2. home-theater
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Denon 3803 + vs Rotel or B&K receivers

I am close to purchasing a new 3803 Receiver to control my home theater and replace my Adcom 545 based Stereo system.
I'm estimating usage at 40:60 (stereo:theatre) & room large 25x22x18.
Speakers are all Mirage, M-7si mains, OM-C2 center and OM-R2 surrounds.
Sources are Nakamichi MusicBank CD, Phillips Q-50 DVD (both with coax digital outputs).
Video is Satellite (& Cable) on the Sony XBR 40" HDTV.

I am considering getting the Denon now and possibly adding a multichannel amp later if needed. I also very much like the sound of the Rotel 1065 and B&K 307 receivers as well but they do not compare with the Denon for features, flexibility or processing power. Also, I have not heard any of these receivers with my speakers since they have been discontinued.
So I guess the questions are:
1) how does the new Denon 3803 with it's SuperSharks & BurrBrowns stack up with the other receivers on sound and
2) can the Denon as a preamp with a decent (~$800?) outboard amp best the B&K or Rotel and
3) do my speakers dictate one receiver over another.
Any experiences would be greatly appreciated. ...aeg
au_man

Showing 1 response by erider

erider
39 posts
 
AEG 1, I am in the same situation that you are in. In fact, my current system is based on the Adcom 545 and two 535s. I use paradigm speakers all the way around. With a 100" Stewart screen the emphasis in my home theatre is on video. I have a separate room for my audio.

I am considering the following receivers as a replacement/upgrade of my theater:

Outlaw Audio
Rotel 1065
Denon AVR-3803
Denon AVR-4803 (not available yet)

I agree with you that the Denon offers significantly more flexibility and the fact that it can convert video signals to component (with switching) is particularly attractive. I have owned several Denon components in the past and can vouch for their reliabilty and quality.

The Rotel has high current amplifiers and can be used with my Adcom 545 for 7.1. I have heard goood things about the audio quality and the 5 year warranty.

Outlaw has also been rated highly and offer (i believe) a thirty day money back guarantee but I am not too impressed with the looks or the build quality.

Right now, I am waiting for the Denon AVR-4803 to become available. If the 4803 is built to the same standards as their previous products and continues to offer video conversion and HDTV switching, then I will not hesitate to buy it.

My suggestion is wait and see.
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