Denon AVR-3805 7.1 Channels Receiver

The AVR-3805 had quite a pedigree. Stretching back about a decade the "3000" series has consistently been:
1) A midpriced performance statement for the entire audio industry.

2) Perhaps the "best" value A/V receiver on the market.

3) An outstanding combination of sound, function, reliability and performance.

Why jump to the conclusion of this review? Bottom line, this new "3000" series A/V receiver yet again sets the bar for the competition.

BASIC PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
The AVR-3805 occupies the mid-price of Denon's A/V receiver line-up @ a MSRP of $1200. It is available in both basic black and really handsome gun metal silver.

The 3805 is supplied with a love it or hate it RC-969 Touchscreen Remote (with a cool blue EL backlight).

Rated at a hefty 120 watts RMS 20-20kHz @ 0.05% THD into SEVEN channels. Inputs and outputs galore including a total of SEVEN ASSIGNABLE digital inputs (5 optical, 2 coaxial), THREE 100Mhz HD capable component inputs, SEVEN "regular" video inputs (s-video/composite) and finally TEN analog inputs ... including a hard to find Moving Magnet Phono stage with traditional RIAA equalization. The 3805 also includes Denon's implementation of a digital input for compatibility with Denon's higher end DVD players. This "Denon Link Series 3" allows a direct digital linkup for superior audio quality on DVD-Audio discs. IF licensing issues can be overcome, this same input should also allow for SACD data too.

Denon didn't skimp on the all important digital audio converters (DAC). There are 16 Burr-Brown PCM-1791 24-bit/192 kHz chips used on a total of eight channels (remember this is a 7.1 receiver). For those of you not in the know, Burr Brown has been setting the DAC quality bar since the first days of CD players.

Want even more flexibility? The 3805 has 7.1 preamp outputs for those of you that want to treat this unit as a preamplifier/tuner feeding your external power amplifier.

I'm particularly fond of the video "upconversion" feature found within this unit. Simply put, this feature will upsample lower grade composite signals to s-video and will upsample s-video to component video. NOTE, this feature doesn't "improve" the lower picture quality of these formats, it simply makes hookup and configuration much, much easier. With this feature, you end up hooking ONLY a single set of component video cables from your 3805 to your digital HD capable TV ... and do all of your audio AND video switching on the receiver ... while the TV stays on the SAME input. Very cool and a real wife/kid pleaser too!

Denon does note that video upconversion with VHS sources can be problematic and further suggests that if the picture won't sync, you'll need to purchase a video stabilizer for your tried and true VCR.

As is the current rage in high-end A/V gear, the 3805 has a 2nd zone preamplifier output. This output can be either fixed or variable in volume level and allows the user to listen to a DIFFERENT audio source in a different part of the house, OR the same audio source at a different volume level. IF you opt to run this receiver as a 5.1 unit, you can "reassign" these extra two channels of 120 watts to power your 2nd zone. When that option is selected the volume can obviously only be set to variable.

To round out the I/O capabilities of this unit, you'll find a RS232 port for integration into exotic whole home control systems like Crestron/AMX. Additionally, there is a host of 12-volt trigger outputs for cool stuff like lighting control, drapery control and even motorized movie screen drop control.


CONFIGURATION:

Well, unless you are already a pretty dedicated home theater enthusiast, I recommend that you either have you dealer come by and set up this unit for you ... or bribe a knowledgeable friend to make it happen.

The owner's manual is typical Japanese translated to English. It almost makes sense ... if you read it a few times. Having read Denon manuals for years ... and years ... I still chuckle at the language and syntax found in their books (and frankly, most other manuals too).

Don't get me wrong on this, the manual is quite valuable and does contain a wealth of detailed AND general knowledge information, BUT unless you already have a pretty extensive A/V knowledge base, you'll be totally and utterly lost.

We all know the expression - no pain, no gain. Well who ever penned that expression, must have been thinking of this unit!

Is Denon to blame? Well ... maybe a tad, but in honesty, this unit has so much technology and capability that there simply is no way that configuration can be "easy" if you're a novice. I guess to put it in perspective, if you've ever configured a router, remember the first time that you tried to get it to work?

And that's really too bad, because once this jewel is properly configured it really sounds incredible.

Ok, what kind of configuration am I talking about? First thing to do is to bring up the on-screen menu. Incidentally, this menu works on all three video outputs - composite/s-video/component. Select speaker size, configuration: center, yes/no, surrounds yes/no, surround back(s), yes/no and 1/2 speakers, subwoofer yes/no.

One has a large number of crossover frequencies to select from to mate speakers with the subwoofer. Not sure how to configure this - ask any 16-18 kid on your block that has a banging car woofer system.

One can set the typical speaker levels and delay information based upon your individual speaker setup.

As indicated in the features above, the 3805 allows the user to assign digital inputs. So, unlike the old days were specific digital inputs were hardwired to specific devices, the 3805 gives you the control to assign these inputs as needed. VERY helpful, if you have a bunch of weird stuff, you're trying to hookup and make work.

Perhaps the coolest part of the configuration will require an additional funds outlay of about $60. The 3805 front panel has a microphone input ... and no that's not for a drunken karaoke night in with friends. We're much more high tech than that! Instead if you borrow/purchase the optional Denon microphone (or any higher quality microphone) the 3805 can "listen" to your room and set the following:
Correct speaker levels
Correct delay time
... and the coolest ... "correct" room eq via the internal 7-band PARAMETRIC equalizer.

If you read the various discussion forums, this auto equalizer has detractors and followers. Use it, ignore it, or use the internal computer computed settings as a starting point to better equalize your room.

With correct and judicious use of the very sophisticated Denon supplied equalization adjustments, one can make a mediocre sounding room, sound pretty darned good. Given that room acoustics is often the final frontier in your A/V setup, I'm all for anything that attacks this problem.

USE:

For many years, Denon has utilized a very simple, but sophisticated personal surround system called Personal Memory Plus.

With this system, you select your favorite surround setting for a particular source and then set the sub parameters (delay, room size, etc.). The 3805 then remembers those SOURCE SPECIFIC settings ... until you change them. Simple and very logical.

Speaking of surround settings, this unit has just about everything except 57 varieties of ho-hum fake surround ... and THX. Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Pro Logic, Dolby Pro Logic IIx (Music & Cinema), dts, dts-es, dts-discrete, dts-neo ... and on and on.

My two favorite MUSIC modes are 7-channel stereo and Dolby Digital IIx Music. Both sound great and for parties for just a quiet evening of music, 7-channel stereo gives me stereo sound without the fake echo of a derived surround field ... can you tell, I'm not a big fan of most synthesized surround modes??

The remote - For a factory supplied remote, the 3805 remote is a breath of fresh air. Very useable and unique. This guy is a long flat device that lights up a cool EL blue when it is picked up. Device control then provides device specific commands. It is preprogrammed and learnable and supports basic macro capabilities. One warning, forget about this remote IF you are going to use it in a high light environment ... and if you are ... shame on you for watching a TV under harsh, bright light!

Denon is to be commended for thinking outside the box on this far from run of the mill remote. Perfect ... no, but not bad. Better? Spend the money and programming time and go for a Philips Pronto ... but then you're spending a sum of money close to or great than the entire cost of the 3805!

Listening:

Wow! I could end it there. There is no way, that a RECEIVER costing $1200 should sound this good. It's way better than I had expected ... and I had expected a lot.

Pick an adjective ... detailed, articulate, finesse, smooth, sweet, punchy, powerful ... you get the idea.

Run, buy one quick before Denon realizes that they under priced it by hundreds!

SUMMARY: Although I was fairly wordy, there is MUCH more that I could have said about this awesome unit, but ultimately words are just that. Go find a dealer or friend that has this unit and see for yourself that the 3805 is "the bomb!"