I have the opportunity to try out a Denon AVR-3805 for a few days. I'll be posting my impressions here.
Feature Highlights
The 3805 is loaded. It supports all the latest surround formats, including Dolby ProLogic IIx, DTS ES Discrete/Matrix, DTS 96/24, DTS NEO:6, Dolby Digital EX, and HDCD. It also has plenty of inputs - 7 A/V inputs plus CD, phono, and CD-R/Tape in/outs. Digital inputs are plentiful as well - 5 optical, 2 coaxial, plus two optical outputs. The AVR-3805 also supports Denon Link 3, a format that allows DVD-Audio (and SACD in the future) to be delivered in a protected digital format. 7.1-channel external inputs are provided, as well as 7.1 channel preamp outputs. Component video switching allows three sources of Y/Pr/Pb component video to be switched through the receiver. Also, composite and S-video sources are upconverted to component video. With this receiver, only one TV input needs to be used for all your devices, from composite-video VCRs up to HDTV cable boxes. The surround amps can also be used to power two additional zones.
Setup
As an installer, I've set up many different brands of receiver. The Denon is easy to set up--far easier than Sony, but a little more difficult than Onkyo or Outlaw. On-screen displays walk you through the major set-up categories, from setting speaker parameters to speaker levels, to assigning digital and component video inputs to specific input selections. The test tones work well for balancing the speakers accurately. I balanced the speakers with the built in test tones, and then verified with Avia test tones, and the speakers were balanced within 1 db. Balancing with external tones such as Avia is somewhat tricky, since you have to use the built-in test tones to adjust speaker levels, but it's easy to switch in and out to check with the Avia tones. Plus you can set the test tones to manual, so it stays on one speaker until you switch with the remote.
Audio Quality
The first thing I did after calibrating the AVR-3805 was to evaluate it for 2 channel audio quality. My main receiver is an Outlaw 1050, a unit that cost less than half as the Denon but has excellent quality amps, which are rare in low-cost receivers. The Outlaw shines for 2 channel audio, so I compared the Outlaw to the Denon. I used Celine Dion's "The Power Of Love" as my test track, as her voice really sings on quality gear and shrieks on lesser gear. I listened to the track several times, in several configurations, making the following comparisons:
(Signal in analog format)
1. AVR-3805 in Stereo mode vs. Direct vs. Pure Direct (subwoofer enabled)
2. AVR-3805 in Pure Direct (subwoofer disabled, speakers set to Large)
3. Outlaw 1050 in 5.1 Direct (no subwoofer)
(Signal in digital format, using coaxial digital cable)
1. AVR-3805 in Stereo mode vs. Direct vs. Pure Direct
2. Outlaw 1050, CD input, Stereo mode
The Analog tests used my Sony DVP-S9000ES DVD player's DACs, and tested both the analog pass through and ADC/DAC quality of the receiver. The Digital tests fed a PCM signal via coaxial digital cable to both receivers, and compared DAC quality. The results were:
(Analog)
1. AVR-3805 in Stereo mode - Celine's voice made my ears bleed. Direct and Pure Direct were better, her voice was clearer (see my comments on HDCD below--this ear pain is more likely the result of the CD format and not a fault of the Denon).
2. AVR-3805 in Pure Direct (subwoofer disabled, speakers set to Large) This is the only way to completely bypass the digital stages in the AVR-3805. The sound was similar to the Outlaw 1050, but the 1050 has a bit more clarity and detail, and the instruments are more distinct.
(Digital)
The AVR-3805's DACs are comparable or slightly superior to the Outlaw's for standard CD audio. Of course, not even the finest receiver can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, so some of the grittiness is a result of CD's resolution, and not a fault of the Denon or my CD transport. When I played a HDCD-encoded CD, the Denon really shined. The edginess and grittiness was gone. I could crank it without hurting my ears.
I tried some of the DSP effects, including 7-channel stereo and DPL IIx Music. I wasn't overly impressed with 7-channel stereo in my setup, as some of the vocals were coming from the center surround behind me. I'll try 5 channel stereo later on. The DPL IIx Music mode sounded nice though.
I also sampled a couple of SACDs on my 2 channel SACD player - Titanic soundtrack and The Police. Both sounded wonderful, but I didn't spend a lot of time on it because I was getting anxious to hear surround sound!
Of course, one doesn't normally buy a 7.1 channel home theater receiver to listen to CDs, at least in a critical fashion, so let's get on with where the Denon really shines - movies and surround sources.
After I finished my 2-channel tests, I wanted to see what DTS 96/24 was all about. I popped in a Queen DVD and played some tracks including Bohemian Rhapsody. It was sweet. I've never heard multichannel music sound so good. The soundstage wrapped almost completely around me and some of the panning effects in Killer Queen went completely around me. I think I'll bring this disc with me when I install the receiver at the customer's house!
I also sampled some movie clips, in different surround formats: Terminator 2: Ultimate Edition (for DD EX and DTS ES Matrix), The Haunting (DTS ES Discrete), and Finding Nemo (DD EX). They all sounded wonderful. Like with other receivers, DTS in most cases outshined DD, giving a fuller sound, at least on the titles I tried.
DTS movies automatically turned on the appropriate DTS mode - 5.1, ES Matrix or ES Discrete. DD EX movies aren't all flagged to turn on the EX mode--Finding Nemo is, but Terminator 2 isn't. It's easy to toggle the back surrounds on and off from the remote so this isn't an issue.
Remote
The AVR-3805 comes with an interesting remote. It has two EL backlit panels and the buttons light up depending on the device or mode selected. The backlight turns on as soon as you pick up or move the remote. In between the two panels is an array of hard buttons--channel up/down, volume up/down, menu keys, and an Enter key in the center. The remote has preset codes for many brands, has learning capability plus macro capability.
Despite the remote's cool looks and features, it has some quirks. In particular, the "touch" panels are actually membrane keys behind the panel, meaning you have to press down on the "buttons" to activate them. The volume buttons are quirky too sometimes, if you hold them down too long the volume starts changing quickly. You have to tap the button quickly to make small volume changes. The volume buttons also have two "clicks" and not just one, when you press it, as if there are two switches underneath. I won't be replacing my Pronto with this remote.
Overall ratings for the Denon AVR-3805:
Build quality: :5:
Rear panel layout: :45:
Amp power: :5:
Remote: :3:
Video Switching/Upconversion: :5:
2-channel audio ratings:
CD-Audio (analog): :4:
CD-Audio (digital): :45:
HDCD (digital): :5: :T
FM tuner: :3:
5/6/7.1 channel audio ratings:
Dolby Digital (EX): :45:
Dolby ProLogic IIx: :45:
DTS (ES): :5:
DTS 96/24: :5:
The gear used for this review:
Reviewed Receiver: Denon AVR-3805
Comparison Receiver: Outlaw 1050
DVD/CD/SACD: Sony DVP-S9000ES
Speakers: Platinum Audio Studio 2 (Studio 3 towers as mains) - 6.1 configuration
Subwoofer: SVS 20-39CS powered by Peavey CS800
Television: Mitsubishi WT-46805 46" 16:9 RPTV
Analog audio interconnects provided by Cat Cables. :T For CD/SACD to the Outlaw, Silvercats were used. For CD/SACD to the Denon, Catalinas were used, as my Silvercats weren't long enough. Component video cables between the Denon and RPTV is a CatCables Tigress. LFE path provided by BlueTigers. Other cables used aren't worth mentioning here. ops:
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Feature Highlights
The 3805 is loaded. It supports all the latest surround formats, including Dolby ProLogic IIx, DTS ES Discrete/Matrix, DTS 96/24, DTS NEO:6, Dolby Digital EX, and HDCD. It also has plenty of inputs - 7 A/V inputs plus CD, phono, and CD-R/Tape in/outs. Digital inputs are plentiful as well - 5 optical, 2 coaxial, plus two optical outputs. The AVR-3805 also supports Denon Link 3, a format that allows DVD-Audio (and SACD in the future) to be delivered in a protected digital format. 7.1-channel external inputs are provided, as well as 7.1 channel preamp outputs. Component video switching allows three sources of Y/Pr/Pb component video to be switched through the receiver. Also, composite and S-video sources are upconverted to component video. With this receiver, only one TV input needs to be used for all your devices, from composite-video VCRs up to HDTV cable boxes. The surround amps can also be used to power two additional zones.
Setup
As an installer, I've set up many different brands of receiver. The Denon is easy to set up--far easier than Sony, but a little more difficult than Onkyo or Outlaw. On-screen displays walk you through the major set-up categories, from setting speaker parameters to speaker levels, to assigning digital and component video inputs to specific input selections. The test tones work well for balancing the speakers accurately. I balanced the speakers with the built in test tones, and then verified with Avia test tones, and the speakers were balanced within 1 db. Balancing with external tones such as Avia is somewhat tricky, since you have to use the built-in test tones to adjust speaker levels, but it's easy to switch in and out to check with the Avia tones. Plus you can set the test tones to manual, so it stays on one speaker until you switch with the remote.
Audio Quality
The first thing I did after calibrating the AVR-3805 was to evaluate it for 2 channel audio quality. My main receiver is an Outlaw 1050, a unit that cost less than half as the Denon but has excellent quality amps, which are rare in low-cost receivers. The Outlaw shines for 2 channel audio, so I compared the Outlaw to the Denon. I used Celine Dion's "The Power Of Love" as my test track, as her voice really sings on quality gear and shrieks on lesser gear. I listened to the track several times, in several configurations, making the following comparisons:
(Signal in analog format)
1. AVR-3805 in Stereo mode vs. Direct vs. Pure Direct (subwoofer enabled)
2. AVR-3805 in Pure Direct (subwoofer disabled, speakers set to Large)
3. Outlaw 1050 in 5.1 Direct (no subwoofer)
(Signal in digital format, using coaxial digital cable)
1. AVR-3805 in Stereo mode vs. Direct vs. Pure Direct
2. Outlaw 1050, CD input, Stereo mode
The Analog tests used my Sony DVP-S9000ES DVD player's DACs, and tested both the analog pass through and ADC/DAC quality of the receiver. The Digital tests fed a PCM signal via coaxial digital cable to both receivers, and compared DAC quality. The results were:
(Analog)
1. AVR-3805 in Stereo mode - Celine's voice made my ears bleed. Direct and Pure Direct were better, her voice was clearer (see my comments on HDCD below--this ear pain is more likely the result of the CD format and not a fault of the Denon).
2. AVR-3805 in Pure Direct (subwoofer disabled, speakers set to Large) This is the only way to completely bypass the digital stages in the AVR-3805. The sound was similar to the Outlaw 1050, but the 1050 has a bit more clarity and detail, and the instruments are more distinct.
(Digital)
The AVR-3805's DACs are comparable or slightly superior to the Outlaw's for standard CD audio. Of course, not even the finest receiver can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, so some of the grittiness is a result of CD's resolution, and not a fault of the Denon or my CD transport. When I played a HDCD-encoded CD, the Denon really shined. The edginess and grittiness was gone. I could crank it without hurting my ears.
I tried some of the DSP effects, including 7-channel stereo and DPL IIx Music. I wasn't overly impressed with 7-channel stereo in my setup, as some of the vocals were coming from the center surround behind me. I'll try 5 channel stereo later on. The DPL IIx Music mode sounded nice though.
I also sampled a couple of SACDs on my 2 channel SACD player - Titanic soundtrack and The Police. Both sounded wonderful, but I didn't spend a lot of time on it because I was getting anxious to hear surround sound!
Of course, one doesn't normally buy a 7.1 channel home theater receiver to listen to CDs, at least in a critical fashion, so let's get on with where the Denon really shines - movies and surround sources.
After I finished my 2-channel tests, I wanted to see what DTS 96/24 was all about. I popped in a Queen DVD and played some tracks including Bohemian Rhapsody. It was sweet. I've never heard multichannel music sound so good. The soundstage wrapped almost completely around me and some of the panning effects in Killer Queen went completely around me. I think I'll bring this disc with me when I install the receiver at the customer's house!
I also sampled some movie clips, in different surround formats: Terminator 2: Ultimate Edition (for DD EX and DTS ES Matrix), The Haunting (DTS ES Discrete), and Finding Nemo (DD EX). They all sounded wonderful. Like with other receivers, DTS in most cases outshined DD, giving a fuller sound, at least on the titles I tried.
DTS movies automatically turned on the appropriate DTS mode - 5.1, ES Matrix or ES Discrete. DD EX movies aren't all flagged to turn on the EX mode--Finding Nemo is, but Terminator 2 isn't. It's easy to toggle the back surrounds on and off from the remote so this isn't an issue.
Remote
The AVR-3805 comes with an interesting remote. It has two EL backlit panels and the buttons light up depending on the device or mode selected. The backlight turns on as soon as you pick up or move the remote. In between the two panels is an array of hard buttons--channel up/down, volume up/down, menu keys, and an Enter key in the center. The remote has preset codes for many brands, has learning capability plus macro capability.
Despite the remote's cool looks and features, it has some quirks. In particular, the "touch" panels are actually membrane keys behind the panel, meaning you have to press down on the "buttons" to activate them. The volume buttons are quirky too sometimes, if you hold them down too long the volume starts changing quickly. You have to tap the button quickly to make small volume changes. The volume buttons also have two "clicks" and not just one, when you press it, as if there are two switches underneath. I won't be replacing my Pronto with this remote.
Overall ratings for the Denon AVR-3805:
Build quality: :5:
Rear panel layout: :45:
Amp power: :5:
Remote: :3:
Video Switching/Upconversion: :5:
2-channel audio ratings:
CD-Audio (analog): :4:
CD-Audio (digital): :45:
HDCD (digital): :5: :T
FM tuner: :3:
5/6/7.1 channel audio ratings:
Dolby Digital (EX): :45:
Dolby ProLogic IIx: :45:
DTS (ES): :5:
DTS 96/24: :5:
The gear used for this review:
Reviewed Receiver: Denon AVR-3805
Comparison Receiver: Outlaw 1050
DVD/CD/SACD: Sony DVP-S9000ES
Speakers: Platinum Audio Studio 2 (Studio 3 towers as mains) - 6.1 configuration
Subwoofer: SVS 20-39CS powered by Peavey CS800
Television: Mitsubishi WT-46805 46" 16:9 RPTV
Analog audio interconnects provided by Cat Cables. :T For CD/SACD to the Outlaw, Silvercats were used. For CD/SACD to the Denon, Catalinas were used, as my Silvercats weren't long enough. Component video cables between the Denon and RPTV is a CatCables Tigress. LFE path provided by BlueTigers. Other cables used aren't worth mentioning here. ops:
Official Computer Geek and Techno-Wiz Guru of HTGuide - Visit Tower of Power
My HT Site
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