Denon Line Show Report: Receivers, DVD Players, Boston Acoustics, More...

[lifamily]

Denon: What were you thinking !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Patiently awaiting the new line up of DVD players from Denon, only to find the omission of firewire IEEE-1394 outputs for DVD-A/SACD playback in the Digital Domain. Quite foolish IMO. How much would it have added to the price ? Their updated 5805MKII has the inputs. What gives here ? It is apparent that Denon wants you to purchase one of their receivers which utilizes the proprietary Denon link for these formats, but no thanks. I recently dropped several grand on the RX-Z9, which means that I will be looking forward to the next gen of DVD players from Yamaha or Onkyo. Denon has just lost a customer.

 

[OneLazyDay]

Why buy a new receiver?

Clint,

I haven't seen this question yet, maybe I'm not looking in the right place, but why should we buy a new receiver from Denon? I mean, I jumped on the bandwagon and bought an AVR-5805 right after your review last year, and to be honest, I love it! However, I have been waiting for that carrot that has been dangling before all of us owners for a very long time. A firmware update that activates the Ethernet port and finally makes it do all the stuff that were claimed in their marketing stuff.

So now I see that instead of doing that for all of us who forked over $6500 for this receiver, they have released a new $7000 version (the mkII) to get that working. So If we're going to be shelling out $6500+ per year to get the features that Denon says will eventually work, why buy?

Quite unsettling.

I don't even see mention on their web site of a "pay to update" option for us 5805 owners to get the mkII features.

 

[Leprkon]

Well I just bought a 4306 and a 3910 for a number of reasons;.

I'm not arguing your reasons for what you bought at all. Denon already had the 5910 and 3910 on the streets, and by all accounts, they were pretty legendary.

I would think most of the typical guys who read forums like this are going to either want cutting edge (ie HD/BluRay) or solidly proven technology (ie 3910/5910). Denon's new toys won't be either....

So why put out an entirely new (and potentially buggy) line for DVD CI models if it's just a matter of months until they would have their own HD or BluRay ?

That would be like adding 10 HP to a Corvette, just so you could say it was not last year's Corvette. And then doing it when you knew you were going to put out a 100HP higher Corvette at the end of the year. And knowing that everybody knew the 100HP model was coming.

 

[Jase]

I don't even see mention on their web site of a "pay to update" option for us 5805 owners to get the mkII features.

Upgrades will be available:-

http://www.audioholics.com/ces/CESprocessors/Denonreceiverupgrades.php

Denon Germany and Denon UK have upgrades listed for both the A11XV (4806) and A1XV (5805).

http://www.denon.co.uk/site/frames_main.php?main=prod&MID=3&sub=1&action=detail&Pid=288

 

[zoran]

Any detail specs on 1830? would it upscale or not? SACD/DVD AUDIO?

 

[AdrianMills]

So why put out an entirely new (and potentially buggy) line for DVD CI models if it's just a matter of months until they would have their own HD or BluRay ?

Well, "entirely new" is probably a stretch and they are aimed at custom installers and not your average Joe.

Maybe Denon plans to wait a while longer than "just a matter of months" before it releases its own HD/Bluray players (and I wouldn't blame them) or they will aim those initial players at a different market. I see no reason why these current models cannot coexist quite happily with future HD/Bluray players anyway - at least until they develop a multi-format player with the combined functionality and performance of all the individual format-specific players.

Present me with a 3910 look and price-alike which can play DVD, HD-DVD and BluRay well over HDMI 1.3 and I’ll buy it.

 

[sholling]

I have high hopes for Boston Acoustics. Way back in the day when they owned the audiophile segment of the bookshelf market. On the other hand I find their sister company, Denon far less interesting because of their policy of honoring their warranties only if you buy from a retailer that agrees to rape you at full list price for each and every sale. Sorry but they can keep their over priced over-hyped crap – the Bose of electronics. We’re seriously expensive so we must be the best… Give me a break!

Don’t get me wrong, Denon makes some good sounding stuff , but it’s become 100% marketing driven company just like Bose. Their marketing methods including the price hyping dealers should push our product because of their ‘you will never have/be allowed to compete on price or cut profit margins’ policy is right out of the Bose playbook. I’ll buy Denon when they drop their rape the consumer policies.

 

[shokhead]

You put Bose and Denon in the same thread?

 

[zoran]

Any new dvd players? DIVX compatable?

 

[Nick250]

I have high hopes for Boston Acoustics. Way back in the day when they owned the audiophile segment of the bookshelf market. On the other hand I find their sister company, Denon far less interesting because of their policy of honoring their warranties only if you buy from a retailer that agrees to rape you at full list price for each and every sale. Sorry but they can keep their over priced over-hyped crap – the Bose of electronics. We’re seriously expensive so we must be the best… Give me a break!

Don’t get me wrong, Denon makes some good sounding stuff , but it’s become 100% marketing driven company just like Bose. Their marketing methods including the price hyping dealers should push our product because of their ‘you will never have/be allowed to compete on price or cut profit margins’ policy is right out of the Bose playbook. I’ll buy Denon when they drop their rape the consumer policies.

About Denon's pricing policy. A month or two after the 3806 came out (list $1300) I went to my local B&M authorized Denon dealer and told the sales guy "I would like to get a 3806 receiver but my receiver budget is $1000, what can we do?" Sales goes to the computer for 60 seconds, comes back tells me "not a problem, $1000 is fine, I will go get you one from the store room". I have not encountered any of the issues with Denon products that you mention.

Nick

 

[zildjian]

I find their sister company, Denon far less interesting because of their policy of honoring their warranties only if you buy from a retailer that agrees to rape you at full list price for each and every sale. Sorry but they can keep their over priced over-hyped crap – the Bose of electronics. We’re seriously expensive so we must be the best… Give me a break!

You're misinformed. Authorized Denon dealers usually don't sell the items for full retail, nor do they have to for you to get the Denon official warranty. I got my 3806 for $1000 from an authorized Denon dealer with full Denon warranty. Denon's hardly the Bose of electronics.

 

[shokhead]

You can get a full Denon Warr on a B stock Denon from an auth Denon Dealer like Dakmart.

 

[Johnny Canuck]

As far as I know, the new line of DVD players from Denon do not play DivX. While I kind of understand a high end player should not be used on such a "weaker" source, I should still have the option to if I want. This Denon "too good for DivX "attitude stinks. Kind of stupid I can't play a DivX movie on my $1000 2910. But it's two years old really so I understand technology has changed. The new models from the so called best DVD manufacturer, should have the most updated technology and be able to play every format, like my $300 Yamaha DVD 657a. If it could upscale, it would be in my living room, not the bedroom.

 

[ronnie 1.8]

As far as I know, the new line of DVD players from Denon do not play DivX. While I kind of understand a high end player should not be used on such a "weaker" source, I should still have the option to if I want. This Denon "too good for DivX "attitude stinks. Kind of stupid I can't play a DivX movie on my $1000 2910. But it's two years old really so I understand technology has changed. The new models from the so called best DVD manufacturer, should have the most updated technology and be able to play every format, like my $300 Yamaha DVD 657a. If it could upscale, it would be in my living room, not the bedroom.

You may already know this, but the Denon DVD3930CI **does** support DivX.

 

[WeAreSurrounded]

You're misinformed. Authorized Denon dealers usually don't sell the items for full retail, nor do they have to for you to get the Denon official warranty. I got my 3806 for $1000 from an authorized Denon dealer with full Denon warranty. Denon's hardly the Bose of electronics.

I second that. My local Magnolia store manager kicked off $400 from MSRP for me , when I purchased brand new/fully warranted Denon 4306.
And the clearance items, like 3910 now (less than 50% of the original price) are purchased also with a full warranty (I bought mine at Tweeter/authorized dealer).

 

[Davemcc]

Quote - "The partner company is ELEVEN, which he pointed out was not ten, but one better – eleven!"

You gotta love a company whose marketing strategy is based on Spinal Tap! Hopefully, the Stonehenge effect is not also part of the strategy. Imagine the customer's reaction when a 6-inch Boston Acoustics tower shows up at the door instead of a 6-foot tower.

 

[zoran]

I just heard Denon announced new HDMI 1.3 recievers! Can some one start a new post?