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Kenwood Sovereign vr-5900 vs Denon 4802

post #1 of 4
11/7/03 at 6:23am
Thread Starter 
I am trying to decide between these 2 A/V receivers and was interested in hearing from people who have used either of them or compared them for movie and music playback. I currently have the Kenwood KC-Z1 and KM-Z1 THX separates and was considering selling them to purchase either of the two receivers above. I love the Dolby Digital performance I have with the Kenwoods, but it doesn't do DTS or the newer formats and I find the stereo performance atrocious. The Amp is a 6 channel model but when using it for 2 channel stereo the sound is just flat. I actually prefer listening to music on my old Sony 925 receiver where it comes alive. Should I hold on to the Kenwood amp to use with a new receiver? Or is it not a good main amp as compared to the new models? Thanks for all your help.

Bill
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post #2 of 4
11/7/03 at 6:52am
Bill

I have tested both of these receivers in my home. Testing them in your home is the best way to go as things are very subjective.

I kept the 5900 based on my needs and what I perceived to be a slightly better sound. The kenwood seems to have a more natural sound in my setup.

The control options and the more flexible option in the Kenwood sold it for me.

The big difference for some is the fact that the Kenwood has 5 amps while the Denon has seven. If you want to use the multi room function or move to 6.1-7.1 you will need to purchase an additional amp for the Kenwood. This was not an issue for me but my best friend decided to go with the 4802 because the additional amps are important to him. He did prefer the sound of the Kenwood however and has questioned his decision. He has an amazing set up however and I think he made a good decision based on his needs.

The Kenwwod is much easier to setup and use than the Denon. The remote on the Kenwood has advantages in this area. I detest the Denon remotes but that is just me. You can always get a pronto which I highly recommend over the denon remote.

What all this boils down to is that both are great receivers. Denon will get many more nods than a Kenwood on this forum but I really believe that is based on the low end Kenwood receivers. The 5900 is a solid performer and deserves better than it get. Try eac receiver in your house, with your speakers and decide which sounds best and will work best for you.
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post #3 of 4
11/7/03 at 7:53am
I love my 4802, if I were looking at buy'n today though, enlight of recent posts about two deals on the 3803, I think I would of gone for that.

The 7 channels on the Denon is a big plus in larger listening areas. To fully equip the reciever with 9 speakers plus a sub, really shows it off in that scenario.
Run all your sound modes in A+B.

If your going to just run 5.1 for the foreseable future, and don't have the largest HT listening environment, I think the Kenwood makes more sense, I have one friend that has the 5900, and you would be hard pressed to say which sounds better. He has better speakers than I do, but I have a better sub than him, so comparisons are tough. His room is roughly half the size of mine too.

Both systems are definetly impressive to the ear.

Good luck on your choice!!
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post #4 of 4
9/13/09 at 10:08pm
Hey, Bill

I am new to this forum, but I found your post by searching Google for Kenwood 5900 and KC-Z1, I am in the same position as you. I have had the KC-Z1/KM-Z1 combo for 10 years and love them! solid, built in Japan components (impossible to find these days...I noticed the 5900 is made in China). I am considering upgrading to the 5900 because of the following limits of my current setup::

no 6 channel inputs
no learning ability of the remote

If you ended up getting the 5900, I had some questions for you:

1. Is the sound quality noticeably better?
2. have you tried using the KM-Z1 with the 5900 preouts? was it cleaner than using the reciever power?
3. One of my other concerns in the RF distance of the remote. the manual says it's only 30 ft, while the KC-Z1 is 100. I'm afraid it won't work upstairs or in the backyard as does my KC-Z1

If the sound is not much different and the remote distance is that weak, I will probably go through MSB to get a 8 channel input put on my KC-Z1. I don't really care about DTS, but I am addicted to DVD-A and SACD in stereo, and need to hear them in 6 channel!

Thanks!
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