Denon AVR-2801 5.1 Channels Receiver
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- THX Certification: No
- Number of Channels: 5.1 Channels
- Type: Receiver
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Quality + Options + Price = Denon AVR-2801
Pros
Great quality and value
Cons
Takes a while to learn the remote
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
The Denon AVR-2801 is an excellent receiver that combines a reasonable price with great quality and a ton of options.
Introduction
First of all, I do not consider myself an audiophile or an audio/video expert. My main reason for purchasing the Denon AVR-2801 was to build my first home theater system. I wanted something that was affordable and had room for expansion. I shopped around and did my homework for several weeks and finally decided to purchase this unit based on many good reviews, price, and options.
Appearance and Price
The appearance of this receiver is very plain and probably the weakest part of this package. It just looks like a standard receiver with a minimum of knobs and buttons. There is nothing flashy about this receiver and compared to other similar units on the market, so it looks a little boring. The remote reminds me of something that came from the 1980?s. It?s big and size and has lots of colorful buttons. The different colors are used to group together buttons with similar functions.
I purchased the unit for about $400 online. In retail stores, the average price is about $700.
Options
The Denon AVR-2801 has all the standard options and more in an average A/V receiver today, such as:
Dolby Digital 5.1 / DTS
40 AM/FM Tuner Presets
90 Watts per Channel
3 Digital Optical/ 1 Coaxial Input
9 Analog Inputs
5 Channel Stereo
On Screen Display Setup
Several DSP modes
The receiver uses 5.1 speaker setup with a center, a front left and right, surround left and right, and subwoofer. Connections for the cables are made with banana plugs or binding posts. One of the best options not found on many other receivers is the 5-channel stereo. Listening to music in 5 channels great mode to fill the whole room with music.
Usability
There is definitely a learning curve in using this receiver. It?s a good thing that the instruction manual is very helpful in setting the system up. It has clear diagrams and is easy enough to read without getting too technical. It also provides some basic definitions and explanations for people not familiar with the terms.
The knobs and the buttons are kept to a minimum on the unit. The functions are performed using an On Screen Display that shows up on your television. This makes it so that you do not have to leave your couch to set the receiver up. Unfortunately, that means some options can not be controlled by pushing buttons and turning knobs at the receiver. This is sometimes inconvenient when you are in a rush to set things up quickly because you have to turn on the television. Some of the options that require the On Screen Display are the set up for the test tones, room size, and speaker distance.
Using the remote is where you would probably spend the most time learning. The remote is complex and takes a while to figure out how to use. It has pre-programmed functions to control devices from other manufacturers such as a CD player, DVD player, VCR, TV, and so on. This will allow you to have just one remote instead of many different ones. The remote can also ?learn? the functions of your other remotes that are not pre-programmed into the Denon remote. This is a useful function if you have off-brand equipment that has not been pre-programmed into the remote.
Quality
The quality of this receiver is excellent. Physically, it is built very sturdy and heavy.
The sound from the receiver depends somewhat on the type of speakers you have, so the following is based on my mid-priced speakers. While playing music, the sound from the receiver is solid and does not distort until extremely high volumes. With movies, the sound is also good and performs very well playing at low volumes. This is important at times such as the late evening to not disturb the neighbors or other people in the house.
Overall
Overall, I am very pleased with this receiver. This receiver is an excellent purchase for those that want to combine reasonable price, great quality, and a lot of options in one package. I am very satisfied with the sound from this receiver and it will probably be the basis for my home theater system for years to come.
First of all, I do not consider myself an audiophile or an audio/video expert. My main reason for purchasing the Denon AVR-2801 was to build my first home theater system. I wanted something that was affordable and had room for expansion. I shopped around and did my homework for several weeks and finally decided to purchase this unit based on many good reviews, price, and options.
Appearance and Price
The appearance of this receiver is very plain and probably the weakest part of this package. It just looks like a standard receiver with a minimum of knobs and buttons. There is nothing flashy about this receiver and compared to other similar units on the market, so it looks a little boring. The remote reminds me of something that came from the 1980?s. It?s big and size and has lots of colorful buttons. The different colors are used to group together buttons with similar functions.
I purchased the unit for about $400 online. In retail stores, the average price is about $700.
Options
The Denon AVR-2801 has all the standard options and more in an average A/V receiver today, such as:
Dolby Digital 5.1 / DTS
40 AM/FM Tuner Presets
90 Watts per Channel
3 Digital Optical/ 1 Coaxial Input
9 Analog Inputs
5 Channel Stereo
On Screen Display Setup
Several DSP modes
The receiver uses 5.1 speaker setup with a center, a front left and right, surround left and right, and subwoofer. Connections for the cables are made with banana plugs or binding posts. One of the best options not found on many other receivers is the 5-channel stereo. Listening to music in 5 channels great mode to fill the whole room with music.
Usability
There is definitely a learning curve in using this receiver. It?s a good thing that the instruction manual is very helpful in setting the system up. It has clear diagrams and is easy enough to read without getting too technical. It also provides some basic definitions and explanations for people not familiar with the terms.
The knobs and the buttons are kept to a minimum on the unit. The functions are performed using an On Screen Display that shows up on your television. This makes it so that you do not have to leave your couch to set the receiver up. Unfortunately, that means some options can not be controlled by pushing buttons and turning knobs at the receiver. This is sometimes inconvenient when you are in a rush to set things up quickly because you have to turn on the television. Some of the options that require the On Screen Display are the set up for the test tones, room size, and speaker distance.
Using the remote is where you would probably spend the most time learning. The remote is complex and takes a while to figure out how to use. It has pre-programmed functions to control devices from other manufacturers such as a CD player, DVD player, VCR, TV, and so on. This will allow you to have just one remote instead of many different ones. The remote can also ?learn? the functions of your other remotes that are not pre-programmed into the Denon remote. This is a useful function if you have off-brand equipment that has not been pre-programmed into the remote.
Quality
The quality of this receiver is excellent. Physically, it is built very sturdy and heavy.
The sound from the receiver depends somewhat on the type of speakers you have, so the following is based on my mid-priced speakers. While playing music, the sound from the receiver is solid and does not distort until extremely high volumes. With movies, the sound is also good and performs very well playing at low volumes. This is important at times such as the late evening to not disturb the neighbors or other people in the house.
Overall
Overall, I am very pleased with this receiver. This receiver is an excellent purchase for those that want to combine reasonable price, great quality, and a lot of options in one package. I am very satisfied with the sound from this receiver and it will probably be the basis for my home theater system for years to come.
