Denon AVR-2801: It's got it all, No wonder its #1.
Written: Jun 26 '01
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Pros: Sound in stereo and surround is great. Great screen menu.
Cons: Speaker terminals too close. Remote
The Bottom Line: If you can find it under $500, buy it!
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| ak2525's Full Review: Denon AVR-2801 5.1 Channels Receiver |
I purchased this unit brand new from a friend who decided to upgrade to a Denon 5800. This is everything I wanted in a receiver, and a lot more.
Sound and Build Quality
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First off, the sound quality is amazing - it's an excellent for listening to music AND home theater. This receiver has excellent components inside, and this is apparent by the weight of the unit. Comparing this to a "consumer" receiver (e.g. Kenwood, Sony, JVC) is like comparing a Mack truck to a Geo Metro.
5 Channel Stereo
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The 5-channel Stereo is one of the greatest features giving the realism of being at a concert... especially with classical music (try the last movement of Beethoven's 9th). I believe for 5-channel Stereo to really work all the speakers have to match (see end of review for speakers used).
Inputs/Outputs
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This unit has all the inputs one would need to connect their A/V gear, and control everything from a central place. There are binding post speaker connectors for ALL channels - a major upgrade from the 2800. The only drawbacks I see are lack of component video inputs/outputs and lack of a digital out (important for a CDR).
DD/DTS Decoding and Speaker Setup
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Dolby Digital and DTS decoding is a no-brainer for this unit. Everything happens automatically, except I sometimes have to set it at the DVD player (that's a story for another review). Setting the unit up, and tweaking the speaker settings is flexible and intuitive.
Remote
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It seems everyone has managed to bash the remote that came with this unit. Sure it looks kinda funny, but it's functionality is intuitive and flexible. I use the remote to control all of my non-Denon components.
Tuner
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The actual tuner of this unit is quite good in terms of reception and sound quality. The major drawback is programming the presets. The manual provides little insight, and the actual way of recalling a preset station is not intuitive.
The Final Word
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I am amazed with the 2801 and would recommend it to anyone that is looking for a high quality receiver in the budget price range that wants superior performance to go along with it. So if you find it for a good price, what are you waiting for?
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 500
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Epinions.com ID:
ak2525
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Reviews written: 15
Trusted by: 2 members
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