GREAT !!! Receiver, nice clear Sound and lot's off options

The remote, it looks like a dinky toy but it's quite usefull as soon as you RTFM (READ THE F*CKING MANUAL)

it's no reason to give this GREAT !!! receiver less points just because the remote is to complex for you're simple minds

Very Good receiver Just go listen and you will buy it

System at this moment

Denon :AVR-2801
Denon :DCD-1550AR
REL :Q100E
+ some sony speakers witch have practicly no bass but the problem is solved with The REL Q100E

Purchased this receiver to upgrade an old two channel system and for $500 (including shipping) it is a very good receiver. For my system and room it has ample power and seems to effortlessly drive my speakers. Watching movies at home is now very enjoyable, system did well with U571, Matxix, even got my wife to jump in fright during the Sixth Sense. For music it has brought out additional detail in lots of stuff. I usually use 5 channel stereo or the matrix mode to listen, sometimes for certain songs the rock hall or jazz club dsp's sound interesting. I like the layout of the front panel of the recevier since it is on the simple side and clean looking. Setup was easy, except for having to thread all my additional connections and wires into a built in bookcase. My wife even has no problems using it.

I do wish the unit was a lot faster when switching between DSP's and it would be nice to have component video switching but for 500 it is a good receiver.

Unlike a lot of other reviewers I do not have similar complaints about the manual and remote. Actually I like the remote. I have programmed it to work all of my equipment. Remember it has the capacity to operate something like 8 other devices and still use some of the receiver functions.

My System
Receiver: Denon AVR-2801
CD Player: Denon DCM-440
Tape: Nakamichi CR2A
DVD: JVC VX-M555
Mains: Boston Acoustics A-70
Surrounds: Boston Acoustics CR6
Center: Boston Acoustics CR2
TV: JVC 32D500
And a cheap stereo VCR

Great sound, power, build quality, connections

Remote(will not control my Sony cd player)

After owning and comparing a variety of receivers, I decided to purchase the Denon avr-2801. This is my first Denon receiver, and I must say that I am very pleased with the unit. I admire the look and feel of the 2801. It appears well built and sturdy, and the front panel has a clean and simple look, lacking an over-abundance of useless knobs and buttons. Connecting the 2801 was could not have been easier. The back panel was very organized, using only quality banana plug terminals for all of the speaker outputs. There is a vast array of a/v inputs and outputs, and it offers pre-amp outputs for all channels, allowing you to add an external amplifier to your system if you feel that the 90 watts per channel is not sufficient enough for your setup. The 2801 also provides a six channel external input, for adding on future technologies. The on-screen guide can help you configure and setup the unit, which can be carried out by the remote. The remote will only allow you to control a Denon cd player, which was kind of an inconvenience to me because I have a Sony cd player. As for sound, I feel that the 2801 is outstanding for both music and movies. The sound is very clear and detailed, with superb sounding bass and excellent high and mid-range sounds. All in all, I would highly recommend the Denon avr-2801 to anyone wanting a high quality receiver for under a grand.

Similar Products Used:

Sony, Sony ES, Pioneer, Pioneer Elite, Technics

Clean power 5 Ch stereo numerous inputs

Midrange is flat Owners Maunual

This is my first AV receiver I love the 5 channel stereo Athough the sound isn't as bright as my old carver receiver I like the remote If you cant afford more than $700 get this receiver!

5ch stero, warm sound, high power, too many to list

NONE!

This receiver is great. Just like all the other reviews say. Buy this and you will not go home unhappy. Fully upgradeable!

THE REMOTE IS UGLY BUT IT WORKS VERY, VERY WELL! FULLY CUSTOMIZEABLE.

Similar Products Used:

old sony dolby pro logic

See previous review (below)

See previous review (below)

Sorry, I hate it when people review twice, but I hate it even more when people don't mention what system they have.

Mine consists of:
Denon AVR-2801
Pioneer DV-535 DVD player
Tannoy Saturn S6 mains
Saturn S6C centre
Jamo prestige 30 rears
Monster MXC-1s biwire all around
Monster coax (video) cable

This system sounds as good as those I've heard costing much more, and those cables really do make a difference! The speakers are great too.

Similar Products Used:

See previous review (below)

Warm musical sound in stereo, well-built, good separation of channels in DD

Not as highly powered as Denon rates it, the remote doesn't have enough memory.

After saving up to buy a new home theatre set-up, I initally auditioned the SR-7000 and compared it with the 2800 and 3300. I was taken aback by the wonderfully smooth sound of the 7000, which was admittedly a bit warm (read: coloured), but to my ears, was musical and pleasing with a wide range of music. However, used with analogue inputs, the PEAK indicator lights up, which kinda questions the internal build quality. The 2800 was a bit too harsh in the upper frequencies, and bass was not as well controlled as the 7000. The 3300 was better, but still not as good as the Marantz (in stereo). And the Denon remotes were like something out of a cartoon.

After 1 year of waiting, I finally decided to buy the set-up. Walked into the shop, and they had the 2801 and Yamaha on display. The Yamaha was a fantastic receiver, with excellent imaging, enormous amounts of power, clean sound, and as a bonus is built like a tank. The Denon was a little less neutral-sounding, but was more involving when playing music. But to get to the SPL's the Yammie was capable of putting out well below 0Db required the volume to be set at near-maximum... and its only meant to be 10 watts more. Whereas the Yamaha was powerful and dynamic, the Denon was a little more refined but lacking in "muscularity", for lack of a better word.

The Denon is a fine receiver when playing in normal stereo, and is fantastic with movies as well (try the lobby shoot-out scene in the Matrix- it'll blow your mind!). I chose the Denon over the Yamaha because of its Direct mode (bypassing the processor) that really makes this receiver more musical, and the fact that Denon doesn't have a million useless DSP modes. Overall, a great sounding receiver (though... not as good as the Marantz which over here sells for about US$1000)- much better than the 2800 and almost as good as the 3300. The 2801 just lacks a bit in power (which shows at really high SPL's as confusion in the midrange and a little boominess in bass) and component video inputs. For this kind of price-range, you're not going to get the sound of $2000 separates. However, the 2801 is a good compromise with nice stage depth and good bass control at a price that's affordable (even where I live).

O yeah, the manual is, as already noted in previous reviews, atrocious. Everything is laid out poorly, and I'm guessing something got lost in the translation from Japanese to English. The remote is not too bad once you get used to it, but i could only get it to learn 7 codes before the memory was full. Universal? I think not =)

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha RX-V800, Marantz SR-7000, Denon AVR-2800, AVR-3300, Sony 555ES

Nice look, good connectors, etc

Had (and still has) a bad Optical Input, not quite enough power, but for this price range who cares

Yet again, my pro/con review style....

Pros:
1) Well, it is a good price
2) Lots of options for hookups
3) Good power (for the price)
4) Great reporduction (not harsh the way some others get--no names listed cause I don't want to get flamed)
5) Nice aesthetic appearance--looks well built

Cons:
1) Well, the manual:) Remote is mediocre....
2) The broken Optical Jack (hey it happens:)
3) Not enought power to big main speakers
4) A few settings are too basic -- lacks some user input features (maybe a good thing for some people)

In all, this is a really good unit with some shortcomings. Yet, as I mentioned above, it is a fairly low price unit. Thereofre, I really can't criticize it much. In its class, I have seen nor heard anything that can rival it in most categories.

If you want an all around good hometheater unit, this is definitely worth a close look.

Similar Products Used:

Teac's, JVC's, Onkyo's, Nakamichi's, and others

Build Quality, Assineable Digital Inputs, Audio Memory

None

Ok, here's an update on my wonderful Denon 2801. I've had the chance to really sit down & completely watch a few familiar movies & all I've got to say is WOW!

I'm sure the Monster 1000 PowerCenter is helping, but my home theater has never sounded better. I'm hearing things that I've never heard before. And for those that have commented on the 90W per channel as being conservative. ARE YOU NUTS!? heh. I had the T-Rex scene in Jurrasic Park going full bore & the receiver kicked it all out with a power & presence that the Sony was never able to manage.

It could also be my speakers too. I've got the new JBL Northridge's in front & those speakers are amazing for the amount of money they cost. They run circles around others costing many times as much. But anyway, this is a receiver review!

I watched Saving Private Ryan & was blown away by the imaging. Tightly controlled bass and surround envelopment that was rock on! Before, I had to use the crossover input on my ES-10 to get the kind of bass that I wanted. I know, I know, cascading crossovers is never a good idea, but the Sony, even for being the top of the line when I bought it just never gave me the kind of bass response that I wanted. The Denon has splendid bass management, so now I can use the direct in and bypass the sub's internal crossover & volume control.

So in summation, I am ecstatic about the 2801 and would recommend it to anyone that is looking for a high quality receiver in the budget price range that wants superior performance to go along with it.

Similar Products Used:

Sony STR-DE915, DE665

Sound, DTS decoding

None as of yet.

I can't believe I paid only $500 for this receiver! I have a McCormack DNA 0.5 Deluxe/Anthem Pre-1 setup for audio and surprisingly this unit holds it's own. Speakers are five Paradigm mini-monitors with a Paradigm PS-1000 sub. DVD is a Sony-S570D with an MIT Terminator 3 interconnect for a digital out. All were bought at the same time so it's hard to tell which item opened up but something happened in the last week. Movies such as MIB and Gladiator are simply jaw dropping, as is Eagles "Hell Freezes Over". I've yet to overdrive the speakers with the Denon, the highest I've reached is 00db on volume (loud), and no clipping. In fact the sound only improved, as if the Denon had plenty left. If I can say that same about this unit in terms of reliability in a year or more then this receiver is like stealing money.