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Denon Home Theater System Reviews and Specifications

This page contains information on denon home theater sytems. To view other brands such as Teac Home Theater and Yamaha Home Theater Systems use the menu on the right side of this page.

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Denon home theater receivers without speakers are coded AVR 3805, 3806 etc. This page reviews only complete systems.

Denon Home Theater

DHT-487DV

The DHT-487DV Home Theater package brings you the sonic and visual expertise of Denon’s acclaimed separate components, acoustically matched loudspeakers in a simple and ready-made package for almost any environment.The receiver is equipped with 5 channels of high current amplifier power and DSP processing technology like that found on Denon’s more expensive receivers, and also equipped XM-HD Surround and iPod command and control, while the DVD player has HDMI output and scaling function. The speakers feature Denon design and engineering with the added benefit and expertise of European Sound Designers tuning, to bring you the finest in audio playback reproduction.The DHT-487DV Home Theater System includes AV Receiver AVR-487, DVD Player DVD-557, Speaker system SYS-57HT.
Included Components: Receiver · DVD Player · Radio Tuner
Number Of Speakers: 5 Speakers and Subwoofer
Front Speaker: 2 Way
Main Speakers Power Output: 75 Watts
Playable Disk Types: DVD Video · DVD-R · DVD-RW · CD (Audio) · CD-R · CD-RW · Picture CD
Subwoofer Power Output: 100 Watts
Playable File Formats: MP3 · WMA · JPEG
Audio 
Surround Sound: Dolby Digital® · DTS® · DTS ES® · Dolby Pro Logic II · DTS Neo:6 · DTS 96/24
Audio DAC: 24 bit / 192 kHz
DSP Processor Type(s): 32 bit Processor x 1
DVD 
Number of Discs: 1
Progressive Scan: With Progressive Scan
TV Resolutions: 720p (750p) · 1080i (1125i) · 1080p (1125p)
Outputs: Composite x 2 · S-Video x 2 · Component x 1 · HDMI x 1 · Analog Audio x 2 · Digital Audio Coaxial x 1 · Digital Audio Optical x 1
Built-in TV Tuner: NTSC
Receiver 
Rear Input Connectors: RCA (2 Audio Channels) x 9 · Digital Coaxial x 2 · Digital Optical x 2 · Composite (Video) x 3 · S-Video x 3 · Component x 1
Tuner 
Built-in Radio Tuner: AM · FM
Tuner Presets: 56

“What is it that you want from a Home Theater System?

? Great Sound Experience?
? Stunning Visuals?
? Ease of use ?
? Value for your hard-earned money?
? Ego boost?

My bet is that you’d wish for all the aforesaid qualities!!
So what are you waiting for??, Fork out the $700 odd, for it ‘n’ grab it?? – That what you think I’d say… Gotcha, just don’t take my word for it!!!
A few minutes of patience & the full story will help you put your valuable $700 to good use…

SOUND QUALITY  [5/5]
I insert the test audio CD, switch off the AC, turn off my cellphone, dim the lights and relax on the sofa. I press the PLAY button – The opening track is a Bass track – I can’t hear the bass, but I can feel some kick up my bottom, it gets harder & harder & then the kick goes up to my ear.
WOW!!! This is some kickass bass reproduction. You usually hear the bass more than feel it, but here’s one hell of a machine making you feel it. That’s exactly what a Subwoofer is supposed to do, make you feel the bass more that hear it.
The bass is well moistured, warm & quick – does not have any kind of lag in the bass notes and is perfect ofr movies. Close your eyes & you’ll wonder where the Sub is – That is the quality of surround. Turn up the volume to 40% and you have the gut-wrenching bass really boom your heart and box your teeth right in.
Mid’s are well rounded & are right on spot with laser accuracy. The sound image is right in the centre of the soundstage, when I say “Centre”, I mean CENTRE – Right up to the last femtometer, that’s how accurate it is.
The dialogues seem to come exactly from the characters themselves & the voice goes deep into your inner ear. Clashes & bangs make you feel right in the middle of the story, gunshots almost kill you & the horses just miss running over you. Just make sure you remember that this is just your room or else you’re gonna get lost in the sheer intensity of sound being thrust unto you.
The treble is sharp, icy & cold. Leaves you wondering if a surgeon’s knife just went right through your brain. Sweeping high notes almost make you numb with their paralysing finesse.
All in all, you can now stop watching movies in the theaters altogether. This baby can really crack up your furniture & bones with its sound.

VIDEO QUALITY [5/5]
The VIBGYOR test really landed some amazing results…
White was as white as white could be, followed by red – Passionate & intense in its portrayal. Green, Blue, Yellow & all other colours associated with them really turn you on with their fine tones & crisp images.
Black really comes out well & there are no grey pixels between white & black, indicating astounding sharpness.
Exactly the kind of video performance you’d have conjured only in your dreams!!!

SPECIFICATIONS
Product type Home theater system
Components DVD player -, AV receiver -, Speaker system -
Dimensions (WxDxH) / Weight DVD player : 17.1 in x 12.2 in x 3 in / 5.1 lbs, AV receiver : 17.1 in x 16.4 in x 5.8 in / 23.1 lbs, Speaker system : Satellite speaker : 4.7 in x 6.1 in x 7.1 in / 3.5 lbs, Speaker system : Center channel speaker : 10.5 in x 6.1 in x 4.7 in / 4.6 lbs, Speaker system : Active subwoofer : 10.3 in x 17.1 in x 14.1 in / 25.8 lbs
Connections / Cables / SlotsHeadphone Jack Yes
Coaxial Digital Input Yes
Coaxial Digital Output Yes
Optical Digital Input Yes
Optical Digital Output Yes
Connector type AV receiver : 1 x Headphones (Phone stereo 6.25 mm) – Front, AV receiver : 1 x Composite video/audio input (RCA phono x 3) – Front, AV receiver : 6 x Audio line-in (RCA phono x 2) – Rear, AV receiver : 2 x Audio line-out (RCA phono x 2) – Rear, AV receiver : 1 x 5.1 channel audio line-in (RCA phono x 6) – Rear, AV receiver : 3 x Composite video input (RCA phono) – Rear, AV receiver : 2 x Composite video output (RCA phono) – Rear, AV receiver : 3 x S-Video input (4 pin mini-DIN) – Rear, AV receiver : 2 x S-Video output (4 pin mini-DIN) – Rear, AV receiver : 3 x Component video input (RCA phono x 3) – Rear, AV receiver : 1 x Component video output (RCA phono x 3) – Rear, AV receiver : 2 x SPDIF input (RCA phono) – Rear, AV receiver : 2 x SPDIF input (TOS Link) – Rear, AV receiver : 1 x Subwoofer output (RCA phono) – Rear, AV receiver : 7 x Speakers output (Banana/spade x 2) – Rear, DVD player : 1 x Composite video output (RCA phono) – Rear, DVD player : 1 x S-Video output (4 pin mini-DIN) – Rear, DVD player : 1 x Component video output (RCA phono x 3) – Rear, DVD player : 1 x Audio line-out (RCA phono x 2) – Rear, DVD player : 1 x HDMI (19 pin HDMI Type A) – Rear, DVD player : 1 x SPDIF output (RCA phono) – Rear, DVD player : 1 x SPDIF output (TOS Link) – Rear
Audio FeaturesBuilt-in decoders DTS 96/24, DTS Neo:6, DTS decoder, Dolby Digital, DTS-ES decoder, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, Dolby Digital Surround EX
Surround sound effects Virtual Surround Mode
Sound effects Cinema EQ
Signal-to-noise ratio 98 dB
Bass Control Yes
Treble Control Yes
Input Sensitivity 200 mV
Input Impedance 47 KOhm
Digital sound processor (DSP) Yes
Audio D/A Converter 24bit / 96kHz
Digital storage media type None
Additional features Source direct
Amplifier output total harmonic distortion (THD) 0.08 %, 0.7 %
Amplifier output channel qty 5, 1
Amplifier channel type Surround, Subwoofer
Amplifier output power / channel 75 Watt, 100 Watt
Amplifier output impedance / channel 8 Ohm, 4 Ohm
Digital Player (Recorder)Digital player/recorder type None
Digital storage media None -
Video FeaturesDisplay dimmer Yes
CD SystemCD system type None
DVDMedia format CD (NTSC), DVD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, Kodak Picture CD
DVD type DVD player
Audio D/A converter 24bit / 192kHz
MP3 Playback Yes
Additional features JPEG photo playback, Progressive scanning
RadioRadio type Radio tuner – AM/FM – Digital
Tuner frequency range AM: 520 – 1710 kHz, FM: 87.5 – 107.9 MHz
Station preset qty 56
Antenna form factor Loop AM / wire FM
Auto preset memory Yes
Speaker SystemSpeaker(s) 2 x Satellite speaker – 2-way – External – 6 Ohm – Wired, 3 x Center channel speaker – 2-way – External – 6 Ohm – Wired, 1 x Active subwoofer – External – 100 Watt – Wired
Remote ControlSupported devices TV, VCR, CD player, Cable box, LD player, DVD player, CD recorder, MD recorder, Cassette deck, Digital player, Satellite TV system
Remote control features Multi-brand compatibility
Cassette SystemCassette system type None
TurntableTurntable type None -
MD SystemMD system type None
HeadphonesHeadphones type None -
MicrophoneMicrophone type None -
Remote controlRemote control type Universal remote control (Infrared)
Remote control (2nd) type Remote control
Remote control (2nd) technology Infrared
DVD SystemSupported digital audio standards MP3, WMA
AmplifierAmplifier output details 75 Watt – 8 Ohm – THD0.08 % – 5 channel(s) (Surround), 100 Watt – 4 Ohm – THD0.7 % – 1 channel(s) (Subwoofer)

AESTHETIC APPEAL[4/5]
Home-theaters in my opinion ought to be in black colour as it does not obstruct while watching a movie. However if you have a white player, then you’ll keep seeing the glare from the player’s body while watching a movie in Total Darkness.
Blends well with latest metallic furniture ( probably italian design )& stylish decor. So 5/5 for Aesthetic appeal!!!, slight improvements in shaping will make the product more attractive to the eye.

CONCLUSION
All the above sterling qualities coupled with a easy user interface & a very sturdy & strong body makes the Denon DHT-487DV system a very cool investment of your $700 and one of the best home theater system models on the market. Now that you know what this devil can do, you can spend your hard-earned $700 for this one & party all night long…

Denon DHT-687BA

The DHT-687BA, is Premium Home Theater System collaborated with Boston Acoustics speakers, brings you premium class theater experience in your home. The receiver is equipped with 7 channels of high current amplifier power and DSP processing technology like that found on Denon’s more expensive receivers, and also equipped XM-HD Surround and iPod command and control, while the DVD player has HDMI output and scaling function.
Key Features 
Included Components: Receiver · DVD Player · Radio Tuner
Number Of Speakers: 5 Speakers and Subwoofer
Front Speaker: 2 Way
Main Speakers Power Output: 75 Watts
Playable Disk Types: DVD Video · DVD-R · DVD-RW · CD (Audio) · CD-R · CD-RW
Playable File Formats: MP3 · WMA · JPEG
Audio 
Surround Sound: Dolby Digital® · DTS® · DTS ES® · Dolby Pro Logic II · DTS Neo:6 · DTS 96/24 · Dolby Digital® EX
Audio DAC: 24 bit / 192 kHz
DSP Processor Type(s): 32 bit Processor x 1
DVD 
Number of Discs: 1
Progressive Scan: With Progressive Scan
Outputs: Composite x 1 · S-Video x 1 · Component x 1 · HDMI x 1 · Analog Audio x 1 · Digital Audio Coaxial x 1 · Digital Audio Optical x 1
Built-in TV Tuner: NTSC
Receiver 
Rear Input Connectors: RCA (2 Audio Channels) x 10 · Digital Coaxial x 2 · Digital Optical x 2 · Composite (Video) x 3 · S-Video x 3 · Component x 2
Rear Output Connectors: RCA (2 Audio Channels) x 2 · Composite (Video) x 2 · S-Video x 2 · Component x 2
Tuner 
Built-in Radio Tuner: AM · FM

“The DVD player; Nice unit, clear picture.
Bullet proof disk reading. I have some scratched DVD’s that won’t play on my Sony DVD player, or mostly work on my Yamaha DVD player. But the Denon plays them flawlessly – not even a skip in the sound.
Up scaling with HDMI looks great, but I use component cables so that the TV can auto switch display modes. Some DVD’s are wide screen or not, and the TV will auto detect and change modes for you – unless you feed it HDMI.
You can even adjust the black levels on the picture!

 Receiver; This unit has more features and settings then can be counted. The manual is the weak link, but if you follow the bead crumbs, you’ll get there. Download it from the Denon site if you like.
This Unit is expandable to 7 surround speakers and a sub-woof. Plus two more fronts speakers with and switch on the front panel (yes, 9 speakers and your sub rattling windows – Dude!).
And it comes with a microphone to auto calibrate all of the surround speakers for optimal sound.
And it has automatic detection for the inputs and modes.
And the remote can control the DVD player, and the TV!

The Boston Speakers; Crisp, clear sound. Metal casing and grills. Metal mounting brackets (only adjust left or right) included. Like all small cube speakers, they can struggle with mid-range sound in a large room. Mound the speakers to the walls, on the sheet rock, between the wall studs – the all will help produce mid-range sound. Or add a second set of front speakers for the full effect. Adding rear speakers also helps.”

Denon DHT700DV

Denon introduces the DHT-700DV DVD Home Theater System. The DHT-700DV system features an advanced all-in-one DVD player, 5-channel A/V receiver combination with the Dolby Digital/Pro Logic II decoder, which lets you enjoy the full ambience of 5.1-channel sound from a wealth of program sources.With the DHT-700DV and Dolby Pro Logic II, you can convincingly re-create the realism of 5.1-channel surround sound from any conventional 2-channel source, as well as DVDs recorded in full digital 5.1-channel surround. The DHT-700DV also features a beautifully designed and critically matched 5-channel speaker system, complete with a powerful active subwoofer. The DHT-700DVs elegant, space-saving design blends harmoniously in any home theater decor.
Key Features 
Included Components: Receiver · DVD Player · Radio Tuner
Number Of Speakers: 5 Speakers and Subwoofer
Front Speaker: 2 Way
Playable Disk Types: DVD Video · CD (Audio) · CD-R · CD-RW
Subwoofer Power Output: 35 Watts
Playable File Formats: MP3
Remote Control: Illuminated · Multibrand
Audio 
Surround Sound: Dolby Digital® · DTS® · Dolby Pro Logic II
Audio DAC: 24 bit / 96 kHz
DVD 
Number of Discs: 1
Inputs: Composite x 3 · S-Video x 3
Outputs: Composite x 1 · S-Video x 1 · Component x 1
OSD: Yes: English, French, Spanish
Built-in TV Tuner: NTSC · PAL
Tuner 
Built-in Radio Tuner: AM · FM
Tuner Presets: 40

“I did a whole bunch of research leading up to my choosing the Denon DHT-700DV Home-Theater. I listened to units made by Sony, Panasonic, Kenwood, JVC, Aiwa, Onkyo and many more before deciding on this one. There were a couple things that I absolutely needed. First, it needed to work with everything I currently own. I’ve got a TV, cable box, Tivo, CD changer and VCR – together, a complex web of digital and analog components. This necessity alone wiped most every HTIB (Home Theater in a Box) out of contention. The most popular units on the market made by Sony and Panasonic have a severe lack of digital and analog ports. I might be able to get by for now with one of the upper-end systems by these manufacturers – but if I ever wanted to add on (say, an mp3 player, mini disc, dvd burner, etc), I would be SOL. Second, I wanted good to great sound quality for both DVDs and CDs. The Sony, Panasonic and Kenwood HTIBs put out a lot of watts, but the sound quality suffers. This requirement narrowed my selection down to two units – the Onkyo Envision and the Denon DHT. I listened to the Onkyo at Circuit City and it clearly blew the other units out of the water. I was very close to making the decision right there – but I held off and researched the Denon. The major difference between the two is that the Denon comes with Dolby Pro Logic II which is typically only available in separates. I found the Denon at Good Guys and took a listen. For the same price as the Onkyo, it didn’t disappoint. I have always had great luck with Denon products – excellent customer support and well-built, solid components. I made my decision, took it home and had it set up in less than a half an hour. Everything I owned was compatible and I still have plenty of inputs for a ton of equipment. The unit has excellent sound – far better than the 5 year old Kenwood system I was replacing. Don’t let the low watts/channel rating fool you. My 20X15X12 living room is filled without strain. You probably won’t break any windows with these satellites, but they certainly handle everything from The Matrix to Vivaldi with stunning quality.”

“(I felt compelled to write a review after having to search a LOT to find reviews/opinions on this system)
Before deciding on the Denon DHT-700DV, I considered the Sony Dream System 990 and the Kenwood/Boston Acoustic systems. Here is why I decided on the Denon:
1) Plenty of inputs. Here is what I wanted to hook up:
Sony 5-disc changer (composite (RCA) out only)
Digital Cable Box (with Composite and S-video out)
Sony VCR (composite out only)
PS2 (s-video out and digital optical for sound)
I was able to hook all of these up just fine with this system, using s-video connections for the video. I needed to buy a “converter” ($19 at Radio Shack) to hook up the VCR, since the system has no switching and all video inputs must be the same (I wanted all s-video rather than all composite). The Sony and Kenwood were lacking inputs for me to hook all this up.
Note: I used the input for the CD changer which allows for two-way connections, so if you have a CD recorder or tape deck, this will also work. The VCR hookup also has two-way, but I wanted to record shows and have the option of watching tv without having the system on, so I have a coax out from my cable box as well into the VCR, then run coax from the VCR to the TV as well as Composite -> converter -> s-video into the HTIB.

2) Slick look. Sure, looks aren’t everything, but I wanted a system that looked nice (and solid – the Kenwood seemed a little “plastic-y”) and took up as little space as possible. The Sony Dreamsystem looked great, too, but had other drawbacks (see inputs). The speakers are also small and nice looking. One note: the only way to attach these speakers is with a keyhole, so if you are looking for wall brackets, like I was, make sure to look for this attachment method.

3) Sounded good. Okay, 35 watts per channel is not a lot. You’ll hear that in a lot of reviews for this product. But, I have a small room (approx 10 x 20), and it sounds good not even cranked all the way up. I am no audiophile, so to me, this system sounds perfect.

Here are some “drawbacks”, which you will find in almost any other review:
1) Does not play SACD and audio DVD. At this point, I don’t care. I don’t see a lot of these anyhow. If I need it in the future, I will upgrade my CD changer and plug it into the input for my CD player. Will play MP3 files, though.

2) Manual. The manual is okay, but there are a few things you need to look at carefully to understand. Especially if you are new to Home Theater, like me.

Advice:
1) Do research. The Denon site has the manuals on-line. Make sure you look at the inputs to make sure you can hook everything up the way you want to. Plan out what cables you’ll need and how you will hook everything up ahead of time. This saved me time and allowed me to have everything hooked up and working the first time out.

2) Go to a shop (I recommend The Wiz, if you are in the NY/CT/NJ area) and listen to the system. I think you’ll be surprised that (for a small room, at least), the sounds is quite good.

Anyhow, overall, I really like the system so far. It is nice not to have to play DVD’s through my PS2, and the surround gives you a nice almost-movie-theater-like experience.”

Denon S-101

Included Components: DVD Player · Radio Tuner
Number Of Speakers: 2 Speakers and Subwoofer
Front Speaker: 2 Way
Main Speakers Power Output: 50 Watts
Playable Disk Types: DVD Video · VCD · DVD-R · DVD-RW · DVD+R · DVD+RW · CD (Audio) · CD-R · CD-RW
Subwoofer Power Output: 100 Watts
Playable File Formats: MP3 · WMA · JPEG
Remote Control: Universal
Audio 
Surround Sound: Dolby Digital® · DTS® · Dolby Pro Logic II
Audio DAC: 24 bit / 96 kHz
DVD 
Number of Discs: 1
Progressive Scan: With Progressive Scan
Inputs: Composite x 1 · S-Video x 1 · Digital Audio (Optical) x 1 · Digital Audio (Coaxial) x 2
Front Panel: Headphone Jack
Outputs: Composite x 1 · S-Video x 1 · Component x 1 · Digital Audio Optical x 1
OSD: Yes

“Denon is rightfully considered to be one of the top brands in consumer electronics, especially for music. When I heard that Denon is jumping into HTIB (home theatre in a box) category, I knew I had to try it.
I bought the product off the internet for 450$, a store demo item — substantial discount over its 995$ MSRP price. First thing you’ll notice is that it is relatively small, especially when compared to large HTIB systems at lower prices. If you like your electronics to be good looking, smooth & understated, this one definitely fits the bill.
The setup was quick, easy & painless. I had it running with my HDTV and receiver in less than 30 minutes. Let’s just say if you can read and follow a VERY simple diagram you can set it up without the problem. Cosmetically it looks awesome, especially with my Sony Wega TV & stand. The subwoofer fits snugly & unobtrusively behind the set.
Performance: Somewhat mixed, so I’ll try to list my impressions.

(1) TV reception. If you’re using it as a TV receiver it’s only average. It’s underpowered (especially subwoofer) and 2.1 virtual surround is underwhelming to say the least. If you have a dedicated receiver, you’ll be OK, but if you’ll use this mostly as an upgrade for your TV speakers — I’d suggest you go somewhere else.

(2) DVD performance: Very nice. Pretty good sound, decent but not overpowering base, OK surround sound (obviously it’s not as good as dedicated 5.1 but comparable to other virtual systems like Yamaha or Polk without as much need to optimize and sit in a “sweet spot”.

(3) Radio — pleasant surprise. Crisp sound, good response.

(4) CD — very nice. Reads multiple formats (CD, Mp3s, AVIs).

Remote control is pretty nice, but buttons are somewhat crowded. The play/stop are big, others are tiny, especially in the back flap – used for more subtle/less frequently used controls. COULD use a backlighting though, especially for using it in the dark.”

“I was shopping for something Bigger (more elaborate) but I couldn’t deal with all that speaker wire. So, a friend turned me on to this system and the sound is amazing. Dolby Virtual Surround is an amazing piece of technology.
The price was great too as my friend is an authorized Denon Dealer. The only weird thing is that the digital audio inputs are not assignable so AUX 1 & 2 (video output) use coaxial digital connections. AUX 3 (audio only) uses an optical digital connection only. Weird!”

Denon S301

Denon’s S-301 packs exceptionally clear DVD playback and room-filling sound into a smart, user-friendly design. This stylish system uses Dolby? Virtual Speaker technology to produce surround-like audio effects with just two speakers and a subwoofer. You get remarkably simple setup and operation, along with some special conveniences ? like a front-panel connection that enables the ’301 to play and control your iPod. This four-piece system is simple to hook up. Since there are no rear speakers, you don’t have to run wire to the back of your room. Color-coded speaker jacks make for goof-proof connections.
Included Components: DVD Player
Number Of Speakers: 2 Speakers and Subwoofer
Front Speaker: 3 Way
Main Speakers Power Output: 70 Watts
Playable Disk Types: DVD Video · DVD-R · DVD-RW · CD (Audio) · CD-R · CD-RW · Picture CD
Subwoofer Power Output: 140 Watts
Playable File Formats: MP3 · JPEG
Remote Control: Yes
Audio 
Surround Sound: DTS® · Dolby Pro Logic II
Audio DAC: 12 bit / 216000 kHz
DVD 
Number of Discs: 1
Progressive Scan: With Progressive Scan
TV Resolutions: 480p (525p) · 720p (750p) · 1080i (1125i)
Inputs: Composite x 2 · S-Video x 1 · Digital Audio (Optical) x 1 · Digital Audio (Coaxial) x 1
Front Panel: USB 1.1
OSD: Yes
Tuner 
Built-in Radio Tuner: AM · FM
Tuner Presets: 56

“For several months, I looked for the right home theatre solution for my bedroom. Unlike the family room, which has a full component-based 5.1 system, the requirements for the bedroom included support for an HDTV ready television and its over-the-air tuner, efficient use of space, and superb sound.
Recently, several major electronics firms have began to heavily promote systems with fewer speakers, which simulate Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound. Sony, Yamaha and Bose all have offerings, along with a few lesser known names. Last fall, Denon entered this space with its S-301 system, along with its slighly more modest sibling, the S-101.
I made my selection based on both my own auditions and information gathered online (both professional and amateur reviews, along with basic information about the features of the various contenders.
In the “compressed home theatre”, compromises are generally to be expected. I will try to address what I learned about each of the major systems limitations, since I believe that others will also be comparing them when deciding on the system that is right for them. Since I own the S-301, I will try and address its own stengthes and weaknesses with more detail.
The Yamaha offering consists of a large enclosure, with approximately 45 small speakers in it, to similate surround sound. The system has very nice sound, at at $1,000 it is not terribly costly. One of the biggest disadvantages of the Yamaha is the need to spend a substantial amount more, to complete your home theatre solution. At the very least, you need to provide your own DVD player and a reasonable sub-woofer … which is likely to set you back another $300 or more. At $1,300, the Yamaha is still competitive in terms of cost, but you have a system fairly limited in terms of features, and a pretty substantial footprint.
Sony’s solution is the DAV-X1, consisting of 2 small speakers and a sub-woofer, plus a main unit with a DVD player/receiver. It retails for $1,000, but online, it can be found for about $600. I gave this one serious consideration, since I tend to really like Sony products, and it seemed to offer you the most for your money. In the end, I decided not to go with the DAV-X1, because I felt it did not offer the best experience in terms of sound, which is of course the whole reason for getting on of these systems, and not depending on the speakers in your television set. I am not an audiophile, but when compared to the other contenders, this one just seemed to come up short.
Bose’s latest offerings in this space are from their 321 Series II GS (Gemstone) models. The Bose has its own set of pros and cons. In the pro column, the Gemstone satellite speakers are quite small, and sound very nice. Depending on your needs, this system might be what you want. Unfortunately, there are several drawbacks. First of all, the Bose folks have made this system relatively difficult to properly audition. At every store where I saw the Bose, the sales folks were only allowed to demo it with a specific disk supplied by Bose, with a special demo unit. When I am looking to invest in a system in this price range, what I really want to do is compare some of my OWN selections, which I know fairly well, and see how each system handles them. Anyone can select pieces which they know will highlight their own systems’ stengths and conceal its weaknesses.
The other main drawbacks of the Bose include its very limited offerings for hook up of other equipment and its lack of an HDMI output. I started out thinking this was to be the system that I wanted to buy, but in the end, I shifted to the Denon, and I have absolutely no buyer’s remorse.
At a retail price of $1599, the Denon IS the most expensive unit in this field. If price is of great concern to you, audition the S-101, which has a suggested list price of $999, but has a bit less power, and it lacks the IPOD integration that you get on the S-301.
I’m going to start my discussion of the S-301 with the features that could have been better, and then I’ll get into what I like about it.
Clearly it IS expensive .. but I was able to wait until a good sale at an authorized dealer lowered the price $200. The speakers are relatively large, especially the subwoofer .. so if space is of great concern to you, be sure that this footprint will work before you purchase. With respect to connection of other devices, if you will be hooking up a digital audio device (I hooked up my HDTV tuner), you will need to decide to either use a coaxial digital input to share AUX1 or AUX2 with your television’s analog input, or else use AUX3 which has an optical input, but no analog. One of the nice things the Denon can do is “select” one of multiple inputs to a single AUX jack. That means that if I switch my television over to my HDTV box, my sound will switch with it without a need to switch my audio source.
An area where the Denon was somewhat lacking (as is true for the other conenders) is in video switching. The unit can send its DVD output via both component video cables and HDMI, so on its own, performance is great. But if you want to hook up an alternate video source to the unit, the best you will do in terms of input will be S-video. So .. for optimal video quality, you would be wise to send your component video or HDMI video directly to your television or video monitor, to avoid any reduction in signal quality.
The S-301 remote could also be seen as a weak point. Main functions appear on a front panel, and they are easy to manage, but many other features are hidden behind a back panel, and it can be clumsy reaching them. A good aftermarket universal remote might be worth having.
That pretty much wraps up the weak points. Let’s move along to some of the unit’s good points …..
First – there is package completeness. You get all the basic cables that you need, beautiful steel speaker stands, metal brackets for wall mounting, a reasononably clear and complete user’s manual, high quality speaker cables (which you CAN change, should you need longer runs), and a very complete set of features in the unit itself. Many units of this type handle video well, but are more lacking in audio. I don’t think this is true of the S-301. Its handles CD’s, MP3 files, Photo CD’s, SACD’s and DVD-audio, along with commercial and home-made DVD videos. USB and IPOD ports make hook up of an MP3 player simple – and the IPOD integration is very nice. If you choose to use the HDMI
output, you will need to buy a cable. I believe that you
can use a generic cable (such as one found on Ebay) and get
results as good as an expensive name brand cable … but will leave that strictly as an opinion, without scientific backup.
The accessories I did add that did not come with the unit included vogel speaker brackets (good product!) .. since the wall brackets the come with the unit are not too versatile … a universal remote that handles control of my television and set-top box better than the Denon, and TERK AM and FM antennas which are much better than the low-cost ones included in the Denon package.
The system does a beautiful job enhancing DVD’s with built-in Faroudja curcuitry, their are Burr-Brown DACs for superb digital audio, and in general, this box makes everything sound and look great. I’ve always had Sony DVD players, and one feature they all had which I missed was “memory” for recenly played movies. The Sony would remember where you stopped the last 20 (or more) movies that you played, so you could continue later from that point. We have small children, so interuptions are common. Needing to recall which chapter we were on when the little ones stopped us was something we were not used to doing.
The simulated surround sound is good – but not perfect. It does help if you are sitting in the “sweet spot” between your speakers. You can adjust the distance you will be from each speaker (and the subwoofer) to select the right spot for best surround sound, but virtual dolby is still not quite the real thing. That said, the experience of watching a film with this unit is very enjoyable.
The Tuner allows you to use the text that is now common on FM broadcasts, and you can also use it to select special types of broadcasts such as traffic and news reports. You can also label stations, and a total of 60 presets are possible. With a good antenna, the tuning unit does a very nice job.
For me – one of the great surprises was the quality of the audio from the unit. I listened to DVD-audios of the Buena Vista Social Club (Cuban), the Eagles Hotel California, an Opera performance of West Side Story, and an SACD of Elton John’s Goodbye Yellowbrook road. To my ears, all sounded rich and very pleasing. I also played some MP3s burned on a CD, and they have never sounded better to me.
In summary – I really do like the Denon, and can forgive its shortcomings in its inputs and outputs – based on the overall quality of the experience using it. A very nice unit that I am comfortable recommending highly.”

“Denon went through great pains to make a respectable surround sound product from only two speakers and a subwoofer, and they’ve succeeded admirably.
This unit duplicates surround sound quite well, (although it will never be TRUE surround sound) and is superb for CD listening in 2 channel. Denon also uses one of their best DVD players in this unit, so you get excellent audio and video reproduction. It decodes SACD, DVD audio, all the Dolby formats, as well as DTS. It is so far away superior to the Bose 3-2-1 system for almost the same price that it’s almost an insult by Bose. Don’t make the mistake of buying Bose just because of their hype. It is high quality all the way, and gorgeous to look at.”

Denon home theater receivers without speakers are coded AVR 3805, 3806 etc. This page reviews only complete systems.

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Denon Home Theater

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