Denon 3801 - Incredible value especially since being discontinued - A Great Buy
Written: Sep 01 '02
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Pros: Incredible features, excellent pure wattage, awesome value
Cons: Replaced with the 3802, which is a step down!
The Bottom Line: An incredible value and a ton of features and STILL ahead of industry standard for features. Essentially THX without the label.
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| nick1326's Full Review: Denon AVR-3801 7.1 Channels Receiver |
Dollar-for-watt, the Denon line is hard to argue with, especially in the mid range. Once you get to the beyond-2 grand range (otherwise know as stratospheric) B&K is clearly in its own little echelon...However under a grand, even Marantz can't compete. Please note, I just wrote a review on Marantz's excellent 8200...I gorgeous little receiver, but a little bit out of the SRP price range of the 3801...Ironically, power wise, the Denon not only keeps up, but BLOWS it away in the value department because it has been discontinued. Make no mistake, Denon has an inherent advantage over Marantz from the get go - Denon is made by DENON and Marantz is essentially higher end PHILIPS and we know Philips AINT exactly the goods... We ARE in a product range well beyond the standard "consumer grade" here and for this reason, I'll be a bit more critical. The simple fact is the 3801 is nearly unbeatable at a bargain basement about-650 price for many reasons, including the fact that it is essentially a THX receiver without the little label painted on. Circuitry between the even higher-end Denon and the 3801 is virtually identical in terms of engineering and therefore efficiency and functionality. These are CLEAN and PURE watts - and Denon underrates its power (contrary to other misconception) and therefore 105 rated 3801 watts is more like 115 or so, AT LEAST.
The 3801 has a fully discrete power array across 7 of 9 channels making a true multi-dimensional home theatre experience anmd really bringing your speakers to life. What I find ironic is that even though the 3801 has been replaced, even when introduced it was ahead of its time because it had the ability to handle 7.1 audio, and even today it's virtually impossible to find DVD's encoded in this format. And HANG ON...what about AUDIO ...I've been harping no home theatre thus far, but let's look at audio, because this is where this piece will really light up your ears! My paradigm studio 60's SING with this receiver and I've played a bunch of electronics on my system to finally arrive at this unit to power my home theatre (not my listening room FYI, that room gets its own amplification from elsewhere, to be discussed in another review).
As I mentioned, the multiple channels of power in this receiver (nearly overkill) can be utilized for many things, including multi-room speaker arrangements IN ADDITION to the fact that you can use pre-amp outputs to supply signal to ADDITIONAL other-room speakers, OR you can power a movie-theatre like 10 speaker (nicluding subwoofer) array of speakers for a seriously life-like movie experience. If yuo use the extent of ths 3801's speaker arrangement it WOULD include front L & R, center, Side L & R, rear corner L & R and rear middle L & R... Personally I've very happy with ommiting the rear-middles and using this output for kitchen/dining room speakers for dinner getherings and nice breakfasts!
Feature wise, your head could spin with all the different functionality..check out the feature list:
Dolby Digital & DTS ES Discrete 6.1 A/V Receiver • DTS Extended Surround Discrete 6.1 decoding • DTS Extended Surround Matrix 6.1 decoding • DTS Neo:6 Cinema & Music Surround decoding • Dolby Digital decoding, including Matrix 6.1 decoding • DDSC-Digital featuring Analog Devices SHARC 32 bit floating point DSP processor • 7 Channels equal power amplifier section • 105 watts per channel (8 ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz, .05%THD) • 140 watts per channel (6 ohms, 1 kHz, .7%THD) • Analog Devices 24 bit, 96 kHz high resolution DACs on all eight channels • Real 24 bit, 96 kHz Digital Interface Receiver • 2 sets component video inputs, compatible with wideband (480p, 720p, 1080i) response for progressive DVD, DTV • 5 sets composite and "S" video inputs • 7.1 external wide bandwidth (100 kHz) input for future multi-channel formats (such as DVD-Audio) • 5 & 7 Channel Stereo • Personal Memory Plus • 4 assignable digital inputs • Optical digital output • 9 analog inputs including built-in AM/FM tuner • Multi-Zone 1 stereo pre-amp level audio outputs, fixed or variable level • Power Amplifier Assign function, lets you assign 2 of the 7 amp channels to drive second zone speakers directly • LCD dot-matrix programmable/learning remote features TV, VCR, DVD codes from other manufacturers; backlighting main function keys • Download the owner's manual in PDF format
One of my favorite features of this unit is the dual component (RGB) video-ins which lets me link-sum all my audio/video needs through the receiver instead of depending in 2 seperate TV component ins (which I have anyways, but I prefer to put everything through the receiver) or an external switch.
Again however, my favorite part of this unit is the amplification section, with top notch componentry and incredibly clean signal and wattage. My studio 60's sound incredible and can resolve just about any sound with the low-end assistance of a paradigm 12" sub. I'd also like to encourage you to compare the 3802 to the 3801- the simple fact is despite a higher rated power on the new 3802, the 3801 has a stronger punch and better transient attack - I've listened to both receivers and my speakers, and scouts honor, the 3801 takes the cake, NOTICABLY.
Dollar for dollar, you CANNOT beat this thnig with a stick, especially because with the introduction of the 3802, the 3801 price has dropped into the 500 dollar range!!! At that price, I say BUY BUY BUY...these little monsters truly compete with 1200 and 1300 dollar competition! A great little receiver and for that reason, has found a home with me. Check this out for sure.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 480
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nick1326
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Location: Long Island, NY
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