Denon AVR-3805 Receiver Review

This receiver is geared towards the serious home theater enthusiast, while being priced for the (subjectively-speaking) budget-conscious. As you can tell from our more recent reviews, it is possible to achieve excellent audio performance while forgoing separates in favor of the more solidly-built receivers. Your mileage may vary from model to model, but considering all the different components that make up a home theater room, a feature-laden receiver at this price point is mighty attractive. Since the introduction of the Denon AVR-5803 in 2002, Denon has been consistently breaking new ground with its receivers - and this unit is no exception.

From its beginning in the 1930s as a supplier of professional recording studio and broadcast equipment, Denon has become a world leader in the manufacture of the highest quality audio, audio/video, and software products. Denon is recognized internationally for innovative and groundbreaking products and has a long history of technical innovations, including the development and first commercialization of PCM digital audio. Denon is a subsidiary of D & M Holdings Inc. which is based in Tokyo and is the parent company of wholly owned subsidiaries Denon Ltd., Marantz Japan, Inc. and McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. Denon, Marantz and McIntosh are global industry leaders in the specialist home theater, audio/video consumer electronics and professional audio markets, with a strong and long-standing heritage of manufacturing and marketing high-performance audio and video components.

• Dolby Pro Logic IIx

• Additional 10 watts per channel (8 ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz, < .05%THD)

• Auto Setup & Parametric Room EQ

• Extended Bass Management Crossover Points (150/200/250Hz)

• DENON Link 3rd Edition (Super Audio CD & DVD-Audio) compatible digital input

• True 3 Source, 3 Zone functionality with discrete power, Source Select and volume control for each zone

• ALPHA 24 Processing Plus (AL24+) on all channels (not just the front speakers)

• EL backlighting pre-programmed/learning remote

• Two (2) assignable +12V triggers

• Video pass-through when unit is off.
• Independent crossover settings for 2CH or SACD/DVD-Audio modes
• Input level trims for each source (allowing you to match reference volume levels for all devices)
• Firewire support (you must purchase a D Link enabled Denon DVD player to benefit from a single direct digital audio connection for SACD and DVD-Audio)
• Zone 2/3 does not allow digital sources to be output on its analogue preamp outputs

Aside from the basic look of the unit, which is attractively simple (ok, they pretty much all look the same), my first impressions focused on sound. What I felt was a mixture of satisfaction and, call me whatever you like, an insatiable appetite to want to cause this receiver to somehow stumble during the first several hours of operation. I tried several of the most bass intensive music tracks to see how the unit would control my 4-ohm RBH Sound speakers in 2-channel mode and failed to hear anything but tight bass and well-controlled midrange at reasonable listening levels. I moved on to aesthetics and noticed the strangely familiar remote control. Where had I seen that type of look before? Then it hit me: Indiglo watches and membrane keyboards. The new Denon remote had truly gone retro in its appeal to find a different way of presenting a typically boorish set of buttons. The resulting remote will land you in one of two camps: Hate It or Love It. When taking such a departure from the norm, there isn't much room left for a middle ground. I personally found the remote to grow on me, however it has the feel of a device which will not age well and has the same "look at me" disadvantages shared by all non-tactile button-based remotes.

Most of the connections on the Denon are unambiguous. The only problem you are likely to have connecting to the AVR-3805 is what surround speaker terminals to utilize. Denon provides 2 sets of surround speakers apart from the optional surround back speakers. The purpose of the dual speakers is for those consumers wanting to configure their rooms with direct radiating speakers for DTS/SACD/DVD-Audio music and a different set of surrounds (usually bipolar) mounted on the sides of the room for home theater use. If you only have one set of speakers, you'll want to default the system to use the A speakers, even if you mount your speakers towards the back of the room and not the sides (like Reference System 3). While the graphical representation of your speakers will be incorrect in the setup OSD, this is the correct and easiest way to set up a system not using a separate "music-only" set of surround speakers. The selection of A or B has nothing at all to do with DSP or surround field settings (including EQ.) It is merely an assignment that can be utilized in the setup menu to designate what speakers should handle which decoding formats. While this is a meritorious feature, it really has a limited market. You would need to either sacrifice 7.1 for 5.1 to reconfigure the additional speakers, or place 9 speakers in your main listening area - a feat not many people can afford, let alone accommodate.

I have to say that it was a pleasure hooking up my Denon DVD-5900 to the AVR-3805 via Denon Link 3rd Edition. One cable, a brief visit to the receiver and DVD menus to enable Denon Link 3 rd and I was on my way to digital audio bliss. All bass management and processing/decoding was now being handled by the AVR-3805 and I no longer had to worry about running the spaghetti mess of interconnects behind the rack in order to outfit my system for analogue multi-channel connectivity. This is truly a one-cable audio solution for those possessing a compatible DVD player such as the venerable DVD-5900 (you will require the latest firmware update for Denon 3rd Edition pending SACD approval of Denon's proprietary format).

What? A $1200 receiver that gives you 2 x 120 watts for each front channel to the main speakers in a bi-amped configuration while still allowing 5.1 surround? Absolutely. Read on... Using unused "Surround Back" amps to bi-amp the main speakers was mentioned by Gene DellaSala in his review of the Denon AVR-5803 receiver and the same procedure holds true for the AVR-3805. Why let those unused surround back amplifiers go to waste if you are not utilizing either them or Zone 2 speakers? Here is the procedure to successfully bi-amp the Denon AVR-3805 and deliver additional power to your main speakers:

That said, we encourage you to TRY the bi-amp setup and judge for yourself if you hear any objectionable increase in noise that negates the many advantages of bi-amping in general. The procedure below specifically connects the speakers LOW frequency to the Zone 3, while having the HIGH frequency connected to the FRONT speaker terminals. This may help to reduce any extra noise from the use of multi-zone from getting to the tweeters. The reason for choosing Zone 3 rather than Zone 2 is simply to still permit the use of a volume controlled zone 2 for genuine multi zone use, so long as an additional stereo amplifier is used. Additionally, because of details on the remote, it makes it slightly more difficult to accidentally alter some of the settings.

Anything you select to listen to will have its output for the front L & R go directly to the speaker terminals marked Front L & R and ALSO go out the L & R PRE OUT jacks which ultimately get to the SURR BACK / MULTI speaker terminals. Therefore, the CONTENT of the FRONT L & R speaker terminals is identical to the content of the SURR BACK / MULTI speaker terminals.

Once setup this way, you never touch the ZONE 3 again since the main zone is in control of everything.....one exception...

Notes: It would have been nice if the channel trim for the Zone 2/3 level control had +/-0.5dB precision as did all of the other channel trims of this receiver. However, we found +2dB adjustment to provide near unity gain with the main amplifiers. During this configuration I also wondered what would happen if the CD input were accidentally selected by mistake, causing the main channel preamp outputs to be suddenly routed to themselves (feedback). Not to worry, Zone 2/3 does not allow the same source to be sent simultaneously to the main speaker outputs so feedback is impossible - at least with regards to this configuration method.

Be sure to remove the jumpers on the back of the main speakers and then connect a set of wires from the "Front" channels of the receiver to the highs section of each of your front speakers and a set of wires from the "Multi Zone 2" channels of the receiver to the lows of your front speakers. Voila! You now paid only $1200 for a receiver that gives you 3dB of additional headroom in the form of 2 x 120watts per channel to your main speakers where you need it the most.

All measurements for the receiver's configuration should be taken from the listening position, both in measuring distance and SPL levels. For Reference System 3 we came up with the following settings:

I love the ability to set speaker distances with a .1 ft tolerance. For overseas users, the Denon even enables the user to configure the system in .01 meter increments. Using .01 meter increments will result in more accuracy regardless of what measurement system you typically utilize (.1 ft = 1.2" increments while .01m = .394" increments.)

Once the system was configured I noted the settings and continued with my evaluation period for several weeks.

Auto setup and Room EQ are emerging trends that now come standard with several models from Yamaha, Denon and Pioneer. Once I decided it was time to test the Auto Setup functions of the AVR-3805, I redid my manual setup to ensure that my system had not changed from the settings I had previously engaged. They were spot on and I recorded their settings for later comparison.

Verify/set your crossover frequency FIRST, before running any tests or auto setup. Auto setup will NOT adjust your crossover frequency.

Next, I proceeded to connect the Denon DM-S305 condenser microphone to the front of the receiver. I was careful to position the omni-directional microphone at exactly the listening position - precisely where the SPL meter was placed during the manual setup. The DM-S305 microphone is a $60 option and is a plug-and-play solution requiring no calibration of its own or level adjustment. This is an advantage for those looking to utilize the automatic configuration and EQ functions of the AVR-3805. It comes with a threaded insert on the bottom of the mic which is surrounded by a thin rubberized pad, providing sufficient isolation when mounted on a camera-style tripod (the mic is not designed for standard 5/8" threaded microphone stands.)

To begin auto calibration, click on "Auto Setup" from the Auto Setup / Room EQ Menu. The Denon will now remind you to Connect the Microphone and verify whether you are using the powered Surround Back speakers. Simply guide the remote down to the Start text and cursor left to begin. A good suggestion would be to run this setup in the evening, when ambient noise generally subsides by about 10dB or more. You will also want to turn off any air conditioning and remove small children from the room prior to performing auto calibration.

During calibration the Denon will produce a 2 second burst of pink noise from each speaker, checking frequency response, distance, level and phase. The starting volume for the test is automatically set by the AVR-3805 so there is no need to pre-set the receiver's volume at any particular level (another advantage of having a digitally-controlled analogue volume.)

The order for the tests is Front Left, Front Right, Center, Subwoofer (measured twice), Surround Left A, Surround Right A, Surround Left B, Surround Right B, Surround Back Left, Surround Back Right (these last two will not be displayed or tested when Zone 2 or Zone 3 is configured in the Auto Setup menu. Each test burst is accompanied by the word "Measuring" which appears on the monitor output as well as the Denon's digital display.

This single pink noise burst not only results in distance, speaker type and level settings, but also configures the parametric EQ settings as well (which by default are off.) At the conclusion of the Auto Setup you will be able to view the speaker configuration, delay times, and channel levels as set by the Denon receiver. Auto Setup rendered my system in the following manner:

You can see by the highlighted numbers that the AVR-3805, while not wrong configures speaker systems according to a fixed set of rules (see inset "Important notes on Denon Room EQ"). I would not, for example, consider the high performance RBH Sound 61-LSEs to be Large speakers as they perform strongly down to 45Hz but are not equipped to handle crucial lower frequencies at high SPLs.

In Reference System 3 I generally prefer sending all frequencies below at least 60Hz to the subwoofer. Every room and system is different, however and you may not choose to do the same in yours. In addition to this, I have been experimenting with utilizing the THX standard of 80Hz for home theater and music use which has produced excellent results as well.

Room EQ: FRONT

Room EQ: FLAT

The "FLAT" Room EQ mode, according to Denon "adjusts the frequency response of all speakers flat." Prior to this review, I would have thought that the purpose of "NORMAL" setting was to adjust all speakers to a flat frequency response. Apparently "NORMAL" provides a bit more than simple room correction. On this setting, Nora Jones' vocals were moved forward a few feet, replacing the laid back style of the song with a more forward mix. On other discs I experienced similar feelings where the vocals were accentuated and the mix was brought forward so as to almost "flatten" the depth of the instrumentation in the mix. The "FLAT" setting is, to me, just a less aggressive version of the "NORMAL" setting. If you want some global room corrective EQ, but don't want to create a wall of sound, this might be your best choice.

The "FRONT" setting is intended to"adjust the characteristics of each speaker to match the front speakers." Of all of the settings, this one was the least intrusive as it only affected the surrounds and center channel speakers.

Based on my notes aboveI am going to make some serious recommendations regarding Denon's Automated Parametric Room EQ. First of all, prepare to do about an hour-long listening session, playing some of your favorite music. Go ahead and try out the "NORMAL" mode - and be prepared to like it... for about 3 minutes, until your ears get fatigued from the onslaught of sound. After this, switch between the various modes using the on-screen display, so that you can pick and choose what mode you are jumping to, rather than cycling via the remote. I think that the Room EQ system is going to vary in its usefulness depending upon the room, the speakers, and the listener. There is simply no way for any reviewer to tell you what will and will not work for you with regards to this type of system. I can tell you, however, that with my RBH Sound reference speakers, I prefer to leave the system off.

What would make this system much more useful would be to cap the amount of gain and allow limited tweaking of the amount of correction that is allowed. As you can see from the charts above, several of the target frequencies received +8 and +9 dB of GAIN from the system - a general no-no in the world of room correction. A good solution for this would be to apply a global "strength" filter that would apply to all EQ settings and would come with a "high, medium, and low" configuration. This would allow some flavor of correction to be done without generating the potential "wall of sound" effect that I observed. Denon could also focus the majority (or even all 8) of its parametric EQs on fixing the most notorious problem in listening rooms - room modes. By targeting just frequencies below 120Hz, they could provide an incredible service to those wishing to smooth out their low frequency response... of course this also has its own difficulties and inherent trade-offs.

Overall, the Room EQ system is a potential victory, but it must be used cautiously and its results will vary from system to system. It also could benefit from running a separate test for Room EQ once the speakers were configured; and mode-specific calibration. Take your time, listen to the differences, and draw your own conclusion. Based on my observation with the system I would doubt that the "Normal" mode will result in any truly accurate correction, but rather will create something akin to a DSP mode that renders a very forward mix of all channels. Denon also provides a Manual fixed Q equalizer that will allow you to do some correction on your system at fixed frequencies (63Hz, 125Hz, 250Hz, 500Hz, 1kHz, 2kHz, 4kHz & 8kHz).

Pros

• Automatic wake/sleep mode that works really well
• Super easy learning remote functions and presets
• Punch-through support for programmed/learned functions
• Adjustable backlight time
• Lighted volume and channel keys

Cons

• Very difficult to see display in sunlight (even at brightest setting)
• Missing some useful functions like 'Video Select'
• Auto wake only works well if remote is oriented horizontally
• Remote is VERY big and is not very ergonomically-shaped

As I've said before (and will probably say again) remote controls are generally hit or miss. On this remote control, Denon decided to go retro. It features an Electroluminescent display which is essentially the same technology employed by LCD backlights. Electroluminescence is simply light (radiant energy) created by an electrical field that does not result in heat. In fact, ELDs could be thought of as inefficient capacitors that lose energy in the form of light. Current ELD life expectancy is around 100,000 hours at 75% of original luminance - that's probably longer than you will use this receiver!

The luminous blue color of the buttons is merely the backlight being allowed through the insulating surface that covers the remote's functions. Each function, or button, has its own parent EL area and the EL backlight is configured so as to allow different buttons to become lit when certain modes are engaged. The remote feels big in your hand, and indeed it is over 9" long and nearly 3" wide at its top and bottom. There is no real ergonomic shape to the remote, except for a slight taper around the midsection. The physical buttons available on the remote are channel up/down, volume, channel select/enter and a 4-way cursor/menu control button. I am not a particular fan of LCD remotes, and the Denon RC-969 shares the same downfalls in that it commands your attention in order to use functions not related to volume or channels. For example, want to record/watch a show on DVR, change the display mode of your HDTV, or bring up the guide on your cable box? With the EL remote, you have to look at the screen and select the correct function. A tactile button-based remote allows you to simply navigate by feel to your more commonly-used functions.

All in all, the remote control enables easy control over all equipment once you program it, which is an easy process - one of the more straightforward methods I've seen. Controlling unusual functions such as the variable "aspect ratio" on my Mitsubishi WS-55813 HDTV means you'll have to assign a function to whichever available button you can find. This problem isn't unique to EL remotes- it also exists on remotes with physical buttons. Going back to my earlier statement, however, at least with an LCD remote you can customize the display.

For a $1200 receiver, the included Denon RC-969 is sufficient and its luminescent blue display is a pretty impressive coffee table item to show your friends. It's cool to have a remote that responds to your touch when you pick it up - I don't care who you are!

The available custom DSP modes are:

Widescreen: This creates a wider soundstage by 1) activating all 7.1 speakers (if present) and 2) chorusing the surround channels to deliver a "larger" sound. My experience with this mode found it to lower low frequency response a bit for some reason, and of course its effects varied depending upon the source.

Super Stadium: Fun for sporting events, this mode adds a long reverb time and extra bass EQ to all speakers to deliver the effect of being live at a stadium. I chose to adjust the "EFFECT" parameter of this DSP sound field effect to 7 to make it more tolerable. There is a tremendous amount of slap-back echo set to around 30-50ms which, while simulating a larger stadium, needs to be rolled back a bit to not be quite so distracting.

Rock Arena/Jazz Club/Classic Concert: Similar to the Super Stadium mode, but scaled back with far less reverb, these modes simply livens up the room to give you more of a "live" feel when listening to CDs. Rock Arena adds Bass EQ as well as some treble to the signal. I also reduced the "EFFECT" setting on this mode to 6 or 7 in order to tame it a bit depending upon the source. The Jazz Club setting is said to provide the feel of a "live house with low ceiling and hard walls." It fairly accurately mimics this, and while many will not want to add DSP to their jazz CDs, it makes for a neat effect.

Mono Movie: I've had some luck with this mode, however mileage varies with the source and there are usually audible "surprises" in each film that don't behave well with the DSP methodology.

Video Game: Providing a greater emphasis on the surrounds, this mode delivers a more active surround field which is desirable for playing games - especially FPS and action-style types.

Matrix: This DSP mode actually slows down time and allows you to walk on the ceiling... Well, not quite. Actually it takes some of the stereo-only content of the main channels and accentuates the overall sound field by placing that content (with delay) into the surrounds. Crank up this mode in the surround parameters menu and you'll hear a solid delay from the front channels to the rear.

Virtual: Virtual enables a different kind of sound field from just 2-channels.

5CH/7CH Stereo: Available in most receivers, this mode sends left/right content to the surrounds and back surrounds as well as a summed mono signal to the center channel for a nice "all-speakers-on" party mode.

As I mentioned earlier, none of the Denon DSP's will amaze you or your friends, but they may prove to be entertaining at times when you have some fun experimenting on music or movie sources.. I utilized the 5CH Stereo mode on more than one occasion when I was entertaining guests and I figured the Super Stadium mode would have been fun to engage during the Superbowl (though I imagine it would have grown tiresome after a while.) Mono movie mode is hit or miss, though I have found it to help old black and white television movies on more than one occasion.

HDCD is relatively new and is based upon using a CODEC (compression/decompression technology) that uses 20-bit high-resolution samples as opposed to standard 16-bit CDs. HDCD does this while remaining completely compatible with standard redbook CD players. It also helps that the more than 5,000 CD titles currently using HDCD are mastered with this extra resolution in mind - and greater time spent on the recording material almost always results in a better sounding disc, regardless of the technology utilized.

AL24 is a proprietary processing system whereby an optimized analogue waveform technology is utilized to read the 192 kHz sampling frequency of DVD-Audio discs. Denon claims that AL24 Processing Plus thoroughly suppresses quantization noise associated with D/A conversion of LPCM signals. This results in the reproduction of line level signals that have the best possible clarity for the format. Denon's AVR-3805 now supports AL24 Plus on all 7.1 channels.

Break out the champagne, Denon has enabled native DVD-Audio (MLP) and SACD (DSD) support with DENON Link 3rd Edition (included on the AVR-3805 and fully active). Once approval from SACD licensers is given for transmission from Denon Link 3rd-enabled DVD players, you will finally be able to connect ONE CABLE from the player (like the DVD-5900 or future players) to the AVR-3805 (or AVR-5803).

Note: DENON has already submitted 'DENON Link 3rd Edition' to Super Audio CD licensers and content holders for the purpose of obtaining approval for transmitting multi-channel digital signals of Super Audio CD, and this is currently in the approval process. The digital transmission of Super Audio CD to the AVR-3805 or AVR-5803A from players equipped with 'DENON Link 3rd Edition' will become possible upon completion of the aforementioned approval process and at the stage where formal approval has been obtained. DENON plans to make notification concerning details of the implementation period, method and price of updates to 'DENON Link 3rd Edition' for DVD players which have been sold, and are currently equipped with 'DENON Link 2nd Edition (SE)'.

D-Link worked flawlessly for me, allowing the AVR-3805 to handle all bass management and processing for DVD-Audio as well as DVD-Video discs. Getting the D-Link connection is as easy as enabling D-Link in the DVD player (in this case the DVD-5900), setting your Digital Audio Assignment for the DVD Player to DLINK in the AVR-3805 and connecting the D-Link cable (which should be included with Denon Universal players.) In the event that you have a Denon DVD Player equipped with DENON Link 2nd Edition, you can set the DVD input to switch to the external Multi-channel inputs whenever a D-LINK signal is not present, thus allowing your player to send SACD to the AVR-3805 through its multi-channel inputs (this function is enabled by default.

The Denon AVR-3805 not only performs well, but also has an exceptional build quality for its $1199 price tag. Based on the fuse rating of 7.1 amps, we can deduce that the power transformer is around 850VA (7.1A x 120V). Taking into account amplifier and power supply efficiency and processor overhead, true output power in 7-channels all-channels-driven would be about 850 x 0.7 舑 50 = 545 Watts / 7 = 77 watts per channel assuming the receiver doesn't have built-in current limiting. It features a very hefty equal power amplifier section, with discrete output devices on all seven channels. It has a large power transformer that takes up nearly 1/6th of the interior of the receiver and is coupled with a rectifier diode and oversized block capacitor to stabilize the power at high output levels.

The heat sink for the amplification section runs the entire length of the unit and provides ample cooling for the AVR-3805, even during extended home theater use. I ran it through several movie nights and didn't find it to be excessively hot, even directly over the heat sink.

Also, don't miss our findings on bi-amping the AVR-3805 to deliver 240 Watts per channel to your main speakers.

Sting's Ten Summoner's Tales is a great CD from the 90's that I listen to whenever I want to hear high end clarity at loud volumes. "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You" provided ample proof that the Denon had no trouble in ringing out the upper mid and high frequency ranges at high volume levels. There could be an argument for how adding a separate amplifier and using the Denon's preamp outputs for the main channels (center as well for home theater) could provide some added dynamic and smoothness but at the price point of this receiver you would have to consider taking the leap to a completely different solution - whether that be separates or a flagship receiver like the AVR-5803A. For $1200 the AVR-3805 performed like a receiver costing much more and it would, in fact, make an excellent (and highly competitive) preprocessor for those looking for a top-end unit to match with a separate amplifier.

To see how well the receiver could do driving all of its channels at high SPL, I placed a few select DVDs into the Denon DVD-5900 and sat back to enjoy the show. The goal was to experience the full sound field and get a handle on how loud you could really play the AVR-3805 with its rated power. On a system that has speaker loads from 4-ohms to 8-ohms all around we could get into some interesting volume levels.

Remember that for these tests, the Denon had configured all of my speakers to "Large", including the surrounds, so the amplifier was sending everything to all the speakers, including the low frequency information. The only sound going to the subwoofer was the dedicated LFE track.

The Fifth Element is perhaps my favorite movie of all time. The intricately woven scenes and back and forth dialogue of this underrated film are an incredible testimony to the filmmaking and writing process. It also has some spectacular sound and the Superbit/DTS disc is an incredibly vibrant example of what DVDs can look and sound like. For this listening test, I called up soprano Plavalaguna's amazing operatic performance (voiced/played by Albanian Inva Mula-Tchako with only a few digital enhancements) and turned up the system for an incredibly rich surround experience. If your room sounds just like an opera house during this scene, you have arrived at sonic bliss and can stop buying more gear! Following this scene is an explosive gun-battle sequence that will test system dynamics quite well.

Putting in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers DVD I was able to really get the surrounds going by queuing up the Battle for Helm's Deep. This epic scene pushes a lot of volume to each channel. More power will enable you to go louder with more clarity (obviously more easily identified in music discs, such as Toy Matinee's DVD-Audio disc or Nora Jones' Come Away With Me multi-channel SACD) but the AVR-3805 seemed to provide a respectable amount of performance for its price class.

I found the Denon AVR-3805 to handle whatever I threw at it with both finesse and power. At no time did it sound compressed or distorted at reasonable listening levels. If you're looking to power a large room to ear-bleeding levels, or you really want to go a step futher in dynamics performance then you may need to supplement the AVR-3805's amplification - at least the front three channels. I seriously doubt, however, that anyone purchasing this receiver for $1200 or less will be dissatisfied with the output it achieves and the quality with which that output is presented.