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Hey all,I'm looking at picking up a used Denon AVR 3801 A/V receiver on the cheap and wanted to know if anyone had some experience with or opinions about the unit. I've never had a home theater setup before and although I understand Dolby Digial and DTS, this receiver does DTS ES which I am not familiar with. The manual claims that the unit does 7.1 - not sure what the difference between 6.1 and 7.1 is. Basically I'd like something that will play the majority of DVD's on the market. I've got too much $$$ tied up in my stereo system to really spend a lot on home theater right now - I'd just like to get started...
Thanks for any help!Steve
Follow Ups:
I own one. It sounds great, but the owner's manual and the ergonomics of the front panel and remote are the most complex and baffling of any component I've ever seen or owned. Good luck.
All of the circa $1000 Denon's have been very good, for some time.Amps and surround processing will be broadly similar to a new/newer Denon, but you'll give up a few features.
It won't *upconvert* S-Video inputs and output them over the Component Video (the red, green, blue triple rca video connection). Plug all the video sources into the Denon and you'll have to run a component video and an S-Video cable from the Denon to the TV. Newer Denon's can take any video plugged into them and output them all via the component video cable to the TV. Not a huge deal, just less convenient. Direct video connections from sources straight to the TV is a solution (and best video) if the TV can accomodate all the sources.
Bandwidth on Component Video signals routed through the Denon won't be quite as wide (high) as with the newer Denon's. Theoretically, a hi-def signal might want the higher bandwidth and could suffer (very slightly) if routed through the Denon.
No digital video in/out (but again, going direct from source to the TV without the Denon is a solution and better in any case).
7.1 means two rear channels on the back wall (same signal, mono). In my experiments, choose 5.1 or 7.1 ; I found that having a single center on the back wall called attention to itself, having two, spread the sound across the whole back wall and was good.
The Denon 5 and 7 channel *stereo* is a pretty good mix, as those usually dorky simulated mixes go. 95% of the simulated surrounds are a waste (Stadium, Rock Arena) but Denon 5 channel (7 channel) stereo is one that you should try and I'm guessing will like.
Invest in or borrow a Radio Shack decibel meter. Calibrating the surround sound is easy with the Denon's, necessary to get an enjoyable surround setup and impractical/impossible to do acurately by ear.
Both Dolby and DTS have six channel (6.1 that is) versions and these are identified as "ES" or "EX". Many receivers and pre/pros superimpose a matrixed sixth channal when fed a 5.1 signal. The difference between 6.1 and 7.1 is that in 6.1 there is a rear center channel whereas in 7.1 there are two extra channels on the rear sides. I have A/B'd a 5.1 signal with a 6.1 signal and there is a difference, the 6.1 sounding more ambient and "fuller".
Isn't 7.1 exactly the same as 6.1 but with two channels? In other words, the two rear channels are mono? If so, is there really a difference between a 6.1 or 7.1 pre/pro (not so much a receiver as you'd have to use one amp section for two speakers)? One could just run a splitter off the mono channel on a 6.1 and get the same result, no? You may have to run it a tad higher to make up for possible voltage loss, but I can't imagine this would be worth worrying about.
I looked on the Dolby website and it seems to suggest that a 6.1 setup would have a matrixed rear center channel but that a 7.1 would have dicreet right side and left side channels. Maybe someone more in the know than I am can answer your question definitively.
That makes sense. Thanks.
I've owned a few Denon AVRs and have suggested them to friends and family. They are easy to set up and use. Those other features (7.1,etc) are not required to be used, but are a "bonus". Almost all dvds out now are in 5.1 anyway so you will be fine with 5 speakers and a sub. The other 2 channels will simply not be connected, and you won't be missing a thing.
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