onkyo vs denon

The street price of the Onkyo 1008 and even the 3008 can compete with the 3311.   In my opinion the 3008 is the much better value over the Denon.   The 1008 vs 3311ci is a little close.  It  all depends on what is important to you.  I still like the 1008 which I bought over the 3311ci.
 

IMHO I like the Denon gear better because of the sound, build quality and integration of technology.  Onkyo does offer alot of inputs and bang for the buck and while it is better than other brands out there it does run hot and needs plenty of ventilation.  I know that about 2 years ago the models I was looking at one of the things I didn't like was the component video being capped at 50MHz.  It doesn't seem that is being done any more but I have not been checking out the new models to much lately.  I still own a Onkyo Integra two channel 100/ch intergrated amp that works great.  One of the big things that scares me off from buying an Onkyo is there reputation with horrible customer service and not keeping up with firmware updates.  Both Denon and Onkyo both use the Audyssey room correction but I still give the edge for sound to the Denon, sure the Onkyo is rated 10w more a channel but I doubt you notice it.  

 

Right now I still own a Yamaha RX-V995 that is over 11 years old and still works flawless but it needs to be updated.  Hopefully some day I will upgrade it so I can have HDMI and component inputs along with lossless decoding.  But for the past two years the Denon has stayed on the top of my list as the next reciever to sit in my h/t. I have also been to CES in 2003 and 2004 and have been more impressed with Denon.   I can not say I would rule out a Onkyo, Integra, Pioneer Elite or maybe even a Rotel.  I would take your favorite cd's and listen to both at a good retailer with sound rooms.  And go with the one that you like the best and fits your needs.  The only thing that could come back to bite you is if Onkyo's customer service still sucks?

 

 

I have to admit that my ears are not good enough tell the difference in sound quality between the Denon and Onkyo or Yamaha. I tried.  I agree that 10 watts is not going to make any difference.   I did some comparison's to all three.  I was biased towards the Denon 4311ci but did not have the budget for it.  So the candidates became between the 3311ci, the 1008 and the Yamaha a1000.  I am sure the build quality for all three was excellent although the 3311ci is 10 lbs lighter than the 1008.  All I can say is that the 1008 is solid.  However the Yamaha offered the best  warranty at 3 years.  Then the decision came down to the features I wanted.  I had to drop the 3311ci when I found out it did no support simultaneous dual HDMI outs which was critical for me.   The Yamaha had HD radio but did not support iPod with out a dock.  The 1008 is the opposite. Then my research led me to see many complaints about Yamaha's tuner performance.  So I finally settled on the Onkyo.   I also had  good experience with Onkyo customer support. I am sure it can vary.  I am happy.

 

I am also sure you can be happy with which ever one you choose.

Just curious - what about Harman Kardon???

H/K's, like Marantz, tend to offer fewer features at a higher price than the other main-stream brands. Those two tend to rely on reputation for sound quality and strong amp sections than head-to-head comparisons. H/K has also had a recent history of poor quality control. I haven't heard too much about this lately so this has either been fixed or people just stopped buying them. BestBuy sold them for a year or two and then they suddenly disappeared from their shelves. But their Customer Service is top notch. They will often just send you a new receiver, sometimes a newer model, should something go a-miss. I think they have a lot of experience in this area, though  .

 

It's hard to recommend an H/K or Marantz when you can get a little more for a little less elsewhere. But if you have an emotional attachment to either one they can be a great receiver. I really like the old, moldy H/K's from a few years back like the AVR 520 and 7200.

 

All things considered (and I mean all things) IMO Denon is probably the best all-around receiver, but you won't catch me saying that in public! I am excited about the new Onkyo's coming out this year though. And I'm perfectly happy with my Pioneer Elite 94txh and it's matching BDP-05Fd BluRay player and DV-58av universal dvd player. I feel no reason to upgrade them, until hdmi1.5 comes out, anyway  . (I have no idea what hdmi 1.5 will be but I'm sure I'll have to have it  ).

 

 

Have you looked at the Pioneer Elite VSX-33? It is in the same price range as your choices above. Although I personally really like the SC models but they maybe out of your range. I was always a big Denon fan had 4xxx models in the past. I also have had 8xx model Onyko and it was a good receiver too. Since I picked up the Pioneer Elite SC-27 and now SC-37 I have been ecstatic! Very high build quality and great sound. The ICE amps are fantastic!