Denon AVR-4800 A/V Receivers

Denon AVR-4800 A/V Receivers 

DESCRIPTION

THX Utra Surround EX A/V Receiver • THX Ultra 5.1 and 4.0 post-processing • Component video switching (2 inputs, 1 output) • DDSC-Digital Dual Analog Devices SHARC 32 bit floating point DSP processors • Learning and pre-programmed remote control with GLO-KEYS • 8 assignable digital inputs (5 optical, 3 coax); 1 optical output for digital recording to CD-R or MD • World's first THX Surround EX A/V Receiver • 7.1 Widesreen DSP mode, other DSP modes, including 5 Channel Stereo and 7 Channel Stereo • DTS decoding with DTS "ES" compatibility • Composite and "S" video switching • Record output selector • Download the owner's manual and/or product literature • 1 or 2 pre-outputs for connection to external power amp to drive 1 or 2 THX Surround EX surround back speakers • Automatic THX Surround EX and DTS "ES" detection by data bitstream flag • Manual Suround EX activation • Assignable power amplifiers let you use front L/R amps to drive surround back L/R speakers, pre-outs to drive external amp for main front L/R speakers • THX Ultra certified • Compatible with Denon's THX Ultra certified POA-5200 2 channel power amp • DTS decoding • 7.1 channel pre-outs for future system upgrade • 125 watts per channel X 5 channels • Dual Surround Mode Speaker Switching; one surround pair for music, another surround pair for movies • Real 24 bit, 96 kHz D/A conversion on all channels, featuring premium Analog Devices DACs (8 DAC channels) • Multi-Room dual zone/dual source pre-outs • Real 24 bit, 96 kHz digital input interface • 7.1 channel inputs for future audio format (such as DVD-Audio, SACD multi-channel) • Analog stereo bypass for stereo analog sources • Dolby Digital and Dolby Pro Logic decoding entirely in digital domain • Video selector

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 156  
[Mar 24, 2003]
delmar gibbons
AudioPhile

Strength:

sounds great, home theater will impress anyone.

Weakness:

protection curcuit stinks , you would think for this price it would really be a "protection curcuit"not a smoke cucuit.

At first i was pleased with the avr 5600 then one day out of nowhere the protection cucuit came on. The unit was dead,took it back under warranty, it was fixed in about 6 weeks.Two months later while watching a movie it blew again. Took it back and in 6 weeks it was fixed again.About 3 months later i turned to show a couple that had come over, did'nt even get to touch the volume level,it blew again.......once more it was fixed in about 6 weeks.They finally told me an out board item was the problem.all wires are monster,banana clips.my harman kardon works perfectly with my speaker combo.. The other day my wife turned it on and puffff,blown again .......i give up..I'll get it fixed and use it for a fishing weight.please don't buy this product.

Similar Products Used:

harman kardon kenwood kr 9600 (this unit still works like new)

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
1
[Feb 01, 2003]
psyopwak
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Clean sound Alot of power Much flexiblity, but could use better AMP assign menu. Great build quality

Weakness:

Better AMP routing would allow unit to be used as PRE/PRO with added upgraded AMP.

Well I waited a long time to get this receiver. I actually read almost ALL of these reviews, which I think are invaluable to consumers who love audio/video equipment. I really had to wait for the price to drop to a point I could convince my FONSAY was reasonable. The 4800 is really very good. It has a much CLEANER sound than my Yamaha RXV-890 did. The Yamaha was warmer, but less detailed. Maybe the DAC's in the denon make the difference. I am learning all the functions of the unit now, and I actually like the fact that it has a fan, later incarnations of the AVR-4800 ie 4802, 4803 do not. It has never come on but it is there to protect electronics. DTS, DD and DIRECT modes sound great. I had SAE seperates a long time ago (A501 amp, P102 preamp) and this unit sounds MUCH better. My only gripe is that the ASSIGNABLE amps are limited. I wanted more flexibility with hook- ing up an AMP which is CLEANER. But the Denon will only let me use it when I have programmed it for 7.1 not 5.1 I wanted to simply run two channels of the 5 with the additional amp, not 7.1 at all. Other than that the product is great. In USE with: Snell E.5 speakers Paradigm Mon. 9 speakers Onkyo DVD-S525 player Hughes GAEBO satellite receiver Phillips Hi Fi VCR

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha RX-V890 SAE A501

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Dec 12, 2002]
DTH
AudioPhile

This has been discussed here earlier, but I would like to reiterate how bad Denon customer service is. After owning the 4800 for 5 months it died on me. I took it to a "Denon Authorized Repair Center" who kept it for a month before they told me that they could not get the correct parts from Denon to repair it. Then I sent it to Denon. Four months later I got it back and it has been fine since then. Denon had it for a good percentage of the warranty period. This is a good product, I have been pleased with the performance. But is it really better than other receivers in it's price range? I'd say it is better than most receivers, but not all(Onkyo, Marantz, Outlaw & Pioneer Elite are just as good if not better) Is it better than decent separates? Maybe some, but definitely not all. If you try hard and shop around you can do better and find a company that supports it's products and cares about it's customers. More recently I had a Denon Progressive Scan DVD/DVDA/CD carousel die on me. It was only 2 months old. Denon has had it for a month and I am guessing they will have it for a lot longer. I will never buy or recommend another Denon product. Clearly I have had bad luck with Denon. But should you really have to ask yourself how lucky you feel before spending ~$1500 on a piece of electronics?

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
2
[Nov 25, 2002]
tread553
AudioPhile

Strength:

best sounding receiver out there.the denon avr 5800 is the only one betterand it costs 3800.00 equal to high end seperates.

Weakness:

none

there is not a better receiver made at this price.i came to this conclusion after subscribing to these magazines,and owning this receiver for over a year.. sources:the perfect vision, sound advice,hometheater,stereophile guide to home theater,sound and vision,stereophile,sound advice!there is a moron who put forth his review 4 reviews earlier . his sentences do not make sense! are we to seriously consider his and others negative comments about this receiver? there should be an IQ test for these reviews!!!!!!first, one should know the rating in watts at 8 ohms for their speakers. secondly,keep the volume at reasonable levels.third, purchase speakers up to the task.fourth,read the instructions....

Similar Products Used:

in order of sound quality;denon,b&k,onkyo,harmon kardon,marantz,nad,rotel,pioneer,sony,jvc,kenwood.yamaha......

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Nov 25, 2002]
tread553
AudioPhile

Strength:

best sounding receiver out there. equal to high end seperates.

Weakness:

none

there is not a better receiver made at this price.i came to this conclusion after subscribing to these magazines, sources:the perfect vision, sound advice,hometheater,stereophile guide to home theater,sound and vision,stereophile,sound advice!

Similar Products Used:

in order of sound quality;denon,b&k,onkyo,harmon kardon,marantz,nad,rotel,pioneer,sony,jvc,kenwood.yamaha......

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Nov 25, 2002]
tim
AudioPhile

Strength:

sweetest receiver available at this price point..sources: the perfect vision,home theater,sound&vision, and stereophile.

Weakness:

at this price point none!

i sold my denon thx ultra avr 5600 after 4 years on e-bay for 1000.00(these denon receivers hold their value like chevy trucks). to purchase this denon thx ultra avr 4800.after exhaustive research, i concluded, as did many major audio publications, that denon makes the best receivers!the denon thx ultra avr 5803 was my first choice,but was just too inpracticle cost wise.i settled for the more affordable denon thx ultra avr 4800. i have a large room;28' X 26' X 9'. i was concerned the 4800 would not up to the task of pushing my snell thx ultra multimedia series 500 speakers and twin 18" subs. soon after auditioning STAR WARS 2-ATTACK OF THE CLONES, my fears were put to rest.the sound field generated by this much lighter 125 watts @8 ohms avr 4800,verses the avr 5600 160 watts @ 8 ohms,was equal!bear in mind my system consists of 4 rear surround thx ultra snell series 500 dipoles rated at 86db,not an east load to push.i am completely satisfied with this receiver.and convinced it is the best receiver in the world at its price point....and for those out there counting the weight of this receiver as a negative trait; weight of audio componets and speakers is a very good barometer as to the quality of any audio products.i was initally concerned about the avr 4800's lighter weight as compared to my denon avr 5600 which was in excess of 60 pounds!!!!!!!!i am no longer!!!!!!

Similar Products Used:

denon avr 5600,denon avr 2800,denon avr 1800,kenwood,marantz,pioneer,sony,jvc,nad,b&k,jbl synthesis......

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Nov 19, 2002]
Scott
AudioPhile

Strength:

detalied, neutral and dynamic sound

For those who believe receivers are narrowing the gap to separates, this review is for you. I purchased a 4800 in 2000 after extensive receiver auditioning. For the first 6 months it drove my M&K 150 speaker system well but I really didn't understand it's full potential until I purchased Revel Performa Speakers. I simply haven’t heard a better sounding two channel or multi-channel system under $30k. Continuing my quest for sonic nirvana, I decided to compare several external amplifiers directly against the internal Denon amplifier. I started with B&K, moved to Parasound and finished with Krell. After approximately 20 hours with each amplifier and several hours of A/B comparison between the top two, I finally narrowed it down to the Krell Showcase amp and the Denon in-receiver amp. With Revel speakers, Audioquest speaker cable and a Sony 9000ES CD player, I preferred both of these systems over the Parasound and B&K amps. The Krell was probably my top choice because if it’s stunning detail but Denon’s neutral tonal balance and dynamics were second to none. I am very proud of my Denon receiver indeed and I plan to keep it in the family for a while longer.

Similar Products Used:

Krell, Parasound, B&K

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Oct 06, 2002]
Jeff Russo
AudioPhile

Strength:

Versatility,ease to use,great THX mode

Weakness:

could use one more set componet inputs

I researched this reciever long before I purchased it,and let me tell who ever can get it for $1000 (or close to it) JUMP ON IT!!!!!).I made this purchase in June 2000 when it first came out,let me tell you it kicks ass.The rear pannel inputs/outputs are more than enough to handle all of my components,denon 5 disk cd player,new Mitsubishi hd2000 dvhs player,and the new denon 3800 progressive scan DVD player(unbelievably cool)tie that in with polk rt1000s fronts/klipsh 12in sub/polk csi40 center/polk fxi50 surrounds and Mitsubishi 55711 55in hdtv,and of course the heart of the system is my denon 4800. This reciever drives all with ease.With Denons new 5803 at around $2500 you can make a great pick up if you can find this fine reciever.

Similar Products Used:

denon 2800

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[May 05, 2002]
bob jones
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Great sound, features

Weakness:

Discontinued

The last guy (Boomtown) is either incredibly inept or a moron. To blow out your spkrs (brand unmentioned) calls for cheap spkrs or very high sound levels coupled with increasing (painful?) distortion leading to eventual destruction of the spkr. Needless to say the vast majority of users will never be so inept as to have the problems this guy has had. Read other reveiws on this receiver here. The 4800 is a great receiver with excellent sound and features. While now out of production, good deals are available and it should be seriously considered if sound is the most important factor rather than one or two new but virtually non-existent play modes (DTS-ES?)

Similar Products Used:

B&K, Yamaha, sepatates

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 04, 2002]
boom_town2000
AudioPhile

Strength:

it got too much power. very heavy but who cares about the weight.

Weakness:

i don''t get that much clear sound.it is like listening regular a/v receiver.

hi to tell the truth this receiver got too much power but that power dameged my speakers.i connected accordingly but i do not know what happened.i know this is the first thx receiver which denon made,probably they made some mistake. i am not happy about my purchase.

Similar Products Used:

nakamichi,marantz,h/k

OVERALL
RATING
1
VALUE
RATING
1
Showing 1-10 of 156  

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