Exclusive Denon AVR-3805 First Look!

[jeffsg4mac]

Hmmm, thanks Gene, I may give it a try, my monitor 7's can be biamped? If you think about I have my xover set to 80hz so in reality it is already biamped, this would just add that little something extra.

 

[jbliz]

Awesome job Hawke!!! The receiver looks like a winner for the most part.

The only things I'm not thrilled with are the proprietary Denon Link and the Auto Setup. It looks like I would be better off buying a SPL metter for $40 and using the receivers test tones.

 

[Hipgrncln]

Bi-wire question

<font color='#000000'>EVERYBODY has a propietary IEEE-1394 link: Pioneer Elite, Integra, Denon, Yamaha. So the best way is to make sure to have a few upgrade path because eventually, they will have to agree on a common scheme but I can not see anything &nbsp;about this now.</font>

I'm new at this but is bi-amping better than bi-wireing ??? Also... when are they going to be available?

Bob J

 

[gene]

Yes, Biwiring basically uses two sets of cables to the speaker but tied back to a common amp. There is very little benefit in this assuming the one cable is of sufficient gauge and conductor spacing.

Biamping actually uses two separate amps to power the highs and lows of a speaker. Rip Van Woofer has alot of info on this subject that he can link you to. I haven't had time to do an official write up on its merits.

 

[bits]

HDTV - 1080i/720p component

Hello all,

I have the 3805 and am pleased... However, when I connect the component out to my tv's 1080i/720p component input, I get an error message from the TV saying that the video mode is not supported. However, I can connect the component out to the 480i component input and everything works fine and dandy...

My question... Is there anything I can do to connect to the higher resolution inputs? 100mhz ought to be enough for 1280x768 (720p), right? I have submitted this question to Denon and figured maybe someone over here would know...

My TV is a HLN437W... Samsung DLP 43" supports 720p natively and converts all signals to 720p...

Thanks!

 

[Unregistered]

3805

gene or hawke:
from your review i understand that full bass management, the eq, delay, etc. is available through denon link 3 but not the external multi channel inputs.
also, i've emailed denon about bi-amping the 3805 and they strongly didn't recommend it. i know your method works (although i don't know how you control the volume on zone 2) plus i thought that as long as you select the power amp to "zone 2" and select zone 2 volume to "variable" but leave the zone 2 source selection on "source" as oppose to cd, dvd, vcr, etc., zone 2 will simply follow the main zone and tying up an input with rca cables wouldn't be necessary yet bi-amping would be possible. correct me if i'm wrong.
finally, it seems that the 3805's transformer rating is 850VA and the yammy 2400's is 640VA but the yammy's dynamic power ratings are considerably higher then denon's.
Thanks for the review (any chance we can get some power measurements) chose the 3805 over the yammy 2400, elite 55txi and hk 630

 

[bigbot45]

What does the Q Mean?

After you do an auto-equalization, one the parameters in there is Q. What does that mean?

-Bigbot

 

[docferdie]

Is the analog to digital conversion of the digital inputs defeatable? Let's say you had a high quality analog record player, it doesn't make sense to have A to D then amplification then D to A. Can you go analog in then amplification then analog out?

 

[Audioholics]

After you do an auto-equalization, one the parameters in there is Q. What does that mean?

-Bigbot

"Q" indicates the “bend” or "sharpness" of the affected frequency curve. A low "Q" indicates a wider, bell-shaped curve, affecting a wide range of frequencies. A high "Q" signals a very steep curve, affecting a smaller range of frequencies.

As for Denon's actual value assignment to the numbers given for "Q" we'll have to ask them and follow up.

 

[theguy]

Compare to Yammie 2400

Nice review Hawke. If we look at your scores versus Gene's on the Yammie, it is about a tie. The Yammie is less expensive. Is there a noticable (i.e. audible) advantage one over the other or is it really a toss of the coin?

Thanks

 

[Audioholics]

Haha. Let me rephrase your question: "Which one should I buy?"

That's a good question. We provide pages and pages of information so that you can form a decision on your own and get a good handle on the user expereince, but...

When it's all said and done - we can't make the final decision for you. If the combined 19 pages of reviews don't tell you what you need to know then we've failed.

We also avoid making direct recommendations (one over the other) so as to keep ourselves out of the danger of playing favorites. If something is far superior (or inferior for that matter), we will tell you, but if two products are in the ball-park we won't tend to recommend one over the other.

 

[Octavio]

Subwoofer Output

Hawke:

Excellent review of AVR-3805. Congratulations and thanks.

One question: Why did you assign a 0 score to Subwoofer Output?

One thing I'm really missing with this receiver is a sleep timer.

Thanks,

Octavio

 

[gene]

Octavio;

One question: Why did you assign a 0 score to Subwoofer Output?

Great catch! I think Clint misinterpreted the rating criteria for that category. We assign 50 points for processors that have stereo sub outs and 25 points with one sub out/mono. We will update the score card to reflect the change. Thanks.


No sleep timer? Bummer, guess you have to let the elegant sound of your system put you to sleep

 

[Audioholics]

Man, I was going or perfection on this one, too... oh well...

 

[Unregistered]

Trojanlaw

Just purchased the 3805 and love it. I also purchased the DMS 305 microphone. I have now run the auto eq process several times and with the microphone in different locations and I continually receive a L/F Phase error. I have checked the polarity of my speakers and have ensured that they are properly setup. I am running B&W CDM 9NT's through a biwire configuration.

Just got off the phone with Denon tech support who told me that this is a common occurence and that the only solution is to change the location and height of the microphone. She also said that if the error message continues to just ignore it and hit skip and that the settings should be accurate. The distance settings are spot on when I do this but I have great concern that if the receiver thinks that my front channels are out of phase that the parametric eq settings that it selects will not be accurate. Why have an error message if it shouldn't matter?

Should I be concerned? Has anyone else had this issue? How does the system sound when you hit skip?

Any help is appreciated.

 

[Unregistered]

dlink3 bass management

hawke or gene:
can you guys verify that full bass management is possible through the dlink3 on the 3805. also, is room eq available through that connection?
I know that nothing works with the multi channel ext. inputs and i don't want to buy the denon 5900 dvd player for nothing
good job on the 3805 review

 

[Mort Corey]

"I was going or perfection on this one"

Sorry Hawke....missed again

 

[gene]

can you guys verify that full bass management is possible through the dlink3 on the 3805. also, is room eq available through that connection?

As far as I know, everything works thru Dlink3, however via EXT ins bass management and room correction don't work. Clint has the test unit so I will have him correct me if I am wrong

 

[Access Denied]

The latest edition of Sound & Vision magazine (July / August) has a full review of the Denon AVR-3805. The only negative point listed in the review is the inability for bass management through the EXT.IN.

 

[Unregistered]

Denon 3805

I am about to buy my new receiver, and so far I ony have two choices.... the Denon 3805 and the Yamaha 2400. I do have a big question about the Denon.... and that is about the Zone A and B option. I plan to use my receiver with a 7.1 speaker setup, plus I plan to have Zone B for a 2 speakers setup on my patio.

I understand the Denon is not capable of doing this two zone setup without sacrificing my surround sound.... Please help me to really understand this problem

Thanks....

JULIO
Panama, PANAMA

<font color='#000000'>I just grabbed the 3805 5 days ago. My salesguy at Ultimate Electronics let me swap my Yamaha RX-V2400 strait across for it. (my salesguy cut me a great deal on the 2400, I paid $850 with tax, so I really got the 3805 for $850) This is my first Denon product, I have always owned Yamaha's in the past.

First impressions: I prefer the 2400's back panel over the 3805, the Denon is no where as clean as the Yamaha IMO. I also prefer the front panel of the 2400 better (the 3805's front panel is growing on me) I do however like being able to do all of my &quot;tweaking&quot; on the front panel of the 3805 rather than always relying on the remote like the 2400. Speaking of remotes, the Denon's is flat out cool, the touch panel is a very nice touch (no pun intended) and quite large.

when I pulled it out of the box, you cant help but notice the massive power supply that is in the left front corner, MUCH bigger than the Yamaha's.

I like the speaker input posts on the Yamaha MUCH better than the Denon, the 3805's posts are really small and dont like my 12GA. wire to much (i guess i need to invest in some banana plugs)

Now for the sound: Since I have only had this product for 5 days now, and I have to say the sound is GREAT. I find it more deep sounding than the 2400 and much more powerful all around. it pushes my Polk's to sound even better than before, so now I enjoy my speakers just that much more. With my 2400 I was looking to grab a separate amp to power my fronts and center, with the 3805, I no longer feel I need one, its just that much more powerful.

Before I swapped out the 2400 I played a good DTS soundtrack, Saving Private Ryan, in particular the scene towards the end where the &quot;half track&quot; gets waxed. It starts off quiet one of the soldier singing then gets loud with the bazooka going off, to Capt. Millers Thompson letting loose. All settings were the same with both the 2400 and the 3805, the 2400 sounded very weak and very flat compared to the 3805, it was night and day I could not belive it. It was so much more powerful sounding and much richer sounding than the 2400.

I then put in my reference disk for Dolby Digital EX (star wars II) come to find out the Denon did not want to decode the EX track (One cool feature the Denon has is on the front display, where it lights up a graphic to tell you what channels are being detected and another graphic tells you what is actually being output) going through all the setups did nothing to help, so I put in Harry Potter the sorcerer stone to see if it was my hardware or a software problem, started up just fine and it finally read &quot;Dolby D EX&quot; on the display with the corresponding graphics lit up.
I took my Star Wars II DVD to UE and played it in there 3805 to see if it did the same thing and sure enough it did not pick up the EX track for Star Wars. (since then I have found it only decodes 2 of my EX DVD's, &quot;LOTR Towers&quot; and &quot;Harry Potter sorcerer stone&quot; all of my other EX disks will just not work.

I then put in my DTS ES reference disk (gladiator) that picked up the ES track right away. wow..... what a BIG differance compared to the 2400.

I always have wondered what the heck people were talking about when they always referred to their receiver as either &quot;bright&quot; or &quot;warm&quot; and now I know. The denon is
&quot;warmer&quot; and much more full sounding to me.

Overall I am very happy with my recent swap, I do like the look overall of the Yamaha better, but the sound is what counts and the Denon clearly wins, so its a keeper.

Cant wait for the professional review for the 3805.....

Hope this helps,
Brent.

Center: Polk CSi5
Fronts: Polk RTi10's
Surrounds: Polk FXi3's
Rear Center: Polk RM2600
Subs: Polk PSW404 x2


My Home Theater (I have not updated my pictures with the new AVR-3805 yet)</font>