Excellent gear! But definitely not plug-and-play.
Pros:
You will be hard pressed to do better in this price range
Cons:
Considerable learning curve
The Bottom Line:
Give it the time it deserves to learn its functionality and you will be richly rewarded for your efforts.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
When I finally obtained the means to build my “dream” home with my “dream” A/V system, the 3806 was chosen by me to be at the heart of a rather elaborate multi-zone, multi-display system. Other reviewers have commented in length about the capability of the gear, so I will offer my experiences after 1 year of ownerships.
As stated by others, this is definitely NOT a plug-and-device and a new owner should plan for a considerable learning curve to before expecting to appreciate all that equipment has to offer. Let’s be honest, the thing is pretty much a computer with some amplifiers in a box. However, the time invested should pay you back handsomely! I recall vividly during the first week of ownership yelling in frustration, “I think I hate this piece of equipment!”. The reader must appreciate that I was attempting to do a number of complex tasks, including passing digital signals from various components through the Denon to other receivers, in addition to using it for analog audio and video distribution. I called the Denon customer support desk on only one occasion and sadly they were of little use, but then I suppose my application is complex. Happily, I eventually found the solution on my own.
I offer a couple of tips for the newcomer:
- Do take advantage of the User 1 – 3 configuration feature. Once you have these programmed for the proper settings for music or video based up the input assigned you will find (dare I say it) even the wife should get it up and running properly.
- Consider buying a programmable remote with macro capability. Folks buying gear in the price range probably already have one of these on their shopping list, but it is useful in simplifying the operation.
- Make sure it has good ventilation. Mine is rack mounted and even though I maintain a full rack space between components, I found that the heat activated protection circuitry would occasionally be activated while using the 12V trigger for projection screen operation. Fortunately, this problem was resolved by merely removing the faceplate covering the vacant rack space.
I have found the equipment will do pretty much anything I ask of it and it does it very well. Denon’s reputation is well deserved and it is difficult to imagine doing better in this price range for an A/V receiver.
