Denon Receivers: A Few Good Opinions Wanted (1 Viewer)

[Paul E. Fox II]

Hey there guys and gals,
I'm currently trying to nail exactly WHAT receiver I want to get for the Palace and I have a few in mind. This post deals with Denon and the difference in the 5800 and 4802 (other than price and rated power). I'm not interested in separates at this point, so we can stay away from that discussion here. The information I AM looking for is the difference, if any, between electronics and sound quality of the two. Also, from what I'm seeing, the 4802 has more Surround Options than the 5800 (DTS Neo 6...whatever that is, etc...).

 

[Jack F]

First off - the 5800 has DTS:Neo6 as well.
The 4802 will have DolbyProLogic2 were as the 5800 will have an upgrade to DPL2 in the late winter early spring.
I can't answer your question directly, but seeing that nobody else has chimed in yet, I'll give you my feelings on the subject.
I originally purchased the 3801. I wasn't happy at all with it and exchanged it for the 5800. I by passed the 4801 thinking that maybe the 5800 wasn't even going to meet my expectations. It did and then some.
I feel its like everything, you get what you pay for, if your lucky. I'm sure the 4802 is way ahead of the 3801/3802, but I'm also sure that their is an audible improvement with the 5800 over the 4802.
If you did buy a 5800 today, their is an official upgrade coming that should upgrade it to all of the features that are going to be in the 5803 that is coming out next year.
If you can afford it, get the 5800. IMHO
Jack

 

[Paul E. Fox II]

Jack,
Thanks for you post. I was just using the DTS Neo:6 thing as an example, but the fact that the 5800 is lacking DPLII seemed odd when I looked at the specs. That's one of the reasons I started this thread.
As for your expectations, if you don't mind...go ahead and tell me what you think about the 5800, as far as it's apparent sound quality, ease of setup in your room, what you think about the dual surround capabilty and so on..., especially what was the main difference between what you heard on the 3801 versus what you hear now.
Also, if you don't mind, how big is your room and what kind of speakers/sub are you using.
Thanks and keep the replies coming.

 

[Jeremy Hegna]

"...but the fact that the 5800 is lacking DPLII seemed odd when I looked at the specs. That's one of the reasons I started this thread.

Paul,

The Denon 5800 was released before DPLII was available to consumers. As mentioned earlier, a possible upgrade will include it as well as DTS 24/96, THX post processing, flexible bass management, Panja, Dolby Headphone, and a couple of other odds and ends.

Upgrade aside, the 5800 is a hell of a piece of gear. The Pure Direct mode allows it to compete with seperates, IMO. It will bypass all circuitry except volume to give you a very choice sound from source. The DACs are a step up from the 4802, the Alpha 24 upsampling is very cool. It has many more options connectibility-wise. Bigger transformer allowing for bigger sound. It also has 2 sets of 8 channel analog inputs, allowing for the use of SACD and DVD-A at the same time. Multi-zone function (up to 3 different zones), RF/IR remote control, etc. etc.

The 4802 is also a very impressive piece and already has the ability to do some of the things that the 5800 is only rumored to be able to do in the future.

If you will be using your unit for critical music listening AND home theater...the 5800 is a wise choice. If it is just for casual music listening and HT, the 4802 may suit you better.

FWIW, I am a 5800 owner and these are only my opinions. There is a boatload of threads discussing the 5800 on this forum. You may want to do a search. There are many less threads on the 4802, but there are some. If you get an opportunity, visit the flagship receiver forum and check out what they have on both units....good luck, you can't go wrong with either, IMO.

Jeremy

 

[PatrickM]

Paul,

My opinion FWIW mirrors Jeremy's quite closely. I still listen to a lot of CD's and the Pure Direct mode with 8 differential DAC's per channel and the Alpha 24 processing is impressive.

The options for Home Theater listening are a little behind the technology curve right now but even without an upgrade I'm happy with what it has. DPLII would be nice but not a necessity for me.

Patrick

 

[Paul E. Fox II]

Thanks guys, that's the kind of stuff I'm looking for in this thread. The lack of DPLII on the 5800 was what sent me in the 4802s direction in the first place and while a software upgrade is possible, I have to wonder if will actually ever see the light of day. As for critical music listening...the system will be used for HT 95% of the time, but that's not to say that music isn't important to me. The PureDirect information is fantastic and something I'd completely overlooked! I'm leaning toward the 5800 and I'm hoping to get a Kick-Ass system put together and I really want the best stuff I can get. That makes the most USEFUL Features very important since after that...it will be a LOOOOOOOOOOONG time before the SO will even talk about upgrading again.
I posted in this thread(http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=27723) what I hope to use for my speakers, so if you don't mind...give me your thoughts on my question there. Also, for LFE...the plan calls for dual SVS Subs (hopefully, a pair of the Ultras) of some make.
Your thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[PatrickM]

The 5800 should be able to drive even the 4ohm Divas without overloading and the dual SVS's would be great but I hope you have a big room.

Patrick

 

[Paul E. Fox II]

Patrick,
Thanks for the info on the impedance stuff. As for the Dual SVS...my room isn't that large, but I'd rather have too much bass and be able to properly adjust it than not have enough and end up overdriving the sub just to get a decent sound.
Anyway...I figure if the SVS Tagline "Bass so Deep it will make you Puke" is to live up to the hype, I need to do all I can to help it out. I want to FEEL the T-Rex when it "stomps in", not just hear it !

 

[Geo]

I have a different angle on the whole 5800 versus 4802 debate. Here it is, FWIW:
If you own the 5800 now, the 4802 is not something that you'd be looking to purchase.
However if you are looking to purchase a new receiver the 4802 is probably a better choice right now. It has all the new surround formats and most of the 5800 performance.
The only receiver that I feel will better the 4802 is the 5803,or what ever the badge will be, when it arrives................. The 4802 is an amazing receiver, IMHO..............