Denon 3803 info (2 Viewers)

[RichardMA]

I'm probably misreading something on this ad.
Here's the link:
http://www.onecall.com/Shipping.SHP?...VR8K&PMNID=241

 

[Russell _T]

If you look down at the bottom right hand corner of the Onecall ad, it gives the discount, so the price is $1227.00. By all accounts, a steal.

 

[DonT]

I just bought a 3802 a month ago. I paid 700 for it. my opinion is that there are not enough features in the 3803 to make it worth losing money on this unit then blowing another 900 on the new one. i dont think its worth it to lose 300 dollars for some new decoding chips and a couple crossover frequencies i wont use. plus, the multi zone features mean nothing to me as i am using rear surrounds, and the upconversion means nothing because i have everything connected to my monitor. my receiver does no switching in my system. the power is the same and even if they are using new caps, i seriously doubt 99.9% of people listening to the two receivers would notice any difference at all. of course all of this is IMHO.

 

[Ricky***C]

was audtioning speakers tonight and one shop said the price of the 3802 was dropped to$749

 

[DonT]

ricky, there is no way enough extras on that 3803 to justify a 450 dollar price difference. IMHO

 

[Matt Jesty]

Now, If they can keep them from needing service.....

 

[Bryan Acevedo]

Matt - I have a 3802 and haven't had one problem with it. Why do you say that? Has there really been that big of a problem?

Bryan

 

[Yogi]

Actually my 3802 has been trouble free for more than a year that I have owned it. It plays atleast 6-8 hours everyday with my son/wife watching TV during the day and me watching movies/TV during the night. Until recently it was powering the speakers by itself but now its purely a preamp and did I say that it rocks!!! both as a receiver and as a preamp. Its one of the best values in its price category and the 3803 is only going to push it further. I think the 3803 is well worth its price IMHO.

 

[Bill Will]

The big thing that caught my eye was MADE IN JAPAN you don't see that very often anymore. Any one know where the 2803 is being made?

 

[DonT]

sorry yogi i disagree. the few features theyve added dont add up to 400 dollars to me. just my opinion. especially with no power increase. just adding a larger cap wont get it. im not pushing 4 ohm speakers that i need that much extra current reserve. 99% of what they added wont make a difference to most people with normal hearing. my movies will sound just as good to me.

 

[Bryan Acevedo]

DonT,

What they have really added is convenience features, and made the specs even better.

Most people may not see the difference between 27 Mhz and 100 Mhz video switching, but it is nice to know that you aren't degrading the picture at all.

And the new discrete zone2 on/off is something that will make my life easier!

You may not think the new cap makes a difference in sound, but how can you say that without actually hearing it? I can tell you that the 3801 to the 3802 was a difference in sound. I wouldn't be surprised to hear a difference from the 3802 to the 3803.

I do understand that for you $400 isn't worth it, but for a lot of us, it is - especially to have all of that new processing power. You gotta admit - having the same processing power as the 5803 can't hurt!

Bryan

 

[Matt Jesty]

Way too many denon pieces in my service center of late.....
this is anecdotal...service center services about 30 stores , will check other service centers nationally and get back ........

 

[Yogi]

99% of what they added wont make a difference to most people with normal hearing.

I think it will. Caps do change the sound remarkably. That is not to say that the 3803 will sound better. It could affect the sound the other way. Also dual differential DACs are shown to increase the S/N ratio by 3db (I could be wrong about that number) and having 4 DD DACs per channel in pure direct will increase the S/N by 6db meaning the background will be 6 db quieter and that is remarkable. This should make a remarkable difference in how much low level details you will be able to hear with the 3803. OTOH if you live besides a busy road or by the countryside where there is constant noise of critters, 6 db difference could be masked by ambient noise and you wouldn't notice a thing. But all things being equal the 3803 should sound noticably different from the 3802.
I dont know where this $400 difference came from. If we are talking MSRP then they both have the same price. If we are talking about street price (authorized/unauthorized dealers) then the differnce will not be $400. And as far as the justification for a particular price differencial goes it varies from person to person. Just like you, I couldn't justify a $400 difference for 1% increase in performance. Where as someone might feel its reasonable to justify a $400 differential for a new set of cables that opens up his system's top end transparency by an additional 1%(atleast to his ears). Putting my flame suit on.

 

[Jasen Kent]

Question:

How would the Denon 3803 handle or process the sound from a THX EX movie such as The Phantom Menace? Thanks.

 

[DonT]

jasen, the same way a 3802 would. using the matrix 6.1 surround setting. only on the 3803 they call it dolby digital ex.

I dont know where this $400 difference came from. If we are talking MSRP then they both have the same price. If we are talking about street price (authorized/unauthorized dealers) then the differnce will not be $400. And as far as the justification for a particular price differencial goes it varies from person to person. Just like you, I couldn't justify a $400 difference for 1% increase in performance. Where as someone might feel its reasonable to justify a $400 differential for a new set of cables that opens up his system's top end transparency by an additional 1%(atleast to his ears). Putting my flame suit on.

yogi, the 400 came from what i paid (700) minus what i would get selling it now (about 600) plus what it would cost for the 3803 (900 from crazy eddie online) thats losing 100 on the 3802 plus the extra 300 for the 3803 equals 400 for my situation. and i believe the retail has been dropped to either 800 or 1000 for the 3802 whereas the 3803 retails for 1200. 1200-800 is also 400.

 

[Yogi]

yogi, the 400 came from what i paid (700) minus what i would get selling it now (about 600) plus what it would cost for the 3803 (900 from crazy eddie online) thats losing 100 on the 3802 plus the extra 300 for the 3803 equals 400 for my situation. and i believe the retail has been dropped to either 800 or 1000 for the 3802 whereas the 3803 retails for 1200. 1200-800 is also 400.

Roger that Don

 

[NickSP]

Don T, I have to agree with Yogi and Bryan. Whether you want to spend the extra $$ or not, the 3803 is truly an upgrade unlike the 3801 to 3802. The 3803 gives you better crossover setting, better video bandwidth, Buur Brown Dacs, Hammerhead sharcs, etc. and this tells me it is a quality componant as it shares a lot of features common with the 5803. Damn, this will make an awesome pre/pro. It's good to know there with the added capacitors that there will be enough current when needed. This receiver is truly an upgrade IMHO!

 

[RichardMA]

The caps probably added about $10 to the construction price of the receiver. If that's all it really offers,
it's a large price difference. But the initial high MSRP
price for a piece of audio equipment is normal, as is
the reduction in price for "obsolete" equipment so in this
case, the 3802 is the real deal here.

 

[Mark Amayao]

geez a detachable power cord wouldve been kinda nice

 

[jonathan rubin]

How much do you think I can get for my 3 month old 3802?