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Help on buying A/V receiver please. (Is Denon 3300 really that bad?)

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About to purchase my first A/V Receiver. My first thought was Yamaha - probably RXV 496 or 596 but then I read some reviews of some Denon equipment and they sounded very good; for example etown.com reviewer scored Denon 3300 in the 90's (it's also rated a Best Buy by Consumer Guide). Then I went to the Product Review area of Audio Review where (supposedly) ordinary folk share their experiences - wow! the Denon 3300 is totally annihalated(sp?). Apparently there have been a lot of problems with overheating, even to the point where the units won't work at all. So I guess I'm back to the Yamahas. I have a feeling the more reviews I read the more confused I'll get.
I would appreciate some straightforward suggestions on any/all brands of A/V Receivers - I'll go to $1000 for the right unit but would prefer to stay in the $400-750 range. I would still like to consider the Denon line but would like to know if they're seen as high risk given the apparent reliability issue with the 3300 (or has that been overblown). Thanks

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Re: Help on buying A/V receiver please. (Is Denon 3300 really that bad?) Rob A. 23:27:15 11/20/00 (0)
The 3300 did have some problems and I would not buy one. You have to remember that this was recieiver of the year etc and Dennon sold a ton of these. Much more than their competitors in this price range.
The Dennon 3801 is probably going to be right at $1000 but I agree with the other poster that it is your safest bet for current foreseeable future upgrades etc. The Marantz 7000 is $800 but is not a Dennon 3801.
If you can't afford the 3801 go with a Marantz 5000 $600, Onkyo TX-DS575X online (authorized dealer) for $400 or an Outlaw 1050 for $600 online (authorized dealer)and wait out the unstable technology for another couple of years.
Look for a used Denon 4800... pAUL IN sTERLING 19:27:08 11/09/00 (0)
I purchased my new 4800 for $1390 many months ago. They may be on the used market now for under $1k... Paul
Re: Help on buying A/V receiver please. (Is Denon 3300 really that bad?) Joewes 12:22:32 11/09/00 (0)
I believe that the Denon AVR-3801 is this years replacement for the 3300. It looks like it addresses all the weaknesses of the 3300, plus has a whole lot more. If I had $1k I would buy this one or the Onkyo 787, but I don't think the Onkyo does the DTS ES surround decoding, just DD surround EX. Also the Denon says it supports wideband HDTV component video switching, the Onkyo just says it does component video switching, no mention if it will do wideband or not. The Denon is as futureproof as you will find, with 7.1 inputs and outputs, and DTS ES and DD EX.
Re: Help on buying A/V receiver please. (Is Denon 3300 really that bad?) Michael Geiger 11:25:35 11/07/00 (0)
I think in your price range, the marantz SR-7000 is tuff to beat. I have the Sr-8000 and love it to death.

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