wfor1pilot

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $250.00 from Ebay

Summary:
I purchased this as a replacement for the AVR 1081 that I lost in my divorce. The AVR 1082 is an exact copy of the AVR 3802 but, Denon re-numbered them for sale through Sears and other retailers. You can save a good buck to pick up a 1082 vs the 3802. It's absolutely identical other then the model # on the face.

I first must say that it's a very good surround receiver. Much better then the Kenwoods, Onkyos, Yamahas, and even the Pioneer elite as well. It's much better built, better looking and performs better as well. It's well suited for a medium sized room and will push full sized floor standing speakers as well as the small cube type. Though for sound and performance; I've hooked it up to a pair of polk R50 in the rear and a pair of Infinity kappa 4 in the front for surrounds and a Kappa center to round it out. I highly recommend it for HT audio you can't beat this model. It's a bit complicated to setup and the manual is very poorly written / translated. But, the performance is definitely there! Connected to my Denon DVD 2900 the surround sounds are very well defined...

I would not recommend it for stereo audio. It's powerful enough to drive full size floor standing speakers but, it's just not well suited for stereo use. The sound quality is poor and pure direct is worthless.

Strengths:
Awesome sound in Home Theater. Very good build quality. Good looking.

Weaknesses:
Poor stereo sound reproduction for music.

Similar Products Used:
Good grief; the list......

El toro33

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $600.00 from ABC Warehouse

Summary:
This reciever really rocks, and the control over all facets of amplification and surround modes is incredible. It has all kinds of functions that I don't even use on a day to day basis, and quality and clarity of sound is exellent. I picked this unit up after my 2801 went, and have been impressed with the overall proformance and power that this reciever has to offer.

Strengths:
Power, build quality, clarity, and adjustablity.

Weaknesses:
The manual and the remote codes.

Similar Products Used:
Denon AVR-2801 Avr-1801, Onkyo, pioneer

Price Paid:  $488.00 from Tweeter

Summary:
I was looking to upgrade from an old Yamaha A520 amp. Was considering the Marantz 7400, and the Denon AVR2803. I really wanted the ability to assign 2 channels of the 7.1 to multi-room which gave Denon the edge. Setup was easy, and pretty intuitive, thankfully because the manual is poorly written. As an example I never knew about the DVD setup portion of the remote which lets you control the menu portion of the DVD player. The receiver does have a few quirks, like the rec-out and the multi-room are tied together, but I don't use the rec-out so it is not an issue. The knob for switching inputs is a bit inconvenient since you have to hunt for the desired input. The analog rec out/multi-out jacks only pick up and analog signal, so you will need to run RCA cables in addition to digital cables from your CD player. There is a digital out for use with a MD recorder. The remote is a bit clunky, but works well once you get the hang of it. having a full set of pre-outs for use with a higher quality amp is a plus for future flexibility, though I doubt I would ever use them. Most importantly the sound is fantastic. Very full, not as bright as my old Yamaha. I am enjoying my old Mission 707's even more now.

Strengths:
Price, sound, assignable rear channels, pre-outs, 110w/channel

Weaknesses:
remote, manual

Similar Products Used:
Yahama A520

Price Paid:  $500.00 from Sixth Ave Electronic

Summary:
Just wanted to confirm that the 1082 is the same as the 3802 (the old Denon model in this price range that has since been replaced by the 3803). If you go to Denon's web page, you'll find that lots of links for the two products are the same. The upshot is that if you're looking for a deal and are willing to be a bit out of date (albeit still with a nice receiver), you can find a good deal if you can track down a new 3802 and a great deal if you can find a new 1082. (Note: Do NOT confuse with the 1802 or 1803. Not the same at all.) Only problem is that it's getting a bit tough to find them. Regarding the receiver itself, I've only had it a couple weeks, and I like it. It's tough for me to identify distinct improvements that something like the receiver, speaker wire, speakers, etc. make (unless you're upgrading from complete junk) b/c you never really have an opportunity to listen to two (or more) systems side by side in your own home (i.e. you can't quickly switch your receiver back to your old one, or change the speaker wire, at least not easily.) My own opinion is that most people who rave about being able to really tell the difference between systems are probably making it up to some extent (unless they really go to a store and have them do the discrete comparisons that are necessary.) That having been said, what I think is important is whether I like the way it sounds overall. And I do like the way this receiver sounds. Nice and full. At the current time, I seriously doubt that you could do better for the price.

Strengths:
Price is incredible if you can find one.

Weaknesses:
I will admit that the set-up and remote are a bit difficult to master, but if you don't care TOO much and just want to get the thing going, it's pretty intutive.

Similar Products Used:
Yamaha something or other that I bought just after college

Price Paid:  $699.00 from Good Guys

Summary:
Very clean Amp, especially the bass. I was impressed with the clarity of the subwoofer signal. No fuzzy booms. Just a nice warm bass signal that is very clear and not excessive. The highs are also very crisp. I like the various surround features and the signal separation between the front speakers and the surround speakers is very good and quite noticable. Overall, an excellent unit.

Strengths:
Clean, warm sounds. Excellent surround programs.

Weaknesses:
The owners manual can be a bit confusing, though that seems to be the norm with these high end surround systems!

Similar Products Used:
Yamaha (also quite excellent, though not quite as crisp - barely!); Sony ES (no 5 ch stereo, so no deal!); and Techniques (quite a nice unit for people who aren't as caught up in the subtleties, but a