Superb sound reproduction on music and HT. More than enough analog and digital inputs, Pre amp out put to outboard power amp, solidly built, powerful and clean output with no trace of noise (no hiss nor hum)

need good brain to understand how to operate

I did all the listening test with PSB image 2B speakers on Onkyo, Pioneer, Sony, and Denon. The key here is that I used the same speakers (and the same CD) to test those receivers to get a fair comparison. I could notice different sound (timbre) produced from each of these receivers but It was hard to tell which one was the best. Every person might have different preference sound and I have no reference of which system produced the sound closest to the origin. Later on, the salesperson who helped me with the test hinted me that only Denon 3300 is the silent one (I was not quite aware of what "silent' meant). Next test we run the receivers with a CD that has a passage for about 30 seconds of silence with no recording material in it. All receivers but denon produced hiss or hum (not too loud but noticable). With this result, it made me easy to choose which one is a star.

I was a bit sceptical to find out this denon 3300 is not made in Japan but what the heck, the result convinced me enough to pay AU$1830.00.

I just run through reviews in this website and found some of our friends who were not so fortunate to have this Denon with cooling system problem. Some how I agree to notice that the fan inbuilt in 3300 is not powerfull enough to dissipate the heat but then if the more powerful fan were intalled, I may hate the noise anyway. the only cure to this issue is to place the receiver on an open rack. I put mine on the top shelf of my stereo rack to make sure there is lots os space for the heat to escape. It still runs warmer than my old teac amplifier but I'm satisfied with the superb sound quality and its silentness.

I think noise is a torture, but heat is just the sign of power being delivered and Denon makes good power with it (105 w x 5).

make sure don't spend your money on a receiver that comes with the unwanted noise (this is not a valuable bonus to have. Silence is golden.

Well done Denon.

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo 777, Pioneer VSX-908TXG, Sony ES 777,

Superb sound reproduction on music and HT. More than enough analog and digital inputs, Pre amp out put to outboard power amp, solidly built, powerful and clean output with no trace of noise (no hiss nor hum)

need good brain to understand how to operate

I did all the listening test with PSB image 2B speakers on Onkyo, Pioneer, Sony, and Denon. The key here is that I used the same speakers (and the same CD) to test those receivers to get a fair comparison. I could notice different sound (timbre) produced from each of these receivers but It was hard to tell which one was the best. Every person might have different preference sound and I have no reference of which system produced the sound closest to the origin. Later on, the salesperson who helped me with the test hinted me that only Denon 3300 is the silent one (I was not quite aware of what "silent' meant). Next test we run the receivers with a CD that has a passage for about 30 seconds of silence with no recording material in it. All receivers but denon produced hiss or hum (not too loud but noticable). With this result, it made me easy to choose which one is a star.

I was a bit sceptical to find out this denon 3300 is not made in Japan but what the heck, the result convinced me enough to pay AU$1830.00.

I just run through reviews in this website and found some of our friends who were not so fortunate to have this Denon with cooling system problem. Some how I agree to notice that the fan inbuilt in 3300 is not powerfull enough to dissipate the heat but then if the more powerful fan were intalled, I may hate the noise anyway. the only cure to this issue is to place the receiver on an open rack. I put mine on the top shelf of my stereo rack to make sure there is lots os space for the heat to escape. It still runs warmer than my old teac amplifier but I'm satisfied with the superb sound quality and its silentness.

I think noise is a torture, but heat is just the sign of power being delivered and Denon makes good power with it (105 w x 5).

make sure don't spend your money on a receiver that comes with the unwanted noise (this is not a valuable bonus to have. Silence is golden.

Well done Denon.

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo 777, Pioneer VSX-908TXG, Sony ES 777,

Tons of features, 8-channel inputs future-proof receiver to some extent, excellent Dolby Digital performance

Tuner - No station preset buttons, can't enter stations directly from remote, cheap push-on antenna connector
Volume display indicator too small.
Reliability.
Cheap binding posts.

I bought the 3300 to replace a pile of decent quality separate components - an Adcom GSP-560 Pro-Logic processor / amplifier, a Rotel RT-860 tuner, a Luxman DZ-121 CD player and an NAD 3155 integrated amp.

I wasn't very far in hooking up my new toy when I hit my first snag - the 3300 has a really cheesy push-on connector for the FM antenna. I hooked everything else up and picked up a coax F-connector to push-on adapter the next day. I listen to music a lot (CD's and FM) and was concerned about the quality of the tuner built into the 3300. Aside from the antenna connector, the built-in tuner's performance is pretty good for a receiver. It certainly isn't as good as the Rotel RT-860 separate that it replaced, but I didn't expect it would be. What I find really annoying though is the tuner interface. You can't enter stations directly from the remote, which is a nuisance. There are no station preset buttons. Although you can program up to 40 stations into memory, you still have to scroll through the presets to find the station you're looking for. This kind of defeats the purpose of having presets in the first place, IMO. The other thing I find annoying is that you always have to push the TUNING PRESET button before scrolling through the stations from the front panel Function knob. After about 3 seconds the FUNCTION knob reverts to Source selection mode, so giving it a spin while listening to the tuner changes the source you are listening to. It would be much better if the FUNCTION knob stayed in tuning mode when the tuner is selected as the source. Another big annoyance is the size of the volume display. I can read what mode the unit is in from the back of my room (about 25 feet), but I have to struggle to read the volume indicator from 13 feet away at my listening position.
The Denon's amplifiers are OK for home theatre duty and have more muscle than I need to drive my speakers (PSB 500, 100C and Alphas). All of my speakers are set to small mode with the bass routed to my subs. For music the amp section isn't as good. I assume that the Denon's amps are of the I.C. variety (i.e. amp on a chip). I have no doubt that the 3300 pumps out its rated power - it does go very loud. However, the internal amps definately lack the clarity and dynamic range of the NAD and Adcom amplifiers they replaced. Although I had hoped for a bit more on the music front, the Denon does have line-level outputs for all channels and I will eventually replace the internal amps with better quality used separates. I planned on doing this anyway, so I don't consider this to be a big problem. Anyone looking for a receiver in the same price range with very good internal amplifiers, especially for music, should listen to the Nakamichi AV-10.

Dolby Digital is very good. I'm not a big fan of surround modes for music, so I won't comment on them. Dolby Pro Logic is weak compared to my old Adcom - almost all of the sound comes from the centre, which is a bit annoying at times. The internal DAC's do a good job. I tried a side-by-side test of my Luxman CD player, in direct mode, vs. my Toshiba 2109 DVD player through a digital input (coax) and found that the differences were minimal. The 2109 sounded a bit brighter, probably due to the analog cables I used with the Luxman. Otherwise, they both sound pretty much the same. This wasn't a really scientific test or anything and the 121 isn't the top of Luxman's series, but I thought it was interesting nonetheless. The Luxman now lives upstairs and I use the DVD player as my CD player with the Denon (the user interface isn't as good with CDs, but it works ...).

With the exception of programming the station presets, which is easy but a nuisance and of questionable value, setup was relatively straight forward. I appreciate the fact that you can set different operating parameters (tone, balance, delay, etc ...) in each mode. I was initially concerned about overheating or fan noise because of other reviews here, but Denon must have fixed the problem. I don't think I've ever heard the fan running and it has yet to shut down on me. Since I have a Marantz RC-2000 MK II remote, the fact that the Denon's remote is not backlit doesn't really matter to me. If I did have to use the included remote, I don't think I'd be too impressed. Except for the door on the bottom that hides half of the buttons, the layout is OK. However, the lack of backlighting makes it pretty much useless if you have a projection TV and turn the lights down to watch movies.

Conclusion:
Would I buy the 3300 again? Yes, with the knowledge that I would one day upgrade the internal amps with separates. My old system was very good with music but lacking on movies. The 3300 is excellent with movies (Dolby Digital anyway - I haven't tried DTS yet), but lacking a bit on music due to the quality of its amplifiers. It has a ton of inputs and outputs and should meet my needs for years to come. I could have spent hundreds more on the Nakamichi AV-10 (which sounds much better) to get better amplifiers, but then would have lost half of the features of the Denon.
If you are looking to replace your existing receiver, then the 3300 is probably going to give you the best bang for your buck. If you have decent quality separate components and are used to good amplifiers, then perhaps the 5700 (or separates) would be a better choice.

I listed reliability as a weakness because some of the bars on the volume display stopped working after about 2 weeks. I'll keep it for a couple more weeks before I take it in for repair, just to see if anything else goes wrong on it.

Similar Products Used:

Nakamichi AV-10, Adcom GSP-560

I have had no fan problem; no problems at all, really. Ubid sent me a great unit. Terrific sound, great build quality.

The remote is awful. The dependency on little slider switches to switch components is terrible. Fewer buttons, more onscreen menus would be better.

Put this thing in a real audio rack instead of a wooden 'entertainment center' and I think the fan troubles will be a non-issue.

Price
Features

Overheating
Remote

I bought a Denon AVR-2500 5 years ago because it was recommended by Home Theater Magazine, and I have been very very happy with it. So again, looking forward to jump into the digital arena, I bought the Denon AVR-3300 (also a recommended receiver).

I have NHT speakers and the digital sound is amazing. The remote hasn't changed that much but the learning curve is a bit more difficult to master on the 3300 than my previous receivers remote. The upgrade as far a sound was concerned was definitely worth it because I can definitely tell the difference between the Pro logic and the Dolby Digital. I like the 2 component video inputs, it helps when you have a HD satellite receiver and a DVD player.

I have read the reviews on the AVR-3300 and for the most part they are excellent except for the over-heating issue that occurs with a fraction of the units. Unfortunately, I am part of the select few. My receiver turns itself off in about 2-3 hours when it gets too hot. Denon has a fix for this problem but you must send the receiver to them. Since I purchased the receiver online (again) and through a non-authorized Denon dealer, they will charge me for the repair. Ouch! The receiver was only 4 days old.
Fortunately, I was lucky enough to convince the dealer I bought it from to take it back for an exchange. Of course I had to pay for shipping back to New Jersey.

In retrospect, I would have bought my receiver from an authorized Denon dealer and depending on the money saved I will still buy over the internet (versus your local rip-off retailer). I purchased a receiver and video and audio cables. All in all I saved around $500.00. I have a lot of patience so the money saved was worth it for me. If you're buying from a non authorized dealer make sure their return policies are generous, and don't be shocked if your unit looks a bit on the refurbished side.

The AVR-3801 looks like a sweet upgrade. It looks identical to the AVR-3300 but with a better remote and the DTS ES. Hopefully I can negociate with the dealer to pay a little more and send me this receiver instead.

I am giving the value rating a 5 because for the features the receiver is tough to beat (when it works). Although for the overall rating which factors in the problems with the unit and the manufacturer who refuses to help unless you bought through an authorized dealer (why?), the remote etc. I give an overall of 3 stars.

Similar Products Used:

Upgraded from Denon 2500 Pro Logic Receiver

Excellent decoding of DTS and DD 5.1
Selective digital inputs

Remote

This is an excellent receiver for the money. I've only just bought it, but it's the cleanest sound from DTS I've ever heard. Also, my unit came with RF demodulation for laserdisc AC-3 input, and a manual addenum for using it. This is great! And, it also has phono input, unlike a lot of other similiar units.

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood 1070VR Receiver
Yamaha DDP-2 DD 5.1 Decoder
Yamaha APD-1 AC-3 RF Demodulator
5.1 Marketing Millennium DTS Decoder

Excellent decoding of DTS and DD 5.1
Selective digital inputs

Remote

This is an excellent receiver for the money. I've only just bought it, but it's the cleanest sound from DTS I've ever heard. Also, my unit came with RF demodulation for laserdisc AC-3 input, and a manual addenum for using it. This is great! And, it also has phono input, unlike a lot of other similiar units.

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood 1070VR Receiver
Yamaha DDP-2 DD 5.1 Decoder
Yamaha APD-1 AC-3 RF Demodulator
5.1 Marketing Millennium DTS Decoder

Great value. Build quality.

The remote and manual.

Cann anybudy spel on this cite?

I love reading the reviews but many times I can't decipher the message due to poor spelling and grammar. It would really help if we all used English and proofed our comments. Thanks.

Anyway, the 3300 replaced an older Denon Pro Logic receiver and the difference was dramatic. I'm very happy with the receiver but I have not spent enough time breaking it in or tweaking it with my Polk RT2000p's. The sound is quite open and musical and I expect that things with get better with time, interconnects and some noodling. My family is still recovering from watching the Matrix and a few Bond DVDs.

The remote is absolutely awful and the manual reads like it was written in Greek, translated into Farsi, then Japanese and ultimately to Esperanto -- it is not English (yes, this English thing is a peeve). It should not be a major effort to fix these flaws but they reduce the overall rating from 5 to 4 stars.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz SR7000

Airy sound, detailed, wide soundstage, decent dynamics and features

It runs hot but I'm not sure if that's a weakness. Make sure you measure your wall unit, it's big.

Right from the start I liked the way it sounded. The Longer I use it, the more I like it. I was hesitant to buy an A/V receiver at first and was going to purchase separates. I kept reading positive professional and consumer reviews so I gave it a shot. I haven't heard many other A/V receivers to compare this one to, but it does sound comparable to many mid-fi separates I've listened to (Rotel, NAD, and Adcom).

The biggest surprise to me was the wide soundstage. This thing threw the congos from a Paul Simon disc outside my walls. The image was locked in and backround singers and instruments were where they were suppossed to be. The highs were a little bright but I didn't expect them to be this detailed. The mid-range was nice. The mid-bass and bass was right on par.

I'm using Paradigm Reference speakers, Rotel CD, Sony DVD, and a Panasonic TV.

Similar Products Used:

Nad integrated

Quality unit, fantastic price and fantistic performance

None noted yet, but purported overheating problems

Have reviewed numerous products for months now - all price ranges from $200 to $13,000. The 3300 has almost always reviewed highly. Digital, 105 watts per channel, the Denon Name, outputs for future (7) channel sets, on screen programing and a reasonable price at $1,000+/-

Be gentle here, but was employing an old Denon 60 watt/per system and always loved it. But, what a pleasure to hook up the 3300. Fantastic sound, would never have expected so much. Fantastic treble. Compares very highly with friends' systems costing much more

But the great thing is that probably because the 3801 is out and things are changing, this unit can be had for about $450, factory refurbished. It retails (yea, I know, noboby pays retail) for about $1,100, and can be had brand new for about $750. And, if you buy via uBid, for about $85.00, you can get a two year warranty. You can't loose with this concept for a truly high end unit. The 3801 is currently discounted to @$900 - so can get the 3300 for about $350 less AND get a second year on the warranty. For those of us that appreciate value vs. ultimate state of the art, you cannot lose with this guy.

A GREAT AVR at a GREAT price!!

Similar Products Used:

Older Denon traditional receiver