Denon AVR3808Ci or Marantz SR7001

[noek]

I am currently trying to decide between these two receivers and am having trouble deciding. I will be purchasing either paradigm or psbs in the near future, currently have klipsch which i will be retiring. I am just wondering if anybody has any experience with the two manufacturers, thanks!

[ldgibson76]

I am currently trying to decide between these two receivers and am having trouble deciding. I will be purchasing either paradigm or psbs in the near future, currently have klipsch which i will be retiring. I am just wondering if anybody has any experience with the two manufacturers, thanks!

Hello "noek"!

I have some experience with both manufacturers. You are going to have to determine what is most important to you.....sound quality or video switching.

The Denon AVR 3808 is Denon's newest entry for the '08 model year. And believe me, it's a beast. Video switching capability is it's claim to fame! 4 HDMI v1.3a inputs; Upconversion from composite to HDMI; Ethernet connectivity w/ Window Vista compatability; The biggies: Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD decoding; Deep Color; Faroudja Video Processing....and a claimed 130 watts x 7.....the list goes on. It's a nice product for a cool $1599.00.

The Marantz SR7001 Has been on the market for a year now and has held it's own. Considered one of the best receivers on the market. Marantz is all about sound quality.
Yes, it does have 4 HDMI inputs and one "out", but v1.2. So it can not do all the new fangled Hi-Def audio formats, and no Deep Color and no ethernet compatibilty, let alone Windows Vista hand shaking. But, it is THX Select2 certified! And when Marantz says it's amplifiers are rated at 110watts x 7, the spec is for real! Simplicity and high quality, close to "separates" sound reproduction is Marantz's forte. Yes, it can too upconvert to HDMI and it handles video switching at a very competent level. It also comes with a little more security in it's manufacturer's warranty, 3 years. Denon's 2 years. And is listed at $1399.00...street priced at $1299.00.

I know it's a hard choice. If I were you, I would decide what technologies are most appealing . If you want to take advantage of the new Hi-Def formats (HD DVD/BD) and their capabilities, go with the Denon. If you want superior music playback with the ability to make your standard DD and DTS soundtracks sound phenominal, but still have the ability to handle the HD DVD and BD 1080p resolution, save $300.00 and go with the Marantz.

I hope I've provided a little help. By the way, he new Marantz products are usually introduced shortly after Denon's release. And I'm sure the SR7002 will be able to do all of that other stuff that the 3808 does but, still maintain the audio playback quality Marantz is known for. I know I sound pro-Marantz. But I own a Marantz SR9300; a Yamaha RX-V3000 and a Denon AVR2801. And without a doubt, there's no comparison in sound quality. And although each receiver is at a different level, I have heard lesser Marantz products and they sounded more dynamic than anything in that respective price category.

If you haven't yet, go to both websites and download the product spec sheets both receivers. The Denon spec sheet is going to read like the 3808 could run an IMax theater all by its lonesome....remember, too much going on in one box promotes the possibility of compromise somewhere, and that's usually in the amp section!
One more thing, if you are planning on matching the receiver to PSB's or Paradigms.....Both are power hungry speakers....Marantz would be my choice, but that's just me.

Good Luck!

[noek]

Thank you for the excellent information on both! My main concern with the Denon is exactly what you said, so much focus on different features that the sound quality lacks. I don't have any experience with the wi-fi feature, not really sure what it does, streaming video and audio?

Perhaps Ill wait and see what Marantz comes out with, I would def like to have hdmi v1.3...

I really hate decisions like this....almost the same thing I'm going through between my speaker choices :/

My next home will have two living rooms :D

Again, thanks for the good information!

[Olivertmc]

Noek:

I can't comment on the Denon, but I'm a very happy owner of the SR7001. The sound quality is great (I'm running NHT SB3's) and I like all of the customization available to the user. I also am pleased with the Audessey (sp?) calibration software. I used it and then tweaked the settings as needed - a very simple process. All in all, I am very pleased with my purchase.

- Olivertmc

[L.J.]

Perhaps Ill wait and see what Marantz comes out with, I would def like to have hdmi v1.3...


Or you could wait to see what Marantz comes out with, and if the offerings are not a huge step up over the 7001, pick that up with a huge discount. I could have waited around for the Yamaha 3800 but went with the 2700 instead and saved myself about $800. Do a comparison of the 2700 vs 3800 and you will find that both units are almost identical, except for the HD audio decoding.

Although the 2700 is HDMI v1.2 and does not offer decoding of the new audio formats, I'm not losing out on anything since the decoding is done by my PS3. At this point in time, decoding in the AVR is gonna be pretty useless anyways since no current players are capable of outputting the bitstream signal for decoding thanks to advanced authoring, which requires the decoding to be done in the player.

Deep Color is pretty much a joke as well. Your display, AVR and player needs to support it as well as the software. No software supports it at this time and who knows if it ever will. You can have HDMI v1.3 all you want, but if the software doesn't support it, it may as well be v1.1. Anyways, just my 2 cents.