Crisp sound, easy setup, terrific all-around in this price point

Clip surrounds, only one coaxial input, toy remote

This is my fifth receiver in the last few years, and will stick around for a while. Here's how it compares to the others I've had:

Kenwood VR-407 ($200):
Since this unit never output sound from the center channel, couldn't do a full head-to-head HT compare with Denon. While not a bad unit, doesn't have the dymnamics of the Denon. Another toy remote.

Sherwood 6095 ($150):
Surprisingly good sound for a cheap box. Warm. Had trouble clamping down on signal from my Sony 7700 DVD player.
Still in the family as my mom's stereo receiver. Decent remote.

Marantz SR-7000 ($800):
Good as the Denon is, it doesn't compare to the Marantz. Marantz has a warmth, articulation and clarity I've never heard from any other receiver. (Had to sell due to declining personal fortune!) Nice remote.

Denon 881 aka 1801 ($354) As you can see, I'ved owned a better receiver, but it also cost a whole lot more! At this price, I can't imagine a better deal than this Denon. When I can afford it again, I'll go after another Marantz (maybe even the SR-18!), but the Denon will hold me over QUITE nicely until then!

Had great experience buying from Wild West Electronics, too.

Thanks to all the previous AR reviewers who have helped me find this and other great audio bargains!

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood VR307, Kenwood VR407, Sherwood 6095, Marantz SR-7000

DTS decoding, discrete display, clean power

Surround channels have clip-on connectors, no direct pass-through for another DSP

The Denon AVR-1801 is a great receiver to complement a small or mid-size home theater system. I've tried mine with the whole gamut of speakers, from satellite/sub combos, all the way up to floor standing speakers for all channels (except center, of course). The Denon worked perfectly on all accounts.

In my opinion though, there are a couple of useless features on here, a la Pioneer receivers. I have no use for the Mono Movie Soundfield, nor do I have one for the Virtual Stereo mode. That being said, this receiver is absolutely fantastic for movies, but not exactly the best you can get for just audio. The DTS and DD modes (auto-switching, too) sound pristine for all my DVDs and the Pro Logic Mode sounds pretty good for my VCR too. If only it had a Direct mode to let another DSP do the work, then I would give it 5/5 stars.

As far as receivers go, this little Denon does the job very well, but it does have a few shortcomings. However, it is a great first receiver, and you really can't go wrong with it. I give it 5/5 stars for Movie capabilities, and 4/4 stars for music. Total 4/4 stars (rounded down).

Similar Products Used:

Higher end Denons, lower end Pioneers, Onkyos, etc.

sounds great

no rear channel pre-outs

DONT BUY YOUR RECEIVER FROM UBID..........'nuff said

Similar Products Used:

yamaha, pioneer

Excellent dolby digital and dts decoders, 5 channel stereo, a true high current 70 watts per channel

what else? the remote

I wanted to make the move from my old sony pro logic receiver to something with dolby digital. After many comparisons and a lot of research I went to Hooper's and stumbled upon a Denon receiver. The salesperson let me hear the 5 channel stereo option and I knew I had to have this receiver and I haven't been disappointed. I am using this along with the definitive technology procinema 100 sub/sat system with the 10" definitive sub and I couldn't be more pleased. Watched Pearl Harbor in DTS and it is amazing how good it sounds. And music certainly is no disappointment. Not a whole lot of useless dsp settings, just pure clean sound with 5 channel stereo. My old sony is no comparison. This is certainly a worthwhile purchase.

Similar Products Used:

old sony pro logic receiver

clean sound, s-video, DTS!!!, build, looks

none so far

This receiver rocks. I hooked this up with my Toshiba SD2200 DVD player and Polk RM-6600 speakers. The sound is awesome. Played Saving Private Ryan in DTS. The scenes where everyone is shooting is nuts. It sounded like I was freaking in the battle. I recommend this for anyone. You won't be disappointed. Trust Me !!!!!

Similar Products Used:

hk, yamaha

clean sound, s-video, DTS!!!, build, looks

none so far

This receiver rocks. I hooked these up with my Toshiba SD2200 DVD player and Polk RM-6600 speakers. The sound is awesome. Played Saving Private Ryan in DTS. The scenes where everyone is shooting is nuts. It sounded like I was freaking in the battle. I recommend this for anyone. You won't be disappointed. Trust Me !!!!!

Similar Products Used:

hk, yamaha

Outstanding quality for the price.

remote

I submitted a review several months ago and after constant usage, I want to report that I have had nothing but great success and high remarks about the 1801. I really can't say enough good about the unit. I've paired the amp with Klipsch KSB 3.1 fronts, SC1 center and SS1 surround speakers in a room that is 18 feet wide and 30 feet long. Our subwoofer is currently only a 10" Klipsch sub and the sound is clear, rich, clean and full. Without the sub, bass is weak, but add the sub woofer and the sound becomes incredible. You can't compare this type of amp with older prologic amps as this amp is made to run with a sub woofer to achieve the desired depth of sound. There is no brashness, nothing but great sound and matches extremely well with the Klipsch speaker system. I have tested this unit at peak levels and had no distortion. That is impressive.

I am very particular about sound, having been in a performing rock band, running and building sound equipment for groups and churches (although I am not a sound professional). The balance and clarity of sound from this unit is exceptional for both home theatre and audio cd's. The magazines and ratings on this unit describe it as a mid entry level unit. It may be price-wise, but the sound is definitely comparable to much higher priced units. This Denon unit simply is, in my opinion, one of the best, if not the best, units for the price you pay. You can pay more for extra bells and whistles, but you don't need to. This unit is that good. If you are going to use this unit for your home, you will not need any larger unit. The 70 watts per channel is more than enough as it is coupled with higher amperage per channel than the majority of your 100 watt units. This really makes a difference in the quality of sound and lack of distortion.

A couple of other things to note is that the unit allows the individual to set the EQ levels (bass and treble) if sound adjustments are necessary. Because the unit reproduces sound at such quality, I don't have to use it. I turn off the EQ and listen to the recordings as they were originally recorded.

Clean sound, good value, nice look

Maybe bass (depends on subwoofer), remote

This is my first surround reveiver (second stereo-unit). I bought the 1801 about two month ago for DM 740,- and i love it. In the first weeks i was a little disappointed by the bass but when i got my active subwoofer i completely changed my mind.

The unit looks well build and that´s what it is. It produces nice clean sound when playing music and the movie sound (esp. DVD) is great (Godzilla is alive ;).
With my active sub adjusted properly the bass crawls through my walls and furniture and rocks the house.
I can't say much about the radio function but it has enough features for me and dozends more (RDS, Radio text etc.).

I also listend to the Yamaha 596 which i was cosidering parallel to the Denon. It has a powerful bass but it's also extremely crisp if you have kinda 'analytic' speakers.
Furthermore it lacks 5 channel stereo which turned out to be a very nice feature.

I first thought it has less power than my old Kennwood but it definetly is powerful enough to fill my midsized room. The volume is adjustable in very fine steps, so you have to crank the knob very far to reach listening level. That´s why i thought it had less power at first but it´s a digital poti, so you can turn the knob for more than 360 degrees (approx. 990° to reach max. power, DON´T try this while playing music!!!).

Ok, the remote is crap but i don´t really care for that because i use it once a week. All in all the Denon AVR-1801 is a great unit and i would recommend it to everyone who´s looking for a valuable, good sounding receiver for movies AND music at a reasonable price. - Keep on listening! -

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha 596

S-video in/out, Dolby Digital & DTS, 5ch Stereo, 70 watts per channel RMS.

None.

Well, I got this receiver at Brandsmart here in Miami for a great price of $330.00. They had a sale and I couldn't resist. I paired this with a Pioneer DV-333 DVD player. I had a 1 year old Yamaha RV-905 which wasn't bad, but I couldn't stand the bright sound coming from it. I wanted something with a warm sound and I wanted DTS. This is one great receiver. Both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS sound great. I tried my first DTS experience with TITAN A.E. and I was like WOW! That was some serious surround sound. I also tried The Perfect Storm DD 5.1 and was just like WOW again. Hehe. I love the sound this thing outputs. The 5ch Stereo is great for music and is one of the things that got me to buy this unit. I never heard music sound so good. I tried U2's new cd and was just in awe. It sounded as if I was at one of their concerts. I haven't played with the other DSP's, but I don't really care for them. I just want my 5ch stereo and DD 5.1 and DTS. I also viewed A Bugs Life and it was like someone had taken a cover off my speakers, cause I heard sounds I never heard before with my Yamaha. The 70 watts per channel is more than enough power to fill my living room. I will be a DENON fan forever. Another good thing about this receiver is that it doesn't over heat. A matter of fact, it doesn't heat, it just stays a bit warm, but not even. Well, anyway, for anyone looking for a great receiver at a great price, check out the DENON AVR-1801. Hope this helps anyone looking at this product.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha RV-905 (DD 5.1 only), Denon AVR-1700 (DD 5.1 only), Onkyo 475x, etc.

Smooth sound, easy set-up, DTS/DD decoders, quality DAC's

Remote
Loudspeaker terminals (All)

This receiver is a genuine bargain. It has quality construction, is easy to set-up and use, and has a remarkably smooth sound.

For my taste, the AVR 1801 looks better(blue display as opposed to yellow) and sounds better than the Yamaha HTR 5240 that it replaces in my system. I also like that I can black out the display on the Denon.

In my opinion, the Yamaha has better construction than the Denon, but the AVR 1801 is better than most others in its price range.

I use this receiver exclusively for home theater and in this application I prefer the AVR 1801 over the Yamaha.

If you buy the Denon, plan to buy a good universal remote.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha HTR 5240