Denon 3803 or 3805?? (1 Viewer)

[Dan Hitchman]

I'm in a quandary.

Is the upcoming Denon 3805 receiver THAT big of a difference between the 3803 in order to justify paying $200-$300 more (considering some places are discounting the 3803)?

Does the 3805 have a better, more robust power supply? Are the sonics that much more refined due to the Alpha 24/192 processing, SHARC Hammerhead DSPs, etc. or will a receiver of this "class" only look good on paper due to other cost cutting measures that aren't used in the venerable 5803 (considered by many to be a great sounding receiver)?

Is there better functionality of the Zone 2 features, and can you play, let's say, a movie in one room while controlling Zone 2 in another room with another source and volume, or is it an "either/or" scenario? How does the 3803 differ in terms of Zone 2, or do they operate the same way?

What do people think of these auto calibration features? Are they truly accurate or is it more bells and whistles?

From the owner's manual, it looks like even with the built in Denon Link and internal DVD-Audio (and possibly) SACD decoding the options are about as limited with having an external universal player doing the decoding (am I wrong?) other than using one CAT5e cable (this is a proprietary interface, and not an open standard) rather than 6 analog. With the chipsets being used, it seems as though SACD still gets the short end of the stick (DSD changed to PCM for bass management, no channel delay, etc.-- or is the receiver acting like a Pioneer Elite receiver with iLink digital interface and there is no PURE DSD decoding available, only PCM conversion?)

Is the ProLogic IIx "all that and a bag of potato chips" or can I do without it?

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

Dan

 

[Lee Distad]

IMO, the answer to which one to get depends on whether you can get a swinging hot deal on a 3803 or not.

I've made a career out of snooching discontinued high end product at year end for fire-sale pricing.

 

[Shane Martin]

FWIW, I have not seen significantly reduced pricing on the 3803 yet so the prices I've seen for the 3803 seem in line for what I "think" i can get a 3805 for. A friend of mine bought a 3802 for $825 + tax from a local dealer a while back when it was the hot thing and I assume since the MSRP is near the same as the 3803 and 3805 that the price I could get a 3805 for.. is roughly the same. So if you can get a 3803 for $600 NEW not used or refurb then this might be a much easier decision. For me I'd spend the extra.

The Auto calibration is a nice feature if its implemented like the Macc on the Elites and the Ypao on the Yamahas. I anticipate it will be its equal or better.

The DACs from what I understand are the same ones from the Denon 5803 series.

The only major question I will have in regards to the Zone 2 and 3 deal is if I preamp out to add an external amp for my front 2 or 3, can I redirect that unused amp to the Zone 2 or 3 so that I can run 7.1 in the living room while the wife could listen to cds in another.

 

[BrianWoerndle]

The 3803 is truly multi-room. You can have a different source (stereo) playing in Zone 2 will full volume control at the same time as the main room. The 3805 actually has 3 Zones, but only 2 can be used at the same time. So it will basically function the exact same as the 3803.

On paper, the 3803 and 3805 are very similar. The only really big difference is the auto calibration and Denon link (if you are going to use it). The 3805 also states 10 more watts per channel. Other than that, they are very similar. The 3805 has a revised front panel with front A/V jacks which some people will like.

I have not personally heard the 3805 yet, so it is hard to say if it is worth the extra money.