Thoughts on Denon receivers? - Blu-ray Forum

Jodi · 12-31-2009, 12:48 PM

I am contemplating getting an A/V receiver in either January or February (possibly Denon). I live in the bedroom of my Mom's house as a grad student, so I won't have much space to play with for now. I plan to buy a pair of Polk TSi100's for a 2-channel stereo set-up (will expand for surround later).
My current system consists of:

LG 37" Scarlet (with 4 HDMI inputs)
Arcam DV135 DVD/stereo DVD-A/stereo SACD player, currently hooked up to the LG using a 1m WireWorld Starlight 5 HDMI cable. I plan to hook up the Arcam to a receiver with a coaxial digital cable for movies, and with a pair of analog interconnects for 2-channel music.
Sony BDP-S300 Blu-Ray Disc player, currently hooked up to the LG using a 1m WireWorld Starlight 5 HDMI cable. Of course, I plan to hook up the Sony to the receiver with this HDMI cable.

I seem to be gravitating toward the Denon AVR-1610 and I have read really good reviews of it. My budget for a receiver is under $400.
I would appreciate any thoughts or experiences with Denon receivers. I plan to get a Denon and the Polks at Best Buy where I can listen to them both (audition). Let me know about BB experiences, good or bad -- I may decide to order a receiver online (Amazon.com).

Thanks!!

emoxley · 12-31-2009, 01:21 PM

Denon makes very good stuff, but they tend to be a bit pricey. The worst thing about Denon is their remotes. The same features on an Onkyo will cost less, unless you find a very good sale on a Denon. If you're an old hand at home theater equipment, a Denon will serve you well. If you're a "newbie", I think an Onkyo would serve you better. They are easier to setup and use.

The Onkyo TX-SR 507 and TX-SR 607 are both on sale at Amazon.com, for less than $400. Just can't beat them for the price.
Good luck with whatever you decide on.

Steve · 12-31-2009, 01:25 PM

Denon is a good brand. There's nothing wrong with the 1610 per se, but it is a very basic model. If you could possibly stretch your budget another $50 I recommend taking a look at this Marantz SR5003 from 6th Ave. It's $449 with free shipping. It has several advantages over that particular Denon. It's 7.1 vs. 5.1, it has a little more power, and it has a full set of pre-outs. With pre-outs you have the option to add a separate amp in the future. The Denon doesn't have pre-outs so if you ever wanted to add an amp you would have to start all over with a new receiver.

If you really MUST stay under $400 I also recommend you take a look at the Harman Kardon ebay store, Harman Audio. Anyway this is just my 2¢. Good luck with whichever you decide to buy.

Also in the future, check out HDMI cables from monoprice.com. They're only about $5 each.

Pelican170 · 12-31-2009, 01:56 PM

Denon is great! Marantz even better...

Sammy · 01-04-2010, 08:43 PM

I love my AVR-889. It is basically the 2309 w/o the RS232 port that is really not neccesary anyhow. I suppose that the 890/2310 have replaced it now. The 1610 replaced the 1609 which is 5.1 vs 7.1, I think. In order to understand the manual, you need to think like a Japonese Engineer that doesn't have a full grip on the English language. Now that I've set it up, I really don't change it too much so that doesn't matter any more.

Dase · 01-04-2010, 08:45 PM

I love my Denon and haven't had any issues with it.

Arkadin · 01-04-2010, 09:30 PM

I love my Denon 2809ci also and would very much recommend it.
I would have loved a little more power, but this model was about all I could spend.
They make very good receivers for bd integration imo.

Sammy · 01-04-2010, 09:41 PM

Is the AFLAUD25 code still good at 6ave.com?

JENKS · 01-04-2010, 10:16 PM

I love my denon 3808ci and have had 0 issues with it!

wdhays · 01-10-2010, 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sammy

Is the AFLAUD25 code still good at 6ave.com?

No, but "bonusbuy" will save you 6%.

C Weeezy · 01-10-2010, 02:42 AM

Honestly love my Denon and plan for my next receiver upgrade to be same brand...it'll be my third one..my first one I gave to my parents and it still kicks my current play blu's with great sound and pic through component cables and digital audio only reason to up the ante is for hdmi

In short I recommend Denon to anyone serious about their theater and plans to keep it for a long while in between upgrading...

wdhays · 01-10-2010, 02:58 AM

Willing to go with an "open box"? 6ave.com has the 1910 for $372.24, shipped with the "bonusbuy" coupon. That gains you: 15 wpc, another HDMI input, & upscaling to 1080p for analog inputs. Look for it in the "clearance center". -Or the "open box" 1610 is available for $280.12, if you'd rather keep the cost down.

Deadbone · 01-10-2010, 03:15 AM

Hey Jodi.
I have a Denon Receiver and have had fantastic performance from it.
Remotes are bad though. Best to invest on a universal remote.

gotensan02 · 01-13-2010, 02:15 AM

Had my Denon 888 since December 2008 and still going strong. Bought it from the Amazon warehouse deals for only $279.

monkii · 01-18-2010, 09:23 PM

Denon AVR-1610

Hi hi. I'm thinking of building my first home theater system. I'm not looking for anything huge, and I was thinking of starting with a small 5.1 home theater system for my living room that's 15' X 13'. I was thinking of going for the Denon 1610 receiver. I saw it on this site for $378 originally. But I found a coupon online, KGC38C, and it took the price down to $309, and with free shipping. Has anyone ever had any experience with this particular receiver? If so, any issues?

monkii · 01-18-2010, 09:24 PM

Denon AVR-1610

Hi hi. I'm thinking of building my first home theater system. I'm not looking for anything huge, and I was thinking of starting with a small 5.1 home theater system for my living room that's 15' X 13'. I was thinking of going for the Denon 1610 receiver. I saw it on this site for $378 originally. But I found a coupon online, KGC38C, and it took the price down to $309, and with free shipping. Has anyone ever had any experience with this particular receiver? If so, any issues?

jshannon · 01-24-2010, 12:18 AM

I love my Denon. It was my first good receiver for home theater, so it was a bit complicated (for me) to set up, but once it was set up, it works beautifully. The TV I had it connected to originally was an older Sony HD TV, with no HDMI. I set it up with component cables, but since I got my new Panny TV, it's all set up with HDMI, and now it is a complete awesome system. I would definitely recommend Denon.

kurtis21 · 01-24-2010, 01:11 AM

I love my Denon receiver and wouldn't change it for any other brand. When i'm through with this one...i will get another Denon. Nuff said

horror4life245 · 01-24-2010, 07:17 AM

I recently bought a Denon 1910 and I've never been happier! It's FANTASTIC and was worth every cent of it. I'm much happier with this than my other Yamaha receiver, it's much stronger.

Pycroft · 01-24-2010, 05:57 PM

I have no first hand knowledge, but a friend of mine who does AV installs for a living, says the recent lines of Denon's have had a high failure rate, and he suggested to me to look elsewhere. I think they are good sounding units, but if you want one, make sure it comes from a reputable place, and comes with full warranty.

12-31-2009, 12:48 PM	#1
Jodi Power Member Member since:Jan 2006	Thoughts on Denon receivers? I am contemplating getting an A/V receiver in either January or February (possibly Denon). I live in the bedroom of my Mom's house as a grad student, so I won't have much space to play with for now. I plan to buy a pair of Polk TSi100's for a 2-channel stereo set-up (will expand for surround later). My current system consists of: LG 37" Scarlet (with 4 HDMI inputs) Arcam DV135 DVD/stereo DVD-A/stereo SACD player, currently hooked up to the LG using a 1m WireWorld Starlight 5 HDMI cable. I plan to hook up the Arcam to a receiver with a coaxial digital cable for movies, and with a pair of analog interconnects for 2-channel music. Sony BDP-S300 Blu-Ray Disc player, currently hooked up to the LG using a 1m WireWorld Starlight 5 HDMI cable. Of course, I plan to hook up the Sony to the receiver with this HDMI cable. I seem to be gravitating toward the Denon AVR-1610 and I have read really good reviews of it. My budget for a receiver is under $400. I would appreciate any thoughts or experiences with Denon receivers. I plan to get a Denon and the Polks at Best Buy where I can listen to them both (audition). Let me know about BB experiences, good or bad -- I may decide to order a receiver online (Amazon.com). Thanks!!

01-13-2010, 02:15 AM	#14
gotensan02 Member Member since:Aug 2008 Location:NJ	Had my Denon 888 since December 2008 and still going strong. Bought it from the Amazon warehouse deals for only $279. Last edited by gotensan02; 01-13-2010 at 02:17 AM.

01-24-2010, 05:57 PM	#20
Pycroft Member Member since:Feb 2009 Trading Score:7	Denon I have no first hand knowledge, but a friend of mine who does AV installs for a living, says the recent lines of Denon's have had a high failure rate, and he suggested to me to look elsewhere. I think they are good sounding units, but if you want one, make sure it comes from a reputable place, and comes with full warranty.

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12-31-2009, 01:21 PM	#2
emoxley Active Member Member since:Nov 2009 Location:Eastern NC Home Theater Gallery:18 Blu-ray collection:62 Trading Score:1	Denon makes very good stuff, but they tend to be a bit pricey. The worst thing about Denon is their remotes. The same features on an Onkyo will cost less, unless you find a very good sale on a Denon. If you're an old hand at home theater equipment, a Denon will serve you well. If you're a "newbie", I think an Onkyo would serve you better. They are easier to setup and use. The Onkyo TX-SR 507 and TX-SR 607 are both on sale at Amazon.com, for less than $400. Just can't beat them for the price. Good luck with whatever you decide on.

12-31-2009, 01:25 PM	#3
Steve Blu-ray Knight Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:May 2008 Location:Anna, TX 4K collection:128 Blu-ray collection:416 Trading Score:41	Denon is a good brand. There's nothing wrong with the 1610 per se, but it is a very basic model. If you could possibly stretch your budget another $50 I recommend taking a look at this Marantz SR5003 from 6th Ave. It's $449 with free shipping. It has several advantages over that particular Denon. It's 7.1 vs. 5.1, it has a little more power, and it has a full set of pre-outs. With pre-outs you have the option to add a separate amp in the future. The Denon doesn't have pre-outs so if you ever wanted to add an amp you would have to start all over with a new receiver. If you really MUST stay under $400 I also recommend you take a look at the Harman Kardon ebay store, Harman Audio. Anyway this is just my 2¢. Good luck with whichever you decide to buy. Also in the future, check out HDMI cables from monoprice.com. They're only about $5 each.

12-31-2009, 01:56 PM	#4
Pelican170 Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jul 2007 Location:Newtown, CT 4K collection:127 Blu-ray collection:735 DVD collection:256 Trading Score:13	Denon is great! Marantz even better...

01-04-2010, 08:43 PM	#5
Sammy Power Member Member since:Jan 2009 Location:Right next to Wineville, CA Home Theater Gallery:1 Blu-ray collection:199 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:3	I love my AVR-889. It is basically the 2309 w/o the RS232 port that is really not neccesary anyhow. I suppose that the 890/2310 have replaced it now. The 1610 replaced the 1609 which is 5.1 vs 7.1, I think. In order to understand the manual, you need to think like a Japonese Engineer that doesn't have a full grip on the English language. Now that I've set it up, I really don't change it too much so that doesn't matter any more.

01-04-2010, 08:45 PM	#6
Dase Special Member Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:Jan 2009 Home Theater Gallery:23 4K collection:5 Blu-ray collection:81 Blu-ray reviews: 2	I love my Denon and haven't had any issues with it.

01-04-2010, 09:30 PM	#7
Arkadin Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Mar 2007 Location:...somewhere in Sweden Blu-ray collection:- Blu-ray reviews: 1 Trading Score:9	I love my Denon 2809ci also and would very much recommend it. I would have loved a little more power, but this model was about all I could spend. They make very good receivers for bd integration imo.

01-04-2010, 09:41 PM	#8
Sammy Power Member Member since:Jan 2009 Location:Right next to Wineville, CA Home Theater Gallery:1 Blu-ray collection:199 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:3	Is the AFLAUD25 code still good at 6ave.com?

01-04-2010, 10:16 PM	#9
JENKS Power Member Member since:Jun 2008 Location:NorCal PSN:Jenkskillnya Blu-ray collection:407 Trading Score:1	I love my denon 3808ci and have had 0 issues with it!

01-10-2010, 02:42 AM	#11
C Weeezy Active Member Member since:Jul 2009 4K collection:37 Blu-ray collection:367 Blu-ray reviews:4	Honestly love my Denon and plan for my next receiver upgrade to be same brand...it'll be my third one..my first one I gave to my parents and it still kicks my current play blu's with great sound and pic through component cables and digital audio only reason to up the ante is for hdmi In short I recommend Denon to anyone serious about their theater and plans to keep it for a long while in between upgrading...

01-10-2010, 02:58 AM	#12
wdhays Member Member since:Jan 2009	Willing to go with an "open box"? 6ave.com has the 1910 for $372.24, shipped with the "bonusbuy" coupon. That gains you: 15 wpc, another HDMI input, & upscaling to 1080p for analog inputs. Look for it in the "clearance center". -Or the "open box" 1610 is available for $280.12, if you'd rather keep the cost down.

01-10-2010, 03:15 AM	#13
Deadbone Member Member since:Nov 2009 Location:Australia 4K collection:100 Blu-ray collection:617 Trading Score:6	Hey Jodi. I have a Denon Receiver and have had fantastic performance from it. Remotes are bad though. Best to invest on a universal remote.

01-18-2010, 09:23 PM	#15
monkii New Member Member since:Jan 2010	Denon AVR-1610 Hi hi. I'm thinking of building my first home theater system. I'm not looking for anything huge, and I was thinking of starting with a small 5.1 home theater system for my living room that's 15' X 13'. I was thinking of going for the Denon 1610 receiver. I saw it on this site for $378 originally. But I found a coupon online, KGC38C, and it took the price down to $309, and with free shipping. Has anyone ever had any experience with this particular receiver? If so, any issues?

01-18-2010, 09:24 PM	#16
monkii New Member Member since:Jan 2010	Denon AVR-1610 Hi hi. I'm thinking of building my first home theater system. I'm not looking for anything huge, and I was thinking of starting with a small 5.1 home theater system for my living room that's 15' X 13'. I was thinking of going for the Denon 1610 receiver. I saw it on this site for $378 originally. But I found a coupon online, KGC38C, and it took the price down to $309, and with free shipping. Has anyone ever had any experience with this particular receiver? If so, any issues?

01-24-2010, 12:18 AM	#17
jshannon Member Member since:Dec 2008 Blu-ray collection:270 DVD collection:8	I love my Denon. It was my first good receiver for home theater, so it was a bit complicated (for me) to set up, but once it was set up, it works beautifully. The TV I had it connected to originally was an older Sony HD TV, with no HDMI. I set it up with component cables, but since I got my new Panny TV, it's all set up with HDMI, and now it is a complete awesome system. I would definitely recommend Denon.

01-24-2010, 01:11 AM	#18
kurtis21 Power Member Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:Feb 2008 Location:Southern NJ Home Theater Gallery:44 4K collection:197 Blu-ray collection:785 iTunes collection:1	I love my Denon receiver and wouldn't change it for any other brand. When i'm through with this one...i will get another Denon. Nuff said

01-24-2010, 07:17 AM	#19
horror4life245 Banned Member since:Nov 2009 Location:California Blu-ray collection:165 Trading Score:4	I recently bought a Denon 1910 and I've never been happier! It's FANTASTIC and was worth every cent of it. I'm much happier with this than my other Yamaha receiver, it's much stronger.

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