| Subcategories |
 |
Audio & Video |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Denon AVR-888 7.1-Channel/5.1+2-Channel Independent Zone Home Theater Receiver with HDMI I/O and Serial I/R Control (Black)
Studio : Denon Electronics USA LLC
by Denon Electronics USA LLC
Brand : Denon
Model : AVR888
Publisher : Denon Electronics USA LLC
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours and eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25.
Color : Black
EAN : 0081757507875
UPC : 081757507875
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 6 reviews)
List Price : $749.00
Our Price : $399.64
|
|
| |
-
7.1-channel 2-zone/2-source A/V home theater receiver with 100 watts per channel power output
-
Supports Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, DTS Neo:6 Surround, and DTS-ES Extended Surround multichannel formats
-
Audyssey MultEQ calibration process makes setup easy; Faroudja DCDi video processing
-
2 HDMI v1.3a digital video inputs and 1 HDMI monitor output; compatible with iPods and XM satellite radio receivers
-
Measures 17.1 x 6.75 x 16.55 inches (W x H x D) and weighs 27.75 pounds; 2-year warranty
|
|
| |
|
Stereo and Movies that reach you |
When you go to the cinema, a lot of the experience is about sound and how it reaches you.
I had previously purchased a Harman Kardon AVR-146 and never cried a tear over sad music or movies.
I just recently purchased the Denon AVR-888 and I can say the difference is HUGE. All the frequencies are better controled, and while I only tried it in stereo so far, it really drives the speakers to the extreme but WILL NOT EXAGERATE THE SOUND like some other amps try to do in stereo.
It sends what information should be sent to stereo speakers, not making the whole thing indistinctable. AWESOME.
I had my first emotion listening to my Klipsch speakers tonight :p
Between, yes the remote is not the best but THE WHOLE THING WAS REALLY EASY TO SETUP WITHOUT THE MANUAL - I don't know about those who have a hard time, but if it's not your first amp it's really a charm.
Michael |
| |
|
Looks and sounds great but not without drawbacks |
I bought the Denon AVR-888 when I realized that the Sony STR-DG820 wouldn't meet my home theater needs (the Sony does not support HDMI to DVI conversion). Compared with the Sony I have to agree with other reviewers: the operations guide and remote are unnecessarilly complex. Compared to the Sony remote the Denon is just a laugh and something they should be embarassed shipping with a product in this price range.
All that said, the sounds and picture quality from the Denon are amazing. The unit will convert most inputs to HDMI so there is one cable from the receiver to the TV. This is a great feature that simplifies the tangle of cables. The automated sound optimization for the surround speakers works great and it is worth going through the six sound station checks. Again, funky controls can make this a hassle, you really need to look at the direction of arrow buttons to get through the process. I don't know who at Denon thought that the backward arrow was a good use for "next" but it is used often in configuring the system.
The system also defaults to coax input for sound instead of HDMI so I had to go to the HDMI settings and make the proper selection.
One other drawback is that there are only 2 HDMI inputs, which was frustrating given that the Sony had 4 inputs. To connect my PS3, DVD, and TiVo I ended up buying the OPPO 3 to 1 HDMI switch. The OPPO unit works great, auto-switching between the PS3 and DVD based on port (the low number ports take priority over the high number ports). This makes it easy for the family to use.
Lastly, the remote ... it really is poor, it does not provide the ability to easily switch between all inputs; instead, for some of the inputs you have to turn the remote over, open a flip panel and select the input. To solve this issue I bought a Logitech Harmony 1000 that controls the Denon, TV, TiVo and DVD and makes using the system very easy for everyone. |
| |
|
Could have been a great receiver |
Reviews on other sites lauded the build quality and quality of the power this unit puts out but warned about a shoddy manual and remote control. Those comments were right on both counts, but understated how difficult it is to program this this unit due to the manual and remote, which are both POS.
My wife, a geek who maintains our networked, 1-Mac, 2-PC household (and built one of them), built her own DVR, and programmed our Harmony remote, is stumped by this equipment, able only to grasp the basic functionality. She's spent 8 hours so far searching for information to supplement the manual, which incorrectly describes many controls on the remote, which itself seems defective.
We can watch our DVDs and listen (with Belkin dock) to one of our iPods through the receiver (the 2nd generation (before click wheels were used), but we can't take figure out how to take advantage of the many advanced features listed in the documentation because it's so bad.
In addition, the user interface on the front of the unit is screwy. For example, the default volume display goes from -100 dB to 0 dB, with 0 being the *maximum*. If there's an alternative way to display the volume, we haven't figured it out. For another example, to play music on the ipod, you have to flip the remote over, open the back, and press a special button to switch the surround sound mode to -- get this -- "DTS Neo:6." How much more convoluted could that get?
The AVR 888 and its kissing cousin 2803CI, could have been outstanding units, if Denon had spent a few bucks more to get the user experience right. As it stands, though, stay away from both these units.
|
| |
|
awesome sound, better than onkyo 705 |
I've compared the onkyo 605, 705 with the denon avr788, and 888. The avr888 produced the best sound with my polk rci85, csi3, psw303, and rti4's. The avr888 had virtually no distortion when I turned up the power while the 705 showed some limitations. The only disadvantage of the avr888 was that they are not able to process Dolby TrueHD. My other complaint is that the avr888's remote is a piece of junk and the 705's remote was not much better. Denon is still the big boy on the block in my book.
|
| |
|
A bit too high tech |
Seems like this could be a kick a@@ system, but I have been having a problem since we brought this home - surround sound cuts out randomly - have tried switching from analog to Digital Coax this did not fix the problem - receiver says H/P on when it cuts out and H/P off when it goes back on....
I have called Denon cust svc 3 times with an average wait time of 1 hour and 20 minutes each time (I am currently on hold @ 56 minutes with 4 calls ahead of me.... Q started @ 14 calls ahead
This sucks |
| |
|
|
|
