Denon avr3808ci review

Denon AVR3808CI Review
7.1-Channel Multizone
Home Theater Receiver With Networking

The Denon AVR3808CI home theater receiver is a pretty impressive receiver. Before getting into the review, here’s a bit of background on why I even was interested in Denon and this receiver.

I bouught my first Denon receiver back in 1988 with a bonus check I got at work. The salesman at United Audio in Chicago recommended the Denon but  I thought I’d save a few bucks and buy a Yamaha. Within 2 hours of setting up the Yamaha, I was back to the store to exchange it for the Denon model. I LOVED IT and it lasted 22 years so when I went to get a new receiver, I was pretty sold on Denon. I wasn’t disappointed with my decision.

I spent a lot of time online going through the product reviews on a lot of different sites. Cnet, Amazon, epinions all gave it 4 stars or better so I felt pretty good when I started. It’s packed with features and functions that will keep you busy for quite some time just figuring out how to use all of them.

Denon AVR3808CI sound quality

The bottom line is that the Denon 3808CI sound quality is simply amazing. From the deep bass to the high end of the spectrum and the power to really crank it out loud and clear, it still blows me away.  You’ll be hard-pressed to find anything that matches the sound quality at this price. At full volume, it’s actually ear-splitting.

It offers 130 watts per channel but, as is typical for the Denon line, it seems to deliver a lot more. When you’re looking for quality sound, it’s not just the horsepower that matters, it’s the quality of what you hear. In the case of the AVR3808Ci, it has a built-in internal amplifier for each speaker you’re powering . It allows you to do things like connect a second surround back speaker directly off the main amp to enjoy 7.1 surround formats.

To get the most out of the AVR3808CI, you want to set up your speakers properly. It comes with a mic for auto setup and room equalizing.

Denon AVR3808CI Features

The receiver is designed for multiple-room listening. A 3-zone, multi-source system lets you choose multiple audio sources for listening in different areas of your home, letting you concurrently hear the DVD player in the main room and XM radio in the bedroom,. The Denon AVR-3808CI will also connect to your computer’s wired or wireless LAN network, letting you play back the MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, or WAV files stored on your hard disk, access Web radio stations, or play back photo slides hows.

To make iPod playback easier, you can hook up the receiver to Denon’s separately sold ASD-1R iPod docking station, which charges and controls your iPod.

The GUI (Onscreen Graphic User Interface) is pretty easy to navigate, once you understand the basics.

Read what other owners have to say about the Denon AVR3808CI

I have been waiting a while for “the perfect receiver”. However, I have come to the conclusion that this is as close to perfect as I am going to find for my needs right now. I am using all 4 HDMI inputs (PS3, Oppo 980H, Directv HR20, and a Sony Vaio computer). The Denon has worked flawlessly with SACD, DVD-A, and lossless audio sources from my BluRay movies.
This is a partial review from an Amazon.com reviewer, click here to read the rest of the review.

The Denon AVR3808CI Downsides

There are a couple common complaints about the Denon AVR3808CI and they have nothing to do with the quality of the product.

• Setup can be challenging as the Denon AVR3808CI User’s Guide is not too simple to follow. If you are technically-challenged, you may be calling a friend or the high school kid next door to help you put it all together.
• The remote is somewhat difficult to figure out but once you get the main features down, it’s ok to use.
• It could be easier to use out of the box. While I expected some setup,  I didn’t expect this much. However, the automated equalizer setup programmed the AVR3808Ci perfectly for the family room. You set up the supplied microphone in the room, follow the instructions and the system is equalized for your room configuration. It was very cool!

I set mine up with my existing speakers. Front right and left are Advent Prodigy Tower speakers I bought back in the 80′s. The center is a Bose VCS10 and the rears are Bose 161′s  and the sub is a Polk PSW10. The AVR3808CI will actually drive a much larger speakers but I didn’t feel like spending the additional bucks. As is, the volume can be deafening at just half volume in my family room.

Bottom line? I’ve been thrilled with my Denon AVR3808CI since the day I bought it and give it a 5-star rating.