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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
mhbs520c
3 posts
 
I am about to make the same decision. Audiophile music is important to me and I find it dificult to believe that the 3803 with its power split 7 ways can really drive top end speakers in just two channels. Can the powere channels be bridged?

I might wait for the 4803 but as I have a great stereo amp now (NAD7600) I am hesitant to chuck it for multichannel. AND what aboutt the Denon's Neo6? Does it take a 2 channel audio CD and make a souround-sound experience from it? If so this seems a big plus.
choiceaudio's avatar
choiceaudio
57 posts
 
Jcl,

How's the cable working? I have not been on audiogon in a while and saw your post. I still have not upgraded sub cables yet.

mhbs, I would keep your NAD. You can always run your fronts with it, no matter which receiver you buy. Dedicated amps seem to make a difference everytime I have done comparisons.
camshaft8
1 posts
 
Has anyone tried the Rotel and B&W combination. I am thinking of buying B&W 600 S3 speakers and Rotel RSX 972 or 1055 receiver. Would love to hear from anyone who any thoghts on this.
mr177ister
2 posts
 
camshaft

If you go to rotel's website and look at their catalog. You'll see on the picture that they use b&K speakers and they co-wrote the guide for HT set up on their website.So I think these two companies work together in some ways.
bfrazier23's avatar
bfrazier23
3 posts
 
Aeg 1:

I just had the opportunity last week to compare the 3803 to the B&K 507. Denon 5803 & Elite 49i.

I am completing a dedicated home theater and currently own a 3802. I was planning on leaving that unit in the family room and upgrading to a 5803 or B&K 507.

I went to a HT store and asked to audition the various units side by side compared with what I currently have. They used the 3803 since they no longer sell the 3802.

I was amazed at how well the 3803 stood up to the other units (3x)+ their price. The B&K offered the greatest sound quality increase, but we had to toggle back and forth several times for me to catch it. Without a reference, you would never know that the B&K sounded better. They both sound awesome & the price difference makes the 3803 a no brainer. Instead of spending money on a more expensive unit, I'm hanging on to my cash for some other HT toys.
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