I had the same "where's the bass" issue on DVD-A material with my Denon 3800. What I did was raise my 3800 channel calibration main/center/rear speaker levels to +7/+8, and left the sub level at "0". Then on my processor I had to raise the sub level to +8. Only at this point was I able to get a balanced sound level reading on all channels w/sub.
In general though, the Denon doesn't impress on bass. I did an a/b (using a CD) with the Denon and a Marantz 8260, for a friend, and when I switched to the Denon his comment was, "where'd the bass go?".
In general though, the Denon doesn't impress on bass. I did an a/b (using a CD) with the Denon and a Marantz 8260, for a friend, and when I switched to the Denon his comment was, "where'd the bass go?".