Denon 2802 or Onkyo 797 for $100 more? (1 Viewer)

[Kyle_Y]

The Denon 2802 was STRETCHING my budget, but my local Onkyo dealer can go down pretty low, $100 above the cost of a Denon 2802. So about $700 for the 2802 and $800 for the 797. The 797 is REALLY a lot more than I was going to spend, is it worth being broke for a while?

 

[Jeff Weight]

I wouldn't even hesitate to get the 797 if you can streatch your budget $100 more. It's a great piece that is a notch above the 2802. Just getting the Onkyo remote is worth the extra $100.

 

[Bobby T]

I have not had any audio drop out problems on my 2802 and I have a friend with a 797 also with no problems. For just $100 more I would give a serious listen to the 797.

 

[David Head]

Kyle,
The problem that Matthew mentioned is discussed in the Question for Dolby Labs thread. Dolby has acknowledged that there is a problem with some new features in movies that cause some receivers to experience audio muting or dropout problems on the Dolby Digital track. The DTS track on these discs plays fine. The receivers affected include the Onkyo 797, 898 and 989. This thread at HomeTheaterSpot mentions that the Denon 1602 and 1802 are affected, but not the 2802.
A person that works for Dolby Labs posted in the Question for Dolby Labs thread that "Dolby and its partners are currently working with the content industry to disable the new features in these movies and broadcasts that trigger these problems."
The Onkyo 797 and Denon 2802 are both great receivers, but I do prefer the remotes that come with the Onkyos. I'm not sure I'd pay $100 more for it though. Matthew's suggestion of the Yamaha RX-V1200 is also worth looking into. It is in the same price range as the other two. I suggest you go to a local store and listen to the receivers you're interested in before making a decision. I thought that the Onkyo, Denon and Yamaha sound a little different from one another. What one of us prefers, may not be the same sound you prefer.
David

 

[Evan A]

David Head speakes the truth!!!

I just got a 797 from Oade Bros. I LOVE IT!

 

[Chuck C]

okay kyle, I see you everywhere...just buy the 797 already!

 

[Thomas_Berg]

Just getting the Onkyo remote is worth the extra $100.

AGREED!! the 2802's remote is less than pathetic...i dont understand why Denon doesn't just invest a few bucks in a decent remote.

 

[David Head]

I own the Onkyo 696 and wouldn't hesitate to recommend the 797, but if I was Kyle I'd consider getting the 2802 and purchasing a One for All or Radio Shack Remote for $20-$40.
David

 

[Adil M]

Would you guys jump on a Onkyo 797 from CC for less than 600? I am highly considering it but have heard too many bad reviews based on poor power reports.

 

[David Head]

Adil,
Jump on that deal! That's a great price. That's how I got my 696...a pricing error at CC.
The "power issue" really isn't a problem at all unless you are using VERY inefficient speakers and/or you have a large room. There is a good article by David Ranada in this month's Sound & Vision that explains the numbers behind the receiver tests. He mentions that it is more important to pay attention to the dBW figures to determine how loud a receiver and speakers will play. Here are a couple of comments from the article:
"Stating power capabilities in dBW is useful in another way; you can simply add dBW power figures to a speaker's sensitivity rating to get an approximate value for the maximum undistorted sound level that can be generated by a given receiver (or amplifier) with that speaker...
You can actually trade off receiver power for speaker sensitivity...A very careful shopper can save money by buying a less powerful receiver and still end up with a system that can play very loud if the speaker sensitivities are high."
Let's take a look at the Onkyo 696 numbers that have been questioned. The number listed for 5 channels driven at 8 ohms was 46 watts and a dBW of 16.5. My speakers (PSB Image) have a sensitivity rating of 91 to 92 dB. That means that in my system I can get up to a 108.5 (16.5 + 92) dB SPL at 1 meter per speaker with all channels driven. I happen to sit more than 1 meter away (closer to 2.5 meters), but it will still play louder than I will ever listen to it...
David

 

[Doug_JC]

I got the 2802 for $529 at ecost.com - But they dont show it in stock right now. :-(

 

[Adil M]

I can get it at cost for now, but am not sure how much longer I'll be in that position to buy it.

 

[Marty Neudel]

Kyle,

if you decide to purchase either the Denon or the Onkyo, you may want to wait until they have fixed the problem that their respective decoder has with some DD tracks. There are other titles forthcoming that are explected to produce the same problem. I would not buy either unit right now; although, once fixed they should be great receivers for the price.

Marty

 

[Kyle_Y]

Well, I am not too worried about the problems because I just got Pearl Harbor, and I listen to it in DTS anyway. Also, if the DVD comes out without the DTS option, I can always use PLII or in the Denon's casee DTS Neo 6. And if worse comes to worse, I can use the DD DTS decoder in my DVD player as a 5.1 ch input. I'll probably be buying one sometime this week.