Denon 5803 or B&K AVR 507 (1 Viewer)

[Albert Damico]

The thread says it all. I am going to purchase one of these receivers to replace my Yamaha 2095. Criteria:

Never used for music
Broadcast TV not an issue
Only used for movie watching
Infinity Overture 2 mains
Axiom VP 150 center
Axiom effects
Infinity HPS1000 sub

Please post opinions. Who owns these receivers and what are your thoughts?

 

[Yogi]

I would go with the 507 in a heartbeat for the following reasons:

1) Tweakability - Room eq response, notch filter etc.
2) Sound - smoother laid back presentation, wider soundstate, better bass impact, fuller midrange.
3) Remote. No clarifications needed here.
4) Looks - Call me wierd but I seriously love the cool blue look of its display.

 

[EricN]

Albert, I will cast one vote for Denon. I have the upgraded 5800 (Virtually idential to the 5803) and after 2 years of heavy home theater use it just keeps on going. Tremendous sound quality. Very adjustable via its setup. Yogi likes his looks, I loke the Denon. SOundwise I like the Denon as well. Plenty of power and TONS of inputs for your HT Rack to grow with.

 

[Albert Damico]

Yogi:

On AVS forum some B&K 507 owners report a popping sound when it comes on. The story is that B&K is aware of it and will be issuing a software fix. Are you aware of this problem, or is it overreported?

Thanks for any info

 

[Eric Lo]

Hi Albert,

I read from AVS forum that B&K is coming out with a software fix for AVR-507 in two months...

Anyway, I auditioned both units and the Denon 3803 (just for kicks) using music CDs. I'm disappointed by the Denon 3803 and its 2-channel DAC differential mode is not as good as 5803 for some odd reason. Denon 5803 has enough power to drive the speakers but it sounds bright/harsh to me and made my ears tired. B&K AVR-507 sounds warmer, more natural, very good sound stage/imaging, and... just smooth. I listen to music more than watching movies (yes, my Sony DVP-S7700 acts as a CD player more than a DVD player) and so 2-channel performance is my decision factor. I'm convinced by my EE class in college about MOSFET amp's performance (though 5803's amp section has lower THD) plus the 2-channel stereo mode comparison, I picked B&K AVR-507 over Denon 5803 (even though I can probably get a deeper discount on the 5803).

I just feel like I made the right choice for the speakers I have. I also have the Infinity Overture 2 mains but I use Infinity CC-3 Center Channel and QPS-1 surround without a sub. I am happy to have them matched with the B&K AVR-507. Let me know the unit will work out for you (if you choose to get the B&K), especially with the Axiom speakers and a sub.

-- Eric

 

[MatthewJ S]

Non-current-limiting design

 

[Chip E]

I've owned a B&K 307, Denon 5803 and now own a B&K Ref50 & B&K Ref200.5 amp. For only home theater use, any of the above are outstanding. For me, music is a consideration to a lesser degree but, i do listen to music. B&K has a more appealing sound overall, to me. One real downside is that the Denon Atkis remote is the worst, most unresponse remote i've ever used. I wanted to throw it out the window on a daily basis! In contrast, the new B&K remote, the SR10.1 (MX700) is an absolute pleasure to use. All the remotes that littered my coffee table are gone for good.

 

[Yogi]

The reason B&K pops during startup is because they didnt implement any muting circuits to preserve the fidelity. This is what I have heard in regards to the popping sound.

As pointed out in earlier posts I have found (by comparing the 307 with the 5803) that the B&K has a much more cleaner smoother sound. It keeps its smooth character at all volume levels where the 5803 starts sounding strained and harsh at the extreme levels. With the 5803 you can only go to a certain point before wanting to turn it down whereas with the 307 the higher you go the more you want to crank it.

Also I think the B&K has a better built powersupply and output stages that inspite of being rated lower, actually puts out more power than the 5803 with all channels driven.

GO 507!!!

My 2 cents.