16 out of 16 people found this review helpful.
Doing a Home Theater? You Gotta Have This Receiver!!
Date of Review: Jun 1, 2004
The Bottom Line: I recommend this receiver due to its unrivaled sound spectrum,and Denon's ability to be the industry standard in regards to quality and performance.
Denon, How do you do it?
How do you keep making the best so much better? It is one thing to gradually improve upon
a predecessor, but to take a product that far exceeded it's adversaries by leaps and bounds, and go above and beyond makes it seem so unfair to the competition.
This is what astounds me; every audio manufacturer rants and raves about how well their product performs and how good it sounds, yet the last sentence in their justification always makes some reference as to how good it sounds, (compared to Denon). I am a partial reviewer, and I give all props to receivers that hold their own; Yamaha, Onkyo, Sony ES, Pioneer Elite, but given the choice, most audiophiles prefer the sound quality of a Denon.
You will never catch Denon comparing their receivers to any other brand. The reason why is Denon is the reference receiver when it comes to sound, ease of use, dependability, and most of all value. Did I mention "VALUE"?
Let's talk about one of Denon's signature receiver series; the 3800 line. The AVR3801 was the first receiver referred to as "THX without the logo". To this day, there are many AVR3801 owners that will not part with their receiver.
Then came the AVR3802, which a lot of audiophiles felt was a step down from the 3801. Thus came the AVR3803 which was one of the first receivers in the $1000 price range to introduce video up-conversion. The AVR3803 as we speak is still blowing the pants off many receivers that cost twice as much.
So, we now arrive at the AVR3805.
This receiver is all that it is cracked up to be, and a whole lot more.
It features room optimization that enables you to set up the room parameters by simply hooking up a microphone and putting it in the area that you are most likely to listen to your music or movies from, (the sweet spot). The microphone measures speaker distances and calculates the most appropriate delays from each speaker to the optimal listening point.
In the past, if you lost the remote control to your receiver, you were very limited when it came to programming the advanced features. Well, with the AVR3805, the receiver is capable of every remote control feature because of the built-in remote functions on the front of the unit, which by the way, is hidden behind a retractable door. This gives the receiver a less "intimidating" look, which is a big factor in a first time buyer's decision.
As for sound quality, this unit far exceeds its 3803 predecessor. The rear speakers have much more range, and seems to produce surround sound effects much more efficiently. The AVR3805 boasts 120x7 watts of continuous power that sounds every bit worthy of THX standards, although it is not certified. The non-THX certification is pretty much a "no thanks" to George Lucas, because the AVR3805 is definitely the go to receiver in the world of home theater innovations. "Anyone that is someone" knows of the AVR3805, and there is nothing close to it as far as performance, sound, and value.
The set has three component video inputs that assure you compatibility with future high resolution sources.
It is well-equipped with five digital optical inputs and two digital coaxial inputs.
This receiver has no limitations as far as what speakers you choose to drive with it. It is very efficient and has remarkably clean sound with a total harmonic distortion level (THD) of 0.5%.
This is the home theater receiver of choice for most custom home installers. It has more than you could ask for should you decide to expand on your system within the next five or more years, and chances are, you will not sacrifice sound or performance, nor will you "outgrow" this receiver.
The AVR3805 is truly in a class of its own, and is unmatched in the $1200 receiver range.
If you are looking for a receiver that features excellent sound quality, is an exceptional unit for driving multiple rooms of entertainment, is easy to set up and use, blows away its' closest competition, and will not need upgrading in the very near future, give this unit a lot of consideration.
As always, with whatever you choose to purchase.. happy shopping!
