Denon avr-3311ci vs Onkyo tr-nx1008 vs Yamaha rx-a2000 (1 Viewer)

My 11 year old Sony 50es has bit the dust and am in the hunt for a new home theater receiver. The one before the Sony was a Yamaha CR2020 which I had for 22 years. So I don't change often. Have temporarily channeled sound directly to TV.

If I was willing to spend $2000, my choice would be the Denon AVR-4311ci which has all I want and more. However, since I want to be at the $1000 price point, there will have to be compromises.

I am looking somewhat to the future and am surveying only ones with HDMI 1.4a specs. If I were to decide to go 3D somewhere down the line, I would not want to have to upgrade the receiver. In addition, I need 2 HDMI outs so that I can have 2 connections to my Panasonic Plasma and be able to switch to easily between its THX or custom settings. That said I am looking at three receivers. All have feature trade offs. (Please note that the MSRP prices exceed the $1000 point. However I believe when I buy, which could be anywhere from 11/10 to 1/11 I will be able to hit my price point on any one of them.)

Note that I have 2 B&W DM 602's, 2 601's,1 cc6 speakers and have an M&K MX-90 sub. There are easy to drive and I am perfectly happy with the speakers.

Denon avr-3311ci
Pro's: HD radio, ipod usb input, DLNA, MultEQ Xt
Con's: 2HDMI out not simultaneous, No 5.1 analog inputs, only 27 pounds(could be good or bad but worrisome).

Onkyo TX-NR1008
Pro's: Ipod usb input (but no video), THX, DLNA, 5.1 analog inputs, 9.2, already at price point
Con's: No HD radio (requires add-on), MultiEQ not xt, (lost XT and some of its heft from the 1007)

Yamaha RX-A2000
Pros: HD radio, DLNA, 5.1 analog inputs
Cons: IPOD requires add on, Past FM sensitivity reputation (2065) not good
?: Have not seen Yamaha's YPAO vs Audessy comparison's


Notes: The cons are not necessarily show stoppers but the Denon is looking a little be thinner at this point. I have no brand loyalty. All the above make quality equipment. It is interesting to note that Denon and Onkyo are now owned by the same company.

There have been not any professional reviews to this point that I can find on any of these receivers and not much in the way of user reviews.

Thanks for any insights anyone can provide.

Two receivers in 33 years??? .


Yamaha is one brand receiver I haven't owned yet but I can't imagine YAPO is as good as Audyssey. Again, lots of bang for the buck. I have owned a couple of their dvd players (S-2500 and 6770) and loved them both.


"It is interesting to note that Denon and Onkyo are now owned by the same company."


Are you sure about this? I know Marantz and Denon are owned by D&M Holdings but I haven't heard a thing about Onkyo.

"Of the three personal experience would lead me towards the Onkyo."


I am beginning to lean towards Onkyo. The Denon compromises look to be too difficult. For the Yamaha, it is as silly as that I prefer not to buy a ipod dock and HD FM is not a hot button. But I have not come to a final decision as of yet and I am not in a hurry.


"Are you sure about this? I know Marantz and Denon are owned by D&M Holdings but I haven't heard a thing about Onkyo."

It looks like I was wrong bout this. Denon came from the merger of Nippon Columbia and Japan Denki Onkyo and then merged with Marantz to become D&M. Onkyo apparently started as Osaka Denki Onkyo. I seemed to have become confused about 'who is on first'.

Guess I am the only one here with Yamaha experience. I love my HTR 5960, no issues in two years, flawless video and sound, And the owner manual is 129 pages long! Can troubleshoot, program, etc just about anything.

Just hooked up new Denon AVR-3311CI to my 5.2 Klipsch Reference series speakers, and Wow... glad I decided on Denon and Klipsch.


The Denon's Audessey works very well, and sets up all EQ, levels, etc. nicely. Running the new LG BD590 w/ WiFi and Napster... very nice stuff. Am still learning the Denon, but since I picked it up for $808 delivered have no qualms.


Goto electronics-expo.com and use CODE = LSDA1229 and it will be less than $800! What a STEAL, and you heard it here first.


Dennis

Great price! are they an authorized Yamaha dealer? Note that the Onkyo tx-nr1008 can be had for 799 also at times from authorized retailers. Sound and Vision mag on-line has a review of the Onkyo.

Yes, they are authorized for Denon.

I've had receivers from Denon, Onkyo and even a B&K. I do also have a Yamaha 4 chanel amp that powers my outdoor speakers, although I've never owned one of their receivers. My current receiver is an Onkyo 876. I was in the same dilemma as you a couple years ago. After doing a lot of reading on the Audyssey, I definitely decided that my new receiver had to have it. It was a tough decision, since I loved my first Denon reciever. After comparing features and price, I decided to give the Onkyo a shot. I've never regretted my decision. It is very easy to use and sounds great. Personally, I would go with either the Onkyo or Denon, but beyond that, I'm sure you would be satisfied with either, they both make great products.

The Onkyo 875 then 876, were very good receivers in the same mold as the over-achieving 805. The 876 was available on ac4l.com as a factory refurb for around $750-800 but it looks like it's sold-out. That was a real bargain.

Also, the Denon AVR-3311CI has full HDMI control for PassThru from the Source (In my case the DirecTV Satellite IRD) to the TV - Monitor 1 Out without even turning on the Denon, even if the Denon was powered down using the last source input from the LG BD player.


In other words, we just turn on the DirecTV Satellite IRD, and the TV, and leave the Denon AVR power off, and then we control the TV and Sat. IRD source box with the DirecTV Remote -- but obviously we lose our Surround sound, but it works well for my other half who is a Non-Techy, if I am unavailable.


Next step is hooking up the Denon with a WiFi Bridge, and to get Napster running with it... Stay tuned.

Holy crap, I just tested this out and it worked. That is an awesome price. It gave me $405 off for a price of $793 plus shipping of I think $29. I was thinking about waiting for the next gen which will probably be out in May? but I don't know if I can pass up this deal. The only thing I wish this receiver did was that it was able to stream video from my computer via the network. It does this with music, but not video as far as I can tell and I was wondering and hoping that the next gen will do this. Who knows, but this price is hard to pass up. Everybody has this priced at $1199. WHAT A DEAL!

Originally Posted by DennisSoundEngr

Just hooked up new Denon AVR-3311CI to my 5.2 Klipsch Reference series speakers, and Wow... glad I decided on Denon and Klipsch.


The Denon's Audessey works very well, and sets up all EQ, levels, etc. nicely. Running the new LG BD590 w/ WiFi and Napster... very nice stuff. Am still learning the Denon, but since I picked it up for $808 delivered have no qualms.


Goto electronics-expo.com and use CODE = LSDA1229 and it will be less than $800! What a STEAL, and you heard it here first.


Dennis

Click to expand...

I don't reply to these posts very often but I had to say thank you. I just ordered the 3311CI from Elect. Expo. for those of you considering Denon, we have had an AVR 3808 for a few years and we love it. This is a great price and a great tip!!! Many thanks.

Dennis, where did you find the code in the first place?

Dave


PS: I bought a Sony Bravia Elec Expo several years ago. I asked the sales manager to show me his cost. He did and he agreed to mark it up $200. I saved over $1500. It's worth asking and these guys obviously want to sell stuff. Dennis, if you are in NJ, lunch is on me.

It has been a long time but I just ordered the 1008. Had to wait for other obligations to be taken care of. There have been lots of valid opinions on the pluses and minuses of the various avrs in many of the threads. On balance I believe this one best meets my requirements. At least I will get a chance to test this decision. Thanks to all who weighed in with their thoughts.

Hello Dave (RedStripedCAT), thanks for the lunch offer but we are in WA. state -- Glad you saved over $400. You will love your new Denon AVR-3311CI, and it is such a great deal I might buy another one for the other Master Room at that price. I think I saw it (the discount code) posted on another forum, maybe audioholics forum, but honestly don't remember. When you listen to tunes, HD Radio, CD's, Phono, or streaming music FYI I think that the Multi Ch. Stereo mode sounds best to me. Let me know what mode you listen to music in, just curious. I only wish Denon had engineered Built-In Integrated Wifi into the amp/receiver, maybe on the next version. Are you going to hard wire yours into the net? If so, check out Napster, and let me know what you think of it. I am running Wifi at around 500KBaud download speeds through my LG BD590, and it buffers up way to often, but Pandora Internet Radio runs PERFECT -- go figure why? We are waiting on Fiber to be installed here which will for sure get rid of the buffering with Napster.

How do you set this up. I just hooked up the 3311ci tonight, but my boyfriend is not very tech savvy so I want him to be able to watch TV without having to turn on the receiver. How do I go about setting this up?

Originally Posted by DennisSoundEngr

Also, the Denon AVR-3311CI has full HDMI control for PassThru from the Source (In my case the DirecTV Satellite IRD) to the TV - Monitor 1 Out without even turning on the Denon, even if the Denon was powered down using the last source input from the LG BD player.


In other words, we just turn on the DirecTV Satellite IRD, and the TV, and leave the Denon AVR power off, and then we control the TV and Sat. IRD source box with the DirecTV Remote -- but obviously we lose our Surround sound, but it works well for my other half who is a Non-Techy, if I am unavailable.


Next step is hooking up the Denon with a WiFi Bridge, and to get Napster running with it... Stay tuned.

Click to expand...

Originally Posted by realgone

Also, the Denon AVR-3311CI has full HDMI control for PassThru from the Source (In my case the DirecTV Satellite IRD) to the TV - Monitor 1 Out without even turning on the Denon, even if the Denon was powered down using the last source input from the LG BD player.


In other words, we just turn on the DirecTV Satellite IRD, and the TV, and leave the Denon AVR power off, and then we control the TV and Sat. IRD source box with the DirecTV Remote -- but obviously we lose our Surround sound, but it works well for my other half who is a Non-Techy, if I am unavailable.


Next step is hooking up the Denon with a WiFi Bridge, and to get Napster running with it... Stay tuned.

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I can not tell how to set up a 3311ci. But I do suggest getting a Logitech Harmony one remote. My wife is as non-tech savvy as it gets. But I was able to replace my old Sony with an Onkyo with the change being completely transparent as far as my wife was concerned.

I found another code that works at the Electronics-Expo.com web site. Use the code BIGBEN when ordering and you can get up to 40% off some items. From the site:


Save up to 40% off Sitewide at Electronics-Expo.com! Exclusions apply. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Excludes Bundles, Clearance, Monster Headphones, Denon, Bose, and select Harmon Kardon, Mirage, Energy & Sony items. (BIGBEN) Remove Cannot be combined with any other offer. Excludes Bundles, Clearance, Netbooks, Game Consoles, Beltronics, Bose, Escort, Shure, Yamaha and select LG, Mitsubishi, Polk Audio, Samsung, and Sony items.
This was a slightly better deal on the Denon avr-3311ci. I had already purchased one using the code above (LSDA1229). I might try and find a TV that will give me some more dollars off. I think one of the Samsung 58" Plasma TV's was about $1000 after the code, but I need to do some more research. Try both codes and see which one gives you a better deal. I think BIGBEN expires on 3/31, according to the other site. Good Luck.

O.K. I just read this post and after doing some last minute reseach on the Denon 3311before I went to Best Buy to order it. I saw this info and went to electronics website and entered the code and BOOM......major discount! I verified that they are an authorized Denon dealer and made the purchase BUT, I have read horrible reviews about electronics expo. Any folks here that have made a similar purchase have any feedback on them for me. I am hoping to ease my mind. They said the y were in stock and were all factory sealed units.......and....... What could go wrong??? The price for the unit was one of those "to good to be true" situations and I am just a bit worried I made a mistake in ordering from them. ????? Any feedback would be appreciated.

Originally Posted by DennisSoundEngr

Just hooked up new Denon AVR-3311CI to my 5.2 Klipsch Reference series speakers, and Wow... glad I decided on Denon and Klipsch.


The Denon's Audessey works very well, and sets up all EQ, levels, etc. nicely. Running the new LG BD590 w/ WiFi and Napster... very nice stuff. Am still learning the Denon, but since I picked it up for $808 delivered have no qualms.


Goto electronics-expo.com and use CODE = LSDA1229 and it will be less than $800! What a STEAL, and you heard it here first.


Dennis

Click to expand...

You can hear bad things about any retailer. 6thave.com jr.com tigerdirect.com BestBuy, Fry's, etc. Somebody out there is pissed at each one of them. Hell, there's even a couple of HTF members looking for me! (I have to stay outta Pubs now just to be safe ).


A few years ago I bought some Polk RTi 8's from Electronic-Expo on one of those too-good-to-be-true deals. Basically two speakers for the price of one. In fact, I cancelled the order two hours later for the same fears. I called them the next day and the CSR lady said the price was right and it was for two speakers, so I re-placed the order. Turns out she and the website were wrong. The price was for a single speaker. But they honored the price and sent the speakers anyway (and changed the price on the website-not sure what happened to the lady!).


If something does go a-miss then you have PayPal (mostly useless) and/or your credit card company (sometimes useless) for support. You could also tell Denon. They don't want their good name soiled by one of their retailers. Not sure what they could do but it wouldn't hurt to let them know what happened.

Hi Gregg (Cooperd), I'm planning to buy a receiver. Seems the Denon AVR-3311 from Electronic-Expo is a good deal since the code still valid (Thank you, Dennis for the info). But I also worry about the bad reviews. Have you received your receiver yet? Any news and experience for your purchase with EE. Is there any hidden charge? I know some online companies charge insurence fee but they wont tell you until you put the order. Thanks.


Hi Davepr, Do you mind to tell what specifics let you choose 1008 over 3311? how about your experience with the new receiver? Thanksov...


Henry