Which Denon Receiver

[brian87]

OK..simply i need a new receiver, the one I use (Denon 1803) is being taken away by my son who owns it.- - I have a Boston Accoustics p400 (bar speaker system with
center,left and right speakers) and a Sunfire Super Junior
subwoofer, and a 40" TV. I want to be able to use the receiver to play cd's dvd's and eventually blu ray dvd's...I looked at a Denon 788, but the sales guy says I may need a Denon 888 for HDMI enhanced purposes. I am not a audiofile, dont need rear speakers, just good clean sound and a simple solid receiver....Question: should I go with the 788, or 888 or something more basic ? I am sort of convinced of the quality of Denon.........Any advice is appreciated.
BG

 

[Jack Hammer]

What is your budget?

Are you dead set on Denon or you willing to look at other brands?

Yes, you'll want to have HDMI so you can take advantage of BD. You'll also want Dolby True HD and DTS Master Audio abilities.

Jack

 

[Seth=L]

It's not likely he will notice a difference between standard Dolby Digital and the HD audio with his present speakers. That being said, Yamaha has really stood out (at least in my eyes) this year. They released the RX-V663 which has extraordinary value and handles any audio decoding you could possibly need over HDMI.

 

[bandphan]

i agree with seth, the yama 663 is an excellent value and speakers will provide the end result in the system. Taking advantage of the latest audio formats would lend yourself to having rear speakers. The price of yama will permit you to pick up a pair of surrounds, then later you can upgrade the lcr's if so desired.

 

[brian87]

I really dont have a budget, just trying to get something that balances with my speakers, and would work with a hd tv, and blu ray later....my main concern is that I dont totally obsolete myself...like hdmi connections to the tv.
BG

 

[Davemcc]

The 688 does not convert analog video to HDMI, so that should knock it out of the running. Neither will handle Dolby TrueHD, Digital+ or DTS-HD Master Audio. Neither has preouts.
http://www.usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/257.asp?compareitem=3633&compareitem=3642&imageField.x=86&imageField.y=21
Take a good hard look at the Yamaha.

 

[brian87]

dave....pls comments on the 788 and 888...thanks..

 

[Jack Hammer]

In the $500 range the Yamaha Rxv663 is hard to beat. For similar features on the Denon you would need to step up to the 2808ci, @ around twice the price.

Jack

 

[Davemcc]

dave....pls comments on the 788 and 888...thanks..

I don't see any advantage of the 788 over the 688. The 788 still does not offer transcoding from analog to HDMI. The 888 is just about the lowest you can go and still get useful HDMI functionality.

Seriously, the Yamaha is a full function receiver for less money and is probably the better choice. And I say that as a guy that owns a Denon 686 and a 2307. I won't be moving into the Denon xx08 models that offer less and cost more than the competition.
http://store.audioholics.com/product/1759/69/yamaha-rx-v663-7-2-channel-digital-home-theater-receiver

 

[Nomo]

Some of you guys need to back off.

If the OP likes the sound of Denon, as his original post suggests, then let it go and stop pushing the flavor of the month.

I agree that the 663 is a good deal. And before that the Onkyo 805 looked good too.

But the original post was a inquiry about Denon.

 

[Seth=L]

I know the "Budget" was already addressed, but, I would very much like to know what you want to spend ideally. With that in mind I will look over the entire Denon line that fits the budget and see what fits the best.

Do you want the Preout features, do you think you might conceivably add amplification in the future?

Do you want video transcoding to HDMI? Do you want scaling? HDMI audio, or just pass-thru?

 

[brian87]

Dave.. no real budget....but hopefully get away for $400-500 range....My speakers are good but basic (boston acoustic p400 bar , and sunfire super jr subwoofer) I have a 40" sony bravia tv..and will upgrade to a 46" sony, and then replace my old sony vcr with a blu ray sometime next year...I dont think i will go farther than that..I am not really a audiophile, dont really know all the terms you asked me about...but all I am concerned about is to not get obsolete..like for example to be sure I have hdmi connections....I am sure it will always get better, but this receiver I buy will most likely be my last ( I am 65 yrs old)..just want a good overall receiver,..the yamaha everyone tells me about sounds good, but I am using my sons older denon 1803...and he is asking for it back...Any advice is appreciated..thanks.
BG

 

[Davemcc]

But the original post was a inquiry about Denon.

Perhaps you missed the part that said "Any advice is appreciated".

 

[brian87]

Seth, my note of this morning, was addressed to you, not Dave....appreciate your help.
BG

 

[Seth=L]

Seth, my note of this morning, was addressed to you, not Dave....appreciate your help.
BG

I figured that once I read you didn't understand what I said. I paraphrase sometimes thinking I am talking to audio gear heads, I apologize for that. I will do the best I can to explain.

I am assuming you have an HDTV. Now that I know your round about budget I will try to narrow it down to a couple units.

The Denon AVR-888 is about the best bang for buck. The link takes you to a refurbished Denon, if you buy a new one it will cost a bit more. When Denon refurbishes these receivers they are tested to be sure they work as a new unit should. A new Denon AVR-888 could cost as little as this.

Of course there is the before mentioned Yamaha, which in my opinion looks nicer, has more features, has a more robust power section, and I also feel their build quality is a little higher (I have not been impressed with the build quality of Denon's more recent budget to mid-fi offerings).

I would knock Onkyo completely out of the running based on how many issues have been reported with their recent receivers.

Marantz, which is owned by the same parent company as Denon, offers some very nice receivers that are very functional. Provided below are some links to Refurbished Marantz
receivers.

http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/MARSR5002/MARANTZ/SR5002-XM-Ready-Surround-Sound-Receiver/1.html
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/MARSR6001/MARANTZ/SR6001-XM-Ready-Surround-Sound-Receiver-/1.html
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/MARSR4002/MARANTZ/SR4002-Dolby-Digital-Surround-EX/DTS-ES-Surround-Receiver-/1.html
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/MARSR4001/MARANTZ/SR4001-80w-x-7ch-Surround-Receiver-w/HDMI/1.html

These are new, not refurbished (these come with a 3 year warranty).

http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/MARSR4001A/MARANTZ/SR4001-80w-x-7ch-Surround-Receiver-w/HDMI-NEW/1.html
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/MARSR5001A/MARANTZ/SR5001-XM-Ready-Surround-Sound-Receiver-NEW/1.html

Video transcoding to HDMI is converting all video inputs (composite, s-video, component) to HDMI so you can connect all your sources to the receiver and have a single connection to your TV (the Marantz SR-5001 offers this feature for example). This feature is mainly for convenience. If you are used to using the inputs on your TV you might not need this feature.

I don't see any advantage of the 788 over the 688. The 788 still does not offer transcoding from analog to HDMI. The 888 is just about the lowest you can go and still get useful HDMI functionality.

The AVR-788 offers HDMI audio decoding (only HDMI 1.1), but it offers some advantage.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I agree with the Denon 2308 if your budget has to be $500.

But I would recommend the Denon 2808 ($790 Brand New).

 

[brian87]

Thanks for all the help, thanks Dave and Seth for a particularly helpful suggestion. What I am down to is
the Denon 888 or the Yamaha rxv663....the sense is the Yamaha has more bells and whistles and, at a lower price.
and some sense of higher quality. Thanks again to all for your professional help.
BG