Opinions Good or Bad Just Purchased Denon 3801 Receiver for $450

[hershon]

Thanks for your comments. I wish I knew what you and some of the other people here know about specs as that would probably save me alot of aggravation and frustration in getting a rough idea of knowing what to look for. The plan is now to hook this system up using my extra set of Orb speakers I have in my bedroom & leaving my current JVC system still attached in the living room as well, for about a week or so, as this way I can have a pretty immediate comparison. I'm hoping I can get Paul who lives about 20 minutes away to help me set this up as I'm basically clueless on the settings, controls, etc. This way I'll also have a totally independent set of ears evaluate if there is an improvement in regards to sound quality or not. If after a week I'm not impressed, then it goes on Ebay unless ayone here wants first dibs on this stuff. What you said about crossover- I currently have my sub set at a 120 crossover which Orb recommends. Are you saying I'll have to use a different number?

If somehow there is a Santa Claus and I think this setup is an improvement in terms of sound quality, I'll probably sell my JVC on Ebay. Thanks again for your comments.

[shokhead]

What? I thought we gave you so many ideas but you always came back to nothing sounded as good as what you already had and then without hearing or i guess doing enough research,you get something off e-bay. Geez,i dont get you. Man i hope your happy but i get a feeling ypu'll be back on with problems. I really hope it works out.

[kexodusc]

Each receiver has a different crossover frequency, some are adjustable, some aren't. If Orb recommends 120 Hz, don't worry, there's probably different ways to connect to the receiver to achieve this...I don't know the exact features your current sub has so I can't comment right now, but I assume it has an adjustable crossover? Can it accept inputs straight from the speaker outputs of the receiver?

[stuartlittle]

I think if you are using the crossover on your receiver, you don't need to use the crossover on the sub. Isn't that duplicative?

[drseid]

I think if you are using the crossover on your receiver, you don't need to use the crossover on the sub. Isn't that duplicative?

Right... But I think Kexodusc is referring to Hershon being able to cross over to the sub at 120 HZ (as Orb recommends)... If the receiver has a fixed crossover of 85-90 hz (I believe my old Denon 3300 used that fixed crossover point as well), then to get a 120 hz crossover, he would not be able to use the crossover at the receiver level (having to go through the sub and use it's crossover instead)...

---Dave

[kexodusc]

Yep, Dave, that's exactly what I meant

Higher xo's are bad, mmmkay. You shouldn't have higher xo's, mmmkay.

[anamorphic96]

That is one of the biggest problems I have with Hershon's system. The ORB speakers. The speakers cant handle any bass. Especially with a 120hz crossover point. This in turn makes the sub harder to blend and also becomes directional. Speakers with a much lower crossover are point are needed to get a more accurate sense of HT and music. Because in the current scenario it will not matter what type of receiver you use. The sound will only have SUBTLE changes.

Hershon this is not meant as an attack. But you really need to change speakers. I dont mean to sound harsh. Just want to be clear. The Denon is great receiver and should work great.

Another suggestion is take a poll on the forums and list your system and see what the most popular suggestion to change is. I would be willing to put money down that speakers are the #1 choice of things to change in your system.

Cheers,
Glenn

[shokhead]

Good luck on getting him to change. Just about everbody has suggested that. Small speakers,small sound.

[hershon]

If you've actually heard the speakers and then feel exactly the way you do, it would mean more to me. Personally, I'm not a great bass fan in any case and the Orb Supereight sub gives more than enough bass. I actually as I mentioned previously, connected my Orb Speakers (albeit not sub) to Paul's $1500 Yamaha Receiver which also was connected to a pair of B&A Bookshelf speakers & his sub. We listened to several different CD's and compared the sound on each of the speakers. The modern one, the Foo Fighters sounded way superior on the B&A's to the Orbs. The next 2, the Beatles Rubber Soul and Revolver sounded way superior on my Orbs than the B&A's (in my opinion). The last one, Brian Auger's 1970's keyboard recordings sounded better on the B&A's. End result,
different albums sound differently with different speakers. There was not enough of one speakers sounding better than the Orbs or vice versa for me to form a clear cut decision. As I said, I am very happy with the Orb Speakers. If this 3801 receiver & a Harmon Kardon DVD 31 receiver don't improve the sound to justify my (on sale $700) investment then its back to the glue factory again, LOL, and I'm just going to be content with what I have and quit whining on this board.

That is one of the biggest problems I have with Hershon's system. The ORB speakers. The speakers cant handle any bass. Especially with a 120hz crossover point. This in turn makes the sub harder to blend and also becomes directional. Speakers with a much lower crossover are point are needed to get a more accurate sense of HT and music. Because in the current scenario it will not matter what type of receiver you use. The sound will only have SUBTLE changes.

Hershon this is not meant as an attack. But you really need to change speakers. I dont mean to sound harsh. Just want to be clear. The Denon is great receiver and should work great.

Another suggestion is take a poll on the forums and list your system and see what the most popular suggestion to change is. I would be willing to put money down that speakers are the #1 choice of things to change in your system.

Cheers,
Glenn