I have quite a bit of experience setting up home theater equipment so I made it through OK, but I did have to hit the manual several times which is poorly written. A trip to the AVS forums has a section specifically for Denon setup and can really help newbies.
3. No GUI. This receiver has the blocky white on black on screen display. It really was not much of an issue for me. Others may care.
4. No pre-outs. I have no need for an external amp. Others might.
Bottom line is I cannot believe the performance at this price point. I thought my Yamaha sounded natural, clean, and extremely lifelike. This Denon has me floored in comparison. Makes everything else seem dull and lifeless. I think I am officially a Denon convert.
