Everything

Overheating

This is a fantastic receiver. It is everything I could hope for and more performance wise. However, as many of you I had the dreaded over heating problem. But, I put a fan over it blowing the heat out and problem fixed. That simple. What's dissapointing about all this is that one shouldn't be able to be having this sort of trouble when dropping $900 on a piece of equipment. I understand this problem with my Sony but not with this Denon. Value is superb for this unit since you get everything you could ever want and more. However, it suffers in the overall rating department due to the overheating problem.

Similar Products Used:

Denon AVR-1801, Sony STR-DE925, Old Kenwood Pro-Logic Receiver

Clean, clear, and powerful musicality and incredible Home Theater experience.

I sometimes get anoied by the fan turning on at times durring a movie or music listening.

I have been absolutely thrilled with the sweet sound of the Denon line of receivers. For the money, I think only Yamaha could be a compeditor; however, Yamaha receiver's seem to add almost too much extension to the music. I think by setting up your system correctly, you can achieve a true'r sound using Denon.
Due to money issues, I don't yet have the best connections between all of my conponents, but plan to add and replace those as I can. Dispite this, the AVR 3300 clearly reproduces the most incredible acurate music and effects, I have experienced on a reciever of this price range.
My one and only complaint is that the fan seems to come on at regular intervols of being on. It doesn't matter if I am playing quiet or loud music or movie, the fan always comes on about every 10 minutes. It is well ventilated, so I don't understand this too well. However, I don't find the fan very loud nor does it seem to affect the music or video.

My system:
Denon AVR 3300
Denon DVM 3700
Hitachi VRC
Sony Playstation 1
JVC TV
Klipsch Synergy Sorround Sound System
Definitive Technology PF 15TL

A very happy customer,

Morris Olmsted

Similar Products Used:

I have tested about everything out for consumer consumer market use. I have the most experience with Yamaha receivers.

A great all around a/v reciever that is a super value for many of us that cannot afford to spend 3 to 5K for a high end reciever.

The remote is hard to use.

I purchased this reciever in december 1999 and have had zero problems with it! I was very suprised when looking at the reviews to hear of all of the cooling and noise problems that people have had with it. Before I purchased this reciever I really didnt look at a lot of reviews, I did go out and did a great deal of listening and comparing to other products. At the 3300's price range it is in my opinion the finest reciever below $1000.00,and it is a better receiver than most above that price point.
Perhaps it was a good thing not to make my purchase on-line, and buy from a local dealer. I have spent many very happy long hours with this reciever, and I am happy to say that even during movie marathons at high volume, I have yet to have a single problem. My advice to persons who are interested in purchasing the 3300 or any audio equipment is to buy it from someone you trust. And do your homework,go out and listen and compare it to other products out there. Bring a favorite dvd with you and try it out. And if you do like what you hear buy it, and work with dealer on a price. You can still save money doing it the old fashioned way by working out a deal with the sales person, and that way you don't have to worry about sending it back to a faceless e-retailer if you have a bad unit. As for myself I love the 3300 and there a lot of people who feel the same way as I do.
As for my set-up I have the following...
A Denon avr 3300
Fronts are vintage Klipsch Forte's
Center is a Klipsch Synergy (I will soon be replacing this its very poor quality, and I made the mistake of purchasing it out of brand loyalty. Its just not the same company anymore. And yes I should have listened to it a little longer.
The sub is a Mirage
And the rears are AE Aegis Ones (another great value at $300.00 for the pair. Check them out you will be amazed at the quality)
I also am using the Denon 1500 dvd player and it works great as well.

Sound, features, price/performance

No digital out, remote

I wanted to wait at least a few months before I wrote this review to make sure my unit had no problems. And to add another vote to the 'BUY THIS UNIT FROM AN AUTHORIZED DEALER' pool, I did and have no problems. While the bad reviews of this unit almost scared me off from buying it, the dealer at Audio by Design was extremely informative about the issue and while he didn't guarantee there wouldn't be any problems with the unit, he did guarantee me I could return it for a new unit or get it repaired if it did. Anyway, the fan in question that is causing the problems is a two speed 'smart' fan. When the fan is needed it turns on (simple right) but if the receiver detects low volume levels, it trys to set the fan at a lower speed so if won't be heard (it states this in the manual). The defective units had a problem with this fan and in a nut shell, it just didn't turn on when it needed to. Thus the unit would overheat and shut down. It is really as simple as that. It does not excuse these units being released from the manufacturing plant with the defect but at least we know what the actual problem is.

As for the unit itself, I could not be happier. My 'home theater' room is my living room which is open to the kitchen/breakfast aread in the back and open to the right to the formal dining area. Basically it is one big open area with a 10' ceiling - not exactly ideal for home theater. My equipment is as follows:

Monitor Silver 5i fronts
Energy eXL C2 center
Energy eXL 10 Sub
SpeakerLab 6.2 in-ceiling surrounds
Old Panasonic 27" TV
Toshiba 2150 DVD

I will add a big screen TV and progressive-scan DVD later but most important to you all I assume is how it all sounds. It sounds incredible. Movies are amazing and CD's through the Monitor Silver's are incredible - even through the Toshiba DVD player. I am blown away. I listened to the whole setup at the dealer in one of their listening rooms and I actually think it sounds better in my house. The only thing lacking (compared to the dealer demo) is the sub and that is most likely a function of the room size itself and not the receiver or the sub. I am amazed by how quiet the quiet passages in film and music are (no hiss) and the smooth yet sudden transition from quiet to loud (mostly movies). I just watched U 571 on the system and am completely blown away. From the subtle creaking of the submarine walls to the LFE sounds of the depth charges - the 3300 handled it all. The unit is a bit complicated to operate with the included remote but at least it has decent learning capabilities. I hate the sliders to choose the unit though (TV, DVD, Audio/Video) and have put a Pronto on my Christmas list. The only other thing I wish they had included was digital out. While I have no need for it now, it really would have completed the package of options (they did include one on the 3801). The DSP modes are fairly useless except for Matrix which actually works pretty well with TV and Mono Movie which also works well with those old TNT and USA Saturday movies. The Dolby Digital and DTS are amazing. I try not to buy into hype but I think the 32-bit SHARC processor they use (the same one as in the 5700) makes a huge difference.

In summary, I don't think there is a better receiver out there for the money. The 3801 is out now and is pretty much the same unit with 6.1 processing and digital out for ~$200 more. If these things are important to you, get the 3801 otherwise the 3300 is a great value.

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo, Yamaha, Sony

Great sound, build quality.

Remote is awful.

Despite all the bad reviews about noisy fans, and buying these from online dealers like ubid.com, I went ahead and did just that. And guess what: No fan problem. No problems at all.

This is one sweet unit, with great sound, nice, heavy build quality, and tons of connectivity possibilities (even a phono input).

It does run kind of warm, but get a real audio rack instead of that huge wooden 'entertainment center' and I don't think the fan will be a problem.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneers, Onkyos

Great sound, build quality.

Remote is awful.

Despite all the bad reviews about noisy fans, and buying these from online dealers like ubid.com, I went ahead and did just that. And guess what: No fan problem. No problems at all.

This is one sweet unit, with great sound, nice, heavy build quality, and tons of connectivity possibilities (even a phono input).

It does run kind of warm, but get a real audio rack instead of that huge wooden 'entertainment center' and I don't think the fan will be a problem.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneers, Onkyos

Great sound, build quality.

Remote is awful.

Despite all the bad reviews about noisy fans, and buying these from online dealers like ubid.com, I went ahead and did just that. And guess what: No fan problem. No problems at all.

This is one sweet unit, with great sound, nice, heavy build quality, and tons of connectivity possibilities (even a phono input).

It does run kind of warm, but get a real audio rack instead of that huge wooden 'entertainment center' and I don't think the fan will be a problem.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneers, Onkyos

Great sound for both music and movies. Very easy to use, Tons of features and options.

The remote could be better.

I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical when I purchased this unit after reading all the poor reviews. However, it had the best sound and the most features of any receiver in this price range so I decided to take a chance. Now I have only had it for just over two weeks but I have had no problems. It has not shut down, the fan has never come on(or at least if it has I have not heard it) and it doesn't even get that hot. I have placed the unit in an open bookshelf with about 8 inches clearance from the shelf above and 6 inches on either side, and about 4 inches in back. I made sure that ventilation was not going to be a problem. Preformance wise this receiver does not disappoint. The sound is crystal clear and the DD and DTS modes for movies are out of this world. It was very easy to set-up and even easier to operate. I would recommend this receiver to anyone who wants a high preforming receiver at a reasonable price. However, I would buy this from an authorized Denon dealer in case you get stuck with one of the duds.

Similar Products Used:

Klipsch Synergy Series

inputs galore, ergonomics, crystal clear dolby digital, 5 channel stereo

bright, 2 channel stereo (strains easily), direct mode, very weak bass, grain, pro logic, large size

So many positive reviews! I don't understand how so many people enjoy the sound of today's HT receivers especially in 2 channel stereo. The sound is often thin and overly bright. Great for breaking glass in Dolby Digital but not so great when listening to CDs. I also don't understand all the reviews here about how great direct mode is. There's very little bass and it sounds thin even in stereo with the bass turned up.

Features on this unit are nice. GUI setup, ergonomics are smart, numerous inputs.

Anyway, I'm just not fond of the 3300 rather thin and harsh sound especially the treble in 2 channel stereo. It easily strains.

I went with the NAD T760. Good bass, fuller overall sound, less grain, soft highs, never straining.

Equipment (people shound list to give an idea of the sound one is going for):

Sony 7700 Dvd player
Cal Audio Icon MK II Cd player
KEF Q15s
NHT AC1
Coda7s
Platinum Audio 801s
Audioquest Type 4 wires

NAD T760 over Denon 3300 because 2 channel is better

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha 995 and NAD T760

great sound, very flexible ins and outs, quiet, great dac's, direct mode, 5 channel stereo, phono inputs

maybe two coax and toslink instead of 1 and 3, needs digital out.

exchanged the rotel i bought for this after experiencing problems with it locking on to dts signal. didn't feel comfortable with the rotel, as who knows how many more problems may have developed.even though side by side comparison gave the rotel the edge in sound. took a month of waiting to get it in stock, but it was worth it.

I am very happy with this. although at the moment it is only being used for stereo music, i have had it wired into a home theater set-up just to make sure all was working properly. sounds wonderful, both on music and movies. while in the store's larger, more heavily damped room, i thought it was a little light on power, in my apartment it puts out more than enough volume. the direct mode is incredible, bypassing all digital processing to send a pure analog signal to stereo speakers. 5 channel stereo expands the soundstage, putting you in the sound field rather than projecting it toward you. there is no hiss, and so far i haven't had any of the high pitched fan whine that others have remarked upon.

it has more than enough inputs, although an extra coax instead of one of the three toslinks would have made this even more flexible. and while it doesn't really effect me, a digital output would have been nice.

while connected in the store, i was able to compare side by side with an integra dtr-7. they sould very similar, the integra maybe a bit thicker in the bass. the denon has good clear bass lines, though maybe not as deep as they should be. on bass guitar, it's like the instrument had thicker strings when heard on the integra. i have also listened to the hk 500, yamaha 995, and the marantz 880 mk II(no 7000's in stock) the denon sounded better to me than any of them, except possibly the marantz. the yammie was too tinny sounding with acoustic guitar, the hk seemed dry and too well mannered. the marantz sounded good, but i'd love to a/b the denon with a 7000 or 8000 to compare. plus, no phono input. the denon was the first to bring me into the music and make me marvel at what i was hearing. connected to my 20 year old epi's, using original monster cable, it's like my speakers were brought back to life. i don't know if i need new ones now, although i can't wait til my studio 20's get here.

Similar Products Used:

rotel rsx-965, integra dtr-7