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Model: | 2802 |
Category: | Receiver |
Suggested Retail Price: | $799 |
Description: | AVR |
Manufacturer URL: | Denon |
Model Picture: | View |
Review by zandern (A) on October 10, 2002 at 08:46:00 IP Address: 137.104.16.40 | Add Your Review for the 2802 |
You will love this receiver. I hooked it up to some older speakers we had and it made them come to life. If your using a cheap receiver a more expensive one like this won't break the bank but it will wow you. It makes so much more use of the surrounds. It's very clear, goes loud, has every input/output you need, hook upto 8 speakers, DTS ES, NEO 5, 5 channel stereo, and so much more. Looks great too. It makes everything about your system better. Get it!
Product Weakness: | None |
Product Strengths: | Everythign |
Associated Equipment for this Review: | |
Amplifier: | Denon 2802, 90WPC |
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): | None |
Sources (CDP/Turntable): | Denon DCM270 |
Speakers: | Klipsch RF-3II, RC-3II |
Cables/Interconnects: | 12 gauge wire, banana plugs |
Music Used (Genre/Selections): | All types |
Type of Audition/Review: | Product Owner |
Follow Ups:
I own a Denon 5800 receiver, which was the top-of-the-line a year ago, and was the top-reviewed receiver in a couple of magazines for HT.Unfortunately, it is not audiophile quality sound on stereo, either with direct bypass analog, or pure-direct digital. The home-theater sounds pretty good, though.
The Denon 2802 is likely going to be good for the price, but you get what you pay for.
I've seen reviews where Denon meets its specs in two channel but power drops significantly in MCH. A Dutch site had the 3802 at 7x29w/ch (if you only use 5 channels you'll get more). My current Onkyo TX595 has the same problem. It's rated at 5x75w/ch but only actually produces that in stereo. When you go to MCH, the power drops to 35w/ch (per a review by a British mag). This problem is present in almost all, if not all, mass market receivers. The problem is with the power supply. Each individual channel is able to achieve the rated specs. When you use all or most of the channels, the power supply can't keep up. These manufacturers are rating their receivers under a best possible senario. NAD, which I think will be my next purchase, rates their products under a worst possible senario. So the new NAD T752 with it's true rated 80w/ch for $899 is not as expensive as it first appears and, in fact, looks like a real bargin. If you have relatively efficient speakers, you may not notice the lack of power. I'm upgrading from Infinity's to Maggies and my Onkyo is feeling the strain. If it really had 75w/ch, it would be marginal for Maggies but still useable. At 35w/ch, it's already straining with three Maggies and two Infinity's and when I get the other two Maggies, it just won't be able to handle it. In summary, this is not a condemnation of Denon per se but of all mass market brands. I feel it borders on fraud to advertise the power ratings they do.
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