Denon 4306 vs. All Comers?

[DBooger]

I’m looking for critiques / suggestions for a dedicated home theater. While I’m not a blue-blood audiophile, I love good music played over good equipment. The sad reality is that my HT will probably be used 75% to 80% for movies. I have a windowless 13.5’ by 16’ room prewired for 5.1. I estimated total “cubes” at just under 2,500.

Massive convergence / connectivity is a priority. I haven’t found a pre-pro / amp combo that matches either a Denon 3806 or 4306; plus, these get universally solid reviews. I love the ability to "plug and play" Firewire / XM Radio / iPods / you name the connection. Both of these also have great upscaling and HDMI switching abilities. In the next 24 months, I’ll add a media center PC and a massive slave hard drive, but don’t have to have this right away (plus, another factor for the LCD, right?). Should I wait for the HDMI 1.3 versions this summer?

Thanks!

 

[mazersteven]

Both receivers are excellent and packed with features. The main question is what speakers are you powering with this receiver? Do you need the features (sounds like you do)?

 

[B5I8]

Should I wait for the HDMI 1.3 versions this summer?

Bingo! That would be the safest route for futureproofing your system.

 

[DBooger]

Mazersteven -

I haven't decided, but am looking at 8-ohm options from B&W and RBH in the $3,500 range (for the full 5.1 setup).

 

[mazersteven]

Mazersteven -

I haven't decided, but am looking at 8-ohm options from B&W and RBH in the $3,500 range (for the full 5.1 setup).

Well atleast your in line with your budget. Well you room isn't very large so your sub budget should be around $800 or less. Leaving you $2700 for speakers. Just an estimate, don't anyone go getting your feathers ruffled. LOL

Don't know anything about the RGH line. You could put a real nice B&W CM-series system together.

 

[WeAreSurrounded]

I love the ability to "plug and play" Firewire / XM Radio / iPods / you name the connection

Firewire connection in 4306 I don't think so! I own one and love it to death (except remote and the lack of ZONE2/3 indicator on the main display) - very good choice

 

[edmcanuck]

Okay... that is a small room. You don't need as big a receiver as you're looking at. Consider the 2807 which offers better HDMI support than the 3806 for less money. Denon isn't supportive of firewire, so you can scratch that off of your list if you're buying Denon. DenonLinkIII is firewire-like but proprietary and will only link to similarly-equipped Denon equipment.

The 3806 doesn't "upscale" as you assert, it only upconverts from analog to HDMI. The 3806 doesn't deinterlace 480i either so it doesn't work with a number of HD sets that will only accept 480p or higher. The 2807 and the 4306 both deinterlace. The 4306 is the cheapest Denon that actually upscales the video resolution.

As any amount of research will show you, HDMI 1.3 will add absolutely nothing to your system that won't already have to be there in another form for it to exist at all. There is no real reason to wait as the current units can do everything that a 1.3 unit will be able to (they'll just do it to decompressed PCM rather than to 1.3 bitstream).

 

[DBooger]

Edmcanuck - thanks. I understand 480i vs. 480p, but didn't realize the limitations.

I need to "git more learnin'" on the upscaling and the HDMI 1.3 standard. Thanks for your reply.