Which Denon receiver ? (1 Viewer)

[matthewLondon]

Hi,

I'm buying a Denon receiver that I will use for two months for a film project, then pass on to my girlfriend who will use it for a basic two-channel music and movie system and eventually add 5.1 speakers.

I need very clean, flat, accurate sound.

The Denon AVR-2105 seem like a good choice. But I'm wondering if the AVR-1905 would work just as well? What about the AVR-1705?

On the other end, is there any really compelling reason to go for the AVR-2805? It is a bit out of my price range and would rather put the money towards better speakers anyway.

Finally, I am pretty sure I want a Denon, but am open to compelling reasons to consider something else. One dealer recommended Yamaha RX-V657 for example, but another dealer said that the Denon's have true amplifier circuitry, whereas the Yamaha and other lower-end brands have their amps in IC's.

Any thoughts or suggestions greatly appreciated. Need to make a decision ASAP.

FWIW, the receiver will get matched up with a Denon DVD-1710, and a pair of either Paradigm Titan, Mini Monitors or Monitor 3, or B&W DM 303, DM 601 S3 or 602 S3 (open to speaker suggestions too !)

Many thanks.

 

[matthewLondon]

Forgot to mention:

Music tastes run across the board, so there is no single type (jazz, classical, rock) that I am aiming for.

Also the quality of the remote is important.

(I have an Arcam Amp which is fantastic, but the remote is brain dead !)

 

[John S]

How big of a room?? It is important for power amp size considerations.

You sort of have to take the ratings as a skeptic.

The higher you go up the Denon line, that way improved they are. You notice a lot more when you have a lot of room size.

I mean, even an Onkyo sr502 would work, you get to decide how good of a system you want / need.

 

[Wayne Ernst]

Well, then you should pull Denon off your list. They make some horribly cheap remotes.

I'd look for a dedicated remote to learn all the commands and handle the capabilities for all components. You might consider the MX-500 from Home Theater Master to do this task.

 

[matthewLondon]

John S:

room is medium sized, not too big, not too small.

Wayne E:

Well, I'm still happy with my Arcam gear, despite the remote. Perhaps I'll turn my GF on to the Home Theatre Master. In the meantime, I'm sure the Denon will do the trick.

Matthew

 

[Vader]

Mathew,

I have the Denon 2105, and have been extremely impressed with it. While the remote is not learning, I have no issues with it. I am driving a pair of Infinity Alpha 50's (mains), Infinity 37c (center), Infinity Primus 150's (main surround), and Boston Accoustics HD8s (rear surround). The sound quality is fantastic for either movies or music (the amp takes some tweaking to customize it to the room, but any amp will). The manual could use an additional draft or two (or three, or four...), but after some playing it is pretty straight forward. One of the things that still never fails to impress me is that it never gets hot... at least with what I'm pulling from it. For what it's worth, my average listening levels are around -12dB, which translates to peak volume of between 90-95 dB at the "sweet spot" in my room. At best, it gets warm to the touch, but never more. The heat sink in this think is amazing (my previous amp easily got 4-5 times as hot, with less power!).

For me, the only thing the 2805 has that I lack is the auto-EQ, but by the time I upgrade for uncompressed hi-rez audio, that will be standard, as will true video scalers (LD in fake 1080i....WOOO, WHOO!). I don't think you can go wrong with any of the units you listed. The auto-speaker setup (sans EQ) on the 2105 is really handy, and is the sole reason I upgraded from the 1905. As for the accuracy, it is spot-on (I also tweak manually via RS SPL meter .....). Good luck!

 

[matthewLondon]

Derek,

Thanks for your great response. Just what I was looking for.

So the 2105 has Auto-Setup (with Microphone) but the 2805 has Auto-setup plus Auto-EQ. Sounds useful, but dont think I need it for the extra $250.

best,
Matthew

 

[Louis C]

Matthew, I have the 2802 (90 watts per channel), and it has performed superbly. If I ever have to buy another (which I doubt) it will be a Denon.

If your living room is not too large (less than 14 x 14) the 1705 is a fine mid range choice. In any case, I agree with you that the speakers are the more critical component (may I humbly suggest Klipsch? They sound great with my 2802).

 

[matthewLondon]

Hi All,

thanks again, good info.

the living room is pretty big, so the extra power will help.

derek, what is the meaning of: "(I also tweak manually via RS SPL meter ....)"

peace

 

[Vader]

Matthew,

I use the auto setup on the 2105, which determines speaker placement (distance), volume levels, and phase. I then check it manually using a Rat Shack SPL meter on a tripod at the same place as the autosetup mic, to verify what the Denon calculated. After a couple of speaker upgrades, I still have yet to make any significant adjustments (of course, being a compulsive perfectionist, I have to tweak something )

 

[matthewLondon]

Thanks

So sounds like the Auto-EQ is really not necessary.

Also wondering about Denon DVD 1710 vs 1910.
Dont have a DVI input TV now, but may in the future.

any thoughts there?

 

[GregoriusM]

The Denon.ca site says that the 2105 has Auto EQ as well. Is that a misprint?

 

[GregoriusM]

I checked the USA site, and it says that there is only Auto Setup on the 2105, while the 2805 adds Auto EQ.

Never believe everything you read!

 

[Vader]

Gregorius,

Unfortunately, that is correct. Though the auto-setup is a neat toy (that I am overjoyed to have), I woud have loved the auto-EQ as well (next upgrade, however...)!